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HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE 


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HISTORY 


OF   THE 


VALLEY  OF  THE   DEE 


FROM  THE  EARLIEST  TIMES  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY. 


BY 

JOHN    MACKINTOSH,   LL.D. 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  HISTORY  OF  CIVILISATION  IN  SCOTLAND 
"  THE  STORY  OF  SCOTLAND  " 
"  THE  REVOLUTION  OF  1688  AND  VISCOUNT  DUNDEE  " 
"  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEVERON,"  a^c,  dfc. 


ABKRDEEN 

TAYLOR  AND  HENDERSON 

LITHOGRAPHERS  AND  PRINTERS  TO  THE  QUEEN 


MDCCCXCV. 


THE  RIGHT  OF  TRANSLATION    RESERVED. 


I 

\ 


CONTENTS. 


V»J 


Chapter  I. 

INTRODUCTORY  SKETCH. 

Watershed — Source  of  the  Dee — Glen  Dee — Course  of  the  River —  Page. 

Aspect  of  the  Valley — Tributaries  of  the  Dee — Soil — Climate 
—Plan  of  the  Work 1—9 

Chapter  II. 

TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION. 

Early  Race — Stone  Age  People — Chambered  Cairns — Earth- 
houses — Cremation — Urn  Interment — Hill  Forts — Crannogs 
— Stone  Weapons — Condition  of  the  People         .         .         .       10 — 19 

Chapter  III. 

ESTUARY— CULTS. 

Harbour  of  Aberdeen — Diversion  of  the  Dee — Improvements — 
Old  Bridge  of  Dee — Lands  of  Pitfodels — Deeside  Railway — 
Cults -        .         .       20—33 

Chapter  IV. 

BANCHORY— ARDO—HEATHCOT. 

Lands  of  Banchory  granted  to  the  Abbey  of  Arbroath — Subsequent 
Proprietors  —  Banchory  House  —  Church — Ardo  Estate — 
Ardo  House — Heathcot  House — Shannaburn — Auchlunies.       34 — 44 

Chapter   V. 

MURTLE— EDGEHILL— CULTER  HOUSE- 
PAPER  WORKS. 

Lynwood — Bieldside — Murtle  House — Lands  of  iMurtle--Edgehill, 
Dr  Webster — Camphill — Culter  House — Lands  of  Culter — 
Peterculter  Church — Village  of  Culter — Paper  Works — Snuff 
Manufactory — William  M'Combie 45 — 55 

Chapter  VI. 

MARYCULTER— DURRIS. 

The  Knights  Templars  at  Maryculter — Blairs — St.  Mary's  College 
— Marybank — Kingcausie  House — Lands  of  Kingcausie — 
Maryculter  House — General  Gordon — Royal  Forest — Crown 


vi  CONTENTS. 

Lands — Durris,  Families  connected  with  it — Durris  House —         Page. 
Kirktown,  Church  of  Durris, 56 — 67 

Chapter  VII. 

IRVINES  OF  DRUM— HISTORIC   INCIDENTS. 

Scenery — Loch  of  Drum — Old  Church  of  Drumoak — William 
Irvine,  and  Robert  Bruce — Feud  between  the  Irvines  and 
Keiths — Battle  of  Harlaw — Sir  Alexander,  Battle  of  Pinkie 
— The  Irvines  involved  in  the  Covenanting  Struggle — Drum 
Castle  taken — Change  in  the  Succession — Alexander  Forbes 
Irvine,  Francis  H.  F.  Irvine — Drum  Castle.         .         .         .       68 — 77 

Chapter  VIII. 

PARK— BURNETTS  OF  LEYS— CRATHES  CASTLE. 

Lands  of  Park,  House — Andrew  Penny — ^James  Penny — Tradition 
of  the  Burnett  Family — Grant  of  Lands  to  Alexander  Burnett 
— Gilbert — Robert,  Lord  Crimond — Sir  Thomas,  a  Cove- 
nanter, and  a  Patron  of  Learning — The  Baronet's  Daughter — 
Sir  Robert,  Sir  Thomas — Crathes  Castle — Court  Book  of 
Leys — Loch  of  Leys — Normandikes     .         .         .         -         .       78 — 85 

Chapter  IX. 

BANCHORY-TERNAN— SCENERY— BURGH- 
REMINISCENCES. 

Scenery — St.  Ternan,  Old  Church — Kirktown — New  Village — 
Wood-floating — Burgh  of  Banchory — Dr.  George  Campbell 
— Dr.  Francis  Adams,  Dr.  Andrew  Leith  Adams — ^James 
Cuthbert  Hadden 86—93 

Chapter   X. 

VALLEY   OF   THE   FEUGH— STRACHAN-- 
BIRSE. 

Bridge  of  Feugh — Old  Castle  of  Tilquhillie — Walter  Ogston, 
Thomas,  Janet — Douglas  of  Tilquhillie — Invery  House — 
Village  of  Strachan — Cairn  o'  Mounth  Road — Birse,  Church, 
Graveyard,  Free  Church  —  Forest  of  Birse  —  Lands  of 
Finzean,  House,  Farquharsons  of  Finzean  —  Ballogie — 
Balfour — Eminent  Natives  of  Birse      .....     94 — 104 

Chapter  XL 

BLACKHALL— KINCARDINE  O'NEIL— 

LUMPHANAN. 

Blackhall  House — Inchmarlo — Glassel — Campfield — Opening  of 
the  Aberdeen  Water  Works — Village  of  Torphins — Craig- 
myle  House,  Lands — Learney  House,  Innes  of  Raemoir — 


CONTENTS.  vii 

Findrack   House  —  Potarch   Bridge  —  Borrowstone   House,  Page. 

Old  Hamlet  of  Borrowstone — Scenery — Village  of  Kincar- 
dine O'Neil,  Barony  of  Kincardine  O'Neil,  Old  Church, 
New  Church — Kincardine  Lodge — Carlogie  House — Dess- 
wood  House — Distinguished  Natives — Village  of  Lumphanan 
— Glenmillan  House — Lands  of  Auchlossan — Auchenhove — 
Halton,  Pitmurchie  —  Peel  Bog  — The  Houff— Conflict 
between  King  Duncan  and  Macbeth — Malcolm  HL  and 
Macbeth,  Battle  of  Lumphanan 105 — 119 

Chapter  XII. 

ABOVNE— GLENTANNER— CULBLEAN. 

Charlestown  of  Aboyne  —  Castle  of  Aboyne — Old  Church — 
Tillphoundie,  Balnacraig,  Families  connected  with  it — 
Glentanner — Smugghng — Sir  William  Cunliffe  Brooks — 
Mansion  House  of  Glentanner,  Chapel — Dinnet  Church — 
John  G.  Michie — Dee  Castle — Ballaterich — Byron — ^James 
Neil — Dinnet  House — Loch  Kinnord — Glendavan  House — 
Battle  of  Culblean — Families  associated  wdth  Aboyne  .         .  120 — 137 

Chapter  XIII. 

TULLICH— BALLATER. 

Scenery — Cambus  o'  May — Old  Church  and  Graveyard  of  Tullich 
— Francis  Farquharson  of  Monaltrie — Old  Village  of  Tullich 
Pass  of  Ballater — Burgh  of  Ballater — Monaltrie  House — 
Craigendarroch  Lodge — Bridge  of  Ballater — Alex.  Troup     .  138 — 146 

Chapter  XIV. 

GLENMUICK. 

Churchyard — Families  connected  with  Glenmuick — Old  Castle  of 
Braickley — Ruins  of  Knock  Castle — Traditions  associated 
with  it — Birkhall  House — Glenmuick  House,  St.  Nathalan's 
Church — Falls  of  Muick — Alltnaguibhsaich  Lodge — Loch 
Muick — Glasallt  Shiel  • —  Glasallt  Falls  —  Scenery —  Loch 
Dubh — Summit  of  Lochnagar — Byron  ....  147 — 153 

Chapter  XV. 
GLENGAIRN— STRATHGIRNOCK— ABERGELDIE. 

Scenery — Old  Church  of  Glengairn,  Graveyard — Roman  Catholic 
Chapel — Burial  Ground  of  Dalfad — Macdonald  of  Rineaton 
— Quoad  Sacra  Church — Old  Castle  of  Gaim — Abergaim — 
Mining  operations — Corndavon  Lodge — Polhollick — Strath- 
girnock  —  Craig-na-Ban  —  Colliecriech  Wood  —  Geallaig — 
Micras — Castle    of    Abergeldie — Families    connected    with 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Abergeldie  —  Clachanturn  —  Lochnagar    Distillery — Easter         Page. 
Balmoral — Crathie   Churchyard — Old    Church   of   Crathie, 
New   Church — ^John    Bruce — Alexander   Downie — William 
Blair— Peter  Coutts— John  Ross 154—168 

Chapter  XVI. 

BALMORAL. 

Statues  and  Monuments  within  the  Castle  Grounds — Prince 
Albert's  Cairn — Families  connected  with  Balmoral — Battle 
of  Falkirk — Earl  of  Fife — Sir  Robert  Gordon — The  Queen 
and  Prince  Albert — Old  Castle  of  Balmoral — The  Royal 
Domain,  Forest,  Falls  of  Garbhallt — Laying  the  Foundation 
Stone  of  the  New  Castle,  Progress  of  its  Erection,  Finished 
— A  Fete  at  Balmoral — Castle  of  Balmoral — The  Queen's 
Excursions  in  the  Highlands — Her  Majesty's  Annual 
Sojourn  at  Balmoral 169—182 

Chapter  XVII. 

SCENERY— INVERCAULD. 

Site  of  the  Old  House  of  Monaltrie — Carn-na-Cuimhne — Aberarder 
— Bridge  of  Invercauld — Invercauld  House — The  Farquhar- 
sons  a  Branch  of  the  Clan  Chattan,  Original  Possessions  of 
this  Clan — Farquharson  of  Invercauld,  Donald  Farquhar, 
Findla  Mor — Robert  Farquharson — John  forced  to  join 
Mar's  Rising — James — ^James  Ross  Farquharson — Colonel 
James — Lieutenant  Alexander  H.  Farquharson    .         .         .   183 — 190 

Chapter  XVIII. 

CASTLETOWN  OF  BRAEMAR. 

Craig  Clunie — Clunie  Cottage — Charter  Chest — The  Lion's  Face 
— Altdowrie  Cottage — Braemar  Castle — Old  Churchyard, 
St.  Andrew's  Chapel  —  Surroundings  of  Castletown  — 
Description  of  the  Town— Glen  Clunie— Glen  Callater        .  191—197 

Chapter  XIX. 

GLEN  QUOICH— INVEREY— GLEN  EY— GLEN 
LUI— MAR  FOREST. 

Aspect  of  the  Valley — Carr  Burn — Water  of  Quoich — Linn  of 
Quoich — "Earl  of  Mar's  Punch  Bowl" — Corriemulzie  Falls 
— New  Mar  Lodge — Old  Mar  Lodge — Village  of  Inverey — 
John  Farquharson  of  Inverey — Water  of  Ey — Glen  Ey — 
AUt  Connie  Falls — The  Colonel's  Cave — John  Farquharson 
joined  Viscount  Dundee — Alltanodhar  Shieling — Glen  Lui — 
Falls  of  Lui— Mar  Forest— Deer— Linn  of  Dee — White 
Bridge— Glen  Geldie  — Geldie  Lodge— Bynack  Lodge — 
Chest  of  Dee— Glen  Geusachan  ....'.  198—210 


CONTENTS.  ix 

Chapter  XX. 

EARLDOM  OF  MAR— EARLS  OF  MAR. 

Extent  and  Chief  Seat  of  the  Earldom — Mormaer  of  Mar — Early  Page. 
Earls  of  Mar,  Ruadri,  Morgund,  Gratney,  Duncan,  William 
— Thomas,  the  last  Earl  of  the  Celtic  line — His  sister  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Earldom  ;  her  daughter,  Isabel,  became 
Countess  of  Mar  and  Garioch  ;  her  unhappy  life,  tragic,  and 
violent  incidents — Alexander  Stewart,  Earl  of  Mar,  exclud- 
ing the  Erskines'  Claim — Earldom  annexed  to  the  Crown — 
Erskine's  Claims  rejected — Members  of  the  Royal  Family 
made  Earls  of  Mar — The  period  in  which  there  was  no 
Earl  of  Mar 211—218 

Chapter  XXI. 

EARLS  OF  MAR-RISING  OF  1715. 

The  Earldom  of  Mar  and  Lordship  of  Garioch  restored  to  John, 
Lord  Erskine — A  long  struggle  to  reclaim  the  alienated 
possessions  of  the  Earldom — Efforts  of  John,  second  Earl  of 
Mar — ^John,  third  Earl — ^John,  fourth  Earl  of  Mar — Charles, 
fifth  Earl  of  Mar — John,  sixth  Earl,  after  the  accession 
of  George  I.,  concerted  a  Rebellion — Meetings  of  his 
supporters  at  Braemar  and  Aboyne — The  Standard  Raised, 
and  Mar's  Army  Marched — Arrival  of  James  VIII. — 
Retreat  and  Disbandment  of  the  Army — Royal  Troops  sent 
into  Braemar 219—227 

Chapter  XXII. 

DISARMING  THE  PEOPLE— RISING  OF  1745. 

The  People  of  Braemar  subjected  to  suffering — Disarming  Acts — 
Causes  of  the  Rising — Arrival  of  Prince  Charles  in  the 
Western  Isles — Muster  in  Glenfinnan — Raising  the  Standard 
— Proclamations — ^Jacobite  feeling  in  Braemar — Advance  of 
Charles  southward  —  Capture  of  Edinburgh — Defeat  of 
General  Cope — Prince  Charles'  difficulties — Braemar  and  the 
Valley  of  the  Dee  impHcated  in  the  Rising — Conclusion       .  228 — 234 


HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 


Chapter  I. 
INTRODUCTORY    SKETCH. 

At  the  outset  it  seems  necessary  to  indicate  some  of 
the  general  features  of  the  subject,  and  the  method  of 
treating  it. 

The  watershed  of  Scotland  runs  southward  from  Cape 
Wrath  to  the  head  of  Loch  Quoich.  Thence  it  turns 
eastward  between  Lochs  Lochy  and  Oich  ;  then  sweep- 
ing round  the  top  of  Strathspey  and  over  the  hills  above 
the  head  of  Loch  Laggan  ;  thence  following  a  curving 
southerly  course  past  the  west  end  of  the  Moor  of 
Rannoch  and  the  Brae  Lyon  mountains  to  Crianlarich  ; 
whence  across  Ben  Lomond,  and  south-eastward  over  the 
Campsie  Fells  into  the  broad  Lowland  Valley.  The 
sources  of  the  Spey  and  the  Dee  lie  on  the  highest  point 
of  the  watershed. 

The  widest  region  of  the  wildest  scenery  in  Britain  is 
contained  in  the  one  hundred  square  miles  of  rugged 
mountain  and  corry  lying  between  Glen  Feshie  and  Glen 
Quoich,  which  comprises  the  summits  of  Ben  Muich  Dhui, 
Cairngorm,  and  other  mountains,  and  the  great  corries  of 
Braeriach  and  Ben-na-Bhuird. 

The  springs  and  head  streams  of  the  Dee  rise  from 
three  high  mountains  on  the  confines  of  Aberdeenshire 
and  Inverness-shire,  namely,  Braeriach,  Ben  Muich  Dhui, 
B 


2  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

and  Cairn  Toul,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  each  other, 
and  forming  the  highest  mountain-land  in  Scotland. 
Two  perennial  springs  of  clear  water  issue  from  a 
declivity  near  the  summit  of  Braeriach,  at  a  height  of 
over  4000  feet  above  sea  level.  They  unite  and  form  a 
stream  which  flows  a  short  distance ;  and  then  it  descends 
the  rocky  face  of  a  great  corry — forming  a  series  of 
beautiful  cascades  of  1000  feet  in  height.  The  stream 
enters  a  narrow  aud  rugged  ravine,  called  Glen  Garchary, 
tumbles  down  through  it,  and  receives  other  rills  in  its 
course.  Another  stream  issues  from  underneath  huge 
masses  of  stones  and  debris  of  rock,  between  Ben  Muich 
Dhui  and  Braeriach,  in  the  hollow  of  Larig,  where  several 
pools  are  formed.  This  stream  is  called  the  Larig  Burn, 
and  runs  through  an  elevated  and  narrow  glen  for  about 
a  mile  and  a  half,  and  then  joins  the  Garchary  Burn. 
The  united  stream  is  called  the  Dee,  and  it  flows  south- 
ward along  the  base  of  Cairn  Toul ;  and  further  on  it 
receives  from  that  mountain  the  Geusachan  Burn. 

Glen  Dee,  through  which  the  infant  river  winds  its 
way,  is  very  narrow,  rugged,  and  deep,  bounded  on  both 
sides  by  lofty  mountains.  These  mountains  present 
many  features  of  grandeur  and  sublimity.  The  scenery 
of  the  region  is  on  a  grand  scale,  consisting  of  mountain 
rising  above  mountain,  huge  precipices,  deep  corries, 
crags  and  serrated  rocks,  and  large  bleached  boulders, 
which  vividly  recall  the  echoes  of  the  mighty  power  of 
nature.     Hogg  touched  on  the  region  thus  : — 

"  Beyond  the  grizzly  cliffs  which  guard 
The  infant  rills  of  Highland  Dee, 
Where  hunter's  horn  was  never  heard, 
Nor  bugle  of  the  forest  bee  ; 


INTRODUCTORY  SKETCH.  3 

'Mid  wastes  that  dern  and  dreary  lie, 
One  mountain  rears  its  mighty  form, 

Disturbs  the  moon  in  passing  by, 

And  smiles  above  the  thunderstorm." 

The  Geldie  Water,  a  pretty  large  stream,  rises 
between  the  mountains  of  An  Sgarsoch  and  Carn  an 
Fhidleir,  on  the  confines  of  the  counties  of  Aberdeen, 
Inverness,  and  Perth.  It  flows  through  a  glen  of  the 
same  name  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  and  joins  the  Dee 
at  Dubrach.  From  this  point  the  Dee  flows  in  an 
easterly  direction,  though  it  winds  in  many  parts  of  its 
course. 

The  river  runs  through  or  alongside  the  Parishes  of 
Braemar  and  Crathie  ;  Glengairn,  Glenmuick,  and  Tullich, 
now  united  into  one  parish  ;  Aboyne,  Birse,  Kincardine 
O'Neil,  Strachan,  Banchory-Ternan,  Durris,  Drumoak, 
Maryculter,  Peterculter,  Banchory-Devenick  and  Nigg. 
After  a  winding  and  beautiful  course  of  over  87  miles  the 
river  falls  into  the  sea  at  Aberdeen. 

Considered  as  a  whole,  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  is  com- 
paratively narrow ;  but  the  river  receives  the  drainage  of 
a  wide  and  extensive  tract  of  country.  On  its  south  side 
there  is  a  continuous  chain  of  mountains  (part  of  the 
Grampian  range),  which  reach  their  greatest  elevation  at 
the  summit  of  the  far-famed  Lochnagar ;  thence  the 
height  of  the  mountains  gradually  declines  onward  to  the 
Girdleness.  On  the  north  side,  in  the  upper  stretch  of 
the  Valley,  the  mountains  are  also  high  ;  but  the  con- 
tinuous mountain-land  terminates  in  the  plain  of  the 
Moor  of  Dinnet.  The  Dee  emerges  from  the  Highlands 
by  the  narrow  Pass  of  Cambus  o'  May.  From  this  point 
to  the  sea  at  Aberdeen,  the  northern  side  of  the  Valley  is 


4  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

partly  bounded,  and  often  intersected,  by  hills  of  no 
great  elevation  ;  and  below  Banchory-Ternan  the  ground 
presents  finely-undulated  heights,  sloping  towards  the 
bed  of  the  river. 

Many  glens,  passes,  and  ravines  open  into  the  Valley 
of  the  Dee,  with  their  fine  rippling  streams,  which  con- 
tribute much  to  form  the  exquisite  variety  and  contrast  so 
characteristic  of  its  scenery.  The  beautifully-diversified 
series  of  mountains  and  hills,  glens  and  streams,  crags, 
rocks,  and  falls,  pine  and  larch  forests,  and  birch  woods, 
present  resplendent  scenes  when  viewed  in  a  fine  summer 
day  in  all  their  natural  glory. 

From  the  confluence  of  the  Dee  and  the  Geldie,  the 
tributary  streams  of  the  river  generally  flow  in  a  direction 
inclined  eastward,  which  renders  some  of  them  of  con- 
siderable length.     The  principal  tributaries  of  the  Dee  on 
the  south   side  of  the  Valley  are    the    following:— The 
Water  of  Ey  rises  from  Ben  Uarns,  and  flows  through 
Glen  Ey  in  a  northerly  direction,  with  a  curve  to  the  east 
in  one  part,  and  after  a  course  of  eight  miles  it  falls  into 
the  Dee  four  miles  below  the  confluence  of  the  Dee  and 
the  Geldie.     The  Water  of  Clunie  rises  on  the  Cairnwell, 
and  runs  through  Glen  Clunie.        It  receives  the  Burn  of 
Baddoch,   and   four    miles    further   down    the    W^ater  of 
Callater,  and  after  a  northerly  course  of  about  ten  miles 
it  joins  the   Dee  below  Castletown    of   Braemar.      The 
Water   of  Muick    issues    from    a    small    loch    near   the 
mountain  of  Cairn  Taggart.       It  runs  south-east  through 
a  narrow  and  deep  ravine,  with  high  precipices  on  both 
sides,  and  dashes  against  the  boulders  which  strew  its  bed. 
It  then  expands  into  a  loch  of  considerable  extent  and 
striking  grandeur.       On  issuing  from  the  loch  it  flows 


INTRODUCTORY  SKETCH.  5 

north-east  a  course  of  about  ten  miles,  and  joins  the  Dee 
a  Httle  above  Ballater,  Glenmuick  is  remarkable  for  the 
variety  and  beauty  of  its  scenery.  The  Water  of  Tanner 
rises  from  the  Hare  Cairn,  and  runs  in  a  north-easterly 
direction  through  Glentanner  a  distance  of  fourteen 
miles,  and  enters  the  Dee  about  a  mile  above  Aboyne. 
The  Water  of  Feugh  rises  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the 
parish  of  Birse,  at  a  height  1800  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
flows  rapidly  in  an  east-north-eastward  direction  through 
the  Parishes  of  Birse,  Strachan,  and  a  part  of  Banchory- 
Ternan.  It  has  a  beautiful  course  of  nearly  twenty  miles, 
and  falls  into  the  Dee  below  Banchory.  The  Burn  of 
Sheeoch  rises  on  the  high  hill  of  Kerloch,  and  flows 
very  rapidly  a  distance  of  twelve  miles,  and  joins  the 
Dee  at  the  church  of  Durris.  Below  this  there  are 
several  small  streams  which  enter  the  river  on  the  south 
side,  but  they  present  nothing  very  peculiar. 

Turning  to  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  the  chief 
tributaries  of  the  Dee  are: — The  Water  of  Lui,  the  Water 
of  Ouoich,  several  small  streams,  and  the  comparatively 
large  Water  of  Gairn  ;  but  the  burns  below  the  mouth  of 
the  Gairn  are  not  of  much  volume,  owing  to  the  lower 
elevation  of  the  stretch  of  country  drained  by  the  river  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Valley.  The  Water  of  Lui  rises 
among  the  mountains  on  the  east  side  of  Glen  Dee,  and 
it  is  mainly  formed  of  two  streams,  the  Lui  Beg  and  the 
Derrv,  which  issue  from  the  south  and  north-east  of  Ben 
Muich  Dhui.  Four  miles  from  their  sources  the  streams 
unite,  and  form  the  Water  of  Lui,  which  then  flows  in  a 
south-easterly  direction  through  the  glen  of  the  same 
name,  a  distance  of  over  six  miles,  and  falls  into  the  Dee 
a  little  below  the  Linn.     About  three  miles  eastward,  the 


6  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Water  of  Ouoich  rises  from  two  main  sources,  one  on  the 
western  extremity  and  near  the  summit  of  Ben-na-Bhuird, 
and  the  other  from  a  small  loch  at  the  eastern  end  of  the 
mountain.  The  two  streams  unite,  and  the  Quoich  flows 
rapidly  over  a  rocky  and  stony  bed — it  is  remarkable  for 
its  narrow  gorge  and  rock  cavities.  On  emerging  from 
its  glen,  it  spreads  over  a  considerable  portion  of  the  level 
haugh  in  the  Valley,  and  mars  its  continuity  and  beauty. 
The  Water  of  Gairn  has  its  sources  from  rills  which  come 
down  from  the  mountains  of  Ben  Avon  and  Craigandal. 
It  flows  through  its  glen,  in  an  east-south-eastward 
direction,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles,  and  falls  into  the 
Dee  a  mile  and  a  half  above  Ballater.  Glen  Gairn  in  its 
upper  stretch  is  rather  bleak,  bounded  by  high  hills  on 
either  side,  covered  with  heath  and  some  patches  of  grass : 
but  in  its  lower  portion  there  are  fine  grassy  pastures 
and  cultivated  fields.  Its  scenery,  though  not  specially 
striking,  is  in  some  parts  attractive,  and  presents  pleasing 
contrasts.  The  streams  below  this  are  comparatively 
small — The  Burn  ofDinnet  ;  the  Burn  of  Tarland,  which 
runs  eastward  and  joins  the  Dee  below  Aboyne  Castle  ; 
the  Burn  of  Dess,  remarkable  for  its  romantic  cascade  ; 
the  Burn  of  Beltie  flows  through  the  Parish  of  Kincardine 
O'Neil,  and  enters  the  Dee  on  the  west  side  of  the  Parish 
of  Banchory  ;  and  the  Burn  of  Culter.  The  streams 
noticed  in  the  preceding  paragraphs  comprise  the  chief 
tributaries  of  the  Dee,  though  there  are  many  other  burns 
and  streamlets  which  fall  into  the  river. 

It  was  mentioned  that  the  highest  sources  of  the  Dee 
are  over  4000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  the  gradual 
fall  of  the  river  in  its  course  seaward  may  be  indicated. 
At  the  junction  of  the  Dee  and  the  Geusachan  Burn,  the 


INTRODUCTORY  SKETCH.  7 

height  above  sea  level  is  1640  feet ;  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Dee  and  the  Geldie,  1304  ;  at  the  Linn  of  Dee,  12 14; 
at  Castletown  of  Braemar,  11 80;  the  old  Bridge  of 
Invercauld,  1054  ;  Balmoral  Castle,  926 ;  Abergeldie 
Castle,  840;  the  Bridge  of  Ballater,  780;  the  Manse  of 
Aboyne,  417  ;  the  Bridge  of  Potarch,  270  ;  the  Bridge  of 
Banchory,  172  ;  and  at  the  mouth  of  the  Burn  of  Culter, 
60.  The  fall  from  the  Linn  of  Dee  to  the  sea  averages 
eighteen  feet  per  mile  ;  of  course  the  fall  is  greater  in  the 
upper  stretch  than  in  the  lower.  In  its  higher  stretch  the 
river  flows  rapid  and  clear  upon  a  bed  of  rocks  and  amid 
boulders  ;  in  the  lower  stretch  it  glides  along  upon  a  bed 
of  stones  and  pebbles,  which  tends  to  purify  the  water. 
Above  Ballater  the  water  of  the  Dee  is  comparatively 
pure,  and  almost  free  of  animal  or  sewage  contamination. 
Although  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  is  not  naturally  very 
fertile,  yet  the  skill  and  industry  of  its  inhabitants  have 
greatly  improved  it.  There  are  considerable  stretches  of 
haughs  and  plains  in  the  Valley,  still  there  are  no  very 
extensive  tracts  of  good  deep  soil,  or  very  rich  fields. 
Generally  boulders  and  pebbles  of  granite,  gneiss, 
hornblende,  and  porphyry,  form  the  prevailing  soil.  The 
pastures  in  the  mountain  districts  are  comparatively  good, 
but  small  in  extent ;  the  green-topped  hills  are  limited, 
and  consist  of  the  Coyle  hills,  the  serpentine  range  of 
Glenmuick,  and  a  portion  of  Morven.  Most  of  the  hills 
and  mountains,  however,  which  bound  the  Valley  are 
interspersed  with  stripes  and  patches  of  green  grass  even 
to  their  summits.  Heath,  pine,  and  birch  are  the  prevail- 
ing plants.  The  Valley  is  well  wooded.  The  chief 
native  trees  are  the  birch  and  the  pine,  but  here  and  there 
many  other  varieties  of  trees  have  been  planted.     Oak 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

is  not  very  common,  but  it  covers  a  part  of  the  hill 
of  Craigendarroch,  in  the  vicinity  of  Ballater.  Large 
woods  of  larch,  intermixed  with  spruce  and  some  other 
trees,  are  frequently  seen  in  various  parts  of  the  Valley. 
There  are  still  several  pretty  extensive  forests  such  as 
Glentanner,  Ballochbuie,  and  Mar. 

In  the  present  century  great  industry  and  much  art 
has  been  expended  in  many  parts  of  the  Valley  to  im- 
prove and  beautify  it.  There  are  stretches  in  the  Valley, 
which,  both  in  nature  and  in  art,  are  unrivalled  anywhere. 

The  usual  crops  raised  in  the  Valley  are  oats,  barley, 
turnips,  and  potatoes,  ryegrass  and  clover.  There  were 
good  crops  along  the  Valley  in  the  year  1893.  ^  observed 
excellent  fields  of  corn.  The  industry  of  the  people  has 
made  fruit-growing  a  success  in  various  places,  not  merely 
in  gardens,  but  also  in  the  fields.  About  Banchory- 
Ternan  may  be  seen  fine  fields  of  strawberries  ;  and  in 
the  Parish  of  Strachan  this  fruit  is  cultivated  in  the  fields ; 
and  also  in  Kincardine  O'Neil  I  have  seen  fields  of  straw- 
berries growing  beautifully.  Many  of  the  gardens 
attached  to  the  mansions  in  the  Valley,  under  experienced 
gardeners,  are  admirably  kept  and  cultivated  ;  and  they 
produce  abundance  of  fruit  and  vegetables.  Flowers  of 
many  kinds  and  varieties  are  also  reared  and  culti- 
vated with  remarkable  success.  Many  years  ago  I  ob- 
tained information  on  this  subject  from  my  brother, 
James  Mackintosh,  who  served  his  apprenticeship  as  a 
gardener  at  Banchory  House.  He  was  afterward 
engaged  at  Desswood  House,  and  assisted  in  laying  out 
the  garden  and  the  grounds.  He  had  charge  of  the 
garden  at  Glassel  for  six  years.  Subsequently  he 
went  to  Corsindae,  in  Mid  mar,  and  had  charge  of  the 


INTRODUCTORY  SKETCH.  9 

garden  for  thirty  years.  He  died  at  Corsindae  House 
in  1889. 

The  Valley  of  the  Dee  has  been  recognised  as  one  of 
the  healthiest  regions  in  Britain.  It  is  a  nerve-giving  and 
inspiriting  Valley;  and  amongst  its  inhabitants  there  have 
been  many  instances  of  great  longevity. 

Having  thus  briefly  indicated  some  of  the  general 
features  of  the  Valley,  and  system  of  streams  and  glens 
connected  with  it ;  in  the  subsequent  chapters,  after 
dealing  briefly  with  the  traces  of  prehistoric  inhabitation, 
I  will  commence  at  the  estuary  of  the  river,  proceed  up 
the  Valley,  and  touch  on  its  scenery,  and  also  that  of  the 
glens  opening  into  it ;  the  mansions  and  castles  and  the 
families  associated  with  them  ;  historic  and  traditional 
incidents ;  the  villages  and  towns  which  have  been 
erected  in  the  Valley  ;  antiquities,  and  other  objects  of 
special  interest. 


Chapter  II. 

TRACES    OF    PREHISTORIC   INHABITATION. 

In  this  chapter  the  traces  of  prehistoric  structures,  relics, 
and  remains  will  be  briefly  treated. 

The  earliest  prehistoric  race  in  Britain,  of  whom  we 
have  any  evidence,  was  a  long-headed  people  of  com- 
paratively short  stature.  Their  physical  characteristics 
resembled  the  Berber  race  and  North  African  tribes  ; 
they  appear  to  have  spread  over  the  Spanish  Peninsula, 
the  coasts  and  islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  Southern 
Italy,  and  a  great  part  of  France.  This  race  arrived  in 
the  south  of  Britain  about  the  beginning  of  the  polished 
stone  period,  and  gradually  spread  over  the  whole 
Island.  They  were  sometimes  called  Iberians,  Basques, 
and  other  names;  and  they  appear  to  have  inhabited  the 
country  alone  for  a  very  long  period.  They  were  a 
stone  age  people,  using  stone  tools  and  weapons.  They 
usually  fixed  their  settlements  on  elevated  ground  and 
moderate  heights ;  and  their  dwellings  consisted  of 
circular  huts — sometimes  with  stone  foundations,  on 
which  a  slight  structure  formed  of  wood  was  erected. 
Some  of  these  hut  foundations  still  remain,  but  many  of 
them  have  been  removed  by  the  progress  of  agricultural 
improvement.  This  people  constructed  the  long  barrows 
of  England,  and  the  chambered  and  horned  cairns  of 
Caithness,  Argyle,  and  Orkney.  They  also  constructed 
the  curious  and  interesting  structures  called  "  earth- 
houses  "  ;  and  some  specimens  of  these  were  known  to 


TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION.  11 

have  existed  in  Birse  and  Kincardine  O'Neil.  In  many 
parts  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  especially  on  the  higher 
stretch  of  the  basin  of  the  Don,  in  the  Parishes  of 
Kildrummy  and  Auchindoir,  within  a  space  of  a  mile  in 
diameter,  there  are  upwards  of  forty  of  these  "  earth- 
houses."  The  chief  characteristics  of  these  underground 
structures  are  : — I,  They  are  all  under  the  natural  level  of 
the  ground  ;  2,  a  narrow  and  low  entrance  apt  to  escape 
notice,  and  a  narrow  passage  ;  3,  a  curved  chamber 
gradually  winding  inwards,  and  usually  terminating  with 
a  rounded  end  ;  4,  the  internal  characteristics  of  the 
chamber,  which  is  usually  single,  but  in  some  specimens 
small  chambers  run  off  the  main  one  to  the  right  and 
left ;  5,  converging  side  walls  which  support  a  lintelled 
roof;  6,  they  are  built  without  mortar  or  cement  of  any 
kind.  The  walls  are  massive,  and  usually  built  of  large 
stones.  They  vary  greatly  in  size,  some  being  over 
seventy  feet  in  length,  seven  feet  in  width,  and  six  feet 
in  height ;  while  others  are  of  much  smaller  dimensions. 

After  research  and  comparison,  I  arrived  at  the 
conclusion  that  these  underground  structures  were 
originated  by  the  stone  age  people,  and  that  they 
constructed  a  considerable  number  of  those  specimens 
which  are  still  known  to  exist,  though  not  necessarily 
the  whole  of  them.  It  appeared  to  me  that  the  under- 
ground structures  were  in  harmony  with  the  genius,  the 
condition,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  stone  age  people, 
who  constructed  the  chambered  aud  horned  cairns  of 
Caithness,  which,  in  several  of  their  characteristics, 
strikingly  resemble  the  "  earth-houses."  It  may  also  be 
observed  that  the  "  earth-houses "  were  never  con- 
tinuously occupied  as  common  dwellings,  but  only  at  the 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

seasons  of  extreme  cold  and  frost,  when  the  people  of 
the  stone  age  resorted  to  them  in  order  to  protect  them- 
selves in  some  measure  from  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather.  Traces  of  over-grown  huts  in  close  association 
with  the  "earth-houses,"  show  that  the  people  lived 
above  ground,  excepting  in  the  extreme  emergencies  just 
indicated. 

This  people  practised  cremation,  and  usually  interred 
the  remains  of  the  dead  under  chambered  stone  cairns. 
Though  there  are  many  cairns  in  the  area  under 
consideration,  few  of  them  have  been  systematically 
explored  ;  while  the  common  traditions  regarding  them 
are  of  little  or  no  value  whatever.  In  cairns  broken  into 
for  building  purposes,  or  removed  for  improvements, 
human  remains  have  usually  been  found  in  them  along 
the  Valley. 

Traces  of  early  occupation  on  the  elevated  ground  of 
Pitfodels  and  Cults  on  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  and 
on  the  high  grounds  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
have  frequently  been  discovered.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Cults  House,  there  were  several  cairns,  one  of  which  has 
been  entirely  removed  for  building  purposes,  and  in  it 
two  stone  arrow  heads  were  found.  In  1850,  two  stone 
cists  were  found  near  Cults  House,  which  contained 
human  bones.  On  the  south  side  of  the  Dee,  in  18 17,  a 
stone  cist  was  discovered,  in  repairing  a  road  on  the  farm 
of  Clashfarquhar.  The  cist  was  formed  of  eight 
stones — one  at  each  end,  two  at  each  side,  and  two  form- 
ing the  cover  ;  and  it  contained  the  bones  of  a  human 
skeleton,  much  decayed,  and  two  urns.  In  1847,  near 
the  same  place,  in  a  gravel  hillock,  two  urns  were  found, 
in  one  of  which  was  a  gold  ring.     When  forming  part  of 


TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION.  13 

the  turnpike  road  on  the  estate  of  Ardo,  a  stone  cist  was 
discovered,  which  contained  an  urn  and  a  human  skull. 
In  the  Parish  of  Maryculter  there  were  a  considerable 
number  of  cairns  in  which  human  remains  have  been 
found.  On  the  property  of  Auchlee  there  were  two 
stone  circles  entire  in  1839;  and  it  has  been  ascertained 
that  many  of  the  areas  of  stone  circles  in  Scotland  were 
places  of  prehistoric  interments. 

A  short  distance  below  the  church  of  Durris,  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Dee,  in  1829,  the  Rev.  Robert  Copland, 
when  removing  a  large  round  cairn  of  stones,  discovered 
that  the  stones  merely  covered  an  artificial  mound  of 
earth  ;  and,  on  opening  it,  some  bones,  partly  burnt,  and 
a  number  of  sharp  flint  stones  of  different  sizes  were 
found.  Afterwards,  a  more  thorough  excavation  was 
made,  and  at  a  depth  of  three  feet  under  the  surface  of 
an  adjoining  field,  a  stone  cist,  over  seven  feet  in  length, 
was  discovered.  It  contained  the  bones  of  a  human 
skeleton  mixed  with  charcoal.  In  other  parts  of  Durris 
there  are  a  number  of  cairns  overgrown  with  heath  and 
whins ;  and  also  stone  circles,  most  of  which  are 
imperfect. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  in  the  Parish  of 
Drumoak,  there  were  once  a  considerable  number  of 
cairns,  but  the  progress  of  agriculture  and  other  improve- 
ments has  removed  the  most  of  them.  One  on  the  top 
of  the  Hawkhillock  was  removed  to  make  way  for  the 
summer  house  within  the  grounds  of  Park  House  ;  and 
in  the  operations,  three  stone  cists  were  discovered, 
containing  an  urn,  human  bones,  and  ashes. 

In  Banchory-Ternan  there  are  several  places  which 
present  the   characteristics  usually  associated  with  the 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

prehistoric  sites  of  human  habitation.  It  seems  probable 
that  the  high  ground  above  the  old  church  was  a  pre- 
historic site  ;  and  no  doubt  there  was  a  settlement  on 
this  ridge  above  the  river,  before  the  introduction  of 
Christianity.  There  are  still  a  number  of  cairns  at  the 
foot  and  on  the  sides  of  the  hills,  and  many  others  once 
existed  in  the  central  parts  of  the  parish.  Some  of  them 
which  were  opened,  contained  stone  cists  and  human 
bones.  When  the  turnpike  road  to  Aberdeen  was 
making,  the  workmen  found  a  stone  cist  at  a  point  near 
the  manse,  which  contained  an  urn  and  some  ashes  A 
mile  and  a  half  farther  westward,  in  the  wood  of 
Inchmarlo,  between  the  road  and  the  Dee,  there  are  the 
remains  of  a  stone  circle  ;  forty  years  ago  one  of  the 
stones  was  standing,  eight  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
thirteen  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  said  that  the  circle 
was  entire  about  the  end  of  the  last  century. 

In  1828,  at  Newton  of  Tilliecairn,  in  the  Parish  of 
Aboyne,  several  urns  containing  calcined  human  bones 
were  dug  up  in  trenching  a  piece  of  ground.  About  fifty 
yards  from  where  the  urns  were  discovered,  the  soil 
presented  a  blackish  appearance,  indicating  that  it  had 
been  under  the  action  of  a  strong  fire,  as  small  bits  of 
charcoal  were  embedded  in  it  ;  and  it  is  supposed  that 
the  bodies  had  been  burnt  here,  and  the  calcined  remains 
subsequently  placed  in  the  urns. 

About  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Newton,  on  the  summit 
of  a  ridge,  there  are  several  small  cairns,  and  one  large 
cairn,  called  Cairnmore.  In  181 8,  the  large  one  was 
partly  opened  for  building  purposes,  when  a  quantity 
of  bones  were  found  in  it,  and  a  small  gold  chain 
of    four    links    attached    to   a   pin.       The    bottom    of 


TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION.  15 

the  cairn  was  neatly  paved,  but  only  a  tenth  part  of  it 
was  then  explored.  On  the  estate  of  Glenmillan,  in 
Lumphanan,  there  were  once  a  number  of  sepulchral 
cairns,  in  one  of  which  two  bronze  rings  were  discovered. 
There  are  still  a  number  of  cairns  on  Perkhill,  and  in 
their  vicinity  stone  weapons  have  been  found.  Cairns 
and  tumuli  are  to  be  found  on  every  hill  and  moor  in  the 
district.  And  the  prehistoric  modes  of  disposing  of  the 
dead  prevailed,  namely,  urn  interment  and  cairn  inter- 
ment. 

Traces  of  hill  forts,  more  or  less  distinct,  are  still 
numerous.  Prehistoric  hill  forts  may  be  divided  into 
three  classes: — i,  Those  formed  of  earth;  2,  those 
formed  partly  or  wholly  of  stones  ;  3,  those  formed  of 
stones,  and  partly  vitrified.  Elsewhere  I  have  explained 
how  "  the  movement  of  the  tribes  from  the  southern 
parts  of  the  Island,  inwards  and  outwards,  issued  in  the 
first  creation  of  historic  conditions  in  Britain  ;  and  the 
consequent  necessity  of  efforts  for  self-preservation  and 
defence."  It  seems  evident  that  many  of  these  defensive 
works  were  constructed  several  centuries  before  the 
Christian  era. 

The  first  class  of  hill  forts,  which  were  probably  the 
earliest,  consist  of  a  number  of  low  mounds  of  earth 
drawn  round  the  brows  or  summits  of  natural  heights. 
They  are  mostly  circular  or  oval  in  form,  but  this  was 
often  modified  by  the  nature  of  the  sites  selected  ;  and 
the  number  of  the  enclosing  mounds  of  earth  vary  for 
similar  reasons  ;  sometimes  there  are  two,  three,  four, 
or  more,  which  enclose  a  central  space.  They  differ 
from  most  of  the  other  early  constructions,  inasmuch 
as  they  are  adaptations  of  naturally  elevated  sites   for 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

purposes  of  defence.  They  are  numerous,  and  extend 
over  the  whole  area  of  Scotland.  Traces  of  them  may 
be  seen  on  the  hills  and  heights  of  Aboyne  and  Kinnord. 
On  the  summit  of  the  Hill  of  Mortlich  there  is  a  large 
one. 

At  Cairnton,  on  the  east  side  of  the  wooded  Hill  of 
Trustach,  near  a  steep  bank  of  the  Dee,  there  is  a 
slightly  hollow  space,  overgrown  with  birch,  about 
150  yards  square,  and  at  its  north  and  only  open  side, 
it  has  two  ramparts  of  earth,  each  300  yards  long,  from 
10  to  15  feet  high,  and  16  feet  broad.  They  converge 
from  the  bank  on  each  side,  and  form  two  sides  of 
a  square,  the  rest  of  which  is  formed  by  the  conformation 
of  the  ground.  There  is  an  entrance  at  the  angle 
20  yards  wide.  The  position  is  elevated,  and  commands 
a  pass  between  the  heights  of  Inchmarlo  and  the  Dee, 
through  which  the  present  road  runs.  It  overlooks  almost 
every  approach,  with  the  river  immediately  behind  it, 
and  the  Canny  Burn  in  the  haugh  below.' 

Traces  and  remains  of  the  second  class  of  hill  forts 
are  numerous.  There  were  several  of  them  on  the 
slopes  of  Morven,  and  traces  of  two  or  three  have  been 
discovered  on  the  north-west  of  Culbean.  At  Knockice, 
along  the  south  side  and  base  of  MuUoch  Hill, 
there  was  a  semi-circle  of  forts  connected  with  each 
other.  The  westmost  one  was  140  yards  by  8S,  the  next 
one  longer,  and  the  eastmost  one  280  yards  by  176 ;  and 
a  short  distance  from  the  north-west  corner  of  the 
smallest  one,  on  a  steep  rising  ground,  there  were  two 
smaller  forts,  of  from   12  to  18  yards    diameter,  which 

I  Mackintosh's  "  History  of  Civilisation  in  Scotland,"  New  Edition,  Vol.  I. 
PP-  43-45,  65-70,  88-89. 


TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION.  17 

overlooked  the  whole.  These  and  many  others  of  a 
similar  character,  at  a  later  stage  of  development, 
became  connected  with  the  crannogs  constructed  in 
Loch  Kinnord.  So  far  as  has  been  ascertained,  there 
were  two  ancient  crannogs  on  Loch  Kinnord,  formed 
by  great  labour  and  surprising  skill  and  intelligence. 
Crannogs  were  often  used  in  connection  with  hill  forts 
on  the  summits  or  slopes  of  the  neighbouring  hills,  as  at 
Kinnord,  to  which  the  lake  dwellers  could  have  gone 
when  the  lochs  were  frozen  and  the  crannogs  open  to 
invasion. 

From  time  to  time  four  primitive  canoes  have  been 
discovered  in  Loch  Kinnord — all  hollowed  out  of  single 
oak  logs.  On  the  i6th  of  June,  1859,  a  canoe,  measuring 
22|-  feet  in  length  by  3^  feet  wide  at  the  stern,  and 
tapering  to  a  point  at  the  prow,  was  brought  to  land. 
Two  were  recovered  on  the  loth  of  August,  1875,  o^c  of 
which  was  29  feet  long  and  the  other  30  feet. 

Regarding  prehistoric  tools  and  weapons  recently  in 
the  grounds  of  Lynwood,  Murtle,  a  stone  axe  head  was 
found,  which  is  8^  inches  in  length,  and  nearly  3  inches  in 
breadth.  Along  the  Valley,  on  both  sides,  numbers  of 
flint  arrow-heads  and  other  stone  tools  and  weapons 
have  been  found,  and  some  bronze  weapons  and  tools 
have  occasionally  been  discovered. 

Few  stone  relics  have  been  found  in  Loch  Kinnord. 
But  stone  tools  and  implements  have  occasionally 
been  found  in  various  parts  of  Aboyne  and  the 
neighbouring  district.  A  bronze  vessel  and  a  bronze 
spear-head  were  found  in  the  loch  ;  and  an  iron  crowbar 
and    an     iron    axe-head    were   also   discovered     in    it.' 

I  J.  G.  Michie's  History  of  Loch  Kinnord,  1877. 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

It  is,  however,  known  that  a  considerable  number  of 
prehistoric  rehcs  and  objects  have  been  found  in  and 
around  Loch  Kinnord,  of  which  no  accurate  description 
has  been  preserved.  If  any  inference  might  be  drawn 
from  the  rehcs  and  tools  found  in  the  loch,  it  might  seem 
that  the  site  and  the  crannogs  had  not  been  occupied  in 
the  stone  age.  The  evidence  and  the  known  circum- 
stances, however,  would  not  warrant  such  a  conclusion  ; 
for  the  simple  fact  that  the  largest  island  in  the  loch  and 
the  fort  on  it  was  frequently  occupied  in  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  centuries,  would  account  for  the  dis- 
appearance of  many  of  the  relics  and  objects  associated 
with  its  early  occupation.  Further,  considering  the 
length  of  time  which  has  elapsed  since  the  district  was 
inhabited  by  man,  probably  three  or  four  thousand  years, 
and  then  the  wasting  powers  of  frosts,  storms,  thaws, 
rains,  and  floods  in  such  a  valley  as  the  Dee,  it  will 
not  appear  surprising  that  the  far  greater  part  of  the 
handiwork  of  our  prehistoric  ancestors  should  have 
been  swept  out  of  view. 

Yet,  from  the  traces  and  ruins  of  structures  and 
fragments  of  their  works  which  still  remain,  we  can 
perceive  that  there  was  an  active  and  industrious 
population  in  the  Valley  at  a  far-gone  period.  We  can 
discern  and  trace  the  evidence  of  mind  and  of  thought 
even  in  such  ruins  and  fragments  of  their  handiwork  ; 
and  we  may  fairly  picture  in  imagination  our  early 
ancestors  of  the  prehistoric  age  as  living  and  moving  in 
a  state  of  comparative  safety  and  comfort.  They 
possessed  herds  of  domesticated  animals — cattle,  sheep, 
horse,  and  swine — and  they  cultivated  grain  to  some 
extent.     They  manufactured  some  kind  of  woollen  cloth. 


TRACES  OF  PREHISTORIC  INHABITATION.  19 

and  made  pottery.  Their  food  consisted  chiefly  of  the 
flesh  of  domestic  animals  and  of  the  milk  derived  from 
them,  and  to  a  less  extent  of  fish,  the  products  of  grain, 
and  wild  animals.  Their  dress  consisted  partly  of 
animals'  skins  prepared  for  the  purpose,  and  partly  of 
the  cloth  above-mentioned.  Thus  far,  the  material 
and  social  condition  of  the  prehistoric  people  appears 
to  have  been  well  advanced. 


Chapter  III. 

ESTUARY— CULTS. 

At  present  the  estuary  of  the  Dee  presents  a  very 
different  appearance  from  what  it  had  at  a  quite  recent 
period.  As  the  river  approached  the  sea  it  flowed 
through  a  wide  basin,  extending  from  the  foot  of  the 
Castle  Hill  on  the  north  side  to  the  lands  of  Torry  on  the 
south.  The  harbour  of  Aberdeen  then  consisted  of  a 
channel  near  the  north  side  of  the  basin,  separated  from 
the  estuary  of  the  Dee  by  the  Inches — a  number  of  low 
sandy  patches,  usually  covered  with  water  at  high  tide. 
The  quayhead  was  erected  where  the  old  weigh-house 
once  stood,  and  access  to  it  from  the  town  was  obtained 
by  the  Shore  Brae.  The  entrance  to  the  harbour  was 
extremely  bad,  owing  to  a  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
and  at  low  tide  the  water  was  only  a  few  feet  deep.  In 
1608  an  attempt  was  made  to  improve  it  by  the  erection 
of  a  bulwark  on  the  south  side  of  the  entrance  ;  and  in 
161 8  a  large  stone  lying  near  the  middle  of  the  estuary 
was  removed.  In  1658,  the  quay  was  extended  eastward, 
and  a  considerable  stretch  of  ground  was  reclaimed  below 
the  Castle  Hill.  Another  quay  was  erected  in  1755, 
farther  down  and  opposite  the  village  of  Torry.  Subse- 
quently, from  time  to  time,  other  improvements  were 
effected.  But  only  about  twenty  years  ago  the  Dee 
wound  round  the  south  side  of  the  Inches  ;  and  the  Fish 
Market  now  stands  on  the  old  bed  of  the  river.  At  that 
time,  the  whole  of  the  space  known  as  the  Reclaimed 


ESTUARY— CULTS.  21 

Ground  was  covered  with  water  at  high  tide.  The 
diversion  of  the  Dee  into  a  new  channel  was  a  very  great 
improvement  ;  and  was  finally  consummated  by  the 
erection  of  the  beautiful  granite  bridge  which  spans 
the  river  in  line  with  Market  Street.  Standing  on  the 
centre  of  the  bridge  and  looking  toward  the  Suspension 
Bridge,  the  river  in  its  new  bed  presents  a  beautiful  sheet 
of  water ;  and  the  slight  curve  in  the  channel  lends  to 
the  scene  a  peculiar  grace  of  form. 

The  transformation  of  the  locality  is  complete.  The 
large  extent  of  space  formerly  covered  by  the  tidal  waters 
is  now  taken  up  with  offices,  stores,  warehouses,  fishcuring 
establishments,  and  works  of  various  kinds,  presenting  a 
busy  scene  of  industry  and  business;  while  along  both 
sides  of  the  river  there  are  very  pleasant  walks. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  Wallace  had  a  castle  on  or 
near  the  headland  of  the  Girdleness  ;  but  no  trace  of  it 
remains.  The  lighthouse  on  the  Girdleness  was  erected 
in  1 83 1 -3,  and  is  a  prominent  object  in  the  landscape. 
Subsequently  an  artillery  battery  was  erected.  More 
recently  in  this  locality  a  new  breakwater  was  constructed 
by  the  Harbour  Board  for  improving  the  harbour,  and 
rendering  the  entrance  safer  for  vessels  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Dee. 

William  the  Lion  granted  the  Church  of  Nigg  to  the 
Abbey  of  Arbroath,  of  which  he  was  the  founder. 
Alexander  II.  granted  the  whole  of  the  lands  of  the 
Parish  of  Nigg  to  the  Abbey  of  Arbroath,  which  included 
the  lands  and  village  of  Torry.  The  Church  of  Nigg  was 
in  the  diocese  of  St.  Andrews.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the 
Abbots  of  Arbroath  had  a  residence  upon  a  haugh  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Dee,  but  all  trace  of  it  has  disappeared. 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

In  1312,  Sir  Alexander  Fraser  had  a  lease  of  the  lands 
of  Torry  from  Bernard,  the  Abbot  of  Arbroath.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Paul  Crabb  had  a 
lease  of  the  lands  of  Kincorth  from  the  Abbot ;  and  in 
1380,  he  gave  an  annuity  out  of  these  lands  toward  the 
support  of  the  road  leading  from  Stonehaven  to  Aberdeen,, 
through  the  "  Moor  of  Drumnawhacket,"  to  the  ferry  on 
the  Dee. 

In  1495,  James  IV.  erected  the  village  of  Torry  into  a 
burgh  of  barony,  and  authorised  the  inhabitants  to  deal 
in  all  kinds  of  commodities,  to  hold  weekly  and  yearly 
markets,  and  to  erect  a  cross.  It  seems  probable  that 
there  was  then  a  chapel  at  Torry  ;  but  it  appears  that  the 
privileges  of  the  burgh  fell  into  abeyance.  In  modern 
times  the  inhabitants  of  Torry  were  chiefly  engaged  in 
fishing.  In  1837,  the  town  had  three  fishing  boats,  with 
six  men  to  each  ;  since  then  the  number  of  fishing  boats 
belonging  to  Torry  has  greatly  increased  as  well  as  its 
population.  For  a  generation  or  two  it  has  been  an 
active  and  busy  centre  of  line  fishing  and  herring  fishing. 
Under  the  recent  Extension  Act,  Torry  was  incorporated 
with  the  city  of  Aberdeen. 

Since  the  diversion  of  the  Dee  into  its  new  channel 
and  the  erection  of  the  Victoria  Bridge,  new  streets  have 
been  formed  upon  the  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river.  A  considerable  number  of  dwelling-houses,  shops,, 
and  offices  have  been  built ;  in  short,  the  locality  is 
rapidly  developing  and  becoming  a  busy  quarter  of  the 
city.  Upon  the  elevated  ground  called  Craiginches,  a 
new  prison  was  recently  erected. 

Half  a  mile  above  the  Victoria  Bridge  is  the 
Wellington  Suspension  Bridge,  erected  in  1829.     A  short 


ESTUARY— CULTS.  23 

distance  up  the  Valley  the  Railway  Bridge  spans  the 
Dee.  The  arches  of  this  bridge  are  of  iron,  and  rest 
upon  strong  stone  piers.  Beyond  the  bridge,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  lies  the  large  and  beautiful 
Duthie  Park,  which  was  gifted  by  the  late  Miss  Duthie 
of  Ruthrieston  to  the  citizens  of  Aberdeen.  The  work 
of  forming  the  approaches  to  the  park  and  the  enclosing 
walls  was  executed  by  the  late  Mr.  James  H.  Bisset, 
builder.  The  park  was  opened  by  Princess  Beatrice  in 
1883.  It  is  in  a  very  fine  situation,  having  the  rippling 
river  in  front  and  the  rising  ground  on  the  opposite  side. 
The  park  is  admirably  laid  out,  and  presents  many 
attractions. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  park  is  the  well-kept 
cemetery  of  Allen  vale.  In  it  there  are  a  great  number 
of  granite  headstones  and  monuments,  many  of  which 
present  fine  specimens  of  monumental  art.  The  Ruthrie- 
ston locality  is  now  within  the  city  boundary. 

The  Loch  of  Loirston  lies  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Dee,  on  an  elevated  hollow  in  the  west  quarter  of  the 
Parish  of  Nigg.  It  is  an  oblong  sheet  of  water,  and 
covers  twenty-seven  acres. 

About  two  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  stands 
the  Old  Bridge  of  Dee.  It  was  one  of  the  many  good 
works  promoted  by  the  estimable  Bishop  Elphinstone, 
who  founded  and  began  it  in  1 5CX).  At  that  period  the 
erection  of  such  a  bridge  was  a  great  undertaking,  and  it 
is  not  surprising  that  the  structure  was  not  completed  in 
Elphinstone's  life-time ;  but  one  of  his  successors.  Bishop 
Dunbar,  continued  the  work,  and  it  was  finished  in  1527. 
After  a  protracted  negotiation  between  the  Bishop  and 
the  Town  Council  of  Aberdeen,  in   which  the  Council 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

manifested  much  caution,  the  charge  of  the  bridge  was 
formally  conveyed  to  the  town  in  1529,  on  the  condition 
that  "  the  Council  would  uphold  it  and  keep  it  in  repair." 
As  originally  constructed,  the  bridge  consisted  of  seven 
groined  arches,  which  had  a  total  span  of  432  feet,  but 
its  width  was  only  i6}r  feet.  Various  dates  and  brief  in- 
scriptions on  the  bridge  itself  give  some  particulars 
touching  the  building  and  repairing  of  it.  It  was 
thoroughly  repaired  between  1720-3.  It  was  again 
repaired  and  widened  in  1841-2,  to  render  it  fit  for  the 
increased  traffic.  A  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  Mary  was 
built  at  the  north  end  of  the  bridge,  but  no  vestige  of  it 
now  remains. 

This  bridge  was  of  great  importance  for  several 
centuries.  It  was  the  leading  entry  to  Aberdeen  from 
the  south,  and  on  the  line  of  the  chief  post  road  between 
Aberdeen  and  Edinburgh.  It  was  also  sometimes 
selected  as  one  of  the  points  for  the  defence  of  the  city 
against  enemies  advancing  from  the  south.  In  this 
relation  the  bridge  is  associated  with  interesting  historic 
events. 

In  1589,  the  Catholic  lords,  headed  by  the  Earls  of 
Huntly,  Errol,  and  Crawford,  mustered  their  followers, 
and  rebelled  against  the  King.  They  assembled  at 
Aberdeen  in  April.  The  King  in  person  with  an  army 
marched  northward,  advancing  to  within  ten  miles  of 
Aberdeen.  The  insurgent  Earls  had  posted  their  men  at 
the  Bridge  of  Dee.  As  the  Royal  army  approached, 
however,  they  seemed  to  have  lost  heart  at  the  last 
moment,  and  dispersed.  The  rebellion  for  a  time  was 
quelled  ;  but  Huntly  and  the  Catholic  nobles  again  rose 
in  revolt,  and  in   1594  they  met  the  Royal  army  under 


ESTUARY— CULTS.  25 

Argyle,  and  completely  routed  him  at  Glenlivet.  The 
King,  however,  with  another  army,  advanced  to  Aberdeen, 
and  onward  to  Strathbogie,  and  Huntly  retired  to 
Caithness. 

During  the  Covenanting  struggle  the  bridge  was  a 
rallying  point.  Montrose  on  his  first  campaign  in  the 
north  entrapped  the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  and  conveyed 
him  and  his  eldest  son  as  captives  to  Edinburgh  ;  but 
Viscount  Aboyne,  Huntly's  second  son,  a  brave  youth, 
having  received  a  commission  from  the  King,  immediately 
proceeded  to  muster  the  clan  to  defend  the  Royal 
authority  against  the  Covenanters.  He  assembled  an 
army  of  about  three  thousand  foot  and  five  hundred 
horse,  and  re-took  Aberdeen.  On  the  14th  of  June,  1639, 
he  resolved  to  march  southward  ;  advancing  along  the 
coast,  he  descried  Montrose's  army  posted  on  the  heights 
above  Stonehaven.  A  skirmish  ensued,  in  which 
Aboyne's  men  were  defeated,  and  retired,  Aboyne  re- 
turned to  Aberdeen  ;  and  Montrose  continued  to  advance 
northward.  On  the  17th,  Aboyne  ordered  his  men  to  re- 
muster,  only  a  small  number  assembled  ;  but  it  was 
resolved  to  defend  the  passage  of  the  bridge.  A  barri- 
cade was  hastily  thrown  up  at  the  south  port  of  the  bridge. 
On  the  1 8th  of  June,  Aboyne  marched  to  the  bridge 
with  one  hundred  musketeers  and  a  number  of  horse. 
Montrose's  army  was  encamped  on  the  heights  above 
Banchory  House ;  and  his  force  numbered  two  thousand 
men  and  some  pieces  of  cannon.  He  commenced  the 
attack  on  the  defenders  of  the  bridge  by  a  cannonade. 
In  spite  of  the  cannon  and  musket  shot,  the  defenders 
held  the  bridge  for  two  days.  Several  attacks  were  made 
at   close   quarters,   which    were    repulsed.       Montrose's 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

battering-rams  were  tried,  but  they  had  no  effect  on  the 
barriers,  and  the  gloom  of  night  closed  the  first  day's 
fighting.  At  break  of  day  the  struggle  was  re-commenced 
and  continued.  At  last  Montrose  sent  a  body  of  men 
and  horse  up  the  south  side  of  the  river,  moving  as  if 
they  intended  to  ford  it.  This  had  the  desired  effect. 
Aboyne,  with  a  company  of  the  defenders  left  the  bridge, 
and  advanced  up  the  north  side  of  the  river ;  then 
Montrose's  men  opened  fire  on  them,  and  at  the  same 
time  redoubled  the  attack  on  the  bridge.'.  At  four  in  the 
afternoon  the  bridge  was  taken.  Montrose  then  marched 
in  triumph  into  the  city,  imposed  a  heavy  contribution 
upon  the  citizens,  and  subjected  many  of  them  to  dis- 
graceful indignities.  Several  rude  ballads  on  the  conflict 
at  the  bridge,  and  the  subsequent  action  of  the  Covenan- 
ters, are  extant  ;  and  the  following  lines  are  from  one 
said  to  have  been  written  when  the  bridge  was  taken  : — 

"  The  Covenanters  that  ye  see 

Come  marching  alongest  the  Green  : 

Wer't  not  for  feare  of  God,  they  say, 
They  would  plunder  Aberdeine." 

