Banchory-Devenick

Banchory-Devenick (Scottish Gaelic: Beannchar Dòmhnaig^[1]) is a hamlet approximately two kilometres south of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire.^[2] The hamlet should not be confused with the historic civil parish of the same name which spanned the River Dee until 1891, its northern part lying in Aberdeenshire and its southern part in Kincardineshire. In that year the northern part became part of the neighbouring parish of Peterculter, the southern part (including the hamlet itself) remaining as the parish of Banchory-Devenick.^[3] The hamlet of Banchory-Devenick is on the B9077 road, and the ancient Causey Mounth passes directly through it. An historic graveyard dating to 1157 AD is present within Banchory-Devenick.^[4] Other historic features in the vicinity include Saint Ternan's Church, Muchalls Castle and the Lairhillock Inn.

History edit

Banchory-Devenick is located along the Causey Mounth trackway, which road was constructed on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route from coastal points south from Stonehaven to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the River Dee crossing (where the present Bridge of Dee is situated) via Portlethen Moss, Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south.^[5] The route was that taken by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Duke of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the first battle of the English Civil War in 1639.^[6]