Kincardine O'Neil ( gd, Cinn Chàrdainn, sco, Kinker) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is situated between the towns of

Banchory Banchory (, sco, Banchry, gd, Beannchar) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is about west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee. Prehistory and archaeology In 2009, a farmer discovered a short cist bu ...

and

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 ...

approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of

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 ...

on the north bank of the River Dee.

Etymology

The village was formerly known as Eaglais Iarach (Church of St Irchard/Erchard) in Scots Gaelic. The O'Neil suffix is likely to originate from the ancient Barony of Onele/O'Neill which was gifted to Donnchadh IV, Earl of Fife by

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 ...

in 1315.

Area history

Since ancient times there was a crossing of the Dee River at Kincardine O'Neil. Locations of the Dee crossings along with alignment of ancient

trackway Historic roads (historic trails in USA and Canada) are paths or routes that have historical importance due to their use over a period of time. Examples exist from prehistoric times until the early 20th century. They include ancient trackways ...

s formed a major impetus for location of early castles and

settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building * Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fin ...

s. In the vicinity of Kincardine O'Neil the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

trackways to the south had a particular influence on development in and around Kincardine O'Neil and Aboyne Castle. Saint Irchard, a medieval bishop of the Picts, was born in Kincardine O'Neil. In the 19th century, the

Deeside Railway The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an exten ...

bypassed the village, impeding the expansion of the settlement, unlike towns nearby. By 1895 the population of Kincardine O'Neil exceeded 200. Most of the extant buildings were built in the 19th century. The village was designated a conservation area in 1983 and subsequently granted 'outstanding' status in 1995.

Amenities

Kincardine O'Neil is home to a number of shops and services including a traditional village store and post office. The village hall, bowling green and playing field are to the west end of the settlement. There is a curling pond behind the north side of the main street. There is a

Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...

and a

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

. Public toilets are maintained by the local community. The

Deeside Way The Deeside Way is a rail trail that follows, in part, the bed of the former Deeside Railway in Aberdeenshire. Forming part of the National Cycle Network (National Route 195) the trail leads from Aberdeen to Ballater. The route The pathway r ...

passes through the village.

People associated with Kincardine O'Neil

John Henry Anderson John Henry Anderson (1814–1874) was a Scottish professional magician. Anderson is credited with helping bring the art of magic from street performances into theatres and presenting magic performances to entertain and delight the audience. C ...

* Margaret Bane *

Bill Bradford (British Army officer) Brigadier Berenger Colborne Bradford (15 October 1912 – 4 March 1996), known as Bill Bradford, was a British Army officer who served in the Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an ...

James Grant Duff James Grant Duff (8 July 1789 – 23 September 1858) was a British soldier and historian from Scotland, who was active in British India. Early life Born James Grant, Duff was the eldest son of John Grant of Kincardine O'Neil and Margaret Miln D ...

* David Dumbreck * Alan Durward * Irchard * Peter Milne (musician) *

Thomas Reid Thomas Reid (; 7 May ( O.S. 26 April) 1710 – 7 October 1796) was a religiously trained Scottish philosopher. He was the founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense and played an integral role in the Scottish Enlightenment. In 1783 he wa ...

Alexander Ross (poet) Alexander Ross (13 April 169920 May 1784) was a Scottish poet. Biography Alexander Ross was born to a farming family at Torphins in Aberdeenshire. He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen and worked as private tutor for the children of S ...

Sister cities

Thun-Saint-Martin Thun-Saint-Martin () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry Sister cities * Kincardine O'Neil, Scotland See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord departmen ...

, France

Line notes

References

* C. Michael Hogan, ''Elsick Mounth'', Megalithic Portal, ed A. Burnha

* John Mackintosh, ''History of the Valley of the Dee, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'', 1895, Taylor and Henderson, 240 pages
Kincardine O'Neil historical profile

External sources

Kincardine O'Neil Homepage
Villages in Aberdeenshire {{Aberdeenshire-geo-stub