Kincardineshire

Scotland > East of Scotland > Kincardineshire

Now "swallowed" up by Aberdeen, politically, Kincardineshire is an ancient county of Scotland, stretching between the southern outskirts of Aberdeen down the coast to a few miles north of Montrose. County town was Stonehaven and other notable towns are Banchory, Inverbervie, Fettercairn (with its associations with MacBeth) and Laurencekirk.

The County's long coastal fringe has a large number of old fishing villages, not very busy now but in the past busy vibrant communities , however, today only the fishing has diminished, the communities are still strong.

Kincardineshire is a mix of fertile, rich agricultural land to the east, north and south and the fringes of the Grampian Mountains to the west, rising to 2,550 feet (Mount Battock). The County used to be known as 'The Mearns', taken after the name of the farming country around Fettercairn and Laurencekirk.

This area is well known in literary circles through the works of Lewis Grassic Gibbon who's trilogy Sunset Song, Cloud Howe and Grey Granite were 'based' on this area. These books should be read , they caused a sensation in 1932 when they were released and they are still masterpieces today. They tell of the lifestyle of farmers and crofters in this area before during and after the First World War. The Grassic Gibbon Centre is in Arbuthnott, near Inverbervie.

There are 2 roads that go through the mountains from east to west. The first is an 'A' road from Stonehaven to Banchory. The other is a bit more adventurous, the B974 otherwise known as the Cairn o'Mounth road from Fettercairn to Banchory. Take it easy and enjoy the journey , the high point is nearly 1,500ft above sea level.

Places of interest include the Grassic Gibbon Centre (Literary and cultural), Crathes Castle (National Trust for Scotland), Dunnottar Castle, Fiddes Castle (Drumlithe), Kincardine Castle, Fettercairn Distillery and Tolbooth Museum in Stonehaven.