Ramparts at Avebury:-

If you follow the path round you come to the outer circle of stones complete with grazing sheep:-

Standing Stones from road:-

Inner circle of stones with people communing with the spirits of the past:-

Some of the large stones at Avebury.

We were amused to see some of the people at the site hugging the larger stones as if they actually were portals to the past or of some spiritual significance. To the people who erected them they probably were; but in the end nowadays they’re just stones:-

Standing stone and rampart:-

If you turn left after passing through the War Memorial Arch at the entrance to Penrith’s Castle Park you can stroll up to the ruins of Penrith Castle, in the care of English Heritage. There’s not much more to say about it beyond what is on the information board.

Blackness Castle sticks out into the River Forth a few miles west of the Forth Bridges. (See photograph in the link.) Because of its situation and prominence it is sometimes known as ‘the ship that never sailed’. It has had several uses over the years since it was built in the 1440s including as an ammunition store. As with most Scottish castles it has featured in the TV series Outlander.

Infiormation board:-

From approach road:-

Closer view and modern entrance:-

Side view and old entrance:-

Old entrance: now blocked off. The notice warns you not to climb on it:-

As you can see in the photo in the link a pier pokes from the castlefurther out into the river.

Castle from pier. (Stitch of two photos.):-

Pier, part of Castle and Blackness village beyond:-

View west from pier:-

View east: three bridges across the Forth:-

Close-up:-

South range and rooftop, Linlithgow beyond:-

Rooftop looking east:-

Great Hall fireplace:-

Interior:-

Stairwell:-

Window seat:-

Spiney Palace lies a few miles north of Elgin and is a similar distance south of Lossiemouth.

View from entrance pathway. As is quitecommen when wev visit places it was swathed in scaffolding:-

Information board:-

Artist’s impression of the palace in its heyday:-

View of little tower:-

Part of Great Hall looking towards water tower:-

East gate and walls:-

Great Hall and well:-

Tower:-

(and scaffolding):-

As we were leaving Elgin Cathedral the custodians asked if we had visited the Chapter House. We hadn’t, as it appeared to be fenced off but we were assured there was access to it and so we went back.

On the way we passed this Pictish Stone:-

Reverse:-

Plus some carved figures:-

The Chapter House is stunning. It’s apparenty the best of its kind in Scotland. I can well believe it:-

Elgin Cathedral is perhaps the best reason for visiting the town. It’s a very impressive ruin.

Ruins with (intact) Chapter House to centre right:-

Closer view from left:-

Ruins:-

Elgin Cathedral towers and ruins:-

Towers end:-

From Findhorn it was on to Forres, only five miles away.

We’d been to Forres before but our main objective this time was to see Sueno’s Stone, since we hadn’t visited it the last time.

Sueno’s Stone from car park:-

As you can see the stone is covered in glass to protect it from the elements.

Information board:-

The stone is enormous, 21 feet high and inscribed with Pictish symbols:-

A further board gives information about Pictish symbol stones:-

Kinloss Abbey was the largest Cistercian Monastery in the north of Scotland. Its ruins lie about three miles east of Forres.

Information board:-

Ruins from entrance:-

View to the right from above:-

Tower towards  left of picture above:-

Abbey History:-