Scottish Notes and Queries, Sept 1887
Portlethen
Ploughing Match - The Portlethen Ploughing
Association held their annual match on the 31st Dec 1867, on the farm of
Cookstone, occupied by Mr Walker, Portlethen. The weather was most
propitious, and 36 ploughs entered the lists. The judges were - Messrs
Taylor, Jellybrands; Milne, Altens of Nigg; and Walker, Westside,
Maryculter - who, after a careful examination, awarded the prizes as
follows:-
1, and Silver Medal, Wm. Ross, servant, Greenholm; 2,
Wm. Smith, overseer, Balquharn; 3, James Lemard, Craighead; 4, W. Leiper,
Moss-side, Ardo; 5, John Blackhills, Findon; 7, David Collie, Eskywell;
8, Joseph Thomson, servant, Bishopton; 9, William Stewart, servant,
Maitland's Croft, Findon; 10, James Carnegie, servant, Findon Farm; 11,
John Strachan, servant, Greenhouse; 12, G Scorgie, Haremoss; 13, J,
Stewart, Mains of Badentoy; 14, Robert Paterson, servant, Hillside,
Banchory; 15, Robert Milne, Blackhill, Cairnrobin; 16, John Stewart,
Mains of Badentoy; 17, Robert Hunter, servant, Marywell.
A very keen competition took place for groomed horses
and harness, in both of which there was a fine display. The prizes were
decided in the following order:-
1, Jas Lemard, Craighead; 2, Robert Milne, Cairnrobin;
3, Wm Ross, Greenholme; 4, Alex. Finnie, Balquharn; 5, Robert Hunter,
Marywell; 6, John Strachan, Greeholme.
Extra prizes were awarded to Wm. Ross for best mould
furrow, to Wm. Smith for best feiring, to John Strachan for
performing his work in the least time, and to James Stewart as the
youngest ploughman. the prize list was much increased by the annual
donations:- viz., District Proprietors, the Amateur Ploughing
Association, and other friends. The members and judges dined together
after the labours of the day, when a very happy evening was spent - Mr
Walker, Portlethen, in the chair.
Stonehaven Journal, 9 Jan 1868
Description of Cowie, Stonehaven & Dunnottar Castle
in a letter
from Bishop of Meath to his sister
Montrose, August 6th, 1760
Dear Sister, - On the 5th I left this most agreeable
place Aberdeen alone, which I had not been for above seven weeks. In
about two English Miles I came to the Bridge over the Dee, and after I
had ascended the hill for about a mile, I had a fine road through a very
stony country for about three miles, and saw the remains of a small
Druid temple, and a mile further two more near each other, the stones
are about four feet high.
I passed by a Kern and came in twelve miles to Stonehive,
a small well built town of about 150 families; I remarked in the way
hither first red granite of Small red grains and afterwards larger, and
a sort of firestone in uneven veins running like Cipolino: The small
rivers fall in near the Town in this bay, and there is a pier into which
a ship of 100 Ton can be brought: If in bad weather they miss Peterhead
which is the most convenient harbour in this part of Scotland, they are
brought in here, of which the pilots make considerable profit: They have
a Salmon fishery and catch Sea fish, Especially at Cowie, which they lay
on places paved with stone in order to dry them without Salt: They
knit stockings, and have some linnen manufacture. There is an English
Chapel and a Congregation of about 300 Persons in and near the town, for
it was the Estate of the Earl of Marischal. Barclay, a Quaker,
descendant of him who writ the famous Apology, lives near this place.
On the Sea cliff about a mile from the town is the
singular Castle of Dunnotter which belonged to the Marischal family:
It is built on a detatched rock of large pebbles cemented together; the
Sea does not come to the West side of it; but it might easily be sunk so
as to make it a wet fossee at low water. The ascent is very steep up to
the part where the Wall is low enough to be battered to any purpose from
a level on the opposite ground: On each side of the Entrance is an
arched room together with some other rooms from which there is an ascent
up to the square tower, which is the oldest part; within this is a head
of rock extending to the South, on which in the last Civil War they had
a battery opposite to that of Cromwel's on the other hill, which we saw
with two Embrasures; To the East of this is another building of two
rooms on a floor; and beyond that a Room with a large Chimney which
extends the whole breadth of it, this is called the Mint and might be
also a forge. And in the middle of the court there is an Entire house as
if designed for a part of the family: but the grand and most
Modern building is a half H consisting of a brewhouse, bakehouse,
Kitchen with a Chimney, likewise the whole breath of it: above is a
grand room, a Drawing room & another room from which to the South there
is a gallery which extends for about 100 feet in length and 18 broad,
over one of the doors to a voult in this inscription - ..... Andrew
Barklay. The castle did belong to the Crawford family who Exchanged it
with the Earl Marischal for a Seat in Fife.
Tours in Scotland 1747, 1750, 1760, by Richard
Pocoke
Bishop of Meath
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