After  the  Covenanting  movement  had  developed, 
Montrose  changed  sides,  and  joined  the  King  and 
the  Royalist  party.  In  1644,  he  gathered  an  army  and 
raised  the  Royal  standard  against  the  Covenanters.  The 
citizens  of  Aberdeen  were  then  under  the  Covenantinsr 
leaders  ;  and  when  tidings  of  Montrose's  march  north- 
ward reached  the  city,  they  resolved  to  guard  the  bridge, 
and  mustered  three  thousand  men  to  contest  the  passage 
of  the  river.  But  Montrose  outwitted  them,  and  forded 
the  Dee  at  Crathes.  On  the  19th  of  September,  1644, 
he  inflicted  a  severe  defeat  on  the  citizens  of  Aberdeen. 


ESTUARY— CULTS.  27 

On  the  east  front  of  the  wall  of  the  bridge  a  stone 
is  inserted  showing  how  far  the  water  of  the  great  flood 
of  August,  1829,  came  up.  This  flood  was  extremely 
disastrous  to  many  of  the  bridges  on  the  Dee,  and  also  to 
many  of  those  on  its  tributary  streams. 

Standing  on  the  Bridge  of  Dee  and  looking  up  the 
Valley  the  view  is  limited  by  the  rising  ground  on  the 
north  side  and  the  winding  of  the  river  ;  still  the  scenery 
presents  a  pleasing  aspect.  After  crossing  to  the  south  end 
of  the  bridge,  a  good  road  running  in  a  westerly  direction 
along  the  south  side  of  the  Valley  passes  through  a 
stretch  of  lovely  scenery  all  the  way  up  to  Banchory- 
Ternan.  There  is  very  little  traffic  on  this  road,  a 
circumstance  which  to  many  lends  a  special  charm  to 
the  serene  beauty  of  nature  around.  The  highway  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Valley  commences  at  the  termin- 
ation of  Great  Western  Road.  Near  the  suburb 
of  Mannofield  are  the  lower  reservoirs  connected 
with  the  supply  of  water  for  the  city  ;  and  there 
are  other  two  reservoirs — Slopfield  and  Hillhead,  con- 
nected with  pumping  stations  erected  in  the  Den  of  Cults. 

After  passing  the  second  milestone,  a  number  of 
beautifully-situated  mansions  and  villas  attract  the  eye. 
They  occupy  the  space  from  the  north  bank  of  the  river 
to  the  top  of  the  rising  ground  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road.  This  ground  from  an  early  period  was  called  the 
lands  of  Pitfodels,  which  extended  from  the  Bridge  of 
Dee  on  the  east  to  Cults  on  the  west,  running  along  the 
north  bank  of  the  Dee,  thence  stretching  northward  over 
the  high  ridge  on  the  north  side  of  the  turnpike  road. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century  Pitfodels  was 
held    by    a   branch    of    the    Moray    family.     In    1390, 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

William  Reid,  a  burgess  of  Aberdeen,  acquired  Pitfodels 
from  William  Moray  ;  and  the  Reids  held  it  till  the  early 
part  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  family  of  Menzies 
had  obtained  some  portions  of  Pitfodels  about  the  middle 
of  the  fifteenth  century ;  and  Thomas  Menzies  married 
Marion,  the  only  daughter  of  Alexander  Reid  of  Pitfodels, 
and  by  her  the  Menzies  family  acquired  the  whole  of  the 
lands  of  Pitfodels. 

The  Menzies  for  a  long  period  were  closely  associated 
with  the  municipal  government  of  Aberdeen.  It  is  said 
that  they  were  a  branch  of  the  Menzies  of  Weem,  in 
Perthshire,  and  in  the  fourteenth  century  they  appeared 
as  burgesses  of  Aberdeen.  In  1426,  Gilbert  Menzies 
became  Provost  of  Aberdeen  ;  and  in  1436  he  was 
elected  to  represent  the  city  in  Parliament.  He  died 
about  1459.  Another  member  of  the  family  who  suc- 
ceeded to  Pitfodels  in  1508,  Gilbert  Menzies,  held  the 
Provostship  of  Aberdeen  for  24  years — between  1505  and 
1536.  In  1535  he  acquired  the  lands  ofBlairs.  He  died 
in  1542,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Thomas. 
He  was  elected  Provost  of  Aberdeen  in  1525,  and  held 
office  for  many  years;  he  died  in  1576.  Thomas  was 
succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Gilbert,  born  in  1522.  He 
was  elected  Provost  of  Aberdeen  in  1576,  and  held  office 
to  1588.  He  died  in  1589,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
George.  He  married  Margaret,  a  daughter  of  Irvine  of 
Drum,  by  whom  he  had  issue.  George  Menzies  died  in 
1622,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Gilbert,  who  attained 
some  distinction.  In  harmony  with  the  tradition  of  the 
family,  he  was  a  firm  Roman  Catholic,  a  loyal  and  warm 
supporter  of  Charles  I.,  and  strongly  opposed  to  the 
Covenanters.      As  a  consequence  of  this  attitude  he  was 


ESTUARY— CULTS.  29 

much  oppressed.  He  was  knighted  by  Charles  I.  In 
the  unfortunate  rising  by  Montrose  in  1650  Menzies' 
eldest  son  acted  as  standard-bearer  ;  and  at  the  skirmish 
of  Invercharron  he  declined  to  retire,  and  was  slain  on 
the  field. 

In  1745,  Gilbert  Menzies  of  Pitfodels  joined  the  Rising, 
and  equipped  a  detachment  of  twenty-five  men  to  support 
the  cause  of  Prince  Charles.  John  Menzies,  in  1805,  ex- 
posed the  lands  of  Pitfodels  for  sale.  No  purchaser 
however,  appeared  ;  and  he  then  feued  several  portions 
of  the  lands  ;  and  the  remainder  was  purchased  by  a 
joint  stock  company,  who  have  feued  off  and  sold  it  in 
separate  lots.  John  Menzies  died  at  Edinburgh,  in  1843, 
at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-seven  years  ;  and  he  was 
the  last  of  the  male  line  of  the  family. 

Mr.  Menzies  was  a  cultured  gentleman.  He  be- 
queathed the  greater  part  of  his  wealth  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

The  site  of  Menzies  Castle  was  on  a  spot  near  the 
east  side  of  Norwood  Hall,  but  not  a  vestige  of  it 
remains. 

i\s  indicated  above,  the  greater  part  of  the  lands  of 
Pitfodels  is  now  studded  with  beautiful  mansions  and 
villas,  each  of  which  stands  amid  v/ell  laid  out  and 
carefully  kept  grounds.  They  mostly  belong  to  manu- 
facturers and  gentlemen  engaged  in  business  in  Aberdeen, 
and  retired  gentlemen.  A  few  of  them  may  be 
mentioned.  Norwood  Hall  is  the  residence  of  Mr. 
James  Ogston,  a  partner  of  the  well-known  firm  of  soap 
manufacturers  ;  Garthdee,  the  residence  of  the  late  Mr. 
Alexander  Edmond,  advocate,  Aberdeen ;  Inchgarth, 
the   residence   of  the  late   Captain   George  S.    Tayler ; 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Woodlands,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Robert  Collie,  advocate  ; 
Cliff  House,  the  residence  of  Mr.  James  Catto,  merchant ; 
and  Viewbank,  the  residence  of  Mr.  James  Collie, 
advocate,  Aberdeen. 

The  Deeside  Railway  has  contributed  much  to  the 
development  of  the  resources  of  the  Valley,  and  to  the 
increase  of  the  population  of  its  villages  and  towns. 
This  line  was  opened  for  traffic  to  Banchory-Ternan  in 
September,  1853  ;  and  between  Aberdeen  and  Banchory 
there  are  seven  intermediate  stations.'  Afterwards,  the 
line  was  extended  to  Charlestown  of  Aboyne,  and 
opened  for  traffic  in  December,  1859.  It  was  farther 
extended  to  Ballater,  and  opened  in  1866.  The  entire 
length  of  the  line  from  Aberdeen  to  Ballater  is  forty- 
three-and-a-half  miles.  The  railway  has  drawn  to  itself 
the  traffic  on  both  sides  of  the  Valley,  and  the  turnpike 
roads  are  comparatively  little  used. 

The  suburban  village  of  Cults  has  rapidly  extended 
in  recent  years.  It  stands  on  a  fine  situation  with  a 
southern  exposure.  The  villas  and  cottages  are  neat 
and  clean,  and  present  the  features  of  convenience  and 
comfort.  A  considerable  number  of  excellent  dwelling- 
houses  have  been  erected  on  both  sides  of  the  line  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  station.  The  village  has  beautiful  and 
attractive  surroundings,  and  is  a  charming  locality. 

The  communication  between  the  north  and  south 
sides  of  the  parish  was  carried  on  by  the  use  of  a  boat 
until  1837.  In  that  year  a  foot-bridge  was  erected 
across  the  river  by  Dr.  Morison,  the  minister  of  the 
parish.     The  bridge  cost  ;^I400,  and   Dr.  Morison  also 

I  In  connection  with  the  suburban  trains  between  Aberdeen  and  Culter,  several 
new  side  stations  were  opened  in  1894. 


ESTUARY— CULTS,  31 

left  a  sum  of  money  "  to  maintain  and  uphold  it  in  time 
coming."  He  was  popular  among  his  congregation,  and 
died  in  1845.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  William  Paul, 
who  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  from  the  University  of 
Aberdeen.  Dr.  Paul  is  the  author  of  several  works — 
on  the  Book  of  Genesis  ;  "  The  Scriptural  Account  of 
Creation "  ;  the  "  Books  of  Moses "  ;  and  a  small 
interesting  volume  entitled  "  The  Past  and  Present  of 
Aberdeenshire."  Dr.  Paul  died  in  1884,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  William  F.  Lawrence,  M.A.,  the 
present  minister  of  the  parish. 

Owing  to  the  rapid  increase  of  the  population  of 
Cults,  it  was  resolved  to  erect  a  mission  hall,  which 
stands  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  a  short  distance  to 
the  west  of  the  village.  Afterwards,  it  was  formed  into 
a  mission  church  ;  and,  in  1888,  Rev.  Charles  S.  Christie 
was  appointed  to  the  charge. 

Shortly  after  the  Disruption  it  was  deemed  necessary 
to  erect  a  Free  Church  at  Cults.  On  a  site  about 
three  hundred  yards  north  of  the  highway,  near  the 
village,  a  church  was  erected,  and  opened  in  1844.  For 
a  number  of  years  probationers  discharged  the  func- 
tions connected  with  the  church.  But  in  1861  the 
Rev.  William  Anderson  was  appointed.  He  performed 
his  duties  to  the  congregation  with  much  acceptance, 
and  was  greatly  esteemed  in  the  locality.  Failing  health 
constrained  him  to  relinquish  his  work, and  he  died  in  1879. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Charles  A.  Salmond,  who 
continued  to  minister  to  the  congregation  until  1881. 
He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Robert  W^  Barbour. 
Mr.  Barbour  was  an  exceedingly  kind-hearted  and 
scholarly  man.      He  worked  very  hard,  and   took  a  keen 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

interest  in  everything  relating  to  the  welfare  of  the 
congregation.  Unhappily,  owing  to  failing  health,  he 
resigned  the  charge,  much  to  the  regret  of  his  congrega- 
tion, the  inhabitants  of  Cults,  and  many  others  in  the 
neighbourhood,  who  appreciated  the  character  and  worth 
of  Mr.  Barbour.  He  died  recently  at  Bonskeid,  in 
Perthshire.  The  Rev.  Hugh  Morrison  was  appointed  to 
the  charge  of  the  Free  Church  congregation  of  Cults 
in  1887. 

In  1650,  the  lands  of  Cults  belonged  to  Mr.  Alexander 
Thomson,  advocate,  Aberdeen.  He  was  succeeded  in 
1674  by  his  son,  John,  who  was  served  heir  to  "  the  lands 
of  Cults,  the  mill,  mill  lands,  and  multures,  with  the 
fishings  on  the  water  of  Dee  belonging  thereto  in  the 
Parish  of  Banchory-Devenick,  and  the  sheriffdom  of 
Aberdeen,  held  in  chief  from  the  king  and  his  successors 
for  service  of  ward  and  relief."  In  1679,  Thomson  sold 
the  estate  to  Robert  Irvine,  a  son  of  John  Irvine  of 
Murtle.  In  the  Poll  Book  of  1696,  the  lands  of  Cults 
were  entered  at  ;^286,  on  which  Irvine  for  himself  and 
his  wife  was  taxed  £(^  12s.,  and  also  a  tax  of  ;^2  2s.  for 
his  six  children.  For  many  years  Irvine  acted  as  a 
Commissioner  of  Supply.  He  died  in  1728,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

In  1750,  Alexander  Livingstone,  Provost  of  Aberdeen, 
purchased  the  estate  of  Cults  from  the  Irvines.  Shortly 
after  he  entered  into  partnership  with  John  Dingwall, 
William  M'Kenzie,  and  Andrew  Walker,  and  under  the 
name  of  the  Porthill  Company,  erected  a  linen  manu- 
factory. This  undertaking  did  not  prosper;  the  company 
suspended  payment  in  1763,  and  the  ex-provost  was 
deeply  involved.     He  sold  off  all  his  assets,  including  the 


ESTUARY— CULTS,  33 

lands  of  Cults,  Countesswells,  and  Loanhead,  and  thus 
satisfied  the  creditors.  Livingstone  then  went  to  Rotter- 
dam, and  engaged  in  business  there  as  a  merchant  and  a 
banker,  and  shortly  amassed  a  considerable  fortune.  He 
died  in  1783. 

George  Chambers,  a  merchant  in  Edinburgh,  in  1763, 
purchased  the  lands  of  Cults  for  ;^io,5oo.  He  did  not 
hold  the  estate  long,  for  in  1774  William  Durward  was 
returned  as  the  owner  of  it.  Toward  the  close  of  the  last 
century  the  lands  of  Cults  and  Bieldside  were  held  by 
John  Burnett  of  Countesswells.  In  1804,  he  sold  them 
in  separate  lots  ;  and  George  Symmers,  merchant, 
Aberdeen,  purchased  two  of  the  lots,  which  are  now 
known  as  the  estate  of  West  Cults.  Mr.  Symmers 
executed  a  deed  of  entail,  and  after  his  death,  in  1839, 
the  lands  went  to  Mr.  George  Shirra  Gibb.  Mr.  Gibb 
was  a  quiet,  homely,  and  exceedingly  genial  gentleman. 
He  enlarged  the  mansion  house,  and  erected  a  number 
of  new  houses  on  the  estate.  Mr.  Gibb  disentailed  the 
estate  in  1876.  He  died  in  1880,  leaving  the  estate  to  be 
managed  by  his  trustees,  who  have  been  feuing  it  off 


Chapter  IV. 

BANCHORY— ARDO—HEATHCOT. 

The  lands  of  Banchory  lie  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Valley,  in  the  Parish  of  Banchory-Devenick,  Kincardine- 
shire. In  1 163,  Malcolm  IV.  granted  the  Church  of 
Banchory-Devenick,  with  its  lands  and  pertinents,  to  the 
See  of  Oldmachar — the  Church  was  a  prebend  of  the 
Cathedral.  Alexander  II.  gave  the  superiority  of  the 
lands  of  Banchory-Devenick  to  the  Abbot  of  the 
Monastery  of  Arbroath  in  1244,  subject  to  an  annual  tax 
of  one  hundred  shillings  and  other  services.  In  1256, 
Abbot  Walter  granted  a  charter  of  the  lands  of 
Banchory  to  Alan  Durward,  the  Justiciary  of  Scotland. 
During  the  minority  of  Alexander  III.,  Alan  Durward 
was  one  of  the  most  powerful  nobles  in  the  south  of 
Scotland.  Having  married  a  natural  daughter  of 
Alexander  II.,  he  even  aspired  to  the  throne  of  Scotland. 
The  Abbot  of  Arbroath  gave  the  lands  of  Banchory- 
Devenick  to  Alan  Durward,  to  be  held  by  him  and  his 
heirs,  in  return  for  his  homage  and  service ;  and  "  for 
confirming  his  claim  more  peacefully,  freely,  and 
honourably,  he  and  his  heirs  paying  to  our  successors 
three  marks  of  silver,  and  giving  to  the  King  such 
service  as  pertains  in  all  things  to  the  said  lands." 

After  the  death  of  Alexander  III.,  and  during  the 
"War  of  Independence,  a  large  portion  of  the  land  of  the 
kingdom  changed  owners ;  and  the  Valley  of  the  Dee 
had  its  share  of  these  changes.      It  appears  that  Alan 


BANCHORY.  35 

Durward  and  his  successors  did  not  manage  to  retain 
the  lands  of  Banchory  very  long,  and  they  reverted  to 
the  Abbacy  of  Arbroath.  :L3352J,_7 

In  1333,  it  was  agreed  among  the  religious  men  and 
the  Abbot  of  Arbroath,  on  the  one  hand,  and  William 
Meldrum,  son  of  John  Meldrum,  on  the  other  hand  : — 
"  That  the  Abbot  and  Convent  of  the  Monastery  unani- 
mously consent  to  give  over,  to  be  held  in  feu,  their 
whole  lands  of  Banchory-Devenick,  with  pertinents,  to 
William  Meldrum  ;  and  to  be  held  by  him  and  his  heirs 
from  the  Abbot  and  Convent  and  their  successors  in  feu 
for  ever,  with  all  the  liberties  thereto  belonging.  That 
the  said  William,  for  the  whole  period  of  his  life,  shall 
pay  to  the  Monastery  yearly  for  this  land  six  marks 
sterling  ;  but  his  heirs  shall  pay  yearly  to  the  Monastery 
for  this  land  forty  shillings  sterling.  Besides,  the  said 
William  and  his  heirs  shall  be  bound  to  pay  to  the  King 
;!^5  yearly  for  this  land,  and  shall  make  payment  in  the 
Court  of  Aberdeen  for  the  same,  and  render  all  services 
which  are  incumbent,  or  in  the  future  may  be  incumbent, 
on  this  land.  That  the  said  William,  nor  his  heirs,  shall 
in  nowise  sell,  assign,  or  give  over  to  be  held  in  feu,  or 
alienate  this  land  in  any  way  without  the  special  licence 
of  the  men  of  the  Monastery ;  that,  if  they  do  so, 
then,  they  shall  lose  all  claim  to  this  land."  In  1346, 
William  Meldrum  received  another  charter  confirming 
the  above,  which  repeated  the  prohibition  to  sell  the 
land. 

This  William  Meldrum  was  the  ancestor  of  the 
Meldrums  of  Fyvie.  The  Meldrums  continued  to  hold 
the  lands  of  Banchory  till  past  the  middle  of  the 
1 6th  century.      In   1555,  Sir  George  Meldrum  of  Fyvie 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

granted  a  charter,  by  which  George  Garden  of 
Dorlaithers  acquired  the  lands  of  Banchory.  George 
Garden  was  one  of  the  embassy  sent  by  James  VI.  to 
Denmark  in  1589,  in  connection  with  the  marriage  of 
the  King  and  Princess  Anne.  He  was  succeeded  in 
1590  by  his  son,  Arthur.  He  married  a  daughter  of 
Gordon  of  Gight,  by  whom  he  had  issue.  Arthur  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander,  but  he  became 
embarrassed  in  circumstances.  In  1623,  he  sold  the 
lands  of  Banchory  to  William  Forbes  of  Monymusk. 

In  1626,  William  Forbes  was  knighted  by  Charles 
I.  He  granted  a  wadset  of  the  lands  of  Ban- 
chory for  a  sum  of  13,840  marks,  advanced  by  his 
brother,  John  Forbes  of  Leslie,  and  William  and 
Alexander,  his  own  sons.  The  agreement  provided  that, 
in  the  event  of  the  Forbeses  of  Leslie  paying  a  further 
sum  of  6000  marks  within  seven  years,  then  they  should 
obtain  the  lands  of  Banchory  as  if  they  had  purchased 
them.  A  lawsuit  ensued,  touching  the  lawful  rights 
of  parties  ;  and,  finally,  it  was  settled  in  favour  of 
John  Forbes  of  Leslie,  and  he  thus  secured  the  lands  of 
Banchory ;  and  Parliament  ratified  his  title.  He  had 
acquired  the  lands  of  Leslie  in  1620  by  paying  the  debts 
then  lying  upon  them ;  and  he  managed  to  obtain 
several  other  estates  on  easy  terms.  He  was  a  great 
Covenanter,  and  engaged  in  the  conflicts  of  his  time. 

John  Forbes  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  William.  He 
married  a  sister  of  Lord  Duffus,  by  whom  he  had  issue. 
William  Forbes  died  in  1670,  aged  fifty-five  years  ;  and 
^was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John.  In  1682,  he  sold  the 
lands  of  Banchory  to  Robert  Cruickshank,  merchant, 
Aberdeen.      Mr.  Cruickshank  was  Provost  of  Aberdeen 


BANCHORY.  37 

from  1693  to  1696.  He  also  represented  the  city  in  Parlia- 
ment from  1693  to  1702.  In  1724,  Mr.  Cruickshank 
sold  the  estate  of  Banchory  to  James  Gordon,  merchant, 
Aberdeen. 

In;  1743,  Mr.  Gordon  sold  the  lands  of  Banchory  to 
Alexander  Thomson,  advocate,  Aberdeen.  In  1768, 
Mr.  Thomson  mortified  a  sum  of  £<,  for  behoof  of  the 
poor  of  the  Parish  of  Banchory-Devenick,  payable 
annually  after  his  death,  from  the  lands  of  Kirkton  of 
Banchory.  He  entailed  the  whole  of  his  estates,  and 
gave  ample  reasons  for  this  to  guide  his  trustees  : — "  It 
may  be  proper  to  let  my  friends  knov/  some  of  the 
reasons  for  executing  the  deed  of  entail  of  my  lands  of 

Banchory I    have   many   times   considered 

the  circumstances  of  my  ancient  friends  and  relations 
now  dead,  that  those  who  made  any  figure  in  the  world, 
and  acquired  a  competency  of  means,  their  eldest  sons 
and  successors  squandered  away  their  estates,  and  spent 
the  same  in  a  foolish,  profuse,  idle  way.'"  He  then 
proceeds  to  give  illustrative  instances.  He  died  in  1773, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  Andrew  Thomson. 
Andrew  married  Mary,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Skene,  of 
Aberdeen,  and  had  issue — two  sons  and  one  daughter. 
He  died  in  1781,  aged  thirty-four  years.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Andrew,  who  was  born  in 
1 77 1,  and  educated  at  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  He 
married  Helen,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Robert  Hamilton, 
Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy  in  Marischal  College. 
He  died  in  1806,  aged  thirty-two  years,  and  was  succeeded 

I  Henderson's  History  of  Banchor^'-Devenick  ;    Register  of  the 
Monastery  of  Arbroath. 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

by  his  son,  Alexander,  a  boy  of  eight  years.  Alexander 
was  educated  at  the  Grammar  School  of  Aberdeen,  and 
Marischal  College,  and  graduated  in  1816.  He  then 
proceeded  to  Edinburgh,  and  studied  for  the  Scottish 
Bar,  and  in  1820  he  passed  as  advocate,  but  never 
entered  into  practice. 

He  directed  his  attention  to  the  improvement  of  his 
estates,  and  to  county  business.  He  erected  the  present 
mansion  house  of  Banchory  on  the  site  of  the  old  one. 
The  house  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  position,  and  is  a 
pretty  large  and  commodious  structure,  with  the  front 
and  entrance  towards  the  south.  The  gardens  are  large, 
and  enclosed  with  very  high  walls.  There  are  two 
approaches  to  the  house — one  on  the  east  and  the  other  on 
the  west — and  the  pleasure  grounds  are  extensive. 

In  the  Disruption  struggle,  Mr.  Thomson  took  an 
active  part,  and  spent  time  and  means  in  promoting 
the  cause  of  the  Free  Church.  Dr.  Chalmers  visited 
Mr.  Thomson  at  Banchory  House  in  September,  1843  5 
and  on  the  lOth  Dr.  Chalmers  preached  on  the  lawn  to 
a  great  assemblage.  In  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Free  Church  of  1844,  Mr.  Thomson  proposed  a  scheme 
for  providing  manses  to  the  ministers;  and  the  institution 
of  a  Theological  Hall  in  Aberdeen  was  warmly  supported 
by  him.  He  occasionally  directed  his  attention  to 
antiquarian  and  geological  subjects,  and  also  inquiries 
touching  the  social  condition  of  the  people.  Whatever 
matter  he  took  up,  he  pursued  it  earnestly  and  honestly. 
In  1859,  when  the  late  Prince  Consort  presided  at  the 
meeting  of  the  British  Association  held  at  Aberdeen, 
Mr.  Thomson  had  the  honour  of  entertaining  the  Prince 
at  Banchory  House.     In  commemoration   of  this  event, 


BANCHORY.  39 

he  erected  a  granite  obelisk  on  the  Cotcraig  Rock  at 
Tollo  Hill.  Though  his  health  began  to  fail,  he  still 
continued  to  pursue  the  subjects  which  interested  him, 
and  published  a  number  of  pamphlets  on  antiquarian 
and  scientific  subjects.  He  died  on  the  20th  May,  1868, 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  Under  his  trust  settlement 
he  bequeathed  to  the  Free  Church  College  of  Aberdeen, 
i^i6,ooo,  and  also  the  very  valuable  Library  and  Museum 
which  he  had  collected  at  Banchory  House.  He  was 
the  founder  of  the  Thomson  Science  Lectureship  in  the 
College. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Thomson's  trustees  sold  the  lands  of 
Banchory  for  £y6,ooo,  to  the  late  Mr.  John  Stewart,  comb 
manufacturer,  Aberdeen.  Mr.  Stewart  was  a  man  of 
exceptional  ability  and  energy. 

In  1830,  Mr.  John  Stewart  and  Mr.  Joseph  Rowell 
commenced  business  as  comb  manufacturers  in  Meal- 
market  Lane,  Aberdeen,  as  equal  partners,  under  the 
name  of  Stewart,  Rowell,  &  Co.  Both  men  possessed 
excellent  and  rare  business  abilities  ;  and  their  arduous 
and  united  efforts  led  to  signal  success.  In  1835,  the 
manufactory  was  removed  to  larger  premises  in  Hutcheon 
Street,  where  the  works  and  business  were  admirably 
managed  and  developed.  Mr.  Rowell  was  gifted  with 
a  methodical  and  organising  faculty,  and  ingenious 
mechanical  skill  ;  and  the  firm  succeeded  by  the  novel 
introduction  of  steam  power  and  machinery,  in  producing 
an  unprecedented  quality  of  goods  at  prices  which  soon 
commanded  the  markets  of  the  world  ;  while  Mr. 
Stewart's  commercial  genius  and  tact,  able  and  indomit- 
able enterprise  successfully  introduced  the  products  of 
the  firm  ;  and,  in  short,  the  two  men  were  the  counter- 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

part  of  each  other,  in  the  founding  and  developing  of  this 
world-famous  firm  of  comb  manufacturers.  Although 
Mr.  Rowell  retired  in  185 1,  and  the  firm  then  became 
Stewart,  Rowell,  Stewart,  &  Co.,  the  establishment  and 
the  business  continued  to  be  conducted  by  Mr.  Stewart 
on  the  same  well  founded  lines  ;  and  the  works  have 
been  extended  from  time  to  time,  and  now  occupy  a 
large  space  of  ground. 

Mr.  John  Stewart  also  entered  into  railway  and 
shipping  enterprises.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
a  director  and  also  chairman  of  the  Great  North  of 
Scotland  Railway.  Personally,  he  was  a  kind  and 
warm-hearted  gentleman.  He  died  on  the  25  th  of 
January,  1887. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  David,  the 
present  head  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Stewart  is  an  active  and 
able  business  man,  and  much  respected  in  the  com- 
munity. In  1889  he  was  unanimously  elected  Lord 
Provost  of  the  city  of  Aberdeen  ;  and  he  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  of  office. 

The  Parish  Church  stands  within  the  graveyard,  on 
the  south  bank  of  the  Dee,  and  was  erected  in  1822. 
It  is  a  plain  structure.  The  burial  ground  has  been 
recently  extended.  There  is  a  large  number  of  tomb- 
stones and  headstones  in  the  churchyard,  but  none  of 
them  of  an  early  date.  A  Free  Church  was  erected  in 
1844,  about  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  Parish  Church. 
The  remains  of  the  late  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomson  of 
Banchory  were  interred  in  it. 

The  scenery  on  the  south  side  of  the  Valley,  when 
viewed  from  the  opposite  side,  presents  a  pleasing 
prospect.       There  is  a  charming  variety  and  contrast  of 


ARDO.  41 

level  haugh,  gentle  slope,  moderate  heights,  woods,  and 
cultivated  fields.  Ardo  House,  amid  plantations  and 
pleasure  grounds,  is  a  striking  object  in  the  landscape, 
while  Heathcot  also  attracts  the  eye,  Nature  and  Art 
having  co-operated  to  enhance  the  external  beauty.  On 
the  north  side  of  the  Valley  the  ground  is  undulated  and 
intersected  with  slight  heights,  which  are  cultivated  or 
covered  with  woods.  There  is  also  a  greater  number  of 
villas  and  cottages  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  than  on 
the  south  side. 

The  estate  of  Ardo  was  held  by  the  Meldrums  of  Fyvie 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  and  in  1582,  George  Meldrum 
of  Fyvie  granted  a  charter  of  the  lands  of  Ardo  to  David 
Mar.  Mr.  Mar  was  one  of  the  Bailies  of  Aberdeen,  and 
he  also  represented  the  city  in  Parliament.  He  sold 
Ardo  in  1586,  and  subsequently  the  estate  passed  through 
a  number  of  different  owners.  In  17 14,  John  Gordon 
acquired  Ardo  through  his  great-grandfather,  James 
Gordon.  He  sold  the  lands  in  1747  to  John 
Fordyce,  merchant,  Huntly,  for  the  sum  of  ;^2 1,400 
Scots. 

Mr.  Fordyce  married  a  daughter  of  Irvine  of  Cults, 
by  whom  he  had  a  daughter.  He  greatly  improved  the 
estate  and  the  condition  of  the  tenants.  He  died  in  1794, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  only  daughter,  Agnes.  She 
lived  in  a  quiet  style,  and  was  exceedingly  kind  to  the 
tenants  on  the  estate.  Miss  Fordyce  died  in  1834,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-six  years,  and  was  interred  in  the  parish 
church  of  Banchory-Devenick.  She  bequeathed  ^lOO  to 
the  poor  people  of  the  parish;  and  left  the  estate  of  Ardo 
to  Andrew  Watson,  advocate,  Aberdeen,  who  was  her 
law   agent,   but   in    no   way   related    to   her.     He   then 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

assumed  the  name  of  Fordyce  ;  but  he  died  in  1837,  aged 
only  twenty-six  years. 

His  representatives  in  1839  sold  Ardo  to  the  late  Mr. 
Alexander  Ogston,  soap  manufacturer  in  Aberdeen.  In 
1853,  Mr.  Ogston  sold  the  portion  of  the  estate  called 
Cotbank,  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  Gillan,  who  never  resided 
on  the  lands.  Mr.  Ogston  died  on  nth  October,  1869. 
His  son,  Mr.  Alexander  M.  Ogston,  purchased  the  estate 
from  the  trustees  of  his  father  in  1870,  and  in  1873,  he 
bought  the  lands  of  Cotbank  from  the  Rev.  James  Gillan, 
a  son  of  the  Dr.  Gillan  above  mentioned.  In  1880,  Mr. 
Ogston  also  purchased  the  estate  of  Heathcot,  which  lies 
adjacent  to  Ardo. 

In  I'^'j'j-'jZ,  Mr.  Ogston  erected  the  new  mansion 
house  of  Ardo.  It  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  situation, 
and  is  an  imposing  structure,  built  in  the  Scottish 
baronial  style  of  architecture.  The  grounds  are  admir- 
ably laid  out,  and  the  mansion  is  sheltered  by  thriving 
plantations,  which  lend  a  shade  of  serenity  to  the 
surroundings. 

Heathcot  once  formed  a  part  of  the  estate  of 
Auchlunies,  but  in  1793  it  was  sold  by  Mr.  Ogilvie, 
collector  of  customs  at  Aberdeen,  to  Thomas  Gordon  of 
Premnay.  He  was  succeeded  in  1820  by  his  sister. 
Lady  Mary  Bannerman,  widow  of  Sir  Alexander  B. 
Bannerman,  who  was  a  Professor  of  Medicine  in  King's 
College,  Aberdeen,  in  the  later  part  of  the  last  century. 
In  1822,  Mr.  John  Garioch  acquired  the  estate  of 
Heathcot.  He  erected  a  new  mansion  house,  planted 
wood,  and  otherwise  improved  the  lands.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  sister,  Margaret,  and  after  her  death,  her 
trustees    sold    the    estate    to   James    Fraser,    merchant, 


HEATHCOT.  43 

Aberdeen.     After  his  death,  the  estate  was  purchased  by 
the  late  Mr.  i\dam  Mitchell,  builder. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  a  native  of  the  Parish  of  Kenneth- 
mont,  and  served  his  apprenticeship  with  the  firm  of 
Macdonald  &  Leslie,  Aberdeen  Granite  Works.  He 
carried  on  business  as  a  builder  for  upwards  of  twenty 
years,  and  executed  many  important  contracts.  One  of 
his  large  undertakings  was  the  construction  of  the 
Denburn  railway  and  the  Joint  Station  at  Aberdeen. 
He  erected  bridges  over  the  Don  at  Strathdon  and 
Kinaldie,  built  the  mansion  houses  of  Glenmuick,  Corse, 
Lochinver,  and  others,  and  the  Palace  Buildings, 
Aberdeen.  It  was  during  Mr.  Mitchell's  proprietorship  of 
Heathcot  that  the  mansion  was  converted  into  a  hydro- 
pathic establishment.  Mr.  Mitchell  died  on  the  28th  of 
January,  1877. 

Heathcot  House  stands  on  a  fine  level  plain,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  south  bank  of  the  Dee.  It  is 
a  pretty  large  structure,  built  in  the  cottage  style,  and  it 
is  well  sheltered  by  woods.  Rev.  Dr.  Alex.  Stewart  has 
conducted  the  popular  hydropathic  establishment  with 
remarkable  success  for  a  period  of  seventeen  years. 

A  short  distance  west  of  Heathcot  is  the  mansion  of 
Shannaburn,  on  the  bank  of  a  stream.  Shannaburn  once 
formed  a  part  of  the  lands  of  Auchlunies.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century  Shannaburn  belonged  to 
George  Hogg,  merchant  in  Aberdeen.  He  died  in  1826, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  Shannaburn  was  the 
property  and  residence  of  the  late  John  Reid,  advocate, 
Aberdeen.  About  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  south 
is  the  house  of  Auchlunies.  In  18 10,  the  estate  of 
Auchlunies  was  purchased  by  Alexander  Gordon.       He 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

held  it  till  1834,  and  then  sold  it  to  Mr.  Peter  Duguid, 
merchant,  Aberdeen.  Mr.  Duguid  died  in  1838,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Peter,  the  present  owner  of  the 
estate.  Mr.  Duguid  resided  for  many  years  at  the  house 
of  Auchlunies,  but  he  now  resides  at  the  fine  old  mansion 
on  his  estate  of  Bourtie,  while  his  brother,  William, 
occupies  the  house  of  Auchlunies.  Mr.  Peter  Duguid  is 
a  cultured  and  exceedingly  genial  gentleman. 


Chapter  V. 
MURTLE— EDGEHILL— CULTER  HOUSE— PAPER  WORKS. 

Turning  to  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  immediately 
beyond  Cults  House  there  are  a  considerable  number  of 
very  fine  villas  and  cottages,  on  both  sides  of  the  road 
nearly  all  the  way  to  the  village  of  Culter.  On  the  north 
side  of  the  road  is  Lynwood,  the  residence  of  the  late  Mr. 
George  D.  Rutherford,  advocate.  It  is  a  very  fine  villa. 
In  the  immediate  vicinity,  on  the  same  side  of  the  road,  is 
the  residence  of  General  Brown.  The  General  has  lived 
a  quiet  life  in  this  beautiful  spot  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  has  seen  many  parts  of  the  world,  his  range  of  infor- 
mation is  wide  and  varied,  and  his  conversation  is  exceed- 
ingly interesting  and  instructive.  A  short  distance 
onward  is  Fernielee,  the  residence  of  Mr.  M'Laren, 
merchant.  On  the  south  side  of  the  road  is  Newton  Dee, 
the  residence  of  Colonel  Johnston. 

Bieldside  lies  between  Cults  and  Murtle,  and  is  in  the 
Parish  of  Peterculter.  It  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Corbet 
in  1805,  and  the  mansion  house  was  erected  in  181 1.  He 
died  in  1844,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Adam  Corbet.  He  was  minister  of  Drumoak  from  1826 
until  his  death  in  1876.  He  bequeathed  the  estate  in 
life-rent  to  his  half-brother,  Dr.  James  Corbet,  who  died 
recently. 

Dalhibity  House  stands  on  the  east  side  of  the  Den  of 
Murtle,  and  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  John  Whyte,  advocate, 
Binghill  lies  on  the  west  of  the  Den  of  Murtle  ;   and  in  a 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

wood  on  this  estate  there  are  a  stone  circle  and  a  large 
cairn.  The  aqueduct  of  the  Aberdeen  Waterworks  is 
carried  across  the  Den  of  Murtle. 

Murtle  House  stands  on  a  fine  site — an  elevated  bank 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Dee,  and  close  to  the  east  side  of 
the  Den.  The  house  was  erected  by  the  late  Mr.  John 
Thurburn  about  sixty  years  ago.  It  is  a  pretty  large 
structure,  built  in  the  Grecian  style  of  architecture.  It  is 
well  sheltered  by  woods,  and  the  whole  surroundings  are 
exceedingly  picturesque.  The  garden  is  situated  in  the 
sheltered  Den,  and  it  produces  excellent  fruit. 

In  1 163,  Malcolm  IV.  granted  the  barony  ol  Murtle 
to  the  Bishop  of  Aberdeen,  with  its  pertinents  and 
common  pasturage.  This  was  confirmed  by  William  the 
Lion.  A  curious  incident  afterward  occurred  in  connec- 
tion with  this  grant.  In  1383,  the  land  of  Murtle  was 
occupied  by  John  Crab,  and  an  attempt  was  then  made  to 
reclaim  it  from  him.  A  lawsuit  ensued  under  rather 
suspicious  forms.  The  Bishop  held  a  Court  for  the 
examination  of  charters,  from  which  Crab  appealed  to  the 
Sheriff  on  the  ground  that  it  was  incompetent  for  the 
Bishop  to  act  in  the  character  of  judge  and  party  in  the 
case.  The  civil  and  the  common  law,  and  the  laws  and 
constitutions  of  the  Kingdom  were  appealed  to,  but  in 
the  end  the  Church  prevailed.  In  1388,  Bishop  Adam 
granted  the  barony  for  life  to  William  Chalmers,  on  the 
condition  that  he  should  pay  a  yearly  rent  of  ten  marks  ; 
and  in  1402  this  agreement  was  renewed  to  his  son, 
Thomas  Chalmers.  Shortly  after.  Bishop  Henry,  in 
recognition  of  a  sum  of  money  paid  by  Chalmers  to  the 
fabric  of  the  Cathedral,  and  at  the  request  of  the  Earl  of 
Mar  and  Lord  Gordon,  extended  Chalmers'  lease  for  the 


MURTLE.  47 

life-time  of  his  two  successors.  His  son,  Alexander 
Chalmers,  succeeded,  and  he  was  twice  Provost  of 
Aberdeen — in  1443  and  1446.  He  died  in  1463,  and  was 
interred  in  St.  Nicholas  Churchyard.  In  1488,  another 
Alexander  Chalmers  received  a  lease  of  the  barony  for 
life  from  the  Bishop  of  Aberdeen,  at  an  annual  rent  of 
ten  marks. 

In  1550,  the  Bishop  granted  a  feu  charter  to  Andrew 
Buk  of  all  the  lands  of  Millton  of  Murtle,  for  an  annual 
feu-duty  of  ;^3  lis.  Scots,  eight  bolls  of  barley  and  meal 
in  equal  parts,  four  sheep,  and  twenty-four  capons.  His 
son,  Thomas  Buk,  sold  the  lands  to  William  Strachan. 
Afterward  the  lands  passed  through  the  hands  of  several 
persons.  In  1659,  Dr.  William  Guild's  widow  bequeathed 
the  lands  of  Millton  of  Murtle  to  the  Magistrates  of 
Aberdeen,  along  with  other  lands,  for  the  purpose  of 
maintaining  bursars  at  Marischal  College  and  the 
Grammar  School. 

Shortly  after,  the  remainder  of  the  lands  of  Murtle 
came  into  the  possession  of  a  branch  of  the  Irvine  family. 
In  1695,  Alexander  Irvine  sold  the  Mains  of  Murtle, 
Oldfold,  Stonegavel,  Binghill,  and  Newton  of  Murtle  to 
the  Master  of  Mortifications  of  Aberdeen  at  the  price  of 
;^9463  Scots.  In  1758-59,  the  Town  Council  divided  the 
lands  for  feuing  at  the  following  rate  of  feu-duties  — 
Binghill,  £j  15s  sterling  and  twelve  bolls  of  meal; 
Oldfold,  ^11  los  sterling  and  sixteen  bolls  of  meal ; 
Mains,  £\^  and  sixteen  bolls  of  meal ;  and  Newton,  £\6 
and  eleven  bolls  of  meal.  These  properties,  subject  to 
the  above  feu-duties,  have  often  changed  hands. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  the  lands  of 
Murtle  attached  to  the  mansion  house  were  held  by  John 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Gordon.  He  left  large  sums  of  money  for  charitable  and 
religious  objects,  one  of  which  was  a  sum  of  fifty  pounds 
per  annum  for  founding  lectures  on  practical  religion  in 
the  University  of  Aberdeen. 

In  1 82 1,  Mr.  Gordon's  executors  sold  Murtle  to  Mr. 
John  Thurburn.  He  was  a  native  of  Keith,  Banffshire. 
As  mentioned  before,  he  erected  a  new  mansion  house 
and  otherwise  greatly  improved  the  estate.  Mr.  Thurburn 
died  on  the  31st  of  January,  1861,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty  years.  Mrs.  Thurburn  survived  him,  and  she 
founded  the  Thurburn  Cooking  Depot  in  Aberdeen  for 
the  benefit  of  working  people.  She  died  at  Murtle  on  the 
24th  of  December,  1872. 

Mr.  Thurburn's  daughter,  Anna,  married  Mr.  William 
O.  Maclaine,  and  had  issue — two  sons  and  one  daughter. 
Mrs.  Maclaine  died  on  the  loth  of  October,  1882,  and  her 
son,  Mr.  Thurburn  Maclaine,  succeeded  to  the  estate. 
He  was  born  in  1853,  and  married  Miss  Rachel  Hay,  a 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Patrick  L.  Miller.  In  1892,  Mr. 
William  Dunn,  advocate,  Aberdeen,  purchased  Murtle, 
and  has  been  making  improvements  on  the  estate. 

Beaconhill  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  site  on  the  south 
side  of  the  turnpike  road,  and  is  the  residence  of 
Mr.  William  Yeats,  advocate.  It  was  erected  about 
fourteen  years  ago,  and  is  a  pretty  large  mansion, 
surrounded  with  a  fine  variety  of  growing  trees  and 
beautiful  pleasure  grounds. 

Avondow  House  lies  on  the  south  side  of  the 
road,  and  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  Alexander  Skene, 
merchant.  Farther  on  there  are  a  number  of  fine 
villas. 

About  three  hundred  yards  from  the  north  side  of 


CULTER.  49 

the  road,  an  elegant  and  massive  mansion  attracts  the 
eye.  It  is  Edgehill,  the  residence  of  the  late  Dr.  John 
Webster.  It  is  built  of  clear,  light-coloured  granite,  and 
stands  on  a  fine  elevated  site  with  a  southern  exposure. 
Dr.  Webster  took  an  active  interest  in  the  municipal 
affairs  of  Aberdeen  ;  he  was  a  Town  Councillor  and 
Provost  of  the  city.  He  also  took  a  keen  interest  in 
the  University  of  Aberdeen,  and  for  thirty  years  he 
acted  as  assessor  to  the  Lord  Rector. 

Dr.  Webster  was  a  keen  politician,  and  an  active 
member  of  the  Liberal  Association,  of  which  he  was  for 
several  years  president.  On  the  death  of  Mr.  Farley 
Leith,  M.P.,  Dr.  Webster  came  forward,  in  1880,  as  the 
Liberal  candidate  for  the  city  of  Aberdeen.  His  opponent 
was  the  late  Mr.  James  Shaw,  who  contested  for  the 
third  time  the  honour  of  representing  his  native  city  in 
Parliament,  Great  efforts  were  made  on  Mr.  Shaw's 
behalf,  and  he  was  hopeful  of  winning  the  seat ;  he  was, 
however,  defeated  by  a  large  majority.  Dr.  Webster 
represented  the  city  for  five  years,  and  proved  in  every 
respect  an  excellent  member.  He  was  specially  attentive 
to  all  matters  affecting  the  interest  and  honour  of  the 
city  of  Aberdeen,  and  to  the  requests  of  his  constituents. 
Although  he  did  not  often  speak  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  when  he  did  address  the  House,  he  was 
always  listened  to  with  the  utmost  respect.  He  was  a 
man  of  rare  tact,  and  admirably  qualified  to  win  con- 
fidence and  influence.  He  retired  on  the  dissolution  of 
Parliament  in  1885.  After  the  adoption  of  Home  Rule 
for  Ireland,  Dr.  Webster,  notwithstanding  his  admiration 
for  Mr.  Gladstone,  and  the  warm  personal  friendship 
which  had  long  existed  between  them,  separated  from 
E 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

the  Liberal  party,  and  became  a  Unionist,  and  there  is 
not  the  least  doubt  that  he  acted  on  the  most  con- 
scientious considerations. 

Personally,  Dr.  Webster  was  an  unpretending  gentle- 
man, and  at  all  times  easily  accessible.  Yet  he  had  a 
characteristic  polish  and  tact  rarely  met  with  even 
among  the  most  cultured  class  of  men.  His  genial 
company  and  conversation  were  widely  known  ;  and 
many  distinguished  men  who  came  to  visit  Aberdeen 
enjoyed  and  highly  appreciated  his  hospitality  at 
Edgehill.  In  the  course  of  a  long  life  he  had  collected 
a  valuable  library  and  a  number  of  rare  MSS.  and 
letters  ;  he  also  manifested  a  taste  for  art,  and  the  walls 
of  his  mansion  were  graced  with  many  fine,  valuable, 
and  rare  paintings.  He  was  generous  to  charitable  and 
benevolent  institutions,  and  to  all  movements  calculated 
to  improve  the  condition  of  mankind.  He  died  on  the 
31st  of  May,  1 89 1,  and  was  interred  in  the  churchyard  of 
St.  Nicholas,  Aberdeen. 

Camphill  House  stands  on  an  elevated  bank,  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  north  brink  of  the  Dee.  It  is  a 
fine  site,  and  the  house  is  embosomed  amid  trees. 

Culter  House  is  upon  the  rising  ground  to  the  north 
of  the  turnpike  road.  There  is  a  tradition  that  it  was 
built  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary.  It  is,  however,  an 
antiquated-looking  structure,  and  was  probably  erected 
about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  century  the  lands 
of  Culter  were  held  by  the  Durwards.  In  1247,  Robert 
Wauchope  obtained  Culter  from  Alexander  II. ;  but  the 
lands  of  this  family  were  forfeited  at  an  early  stage  of 
the  War  of  Independence  ;   and  about  the  end  of  the 


CULTER.  51 

thirteenth  century,  Culter  came  into  the  hands  of  the 
Comyns,  who  continued  in  possession  of  it  till  1729. 
James  Comyn  of  Culter  was  one  of  the  jury  on  the  trial 
of  the  Master  of  Forbes  for  conspiracy  against  the  life  of 
James  V.  in  1537.  During  the  Covenanting  struggle, 
Sir  Alexander  Comyn  and  his  family  were  subjected  to 
severe  persecution.  In  1640,  he  was  seized  by  General 
Munro,  and  conveyed  to  Edinburgh  and  imprisoned. 
He  was  detained  in  prison  six  months,  and  at  last 
liberated  on  the  payment  of  a  heavy  fine.  In  1644, 
the  Parliament  empowered  Lord  Fraser  to  uplift  the 
rents  pertaining  to  Sir  Alexander  Comyn,  who  was 
described  in  the  commission  as  a  malignant,  and  as 
having  aided  the  Irish  rebels  in  this  rebellion  ! 

In  1672,  Sir  Alexander  Comyn,  the  fourteenth  laird 
of  Culter,  was  created  a  baronet  of  Nova  Scotia.  The 
last  Scotch  Parliament  passed  an  Act  empowering  him 
and  his  heirs  to  hold  markets  upon  the  Moor  of  Beans- 
hill,  on  the  second  Thursday  of  March  and  October  yearly, 
for  the  sale  of  all  kinds  of  goods.  He  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Alexander,  who  became  an  advocate.  But  he 
appears  to  have  been  an  extremely  eccentric  character ; 
and  engaged  in  wild  and  bootless  projects,  which  resulted 
in  his  becoming  helplessly  involved  in  debt ;  and  he  died 
in  the  Charter  House,  London. 

Large  sums  of  money  had  been  lent  on  the  security 
of  the  lands  of  Culter  by  Patrick  Duff  of  Premnay,  a 
scion  of  the  Duffs  of  Craigston.  As  the  conditions  of 
the  loan  had  not  been  implemented  by  the  borrower,  in 
1729  Mr.  Duff  obtained  the  lands  of  Culter  by  a  decree 
of  sale  of  the  Court  of  Session.  Patrick  Duff  died  in 
1763,  leaving  no  issue.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother 
Robert,  Admiral  Duff. 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

He  had  rendered  important  service  to  his  country. 
Admiral  Duff  was  commander-in-chief  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean Squadron  for  some  years,  and  he  successfully 
defended  Gibraltar  in  the  great  seige  of  1779-83.  He 
married  Helen,  a  daughter  of  the  first  Earl  of  Fife,  and 
had  issue,  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  acquired  the 
estate  of  Fetteresso  in  1782.  He  died  in  1787,  and  was 
interred  in  a  fine  tomb  at  Culter.  He  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Robert  W.  Duff  of  Fetteresso.  Robert  married 
Mary,  a  daughter  of  George  Morison  of  Haddo,  a  grand- 
daughter of  General  James  Abercromby  of  Glassaugh, 
and  had  issue.  He  was  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  in  the 
Forfarshire  Militia.  He  died  in  1834,  and  his  son, 
Robert  W.  Duff  succeeded  to  the  estates  of  Culter  and 
Fetteresso.  Mr.  Duff  died  in  1861,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  nephew,  Robert  W.  Duff.  He  is  proprietor  of 
Culter,  Glassaugh,  and  Fetteresso.  He  was  elected 
member  of  Parliament  for  Banffshire  in  1861,  and  con- 
tinued to  represent  the  county  till  the  spring  of  1893. 
He  then  retired  on  being  appointed  Governor  of  New 
South  Wales.  Having  received  the  honour  of  knighthood, 
Sir  Robert  sailed  for  his  new  home  to  assume  the 
functions  of  Governor  of  the  colony. 

The  Parish  Church  of  Peterculter  stands  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Dee,  and  was  erected  in  1779,  and 
contains  550  sittings.  The  original  church  was  dedicated 
to  St.  Peter.  The  Free  Church  stands  at  the  southern 
base  of  Beanshill. 

The  village  of  Culter  has  arisen  in  connection  with 
the  paper  works  on  the  Burn  of  Culter.  It  contains  a 
few  shops,  and  a  public  hall  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road.     Most  of  the  houses  are  occupied  by  the  people 


CULTER.  53 

engaged  at  the  works.  The  Burn  of  Culter  is  crossed 
by  a  bridge  at  a  rather  romantic  and  picturesque  spot. 
Above  the  bridge  there  are  projecting  crags  on  either 
side  of  the  narrow  den,  but  the  crags  are  highest  on  the 
east,  and  there  a  wooden  statue  has  been  placed — 
dressed  in  the  character  of  Rob  Roy  !  A  Httle  further 
up,  the  Den  has  been  turned  into  a  reservoir,  and  the 
water  used  for  motive  power.  The  paper  works  are 
on  a  haugh  below  the  bridge. 

In  1750,  Bartholomew  Smith  obtained  a  long  lease 
of  a  site  for  a  paper  work  from  Patrick  Duff  of  Culter, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Culter  Burn.  For  a  long  time  the 
works  were  on  a  small  scale.  Mr.  Smith  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Richard,  and  Lewis  Smith  continued  the 
manufactory  ;  but  only  about  six  men  were  employed  at 
the  works  towards  the  end  of  the  last  century.  In  1820, 
the  works  were  acquired  by  Alexander  Irvine,  and  car- 
ried on  under  the  name  of  Irvine  &  Company  till  1837, 
when  the  mills  were  purchased  by  Messrs.  Arbuthnot  & 
M'Combie.  In  1840,  the  machinery  was  driven  by  two 
large  water  wheels  ;  and  sixty  hands  were  employed  at 
the  works.  The  papers  then  produced  in  the  establish- 
ment were  browns,  cartridges,  and  all  kinds  of  wrapping 
papers.  In  1856,  the  Messrs.  Pirie,  of  Stoneywood,  pur- 
chased the  mills;  but,  in  1865,  they  sold  them  to  the 
Culter  Mills  Paper  Company.  The  production  was  then 
about  fifteen  tons  per  week.  Recently  the  works  have 
been  greatly  extended,  new  machinery  and  improved 
appliances  requisite  for  the  various  processes  of  the 
manufactures  have  been  introduced  ;  and  the  weekly 
produce  of  paper  is  upward  of  sixty  tons — or  about 
thirty-two  hundred  tons  per  annum.      The  motive  power 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

for  the  machinery  is  mainly  suppHed  by  steam  engines, 
and  partly  by  water,  which  make  a  total  of  over  one 
thousand  horse  power.  There  are  two  paper-making 
machines,  each  seventy-two  inches  wide,  a  number  of 
cutting,  burnishing,  super-calendaring,  and  folding 
machines,  &c.  The  electric  light  is  fitted  into  the 
principal  rooms  ;  and  the  gas  consumed  by  the  Com- 
pany is  also  made  at  the  works.  The  works  are  built 
of  granite,  and  now  cover  a  large  space  of  ground. 
The  railway  siding  runs  into  and  through  the  mill, 
round  the  building,  through  the  grass  sheds  and 
dust  house,  passing  close  to  the  steam  boilers,  and 
thus  coal  can  be  tipped  from  the  trucks.  The  manu- 
factures of  the  Company  consists  of  various  qualities  and 
styles  of  the  finest  writing  papers,  excellent  printing 
papers,  and  other  kinds  of  papers  ;  and  the  products  of 
the  Company  have  attained  a  high  reputation  in  the 
markets  of  the  world.  Between  four  and  five  hundred 
hands  are  employed  at  the  works. 

Farther  down  the  Burn,  and  near  its  junction  with 
the  Dee,  there  was  once  a  snuff  manufactory,  which 
belonged  to  the  late  William  M'Combie  of  Easter  Skene. 
In  1843,  the  factory  consisted  of  a  small  square  thatched 
building.  The  machinery  was  driven  by  a  water-wheel 
of  eight-horse  power  ;  and  three  hundred  weight  of  snuff 
was  produced  per  week — or  about  eight  tons  per  annum. 
This  factory  was  worked  by  one  man,  who  attended  to 
the  machinery. 

The  M'Combies  are  a  branch  of  the  Clan  Mackintosh. 
Their  original  ancestor  was  Adam  Mackintosh,  a  son  of 
William,  the  seventh  chief  of  the  Clan  Mackintosh.  The 
Mackintoshes  had  possessions  in  Glenshee,  Strathardle, 
Glenisla,   and    Birse   in   the    fourteenth    century.     The 


CULTER.  55 

M'Combies  settled  at  Finnegand,  in  Glenshee,  about  the 
end  of  the  fourteenth  century ;  and  they  had  also 
possessions  in  Glenisla.  They  migrated  to  Aberdeen- 
shire in  the  latter  half  of  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
settled  first  in  the  parish  of  Tough  ;  and  rose  from  the 
position  of  farmers  to  landed  proprietors. 

William  M'Combie,  the  eldest  son  of  Thomas 
M'Combie  of  Easter  Skene,  was  born  at  Aberdeen  in 
1802.  He  was  educated  at  Marischal  College,  and 
graduated  in  1820.  On  the  death  of  his  father  in  1824, 
he  succeeded  to  the  estate  of  Easter  Skene,  and  com- 
menced to  make  improvements,  which  were  continued 
to  his  death.  He  planted  trees,  and  erected  the  spacious 
mansion  house  of  Easter  Skene,  which  is  built  in  the 
Elizabethan  style  of  architecture.  It  stands  on  a  fine 
elevated  site,  amid  wood  and  belts  of  trees,  commanding 
a  wide  prospect  of  the  surrounding  country,  having  the 
Loch  of  Skene  and  the  lower  range  of  the  Grampians 
for  the  front  view.  He  was  a  skilful  farmer,  and  a 
successful  breeder  of  cattle.  Mr.  M'Combie  had  a  keen 
literary  and  antiquarian  taste  ;  and  he  spent  much  time 
and  attention  in  investigating  the  history  of  his  ances- 
tors ;  and  he  rejoiced  exceedingly  when  their  descent 
from  the  Clan  Mackintosh  was  successfully  established. 
He  had  a  well-selected  and  very  valuable  library  in  his 
mansion  of  Easter  Skene  ;  and  he  had  a  rare  store  of 
interesting  and  curious  information.  Mr.  M'Combie  was 
a  man  of  remarkable  stature,  being  over  six  feet  in  height, 
and  well  built.  Personally,  he  was  a  very  kind  and 
warm-hearted  man,  and  easily  accessible.  He  died  on 
the  4th  July,  1890,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight. 

Mr.  Peter  Duguid,  advocate,  Aberdeen,  succeeded  to 
the  estate  of  Easter  Skene. 


Chapter  VI. 

MARYCULTER— DURRIS. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Valley,  the  scenery  appears 
more  beautiful  as  we  proceed  upward  ;  while  the  historic 
facts  and  incidents  associated  with  special  localities  and 
families  become  more  interesting. 

In  1 1 87,  the  greater  part  of  the  parish  of  Maryculter 
was  granted  by  William  the  Lion  to  the  Knights 
Templars  ;  on  their  suppression  by  the  Pope  in  1 3 1 2,  the 
Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  succeeded  to  the  lands, 
which  they  retained  until  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth 
century — a  period  when  a  considerable  part  of  the  land  of 
Scotland  passed  into  the  hands  of  new  owners. 

About  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century,  Walter 
Bisset  founded  a  preceptory  of  the  Knights  Templars ; 
and  they  erected  a  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  which 
was  consecrated  in  1288.  This  chapel  stood  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Dee,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Maryculter 
House,  where  its  ruins  may  still  be  seen.  It  was  a  long, 
narrow  structure  of  eighty-two  feet  in  length  and  twenty- 
eight  feet  in  width,  with  walls  three  feet  thick.  The  old 
graveyard  is  beside  the  ruins  of  the  chapel.  About  a  mile 
to  the  south  a  new  church  was  erected,  on  an  elevated 
site,  in  1787  ;  and  a  new  churchyard  was  formed. 

The  Templars  abandoned  their  home  and  chapel  in 
Maryculter  in  the  year  1548.  In  1563,  the  whole  lands  of 
the  order  of  St.  John  Templars  were  erected  into  a 
temporal  barony  for  Lord  Torphichen.     Afterwards  these 


MARYCULTER,  57 

lands  passed  through  other  hands,  which  will  be  indicated 
as  I  proceed. 

The  extent  of  the  estate  of  Blairs  is  eleven  hundred 
acres,  extending  from  the  banks  of  the  river  southward  to 
the  limit  of  the  Parish  of  Maryculter.  The  soil  along  the 
river  side  is  good  and  well  cultivated.  In  1535,  Gilbert 
Menzies  of  Pitfodels  acquired  this  estate  from  the  religious 
order  before  mentioned  ;  and  the  transaction  was  con- 
firmed in  1542  by  a  charter  under  the  great  Seal.  The 
estate,  however,  fell  into  other  hands  before  the  end  of 
the  sixteenth  century.  But  toward  the  end  of  the  last 
century  it  was  again  acquired  by  Captain  David  Menzies. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  nephew,  John  Menzies, 
mentioned  in  a  preceding  chapter ;  and  he  bequeathed 
the  mansion  and  lands  of  Blairs  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Bishops  of  Scotland  in  1827,  for  the  establishment  of  a 
Roman  Catholic  College.  A  few  years  later  the  institu- 
tion was  opened,  under  the  name  of  St.  Mary's  College. 

The  College  has  a  resident  president  and  a  staff  of 
professors ;  and  at  present  over  eighty  students,  all  of 
them  in  residence.  Candidates  for  the  priesthood  com- 
mence their  course  in  the  institution,  and  after  passing  in 
the  arts  classes,  they  then  proceed  for  the  study  of 
divinity  and  philosophy  to  the  Scots  Colleges  at  Paris, 
Rome,  or  the  Diocesan  Seminary  at  Glasgow. 

The  library  of  St.  Mary's  College  contains  a  consider- 
able number  of  rare  and  very  valuable  works,  and  also 
historic  MSS.  of  much  interest.  Numerous  paintings  of 
merit  and  rare  interest  grace  the  walls  of  the  institution. 
There  are  two  portraits  of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  one  a 
full  length,  a  striking  picture  ;  and  the  other  a  three- 
quarter  size  ;  and  both  are  greatly  admired.     Portraits  of 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Cardinal  Beaton,  Prince  Charles  Edward,  and  of  several 
Scottish  Bishops  form  a  part  of  the  invaluable  treasures 
of  the  College. 

A  little  further  up  the  Valley,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
road,  stands  Marybank,  the  residence  of  William 
Mackintosh.  During  the  trenching  and  laying  out  of 
the  grounds  a  stone  cist  and  urn  were  found. 

The  mansion  house  of  Kingcausie  is  situated  on  the 
rising  ground,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  south 
bank  of  the  river.  The  house  and  lawn  front  the  Dee. 
The  background  is  sheltered  with  trees  ;  and  the  pleasure 
grounds  are  beautiful.  A  little  to  the  west  of  the 
mansion  is  a  romantic  little  waterfall  called  the  Corbie 
Linn,  on  a  small  stream.  The  locality  is  noted  for  its 
flora. 

In  1535,  Henry  Irvine,  a  son  of  Alexander  Irvine  of 
Drum,  acquired  the  lands  of  Kingcausie  from  the  Knights 
Templars  ;  and  John  Irvine  was  the  proprietor  of  the 
estate  in  1592.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander 
Irvine,  and  this  branch  of  the  Irvine  family  continued  to 
hold  the  estate.  James  Irvine  of  Kingcausie  joined  the 
Earl  of  Mar  in  the  Rising  of  171 5  ;  and  he  accompanied 
Earl  Marischal  when  the  Pretender  was  proclaimed  King 
at  the  Cross  of  Aberdeen.  The  succession  in  the  male  line 
having  failed, the  estate  passed  to  Anne  Irvine;  and  in  1783 
she  married  Claude  Boswell,  advocate,  subsequently  Lord 
Balmuto,  by  whom  she  had  a  son  and  two  daughters. 
Their  son,  John  Irvine-Boswell  succeeded  to  the  estate. 
He  married  Margaret,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Christie  of 
Durie.  Mr.  Irvine-Boswell  died  in  i860,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years  ;  and  a  massive  granite  monument  was 
erected  to  his  memory  by  his  widow,  which  stands  upon 


IMARYCULTER.  69 

the  hill  of  Auchlunies.  He  left  no  issue,  and  one  of  his 
sisters  died  unmarried  ;  while  his  other  sister  married 
Mr.  Syme,  drawing-master  at  Dollar  Academy,  by  whom 
she  had  a  son  and  a  daughter.  The  son  succeeded  to 
Balmuto,  in  Fife,  and  the  daughter  became  heiress  of 
Kingcausie.  She  married  Mr.  Archer  Fortescue  of 
Swanbister,  in  Orkney,  the  present  proprietor. 

