Angus

by Richard Oram

Published 1 January 2001
Angus and Kincardine, an area rich in resources, has been of strategic importance for many centuries. The diversity of sights to be found north of the Tay mirrors the variety of historical sites to be found in this part of the country: White Caterhun, north-west of Brechin, dates from the Celtic Iron Age and is a hill-fort, with the largest dry stone wall in Britain; Pictish stones, dating from AD400 on, these ancient monumnets measure up to 14-feet high and bear pagan symbols; Brechin Round Tower, one of only two surviving Irish towers and the site of a monastry in the 11th century; the ruins of Arbroath Abbey, founded by William the Lion; and Claypotts and Edzell, with its walled garden, two of the 16th-century castles in Scotland. This book is a combination of guide, gazetteer and site maps. Its layout is chronological and each chapter deals with a different period, from prehistoric times to the industrial age.

Moray and Badenoch

by Richard Oram

Published 1 January 2001
Moray and Badenoch is an area of geographical diversity and contrasting landscape, set in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. The region has been of great historical importance for centuries, controlling access to and from the far north of Scotland. As a result, the area has a wealth of archaeological remains and sites of historic interest: huge burial cairns near Aviemore date back to the Neolithic period, and signal the importance of the area as early as 3500 BC; Sueno's Stone, the 9th-century monolith, stands near Forres and bears scenes of Pictish battles and the bloody aftermath of war, the only one of its kind in Europe; Duffus Castle and Elgin Cathedral, both monuments to the growing wealth and power of the area in the Middle Ages; and Ruthven Barracks near Kingussie, captured and blown up the Jacobites on their march to Culloden. This book is a combination of guide, gazetteer and site maps. Its layout is chronological and each chapter deals with a different period, from prehistoric times to the industrial age.