Maiden Stone

Aberdeenshire | Chapel of Garioch | Standing stone | ★★

[Maiden Stone from the east side]

This 3-metre tall cross-slab is one of Aberdeenshire's most impressive Pictish stones, not far from the A96 a few miles northwest of Inverurie. The stone features intriguing Pictish symbols plus (possibly) a Biblical depiction of Jonah and whales. Local folklore tells that the stone was once a maiden, turned to stone after losing a bet with the devil. We can't quite see the likeness, but pay a visit and decide for yourself...

[Maiden Stone from the west side]

Location & info

đź“Ś Maiden Stone ★★
By minor road 1 mi west of Chapel of Garioch, G.R.: NJ 704247 ///just.intrigues.maps
Always open | Free

Comments

Post a comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walk: Livingston's jaw-dropping waterfall

Image
West Lothian | Livingston | Short walk | ★★★ ⚠ Route currently impassable - see red text below [Linn Jaw lower falls] What springs to mind when someone mentions Livingston, West Lothian? Sprawling road junctions, retail parks, 1960s architecture... how about a splendid waterfall? Under a mile from the town's southernmost suburbs, the Camilty Water drops into a short but beautiful gorge sharply at odds with the gentleness of the surrounding farmland. Two substantial waterfalls and several smaller ones tumble into the depths; the largest is actually fed by a crumbling mill lade (the mill no longer exists) but this isn't obvious from below. Parking is limited, but the walk from the nearest road begins promisingly. The last few hundred metres of the route are however a bit sketchy: stepping stones across a side burn, and a very slippery slope to reach the best viewpoint - more details below. Important The house and gardens alongside the path are someone’s home, and alt
More >>

Campsie Glen waterfalls

Image
East Dunbartonshire | Clachan of Campsie | Waterfalls | ★★★★ [Middle of the Campsie Glen upper waterfalls] In bygone years a path used to snake up the narrow gorge north of Clachan of Campsie. Rockfalls and warning signs now block the middle section, but short linear walks into the gorge from each end are still well worth it. A quick stroll from the bottom car park leads to the lower section of rapids. The upper car park on Crow Road is reached by a steep, 300 metre walk or a winding, 3 mile drive. Heading downhill from here (instead of uphill towards Cort-ma Law ) accesses the middle of 3 more waterfalls. All are worth a visit following wet weather if you don't mind a bit of scrambling, but the bottom one of this trio deserves special praise - as you can walk behind it. [Lower of the Campsie Glen upper waterfalls - seen from the cave behind (easily tall enough to stand up in)] Location & info đź“Ś Campsie Glen Lower Falls ★★ On the Kirk Burn immediately north o
More >>

Walk: Yester Castle & the Goblin Ha'

Image
East Lothian | Gifford | Short walk | ★★ [Goblin Ha'] Wrap up warm on a trip to Yester Castle, because there's a strange chill in the air! Hidden away in a wooded estate near Gifford, East Lothian, this fairly substantial ruin was built sometime before 1267 by Hugo de Gifford, grandson of the 1st Laird of Yester. His architectural creation was so fine that magic was believed to be involved: de Gifford was said to be a necromancer, raising an army of hobgoblins to do his will via a pact with the Devil. Where better than a subterranean vault to practise this sorcery? Downhill to the rear of the main structure, intrepid explorers will indeed discover a tunnel to the Goblin's Ha' , miraculously intact while the rest of the castle crumbles. From here, in near total darkness, a futher flight of stairs descends deep into the bedrock - a gateway to the underworld, perhaps? More likely it served as the castle's water supply, but you never know. There are several possibl
More >>