Blaeu Atlas of Scotland, 1654
Field | Content |
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Name: | Blaeu, Joan, 1596-1673 |
Title: | Praefectvrarvm Aberdonensis Et Banfiensis ... Nova Descriptio, Auctore Roberto Gordonio |
Pagination: | 110-111 |
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Translation of text:
MAR
The lower part of Mar, which is closer to the Ocean, is contained by the Rivers Don and Dee; in its upper areas, it spreads beyond these, notable for its length, unequal in its breadth. A description of these two rivers and the streams which flow into them will have dealt with almost everything that pertains here, as the interior so abounds in mountains and moors. For the Dee, cutting through the Grampian Mountains from its source to its mouth (where these mountains decline into hills), in its whole course flows headlong among them, so that the greatest part of the province is unsuited to crops: but whatever does yield to harvests is of the highest quality and is cut sufficiently timeously. These mountains are quite rich in herds of cattle, in flocks of the most select and flavoursome sheep, in horses for use in the country, and also in goats in the higher parts. The wool, far the best of all the areas so far described by me, is praised for its whiteness, softness and fineness, and is eagerly sought after. Yet these things do not make up for the loss caused by useless soil. The air is salubrious, the inhabitants are strong, healthy and frugal men: the ground is dry and in very many places infertile, and it challenges the abilities of the inhabitants. The Dee has its source near the line of low mountains called An Scarsoch, which divide upper Mar from Badenoch, at the foot of the very high mountain called Beinn Bhrotain; having taken in the Geldie Burn, it wanders a little to the south east, but immediately twists back its course to the east, and impeded by almost no bends, though constrained on both sides by high and rough mountains, fast, clear, without mud, with an always gravelly bed, it mingles with the Ocean at Aberdeen; at Inverey, which is named from the Ey Burn, seven miles from its springs, it first perceives cultivation, then increased by many, frequent streams, on the right it washes Braemar, a castle of the earl of Mar. On the opposite bank stands Invercauld, with the parochial village of Crathie; a little further down Aberdgeldie Castle, where this area takes the name Strathdee; below this on the opposite (2) bank the River Gairn, more abundant that the others in water; here the Dee is constricted by mountains, but woods worth seeing for tall firs are not lacking from the very source; Glen Muick follows, a small valley taking its name from the river which intersects it, which from the loch of the same name, after not many miles, a little below the mouth of the Gairn but on the opposite side, enters the river; very near this valley is Pannanich wood, from which material is frequently taken to Aberdeen, but cut up for use in the country, for logs and whole tree-trunks cannot be carried on the rough and stony road, or be committed safely to the very swift and eddying river (although there is sufficient water). There follows on the same bank Kean-na-Kyll (which means head of the wood), a lovely castle built by the marquess of Huntly not many years ago as a retreat for pleasure, in a place sheltered on all sides by woods, suited for fishing, hunting of stags and deer, and also for falconry. After this the Water of Tanar enters the Dee, having riven from the ridges of the mountains which form the boundary of Angus and Mar: its banks are crowned with a huge wood of tall firs. There follows the area called Birse, which runs from the river to the source of the Water of Feugh, where in former years a huge wood of birch trees abundantly satisfied the needs of the lower regions, but now, though totally cut down by the lack of care of those in charge of it, it is slowly growing again, with no injury or damage to the land (most suited to this). Here for the first time Mar has the Dee as its boundary; indeed very close to it to the south the Mearns crosses the river and removes from it the parish of Banchory, in which not far from the river-bank Crathes Castle sits; Baron Thomas Burnet, owner of the place, has by attention and work overcome the nature of the place; for by planting firs and other trees of various kinds, he has clothed the rough rocks, supplied it with gardens and provided pleasure. Continuing down, there follows Drum Castle a mile from the river, in a rough and stony place, but well supplied with buildings and gardens; it is owned by Baron Alexander Irvine, of an ancient and distinguished line; there is nothing here in addition worthy of mention before the river goes under a bridge. But in the upper region after the mouth of the River Gairn, there is an area called Cromar, separated from all the neighbourhood by mountains; to the west Morven a high mountain in comparison with the rest and Culblean wood mark its limit, the rest is divided from the neighbouring areas by unnamed mountains. Now although it extends as far as the Dee, yet nowhere is of more wretched ground that what is closest to the river: for there there is no place for crop or grass, as it is squalid with uncultivated moors; but a mile from the river there is a different appearance of things, there a glad plain stretches out. It does not spread into fields but is marked out with frequent hills, the whole given over to cereals, the granary of the whole neighbourhood, nothing here is not outstanding, nothing not timely; divided into five parishes, it acknowledges various owners, and is intersected by two streams; it has remarkably no castles, no distinguished country houses, nothing at all but the walls of one or two castles, yet it is all outstandingly cultivated. Closest to it is positioned Aboyne, which provides the titles of Lord of Parliament for one of the sons of the Marquess of Huntly; near it in the valley (3) is a small loch Auchlossan, and beside it cultivated land. On the river lies the village of Kincardine with its church, on the royal road by which the Grampian Mountains are crossed, well known for its annual fair of St Bartholomew. Three miles below this the Burn of Cattie enters the Dee; it irrigates a lovely, fruitful valley. At the mouth it reaches Banchory (4) already mentioned.
