Fettercairn



Fettercairn (Scottish Gaelic: Fothair Chàrdain) is a small village in northeast Scotland. It is located northwest of Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire on the B966 from Edzell. Fettercairn is also reached via the Cairn O' Mount road (B974) from Deeside.

Overview
The shaft of the old 17th century Kincardine Mercat cross stands in the square, and is notched to show the measurements of a Scottish ell. Nearby the ruins of the long since abandoned county town and royal castle of Kincardine (Gaelic: Cinn Chàrdainn meaning "The head of the copse", including the Pictish word carden, "copse" ) similarly Fettercairn (Gaelic: Fothair Chàrdainn meaning "Shelving or terraced slope at the copse", containing Pictish carden) Kincardine stood about two miles northeast of Fettercairn, and by the end of the 16th century had declined to a mere hamlet, being represented now only by xv. 26 the ruins of the royal castle and an ancient burial-ground.

A memorial archway erected in 1864 commemorates the 1861 visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, while staying at Balmoral.

Historically Fettercairn lies at the southern end of the Monboddo Estate, where the Scottish philosopher and precursor of evolutionary thought Lord Monboddo lived. Fettercairn houses the Fettercairn distillery (owned by Whyte and Mackay Ltd.) that produces the "Fettercairn 1824" single malt whisky.