Cromar ( gd, Crò Mhàrr) is an area in Aberdeenshire, north east

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

five miles inland from

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

. It is also known as the Howe of Cromar. Surrounded by a sweep of hills, dominated by Morven 871m (2858 feet), this lower lying area is a mixture of farming, forestry and settlements, principally

Tarland Tarland (Gaelic: ''Turlann'') is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and is located northwest of Aboyne, and west of Aberdeen. Population 720 (2016). Tarland is home to the Culsh Earth House, an Iron Age below-ground dwelling that otherwise ...

and

Logie Coldstone Logie Coldstone ( gd, Lògaidh) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies north of the River Dee, near Tarland in the Cromar, a basin of land cut out of the Grampian foothills between Aboyne and Ballater. See also *Royal Deesi ...

. It is near to

Aboyne Aboyne ( sco, Abyne, gd, Abèidh) is a village on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a swimming pool at Aboyne Academy, all-weather tennis courts, a bowling green and ...

and the Muir of Dinnet. The area has evidence of human habitation going back to 4000 BC, notably the recumbent

Tomnaverie stone circle Tomnaverie stone circle is a recumbent stone circle set on the top of a small hill in lowland northeast Scotland. Construction started from about 2500 BC, in the Bronze Age, to produce a monument of thirteen granite stones including a massive 6 ...

, a

souterrain ''Souterrain'' (from French ''sous terrain'', meaning "under ground") is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the European Atlantic Iron Age. These structures appear to have been brought north ...

or earth house at Culsh, as well as numerous burial cairns, lesser stone circles, Bronze Age fortifications and

Pictish Stones A Pictish stone is a type of monumental stele, generally carved or incised with symbols or designs. A few have ogham inscriptions. Located in Scotland, mostly north of the Clyde-Forth line and on the Eastern side of the country, these stones ar ...

. These antiquities point the existence of several distinct cultures living in the Cromar over the millennia. Shouldering Morven is Culblean, the site of the

Battle of Culblean The Battle of Culblean was fought on 30 November 1335, during the Second War of Scottish Independence. It was a victory for the Scots led by the Guardian, Sir Andrew Murray over an Anglo-Scots force commanded by David III Strathbogie, titu ...

in 1335. Running off the same hill is the Burn o’ Vat, here the burn has carved a cauldron like gorge in the granite. This was the hideout of the notorious 18th-century outlaw Gilderoy McGregor. As with most of

Royal Deeside The River Dee ( gd, Uisge Dhè) is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in ...

, there are a number of minor mansions in the area, including Blelack, Tillypronie, Douneside and Alastrean House. The land is mainly put to farming cattle and sheep. There are a number of commercial forest plantations but also areas of natural birch woodland. The higher ground around the Cromar is heather moorland, much of it maintained for grouse shooting. Pheasants are a common sight lower down. The area also has a population of Red Squirrels.

References

{{Scottish provinces, minor Geography of Aberdeenshire