Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn on Whiteash Hill

Written by Chris Thornton | 28th of January 2025
Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn on Whiteash Hill

As a child, I visited this memorial cairn at least twice. I only knew it then as "the pyramid" and thought of it as quite a magical place high up on the hill over Fochabers.

Far from being an ancient pyramid like the ones in Egypt, the Whiteash Hill Memorial Cairn was erected in 1887 in memory of memory of Frances Harriet, Duchess of Richmond.

Our visit to the Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn

Pulling my daughters off their tablets, phones and computers, my wife and I took them for a walk to the cairn on a lovely mid-October Saturday afternoon.

The Winding Walks Car Park

Living in Buckie, we were no strangers to the "Winding Walks," a series of trails in what we would call "The Fochabers Woods." Usually, we would take the short walk to the hut overlooking Fochabers (now sadly gone), but this time, we chose the longest walk to the cairn.

The Winding Walks Car Park has received a lot of love in recent years. When I was a child, it was a very basic car park, but now it has well-made alcoves/parking spaces, information boards, multiple walking routes and even a dedicated trail for mountain bikers.

Winding Walks Car Park
The entrance to the Winding Walks Car Park from the A98.

Parking fees are paid via ticket machine or via the RingGo app, using number 53318.

  • 1 hour - £2.00

  • 3 hours - £2.50

  • All day - £3.00

  • Minibus/coach - £12.00

  • Blue badge holders' access is complimentary.

Ticket machine at the Winding Walks, Fochabers.
The ticket machine and pricing information.
 
Winding Walks information board.
The information board with important details of the routes. There are leaflets to take too.

There are four routes at the Winding Walks:

  • Red Trail - 1.5 miles / 1 hour - connects all the walks below but is also a walk in its own right.

  • Green Trail - 1.5 miles 1 hour - passes a small lochan.

  • Yellow Trail - 1.75 miles / 1 hour 10 minutes - leads to a viewing platform where a hut once stood.

  • Blue Trail - 3 miles / 2 hours - the leads to the pyramid/cairn.

A warning sign was in the car park to inform us that bad weather had degraded part of the blue trail.

Trails at Winding Walks, Fochabers
The available trails at the Winding Walks.

The Red Trail

We initially took the red route from the car park, which joins the blue route leading to the cairn. The paths on the red route are easy to walk and the forests here are some of the loveliest on the route.

At the end of the red route, it joins the blue route. You can choose to follow the red route back to the car park or the yellow route. We wanted to go to the cairn, so we joined the blue route.

Start of Red trail at Winding Walks
The start of the red trail.
 
Red Route trail
Red Route Trail.
 
Muddy trail at Winding Walks.
The path was quite muddy when we visited.

The Blue Trail

The blue trail rises at a gentle gradient but is fairly long. I was getting out of breath and feeling an ache in my calves! The forests are so lovely, though, and the fresh air in our lungs propelled us on.

Winding Walks forest.
The low sun beamed through the trees in Autumn.
 
Sign to cairn.
Signage showing the way to the cairn/pyramid.
 
Cairn Trail at Winding Walks.
The path to the pyramid.

Ranald's Grave

Ranald's Grave was one interesting spot on the way to the cairn. This large pile of stones marks the grave of a famous local robber. A small sign next to the stones reads:

Ranald was chief or king of a band of tinkers who camped here robbing wayfarers on the old Aberdeen - Inverness road. Rightly or wrongly Ranald was tried and executed on this spot thus RANALD'S GRAVE marks the old campsite and burial ground.

Ranald's Grave sign.
The path shoots off to the right for Ranald's Grave.
 
Ranald's Grave
Ranald's Grave with information board.
 
Path to the pyramid.
Continuing on to the pyramid.

Arriving at the cairn/pyramid

Finally, we could see the pyramid at the end of the road, peeping through the trees. The trees gave way to a clearing containing the cairn - it was bigger than I remembered and very impressive.

Pyramid at the end of the Blue Trail.
First glimpse of the pyramid.
 
Fochabers Pyramid.
The pyramid looked quite mysterious the more it revealed itself.
 
The pyramid monument near Fochabers.
The monument in all it's glory.

