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Banchory
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Ninestanes/Garrol Wood NO723912 |
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The stone circle variously named as Garrol Wood/Ninestanes Mulloch Wood is prettily situated among Forestry larches, carpeted in heather and blueberries. The surrounding trees unfortunately obscure the sunlight at most times other than high noon in summer. Take the A957 Slug road south from Crathes and in three miles fork right just before the bridge over the Burn of Skeloch, at Blairydryne. Follow the road for two more miles up around the wooded Mulloch hill. There is parking space at the forest track on the right. The nearest buses are to Banchory, plenty of them, but it's a long walk. | |
| The circle is 100 m up the track, on the right. Nine stones plus the mossy recumbent stone still stand in an ovoid circle, the stones linked by a low bank. In the moss-covered ringcairn a stone lined pit was excavated at the centre containing burnt bones and charcoal. Also found were urn sherds and several human cremations in hollows around the cairn. | ||
Eslie the Greater NO717916 |
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| About ¾ mile further on (north-west) is the rugged and ruined stone circle at Eslie the Greater with good views of Clachnaben and Scolty Hill. This wide circle lies low, the flankers broken and five other stones dominated by the ringcairn which is well preserved and linked to the recumbent stone. The edges of the site are marred by later dykes to the north and east probably built from stones robbed out of the circle. | 
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Eslie the Lesser NO722921 |
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Eslie the Lesser, a smaller, badly damaged stone circle on a low platform of boulders is visible from here, ½ a mile to the north-east at West Mulloch. Here are five low standing stones, a small recumbent stone to the south and traces of an internal ringcairn. | |