The River Don is as much unequal in length to the Dee, as it defeats it in richness of land: rising from the ridges which divide Strathavon from Mar, in a narrow course it cuts through the valley called Strathdon. Not far from the source lies Corgarf of little note, at Invernochty it takes in the Water of Nochty, a little lower Deskry Water, and on the other bank the Water of Buchat, where is Glenbuchat, a castle of the Gordons: this area rejoices in grass, nor are crops lacking, unless the unseasonable coming of autumn harms them. Three miles away is Kildrummy Castle, ancient and, as is believed, the work of former kings, with a strong wall, marked by frequent large towers, in those centuries safe against attack. It is the principal seat of the Earls of Mar in these parts. This noble and ancient family, although it takes its titles from this province, however owes its origin to the southern parts of the kingdom. They have many estates in these places, the whole of upper Mar acknowledges them as lords, indeed in the lower provinces already described by me many are their dependents, and they have them as lords by feudal right (as it is called). There follows Glenkindie belonging to the Strachans, dependents of the Earls of Mar by that name (5). Continuing along the bank of the Don, there is a parish named Forbes, which would not have been mentioned if (as the annals relate) the first ancestor of the very distinguished family had not had his first seat here, whose posterity in these places and as far as the source of the Don are mighty in strength and number: and not here only, but spread into various clans they have produced many famous families which have been noted for wealth and dignity in lower regions, all referring their origin to one house, whose chiefs, although they yield to few for antiquity of stock or numerous descendants, have still remained content with the honour of Lords of Parliament, far from the ambition of today; that level of honour was conferred on them at the very beginning. At this point Mar overcomes the chain of mountains and seems to subtract from Garioch and Strathbogie the parish of Clatt and Drimminor Castle with the estates of the Lords of Parliament Forbes. But the Don, from which I have digressed, having been held up for a little by narrow gorges, now freed wanders gently through an ample valley of rich meadow, taking in the River Leochel, on which lie Craigievar, a castle of the Forbses, and the parochial village of Alford; after travelling four miles, it is confined by the narrows of the mountain Bennachie, rough with cliffs and rocks, then let out into the fields it opens up an ample and lovely plain. Here is Monymusk Castle of the Forbses, where previously was a priory (as they call it) of the same name, whose estates have been turned to private use and whose buildings too have perished. On a different road from the river the lovely castle of Cluny may be seen. Not far off is Mulcol, a strong castle of excellent workmanship, the seat of the Frasers, who display thence the title of Lords of Parliament. Descending on different banks Kemnay and Fettyrneir occur, where again the river is crushed by narrows and is not released until it enters Inverurie; from there to its mouth the Don forms the boundary of Mar. Here the rivers bends to the south and with various bends cuts through fields cultivated more than any in these provinces; first it displays Kintore, a famous seat and village on the royal road; close to it lies a castle of the Earl Marischal called Hall of Forrest; passing on, its course turns again to the east; wandering smoothly and twisting through the spacious and very fruitful fields of Fintray, with no further mountains obstructing, but drawing its stream with quite high banks through land that is not level, it mingles with the Ocean, but with its sandy bed its mouth is impassible to ships. At the sea there is a gap of more or less three miles between the mouths of these rivers, with a sandy shore.
Aberdeen, with a double name and likewise town, is placed at the mouth of each: that called New is at the Dee, the other with the name Old at the Don; the distance between them is about a mile. Here, in the Old town, the cathedral church by good luck escaped sacrilegious hands last century, being spoiled of its lead roof, which loss however stone tiles make up. Here was the seat of the bishop (while the honour and office flourished); the town and suburban land was his: now all is so changed that the bishopric was not spared, nor with the destruction of that was there rest for the very stones. King’s College was built here in A.D. 1521 by bishop William Elphinstone, sparing no expense, with an ample yearly income converted for its use; but he scarcely survived his great work. The home for the elderly which he had in mind, he entrusted to his executors in his will, with a legacy of money for it, but there is no building, it lies neglected by the care of his successor. The Don here links its banks by a bridge, a work (6) of one arch, but that certainly to be seen and praised; its builder is unknown, which is strange, as the bridge of the Dee attests its builder in more than one place: so diverse are men’s characters. Scarcely two miles above the bridge, there is no need to mention a stone structure, artificially obstructing the whole course of the river, for the profit of the salmon fishery, from which many make a living, as that river is especially full of those fish.
New Aberdeen is built on three hills (each with its own name), and being on a higher site is approached on all sides by an ascent. Its outer parts in many places spread into plains like suburbs. King Gregory in the year 890, attracted by the suitability of the place, gave it laws and immunities and ornamented it with royal buildings, which later came to the brothers who take their name from the Trinity. The existence of a mint in the town is proved by silver coins struck there, of which I remember having seen some. But with its affairs still weak the town was stuck in the suburb named from its greenness; later with an increase of wealth it spread over the nearby hills, and equipped itself with houses, squares, churches, town hall, and whatever else is necessary for the use of a city. It set up a council with elected magistrates, and instituted maritime trade with foreigners; hence the number of citizens increased and it earned the judicial seat of the whole province, with the sheriff court located there. A college was founded by Earl George Keith, Marshal of the kingdom, the house of the Franciscans being converted to its use in the year 1593, but with such feeble beginnings that it would have already failed had not the generosity of pious men come to its aid. The harbour for the town is a mile distant, where the course of the river runs straight, with the town being a little back on the left; when the tide flows, everything is open to the water as far as the inner harbour, thus the approach is open to smaller ships, while they deposit larger cargoes in the harbour. Before our civil disturbances the citizens had set themselves to extend the inner harbour to the whole sea coast, and the work had already progressed until the troubles among us caused a delay, now with things again relatively peaceful the work proceeds. The castle on the hill of that name, as it was opposed to liberty, was destroyed many years ago. Recently an attempt was made to fortify the town for purposes of war, but unsuccessfully, as the nature of the land was against it. Opposite and in sight of the town, that well known salmon fishing is carried on, from which there is no small profit to the citizens. Here agrarian law follows the practice of Lycurgus: all that liberty of fishing is divided into lots, of which a man may own only one; if a second should be added,