If we find the weather on the cold side today with our modern clothing, cars and centrally heated houses, imagine seeing out winter and early spring without those luxuries. Several thousand years ago, the late Neolithic people did just that. They erected the Stonehead Circle and built the hillfort on Dunnideer (seen between the flankers). The ruins of the Norman keep atop Dunnideer appropriately echo some Neolithic structures.
The recumbent and flankers look impressive in the warmer months, but to my mind they’re at their best when snow’s on the ground, the wind is howling and temperatures are below zero. The Neolithic people may have long passed, but they certainly knew about permanence.
They also knew about scale. The stones don’t look massively out of place in the landscape so their size creeps up on you. Only when you’re right up agains them do you fully realise just how impressive they are and just how impressive their positioning at the top of the hill is. (Click through the first two photos for larger versions.)
Awesome in every sense.
I like to think about those who went before us and I see these early types as they suffered with the weather of their times. Their methods of survival must have been good and efficient when you see what winter and summer can throw at us around the world.
They are fantastic. What is the structure on the hill in the distance in the top photo?
Dunnideer hill is the site of both a hillfort, of which only a few mounds and ditches remain, and a Norman castle. Most of the castle has also gone, but there is one substantial wall left with an eroded arch piercing it. From a distance, it looks remarkably like a monolith itself.
And can I again remind people to keep obscenities and vitriol out of posts. I’ve had to delete a couple of posts from rather hysterical climate change denialists who were ranting about how it was warmer in the Neolithic period than it is now, that winters weren’t as severe then so it would have been quite good here, and that this somehow proves man-made climate change is bunk. I really don’t see the connection between my post and climate change, nor do I see the need to pound out vitriolic messages trying to get me to see the error of my ways. Sigh.
great pictures - I never tire of seeing the standing stones etc, and they look good in the snow.
generally seems to be believed that it was warmer back then, which explains why there is evidence of settlements on bleak areas, like Dartmoor down here
It may have been warmer in broad climatic terms, but surely they had cold winters, too? All I was saying in my post was that if we think it’s cold with our conveniences, then have a thought for what life was like without them. I wasn’t making a point about climate change then or now, or it being warmer/colder now than it was then. I was just musing on how different life would have been, especially in winter. Does everything have to get hijacked into climate change arguments?
yep - altogether much harder (and shorter) life back then.
wasnt scotland near the equator many years ago??
Well that’s how I read it!
Very arty.
I’m off to explore some stones at the weekend - my birthday treat!