Kincardineshire
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Kincardineshire
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(Click on the picture to see a larger one) Kincardineshire takes its name from the old and once mighty Kincardine Castle near Fettercairn. It seems that a small township grew up round the castle (which was used by Queen Mary in 1560) but in 1600 Stonehaven became the county town and both Kincardine town and castle fell into decline. The mercat cross was transferred to Fettercairn in 1730, and nothing now remains of old Kincardine town and little more of the castle. Much more impressive is the ruined Dunottar Castle, spectacularly sited on the coast just south of Stonehaven. It was thought to be so impregnable that during the Civil War the Honours (Crown Jewels) of Scotland were stored there for safety, but in 1651 the castle was besieged by Cromwell's Parliamentarian army and, after eight months, pounded into submission thanks to the use of artillery. During the siege, however, the Honours were smuggled out of the castle and buried in nearby Kinneff Kirk, where they remained undiscovered. The county largely incorporates the area of land known as The Mearns from which we derive our name, and was immortalised by Leslie Mitchell, better known as Lewis Grassic Gibbon in his "Scots Quair" trilogy. Kincardineshire also has close ties to another Scots literary genius as Robert Burns' father was born and raised in the county, only moving to Ayrshire (where Rabbie was born) at the age of 19. Coincidentally, while in Edinburgh Burns met and befriended James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, from Fettercairn. Burns was captivated by Monboddo's daughter Elizabeth and wrote his "Elegy on the late Miss Burnett of Monboddo"following the young woman's untimely death from consumption at the age of 23. Other famous Kincardineshire sons inlude Robert Thomson from Stonehaven who invented the pneumatic tyre (many years before Dunlop re-invented it) and the fountain pen, as well the first succesful steam traction engine, and Hercules Linton from Inverbervie who designed the famous clipper "Cutty Sark". Family names associated with Kincardineshire include Arbuthnott, Barclay, Burnett, Douglas, Falconer, Fraser, Guthrie, Keith, and Strachan. Our map of Kincardineshire measures 10½ × 11 inches (270 × 280 mm) when stitched on the recommended Linda 27-count evenweave, and has 14 buildings, fishing and sailing boats, place names, compass, and crest. The stitch count is 156 x 146.
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