Elsick Mounth

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Near northern terminus of the Elsick Mounth Trail - geograph.org.uk - 596807.jpg

The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway crossing the Grampian Mountains in the vicinity of Netherley, Scotland. This trackway was one of the few means of traversing the Grampian Mounth area in prehistoric and medieval times. [1] The highest pass of the route is attained within the Durris Forest. [2] Notable historical structures in the vicinity are Maryculter House, Lairhillock Inn and Muchalls Castle. Most of the lands through which the Elsick Mounth passes are within the Durris Forest; while this forest would have been a mixed deciduous forest in ancient times, currently it is managed as a coniferous monoculture with extensive amounts of clearfelling and subsequent replanting. [3]

Grampian Mountains mountain range in Scotland

The Grampian Mountains are one of the three major mountain ranges in Scotland, occupying a considerable portion of the Scottish Highlands in northern Scotland. The other major mountain ranges in Scotland are the Northwest Highlands and the Southern Uplands. The Grampian range extends southwest to northeast between the Highland Boundary Fault and the Great Glen, occupying almost half of the land area of Scotland and including the Cairngorms and the Lochaber hills. The range includes many of the highest mountains in the British Isles, including Ben Nevis and Ben Macdui.

Mounth mountains in the United Kingdom

The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin. Traditionally the people of northern Scotland did not consider the Grampians to be a single range, but several, and these were known as the Mounth or the Mounths. Mountain ranges to the west are known as Monadh Liath and the Monadh Ruadh, which could be glossed as the Grey Mounth and the Red Mounth.

Durris Forest

Durris Forest is a chiefly coniferous forest south of the River Dee approximately three kilometres west of Netherley in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The A957 road forms the southwest boundary of Durris Forest, separating it from Fetteresso Forest. The Durris Forest includes several smaller named woodlands. The ancient route of Elsick Mounth crosses the Grampian Mounth within the Durris Forest. Notable natural features in the vicinity include Red Moss and Meikle Carewe Hill. Notable historic features in this area include Raedykes Roman Camp, Muchalls Castle and Maryculter House.

Contents

History

Roman legions marched from Raedykes to Normandykes Roman Camp at the south of Peterculter as they sought higher ground evading the bogs of Red Moss and other low-lying mosses associated with the Burn of Muchalls. That march used the Elsick Mounth, one of the ancient trackways crossing the Grampian Mountains, [3] lying west of Netherley. To the north the Romans proceeded to the next camp at Ythan Wells. [4]

A Roman legion was a large military unit of the Roman army.

Raedykes

Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over 3 miles (5 km) NW of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902. It is designated as a scheduled monument. A marching camp was a temporary camp used mainly for overnight stops on a long route between more permanent forts, or as a temporary base while on campaign in hostile territory.

Normandykes

Normandykes is the site of a Roman marching camp 1 mile (1.6 km) to the southwest of Peterculter, City of Aberdeen, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately 860 by 510 metres, covers about 106 acres (43 ha) of the summit and eastern slopes of a hill overlooking the River Dee and the B9077 road further south. Aerial photographs for Normandykes have been archived between 1947 and 1976. The camp is about 6 miles (10 km), or less than half a day's march, north of the Raedykes camp. It is possible that the actual route taken would have entailed one day's march, over a route likely chosen to avoid the Red Moss, a virtually uncrossable bog near the present day village of Netherley. Normandykes was first excavated in the year 1935 by Richmond and MacIntyre; construction is thought to date to the Antonine or Severan periods.

See also

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Maryculter village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Maryculter or Kirkton of Maryculter is a village in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The River Dee separates it from the town of Peterculter, and the B979 road runs through Maryculter. There are two hotels: The Old Mill Inn, a former coaching inn that dates back 200 years, and Maryculter House Hotel. At the edge of the village of Maryculter is a public forest land, known as the Oldman Wood, through which flows the Crynoch Burn. Also the children's theme park, StoryBook Glen, which also consists of a shop and restaurant is located near the old church which is still in use today as a Church of Scotland. Other notable vicinity buildings are the Lairhillock Inn and Muchalls Castle. Maryculter also has an animal sanctuary, Blaikiewell Animal Sanctuary.