The  mansion  house  of  Maryculter  is  placed  on  a  bank 
overhanging  the  south  side  of  the  Dee,  and  embosomed 
amid  wood.  The  natural  beauty  of  the  site  and  the 
scene  around  it  is  serene  and  pleasing  to  the  eye.  The 
avenue  leading  to  it  runs  west  along  the  south  side  of  the 
river  for  a  mile,  and  on  either  side  it  is  lined  by  fine  old 
trees.  A  portion  of  the  house  was  probably  built  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  it  was  thoroughly  repaired  and 
considerably  enlarged  in  the  first  quarter  of  the  present 
century  by  General  Gordon. 

In  1618,  the  house  of  Maryculter  and  the  adjoining 
lands  were  purchased  by  George  Menzies  of  Pitfodels. 
In  181 1,  the  estate  was  bought  by  General  Gordon  from 
John  Menzies.  This  General,  the  Hon.  William  Gordon, 
was  a  son  of  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen  ;  and  in  1746,  when  a 
boy,  he  succeeded  to  the  lands  ofFyvie.  He  entered  the 
army,  and  attained  distinction.  He  was  Colonel  of 
the  2 1  St  Fusiliers,  a  Groom  of  the  Bedchamber  to  George 
III.,  and  a  Member  of  Parliament  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  erected  the  fourth  tower  of  the  Castle  ofFyvie  in  1777, 
called  the  Gordon  Tower ;  formed  the  beautiful  lake 
which  stretches  along  the  east  side  of  the  avenue,  and 
laid  out  the  fine  policies  ;  planted  extensive  tracts  of 
ground  in  the  parish,  encouraged  agriculture,  and  took  a 
keen   interest  in  the  welfare  of  his    tenantry.     General 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Gordon  died  at  Maryculter  in  1816,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  William  Gordon  ;  and  he  carried  on  the 
improvements  which  his  father  had  commenced.  It 
appears  that  Mr.  Gordon  occasionally  resided  at  Mary- 
culter ;  but  in  1839,  he  sold  the  greater  part  of  the  estate. 
He  died  in  1847,  and  was  succeeded  by  Captain  Charles 
Gordon,  who  died  in  1851.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  Captain  William  Cosmo  Gordon.  In  1848,  he 
married  Mary  Grace,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Robert 
Abercromby,  Bart,  of  Birkenbog  and  Forglen,  but  had 
no  issue.  He  was  a  popular  landlord,  and  took  a  warm 
interest  in  his  tenantry.  He  died  in  1879,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  brother.  Captain  Alexander  H.  Gordon,  of 
the  Indian  Navy.  Captain  Gordon  was  a  considerate 
and  generous  landlord,  and  a  warm-hearted  gentleman. 
He  died  suddenly  at  Aberdeen,  in  March,  1884.  Dying 
without  issue,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  cousin,  Sir 
Maurice  Duff  Gordon  ;  but  the  estate  of  Fyvie  was 
recently  purchased  by  Mr.  Leith. 

A  mile  to  the  west  of  Maryculter  House  is  the  house 
of  Altries. 

Considerable  portions  of  the  Parish  of  Maryculter  are 
covered  with  wood.  The  trees  which  appear  to  be  most 
congenial  to  the  soil  are  the  birch,  fir,  larch,  spruce,  and 
beech.  The  district  is  comparatively  rich  in  plants  of 
botanic  interest ;  some  rare  species  are  found  among  the 
woods.' 

Proceeding  up  the  Valley,  it  is  said  that  Durris  was 
a  Royal  forest  at  an  early  period,  but  there  is  little  or  no 

I.  A  new  Steel  Bridge  across  the  Dee  at  Maryculter  is  erecting,  and  was  expected  to 
be  finished  in  1804 ;  but  a  severe  thunder  storm  occurred  on  the  night  of  the  2nd  and 
morning  of  the  3rd  of  August,  which  greatly  injured  the  preparations  for  the  erection  of 
the  Bridge.     Great  damage  was  also  done  to  the  Crops  in  the  Valley. 


DURRIS.  61 

evidence  of  this.  In  the  thirteenth  century,  during  the 
reign  of  Alexander  III.,  a  portion  of  the  lands  of  Durris 
appears  to  have  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown  ;  and  at 
that  period  a  considerable  extent  of  land  throughout  the 
kingdom  was  in  the  Crown.  This  meant  that  the  Sheriff 
of  the  county,  the  steward  or  bailie  of  a  district,  accounted 
to  the  national  Exchequer  for  the  rents  in  money  and 
kind  payable  to  the  Crown  for  such  lands.  But 
some  confusion  appears  to  have  often  arisen  in  the  minds 
of  popular  writers  touching  the  terms  "  Royal  forest,"  "  in 
forest,"  "  free  forest"  :  such  words  frequently  occur  in 
early  charters,  and  require  some  explanation.  The  ex- 
pression "  Royal  forest "  did  not  necessarily  mean  that 
the  territory  to  which  it  was  applied  was  under  wood  or 
uninhabited  by  man  ;  at  the  utmost  it  only  imported  that 
when  the  King  thought  fit  he  could  traverse  such  terri- 
tory and  hunt  in  it ;  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  these 
territories  in  early  times  were  uninhabited  or  unused  as 
pastures  for  sheep  and  cattle.  But  the  Royal  parks —  the 
enclosed  grounds —  were  strictly  limited  as  real  Royal 
and  Crown  property ;  and  altogether  different  from  what 
was  vaguely  called  a  forest.  Further,  the  term  "  in  forest" 
was  connected  with  a  form  of  feudal  tenure  in  Scotland, 
and  did  not  mean  in  general,  that  the  territory  granted  in 
the  charter  was  quite  wooded  or  in  any  way  wooded  at 
all,  or  uninhabited  or  uncultivated.  Then  a  grant  of  "  free 
forest "  by  charter  was  a  form  of  tenure  a  degree  higher 
than  a  grant  of  "  free  barony,"  and  it  had  no  special  con- 
nection whatever  with  trees  or  a  forest,  but  it  conveyed  to 
its  holder  such  a  stretch  of  power  and  jurisdiction  over 
the  inhabitants  of  the  lands  within  the  limits  of  the  grant 
as  approached  to  the  feudal  rights  and  privileges  of  an 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

earldom.  Thus,  the  term  "  Royal  forest "  in  early  times 
had  a  vague  meaning,  while  the  expression  "  Royal  park" 
was  quite  definite  ;  the  phrase  "  in  forest "  was  used  in 
connection  with  a  form  of  feudal  tenure  ;  and  a  grant  of 
"  free  forest"  was  a  higher  form  of  feudal  tenure  than  a 
grant  of  "  free  barony." 

It  appears  that  the  territory  of  Durris  was  in  the  hands 
of  Robert  I.  in  1308.  William  Fraser,  a  son  of  Sir 
Alexander  Fraser,  held  the  lands  of  Durris  in  the  reign 
of  David  II.  His  father.  Sir  Alexander,  married  Lady 
Mary,  a  sister  of  Robert  the  Bruce,  and  through  her  the 
family  obtained  many  grants  of  lands.  William  married 
Mary,  a  daughter  of  the  national  patriot.  Sir  Andrew 
Moray  of  Bothwell.  William  Fraser  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  national  struggle  against  the  English  during 
the  minority  of  David  II. ;  while  his  father.  Sir 
Alexander,  was  slain  at  the  battle  of  Dupplin  in  1332. 
It  seems  that  he  received  the  honour  of  knighthood  from 
David  II.,  who,  after  his  return  from  France,  frequently 
visited  Aberdeen  and  the  surrounding  country.  Sir 
William  was  in  the  army  under  the  King  which  invaded 
England  in  1346,  and  he  fell  in  the  disastrous  battle  of 
Durham.  He  left  two  sons,  mere  boys,  and  the  lands  of 
Durris  were  placed  in  ward  under  the  Crown  during  the 
minority  of  the  eldest  son.  Alexander  Fraser,  the  eldest 
son,  obtained  full  possession  of  the  lands  in  1363.  In 
1369,  David  II.  granted  to  him  the  whole  lands  of  the 
thanage  of  Durris — transformed  into  the  tenure  of  free 
barony,  to  be  held,  under  the  Crown,  by  him  and  his  heirs 
on  the  condition  of  three  annual  attendances  at  the 
Head  Court  of  the  Sheriffdom  of  Kincardineshire  and 
the  service  of  one  archer  in  the  Royal  army. 


DURRIS.  63 

He  was  present  at  the  Coronation  of  Robert  II.  at 
Scone,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1371  ;  and  he  was  also 
present  at  the  more  memorable  meeting  of  Parliament 
at  Scone,  on  the  4th  of  April,  1372,  when  the  succession 
to  the  Kingdom  of  Scotland  was  limited  to  the  male 
line.  On  this  great  occasion,  after  the  document  settling 
the  succession  had  been  approved  and  passed  by 
Parliament,  all  present,  each  individually  touched  the 
"  Holy  Gospels  and  sworn  their  bodily  oath  that  they 
would  inviolably  observe  these  declarations  and  statutes 
for  themselves  and  their  heirs,  and  cause  them  to  be 
observed  to  the  utmost  of  their  power."  One  would  have 
thought  this  was  sufficient,  but  Robert  II.  thought  other- 
wise ;  and  what  was  instantly  enacted  to  complete  the 
validity  of  the  proceedings  is  of  great  historic  interest  and 
significance.  The  record  goes  on  to  state  : — "  And  im- 
mediately thereafter  the  whole  multitude  of  the  clergy 
and  the  people  in  the  Church  of  Scone,  before  the  great 
altar,  being  specially  convened  for  the  purpose,  the 
aforesaid  declaration,  ordinance,  and  statute  being  ex- 
plained to  them  in  a  loud  and  public  voice,  each  raising 
his  hand,  after  the  manner  of  faith-giving,  in  token  of  the 
universal  consent  of  the  whole  clergy  and  people,  publicly 
expressed  and  declared  their  consent  and  assent.  In 
witness  of  all  which,  our  Lord  the  King  ordered  his  Great 
Seal  to  be  affixed  to  the  present  writing."  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  latter  part  of  the  proceedings — the  manner 
of  obtaining  "  the  consent  and  assent  of  the  people  " — 
was  even  at  that  date  an  extremely  ancient  custom  in 
Scotland.' 

Sir   Alexander   Fraser,   in    1375,   married    Johanna, 

I.  National  MSB.  Part  II.,  Nos.  43  A,  43  B. 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

younger  daughter  of  William,  sixth  Earl  of  Ross  ;  and 
Sir  Walter  Leslie  married  the  elder  daughter  of  the  Earl. 
In  due  time,  Sir  Walter  Leslie  became  Earl  of  Ross  in 
risfht  of  his  wife  ;  and  Sir  Alexander  obtained  with  his 
wife  a  number  of  estates  in  Buchan,  which  were  formed 
into  the  lordship  of  Philorth.  In  1388,  he  fought  at  the 
battle  of  Otterburn.  This  Sir  Alexander  Eraser  of 
Durris  and  Philorth  died  about  14 10,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  William.  The  Erasers  continued  in  the 
possession  of  Durris  and  their  kinsmen  in  the  lordship  of 
Philorth. 

As  the  chief  of  the  Erasers  became  a  Covenanter  in 
1639,  the  lands  and  House  of  Durris  were  plundered  by 
the  Royalists.  In  1645,  Montrose,  on  his  march  through 
the  district,  set  Durris  House  on  fire,  and  destroyed  the 
corn,  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  and  other  goods.  Shortly 
after,  Durris  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Philorth  branch 
of  the  family — Lord  Eraser.  But  in  1669,  Sir  Alexander 
Eraser,  a  descendant  of  the  old  branch,  purchased  the 
estate  of  Durris  from  Lord  Eraser. 

Sir  Alexander  had  several  sons  and  daughters ;  and  one 
of  his  sons,  Sir  Peter  Eraser,  was  the  last  laird  of  Durris 
of  that  name.  His  daughter  and  heiress,  named  Carey, 
was  a  maid  of  honour  to  Catherine,  Queen  of  Charles  II. 
She  married  General  Mordaunt,  Earl  of  Peterborough 
and  Monmouth,  by  whom  she  had  an  only  daughter, 
Henriett  Mordaunt.  This  lady  married  the  second  Duke 
of  Gordon  ;  and  thus  the  lands  of  Durris  ultimately 
passed  into  the   hands  of  this  ancient  and  honourable 

family. 

When  the  lands  of  Durris  became  the  property  of  the 
Duke  of  Gordon  great  improvements  were  made.      A 


DURRIS.  65 

large  tract  of  territory  was  planted,  and  a  better  method 
of  husbandry  was  introduced  into  the  district.  On  a 
rounded  height  near  the  south  side  of  the  Dee,  and  the 
Bridge  of  Park,  there  stands  an  octagonal  tower,  nearly 
eighty  feet  in  height,  which  was  erected  in  1825  by  the 
Duke  of  Gordon  to  commemorate  his  coming  into  the 
possession  of  Durris  as  heir  of  entail  to  the  Earl  of 
Peterborough. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  last  century,  the  lands  of 
Durris  were  held  under  a  long  lease  by  John  Innes, 
Sheriff-Substitute  of  Kincardineshire.  He  died  in  1852, 
aged  eighty  years.  His  son,  Cosmo  Innes,  was  born  at 
Durris  House.  He  became  an  advocate ;  held  the 
appointment  of  Clerk  in  the  Court  of  Session  ;  and  sub- 
sequently he  was  appointed  Sheriff  of  Elginshire,  and 
Professor  of  History  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.  He 
is  the  author  of  a  number  of  works,  chiefly  relating  to  the 
early  and  middle  periods  of  Scottish  history.  One  of  his 
latest  and  best  volumes  was  entitled  "  Legal  Antiquities." 
Mr.  Innes  also  edited  and  wrote  prefaces  to  a  very  large 
number  of  volumes  for  the  Bannatyne  Club,  Maitland 
Club,  and  the  original  Spalding  Club.  Further,  he 
prepared  and  edited  the  greater  part  of  the  very  valuable 
work  entitled  "  The  National  Manuscripts  of  Scotland  "  ; 
and  his  labour  and  research  in  connection  with  the 
editing  of  the  first  volume  of  the  "  Record  Edition  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Scottish  Parliament "  is  a  great  monument  of 
record   scholarship,   and    industry.      Mr.    Innes   died  in 

1874- 

Under  an  Act  of  Parliament  the  entail  of  Durris  was 
transferred  to  property  in  the  vicinity  of  Gordon  Castle. 
In    1834,  the   lands   of  Durris   were   sold   to   Anthony 
F 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Mactier.  He  died  on  the  5th  of  August,  1854,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-one  years.  He  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Alexander,  who  married,  but  had  no  children. 
In  1 87 1,  he  sold  the  estate  to  Dr.  James  Young  of  Kelly, 
paraffin  oil  manufacturer,  for  a  sum  of  ^^"300,000. 

Dr.  Young  gained  his  wealth  by  his  own  efforts.  He 
was  descended  from  parents  in  humble  circumstances, 
and  he  worked  as  a  joiner  at  an  early  stage  of  his  life  in 
Glasgow.  He  soon  became  intensely  interested  in  the 
study  of  chemistry,  and  attended  the  chemical  classes  in 
the  Andersonian  College.  Subsequently  he  went  to 
London,  and  continued  his  studies  in  London  University, 
under  Professor  Graham.  Afterward  he  became  manager 
of  chemical  works  at  Liverpool  ;  thence  he  proceeded  to 
Manchester,  and  was  engaged  in  the  branch  of  the  St. 
Rollox  Works  in  that  city.  On  leaving  Manchester  he 
commenced  a  series  of  experiments  in  connection  with 
the  manufacture  of  mineral  oil.  After  much  hard  and 
continuous  work,  his  efforts  culminated  in  the  discovery 
of  paraffin.  From  this  and  other  enterprises,  he  amassed 
great  wealth.  Dr.  Young  died  on  the  13th  of  May,  1883. 
In  1890,  Henry  R.  Baird  purchased  the  lands  of  Durris. 

The  mansion  house  of  Durris  stands  on  the  east  bank 
of  a  sequestered  and  picturesque  narrow  dale.  It  consists 
of  two  portions,  an  old  and  a  new.  The  old  mansion  was 
probably  built  in  the  later  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  presents  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the 
Scottish  baronial  style.  A  portion  of  the  modern 
structure  was  erected  in  1824,  and  additions  were  made 
to  it  in  1835-38.  The  two  portions  of  the  structure  are 
connected  by  a  colonnade.  It  is  built  of  granite.  The 
grounds  extend  to  over  two  hundred  acres,  and  are  well 


DURRIS.  67 

laid  out ;  the  ornamental  trees  and  shrubs  are  varied  and 
attractive. 

The  hamlet  of  Kirkton  of  Durris  is  beside  the  bridge 
which  spans  the  Sheeoch  Burn,  and  it  consists  of  a  few 
neat  cottages,  with  some  trees  in  its  vicinity.  A  short 
distance  down  on  the  east  side  of  the  stream,  and  the 
south  bank  of  the  Dee,  stands  the  Parish  Church  and 
Manse  of  Durris,  in  a  pleasant  situation.  The  church  is 
a  plain  structure,  and  was  erected  in  1822,  by  the  fifth 
Duke  of  Gordon.  It  affords  accommodation  for  five 
hundred  and  fifty  sitters.  From  a  date  on  the  ruins  of 
the  old  church,  it  appears  to  have  been  built  in  1537. 
The  Free  Church  is  about  a  mile  to  the  south-west.  A 
mile  and  a  half  to  the  west  of  the  Parish  Church,  the  Dee 
is  spanned  by  a  bridge,  which  was  erected  in  1862  by  the 
late  proprietor  of  Durris,  Mr.  Mactier. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  below  the  church,  overhanging  a 
rather  steep  bank  of  the  river,  is  a  small  height,  called  the 
Castle  Hill.  It  has  a  ditch  at  the  base,  and  a  small  rill  of 
water  runs  close  past  it,  which  might  easily  have  been 
diverted  to  fill  the  ditch.  There  is  a  tradition  that  it  had 
been  a  fort. 


Chapter  VIL 

IRVINES  OF  DRUM— HISTORIC  INCIDENTS. 

Proceeding  up  the  Valley,  the  scenery  appears  more 
striking  and  varied.  On  the  south  side,  the  summits  of 
the  mountain  range  gradually  increase  in  elevation,  while 
trees  and  plantations  give  hue  and  shade  to  the  scene ; 
on  the  north  side,  the  undulating  surface  of  the  ground, 
the  knolls  and  heights  covered  with  wood,  present  land- 
scapes of  touching  beauty. 

The  Loch  of  Drum  lies  about  a  mile  west  of  Park 
Station.  It  is  an  oblong  sheet  of  water,  covering  eighty- 
four  acres,  with  a  depth  of  from  three  to  four  feet.  Its 
margin  is  fringed  with  alders,  and  on  three  sides  it  is 
bounded  by  woods.  It  once  covered  three  hundred 
acres,  but  its  area  was  reduced  by  drainage  in  the  early 
part  of  this  century.  On  the  north-east  side  is  the 
"King's  Well."  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  early 
Kings  of  Scotland  often  resorted  to  the  Forest  of  Drum 
to  enjoy  the  chase. 

The  old  church  of  Drumoak  stood  within  the  grave- 
yard upon  a  rising  space  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Dee. 
It  is  now  a  roofless  ruin.  It  was  a  long  and  narrow 
structure,  with  outside  stairs  upon  the  north  and  east, 
and  had  two  doors  and  five  windows.  A  flat  slab  near 
the  east  end  is  ornamented  with  an  incised  cross.  The 
present  church  stands  on  a  flat  site,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  Park  Station,  and  was  erected  in  1836.  It  is 
an  elegant  structure,  in  the  Gothic  style,  designed  by  the 
late  Mr.  A.  Simpson,  Aberdeen. 


IRVINES  OF  DRUM.  69 

There  is  no  lack  of  legend  and  romance  associated 
with  the  Irvine  family.  It  is  supposed  by  some  that 
Drum  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Crown  prior  to  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  formed  part  of  a  Royal  forest. 
There  is,  however,  no  evidence  of  this,  though  there  is 
■evidence  of  a  park — an  enclosed  space  of  ground  which 
belonged  to  the  Crown. 

The  Irvine  family  trace  their  descent  back  to  a  very 
remote  period.  At  the  opening  of  the  fourteenth  century 
the  family  was  settled  in  Dumfries-shire.  William  Irvine 
of  Bonshaw  had  a  son,  William,  who  enrolled  himself 
under  the  banner  of  Robert  Bruce  as  one  of  the  small 
party  who  formed  the  forlorn  hope  of  the  Scottish  nation. 
Irvine  was  so  faithful  to  Bruce,  and  acted  so  well  in  the 
desperate  struggle  which  ensued,  and  culminated  in  the 
memorable  Battle  of  Bannockburn,  that  Robert  I.,  in 
1323,  granted  to  him  by  charter  the  forest  lands  of 
Drum  ;  but  reserved  the  Park — that  is,  the  enclosed 
ground — the  real  hunting  seat.  Shortly  after,  Irvine 
received  another  charter  from  the  King,  conferring  on 
him  a  more  complete  jurisdiction  over  the  inhabitants 
of  the  land. 

The  feudal  enemies  of  the  Irvines  in  the  south  of 
Scotland  were  the  Maxwells  and  the  Bells  ;  while  in 
the  north  they  had  to  do  battle  with  the  Keiths  and  the 
Forbeses.  Tradition  has  transmitted  a  tale  of  one  of  the 
conflicts  between  the  Irvines  and  the  Keiths,  which  took 
place  on  a  moor  on  the  north  side  of  the  Dee,  in  the 
Parish  of  Drumoak.  In  this  encounter  the  Irvines  were 
victorious,  and  drove  their  enemies  across  the  river  at  a 
deep,  rocky  part  of  the  channel,  which  is  called  *'  Keith's 
Pot "  ;    and    a   rock  which   occasionally   appears  a  few 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

inches  above  the  water,  on  which  one  of  the  fugitives 
had  taken  refuge,  and  was  killed,  yet  retains  the  name 
of  "  Keith's  Stone."  The  feud  between  the  two  families 
rose  to  such  a  height  that  Parliament  had  to  interfere, 
and  induced  Alexander  Irvine,  the  fourth  laird  of  Drum, 
to  marry  Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Sir  Robert  Keith, 
Marischal  of  Scotland.  It  is  said  that  Irvine  formed 
this  marriage  alliance  more  from  a  spirit  of  loyalty  than 
any  desire  to  wed  the  daughter  of  his  feudal  enemy. 

In  141 1,  when  the  family  quarrel  between  the  Lord 
of  the  Isles  and  the  Duke  of  Albany — then  Regent  of 
Scotland — came  to  a  crisis,  Alexander  Irvine  of  Drum 
joined  the  Earl  of  Mar,  and  fought  at  the  Battle  of 
Harlaw.  Irvine  of  Drum  and  a  considerable  number  of 
the  chief  men  of  the  counties  of  Aberdeen,  Kincardine, 
and  Forfar  were  slain  at  Harlaw.  Thus  the  Battle  of 
Harlaw  was  a  very  important  local  event ;  but  it  had  no 
real  political,  or  national,  or  racial  significance  whatever, 
for  it  was  entirely  a  family  quarrel  between  the  Duke  of 
Albany  and  the  Lord  of  the  Isles,  touching  the  right  of 
succession  to  the  Earldom  of  Ross.  Further,  the  Duke 
of  Albany  was  completely  on  the  wrong  side  in  the  quarrel 
which  led  to  the  Battle  of  Harlaw  ;  for  Donald  of  the  Isles 
retained  possession  of  the  Earldom  of  Ross,  and  his  son, 
Alexander,  succeeded  him ;  and  James  I.  granted  a  charter 
to  him  confirming  his  right  to  the  Earldom  of  Ross.  In 
1425,  on  the  27th  of  May,  in  the  palace  of  Stirling,  when 
the  Duke  of  Albany  (the  Regent's  son)  was  tried  and 
sentenced  to  death,  Alexander,  Earl  of  Ross  and  Lord  of 
the  Isles,  was  one  of  the  jurymen  on  the  trial. 

Robert    Irvine,  a  brother  of  Alexander,  who  fell  at 
Harlaw,  succeeded  to  the  family  estates,  and  assumed 


IRVINES  OF  DRUM.  71 

the  name  of  Alexander.  In  1423,  he  was  one  of  the 
commissioners  who  went  to  England  to  negotiate  with 
the  English  Government  for  the  liberation  of  James  I. 
When  the  King  returned  home  in  1424,  he  conferred  on 
Irvine  the  honour  of  knighthood.  He  attended  the 
Parliament  held  at  Perth  on  the  12th  of  March,  1425  ; 
and  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  Parliament,  the  King 
arrested  and  imprisoned  twenty-nine  nobles  and  knights, 
and  Sir  Alexander  Irvine  of  Drum  was  one  of  them. 
The  King's  object  was  to  secure  the  Duke  of  Albany, 
and  he  imprisoned  the  others  to  prevent  them  from 
assisting  him  or  attempting  his  rescue ;  and  they  were 
released  in  a  few  days.  The  Irvine  family  have  always 
been  remarkable  for  loyalty  to  the  Crown.  Sir  Alex- 
ander's second  son  acted  so  bravely  at  the  Battle  of 
Brechin  in  1452,  under  the  Earl  of  Huntly,  that  his 
lordship  afterwards  granted  to  him  the  lands  of  Belty,  in 
Kincardine  O'Neil,  as  a  reward  for  his  service. 

Sir  Alexander  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander 
Irv'ine.  In  1470,  he  held  the  office  of  Sheriff-Depute  of 
Aberdeenshire.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Abernethy  of 
Saltoun,  and  had  issue.  The  family  continued  to  be 
loyal  and  powerful  ;  and,  in  1527,  James  V.  conferred 
upon  the  eldest  son  of  the  then  Alexander,  a  gift  of 
non-entry  to  the  lands  of  Forglen,  which  purported  to 
be  given  "  on  account  of  Drum,  his  said  son,  and  their 
friends,  their  good  and  thankful  service  done  to  the 
King  in  searching  for,  taking,  and  bringing  the  rebels  to 
justice."  The  young  man  thus  referred  to  entered  into 
the  midst  of  the  struggle  in  the  early  part  of  the 
minority  of  Queen  Mary.  He  marched  southward  with 
a   company   of    the    citizens   of  Aberdeen,  joined    the 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Regent  near  Musselburgh;  and  on  the  loth  of  September, 
1547,  he  fell  facing  the  enemy  on  the  disastrous  field 
of  Pinkie. 

He  left  six  sons  and  three  daughters  ;  and  his  eldest 
son,  Alexander,  succeeded  to  the  estates  on  the  death 
of  his  grandfather.  He  married  Elizabeth  Keith,  a 
daughter  of  Earl  Marischal,  by  whom  he  had  a  large 
family.  Their  eldest  son.  Sir  Alexander,  succeeded  to 
the  lands  in  1583.  He  became  a  warm  patron  of  learn- 
ing, and  benefactor  to  the  poor.  In  1629,  he  devised  a 
sum  of  ;^io,(X)0  Scots  for  the  maintenance  of  four 
bursars  in  philosophy,  and  two  in  divinity  at  Marischal 
College  ;  and  four  at  the  Grammar  School  of  Aberdeen  ; 
and  vesting  the  right  of  presentation  to  all  of  them  in 
the  family  of  Drum.  Further,  he  mortified  thirty-two 
bolls  of  meal  to  persons  living  on  his  property  in  Drum- 
oak,  viz. : — Twelve  bolls  to  poor  scholars,  eight  to  the 
parochial  schoolmaster  for  teaching  them,  and  twelve  to 
decayed  tenants — all  of  which  are  divided  annually  at 
the  sight  of  the  kirk-session.  He  married  Marian 
Douglas,  a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  by  whom 
he  had  issue.  This  lady,  in  1633,  mortified  a  sum  of 
three  thousand  marks  to  endow  an  hospital  in  Aberdeen 
for  widows  and  aged  daughters  of  decayed  burgesses,  of 
which  the  Town  Council  had  the  patronage. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Sir  Alexander. 
He  married  Magdalen,  a  daughter  of  Sir  John  Scrym- 
geour  of  Dudhope,  Constable  of  Dundee.  Sir  Alexander 
was  Sheriff-Principal  of  Aberdeenshire  in  1634,  and  in 
several  subsequent  years.  At  this  period  the  family  of 
Drum  possessed  extensive  and  valuable  estates  in  the 
counties  of  Aberdeen,  Banff,  and  Forfar  ;    and  the  house 


IRVINES  OF  DRUM.  73 

had  then  attained  the  zenith  of  its  wealth  and  influence. 
The  family  suffered  severely  for  their  adherence  to  the 
Royal  cause  in  the  Covenanting  struggle. 

On  the  2nd  of  June,  1640,  General  Munro  and  Earl 
Marischal  advanced  to  besiege  the  Castle  of  Drum.  The 
laird  was  then  from  home,  but  his  Lady,  accompanied 
by  a  few  determined  men,  held  the  Castle,  which  was 
well  supplied  with  provisions  and  ammunition.  When 
the  attacking  army  came  within  range,  it  was  saluted  by 
a  volley,  which  killed  two  men,  and  induced  the  Cove- 
nanting general  to  try  the  effect  of  a  parley.  He  sum- 
moned the  Lady  to  surrender  the  Castle  ;  she  requested 
time  to  form  a  decision,  and  twenty-four  hours  was 
granted  that  she  might  obtain  her  husband's  opinion. 
Before  the  expiry  of  this  time,  the  Lady  resolved  to 
surrender,  on  the  condition  that  her  soldiers  should  be 
permitted  to  march  out  with  their  baggage  ;  and  herself, 
her  children,  and  female  servants  should  be  permitted  to 
remain  and  occupy  apartments  in  the  place.  Those 
conditions  were  accepted.  Monro  left  a  garrison  of  forty 
men  in  the  Castle  to  live  at  free  quarters,  commanded 
the  Lady  to  send  her  husband  to  him  on  his  return 
home  ;  and  on  the  5th  he  left  Drum,  and  proceeded 
triumphantly  to  Aberdeen. 

The  succeeding  laird  was  subjected  to  greater  per- 
secution. In  his  father's  life-time,  Alexander  married 
Lady  Mary  Gordon,  a  daughter  of  the  second  Marquis 
of  Huntly.  Throughout  all  the  changes  of  the  time, 
Alexander  Irvine  adhered  to  the  Royal  cause  ;  and,  in 
1644,  he  joined  the  standard  of  Montrose.  The  same 
year,  he  and  his  brother,  Robert,  were  excommunicated, 
and  a  reward  of  eighteen  thousand  marks  was  offered 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

for  the  head  of  the  Laird  of  Drum.  This  rendered  their 
position  extremely  perilous,  and  they  resolved  to  leave 
Scotland.  The  two  brothers  embarked  on  a  small  vessel 
at  Fraserburgh,  intending  to  sail  for  England  ;  but  they 
were  driven  by  adverse  winds  on  the  coast  of  Caithness. 
They  landed  at  Wick,  where  a  committee  of  Covenanters 
was  sitting  ;  and,  being  recognised,  they  were  im- 
mediately seized  and  conveyed  to  Edinburgh,  and 
imprisoned.  Robert  sank  under  the  rigorous  confine- 
ment, and  died  in  prison.  His  brother,  Alexander,  was 
lying  in  Edinburgh  Castle  under  the  sentence  of  death. 
But  the  Battle  of  Kilsyth  saved  him  and  a  number  of 
others  from  the  gallows  ;  as  Montrose,  by  a  rapid  march, 
threatened  Edinburgh,  the  prisoners  in  the  Castle  were 
liberated. 

In  1646,  Irvine  of  Drum  with  a  troop  of  horse,  and 
Farquharson  of  Inverey  with  two  hundred  foot,  beat  up 
the  quarters  of  the  Covenanters  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee 
to  within  a  few  miles  of  Aberdeen.  They  captured 
seventy  prisoners,  with  all  their  horses,  baggage,  and 
provisions. 

After  the  Restoration,  Charles  II.  offered  Alexander 
Irvine  a  peerage.  But  placed  as  the  family  then  were, 
from  confiscation  of  their  property,  heavy  fines,  and 
other  disasters  which  had  befallen  them,  he  wisely 
declined  the  proffered  honour.  He  died  in  1687,  and 
was  interred  in  Drum's  Aisle,  St.  Nicholas  Church, 
Aberdeen.  By  his  wife,  Lady  Mary  Gordon,  he  had 
three  sons  and  four  daughters  ;  and  his  eldest  son, 
Alexander,  succeeded  to  the  lands.  He  had  no  issue, 
and  died  in  1695. 

Alexander   Irvine  of  Murtle  then  succeeded  to  the 


IRVINES  OF  DRUM.  75 

lands  of  Drum.  He  married,  and  had  issue,  and  died 
in  1 7 19.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander,  who 
having  died  unmarried  in  1735,  the  lands  then  passed 
into  the  possession  of  his  uncle,  John  Irvine.  He  died 
in  1737,  leaving  no  issue  ;  and  the  male  line  of  the 
Murtle  branch  became  extinct.  The  succession  then 
reverted  to  the  descendants  of  John  Irvine  of  Artamford, 
fifth  son  of  Alexander  Irvine  of  Drum,  who  inherited  the 
estates  in  1553,  and  whose  great-grandson,  Alexander 
Irvine  of  Crimond,  by  the  failure  of  heirs-male  in  the 
senior  branches,  became  Laird  of  Drum.  He  also,  in 
1744,  became  heir-of-line,  on  the  death  of  Irvine  of 
Saphock  without  male  issue.  His  eldest  son  died 
without  issue,  but  his  second  son,  Alexander,  succeeded 
to  the  estates  of  Drum  and  Crimond.  He  married 
Mary,  a  daughter  of  James  Ogilvie  of  Auchiries,  by 
whom  he  had  issue — three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
He  died  in  1761,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son, 
Alexander.  In  December,  1775,  he  married  Jane,  only 
daughter  of  Hugh  Forbes  of  Chivas.  Their  eldest  son, 
Alexander  Forbes  Irvine  was  born  in  1777.  He  became 
an  advocate  at  the  Scottish  Bar  ;  and  on  the  death  of 
his  father,  succeeded  to  the  lands  of  Drum.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Alexander  Forbes  Irvine. 
He  was  for  thirty  years  Convener  of  the  County  of 
Aberdeen  ;  and  Sheriff-Principal  of  Argyllshire  for 
many  years.  He  died  on  4th  April,  1892,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Francis  H.  F.  Irvine,  the 
twenty-first  laird  of  Drum.  He  was  a  popular  landlord, 
and  very  kind  to  the  tenants  on  his  estate.  Mr.  Irvine 
was  a  member  of  the  County  Council  for  the  Drumoak 
district,   a  Justice    of  the    Peace    and  a   Commissioner 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

of  Supply  for  the  County.  He  was  chairman  of  Drum- 
oak  School  Board.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the 
movement  for  the  erection  of  the  bridge  over  the  Dee  at 
Maryculter  ;  and,  indeed,  he  was  ever  willing  to  promote 
any  movement  calculated  to  benefit  the  community. 
After  a  few  days  illness  he  expired  on  the  evening  of  the 
25th  July,  1894,  in  the  fortieth  year  of  his  age.  He  was 
survived  by  his  wife,  and  two  sons,  both  of  whom  are 
minors. 

The  Castle  of  Drum  stands  upon  the  east  side  of  an 
eminence,  surrounded  by  woods,  and  presents  a  striking 
and  picturesque  appearance.  The  Tower  of  Drum  is  the 
greatest  structure,  and  the  most  interesting  object  of 
antiquity  in  the  Parish  of  Drumoak.  It  is  oblong  in 
form,  and  rounded  at  the  angles,  a  massive  specimen  of 
the  early  defensive  tower.  It  is  fifty  feet  six  inches  in 
length,  and  thirty-eight  feet  six  inches  in  width,  and 
seventy  feet  six  inches  in  height  to  the  top  of  the 
battlement.  The  walls  are  twelve  feet  in  thickness 
above  the  ground  and  still  thicker  in  the  vault  below. 
The  interior  consists  of  three  vaulted  chambers, 
each  forming  an  entire  storey,  with  a  small  recess  in  the 
wall  of  each  of  the  two  uppermost.  The  original  entrance 
seems  to  be  the  one  near  the  south-east  corner  of  the 
tower,  twelve  feet  from  the  ground,  and  on  entering  it 
there  are  two  inner  doors  in  front.  From  one  of  these  a 
narrow  stair  of  nineteen  steps  leads  down  to  the  under- 
ground vault  or  first  storey,  which  is  an  apartment  of 
twenty-eight  feet  six  inches  by  fifteen  feet  six  inches, 
and  eleven  feet  high  ;  and  in  one  corner  of  it  there  is  a 
draw-well  nine  feet  deep.  The  other  inner  door  opens 
into  the  second  chamber  or  storey,  which  is  thirty-two 


IRVINES  OF  DRUM.  77 

feet  by  twenty  feet  nine  inches,  and  twenty-three  feet  in 
height.  From  this  apartment  a  narrow  stair  within  the 
wall  winds  up  to  the  third  chamber,  which  is  twenty-four 
feet  nine  inches  high,  and  of  nearly  the  same  area  as  the 
one  below  it.  In  the  east  end  of  the  vaulted  roof,  a 
small  door  leads  out  to  the  battlement.  The  windows 
are  small,  few,  and  far  from  the  ground.  This  great 
defensive  tower,  presents  the  main  characteristics  of  the 
earlier  specimens  of  the  class  to  which  it  belongs^ 
and  was  probably  built  about  the  middle  of  the  thir- 
teenth century. 

The  mansion  adjoining  the  tower  is  a  large  and 
spacious  structure,  and  was  erected  in  1619.  Important 
alterations  have  from  time  to  time  been  made  upon  it, 
but  its  original  style  has  been  preserved.  In  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  house,  at  the  south-west  corner, 
there  is  a  neat  small  chapel,  which  internally  is  very 
beautiful.     The  family  tomb  is  within  the  chapel. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PARK— BURNETTS  OF  LEYS— CRATHES  CASTLE. 

The  lands  of  Park  were  granted  by  charter  from  David 
11.  to  Walter  Moigne  in  1359  ;  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  John.  In  1389,  John  Moigne  concluded  an  agree- 
ment with  Alexander  Irvine,  "lord  of  Drum,"  reserving 
for  his  own  life-time  a  chalder  of  meal,  which  Irvine  was 
wont  to  pay  for  upholding  the  Park,  the  half  of  the  profits 
arising  from  the  barony  courts,  and  the  sale  of  wood  ; 
he  agreed  that  Alexander  of  Drum  and  his  heirs  should 
succeed  to  the  Park  at  his  demise.  Park  continued  in 
the  possession  of  the  Irvine  family  until  1737,  when  the 
estate  was  sold  to  Mr.  Patrick  Duff  of  Culter.  In  1807, 
the  estate  was  purchased  for  ^9000  by  Thomas  Burnett, 
advocate,  Aberdeen ;  and  in  1821  he  sold  it  to  Mr. 
William  Moir.  He  erected,  in  1822,  an  elegant  mansion 
house,  in  the  Grecian  style  of  architecture ;  and  laid  out 
the  grounds  and  the  garden  in  an  admirable  form.  In 
1839,   Park   was  purchased  by  Mr.   Kinloch  for  a  sum 

of  ;^28,500. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Andrew  Penny,  silver  mine  owner, 
purchased  the  estate  of  Park  from  Mr.  Kinloch's  trustees. 
Mr.  Penny  was  a  native  of  the  Parish  of  Birse,  and 
naturally  much  attached  to  the  Valley  of  the  Dee.  By 
his  own  energy  and  industry,  he  had  amassed  a  consider- 
able fortune  ;  and  he  had  intended  to  make  Park  his 
residence  in  the  evening  of  his  days.  He  was  rapidly 
improving  and  still  further  beautifying  the  seat ;    but  on 


BURNETTS  OF  LEYS.  79 

his  way  home  from  South  America  he  died  on  the  i8th 
of  May,  1889,  without  issue.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother,  Mr.  James  Penny,  who  is  also  making  improve- 
ments on  the  estate.  The  chief  objects  of  interest 
in  the  vicinity  of  this  beautiful  seat  are  the  Loch  of  Park, 
the  King's  Well,  the  Priest's  Well,  and  the  Prophet's 
Well  ;  a  sculptured  stone  found  on  Keith's  Moor  in  1822, 
and  the  fine  policies.  The  Railway  Company  erected  a 
bridge  over  the  Dee  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Park. 

The  family  of  Burnett  of  Leys,  according  to  tradition, 
is  of  great  antiquity.  Without  attaching  much  weight  to 
the  legend  that  they  came  over  to  England  with  William 
the  Conqueror ;  yet  it  appears  that  there  were  several 
persons  of  note  in  the  south  of  Scotland  bearing  the  name 
of  Burnard  as  early  as  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
centuries,  whose  names  occur  as  witnesses  to  charters  of 
the  period.  In  1324,  Robert  I.  granted  by  charter  to 
Alexander  Burnett  the  lands  of  Killienach  Clerach,  in  the 
Parish  of  Drumoak,  and  other  lands  in  Banchory-Ternan, 
within  the  Forest  of  Drum,  but  outside  the  Park  of  this 
forest.  This  grant  was  confirmed  in  1358  by  David  II., 
by  a  charter  under  the  Great  Seal.  Alexander  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Robert.  John  Burnett  succeeded  his 
father  ;  and  in  his  time — the  beginning  of  the  fifteenth 
century — the  lands  were  erected  into  a  barony,  under  the 
title  of  Leys.  His  son,  Robert  Burnett,  succeeded  to  the 
lands.  In  1557,  John,  the  Commendator  of  Arbroath 
and  the  Convent,  signed  a  charter  of  resignation  of  the 
lands  of  Pittenkerrie,  Brathens,  Invery,  and  the  Kirk 
lands  of  Banchory  in  favour  of  Alexander  Burnett  and 
his  heirs-male  ;  and  in  1595,  all  these  lands  were  incorpor- 
ated into  the  barony  of  Leys,  by  a  charter  of  James  VI. 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

The  fourth  son  of  this  laird,  Gilbert  Burnett,  was  educated 
at  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  Subsequently  he  became 
a  Professor  of  Philosophy  at  Basle,  and  afterwards  at 
Montauban.  He  was  held  in  great  esteem  among  the 
Protestants  of  France  ;  and  he  is  the  author  of  a  book  on 
Ethics. 

Alexander  Burnett,  the  eleventh  laird  in  succession, 
married  Katherine,  a  daughter  of  Gordon  of  Lismore,  and 
they  had  six  sons  and  seven  daughters.  Their  third  son, 
James  of  Craigmyle,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Burnetts  of 
Monboddo,  in  Kincardineshire.  Their  fourth  son, 
Robert,  became  Lord  Crimond — a  lord  of  Session.  Their 
eldest  son  predeceased  his  father,  and  the  second  son, 
Thomas,  succeeded  to  Leys.  He  was  knighted  by  James 
VI.  In  1626,  he  was  created  a  baronet  of  Nova  Scotia  by 
Charles  I.  ;  and  in  1642,  the  King  granted  to  him  the 
lands  and  barony  of  Strachan. 

He  was  a  warm  Covenanter,  and  one  of  the  strongest 
opponents  of  the  policy  of  Charles  I.  in  the  north  of 
Scotland.  In  company  with  the  Lairds  of  Dun,  Morphey, 
and  Carnegie  he  proceeded  through  various  districts  as  a 
Commissioner ;  aud  they  accompanied  the  Marquis  of 
Montrose  to  Aberdeen,  where  they  subscribed  the 
Covenant.  Sir  Thomas,  however,  lived  on  friendly  terms 
with  the  heads  of  the  opposite  party  ;  and  at  last,  finding 
that  both  sides  were  unreasonably  resolved  on  extre- 
mities, he  retired  from  public  life. 

Sir  Thomas  was  a  cultured  man  and  a  patron  of 
learning.  He  mortified  to  King's  College,  Aberdeen,  four 
crofts  for  three  bursars  in  philosophy  ;  the  annual  revenue 
of  which  had  increased  in  1842  to  ;^3i8  6s.  yd.  He  also, 
conjointly  with  Dr.  Alexander  Reid,  erected  and  endowed 


BURNETTS  OF  LEYS.  81 

two  schools  in  the  village  of  Banchory,  a  grammar  school 
for  boys  and  a  sewing  school  for  girls.  He  further 
erected  and  endowed  with  6300  marks  an  hospital  for  six 
poor  men  or  women,  which  was  afterwards  commuted 
into  an  annual  allowance  in  money  to  the  poor  on  the 
barony  of  Leys.  Some  of  his  papers  and  letters 
preserv^ed  in  MS.  indicate  a  cultured  mind  and  a  warm 
sympathy  with  the  religion,  liberty,  and  learning  of  his 
country. 

As  indicated  above,  the  first  Baronet  of  Leys  was  a 
Covenanter,  and  one  of  his  daughters  married  Andrew 
Cant  of  Glendye,  in  Strachan  ;  it  was  from  this  family  of 
Glendye  that  the  famous  Andrew  Cant,  minister  of 
Aberdeen,  was  descended.  There  is  a  spirited  ballad 
which  makes  the  baronet's  daughter  marry  the  Rev.  A. 
Cant  instead  of  his  relative  in  Glendye.  According  to 
the  ballad,  the  lady  was  first  wooed  by  Montrose,  but 
after  his  defection  from  the  Covenant  she  consented  to 
marry  the  reverend  gentleman.  A  few  verses  of  the 
ballad  may  be  quoted  : — 

The  sun  shines  bright  upon  bonnie  Dee, 

And  bright  on  its  birken  bowers, 
And  steals  thro'  the  shade  of  the  chestnut  tree, 

On  the  Baron's  old  grey  towers. 
And  many  a  flower  in  the  summer  tide 

Springs  up  by  the  silvery  water  : 
But  the  fairest  flower  on  all  Deeside 

Was  the  Baron's  youngest  daughter. 
Her  step  was  light,  her  eye  was  bright, 

Her  cheek  like  summer  rose, 
And  she  was  wooed  by  a  gallant  knight, 

The  young  and  brave  Montrose. 


"  Make  ready,  make  ready  my  good  grey  steed," 

The  trusty  Baron  said  ; 
"  For  we  must  ride  with  spur  and  speed, 

The  Covenant  to  aid." 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Montrose  rode  forth  with  the  Baron's  band — 

He  wore  a  scarf  of  blue  ; 
And  he  has  vowed  by  his  lady's  hand 

To  bear  him  well  and  true. 


And  Margaret's  eyes  of  azure  light 

"With  watching  and  tears  were  dim  :  ^ 
She  asked  for  news  of  her  own  true  knight, 

And  heard  strange  news  of  him. 
And  every  finger  in  scorn  was  raised 
To  point  at  the  traitor  Montrose  ; 
For  where  the  Covenant  banner  blazed 

He  fought  among  its  foes. 
The  moonbeams  lay  on  the  castle  wall, 

And  slept  upon  hill  and  lea, 
When  Margaret  stole  from  her  father's  hall 

To  weep  'neath  the  chestnut  tree. 
A  steed  is  standing  in  the  wood, 

A  knight  is  by  its  side  ; 
A  scarf  of  blue,  with  stains  of  blood, 

Upon  his  arm  is  tied. 
He  listened  with  a  beating  heart, 
Then  sprang  that  step  to  greet, 
And  ere  the  lady  could  depart 

He  kneeled  down  at  her  feet. 
"  Margaret  !  thy  father's  stern  decree 

Forbids  our  hopes  of  bliss  ; 
But  there  are  lands  beyond  the  sea, 

And  fairer  homes  than  this. 
My  steed  shall  bear  thee  far  away 

Safe  to  some  friendly  bower. 
And  place  thee  ere  the  break  of  day 

Beyond  thy  father's  power." 
She  listened  with  a  tearful  eye. 
Her  colour  came  and  went  : 
She  glanced  upon  the  silent  sky. 

And  strength  from  heaven  was  sent. 
And  passed  the  tear-drop  from  her  eye. 

The  colour  from  her  face. 
And  she  spoke  with  spirit  strong  and  high- 

The  pride  of  her  ancient  race — 
"  Oh  !  they  may  lay  me  'neath  the  sod, 

Bound  in  my  white  grave  clothes, 
Ere  I  deny  my  father's  God, 

Or  wed  with  false  Montrose." 
The  lady  fled  to  her  lonely  bower— 
The  knight  rode  on  his  way. 


BURNETTS  OF  LEYS.  83 

And  Margaret  stood  at  eventide 

Beneath  the  chestnut  tree, 
A  dark  stern  man  was  by  her  side ; 

A  Covenanter  he. 
"  I  never  thought  to  wed,"  she  said, 

"  Oh  trusty  Andrew  Cant  ; 
But  my  sire's  command  shall  give  my  hand 

For  love  of  the  Covenant."^ 

Sir  Thomas  Burnett,  the  third  Baronet,  and  grand- 
son of  the  above,  represented  Kincardineshire  in  the  last 
Scottish  Parliament,  and  keenly  opposed  the  Union.  Sir 
Robert,  the  fifth  baronet,  died  unmarried,  and  the  title 
passed  to  his  cousin,  Sir  Thomas  Burnett.  He  married 
Catherine,  a  sister  of  Sir  Alexander  Ramsay  of  Balmain, 
and  had  issue.  He  died  in  1783,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  eldest  son,  Sir  Robert,  seventh  baronet.  Sir  Robert, 
in  the  early  stage  of  his  career,  entered  the  army,  and 
served  throughout  the  first  American  War.  He  died  in 
1835,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Sir  Thomas, 
who  died  in  1849.  His  brother,  Sir  Alexander,  then  suc- 
ceeded as  ninth  baronet.  He  died  unmarried  in  1856, 
and  his  next  brother,  Sir  James  H.  Burnett,  became  tenth 
baronet  Sir  James  was  Lord-Lieutenant  of  Kincardine- 
shire, and  he  died  in  1876.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  Sir  Robert  Burnett.  He  was  an  able  and  enterpris- 
ing business  man.  Sir  Robert  died  on  the  15th  of 
January,  1894,  in  the  sixty-first  year  of  his  age  ;  and  was 
interred  in  the  family  vault  at  Banchory-Ternan  Church- 
yard. He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  Colonel  Thomas 
Burnett,  who  is  the  twelfth  baronet  of  Leys. 

The  Castle  of  Crathes,  the  family  seat  of  the  Burnetts, 
stands  on  a  fine  green  bank  at  the  edge  of  a  rocky  ridge, 
and  it  is  completely  surrounded  by  fine  old  trees  and 

I.  Legends  of  Leys.  R.  M.  Ramsay,  1856. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

woods.  It  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  turnpike  road,  and 
may  be  seen  from  the  railway  at  two  points — a  short 
distance  east  and  west  on  either  side  of  Crathes  Station. 
The  castle  was  built  in  1528,  and  presents  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  Scottish  baronial  style  of  architecture  ; 
consisting  of  a  high  square  tower  with  ornamental  turrets 
and  massive  walls.  Additions  have  been  made  to  it  from 
time  to  time.  The  old  hall  is  still  preserved,  and  on  its 
walls  are  a  number  of  family  portraits,  some  of  which  are 
by  Jamesone. 

The  Court  Book  of  the  Barony  of  Leys  for  the  period 
between  1621  and  1709  is  still  extant  ;  and  it  contains 
some  valuable  and  curious  information  of  much  local 
interest.  The  greater  number  of  the  suits  which  came 
before  the  court  referred  to  pecuniary  matters,  a  number 
of  petty  offences,  and  some  public  and  private  arrange- 
ments. 

The  Loch  of  Leys  lay  in  the  middle  of  a  long  hallow 
stretching  from  the  Loch  of  Drum  westward  ;  and  in 
early  times  it  covered  a  large  space  of  ground.  There 
was  a  small  island  near  its  southern  shore,  on  which 
traces  of  a  crannog  were  found.  About  the  middle  of  the 
present  century,  the  loch  was  drained,  and  during  the 
progress  of  the  work  a  canoe  hollowed  out  of  a  single 
losf  of  wood  was  discovered,  which  crumbled  when  ex- 
posed  to  the  air  ;  and  a  few  bronze  vessels  were  found. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Dee  and  in  the  south-west 
corner  of  the  Parish  of  Peterculter,  on  a  rising  ground, 
there  are  traces  of  an  old  camp,  locally  called  the 
"  Normandikes."  Only  a  small  part  of  it  remains  ;  but 
originally  it  was  of  an  oblong  form,  and  enclosed  an  area 
of  forty-eight  Scotch  acres.    Colonel  Shand  examined  this 


BURNETTS  OF  LEYS.  85 

structure  in  1801,  and  thought  it  was  a  Roman  camp,  and 
several  other  men  who  afterward  examined  it  were  of  the 
same  opinion  ;  but  there  is  not  the  least  evidence  that  the 
Romans  ever  were  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee ;  indeed,  there 
is  no  evidence  that  they  ever  advanced  twenty  miles  to 
the  north  of  the  Tay.  The  Romans  did  not  conquer 
Fife  and  Perthshire,  or  Forfarshire  and  Kincardineshire. 
In  short,  the  Romans  had  quite  enough  of  work  to 
maintain  their  line  of  defence  between  the  Forth  and 
Clyde.  It  is  incredible  that  the  Roman  legions  encamped 
in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from 
their  line  of  defence,  with  a  hostile  country  behind  them. 
This  hill-fort  or  earthwork  was  probably  of  prehistoric 
origin,  and  may  have  been  formed  centuries  before  the 
Roman  invasion  of  Britain. 


Chapter  IX. 

BANCHORY-TERNAN— SCENERY— BURGH- 
REMINISCENCES. 

The  scenery  of  the  Valley  in  the  Banchory  district  is 
very  beautiful,  the  landscape  in  every  direction  is 
pleasingly  diversified.  The  haughs  and  moderate 
heights  which  skirt  the  river  on  the  north  side  are  inter- 
sected by  woods,  belts,  and  plots  of  trees,  and  cultivated 
fields  ;  while  the  most  attractive  spots  are  studded  with 
elegant  villas  and  mansions,  surrounded  with  pleasure 
grounds  and  excellent  gardens.  Farther  north  from  the 
river,  for  several  miles,  the  ground  presents  a  succession 
of  ridges  and  heights,  not  rising  above  five  or  six  hundred 
feet,  excepting  the  Hill  of  Fare  ;  these  heights  in  some 
places  form  a  high  upper  bank  along  the  course  of  the 
river,  gently  sloping  towards  it,  or  broken  and  diversified. 
On  the  south  side  of  the  river,  and  opposite  Banchory, 
the  first  ridge  slopes  gradually  down  to  the  banks  of  the 
Dee  for  nearly  a  mile,  and  at  its  west  end  there  is  an 
extensive  haugh.  The  highest  point  of  this  ridge  is 
about  one  thousand  feet,  and  it  has  a  steep  northern 
aspect  facing  the  valley  of  the  Feugh.  This  stretch  is 
wooded  and  cultivated  in  nearly  equal  proportions.  On 
the  highest  part  of  the  ridge,  called  the  Hill  of  Scolt}% 
there  stands  a  tower  erected  to  the  memory  of  General 
Burnett  of  Banchory,  "  a  public-spirited  gentleman  and 
kind  landlord,  whose  memory  will  be  long  and  gratefully 
cherished  in  this  neighbourhood."     Farther  off  southward 


BANCHORY-TERNAN.  87 

is  the  Kerloch  Hill  and  Clochnaben.  A  lover  of  scenery 
will  find  in  this  locality  much  to  interest  him,  in  single 
views  of  special  and  delightful  spots,  and  in  wider 
prospects,  many  of  which  present  strikingly  picturesque 
features,  and  others  charm  by  their  rich  and  harmonious 
beauty.  The  green  and  shady  banks  along  which  the 
Dee  glides  are  enchanting. 

A  little  below  the  burgh  of  Banchory,  the  Dee  is 
spanned  by  a  somewhat  singular  bridge.  It  was  erected 
by  public  subscription  in  1798,  and  consisted  of  a  central, 
wooden  span  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  two 
stone  arches,  each  about  eighty-five  feet,  and  one  at  the 
south  end  of  nineteen  feet.  After  the  great  flood  of 
1829,  it  had  fallen  into  an  unsafe  condition,  and  an  iron 
truss  arch  was  then  substituted  for  the  wooden  one.  A 
short  distance  below  the  confluence  of  the  Dee  and  the 
Feugh,  two  small  islands  divide  the  stream  of  the  river. 
The  largest  one  is  a  low  flat  of  about  nine  acres,  some- 
times nearly  submerged  by  high  floods ;  the  smaller 
islet  is  more  elevated  above  the  stream  ;  it  consists 
mostly  of  sand,  and  is  covered  with  trees,  which  give  it  a 
pleasing  aspect. 

St.  Ternan  was  the  patron  saint  of  Banchory,  who, 
according  to  legend  and  tradition,  flourished  about 
440  A.D.,  and  was  a  native  of  the  Mearns  ;  and  a  number 
of  churches  were  dedicated  to  him.  From  an  early 
period  the  lands  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Banchory 
belonged  to  the  monastery  of  Arbroath,  and  also  the 
church  and  tithes  of  the  parish.  The  old  church  stood 
in  the  burying  ground  on  the  brink  of  the  Dee.  It  was 
rebuilt  in  1775.  But  it  had  become  inadequate  to 
accommodate   the   parishioners  ;     and,  in    1824,  it  was 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

removed  a  few  hundred  yards  to  a  higher  site  on  the 
north  side  of  the  turnpike  road.  It  is  a  plain  structure, 
built  in  the  Gothic  style,  with  its  tower  too  low. 

The  old  village  of  Banchory — the  Kirktown — latterly 
called  Townhead,  stood  above  the  old  church  and 
churchyard,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  manse.  It 
is  mentioned  as  a  village  in  1324.  A  stone  cross  once 
stood  in  the  centre  of  it,  a  fragment  of  which  recently 
remained  in  position.  The  main  road  from  Aberdeen 
passed  though  the  village,  and  in  the  last  century  it  had 
a  good  inn.  The  Barony  Court  of  Leys  was  usually  held 
at  it.  In  1 841,  the  village  consisted  of  the  old  manse, 
two  endowed  schools,  eight  labourers'  cottages,  and  a 
farmhouse  and  steading. 

The  new  village,  at  first  called  Arbeadie,  was  begun 
by  three  men  in  the  years  of  1805,  1807,  and  1809,  who 
successively  took  in  feu  from  one  of  the  local  proprietors, 
in  all  about  twenty  Scotch  acres  of  ground,  at  the  rate 
of  2s,  6d.,  3s.,  and  £1  per  acre,  for  which  they  continued 
to  pay  in  whole  i^ii  4s.  6d.  Thirty  years  later  this 
ground  was  sub-feuing  at  the  rate  of  ;^I2  to  i^i20  per 
acre  ;  and  subsequently  at  a  higher  rate.  In  1841,  there 
were  fifty  houses  in  the  town,  occupied  by  seventy-two 
families,  forming  a  population  of  about  three  hundred 
and  fifty.  It  was  then  a  burgh  of  barony,  and  I  knew 
one  of  its  Provosts.  At  that  time  the  burgh  had  a  post- 
office,  a  prison,  an  Episcopal  chapel,  two  schools,  a 
branch  of  the  Bank  of  Scotland,  and  three  inns  ;  and 
there  were  also  in  the  burgh — one  doctor,  a  constable,  a 
dancing  master,  a  watchmaker,  a  baker,  two  plasterers, 
four  carpenters,  four  shoemakers,  four  tailors,  three 
weavers,    two     gardeners,    one     road     contractor,    four 


BANCHORY-TERNAN.  89 

sawyers,  three  floaters,  thirteen  labourers,  and  twenty 
servants.  The  mail  coach  passed  through  the  burgh 
daily  ;  and  for  one  half  of  the  year  a  stage  coach  ran 
daily  between  it  and  Aberdeen  ;  several  carriers  also  went 
weekly  between  it  and  Aberdeen. 

Large  quantities  of  wood  were  then  transmitted  from 
Banchory  in  rafts  when  the  state  of  the  river  was  favour- 
able, and  from  the  upper  stretches  of  the  Valley,  to 
Aberdeen.  For  a  long  period  the  wood  cut  in  the 
Valley,  was  floated  in  rafts  down  the  river  to  Aberdeen. 
I  have  often  seen  the  rafts  floating  past  Banchory  ;  and 
also  numbers  of  rafts  lying  at  the  river-side,  south-west 
of  Market  Street,  before  the  diversion  of  the  Dee  into  its 
new  channel.  The  occupation  of  the  wood-floater  on 
the  Dee  was  a  difficult  and  dangerous  one,  and  attention 
and  skill  had  to  be  exercised  to  keep  the  raft  about  the 
centre  of  the  river.  Since  the  extension  of  the  Deeside 
Railway  to  Ballater,  the  floating  of  wood  down  the 
river  gradually  fell  off,  and  about  twenty  years  ago 
ceased. 

The  burgh  of  Banchory  continued  to  increase  and 
prosper.  The  opening  of  the  railway  in  1853  has 
tended  greatly  to  extend  and  enhance  the  importance  of 
the  burgh,  and  since,  its  progress  has  been  rapid.  Many 
fine  villas  and  houses  have  been  erected  in  it  and  its 
immediate  vicinity.  Its  attractions  are  many  and  great, 
and  it  has  long  been  a  favourite  resort  of  visitors  in  the 
summer  months.  It  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  and  dry 
site,  with  a  southern  exposure,  while  the  Hill  of  Fare 
shelters  it  from  the  cold  north  winds. 

In  1885,  the  community  of  Banchory  adopted  the 
Lindsay  Act ;    and  its  municipal  affairs  then  came  under 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

the  administration  of  a  Board  of  Police  Commissioners. 
Under  the  direction  of  this  Board,  an  ample  supply  of 
clear  spring  water  was  brought  from  the  Hill  of  Kerloch, 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Valley,  and  an  efficient  system 
of  sewerage  and  sanitary  arrangements  has  also  been 
introduced  into  the  burgh.  A  beautiful  public  park,  at 
the  west  end  of  the  town,  was  presented  to  the  citizens 
by  the  late  Sir  Robert  Burnett,  and  opened  in  1887. 
This  park  affords  ample  facilities  for  outdoor  amuse- 
ments and  games,  and  at  all  times  a  quiet  and  pleasing 
retreat  to  the  citizens  and  sojourners. 

The  burgh  of  Banchory  has  a  population  of  fourteen 
hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants,  whose  local  and  municipal 
affairs  are  under  the  control  of  their  own  Provost, 
Magistrates,  and  Commissioners.  It  is  a  centre  of  con- 
siderable trade  and  traffic.  It  has  eight  annual  markets, 
three  branch  banks,  a  post-office  and  savings  bank,  and 
three  hotels,  a  commodious  town  hall  at  the  west  end 
of  the  town,  excellent  schools,  and  four  churches  and 
chapels,  which  all  form  features  of  this  attractive  town. 
The  citizens  are  very  industrious,  quiet,  and  exceedingly 
obliging. 

