Student Bloggers

One thing that I have learned while being in Scotland so far is how to make the best of any situation and to not be afraid to wander off the beaten path. You have to be willing to give yourself over to the internal desire to explore and do it.

Over this past weekend I took the train to Huntly for the sole reason of seeing Huntly Castle. Huntly is a small town about an hour by train North West of Aberdeen and other than the castle, there is not much to see than the magnificent Scottish landscape and a few shops.

I left early, having planned out my journey the day ahead, so that I could have the entire day to hike around. I checked every website about Huntly Castle with the opening and closing hours and how to get there at that time. It was my first solo excursion outside of Aberdeen, so I was excited.

The train ride was beautiful, I left just as the sun was rising, so that I could have a whole day for adventure…little did I know then.

Oddly, as I walked up to Huntly Castle, there were not that many people out. There was also scaffolding around the front of the castle. My original thoughts were no biggy, but I started to get worried. 

Upon entering the Visitor’s Center, the kind woman behind the desk, shattered my plans for the day. She told me that currently Huntly Castle was closed for conservation work due to some individuals breaking in and defacing some windows in an attempt to steal some metal near the roof. I wanted to cry. I had planned my whole day out and this was the central part of it.

Thanking the woman for giving me the time of day, I walked around the outer fence around the castle to clear my thoughts. Defeated, I pulled out my phone to look up times for the next train back to Aberdeen. That is when I noticed that one of my options for returning to Aberdeen included taking a bus to Inverurie.

Inverurie is located between Insch and Aberdeen, south east of Huntly. Near it are a few sites that you can see including the Maiden Stone, the Brandbutt Stone, and the East Aquhorthies Stone Circle. Pulling out my Historic Scotland book, I chose the East Aquhorthies Stone Circle as my destination. Without careful consideration of my options, I spontaneously boarded the bus.

Upon arrival, I was dropped off near a shopping area. I navigated myself to a main road where, with the assistance of Google maps, I started this new leg of my journey.

Alone I walked, with keen eyes, desiring to take in all the beauty of the surrounding hills. The sidewalk ended and I was now on a gravel road. Hiking for approximately thirty minutes up hill on a farm road towards the East Aquhorthies Stone Circle, I questioned what I was doing and I had to keep reminding myself that it was better than doing nothing.

I walked past a farm with cows lined up in a barn and was momentarily nostalgic of my Texas roots. Head held high, I continued trekking. Then I came across a walking path that was next to the road. Curiosity, got the best of me and I veered away from the gravel road I was taking.

The path wound its way through a wooded area with trees growing in masses so thick that you could see where the tree line obviously started, but you could not see where it ended. Occasionally the trees would open up to give you a peak of the distant hills with the sunlight shining down on them giving them a golden haze.

The path continued and I came across an old School house, or that is what the plaque outside of it said anyway. It was a small stone structure nestled away among the trees on this hill seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Through the windows you could see the rolling hills outside and you could understand why they placed it there.

I continued down the now dirt path that wound its way through the trees. After what seemed like forever I came near the west side of the enclosed hiking area and I saw the stone circle that I had been searching for across a field filled with sheep. It was so near, yet so far because I did not want to walk across someone’s property without asking mainly due to the ingrained country etiquette I had been taught as a child growing up in rural Texas. So, I had to find my way back to the hiking park entrance.

My boots got stuck in the mud every other step, but I wasn’t upset because that was part of the joy of the day. Finally, I made it to the main gravel road again, and I power walked up the hill with the wind blowing ferociously in my face determined to see what I had come for.

When I finally got to the East Aquhorthies Stone Circle, I released a sigh that I wasn’t aware I had been holding. In front of me lay one of the best preserved recumbent stone circles in Scotland that had been here in the same spot for most likely a millennium. It was nestled upon a terrace surrounded by hills which added to the deep emotional experience of the moment. Here I was, walking the same path as ancient people before me, all because Huntly Castle had been closed.  

The East Aquhorthies Stone Circle was perhaps one of the most mystical and spiritual spots that I have ever been to and I have visited various Bronze Age temples in Greece. I was absolutely awestruck as I wandered amongst the stones, and of course I attempted to have my Outlander moment by placing one of my hands on a stone hoping it would take me back in time, but sadly nothing happened.  

As I walked back to Inverurie and the train station, I pondered on the experience that I had had, and came to the conclusion that sometimes in life even if you have everything planned out, it does not mean that it is going to work out that way. When it doesn’t work out like you want it to, you have to be willing to take the paths you come across and you cannot be afraid to get your boots a little muddy. Sometimes an unexpected change of plans can lead to new adventures.