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Red Moss is a wetland bog in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, located at the northwestern edge of the village of Netherley. The moss is designated a national Site of Special Scientific Interest by Scottish Natural Heritage, due to its biodiversity and undisturbed character. The elevation of Red Moss is 113 metres above mean sea level. The upland areas above Red Moss are characterised as agricultural and woodland parcels which are generally attractive and separated by ancient drystone walls or hedgerows.

Netherley, Aberdeenshire village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

Netherley, Scotland is a village in Aberdeenshire, situated approximately five miles northwest of Stonehaven. Netherley is located in the Mounth area of the Grampian Highlands. At the eastern edge of Netherley is a significant wetland bog known as Red Moss. To the southwest of Netherley lie Meikle Carewe Hill and Curlethney Hill. At the south edge of Netherley is the peak of Craggie Cat.

Causey Mounth

The Causey Mounth is an ancient drovers' road over the coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This route was developed as the main highway between Stonehaven and Aberdeen around the 12th century AD and it continued to function as the principal route connecting these two cities until the mid 20th century, when modern highway construction of the A90 road occurred in this area. There are extant paved and usable sections of this road over part of the alignment; however, many parts of the ancient route are no more than footpaths, and in some cases the road has vanished into agricultural fields. Constructed in the Middle Ages, the Causey Mounth was created as an elevated rock causeway to span many of the boggy areas such as the Portlethen Moss. A considerable portion of the alignment of the Causey Mounth is illustrated on the UK Ordnance Survey Map, although a large fraction of the route cannot be navigated by a conventional passenger vehicle.

Cookney village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Cookney is a hamlet in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in proximity to Netherley in the Mounth of the Grampian Highlands. The community is situated on a hilltop approximately 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Stonehaven, about 3 miles (5 km) northwest of the Bridge of Muchalls, and about 2 miles (3 km) west of Muchalls Castle. From Cookney a portion of the ancient route of the Causey Mounth is visible to the east near Whinward Farm, although the track is not truly recognizable from that distance. The Cookney Church is a prominent historic landmark of Cookney.

Cairnie Burn is a stream that rises in the Mounth, or eastern range of the Grampian Mountains, north of Netherley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Cairnie Burn is a generally northeast flowing watercourse that is a tributary to the Crynoch Burn. Cairnie Burn rises in the eastern part of the Durris Forest, east of the Elsick Mounth passage.

Craggie Cat is a hill landform in the Mounth of the Grampian Mountains at the southern edge of Netherley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The peak elevation of Craggie Cat is 198 metres according to the Ordnance Survey. This hill's southwestern flanks form the northwest boundary of the moorland of Curlethney Hill.

Cookney Church

Cookney Parish Church, now business premises within a converted listed building, was a Christian place of worship in the village of Cookney, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Mergie is a settlement in Aberdeenshire approximately six miles west of Stonehaven, Scotland. Situated in the former Kincardineshire slightly south of the Slug Road.

Cairn Mon Earn mountain in United Kingdom

Cairn Mon Earn or Cairn-mon-earn is a hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Lochton is a settlement on the Slug Road in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Roman legions marched from Raedykes to Normandykes Roman Camp somewhat east of Lochton, using higher ground evading the bogs of Red Moss and other low-lying areas including the Burn of Muchalls. That march used the nearby Elsick Mounth, an ancient trackways crossing the Mounth of the Grampian Mountains, lying westerly of Netherley.

Balfour, Aberdeenshire is a settlement on Royal Deeside in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Balfour lies south of the River Dee.

Borrowfield is a settlement in Aberdeenshire, Scotland in proximity to Netherley.

Lower Deeside is a region along the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The boundaries of this area are subject to interpretation, since the usage has altered through historic times; however, the area is generally associated with the communities of Durris, Maryculter and Banchory-Devenick in the historic district of Kincardineshire.

References

  1. ↑ W. Douglas Simpson, Proceedings of the Society, published in the United Kingdom, 102, 10 December 1928
  2. ↑ United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map Landranger 45, Stonehaven and Banchory, 1:50,000 scale, 2004
  3. 1 2 C. Michael Hogan, Elsick Mounth, Megalithic Portal, ed A. Burnham
  4. ↑ Temporary Roman Marching Camps: Ythan Wells Roman Camp


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