The  eminent  Dr.  George  Campbell  was  minister  of 
the  Parish  of  Banchory-Ternan  from  1747  to  1757.  It 
was  in  Banchory  that  he  formed  the  plan  of  translating 
the  four  Gospels,  which  he  afterwards  published.  It  was 
here  also  that  Campbell  thought  out  and  began  to 
compose  his  celebrated  treatise,  "  The  Philosophy  of 
Rhetoric." 

In  the  autumn  of  1855,  I  commenced  to  work  in 
Banchory  for  the  late  Mr.  Fraser,  shoemaker  ;  he 
employed  six  or  seven  hands,  and  occupied  a  house  and 


BANCHORY-TERNAN.  91 

shop  which  belonged  to  the  late  Dr.  Adams.  Owing 
to  this  connection,  Eraser's  men  were  invited  on  the 
evening  of  Hogmanay  to  the  doctor's  house,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  to  dance  in  the  New  Year. 
Thus  it  happened  that  I  danced  in  the  year  of  1856 
under  the  roof  of  the  genial  and  kindly  Dr.  Adams. 

Dr.  Francis  Adams  was  born  at  Lumphanan  in  1796. 
When  a  boy,  he  manifested  a  keen  taste  for  classical 
studies.  He  attended  classes  at  King's  College, 
Aberdeen  ;  and  having  resolved  to  follow  the  medical 
profession  he  took  the  London  degree  of  the  College  of 
Surgeons.  Shortly  after,  he  settled  at  Banchory  and 
commenced  to  practice. 

Although  he  soon  obtained  a  good  practice,  he  was 
exceedingly  assiduous,  and  continued  to  pursue  his 
classical  studies.  The  result  of  this  appeared  in  his 
translation  of  Paulus  ^gineta,  the  Greek  physician,  in 
three  volumes,  with  notes  and  annotations.  Afterwards 
he  rendered  an  excellent  translation  of  the  works  of 
Hippocrates,  the  father  of  medicine,  in  two  volumes. 
Further,  he  translated  the  extant  works  of  Aretaeus.  He 
also  gave  material  assistance  in  the  drawing  up  of 
Dunbar's  Greek  Lexicon.  These  works  established  his 
reputation  as  one  of  the  foremost  Greek  scholars  of  his 
time  ;  but  Dr.  Adams  was  more  than  a  Greek  scholar  ; 
he  was  a  gentleman  of  wide  and  varied  culture.  He 
received  the  degree  of  LL.D.  from  the  University  of 
Glasgow.  On  the  occasion  of  the  Burns'  centenary  cele- 
bration he  wrote  an  admirable  and  appreciative  essay  on 
the  poet  and  his  works,  which  was  published.  In  con- 
junction with  his  son,  Dr.  Andrew  Leith  Adams,  he 
published  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  Ornithology  considered 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

as  a  branch  of  Liberal  Education,  containing  Notes  on 
Birds  which  have  been  discovered  in  Banchory-Ternan, 
with  Remarks  on  those  found  in  India."  This,  or  a  part 
of  it,  was  read  at  the  meeting  of  the  British  Association 
held  at  Aberdeen  in  1859. 

A  number  of  years  before  his  death,  some  of  the 
leading  men  of  Banchory  were  anxious  to  show  their  ap- 
preciation of  the  work  which  the  doctor  had  often  done 
gratuitously,  and  they  proposed  to  get  up  a  subscription 
for  him  ;  but  whenever  he  heard  of  it,  he  absolutely 
declined  to  permit  anything  of  the  kind,  and  said  that 
the  satisfaction  which  he  felt  in  having  done  his  best  to 
alleviate  human  suffering,  was  ample  remuneration  to  him. 
He  died  on  the  26th  of  February,  1861,  in  the  sixty-fifth 
year  of  his  age. 

The  people  of  Banchory  and  the  locality  erected  the 
fine  granite  monument  to  his  memory  which  stands  at  the 
south-west  corner  of  the  grounds  around  the  house.  The 
inscription  on  it  was  written  by  Sir  William  Geddes. 

His  son,  Dr.  Andrew  Leith  Adams,  was  a  distin- 
guished graduate  of  Aberdeen  University.  He  entered 
the  army  as  a  surgeon  in  the  21st  foot  regiment.  While 
serving  in  the  army,  he  worked  assiduously,  and  produced 
several  interesting  works: — (i)  A  volume  entitled 
"  Wanderings  of  a  Naturalist  in  India "  ;  (2)  *'  Field 
Rambles  in  Canada"  ;  (3)  ''  Pygmy  Elephants  in  Malta," 
an  account  of  an  extinct  class  of  diminutive  elephants. 
On  retiring  from  the  army,  he  was  appointed  Professor 
of  Natural  History  in  the  new  College  of  Science  at 
Dublin.  Afterwards  he  was  appointed  Professor  of 
Natural  History,  Mineralogy,  and  Geology  in  Queen's 
College,  Cork.     In  1881,  the  University  of  Aberdeen  con- 


BANCHORY-TERNAN.  93 

ferred  on  him  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  ;  he  was  also  elected 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Society.  He  was  an  accom- 
plished and  successful  professor.  Besides  the  works 
mentioned  above,  he  contributed  many  valuable  papers 
to  reviews  on  scientific  subjects.  Personally,  he  was  an 
unassuming  and  kind-hearted  gentleman.  He  died  in 
1882. 

James  C.  Hadden  was  born  in  Banchory-Ternan  in 
1 86 1.  He  was  for  sometime  a  message  boy  in  Aberdeen  ; 
but  he  soon  directed  his  attention  to  music  and  literature, 
in  which  he  has  already  attained  distinction.  In  1889, 
he  was  appointed  Organist  for  St.  John's  Parish  Church, 
Edinburgh  ;  and  there  he  has  worked  earnestly  and 
enthusiastically.  He  occasionally  gives  musical  lectures 
and  organ  recitals  ;  and  he  instituted  musical  Sunday 
evenings  for  the  people  in  St.  John's  church.  For  a  number 
of  years  he  has  been  a  contributor  to  various  magazines  ; 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  staff  engaged  by  Mr.  Leslie 
Stephen  on  the  "  Dictionary  of  National  Biography." 
He  has  written  a  "  Life  of  Handel,"  and  a  "  Life  of 
Mendelssohn,"  both  of  which  appeared  in  1888.  His 
style  is  very  clear  and  flowing. 


CHAPTER  X. 
VALLEY  OF  THE  FEUGH— STRACHAN-BIRSE. 

Crossing  the  bridge  of  Banchory  and  proceeding  a  short 
distance,  a  road  on  the  left  leads  to  the  Bridge  of  Feugh. 
It  is  a  plain,  narrow  structure,  built  of  granite,  with  three 
arches  ;  but  it  spans  the  stream  at  a  picturesque  and 
romantic  spot.  The  Feugh  flows  rapidly,  and  when  it 
enters  the  opening  of  the  ridge  of  hills  which  skirt  the 
south  side  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  above  the  bridge,  it 
runs  between  precipitous  and  wooded  banks,  dashing 
from  pool  to  pool  over  naked  rocks.  As  it  nears  the 
bridge  the  stream  forms  a  linn  and  falls  over  the  rocks,  a 
height  of  eighteen  feet,  into  a  deep  basin  below,  and 
sweeps  on  through  similar  rocks  and  sand,  and  enters  the 
Dee  opposite  Banchory  Lodge.  Along  this  stretch  of  the 
Feugh  the  scenery  on  both  sides  is  very  picturesque  and 
beautiful,  and  there  are  few  that  will  not  see  something 
to  admire  and  interest  them  here. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  Feugh  lie  the  lands  of 
Tilquhillie,  and  the  old  Castle  standing  on  the  slope  of  the 
elevated  ridge.  The  Castle  consisted  of  several  massive 
buildings,  communicating  with  each  other,  and  appear 
to  have  been  erected  at  different  times ;  the  earliest 
portion  was  probably  erected  about  the  beginning  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  another  part  was  built  in  1575.  It 
contained  many  apartments,  and  had  a  dark  vault ;  but 
when   it    ceased    to    be    the    family    residence   of  the 


TILQUHILLIE.  95 

Douglases  it  fell  into  ruins,  and  it  is  now  occupied  by  the 
tenant  of  the  lands  around  it. 

In  the  fifteenth  century  the  lands  of  Tilquhillie  were 
held  by  Walter  Ogston  of  Ogston  and  Fettercairn,  under 
the  Abbot  of  i\rbroath  as  the  superior.  It  appears  that 
David  Douglas,  a  son  of  a  younger  brother  of  the  first 
Earl  of  Morton,  married  Janet,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Ogston  of  Kirklands  of  Fettercairn,  in  1479  ;  and  that 
through  this  marriage  the  lands  of  Tilquhillie  passed  into 
the  possession  of  David  Douglas's  descendants.  Janet 
Ogston  survived  her  husband  and  also  their  son,  and  her 
grandson,  Arthur  Douglas,  succeeded  to  Tilquhillie  in 
1533.  He  married  Janet,  a  daughter  of  the  laird  of 
Balmanno,  and  had  issue,  two  sons,  John  and  Archibald. 
John  held  the  post  of  Constable  of  Edinburgh  Castle 
during  Morton's  regency.  Arthur  Douglas  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  John  ;  and  in  1576  he  married  Giles,  a 
daughter  of  Robert  Erskine  of  Dun,  by  whom  he  had  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest 
son,  John  Douglas,  who  married  Mary,  a  daughter  of  Sir 
Peter  Young  of  Seaton,  and  they  had  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Their  three  eldest  sons  entered  the 
army,  and  the  fourth  son,  James,  acquired  the  estate  of 
Inchmarlo.  John,  the  eldest  son,  fell  in  battle  in  1632  ; 
and  his  brother.  Sir  Archibald  Douglas,  succeeded  to 
Tilquhillie.  He  died  without  issue,  and  his  brother.  Sir 
Robert  Douglas,  succeeded  to  the  estate  in  1647.  He 
was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  Royal  cause,  and  sacrificed 
his  estate  to  promote  it ;  and  Tilquhillie  for  a  time  was 
lost  to  the  family  ;  but  in  1684  John  Douglas  of 
Inchmarlo  recovered  Tilquhillie  from  his  uncle's  (Sir 
Robert  Douglas)  creditors.        John  Douglas  was  twice 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

married,  and  had  issue.  He  died  in  1723,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  second  son,  John  Douglas  of  Tilquhillie  and 
Inchmarlo.  He  died  in  1749,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
only  son,  John.  He  married  Mary,  a  daughter  of  the 
Hon.  John  Arbuthnott  of  Fordun,  and  had  issue,  two 
sons  and  three  daughters.  In  1767,  their  eldest  daughter, 
Margaret,  married  William  Young  of  Sheddocksley, 
Provost  of  Aberdeen.  John  Douglas  succeeded  to  the 
family  estates  on  the  death  of  his  grandfather  in  1 791. 
He  devoted  much  of  his  means  to  local  and  public 
objects,  and  died  in  1812.  His  trustees  sold  Tilquhillie 
and  Inchmarlo,  and  Henry  Lumsden  purchased 
Tilquhillie. 

But  John  Douglas  left  an  only  son,  John — a  man  of 
great  energy  and  marked  ability.  He  entered  into 
manufacturing  business  in  the  Tyrol,  concentrated  his 
attention  on  it,  and  won  a  considerable  fortune.  He 
married  Jane,  a  daughter  of  James  Kennedy,  a  manu- 
facturer in  Manchester,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and 
a  daughter.  Mr.  Douglas  repurchased  the  estate  of 
Tilquhillie,  and  also  the  adjoining  estate  of  Invery,  before 
1865.  He  died  in  1870,  and  his  son,  John  S.  Douglas, 
succeeded  him.  In  1874  he  lost  his  life  by  a  fall  from  a 
precipice  in  the  Tyrol  ;  deeply  regretted  by  all  who 
knew  him.  His  eldest  son,  John  Douglas,  succeeded  to 
Tilquhillie  and  Invery  on  coming  of  age  in  1886  ;  and  he 
is  the  fourteenth  in  lineal  descent  from  David  Douglas 
and  Janet  Ogston  of  Tilquhillie. 

It  appears  that  the  Douglas  family  were  much 
respected  in  the  locality,  and  by  the  tenants  on  their 
lands ;  and  a  few  lines  from  one  connected  with  the 
family  may  be  quoted — 


STRACHAN.  97 

On  every  road  we  find  the  abode 
Of  a  friend,  be  he  young  or  old — 
And  Douglas  still  has  the  leal  good  will 
That  belongs  to  the  good  and  the  bold. 
Tilquhillie  stands  on  the  old,  old  lands, 
And  the  name  of  Douglas  is  there  ; 
And  the  weak  and  the  poor  may  ever  be  sure 
To  have  tender  and  Christian  care.' 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  Feugh  stands  the  mansion 
house  of  Invery,  on  a  beautiful  site,  surrounded  with 
woods,  and  the  rippling  water  of  Feugh  in  front. 
Proceeding  up  the  fine  Valley  of  the  Feugh,  there  is  a 
considerable  space  of  well-cultivated  land,  in  which 
patches  of  strawberries  are  grown  in  the  fields,  and  good 
crops  of  grain.  The  Feugh  is  spanned  by  a  stone  bridge, 
and  a  little  above  it  is  the  village  of  Strachan.  It  stands 
on  a  fine  site,  and  consists  of  a  few  houses,  the  Public 
Schools,  the  Established  Church,  and  the  Free  Church. 
The  old  church  stood  within  the  graveyard,  and  a  new 
church  was  erected  in  1866.  In  1865  a  drinking  fountain 
was  erected  in  front  of  the  church,  to  the  memory  of 
William  B.  Ramsay  of  Banchory  Lodge.  A  short 
distance  above  the  village  the  Water  of  Dye  joins  the 
Feugh. 

The  old  road  across  the  Cairn  o'  Mounth  passed 
through  Glen  Dye.  About  a  hundred  years  ago,  this 
road  was  sometimes  infested  by  robbers,  and  at  an  earlier 
period  it  was  more  dangerous.  There  is  a  ravine  about 
four  hundred  yards  from  the  top  of  the  Cairn  Hill  on  the 
north  side,  and  close  by  the  side  of  the  road,  which  still 
retains  the  name  of  the  "  Thieves'  Bush."  Travellers 
crossing  the  "  Mounth  "  when  possessed  of  money  always 

I  The  Feugh  and  the  Dee.  By  William  Brown,  F.R.C.S.E.  Mr.  Brown  was 
married  to  Ann  Douglas,  of  the  Tilquhillie  family.  She  died  in  1886  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-three  years,  and  Mr.  Brown  died  in  1887. 

H 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

carried  defensive  weapons.  Two  centuries  ago,  a 
Highlander  passing  to  the  south  on  horseback  was 
obliged  to  stop  at  a  smithy,  near  the  ford  of  Dye,  to  have 
his  horse  shod  ere  he  ascended  the  hill.  A  man  of 
suspicious  appearance  was  sitting  in  the  smithy,  who 
proved  to  be  the  chief  of  a  gang,  though  unknown  to  the 
Celt.  While  the  smith  was  shoeing  the  horse,  the 
Highlander  took  a  pistol  from  his  pocket  and  commenced 
cleaning  it  ;  and  the  smith  remarked  that  the  weapon 
was  old  and  useless.  The  Celt  replied  that  the  night 
was  dark  and  the  road  dangerous,  that  he  had  a  trifle 
of  money  which  he  would  not  like  to  lose,  and  should  he 
be  attacked,  if  his  pistol  "  widna  fell,  it  might  maybe 
fleg."  The  smith  sought  in  vain  for  an  opportunity  of 
warning  him  of  the  character  of  the  stranger  who  was 
sitting  in  the  smithy.  The  horse  having  been  shod,  the 
Celt  proceeded  on  his  journey  ;  but  he  had  not  advanced 
far  when  he  heard  the  noise  of  a  horse  behind  him  at  full 
speed.  On  turning  round  he  at  once  recognised  the  man 
whom  he  saw  at  the  smithy.  This  fellow  sternly 
demanded  his  money,  backing  the  demand  with  a 
cudgel  raised  over  the  Celt's  head,  which  he  no  doubt 
thought  an  over-match  for  the  old  rusty  pistol.  But  the 
sly  Celt  had  a  better  weapon,  and  drawing  out  another 
pistol  from  under  his  plaid,  shot  the  robber  dead,  and 
proceeded  safely  over  the  Cairn. 

About  three  miles  above  the  village  of  Strachan  is 
Whitestones,  where  there  is  an  inn,  usually  called 
Feughside  Inn.  In  the  period  before  the  railways  this 
inn  and  locality  was  for  many  centuries  a  halting-place 
of  cattle  dealers  and  drovers,  as  it  was  on  the  road 
running  southward  to  Forfar  and  Perth,  and  northward, 


BIRSE.  99 

through  West  Aberdeenshire,  to  the  Highlands.  Many 
hearty  and  glorious  nights  were  spent  here  by  the  cattle 
dealers  and  drovers  in  the  good  days  of  old.  The  greater 
part  of  the  cultivated  land  in  the  Parish  of  Strachan  lies 
on  either  side  of  the  Valley  of  the  Feugh.  From  the 
form  of  the  Valley  in  Strachan,  it  has  been  supposed  that 
at  a  remote  period  a  large  part  of  it  had  been  a  loch. 

Advancing  up  the  Valley  the  Parish  of  Birse  is 
entered.  The  surface  of  the  country  appears  hilly  and 
mountainous,  and  the  scenery  in  many  parts  of  Birse  is 
wild,  striking,  and  picturesque.  When  viewed  from  the 
highest  ground  on  its  western  side,  it  is  seen  to  consist  of 
two  Valleys,  running  eastward  toward  the  Dee,  and 
separated  from  each  other  by  ranges  of  hills.  The  Valley 
of  the  Feugh,  on  the  south  side,  is  the  larger;  the  Valley 
of  Glen  Cat  is  much  smaller,  and  the  Burn  of  Cattie, 
which  drains  and  intersects  it,  is  shorter.  A  third  district 
of  the  parish  lies  along  the  south  side  of  the  Dee. 

The  Parish  Church  and  manse  of  Birse  stand  in  the 
north-west  side  of  the  parish,  on  the  bank  of  the  Burn  of 
Birse,  and  about  a  half-a-mile  south  of  the  Dee.  The 
church  was  built  in  1779,  and  is  a  plain  structure,  con- 
taining about  six  hundred  sittings.  When  the  old 
church  was  demolished,  a  cist  slab  was  found  in  the 
foundations,  on  which  were  incised  a  double-handled 
sword,  an  axe,  and  a  cross.  The  slab  is  five  feet  nine 
inches  in  length,  and  is  preserved  in  the  south  wall  of  the 
churchyard.  The  burial  place  of  the  Farquharsons  of 
P'inzean  is  on  the  site  of  the  old  church,  enclosed  by  a 
wall  and  iron  railing. 

In  1 1 57  it  is  recorded  that  the  Church  of  Birse 
belonged  to  the  Bishopric  of  Aberdeen,  and  it  was  the 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

seat  of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Diocese.  On  the  south  side 
of  the  Feugh,  at  Eastclune,  on  an  eminence,  there  are 
some  ruins  of  a  square  tower,  which,  according  to 
tradition,  was  a  hunting  seat  of  the  Bishop  of  Aberdeen  ; 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  the  tower  had  been  the  seat 
of  some  small  landlord.  In  its  vicinity,  there  was  once  a 
chapel  and  a  small  burying  ground. 

A  Free  Church  was  erected  in  1843,  which  stands  on 
the  south  side  of  the  road  leading  to  Aboyne,  in  the 
Birsemore  district.  There  is  another  Free  Church  towards 
the  other  end  of  the  parish,  and  a  Roman  Catholic 
Chapel  near  Potarch. 

On  the  south-west  corner  of  the  parish  lies  the 
Forest  of  Birse,  which  is  not  now  under  wood,  and  what 
is  called  the  forest  is  the  upper  part  of  the  glen  through 
which  the  Feugh  runs.  Near  the  upper  end  of  the 
glen  are  the  ruins  of  a  square  tower,  which  is  said  to 
have  been  built  in  the  sixteenth  century  by  Sir  Thomas 
Gordon  of  Cluny  ;  some,  however,  say  that  it  was  a 
hunting  seat  of  the  Bishop  of  Aberdeen.  The  length  of 
the  tower  over  the  walls  was  thirty  feet,  its  width 
twenty- two  feet,  and  its  height  about  thirty-three  feet. 
The  tower  was  built  of  granite,  and  seems  to  have  been  a 
pretty  complete  structure. 

At  Woodend,  the  Water  of  Feugh  rushes  down  from 
the  elevated  ground,  between  hills  studded  with  granite 
rocks  rising  abruptly  from  the  narrow  valley,  in  which 
there  are  patches  of  cultivated  land  amid  natural  birches 
and  other  trees.     This  is  a  romantic  and  beautiful  spot. 

The  lands  of  Finzean  cover  a  considerable  space  on 
the  south  and  east  quarters  of  Birse,  and  mainly  lie  in 
the  Valley  of  the  Feugh,  with  the  Grampian  range  on 


BIRSE.  101 

the  south,  and  the  lower  chain  of  hills  on  the  north, 
which  separate  the  Feugh  from  Glen  Cat.  Finzean 
House  stands  on  an  elevated  slope,  with  a  southern 
exposure,  nearly  a  mile  north  from  the  Feugh.  The 
mansion  was  built  at  different  times.  The  principal 
part  of  it  was  erected  in  1686,  the  north  wing  was  added 
in  1747,  and  in  18 50  the  whole  house  was  thoroughly- 
repaired.  The  pleasure  grounds  are  beautiful,  embel- 
lished with  various  kinds  of  trees  and  shrubs,  among 
which  are  oaks,  beeches,  and  elms  of  large  dimensions. 
A  grand  hedge  of  holly  wood  runs  along  both  sides  of 
the  approach  to  the  front  door,  and  also  along  the  south 
side  of  the  garden.  This  hedge  is  over  twelve  feet  high, 
and  six  feet  wide,  and  has  a  striking  appearance. 

The  Farquharsons  of  Finzean  were  descended  from 
the  Invercauld  family.  Robert  Farquharson,  a  son  of 
Donald  Farquharson  of  Castletown,  received  a  grant  of 
Tilliegarmont,  in  Birse,  by  charter  from  the  Bishop  of 
Aberdeen  in  1580.  In  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
century  Robert  Farquharson  purchased  the  lands  and 
barony  of  Finzean  from  Gordon  of  Cluny.  Robert  mar- 
ried Margaret  Mcintosh,  and  had  issue,  four  sons  and  one 
daughter.  He  died  in  1632,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
eldest  son,  Alexander  Farquharson.  He  married  Mary, 
a  daughter  of  Alexander  Keith  of  Altrie,  Brucklay,  by 
whom  he  had  two  sons  and  one  daughter.  Through  his 
wife  he  obtained  the  lands  of  Migvie,  in  Cromar.  He 
was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Francis.  Donald,  his 
second  son,  purchased  the  lands  of  Balfour.  Francis 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Robert,  who  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Francis.  He  made  several  additions  to  the 
estate    of    Finzean,    and    was    succeeded    by   his    son, 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Archibald.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Archibald, 
who  died  in  1841,  without  issue,  and  was  succeeded  by 
John  Farquharson. 

In  1849,  E)r.  F.  Farquharson  succeeded  to  the  estates 
of  Finzean  ;  and  he  died  in  1876,  leaving  three  sons; 
and  the  eldest,  Dr.  Robert  Farquharson,  then  succeeded 
to  the  estates,  the  present  proprietor,  and  the  member  of 
Parliament  for  West  Aberdeenshire. 

The  lands  of  Ballogie  lie  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Burn  of  Cattie.  In  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth 
century  the  lands  of  Ballogie  were  held  by  Charles  Rose, 
and  he  married  a  grand-daughter  of  the  chief  of  the 
Farquharsons.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander; 
and,  in  1720,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Hugh.  After- 
wards, the  estate  passed  through  several  hands  ;  but,  in 
1 8 14,  Lewis  Farquharson  became  heir  to  Ballogie.  He 
died  in  1830,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  only  son,  Lewis. 
He  died  at  Aberdeen  in  1844  ;  and  the  estate  then  fell 
to  his  sisters.  They  sold  it  in  1852  to  Mr.  James 
D.  Nicol. 

Mr.  Nicol  greatly  improved  the  estate.  He  erected  a 
new  mansion  house  in  1856,  which  stands  on  a  fine 
elevated  site,  and  has  a  striking  appearance.  The 
pleasure  grounds  are  extensive  and  attractive.  Mr.  Nicol 
was  elected  member  of  Parliament  for  Kincardineshire  in 
1 864,  and  he  continued  to  represent  the  county  until  his 
death  in  1872.     He  was  succeeded  by  his  son. 

It  was  stated  before  that  Donald  Farquharson  pur- 
chased the  lands  of  Balfour,  and  his  descendants  held 
the  estate  till  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century,  when 
Francis  Farquharson  sold  it  to  the  Earl  of  Aboyne.  In 
1840,    it    was  sold  to  Francis  J.  Cochran,  advocate  in 


BIRSE.  103 

Aberdeen.  The  lands  of  Balfour  lie  to  the  south-west 
of  the  Kirkton  of  Birse.  Mr.  Cochran  built  an  elegant 
mansion  in  1845,  laid  out  a  beautiful  garden  and  pleasure 
grounds,  and  planted  wood  around  the  mansion.  He 
greath'  improved  the  estate,  and  the  whole  of  it  is 
now  cultivated  or  under  wood.  Mr.  Cochran  died  in 
1870,  and  was  interred  in  the  churchyard  of  Birse,  where 
a  monument  was  erected  to  his  memory  ;  and  there  is 
also  an  inscribed  tablet  to  his  memory  within  the  church. 
He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander  Cochran.  This 
gentleman  was  for  upwards  of  twenty  years  the  head  of 
the  firms  of  Cochran  &  Smith,  Cochran  &  Macpherson, 
advocates  in  Aberdeen.  Mr.  Cochran  was  an  able 
lawyer,  and  an  excellent  business  man  ;  and  personally 
an  exceedingly  genial  and  kind-hearted  gentleman.  He 
died  on  the  8th  June,  1893. 

The  Rev.  John  Skinner,  the  well-known  author  of 
"  TuUochgorum,"  many  other  fine  poems,  and  other 
works,  was  born  at  Balfour  in  1721.  Among  other 
eminent  men  born  in  Birse,  may  be  mentioned  Dr. 
Alexander  Garden,  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Alexander  Garden, 
minister  of  Birse  from  1726  to  1777,  who  was  a  dis- 
tinguished physician  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  an 
able  naturalist,  and  a  correspondent  of  Linnaeus  ;  Dr. 
Gilbert  Ramsay,  who  was  rector  of  Christ's  Church, 
Barbadoes,  and  who  bequeathed  ;^500  to  the  poor  of  his 
native  parish,  ;^500  to  endow  a  free  school  in  it,  and  a 
sum  of  money  to  erect  a  bridge  over  the  Feugh  at  its 
eastern  end.  Robert  Dinnie  was  a  native  of  the  Parish 
of  Birse.  He  was  a  mason  to  trade ;  and  was  the 
father  of  the  world-wide  famous  athlete,  Donald 
Dinnie.     He  is  the  author  of  several  small,  interesting, 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

and  useful  works.  "  An  Account  of  the  Parish  of  Birse," 
published  in  1865;  "Songs  and  Poems,"  which  ap- 
peared in  1876;  "The  Deeside  Guide,"  1879;  "Anecdotes 
of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Smith  of  Birse,"  1882;  and  "A 
History  of  the  Parish  of  Kincardine  O'Neil,"  1885. 
The  most  distinguished  native  of  Strachan  was  Dr. 
Thomas  Reid,  the  philosopher  of  "  Common  Sense," 
and  a  successful  professor  in  the  Universities  of  Aber- 
deen and  of  Glasgow. 

The  Rev.  Alexander  Garden,  mentioned  before,  was 
a  violinist,  poet,  and  composer.  David  Mortimer  was 
born  in  Birse,  on  the  1 3th  of  June,  1 8 1 5.  He  was  a  famous 
violin  player  in  his  day.  He  died  in  1892.  His  son, 
Peter  Mortimer,  born  on  the  26th  July,  1849,  is  also  an 
excellent  violinist ;  and  he  was  a  pupil  of  the  celebrated 
William  Blair. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Valley  of  the  Feugh  and  of 
Birse  are  a  vigorous  people.  They  are  quiet,  and  very 
industrious,  kind  to  one  another,  and  remarkably 
intelligent. 


Chapter  XI. 
BLACKHALL— KINCARDINE  O'NEIL— LUMPHANAN. 

The  estate  of  Blackball  lies  on  the  south  side  of  the  Dee, 
and  the  mansion  house  stands  on  a  fine  broad  haugh, 
near  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  two  miles  above 
Banchory.  The  old  mansion  was  built  in  the  castellated 
style.  It  was  once  a  seat  of  the  Bannerman  family.  Sir 
Alexander  Bannerman  died,  leaving  an  only  daughter, 
who  married  Mr.  Robert  Russell,  and  the  lands  of  Black- 
hall  passed  into  his  hands.  They  had  a  daughter,  who 
married  Archibald  Farquharson  of  Finzean,  and  he 
became  owner  of  the  lands  of  Blackball.  But,  in  1828, 
the  estate  was  sold  by  his  trustees,  and  it  was  acquired 
by  Colonel  John  Campbell.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son.  About  ten  years  ago  Blackball  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  James  T.  Hay,  and  he  has  made  great  improvements 
on  the  estate.  The  old  mansion  house  was  demolished. 
A  new  mansion  was  built  of  granite — a  large  and  massive 
structure,  which  presents  a  striking  appearance.  The 
interior  of  the  mansion  is  exquisite.  The  internal 
arrangement  is  admirable,  and  the  ornamental  painting 
on  the  walls  is  executed  w^ith  fine  symmetry  and  har- 
mony, elegant  and  beautiful.  The  mansion  is  well 
sheltered  by  wooded  ridges  on  both  sides  of  the  Valley. 
In  1889  the  avenue  was  entirely  reconstructed.  The 
porter  lodge,  at  its  entrance,  is  on  the  south-west  side  of 
the  Bridge  of  Banchory,  and  the  avenue  runs  along  the 
south  bank  of  the  Dee  two  miles. 


1(>6  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Inchmarlo  House  stands  on  a  beautiful  green  bank  on 
the  north  side  of  the  river,  nearly  opposite  Blackball.  It 
was  indicated  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  Inchmarlo  once 
belonged  to  a  branch  of  the  Douglas  family.  Mr.  Walter 
Davidson,  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Patrick  Davidson, 
minister  of  Rayne,  became  a  successful  banker  in  London; 
and  in  1813  he  purchased  Inchmarlo  from  the  trustees  of 
John  Douglas.  He  held  the  estate  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  afterwards  sold  it  to  Mr.  Duncan  Davidson  of  Tilly- 
chetly,  advocate,  Aberdeen.  He  was  descended  from 
a  family  of  Davidsons  who  had  been  resident  in  Tarland 
for  several  centuries,  and  he  was  a  son  of  John  Davidson 
of  Tillychetly,  in  the  Parish  of  Alford.  Mr.  Duncan 
Davidson  died  at  Aberdeen  on  the  8th  of  December, 
1849,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Patrick  Davidson, 
advocate.  He  was  Professor  of  Law  in  the  University  of 
Aberdeen  for  a  period  of  forty-eight  years.  He  died  in 
1 88 1,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  present 
proprietor. 

About  two  miles  to  the  north-west  lies  the  estate  and 
house  of  Glassel.  The  house  is  small,  but  the  gardens 
and  grounds  are  extensive ;  there  are  fifteen  miles  of 
walks  in  the  grounds,  and  the  estate  is  well  wooded. 
Campfield  House  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  site  on  the 
lower  slope  of  the  Hill  of  Fare,  facing  the  south. 

At  Invercanny  there  is  a  small  hamlet.  Further 
westward,  at  Cairnton,  is  the  intake  for  the  water  from 
the  Dee,  which  is  conveyed  through  a  rock  tunnel  to  the 
large  reservoir  at  Invercanny — which  contains  the  storage 
water  in  connection  with  the  water  supply  of  Aberdeen. 
On  the  1 6th  of  October,  1866,  the  Queen  performed  the 
ceremon}^  of  opening  the  waterworks.      After  the  usual 


KINCARDINE  O'NEIL.  107 

address  to  Her  Majesty,  which  was  read  by  Sir  Alexander 
Anderson,  Lord  Provost,  and  presented,  Her  Majesty 
read  her  reply.  "  Then,"  the  Queen  says,  "  came  the 
turning  of  the  cock,  and  it  was  pretty  to  see  the  water 
rushing  up."  The  Queen  returned  home  by  way  of 
Inchmarlo  House,  and  thence  by  Ballater  to  Balmoral. 
The  sun  was  shining  bright  when  Her  Majesty  turned  on 
the  water.  I  was  standing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
reservoir.  The  volume  of  water  rose  clear,  and  the  sun- 
beams rendered  it  beautiful.  This  was  one  of  the  great 
days  of  Sir  Alexander  Anderson's  life  ;  he  drove  from 
Aberdeen  in  a  carriage  drawn  by  four  horses  to  meet 
Her  Majesty. 

Advancing  up  the  Valley  the  scenery  becomes  more 
striking,  and  the  hills  increase  in  elevation.  A  village  has 
recently  sprung  up  at  Torphins,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
railway  station,  and  is  rapidly  developing.  It  has  an 
Established  Church  and  public  schools,  a  post-office,  and 
branch  bank,  several  shops  and  an  excellent  hotel.  The 
Free  Church  is  about  a  mile  east  from  the  station. 

Craigmyle  House  stands  on  an  eminence,  amid 
patches  of  wood,  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Torphins.  It  was 
stated  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  a  member  of  the  Burnett 
family  of  Leys  acquired  Craigmyle  in  the  middle  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  and  it  was  subsequently  sold  by  the 
Burnetts  to  Alexander  Farquharson  of  Monaltrie.  He 
erected  the  present  mansion  house,  and  afterwards  sold 
the  estate  to  Mr.  John  Gordon.  He  left  the  estate  to  a 
relative,  Mr.  Peter  Laing,  who  then  assumed  the  name  of 
Gordon.  His  son,  John  L.  Gordon,  succeeded  to  the 
estate.  The  estate  of  Craigmyle  extends  to  twenty- 
seven  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  of  which  about  thirteen 
hundred  are  cultivated  and  two  hundred  under  wood. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

The  mansion  house  of  Learney  stands  on  an  elevated 
site  in  the  bend  of  the  Hill  of  Fare,  and  is  well  sheltered  by 
the  wooded  heights  around  it.  The  house  was  accidentally 
burnt  in  1838,  but  it  was  rebuilt.  It  is  a  comparatively 
large  and  massive  structure.  Learney  once  belonged  to 
the  Forbeses,  and  at  a  later  period  to  the  Brebner  family. 
Alexander  Brebner  of  Learney  had  two  daughters,  and 
Jane,  the  elder  one,  married  William  Innes  of  Raemoir,' 
and  had  issue,  two  sons  and  one  daughter,  Alexander 
Innes  of  Cowie,  in  Kincardineshire  ;  and  Thomas  Innes, 
who  was  born  on  the  31st  of  October,  18 14.  Thomas 
studied  law  and  became  an  advocate.  In  1839  he 
married  Helen  Christian,  daughter  of  Thomas  Burnett, 
Esq.,  of  Aberdeen,  and  has  issue.  He  is  proprietor  of 
Learney,  and  he  has  for  many  years  taken  an  active  and 
intelligent  part  in  the  business  of  the  county  of  Aberdeen. 

Findrack  House  lies  on  the  bank  of  the  Burn  of  Beltie, 
on  the  west  side  of  Learney  Hill.  It  is  a  comparatively 
small  structure,  but  elegant  and  commodious.  The  hill 
on  the  west  and  north  of  the  house  is  wooded,  and 
around  it  on  the  grounds  there  are  belts  and  plots  of  trees. 
In  1670  Francis  Fraser  purchased  Findrack  from  Sir 
Robert  Forbes  of  Learney,  and  this  branch  of  the  Fraser 
family  have  continuously  possessed  the  estate  to  the 
present  time. 

The  Valley  in  this  stretch  is  well  wooded,  and  at 
Potarch  the  scenery  is  picturesque.  The  Bridge  of 
Potarch,  which  spans  the  Dee,  was  erected  in  181 2,  and 
cost  i^3500,  one  half  of  which  was  paid  by  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  other  half  by  subscription.        It  consists  of 

I  The  Inneses  of  Raemoir  are  a  branch  of  the   Balvenie  family,  Banffshire,  and 
lineally  descended  from  Innes  of  Edingight,  in  the  Parish  of  Grange. 


KINCARDINE  O'NEIL.  109 

three  stone  arches,  the  centre  one  of  sixty-five  feet,  and 
the  other  two  of  sixty  feet  each.  When  all  the  piers  were 
built,  and  two  of  the  arches  thrown,  the  \vhole  was 
destroyed  by  rough  trees  which  were  floated  down  the 
river.  The  contractor,  William  Minty,  received  i^  1200  of 
damages  off  the  owners  of  the  wood.  The  great  flood  of 
1829  greatly  injured  two  of  the  piers,  which  were  after- 
wards thoroughly  repaired  and  bolted  with  iron  bars  by 
the  original  contractor.  This  bridge  is  in  the  line  of  the 
old  road  leading  from  Perth  by  Brechin  over  the  Cairn  o' 
Mounth,  and  the  ford  at  Inchbaire  is  a  little  below  the 
bridge.  The  bridge  is  founded  on  rock.  Seventy  yards 
above  the  bridge  the  channel  of  the  river  is  narrowed  by 
rocks  to  a  linn,  which  at  its  narrowest  point  is  about 
seventeen  feet.  It  is  said  that  John  Young,  one  of  a  gang 
of  tinkers,  while  fleeing  from  justice,  leapt  over  the  river 
above  the  bridge  and  escaped  for  a  time — a  feat  not 
impossible  for  a  young,  athletic  man,  though  the  risk  must 
have  been  considerable. 

On  the  southern  side  of  the  river  at  the  bridge  there 
is  a  good  inn  with  a  fine  large  lawn  in  front.  Feeing 
markets  are  held  here  twice  a  year. 

Borrowstone  House  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Valley,  near  the  north  Deeside  road.  It  is  a  spacious 
mansion,  surrounded  with  trees,  shrubs,  and  hedges,  a 
garden,  and  a  small  steading.  Not  many  years  ago  there 
was  a  hamlet  at  Borrowstone,  consisting  of  a  number  of 
small  cottages.  The  chief  inn  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  stood 
there  for  a  long  period.  The  Justice  of  the  Peace  Courts 
and  Presbytery  meetings  were  held  at  the  inn  from  1748 
till  1822.  The  Justices  of  Peace  before  proceeding  to 
business  were  required  to  sign  their  names  to  the  Oath  of 


110  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Abjuration,  in  order  to  show  that  they  were  loyal  subjects 
to  His  Majesty  King  George. 

From  this  point  looking  up  the  Valley  a  stretch  of 
beautiful  scenery  meets  the  eye.  The  river  stretches 
away  westward  through  a  fine  level  plain,  highly  culti- 
vated, while  the  wooded  heights  on  either  side  of  the 
Valley  givQ  varied  hues  of  colour  and  contrast  to  the 
delightful  scenes. 

The  village  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  stands  on  the  north 
side  of  this  comparatively  broad  plain  ;  below  it  the  river 
glides;  on  its  east  and  west  there  are  wooded  heights,  and 
on  the  north  the  ground  rises  gently.  The  village  con- 
tains upwards  of  forty  dwelling  houses,  and  a  population 
of  over  two  hundred  inhabitants.  It  is  a  site  of  great 
antiquity,  and  was  inhabited  in  the  prehistoric  ages. 
Even  its  recorded  history  stretches  back  to  an  early 
period.  It  was  originally  within  the  Earldom  of  Mar  ; 
but  in  the  thirteenth  century  the  barony  of  Kincardine 
O'Neil  included  a  part  of  Lumphanan,  and  it  was  held 
by  Allan  Durward.  He  erected  a  hospital  at  Kincardine 
O'Neil  in  1233,  and  granted  to  it  the  patronage  of 
Lumphanan  with  its  chapel  of  Forthery  and  other  portions 
of  land.  Afterward  the  hospital  was  attached  to  the 
Bishopric  of  Aberdeen,  and  raised  to  a  prebend  of  the 
Cathedral.  The  last  of  the  Durwards  connected  with  the 
barony  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  was  a  female,  Anna 
Durward. 

In  1389  the  barony  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  and  Coull 
was  confirmed  by  Robert  11.  to  his  son  Robert,  Earl  of 
Fife  and  Menteith.  Afterward  it  was  acquired  by  a 
branch  of  the  Forbes  family  ;  and  John  Forbes  sold  it  to 
John  Grant ;  and  toward  the  end  of  the  last  century  it 


KINCARDINE  O'NEIL.  Ill 

was  purchased  by  Francis  Gordon.  He  died  in  1861, 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  grand-daughter ;  and  on  her 
death  by  his  great-grandson,  Mr.  Henry  K.  Scott. 
Recently,  Mrs.  Pickering  purchased  the  estate  of  Kincar- 
dine O'Neil,  and  is  erecting  a  new  mansion  house. 

The  roofless  walls  of  the  old  church  stand  on  the 
south  side  of  the  village,  and  are  covered  with  ivy  in  the 
churchyard.  The  area  within  the  walls  of  the  old  church 
is  used  as  a  burial  ground  for  the  heritors  of  the  parish. 
The  present  Parish  Church  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the 
road,  and  was  erected  in  1862  ;  it  is  a  chaste  and  com- 
modious structure.  The  manse  is  on  a  slight  eminence 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  church,  and  was  erected  in  1846. 
At  the  west  end  of  the  village  is  an  Episcopal  Church, 
with  a  manse  and  a  graveyard. 

Prior  to  the  opening  of  the  Deeside  Railway,  the 
village  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  was  a  bustling  place,  as  all 
the  traffic  between  Aberdeen  and  Braemar  passed 
through  it.  For  a  long  period  it  was  a  halting-place  of 
the  cattle  dealers  and  drovers,  when  driving  their  herds 
of  cattle  and  sheep  to  the  southern  markets.  About  half- 
a-mile  to  the  north-west  of  the  village,  on  a  moor,  two 
annual  markets,  in  May  and  August,  are  held.  Below 
the  village  there  is  a  ferry-boat  for  conveying  persons 
across  the  river. 

There  are  several  excellent  mansions  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  village.  Mr.  John  Grant  purchased  the 
estate  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  in  1780,  and  erected  the 
mansion  house  on  it,  now  called  Kincardine  Lodge.  This 
house  stands  on  the  slope  of  a  ridge  in  a  fine  elevated 
position,  with  a  southern  exposure,  and  about  a  half-a- 
mile  eastward  from  the  village.       The  height  on  the  east 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

and  north  of  the  house  is  covered  with  wood,  and  around 
it  there  are  various  kinds  of  trees  and  ornamental  shrubs. 
It  is  a  pretty  large  and  commodious  house,  and  com- 
mands an  extensive  view  of  the  surrounding  district.  Mr. 
Grant  planted  a  large  quantity  of  wood,  and  executed 
many  other  improvements  on  the  estate.  He  was  origin- 
ally a  tailor,  but  a  relative  left  to  him  a  large  sum  of 
money,  with  which  he  purchased  the  estate.  While  he 
was  proprietor,  Kincardine  Lodge  was  usually  in  the 
locality  called  "  Needle  Ha',"  in  allusion  to  his  former 
occupation.  There  is  a  flat  stone  at  the  east  door  of  the 
old  church  with  this  inscription — "  Sacred  to  the  memory 
of  John  Grant,  Esq.  of  Kincardine  O'Neil.  Ob.  9  May, 
1799.     yEtatos  63." 

A  mile  above  the  village,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Dee,  Carlogie  House  stands  on  a  fine  haugh,  amid  trees 
and  ornamental  shrubs.  It  is  built  in  the  cottage  style  of 
architecture,  with  the  river  in  front,  about  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  off,  and  the  beautifully-wooded  and 
sloping  heights  behind  it.  In  summer,  when  woods  and 
the  face  of  nature  are  clad  with  verdure,  Carlogie  and  its 
surroundings  vividly  recall  the  thought  of  a  veritable 
paradise.     It  is  truly  a  charming  and  delightful  spot. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  Desswood  House 
stands  on  the  slope  of  an  eminence,  embosomed  by 
woods,  the  residence  of  Mr.  Alexander  Davidson, 
advocate.  The  site  is  elevated,  with  a  southern  exposure, 
and  is  exceedingly  fine  and  picturesque.  Forty  years 
ago,  new  gardens  were  formed,  and  the  pleasure  grounds 
planned  and  laid  out  with  fine  taste  and  rare  skill.  In 
the  2"rounds  various  kinds  of  ornamental  trees  were 
planted  at  intervals,  and  on   the  south  and  east  of  the 


KINCARDINE  O'NEIL.  113 

mansion  there  are  belts  of  fine  growing  trees  ;  while  on 
the  north  side  of  the  house,  the  summit  of  the  hill  which 
rises  above  it  is  covered  with  fir  trees.  The  house  itself 
is  an  elegant  and  symmetrical  structure,  and  everything 
about  it  is  kept  in  admirable  order.  The  estate  was  pur- 
chased by' Mr.  Duncan  Davidson  in  the  early  part  of  this  T^"^ 
centu!^,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  the  present  ' 
proprietor.  ■'  ,  f^^^ 

About  the  middle  of  the  present  century  there  were  _    ^ 
nine  licensed  houses  in  the  parish  ;  now  there  are  only 
two  inns — one  at  Torphins,  and  another  in  the  village  of    -'--vv^ 
Kincardine  O'Neil.    The  inhabitants  of  Kincardine  O'Neil  U^^ 
are  sober,  industrious,  excellent  cultivators  of  the  land, 
and  very  intelligent.     In  1842,  there  were  three  circulat- 
ing libraries  in  the  parish. 

The  parish  has  produced  some  distinguished  men. 
Alexander  Ross,  the  author  of  "  Helenore,"  and  other 
poems  in  the  Scottish  dialect,  was  the  son  of  a  farmer  in 
this  parish.  He  followed  the  honourable  and  useful 
profession  of  a  parochial  schoolmaster,  and  died  at 
Lochlee  in  1784,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-five 
years.  Mr.  John  H.  Anderson,  better  known  under  the 
title  of  the  "  Wizard  of  the  North,"  was  a  native  of  the 
parish,  and  born  in  18 14.  He  began  life  as  a  herd-boy. 
Afterwards,  he  became  a  famous  and  successful  per- 
former of  sleight-of-hand  and  conjuring  tricks.  He 
travelled  through  many  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  every- 
where drew  large  and  distinguished  audiences.  Mr. 
Anderson  died  at  Darlington  in  1874.  Peter  Milne,  a 
native  of  Kincardine  O'Neil,  was  born  on  the  30th  of 
September,  1824.  He  was  one  of  the  foremost  violin 
players  in  the  north  of  Scotland.  In  185 1,  he  succeeded 
I 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

James  Young,  as  musical  leader  of  the  Theatre  Royal, 
Aberdeen.  He  was  specially  famous  as  a  player  of  reels 
and  strathspeys.  He  also  attained  distinction  as  a 
teacher,  and  composed  a  number  of  pieces.  James 
Gerrie,  a  native  of  Lumphanan,  was  born  on  the  3rd 
of  March,  1852.  He  is  a  notable  harmoniumist  and 
vocal  composer. 

Lumphanan  has  many  interesting  historic  associa- 
tions ;  and  in  it  and  the  locality  of  Kincardine  O'Neil 
there  are  some  traces  of  prehistoric  occupation. 

The  village  of  Lumphanan  has  sprung  up  in  connec- 
tion with  the  railway  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
station.  The  Parish  Church  is  a  short  distance  south- 
west of  the  station,  on  the  south  side  of  the  railway  ;  and 
the  Free  Church  and  Manse  stand  on  the  north  side  of 
the  railway.  There  is  a  hotel  and  a  branch  of  the  North 
of  Scotland  Bank  in  the  village. 

Glenmillan  House  is  nearly  a  mile  to  the  north-east 
of  the  village.  It  was  the  residence  of  the  late  Mr. 
Robert  Smith,  advocate.  The  estate  of  Glenmillan, 
under  the  name  of  Cloak,  was  in  1330  granted,  along 
with  other  lands,  by  Randolph,  Earl  of  Moray,  to  Sir 
James  Garioch.  From  his  son,  Andrew  Garioch  of 
Caskieben,  Robert  Chalmers  obtained  these  lands,  to  be 
held  of  the  Earl  of  Moray.  From  this  Robert  Chalmers 
w^ere  descended  the  Chalmerses  of  Balnacraig  and 
Auldbar. 

In  1363,  Andrew  Rose,  a  son  of  the  second  baron  of 
Kilravock,  obtained  the  lands  of  Auchlossan.  This 
branch  of  the  Roses  appear  to  have  gradually  extended 
their  possessions  in  the  district.  In  1544,  a  feud  arose 
between  the  Forbeses  and  Strachans  of  Lenturk,  owing 


LUMPHANAN.  115 

to  the  supposed  guilt  of  Strachan  in  betraying  the  con- 
spiracy of  the  Master  of  Forbes  against  the  Hfe  of 
James  V.  Nicholas  Rose  of  i\uchlossan  was  one  of  the 
jury  who  found  the  Master  of  Forbes  guilty.  He  joined 
the  laird  of  Lenturk,  and  in  one  of  the  conflicts  with  the 
Forbeses,  Rose  was  slain.  In  1643,  the  possessions  of 
the  Roses  consisted  of  the  barony  of  Auchlossan,  the 
lands  of  Bogloch,  Deray  Croft,  and  Croft  of  Alderan. 
On  the  nth  of  September,  1709,  Captain  Francis  Rose 
fell  at  the  Battle  of  Malplaquet,  in  France  ;  and,  in  171 5, 
his  estate  was  sold  by  his  creditors. 

The  Duguids  of  Auchinhove,  in  1534,  pleaded,  in  an 
action  raised  by  the  Earl  of  Mar  against  his  vassals,  that 
*'  they  and  their  predecessors  had  been  infeft  in  their 
lands  holding  of  the  King,  for  a  period  of  two  hundred 
years."  In  1656,  Francis  Duguid  purchased  from 
George  Forbes  of  Corse  the  part  of  the  barony  of  O'Neil 
which  lay  in  Lumphanan,  comprising  Easter  and  Wester 
Kincraigie,  Knowhead-Hillock,  and  Bogloch  ;  and,  in 
1675,  they  had  also  lands  in  other  parishes.  The  head 
of  the  family,  in  1745,  joined  Prince  Charles.  He  was 
an  officer  in  the  rebel  army,  and  very  active  in  raising 
large  sums  of  money  in  the  district ;  and  Duguid's 
mansion  house  was  burned  by  a  company  of  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland's  troops.  After  the  suppression  of  the 
rising,  the  greater  part  of  the  estate  was  sold.  In  1699, 
Robert  Duguid  married  Teressa  Leslie  of  Balquhain  ; 
and  their  son,  Patrick  Leslie  Duguid,  succeeded  to  the 
estate  of  Balquhain  as  heir  of  entail,  after  a  protracted 
lawsuit.  The  Duguids  of  Auchinhove  trace  a  direct 
male  line  from   1400. 

In  the  last  century  the  Farquharsons  of  Finzean  pur- 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

chased  Auchlossan,  which  had  belonged  to  the  Roses, 
and  the  greater  part  of  Auchinhove.  The  Forbeses  of 
Craigievar  obtained  possession  of  Kintocher  in  17 12. 
This  branch  of  the  Forbeses  was  descended  from 
Patrick,  the  third  son  of  James,  the  second  Lord  Forbes. 

The  lands  of  Halton,  Pitmurchie,  and  Craigamore,  in 
Lumphanan,  were  granted  by  James  III.  to  Thomas 
Charteris  in  1487  ;  and  his  grandson,  Thomas  Charteris 
of  Kinfauns,  was  served  heir  to  the  barony  of  Lumphanan, 
lying  within  the  barony  of  O'Neil,  in  1546.  In  1655, 
Patrick  Irvine  succeeded  his  grandfather,  John  Irvine,  in 
the  lands  of  Halton,  Pitmurchie,  and  Craigton,  lying 
within  the  barony  of  Lumphanan.  John  Irvine  of 
Pitmurchie  was  appointed  Chancellor  of  an  Assize  held 
on  the  25th  April,  1597,  for  the  trial  of  witches. 

Turning  to  traces  of  ancient  structures,  the  Peel  Bog 
lies  in  a  marshy  hollow  near  the  church.  It  is  a  circular 
earthen  mound,  forty-six  yards  in  diameter,  eleven  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  bog,  and  surrounded  by  a  moat. 
The  Burn  of  Lumphanan  supplied  the  water  for  the 
moat.  It  is  conjectured  that  a  wooden  fort  was  erected 
on  the  mound  at  an  early  period.  This  structure  seems 
to  have  been  superseded  by  a  stone  building,  erected  in 
the  fifteenth  century.  The  ruins  of  the  stone  structure 
existed  on  the  top  of  the  mound  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
last  century  ;  at  that  time  the  walls  and  southern  gable, 
though  decayed  and  defaced,  were  quite  visible,  and  it 
was  then  called  Haaton  House.  About  a  century  ago, 
the  tenant  of  the  farm  of  Bogloch  razed  the  crumbling 
structure  to  the  foundation,  and  used  the  stones  for 
building  purposes  in  the  neighbourhood. 

The  Houff  is  about  a  mile  from  the  Peel  Bog,  and  it 


LUMPHANAN.  117 

seems  to  have  been  a  place  of  defence  in  early  times  ; 
some  traces  of  the  structure  are  still  visible.  At  a  later 
period,  according  to  tradition,  it  became  the  burial 
ground  of  the  Duguids.  The  ruins  of  the  Castle  of 
Auchinhove  lie  about  a  mile  to  the  south-west  of  the 
Peel  Bog  ;  it  was  the  stronghold  of  the  Duguid  family. 

The  ruins  of  the  old  Tower  of  Maud  stand  at  the 
west  end  of  Moss  Maud.  It  was  a  small  structure,  only 
twenty  feet  over  the  walls  both  ways.  The  remaining 
walls  are  only  a  few  feet  in  height,  but  very  thick  and 
strong.     It  was  probably  erected  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

Two  hundred  years  ago  the  Loch  of  Auchlossan 
probably  covered  an  area  of  six  hundred  acres  ;  but 
subsequently  its  outlet  at  Drumduan  was  deepened, 
which  reduced  its  extent  to  under  three  hundred  acres. 
The  loch  was  a  great  resort  of  snipes  and  other  water 
fowls.  Nearly  forty  years  ago,  Mr.  James  W.  Barclay, 
ex-M.P.,  completely  drained  the  loch  by  diverting  the 
streams  which  fed  it,  and  excavating  a  tunnel  which 
carried  the  surface  water  into  the  Burn  of  Dess.  Thus, 
by  the  enterprise  of  one  man,  the  area  of  the  loch  was 
turned  into  dry  land,  and  is  now  a  cultivated  farm. 

The  most  interesting  and  important  historic 
event  in  Lumphanan  is  associated  with  Macbeth, 
which  I  will  now  present.  Upon  the  death  of 
Malcolm  II.,  the  lineal  descendants  in  the  male 
line  of  Kenneth  M'Alpin,  the  founder  of  the  Scot- 
tish dynasty,  became  extinct,  and  he  was  succeeded 
by  his  grandson,  Duncan,  a  son  of  one  of  Malcolm's 
daughters.  But  other  aspirants  to  the  throne  disputed 
Duncan's  right,  and  he  soon  became  involved  in  a 
desperate  struggle  with  the  local  chiefs  beyond  the  Spey. 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Duncan  appears  to  have  been  a  very  able  prince  ;  but 
when  the  other  local  chiefs  beyond  the  Spey  joined 
Macbeth,  they  proved  too  strong  for  him,  and  after  a 
severe  struggle,  Duncan  was  slain  by  Macbeth  near  Elgin. 

Macbeth  then  marched  southward,  crossed  the  Dee, 
proceeded  by  Brechin,  and  mounted  the  throne  at  Scone 
in  1040.  For  five  years  he  reigned  undisturbed.  He 
was  descended  from  one  of  the  Kings  of  Dalriada,  and 
Gruoch,  his  wife,  was  a  daughter  of  Bode,  son  of  Kenneth, 
and  thus  related  to  the  Royal  line.  In  1045,  Crinan,  father 
of  Duncan,  and  lay  Abbot  of  Dunkeld,  mustered  all  his 
followers  and  the  opponents  of  Macbeth,  with  the 
intention  of  driving  him  from  the  throne.  A  severe 
battle  ensued,  in  which  Crinan  was  slain,  and  Macbeth 
gained  a  complete  victory.  He  was  an  able  and 
vigorous  ruler,  and  the  kingdom  seems  to  have  enjoyed 
unusual  tranquillity  and  prosperity  under  his  sway. 

The  late  King,  Duncan,  left  two  sons — mere  children 
at  the  time  of  his  death — their  mother  being  related 
to  Siward,  the  Earl  of  Northumberland.  In  1054, 
Siward  mustered  a  large  and  well  equipped  army,  and  a 
naval  force  to  co-operate  with  it,  and  invaded  Scotland  to 
drive  Macbeth  from  the  throne.  This  army  marched 
northward  in  quest  of  Macbeth,  crossed  the  Forth  at 
Stirling,  and  proceeded  towards  the  Tay.  Macbeth 
posted  his  army  around  the  Hill  Fort  of  Dunsinnane.  A 
great  battle  ensued,  which  raged  with  the  utmost  fury, 
and  many  were  slain  on  Doth  sides.  But  the  result  was 
not  decisive,  as  Siward  retired  southward,  and  returned 
home  to  Northumberland,  and  died  in  1055.  The 
expedition,  however,  had  enabled  Malcolm,  son  of 
Duncan,  to  obtain  possession  of  the  country  between  the 
Forth  and  the  Tweed  ;    but  Macbeth  was  still  King  of 


LUMPHANAN.  119 

the  country  beyond  the  Forth,  and  young  Malcolm  had 
to  depend  on  his  own  resources  to  recover  the  kingdom 
from  the  grasp  of  his  opponent.  Malcolm  III.  was  a  prince 
of  great  energy  ;  after  feeling  his  way,  and  gaining  the 
support  of  the  people,  in  1057  he  resolved  to  try  issues 
with  Macbeth. 

Malcolm  marched  northward,  and  crossed  the 
Mounth,  and  approached  the  Dee.  Macbeth  posted 
his  followers  on  a  height — probably  Perkhill — and  there 
stood  on  the  defensive.  On  discovering  his  enemy's 
position,  Malcolm  determined  to  cross  the  Dee  and  risk 
a  battle.  Macbeth's  army  was  probably  as  large  as  that 
of  Malcolm.  Nevertheless,  Malcolm  advanced  and 
attacked  Macbeth,  and  on  the  15th  of  August,  1057,  a 
fierce  battle  was  fought,  in  which  Macbeth  and  many 
of  his  followers  were  slain.  Yet  the  war  was  not 
terminated,  as  it  appears  that  the  remnant  of  Macbeth's 
followers  had  retreated  north  towards  the  Don  ;  and 
then  rallied  round  Lulach,  who  continued  the  struggle 
for  the  throne  of  Scotland.  The  war  was  carried  on  in  the 
region  between  the  Dee  and  the  Deveron  ;  and  it  thus 
appears  that  the  people  of  this  district  were  supporters 
of  Macbeth  and  his  successor,  Lulach.  On  the  17th  of 
March,  1058,  Lulach  was  defeated  and  slain  at  Essy,  in 
Strathbogie.  Shortly  after,  Malcolm  III.  mounted  the 
throne  of  Scotland  at  Scone.  Macbeth's  Cairn  stood  on 
Perkhill,  but  the  stones  have  been  removed,  and  the  site 
planted  and  enclosed. 

At  the  foot  of  the  Hill  of  Corse  there  was,  in  1842, 
an  earthen  rampart  or  hill  fort,  three  hundred  and  thirty 
yards  long  ;  and  opposite  to  it,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
distant,  at  the  foot  of  the  Hill  of  Milmahd,  there  was 
another  fort  of  a  similar  description. 


Chapter  XII. 

ABOYNE— GLENTANNER— CULBLEAN. 

The  stretch  of  the  Valley  from  the  Burn  of  Dess  to  Loch 
Kinnord  presents  many  varied  features.  On  both  sides 
of  the  river  the  scenery  is  finely  diversified.  The  surface 
of  the  country  on  the  north  side  is  rather  hilly,  but  not 
mountainous.  The  highest  points  are  the  Hill  of 
Mortlich,  1248  feet,  and  Culblean,  1567  feet;  while,  on 
the  south  side,  the  highest  summits  of  the  mountain 
range  rise  to  3000  feet.  On  both  sides  the  Valley  is 
well  wooded. 

Aboyne,  with  its  castle  and  burgh  of  barony,  is  a 
centre  of  great  historic  interest  and  importance,  and 
several  notable  families  have  been  connected  with  it ; 
while  from  a  prehistoric  standpoint  the  district  is  ex- 
ceedingly interesting. 

The  village  of  Charlestown  of  Aboyne  stands  on  a  fine 
esplanade  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Dee,  encircled  by 
woods  [and  groups  of  different  kinds  of  trees,  which 
afford  shelter  and  enhance  its  beauty.  It  chiefly  con- 
sists of  spacious  villas  and  terraces,  situated  to  the  west 
and  north-west  of  the  railway  station,  and  the  business 
part  of  the  burgh.  There  [is  a  fine  large  Green,  which 
lends  a  charming  feature  to  the  amenity  of  the  village. 
It  affords  ample  space  for  all  kinds  of  outdoor  amuse- 
ments and  games  ;  while  it  is  also  used  as  the  market- 
stance.    The  Public  Hall  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  Green, 


ABOYNE.  121 

and  it  contains  a  library,  a  reading-room,  and  a  billiard- 
room.  The  Parish  Church  was  erected  in  1842,  and 
stands  at  the  top  of  the  Green.  It  is  a  chaste  and  well- 
built  structure,  and  affords  room  for  six  hundred  and 
thirty  sitters.  The  manse  is  a  short  distance  west  from 
the  church,  and  situated  in  a  beautiful  and  retired  spot 
amid  the  woods.  The  Free  Church  stands  on  the  east 
side  of  the  village  ;  it  is  built  in  the  Gothic  style,  with  a 
chaste  spire,  and  forms  a  pleasing  feature  in  the  beautiful 
landscape.  Walking  from  the  village  westward,  towards 
the  Suspension  Bridge,  and  looking  up  and  down  the 
Valley  and  across  the  river,  the  scenery  is  exquisitely  fine, 
charming,  and  serene. 

Three-quarters  of  a  mile  north  from  the  village  is  the 
Castle  of  Aboyne,  the  residence  of  the  Marquis  of  Huntly. 
The  site  seems  to  have  been  occupied  by  a  defensive 
structure  at  a  very  early  period,  and  surrounded  by  a 
moat.  The  present  castle  stands  on  a  small  eminence  in 
a  fine  vale,  at  a  height  of  four  hundred  feet  above  sea 
level.  It  is  a  large  and  massive  structure,  erected  at 
different  times.  The  west  wing  was  built  in  1671,  by 
Charles  Gordon,  first  Earl  of  Aboyne  ;  the  east  wing  was 
erected  in  1 801,  by  the  fifth  Earl ;  and  another  addition 
was  made  to  the  castle  in  1869.  The  castle  is  surrounded 
by  extensive  w^oods,  which  cover  about  three  thousand 
acres  of  land.  The  out-lying  woods  mostly  consist  of 
pines  and  larch,  but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
castle  there  are  a  variety  of  beautiful  trees — oak,  elm, 
beech,  ash,  spruce,  and  birch — some  of  which  are  of  great 
age  and  size.  The  pleasure  grounds  and  gardens  are  ex- 
tensive, and  embrace  an  artificial  loch,  which  covers 
thirty-two    acres — forming   a   beautiful   sheet   of  water. 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

There  are  several  wooded  islets  on  it.  In  the  policies 
near  the  castle,  a  sculptured  stone,  six  feet  six  inches 
high,  with  a  cross  on  it,  stands  on  a  knoll ;  it  originally 
stood  on  the  bank  of  Loch  Kinnord,  and  about  eighty 
years  ago  it  was  removed  to  its  present  site  for  more 
careful  preservation. 

