There are many stories about Jock O’ Bennachie, an enormous giant, who lived on the hill.
Jock O’ Bennachie slept on the hill between two cairns in a place called ” Little John’s Length” it is approximately 200m long! (east of Craigshannoch).
Jock also laid out his sark (shirt) to dry on the hill - look north-west of Craigshannoch and you will see a big green patch of grass in the heather shaped like a sark or a shirt!
Long, long time ago Jock O’ Bennachie an enormous giant lived on top of Bennachie.
On a nearby hill called Tap o Noth about 20 km away and near Rynie there lived a rival giant called Jock O’ Noth .
The two giants were always fighting and would often throw huge boulders at each other.
This became more frequent when Lady Anne visited the area, she loved both giants and they were eager to impress her with their boulder throwing prowess!
As you climb Bennachie, especially near the summit of Mither Tap, you will see a lot of stones possible thrown by Jock O’ Noth or mis thrown by Jock O’ Bennachie.
Legend has it that Jock is still buried in a cave, somewhere on the hill.
Jock is not really dead – he is merely under a spell, secured by lock and key but all will be revealed if:
A wife’s ae sin wi’ ae e’e Sall fin the kyey o’Bennachie
and then the giant will be freed!