Kincardine O'Neil (, ) is a village in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

, Scotland. It is situated between the towns of

Banchory Banchory (, , ) is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, historically in Kincardineshire, 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 ...

and

Aboyne Aboyne (, ) is a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands, Highlands in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, Aberdeenshire, River Dee, approximately west of Aberdeen. It has a swimming pool at Aboyne Academy, all-weather tennis cou ...

approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

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 (), was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert led Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against Kingdom of Eng ...

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 (or historic trails in the US 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 track ...

s formed a major impetus for location of early castles and settlements. 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

trackways to the south had a particular influence on development in and around Kincardine O'Neil and Aboyne Castle. Saint

Irchard Saint Irchard (or Erchard, Erthad, Merchard, Yarcard, Yrchard) was a Scottish missionary and bishop. Barrett's account According to Dom Michael Barrett (1848-1924), a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict at St. Benedict's Abbey, Fort Augustus, S ...

, 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 extensi ...

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 (; ) is a Christian denomination in Scotland. Scotland's third largest church, the Scottish Episcopal Church has 303 local congregations. It is also an Ecclesiastical province#Anglican Communion, ecclesiastical provi ...

and a

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

. Public toilets are maintained by the local community. The Deeside Way passes through the village.

People associated with Kincardine O'Neil

* John Henry Anderson * Margaret Bane * Bill Bradford (British Army officer) * James Grant Duff * David Dumbreck *

Alan Durward Alan Hostarius (or Alan Durward) () (died after 1264, or in 1275) was the son of Thomas de Lundin, a grandson of Gille Críst, Mormaer of Mar. His mother's name is unknown, but she was almost certainly a daughter of Máel Coluim, Mormaer of ...

* Peter Milne (musician) *

Thomas Reid Thomas Reid (; 7 May (Julian calendar, O.S. 26 April) 1710 – 7 October 1796) was a religiously trained Scotland, Scottish philosophy, philosopher best known for his philosophical method, his #Thomas_Reid's_theory_of_common_sense, theory of ...

* Alexander Ross (poet)

Sister cities

* Thun-Saint-Martin, France

Line notes

References

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

*

John Mackintosh John Mackintosh may refer to: * John Mackintosh (luthier) (–1840), Irish luthier and professor * John MacKintosh (1790–1881), farmer and politician in Prince Edward Island * John Mackintosh (soldier) (1797–1846), British military aide-de-ca ...

, ''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 Parishes in Aberdeenshire {{Aberdeenshire-geo-stub