Bigstones

Nearest Town: Cults, Aberdeenshire

OS Grid Reference: NJ 883 028

Directions: In Cairnlee Avenue, off Cairn Road, off the A93 in Bieldside, near Milltimber. The road is in the local atlas. I must give a recommendation for the Phillips blue road map books: They show every road in Aberdeenshire, and as they’re based on OS data, most circles and cairns are in them (except this one! but Cairnlee Avenue is) – invaluable on a day’s Stone hunting.

Site Notes: This place is huge! So many cairns have been robbed out or reduced, that I wasn’t fully aware how big they can be.
So many of our sites have been urbanised, but at least they’re still here. Yes there are the usual broken bottles & beer cans around, but not too many, and the estate doesn’t look too bad (and I’ve seen a few).
This cairn is great-an overpowering physical presence, big stones and numerous chunks of quartz scattered about, the view over the Dee valley must have been fantastic, and glimpses can still be seen.
Do visit this site: its about 150 yards off the A93 a few miles outside Aberdeen: if you’re visiting Aberdeenshire, you will drive past this.