Maryculter or Kirkton of Maryculter is a village in the Lower Deeside

Lower Deeside

Lower Deeside is a region along the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The boundaries of this area are subject to interpretation, since the usage has altered through historic times; however, the area is generally associated with the communities of Durris, Maryculter and Banchory-Devenick in the...

 area of Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The River Dee

River Dee, Aberdeenshire

The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...

 separates it from the town of Peterculter

Peterculter

Peterculter , also known as Culter, is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland approximately eight miles inland from Aberdeen city centre. Peterculter is situated along the northern banks of the River Dee in the vicinity of the confluences with Crynoch Burn and Leuchar Burn...

, and the B979 road runs through Maryculter. There are two hotel

Hotel

A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

s: The Old Mill Inn, a former coaching inn that dates back 200 years, and Maryculter House

Maryculter House

Maryculter House is an historic structure along the Royal Deeside in Kincardineshire, Scotland. Access to this structure is via the B9077 road. The church and graveyard associated with Maryculter House are designated national monuments. A hotel in modern times, this building is erected on the...

 Hotel. At the edge of the village of Maryculter is a public forest land, known as the Oldman Wood

Oldman Wood

Oldman Wood is a publicly owned forest in Kincardineshire, Scotland.Crynoch Burn, a tributary of the River Dee, flows through the Oldman Wood.-References:...

, through which flows the Crynoch Burn

Crynoch Burn

Crynoch Burn is a stream in Aberdeenshire that is tributary to the River Dee. This stream rises somewhat above Netherley and flows near Netherley House; and thence into the Red Moss, a significant natural bog habitat; thence near the historic Lairhillock Inn; and finally by the village of...

. Also the children's theme park, StoryBook Glen, which also consists of a shop and restaurant is located near the old church which is still in use today as a Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

. Other notable vicinity buildings are the Lairhillock Inn

Lairhillock Inn

The Lairhillock Inn is an historic coaching inn along an old carriage route approximately four miles north of Netherley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. In 2007 a new primary school opened across the road named Lairhillock Primary School, which replaced the old Netherley School and Maryculter School and...

 and Muchalls Castle

Muchalls Castle

Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well preserved double groined 13th century towerhouse structure, built by the Frasers of Muchalls. Upon this structure, the 17th century castle was begun by...

.

Ancient history

Prehistoric habitation in the Maryculter area is known through archaeological sites such as Balbridie

Balbridie

Balbridie is the site of a Neolithic timberhouse in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated in the south Deeside near the B9077 road. This archaeological site is one of the earliest known permanent neolithic settlements in Scotland, dating to 3400 to 4000 BC...

 situated somewhat west of Maryculter. Roman legion

Roman legion

A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...

s marched from Raedykes

Raedykes

Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over 3 miles NW of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902...

 to Normandykes

Normandykes

Normandykes is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a hill overlooking the River Dee and the B9077 road further south. Aerial photographs...

, marching slightly west of Maryculter, as they sought higher ground evading the bog

Bog

A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....

s of Red Moss and other low-lying mosses associated with the Burn of Muchalls

Burn of Muchalls

The Burn of Muchalls is an easterly flowing stream in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that discharges to the North Sea. Its point of discharge is on a rocky beach set with scenic sea stacks...

. That march used the Elsick Mounth

Elsick Mounth

The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway crossing the Grampian Mountains in the vicinity of Netherley, Scotland. This trackway was one of the few means of traversing the Grampian Mounth area in prehistoric and medieval times. The highest pass of the route is attained within the Durris Forest...

, one of the ancient trackway

Trackway

A trackway is an ancient route of travel for people or animals. In biology, a trackway can be a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by an animal. A fossil trackway is the fossilized imprint of a trackway. Trackways have been found all over the world...

s crossing the Grampian Mountains, lying west of Netherley.

External links

• Maryculter parish Church

Maryculter is the home of the more wealthy residents of Aberdeen. Maryculter also has an animal sanctuary Blaikiewell Animal Sanctuary