A village of SE Aberdeenshire, Marykirk lies close to the River North Esk, 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Montrose. The four-arched bridge and toll-house here were designed by the engineer Robert Stevenson (1772 - 1850), constructed at a cost of around £10,000 and opened in 1815. Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary and consecrated in 1242, the parish church was rebuilt in 1806. Marykirk gives its name to the parish which is also known as Aberluthnott, possibly because the River Luther joins the North Esk midway between Marykirk and Luthermuir, the other village in the parish. In the centre of the village can be found a Market Cross and the gate lodges at the entrance to the former Kirktonhill House.
In 1887, the engineer Professor James Blyth (1839 - 1906) installed the world's first wind turbine in the garden of his cottage in Marykirk to provide lighting.