Two  miles  eastward  of  the  castle  are  the  ruins  of  the 
mansion  house  of  Tillphoudie,  which  in  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries  was  the  residence  of  a  branch  of 
the  Gordons  of  Aboyne. 

The  old  church  of  Aboyne  stood  near  the  end  of  the 
loch,  and  in  the  old  churchyard  there  are  some  interest- 
ing monuments.  There  is  a  fragment  of  a  sculpture 
stone  with  an  Ogham  inscription  on  it  ;  only  other  four 
specimens  of  this  class  of  inscriptions  are  known  on  the 
mainland  of  Scotland  ;  the  fragment  here  is,  therefore,  of 
great  interest.  Here,  within  an  inclosure,  lie  the  remains 
of  the  Inneses  of  Balnacraig  and  Ballogie. 

Balnacraig  lies  on  the  east  extremity  of  the  Parish  of 
Aboyne,  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  Dee.  Balnacraig 
House  stands  high  on  the  south  shoulder  of  a  hill,  and 
on  the  north  a  rocky  and  wooded  eminence  rises  abruptly 
above  the  house.  The  site  is  beautiful  and  picturesque, 
and  the  view  from  it  along  the  Dee  westward,  and  of  the 
mountains  to  the  south,  is  very  fine.  The  greater  part  of 
the  estate  is  covered  with  wood. 

A  family  of  the  name  of  Chalmers  held  the  estate  of 
Balnacraig  at  an  early  period.  Subsequently  it  was  ac- 
quired by  the  Davidsons,  from  whom  it  was  purchased 
by  the  Inneses  about  1725,  The  Innes  family  made 
additions  to  the  mansion  house,  and  being  Roman 
Catholics,  they  formed  a  chapel  in  the  east  wing.     It  does 


ABOYNE.  123 

not  appear  that  the  head  of  the  family  joined  the  Rising 
of  1745  ;  but  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Culloden,  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers  arrived  with  the  intention  of  burning  the 
house.  This,  however,  seems  to  have  been  prevented  by 
the  hospitality  shown  to  the  soldiers.  One  soldier  thrust 
his  head  into  an  earthen  jar  which  contained  honey,  and 
when  satisfied  with  its  contents,  he  found,  amid  the 
jeering  of  his  comrades,  that  his  head  could  only  be  ex- 
tricated by  breaking  the  mouth  of  the  jar.  The  soldiers 
merely  set  fire  to  the  poultry-house,  and  then  retired. 
The  honey  jar,  with  its  broken  mouth,  was  long  preserved 
by  the  representatives  of  the  family.  The  Inneses  of 
Balnacraig  and  Ballogie  became  extinct  in  the  early  part 
of  this  century,  and  were  succeeded  by  their  relative, 
Lewis  Farquharson,  who  assumed  the  name  of  Innes  on 
becoming  heir  to  their  property.  He  died  in  1834,  and 
his  heir  sold  Balnacraig  to  James  D.  Nicol  in  1852,  who 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  William  E.  Nicol. 

The  Suspension  Bridge  which  spans  the  Dee  above 
Aboyne  was  erected  by  the  Earl  of  Aboyne  in  1828  and 
1 83 1,  and  it  was  reconstructed  by  the  Road  Trustees  in 
1 87 1.  Near  the  bridge,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river, 
stands  Auldinnie  Tower,  on  a  wooded  eminence.  A  burn 
of  the  same  name  runs  past  it  and  enters  the  Dee  a  little 
above  the  bridge.  About  a  mile  above  the  bridge  the 
water  of  Tanner  joins  the  Dee.  The  ruins  of  the  old 
church  and  graveyard  of  Glentanner  lie  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Dee,  on  the  farm  of  Cobleheuch.  Glentanner 
is  comparatively  narrow,  but  the  hills  on  either  side  are 
not  of  great  elevation.  The  glen  was  long  famed  for  its 
pine  trees,  and  there  are  still  long  stretches  of  woods  on 
both  sides  of  the  glen.      Portions  of  the  lower  part  of  the 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

glen  are  suitable  for  cultivation,  but  only  a  small  part  is 
under  tillage.  About  fifty  years  ago  the  glen  was  turned 
into  a  deer  forest. 

The  water  of  Tanner  is  spanned  by  the  Bridge  of  Ess, 
at  a  romantic  spot  half-a-mile  above  the  confluence  of 
the  Tanner  with  the  Dee.  A  square  loop-holed  tower 
guards  the  bridge,  and  here  the  bed  of  the  stream  is  rocky 
and  its  banks  finely  fringed  with  trees.  The  old  Fir 
Mounth  road  crosses  Glentanner,  and  thence  to  the  ford 
or  ferry  of  the  Dee  near  the  railway  station  of  Dinnet. 
Edward  I.,  in  1296,  when  returning  south  on  his  triumphal 
progress  through  Scotland,  called  at  Rothes,  Kildrummy 
Castle,  and  Kinnord,  crossed  the  Dee  at  Boat  of  Dinnet, 
and  marched  through  Glentanner,  and  onward  to  Brechin. 

During  the  last  century  and  the  first  quarter  of  the 
present  one,  Glentanner  was  a  great  centre  of  smuggling. 
The  making  of  whisky  was  then  considered  by  the  in- 
habitants as  a  natural  right  and  an  honest  industry, 
although,  especially  since  the  Union,  the  Government  of 
the  country  had  decreed  otherwise.  This  view  of  smug- 
gling was  not  confined  to  the  natives  of  Glentanner  or 
the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  for  it  prevailed  throughout 
Scotland.  Indeed,  for  a  considerable  time  after  the 
Union,  the  struggle  with  the  excisemen  and  the  revenue 
officers  was  universal  over  the  kingdom,  and  it  led  to 
many  lively  scenes  and  tragic  deeds.  It  is  said  that 
thirteen  smuggling  brewing-houses  were  often  working  at 
the  same  time  in  Glentanner,  which  is  quite  likely,  for  I 
have  frequently  observed  in  the  north  of  Scotland  the 
sites  and  remains  of  a  dozen  smuggling  brewing- houses 
within  a  much  more  limited  area  than  Glentanner. 

Many  years  ago,  Sir  William  Cunlifife  Brooks,  Bart., 


ABOYNE.  125 

took  a  lease  of  Glentanner  from  his  son-in-law,  the 
Marquis  of  Huntly,  and  subsequently  Sir  William 
purchased  the  Glen.  He  effected  many  improvements, 
and  greatly  enhanced  the  beauty  of  the  region.  The 
deer  in  the  glen  sometimes  made  inroads  on  the  crops  of 
the  farmers  in  the  locality,  and  to  prevent  this  Sir 
William  has  erected  many  miles  of  strong  iron-wire  fenc- 
ing. He  has  also  directed  special  attention  to  the 
introducing  of  an  ample  supply  of  the  purest  water, 
erecting  healthier  houses  for  the  tenants  and  workmen  on 
his  estate,  and  making  good  roads,  and  thus  greatly  im- 
proving the  sanitary  conditions. 

The  mansion  house  of  Glentanner,  Sir  William's 
residence,  stands  on  a  fine  site  on  the  left  side  of  the  glen, 
and  was  erected  by  him.  It  is  a  chaste  and  artistic 
structure,  both  externally  and  internally.  The  gardens 
and  the  grounds  are  extensive  and  admirably  laid  out, 
and  above  the  mansion  house  there  are  several  artificial 
lakelets  which  enhance  the  beauties  of  the  landscape. 
The  farm-steading  and  offices  are  all  admirably  planned 
and  kept  in  excellent  order.  On  the  right  bank  of  the 
stream  is  the  Episcopal  Chapel  of  St.  Lesmo,  which  was 
consecrated  by  the  late  Bishop  Suther,  of  Aberdeen,  in 
1 87 1.  There  is  a  graveyard  connected  with  the  chapel, 
and  in  its  immediate  vicinity  is  St.  Lesmo's  Well, 
inscribed — "  Drink,  weary  pilgrim ;  drink  and  pray.'* 
The  sanctuary  of  the  forest  surrounds  the  chapel,  and 
within  it  no  animal  may  be  slain  or  hurt,  and  the  deer 
seem  to  recognise  this  great  privilege.  The  scene  is 
exceedingly  beautiful. 

Sir  William  is  a  most  hospitable  gentleman.  Every 
year  many  strangers,  and  frequently  large  companies  of 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

ladies  and  gentlemen,  are  all  heartily  welcomed  to  view 
his  remarkable  residence,  and  its  striking  and  well- 
ordered  surroundings. 

Up  the  glen  there  are  no  dwelling-houses  beyond  the 
mansion  house,  and  the  carriage  road  terminates  seven 
miles  above  it,  at  a  trim  and  picturesque  shiel. 

Proceeding  up  the  Valley,  at  Dinnet,  an  iron  bridge 
spans  the  Dee,  which  was  erected  by  the  Marquis  of 
Huntly,  and  superseded  the  ferry  boat  mentioned  before. 
A  church  has  been  erected  at  Dinnet,  which  stands  on 
the  south  side  of  the  railway,  and  the  manse  of  Rev. 
J.  G.  Michie,  minister  of  Dinnet,  is  situated  in  a  beautiful 
spot  at  the  north-west  end  of  the  bridge. 

Mr.  Michie  is  a  native  of  the  Parish  of  Crathie.  He 
has  keen  literary  and  archselogical  tastes,  and  has  a  rare 
store  of  traditional  lore  and  other  information  touching 
the  state  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  and 
its  glens  in  bygone  ages.  He  is  the  author  of  an  exceed- 
ingly interesting  and  valuable  volume  of  tales  and 
traditions  of  the  people  of  the  upper  stretch  of  the  Valley 
of  the  Dee.  This  volume  embodied  in  a  popular  form 
much  valuable  information,  which  would  soon  have  been 
lost  for  ever.  He  is  also  the  author  of  a  very  instructive 
work  entitled  "  History  of  Loch  Kinnord,"  published  in 
1877,  and  I  have  been  much  indebted  to  him  for  various 
information. 

Mr.  Michie  doubtless  would  have  given  the  public 
other  works  from  his  store  of  accurate  knowledge,  if  the 
misfortune  of  weak  health  had  not  overtaken  him.  I 
believe  few  men  are  so  well  qualified  to  write  the  history 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  as  Mr.  Michie. 

About  two  miles  westward  from  Dinnet  Bridge,  on 


ABOYNE.  127 

the  south  side  of  the  river,  is  the  site  of  Dee  Castle,  on  a 
small  eminence.  Its  original  name  was  Kandychyle.  It 
seems  to  have  been  chiefly  used  as  a  hunting  seat  by  the 
Huntly  family,  when  they  visited  their  Deeside  estates. 
It  was  burned  in  1641,  and  afterwards  became  a  ruin.  A 
fragment  of  its  wall  forms  part  of  the  modern  house 
erected  on  the  site. 

A  little  further  up  the  Valley,  on  the  same  side  of  the 
river,  is  the  farmhouse  of  Ballaterich,  where  Lord  Byron 
lived  for  some  time  when  a  boy.  It  appears  that  the 
surrounding  scenery  and  the  mountains  had  a  wonderful 
fascination  over  his  youthful  and  glowing  imagination. 
Morven  occurs  in  several  of  his  poems,  and  Mary 
Robertson,  the  farmer's  second  daughter,  had  certainly 
won  the  warm  boyish  affection  of  the  young  poet,  and 
many  years  after,  her  image  was  not  effaced  from  his 
memory.      A  few  lines  from  the  poet  may  be  quoted  : — 

When  I  roved  a  young  Highlander  o'er  the  dark  heath, 

And  climbed  thy  steep  summit,  O  Morven  of  snow  ; 
To  gaze  on  the  torrent  that  thundered  beneath, 

Or  the  mist  on  the  tempest  that  gathered  below  ; 
Untutored  by  science,  a  stranger  to  fear, 

And  rude  as  the  rocks  where  my  infancy  grew, 
No  feeling,  save  one,  to  my  bosom  was  dear, 

Need  I  say,  my  sweet  Mary,  'twas  centred  in  you  ? 

James  Neil  was  born  in  the  Parish  of  Aboyne  in  1800. 
He  was  an  excellent  violin-player,  and  instrumental 
composer.  He  was  very  popular  in  the  locality.  He 
died  in  1868,  and  left  three  sons,  all  of  whom  showed 
musical  talents.  James  Neil,  born  in  1832,  was  a  fine 
violin-player.  He  died  in  1890,  and  left  a  number  of 
excellent  violins.  Alexander,  born  in  1837,  was  a  good 
violin-player.       He  entered  the  army,  and  attained  the 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

rank  of  Surgeon  Major  in  the  medical  service.  He  died 
in  1879.  George  Neil,  born  in  1839,  is  a  violin-player, 
and  a  good  teacher  of  music. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  a  short  distance 
westward  from  the  railway  station,  stands  Dinnet  House, 
which  was  recently  erected  by  Charles  Wilson,  M.P., 
who  purchased  the  lands  in  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  a 
pretty  large  structure,  and  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
landscape. 

Loch  Kinnord  and  Loch  Davan  are  about  half-a-mile 
to  the  north-west  of  Dinnet  railway  station  ;  they  are 
only  one  hundred  yards  apart  from  each  other.  Loch 
Kinnord  covers  an  area  of  225  acres.  Loch  Davan  is 
much  smaller.  On  Loch  Kinnord  there  are  several  islets, 
finely  wooded,  and  the  margins  of  both  lochs  are  beauti- 
fully skirted  with  birchwood,  alder,  and  juniper  bushes. 
The  Hill  of  Culblean  slopes  down  to  their  western  shores, 
and  the  burn  of  Vat  issues  from  the  hill  and  enters  Loch 
Kinnord.  The  Vat,  a  short  distance  west  of  Loch 
Kinnord,  is  a  kind  of  cave  in  the  bed  of  the  burn  of  the 
same  name,  formed  by  the  rocks  over  which  the  stream 
falls,  and  present  a  very  pretty  scene. 

On  a  small  eminence  near  the  margin  of  Loch  Davan, 
is  Glendavan  House,  the  residence  of  Dr.  Alexander 
Ogston,  Professor  of  Surgery  in  the  University  of 
Aberdeen. 

During  the  minority  of  David  H.,  Edward  Baliol 
aspired  to  the  throne,  and  supported  by  a  few  English 
nobles,  who  claimed  lands  in  Scotland,  he  invaded  the 
kingdom  in  1332.  The  following  year  Edward  HI. 
threw  off  the  mask,  and  openly  assisted  Baliol.  In  the 
space  of  five   years,   Edward    III.   led    in   person    four 


ABOYNE.  129 

successive  invasions  into  Scotland,  and  reduced  the  nation 
tothegreatest  extremities.  David  Strathbogie, ninth  Earlof 
Athole,  wavered  in  his  allegiance,  and  repeatedly  changed 
sides.  At  last,  in  the  service  of  Edward  III.,  he  be- 
sieged the  Castle  of  Kildrummy.  The  garrison,  though 
few  in  number,  was  brave  and  determined,  and  made  a 
heroic  defence  for  the  national  cause.  When  Sir  Andrew 
Moray,  the  Regent,  received  tidings  of  Athole's  attack  on 
Kildrummy,  he  immediately  marched  northward  to  raise 
the  siege.  Athole  prepared  to  face  the  Regent,  and 
leaving  Kildrummy,  he  marched  his  army  to  a  position 
on  the  wooded  slope  of  Culblean.  The  Regent  was  ac- 
companied by  William  Douglas,  Sir  Alexander  Gordon 
of  Strathbogie,  the  Earl  of  Dunbar,  Ramsay  of  Preston, 
and  other  leading  men ;  the  army  numbered  eight 
hundred  fighting  men.  Athole's  following  was  probably 
much  larger,  as  his  territorial  power  was  then  very  ex- 
tensive. The  battle  was  fought  on  the  30th  of  November, 
1335.  William  Douglas  led  the  vanguard  with  a  strong 
company  of  stalwart  men,  and  advanced  with  consummate 
tact,  watching  his  opportunity,  and  at  the  proper 
moment  ordered  his  men  to  couch  their  spears  and 
charge  the  centre  of  the  enemy's  line,  and  a  furious  hand- 
to-hand  combat  ensued.  Sir  Andrew  Moray  then  rapidly 
advanced  with  the  main  body,  and  assailed  the  enemy  in 
flank  with  unbearable  fury.  Athole  fell  on  the  field  ;  his 
followers  were  completely  defeated,  and  fled  in  confusion. 
This  battle  was  a  very  important  national  event.  It 
formed  a  turning  point,  as  the  national  party  at  the  time 
were  reduced  to  dire  extremity,  while  Athole  was  the 
most  powerful  noble  in  Scotland,  owing  to  his  extensive 
territorial  possessions  and  his  connection  with  the  Comyns 
K 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

through  marriage ;  thus  his  continued  opposition  would 
have  proved  ruinous  to  the  national  cause.  From  this 
time  the  King's  party  steadily  gained  ground,  and  in  1339 
Baliol  finally  fled  from  Scotland,  and  assumed  his  natural 
position  as  a  pensioned  dependant  on  England. 

In  early  times  the  whole  Valley  of  the  Dee  was 
within  the  Earldom  of  Mar,  but  in  the  later  part  of  the 
twelfth  century  and  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  the 
greater  portion  of  the  stretch  of  the  Valley  below  Cambus 
o'  May  was  cut  off  from  the  Earldom.  A  considerable 
portion  of  this  land  was  assigned  to  the  Church  and  the 
monasteries  ;  small  parts  of  it  were  retained  for  a  time 
in  the  hands  of  the  Crown,  and  a  large  part  of  it  was 
given  to  the  Durward  family. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  thirteenth  century,  the  Bisset 
family  had  obtained  possession  of  Aboyne,  and  in  1242 
Walter  Bisset  was  lord  of  the  barony.  It  appears  that  a 
feud  existed  between  Bisset  and  Patrick,  Earl  of  Athole, 
who  was  burnt  to  death  at  his  residence  in  Haddington. 
Walter  Bisset  was  suspected  of  having  instigated  this 
deed,  although  he  cleared  himself  in  a  trial  at  Edinburgh; 
yet  he  retired  to  England,  and  was  protected  by  Henry 
III.  Another  Walter  Bisset  received  a  charter  of  the 
lands  of  x^boyne  from  Robert  I.,  which  was  confirmed  to 
his  son,  Thomas  Bisset,  by  a  charter  of  David  II.  The 
male  line  of  the  Aboyne  Bissets  terminated  in  an  heiress, 
and  she  married  John  Eraser,  a  nephew'of  Robert  I.,  soon 
after  the  battle  of  Culblean.  Thus  the  lordship  of 
Aboyne  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Eraser  family. 

But  the  eldest  daughter  of  John  Eraser,  Margaret, 
married  Sir  William  Keith,  the  Marischal  of  Scotland, 
and   he   received    with   her   Aboyne   and    other    lands, 


ABOYNE.  131 

including  the  thanedom  of  Durris,  the  baronies  of 
Strachan,  Culperso,  Johnstone,  and  many  other  estates. 
They  had  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  and  the 
youngest  daughter,  Elizabeth  Keith,  married  Sir  Adam 
Gordon  of  Huntly.  The  eldest  son,  John  Keith,  married 
a  daughter  of  Robert  II.;  but  John  died  shortly  after, 
leaving  an  only  son,  who  also  died  before  his  grandfather, 
leaving  an  only  daughter.  Lady  Jane  Keith.  This  lady 
married  Alexander  Gordon,  first  Earl  of  Huntly,  and 
with  her  he  received  the  lands  of  Aboyne,  Glentanner, 
Cluny,  Tullich,  and  Glenmuick. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century,  Adam 
Gordon,  second  son  of  the  second  Earl  of  Huntly,  married 
Elizabeth  Sutherland,  and  the  Earl  then  assigned  to  them 
the  barony  of  Aboyne.  They  resided  at  Ferrar,  where 
their  son,  Alexander,  was  born,  who  became  the  first  Earl 
of  Sutherland  of  the  name  of  Gordon.  The  Countess 
succeeded  to  the  Earldom  of  Sutherland  in  1515  ;  still 
the  family  continued  to  reside  mostly  at  i\boyne ;  as  they 
were  much  attached  to  their  Deeside  residence.  The 
Countess  died  at  Aboyne  in  1535,  and  was  interred  there ; 
and  her  husband  died  at  Ferrar  in  1537,  and  was  interred 
beside  the  Countess.  Their  eldest  son,  Alexander,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  Earldom,  as  first  Earl  of  Sutherland  of  the 
name  of  Gordon. 

George,  the  fourth  Earl  of  Huntly,  was  too  much 
engaged  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  nation  to  look  after 
the  improvement  of  this  portion  of  his  wide  territories. 
In  his  personality  the  power  and  influence  of  the  house 
of  Huntly  reached  its  culmination.  In  fact,  he  was  for 
some  time  King  of  Scotland,  north  of  the  Tay ;  but  the 
rising  power  and  ambition  of  James  Stuart,  Earl  of  Mar, 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Earl  of  Moray,  and  Regent  of  Scotland,  for  a  brief  period 
greatly  injured  the  Huntly  family. 

Moray  had  resolved  to  crush  the  Earl  of  Huntly,  and^ 
for  a  time,  he  was  successful.  On  the  28th  of  October, 
1562,  the  Earl  of  Huntly  fell  at  the  battle  of  Corrichie. 
His  titles  and  estates  were  forfeited  to  the  Crown  ;  but  in 
truth,  the  Crown  had  not  sufficient  strength  to 
carry  the  forfeiture  into  effect,  even  with  Moray  and 
Lethington  as  its  instigators.  In  1565  the  titles  and 
estates  were  restored  by  Queen  Mary  to  his  son,  the  fifth 
Earl  of  Huntly.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  stirring 
events  and  scenes  of  the  period.  He  died  in  1576,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  George,  the  sixth  Earl,  and 
first  Marquis  of  Huntly.  As  he  was  a  minor,  the 
management  of  the  estates  and  the  leadership  of  the  clan 
fell  to  his  uncle.  Sir  Adam  Gordon — the  hero  of  many  a 
a  ballad,  under  the  title  of  "  Edom  o'  Gordon."  When 
the  young  Earl  attained  his  majority,  he  manifested  some 
rashness  and  extravagance,  but  the  sobering  influence  of 
experience  and  years  produced  a  marked  improvement 
on  his  character.  In  1599  he  was  created  first  Marquis 
of  Huntly.  He  then  retired  from  politics,  and  devoted 
his  attention  to  the  improvement  of  his  estates.  He 
covered  many  a  rough  moor  with  plantations,  repaired 
and  built  mansions,  not  for  warlike  purposes,  but  to  add 
to  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  civilised  life.  Dee 
Castle  then  became  the  chief  residence  of  the  Marquis 
and  his  family  when  they  sojourned  at  their  Deeside 
lands. 

The  Aboyne  peerage  commenced  in  1627  when 
Charles  I.  created  Lord  John  Gordon,  second  son  of  the 
first  Marquis,  Viscount  of  Melgum  and  Lord  Aboyne. 


ABOYNE.  133 

Unhappily,  the  young  Lord  was  burned  to  death  in  the 
house  of  Frendraught,  on  8th  October,  1630,  which  termi- 
nated this  peerage.  In  1632,  George,  Lord  Gordon,  eldest 
5on  of  the  first  Marquis,  was  created  Viscount  of  Aboyne 
during  the  life  of  his  father,  and  if  he  should  survive  his 
father  and  succeed  to  the  Marquisate,  the  title  of  Viscount 
should  then  descend  to  his  second  son,  James,  and  his 
heirs  male.  On  the  death  of  his  father  in  1636,  he  suc- 
ceeded to  the  lands  as  second  Marquis  of  Huntly,  while 
the  Aboyne  peerage  descended  to  his  second  son,  James, 
who  then  became  second  Viscount  of  Aboyne.  He  soon 
after  engaged  in  the  Covenanting  struggle  on  the  side  of 
the  King.  His  father  and  elder  brother  were  then 
prisoners  in  Edinburgh,  and  he  mustered  the  clan  in 
order  to  repel  an  invasion  of  their  territories  by  the  Earl 
of  Montrose,  and  the  battle,  which  occured  at  the  Bridge 
of  Dee,  has  already  been  noticed. 

In  the  summer  of  1640  the  Covenanters,  under  Argyle, 
visited  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  but  they  did  little  damage 
to  the  lands  of  the  Gordons  on  that  occasion.  The 
Marquis  of  Huntly  had  the  Royal  commission  of 
Lieutenancy  of  the  North,  and  mustered  his  clan  and 
vassals  and  fixed  his  headquarters  at  Aboyne.  At  this 
time  Viscount  Aboyne  was  in  England  with  the  King, 
and  Lord  Gordon  was  with  the  Covenanters.  On  the 
approach  of  an  army  of  six  thousand  men  under  Argyle, 
Huntly  disbanded  his  men  and  retired  to  Strathbogie, 
and  afterwards  to  a  sequestered  isle  in  Strathnaver,  in  the 
north-west  of  Sutherlandshire,  where  he  lay  concealed  for 
a  considerable  time. 

Meantime  eight  hundred  Argyleshire  men  came  to 
Cromar,    Aboyne,   Strachan,   and   the   districts    around, 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

where  they  had  a  daily  allowance  off  the  country  of 
twenty-four  bolls  of  meal,  one  hundred  and  twenty  sheep, 
and  a  number  of  cattle,  and  sixty  dollars  of  money.  They 
drew  the  rents,  and  lived  upon  the  Marquis  of  Huntly's 
lands  of  Cromar,  Glentanner,  Glenmuick,  and  other 
districts,  from  May  to  the  ist  of  July. 

As  the  Marquis  of  Huntly  at  the  commencement  of 
the  Covenanting  struggle  had  been  entrapped  by 
Montrose,  he  never  could;trust  him  ;  but  his  sons,  Lord 
Gordon  and  Viscount  Aboyne,  joined  Montrose,  and 
fought  under  him  against  the  Covenanters.  They  were 
both  engaged  at  the  battle  of  Auldearn ;  and  at  the 
battle  of  Alford  on  the  2nd  July,  1645,  Lord  Gordon  was 
slain.  He  was  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  a  comely, 
brave,  and  magnanimous  gentleman,  and  his  death  was 
greatly  and  deeply  lamented.  When  the  Marquis  heard 
of  the  death  of  his  eldest  son  he  returned  from  Strath- 
naver  to  his  own  country.  The  Marquis  himself  was 
always  a  supporter  of  the  Throne  ;  even  after  the  King 
was  a  prisoner  with  the  Scottish  army,  Huntly  made  an 
attempt  to  assist  him,  which  failed.  He  then  disbanded 
his  followers,  and  fled  to  Lochaber  for  safety.  The  Com- 
mittee of  Estates  offered  a  reward  of  ;^iooo  sterling  to 
any  person  who  should  apprehend  him.  He  succeeded 
in  eluding  the  pursuit  of  his  enemies  for  several  months, 
living  in  caves  and  the  recesses  of  forests  in  the  wildest 
parts  of  the  Highlands.  Aided  by  a  few  faithful  attend- 
ants, he  was  lying  concealed  at  the  farmhouse  of  Dalnabo, 
three  miles  below  Inchroy,  when  his  hiding  place  was 
discovered  by  the  agents  of  the  Government.  Toward 
the  end  of  December,  1647,  Colonel  Menzies,  with  a  com- 
pany of  troops  at  midnight  surrounded   Dalnabo  ;   the 


ABOYNE.  135 

Marquis  had  only  ten  men  around  him,  some  of  whom 
were  servants,  yet  they  made  a  heroic  stand  to  protect 
their  master  against  fearful  odds.  Six  of  them  were 
killed  on  the  spot  and  the  rest  mortally  wounded. 
Menzies  immediately  conveyed  the  Marquis  to  Blairfindie, 
in  Glenlivet,  and  afterward  he  was  carried  to  Edinburgh 
and  imprisoned.  He  was  confined  in  prison  from  the 
end  of  December,  1647,  till  March,  1649.  A  sad  fate 
waited  him,  more  heartrending,  because  at  the  time,  his 
brother-in-law,  Argyle,  was  at  the  head  of  the  Scottish 
Government.  The  Marquis  of  Huntly  was  executed  on 
the  22nd  of  March,  1649,  ^t  the  cross  of  Edinburgh. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  Argyle  made  any  effort  to  save 
the  Marquis'  life ;  although  there  is  evidence  of  another 
character,  namely,  that  Argyle  made  profit  to  himself  off 
the  Marquis'  estates. 

The  Marquis'  surviving  sons  managed  to  escape;  the 
eldest,  James,  Viscount  Aboyne,  and  Lord  Lewis  Gordon 
fled  to  Paris  ;  Charles,  the  third  son,  narrowly  escaped 
with  his  life  ;  and  Henry,  the  youngest,  went  abroad  and 
entered  the  serv^ice  of  the  King  of  Poland.  Viscount 
Aboyne  died  in  the  spring  of  1649,  and  leaving  no  issue, 
the  Viscounty  of  Aboyne  became  extinct.  Lewis  died  in 
1653,  leaving  an  infant  son,  George.  This  boy,  after  the 
Restoration,  had  the  estates  and  titles  restored  to  him, 
and  some  twenty  years  later  he  was  created  first  Duke  of 
Gordon. 

Charles  Gordon,  uncle  of  the  preceding,  was  created 
Earl  of  Aboyne  and  Lord  Gordon  of  Strathavon  and 
Glenlivet  in  1660.  A  portion  of  the  family  property  was 
then  conveyed  to  him,  consisting  of  all  the  lands  and 
lordship  of  Aboyne.  Thus,  Charles  was  the  first  Earl  of 
Aboyne.     For  many  years  he   had  full    charge  of  the 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Huntly  estates,  when  his  nephew,  the  Marquis,  was  a 
minor,  and  he  did  much  to  restore  the  fortunes  of  the 
family. 

The  Earl  married  Margaret  Irvine,  a  sister  of  the 
laird  of  Drum,  and  by  her  he  had  an  only  daughter. 
Margaret  was  a  lady  of  great  attractions,  and  poetically 
commemorated  as  "  bonny  Peggie  Irvine."  She  died  in 
1664.  Afterward  the  Earl  married  Elizabeth  Lyon,  a 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Kinghorn,  by  whom  he  had 
three  sons  and  one  daughter.  The  Earl  was  a  man  of 
great  energy,  and  occasionally  indulged  in  writing  verses. 
Several  of  his  pieces  occur  in  manuscript  collections  of 
this  period,  and  he  produced  a  satire  on  the  Duke  of 
Lauderdale.     He  died  in  1681. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Charles,  second 
Earl  of  Aboyne.  He  died  in  1702,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  John,  third  Earl  of  Aboyne.  He  married 
Grace,  a  daughter  of  Sir  George  Lockhart  of  Carnwath,  a 
well-known  Jacobite,  and  a  keen  opponent  of  the  Union. 
The  Earl  joined  in  Mar's  Rising  in  171 5,  which  involved 
him  in  many  difficulties.  He  died  in  1732.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Charles,  a  boy  of  six  years,  fourth 
Earl  of  Aboyne. 

The  Earl  had  acquired  strong  Jacobite  feelings,  and 
probably  he  would  have  joined  the  Rising  of  1745,  if  his 
friends  had  not  wisely  conveyed  him  to  Paris  under 
colour  of  completing  his  education.  On  attaining  his 
majority,  he  found  the  property  heavily  burdened,  and  in 
order  to  clear  off  the  debt,  in  1749  he  sold  the  Glenmuick 
portion  to  John  Farquharson  of  Invercauld.  He  then 
became  afraid  that,  owing  to  the  limits  of  his  estates,  he 
would  be  unable  to  live  in  Scotland,  and  sent  his  baggage 
to  Paris,  intending  shortly  to  follow  and  live  abroad.    His 


ABOYNE.  137 

love  for  the  land  of  his  birth,  however,  prevailed,  and  he 
ordered  his  baggage  to  be  brought  back. 

He  then  earnestly  directed  his  attention  to  the  im- 
provement of  his  lands.  He  planted  woods,  erected 
about  forty  miles  of  stone  fences  five  feet  in  height,  and 
induced  his  tenants  to  adopt  improved  means  of  agricul- 
ture ;  and  he  soon  cleared  the  lands  of  debt.  In  1759  he 
married  Margaret  Stewart,  a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of 
Galloway,  and  by  her  he  had  a  son  and  two  daughters. 
She  died  at  Aboyne  Castle,  on  the  12th  of  August,  1762. 
In  1774,  the  Earl  married  Mary  Douglas,  a  daughter  of 
James,  ninth  Earl  of  Morton,  and  by  her  he  had  a  son. 
After  a  very  active  and  upright  life,  he  died  at  Edinburgh, 
on  the  28th  of  December,  1794,  in  the  sixty-eighth  year 
of  his  age. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  George,  fifth 
Earl  of  Aboyne.  In  1791,  he  married  Catherine,  a 
daughter  of  Sir  Charles  Hope  of  Brewern,  and  by  her  he 
had  issue,  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  In  181 5  he  was 
created  a  British  peer  under  the  title  of  Baron  Meldrum 
of  Morven,  and  in  virtue  of  this  he  sat  in  the  House  of 
Lords.  On  the  death  of  George,  fifth  Duke  of  Gordon, 
and  eighth  Marquis  of  Huntly,  in  1836,  the  Earl  of 
Aboyne  succeeded  to  the  title  of  Marquis  of  Huntly. 
The  Marquis  died  on  the  17th  of  June,  1853,  at  the  great 
age  of  ninety-two  years. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Charles  Gordon, 
tenth  Marquis  of  Huntly.  In  1844,  he  married  Mary 
Antoinette,  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  P.  W.  Pegus,  by  whom 
he  had  issue  seven  sons  and  seven  daughters.  He  died 
on  the  1 8th  of  September,  1863,  in  the  seventy-first  year 
of  his  age,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  the 
present  Marquis  of  Huntly. 


Chapter  XIII. 
TULLICH— BALLATER. 

The  real  Highland  stretch  of  the  Valley  commences  at 
the  moor  of  Dinnet,  thence  upward  the  mountains  con- 
tinuously rise  in  elevation  ;  while  the  Dee  itself  emerges 
from  the  Highlands  by  the  narrow  Pass  of  Cambus  o' 
May.  The  general  aspects  of  the  Valley  are  mountainous 
and  woody,  ridges  and  hills  rising  in  elevation  as  they 
recede  from  the  river.  On  the  south  side  the  highest 
mountains  are  Mount  Keen  and  Lochnagar,  which  are 
a  considerable  distance  off;  and  the  intervening  space 
between  them  and  the  river  presents  a  fine  succession  of 
hills  and  ridges,  which  are  partly  covered  with  natural 
woods  and  bushes,  and  planted  trees.  On  the  north  side 
the  highest  mountains  are  Culblean  and  Morven,  and  a 
succession  of  lower  hills  and  ridges.  From  Cambus  o' 
May  northward  along  the  eastern  slopes  of  Culblean  and 
Morven,  far  up  the  crags  and  hill  sides,  and  uncultivated 
ground,  natural  birch,  alder,  juniper  bushes,  and  scots  fir 
are  found.  The  margins  of  the  river  from  Cambus  o'  May 
to  the  water  of  Gairn  are  fringed  with  natural  birch,  ash, 
alder,  and  aspen  trees.  The  woods  of  Tullich,  Monaltrie 
House,  and  Craigendarroch  consist  of  a  variety  of 
different  kinds  of  trees. 

The  railway  station  of  Cambus  o'  May  stands  on  a 
beautiful  spot  at  the  base  of  Culblean  amid  a  grove  of 
natural  birches  and  close  to  the  edge  of  the  Dee.       The 


TULLICH.  13& 

beauty    of    Cambus    o'    May    has   been   celebrated   in 
poetry : — 

*'  Ye  may  wander  at  will,  from  the  sea  to  Glen  Lui, 

The  grey  Silver  City  to  heath  clad  Braemar  ; 
Seek  shelter  and  silence,  on  stern  Ben  Muich  Dhui, 

Or  woo  the  wild  grandeur  of  dark  Lochnagar  : 
Yet  ne'er  in  your  roaming,  from  morn -break  till  gloaming, 

Shall  scene  more  endearing  ere  lighten  the  way, 
Than  where  the  Dee  gliding,  through  beauty  abiding, 

Salutes  with  soft  murmur  sweet  Gammas  O'May. 


The  breezes  blow  round  me  from  steep  Cragendarra' ; 

The  owrecome  o'  sangs  I  hae  gladsomely  sung ; 
I  hear  the  loud  pibroch,  nae  music  can  marrow 

Save  the  soul-warming  thrill  o'  my  auld  mither  tongue  : 
I  hae  rowed  o'er  the  ferry,  for  hazel  and  berry. 

Sailed  aften  sinsyne  across  ocean  and  bay  ; 
But  thocht  ne're  would  sever  from  Dee,  childhood's  river. 

And  hours  I  hae  spent  at  sweet  Gammas  O'May."  ' 

Westward  from  the  station  are  the  ruins  of  the  old  church 
and  graveyard  of  Tullich.  The  church  was  dedicated  to 
St.  Nathalan,  and  the  churches  of  Glenmuick  and 
Glengairn  were  vicarages  belonging  to  Tullich.  The 
ruins  of  the  old  church  present  some  features  of  antiquity, 
and  it  was  probably  erected  about  the  middle  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  Within  the  walls  of  the  church  is  the 
burial  ground  of  the  Farquharsons  of  Whitehouse  and 
Shiels.  To  the  eastward  of  the  old  church,  on  a  birch- 
clad  eminence,  there  is  an  obelisk  of  Aberdeen  granite, 
erected  by  his  widow,  to  the  memory  of  William 
Farquharson  of  Monaltrie,  who  died  on  the  28th  of 
November,  1828.  She  died  in  1857,  and  was  interred 
in  Tullich  Churchyard. 

Francis  Farquharson  of  Monaltrie,   locally  known  as 
Baron    Ban,  joined   the   Rising   of   1745.     He   led  the 

I  Under  Lochnagar,  p.  i6o. 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Farquharsons  at  the  battle  of  Culloden,  where  he  was 
taken  prisoner,  conveyed  to  London,  tried,  and  condemn- 
ed to  death  ;  but  he  received  a  reprieve,  and  afterwards 
a  pardon.  His  estates,  however,  were  confiscated ; 
although  after  the  passing  of  the  Act  for  restoring  the 
forfeited  estates  in  1784,  Mr.  Farquharson  received  his 
lands  on  the  payment  of  ;^i6i3.  He  was  a  very  liberal- 
minded  and  enterprising  landlord,  and  did  much  for  the 
improvement  of  the  district  by  erecting  bridges  and 
forming  roads.  Mr.  Farquharson  also  utilised  the  mineral 
springs  at  Pannanich,  which  are  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  where  he  erected  dwelling-houses,  and 
public  and  private  bathrooms.  He  died  in  1790.  The 
wells  of  Pannanich  became  famous  for  curing  certain 
maladies,  and  many  persons  resorted  to  them.  They  lie 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Dee  nearly  two  miles  below 
Ballater,  and  in  1842  the  following  notice  of  them  was 
given  in  the  "  Statistical  account"  : — "  By  chemical 
analysis  these  wells,  four  in  number,  and  all  near  to  one 
another,  have  been  found  not  exactly  alike  in  their 
properties,  but  all  containing  carbonates  of  iron  and  lime, 
with  small  proportions  of  other  ingredients.  They  are 
all  chalybeate,  stimulant,  and  tonic,  of  a  cold  temperature, 
but  very  agreeable  to  the  taste  ;  and  although  injurious 
to  consumptive  patients,  they  are  allowed  to  be  bene- 
ficial to  those  afflicted  with  gravelly  and  scrofulous 
complaints.  For  the  accommodation  of  water  drinkers, 
there  are  comfortable,  well-aired  lodgings  at  those  wells, 
and  also  hot,  cold,  and  shower  baths  ;  and  in  the  summer 
season  a  great  many  people  resort  to  them  from  all  parts 
of  the  country."  The  establishment  in  connection  with 
the  wells  is  still  carried  on,  and  in  the  summer  season  a 


TULLICH.  141 

vehicle  runs  between  it  and  Ballater.  There  is  a  very 
nice  hamlet  at  Pannanich. 

The  old  village  of  Tullich  stood  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  church  ;  and  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century  it  was  the  capital  of  the  district,  where 
the  post-office  and  inn  were  located,  and  in  which  the 
weaver,  shoemaker,  and  tailor  had  their  workshops  ;  but 
the  success  of  Pannanich  suggested  the  idea  of  commenc- 
ing to  build  at  Ballater ;  hence  the  origin  of  this  thriving 
burgh,  which  soon  outstript  its  older  neighbour. 

A  few  yards  to  the  west  of  the  ruins  of  the  old  church,, 
the  Burn  of  Tullich  is  crossed  by  a  bridge,  and  from  this 
standpoint  a  grand  view  of  the  surrounding  mountains 
and  scenery  is  presented  to  the  eye.  Indeed,  the  entrance 
to  the  Highlands  of  Braemar  by  the  Pass  of  Ballater 
presents  many  features  of  surpassing  variety  and  sublim- 
ity. The  greatest  artist  could  produce  but  an  imperfect 
representation  of  the  landscapes,  which  in  turn  attract 
the  eye  of  the  beholder.  Who  could  paint  the  distant 
mountains,  rising  in  rugged  grandeur  over  the  peak  of 
the  range  of  green  hills,  with  its  scarred  front  dazzling 
dim  in  the  sunshine  that  throws  its  fissures  into  deep 
shade  ?  "A  magnificent  mass,  truly,  is  Lochnagar,  as 
many  a  one  has  felt,  and  said  before  now.  It  may  not  be 
the  king  of  Scottish  mountains,  but  at  this  moment,  at 
least,  I  am  almost  inclined  to  accord  it  that  pre-eminence. 
There  are  higher  mountains  in  Scotland,  but  mere  height 
hardly  merits  supremacy." '  But  Lochnagar  does  not 
alone  form  the  scene.  From  its  broad  mass  and  pictur- 
esque outline  there  is  a  continuous  lower  range  of  moun- 
tains, and,  intervening  between  us  and  its  base,  a  beautiful 

I  Dr.  MacGillivray's  Deeside,  p.  32. 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

green  range  of  hills.  Stretching  out  before  us  is  the 
plain  of  Ballater,  presenting  cultivated  fields  and  thickets 
of  birch.  "  On  this  side  of  it  is  a  long  rugged  range  of 
granite  hills,  the  furthest  of  which  seems  to  have  been 
rent  by  an  earthquake,  leaving  the  deep  gap,  called  the 
Pass  of  Ballater."  The  river  sweeps  along  the  base  of  the 
steep  banks,  covered  with  weeping  birches  and  firs,  and 
winds  round  the  promontory  and  into  the  plain. 

Near  the  Bridge  of  Tullich  the  road  divides  into  two, 
one  road  going  direct  through  the  Pass  of  Ballater,  and 
the  other  passing  through  the  burgh  of  Ballater.  Until 
recently  the  road  through  the  Pass  of  Ballater  was  the 
only  entrance  to  the  Braemar  Highlands.  The  Pass  is  a 
a  deep  and  narrow  gorge,  with  Craigendarroch  on  its 
south  side,  and  Creagant-Seabhaig  on  the  north,  and  these 
two  craggy  heights  rise  very  steeply  on  either  side  of  the 
gorge.  It  forms  an  exceedingly  curious  and  picturesque 
feature  of  the  scenery. 

The  burgh  of  Ballater  is  situated  in  a  fine  plain  on 
the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  at  an  elevation  of  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  sea  level,  and  amid  beautiful 
scenery.  The  Dee  sweeps  round  in  a  curving  form,  and 
encompasses  the  west  and  south  sides  of  the  plain  on 
which  the  town  stands  ;  while  the  rocky,  precipitous,  and 
well-wooded  hill  of  Craigendarroch  shelters  it  on  the 
north.  As  the  town  is  of  comparatively  recent  origin, 
none  of  the  houses  are  old,  the  greater  part  of  it  having 
been  built  in  the  present  century.  The  town  is  laid  out 
on  a  regular  plan  :  the  streets  and  lanes  cross  the  main 
street  at  right  angles,  in  so  far  as  the  original  plan  has 
been  carried  out ;  but  quite  recently  new  terraces  and 
streets  have  been  formed,  and  houses  built  on  them.       A 


BALLATER.  143 

considerable  number  of  excellent  villas  and  cottages 
have  also  been  erected  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
burgh.  The  Parish  Church  stands  in  the  square,  and  was 
built  in  1875.  It  is  a  pretty,  large,  and  chaste  structure, 
with  a  spire  and  a  clock  in  it.  The  Free  Church  is  at 
the  north-west  side  of  the  town,  and  is  a  pretty,  handsome 
building.  The  Albert  Memorial  Hall  is  opposite  the 
Railway  Station,  and  it  contains  the  Post  and  Telegraph 
Offices,  a  Library,  which  contains  a  considerable  number 
of  well-selected  and  important  works  ;  a  reading  room, 
and  a  billiard  room.  This  building  was  erected  by  Mr. 
Alexander  Gordon,  London,  a  native  of  the  parish,  and 
cost  a  sum  of  about  ^^3000.  The  Barracks  lie  at  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  town,  and  were  erected  to 
accommodate  the  Queen's  guard  of  honour  when  Her 
Majesty  is  at  Balmoral.  The  Invercauld  Arms — a  large 
hotel — is  at  the  south-east  end  of  the  town,  on  the  north 
bank  of  the  river.  There  is  also  a  Temperance  Hotel 
near  the  Square. 

In  1842  the  population  of  the  village  of  Ballater  was 
271.  It  had  then  a  circulating  library  and  a  savings 
bank.  In  1875  the  population  had  increased  to  400;  and 
the  population  of  the  town  now  exceeds  1000,  and  is  still 
rapidly  increasing.  Since  1863  the  town  has  been 
lighted  with  gas  ;  and  it  is  now  supplied  with  pure  spring 
water  from  a  reservoir  on  the  slope  of  Glengairn.  A  few 
years  ago  the  inhabitants  adopted  the  Police  Act,  and  the 
burgh  of  Ballater  has  its  own  Provost,  Magistrates,  and 
municipal  organisation.  The  sanitary  arrangements  are 
excellent ;  the  burgh  has  a  clean  appearance,  bracing  air, 
and  the  aspect  of  health  and  comfort. 

At  Ballater,  on   the  26th  of  September,   1876,  Her 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Majesty  the  Queen  presented  new  Colours  to  the  Royal 
Scots  Regiment  of  Foot.  On  the  occasion  the  Queen  said : 
— "I  have  been  associated  with  your  Regiment  from  my 
earliest  infancy,  as  my  dear  father  was  your  Colonel,  I 
now  present  these^,  Colours  to  you,  convinced  that  you 
will  always  uphold  the  glory  and  reputation  of  my  First 
Regiment  of  Foot — the  Royal  Scots." 

Monaltrie  House  stands  on  a  fine  lawn  at  the  base  of 
the  south-east  extremity  of  Craigendarroch,  about  half-a- 
mile  from  Ballater.  It  is  well  sheltered  by  old  oak  trees, 
and  the  grounds  are  intersected  with  charming  walks. 
The  lands  and  the  house  now  belong  to  Mr.  Farquharson 
of  Invercauld. 

Craigendarroch  Lodge  is  on  the  western  slope  of  this 
hill,  a  short  distance  from  Ballater.  It  belongs  to  Mr. 
J.  M.  Keiller,  Dundee,  who  purchased  the  estate  of 
Morven.  Along  the  south-western  slope  and  the  base  of 
Craigendarroch,  a  number  of  fine  villas  and  cottages  have 
recently  been  erected 

Opposite  to  Ballater  a  bridge  spans  the  Dee,  but  the 
bridges  at  this  point  have  been  very  unfortunate.  An 
excellent  stone  bridge  of  five  arches  was  swept  away  by  a 
high  flood  in  August,  1799.  Another  massive  stone  bridge 
of  five  arches  was  shortly  after  erected,  which  cost  nearly 
;^5000.  It  stood  till  the  great  flood  of  August,  1829,  and 
had  it  not  been  that  a  great  quantity  of  trees  and  brush- 
wood and  other  debris  brought  down  by  the  flood  blocked 
up  the  arches  the  bridge  would  have  stood  ;  but  the 
arches  became  so  jammed  with  wood  and  other  things, 
including  cattle,  sheep,  pigs,  and  poultry,  that  the  water 
was  dammed  up  to  such  a  height  that  nothing  could 
withstand  it.        A  loud   crack  was  heard,  instantly  the 


BALLATER.  145 

strong  masonry  was  seen  to  sway,  and  with  a  crash  like 
thunder  the  material  burst  into  pieces,  and  was  hurled 
into  the  river.  In  1834  a  strong  wooden  bridge  of  five 
arches  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  former  stone  one, 
which  cost  upwards  of  ;^2000  ;  but  it  has  been  superseded 
by  a  new  granite  bridge  erected  on  the  same  site. 

This  locality  is  remarkable  for  the  notable  musicians 
associated  with  it.  Francis  Gordon  was  born  in  this 
neighbourhood  on  the  7th  of  November,  1773.  He  was 
an  excellent  violin-player,  and  a  man  of  reputation. 
James  M.  Cattanach  was  born  in  Glengairn  in  1779.  He 
was  a  noted  violinist,  a  composer,  and  a  dancing  master. 
He  died  in  1839. 

James  Ross  was  born  in  the  later  part  of  the  last 
century,  and  resided  in  Tullich.  He  was  a  violin-player 
of  note  in  his  day  :  and  he  had  three  sons,  all  of  whom 
were  violinists.  James,  born  in  Tullich  on  the  4th  of 
December,  1818,  was  a  celebrated  violin-player.  He 
often  played  with  the  famous  Archibald  Menzies.  Ross 
especially  excelled  in  playing  reels  and  strathspeys;  his 
style  was  very  stirring.  He  died  at  Edinburgh  in  1882. 
His  brother,  John,  was  born  in  Tullich  on  the  12th  of 
January,  181 5.  He  was  a  good  violinist,  and  often  played 
on  public  occasions.  William,  another  brother,  was  a 
violin-player  of  note. 

George  Stewart  was  born  near  Ballater  on  the  4th  of 
December,  1793.  He  was  an  excellent  violin-player.  In 
1850  he  went  to  Australia,  where  he  died  in  1866.  Rev. 
James  M'Naughton  was  born  at  Ballater  on  the  17th  of 
September,  1835.  He  was  a  fine  violin-player;  and 
he  died  at  Aberdeen  on  the  25th  of  October,  1879. 
John  Knowles  was  born  at  Ballater  on  the  5th  of 
L 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

October,  1865.  He  is  a  popular  player  and  teacher  of 
music. 

Alexander  Littlejohn  was  born  in  Glenmuick,  on  the 
20th  of  December,  1854.  He  is  a  good  violin-player,  and 
is  the  eldest  of  six  brothers,  all  of  whom  are  musicians  : — 
William  plays  the  violin  and  cornet,  John  plays  the  violin, 
Charles  the  flute,  James  the  violincello,  and  Andrew  the 
violin.  They  have  occasionally  played  at  the  Queen's 
balls  at  Balmoral,  and  at  other  gentlemen's  balls  in  the 
surrounding  district ;  and  their  services  are  often  in 
request. 

Alexander  Troup  was  born  at  Dalbadgie,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Ballater,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1835.  He  is  an 
excellent  musician — a  violinist  and  musicographer.  He 
has  often  acted  as  a  judge  at  pipe  and  violin  competitions ; 
has  a  wide  and  accurate  knowledge  of  the  works  of 
Scottish  violin  composers ;  and  possesses  a  valuable 
collection  of  works  on  Scottish  music  and  musicians.  He 
is  esteemed  as  one  of  the  highest  living  authorities  upon 
all  points  relating  to  Scottish  music.  He  has  played  on 
various  occasions  at  Balmoral.  He  is  also  a  good  vocal 
musician.  In  his  twenty-first  year,  he  led  the  psalmody 
in  the  church  of  Crathie  before  Her  Majesty  the  Queen. 
He  is  a  man  of  rare  gifts  and  energy.  His  elder 
brother,  James,  who  went  to  Australia,  is  also  a  fine  violin 
player.' 


I  Musical  Scotland  Past  and  Present.      By  David  Baptie,  1894. 


Chapter  XIV. 
GLENMUICK. 

The  Water  of  Muick  is  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of 
the  Dee  from  the  south  side  of  the  Valley,  while 
Glenmuick  itself  contains  very  fine,  diversified,  and 
sublime  scenery.  In  its  lower  part  the  Glen  is  pretty 
wide. 

The  water  of  Muick  is  spanned  by  a  stone  bridge,  a 
little  above  its  junction  with  the  Dee.  Near  the  bridge 
the  manse  of  the  united  parish  stands  on  a  beautiful  spot. 
The  Churchyard  of  Glenmuick  is  at  the  north-west  end  of 
the  bridge,  and  the  old  church  stood  in  the  graveyard, 
and  was  dedicated  to  St.  Mary,  but  not  a  vestige  of  it 
now  remains.  The  burial  ground  of  the  Gordons  of 
Abergeldie  is  in  the  churchyard,  enclosed  with  an  iron 
railing,  and  within  it  is  a  square  monument  with  inscrip- 
tions, to  the  memory  of  several  members  of  the  family. 

At  a  very  early  period  the  lands  of  Glenmuick  were 
under  the  Mormaers  of  Mar,  and  afterwards  the  old 
Celtic  Earls  of  Mar  :  but  gradually  the  central  authority 
on  the  banks  of  the  Tay,  at  Scone,  encroached  upon  the 
Earl's  Kingdom.  From  1125  to  1286  the  Scottish  Kings 
greatly  extended  their  power  by  grants  of  lands  to 
bishoprics,  monasteries,  and  churches  ;  and  also  by  grants 
of  lands  to  new  Crown  vassals  under  feudal  tenure.  Thus 
it  was  that  the  Bisset  family  became  the  landlords  of 
Glenmuick  in  the  thirteenth  century.  They  were  super- 
seded   by   the    Eraser    family,  and,  after  a  generation, 


148  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Glenmuick  passed,  by  marriage,  to  Sir  William  Keith, 
Great  Marischal  of  Scotland.  The  Keiths  held  it  for 
about  seventy  years,  but  the  grasping  Duke  of  Albany, 
when  Regent  of  Scotland,  attempted  to  deprive  them  of 
these  lands,  in  favour  of  his  own  kin,  the  Earl  of  Buchan. 
In  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century,  the  lands  of 
Glenmuick  passed,  by  marriage,  into  the  hands  of  the 
Earl  of  Huntly. 

As  stated  in  a  preceding  chapter,  Glenmuick  was  pur- 
chased by  John  Farquharson  of  Invercauld  from  the 
Earl  of  Aboyne.  In  1863  the  south-east  side  of 
Glenmuick  was  purchased  from  Farquharson  of  Invercauld 
by  the  late  Sir  James  T.  Mackenzie,  Bart,  but  the  left  or 
west  side  of  Glenmuick  is  now  attached  to  the  Balmoral 
estates,  the  lands  of  Birkhall  having  been  purchased  for 
the  Prince  of  Wales  from  Gordon  of  Abergeldie. 

The  old  Castle  of  Braickley  stood  on  the  east  side  of 
the  glen,  but  scarcely  a  fragment  of  it  now  remains.  It 
was  occupied  by  a  Gordon  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and 
some  traditions  are  associated  with  it.  A  story  is  told  of 
an  encounter  between  the  Baron  of  Braickley  and 
Farquharson  of  Inverey,  in  which  the  former  was  slain. 
There  is  also  a  ballad  which  gives  an  account  of  a  con- 
flict between  the  Farquharsons  and  the  Gordons,  when  a 
Baron  of  Braickley  is  said  to  have  been  killed.  The 
modern  house  of  Braickley  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  site  of 
the  old  castle. 

The  ruins  of  the  old  Castle  of  Knock  stand  on  an 
eminence  amid  trees,  on  the  west  side  of  the  glen,  a  short 
distance  above  the  bridge  of  Muick.  The  ruins  show 
that  it  had  been  a  keep  of  considerable  strength.  From 
its  elevated  position  it  commands  a  wide  view  of  the 


GLENMUICK.  149 

surrounding  country;  but  a  much  earlier  tower  once  existed 
near  the  same  site.  Alexander,  the  third  Earl  of  Huntly, 
appointed  one  of  his  own  sons  to  the  command  of  Knock 
Castle.  George,  the  fourth  Earl  of  Huntly,  granted  the 
lands  and  Castle  of  Knock  to  a  brother  of  the  laird  of 
Abergeldie,  a  kinsman  of  his  own.  A  feud  arose  between 
the  Gordons  and  the  Forbeses,  and  after  the  battle  of 
Corrichie,  in  1 562,  it  became  more  embittered.  Conflicts 
took  place  between  the  Gordons  of  Abergeldie  and  the 
Forbeses  of  Strathgirnock,  whose  lands  intervened 
between  Knock  and  Abergeldie.  In  1571,  a  fight 
between  the  Gordons  and  the  Forbeses,  led  by  the  laird 
of  Strathgirnock,  occurred  at  the  Crabstane,  Aberdeen,  in 
which  Alister  Gordon  took  Forbes  a  prisoner.  He  was 
conveyed  to  Auchindoun,  and  imprisoned  in  Sir  Adam 
Gordon's  Castle  on  Glenfiddich.  After  a  time  Forbes 
was  liberated  ;  but  the  feud  continued. 

Henry  Gordon  of  Knock  was  killed  in  a  raid  by  a 
company  of  the  Forbeses  and  the  Clan  Chattan.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother,  Alexander  Gordon,  who,  about 
the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century,  erected  the 
Castle  of  Knock,  the  ruins  of  which  still  remain.  It  ap- 
pears, however,  that  he  did  not  live  long  in  peace. 
According  to  tradition,  his  seven  sons  were  casting  peats 
one  day,  and  quite  unaware  of  any  hostile  movement, 
when  a  party  of  the  Forbeses  led  by  Strathgirnock,  sud- 
denly attacked  and  slew  them.  Their  father,  on  receiving 
tidings  of  this,  was  completely  unnerved,  and  when 
leaning  on  the  banister  of  the  stair,  he  fell  over  it  and 
was  killed.  Forbes  was  summarily  condemned,  and 
executed  in  his  own  house.  His  lands  were  then  added 
to  Abergeldie,  and  while  Knock  Castle  continued  to  be 


150  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

inhabited  it  was  a  seat  of  the  Abergeldie  family,  or  oc- 
cupied by  some  members  of  that  family. 

About  a  mile  further  up  the  glen,  and  on  the  west  side^ 
Birkhall  House  stands  on  a  fine  site  amid  trees  and  near 
the  bank  of  the  stream.  It  is  a  plain  three-storey  house, 
but  its  charming  and  serene  surroundings  render  it  a 
desirable  residence.  It  was  erected  in  171 5,  but  it  was 
subsequently  enlarged. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  glen  the  late  Sir  James  T. 
Mackenzie,  Bart, erected  Glenmuick  House  in  1873.  It  lies 
on  a  beautiful  situation  amid  extensive  plantations,  and 
from  Ballater  it  presents  an  exceedingly  attractive  appear- 
ance. It  is  built  of  granite,and  forms  three  sides  of  a  square^ 
and  the  north  wing  is  surmounted  by  a  very  thick  tower, 
seventy-five  feet  in  height  ;  but  this  massive  structure,  on 
a  near  view,  looks  extremely  heavy.  Sir  James  erected 
an  Episcopal  church  in  1875,  called  St.  Nathalan's,  which 
stands  within  the  grounds  a  little  below  the  mansion 
house ;  and  beside  the  church  he  built  a  vault  in  which 
the  remains  of  several  members  of  the  family  are  interred. 
Sir  James  T.  Mackenzie  was  a  son  of  a  silk  mercer  in 
Aberdeen,  and  he  made  money  abroad.  He  died  very 
rich,  leaving  an  elaborate  will,  which  in  coming  genera- 
tions may  give  work  to  lawyers  and  Courts.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son.  Sir  Allan  Mackenzie. 

The  glen  is  almost  continuously  wooded  to  the  Royal 
lodge  of  Alltnaguibhsaich.  About  five  miles  up,  the  glen 
becomes  narrow,  and  the  scenery  varied  and  beautiful. 
At  the  falls  of  Muick  the  hills  that  bound  the  glen 
approach  each  other  on  either  side,  and  form  a  craggy 
pass,  where  the  stream  falls  over  a  slanting  rock  in  two 
currents,  forming  a  cascade  of  forty  feet  in  height,  and  at 


GLENMUICK.  151 

its  bottom  a  deep,  eddying  pool  is  formed,  with  a  rocky 
wall  on  the  southern  side,  and  on  its  shelves  and  recesses 
several  trees  and  a  variety  of  plants.  The  Fall  is  very 
beautiful,  and  the  scene  charming  and  picturesque. 

Proceeding  upward,  the  glen  widens  out,  and  about  a 
mile  above  the  Falls,  is  the  small  farm  of  Inschnabobart, 
the  only  cultivated  land  now  in  this  stretch  of  the  glen. 
A  mile  further  up  stands  the  sequestered  Lodge  ot 
Alltnaguibhsaich,  which  belongs  to  Her  Majesty  the 
Queen,  It  was  built  in  the  life-time  of  the  late  Prince 
Consort.  The  lodge  consists  of  two  large  rooms  and 
six  or  seven  bedrooms.  It  is  well  sheltered  by  plantations, 
and  is  an  exceedingly  picturesque  and  charming  spot.  It 
is  on  the  Abergeldie  estate,  and  the  Gordons  had  a 
cottage  here  previous  to  the  erection  of  the  present 
lodge.     Loch  Muick  is  a  mile  above  the  lodge. 

The  loch  is  1310  feet  above  sea  level.  It  is  over  two 
miles  in  length  and  half-a-mile  in  breadth,  and  in  some 
parts  it  is  sixty  fathoms  in  depth.  It  is  a  fine  sheet  of 
water,  covering  an  area  of  960  acres.  It  has  one  islet. 
The  loch  occupies  the  upper  part  of  a  narrow  plain,  and 
it  is  bounded  on  the  northern  side,  by  a  steep  scarred 
bank  formed  by  a  spur  of  Lochnagar,  and  on  the  southern 
side  by  a  high  ridge,  with  a  deep  gap  in  the  middle  and 
precipices  near  the  lower  end.  On  both  sides  of  the  loch 
there  are  trees  and  bushes,  chiefly  in  crevices  and  by  the 
rills  which  rush  down  the  ribs  of  the  hills.  The  trees 
consist  mostly  of  birch,  aspen,  alder,  rowan,  and  some 
willows.  For  its  sequestered  aspect,  grandeur,  and  sub- 
limity, combined  with  its  picturesqueness,  the  scenery  of 
Loch  Muick  is  unsurpassed  anywhere  in  Scotland.  Her 
Majesty  the  Queen  refers  to  it,  and  is  a  great  admirer  of 
Highland  scenery. 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

The  Glasallt  Shiel  is  near  the  upper  end  of  the  loch, 
on  the  bank  of  the  Glasallt  Burn  at  its  entrance  into  the 
loch.  It  was  erected  for  the  Queen  in  1868,  and  is  the 
most  remote  and  sequestered  of  Her  Majesty's  Highland 
residences.  It  is  a  chaste  structure  of  two  storeys,  sur- 
rounded by  fir  trees,  mostly  planted  since  it  was  built. 
The  Glasallt  Burn  rises  near  the  summit  of  Lochnagar. 
Half-a-mile  above  its  entrance  into  the  loch,  the  burn  has 
a  grand  and  beautiful  Fall  over  granite  rocks  ;  the  Falls 
are  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height. 

