A modest former maritime and agricultural county of NE Scotland, Kincardineshire or 'The Mearns' extended to 383 sq. miles (991 sq. km). It lay between Aberdeenshire to the north, from which it was separated by the River Dee, and Angus to the south from which it was divided by the River North Esk. Bounded to the west by the Grampian Mountains and the east by the North Sea, its coastline extended 32 miles (51 km) from north to south. Comprising four distinct physiographic regions; the coastal area, Deeside (to the N) and the Howe of the Mearns (to the S, a continuation of the Valley of Strathmore) are all agriculturally productive, contrasting with the mountainous area to the west which is chiefly occupied by sporting estates. The county town was Stonehaven, once a busy fishing port. In 1975 Kincardineshire became part of Grampian Region and in 1996 it formed the southern part of Aberdeenshire.
Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry
If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...
