Online Encyclopedia
Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.
ABERDEENSHIRE
Online EncyclopediaEncyclopedia Home :: A10-ADA
del.icio.us it!
|
ABERDEENSHIRE , a See also:north-eastern See also:county of See also:Scotland, bounded N. and E. by the North See also:Sea, S. by Kincardine, See also:Forfar and See also:Perth, and W. by See also:Inverness and See also:Banff. It has a See also:coast-See also:line of 65 m., and is the See also:sixth Scottish county in See also:area, occupying 1,261,887 acres or 1971 sq. m. The county is generally hilly, and from the See also:south-See also:west, near the centre of Scotland, the See also:Grampians send out various branches, mostly to the north-See also:east. The See also:shire is popularly divided into five districts. Of these the first is See also:Mar, mostly between the See also:Dee and See also:Don, which nearly covers the See also:southern See also:half of the county and contains the See also:city of See also:Aberdeen. It is mountainous, especially See also:Braemar (q.v.), which contains the greatest See also:mass of elevated See also:land in the See also:British Isles. The See also:soil on the Dee is sandy, and on the Don loamy. The second See also:district, Formartine, between the See also:lower Don and Ythan, has a sandy coast, which is succeeded inland by a clayey, fertile, tilled See also:tract, and then by See also:low hills, See also:moors, mosses and tilled land. See also:Buchan, the third district, lies north of the Ythan, and, comprising the north-east of the county, is next in See also:size to Mar, parts of the coast being bold and rocky, the interior See also:bare, low, See also:flat, undulating and in places peaty. On the coast, 6 m. S. of See also:Peter-See also:head, are the Bullers of Buchan—a See also:basin in which the sea, entering by a natural See also:arch, boils up violently in stormy See also:weather. Buchan Ness is the most easterly point of Scotland. The See also:fourth
district, Garioch, in the centre of the shire, is a beautiful, undulating, loamy, fertile valley. formerly called the granary of Aberdeen. Strathbogie, the fifth district, occupying a consider-able area south of the Deveron, mostly consists of hills, moors and mosses. The mountains are the most striking of the See also:physical features of the county. See also:Ben Macdhui (4296 ft.), a magnificent mass, the second highest See also:mountain in See also:Great See also:Britain, Braeriach (4248), Cairntoul (4241), Ben-na-bhuaird (3924), Ben See also:Avon (3843), " dark " Lochnagar (3786), the subject of a well-known See also:song by See also:Byron, See also:Cairn Eas (3556), Sgarsoch (3402), Culardoch '(29J3), are the See also:principal heights in the See also:division of Mar. Farther north rise the See also:Buck of Cabrach (2368) on the See also:Banffshire border, Tap o' Noth (1830), Bennachie (1698), a beautiful See also:peak which from its central position is a landmark visible from many different parts of the county, and which is celebrated in See also: S.E. of See also:Fraserburgh, is only separated from the sea by a narrow See also:strip of land. There are noted chalybeate springs at See also:Peterhead, Fraserburgh, and Pannanich near Ballater. See also:Geology.—The greater See also:part of the county is composed of crystalline See also:schists belonging to the metamorphic rocks of the Eastern See also:Highlands. In the upper parts of the valleys of the Dee and the Don they See also:form well-marked See also:groups, of which the most characteristic are (1) the See also:black schists and phyllites, with calcflintas, and a thin See also:band of See also:tremolite See also:limestone, (2) the See also:main or See also:Blair See also:Atholl limestone, (3) the See also:quartzite. These divisions are folded on highly inclined or See also:vertical axes trending north-east and south-west, and hence the same zones are repeated over a considerable area. The quartzite is generally regarded as the highest member of the See also:series. Excellent sections showing the component strata occur in Glen Clunie and its tributary valleys above Braemar. Eastwards down the Dee and the Don and northwards across the See also:plain of Buchan towards Rattray Head and Fraserburgh there is a development of See also:biotite See also:gneiss, partly of sedimentary and perhaps partly of igneous origin. A See also:belt of See also:slate which has been quarried for roofing purposes runs along the west border of the county from See also:Turriff by Auchterless and the Foudland Hills towards the Tap o' Noth near Gartly. The metamorphic rocks have been invaded by igneous materials, some before, and by far the larger series after the folding of the strata. The basic types of the former are represented by the sills of See also:epidiorite and See also:hornblende gneiss in Glen Muick and Glen Callater, which have been permeated by See also:granite and See also:pegmatite in See also:veins and lenticles, often foliated. The later granites subsequent to the plication of the schists have a wide See also:distribution on the Ben Macdhui and Ben Avon range, and on Lochnagar; they