Showing 1-50 of 97 posts. Most recent first | Next 50     
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Visited May 19, 2013
Hunebed D42 Emmeres lies west of the city of Emmen, about 2½ kilometres walk from the Central Bus and Railway station. If travelling on foot, head west from the station until you reach the main road, Odoorneweg. Follow Odoorneweg northwards for just under a kilometre (takes 12 minutes walking), then follow the first road left, Sluisvierweg. Follow this for a kilometre to Schietbaanweg, and turn left (south) down this road. By now you should encounter 'hunebed' signs as you walk the 400 metrtes to the end of the woodland.
Here a path heads left, through the last of the trees, and takes you to the hunebed which lies in the clear, on the corner of the wooded area.
This is not one of the most magnificent hunebeds, having clearly been greatly robbed over the centuries. It is believed that this passage grave originally boasted nine capstones: only four remain today, and two of these are fallen. It was restored in 1960 and, if you look closely, you will see the concrete imprints that were set into the ground to mark the positions of the missing sidestones.
The most notable feature of D42 Emmeres is the mighty oak tree that rises from the middle of the hunebed.
Reference: Dolomens in the Netherlands by Hans Meijer.
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Visited Sept 9, 2011
D44 Emmen Westenesch can hardly be called a hunebed, though it is still a classified National Monument. Long since, most of the stones comprising this megalithic burial chamber were robbed, leaving behind this remnant consisting of just two sidestones and a single capstone: the poorest hunebed of all.
It is interesting to learn that this is the only hunebed that stands on private property: all the other hunebeds are under state care. D44 can be found at the side of the Schiebaanweg track leading to the Westenesch farm.
To see the Westenesch hunebed, you will have to walk from Emmen (the nearest buses can drop you off at the Frieslandweg Bus Halt on the edge of town, on the N381 highway). Walk along the footpath/cycleway just north of the road for almost exactly a kilometre until you reach Schietbaanweg (just after you pass a single, prominent tree). Carefully cross the highway and head south to the nearest farm buildings. The first time I visited this hunebed, I couldn't find it - until I turned back the way I'd come. The hunebed nestles neatly in the angle between the first two farm buildings on the right of the road. You won't see it until you are level with it.
An interesting 'accessory' is a standing stone immediately behind the remains of the hunebed, which features a horizontal row of five drilled holes: perhaps an abortive attempt to break it up.
Reference: Dolomens in the Netherlands by Hans Meijer.
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Visited May 19, 2013
Hunebed D26 Drouwenerveld is one of the more interesting of the Dutch Hunebeds, but a photograph taken from above is needed to show it at its very best. This passage grave is well preserved, with twin rows of 6 sidestones and 5 of its capstones still in place: its entrance passage is marked by two pairs of sidestones but alas without capstones. The hunebed was originally surrounded by an oval of 27 kerbstones, and though only half remain today, the positions of the 'lost' (probably robbed) stones are indicated by concrete slabs.
Starting point for a visit is the village of Drouwen. You can get there by car or bike, or by taking the No 59 bus from Emmen or Borger. The hunebed lies across the main N34 highway to the west of the village. Reaching the hunebed (by walking or cycling, though you can drive a car much of the way too) is not straightforward, as this region abounds with large fields growing high quality turf. The fields are surrounded by high fences and 'keep out' notices and cannot be crossed. There is no chance of a short-cut, so you have to weave a long circuitous route between and around them.
Starting from the Markeweg bus stop in Drouwen, walk a few metres south to Steenhopenweg and turn right (west) into it. After about 350 metres, you will meet signs indicating hunebeds to the left and straight ahead. Almost immediately, a clearing on the left of the road reveals the twin hunebeds D19 and D20. But to reach Drouwenervald, continue straight ahead and through the underpass beneath the N34, for another 500 metres—then turn left (south) along Veldweg. Follow this dead straight road for just over a kilometre southwards, where it turns sharply right on to the tree-lined Lunsveenweg. Another 250 metres brings you to an area of woodland. Turn right here and follow the path north along the edge of the trees for 400 metres where you will find D26 Drouwerveld sitting in a small clearing at the northeast corner of the woodland.
The Drouwenervald hunebed was thoroughly excavated in the late 1960s, and revealed a wealth of artifacts (mainly pottery, axe-heads and beads) dating from the Funnel Beaker Era, 5000 years ago. These are on display in the Hunebed Centre at the nearby town of Borger.
Note: to return from visiting the Hunebed, it is advisable to retrace your inward route. There are a number of farm tracks leading off Veldweg that appear to offer short-cuts: they don't. All terminate short of the N34 and do not lead to either bridge or underpass to traverse this extremely busy arterial highway.
