Two stone circles and a castle.

We drove around Aberdeenshire today in search of two stone circles. We found both, tucked back in working farms. Because we had a hard time finding the second, we stopped at a nearby castle.

 

Let me just add that the words "nearby castle" still thrill me quite a bit. Okay, a lot. As do the words "Bronze Age," which apply to the second, harder-to-find stone circle, the standing stone one, with sheep going their sheep-y way the next field over.

At Sunhoney Farm.

Stone fence to the left, barbed wire to the right.

 

It's a recumbent stone circle.

Just set back in a grove of trees.

 

This is a tiny family chapel at Drum Castle.

Looking through the window to see the stained glass from the inside.

This is the standing stone circle at Cullerlie.

The sheep are all, "standing stone circle, nbd."

 

Posted with Blogsy

Alnwick gardens (cherry orchard)

Alnwick gardens (cherry orchard), a set on Flickr.

There's one garden at Alnwick--a cherry orchard--that felt like a stroke of luck to me, to be there at that moment. The ornamental cherries were in bloom, and they had been under planted with pink tulips. It was a total swoon.

More Alnwick gardens

More Alnwick gardens, a set on Flickr.

On our way back north, we decided to stop at Alnwick, where there is both a castle dating back to the 13th century and a beautiful garden. We saw both, but spent most of our time in the gardens. This is some of it.

Alnwick Castle

Alnwick Castle, a set on Flickr.

The last part of our north England swing.