Category: Aberdeenshire
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The Bridge of Alvah and the Legend of James MacPherson
The Bridge of Alvah, spanning the gorge of the River Deveron. This crossing was built almost one hundred years after James MacPherson is said to have lept across it. MacPherson was a fiddler, a fighter, and a thorn in the side of every laird from Elgin to Keith. Born the illegitimate son of the Laird…
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Gardenstown
Gardenstown clings to the cliffs between Macduff and Fraserburgh, a proper cling too, as if it might slide into the sea on a bad day. Alexander Garden of Troup founded it in 1720, and yet hardly anyone calls it Gardenstown at all. Locals stick with Gamrie, the old parish name, borrowed straight from the bay…
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Rattray Head
I know the name from the Shipping Forecast, tucked between Cape Wrath and Berwick-upon-Tweed, and yet I have never set foot here. Odd, that. A name can live in your head for years before the place ever does. The Aberdeenshire coast does not do gentle. Gurly rocks and cliffs run for miles, broken here and…
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Fire, Seaweed and a Green Lady: The Legends of Dunnottar Castle
Some places earn their legends. Dunnottar Castle, two miles south of Stonehaven on Scotland’s north-east coast, is one of them. Perched on a sheer clifftop above the North Sea, it has been collecting stories for over fifteen hundred years — and frankly shows no sign of stopping. It starts early. A chapel here is said…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…