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Scottish Standing Stones

North of Duddo

As mentioned in a previous post about the Duddo Standing Stones in north Northumberland, prehistoric standing stones are human-made upright stones that have been placed into the ground vertically, often in circular formations. They date from various periods, mostly between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, and are found across the UK and beyond. Here are a few photos of stone circles that I’ve visited in Scotland over recent years that helps to highlight the similarities in the formations across a wider geographical area.

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Duddo Standing Stones

Northern standing stones

Prehistoric standing stones are large upright stones that were placed in the ground by humans, typically between 4000 BCE and 1200 BCE. They are often arranged in circles or rows, and sometimes have burial chambers or cairns nearby. Some of the most famous standing stones are found in the UK, such as Stonehenge, Avebury, and the Ring of Brodgar. Closer to home, however, are the standing stones at Duddo, just north of Etal in north Northumberland [GPS: 55°41’11.838″ N 2°6’43.188″ W].

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Nature Shorts

Walking along the river

One of my favourite things to do is to go for a walk along the River Breamish and see what kinds of natural things I can find. There’s always something new and interesting to discover, like a colourful flower, a fragrant herb, or a fungus. I often take pictures of them and then look them up online later to learn more about them. Other times I just enjoy them without feeling any need to record what I’ve seen.

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Cuckoo Spit

Cuckoo spit! Really?

They seem to be everywhere at the moment – those frothy, white globules sticking to grasses in the countryside and on your treasured garden plants. They really do look as if someone’s spat on the grass…yuck! But was it really a cuckoo?

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Digitalis purpurea

What a great summer for Digitalis purpurea

If you’ve been out and about over the past few weeks, then you’ll probably have noticed what a great summer it is this year for Digitalis purpurea – that’s the common foxglove in everyday parlance. Is it the combination of a hard winter frost and snow followed by lots of rain and a short heat wave that’s made them so prolific? Whatever the case, the Digitalis purpurea are plentiful this year – and looking stunning!

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