Cortes, Aberdeenshire

Coordinates: 57°37′23″N 1°59′28″W / 57.623°N 1.991°W / 57.623; -1.991

Cortes
Cortiebrae Cottages, Cortes
Cortes  Cortes shown within Aberdeenshire
OS grid reference	NK006592
Council area	Aberdeenshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	FRASERBURGH
Postcode district	AB43
Dialling code	01346 (Lonmay)
Police	Grampian
Fire	Grampian
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Banff and Buchan
Scottish Parliament	Banff and Buchan
List of places: UK • Scotland •

Cortes is a rural settlement in the Banff and Buchan area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated in the parish of Rathen, 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) south of Fraserburgh.^[1]

The area stretches from the grounds of Cortes House in the west to Cortes Village in the east on the border with the adjacent parish of Lonmay.

Schools

Primary education is provided at Rathen School,^[2] whilst secondary pupils travel to Fraserburgh Academy.

Transport

Cortes lies at the northern end of the A952 road at its junction with the A90 road.

Regular bus services connect the area to Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Aberdeen, and an on-demand Dial-a-bus service is also available.^[3]

The nearby Lonmay railway station closed in 1979, and now offers an access point to the Formartine and Buchan Way, the long-distance path that follows the route of the former railway.

Landmarks

To the south lies Mormond Hill, on the slopes of which a hill figure known as the White Stag of Mormond, marked with quartz stones, was first laid out by Mr F. W. Cordiner of Cortes to mark his wedding in 1870.^[4]

History

The name Cortes is said to derive from a Gaelic word meaning circle, in reference to a structure that was described as a Druid temple in the New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845),^[5] but is now believed to be the remains of a recumbent stone circle.^[6]

Another stone circle, of which only three stones remain, is situated on farmland at Cortie Brae.^[7]

Cortes House is a granite-built Regency mansion, built in 1810.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Cortes: Description". Scotland's Places. http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search/index.php?action=do_search&id=2831&p_name=CORTES&p_type=POPULATED_PLACE&p_parish1=Rathen. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
2. ^ "Rathen Primary School". Rathen School. http://www.rathen.aberdeenshire.sch.uk/. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
3. ^ "Public transport information". Aberdeenshire Council. http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/publictransport/index.asp. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
4. ^ "White Horse and Stag on Mormond Hill". Peterhead and Buchan Tourism Initiative. http://www.buchanonline.co.uk/visitpeterhead/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=261%3Awhite-horse-and-stag-on-mormond-hill&catid=54%3Ageneral&Itemid=86. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
5. ^ "The New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845), Volume XII, Aberdeen: Parish of Rathen". Electric Scotland. http://www.electricscotland.com/hiStory/statistical/rathen.htm. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
6. ^ "Cortes: Archaeological Notes". Scotland's Places. http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=20703. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
7. ^ "Cortie Brae". Scotland's Places. http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=21098. Retrieved 7 January 2010. 
8. ^ "Cortes House". Cottages and Castles. http://www.scottish-castle-holidays.co.uk/aberdeen-deeside/cortes.htm. Retrieved 7 January 2010.