Kempstone Hill facts for kids

Kempstone Hill is a small hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's part of the Mounth Range, which is a group of hills within the larger Grampian Mountains. Its highest point is 132 metres (about 433 feet) above sea level. Some historians believe this hill might have been where the famous Battle of Mons Graupius took place. This was a big fight between the Romans and the native Caledonians. A large Roman Camp called Raedykes is only about three kilometres (less than 2 miles) to the west. From Kempstone Hill, you can see amazing views of the North Sea to the east, and also Muchalls Castle slightly to the north. There is also a special survey marker, called a trigpoint, on top of Kempstone Hill.

About the Land

Kempstone Hill is located about 2.3 kilometres (just over 1.4 miles) north of Stonehaven. Water from the northern and eastern sides of the hill flows into the Burn of Muchalls. Water from the southern and western sides flows into the Burn of Monboys. This stream is slightly acidic, which might be because of water draining from the peat bogs on nearby Meikle Carewe Hill and Curlethney Hill.

To the south, the land drops steeply down to Limpet Burn. This stream flows into the North Sea. The woodland along Limpet Burn, which grows near the water, is considered a very important habitat by the Aberdeenshire Council.

Ancient History

Long, long ago, during the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age), people lived on Kempstone Hill. We know this because there are standing stones on the hill. These are large stones placed upright by ancient people. The name "Kemp-stane" comes from an old Scots word that describes these kinds of prehistoric stone structures. The name "Kemp-stane Hill" was first written down in the 1700s.

Future Wind Farm Plans

A company called Renewable Energy Resources wants to build a wind farm near Kempstone Hill. They have asked the Aberdeenshire Council for permission. The plan is to put 12 wind turbines on Curlethney Hill and Meikle Carewe Hill, which are just west of Kempstone Hill. Each turbine would be 70 metres (about 230 feet) tall. Together, they could make enough electricity for about 5,000 homes.

However, some people are worried about the plan. They are concerned about noise pollution from the turbines. They also worry about how the turbines would look in the landscape and if they would disturb local wildlife.

Images for kids

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  Wind turbines on Kempstone Hill