Cuminestown is a village in the
Formartine
Formartine ( meaning "Martin's land") is a committee area in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This district extends north from the River Don, Aberdeenshire, River Don to the River Ythan. It has a population of 36,478 (2001 Census).
The committee area w ...
area of
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
, Scotland, and sits at the centre of the parish of Monquhitter. It is approximately 6 miles from Turriff and New Deer, 10 miles from Macduff and Banff and 15 miles from Fraserburgh.
Monquhitter is a small rural parish nestling in the heart of Aberdeenshire. It incorporates the small village of Garmond and many houses and farms in the surrounding areas including Greeness and Greens. The parish was split from
Turriff
Turriff () is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It lies on the River Deveron, about above sea level, and has a population of 5,708. In everyday speech it is often referred to by its Scots name ''Turra'', which is deriv ...
in 1649 when what was then a rural church was built on land owned by the Cumine family. The village itself was founded in 1763 by Joseph Cumine, to a design by Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk, a friend of Cumine's. Grant's plan for the village followed closely the design used for firstly New Keith, and secondly
Archiestown. The construction of the village was followed soon afterwards by the adjacent
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
of
Garmond.
The postcode of Cuminestown is within the Turriff and District ward/electoral division, which is in the UK Parliamentary Constituency of Gordon and Buchan. The Scottish Parliament constituency is Aberdeenshire East.
The village primary school, called Monquhitter School, also serves
Garmond and
New Byth.
The Parish Church of Montquhitter was built in 1764, on a bluff behind the town. It was extended by
James Matthews in 1868. It contains a 17th-century stone, from an earlier church, and a bell of 1689.
A 1707 monument to William Cumine has "excellent carving and three curious, almost Romanesque panels framing a fine flying skeleton". Cumine's house, Auchry, built in 1767, was a tall, red
ashlar
Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones.
Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...
mansion featuring carvings from
Auchry Castle.
Castle of Auchry
– Georgraph.co.uk
The large, now-replaced House of Byth was built to 1693. It is survived only by 19th-century doocot
A dovecote or dovecot , doocot ( Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pig ...
and home farm.
In 2011, Cuminestown had an estimated population of 440.
See also
* List of listed buildings in Monquhitter, Aberdeenshire
References
Bibliography
*
External links
Local Community WebsiteFyvie, Rothienorman and Monquhitter Community Council
Villages in Aberdeenshire
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