stretch eastwards from Ballater by Tarland to Aberdeen and north to Bennachie. Isolated masses appear at Peterhead and at Strichen. Though consisting mainly of biotite granite, these later intrusions pass by intermediate stages into See also:diorite, as in the area between Balmoral and the head-See also:waters of the Gairn. The granites have been extensively quarried at Rubislaw, Peter-head and Kemnay. See also:Serpentine and troctolite, the precise See also:age of which is uncertain, occur at the Black See also:Dog See also:rock north of Aberdeen, at Belhelvie and near Old Meldrum. Where the schists of sedimentary origin have been pierced by these igneous intrusions, they are charged with contact minerals such as See also:sillimanite, cordierite, kyanite and See also:andalusite. Cordierite-bearing rocks occur near Ellon, at the See also:foot of Bennachie; and on the See also:top of the Buck of Cabrach. A banded and mottled calc-silicate See also:hornfels occurring with the limestone at Derry Falls, W. N.W. of Braemar, has yielded malacolite, See also:wollastonite, See also: The glacial deposits, 'especially in the belt bordering the coast between Aberdeen and Peterhead, furnish important See also:evidence. The See also:ice moved eastwards off the high ground at the head of the Dee and the Don, while the mass spreading outwards from the See also:Moray See also:Firth invaded the low See also:plateau of Buchan; but at a certain See also:stage there was a marked defection northwards parallel with the coast, as proved by the See also:deposit of red See also:clay north of Aberdeen. At a later date the See also:local glaciers laid down materials on top of the red clay. The See also:committee appointed by the British Association (See also:Report for 1897, p. 333) proved that the See also:Greensand, which has yielded a large See also:suite of Cretaceous fossils at Moreseat, in the See also:parish of See also:Cruden, occurs in glacial See also:drift, resting probably on granite. The strata from which the Moreseat fossils were derived are not now found in See also:place in that part of Scotland, but Mr See also:Jukes Brown considers that the See also:horizon of the fossils is that of the lower Greensand of the Isle of See also:Wight or the Aptien stage of See also:France. See also:Chalk flints are widely distributed in the drift between Fyvie and the east coast of Buchan. At Plaidy a patch of clay with Liassic fossils occurs. At several localities between Logie Coldstone and Dinnet a deposit of diatomite (Kieselguhr) occurs beneath the See also:peat. See also:Flora and See also:Fauna.—The tops of the highest mountains have an See also:arctic flora. At the royal See also:lodge on Loch Muick, 1350 ft. above the sea, grow larches, vegetables, currants, laurels, See also:roses, &c. Some ash-trees, four or five feet in girth, are growing at 1300 ft. above the sea. Trees, especially Scotch See also:fir and See also:larch, grow well, and Braemar is See also:rich in natural See also:timber, said to surpass any in the north of See also:Europe. Stumps of Scotch fir and See also:oak found in peat are sometimes far larger than any now growing. The See also:mole is found at 'Soo ft. above the sea, and the See also:squirrel at 1400. See also:Grouse, partridges and See also:hares are plentiful, and rabbits are often too numerous. Red See also:deer abound in Braemar, the deer See also:forest being the most extensive in Scotland. See also:Climate and See also:Agriculture.—The climate, except in the mountainous districts, is comparatively mild, owing to the proximity of much of the shire to the sea. The mean See also:annual temperature at Braemar is 43.6 F., and at Aberdeen 45.8°. The mean yearly rainfall varies from about.30 to 37 M. The summer climate of the upper Dee and Don valleys is the driest and most bracing in the British Isles, and See also:grain is cultivated up to 1600 ft. above the sea, or 400 to 500 ft. higher than elsewhere in North Britain. Poor, gravelly, clayey and peaty soils prevail, but See also:tile-draining, bones and See also:guano, and the best methods of See also:modern tillage, have greatly increased the produce. Indeed, in no part of Scotland has a more productive soil been made out of such unpromising material. See also:Farm-houses and steadings have much improved, and the best agricultural implements and See also:machines are in See also:general use. About two-thirds of the See also:population depend entirely on agriculture. Farms are small compared with those in the south-eastern counties. Oats are the predominant See also:crop, See also:wheat has practically gone out of cultivation, but See also:barley has largely increased. The most distinctive See also:industry is See also:cattle-feeding. A great number of the See also:home-bred crosses are fattened for the See also:London and local markets, and Irish animals are imported on an extensive See also:scale for the same purpose, while an exceedingly heavy business in dead See also:meat for London and the south is done all over the county. See also:Sheep, horses and pigs are also raised in large See also:numbers.
