Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 4

KINCARDINESHIRE
to Stonehaven, and then along the coast to Aberdeen,
a distance of 34 miles. The Montrose and Bervie rail-
way enters the county near Kinnaber about 1 mile from
the mouth of the North Esk, and passes along the coast
to Bervie, a distance of 11 miles. The Deeside railway,
starting from Aberdeen, passes along the Aberdeenshire
bank of the Dee till about 1 mile to the E of Crathes
station, where it enters Eincardineshire, and passes
through it as far as Glassel station, where it returns to
Aberdeenshire, the distance being about 7J miles. The
roads throughout the county are numerous and excel-
lent. There are four main lines with connecting links.
The first passes along the coast from Montrose, by
Bervie and Stonehaven, to Aberdeen. The second,
starting from Brechin, enters the county between Inglis-
maldie and Balmakewan, and, passing along the Howe
by Laurencekirk, joins the first road at Stonehaven.
The third, leaving the upper part of Forfarshire at
Ganochy near Edzell, passes by Fettercairn, Fordoun,
and Fetteresso, also to Stonehaven. The fourth main
line follows the right hand bank of the Dee from
Aberdeen as far as Wester Sluie, about 5 miles above
Banchory, where it passes into Aberdeenshire. This
road is connected with the first by a road starting from
Maryculter House and leading to Stonehaven, and by
another road which, starting between Durris and Ban-
chory, winds across by Cairnmonearn also to Stone-
haven. A third road, starting from Banchory, crosses
by Cairn-o'-Mount to Fettercairn.
The only royal burgh in the county is Bervie. The
old county town was Kincardine, but it is now gone,
and the county town is Stonehaven, which is a burgh of
barony, and the only town of over 3000 inhabitants.
Laurencekirk and Fettercairn are also burghs of barony ;
and Bervie, Laurencekirk, and Johnshaven have over
1000 inhabitants. The principal villages are, along the
coast and in the coast district, Caterline, Cove, Craw-
ton, Downie, Findon, Gourdon, Lochside, Portlethen,
Roadside, Skateraw, St Cyrus, Tangleha, and Torry ; in
the Howe district — Auchinblae, Drumlithie, Fettercairn,
Fetteresso, Inch, Luthermuir, and Marykirk ; and on
Deeside — Banchory. The principal seats, besides those
on the estates already noticed, are Auchlunies, Berryhill,
Bridgeton, Crathes Castle, Durris House, Elsick, Forcett
Hall, Glendye Lodge, Hatton House, Eirkside, Mary-
culter, Monboddo, Ravelstone, Redhall, and Tillwhilly.
The civil county consists of the eighteen entire quoad
civilia parishes of Arbuthnott, Benholm, Bervie, Drum-
oak, Dunnottar, Durris, Fettercairn, Fetteresso, For-
doun, Garvock, Glenbervie, Einneff, Laurencekirk,
Maryculter, Marykirk, Nigg, St Cyrus, and Strachan,
and parts of the parishes of Banchory-Devenick, Ban-
chory-Ternan (both shared with Aberdeen), and Edzell
(shared with Forfar). The quoad sacra parishes of
Cookney, Portlethen, and Rickarton are also included.
The majority of these are ecclesiastically in the presby-
teries of Fordoun and Brechin in the synod of Angus
and Mearns, and the others in the presbyteries of Aber-
deen and Eincardine O'Neil in the synod of Aberdeen.
There are Established churches within all these parishes ;
and the county also contains 16 places of worship in con-
nection with the Free Church, 4 in connection with the
United Presbyterian Church, 1 Congregational Church,
8 in connection with the Scottish Episcopal Church,
and 1 in connection with the Roman Catholic Church.
On Deeside, near the NE corner of the county, is also
the Roman Catholic College of Blairs (St Mary). In
the year ending Sept. 1881 there were 61 schools (51
public), which, with accommodation for 7613 children,
had 6154 on the rolls, and an average attendance of 4634.