The stone plaque is built into the cairn on its north side, which reads:

THIS CAIRN IS ERECTED
IN MEMORY OF
FRANCES HARRIET
DUCHESS OF RICHMOND
1887

Inscription on the pyramid near Fochabers.
The only inscription on the pyramid.

Each side of the pyramid has a bench; we made good use of these to have our picnic!

Far side of the pyramid.
The other side of the pyramid.

The trees on the north side have been cut back, revealing lovely views over Fochabers and Mosstodloch and all the way to Elgin. The Moray Firth coastline can also be seen. Gordon Castle, once home to Frances Harriet, can also be seen, which is very fitting. The Bin of Cullen can be seen to the east.

Heading home

We spent a little time here, and I took some photos with my drone. We continued via the blue trail despite the warnings of the degraded path. While the path was severely damaged, with large sections gouged out, it was still easily passable. If you're worried about the path here, return the way you came back along the blue route, and you will be fine.

Drone view of the Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn
Drone view.
 
Overhead view of the Fochabers pyramid.
Looking directly down on the pyramid.
 
Landscape surrounding the pyramid.
Pyramid and surrounding landscape showing towns and the Moray coastline.
 
Pyramid looking south.
The hills beyond to Keith.
 
East Moray
Looking back towards Buckie and the Bin of Cullen.
 
Pyramid and trail
Looking south. The path shown is the return part of the Blue Trail.
 
Heading home
Heading back via the Blue Trail.
 
Damaged path
The Blue Trail had eroded badly at this section but it was still passable.

Joining the green trail, we left to visit the Longbowe Loch and then back to the Winding Walks Car Park.

History of the Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn

Frances Harriet, Duchess of Richmond and Gordon, was married to Charles Gordon-Lennox, the 6th Duke of Richmond and 1st Duke of Gordon. Born in 1824 and passing in 1887, she spent her life between their estates in Moray, Scotland, and Sussex, England.

The Duchess and her husband held a strong interest in the Fochabers area. She actively supported numerous initiatives to assist the local community. In 1902, Historian George Roy Duncan wrote, reflecting on her contributions, describing the memorial cairn dedicated to her as:

"A noble cairn, erected to a noble Duchess who was never tired of well-doing for Fochabers and its inhabitants."

The cairn was hidden for many years in the deep forest but was revealed again in the 1990s when tree felling reopened the site.

Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn.
Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn.

FAQs on the Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn

Is the cairn walk suitable for children?

Yes, it's a moderate walk, and they might complain a little, but my 8, 12, and 14-year-old girls managed it easily. The red route has some dangerous drops near the start, so keep small children nearby.

What wildlife can be seen in the Whiteash Hill Wood?

We didn't see much on this visit, but we could have seen capercaillies, deer, pine martens, and red squirrels.

Are there any other walks near the Winding Walks?

There are four walks at the Winding Walks, but if you want to visit another location, there is a lovely short walk at the Earth Pillars Walk near Fochabers. This walk has a spectacular view of the River Spey and can be completed in less than 20 minutes.

Where are the nearest toilets?

Christie's Garden Centre is a short distance from the walk where you can access toilets and a fantastic cafe. Public toilets are also available near the playing fields in Fochabers.

Key Information

  • Duchess of Richmond Memorial Cairn is a pyramid-shaped monument dedicated to Frances Harriet, the Duchess of Richmond.

  • The pyramid/cairn can be accessed on foot via the Winding Walks Car Park, a short distance from the town of Fochabers.

  • Also known as the Richmond Cairn and Whiteash Cairn.

  • The route is about 3 miles long and will take about two hours at a slow pace.

  • The pyramid has a bench along each side, ideal for having a rest/picnic.

  • The pyramid overlooks many towns and villages, including ElginLossiemouth, Fochabers, and Buckie.

Pyramid landscape north view.
Impressive landscape looking north from the Pyramid.

Conclusion

The cairn trail on the Winding Walks has a lot to offer, from the varied forest types to the interest of Ranald's Grave and the panoramic views from the hill summit where the pyramid exists. It is highly recommended for a family day out.

If you're interested in Scotland's pyramids, there is a larger pyramid on the Balmoral Estate, dedicated to Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.

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