From  the  Glasallt  Shiel  to  Loch  Dubh,  a  distance  of 
nearly  two  miles,  the  water  of  Muick  flows  amid  grand 
scenery.  On  both  sides  of  the  stream  the  mountains  rise 
steep  and  high,  and  present  magnificent  aspects.  Loch 
Dubh  is  2091  feet  above  sea  level,  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
in  length,  and  covers  an  area  of  sixty  acres.  Two  high 
mountains  encompass  the  loch  on  the  south  and  south- 
west, which  present  great  granite  rocks  and  precipices 
overhanging  the  sheet  of  water  ;  at  the  highest  point  their 
perpendicular  height  is  eight  hundred  feet ;  the  rocks  on 
the  north-east  side  of  the  loch  are  not  so  steep,  and  do 
not  come  so  near  the  edge  of  the  water.  There  are  plenty 
of  trouts  in  Loch  Dubh.  On  the  Lochnagar  group  of 
mountains  there  are  other  lochlets  and  great  corries. 

A  very  extensive  view  of  the  surrounding  country  is 
obtained  from  the  summit  of  Lochnagar.  A  number  of 
persons  have  recorded  the  extent  of  their  view  from  this 
elevated  point.  I  will  quote  Dr.  Macgillivray,  who  says 
his  view  extended  : — "  As  far  as  the  Lothians,  Stirlingshire, 
the  southern  Grampians,  many  of  the  Perthshire  moun- 
tains, those  of  the  upper  extremity  of  Aberdeenshire, 
beyond  them    some   of  the   great    prominences  of   the 


GLENMUICK.  153 

counties  of  Argyll  and  Inverness  ;  ridges  and  hills  even 
beyond  the  Moray  Firth,  as  well  as  the  lower  eastern 
tracts,  extending  to  Aberdeen." ' 

It    seems    appropriate    to    close   this    chapter   with 
Byron's  poem  on  Lochnagar — 

Away,  ye  gay  landscapes,  ye  gardens  of  roses  ! 

In  you  let  the  minions  of  luxury  rove  ; 
Restore  me  the  rocks  where  the  snow-flake  reposes, 

Though  still  they  are  sacred  to  freedom  and  love. 
Yet,  Caledonia,  beloved  are  thy  mountains, 

Round  their  white  summits  though  elements  war  ; 
Though  cataracts  foam  'stead  of  smooth  flowing  fountains, 

I  sigh  for  the  valley  of  dark  Lochnagar. 

Ah  !  there  my  young  footsteps  in  infancy  wander'd. 

My  cap  was  the  bonnet,  my  cloak  was  the  plaid ; 
On  chieftains  long  perish'd  my  memory  pondered. 

As  daily  I  strode  through  the  pine-cover'd  glade  ; 
I  sought  not  my  home  till  the  day's  dying  glory 

Gave  place  to  the  rays  of  the  bright  Polar  star  ; 
For  fancy  was  cheer'd  by  traditional  story. 

Disclosed  by  the  natives  of  dark  Lochnagar. 

*'  Shades  of  the  dead  !  have  I  not  heard  your  voices 

Rise  on  the  night-rolling  breath  of  the  gale?  " 
Surely  the  soul  of  the  hero  rejoices. 

And  rides  on  the  wind  o'er  his  own  Highland  vale. 
Round  Lochnagar  while  the  stormy  mist  gathers, 

Winter  presides  in  his  cold  icy  car  ; 
Clouds  there  encircle  the  forms  of  my  fathers  ; 

They  dwell  in  the  tempests  of  dark  Lochnagar. 

"  Ill-starred,  though  brave,  did  no  visions  foreboding. 

Tell  you  that  fate  had  forsaken  your  cause  ?  " 
Ah  !  were  you  destined  to  die  at  Culloden, 

Victory  crown'd  not  your  fall  with  applause  ; 
Still  were  you  happy  in  death's  earthly  slumber. 

You  rest  with  your  clan  in  the  caves  of  Braemar  ; 
The  pibroch  resounds  to  the  piper's  loud  number. 

Your  deeds  on  the  echoes  of  dark  Lochnagar. 

Years  have  rolled  on,  Lochnagar,  since  I  left  you, 

Years  must  elapse  ere  I  tread  you  again  ; 
Nature  of  verdure  and  flowers  has  bereft  you. 

Yet  still  are  you  dearer  than  Albion's  plain. 
England  !  thy  beauties  are  tame  and  domestic 

To  one  who  has  roved  o'er  the  mountains  afar  ; 
O  !  for  the  crags  that  are  wild  and  majestic — 

The  steep  frowning  glories  of  dark  Lochnagar ! 

I  Deeside,  pp.  43-46. 


Chapter  XV. 
GLENGAIRN— STRATHGIRNOCK— ABERGELDIE. 

Almost  throughout  the  stretch  of  the  Valley  from 
Ballater  to  Braemar,  the  scenery  is  charming  and  ex- 
quisitely beautiful  when  viewed  in  a  fine  summer  day  in 
all  its  variant  glories.  Hills  of  moderate  elevation  and  of 
varied  forms,  some  conical  and  round-topped,  others  of 
different  forms,  and  very  steep,  rocky  and  craggy;  and 
these  hills  are  generally  covered  for  a  considerable  way 
up  their  ribs,  and  sometimes  to  their  summits,  with  woods 
of  Scotch  fir,  birch,  and  here  and  there  several  other 
varieties  of  trees  interspersed.  The  Valley  bounded  by 
these  hills,  though  comparatively  narrow,  is  highly  cul- 
tivated or  closely  wooded,  and  through  it  the  clear  and 
beautiful  river  winds  onward  in  its  stony  bed.  Farm- 
steadings  and  cottages  appear  at  intervals  on  the  haughs 
along  the  river  side,  and  on  the  most  beautiful  and 
pleasant  sites  magnificent  mansions  attract  the  eye. 

Proceeding  upward  from  Ballater,  the  road  passes 
along  the  south-western  base  of  Craigendarroch  amid 
plantations  and  fine  villas  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  and 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  the  green-topped  Colyes 
of  Muick  appear.  A  mile  and  a  half  above  Ballater,  the 
water  of  Gairn  is  spanned  by  a  stone  bridge,  and  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  it,  this  large  stream  enters  the 
Dee. 

A  little  below  the  bridge,  on  the  east  side  of  the  water 
of  Gairn,  the  ruins  of  the  old  Church  of  Glengairn  stand 


GLENGAIRN.  155 

on  a  haugh  within  the  churchyard.  The  church  was 
dedicated  to  St.  Kentigern,  better  known  as  St  Mungo. 
Part  of  the  front  and  gable  walls  of  the  church  are  still 
standing,  and  several  ash  trees  are  growing  within  its  area. 
There  are  a  considerable  number  of  gravestones  with  in- 
scriptions in  it,  but  none  of  a  very  early  date.  The  remains 
of  some  of  the  Mackenzies  of  Dalmore  are  interred  in  it, 
and  Dalmore  was  once  the  name  of  Mar  Lodge.  There  is  a 
tradition  that  the  first  of  this  family  was  a  natural  son  of 
Kenneth,  the  ninth  Earl  of  Kintail,  who  received  a  grant 
of  Dalmore  on  account  of  the  services  of  his  father  to 
James  IV.  Several  gravestones  present  long  ages.  A 
headstone  has  the  following  inscription  to  the  memory  of 
a  Roman  Catholic  priest,  a  native  of  Glengairn  : — "  Pray 
for  the  soul  of  Lachlan  M'Intosh,  priest,  who,  having 
faithfully  discharged  the  duties  of  his  pastoral  office  in 
this  mission  of  Glengairn,  for  about  sixty-four  years,  died 
worn  out  with  age  and  infirmities,  on  the  lOth  of  March, 
1846,  in  the  ninety-third  year  of  his  age.  May  he  rest  in 
peace." 

Two  miles  above  the  bridge,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Gairn,  there  is  a  Roman  Catholic  chapel  and  mission 
house ;  and  a  little  further  up  the  glen  is  the  burial 
ground  of  Dalfad.  It  is  within  an  enclosure,  in  which  are 
the  ruins  of  an  old  Roman  Catholic  chapel.  There  are 
four  or  five  tombstones  in  it,  which  mark  the  graves  of  a 
family  of  the  name  of  M'Gregor,  who  were  proprietors  of 
the  lands  of  Dalfad  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries.  The  M'Gregor  clan  were  excessively  and 
savagely  persecuted  and  hunted  down  by  the  authority 
of  the  Government  from  the  later  part  of  the  sixteenth 
century  till  past  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth.       The 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

M'Gregors  of  Dalfad  and  other  natives  of  the  glen, 
mustered  on  a  haugh  on  the  south  side  of  the  Water  of 
Gairn  to  the  number  of  twenty-four  men,  and  marched  to 
the  Moor  of  CuUoden,  where  they  fought  for  Prince 
Charles  ;  and  eighteen  of  them  fell  on  that  fatal  field. 

About  four  miles  further  up  the  glen  is  the  burial 
ground  of  the  Macdonalds  of  Rineaton,  which  occupies  a 
rising  ground  about  half-a-mile  west  of  the  old  mansion 
house  of  Rineaton.  It  contains  half  an  acre  of  ground, 
and  is  enclosed  by  a  stone  wall,  and  surrounded  by  larch 
trees.  In  its  centre  there  is  a  square  vault  ^with  tomb- 
stones inscribed.  A  perpetual  right  to  this  burial  ground 
was  acquired  by  the  Macdonalds  for  the  payment  of  a 
nominal  feu-duty  of  i^d.  per  annum. 

The  Macdonalds  of  Rineaton  trace  their  descent  from 
the  Lord  of  the  Isles.  The  first  Macdonald  of  Rineaton 
was  taken  a  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Harlaw,  and  shortly 
after  that  event,  the  Earl  of  Mar  granted  to  him  the  lands 
of  Rineaton.  They  held  this  property  till  the  present  cen- 
tury, when  it  was  sold  by  William  Macdonald  to 
Farquharson  of  Invercauld.  The  mansion  house  of 
Rineaton  consists  of  two  storeys,  and  is  now  usually  occu- 
pied by  a  gamekeeper. 

The  quoad  sacra  church  is  about  five  miles  up  the 
glen,  and  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Gairn. 

There  is  not  much  planted  wood  in  Glengairn.  At 
the  Bridge  of  Gairn  there  are  small  clumps  of  Scotch  firs 
and  larch,  and  at  Gairnshiel,  five  miles  up  the  glen,  there 
are  belts  of  larch  ;  but  the  margins  of  the  stream  and  the 
lower  slopes  of  the  hills  are  covered  with  clusters  of 
natural  birch,  alders,  and  here  and  there  groups  of  Scotch 
firs,  rowan,  and  aspen  trees. 


GLENGAIRN.  157 

The  site  of  the  old  Castle  of  Gairn  lies  on  a  small  '  *  *^ 
eminence,  half-a-mile  north-east  from  the  bridge,  but  only  k.w>.^C^ 
small  fragments  of  its  walls  remain.  t^A-'-^  «- 

The  farm-steading  of  Abergairn  stands  on  the  east  - 
side  of  the  glen,  a  little  above  the  bridge.  In  this  locality 
it  has  been  believed  that  there  were  lead  mines.  Toward 
the  end  of  last  century  it  was  stated  in  the  old  Statistical 
Account  that  many  pieces  of  lead  had  been  found  near 
the  Castle  of  Glengairn,  and  that  "it  is  believed  there  is  a 
lead  mine  there."  Owing,  however,  to  the  expense  of 
working  it,  no  efforts  had  then  been  made  to  discover  the 
vein  of  the  metal.  Afterwards,  various  attempts  were 
made  to  open  the  lead  mines  of  Glengairn,  and  much 
labour  was  expended  by  workmen  unskilled  in  mining 
operations,  and  it  seems  that  little  result  was  obtained. 
Still  an  opinion  prevailed  that  there  were  veins  of  metal 
in  the  locality.  Twenty  years  ago,  the  Marquis  of 
Huntly  directed  investigation  and  trials  to  be  made  in 
order  to  discover  if  there  were  mineral  veins  in  the 
district.  The  Marquis  engaged  Mr.  Belt,  an  expert  in 
mining  operations,  and  a  man  of  great  experience.  Mr. 
Belt  made  a  survey  of  the  locality,  and  on  receiving  his 
report,  the  Marquis  resolved  to  mine  the  ground. 

Skilled  workmen  and  miners  were  engaged,  and 
operations  were  commenced  at  the  edge  of  a  hollow 
between  the  castle-hill  and  the  more  elevated  ridge,  just 
behind  the  farm-steading  of  Abergairn.  The  operations 
were  systematically  continued  for  a  considerable  time, 
and  at  first  gave  much  promise  of  ultimate  success.  In 
the  course  of  the  operations  several  veins  were  discovered, 
but  they  were  not  of  sufficient  richness  and  continuity,. 
and  after  considerable  expenditure,  the  enterprise  had  to 
be  abandoned. 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

There  is  a  considerable  extent  of  cultivated  land  in 
Glengairn,  chiefly  in  its  lower  stretch  ;  and  also  in  some 
parts  of  the  glen  grassy  meadows  and  stripes  of  fine 
green  pastures.  The  upper  stretch  of  the  glen  to  Loch 
Builg  is  occupied  as  a  sheep  farm. 

Five  miles  up  the  glen,  on  the  side  of  the  stream,  is 
Gairnshiel,  a  shooting-box.  Five-and-a-half  miles  further 
up  is  Corndavon  Lodge,  also  a  shooting-box,  for  the  deer 
forest  of  Ben  Avon,  belonging  to  Farquharson  of 
Invercauld.  The  lodge  is  1450  feet  above  sea  level. 
About  two-and-a-half  miles  further  up  is  Loch  Builg 
Cottage,  which  is  also  connected  with  the  shooting. 

Farquharson  of  Invercauld  is  the  chief  proprietor  of 
the  north  side  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  from  below 
Ballater  to  the  west  of  Castletown  of  Braemar,  where  the 
Duke  of  Fife's  territory  commences.  Invercauld  also 
possesses  a  considerable  stretch  of  ground  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Dee. 

Returning  to  the  Valley,  half-a-mile  beyond  the 
Bridge  of  Gairn,  the  Dee  is  spanned  by  an  elegant  sus- 
pension bridge  for  foot  passengers,  which  superseded  the 
PolhoUick  ferry-boat.  The  bridge  is  one  hundred  and 
ninety-five  feet  in  length  and  four  feet  wide.  It  was 
a  gift  from  Mr.  Alexander  Gordon,  who  was  mentioned 
in  a  preceding  chapter  as  a  benefactor  of  Ballater.  A  short 
distance  above  it,  the  burn  of  Girnock  joins  the  Dee  on 
the  south  side. 

Strathgirnock  lies  between  the  wooded  hills  of  Creag 
Phiobaidh  and  Creag  Ghiubhais,  and  the  glen  is  not  of 
great  extent.  The  tradition  connected  with  it  was 
already  noticed.  At  the  bridge  which  crosses  the 
Girnock  burn  there  is  a  small  hamlet  and  a  post-office. 


STRATHGIRNOCK.  159 

The  old  mansion  house  of  Strathgirnock  stood  at  the 
foot  of  Creag  Phiobaidh,  but  not  a  vestige  of  it  remains. 
Before  the  days  of  compulsory  and  free  education,  the 
late  Prince  Consort  was  instrumental  in  erecting  a  school 
for  boys  and  girls  at  Strathgirnock  ;  also  a  school  near 
the  village  of  Crathie,  and  another  near  Birkhall.  There 
are  a  few  farms  in  the  glen,  but  the  inhabitants  are  not 
numerous. 

Farther  westward  is  the  beautifully  wooded  hill  slop- 
ing down  to  the  river,  called  Craig-na-ban  "the  Women's 
Craig."  It  is  said  that  the  witches  were  burnt  on  its 
summit.  The  tradition  of  the  burning  of  the  witches  is, 
however,  vague  and  of  the  weird  character. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  river,  the  Coillecriech  wood, 
which  chiefly  consists  of  birch  trees,  extends  along  both 
sides  of  the  road  for  about  two  miles.  The  white  silvery 
stems  of  the  trees  are  very  beautiful.  It  is  exceedingly 
pleasant  to  traverse  a  birch  wood  in  the  morning,  inhale 
the  sweet  fragrance  of  the  trees,  and  to  listen  to  the 
charming  songs  of  the  birds  as  they  fly  from  twig  to 
twig,  rejoicing  in  the  sunshine,  and  observe  the  various 
hues  of  the  wild  flowers  which  grow  amidst  the  grass  on 
which  we  tread.  "  What  tree  is  more  graceful  than  the 
slender  birch,  which,  springing  from  a  rift  in  the  rugged 
and  lichen-patched  crag  that  overhangs  the  mountain 
torrent,  rears  its  white  stem  aloft,  and  spreads  all  around 
its  branches,  dividing  into  countless  twigs,  which  become 
more  and  more  delicate,  until  at  last  they  almost 
resemble  slender  cords,  hanging  in  separate  groups,  as  if 
drawn  down  by  the  weight  of  the  numberless  tiny  and 
glancing  leaves  that  flutter  in  the  breeze.  .  .  .  If  it 
is  associated  with  other  trees  of  native  growth,  it  will 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

appear  more  beautiful  by  contrast.  There  it  stands  in 
its  simple  beauty,  pre-eminent  among  the  dark-leaved 
alders,  and  the  light  green  bushy  hazel.  .  .  .  Glad- 
ness, and  patient  endurance,  and  quiet  sorrow  find 
sympathy  in  the  birch  or  emanate  from  it.  The  pine 
is  a  gloomy  and  stubborn  tree  ;  but  the  birch  responds 
in  its  graces  to  the  gentler  emotions." ' 

The  birch  attains  only  a  moderate  size,  seldom 
exceeding  forty  feet  in  height  and  three  feet  in  girth. 
It  grows  at  an  elevation  of  about  two  thousand  feet, 
beyond  which  it  is  succeeded  by  the  dwarf  birch.  The 
birch  tree  exhibits  many  variations  of  form  ;  its  stem  is 
generally  erect,  but  sometimes  the  stems  are  compound, 
six  or  more  rising  from  the  same  root,  crooked  and 
distorted.  They  sometimes  degenerate  into  thick 
spreading  bushes.  There  are  many  varieties  of  birch 
in  Braemar  ;  one  of  the  most  characteristic  is  called 
"  the  weeping  birch." 

The  birch  forms  a  large  portion  of  the  wood  of 
Braemar.  In  some  places  it  forms  considerable  forests, 
as  at  Coillecriech,  in  the  vicinity  of  Abergeldie,  and 
at  Balmoral,  and  one  extending  from  the  mouth  of 
Glen  Clunie  westward  between  the  Dee  and  Morrone. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  the  highest  mountain 
between  Ballater  and  Balmoral  is  Geallaig — "  the  white 
mountain  " — which  attains  an  elevation  of  two  thousand 
four  hundred  and  thirty-nine  feet.  At  its  base,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road  near  the  forty-seventh  milestone, 
there  are  some  traces  of  the  site  of  the  old  Roman 
Catholic  Chapel  of  Micras.     An  ancient  standing  stone, 

I    Dr.  Macgillivray's  Deeside,  p.  176. 


ABERGELDIE.  161 

supposed  to  have  formed  part  of  a  circle,  now  indicates 
the  site  of  the  chapel. 

A  few  small  detached  cottages  stand  on  the  lower 
slope  of  Geallaig,  called  the  village  of  Easter  Micras.  It 
is  said  that  this  village  half-a-century  ago,  presented 
a  genuine  specimen  of  a  Highland  clachan.  About  a 
mile  further  westward  is  Wester  Micras — a  similar 
collection  of  cottages.  Very  few  of  the  old  style  of  huts, 
however,  are  now  to  be  seen  ;  although  it  is  not  long 
since  they  disappeared,  as  the  following  sentence 
shows — "  More  characteristic  specimens  of  Highland 
huts  than  those  you  see  occupying  very  picturesque 
stations  on  the  hillside  at  Micras,  one  seldom  meets 
with.  .  .  .  Their  inhabitants  are  Gaelic-speaking 
Celts.'"  It  is  about  forty  years  since  the  above  was 
written,  but  a  marked  change  has  taken  place — for 
instance,  very  few  people  in  Braemar  now  speak  Gaelic, 
and  the  rising  generation  are  not  learning  it  at  all. 

The  Castle  of  Abergeldie  stands  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Dee,  and  very  near  the  edge  of  the  river.  It 
stands  east  and  west,  with  its  front  to  the  south,  and  the 
Geldie  Burn  on  the  west,  which  joins  the  Dee  a  little 
above  the  castle.  There  is  a  considerable  space  of  level 
ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  castle,  well  wooded  ; 
while  on  the  south-east  there  are  extensive  woods, 
growing  to  the  summits  of  lofty  ridges.  The  Birks  of 
Abergeldie  have  been  long  celebrated  in  song,  and 
universally  admired.  The  castle  itself  is  a  compara- 
tively plain  structure,  with  a  round  tower  ;  but  its 
picturesque  site  renders  it  a  charming  residence.  The 
Castle   and    estate   of  Abergeldie    are    leased    by    Her 

I  Dr  Macgillivray's  Deeside. 

M 


162  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Majesty  the  Queen,  from  Mr.  H.  M.  Gordon,  the  pro- 
prietor. The  Queen's  mother,  the  Duchess  of  Kent, 
occupied  the  castle  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  summer 
residence.  The  Prince  of  Wales  has  sometimes  resided 
at  Abergeldie. 

In  former  times,  communication  between  Abergeldie 
and  the  north  side  of  the  Valley  was  maintained  by  a 
cradle  worked  on  a  rope  suspended  by  posts  at  each  side 
of  the  river.  Accidents  occasionally  occurred,  and  a 
newly-married  couple,  while  crossing  the  Dee  in  the 
cradle,  were  drowned.  An  elegant  suspension  bridge 
for  foot  passengers  was  erected  by  the  Queen  in  1885. 

The  estate  of  Abergeldie,  in  early  times,  formed  a 
part  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar  ;  and  about  the  middle  of 
the  fourteenth  century,  Thomas  Gartney,  Earl  of  Mar, 
granted  the  lands  of  Abergeldie  to  Duncan,  son  of 
Roger ;  and  Duncan,  as  the  Earl's  vassal,  had  to  attend 
three  Head  Courts  annually  at  Migvie,  in  Cromar.  In 
the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century,  when  the 
Earldom  of  Mar  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown,  an 
attempt  was  made  to  reclaim  Abergeldie.  The  case 
came  before  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  Council  decided 
that  the  lands  of  Abergeldie  were  distinct  from  the 
Earldom  of  Mar. 

It  appears  that  Sir  Alexander  Gordon  of  Midmar, 
second  son  of  the  first  Earl  of  Huntly,  had  acquired 
Abergeldie  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century. 
Sir  Alexander  married  Beatrice,  a  daughter  of  the 
Earl  of  Errol,  by  whom  he  had  two  sons  and  four 
daughters.  His  eldest  daughter  married  Lord  Lovat  ; 
the  second  married  Mortimer  of  Craigievar  ;  the  third 
married  Oglivy  of  Clova;  and  the  fourth  married  Gordon 


ABERGELDIE.  163 

of  Dorlaithers.  William,  his  second  son,  became  laird  of 
Netherdale — a  fine  estate  in  the  Valley  of  the  Deveron. 
Sir  Alexander  died  in  1504,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
eldest  son,  George  Gordon.  He  married  Grizel  Stuart, 
a  daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  and  had  issue — one 
son  and  three  daughters.  George  died  in  1530,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  James.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
energy,  fought  at  the  Battle  of  Pinkie  in  1 547,  and  was 
slain  on  the  field.  His  son,  Alexander,  succeeded  to 
the  estate. 

He  married  a  daughter  of  Irvine  of  Drum,  by  whom 
he  had  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  He  acted  as  baillie 
over  the  Earl  of  Huntly's  estates  in  the  Valley,  and 
wielded  much  power  in  the  locality,  and  extended  the 
territory  of  the  family.  His  fourth  son,  George  Gordon, 
laird  of  Knock,  fought  under  Huntly  at  the  Battle  of 
Glenlivet  in  1594,  and  fell  on  the  field.  Alexander  died 
at  Abergeldie  in  1596,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest 
son,  Alexander.  He  died  in  1601,  without  issue,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  William.  He  married 
Miss  Seton,  and  had  issue — five  sons  and  two  daughters. 
His  eldest  daughter  married  Donald  Farquharson  of 
Monaltrie  ;  and  the  second  daughter  married  Gray  of 
Shivas.  William  died  at  Abergeldie  in  1630,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  eldest  son,  Alexander.  He  engaged 
in  the  civil  war  against  the  Covenanters  ;  and  in  1644 
the  Castle  of  Abergeldie  narrowly  escaped  destruction. 
H«^  -married  a  daughter,  of  Rose  of  Kilravock  ;  and 
having  died  about  165-5,  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
John,  who  died,  without  issue  in  1701,  and  the  succession 
then  reverted  to  his  sister,  Rachel.  *^ 

She    married    Captain    Charles    Gordon,   a   son    of      ** 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Gordon  of  Minmore,  and  had  issue.  Their  son,  Peter 
Gordon,  succeeded  to  Abergeldie.  He  was  thrice 
married,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles.  He 
married  a  daughter  of  Hunter  of  Burnside,  and  had 
issue.  Charles  died  in  1796,  and  was  interred  in  the 
churchyard  of  Glenmuick,  where  there  is  a  tablet  to  his 
memory,  and  "  Alison  Hunter,  his  spouse."  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Peter,  who  was  a  captain  in  the 
8 1  St  Highland  Regiment.  Captain  Gordon  married, 
first,  Mary,  a  daughter  of  Foulis  of  Blackford,  by  whom 
he  had  a  daughter,  who  died  in  1802  ;  and,  secondly, 
Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Leith  of  Freefield.  He  died 
in  1 8 19,  without  issue,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  brother, 
David,  who  died  in  1831,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son, 
Michael  F.  Gordon.  He  made  improvements  on  the 
Castle  of  Abergeldie.  Mr.  Gordon  died  in  i860,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  brother.  Admiral  Robert  Gordon. 
Admiral  Gordon  having  died  unmarried,  his  nephew, 
Hugh  Mackay  Gordon,  Esq.,  succeeded  to  the  estate, 
the  present  representative  of  the  family. 

Nearly  a  mile  further  up  the  Valley  from  Abergeldie 
Castle  is  the  site  of  the  hamlet  of  Clachanturn,  but  there 
are  few  houses  in  it  now.  There  is  a  suspension  bridge, 
which  was  erected  in  1834,  and  superseded  the  ferry 
boat  at  Clachanturn.  It  is  only  used  for  foot  passengers, 
since  the  Balmoral  Bridge  was  erected  over  the  river 
about  half-a-mile  further  up.  A  little  to  the  south,  on 
the  rising  ground,  stands  the  Free  Church  of  Crathie, 
on  the  Abergeldie  property.  It  is  a  pretty,  chaste 
structure,  with  a  spire.  In  this  locality  also  is  the  far- 
famed  Lochnagar  Distillery,  the  property  of  Mr.  J.  Begg. 

A  little  further  up  the  Valley,  on  the  south  bank 


CRATHIE.  165 

of  the  river,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
suspension  bridge,  is  the  beautiful  little  village  of  Easter 
Balmoral.  It  has  been  mainly  erected  since  the  Queen 
came  to  Balmoral.  A  little  to  the  westward  on  the 
rising  ground,  there  are  three  or  four  houses  standing  at 
some  distance  from  each  other,  on  very  fine  sites,  amid 
plantations,  which  are  usually  occupied  by  some  of 
Her  Majesty's  officials. 

Nearly  opposite,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  is  the 
parish  manse  of  Crathie,  on  a  fine  site  by  the  river  side. 
In  its  vicinity  is  the  churchyard,  and  the  ruins  of  the  old 
church  of  Crathie.  The  churchyard  is  kept  in  excellent 
order.  There  are  a  considerable  number  of  tombstones 
and  headstones  in  it,  with  inscriptions,  many  of  which 
bear  Gaelic  names.  The  burial  aisle  of  the  Farquhar- 
sons  of  Monaltrie  is  within  the  churchyard.  Here  also 
stands  a  tombstone  erected  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen, 
to  the  memory  of  John  Brown,  her  faithful  personal 
attendant,  which  has  a  long  inscription.  John  Brown's 
ancestors  had  been  resident  in  the  parish  for  a  long 
period,  and  he  erected  a  stone  to  the  memory  of  his 
parents  and  other  relatives.  The  Queen  has  erected 
gravestones  in  memory  of  several  royal  servants  who 
have  died  at  Balmoral. 

A  short  distance  northward,  the  church  of  Crathie 
stood  on  an  eminence  amid  trees,  and  was  erected  in 
1806.  It  was  a  pretty  large  and  plain  structure,  and  con- 
tained accommodation  for  about  fourteen  hundred  sitters. 
Until  recently  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  worshipped  in 
this  church  every  Sunday  during  her  stay  at  Balmoral. 
The  late  Dr.  Norman  Macleod  often  preached  at  Crathie, 
and  he  was  highly  respected,  admired,  and  trusted  by 


166  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

the  Queen.  Her  Majesty,  in  her  diary,  frequently  refers 
to  Dr.  Macleod,  and  the  service  in  the  church. 

But  it  has  been  resolved  to  build  a  new  church  at 
Crathie,  on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  In  1893,  the  old 
church  was  removed.  A  new  church  has  been  designed 
by  Messrs.  Matthews  &  Mackenzie,  architects,  Aberdeen, 
estimated  to  cost  from  ;^50oo  to  £6000,  and  which  pre- 
sents elegant  and  striking  architectural  characteristics ; 
and,  when  finished,  it  will  be  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
landscape  of  the  locality.  On  the  nth  of  September, 
1893,  the  foundation  stone  of  the  new  church  was  laid  by 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  Naturally,  on  this  occasion, 
there  was  a  large  assemblage  of  people.  Portions  of 
Scripture  were  read,  and  prayer  offered  up  ;  then  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Campbell,  the  minister  of  the  parish,  stepped 
forward,  and  read  the  address  to  the  Queen,  which  Her 
Majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to  accept ;  and,  in  reply, 
the  Queen  said — "  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  be 
present  on  this  occasion,  and  to  lay  the  foundation  stone 
of  the  new  church  of  Crathie,  which  is  to  be  erected  on 
the  spot  where  the  old  church  stood,  in  which  we  have 
worshipped  together  for  so  many  years.  I  need  scarcely 
assure  you  of  my  warm  attachment  to  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  which  so  largely  represents  the  religious 
feelings  of  the  people  of  this  country.  I  thank  you 
sincerely  for  the  kind  expressions  you  have  used  towards 
me  in  the  loyal  address  which  has  been  presented  to  me 
on  the  part  of  my  co-heritors  and  parishioners  of  Crathie, 
and  of  others  who  have  shown  their  interest  in  this 
good  work." 

The  ceremony  of  laying  the  foundation  stone  was 
then  proceeded  with  ;  a  silver  trowel  was  handed  to  the 


CRATHIE.  167 

Queen,  and  Her  Majesty  deftly  applied  it  to  the  mortar. 
When  the  stone  was  placed,  and  the  level  showed  that 
it  was  all  right,  with  a  small  ivory-handled  mallet,  the 
Queen  gave  three  taps  on  the  stone,  and  said — "  I  declare 
this  stone  well  and  truly  laid."  Dr.  Donald  Macleod 
said  the  prayer  of  consecration,  and  the  proceedings 
concluded  with  the  singing  of  the  second  Paraphrase. 
It  was  a  fine  day,  and  the  whole  programme  was 
admirably  carried  out. 

The  Parish  of  Crathie  has  the  honour  of  being  the 
birthplace  of  a  considerable  number  of  notable  musicians. 
John  Bruce  was  born  in  Braemar  in  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  was  a  celebrated  violinist.  He 
was  a  warm  Jacobite,  and  joined  the  Rising  of  1745. 
Afterwards,  he  resided  for  many  years  in  Dumfries, 
where  Robert  Burns  knew  him  well.  Burns  says  that 
Bruce  always  claimed  the  lively  air,  "  O,  whistle  and  I'll 
come  to  ye,  my  lad,"  as  one  of  his  own  composition. 
He  died  at  Dumfries  on  the  31st  December,  1785. 

Alexander  Downie  was  born  in  Crathie  about  1760. 
He  was  a  notable  violinist  and  dancing-master  ;  and 
especially  celebrated  as  a  player  of  jigs.  He  had  a  son 
who  was  also  a  fine  player.  James  Forbes  was  born  in 
Crathie  in  1777.  He  was  an  excellent  violinist.  He 
was  accidentally  drowned  near  Ballater  in  May,  1837. 

William  Blair  was  born  in  Crathie  on  the  26th  of 
October,  1793.  He  was  a  famous  violinist  and  composer. 
He  belonged  to  the  school  of  Neil  Gow  ;  and  as  a  player 
of  dance  music  he  was  surpassed  by  few  in  Scotland. 
In  the  later  part  of  his  life  he  was  usually  called  the 
"  Queen's  Fiddler,"  from  his  having  played  at  festive 
assemblages  and  balls  at  Balmoral  for  upwards  of  thirty 
years.     He  was  originally  a  house  carpenter  ;    and  died 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

at  Belnacroft  on  the  12th  of  November,  1884,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  Shortly  after  his  death, 
his  musical  compositions  were  published  by  desire  of 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen  ;  and  a  tombstone  was  erected 
to  his  memory  in  the  churchyard  of  Crathie.  He  left 
two  sons,  both  of  whom  are  excellent  violinists. 

Peter  Coutts  was  born  in  Crathie  in  18 14.  He  was  a 
celebrated  piper,  and  was  for  many  years  piper  to  the 
Farquharsons  of  Invercauld.  He  had  a  thorough  know- 
ledge of  music,  and  composed  a  number  of  tunes  for  the 
bagpipe.  Peter  Robertson  was  born  in  Crathie  on  the 
nth  of  February,  1834,  and  is  a  notable  piper.  He  was 
for  twenty-six  years  in  the  service  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
At  present  he  is  in  the  service  of  Sir  Allan  Mackenzie 
of  Glenmuick.  John  Ross  was  born  in  Crathie  in  1853. 
He  was  a  famous  piper,  having  studied  under  William 
Ross,  the  Queen's  piper.  Aftewards,  he  was  successively 
piper  to  the  late  Colonel  Farquharson  of  Invercauld,  the 
late  Sir  James  T.  Mackenzie  of  Glenmuick,  and  the  late 
Duchess  of  Sutherland.  He  was  greatly  esteemed  by 
all  good  judges  of  pipe-playing.     He  died  in  1887. 

William  Ross,  a  native  of  Ross-shire,  was  born  in 
1 81 5.  He  served  his  country  for  twenty-five  years  in 
the  famous  42nd  Regiment  (Black  Watch).  In  1854,  he 
was  appointed  piper  to  Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  He 
published,  in  1876,  a  large  collection  of  pipe  music, 
embracing  forty-one  piobaireachds,  and  four  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  marches,  strathspeys,  and  reels,  to 
which  was  prefixed  an  "  Essay  on  the  Bagpipe  and  its 
Music,"  by  the  late  Dr.  Norman  Macleod.  The  work 
was  dedicated  to  the  Queen  ;  and  a  second  edition 
appeared  in  1885.     Mr.  Ross  died  in  1891. 


Chapter   XVI. 

BALMORAL. 

In  passing  along  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  the  Castle 
of  Balmoral  is  seen  from  a  considerable  distance,  both 
from  the  east  and  the  west.  About  a  mile  westward 
from  the  church  of  Crathie,  the  river  takes  a  beautiful 
curving  sweep  northward,  and  on  its  southern  bank 
stands  the  Castle  of  Balmoral.  Communication  between 
the  castle  and  the  north  side  of  the  Valley  is  maintained 
by  a  cast-iron  bridge. 

Within  the  castle  grounds,  which  are  very  extensive, 
there  is  a  considerable  number  of  statues  and  monu- 
ments. A  bronze  statue,  placed  on  a  rustic  base,  was 
erected  by  the  Royal  Family  to  the  memory  of  the  late 
Prince  Consort ;  and  also  an  obelisk  placed  on  a  small 
eminence,  which  was  erected  to  his  memory  by  the 
Royal  tenantry  and  the  servants.  A  fine  bronze  statue 
of  the  Queen  was  also  erected  by  the  Royal  tenantry 
and  the  servants  of  the  Household.  There  are  other 
monuments  relating  to  members  of  the  Royal  Family. 

The  Hill  of  Craig  Gowan  rises  directly  to  the  south 
of  the  castle,  and  is  fourteen  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
above  sea  level.  After  the  lamented  death  of  the  late 
Prince  Consort,  a  cairn  and  monument  was  erected  to 
his  memory  on  the  summit  of  this  hill.  On  the  2ist  of 
August,  1862,  the  Queen  visited  the  spot,  and  wrote  : — 
"  Here,  at  the  top,  is  the  foundation  of  the  cairn — forty 
feet  wide — to  be  erected  to  my  precious  Albert,  which 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

will  be  seen  all  down  the  Valley.  I  and  my  six  orphans 
all  placed  stones  on  it ;  and  our  initials,  as  well  as  those 
of  the  three  absent  ones,  are  to  be  carved  on  stones  all 
round  it.  It  is  to  be  thirty-six  feet  high,  and  the 
following  inscription  to  be  placed  on  it : — 

To  the  Beloved  Memory 

of 

Albert,  the  Great  and  Good, 

Prince  Consort, 

Raised  by  his  Broken-hearted  Widow, 

Victoria  R. 

August  21,  1862. 

The  form  of  the  cairn  is  pyramidal,  and  built  of  granite 
without  any  mortar.  The  inscription  is  well  cut  on  the 
tablet.  A  good  path  was  made,  which  winds  up  to  the 
summit  of  the  hill." ' 

In  early  times  the  lands  of  Balmoral  were  attached 
to  the  Earldom  of  Mar.  Afterwards,  they  were  acquired 
by  the  Farquharsons,  the  descendants  of  the  family  of 
Inverey.  The  fourth  son  of  Donald  of  Inverey  died  in 
the  reign  of  James  VI.,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  eldest 
son,  William.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Gordon  of 
Abergeldie,  and  had  issue.  Their  son,  Charles,  became 
the  first  laird  of  Balmoral  of  the  name  of  Farquharson. 
After  the  Revolution  of  1688,  Charles  Farquharson  of 
Balmoral  j  joined  Viscount  Dundee,  and  fought  at  the 
Battle  of  Killiecrankie  for  the  cause  of  James  VII.,  in 
which  he  was  wounded.  His  wound  was  so  severe  that 
he  was  unfit  for  active  service. 

On  Charles  Farquharson's  death,  Balmoral  reverted 
to  his  brother ;  and  he  married  a  daughter  of  Leith  of 

I  More  Leaves  from  the  Journal  of  a  Life  in  the  Highlands,  pp.  1-4. 


BALMORAL.  171 

Overhall,  and  had  Issue.  Their  son,  James  Farquharson, 
succeeded  to  Balmoral,  and  also  to  Auchlossan  on  the 
death  of  his  brother.  He  married  Jane,  a  daughter  of 
William  Leith,  of  Aberdeen.  James  Farquharson  of 
Balmoral  joined  Mar's  Rising  in  171 5  ;  and  after  the 
suppression  of  the  Rising,  he  suffered  severely  until  the 
general  indemnity  was  proclaimed. 

James  Farquharson  of  Balmoral  joined  the  Rising  of 
1 745,  and  led  the  clan.  Shortly  before  the  Battle  of  Falkirk, 
the  following  conversation  is  said  to  have  taken  place : — 

"  Balmoral,"  said  Lochiel,  "  why  did  you  not  bring 
Invercauld  with  you  ?  " 

"  Invercauld,  you  see,  thinks  differently  from  us,"  said 
Balmoral  ;  "  but  there  is  the  less  to  regret,  as  I  see  his 
daughter,  the  Lady  Mackintosh,  here  ;  and  some  of  the 
men  following  her,  I  could  swear,  live  not  ten  oxgangs 
from  Invercauld." 

The  Battle  of  Falkirk  was  fought  on  the  17th  of 
January,  1746.  Balmoral  drew  up  his  men  in  the  form  of 
of  a  wedge,  thus — He  marched  at  their  head,  two  men 
followed  in  the  second  rank,  three  in  the  third,  and  so  on 
to  the  rear.  "  Now,  my  lads,"  said  he,  "  march  in  silence. 
Fire  not  a  shot  till  you  can  decern  the  colour  of  the  horses* 
eyes,  then  give  one  volley  altogether ;  throw  down  your 
guns,  and  rush  upon  them,  cut  the  horses'  bridles,  and  we 
will  then  deal  with  the  men." 

As  they  advanced,  a  bullet  hit  Balmoral  in  the 
shoulder.  "  Four  men,"  cried  his  henchmen,  "  to  carry 
our  wounded  chief  to  the  rear  !  "  "  Never  !  "  cried 
Balmoral ;  "  four  men  to  carry  your  chief  at  the  head  of 
his  children  into  the  thickest  of  the  fight." 

After  the  Battle  of  Falkirk,  Balmoral  retired  with  his 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

wife  to  the  estate  of  Auchlossan,  where  he  remained  in 
hiding  till  his  death.  The  estate  of  Balmoral,  of  course, 
was  forfeited  after  the  suppression  of  the  Rising. 

About  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  Balmoral  was 
acquired  by  the  Earl  of  Fife.  In  the  second  quarter  of 
the  present  century,  the  Earl  of  Fife's  trustees  leased  the 
old  castle  and  estate  of  Balmoral  to  the  Right  Hon.  Sir 
Robert  Gordon,  a  brother  of  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen.  Sir 
Robert  was  engaged  in  the  diplomatic  department  of  the 
Government,  and  held  the  appointment  of  Ambassador 
at  the  Court  of  Vienna.  When  not  actively  engaged  in 
the  service  of  his  country,  he  sought  a  quiet  residence  in 
the  upper  stretch  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee.  He  repaired 
and  made  large  additions  to  the  old  castle  ;  and  also 
extended  and  greatly  improved  the  garden  and  the 
pleasure  grounds,  and  thus  rendered  the  site  more 
beautiful  and  attractive.  Sir  Robert  Gordon  returned 
from  Vienna  in  1846,  and  intended  to  reside  at  Balmoral; 
but  he  did  not  live  to  enjoy  it  long,  having  died  in  the 
autumn  of  1847. 

Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  at  an  early  period  of  her 
reign,  commenced  to  visit  various  quarters  of  the  High- 
lands, and  from  the  first  she  enjoyed  and  highly 
appreciated  the  grand  and  romantic  scenery  of  the 
mountains,  valleys,  and  glens.  Associated,  as  these  regions 
are,  with  many  important  historic  events,  closely  connected 
not  only  with  the  Throne  of  Scotland,  but  also  with  the 
Throne  of  Britain,  in  some  of  the  most  momentous  crises 
which  it  has  ever  passed  through  ;  these  early  visits 
inspired  Her  Majesty  with  a  desire  to  have  a  residence 
in  this  part  of  her  dominions — a  desire  which  was  fully 
shared  by  the  Prince  Consort 


BALMORAL.  173 

After  the  death  of  Sir  Robert  Gordon,  Balmoral 
was  recommended  to  the  Royal  couple  by  the  Earl  of 
Aberdeen  as  a  very  suitable  locality.  Sir  James  Clark, 
the  Queen's  physician,  having  declared  that  the  climate 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  was  one  of  the  healthiest  in 
Scotland,  it  was  then  decided  to  adopt  the  Earl's  advice. 

Early  in  September,  1848,  the  Royal  Family  landed  at 
Aberdeen,  and  received  a  hearty  and  warm  welcome  from 
the  citizens.  They  proceeded  up  the  Valley  of  the  Dee, 
and  on  the  8th  of  September  took  possession  of  their  new 
home.  The  Queen  recorded  her  first  impressions  of 
Balmoral  thus — "On  the  8th  of  September,  we  arrived  at 
Balmoral  at  a  quarter  to  three.  It  is  a  pretty  little 
castle  in  the  old  Scottish  style.  There  is  a  picturesque 
tower,  and  a  garden  in  front,  with  a  high  wooded  hill  ; 
at  the  back  there  is  a  wood  down  to  the  Dee  ;  and  hills 
rise  all  around. 

"  There  is  a  nice  little  hall,  with  billiard-room  ;  next 
to  it  is  the  dining-room.  Upstairs,  immediately  to  the 
right,  and  above  the  dining-room,  is  our  sitting-room 
(formerly  the  drawing-room),  a  fine  large  room — next  to 
which  is  our  bedroom,  opening  into  a  little  dressing- 
room,  which  is  Albert's.  Opposite,  down  a  (qw  steps, 
are  the  children's  and  Miss  Hildyard's  three  rooms.  The 
ladies  live  below,  and  the  gentlemen  above. 

"  At  half-past  four  we  walked  out,  and  went  up  to  the 
top  of  the  wooded  hill  opposite  our  window,  where  there 
is  a  cairn,  and  up  which  there  is  a  pretty  winding  path 
The  view  from  here,  looking  down  upon  the  house,  is 
charming.  To  the  left  you  look  towards  the  beautiful 
hills  surrounding  Lochnagar  ;  and  to  the  right,  towards 
Ballater,    to    the    Valley,    along  which   the  Dee  winds, 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

with  beautifully-wooded  hills.  It  was  so  calm,  and  so 
solitary,  it  did  one  good  as  one  gazed  around  ;  and  the 
pure  mountain  air  was  most  refreshing.  All  seemed  to 
breathe  freedom  and  peace,  and  to  make  one  forget  the 
world  and  its  sad  turmoils. 

"  The  scenery  is  wild,  and  yet  not  desolate ;  every- 
thing looks  more  prosperous  and  cultivated  than  at 
Laggan.  Then  the  soil  is  delightfully  dry.  We  walked 
beside  the  Dee,  a  beautifully  rapid  stream,  which  is  close 
behind  the  house.  The  view  of  the  hills  toward  Inver- 
cauld  is  exceedingly  fine." 

A  few  years  later,  Prince  Albert  purchased  the  Castle 
and  the  estate  of  Balmoral  from  the  Earl  of  Fife's 
trustees.  In  1852,  a  cairn  was  erected  on  the  top  of 
Craig  Gowan  to  commemorate  the  taking  possession  of 
Balmoral  by  the  Royal  Family.  The  estate  of  Balmoral 
extends  from  the  banks  of  the  Dee  southward  to  the 
summit  of  Lochnagar,  where  it  is  joined  by  the  Aber- 
geldie  and  the  Birkhall  estates.  Afterwards,  Her 
Majesty  increased  its  extent  on  the  west  by  purchasing 
the  Forest  of  Ballochbuie  from  Farquharson  of  Inver- 
cauld.  Thus  the  Royal  domain  stretches  from  the 
Water  of  Muick  westward  along  the  south  banks  of 
the  Dee  for  upwards  of  twelve  miles. 

Balmoral  Forest,  including  Ballochbuie,  is  pretty 
extensive.  Both  forests  lie  between  the  south  banks  of 
the  Dee  and  the  Lochnagar  range  of  mountains  ;  and 
both  contain  considerable  stretches  of  woods  and  planta- 
tions. On  the  lower  grounds  of  Balmoral,  the  woods 
consist  of  a  great  variety  of  different  kinds  of  trees,  laid 
out  in  fine  belts  and  clumps  for  shelter  and  ornament ; 

I  Leaves  from  the  Journal  of  our  Life  in  the  Highlands,  pp.  101-102. 


BALMORAL.  175 

and  on  the  higher  ridges  and  hills,  such  as  Craig  Gowan 
and  Canup  Hill,  the  trees  chiefly  consist  of  pine  and  larch, 
native  birch  and  aspen.  The  Gelder  Burn  issues  from 
the  Loch  of  Lochnagar,  flows  through  Glen  Gelder  and 
round  the  base  of  Craig  Gowan,  and  joins  the  Dee 
near  Invergelder — the  home  farm  of  Balmoral.  The 
Queen  has  a  nice  little  shiel  near  the  middle 
of    the     glen.  The    woods    of    Garmaddie     stretch 

from  Invergelder  westward  along  the  south  side  of  the 
Valley,  and  consist  of  fir,  birch,  larch,  and  some  other 
trees.  After  these  woods  come  the  Forest  of  Balloch- 
buie,  which  extends  from  Connachat  Cottage  along  the 
Dee  to  the  Bridge  of  Invercauld,  a  distance  of  three 
miles,  and  from  one  to  three  miles  in  breadth  southward. 
There  is  some  birch  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  forest,  and 
here  and  there  among  the  hills  ;  but  the  pine  trees  pre- 
dominate. Some  of  the  pines  are  of  great  age  and  size, 
while  others  are  young  and  much  smaller. 

The  fine  stream  called  the  Garbhallt  rises  on 
Lochnagar,  flows  through  the  Forest  of  Ballochbuie,  and 
enters  the  Dee  about  a  mile  below  the  Bridge  of  Inver- 
cauld. Nearly  a  mile  up  the  stream  are  the  celebrated 
and  picturesque  Falls  of  Garbhallt.  The  scenery  in  many 
parts  of  these  forests  is  grand  and  striking.  The  Queen 
has  a  small  lodge  in  Ballochbuie  forest.  Deer  and  other 
kinds  of  game  are  abundant  in  the  forests. 

After  a  few  years'  residence,  the  old  castle  was  found 
to  be  too  small,  and  quite  inadequate  for  the  accom- 
modation of  Her  Majesty  and  the  Royal  Family.  It  was 
therefore  resolved  that  a  new  castle  should  be  erected. 
The  foundation-stone  of  the  new  structure  was  laid  by  the 
Queen  on  the  28th  of  September,  1853.       ^^^  Majesty 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

was  accompanied  by  the  Prince  Consort,  the  Royal 
children,  and  other  members  of  the  Royal  Family.  The 
chief  points  of  the  ceremony  on  the  memorable  occasion 
were  as  follows  : — "  The  stone  being  prepared  and  sus- 
pended over  that  upon  which  it  is  to  rest,  in  which  will  be 
a  cavity  for  the  bottle  containing  the  parchment  and  the 
coins  ;  the  workmen  will  be  placed  in  a  semi-circle  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  stone,  and  the  women   and  home 

servants  in  an  inner  semi-circle Her 

Majesty,  the  Prince,  and  the  Royal  Family  will 
stand  on  the  south  side  of  the  stone,  the  suite  being  on 
each  side  of  the  Royal  party.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Anderson 
will  then  pray  for  a  blessing  on  the  work.  Her  Majesty 
will  affix  her  signature  to  the  parchment,  recording  the 
day  on  which  the  foundation-stone  was  laid.  Her 
Majesty's  signature  will  be  followed  by  that  of  the  Prince 
and  the  Royal  children,  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  and  any 
others  that  Her  Majesty  may  command,  and  the  parchment 
will  be  placed  in  the  bottle.  One  of  each  of  the  current 
coins  of  the  present  reign  will  also  be  placed  in  the  bottle, 
and  the  bottle,  having  been  sealed  up,  will  be  placed  in  the 
cavity.  The  trowel  will  then  be  delivered  to  Her  Majesty 
by  Mr.  Smith  of  Aberdeen,  the  architect,  and  the  mortar 
having  been  spread,  the  stone  will  be  lowered.  The  level 
and  square  will  then  be  applied,  and  their  correctness 
having  been  ascertained,  the  mallet  will  be  delivered  to 
Her  Majesty  by  Mr.  Stuart,  clerk  of  the  works,  when  Her 
Majesty  will  strike  the  stone  and  declare  it  to  be  laid. 
The  Cornucopia  will  be  placed  upon  the  stone,  and  oil 
and  wine  poured  out  by  Her  Majesty.  The  pipers  will 
play,  and  Her  Majesty,  with  the  Royal  Family  will  retire. 
As  soon  after  this  as  it  can  be  got  ready,   the  workmen 


BALMORAL.  177 

will  proceed  to  their  dinner.  After  dinner  the  following 
toasts  will  be  given  by  Mr.  Smith  : — '  The  Queen,'  '  The 
Prince  and  Royal  Family,'  'Prosperity  to  the  House  and 
Happiness  to  the  Inmates  of  Balmoral.'  The  workmen 
will  then  retire  from  the  dining-room,  and  amuse  them- 
selves upon  the  green  with  Highland  games  till  seven 
o'clock  ;  and  concluding  with  a  dance  in  the  ball-room, 
which  was  performed  with  the  greatest  spirit."  ' 

When  the  Queen  arrived  at  Balmoral  on  the  evening 
of  the  7th  of  September,  1855,  the  erection  of  the  new 
castle  was  well  advanced.  On  that  occasion  Her  Majesty 
says  : — "Strange,  very  strange,  it  seemed  to  me  to  drive 
past,  indeed  through  the  old  house  ;  the  connecting  part 
between  it  and  the  offices  being  broken  through.  The 
new  house  looks  beautiful.  The  tower  and  the  rooms  in 
the  connecting  part  are,  however,  only  half  finished,  and 
the  offices  are  still  unbuilt  .  .  .  there  is  a  long 
wooden  passage  which  connects  the  new  house  with  the 
offices.  An  old  shoe  was  thrown  in  after  us  into  the 
house,  for  good  luck,  when  we  entered  the  hall." 

The  following  day  Her  Majesty  recorded  : — "  The 
view  from  the  windows  of  our  rooms,  and  from  the  library 
and  the  drawing-room,  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  with  the 
mountains  in  the  background,  which  we  could  never  see 
from  the  old  house,  is  quite  beautiful.  We  walked  about, 
and  along  the  river,  and  looked  at  all  that  had  been 
done  ;  and  afterwards  we  went  over  to  the  poor,  dear  old 
house,  and  to  our  rooms,  which  it  was  quite  melancholy 
to  see  so  deserted ;  and  settled  about  things  being  brought 
over." 

When  the  Queen  returned  to  Balmoral  on  the  30th  of 

I  Leaves  from  Our  Life,  etc.,  pp.  144-46. 
N 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

August,  1856,  the  castle  was  completely  finished  : — "We 
found  the  tower  finished,  as  well  as  the  offices,  and  the 
poor  old  house  gone.  The  effect  of  the  whole  is  very 
fine."  The  following  day  Her  Majesty  "  walked  along 
the  river  and  outside  the  house.  The  new  offices  and 
the  yard  are  excellent ;  and  the  little  garden  on  the  west 
side  ...  as  well  as  the  flower  beds  under  the  walls  of 
the  side  which  faces  the  Dee."  On  the  13th  of  October, 
the  Queen  wrote  : — "  Every  year  my  heart  becomes  more 
fixed  in  this  dear  Paradise,  and  so  much  more  so  now, 
that  all  has  become  my  dearest  Albert's  own  creation, 
own  work,  own  building,  own  laying  out,  as  at  Osborne  ; 
and  his  great  taste  and  the  impress  of  his  dear  hand  have 
been  stamped  everywhere."  ' 

On  the  occasion  of  the  meeting  of  the  British  Associa- 
tion at  Aberdeen,  in  September,  1859,  the  Prince  Consort 
was  president.  He  delivered  an  excellent  and  luminous 
address,  which  was  universally  admired  and  highly 
appreciated.  On  the  22nd  of  September,  a  fete  came  off 
at  Balmoral,  which  was  attended  by  a  number  of  the 
distinguished  members  of  the  Association.  Her  Majesty 
records  that — "  The  Highlanders  in  their  brilliant  and 
picturesque  dresses,  the  wild  notes  of  the  pipes,  the  band, 
and  the  beautiful  background  of  mountains,  rendered  the 
scene  wild  and  striking  in  the  extreme.  The  Farquharson's 
men  were  headed  by  Colonel  Farquharson,  the  Duffs  by 
Lord  Fife,  and  the  Forbeses  by  Sir  Charles  Forbes — had 
all  marched  on  the  grounds  before  we  came  out,  and  were 
drawn  up  just  opposite  us,  and  the  spectators  (the  people 
of  the  country)  behind  them.  We  stood  on  the  terrace, 
the  company  near  us,  and  the  servants  also  on  either  side 

I  Leaves  from  our  Life,  etc.,  p.  158. 


BALMORAL.  179 

of  us,  and  along  the  slopes  on  the  grounds.  The  games 
began  about  three  o'clock — throwing  the  hammer,  tossing 
the  caber,  and  putting  the  stone.  We  gave  prizes  to  the 
three  best  in  each  of  the  games.  We  walked  along  the 
terrace  to  the  large  marquee,  talking  to  the  people,  to 
where  the  men  were  putting  the  stone  ;  after  this  returned 
to  the  upper  terrace  to  see  the  race — a  pretty  wild  sight  ; 
but  the  men  looked  very  cold,  with  nothing  but  their 
shirts  and  plaids  on ;  they  ran  beautifully.  They  wrapped 
plaids  round  themselves,  and  then  came  to  receive  the 
prizes  from  us.  Last  of  all  came  the  dancing — reels  and 
Ghillie  Galium.  On  the  latter  the  judges  could  not  make 
up  their  minds  ;  and  at  last  they  left  out  the  best  dancer 
of  all.  They  said  he  danced  too  well.  The  dancing 
over,  we  left  amid  the  loud  cheers  of  the  people.  .  .  . 
We  watched  from  the  window,  the  Highlanders  march- 
ing away,  and  four  weighty  omnibuses  filled  with  the 
scientific  men.  We  saw  and  talked  to  Professor  Owen, 
Sir  David  Brewster,  Sir  John  Bowring,  Mr.  J.  Roscoe, 
and  Sir  John  Ross.  When  almost  all  were  gone,  we  took 
a  short  walk  to  warm  ourselves,  much  pleased  at  every- 
thing having  gone  off  well. 

"  The  Duke  of  Richmond,  Sir  R.  Murchison,  General 
Sabine,  Mr.  Thomson  of  Banchory  House,  and  Professor 
Phillipps,  secretary  of  the  Association,  all  of  whom  slept 
here,  and  were  additions  to  the  dinner  party.  .  .  .  All 
the  gentleman  spoke  in  very  high  terms  of  my  beloved 
Albert's  admirable  speech,  the  good  it  had  done,  and  the 
general  satisfaction  it  had  caused." 

The  Castle  of  Balmoral  stands  on  a  level  space  of 
ground  amid  trees,  and  a  background  of  wooded   ridges 

1  Leaves  from  our  Life,  etc.,  pp.  177-79. 


180  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

and  hills,  rising  in  elevation  as  they  recede  southward  to 
Lochnagar  ;  while  on  the  other  side  the  clear  and  rapid 
river  flows  on  its  rocky  bed.  Opposite  the  castle,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Valley,  is  Craig  Mhor  and  other 
picturesque  hills.  All  around  the  scenery  is  attractive 
and  characteristically  Highland. 

The  castle  is  built  of  finely-dressed  Crathie  granite  of 
a  light  grey  colour.       The  main  features  of  the  structure 
were  designed  by  the  late  Prince  Albert,  and   the  plans 
were  supplied  by  the  late   Mr.  William   Smith,  who  was 
for  many  years  city  architect  of  Aberdeen.        The  castle 
is  in  the  Scottish  baronial  style  of  architecture,  but  shows 
many  modifications  and  improvements  on  it,  which  were 
introduced  to  provide  ampler  accommodation  and  more 
convenient  arrangement  in   the  interior  of  the  building. 
It  is  composed  of  two  main   parts,  connected   by  wings. 
A  striking  feature  of  the  castle  is  the  massive  tower  at 
its  eastern  extremity,  which  is  thirty-five  feet  square  and 
about  one    hundred    feet    in    height,    surmounted    by    a 
flag  tower,  and  three  ornamental  turrets  at  the  corners. 
The  main  entrance  is  on  the  south  front.       The  north 
and    west    fronts    are  embellished    by    elegant    mould- 
ings, and  the  south  and    east   fronts  are  characterised 
by  a  symmetrical  simplicity  of  treatment.     The  masonry 
and  workmanship   of  the  whole  structure   are  excellent. 
The  internal  arrangement  of  the  numerous  apartments  of 
the  castle  is  admirable.       The  largest  single  apartment, 
the  ball-room,  is  sixty-eight  feet  long  and  twenty-five  feet 
wide.       There  is  a  fine  clock  in  the  square  tower,  which 
regulates  the  time  over  the  whole  district.       The  light 
colour  of  the  granite  imparts  to  the  castle  an  exceedingly 
charming  aspect. 


BALMORAL.  181 

During  her  long  and  happy  reign,  Queen  Victoria  has 
visited  almost  every  quarter  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland. 
Her  Majesty  often  started  from  Balmoral  on  excursions 
to  Perthshire — Dunkeld,  Blairs  Castle,  and  Loch  Tay, 
through  the  Passes  of  Killiecrankie  and  Glencoe  ; 
Sutherlandshire,  Glenlivet,  and  Glen  Fiddich  in  Banff- 
shire, and  to  many  other  places. 

On  the  7th  of  October,  1859,  the  Queen  and  Prince 
Albert  made  the  ascent  of  Ben  Muich  Dhui.  In  descend- 
ing, Her  Majesty  rode  part  of  the  way,  and  walked 
wherever  it  was  very  steep.  "  I  had  a  little  whisky  and 
water,  as  the  people  declared  that  pure  water  would  be 
too  chilling.  We  then  rode  on  without  getting  off  again, 
Albert  talking  so  gaily  with  Grant.  Upon  Brown  ob- 
serving to  me  in  simply  Highland  phrase,  '  It's  very 
pleasant  to  walk  with  a  person  who  is  always  content.' 
.  .  .  Brown  said — '  Everyone  on  the  estate  says  there 
never  was  so  kind  a  master  ;  I  am  sure  our  only  wish  is 
to  give  satisfaction.'  I  said  they  certainly  did.  We 
were  always  in  the  habit  of  conversing  with  the  High- 
landers, with  whom  one  comes  so  much  in  contact  in  the 
Highlands.  The  Prince  highly  appreciated  the  good 
breeding,  simplicity,  and  intelligence  which  makes  it  so 
pleasant,  and  even  instructive,  to  talk  to  them." ' 

Touching  Glencoe,  Her  Majesty  wrote — "  Glencoe, 
at  the  opening,  is  beautifully  green,  with  trees  and 
cottages  dotted  about  along  the  verdant  Valley.  There 
is  a  farm  belonging  to  a  Mrs.  Macdonald,  a  descendant 
of  one  of  the  unfortunate  massacred  Macdonalds.  The 
Cona  flows  along  the  bottom  of  the  Valley,  with  green 
haughs,  where  a  few  cattle  are  to  be  seen,  and  sheep 
which  graze  up  some  of  the  wildest  parts  of  this  glorious 

I  Leaves  from  Our  Life,  etc.,  p.  187. 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

glen.  A  sharp  turn  in  the  rough,  very  winding,  and,  in 
some  parts,  precipitous  roads  brings  you  to  the  finest, 
wildest,  and  grandest  part  of  the  pass.  Stern,  rugged, 
precipitous  mountains,  with  beautiful  peaks,  and  rocks 
piled  one  above  the  other,  two  and  three  thousand  feet 
high,  tower  and  rise  up  to  the  heavens  on  either  side, 
without  any  signs  of  habitation,  except  where,  half-way 
up  the  Pass,  there  are  some  trees,  and  near  them,  heaps 
of  stones  on  the  side  of  the  road,  remains  of  what  once 
were  houses,  which  tell  the  bloody,  fearful  tale  of  woe. 
The  place  itself  is  one  which  adds  to  the  horror  of  the 
thought  that  such  a  thing  could  have  been  conceived 
and  committed  on  innocent  sleeping  people.  How  and 
whither  could  they  fly?  Let  me  hope  that  William  III. 
knew  nothing  of  it." '  I  have  quoted  this  to  show  the 
Queen's  humanity  and  sound  judgment. 

