The county was named after its original county town of Kincardine, near Fettercairn. The county town was moved to Stonehaven in 1600, by which time the town of Kincardine was in decline; it was subsequently abandoned. Other towns in the county include Banchory, Inverbervie and Laurencekirk.
Anciently, the area was the province of Mearns, bordered on the north by Marr, and on the south-west by Angus. The name of the province simply refers to its status; the more important provinces were administered by a great steward (mormaer), while the less important ones were governed by a mere steward (maer).[1]
Map of Scottish provinces in 1689 with the Mearns labelled as 'Mernis'.
From the 12th century, sheriffs were also gradually introduced across Scotland, with responsibility for administering justice across an area known as a sheriffdom or shire.[2] A sheriff for the area is known to have existed by the 1160s.[3]
The hamlet of Castleton of Kincardine, where Kincardine Castle and the original county town of Kincardine once stood
Court cases were initially heard in the town of Kincardine, where there was a royal castle.[a] The sheriff was therefore known both as the Sheriff of Kincardine and the Sheriff of the Mearns.[5] In 1296, King John Balliol wrote a letter of surrender from Kincardine Castle to Edward I of England after a short war that marked the beginning of the Wars of Scottish Independence.
A charter granted to the burgh of Kincardine in 1532 noted the town's established role in hosting the shire's courts.[6] However, by 1600 the town was in decline. The sheriffs and visiting judges complained that the town had poor facilities for holding courts and accommodating visitors when the courts were in session, and also noted that the town was not central to the shire. An act of parliament in 1600 therefore transferred the courts to the larger and more accessible town of Stonehaven.[5] Kincardine's decline continued after 1600; its market and fair relocated to Fettercairn, and by the mid-19th century no trace remained of the former county town.[6][7]
Over time, Scotland's shires became more significant than the old provinces, with more administrative functions being given to the sheriffs. The older territory of the Mearns was therefore gradually eclipsed in legal importance by the shire of Kincardine (or Kincardineshire) which covered the same area. In 1667 Commissioners of Supply were established for each shire, which would serve as the main administrative body for the area until the creation of county councils in 1890. Following the Acts of Union in 1707, the English term 'county' came to be used interchangeably with the older term 'shire'.[8]
Stonehaven Sheriff Court, built 1865: Meeting place of Kincardineshire County Council, 1890–1935
Elected county councils were established in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, taking most of the functions of the commissioners, which were eventually abolished in 1930. The county council held its first official meeting on 22 May 1890 at the Stonehaven Sheriff Court, also known as County Buildings, the county's main courthouse (built 1865), which also served as the meeting place for the commissioners.[9][10]
The 1889 Act also led to a review of boundaries. Previously, four parishes had straddled the boundaries of Kincardineshire and its neighbours. The county and parish boundaries were therefore adjusted such that each parish was in a single county.[11]
The parish of Nigg in the north-east of the county included the Torry area on the south bank of the River Dee, which by the late 19th century was developing into a suburb of Aberdeen. In 1891, Torry was incorporated into the burgh of Aberdeen.[12] Torry remained part of the county of Kincardineshire for certain judicial functions until 1899, when Aberdeen was made a county of itself.[13] Further parts of the parish of Nigg were likewise transferred to Aberdeen in 1935 (including Nigg village) and 1970.[14][15][16]
In 1930, the county council absorbed the functions of the abolished county education authority, which had been based at offices in a converted house called Viewmount on Arduthie Road in Stonehaven. Viewmount burnt down in January 1932, and the county council took the opportunity to reconstruct and extend it to become a new headquarters, including a council chamber. The rebuilt Viewmount opened as the county council's meeting place and main offices in May 1935.[17][18]
Kincardineshire County Council was abolished in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which replaced Scotland's counties, burghs and landward districts with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Kincardineshire became part of the new Grampian region. The remaining rural part of the parish of Nigg was transferred to the City of Aberdeen district, and the rest of the county became part of a new district called Kincardine and Deeside, which also included south-western parts of the former county of Aberdeenshire along the River Dee.[19] A lieutenancy area covering the pre-1975 county except Nigg was created at the same time.[20]
Further local government reforms in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 saw the regions and districts created in 1975 abolished and replaced with council areas, with each council providing all local government services. Kincardine and Deeside district became part of the new Aberdeenshire council area.[21] At the same time, the Kincardineshire lieutenancy area was confirmed to still correspond to the pre-1975 county excluding Nigg.[22] The boundaries of the historic county of Kincardineshire (as it was in 1891 prior to the removal of Torry) are still used for some limited official purposes connected with land registration, being a registration county.[23] Aberdeenshire Council has a Kincardine and Mearns area committee which covers most of the pre-1975 county.[24]
Geography
ClachnabenCountryside around Glenbervie
Roughly triangular in shape, Kincardineshire consists of the largely flat Strathmore area running parallel with the coast, with hillier, forested country in the interior, the latter forming part of the Grampian Mountains. The highest point is Mount Battock at 778m (2,552ft), lying on the border with Angus.