See also:Fisheries.—A large fishing population in villages along the coast engage in the See also: 
The See also:average annual despatch of salmon from Aberdeen-shire is about 400 tons.
Other See also:Industries.—Manufactures are mainly prosecuted in or near the city of Aberdeen, but throughout the rural districts there is much milling of See also:corn, See also:brick and tile making, See also: Population and See also:Government.—In 1891 the population numbered 284,036 and in 1901 it was 304,439 (of whom 159,603 were See also:females), or 154 persons to the sq. m. In 1901 there were 8 persons who spoke Gaelic only, and 1333 who spoke Gaelic and See also:English. The chief towns are Aberdeen (pop. in 1901, 153,503), Bucksburn (2231), Fraserburgh (91o5), I-Iuntly (4136), Inverurie (3624), Peterhead (11,794), Turriff (2273). The Supreme See also:Court of See also:Justiciary sits in Aberdeen to try cases from the counties of Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine. The three counties are under a See also:sheriff, and there are two sheriffs-substitute See also:resident in Aberdeen, who sit also at Fraserburgh, Huntly, Peterhead and Turriff. The sheriff courts are held in Aberdeen and Peterhead. The county sends two members to See also:parliament -one for East Aberdeenshire and the other for West Aberdeen-shire. The county See also:town, Aberdeen (q.v.), returns two members. Peterhead, Inverurie and Kintore belong to the Elgin See also:group of See also:parliamentary burghs, the other constituents being Banff, See also:Cullen and Elgin. The county is under school-See also:board See also:jurisdiction, and there are also several voluntary See also:schools. There are higher-class schools in Aberdeen, and secondary schools at Huntly, Peterhead and Fraserburgh, and many of the other schools in the county See also:earn grants for secondary See also:education. The County Secondary Education Committee dispense a large sum, partly granted by the education See also:department and partly contributed by local authorities from the "See also:residue" See also: The higher branches of education have always been thoroughly taught in the schools throughout the shire, and pupils have long been in the See also:habit of going directly from the schools to the university. The native Scots are long-headed, shrewd, careful, canny, active, persistent, but reserved and See also:blunt, and without See also:demonstrative See also:enthusiasm. They have a See also:physiognomy distinct from the See also:rest of the Scottish See also:people, and have a See also:quick, See also:sharp, rather angry See also:accent. The local Scots See also:dialect is broad, and rich in diminutives, and is noted for the use of e for o or u, f for wh, d for th, &c. So recently as I 83o Gaelic was the fireside See also:language of almost every See also:family in Braemar, but now it is little used. See also:History.—The See also:country now forming the shires of Aberdeen and Banff was originally peopled by See also:northern Picts, whom See also:Ptolemy called Taixali, the territory being named Taixalon. Their town of Devana, once supposed to be the modern Aberdeen, has been identified by Prof. John See also:Stuart with a site in the parish of Peterculter, where there are remains of an See also:ancient See also:camp at Normandykes, and by Dr W. F. See also:Skene with a station on Loch Davan, west of Aboyne. So-called See also:Roman camps have also been discovered on the upper Ythan and Deveron, but evidence of effective Roman occupation is still to seek. Traces of the native inhabitants, however, are much less equivocal. Weems or See also:earth-houses are fairly See also:common in the west. See also:Relics of crannogs or See also:lake-dwellings exist at Loch Ceander, or Kinnord, 5 M. north-east of Ballater, at Loch Goul in the parish of New Machar and elsewhere. See also:Duns or forts occur on hills at Dunecht, where the dun encloses an area of two acres, See also:Barra near Old Meldrum, Tap o' Noth, Dunnideer near Insch and other places. Monoliths, See also:standing stones and "Druidical" circles of the See also:pagan See also:period abound, and there are many examples of the sculptured stones of the See also:early See also:Christian See also:epoch. Efforts to convert the Picts were begun by Ternan in the 5th See also:century, and continued by See also:Columba (who founded a monastery at Old Deer), Drostan, Maluog and Machar, but it was long before they showed lasting results. Indeed, dissensions within the See also:Columban See also: (d. 1124) mention is first made of Aberdeen (originally called