Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

Category: Aberdeenshire

  • A Splash of Bistort by the River Dee

    A Splash of Bistort by the River Dee

    A timeless scene in the upper reaches of the River Dee, just before the Quoich Water merges with its flow. In the foreground, a splendid display of Bistort, also known as Pudding grass, offers a glimpse into local tradition. This plant, with its bitter leaves, forms the base of “dock pudding,” a dish prepared during…

  • Rebirth of the Caledonian Pines—A Day on the Mar Estate

    Rebirth of the Caledonian Pines—A Day on the Mar Estate

    I wanted to view the regeneration efforts of the National Trust for Scotland on their Mar Estate. After centuries of deforestation of the native Caledonian pine forest, the Trust has implemented an intensive deer culling programme across the estate. This initiative aims to reduce deer populations to a level the land can naturally support, thereby…

  • From Pyres to Stones: The Stone Circle of Tomnaverie

    From Pyres to Stones: The Stone Circle of Tomnaverie

    Tomnaverie is one of several stone circles in the north-east of Scotland distinguished by a recumbent, or flat-lying stone, flanked by two upright stones. It lies amidst grass and heather on a small hill’s crest. To the south-west, Lochnagar commands attention, suggesting it was a focal point for the circle. The arrangement may have been…

  • Morven — The Silent Summit

    Morven — The Silent Summit

    Many Scottish mountains bear descriptive names, with Morven being one such hill. Its name comes from the Gaelic “A’ Mhòr Bheinn,” meaning “the big hill.” Truly informative. The summit of Morven is flat and broad, strewn with pebbles and small rocks, many smothered by patches of deep lichen. In contrast, the summit cairn comprises large…

  • The Queen’s View — Fact or Fiction?

    The Queen’s View — Fact or Fiction?

    A panorama unfolds from the Queen’s View, revealing the distant Grampian Mountains, with Lochnagar and Morven distinctly towering above the horizon. Curiously, the information board at the viewpoint remains silent on whether Queen Victoria ever actually beheld this scene or remarked upon its beauty. The view extends over the broad expanse of Cromar, a region…

  • From Mither Tap to Oxen Craig: Bennachie’s Story

    From Mither Tap to Oxen Craig: Bennachie’s Story

    Bennachie stands as an icon to the people of Peterhead and Aberdeen, much as Roseberry Topping is revered by the citizens of Teesside. It is actually a range of hills, with Oxen Craig reaching a height of 528 metres. Though modest in elevation compared to other Scottish peaks, Bennachie’s isolation and the flatness of the…

  • Burn o’Vat

    Burn o’Vat

    As the world grew warmer at the close of the last Ice Age, powerful rivers coursed beneath the melting glaciers. Boulders and gravel tumbled along these currents, scouring the riverbed with relentless force. The water, under immense pressure, surged through fissures in the harder rock, forming powerful whirlpools akin to a giant plughole. Over centuries,…