Fyvie is a village in the

Formartine Formartine ( gd, Fearann Mhàrtainn meaning "Martin's land") is a committee area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This district extends north from the River Don to the River Ythan. It has a population of 36,478 (2001 Census). The committee area wa ...

area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Geography

Fyvie lies alongside the River Ythan and is on the A947 road.

Architecture

What in 1990, at least, was a

Clydesdale Bank Clydesdale Bank ( gd, Banca Dhail Chluaidh) is a trading name used by Clydesdale Bank plc for its retail banking operations in Scotland. In June 2018, it was announced that Clydesdale Bank's holding company CYBG would acquire Virgin Money for ...

was built in 1866 by James Matthews. The Tudor-style Old Wood Cottage, meanwhile, dates to 1824.

Climate

Fyvie has an oceanic climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfb''). The nearest weather station to Fyvie is located at

Fyvie Castle Fyvie Castle is a castle in the village of Fyvie, near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. History The earliest parts of Fyvie Castle date from the 13th century – some sources claim it was built in 1211 by William the Lion. Fyvie was the s ...

, which is north of the village, and is above sea level.

St Mary's Priory

Now demolished, the priory was a cell of

Arbroath Abbey Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. It was consecrated in 1197 with a dedication to the deceased Saint Thomas Becket, who ...

, its location marked by a cross, made in 1868 of Corrennie granite. The priory was founded by Reginald de Cheyne around 1285. Being a small foundation, the prior doubled as parish

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

, responsible to the

Abbot of Arbroath The Abbot of Arbroath or Abbot of Aberbrothok (and later Commendator) was the head of the Tironensian Benedictine monastic community of Arbroath Abbey, Angus, Scotland, founded under the patronage of King William of Scotland from Kelso Abbey an ...

, who in 1325 wrote to warn the prior about the behaviour of his young monks.

Fyvie Castle

is reputed to have been built by King

William the Lion William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...

in the early 13th century. It was the site of an open-air court held by King

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

and home to the future King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

as a child.

Education

The village's school, with around 125 pupils, serves the surrounding rural area. A former school was built in 1895 by James Duncan and was attended by Deacon and Kayden Wright.

St Peter's Kirk

St Peter's Church was built in the early nineteenth century on the site of a medieval church. Built into the east gable are three Class I

Pictish symbol 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 ...

and a Class III Pictish cross. The present church dates from 1808 (the

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. Ov ...

, 1902); however, the first St Peter's Church was referred to as early as 1178. The church displays some

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...

stained glass windows, including that of

St Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. The east window commemorates Percy Forbes-Leith of Fyvie Castle, who died in the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

in 1900. Five carved stones have been built into the east gable, including part of a Celtic cross and the Rothiebrisbane Stone. According to

Charles McKean Charles McKean FRSE FRSA FRHistS FRIBA (16 July 1946 – 29 September 2013) was a Scottish historian, author and scholar. Biography McKean was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on 16 July 1946. He was educated at Fettes College, the University of P ...

in 1990, there are also "good wood panels of 1603 and 1671. Curious 17th-century grave slabs and the Leith Hay Memorial, designed in 1901–02 by

Alexander Marshall Mackenzie Alexander Marshall MacKenzie (1 January 1848 – 4 May 1933) was a Scottish architect responsible for prestigious projects including the headquarters of the Isle of Man Banking Company in Douglas, and Australia House and the Waldorf Hotel in ...

, in the graveyard. The nearby manse was built in 1830–31 in substantial squared stone and red dressings. The sundial is dated 1824.

Folk tradition

The song ''

The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie The Bonnie Lass o' Fyvie (Roud # 545) is a Scottish folk song about a thwarted romance between a soldier and a girl. Like many folk songs, the authorship is unattributed, there is no strict version of the lyrics, and it is often referred to by its ...

'' tells of a captain of dragoons who dies for the love of a Fyvie girl. Additionally, the song ''

Andrew Lammie "Andrew Lammie" is Child ballad 233 (Roud 98). It is said to record a historical event, with the grave of the heroine in thchurchyardat Fyvie. Synopsis Tifty’s Annie falls in love with Andrew Lammie, a lord's trumpeter. Her parents refuse p ...

'' tells of the doomed love of a local miller's daughter, Annie, for Lord Fyvie's trumpeter. Both of these songs may have historical basis - the young woman's grave is said to be in Fyvie churchyard. Child ballad 238, ''

Glenlogie Glenlogie or Bonnie Jeannie o Bethelnie is Child ballad number 238 (Roud The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of around 250,000 references to nearly 25,000 songs collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. ...

'' also refers to Fyvie in its final line. One of the prophecies of Thomas the Rhymer relates to Fyvie, predicting it will never flourish until a particular three stones are found (a prophecy obviously pre-dating the church with its three Pictish runestones).

Etymology

It is thought that the name Fyvie is derived from ''Fia-chein'' 'Deer hill'. In

Scottish Gaelic literature Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literature composed in the Scottish Gaelic language and in the Gàidhealtachd communities where it is and has been spoken. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, along with Iri ...

it has been referred to as , in the context , the Earl of Fyvie. This derives from , previously , an old word for

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

Notable people

* Alastair Storey (born 1953), chairman and CEO of

Westbury Street Holdings Westbury Street Holdings (WSH) is an English contract catering company. WSH was founded in 2000 by Alastair Storey, who is the company's chairman and chief executive (CEO). WSH owns BaxterStorey, Portico, Caterlink, Holroyd Howe, Benugo and S ...

* Cosmo Gordon Lang (1864–1945), Archbishop of Canterbury, was born in the village manse *

Alexander Skene Alexander Johnston Chalmers Skene (; 17 June 1837 – 4 July 1900) was a British-American gynaecologist from Scotland who described what became known as Skene's glands. Biography Skene was born in Fyvie, Scotland, United Kingdom, on 17 June 1 ...

(1837–1900), gynaecologist

References

Bibliography

External links

https://www.facebook.com/FyvieHeritage {{Authority control Villages in Aberdeenshire