- Kincardine and Mearns
Kincardine and Mearns is one of six
area committee s of theAberdeenshire council area inScotland . It has a population 38,506 (2001 Census). There are significant natural features in this district includingriver s,forest s,mountain s andbog s (known locally as "mosses").Transport links with
Aberdeen have encouraged rapid population growth, especially in the north of this region. Existing settlements such asPortlethen andStonehaven have greatly expanded, along with industrial activity. The southern part is more self-sufficient, with the fertileMearns area sustaining a strongagricultural economy. Small scale tourism activity occurs along its attractive coastline and formerfishing village s.Kincardine and Deeside district
Between 1975 and 1996 Kincardine and Deeside was a local government district within the
Grampian region . Its area included all of the county ofKincardineshire apart from a small area in the northeast which was covered by theCity of Aberdeen . As the name suggested, it also included the large geographical area of the watershed of theRiver Dee from the southern section of Aberdeenshire. In 1996 this district became part ofAberdeenshire unitary authority in the local government reorganisation.History
In
medieval times the northern part of the area known asKincardine was comprised by theThanedom of Cowie and theThanedom of Durris .cite book | first=Andrew | last=Jervise | title=Memorials of Angus and the Mearns, an account historical | publisher=Oxford | year=1861] The Mearns was described as anearldom . Each of thesethanage s was with the Crown as late as 1264AD .cite book | first=William Forbes | last=Skene | title=Celtic Scotland: A History of Ancient Alban | publisher=Edmonston & Douglas: Scotland | year=1880] In theMiddle Ages the principal roadway connectingStonehaven toAberdeen was known as theCausey Mounth ;cite web | author=C Michael Hogan | title=Causey Mounth Ancient Trackway | year=2007 | url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17932 | accessdate=2007-11-07] thisdrovers' road was constructed in some places with large boulders in order to span certain boggy stretches.During the
Scottish Enlightenment period,Lord Monboddo operated a large agricultural estate in the Mearns, at which location he conducted considerable research in agricultural improvement; Monboddo was best known as a jurist on theCourt of Session , as the father of modern historical linguistics and a pre-evolutionary thinker.cite book | author=E L Cloyd and James Burnett | title=James Burnett, Lord Monboddo | publisher=Clarendon Press: Oxford | year=1972 | isbn=0-1981243-7-6 ] [cite book | author=Eileen A Bailey | title=The holly and the horn: Burnett of Leys family and branches | publisher=Leys Publishing: Banchory | year=2005 | isbn=0-9538640-2-2]Notable architecture
*
Dunnotar Castle ,Muchalls Castle andFetteresso Castle are located within this district.
*In the village ofMuchalls at Victorian times there existed a large hotel, which fell intoruin in the latter 20th century.
*There are numerousprehistoric stone circle s,standing stone s andcairn s within this geographic unit.Geography and landforms
Rivers and streams in Kincardine and Mearns include the
Burn of Elsick ,Burn of Pheppie ,Burn of Muchalls ,Cowie Water , Carron Water andBervie Water , all of which discharge to theNorth Sea .Other notable features
*
Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve
*Causey Mounth References
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