Arbuthnott

For other uses, see Arbuthnot (surname) and Arbuthnot (disambiguation).

Arbuthnott (Scottish Gaelic: Obar Bhuadhnait, "mouth of the Buadhnat")^[1] is a hamlet and parish in the Howe of the Mearns, a low-lying agricultural district of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located on the B967, east of Fordoun (on the A90) and north-west of Inverbervie (on the A92).^[2] The nearest railway station is Laurencekirk.

Arbuthnott Scottish Gaelic: Obar Bhuadhnait
Village
Arbuthnott Parish Church
Arbuthnott Location within Aberdeenshire
OS grid reference	NO8024975550
Council area	Aberdeenshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LAURENCEKIRK
Postcode district	AB30
Dialling code	01561 01569
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Scottish Parliament	Angus North and Mearns
List of places UK Scotland 56.871083°N 2.324027°W / 56.871083; -2.324027

Arbuthnott House

The most salient feature of the hamlet is the 13th century Parish Church of St Ternan,^[3] in which the Missal of Arbuthnott was written. Today the church is still in active use, and part of the combined Church of Scotland parish of Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff.^[4]

The Grassic Gibbon Centre

Memorial to Gibbon in Arbuthnott kirkyard

Lewis Grassic Gibbon, an author remembered for his novels about life in the Mearns, grew up at Bloomfield in the parish of Arbuthnott.^[5] His grave lies in the corner of the Arbuthnott Church graveyard.^[6] A small museum in the hamlet is dedicated to him, named the Lewis Grassic Gibbon Centre. This is built as an extension to the village hall, and contains an exhibition about the author and his work. The centre also contains a café, and post office facilities.

Arbuthnott House, the seat of the Viscount of Arbuthnott, is near the hamlet.

Prehistory and archaeology

In 2004, CFA Archaeology conducted archaeological investigations next to the hamlet in advance of the construction of the Aberdeen to Lochside natural gas pipeline. There they discovered the remains of four Middle Bronze Age roundhouses, one Iron Age post-built roundhouse with a souterrain entered from the house, and two medieval/post-medieval corn-drying kilns. It is thought that more houses might exist but they were outside the area that would be impacted by the pipeline and so were not excavated.^[7]

History

Due to its rural location, electric lighting only came to the community in 1954.^[8]

Being situated close to the larger community of Bervie, and with a small population locally in Arbuthnott, most of the amenities in the area have closed. These include the former Arbuthnott Economic Store, the local post office and primary school. The local shop closed in December 1995, with the post office services being incorporated into the Grassic Gibbon Centre in September 1997.^[8] Arbuthnott Primary School closed in November 1973.^[9]

There is the ruins of the Arbuthnott Mill located near Arbuthnott Church. It was built in 1839, and was working until the beginning of the 1900's. The mill wheel was removed in the mid 1990s and is now situated in front of the Old School.^[8]

Arbuthnott House

The existing house incorporates sections of a 13th/14th century castle built by the Arbuthnott family, and was greatly expanded in the 15th century when a courtyard was created at its base. A range was built on the side of the courtyard in the 16th century. In the 1750s the entrance was adjusted and the overall composition remodelled to create a symmetrical arrangement. A fine plaster ceiling of 1685 is one of the more important internal features.^[10]

Notable people

• John Arbuthnot (1667–1735), often known simply as Dr Arbuthnot, Scottish physician, satirist and polymath
• The Most Rev. George Gleig (1753-1840), Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church^[11]
• The Very Rev. Samuel Trail (1806–1887), minister of the parish 1841–44 and Moderator of the General Assembly in 1874
• The Very Rev. Alexander Arbuthnot (poet), minister of the parish and Moderator of the General Assembly in 1573 and 1577.

Listed buildings

Within the community of Arbuthnott, there are a number of listed buildings and structures:

1. Arbuthnott House - category A
2. Arbuthnott House - Doocot - category C(s)
3. Arbuthnott House - East Gate - category B
4. Arbuthnott House - Garden House - category B
5. Arbuthnott House - Ice House - category B
6. Arbuthnott House Mains Farm - category B
7. Arbuthnott House Sundial - category B
8. Arbuthnott House, North Bridge over Arbuthnott Burn - category A
9. Arbuthnott Parish Kirk - category A
10. Former Arbuthnott Church Manse (Kilternan) - Category C^[1]

More broadly, within the former parish boundaries, there are a futherer four buildings and structures which have listed status:

1. Allardyce Castle - Category A
2. Allardyce Castle - Gate Piers - Category A
3. House of Kairs - Category B
4. House of Kairs Main Farmhouse - Category B

Source: ^[12]

See also

• Aber and Inver as place-name elements