Their staff consisted of 82 certificated, 6 assistant,
and 47 pupil teachers. Kincardineshire, with a con-
stituency of 1879 in 1882-83, returns one member to
parliament. It is governed by a lord-lieutenant, a vice-
lieutenant, 26 deputy-lieutenants, and 88 justices of the
peace. It forms a division of the sheriffdom of Aber-
deen, Eincardine, and Banff, but there is now no
resident sheriff-substitute, the business being carried on
from Aberdeen. Ordinary courts are held at Stone-
396
EINCARDINESHIRE
haven every Wednesday throughout the session. Sheriff
small debt courts are also held at Stonehaven every
Wednesday during the session, and circuit courts are
held at Banchory on the first Saturdays of January and
May, and at Laurencekirk on the second Saturdays of
January and May, and at each of these places on a
previously intimated day in September. Justice of
peace courts are held at Stonehaven on the first Satur-
day of every month. There are police stations at Stone-
haven, Banchory-Ternan, Bervie, Durris, Fettercairn,
Fordoun, Hillside, Johnshaven, Laurencekirk, Mary-
kirk, Nigg, and St Cyrus; and there is a force of 17
men (one to each 2027 of the population) under a chief
constable, with a salary of £200 a year. In 1881 the
number of persons tried at the instance of the police
was 138, convicted 133, committed for trial 19, not dealt
with 74. The number of registered poor at 14 May
1881 was 711 ; of dependants on these, 409 ; of casual
poor, 533 ; of dependants on these, 433. The receipts
were £7835, 15s. 9Jd., and the expenditure £8304, Is.
lid. The parishes of Arbuthnott, Banchory-Devenick,
Banchory-Ternan, Benholm, Bervie, Dunnottar, Durris,
Fettercairn, Fetteresso, Fordoun, Glenbervie, Einneff,
Laurencekirk, Maryculter, Marykirk, and Strachan
form Eincardineshire Poor Law Combination, with a
poorhouse near Stonehaven. The proportion of illegiti-
mate births averages about 13 per cent. The death rate
averages about 15 per thousand. There are coastguard
stations or detachments at Johnshaven, Gourdon, Cater-
line, and Muchalls ; batteries of artillery volunteers at
Johnshaven, St Cyrus, and Bervie ; and the head-
quarters of the 1st Deeside Highland Rifle Volunteers
are at Banchory. Valuation (1674) £6244, (1804)
£63,748, (1856) £158,761, (1866) £194,336, (1876)
£223,724, (1883) £233,522, all inclusive of the burgh of
Bervie, but exclusive of railways, which in 1866 were
valued at £24,305, and in 1883 at £26,541; total in
1S83, £260,063. Pop. of registration county, which
takes in part of Banchory-Devenick and of Banchory-
Ternan from Aberdeen, and gives off parts of Drumoak
and Edzell to Forfar, (1871) 35,097, (1S81) 35,465 ; of
civil county (1801) 26,349, (1811) 27,439, (1821) 29,118,
(1S31) 31,431, (1841) 33,075, (1851) 34,598, (1861)
34,466, (1871) 34,630, (1881) 34,464, of whom 16,978
were males and 17,486 females. In 1881 the number of
persons to each square mile was 137, the number of
families 7557, the number of houses 674S, and the num-
ber of rooms 26,187.
The territory now forming Kincardineshire belonged
to the ancient Caledonian Vernicomes, was included in
the so-called Roman province of Vespasiana, and after-
wards formed part of Southern Pictavia. Mention is
made of various sheriffs from 1163 onwards, but none of
them held office for more than a few years, except Philip
de Maleville of Mondynes, who held the post from 1222
to 1240. The sheriffship became in 1348 hereditary in
the Keith-Marischal family, in which it remained till
the time of William, Lord Keith (1621-35). There are
few distinctive features in the history of the district.
Malcolm I., King of Alban, fell, according to the Ulster
Annals, at Fetteresso in 954 ; and there is in that parish
a tumulus known as Malcolm's Mount. It was opened
in 1822 by some workmen digging materials for road
repair, and found to contain a stone coffin formed of
whinstone slabs 7 feet by 4. The bottom was covered
with pebbles and a number of small black balls, pro-
bably acorns. The bones in it were those of a man of
middle size, and when the body had been interred it
had been wrapped in a robe of fine network. Some
beautiful auburn hair still remained. Kenneth II. was
killed near Fettercairn, and Duncan II. at Mondynes.
The historical incidents are noticed under the localities
Kincardine, Fenella, Dunnottak, Einneff, etc.,
with which they are more immediately connected. The
name Mearns is supposed to be derived from Mernia, a
brother of Kenneth II., who was mormaer of the district.
' Men o' the Mearns' has been for long the particular
name of natives of the district, and is often associated
with the ideas of skill and strength ; hence the proverb —