AberdSn and, in the Norse sagas, Apardion), which received its See also:charter from See also: De-spite the seizure of Kildrummy Castle by the English in 1306, Bruce's prospects brightened from 1308, when he defeated John Comyn, earl of Buchan (d. 1313?), at Inverurie. For a See also:hundred years after Robert Bruce's See also:death (1329) there was intermittent anarchy in the shire. Aberdeen itself was burned by the English in 1336, and the re-See also:settlement of the districts of Buchan and Strathbogie occasioned See also:constant quarrels on the part of the dispossessed. Moreover, the crown had embroiled itself with some of the Highland chieftains, whose independence it sought to abolish. This policy culminated in the invasion of Aberdeen-shire by Donald, See also:lord of the Isles, who was, however, defeated at Harlaw, near Inverurie, by the earl of Mar in 1411. In the
5th century two other leading county families appeared, See also:Sir Alexander See also:Forbes being created Lord Forbes about 1442, and Sir Alexander See also:Seton Lord See also:Gordon in 1437 and earl of Huntly in 1445. See also:Bitter feuds raged between these families for a long period, but the Gordons reached the height of their See also:power in the first half of the 16th century, when their domains, already vast, were enhanced by the acquisition, through See also:marriage, of the earldom of Sutherland (1514). Meanwhile See also:commerce with the Low Countries, See also:Poland and the Baltic had grown apace, Campvere, near See also:Flushing in See also: As years passed it was apparent that See also:Presbyterianism was less generally acceptable than See also:Episcopacy, of which See also:system Aberdeenshire remained for generations the stronghold in Scotland. Another crisis in ecclesiastical affairs arose in 1638, when the See also:National See also:Covenant was ordered to be subscribed, a demand so grudgingly responded to that the See also:marquis of Montrose visited the shire in the following year to enforce See also:acceptance. The Cavaliers, not being disposed, to yield, dispersed an armed gathering of See also:Covenanters in the affair called the Trot of Turriff (1639), in which the first See also:blood of the See also:civil See also:war was See also:shed. The Covenanters obtained the upper See also:hand in a few See also:weeks, when Montrose appeared at the See also:bridge of Dee and compelled the surrender of Aberdeen, which had no choice but to See also:cast in its See also:lot with the victors. Montrose, however, soon changed sides, and after defeating the Covenanters under Lord See also:Balfour of Burleigh (1644), delivered the city to rapine. He worsted the Covenanters again after a stiff fight on the 2nd of See also:July 1645, at Alford, a See also:village in the beautiful See also:Howe of Alford. See also:Peace was temporarily restored on the " engagement " of the Scots commissioners to assist See also: The earl of Mar raised the See also:standard of revolt in Braemar (6th of September 1715); a fortnight later James was proclaimed at Aberdeen See also:cross; the Pretender landed at Peterhead on the 22nd of See also:December, and in See also:February 1716 he was back again in France. The collapse of the first rising ruined many of the lairds, and when the second rebellion occurred See also:thirty years afterwards the county in the main was apathetic, though the insurgents held Aberdeen for five months, and Lord See also:Lewis Gordon won a trifling victory for See also:Prince Charles Edward at Inverurie (23rd of December 1745). The See also:duke of See also:Cumberland relieved Aberdeen at the end of February 1746, and in See also:April the See also:Young Pretender was a fugitive. Thereafter the people devoted themselves to agriculture, industry and commerce, which See also:developed by leaps and See also:bounds, and, along with equally remarkable progress in education, transformed the aspect of the shire and made the community as a whole one of the most prosperous in Scotland.
See W. See also:Watt, History of Aberdeen and Banff (See also:Edinburgh, 1900); Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (edited by Dr See also:Joseph See also:Robertson, See also:Spalding See also:Club) ; Sir A. Leith-See also:Hay, Castles of Aberdeenshire (Aberdeen, 188; J. See also:Davidson, Inverurie and the Earldom of the Garioch (Edinburgh, 1878) ; See also:Pratt, Buchan (rev. by R. See also: Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML. Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide. |
|
|
[back] ABERDEEN, GEORGE HAMILTON GORDON, 4TH EARL |
[next] ABERDOUR |