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In The Shadow of Bennachie: A Field Archaeology of Donside

THOUSANDS of years of human settlement beneath the much-loved hulk of Bennachie are laid bare in this fascinating and beautifully illustrated volume.

The result of 12 years of research by leading archaeologists, it leaves no stone unturned in its exploration of how the past has shaped the modern landscape.

Focusing largely on Donside, but stretching out to Strathbogie and the Howe of Cromar to the west and the mouths of the Ythan and the Dee in the east, In the Shadow of Bennachie is a lovingly crafted tribute to one of the oldest continuously inhabited areas of Scotland.

The lush agricultural land in evidence today owes its richness to the generations who have worked to clear the stones, and it is these stones which now yield their secrets, from the early Bronze Age recumbent stone circles, Iron Age forts and Pictish carvings, through the mediaeval period, to the present day.

The deserted farm steadings of the 19th and 20th centuries are as important to our understanding of the past as the famous stone circles, write the authors, in their own way saying as much about the political and economic climate of their day.

Not surprisingly, given the august bodies behind it, this is a painstakingly detailed account. However, its 300 pages are greatly enlivened by maps, diagrams, drawings and photographs, including some stunning aerial shots, and they will be read and enjoyed on many levels, from scholars to enthusiastic amateur historians and, indeed, anyone with a passion for this remarkable corner of Scotland.

Morag Lindsay

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