Top 6 Natural Monuments around Fintray

One of the better preserved of the many Neolithic recumbent type stone circles in northeast Scotland

Stone Circle with a great backdrop of Bennachie

Take a short walk into the field, staying in the tramlines so as not to damage any crop, to get a fantastic view of the stones with Bennachie as a backdrop.

Free to visit. An excellent stone circle with views to Bennachie and Inverurie. There is a nice woodland walk here too. Also easy to reach by bycicle. If the little car park is full, there is another one just down the road at Newseat community woodland.

Easter Aquhorthies stone circle, located near Inverurie in north-east Scotland, is one of the best-preserved examples of a recumbent stone circle and one of the few that still have their full complement of stones and the only one that has all its stones still standing without having been re-erected. It stands on a gentle hill slope about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Inverurie and consists of a ring of nine stones, eight of which are grey granite and one red jasper. East Aquhorthies Stone Circle is a recumbent stone circle – a monument type only found in north-east Scotland. It has a large stone set on its side and flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west part of the circle. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Aquhorthies_stone_circle - https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=74 - https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/east-aquhorthies-stone-circle/

The Loch of Skene is a medium sized freshwater loch. It was artificially enlarged by partially damming the outflow. The loch was used to power the tweed mill downstream, but this stopped in 1906. Since then, the water has been used to generate electricity. It is designated as an SSSI for the wildlife in the area.

Built as an art project in 2006, this rocky feature makes a great viewpoint over Kemnay and Aberdeenshire. A small car park to the south provides parking for a few cars and easy access to the short walk to the top. Easily suitable for children and there are several trails to take you up to the top. The view over the quarry is also superb.

The project 'Place of Origin' began at Kemnay in 1996 as part of the celebration of 150 years of the granite firm John Fyfe. It acknowledges the importance of the industry and marks the early development of the village around the quarry. But the title also refers to the widespread distribution of granite products from Kemnay, and the influence of Scottish stoneworkers and their skills in many parts of the world. The three artists John Maine, Glen Onwin and Brad Goldberg chose to make the landscape into an artwork rather than to place individual pieces of sculpture near the quarry. Coming from Salisbury, Edinburgh and Dallas, Texas, they met at regular intervals to work together at Kemnay where they were advised by the engineer John Harrison of Inverurie. Archaeologists, geologists, local historians and construction workers have all influenced the design. The plan for Paradise Hill allowed for creative interpretation, and sensitivity to details. The woodland will complete the composition. 100 thousand tons of granular materials have been deposited to create a vantage point, overlooking the quarry. The massive granite construction at the summit is built in the traditional way that quarry walls and ramps have been made here for centuries. Paths of crushed granite lead to a high platform, contained by quarried blocks, many still showing the drill marks where they have been split. At the top of the ramp is a giant boulder extracted from a nearby sand pit. This has been rubbed smooth by the action of glaciers. The smaller black cubes set below are from India.