Reference: Dolomens in the Netherlands by Hans Meijer.
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Visited May 11, 2013
An area of rough gorse, almost due east of Kirkton of Durris, conceals the remains of a severely robbed ring-cairn lying 590 metres southwest of Upper Balfour farmhouse, within a field-system and cairnfield.
To access the Upper Balfour Ring Cairn, start from the village hall at Kirkton of Durris and continue up the road as it turns left. The road shortly merges into a woodland path which follows the edge of the adjacent field.
After about 200 metres, this path turns to the right, into the trees: at this point, be alert to pick up a narrow walkers' path that branches to the left and continues parallel with the field boundary. Where the trees end, follow the field boundary that heads northeast to the gate at its far end.
A search for the cairn last year proved fruitless on account of the dense gorse. But since then there has clearly been a major burning event, and only the scorched main stems remain. Not only does this make the walking much easier, it is also now possible to actually see the cairn as you approach it.
The cairn is to be found in the region of gorse scrub lying to the right of the subsequent field. A good direction marker is the lone mature tree that stands near the east corner of this area.
The cairn is nowadays little more than a grassy mound, 18 metres across and about half a metre in height.
More information about this vairn is available at RCAHMS
A second even more ruinous cairn lies almost exactly 100 metres to the southwest, at NO 7821 9590.
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Visited May 5, 2013
Only discovered in 1977, Auchlee Recumbent Stone Circle surrounds a severely damaged ring-cairn situated on a low knoll 220 metres WNW of Auchlee farmhouse. Only five circle stones remain, the recumbent and four orthostats, all prostrate.
In recent years it has been submerged in gorse. On this visit, the gorse was noticeably thinned, so much so that the two large stones of the inner kerb were easily photographed. Even one year ago they were almost totally obscured. However, as the photographs make clear, agriculture continues its relentless advance with the ploughing little more than a metre away from the recumbent stone.
The site has no fence as protection, and currently cattle have been rampaging over it, 'ploughing' up the interior and leaving heaps of dung all around. I hesitate to think what the site would be like in wet weather: fortunately, at this visit, there had been little rain for a month, and the ground was firm.
More information on this site is available at RCAHMS.
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Visited May 5, 2010
Cairnwell Ring Cairn formerly lay in Cairnwell Farm, some 175 metres southwest of its present location, which is at the roadside on Badentoy Avenue in the village of Portlethen. In 1995, to make way for an industrial development, Cairnwell Ring Cairn was totally excavated and reconstructed at its new site by AOC (Scotland).
The ring-cairn is surrounded by a circle of four upright orthostats, none much more than a metre in height.
More information at RCAHMS, where you can also view photographs of the monument in its original location.
You can read a report on the Cairnwell excavation and repositioning at this link.
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Visited April 20, 2013
Thanks to Gladman for his tip about the sliding grille in the gate, something I missed.
But there is a really wonderful woodland walk to the Deer Park stone circle. From the centre of Monymusk—where a diversion to view the beautifully restored church is well worthwhile—head across the park immediately north of the churchyard.
When the park ends, woodland begins. Keep walking eastwards along a broad forest track until you come to the service road to Monymusk House. Follow this till you reach the River Don (continue right to view this magnificent building, more in the style of a castle than a mere house).
To reach the stone circle, walk left along the good path that flanks the river and cross the bridge that spans the burn. Now head left, either through the deciduous plantation, or 30 yards farther on along the field boundary. Deer Park Circle is but a minute's walk away at the top of the rise.
To return, I recrossed the stream and followed it back towards the road. Here I found a six-foot tall gate in the deer fence (padlocked), and decided to climb out rather that retrace my steps.
I'll have to check out the sliding grille next time I visit here.
In retrospect, it would have been better simply to have retraced my steps to Monymusk House and returned to the village square through the woodland (it's only a 10 minute walk after all).
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Visited April 20, 2013
Planning a day walking in Pitfichie Forest, I checked around to see if there might be any as yet unvisited sites of interest on the way. I hit upon Nether Coullie Stone Circle - a remnant that I had somehow never got around to visiting, just outside Kemnay.
It was a terrific sunny morning and I followed Drew's notes for my route. I was intially somewhat disoriented as Drew stated that the remaining stone lay 'just before the wood'. What wood! The trees had been felled and the nearest woodlanhd looked an awful long way away. So the route from the crossroads is now to follow the path west almost to the far boundary of the 2nd field. The toppled stone lies approximately 100 metres into the field in the direction of Bennachie (i.e. north).
