Route Summary
A short walk, with an undemanding overall ascent, in pleasant mixed countryside near Pitcaple, on the banks of the River Ury. The ragged peaks of the nearby Bennachie ranger are a dominant feature of the landscape throughout. There are some interesting historical features.
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Route Overview
Duration: 1.5 hours.
Transport/Parking: Stagecoach buses run through Pitcaple on the A96. This would add almost 5 km to the walk (there and back). Check timetables. There are a small number of parking spaces at the roadside, at the start/end point.
Length: 5.61 km / 3.49 mi
Height Gain: 96 meter. Height Loss: 96 meter.
Max Height: 127 meter. Min Height: 96 meter.
Surface: Moderate. A mix of tarred minor road and good grassy tracks. Not suitable for off-road mobility scooters due to kissing gates.
Difficulty: Easy.
Child Friendly: Yes, if children are used to walks of this distance.
Dog Friendly: Yes. On lead on public roads and near farm animals.
Refreshments: The Buzzard Cafe at the Pitscurry Project is nearby. Also, the Old Post Office cafe at Chapel of Garioch. Otherwise, options in Inverurie.
Description
This is a gentle little hike through mature pine woodlands and open farmland, with a short section along the banks of the River Ury. At various points on the route, the views of the north side of the Bennachie range are especially impressive. Along the way, there is some history to discover and speculate upon. The walk starts and ends at the Old Logie Graveyard, where the dominant feature is the Dalrymple Horn Elphinstone burial enclosure. Built in 1798, in an open-roofed Gothic style, it is deemed to be one of the most attractive such family memorials in Scotland. The impressive western façade is dominated by a large pointed arch. Buried nearby in a low mound of vegetation are the remains of a medieval chapel dedicated to St. Mary. This old kirk was originally an appendage of Lindores Abbey but became disused when the parish of Logie Durno was united with Chapel of Garioch in 1599. On the first half of the walk, the route essentially goes around the perimeter areas of what must have been, at 145 acres, a huge Roman army camp, the largest found north of the Forth–Clyde. Unfortunately, nowadays there are no visible signs, on the surface, of the camp. There is speculation that this was the camp of Agricola at the time of the Mons Graupius battle with the indigenous Celts, under Calcagus, in AD 83. Certainly, the size of the projected camp site seems capable of containing the suggested 17,000 to 30,000 Roman troops in Agricola’s army. However, the site of the battle is uncertain, and may not have been in the Bennachie area. Moving on to the banks of the River Ury, we come upon an intriguing trio of Class 1 Pictish symbol stones, arranged in a triangle and standing in an area of woodland, just a little west of Logie House (now an attractive wedding/events venue). The stones originally stood 1 km away on the Moor of Carden. They show typical Pictish symbols such as crescents, V-rods, Z-rods, double discs, and an elephant.
Thanks to Canmore for this site plan for the Logie Durno Roman Camp: https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1525677
Links:
Photos from walk
Download Route Guide (PDF with illustrated Waypoints)
Download GPX file (GPS Exchange Format)
Access Walk on OutdoorActive
Access Walk on OSMaps
Access Walk on Alltrails
Access Walk on Wikiloc
The Mack Walks 