About Fettercairn

The History of the Howe - Fettercairn

Fettercairn - could be called the gateway to Royal Deeside, sitting as it does at the foolt of the Cairn o' Mount. The name is thought to mean "The Road leading to the Cairn". The Cairn o' Mount is a hill which dominates the Westerly side of the Howe o' the Mearns, and the road which crosses its heights was originally part of one of the main drove roads of Scotland. Like most parishes in the North East of Scotland, Fettercairn has to share a ministry. In this case, it is with the parishes of Fordoun and Glenbervie.

Fettercairn, or Fetterie as it is affectionately known, is probably one of thr most picturesque villages in this area, set as it is about its central square. The main features are the Mercat Cross, which is of great historical significance with its famous old-style ell measurement, and the parish church set high on a mound surrounded by an ancient graveyard. There is also an elaborate and attractive fountain which was erected in 1869 to the memory of Sir John Hepburn Stuart Forbes, Baronet of Pitsligo and Fettercairn. The village is dominated by a magnificent stone-built arch which was erected to commemorate a visit made by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1861. It is said that the royal couple spent the night at the Ramsay Arms Hotel before continuing their journey across the Cairn to Balmoral. Apparently they strolled round the village totally unrecognised by the residents! However, amends were made when the arch was built.

Attached to the primary school, which was rebuilt in the early 1960s behind an earlier building, is a branch library. The village also has a general store, a Post Office and a tearoom. Fettercairn has fairly extensive council housing schemes which are tucked in around the older part of the village, and many private houses have found sites beside the older houses and crofts which line the roads leading to the distillery, Marykirk, Luthermuir and the Clatterin' Brig.

Like Luthermuir, Fettercairn is surrounded by castles and houses of note. On the Edzell side of the village there is the aforementioned Balbegno Castle, a 16th Century building which was later extended by the addition of a wing that is now used as a farmhouse. Close by to Balbegno is the vitrified Fort of Green Cairn, which is thought to date from as far back as 500BC.

On the Clatterin' Brig side of the village are Fettercairn House and Fasque, two stately homes whose gates are within yards of one another on different sides of the roadway. Fettercairn House, which stands on the right, has in recent years been the home of the Bowes-Lyon and Somervell families, cousins to the Queen. Fasque, on the left hand side of the roadway, is the seat of the Gladstone family, whose most famous member was Sir William Gladstone, a 19th Century British Prime Minister of some note.

Fettercairn Distillery

Founded in 1824 it is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland. Currently owned by Whyte & Mackay Ltd, it bottles the Old Fettercairn aged 10 years and 12 years. The visitor centre is open Mon-Sat 10.00am - 2.30pm (Last tour 2.00pm) May to September. There is a free guided tour arranged on arrival and a dram.

Contact: +44 (0)1561 340205

The Mercat Cross

The Mercat (or market) Cross stands in the centre of the broad market place at the heart of Fettercairn. The current cross is believed to date from around 1670. Multifunctional, the cross incorporates a sundial and was also the village stocks: you can still see where an iron collar could be attached. On the west side of the shaft is a groove that is 37.5 inches (or one ell) in length. This served as a standard length for traders.

Fettercairn Church

Fettercairn is also home to a fine Church, built in 1803 and dedicated to St Martin. The beautifully slender spire is a later addition.

The Arch

For the visitor, the most obvious structure in Fettercairn is its arch, through which light traffic still squeezes. This was erected in 1864, at a cost of £250, to celebrate an overnight stay in the village by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in September 1861. They were on an excursion from Balmoral and had crossed Mount Keen before arriving in Fettercairn. They returned to Balmoral the following day over the Cairn O'Mount road in thick fog.