Apparently, this may have been a recumbent stone circle. It was reported in the 1870s that this was originally a circle of eight stones, though the recumbent was already missing. It was at this time that the farmer removed all but the two pillars. When the east pillar fell, it was apparently buried, leaving just the west pillar standing. This, too, has now fallen, and is the sole in-situ reminder of what used to be.
Ref: RCAHMS.
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Visited April 12, 2013
Having exhausted most Aberdeenshire sites north of Portlethen, I decided to take a look at some of the locations south of Stonehaven. First on the list was Cotbank of Barras Cairn on Mitton Hill.
I parked at the entrance to Cotbank Quarry, a familiar place from long ago. When the old A 96 was being dualled to create the present-day A 90: this is where most of the road metal came from.
The rock is basalt, and was notable for the numerous agate inclusions in it. Along with fellow enthusiasts, I used to search through the rock fragments piled up on the site at weekends, hunting down the semi-precious stones.
Today was cloudy, but just the right side of grey to be worth an exploration. And I was so lucky: one of the few sunny breaks arrived just as I reached the cairn.
This site was once thought to be a ruined stone circle, but current thinking is that it is a cairn surrounded by an intermittent ring of displaced kerbstones.
Ref: RCAHMS.
My elevated photograph gives a good impression of the site. There's more to see than usual, probably because the severe winter has suppressed the normal rank grasses.
My day continued with a trip to the Moray Stone. Although the enormous field opposite Cotbank Quarry was starting to 'green' as a crop emerged, a dual carriageway of tractor tracks conveniently led right across to its far edge. A few field boundaries later, and skirting a commercial piggery, the Moray Stane was reached.
This was surely the warmest day of 2013, and I decided to continue my trek to Montgoldrum RSC. As I circled round the woodland to gain the path to the circle, I disturbed a roe deer which bounded out of the undergrowth ahead of me, followed by a hawk.
As amply noted elsewhere, this site is more than a little ruinous, yet it still retains an aura of grandeur. Well worth the effort of a visit.
Ref: RCAHMS.
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Visited March 30, 2013
From Shieldon it is just a mile or so to Kirkton of Bourtie stone circle. Despite a frosty night the morning sunshine was melting the snow apace and the ploughed field was sticking to my boots like treacle.
But the effort in approaching the circle was well worth it to see the giant stones with snow-capped Bennachie in the background. Truly, late winter can produce some magical imagery of stone circles.
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Visited March 30, 2013
After a succession of freezing cold and windy weeks I took advantage of a fine, though still wintry, day to venture out to Shieldon Stone Circle. I had hoped to find it well snowed up, and much of the field below it was still 'in snow'. But the hilltop circle itself was virtually clear. The long winter had also ensured that the usual encumbrance of rank vegetation was gone. I had never seen the circle so pristine.
The accompanying image is a panorama of two photographs, taken from aloft using a monopod, to give an unusually revealing picture of the circle.
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March 12, 2013
With the unexpected return of winter I took my chance when the morning cloud broke into welcome sunshine. The plan was to visit some of the stone circles around Inverurie, starting with Balquhan.
All seemed well as sunshine followed me all the way to Balquhan Mains where I parked just off the crossroads. Bennachie looked grand with its cap of snow gleaming in the sun as I set off on the walk through the farm to the circle. But as I approached the monument, the skies started to darken, Bennachie disappeared into the gloom, and I realised I had just minutes to enjoy sunlit views of the circle.
I made it in time and was rewarded with some splendid wintry photographs of Balquhan Stone Circle. I used a monopod to gain height and the elevated view was quite revealing. Another set of photographs was combined into an excellent panorama.
Conditions showed no signs of improving as I returned to the car, and minutes after I moved off it started to snow. Inland it looked bleak indeed, and I reluctantly headed back home.
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Visited October 20, 2012
I visited this site in August, just the day after Drewboy, and spent some time chatting with the workers on site.
With the dig long concluded, I took the opportunity to return to see how it now looked (after dumping a pile of garden refuse at the nearby collection centre).
Cat Cairn 2 is well worth seeing just now. The excavation has been infilled, but the rank vegetation that formerly hid it from view is gone, leaving a quite attractive site. Doubtless, over the coming year, vegetation will once more cause it to blend into anonymity.
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Showing 1-50 of 97 posts. Most recent first | Next 50
A keen hillwalker most of my life, my interest was restricted when the need arose to care for an ageing parent.
With limited opportunities to travel far from home, I 'discovered' the world of stone circles, mainly in my native Aberdeenshire.
This provided the ideal opportunity for short walks of just a few hours duration, and resulted in me visiting many places of interest that I had never considered previously.
Website:
My Stone Circle Pages
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