Chapel of Garioch sits high on the ridge of a hill range that forms the foothills of Bennachie. Its landscape and historical sites give the area two distinct points of interest: paths on Bennachie and its architectural and archaeological history. The Bennachie Visitor Centre is located in Chapel of Garioch and serves as a starting point for exploring Bennachie Forest and the hill range.
Bennachie: paths with different destinations
A path from the Bennachie Visitor Centre leads to the rocky granite summit of Mither Tap, with its Pictish fortification and impressive views. A gentle woodland walk also starts at the Centre. An easy path from the Bennachie Visitor Centre passes through open woodland and by the ruins of houses and fields belonging to the Bennachie Colonists. These descriptions highlight different things: the summit and its views, a woodland walk, or traces of earlier settlement. When choosing between the paths, the main considerations are therefore the destination and the landscape you would like to experience along the way.
Castles and archaeological sites
In the area around Chapel of Garioch, standing walls and earthworks remain at Balquhain Castle, on a field of pasture and grazing land; the site lies at an elevation of about 95 to 100 m above sea level. The remains include a square, battlemented tower house, probably dating originally from the 15th century. Mary, Queen of Scots, spent the night at Balquhain Castle before the Battle of Corrichie in 1562.
Nearby, at Mains of Balquhain, there is a recumbent stone circle about 21 m in diameter. Its original number of stones is uncertain: there were probably twelve, possibly fourteen. Nine stones remain, five of them standing. There is also a 3.1 m-high white quartz monolith that is part of the stone circle.
The Maiden Stone is also nearby. Its sides feature different patterns: the south side has interlaced ornamentation, while the north side has paired Stafford knots. Those interested in stone carving will find a clear comparison within a single monument: ornamentation on one side and a knot motif on the other.
Church architecture and different points of interest
Chapel of Garioch Parish Church offers a different perspective on the area's built heritage: it is made of roughly dressed red granite blocks and features original Gothic glazing with wooden tracery. The church windows and masonry draw attention to construction and design, while the stones in the surrounding area make an impression through their form, arrangement and state of preservation.
The cultural sites also differ in their focus: Balquhain Castle combines surviving defensive architecture with a historical event that has a recorded date. The stone circle is defined by its circular layout and the stones that remain today, while the Maiden Stone is distinguished by its carvings on two sides. These sites can therefore be grouped by architecture, archaeological form and stone ornamentation, rather than treated as a single type of cultural heritage.
Discover more destinations: Ballater, Fettercairn, Hatton of Fintray, Tarves, Newmachar, Gardenstown, Inverbervie, Stonehaven.
For the wider travel overview: Aberdeenshire.
