Category: Aberdeenshire
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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…
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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,…