Finally off exploring Scotland – first stop: Deer Abbey, built in 1219.
Deer Abbey was Cistercian monastery founded in 1219. The abbey is associated with the Book of Deer and for more than 300 years, the Cistercian monks seem to have lived a quiet and contemplative life until the Protestant Reformation of 1560 brought the abbey’s spiritual use to a close.
The Book of Deer (Leabhar Dhèir in Gaelic) is a 10th-century Latin Gospel Book with early 12th-century additions in Latin, Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It contains the earliest known surviving Gaelic writing from Scotland. The origin of the book is uncertain, and it has been in the ownership of the Cambridge University Library since 1715.
Exploring the local area... I will do a longer post at another time with the history of the area and a more extensive tour. This was just a quick look around to get my bearings. Called in to a cafe... Then back home sweet home... one…
Aikey Brae stands at the summit of Parkhouse Hill in Aberdeenshire. It is thought the stone circle was created around 4,000 years ago by a local farming community. The main stone is made of whinstone that was transported to this place from some distance away. The remaining stones are…