During  the  Queen's  annual  sojourn  at  Balmoral, 
covering  a  period  of  nearly  fifty  years,  she  has  become 
endeared  to  all  classes  of  the  people.  Her  Majesty  has 
always  shown  great  kindness  and  much  sympathy  to 
the  tenants  on  the  lands  of  Balmoral,  and  the  whole 
neighbourhood.  The  Queen  has  many  touching  and 
noble  features  of  character,  which  have  rendered  her  the 
most  popular  and  beloved  Sovereign  in  Scotland  since 
the  days  of  James  IV.,  who  fell  on  the  field  of  Flodden 
in  1 5 13.     To  conclude — 

"  Amid  our  mountain  scenes  sublime, 

Afar  from  courtly  care, 
Oh,  may  the  loftiest  of  the  land, 

Life's  noblest  blessings  share  ! 
Safe  in  her  princely  Highland  home, 

May  she  live  blithe  and  free, 
And  Britain's  honoured  Queen  long  bless. 

The  beauteous  banks  o'  Dee  !  " 

I  Leaves  from  Our  Life,  etc.,  p.  260. 


Chapter  XVII. 

SCENERY— INVERCAULD. 

Proceeding  up  the  north  side  of  the  Valley,  amidst 
woods  and  mountains,  the  Feardar  Burn  joins  the  Dee, 
and  above  it  rises,  to  the  height  of  fifteen  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  feet,  the  picturesque,  rocky,  and  wooded  hill 
of  Craig  Nortie.     A  little  farther  on,  immediately  above 
the   Invercauld   Arms   Inn,  is  Craig-na-Spaine,  another 
striking,  rocky,  and  wooded  hill,  which  in  bygone  times 
was  a  famous  smuggling  centre.      Then  comes  a  beauti- 
fully wooded  tract,  and  on  the  north  side  of  the  turnpike 
road  is  Meall  Alvie,  rising  to  an  elevation  of  eighteen 
hundred  and  forty-one  feet,  a  fine  rocky  and  wooded  hill, 
which    stretches    along   the   Valley    for   a   considerable 
distance  ;    while  the  river  below  is  surging  and  foaming 
as  the  water  dashes  against  the  rocky  ledges,  stones,  and 
boulders  which  strew  its  course.      Looking  to  the  south, 
the  Forest  of  Ballochbuie  is  seen  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  and  extending  our  vision  further  southward,  an 
amphitheatre  of  hills,  covered  half-way  up  their  ribs  with 
pine  and  birch,  still  higher  hills  rear  their  peaks  in  the 
distance,  some  of  which  are   sprinkled  with   trees  and 
bushes  ;    and,  beyond  them,  Lochnagar,  which  seems  to 
descend    in    continuity   with    the    nearer    ridges.      In   a 
fine  clear  day,  the  scene  is   magnificent,  beautiful,  and 
glorious  to  behold. 

Near  the  fifty-first  mile-stone,  and  a  short  distance 
to  the  north  of  the  road  on  the  rising  ground,  is  the  site 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

of  the  old  house  of  Monaltrie,  a  seat  of  a  branch  of  the 
Farquharsons,  which  was  burned  to  the  ground  the  year 
after  the  Battle  of  CuUoden,  and  it  was  subsequently  re- 
built near  Ballater.  A  little  farther  westward,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  road,  is  Carn-na-Cuimhne — the  cairn  of  remem- 
brance ;  it  is  surmounted  by  a  flagstaff,  and  enclosed  by 
a  stone  dyke.  "  Carn-na-Cuimhne  "  was  the  war  cry  of 
the  Farquharsons,  and  the  tradition  associated  with  the 
cairn  is  : — That  when  the  clan  resolved  on  any  warlike 
enterprise,  they  mustered  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cairn, 
and  when  all  were  assembled,  each  clansman  laid  a  stone 
on  a  clear  space,  forming  a  small  heap.  On  their 
returning  home,  each  survivor  took  a  stone  from  this 
heap,  and  carried  it  away,  then  the  stones  left  told  their 
own  tale,  viz.,  the  number  of  the  slain,  and  these  were 
carefully  placed  on  the  Cairn  of  Remembrance.  It  is 
simply  a  rough  cairn  of  comparatively  small  stones. 

The  glen  through  which  the  Feardar  Burn  flows, 
is  called  Aberarder,  and  it  contains  several  small  farms 
and  crofts.  It  appears  that  the  glen  was  once  more 
populous  ;  its  elevation,  however,  is  not  favourable  to 
cultivation.  There  are  various  traditions  associated 
with  this  locality  which  chiefly  relate  to  a  feud  and 
encounters  between  the  Stewarts  and  Farquharsons.  In 
early  times  there  were  a  considerable  number  of  Stewarts 
in  Braemar. 

Fifty-five  miles  from  Aberdeen,  the  old  Bridge  of 
Invercauld  spans  the  Dee.  It  was  erected  in  1752  under 
the  direction  of  General  Wade,  and  in  connection  with 
his  system  of  military  roads  in  the  Highlands.  This 
bridge  was  directly  connected  with  the  road  starting 
from    Blairgowrie   onward  by  Cardarff,  Grantown,  and 


INVERCAULD.  185 

thence  to  Inverness.  The  bridge  looks  grey  with  age, 
and  bushes  are  picturesquely  growing  out  of  its  sides. 
It  is  now  the  property  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  The 
new  Bridge  of  Invercauld,  which  carries  the  north  road 
to  the  south  side  of  the  Valley,  is  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  above  the  old  one.  It  is  a  massive 
structure  built  of  granite,  and  was  erected  at  the  expense 
of  the  late  Prince  Albert,  on  the  closing  up  of  the  old 
bridge  and  the  Ballochbuie  road  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Dee. 

Nearly  opposite  the  old  bridge  is  the  entrance  gate 
to  Invercauld  House,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road. 
Invercauld  House  stands  on  a  fine  elevated  terrace,  amid 
beautiful  and  charming  scenery,  about  four  hundred 
yards  from  the  north  bank  of  the  Dee.  The  house  is 
eleven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  sea  level,  but  it  is 
admirably  sheltered  by  trees  and  woods,  with  a  magnifi- 
cent lawn  stretching  down  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  which 
here  winds  beautifully  in  the  form  of  the  letter  S.  The 
view  from  the  house  up  and  down  the  Valley  is  exceed- 
ingly fine,  while  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  towards 
the  south,  a  grand  scene  of  rocky  and  wooded  hills, 
rugged  and  steep  craigs,  is  presented  to  the  eye.  Behind 
the  house  a  picturesque  range  of  wooded  hills  form  a 
befitting  and  harmonious  background  to  a  site  of  sur- 
passing natural  beauty.  The  mansion  itself  is  built  in 
the  Scottish  baronial  style  of  architecture,  but  it  exhibits 
various  modifications.  The  main  feature  of  the  struc- 
ture is  the  tower,  seventy  feet  in  height,  surmounted 
with  battlements  and  staircase,  other  turrets,  and  a  flag 
tower.  In  1875,  a  series  of  additions  and  alterations 
were  completed,  in  the  execution  of  which  two  or  three 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Storeys  were  added  in  some  parts  ;  but  the  old  historic 
dining-hall  is  preserved.  A  broad  staircase  ascends  to 
an  upper  hall,  which  is  thirty  feet  long  and  fifteen  feet 
wide  ;  and  at  the  end  of  it  is  the  drawing-room,  from  the 
windows  of  which  a  grand  view  of  the  upper  stretch  of 
the  Valley  is  obtained. 

The  Farquharsons  were  a  branch  of  the  Clan  Chattan, 
and  came  to  Braemar  at  an  early  period.  There  is  a 
mass  of  traditions  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
Clan  Chattan,  which  in  recent  years  has  been  well 
scrutinised  and  thoroughly  sifted.  The  derivation  of  the 
old  Clan  Chattan,  hovv^ever,  is  still  uncertain  ;  but  it 
seems  to  have  consisted  of  one  or  two  strong  clans,  and 
at  a  later  period  of  five  or  six  septs,  who  came  under  the 
protection  of  the  chief  clan.  In  modern  times  the  Clan 
Chattan,  who  followed  Mackintosh  as  chieftain  and 
leader  of  the  clan,  consisted  of  sixteen  septs.  The 
original  possessions  of  the  old  Clan  Chattan  were  mainly  in 
Lochaber,  Badenoch,  and  Rothiemurchus;  while  branches 
of  the  chief  clan  and  septs  under  the  protection  of  the 
chief  settled  in  other  parts  of  the  Highlands.  In  the 
fourteenth  century  the  Clan  Chattan  extended  from 
Badenoch  to  the  Parish  of  Birse  ;  and  branches  of  the 
tribe  settled  in  Glentilt,  Glenshee,  and  Glenisla. 

It  may  be  observed  that  the  Earldom  of  Mar  was 
practically  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown  or  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Family  from  1435  until  1561 — a  period  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years  ;  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  this  was  favourable  to  the  settlement  of  the 
Farquharsons  in  Braemar,  and  also  to  members  of  many 
other  families  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee. 

In    1464,  Alexander   Mackintosh   was   chief  of  the 


INVERCAULD.  187 

Clan  Chattan  ;  and  one  of  his  younger  sons,  named 
Farquhar,  from  Rothiemurchus,  settled  in  the  Braes  of 
Mar.  He  left  a  son,  Donald  Farquhar,  who  entered  the 
service  of  Duncan  Stewart,  the  laird  of  Invercauld,  and 
subsequently  he  married  the  laird's  daughter.  On  the 
death  of  Stewart,  his  son-in-law  succeeded  to  a  portion 
of  the  lands  of  Invercauld.  Donald  Farquhar  was 
succeeded  by  his  son,  Findla,  commonly  called  Findla 
Mor.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  force  of 
character,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  time  were 
favourable  to  him.  As  already  observed,  the  Earldom 
of  Mar  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Crown.  Thus  the 
King  had  ample  power,  and  many  opportunities  of 
rewarding  faithful  service  to  his  Government,  by  grants 
of  land  within  the  Earldom  ;  and  Findla  Mor  had  the 
good  fortune  to  be  appointed  Bailie  of  Strathdee.  For 
his  vigorous  and  effective  administration  of  justice,  he 
was  rewarded  (in  accordance  with  a  common  practice) 
by  several  grants  of  land. 

He  was  twice  married,  and  had  a  large  family.  In 
1547,  he  fought  at  the  Battle  of  Pinkie,  and  fell  on  that 
disastrous  field.  Findla  Mor  was  the  ancestor  of  the 
Farquharsons  of  Invercauld,  Castletown,  Inverey,  Fin- 
zean,  Balmoral,  Monaltrie,  and  Whitehouse. 

Findla  Mor's  son,  Robert  Farquharson,  succeeded 
to  Invercauld,  and  he  died  in  the  latter  part  of  the  six- 
teenth century.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John 
Farquharson,  who  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Robert 
Farquharson.      Robert  married  a  daughter  of  Erskine  of 

1  It  seems  to  be  uncertain  which  of  Findla  RIor's  sons  succeeded  to  Invercauld.  But, 
I  understand,  that  Captain  James  F.  Macpherson  has  been  making  a  careful  research 
touching  this  point,  and  no  doubt  will  throw  more  light  upon  it. 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Pittodrie,  and  had  issue.  He  acquired  the  barony  of 
Wardes,  in  the  Parish  of  Kennethmont,  but  afterwards 
sold  it.  His  daughter,  Marjory,  married  George  Leith 
of  Overhall.  Robert  died  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II., 
and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Alexander  Farquharson. 
He  married  a  daughter  of  Mackintosh,  chief  of  the 
Clan  Chattan,  and  had  issue.  But  their  eldest  son, 
William,  having  died  unmarried,  he  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  John  Farquharson.  He  was  in  possession 
of  Invercauld  when  the  Earl  of  Mar  raised  the  Standard 
of  Rebellion  in  1715. 

John  Farquharson  of  Invercauld  disapproved  of 
Mar's  movement,  and  was  extremely  unwilling  to  join 
it.  But  he  had  no  alternative,  as  the  Earl  was  his 
feudal  superior.  Thus  Invercauld  was  compelled  to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  Rising.  He  was  taken  a 
prisoner  at  the  surrender  of  Preston  in  November,  171 5, 
imprisoned,  and  confined  till  17 17.  His  liberation  was 
facilitated  by  the  efforts  on  his  behalf  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Ferguson,  minister  of  Logierait,  who  had  once  been 
minister  of  Crathie.  Mr.  Ferguson  was  the  father  of 
Dr.  Adam  Ferguson,  the  philosopher  and  historian. 

John  Farquharson  was  still  alive  at  the  time  of  the 
Rising  of  1745.  He  entirely  disapproved  of  this  new 
attempt  to  restore  the  Stuart  dynasty  :  while  his  eldest 
son,  James,  an  officer  in  the  service  of  the  Government, 
also  refrained  from  joining  in  the  Rising.  It  is  well 
known,  however,  as  one  of  the  many  romantic  features 
associated  with  this  Rising,  that  Invercauld's  eldest 
daughter,  Anne,  the  wife  of  Mackintosh  of  Mackintosh, 
exerted  herself  to  the  utmost  in  the  cause  of  Prince 
Charles,     With  much  courage  and  tact,  she  defeated  an 


INVERCAULD.  189 

attempt  of  the  Earl  of  Loudon  to  capture  the  Prince  at 
Moy  House,  shortly  after  the  Battle  of  CuUoden. 

John  Farquharson  died  in  1750,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty  years.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  James, 
who  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  sagacity.  He 
directed  his  attention  to  the  improvement  of  his  estates, 
which,  shortly  before  his  accession,  had  been  greatly 
extended  by  the  purchase  of  the  lands  of  Castletown, 
and  a  portion  of  Mar  Forest,  a  part  of  the  forfeited 
estates  of  the  Earl  of  Mar  ;  and  the  reversion  of  Monal- 
trie  on  the  forfeiture  of  Francis  Farquharson,  his 
kinsman.  James  married  the  widow  of  Lord  Sinclair, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  Lord  George  Murray,  Lieutenant- 
General  of  Prince  Charles'  army.  All  his  children 
predeceased  him,  except  one  daughter,  who  married 
Captain  James  Ross,  second  son  of  Sir  John  L.  Ross  of 
Balnagowan.  James  Farquharson  died  in  1806,  and 
Captain  Ross  then  assumed  the  name  of  Farquharson. 
His  son,  James  R.  Farquharson,  succeeded  to  the  estates 
of  Invercauld.  He  was  an  excellent  landlord.  He  died 
in  1862  ;  and,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Dee,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Sluggan  Burn,  on  a  small  wooded  eminence, 
there  stands  a  granite  obelisk,  fifty  feet  high,  erected  to 
his  memory  by  the  tenantry.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  Colonel  James  R.  Farquharson.  He  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  Lieutenant  Alexander  H.  Farquharson,  the 
present  proprietor  of  Invercauld. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  home-coming  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Farquharson  after  their  marriage,  great  preparations 
were  made  to  give  them  a  hearty  and  enthusiastic 
welcome.  This  fete  occurred  on  the  2nd  of  August, 
1893.     In  Castletown  of  Braemar,  bunting  was  displayed 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

on  almost  every  house,  and  flags  floated  beautifully  from 
both  the  Fife  and  Invercauld  Arms,  Mar  Castle,  and 
Altdowrie,  while  the  front  of  Invercauld  House  was 
decorated  with  a  triple  row  of  banners.  Along  the  road 
from  Ballater  to  Invercauld,  there  were  many  signs  of 
welcome — flags,  floral  devices,  and  strings  of  bannerettes 
hung  across  the  road.  At  Ballater,  Provost  Barnett, 
representing  the  commissioners,  the  feuars,  and  house- 
holders of  the  burgh,  presented  an  address  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Farquharson  of  Invercauld,  heartily  welcoming 
them  to  their  home  on  Deeside.  When  they  reached 
the  grounds  of  Invercauld,  they  received  a  most  en- 
thusiastic ovation  from  the  tenants  on  the  estate,  who 
had  assembled  to  meet  them. 


Chapter  XVIII. 

CASTLETOWN  OF  BRAEMAR. 

The  new  Bridge  of  Invercauld  carries  the  north  road  to 
the  south  side  of  the  Dee,  and  along  this  stretch  of  the 
Valley  to  the  Castletown  of  Braemar,  a  distance  of  three 
and  a  half  miles,  all  the  way  the  scenery  is  exquisitely 
grand  and  picturesque  ;  on  the  south  side,  overhung  by 
craggy  hills  and  precipitous  rocks,  finely  wooded  along 
their  bases,  up  their  steep  faces,  and  even  to  their 
summits. 

Near  the  bridge  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  is  a 
huge  stone  called  "  The  Muckle  Stane  o'  Clunie,"  which 
seems  to  have  fallen  from  Craig  Clunie — a  rocky  hill  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  road.  According  to  tradition, 
it  was  once  a  famous  haunt  of  the  fairies.  Clunie  Cottage 
is  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  near  the  site  of  the  old 
house  of  Clunie — now  demolished.  A  little  farther  on 
is  the  "  Charter  Chest,"  a  recess  in  the  rocky  and  steep 
face  of  Craig  Clunie  ;  it  is  about  three  hundred  yards  up, 
and  very  difficult  of  access.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the 
lairds  of  Clunie,  in  times  of  danger,  used  to  hide  their 
Charter  Chest  in  it.  It  is  also  said  that  after  the  Battle 
of  Culloden,  Farquharson  of  Clunie  hid  himself  in  this 
cave  for  some  time.  About  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
farther  on,  is  the  picturesque  mass  of  rock  called  "  The 
Lion's  Face,"  a  spot  which  has  long  been  much  frequented 
by  visitors.  These  precipitous  rocky  and  craggy  hills 
present  exceedingly  striking  scenes,  as  trees  and  bushes 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

are  seen  growing  beautifully  on  naked  masses  of  rock. 
One  feels  amazed  as  to  how  the  roots  of  the  trees  can 
fix  themselves  in  the  mere  slits  of  steep  rocks,  and  so 
withstand  the  severe  blasts  and  the  fierce  gales  of  winter. 

Westward  from  Invercauld  House,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Valley,  is  Altdowrie  Cottage,  amid  trees,  the 
residence  of  the  factor  of  Invercauld.  It  is  a  pretty 
structure,  and  stands  on  a  fine  site. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  river,  on  a  small  grassy 
eminence,  stands  the  Castle  of  Braemar,  amid  a  beautiful 
haugh,  lying  between  Creag  Choinnich  and  the  Dee.  The 
old  castle  was  built  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, when  John  Stuart,  the  third  son  of  James  III.,  was 
Earl  of  Mar.  In  1689,  the  year  after  the  Revolution, 
the  castle  was  burnt  by  General  Mackay's  dragoons, 
when  in  pursuit  of  Viscount  Dundee,  who  escaped  to 
Lochaber.  It  was  afterwards  repaired.  But  after  the 
Rising  of  171 5,  the  Earldom  of  Mar  was  forfeited  to  the 
Crown,  and  John  Farquharson  of  Invercauld  purchased 
the  castle  and  its  lands.  And  in  1748,  he  leased  the 
castle  and  fourteen  acres  of  ground  to  the  Government 
for  a  period  of  ninety-nine  years  ;  and  the  Government 
then  erected  the  present  castle,  which  for  a  number  of 
years  was  used  as  a  barracks  for  the  soldiers  stationed 
in  the  district.  Since,  great  changes  have  occurred  in 
Braemar  ;  for  nearly  a  century,  athletic  games  and 
Highland  dancing  have  been  annually  held  under  the 
shadow  of  the  old  castle. 

A  short  distance  beyond  the  castle,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  road,  is  the  parish  churchyard,  in  which  once 
stood  St.  Andrew's  Chapel,  but  not  a  vestige  of  it  now 
remains.     Near  the  centre  of  the  churchyard  is  the  burial 


CASTLETOWN  OF  BRAEMAR.  193 

aisle  of  the  Farquharsons  of  Invercauld — a  neat,  square 
building.  In  1893,  the  churchyard  was  enlarged,  and 
the  enclosing  wall  rebuilt  and  heightened. 

Castletown,  the  capital  of  Braemar,  is  situated  at  an 
elevation  of  eleven  hundred  and  ten  feet  above  sea  level. 
It  stands  on  a  fine  plain  formed  by  the  widening  out  of 
Glen  Clunie.  The  Water  of  Clunie,  a  beautiful  stream 
with  a  rocky  channel  and  steep  banks,  flows  through  the 
town,  and  a  stone  bridge  of  one  arch,  erected  in  1863, 
connects  the  two  portions  of  it.  Castletown  is  entirely 
surrounded  by  high,  picturesque,  and  well  wooded  hills. 
The  high  and  massive  hill  of  Morrone  stretches  down 
on  the  south-western  side  of  Castletown  ;  while  Creag 
Choinnich  rises  on  its  eastern  side  ;  and  on  its  north 
side  is  the  plain,  the  rippling  Dee,  and,  beyond,  the 
wooded  hills.  Thus  the  scenery  around  Castletown 
presents  a  panorama  of  scenes  and  landscapes  of  rare 
variety  and  characteristic  beauty. 

The  portion  of  the  town  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Water  of  Clunie  is  called  Castletown,  of  which  Farquhar- 
son  of  Invercauld  is  superior ;  and  the  portion  on  the 
west  side  of  the  stream  is  called  Auchendryne,  of  which 
the  Duke  of  Fife  is  superior.  But  it  is  becoming  com- 
mon to  apply  the  name  Castletown  of  Braemar  to  the 
whole  town. 

Castletown  of  Braemar  is  a  place  of  great  antiquity. 
According  to  tradition,  Kenneth  II.  had  a  hunting 
seat  here,  but  no  trace  of  it  remains.  It  is  said  that 
Malcolm  III.,  Canmore,  erected  a  castle  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Clunie,  near  the  bridge,  and  some  ruins  of 
an  old  structure  still  remain.  Whatever  historic  truth 
there  may  be  in  this  tradition,  it  is  a  well-ascertained 
o 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

fact  that  Malcolm  Can  more  was  in  the  Valley  of  the 
Dee  in  the  summer  of  1057,  when  he  defeated  and  slew 
Macbeth  at  Lumphanan.  If  he  built  a  castle  at  Brae- 
mar,  it  must  have  been  after  the  above  date. 

In  the  last  century,  most  of  the  houses  in  Castletown 
of  Braemar  were  small,  and  covered  with  thatch  ;  but  in 
the  present  century  it  has  made  rapid  progress.  In 
1842,  the  population  of  Castletown  of  Braemar  was 
two  hundred  and  fifty  ;  since  that  date  the  population 
of  the  town  has  increased  to  over  six  hundred  ;  and  in 
the  summer  season,  there  are  sometimes  nearly  two 
thousand  people  living  in  it  and  its  immediate  vicinity. 

Castletown  of  Braemar  is  now  a  pretty  town,  with 
well-built  houses,  all  of  which  are  slated,  and  a  consider- 
able number  of  excellent  and  beautiful  villas.  It  is  well 
supplied  with  pure  spring  water  from  a  reservoir  on  the 
Moor  of  Morrone  ;  and  the  town  presents  an  aspect  of 
health  and  comfort. 

In  the  west  side  of  the  town,  through  which  the  main 
street  runs,  there  are  several  very  fine  terraces  branching 
off  it.  Pretty  well  up  the  slope  of  Morrone,  there  are 
seven  or  eight  excellent  cottages,  recently  erected,  on 
attractive  sites. 

The  town  has  two  public  halls — one  built  of  timber 
in  the  west  division  of  the  town  ;  and  the  other  in  the 
east  division  or  Invercauld  side  of  the  water.  The  latter 
stands  on  a  fine  site  near  the  bank  of  the  stream,  built 
of  granite,  and  is  a  pretty  large  and  massive  structure. 
On  the  same  side  of  the  Clunie,  a  little  further  south- 
ward, there  is  a  very  pretty  house,  called  Canmore.  It 
is  built  in  the  cottage  style,  with  a  fine  lawn  and  an 
ornamental  space  of  ground  around  it.      A  little  nearer 


CASTLETOWN  OF  BRAEMAR.  195 

the  base  of  Creag  Choinnich,  there  are  nine  or  ten  excel- 
lent villas  and  cottages,  placed  on  charming  and  beautiful 
sites,  amid  trees  and  plantations. 

On  the  same  side,  but  nearer  the  stream  and  the 
bridge,  there  is  a  terrace  of  exceedingly  neat  little 
cottages.  Near  this  terrace  is  the  Meteorological 
Observatory.  It  has  a  set  of  good  instruments,  gifted 
to  it  by  the  late  Prince  Consort,  who  was  always  ready 
to  promote  scientific  observation,  and  advance  the  happi- 
ness of  mankind.  The  Observatory  is  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  James  Aitken,  the  agent  of  the  Union  Bank  of 
Scotland,  whose  office  and  residence  is  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street.  Observations,  including  the  force  of 
ozone,  are  taken  every  day,  and  the  results  published 
annually. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Chapel  stands  on  a  fine  elevated 
site  at  the  western  extremity  of  the  town.  It  is  a  pretty 
large  and  elegant  structure  ;  and  the  residence  of  the 
officiating  priest  is  beside  the  chapel.  The  Free  Church 
and  the  Manse  are  in  the  west  side  of  the  town,  and 
stand  on  a  slightly  elevated  space,  within  an  enclosure. 
The  congregation  obtained  a  lease  of  this  space  of 
ground  from  the  late  Earl  of  Fife.  The  church  is  a 
chaste  and  elegant  structure.  It  is  built  of  limestone, 
faced  with  light-coloured  granite.  It  stands  east  and 
west,  and  at  the  east  end  there  i?  a  fine,  tapering  spire, 
and  a  clock  in  it.  The  interior  of  the  church  is  beauti- 
ful. The  windows  have  stained  glass,  and  the  internal 
arrangement  is  excellent  and  pleasing,  and  affords  ample 
accommodation  for  the  congregation — an  active  one — 
doing  good  work  in  the  locality.  The  first  Free  Church 
minister  of  Braemar  was  the  Rev.  S.  M'Crie,  who  became 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

pastor  of  the  congregation  in  1843.  He  was  succeeded 
by  the  Rev.  Hugh  Cobban  in  1853.  ^^'  Cobban 
ministered  to  the  congregation  for  seventeen  years,  and 
died  in  1870.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Siddie,  who  was  inducted  in  1871 — the  present  pastor 
of  the  congregation. 

The  Established  Church  is  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Clunie.  It  is  a  chaste  building,  with  a  spire  and  a  clock. 
The  Episcopal  Church  is  also  on  the  east  side  of  the 
stream. 

Braemar  has  good  schools  ;  and  there  is  a  Public 
Library  in  the  town,  which  contains  a  considerable 
number  of  well-selected  and  useful  books.  There  are 
two  large  hotels — one  on  either  side  of  the  Water  of 
Clunie — the  only  licensed  premises  in  the  locality. 

Not  many  years  ago,  most  of  the  natives  of  Braemar 
spoke  Gaelic.  But  it  is  not  now  spoken,  although  the 
older  inhabitants  can  speak  it ;  the  children  and  the 
rising  generation  are  not  learning  Gaelic,  and  it  is  rapidly 
becoming  extinct  in  the  district.  The  people  of  Castle- 
town of  Braemar  are  quiet,  sober,  very  intelligent,  and 
ready  to  communicate  any  reasonable  information. 

Glen  Clunie  is  bounded  by  hills  of  moderate  eleva- 
tion, stretches  southward  about  nine  miles,  and  meets 
the  upper  end  of  Glenshee.  Some  of  the  hills  are 
rounded,  others  of  various  forms,  and  on  either  side  of 
the  glen  are  green  patches  and  stripes  of  grass  on  the 
hills  from  their  bases  to  their  summits,  interspersed 
among  the  heather.  Above  Castletown,  for  some 
distance,  the  hills  are  partly  wooded.  In  the  lower  part 
of  the  glen,  there  is  a  considerable  space  of  cultivated 
ground,  which  yields  good  crops  of  grain,  turnips,  and 


CASTLETOWN  OF  BRAEMAR.  197 

grass.  The  stream  which  drains  it  is  pretty  large,  and 
glides  rapidly  on  its  rocky  bed.  In  some  places  beds  of 
slaty  rock  project  on  either  side  of  the  steam.  About  a 
hundred  yards  above  the  farm-steading  of  Auchallater, 
the  rocks,  projecting  on  both  sides,  run  across  the  bed  of 
the  stream,  dividing  it  into  two,  and  the  water  rushes 
through  two  rents  in  the  rock  for  fifteen  yards,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  rents  form  a  deep  pool.  About  two  miles 
above  Castletown  the  wood  ceases,  excepting  straggling 
plants  and  bushes  along  the  margins  of  the  stream.  A 
considerable  part  of  the  glen  is  under  sheep. 

Two  miles  above  Castletown,  Glen  Callater  opens 
upon  Glen  Clunie.  Glen  Callater  extends  nearly  nine 
miles  in  a  south-easterly  direction  ;  it  is  narrow,  and  in 
its  lower  stretch,  bounded  by  hills  of  moderate  elevation, 
but  in  its  upper  part,  the  hills  are  higher.  A  stream  of 
considerable  size  rushes  through  the  glen  on  a  very  rocky 
and  stony  channel,  and  joins  the  Clunie  near  the  farm 
steading  of  Auchallater.  Loch  Callater  is  three  miles 
up  the  glen  ;  it  is  about  a  mile  long,  and  is  fed  by  rills 
rushing  down  from  the  outlying  ridges  of  Lochnagar, 
and  two  rapid  streamlets  which  issue  from  the  mountains 
at  the  head  of  the  glen.  There  is  no  wood  on  the  margins 
of  the  loch,  or  in  the  glen,  excepting  a  few  scattered 
small  trees  and  some  bushes.  The  glen  is  uninhabited  ; 
the  only  house  in  it  is  the  gamekeeper's  lodge.  The 
scenery  of  the  glen  is  wild  and  rugged,  and  it  terminates 
in  a  hollow  amid  high  mountains. 


Chapter  XIX. 

GLEN  QUOICH— INVEREY— GLEN  EY— GLEN  LUI— 
MAR  FOREST. 

From  Castletown  of  Braemar  to  Glen  Ey  the  scenery  is 
very  picturesque.  At  the  bottom  of  the  Valley  there  is  a 
fine  stretch  of  level  haughs,  which  are  cultivated  or  under 
grass  ;  and  on  either  side  of  the  river  the  hills  are  well 
wooded.  On  the  south  side  of  the  Valley  there  is  a 
beautiful  stretch  of  woods  consisting  of  birch,  pine,  larch, 
and  other  trees  interspersed  here  and  there.  Many  rills 
descending  from  Morrone  form  small  cascades  as  they 
rush  down  the  slaty  rocks  by  the  roadside.  One  of 
these,  a  streamlet  called  the  Carr  Burn,  in  its  course 
between  the  north  side  of  the  road  and  the  Dee,  has  a 
series  of  very  pretty  Falls,  the  highest  of  which  is  about 
twenty  feet. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Valley  is  Glen  Quoich. 
The  Water  of  Quoich,  a  stream  of  considerable  size,  on 
emerging  from  the  glen,  spreads  over  a  portion  of  the 
fine  haugh  and  greatly  mars  its  beauty.  Glen  Quoich  is 
well  wooded,  and  at  its  mouth  there  is  a  sawmill.  A 
short  distance  up  the  glen  is  the  Linn  of  Quoich.  Steep 
cliffs  and  rocks  overhang  the  stream  on  either  side,  while 
its  channel  at  the  commencement  of  the  fissure  in  the 
rock  is  narrowed  to  about  three  feet,  through  which  the 
water  rushes  with  great  force,  surging  and  foaming  into  a 
deep  pool  below.  The  narrow  ravine  is  finely  fringed 
with  birch  and  pine  trees,  and  various  wild  flowers,  which 


GLEN  QUOICH.  199 

greatly  enhance  the  picturesqueness  of  the  scene.  The 
action  of  the  ice  and  water  has  formed  a  number  of 
circular  cavities  in  the  rock,  which  have  some  resemblance 
to  a  cup  ;  and  one  of  the  largest  of  these  is  called  the 
"  Earl  of  Mar's  punch  bowl."  The  tradition  associated 
with  this  has  a  reference  to  the  memorable  meeting  im- 
mediately before  the  Rising  of  171 5.  The  Earl  and  his 
followers  having  mustered  at  Quoich,  he  ordered  that 
several  ankers  of  whisky,  some  ankers  of  boiling  water, 
and  a  quantity  of  honey,  should  |be  poured  into  the 
natural  cup  at  the  Linn,  and  then  as  each  man  passed,  he 
dipped  his  horn  into  the  flowing  bowl,  and  drained  it  to 
the  success  of  the  coming  James  VIII.  Since  that  time 
the  bowl  has  lost  its  bottom. 

The  feudal  superiority  of  Glen  Quoich  and  other 
lands  in  Braemar  was  purchased  by  Duff  of  Braco,  the 
ancestor  of  the  Duke  of  Fife,  after  the  suppression  of 
Mar's  Rising.  Afterwards  he  purchased  the  glen  itself. 
In  former  times  several  families  lived  in  Glen  Quoich  ;  it 
is  now  uninhabited,  and  forms  part  of  the  Forest  of  Mar. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Valley  the  Corriemulzie 
Burn  rises  on  Cam  na  Drochaide,  two  miles  southward 
from  the  Dee.  Three  miles  from  Castletown  this  stream 
flows  through  a  narrow  ravine,  which  the  road  crosses  by 
a  bridge,  but  there  is  little  to  be  seen  from  the  bridge  to 
indicate  the  existence  of  the  Falls,  excepting  the  sound 
of  the  falling  water.  The  ravine  rapidly  deepens,  the 
stream  dividing  into  two,  falls  down  the  face  of  a  steep 
rock,  at  the  bottom  of  which  it  again  unites  and  forms  a 
seething  pool  ;  emerging  from  the  pool,  it  rushes  over 
several  other  rocks,  and  winds  its  way  through  the  ravine 
and  onward  to  the  Dee.     The  height  of  the  Fall  is  about 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

thirty  feet.  Both  sides  of  the  ravine  are  covered  with 
trees  and  plants  and  a  variety  of  wild  flowers.  The  whole 
scene  is  very  pretty  and  picturesque.  A  narrow  footpath 
leads  down  the  side  of  the  stream,  from  which  a  good 
view  of  the  Falls  is  obtained. 

A  little  further  west,  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  is 
New  Mar  Lodge,  the  summer  residence  of  the  Duke  of 
Fife.  It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  1250  feet  on  the 
side  of  Creag  an  Fhithich,  "  The  Raven's  Crag,"  a  beauti- 
fully-wooded rocky  hill.  It  is  built  in  the  cottage  style, 
a  pretty  large  structure,  almost  hidden  amid  the  wood. 

Half-a-mile  further  on,  the  Dee  is  spanned  by  the 
Victoria  Bridge,  a  wooden  structure  belonging  to  the 
Duke  of  Fife,  which  was  substituted  for  the  stone  bridge 
destroyed  by  the  great  flood  of  1 829.  The  road  across  it 
leads  along  an  avenue  to  Old  Mar  Lodge,  which  was 
once  the  principal  residence  of  the  Fife  family  in  Braemar. 
Old  Mar  Lodge  is  situated  at  the  base  of  Creag  a'  Bhuilg, 
a  steep  and  thickly-wooded  hill,  and  in  front,  between  it 
and  the  Dee,  is  a  fine  broad  lawn.  It  is  a  very  plain 
structure,  but  the  surrounding  scenery  is  picturesque  and 
attractive. 

The  original  name  of  the  place  was  Dalmore,  and  the 
territory  in  the  neighbourhood  on  the  north  side  of  the 
Valley  belonged  to  the  Mackenzies.  According  to 
tradition,  the  first  laird  of  Dalmore  was  a  natural  son  of 
Kenneth  Mackenzie  of  Kintail,  who  received  a  grant  of 
it  from  James  IV.,  on  account  of  services  rendered  to  the 
King  by  his  father.  After  the  suppression  of  Mar's  Rising, 
Mackenzie  of  Dalmore  fell  into  embarrassed  circum- 
stances, and  the  result  was  that  his  lands  were  sold  to  the 
first  Earl  of  Fife. 


INVEREY.  201 

The  village  of  Inverey  is  about  five  miles  from  Castle- 
town of  Braemar.  It  is  divided  into  two  portions  by  the 
Water  of  Ey ;  the  hamlet  on  the  east  side  of  the  Ey  is 
called  Muckle  Inverey,  and  the  one  on  the  west  side  Little 
Inverey.  In  Muckle  Inverey  there  are  twelve  houses,  most 
of  them  recently  erected  and  slated,  but  three  or  four  of 
the  old  thatched  ones  still  remain.  There  is  about  the 
same  number  of  houses  in  Little  Inverey,  five  of  which  are 
thatched,  some  of  the  others  in  ruins,  and  four  or  five  are 
slated.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  straggling  hamlets  on 
either  side  of  the  Water  of  Ey,  there  is  a  considerable 
space  of  cultivated  ground.  The  Ey  joins  the  Dee  a 
short  distance  below  Inverey.  Formerly,  Inverey  and 
Glen  Ey  belonged  to  a  branch  of  the  Farquharson  family. 

At  Muckle  Inverey  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  is  the 
public  school.  Near  it  lies  the  ruins  of  the  old  Castle  of 
Inverey,  which  seems  to  have  been  a  structure  of  some 
strength.  There  are  traditions  associated  with  the  castle. 
After  the  Battle  of  Killiecrankie  it  was  burned  by  a  party 
of  Royal  troops,  when  John  Farquharson,  its  owner  and 
occupier,  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life  and  fled  to  the 
cave  in  Glen  Ey.  Behind  the  ruins  of  the  castle  is  a 
disused  burial-ground. 

On  the  rising  ground,  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  is 
Inverey  Cottage,  occupied  by  the  Duke  of  Fife's  forester. 
Alongside  of  it  runs  the  road  through  Glen  Ey. 

The  Water  of  Ey  is  a  fine  large  stream,  and  the  road 
crosses  it  by  a  bridge  between  the  two  Invereys.  The 
margins  of  the  stream  are  beautifully  fringed  with  trees, 
the  branches  of  which  in  some  places  meet  and  form  a 
pretty  arch  above  the  rippling  water.  In  the  lower  part 
of  Glen  Ey  there  is  a  pretty  stripe  of  cultivated  ground 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

which  yields  good  crops  of  grain.  For  a  short  distance 
up  the  glen  the  hills  on  either  side  are  wooded,  and 
farther  up  all  the  hills  are  interspersed  with  stripes  and 
patches  of  green  grass. 

About  a  mile  up  the  glen  there  is  a  rounded  hill,  and 
on  each  side  of  it  a  stream  comes  rushing  down  a  narrow 
ravine  amid  rocks.  The  stream  on  the  west  side  is  the 
AUt  Connie  Burn,  a  tributary  of  the  Ey  ;  and  on  the 
east  side  of  the  ravine  through  which  this  stream  descends, 
the  rocks  are  quite  perpendicular  for  several  hundred 
yards,  and  so  smooth  that  they  resemble  a  well-built  wall. 
This  stream  has  a  series  of  very  beautiful  Falls,  making 
together  a  Fall  of  over  sixty  feet.  Immediately  below  the 
Falls,  the  Allt  Connie  joins  the  Ey. 

Proceeding  up  the  west  side  of  Glen  Ey,  about  half-a- 
mile  above  the  junction  of  the  Allt  Connie  with  the  Ey, 
there  is  a  deep  and  rugged  rent  in  the  rocks,  through 
which  the  stream  rushes.  On  the  east  side  of  the  road 
a  narrow  path  among  the  heather  leads  down  to  the 
rocky  gorge.  Then  descending  a  steep  and  rocky  bank 
overgrown  with  trees  and  herbage,  we  stand  on  a  ledge 
of  slaty  rock  ;  beneath  us  is  a  black,  eddying  pool, 
formed  by  the  stream  which  a  few  yards  farther  up  comes 
rushing,  tumbling,  and  foaming  through  the  rocky  gorge. 
From  the  pool  the  stream  flows  over  broken  ledges  and 
fragments  of  rock  ;  and  here  its  channel  is  from  ten  to 
eighteen  feet  in  breadth.  The  rocks  on  either  side  are 
high,  with  perpendicular  cliffs,  covered  with  ferns  and 
various  flowering  plants,  and  trees  and  shrubs  growing  in 
the  rifts  of  the  rocks. 

The  ledge  of  rock  mentioned  above  is  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  stream.     It  is  nearly  one  hundred  feet 


GLEN  EY.  203- 

in  length,  from  four  to  twelve  feet  in  breadth,  and  at  its 
base  there  is  a  recess,  formed  by  the  overhanging  and 
projecting  rock,  which  is  twelve  feet  in  length,  from  two 
to  four  feet  in  breadth,  and  about  three  feet  in  height. 
This  is  the  "  Colonel's  Cave,"  in  which  it  is  said  that 
John  Farquharson  of  Inverey  hid  himself  for  some  time 
after  the  Battle  of  Killiecrankie. 

This  John  Farquharson  was  locally  called  the  Black 
Colonel,  and  there  are  many  traditions  relating  to  him. 
It  is  said  that  he  joined  Viscount  Dundee  before  the  Re- 
volution, and  fought  under  him  at  the  Battle  of  Bothwell 
Bridge.  In  1689,  when  Viscount  Dundee  raised  the 
Standard  of  James  VII.,  he  commissioned  the  Black 
Colonel  to  muster  the  men  of  Braemar.  The  Black 
Colonel  sent  the  fiery  cross  through  the  glens,  and  a 
company  of  men  assembled,  joined  Dundee,  and  fought 
at  the  Battle  of  Killiecrankie.  After  the  battle  the  Black 
Colonel  still  declined  to  render  his  submission  to  the 
Government ;  in  consequence  his  Castle  of  Inverey  was 
burned  (as  stated  before),  when  he  fled  for  his  life  to  the 
cave  in  Glen  Ey. 

The  Black  Colonel  died  about  the  end  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Peter 
Farquharson.  It  is  said  that  he  was  of  a  quiet  disposition, 
not  at  all  like  his  father  ;  but  he  joined  Mar's  Rising,  and 
was  present  at  the  Battle  of  Sheriffmuir.  After  the  sup- 
pression of  the  Rising,  he  escaped  to  France,  where  he 
remained  for  some  time,  and  his  lands  were  not  forfeited^ 
owing  to  an  error  in  the  charge  against  him.  James 
Farquharson,  the  last  laird  of  Inverey,  sold  the  lands  to 
the  Earl  of  Fife  in  the  latter  part  of  the  last  century. 

In  the  summer  of  1893,  on  the  east  side  of  the  glen,  I 


204  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

observed  a  number  of  cattle  grazing  opposite  the  Colonel's 
Cave.  At  one  time  a  portion  of  the  glen  farther  up  than 
the  Colonel's  Cave,  was  under  village,  and  eight  families 
once  lived  in  it.  The  glen  is  seven  miles  in  length,  and 
near  the  middle  of  it  there  is  a  stretch  of  fine  green 
pasture.  It  now  forms  a  part  of  the  deer  forest  of  Mar, 
Toward  the  head  of  the  glen  is  Alltanodhar  Shieling,  a 
-small  shooting  lodge  in  connection  with  the  forest. 

Between  Inverey  and  the  Linn  of  Dee  there  is  a  limited 
space  of  level  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  ;  and, 
in  the  summer  of  1893,  I  observed  good  crops  of  corn, 
potatoes,  and  turnips  in  this  locality.  On  the  north  side 
•of  the  Dee  is  the  Forest  of  Mar. 

The  Water  of  Lui  enters  the  Dee  about  half  a  mile 
below  the  Linn.  A  short  distance  above  its  junction 
with  the  Dee,  the  stream  is  spanned  by  a  bridge,  which 
carries  the  north  road  across  it.  A  little  above  this 
bridge,  the  Lui  has  two  very  pretty  Falls.  The  stream 
rushes  through  a  narrow  gorge  on  a  rocky  bed,  with  high 
rocks  on  either  side,  and  presents  a  beautiful  scene. 
Glen  Lui  is  pretty  wide  and  open,  bounded  by  rounded 
hills  of  modern  elevation,  which  are  interspersed  with 
patches  and  stripes  of  green  pasture.  There  is  a  consider- 
able space  of  level  ground  in  the  glen,  which  on  both 
sides  of  the  stream  is  covered  with  fine  natural  grass  ; 
and  parts  of  it  seem  to  have  once  been  under  cultiva- 
tion. Some  traces  of  the  ruins  of  houses  may  still  be 
seen,  and  at  one  time  the  glen  was  inhabited  ;  at  present 
the  only  inhabitants  in  it  are  the  gamekeeper  and  his 
family. 

At  a  distance  of  about  five  miles  from  its  mouth. 
Glen  Lui  branches  off  into  two  glens — Glen  Lui  Beg  and 


MAR  FOREST.  205 

Glen  Derry.     The  latter  runs  in  a  northward  direction 
for  nearly  five  miles,  and  for  about  two   miles  it  is  well 
wooded.     The  aspect  of  the  surroundings  is  solemn  and 
sombre — the  dark  green  foliage  shows  little  variation  of 
hues  ;  while  the  reigning  silence  is  only  broken   by  the 
rippling  sound  of  the  stream   rushing  rapidly  over  its 
stony  bed,  the  occasional  croak  of  the  raven,  and  the 
notes  of  the  cuckoo.      Pine  trees  are  the  prevailing  wood 
in  the  forest,  with  sprinklings  of  birches  here  and  there. 
The  pine  trees  of  Braemar  attain  a  height  of  from  fifty 
to  sixty  feet,  and  a  girth   of  ten    feet,    and   sometimes 
more,  but  many,  of  course,  never  reach  this  growth.    The 
straightest  and  finest  trees,  most  valued  for  timber,  have 
conical  tops  ;    but   the   most   beautiful   send   out   great 
irregular  branches.      There  is  a  considerable  variety  of 
form  among  pine  trees,  and  the  least  beautiful  are  the 
densely  crowded  trees,  which  have  sprung  up  into  slender 
spars  almost  denuded  of  branches  up  to  their  tops.     Up 
the  hillsides  the  trees  gradually  diminish  in  size,  and  are 
intermixed  with  birch.     In  many  places  there  are  stumps 
and  decayed  trees,  which  seems  to  indicate  that  in  former 
times  the  forest  had  been  more  extended.      Along  the 
upper  stretch  of  the  forest  many  dead  and  naked  trunks 
are  scattered  among  the  living  trees  ;    and  on  the  out- 
skirts   of  the    forest   the    trees    are   stunted,   bent,   and 
twisted,  and  quite  stripped  of  their  bark  ;    while  many 
old  trees  are  lying  on  the  ground,  decayed,  and  reduced 
to  dusty  soil,  covered  with  vegetation. 

After  the  continuous  wood  ceases,  in  the  upper  part 
of  Glen  Derry,  there  is  a  long  and  pretty  wide  level 
space,  covered  with  natural  grass.  The  glen  is  well 
adapted  for  pasture,  and  affords  excellent  grazing  for  the 


!206  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

deer.  A  few  scattered  trees  grow  on  the  plain  and  the 
hillsides,  and  some  traces  of  the  ruins  of  houses  are  still 
discernable.  Further  up,  the  Derry  Water  turns  west- 
ward, and  leads  to  its  main  source — Loch  Etchachan, 
which  lies  on  Ben  Muich  Dhui  at  an  elevation  of  thirty- 
one  hundred  feet.  Loch  Etchachan  is  a  sheet  of  water 
about  a  mile  in  circumference.  The  scenery  around  it 
is  somewhat  bleak  and  bare  ;  but  there  are  plenty  of 
trout  in  the  loch.  A  fine  view  of  Loch  Avon  may  be 
obtained  at  a  point  a  short  distance  north  from  Loch 
Etchachan. 

The  track  running  northward  in  line  with  Glen  Derry 
leads  over  an  elevated  ridge  to  Loch  Avon,  in  Banffshire, 
and  by  which  the  Spey  may  be  reached. 

Glen  Lui  Beg  and  its  stream  extend  a  distance  of 
nearly  five  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  Derry  to 
Lochan  Uaine — a  tarn  on  the  south  side  of  Ben  Muich 
Dhui.  The  lower  part  of  the  glen  is  wooded,  but  the 
trees  gradually  become  fewer,  scattered,  and  disappear. 
These  glens  are  included  in  the  deer  forest  of  Mar. 

This  deer  forest  is  very  extensive,  and  covers  a  wide 
extent  of  territory  on  both  sides  of  the  Dee.  The 
greater  part  of  it,  however,  is  not  wooded,  but  consists  of 
hills,  moors,  glens,  ravines,  and  corries. 

There  are  two  species  of  deer  in  the  Forest  of 
Braemar — the  red  deer  and  the  roe  deer.  The  red  deer 
live  among  the  hills  and  the  woods,  usually  in  large 
herds.  They  are  more  esteemed  for  the  quality  of  their 
flesh  than  the  roe  deer  ;  also  as  animals  which  afford 
much  excitement  in  hunting.  In  size  and  form  the  stag 
is  a  fine  and  beautiful  animal,  remarkably  swift,  muscu- 
lar,  and   strong.       The    most    peculiar   feature   of  the 


LINN  OF  DEE.  207 

physical  organism  of  the  stag  is  the  antlers  which  adorn 
its  head.  Usually,  during  the  hunting  season,  the  red 
deer  are  exceedingly  difficult  to  approach  within  shoot- 
ing distance. 

The  roe  deer  is  a  beautiful  animal,  but  much  smaller 
than  the  red  deer,  having  shorter  legs  and  horns.  They 
do  not  live  in  large  herds,  but  in  twos  or  threes,  and  may 
occasionally  be  seen  singly,  bounding  through  the  woods. 
They  live  among  the  woods  and  thickets,  and  rarely 
venture  upon  the  hills,  except  in  passing  from  one  wood 
to  another.  They  are  very  swift,  and  it  is  a  fine  sight  to 
see  two  or  three  of  them  at  full  speed. 

The  golden  eagle  was  once  common  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Braemar,  but  it  is  now  rarely  seen,  and  seems 
to  have  ceased  breeding  in  this  region.  Various  species 
of  hawks  and  owls  may  occasionally  be  seen  in  the 
district.  On  the  moors,  red  grouse  is  common,  and  up 
to  a  considerable  height  on  the  hills  ;  while  the  grey 
ptarmigan,  with  its  changing  plumage,  may  sometimes 
be  seen  on  the  summits  of  the  highest  mountains. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Dee  there  are  a  few  cottages  on 
the  road  side  not  far  from  the  Linn.  The  bridge  which 
spans  the  Dee  at  the  Linn  was  erected  by  the  late  Earl 
of  Fife,  and  opened  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  on  the 
8th  of  September,  1857.  The  Queen  and  Prince  Consort, 
and  other  members  of  the  Royal  Family,  started  from 
Balmoral  at  mid-day,  and  proceeded  to  the  Linn,  where 
a  triumphal  arch  was  erected  in  honour  of  the  occasion. 
The  road  was  lined  with  Duff  men — the  pipers  playing  ; 
and  the  Earl  of  Fife  and  Lady  Fife  received  the  Queen 
and  Royal  Party.  On  the  bridge  they  all  drank,  in 
whisky,  "  prosperity  to  the  bridge."    It  is  built  of  granite, 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

and  has  only  one  arch,  formed  upon  solid  rock  at  either 
side.  It  is  a  very  elegant  structure,  and  shows  excellent 
workmanship.  From  the  bridge  a  good  view  of  the 
Linn  can  be  obtained,  as  it  stands  nearly  over  the 
middle  of  the  gorge. 

The  Linn  may  be  briefly  described.  Above  the 
bridge  a  ledge  of  rock  runs  across  the  bed  of  the  river, 
and  rising  a  little,  causes  a  continuous  ripple  of  the 
water.  The  river  rushes  with  great  force  into  a  deep 
crevice,  making  three  beautiful  cascades,  the  highest  of 
which  is  about  five  feet  ;  as  the  crevice  between  the 
rocks  become  narrower,  the  water  seethes  and  tumbles 
with  tremendous  force  onward  to  the  end  of  the  fissure  in 
the  rock  ;  after  escaping,  the  water  forms  a  very  dark 
pool,  and  then  glides  away.  The  Linn  is  over  three 
hundred  yards  in  length,  and  at  the  narrowest  point, 
which  is  a  little  below  the  bridge,  the  opening  between 
the  rocks  is  about  three  feet  broad.  The  rocks  above  on 
either  side,  and  especially  below  the  bridge  on  the  south 
side,  are  o(  considerable  height,  and  overhanging.  A 
very  striking  feature  of  the  Linn,  is  the  number  of  cup- 
like cavities  formed  in  the  solid  rock  on  both  sides  of  the 
fissure,  into  which  the  water  dashes,  eddying  and  swir- 
ling beautifully.  These  cavities  in  the  rock  are  as 
smooth  as  the  finest  polished  stone. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  bridge,  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  Linn,  there  is  a  pretty  large  hunting 
lodge,  amid  thriving  young  trees,  which  belongs  to  the 
Duke  of  Fife.  The  late  Earl  of  Fife  occasionally  stayed 
a  few  days  at  this  delightful  spot  in  the  summer  time. 

Above  the  Linn  there  is  not  much  wood,  but  here 
and  there  straggling  small  trees  and  clusters  of  bushes. 


LINN  OF  DEE.  209 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  Linn,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Dee,  there  is  "  the  big  and  little  lord's  haugh," 
on  which  there  were  once  buildings — now  in  ruins. 
Farther  westward,  at  Dubrach,  where  the  Geldie  joins 
the  Dee,  a  party  of  soldiers  was  stationed  after  Mar's 
Rising.  A  few  yards  above  the  junction  of  the  Geldie 
and  the  Dee,  the  latter  is  spanned  by  a  wooden  structure, 
called  White  Bridge. 

Glen  Geldie  in  a  limited  part  of  its  lower  stretch,  is 
grassy,  and  contains  good  pasture  ;  but  the  greater  part 
of  the  glen  appears  rather  bleak,  mostly  consisting  of 
moorland  and  mosses,  while  the  hills  on  either  side  of  it 
are  bare,  and  of  no  great  elevation.  About  four  miles 
from  White  Bridge,  on  the  banks  of  the  Geldie,  is  Geldie 
Lodge — a  hunting  seat  connected  with  the  Glen  Geldie 
part  of  the  deer  forest  of  Mar.  About  a  mile  above  the 
mouth  of  Glen  Geldie,  Glen  Bynack  opens  upon  it,  and 
the  latter  is  a  good  pastoral  glen.  Bynack  shooting 
lodge  is  on  the  bank  of  the  burn,  about  two  miles  from 
the  junction  of  the  Geldie  and  the  Dee. 

Half-a-mile  westward  from  the  confluence  of  the  Dee 
and  the  Geldie,  there  is  a  striking  rapid,  called  "The 
Chest  of  Dee."  It  is  a  narrow  and  rocky  part  of  the 
river,  about  one  hundred  yards  long,  through  which  the 
water  rushes  with  great  force  into  a  pool,  from  which 
the  river  flows  quietly  on.  A  little  farther  up,  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Dee,  there  are  some  traces  of  a  build- 
ing, said  to  have  been  the  uppermost  hunting  lodge  of 
the  Earl  of  Mar.  Above  this,  a  path  leads  up  Glen  Dee, 
passing  the  Pools  of  Dee,  and  onward  to  Coylum  Bridge 
on  the  Spey. 

As  stated  in  the  introductory  chapter.   Glen  Dee  is 
P 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

narrow,  rugged,  and  wild,  with  lofty  mountains  on  both 
sides.  It  has  one  opening  on  the  east  side — the  entrance 
into  Glen  Lui  Beg,  which  was  treated  before ;  and  nearly 
opposite,  on  the  west  side,  is  the  mouth  of  Glen  Geusachan. 
This  glen  is  narrow  at  its  mouth,  where  it  branches  off 
from  Glen  Dee ;  but  it  winds  round  the  Devil's  Point  to 
the  south-west  of  Cairn  Toul.  As  it  bends  northward 
towards  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  it  gradually  widens 
out,  and  at  a  distance  of  three  miles  it  loses  its  features 
as  a  glen,  where  its  stream  approaches  an  elevation  of 
thirty-five  hundred  feet. 

Thus  we  have  reached  the  high  mountain-land,  and 
so  far  completed  the  proposed  task.  Yet,  any  history  of 
the  Valley  of  the  Dee  would  be  quite  inadequate  without 
some  account,  however  brief,  of  the  Earldom  and  Earls 
of  Mar,  and  the  Risings  of  171 5  and  1745.  Mar  is  not 
only  one  of  the  most  ancient  of  Scottish  Earldoms, 
but  also  in  many  respects  the  most  remarkable  and 
interesting  one  in  the  Island.  So  a  few  chapters  on 
these  will  be  an  appropriate  conclusion  to  the  preceding 
account  of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee. 


Chapter   XX. 

EARLDOM  OF  MAR— EARLS  OF  MAR. 

The  ancient  district  of  Mar  was  very  extensive.  It 
commenced  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Aberdeen  and  ex- 
tended all  the  way  to  Badenoch,  comprising  almost  the 
whole  of  the  Valleys  of  the  Dee  and  Don,  and  the 
territory  lying  between  them.  It  seems  probable  that  the 
whole  of  this  district  was  under  the  Mormaer  of  Mar.  In 
Celtic  times  the  Mormaer  was  the  head  and  leader  of  the 
tribe  of  the  land.  The  old  Earls  of  Mar  were  descended 
from  the  Mormaers  of  Mar,  and  can  be  traced  from  the 
tenth  century  onward. 

From  an  early  period  the  Castle  of  Kildrummy  was 
the  principal  seat  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar.  It  is  one  of 
the  oldest  castles  in  Scotland,  and  was  a  place  of  great 
strength ;  but  it  is  now  ruinous.  The  castle,  with  its  forti- 
fications, covered  three  Scotch  acres  of  ground. 

It  may  be  observed  that  the  Gaelic  name  Mormaer 
was  superseded  by  the  title  Earl.  In  1014,  Donald 
Mormaer  of  Mar  proceeded  to  Ireland  to  assist  the  Irish 
in  repelling  the  Danes  ;  and  he  was  slain  at  the  Battle  of 
Clontarf  In  the  reign  of  Alexander  I.,  Ruadri  was  the 
Mormaer  of  Mar  ;  and  he  became  first  Earl  of  Mar.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Morgund,  second  Earl  of  Mar,  who 
appears  as  a  witness  to  a  number  of  charters  granted 
between  1147  and  1178.  Morgund  was  succeeded  by 
Gilchrist,  third  Earl  of  Mar,  who  witnessed  charters 
granted  between  1170  and  1204.       He  was  succeeded  by 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Gratney,  fourth  Earl  of  Mar  ;  and  about  the  year  1225  he 
was  succeeded  by  Duncan,  fifth  Earl  of  Mar.  Duncan 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  William,  sixth  Earl  of  Mar,, 
in  1244. 

This  Earl,  during  the  minority  of  Alexander  III.,  came 
into  conflict  with  Alan  Durward,  who  was  Justiciary  of 
Scotland.  Durward  had  married  a  natural  daughter  of 
Alexander  II.,  and  he  desired  the  Earldom  of  Mar,  and 
even  aspired  to  the  Throne  of  Scotland.  Although 
Alan  Durward  failed  in  his  main  aim,  yet  he  actually 
obtained  possession  of  large  portions  of  the  Earldom  of 
Mar  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  and  in  other  quarters  of 
Aberdeenshire.  A  kind  of  compromise  was  thus  effected 
between  the  Earl  of  Mar  and  Alan  Durward. 

William  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Donald,  seventh 
Earl  of  Mar.  In  1290,  during  the  Interregnum,  Donald, 
Earl  of  Mar,  and  Duncan,  Earl  of  Fife,  appeared  before 
the  Bishop  of  St.  Andrews  and  John  Comyn,  guardians 
of  Scotland,  and  protested  against  any  unwarranted 
action  on  their  part  touching  the  appointment  of  a  King^ 
or  placing  themselves  and  their  rights  under  the  protection 
of  Edward  I.  ;  and  also  protesting  against  the  choice  of 
Baliol  in  favour  of  Bruce  to  the  Throne  of  Scotland, 
This  protest,  unfortunately,  was  disregarded,  as  the  Bishop 
of  St.  Andrews  even  invited  the  interference  of  Edward  L 
in  the  question  of  the  disputed  succession  to  the  Throne 
of  Scotland. 

This  Donald,  Earl  of  Mar,  had  a  son,  Gratney,  and  a 
daughter,  Isabel.  Gratney  married  Christiana  Bruce,  a 
sister  of  King  Robert  Bruce  ;  while  King  Robert  married 
Isabel,  Gratney's  sister.  Gratney  obtained  with  his  wife 
the  Earldom  of  Garioch,  to  be  held  in  free  regality.    Thus 


EARLS  OF  MAR.  213 

the  Earls  of  Mar  and  Robert  I.  were  closely  allied. 
Gratney  succeeded  his  father  as  eighth  Earl  of  Mar.  At 
his  death,  he  left  a  son,  Donald,  who  succeeded  as  ninth 
Earl  of  Mar ;  and  also  two  daughters,  of  whom  the 
eldest,  Ellen,  married  Sir  John  Menteith — their  daughter, 
Christian  Menteith,  married  Sir  Edward  Keith — their 
daughter,  Janet  Keith,  married  Sir  Thomas  Erskine;and 
from  this  relationship  sprung  the  claim  and  the  right  of 
the  Erskine  family  to  the  Earldom  of  Mar,  a  century  later. 

Earl  Donald  was  confined  a  prisoner  in  England 
during  the  War  of  Independence.  After  the  death  of 
Robert  I.,  the  Earl  of  Mar  joined  the  cause  of  the  young 
Prince  David  II.,  his  own  cousin.  On  the  death  of 
Randolph,  Earl  of  Moray,  Mar  was  appointed  Regent  of 
Scotland.  Shortly  after,  he  fell  at  the  disastrous  Battle 
of  Dupplin  in  1332. 

He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Thomas,  the  tenth  and 
last  Earl  of  Mar  of  the  Celtic  line.  His  sister,  Margaret, 
married  William,  the  first  Earl  of  Douglas.  David  II. 
granted  to  Earl  Thomas  a  charter  of  confirmation  of  the 
Earldom  of  Garioch  to  him  and  his  heirs.  He  married 
Margaret  Stuart,  Countess  of  Angus  in  her  own  right;  but 
he  died  in  1377,  leaving  no  issue. 

His  sister,  the  Countess  of  Douglas,  then  succeeded 
to  the  Earldoms  of  Mar  and  Garioch.  She  had  a  son  and 
a  daughter  to  her  husband,  the  Earl  of  Douglas,  who  died 
in  1384.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  James,  Earl  of 
Douglas  and  of  Mar.  He  fell  at  the  Battle  of  Otterburn 
in  1388;  and  having  left  no  legitimate  issue,  his  sister, 
Isabel,  succeeded  to  the  Earldoms  of  Mar  and  Garioch, 
her  mother's  heritage.  She  also  succeeded  to  the  unen- 
tailed   lands   of  the   house  of  Douglas.       This    Isabel, 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Countess  of  Mar  and  Garioch  in  her  own  right,  and  also 
owner  of  other  lands  of  wide  extent,  naturally  became  an 
object  of  intrigues,  and  a  network  of  plots  was  woven 
around  her. 

