Chapel Of Garioch: Bennachie and Heritage

Chapel Of Garioch sits high on the ridge of a range of hills that forms the foothills of Bennachie. Its elevated position gives trip planning a clear connection to the landscape. Nearby, there are also buildings and archaeological monuments with different features. The Bennachie Visitor Centre is located in Chapel Of Garioch and serves as a starting point for exploring Bennachie Forest and the range of hills.

Bennachie: trails with different highlights

A trail at the Bennachie Visitor Centre leads to the rocky granite summit of Mither Tap, its Pictish fort and impressive views. There is also a gentle woodland walk at the Bennachie Visitor Centre. Another easy trail at the Bennachie Visitor Centre in Chapel Of Garioch passes through open woodland and by the ruins of houses and fields belonging to the Bennachie colonists.

The three trail descriptions have different focuses: the summit trail connects the landscape with a fort, the gentle walk leads through the woods, and the easy trail passes the colonists’ ruins. This gives you a way to decide whether you would rather focus on the summit, a woodland walk or traces of the colonists.

From Chapel Of Garioch, the Bennachie Centre is about 2 miles (3.2 km) away via the signposted road.

Balquhain Castle and its history

Near Chapel Of Garioch, the remains of a square, crenellated tower house stand at Balquhain Castle. It probably dates originally to the 15th century. Standing walls and earthworks remain in a paddock and grazing area, at an elevation of about 95 to 100 m above sea level.

Balquhain Castle is also associated with a precisely dated historical event: Mary Queen of Scots spent the night there in 1562 before the Battle of Corrichie. The surviving tower house and this account offer different ways to explore the site: through its architectural form and probable date of origin, or through a specific event from 1562.

Stone circle and monolith at Mains of Balquhain

Near Chapel Of Garioch, at Mains of Balquhain, are the remains of a recumbent stone circle about 21 m in diameter. The original number of stones can only be stated with a qualification: there were probably twelve, possibly fourteen. Nine stones remain today, five of them still standing. This distinction between surviving and upright stones describes the site’s current condition more precisely than a single number.

The stone circle includes a 3.1 m-high monolith of white quartz. This brings two different measurements together: the approximate diameter of the monument and the height of a single stone. The contrast between the circle as a whole and the quartz monolith as a single feature offers a concrete view of the monument’s different forms.

Church architecture and stone ornament

Chapel of Garioch Parish Church is built of roughly dressed red granite ashlar and features original Gothic glazing with wooden tracery. The materials and window details offer two different ways to appreciate its architecture: the dressed stone blocks and the design of the glazing.

At the Maiden Stone, near Chapel Of Garioch, the ornamentation takes centre stage. The south side is covered in interlaced ornament, while the north side features paired Stafford knots. The monument can thus be viewed from two sides, whose patterns differ clearly in their arrangement.

Discover more destinations: Aboyne, Alford, Banff, Ellon, Whitehills, Kincardine O'Neil, Tarves, Plaidy.

For the broader travel overview: Aberdeenshire.