The county's coat of arms displayed and reflected the history of the Honours of Scotland, which were kept at Dunnottar Castle and later at Kinneff, both within the historical boundaries of the county, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was: Gules, the Sceptre and Sword of Scotland crosswise in saltire, with the Crown of Scotland in chief and a ruined castle on a mound in base, all or. The motto was LAUS DEO, Latin for "Praise God". It was originally the motto of the Viscounts of Arbuthnott, whose seat is in the county, and the 14th Viscount was Lord Lieutenant of Kincardine at the time of the arms' matriculation by the Lord Lyon in 1927.[26]
In 1950 Kincardine and Western Aberdeenshire was divided between the West Aberdeenshire constituency and the North Angus and Mearns constituency. North Angus and Mearns then covered the whole of the county of Kincardineshire, including the former parliamentary burgh of Inverbervie, and part of the county of Angus, the latter being previously within the Forfarshire constituency.
In 1983, eight years after the abolition of the local government county of Kincardineshire, North Angus and Mearns was replaced by new constituencies.
The author Lewis Grassic Gibbon, born James Leslie Mitchell, was a Scottish writer. His Sunset Song is one of the best-known Scottish novels of the 20th century. It was voted Scotland's favourite book in a poll announced at the 2005 Edinburgh International Book Festival.[29] Set in a fictional village in the Mearns, the book draws heavily from Mitchell's upbringing in Arbuthnott. One of the key features of the book, and some of his other writing, is the balanced and immersive use of the local DoricScots dialect mixed with standard English, in a manner easily and enjoyably accessible to someone unfamiliar with the North East of Scotland.
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland.
The Mounth is the broad upland in northeast Scotland between the Highland Boundary and the River Dee, at the eastern end of the Grampians.
Kincardine and Deeside was one of five local government districts in the Grampian region of Scotland. Its council was based in Stonehaven. It was created in 1975 and abolished in 1996, when the area was included in the Aberdeenshire council area.
Aberdeen South is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post system of election.
Laurencekirk, locally known as Lournie, is a small town in the historic county of Kincardineshire, Scotland, just off the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen main road. It is administered as part of Aberdeenshire. It is the largest settlement in the Howe o' the Mearns area and houses the local secondary school; Mearns Academy, which was established in 1895 and awarded the Charter Mark in 2003.
Kincardine and Mearns is one of six area committees of the Aberdeenshire council area in Scotland. It has a population of 38,506. There are significant natural features in this district including rivers, forests, mountains and bogs.
Inverbervie is a small town on the north-east coast of Scotland, south of Stonehaven.
Aberdeen and Kincardine Central, also known as Central Aberdeenshire, was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1918 until 1950. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Findon or Finnan is a fishing village eight miles south of Aberdeen, famous for originating the smoked haddock known as Finnan haddie. The Findon moor has a number of paths through it, many of which run along the cliffs. Deer can often be seen there. Nearby features include the Portlethen Moss Nature Reserve.
Newtonhill is a town in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is popular due to its location, just six miles south of Aberdeen with easy reach of Stonehaven and with views over the North Sea.
Muchalls is a small coastal ex-fishing village in Kincardineshire, Scotland, south of Newtonhill and north of Stonehaven. Muchalls is situated slightly north of a smaller hamlet known as the Bridge of Muchalls. At the western edge of Muchalls is the historic Saint Ternan's Church. The rugged North Sea coastline near Muchalls features numerous cliffs, sea stacks and headlands, not infrequently in haar. The Grim Brigs headland is situated at Muchalls southern edge and Doonie Point headland is approximately 1.5 kilometres south.
Nigg is an area of Aberdeen, Scotland, south of the River Dee. It has a population of 16,400. The area has a bay known as the Bay of Nigg or Nigg Bay, immediately south of a coastal golf course, and a farm that is also a visitor attraction, known as Doonies Farm.
The Burn of Elsick is a coastal stream in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that discharges to the North Sea. This watercourse drains primarily agricultural lands and enters the North Sea at Newtonhill.
Cammachmore is a hamlet in the coastal region near the North Sea in Aberdeenshire. It lies slightly west of the A92 road and the ancient Causey Mounth passes through the community. Historic Elsick House is situated due west of Cammachmore. Other nearby historic features include Gillybrands, Saint Ternan's Church, Muchalls Castle and the Lairhillock Inn.
Craigmaroinn is a skerry in the North Sea near the Aberdeenshire coastline in Scotland. Craigmaroinn is situated midway between the coastal villages of Portlethen Village and Downies. Historical points of interest in the local area are Elsick House, Gillybrands and Muchalls Castle.
Mearns FM is a community run radio station based in Kincardineshire, also known as the Mearns. There are transmitters in Laurencekirk, Inverbervie, Stonehaven and Portlethen leading to a coverage area stretching from St Cyrus to Aberdeen. The studio is located in Stonehaven.
Aberdeenshire West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the council area of Aberdeenshire. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of ten constituencies in the North East Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to ten constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Kincardine was a burgh in Scotland, near the present-day village of Fettercairn. It gave its name to and served as the first county town of Kincardineshire.
Stonehaven Sheriff Court, formerly known as County Buildings, is a judicial structure in Dunnottar Avenue, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The structure, which was used as the headquarters of Kincardineshire County Council as well as a courthouse, is a Category B listed building.
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