She  married  Sir  Malcolm  Drummond,  a  brother  of 
Annabella — Queen  of  Robert  III. ;  but  there  was  no  issue 
of  the  marriage.  Her  husband.  Sir  Malcolm,  was  attacked 
by  a  party  instigated  by  Alexander  Stewart  (the  hero  of 
Harlaw)  and  murdered.  Tytler,  the  historian,  says — 
"  There  seems  to  have  been  little  doubt  that  the  successful 
wooer  and  the  assassin  of  Drummond  was  one  and  the 
same  person."  After  the  murder  of  her  husband,  Isabel 
was  residing  at  the  Castle  of  Kildrummy,  a  widow, 
childless,  and  unprotected.  In  the  summer  of  1404, 
Alexander  Stewart,  a  leader  of  broken  men,  and  the 
terror  of  the  country,  swooped  down  upon  the  Castle  and 
his  victim.  He  captured  the  Countess'  castle,  seized  her 
person,  and  then  extorted  from  her,  under  covenant  of 
future  marriage,  a  charter  dated  12th  of  August,  1404,  by 
which  she  gifted  to  Alexander  Stewart  the  Earldoms  of 
Mar  and  Garioch,  and  all  the  other  lands  and  superiorities 
belonging  to  her  by  hereditary  right.  The  immediate 
effect  of  this  charter  was  to  cut  off  the  Erskines,  and 
others  who  had  hopes  of  succeeding  to  the  Earldom  of 
Mar. 

This  outrage  on  the  Countess'  person  and  property, 
and  extortion  of  the  charter,  were  too  flagrant  to  stand 
unredressed  ;  but  Stewart's  relation  to  the  Royal  family 
appears  to  have  saved  him  from  actual  punishment 
Accordingly  a  compromise  was  arranged,  by  which  the 
rights  of  other  parties  were  secured.  The  matter  assumed 
a  dramatic  form. 


EARLS  OF  MAR.  215 

On  the  9th  of  September,  1404,  the  Countess,  accom- 
panied by  the  Bishop  of  Ross,  Sir  Andrew  LesHe,  and 
other  gentlemen  of  the  district,  and  a  multitude  of  the 
people,  assembled  upon  a  meadow  outside  the  great  gate 
of  Kildrummy  Castle  ;  and  then  Alexander  Stewart  came 
out  of  the  castle,  advancing  to  where  the  Countess  stood, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  assemblage  delivered  over  to 
her  the  castle  with  its  charters,  the  silver  vessels  and 
other  jewels,  and  everything  therein,  placing  the  keys  in 
her  hands,  to  dispose  of  the  castle  as  no  longer  under  any 
constraint.  This  having  been  done,  the  Countess,  holding 
the  keys  in  her  hands,  then  made  choice  of  Alexander 
Stewart  as  her  husband  before  all  the  people,  and  gave 
him  in  free  marriage  the  castle  and  the  Earldoms  of  Mar 
and  Garioch,  and  all  the  lands  that  she 'possessed.  Im- 
mediately after  this  ceremony  the  charter  of  the  12th  of 
August  was  renounced  by  Stewart  in  favour  of  the 
Countess,  to  be  reconveyed  by  her  to  him,  which  was 
done  by  a  similar  charter  of  the  9th  December  ;  and  this 
was  confirmed  by  a  charter  of  Robert  III.  on  the  21st  of 
January,  1405,  under  the  Great  Seal.  Thus  x'\lexander 
Stewart,  natural  son  of  the  Earl  of  Buchan  (the  "  Wolf  of 
Badenoch")  became  Earl  of  Mar. 

The  Countess  Isabel,  the  unhappy  victim  of  many 
intrigues,  and  such  violence  as  indicated  above,  died  about 
three  years  after  her  marriage,  and  left  no  issue  by 
Alexander  Stewart ;  but  he  continued  to  hold  the 
Earldom,  and  endeavoured  to  secure  the  succession  to  his 
natural  son,  Thomas  Stewart. 

On  the  return  of  James  I.,  Alexander  Stewart  resigned 
the  Earldom  of  Mar  into  the  King's  hands,  and  received 
it  back  by  charter  on  the  26th  of  May,  1426,  to  himself 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

for  life — and  to  his  natural  son,  Thomas,  in  fee,  with 
destination  to  the  heir  male  of  Thomas,  and  with  a  final 
reminder  to  the  Crown.  Thus  the  Erskines,  the  real 
heirs  to  the  Earldom  were  ignored  ;  but  Thomas  Stewart 
died  childless  in  his  father's  lifetime,  and  on  the  death  of 
Earl  Alexander  himself,  in  1435,  James  I.  annexed  the 
Earldom  of  Mar  to  the  Crown,  still  ignoring  the  claim  of 
the  Erskines. 

After  the  death  of  James  I.,  however,  Sir  Robert 
Erskine  took  steps  in  1438  in  the  usual  form,  to  secure  his 
right  of  succession  to  the  Earldom  of  Mar  as  the  lawful  a 

heir — a  descendant  from  Ellen,  the  eldest  daughter  of 
Donald,  Earl  of  Mar,  and  Regent  of  Scotland,  who  fell  at 
the  Battle  of  Dupplin  in  1332,  as  before  mentioned.  In 
1438,  Sir  Robert  obtained  two  special  retours  of  service, 
on  which  he  was  inducted  into  the  chief  messuage  of  the 
Earldom — the  Castle  of  Kildrummy.  He  assumed  the 
title  of  Earl  of  Mar  and  Lord  Erskine,  under  which  he 
granted  various  charters  to  vassals  of  the  Earldom,  among 
others,  a  charter  dated  loth  May,  1440,  granting  the  lands 
of  Davachdore  to  Sir  Alexander  Irvine  of  Drum.  Erskine 
was  at  once  recognised  as  Earl  of  Mar  in  Aberdeen,  as 
appears  from  an  entry  in  the  records  of  the  city,  dated 
28th  December,  1439. 

But  the  Crown  soon  began  a  struggle  with  the  Earl, 
which  terminated  in  depriving  him  and  the  Erskine 
family  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar  for  a  long  period.  During 
the  minority  of  James  II.,  various  arrangements  were 
entered  into  between  Lord  Erskine  and  the  Government, 
the  drift  of  which  was  to  delay  the  settlement  of  his  claim 
to  the  Earldom  until  the  King  attained  his  majority.  In 
1452,  James  II.  granted  the  Earldom  of  Gariochto  Mary, 


EARLS  OF  MAR.  217 

his  Queen,  by  charter  for  life.  Robert  Erskine,  Earl  of 
Mar  and  Garioch,  died  about  the  beginning  of  1453,  but 
his  son,  Thomas,  Lord  Erskine  insisted  on  his  claim  to 
the  Earldom  of  Mar.  A  court  was  held  at  Aberdeen  on 
the  15th  of  May,  1457,  at  which  the  King  was  present  as 
prosecutor  in  his  own  cause,  with  the  Lord  Chancellor  as 
his  advocate  ;  and  there  and  then  Thomas,  Lord  Erskine's 
demand  for  a  retour  of  service  to  his  father  in  the 
Earldom  of  Mar,  in  virtue  of  the  retours  of  1438,  and  the 
infeftment  thereupon  was  rejected;  and  the  retours  of  1438 
were  set  aside  on  the  ground  that,  on  the  death  of 
Alexander  Stewart,  Earl  of  Mar,  in  1435,  the  Earldom 
then  reverted  to  James  L,  and  was  the  property  of  his 
successor,  James  II.,  in  consequence  of  the  illegitimacy  of 
Earl  Alexander  and  his  son,  Thomas  Stewart. 

In  1459,  James  II.  granted  the  Earldom  of  Mar  to  his 
own  youngest  son,  John,  then  an  infant.  He  became  a 
manly  and  promising  prince  ;  but  being  obnoxious  to 
the  favourites  of  James  III.,  he  was  arrested  and  im- 
prisoned in  the  Castle  of  Craigmillar,  and  it  is  said,  bled 
to  death.  Earl  John  having  died  unmarried,  the  Earldom 
lapsed  to  the  Crown.  In  1482,  James  III.  granted  the 
Earldom  of  Mar  to  his  brother,  Alexander,  Duke  of 
Albany.  In  1485  he  was  killed  by  the  splinter  of  a  lance 
while  looking  on  at  a  tournament  in  Paris.  James  III. 
then  granted  the  Earldom  of  Mar  to  his  third  son,  John, 
a  mere  boy,  and  he  died  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  The 
Earldom  again  reverted  to  the  Crown,  and  continued  in 
its  possession  for  upwards  of  sixty  years  ;  during  this 
period  there  were  no  Earls  of  Mar. 

But  large  portions  of  the  lands  of  the  Earldom  were 
from  time  to  time  granted   to  favourite  vassals  of  the 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

Crown.  John  Elphinstone  of  Elphinstone  received  grants 
by  charter  from  James  IV.,  in  1507,  1509,  and  15 10,  of 
the  lands  of  Invernochty,  and  other  lands  in  Strathdon 
and  Cromar,  the  lands  of  Kildrummy,  and  also  the  custody 
of  the  castle — the  chief  seat  of  the  Earldom.  In  15 10, 
Alexander  Elphinstone,  who  had  succeeded  his  father, 
was  created  a  Lord  of  Parliament  under  the  title  of  Lord 
Elphinstone. 

James  IV.  and  his  successor  James  V.  retained  the 
remainder  of  the  territory  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar  in  their 
own  hands.  Thus  the  matter  continued  until  the  return 
of  Queen  Mary  from  France,  in  1561. 


Chapter  XXL 

EARLS   OF    MAR— RISING    OF   1715. 

In  the  year  1562,  Queen  Mary  granted  what  remained 
of  the  lands  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar  in  the  hands  of  the 
Crown  to  her  half-brother,  James  Stewart,  Prior  of 
St.  Andrews,  afterwards  the  Regent  Moray.  Shortly 
after,  the  Queen,  however,  became  aware  of  the  claim  of 
the  Erskine  family  to  this  Earldom  ;  accordingly,  she 
resolved  to  restore  it  to  the  legitimate  heirs.  In  1565, 
Queen  Mary  granted  by  charter  the  Earldom  of  Mar  and 
the  Lordship  of  the  Garioch  to  John,  Lord  Erskine,  upon 
the  ground  that  he  was  the  legitimate  heir  to  this  Earl- 
dom and  Lordship  as  possessed  from  ancient  times  by  the 
Countess  Isabel.  Among  the  lands  specified  as  in  the 
Earldom  of  Mar  are  Strathdee,  Braemar,  Cromar,  and 
Strathdon,  being  portions  of  the  Earldom  then  in  the 
hands  of  the  Crown.  But  seeing  that  the  Barony  and 
Castle  of  Kildrummy,  the  chief  seat  of  the  Earldom,  had 
been  alienated  by  the  Crown  (as  indicated  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter),  the  Manor  of  Migvie  was  declared  to 
be  a  proper  place  for  the  infeftment  in  the  entire  Earl- 
dom of  Mar  ;  while  the  Castle  of  Dunnideer  was  to  serve 
the  same  purpose  for  the  Lordship  of  Garioch.  The 
Earl  at  once  received  possession  of  the  lands  still  in  the 
hands  of  the  Crown,  but  it  was  long  ere  the  other  lands 
were  recovered,  and  considerable  portions  of  them  were 
never  recovered. 

John,  Earl  of  Mar,  was  appointed  guardian  of  the 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

infant  King  James  VI. ;  and,  on  the  death  of  the  Regent 
Lennox  in  1571,  Mar  was  elected  Regent  of  Scotland. 
He  died  on  the  29th  of  October,  1572,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  son,  John,  second  Earl  of  Mar. 

This  Earl  was  a  man  of  much  energy  and  ability. 
He  made  great  and  prolonged  efforts  to  recover  the 
territorial  possessions  of  the  Earldom.  In  1587,  an 
Act  of  Parliament  was  passed  in  favour  of  John,  Earl  of 
Mar,  protecting  his  right  of  regress  on  legal  warrant 
against  prescription,  on  the  statement  of  the  rights 
recognised  in  the  charter  of  restoration  of  1565.  This 
Act  was  opposed  in  Parliament  ;  the  Earl  of  Huntly, 
Lord  Elphinstone,  and  others  interested,  protested 
against  it.  John  Wishart,  laird  of  Pittarrow  (in  the 
Parish  of  Fordoun,  Kincardineshire),  protested  that  "  he 
was  heritable  feuar  and  immediate  tenant  to  our 
sovereign  lord  of  the  lands  of  Strathdee  and  Braemar." 
It  appears  that  Wishart's  claim  originated  in  a  disposi- 
tion granted  by  James  Stewart,  the  Regent  Moray,  while 
he  was  Earl  of  Mar.  Although  the  Earl  of  Mar  had 
obtained  an  Act  of  Parliament  to  enable  him  to  recover 
the  chief  seat,  and  other  alienated  lands  of  the  Earldom, 
yet  this  was  an  extremely  difficult  process,  and  many 
years  elapsed  ere  he  made  much  progress. 

I^  I593>  he  commenced  proceedings  before  the  Court 
of  Session  against  William  Forbes  of  Corse,  the  represen- 
tative of  his  great-grandfather,  Patrick  Forbes,  a  younger 
son  of  the  second  Lord  Forbes,  to  whom  the  lands  of  Corse 
Muretown,  and  other  lands,  which  had  been  granted  in 
feu  farm  to  be  held  of  the  King,  by  James  III.,  in  1482. 
This  case  was  ultimately  decided  in  Mar's  favour  in 
1 62 1.     The  Earl  then  renewed  his  efforts  to  obtain  the 


EARLS  OF  MAR.  221 

lands  and  Castle  of  Kildrummy.  The  trial  of  the  case 
was  very  long  and  difficult  ;  and  the  final  decision  was 
delivered  in  1626,  by  which  the  lands  and  Castle  of 
Kildrummy  were  declared  to  belong  to  John,  Earl  of  Mar, 
by  heritable  right  from  Sir  Robert  Erskine — legitimate 
heir  of  Isabel,  Countess  of  Mar  and  Garioch.  After  this 
decision,  Alexander,  Lord  Elphinstone,  and  the  Master  of 
Elphinstone,  agreed  to  an  arrangement  whereby  John, 
Earl  of  Mar,  undertook  to  pay  to  them  forty-eight 
thousand  merks,  on  receipt  of  which  the  Elphinstones 
should  ratify  the  decree  of  reduction,  and  renounce  all 
right  to  the  lands  and  castle  in  question. 

There  were,  however,  many  other  estates  and  rights  of 
superiority,  though  less  important  than  Kildrummy,  which 
had  been  alienated  from  the  Earldom  of  Mar  and 
Lordship  of  the  Garioch  by  preceding  Kings  of  Scotland, 
and  also  by  Crown  vassals  ;  and  the  Earl  pushed  on  pro- 
ceedings for  the  recovery  of  these  possessions  and  rights. 
But  he  died  in  the  end  of  December,  1634.  He  held  the 
office  of  Treasurer  in  the  Government  of  Scotland  from 
161 5  to  1630.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John,  third 
Earl  of  Mar,  and  the  processes  which  were  pending,  were 
determined  in  favour  of  the  Earl  on  the  26th  of  March, 
1635,  three  months  after  the  death  of  his  father. 

These  processes  involved  a  prosecution  against 
upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  proprietors  in  possession 
of  lands  or  superiorities  within  the  Earldom  of  Mar  and 
Lordship  of  Garioch ;  and  among  whom  may  be 
mentioned  the  Earls  of  Crawford,  Kinghorn,  and  Earl 
Marischal,  Lord  Forbes,  Lord  Deskford,  and  Lord 
Wemyss,  Irvine  of  Drum,  Burnett  of  Leys,  Leslie  of 
Balquhain,  many  Gordons,  Forbeses,  Leiths,  and  others. 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

All  these  were  to  be  reduced,  so  far  as  the  lands  specified 
were  parts  and  dependencies  of  the  Earldom  of  Mar,  and 
decision  given  in  favour  of  the  Earl  of  Mar.  No  wonder 
that  there  was  a  great  stirring  up  of  rights  and  claims, 
much  searching  in  the  massive  iron  chests,  with  their  com- 
plicated locks  and  secret  drawers,  which  were  the 
repositories  of  the  charters  in  the  old  Scottish  castles  and 
towers.  Some  of  those  involved  in  the  process  had 
possessed  their  lands  for  centuries,  and  many  for  several 
generations.  A  considerable  number  succeeded  in 
proving  their  right  to  the  property  in  question,  or  to  the 
superiority  and  property  both  ;  but  in  the  majority  of 
cases  the  superiority  was  found  to  belong  to  the  Earl  of 
Mar.     In  a  few  cases  the  Earl  withdrew  his  claim. 

Earl  John  died  in  1654,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  John,  fourth  Earl  of  Mar.  In  the  Covenanting 
struggle  and  the  Civil  War  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
the  Earls  of  Mar  adhered  to  the  Royal  cause  ;  and  in 
consequence  of  this,  the  family  suffered  serious  loss,  as  the 
debts  contracted  in  the  cause  of  Charles  I.  and  Charles  II. 
necessitated  the  sale  of  many  of  their  estates.  Earl  John 
died  in  1668,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Charles,  fifth 
Earl  of  Mar.  He  died  in  1689,  and  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  John,  sixth  Earl  of  Mar. 

This  Earl  was  a  scheming  politician.  He  was 
appointed  Secretary  of  State  for  Scotland  in  1706. 
Although  he  had  often  avowed  Jacobite  views,  yet  he 
assisted  the  Government  to  carry  the  Treaty  of  Union 
through  the  Scottish  Parliament.  Lockhart  of  Carn- 
wath,  one  of  the  ablest  Jacobites  of  the  time,  said — 
"  Mar  gained  the  favour  of  all  the  Tories,  and  was  by 
many  of  them  esteemed  an  honest  man,  and  well  inclined 


EARLS  OF  MAR.  223 

to  the  Royal  family.  Certain  it  is  he  vowed  and  pro- 
tested so  much  many  a  time  ;  but  no  sooner  was  the 
Marquis  of  Tweeddale  and  his  party  dispossessed  than  he 
returned,  as  the  dog  to  his  vomit,  and  promoted  all  the 
Court  of  England's  measures  with  the  greatest  zeal 
imaginable His  great  talent  lay  in  the  cun- 
ning management  of  his  designs  and  projects  in  which  it 
was  hard  to  find  him  out."  Mar  embraced  the  earliest 
opportunity  of  offering  his  service  to  George  I. ;  but  on 
the  24th  of  September,  17 14,  he  was  dismissed  from  his 
office  of  Secretary  of  State  for  Scotland,  and  succeeded 
by  the  Duke  of  Montrose.  Yet  Mar  remained  for  some 
time  about  the  Court  ;  no  special  favour,  however,  was 
granted  to  him  by  the  new  King,  and  at  last  Mar  resolved 
to  be  revenged. 

He  left  London  in  the  beginning  of  August,  171 5, 
landed  in  Fifeshire,  and  proceeded  to  Braemar,  issuing 
intimations  as  he  advanced  northward  to  the  Highland 
chiefs  and  his  friends  to  join  him  at  a  great  hunting  party 
in  the  Forest  of  Mar.  He  reached  Invercauld  on  the  19th 
of  August,  and  immediately  commenced  preparations  for 
the  gathering,  which  met  on  the  26th  of  August  at 
Braemar.  The  party  assembled  round  the  Earl  of  Mar 
included  the  Marquis  of  Tullibardine,  eldest  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Athole  ;  the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  eldest  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Gordon  ;  the  Earls  of  Seaford,  Southesk,  Errol, 
Marischal,  Linlithgow,  Carnwath,  Traquair,  and  Nithsdale; 
the  Lords  Duffus,  Rollo,  Drummond,  Stormont,  Strath- 
allan,  Ogilvie,  and  Nairn  ;  the  Viscounts  Kinmure, 
Kilsyth,  and  Kingston  ;  Gordon  of  Glenbucket,  the  lairds 
of  Auldbar  and  Auchterhouse  ;  and  other  twenty  men  of 
note  and  influence  in  the  Highlands.       The  number  of 


224  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

men  then  assembled  at  Braemar  was  about  eight  hundred. 

On  the  3rd  of  September  a  meeting  was  held  at 
Aboyne  Castle,  to  deliberate  on  the  projected  Rising.  At 
this  meeting  there  were  present — the  Marquis  of  Tulli- 
bardine,  Earl  Marischal,  the  Earl  of  Southesk,  and  Lord 
Huntly  ;  Glengarry  from  the  clans,  Glenderule  from  the 
Earl  of  Breadalbane,  and  gentlemen  of  Argyleshire  ; 
Lieutenant-General  Hamilton,  Major  Gordon,  and  a  few 
others. 

The  final  resolution  having  been  taken,  the  die  was 
cast.  On  the  6th  of  September,  171 5,  the  Standard  was 
raised  on  the  spot  where  the  Invercauld  Arms  Hotel  now 
stands  in  Castletown  of  Braemar.  From  this  originated 
the  spirited  Jacobite  song,  adapted  to  the  reel  tune  called 
the  *'  Braes  o'  Mar."     The  ballad  itself  may  be  quoted  : — 

The  standard  on  the  Braes  of  Mar 

Is  up  and  streaming  rarely  ; 
The  gathering  pipe  on  Lochnagar 
Is  sounding  lang  an'  sairly. 
The  Highland  men, 

Frae  hill  and  glen,  j 

In  martial  hue,  1 

Wi'  bonnets  blue, 
Wi'  belted  plaids, 

An'  burnished  blades, 
Are  coming  late  and  early. 


Wha  wadna  join  our  noble  chief, 
The  Drummond  and  Glengary, 
Macgregor,  Murray,  RoUo,  Keith, 
Panmure,  and  gallant  Harry  ? 

Macdonald's  men, 

Clanronald's  men, 

Mackenzie's  men, 

Macgillivray's  men, 

Strathallan's  men, 

The  Lowlan'  men 
Of  Cal lender  and  Airly. 


RISING  OF  1715.  225 

Fy  !  Donald  up  an'  let's  awa', 

We  canna  longer  parley, 
WTien  Jamie's  back  is  at  the  wa', 
The  lad  we  lo'e  sae  dearly. 

We'll  go,  we'll  go, 

An'  seek  the  foe, 

An'  fling  the  plaid. 

An'  swing  the  blade, 

An'  forward  dash, 

An'  hack  and  slash, 
An'  fleg  the  German  carlie  ! 

A  large  number  of  the  Braemar  men,  and  men  from 
other  parts  of  the  Valley,  joined  the  Rising.  Mar 
assumed  the  place  of  commander-in-chief ;  and  his  fol- 
lowers, and  those  of  the  chiefs,  immediately  commenced 
to  move  southward  by  Spittal  of  Glenshee.  The  army 
marched  through  Moulin  and  Logierait  to  Dunkeld, 
receiving  large  reinforcements  as  it  proceeded  ;  and  at 
Dunkeld  the  army  numbered  five  thousand  men.  While 
the  mustering  and  marching  of  the  men  proceeded,  the 
accession  of  James  VIII.,  was  proclaimed  at  Aberdeen, 
the  northern  towns,  and  other  places.  On  the  i6th  of 
September,  a  detachment  took  possession  of  Perth  ;  and 
to  this  centre  the  whole  army  marched,  and  Mar  made  it 
his  headquarters.  By  the  month  of  November,  the  force 
under  Mar  exceeded  fifteen  thousand  men. 

It  would  be  out  of  character  in  this  work  to  enter  into 
the  details  of  the  Rising.  But  it  may  be  stated  that  Mar 
himself  was  a  very  poor  commander,  and  manifested  no 
military  genius  whatever.  He  remained  inactive  at 
Perth,  with  the  greater  part  of  his  army  ;  and  the  only 
battle  which  he  attempted  was  the  indecisive  action  of 
Sherrifimuir. 

James  VIII.,  the  Pretender,  landed  at  Peterhead  on 
the  22nd  of  December,  and  reached  Perth  on  the  6th  of 
Q 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

January,  1716.  But  his  presence  inspired  no  new  hopes  ; 
as  this  representative  of  the  ancient  Stuart  line  had  not 
the  mein  of  a  personage  likely  to  lead  his  followers  to 
victory  and  glory.  He  took  up  his  state  in  the  Palace  of 
Scone,  the  historic  spot  associated  with  the  coronation 
of  the  Scottish  Kings.  Preparations  were  made  to  have 
him  crowned  on  the  23rd  of  January  ;  but  ere  that  day 
came,  the  Stuart  King  was  seriously  thinking  of  retiring 
from  the  advance  of  his  enemies. 

Argyle  was  lying  at  Stirling  Castle  with  the  Royal 
army.  On  the  23rd  of  January  he  commenced  his 
march  upon  Perth,  but  his  progress  was  very  slow,  owing 
to  the  depth  of  snow  upon  the  ground. 

On  the  30th  of  January,  at  midnight,  the  insurgents 
commenced  to  retreat;  they  crossed  the  Tay  on  the  ice, 
and  marched  to  Dundee,  thence  to  Montrose.  On  the 
3rd  of  February,  the  Pretender,  along  with  the  Earl  of 
Mar,  went  aboard  a  small  French  vessel  and  sailed  for 
France.  This  incident  caused  many  of  the  men  in  the 
army  to  disperse  to  their  homes.  General  Gordon  was 
left  in  command,  and  marched  the  fast  diminishing  army 
northward,  when  on  reaching  Aberdeen,  on  the  7th,  the 
remainder  of  the  army  dispersed  ;  but  a  considerable 
number  of  those  who  joined  the  Rising,  never  returned  to 
their  homes,  being  either  slain  or  taken  prisoners.  Many 
of  the  prisoners  were  executed,  and  others  exported  to 
the  plantations  in  the  West  Indies.  The  estates  of  up- 
wards of  forty  families  were  forfeited  in  Scotland. 

After  the  suppression  of  the  Rising,  the  Government 
sent  a  body  of  troops  into  Braemar,  which  they  wasted 
and  burned.  For  a  time  troops  were  stationed  at 
Dubrach,  Mar  Castle,  and  Abergeldie. 


RISING  OF  1715.  227 

The  Earl  of  Mar's  estates  were,  of  course,  forfeited, 
but  some  years  afterwards  they  were  repurchased  for  the 
benefit  of  the  family ;  and  the  lands  belonging  to  the 
Earldom  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  were  acquired  by  the 
parties  indicated  in  the  preceding  chapters,  and,  after  the 
year  1739,  the  Erskine  family,  and  the  subsequent  Earls 
of  Mar  possessed  no  lands  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee. 

The  forfeited  Earl  left  an  only  son,  Thomas,  usually 
styled  Lord  Erskine ;  and  a  daughter,  styled  Lady 
Frances  Erskine.  Lord  Erskine  died  in  1766,  leaving  no 
issue.  Lady  Frances  then  became  heir  of  the  Earls  of 
Mar  ;  and  she  married  her  cousin-german,  James  Erskine, 
a  son  of  Lord  Grange — the  forfeited  Earl's  younger 
brother.  Lady  Frances  and  her  husband  left  a  son,  John 
Francis  Erskine,  and  to  him  the  title  of  Earl  of  Mar  was 
restored  in  1824. 


Chapter  XXII. 

DISARMING  OF  THE  PEOPLE— RISING  OF  1745— 
CONCLUSION. 

After  the  suppression  of  Mar's  Rising,  for  some  time 
the  inhabitants  of  Braemar  were  subjected  to  much 
suffering,  until  the  general  Indemnity  was  proclaimed  in 
17 17.  Soon  after,  the  Government  passed  measures  to 
secure  the  peace  of  the  country.  An  Act  was  passed  for 
disarming  the  Highlanders,  embracing  the  counties  on  the 
north  of  the  Forth  and  the  Highland  districts  of  the  west.  i 

The  Act  imposed  severe  penalties,  rising  on  the  repetition 
of  the  offence  to  transportation,  against  those  convicted  of 
appearing  in  arms.  This  Act,  however,  failed  to  attain 
its  object,  as  it  provided  no  means  for  a  regular  disarma- 
ment of  the  inhabitants.  General  Wade  reported  to  the 
Government  that  the  Act  was  quite  inoperative ;  as  it 
gave  compensation  to  those  who  voluntarily  gave  up  their 
arms,  he  said  that  the  public  money  was  freely  given 
away  for  old  useless  arms,  while  the  effective  weapons 
were  kept  out  of  sight. 

In  1725,  another  disarming  Act  was  passed.  It 
ordered  that  each  clan  should  be  summoned  to  appear  at 
a  specified  place  and  deliver  up  their  arms.  The  carrying 
out  of  this  Act  was  entrusted  to  General  Wade.  The 
clans  all  over  the  Highlands  gave  up  very  large  numbers 
of  arms,  and  the  General  naturally  imagined  that  he  had 
performed  his  task  effectively.  He  even  assured  the 
King   that   the  Highlander  had  now  become  a  simple 


M 


RISING  OF  1745.  229 

peasant  with  his  staff  in  his  hand.  The  General  further 
explictly  assured  the  King  that  if  the  system  of  roads  and 
fortresses  planned  by  him  were  carried  out,  any  future 
Rising  of  the  Highlanders  against  His  Highness  would  be 
quite  impossible  ;  but  subsequent  events  proved  that  the 
General's  sanguine  anticipations  were  utterly  futile. 

Indeed,  it  is  a  painful  truth  that  neither  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  time  nor  its  General  had  the  intelligence  or 
sagacity  to  see  the  real  root  of  the  danger  of  another 
Rising  in  Scotland.  The  core  of  the  matter  lay  in  this — 
that  so  long  as  the  nobles  of  Scotland  and  the  Highland 
chiefs  possessed  their  feudal  jurisdiction  over  their  vassals 
and  tenants  there  could  be  no  security  against  another 
Rising ;  and  the  Government  utterly  failed  to  see  this 
until  after  the  second  Rising.  A  feudal  Earl  was  the 
military  head  of  the  Earldom,  and  his  vassals  and  tenants 
were,  according  to  the  law  of  Scotland  at  that  time,  bound 
to  obey  and  follow  his  commands  without  question.  The 
law  was  different  in  Royal  burghs,  as  every  citizen  was  a 
subject  of  the  Crown;  whereas  in  an  Earldom,  a  Lordship, 
or  a  Barony,  every  man  was  a  subject  of  the  Earl,  the 
Lord,  or  the  Baronet.  A  Lord  of  a  regality  in  any 
quarter  of  Scotland  had  quite  as  much  despotic  power 
over  his  vassals  as  any  Highland  chief.  So  long  as  these 
conditions  continued  a  Jacobite  rebellion  might  arise  at 
any  time. 

When  Prince  Charles  arrived  at  the  Western  Isles  in 
July,  1745,  his  prospects  of  success  were  not  very  bright ; 
as  the  Highland  chiefs  whom  Charles  first  met  and  con- 
sulted were  opposed  to  his  enterprise ;  but  the  young 
Prince  was  full  of  hope  and  faith  in  his  destiny,  and  by 
his  persistent  efforts  overcame  the  scruples  of  the  chiefs. 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

It  was  resolved  to  muster  the  clans  at  Glenfinnan  on  the 
19th  of  August.  Glenfinnan  is  a  comparatively  narrow 
vale,  bounded  on  both  sides  by  lofty  and  craggy 
mountains,  and  nearly  twenty  miles  north  from  Fort- 
William.  On  the  appointed  day  Charles  arrived  in  the 
glen  at  eleven  in  the  forenoon,  and  found  only  a  few  in- 
habitants of  a  hamlet  to  say — "  God  save  him."  At  last, 
about  four  o'clock,  the  shrill  sound  of  the  pibroch  was 
heard  over  the  summit  of  an  opposite  hill,  and  imme- 
diately the  Prince  was  cheered  by  the  sight  of  a  strong 
body  of  Highlanders  marching  down  the  slope.  It  was 
the  Camerons  under  Lochiel,  numbering  eight  hundred 
men,  marching  in  two  columns  of  three  men  abreast. 

On  a  small  eminence  in  the  centre  of  the  glen,  the 
Standard  was  raised  by  the  aged  Marquis  of  Tullibardine. 
It  was  a  large  banner  of  fine  red  silk,  and  its  appearance 
was  hailed  by  the  stirring  strains  of  the  bagpipes,  waving 
of  bonnets,  and  loud  shouts  which  re-echoed  from  the 
surrounding  hills.  Then  Tullibardine  read  aloud  a 
manifesto  in  the  name  of  James  VI 1 1.,  which  presented  a 
summary  of  the  public  grievances  of  Britain,  expressing 
an  earnest  intention  to  do  the  utmost  to  redress  them, 
and,  for  this  great  aim,  calling  on  all  his  loyal  subjects  to 
join  his  Standard,  and  promising,  in  the  event  of  his 
restoration,  to  respect  all  existing  institutions  and  rights. 
The  King  had  appointed  his  son,  Charles,  to  be  Prince 
Regent,  and  in  this  position  the  Prince's  manifesto  an- 
nounced that  he  was  come  to  execute  the  will  of  his  father 
by  raising  the  Royal  Standard,  and  asserting  his  unim- 
peachable right  to  the  throne  of  his  ancestors,  and  offering 
pardon  for  all  treasons  to  those  who  should  now  join  him, 
and  assist  him  to  recover  his  just  rights  and  their  own 


RISING  OF  1745.  231 

liberties.  An  hour  or  two  after  these  documents  were 
read,  Macdonald  of  Keppoch  arrived  with  three  hundred 
men,  and  in  the  evening  some  more  men  joined  the 
Prince.  The  force  mustered  in  Glenfinnan  numbered  one 
thousand  and  two  hundred  fighting  men.  Charles  stayed 
two  days  in  Glenfinnan. 

Tidings  of  the  arrival  of  Prince  Charles  in  Scotland 
reached  Braemar  in  the  end  of  July.  The  people  of  this 
district  were  warm  Jacobites.  Indeed,  it  has  been  said 
that,  excepting  Lord  Braco  and  Invercauld,  "the  whole  of 
the  district  was  Jacobite — rich  and  poor,  young  and  old, 
men  and  women  ;  and  be  opinions  what  they  may,  all 
must  allow  that  the  heroes  of  the  '45  were  a  noble,  disin- 
terested, brave,  and  gallant  band." 

On  leaving  Glenfinnan,  the  Prince  and  his  army 
moved  to  the  head  of  Loch  Eli — the  country  of  Lochiel, 
the  chief  of  the  Camerons.  He  was  daily  receiving  in- 
telligence of  the  march  of  the  Royal  army  northward, 
under  the  command  of  General  Sir  John  Cope,  whose  aim 
was  to  crush  the  Rising  in  the  bud  ;  but  he  was  too  late. 
When  he  was  marching  through  the  Highlands  to  Inver- 
ness, the  Prince  resolved  to  invade  the  Lowlands,  which 
were  left  entirely  defenceless.  The  Prince  and  his  army 
marched  through  Badenoch  to  Blair  Castle,  where  he  re- 
viewed his  troops.  Thence  he  proceeded  down  the  plain 
of  Athole,  and  reached  Dunkeld  on  the  3rd  of  September, 
increasing  his  force  as  he  advanced.  On  the  following 
day  he  entered  Perth  and  took  possession  of  it.  Charles 
stayed  eight  days  in  Perth,  and  there  his  army  received 
considerable  reinforcements.  He  became  exceedingly 
popular,  and  an  object  of  intense  interest.  On  the  nth  of 
September  he  commenced  his  march  upon  Edinburgh, 


232  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

crossed  the  Forth  at  the  Ford  of  Frew,  and  reached 
Falkirk  on  the  14th  ;  continuing  his  advance  southward, 
he  took  possession  of  Edinburgh  on  the  morning  of  the 
17th,  without  any  loss  of  human  life  on  either  side.  After 
entering  the  capital,  as  he  rode  toward  the  Palace  of 
Holyrood,  he  was  loudly  cheered  by  the  crowd  of  people 
on  the  street. 

About  one  o'clock  the  reign  of  James  VIII.  was  pro- 
claimed at  the  Cross  of  Edinburgh.  A  great  multitude 
of  people  witnessed  this  scene,  and  hearty  cheers  were 
raised.  The  same  day  General  Cope,  who  had  returned 
from  the  futile  march  to  "Inverness,  was  landing  his  troops 
at  Dunbar.  Cope's  aim  now  was  to  recapture  Edinburgh 
from  the  insurgents,  but  again  he  was  too  late,  as  the 
Prince  at  the  head  of  his  army  marched  from  Edinburgh 
to  meet  him,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  of  September 
attacked  the  Royal  army  at  Preston,  and  completely 
defeated  it.  After  the  utter  rout  of  his  army,  Cope  fled 
to  Berwick,  everywhere  bringing  the  first  tidings  of  his 
own  defeat. 

After  the  battle,  the  Prince  and  his  army  re-entered 
Edinburgh  in  triumph.  For  some  time  he  held  Court  at 
Holyrood.  Yet  his  real  difficulties  were  only  beginning. 
The  possession  of  Edinburgh  was  of  little  avail,  as  he  was 
unable  to  take  the  Castle,  while  comparatively  few  of  the 
Lowland  people  joined  his  Standard. 

Returning  to  the  more  pertinent  part  of  my  subject,  it 
appears  that  James  Farquharson  of  Balmoral  was  a 
lieutenant-colonel  in  Prince  Charles'  army.  He  was  with 
the  army  in  the  march  through  England  to  Derby.  He 
was  engaged  at  the  Battle  of  Falkirk,  where  he  was 
wounded  ;  and  he  was  one  of  those  excluded  from  the 
indemnity  of  1747. 


RISING  OF  1745.  233 

Francis  Farquharson  of  Monaltrie  was  a  colonel  in  the 
Prince's  army.  He  was  very  active  in  raising  men  in 
Cromar  and  Aboyne.  He  was  engaged  at  the  Battle  of 
Falkirk,  and  at  the  Battle  of  Culloden  he  led  the 
Farquharson  clan.  He  was  taken  a  prisoner,  and  confined 
for  some  weeks  at  Inverness  ;  and  thence  he  was  con- 
veyed to  London  in  June,  1746.  In  September  he  was 
brought  to  trial  and  convicted,  and  on  the  15th  of 
November  sentenced  to  death  ;  but  on  the  evening  before 
the  day  fixed  for  his  execution  he  was  reprieved,  and 
shortly  after  pardoned.  In  1775  he  petitioned  the 
Commissioners  on  the  forfeited  estates,  requesting  liberty 
to  rent  a  portion  of  his  former  estate,  on  which  to  spend 
his  old  age.  After  some  time  this  was  granted.  As 
stated  in  a  preceding  chapter,  his  estate  was  restored  to 
him  in  1784,  on  payment  of  a  sum  of  money.  He  was 
locally  known  as  "  Baron  Ban,"  and  he  died  at  Ballater  on 
the  22nd  of  June,  1790,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-one 
years. 

John  Burnett  of  Campfield  was  a  captain  of  artillery 
in  Prince  Charles'  army.  He  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Carlisle.  David  Lumsden,  farmer  of  Auchlossan  in 
Lumphanan  joined  the  Rising,  and  was  a  captain  in  the 
army.     He  was  dead  before  May,  1746. 

Gilbert  Menzies  of  Pitfodels  joined  the  Rising,  while  five 
of  his  sons  also  joined — James  and  William  Menzies  were 
in  the  insurgent  army  during  the  whole  of  the  Rebellion ; 
John  and  David  accompanied  the  army  in  the  march  to 
Derby,  and  fought  at  the  Battle  of  Culloden;  and  Gilbert 
also  fought  at  Culloden. 

A  considerable  number  of  farmers,  labourers,  and 
tradesmen  in  the  Valley  of  the  Dee  and  its  glens  joined 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  DEE. 

the  Rising.  After  the  Battle  of  Culloden,  they  were  all 
subjected  to  great  suffering  ;  but  this  has  been  often  told, 
and  I  have  no  desire  to  dwell  upon  it. 

During  the  century  and  a  half  which  has  elapsed  since 
the  suppression  of  the  last  Rising  in  this  Island,  great 
changes  have  taken  place  over  the  whole  country.  In  the 
Highlands  the  people  have  long  ago  become  as  loyal 
subjects  as  in  any  quarter  of  the  Queen's  dominions.  If 
there  is  any  region  in  Britain  more  loyal  than  another  to 
the  Royal  family,  that  region  is  Braemar  and  the  Valley 
of  the  Dee. 

Since  the  middle  of  the  last  century,  as  shown  in  the 
preceding  chapters,  great  progress  has  been  made  in  the 
Valley  of  the  Dee.  Important  improvements  have  been 
effected  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  in  the  breeding 
of  cattle  and  live  stock  of  every  kind.  Many  new  villages 
have  arisen,  and  others  which  were  mere  hamlets  in  the 
last  century  have  been  developed  into  considerable 
towns — centres  of  business  and  traffic.  Large  numbers 
of  excellent  villas  and  cottages  have  been  erected  through- 
out the  Valley  ;  while  roads  and  bridges  and  other  means 
of  communication  have  been  greatly  improved  and  ex- 
tended. Finally,  education  and  culture  have  been 
rendered  easily  accessible  to  all  the  people. 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Aberarder  .  .  .  .184 
Aberdeen    3,  22,  23,  24,  25,  26,  28, 

32,  36,  39,  42,  43,  48,  49, 
58,  62,  73,  89,  103,  149,  173 
Harbour  of  .  .  20 
University  of  47,  48,  72,  80 
Aberdeen,  Earl  of  .  .  59,  173 
Aberdeenshire     11,  31,   55,   71,   72, 

75,  99,  151 
Abergairn  .  .  .  .157 
Abergeldie   Castle,    161  ;    Lands   of 

162-64 
Aboyne,  120-21  ;   Castle  of,  121-22; 

Viscount     of,     25,      132-35  ; 

Earl  of  .  -  135-37 
Adams,     Dr.    Francis,   91-92 ;     Dr. 

Andrew  L.  .         .  92-93 

Albany,  Robert,  Duke  of,       70,  148 

Alexander  .         .       217 

Alexander  I.  .         .         .211 

Alexander  II.  .  .  21,  34,  50 
Alexander  III.       .         .  34,  61 

Allt  Connie  Burn  .         .       202 

Alltnaguibhsaich  Lodge  .       151 

Altries  House  ...  60 
Anderson,    Rev.    William,    31  ;    Sir 

Alexander,   107  ;    John   H., 

113 
An  Sgarsoch  ...  3 

Arbeadie  ....  88 
Arbroath  Monastery 


Ardo     . 

Argyle,  Earl  of,  25  ; 

Duke 
Athole,  Earl  of,  129  ;  Duke  of 
Auchallater    .... 


Auchendryne 
Auchenhove 
Auchlossan     . 
Auchlunies     . 
Avondow  House 


21,  22,  34,  35 

79,  87,  95 

13,  41-2 

Marquis,  133-5 

226 

223 

197 


•       193 

115-17 

114,  117,  171,  172 

.    42-44 
.         .         .         48 


B 

Page. 

Baddoch  Burn        ...  4 

Baird,  Henry  R.    .         .         •         66 

Balfour  .  .         .    101-3 

Ballater,  Pass  of,  141-42  ;    Burgh  of, 

142-44  ;  Bridge  of        144-4S 

Ballaterach    .         .         .         .127 

Ballochbuie  Forest         .      8,  174-75 

Ballogie         ....       102 

Balmoral,    Grounds    of,         169-70 ; 

Lands     of,      170-72;      Old 

Castle,   172-73 ;     Forest   of, 

174-75 ;     New   Castle,    175, 

177,  179-80 

Balnacraig     .         .         .  122-23 

Banchory,  3,  Lands  of    .         34-39  ; 

House  of,  38 ;    Church  of  40 

Banchory-Ternan,  86  ;  Bridge  of  87 ; 

Church  of  87-88;  Old  Village, 

88  ;  New  Village,  _88  ; 

Burgh  of,       . 

Bannerman,  Sir  Alexander 

Barbour,  Robert  W.   . 

Barclay,  James  W. 


42, 


Beans  Hill 

Beltie  Bum 

Ben  Avon 

Ben  Muich  Dhui 

Ben-na-Bhuird   . 

Ben  Uams 

Bieldside 

Binghill 

Birkhall  House, 

Birse, 

Bisset,    James     H.,    23 

Thomas 
Blackball  House 
Blair,  William 
Blairs, 

Borrowstone  House    . 
Braemar,  3  ;  Castle  of 

Churchyard 
Braeriach 


>-90 

105 

31 

117 

51-52 

6,  108 

6 

1,6 

1,6 

4 

45 

45-46 

150 

99,  104 

Walter, 

130 

105 
167-68 
28,  57 
109 
192 
192 
1-3 


236 


INDEX. 


B —  Continued. 

Page. 

Braickley  .         .         .  148 

Brebner,  Alexander     .         .  108 

Brooks,  Sir  William  C.  124-26 

Brown,  General,  45  :  John,  165,  181 
Bruce,  John        .         .         .  167 

Buchan,  Earl  of  .     77,  148,  215 

Builg  Loch  .         .         .  158 

Buk,  Andrew      ...  47 

Burnett  of  Leys,  79-83  ;  Burnett  of 
Craigmyle,  80,  1 07  ;  General 
Burnett  .         .  86 

Bynack  Burn      .         .         .  209 

Byron  .         .         .  127,  153 


Cairn  o'  Mounth          .         .  97 

Cairn  Toul          ...  2 

Cairngorm           ...  i 

Cairnton              .         .         .  16,  106 

Cairnwell             ...  4 

Callater  Burn,  4 ;  Loch  .  197 
Cambus  o'  May  .  3,  138-39 
Cameron  of  Lochiel           171,230-31 

Campbell,  George       .         .  90 

Campfield  House         .         .  106 

Camphill             ...  50 

Canny  Burn        .         .         .  16 

Canoes        ....  17 

Cant,  Andrew     .         .         .  81-83 

Canup  Hill          .         .         .  175 

Carlogie  House           .         .  112 

Carnegie     ....  80 

Cam  an  Fhidleir        .         .  3 

Cam  na  Cuimhne        .         .  184 

Castletown  of  Braemar        .  193-97 

Cattanach,  James,  M.         .  145 

Cattie  Burn  ...  99 
Chalmers,  William,  Alexander      47; 

Robert            .         .  114 

Chambers,  George      .         .  33 

Charles  E.  Stuart,  Prince  229-32 

Charlestown        .         .         .  iao-21 

Charter  Chest     .         .         .  191 

Chest  of  Dee      .         .         .  209 

Clachanturn        .         .         .  164 

Clochnaben         ...  87 

Clunie  Water,  4;  Bridge  of  193 


C — Continued, 
Cochran,  Francis,  102 


Coilliecriech 
Colonel's  Cave 
Comyn,  Sir  Alexander 
Cope,  Sir  John    . 
Corriemulzie  Falls 
Cotbank     . 
Coutts,  Peter 
Coyle  Hills 
Crab,  Paul,  22  ;  John 
Craig  Clunie 
Craig-na-ban 
Craig  Gowan 
Craig  na  Spaine 
Craig  Nortie     . 
Craigendarroch, 


Page. 
Alexander 
103 

159 

202-203 

51 

231-232 
199 


7, 


Craigmyle  House 
Crannogs    . 
Crathes  Castle 
Crathie,     Manse 

Church 
Creag  an  Fhithich 
Creag  Choinnich 
Creag  Ghiubhais 
Craig  Phiobaidh 


42 
168 

154 
40 
191 
159 
169,  174,  175 
.    .     183 
.    .     183 
142  ;  Lodge  of 
144 
107 

17 

.   83-84 

Churchyard, 

.     165-67 

200 

192 

158 

158-59 


of, 


Culblean  Hill,  120;  Battle  of,  128-130 
Culloden  .  140,  156,  189,  233-34 
Cults,  ....       30-33 

Culter  House,  50 ;    Village  of   52  ; 
Paper  Works  .       53-54 


Dalfad        .         .         .         .  155 

Dalhibity  House  .         .  45 

Dalmore     ....    155-200 
Dalnabo     .         .         .         .  134 

Davan,  Loch  of  .         .  128 

David  H.  .  .  62,  79,  128,  130 
Davidson,  Walter,  Duncan,  John, 
Patrick,  106  i  Alexander,  112 
Dee,  Sources  of,  1-3 ;  Course,  2-3 
Dee  Castle  .         .         .   126-127 

Deer  Forests       .       124,  174-75,  206 
Deeside   Railway,   30,  84,  89,   107, 

III,  114. 


INDEX. 


237 


D — Continued. 

Derry  Burn 
Dess  Burn 

Page. 

5,  206 
.     6 

Desswood  House 

112 

Dinnet,  Bridge  of,  Church, 

Manse, 

126  ;  House   . 

128 

Dinnie,  Robert   . 

103 

Douglas  of  Tilquhillie 
William 

94-97 
129 

Downie,  Alexander 

167 

Drum,   Loch  of,  68  ;    Castle  of    76 
Drummond,  Sir  Malcolm  211 

Drumoak  Church         .         .  68 

Dubrach  .  .  .  -3,  209 
DuffofCulter  .  .  .  51-2 
Duguid  of  Auchenhove  115  17  ; 
Peter,  44;  Peter  M'Combie,  55 
Dunbar,  Earl  of,  .         .  129 

Duncan,  King     .         .         .     117-18 
Dunsinnane         .         .         .  118 

Durris,  Lands  of,  60-66  ;  House  of, 
66 ;  Kirkton,  Church,  Castle 
Hill        ...  67 

Durward,  Alan   .         .      34,  50,  no 
Dye,  Water  of    .         .         .         ,97 


Easter  Balmoral 

164-65 

Easter  Skene 

•  55 

Edgehill     . 
Edward  I. 

48-49 
124 

Edward  IH. 

128-29 

Elphinstone,    Bishop, 
Alexander, 

23 
218  ; 

John, 
L,ord 

Elphinstone 
Errol,  Earl  of    . 

221 

24,  223 

Erskine,    Sir    Thoma 

s,    21 

3;       Sir 

Robert,  216-1; 

7;Th 

omas  217 

Ess,  Bridge  of     . 

124 

Ey  Water,  4  ;  Bridge 

of 

201 

Fare  Hill    ....       86-89 
Farquharson  of  Finzean       .   101-102 

of  Monaltrie,  William,  139  ; 

Francis,     139-40,    233  ;      of 

Balmoral,      Charles,        170; 

James,     171-72,     232 ;       of 


F —  Continued. 

Page. 

Invercauld,      Findla      Mor, 

187  ;  Robert,  187-88  ;  John, 

188-89;  James,  189;  James, 

R.,  189;  Alexander  H.,  189- 

190;  oflnverey        201,  202 

Feardar  Burn      .         .         .  184 

Ferrar         .         .         .         .  i^j 

Feugh,  Water  of,  5,  94  ;    Bridge,  94 

Valley  of,        .         .    97,  loi 

Fife,  Earl  of,  172,  195,  200,  203,  207 

208  ;  Duke  of   158,  193,  200 

Findrack  House  .         .  108 

Finzean  House    .         .         .  joi 

Fir  Mounth         .         .         .  124 

Forbes,  John,  William         .  36 

John,  no;  Master  of  Forbes, 

115  ;     Forbes    of   Strathgir- 

nock,  149 ;  WMUiam,  Patrick 

220 

Fraser  of  Durris,  Sir  Alexander,  Sir 

William,  62  ;  Sir  Alexander, 

62-4  ;      Lord     Fraser,     Sir 

Alexander,    Sir    Peter,    64  ; 

Lady  Carey,  64  :    Fraser  of 

Findrack,  108  ;  James,  42-3 ; 

John,      ...  130 


Gairn,  Water  of,  6;   Bridge  of,  154. 
Garchary  .  ...     2 

Garden,  George,  36  ;  Arthur, 
Alexander,  36 ;  Dr.  Alex- 
ander, 103  ;  Rev.  Alexander, 

103-4 
Garioch,  Earldom  of,    212,  213,  215 

216;  Lordship  of     219,221 

Garmaddie  Woods, 

Geddes,  Sir  William 

Gelder  Burn 

Gerrie,  James 

Geusachan  Burn 

Gibb,  George,  S. 

Girdleness,  3  ;  Lighthouse 

Glen  Callater  197  ;  Glen  Cat,  99  '; 
Glen  Clunie,  4,  196 ;  Glen 
Dee  2,  209;  Glen  Derry,  205 
Glen  Dye,  81,  97  ;  Glen  Ey, 


175 
92 

175 

114 

2 

33 
21  : 


238 


INDEX. 


G — Continued. 

Page. 

4,   201-4 ;    Glen   Gairn,   6, 

154-58  ;    Glen  Gelder,   175  ; 

Glen  Geldie,   3,  209  ;   Glen 

Geusachan,   210  ;  Glen  Lui, 

204;  Glen  Lui  Beg,  204,  206 

Glen  Muick,  4,  5,  147-153  5 

Glen  Quoich,  198-99  ;   Glen 

Tanner,  5,  8,  123-126; 

Glenfinnan  .         .  230,  231 

Glenlivet  .         .         .25,  163 

Glenmillan  House       .         .  114 

Glenmuick  House       .         .  150 

Glentanner  House      .         .  125 

Gordon,  Duke  of,     64,  65,  135,  137 

223  :  James,  37  ;  John,  41  ; 

Thomas,  42  ;  John,  47,  48 ; 

Hon.  Wilham,  59,  60;  Capt. 

Charles,  60;  Captain  William 

C.,  Alexander  H.,  60 ;  John, 

John  L. ,  107  ;  Francis,  1 1 1 ; 

Sir  Alexander,  129  ;  Adam, 

131;  Sir  Adam,  132;  Charles, 

Henry,  135;  Alexander,  143, 

158;  Henry,  Alexander,  149, 

of  Abergeldie,   162-164  ;    of 

Cluny  100,101,  Sir  Robt.  172 

Grant,  John,  .        .  110-12 


Hadden,  James  C.      .         .  93 

Hamilton,  Dr.  Robert         .  37 

Harlaw,  Battle  of        .         .  70 

Hay,  James,  T.,  105  ;    Beatrice,  162 
Hawkhillock       ...  13 

Heathcot,  42  ;  House  of  43 

Hill  Forts  .         .         .       15-17 

Hogg,  James,  2  ;     George  43 

Houff         ....  116 

Huntly,     Earl     of,     131-32,     162  ; 

Marquis  of,  25,  132-35,  137 

223 

I 

Inchbaire  .         .         .  109 

Inchmarlo  House        .         .  106 

Innes,  John,  Cosmo,  65  ;   William, 

Alexander,     Thomas,    108 ; 

Innes  of  Balnacraig,     122-23 


I — Continued. 

Page. 

Inschnabobart  .         .  151 

In  ver  canny  .         .         .  106 

Invercauld,      Bridge     of,      184-85 ; 

House  of         .  185-86 

Inverey       .         .         .         .  201 

Invery  House      ...  97 

Invergelder         .         .         .  175 

Irvine  of  Drum,  William,  69  ;   Alex. 

Robert,  Sir  Alexander,  70-74; 

Alexander,  F.,  Francis  H.  F. 

74-76;  of  Cults,  32;  of  Murtle, 

47  ;   of  Kingcausie,   58  ;   of 

Pitmurchie      .         .  116 


Jacobites 
James  I. 
James  II. 
James  III. 
James  IV. 
James  V. 
James  VI. 


222-24,  231 

70,  71,  215-16 

.  216-217 

.  116,  217 

.    22,  217 

71,  115,  218 

24,  80,  220 


James  VIII.,  Pretender    225-26,  230 

K 

Keiller,  J.  M.  .         .  144 

Keith,  Sir  William      .         .  130 

Earl  Marischal  58,  72-3,  223 

Sir  Edward     .         .  213 

Kerloch      ...  5,  87,  90 

Kildrummy  Castle  129,  218,  219,  221 

Kincardine  O'Neil,  109,  Village  of, 

no  ;      Barony      of,      no ; 


Church  of,  in  ;     Lodge  of 

Ill,   112 

Kincraigie 
Kingcausie  House 
Kinnord  Loch 

IIS 

.        .            58 
17-8,  128 

Knock  Castle 

.     148-50 

Knowles,  John   . 

145 

L 

Larig  Burn 
Learney  House  . 
Leith  of  Freefield 

.     2 

108 
164 

Leslie,  Patrick    . 

115 

INDEX. 


239 


L — Continued. 

Page. 
Leys,   Barony  of,  79  ;    Baronets  of, 

80-4  ;    Court   Book  of,   84  ; 

Loch  of  .         .  84 

Linn  of  Dee        .         .         .  207-208 
Lion's  Face         .         .         .  191 

Littlejohn,      Alexander,       William, 

Charles,  James,  Andrew  146 
Livingstone,  Alexander  .  33-2 
Lochnagar  .  3,  138,  141,  152-53 
Loirston  Loch  .  .  .  -  ^3 
Lord  of  the  Isles,  Donald,  Alexander 

70 
Lui  Water  .        .        •     5)  204 

Lulach        .         .         .         .  119 

Lumphanan,        .         .         .   1 14- 119 
Lumsden,  Henry,  96 ;  David        233 


M 
Macbeth     ....  117-119 

M'Combie,  William    .         .         54-5 

M'Gregor  of  Dalfad    .         .      155-56 

M'Intosh,  Lachlan      .         .  155 

Macdonald    of    Rineaton,    156  ;    of 

Glengarry,  224  ;  of  Keppoch 

231 

Mackay,  General         .         .  192 

Mackenzie  of  Dalmore         .   155-200 

Mackintosh,  Clan        .     54-5,  186-87 

Mackintosh,  James,  8  ;     William    58 

Macleod,  Norman       .         .  165 

Malcolm  in.       .         .         .118-19 

Malcolm  IV.        .         .         .      34-46 

Mar,    Earldom    of,    no,    170,    211 

Early  Earls  of,  162,  21 1-2 18 

Erskines,  Earls  of,  219-227  ; 

Lodge  .         .  200 

David     ...  41 

Maud,  Old  Castle        .         .  117 

Meall  Alvie         .         .         .  183 

Meldrum,    William,  John,    35  ;    Sir 

George   .         .         .         35-6 

Menteith,  Sir  John      .         .  213 

Menzies,    Gilbert,    28  ;     John,      29 

Captain   David,    57  ;  James, 

William  .         .  233 

Michie,  John  G.  .         .  126 

Micras        .         .         .         .  164 


M — Continued 

Page. 
Milne,  Peter        .         .         .  113 

Mitchell,  Adam  ...  43 

Moigne  Walter,  John  .         .   78 

Monaltrie,  House         .       144-183-84 
Montrose,  Marquis  of,  25-6,  64,  73-4, 

81,  134 

Moray,  William,  27-8  ;    Sir  Andrew, 

Regent,  .         .     62,  129 

Randolph,  Earl  of,  114 

James  Stuart,  Earl  of.  Regent 

131-32 

Morison,  Dr.,  30  ;  Hugh     .  32 


Morrone 
Mortimer,  David 
Mortlich  Hill  . 
Morton,  Regent . 
Morven 
Mount  Keen 
Muick,  Water  of 
Mullach  Hill  . 
Munro,  General 


Murtle  House,  46  ;  Lands  of 

N 

Nairn,  Lord 

Neil,    James,     Alexander, 


160,  193,  198 
104 
.    16,  120 

95 

7,  127,  138 

134 

■    4,  5»  147 

16 

51.  73 
46-8 


Netherdale, 

Newton  of  Tilliecairn, 

Newton  Dee. 

Nigg, 

Normandikes, 


223 

George 

127-28 

163 

14 

45 

3»  21 

84 


Ogilvie,      ....  42 

Ogston,  James,  29  ;  Alexander,  42  ; 

Walter,       Thomas,      Janet, 

95-6  ;  Dr.  Alexander,      128 

Overhall,  .         .         .  188 


Pannanich  Wells,  .  .  140-41 
Park  House,  Lands,  Bridge  of,  78-9 
Pass  of  Ballater,  .         .     141-42 

Paul,  William.    .         .         .  31 

Peel  Bog,   .         .         .         .  116 


240 


INDEX. 


Perkhill,     .... 

Peterculter,  3,  45  5  Church  of, 

Philorth,     . 

Pitfodels,    . 

Pitmurchie, 

Pitarrow,    . 

Pittodrie,    . 

Polhollick, 

Population, 


Continued. 

Page. 

119 

52 
64 

27,  29 
116 

220 

188 

158 

88,  90,  no,  143 


Potarch  Bridge, 


3i> 


108 


Quoich  Water,  5,  6  ;  Falls  of       198 

R 

Ramsay,  R.  M.,  83;  William,  B.    97 
of  Preston,      .         .  129 

Reid,     William,    Alexander,      27-8 
Thomas,         .         .  104 

Rineaton,    .         .         •         •  156 

Robert  I.,  .  .  62,  69,  79,  130 
Robert  II.,  •  •  .  63,  no 
Robertson,  Mary,  127  ;  Peter  168 
Rose,  Andrew  n4;  Nicholas,  Francis 

115 
Ross,  James,  John,  William  145 

William  .         .  168 

Rowell,  Joseph  .         .  39 

Russell,  Robert  .         .  105 

Rutherford,  George,  D.       .  45 

Ruthrieston         ...  23 


St.  Andrews,  21  ;  Chapel    .  192 

St  Lesmo's  Chapel      .         .  125 

St.  Mary's  Chapels  24,  56,  147 

St.  Mary's  College       .         .  57 

St.  Mungo's  Church  .  .  154-55 
St.  Nathalan's  Churches,  139,  150 
Schools,  80-81-88,  90,  103,  107,  159 
Scolty  Hill  ...  86 

Shannaburn  Burn        .         .  43 

Sheeoch  Burn  .  .  .  5  5  67 
Skene,  Dr.  37  ;  Alexander  48 

Skene,  Loch  of  .         .         .  53 

Smith,  Bartholomew,  Richard,  Lewis, 
53 ;  Robert    .         .  n4 


S — Continued. 

Page. 
Strachan  .  .  .  .  3,  97.9 
Smuggling  .         .         .  124,  183 

Stewart,  John,  39,  40  ;    David,  40  ; 
Dr.  Alexander,  43  ;    Duncan 
187 
Strathgirnock      .         .         .     158-59 
Suburban  Stations        .         .         .30 

T 

Tanner,  Water  of        .         .         .     5 
The  Queen,  106,  143,  151,  152,  162, 
165-67,  169-70,  172-73,  175, 
177,  181-82,  207 
The  Prince  Consort,     152,  169,  170, 
172,  178,  180,  181,   185,  195 
Theives  Bush      .         .         .         .97 
Thomson,   Alexander,   32 ;    Alexan- 
der, 37  ;  Andrew,  37  ;  Alex- 


ander 
Thurburu,  . 
Tillphoudie, 
Tilquhillie 

.         .         38-9 

.      46,  48 

122 

94-7 

Torphichen,  Lord 
Torphins     . 
Torry 
Townhead  . 

.         .  56 

107 

20-22 

88 

Troup,  Alexander 

146 

Tullich 

139,  141-42 

V 

Vat  Burn    . 

128 

W 

W^atershed  . 
Water  Works 
Watson,  Andrew 

•        .             I 

27,  46,  106-7 

41 

Wauchope,  Robert 
Webster,  John    . 
White  Bridge      . 
Whitehouse 

.        .  50 

.     48,  50 

209 

139 

Whitestones 

98 

Whyte,  John 
Wilson,  Charles  . 

45 
128 

Wishart,  John     . 
Woodend    . 

220 
100 

Yeats,  William    ...  48 

Young,  James,  66  ;    Sir  Peter,  95  ; 
William  .         .  96 


f