Rattray (historic: Rettre; occasionally: Rattery;

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

: ''Raitear''), ''(found at )'' had been settled as far back as 4000 BC and was named a Royal Burgh in 1564 by

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

, "to put an end to the disputes about superiority over it between

William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal William Keith, 4th Earl Marischal (died 7 October 1581) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. Family background and career William Keith was the son of Robert Keith, Master of Marischal and Lady Elizabeth Douglas, daughter of John Douglas, ...

and

George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll ( – 30 January 1573) was a Scottish nobleman and politician. Biography Hay was the grandson of William Hay, 3rd Earl of Erroll; George's father Thomas was killed alongside his older brother, William Hay, 4th ...

". The ancient burgh was located near to

Crimond Crimond is a village in Aberdeenshire, in the northeast of Scotland, located northwest of the port of Peterhead and just over from the coast. Geography The main A90 road runs through Crimond and is lined by Crimond Church with a villag ...

, but the village was largely destroyed and never recovered after a storm in the 18th century that covered it in shifting sands from the nearby dunes at

Rattray Head Rattray Head (), historically Rattray Point, is a headland in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, on the north-east coast Scotland. To north lies Strathbeg Bay and Rattray Bay is to its south. The dunes at Rattray Head beach can be up to high and stretch ...

. However, there is still a small modern settlement in the area.

Features

The nearby lagoon, ''Strathbeg Bay (also known as Strathbeg Water or Water of Rattray)'', had been an "open estuary which was navigable to trading ships" suiting itself to ''Starny Keppie'' harbour around which Rattray flourished. However, by 1654, the harbour was silting up badly and was finally cut off when shifting sands during a massive 1720 storm cut off the lagoon to form

Loch Strathbeg The Loch of Strathbeg (also known as Loch Strathbeg; ''historically "Strathbeg Water"; "Water of Strathbeg"; "Rattray Water" or "Water of Rattray"'') is a designated Special Protection Area for wildlife conservation purposes. It is located near ...

, "trapping a small vessel laden with slates", which were subsequently used for the roofs in Crimond and Haddo House. The harbour was guarded by two of the Nine Castles of Knuckle. The Comyn family's

Castle of Rattray The Castle of Rattray was a medieval Scottish castle, with multiple variations on its structure over approximately six centuries. Originally built as a ''"late 12th- or early 13th century defensive motte"'' it provided protection for Starny K ...

stood on Castlehill (at the time a rock on the coast) on the harbour side and

Lonmay Castle The remains of the Castle of Lonmay are found near Netherton of Lonmay, to the north of Loch Strathbeg in Buchan, Scotland. The remains are not located in the modern village of Lonmay which is approximately 6 km to the south-west. It was descr ...

. Still clearly visible today, the ruined St Mary's Chapel was built as a private place of worship by the Comyn family at the same time as the construction of the Castle of Rattray. St Fergus Church, dating to 1868, is the work of architect James Matthews. Its

bellcote A bellcote, bell-cote or bell-cot is a small framework and shelter for one or more bells. Bellcotes are most common in church architecture but are also seen on institutions such as schools. The bellcote may be carried on brackets projecting from ...

(1644) was retrieved from the old kirk (a mile to the east on the links), which was abandoned in 1616. Its 1751 churchyard wall remains, including an arched gate, a

morthouse A morthouse or deadhouse was a specialised secure building usually located in a churchyard where bodies were temporarily interred before a formal funeral took place. These buildings date back to the time when bodysnatchers or resurrectionists fre ...

and several gravestones. To the west of Rattray on the banks of Loch Strathbeg is the historical site ''Battle Fauld''. The name most likely comes from the "scene of a conflict with the Danes in the time of their later invasions." Indeed, the same source explains that the local dialect and pronunciation (in 1888) used words that "are good Danish or Norwegian" and calls the type of language features used as "thoroughly Norse" to anyone "who knows anything about the Norse family of speech". The ballad '' Sir James the Rose'' was set in Battle Fauld where he is supposedly buried.

References

External links

Rattray Head Lighthouse historyWeb Historian Rattray LighthouseWeb Historians Guide to Rattray
{{authority control Villages in Aberdeenshire Former populated places in Scotland

Features

See also

References

External links