Building record MAB20528 - NETHERHILLS

Boundary stone, March stone marked '42 ABD', one of the stones defining the outer marches of the Freedom Lands of Aberdeen.

Boundary stone, March stone marked '42 ABD', one of the stones defining the outer marches of the Freedom Lands of Aberdeen. It is located on the north side of the main road, 175 metres east of No.41. It is a granite stone, rectangular in section, measuring 0.32m by 0.2 m and standing 0.7m high, tapered at the top. The top of the South face is bevelled and bears the incised letters ABD below the number 42. An Ordnance Survey benchmark has also been incised into the top. Adjacent to the stone are two boulders each with a cup-shaped depression (see also NJ80NE0243): one of these may originally have stood next to March Stone ABD 41. Aberdeen, in common with many other cities, features a number of march stones. 'March', in this sense, comes from the middle Scots word for boundary. In this particular case these set of stones numbered 1-65, but with additional stone marked alpha and omega. There is an inner set of march stones (marked ABD, the relevant number, and CR, for City Royalty) which define the outer edge of a ring of crofts which circled the old Royal Burgh of Aberdeen. These croft lands were known variously as the Burgh Roods and the 'terrirtorium croftorum burgi'. The majority of the stones define the Freedom Lands of Aberdeen: these lands were composed of several parcels of land acquired by Aberdeen at different points in its history. By a charter of 1319 Robert the Bruce feued to Aberdeen his Royal Forest of Stocket (the term Royal Forest here meaning a hunting ground) for £213 6s 8d Sterling. In 1379 Aberdeen purchased the lands of Gilcomston and in 1459 the lands of Cruives (now Woodside). The stones which define the Freedom Lands only (and not also the inner marches) are simply marked with the relevant number and the letters ABD. The freedom lands were effectively lands which Aberdeen had the right to rent out (or tack). In return this provided an annual income for the burgh. Parts of the lands were reserved as moss and moor land in order to provide natural resources for the burgh. From 1551 Aberdeen had the right to feu these lands. This led to the creation of several large estate around Aberdeen, such as those at Kingswells, or Northfield, most of which are recognisable as suburbs of Aberdeen today. The earliest boundary markers seem to have been natural features, such as burns and large stones. Over time a more sophisticated system arose using large 'earth fast' stones marked with saucers, or the town's mark or a series of holes, known as witter holes. It is also known that cairns were specifically erected in order to delineate the marches. Unfortunately none as these march cairns survive although in a number of cases the earth fast stones do. In 1790 a decision was taken to replace the old system of markers with the numbered and lettered stones, such as we see today. This was completed up to number 48. The remainder were completed later. The marches were inspected by the town magistrates at the Riding of the Marches. The earliest recorded riding in Aberdeen took place in 1525, although it was no doubt an older practice than that. The last recorded one took place on 4 September 1884.

Period Notes
Listed 16/04/1971

ABERDEEN CITY COUNCIL, 2015, TECHNICAL SURVEY OF MARCH STONES IN ABERDEEN CITY: DRAFT (Bibliographic reference). SAB6552.

Record last edited

Nov 8 2024 2:56PM