I love Loanhead of Daviot Stone Circle. Really love it. I know I’ve talked about how Aikey Brae is my favourite, and that is true. But this one comes in a close second. It’s another circle that I’ve been visiting for decades, often starting a day out with a quick walk round the stones.
Castle in the woods
The approach is through woodland and I like the wee castle that has appeared in recent years.
The path then leads up the hill and out to the stones.
Loanhead of Daviot
It’s a happy feeling circle, this one. They all have their own distinct atmosphere. Of course, maybe it’s just my own response to these places that I’m feeling. But then, isn’t everything that? A bit, at least. I once felt so happy at Daviot that I danced around in my bare feet and broke a toe on a hidden stone in the grass!
It always seems to be sunny there when I visit.
I picked up a fallen oak leaf from the adjacent ring of small stones that was used as a cremation cemetery in the distant past. The leaf is on my desk now as I write.
Daviot has been quite well excavated, with many cremation burials found (see the Historic Environment Scotland site). And there is, or was, a second circle across the valley. Only the large recumbent and flankers remain now. You can just make them out below, by the densest part of the tree line. You should be able to click the image to see a larger version.
As is my way (see the older post Things I Stole from Castles), I took these two circles and put them in SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD.
Quote from the book
We hold hands as we walk down and then up the short grassy valley that lies between the two circles. The stones we arrive at are overgrown with all manner of plant life. There are healing herbs that I recognise, wee flowers too, and spiny stems that look rather forbidding. Keep out, they say. Stay away. Leave the stones in peace.
Reviews
Reviews are coming in for Sisters.
“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society
And from Terry Tyler: “It’s a fabulous story, a real page-turner and so well written. It made me think about the passage and circle of time, of the constancy of the land on which we live and the transient nature of human life. Loved it.”
Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance…
Read the article Aberdeenshire in Roman times takes centre stage in author’s latest book from AberdeenLive.
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Ailish…amazing article…just ….its unbeliavable beautiful!
It is a really lovely place.
Beautiful place and lovely description of it!
Thank you 🙂
Excellent, Ailish! 🙂
Thank you 🙂
You are so lucky to have such evocative sites to stimulate your writing. Reading the book now!
I do appreciates all these wonderful old places.
Hope your foot’s better! nasty business, a broken toe! (I know.) 🙂
Yes, the toe incident was some time ago now, so all is well 🙂 I hope yours is too.
So much history! Canada is such a young country–we can’t compare.
Very different history, but Canada is still so beautiful.
Hello Ailish, thank you very much for the follow. My curiosity carried me to your page, and then i was lead to Sisters at the Edge of the World, and I’ve just come to write this comment and say I’m only two chapters (?) in and i have cried, i have felt, deeply, my brain has danced on streams of thought and I’m delighted completely with the book already.
There’s so much that i feel and can’t put into words about it, but hopefully this comment hints at some of it.
Thank you
Azeezat
Thank you so much for your comment. I’m so glad you’re liking the book!
Oh it was tbe second chapter.*
I liked the detailed description of it. Those stones seem really imbued with an ancient force.
The fact they are ancient spaces does always feel apparent.
I’ve managed to visit 3 stone circles and I believe you are right. They all give off a different feeling.
They really do 🙂
Loved the pictures
I’m glad 🙂
facinating
Glad you like!
it was amazing
Scotland’s raw nature, and books, what a wonderful combination for a blog! Looking forward to read more, I am a big Anglophile, so your blog came as a wonderful surprise!
I’m glad you like the mix of subjects 🙂
I’m excited to explore your offering. My roots go way back to Scotland in the 1700’s. It’s a place I’ve longed to see. Best wishes with all your books and stories. Debra
Thank you, Debra 🙂 I hope you enjoy it here.
Every stone circle I see is shadowed by the memory of Stephen King’s N. I’ll get over it, eventually.
I’ve not read that one.