Whitehills

Nearest Town: Alford, Aberdeenshire

OS Grid Reference: NJ 64 41 35

Directions: Near the village of Tillyfourie and signposted from here. Park as directed in the Forestry Commission car park, and follow the marked walk uphill. Bear to the right when the trails split, and the circle will then be on the left, clearly visible. About 15 minutes walk. Free.

Site Notes: Also known as Tillyfourie in order to distinguish it from White Hill Stone circle, this unrestored Recumbent circle is well worth the walk. Only one flanker and a circle stone remain upright alongside the recumbent, but the other megaliths lay where they have fallen. There is an obvious ruined cairn in the centre, and a wide carpet of quartz chippings thrown down behind the recumbent. This is a known feature of recumbent circles, but is rarely seen now as the quartz is below the surface. As quartz shines bright white under moonlight, this must have created a terrific spectacle when the circle was new.

This site is well worth the walk, and now that the farmed conifers have been cut down around the circle, the views are stunning.