Peterculter , also known as Culter, is an outer suburb of

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, about from the city centre. It lies on the north bank of the River Dee, at its confluence with the Culter Burn. Following the 1996 Scottish council boundary changes it became part of the Lower Deeside ward in the

Aberdeen City council area Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

History

About south west of Peterculter is the site of the Roman marching camp at

Normandykes Normandykes (Grid Reference: NO 830994) is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, City of Aberdeen, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a ...

. King

William the Lion William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

bestowed the church of Kulter, "iuxta Abirdene", upon the

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

and monks of St Mary of Kelso, about 1165–1199. The gift was afterwards confirmed by Mathew, Bishop of Aberdeen, within whose diocese the church sat. Alan of Soltre, chaplain, who had probably been an ecclesiastic of the hospital, or monastery of Soutra, in

Lothian Lothian (; ; ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, while other signific ...

, was presented by the Abbot of Kelso, to the vicarage of the church of Culter, 1239–1240. In 1287–1288, an agreement was made between the Abbot and Convent of Kelso and the brotherhood of the Knights of Jerusalem, regarding the Templars' lands of Blairs and Kincolsi (Kincousie, now Kincaussie), on the south side of the Dee, by which a chapel, built by the Templars at their house of Culter, was recognised as a church, with parochial rights, for the inhabitants of the said lands. It was this agreement that changed the existing parish of Culter into two separate parishes with two separate names, the other being

Maryculter Maryculter () or Kirkton of Maryculter is a village in the Lower Deeside area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The River Dee separates it from the town of Peterculter, and the B979 road runs through Maryculter. Maryculter House Hotel lies slight ...

Attractions

High up on the steep, rocky bank of the Culter Burn, near the western exit of the town, was a colourful and well-tended kilted wooden figure holding a broadsword and

targe The targe is a type of strapped round shield that was used by Scottish Highlanders in the early modern period. From the late 16th century, until the Battle of Culloden in 1746, the Scottish Highlander's main means of defence in battle was his ...

, representing

Rob Roy Macgregor Robert Roy MacGregor (; 7 March 1671 – 28 December 1734) was a Jacobite Scottish outlaw, who later became a Scottish and Jacobite folk hero. Early life He was born in the Kingdom of Scotland at Glengyle, at the head of Loch Katrine, as r ...

, who, according to local legend, leapt across the burn at that point to flee pursuing Hanoverian troops (given the width of the stream there, the story - which has its local variants in many parts of Scotland - is unlikely to have much basis in fact). The outlaw Gilderoy is a more likely historical figure for the story. The original statue is thought to have been a modified ship's figurehead. The statue was replaced in 2017 by a resin effigy, wearing ancient Macgregor tartan. Due to its nearness to Aberdeen City and being only about from the

Cairngorm National Park Cairngorms National Park () is a national park in northeast Scotland, established in 2003. It was the second of two national parks established by the Scottish Parliament, after Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was set up in 2 ...

, Culter is a base for tourists. In the town itself there are choices of many local walks, including its connection to the

Deeside Way The Deeside Way is a rail trail that follows, in part, the bed of the former Deeside Railway in Aberdeenshire. Forming part of the National Cycle Network (National Route 195) the trail leads from Aberdeen to Ballater. The route The pathway r ...

at the site of the former Culter railway station, as well as the forest area known locally as "Sandy Hilly", or "The Muggie Widds" (St. Margaret Woods), the entrance to which sits beside the Bucklerburn region. For sport, there is Peterculter Golf Club and Culter Sports Centre. Each year, on the last Saturday in May, is the Culter Gala, in the main

playing field Play is a range of Motivation#Intrinsic and extrinsic, intrinsically motivated activities done for recreation. Play is commonly associated with children and juvenile-level activities, but may be engaged in at any life stage, and among other high ...

of the town; this event draws hundreds of local townsfolk.

Education

Culter School is a

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

in Peterculter dating from 1896.Early history of Peterculter

Notable people

Alexander Cuming Sir Alexander Cuming, 2nd Baronet (1691–1775) was a Scottish adventurer to North America; he returned to Britain with a delegation of Cherokee chiefs. He later spent many years in a debtors' prison. Early life Cuming was born (according to his ...

, explorer * William Duff, minister and psychologist *

Oswald Lumsden Oswald Farquhar Lumsden (26 June 1874 — 8 April 1948) was a Scottish first-class cricketer and an officer in the Indian Civil Service. The son of the advocate James Forbes Lumsden, he was born in June 1874 at Peterculter, Aberdeenshire. Lum ...

, cricketer *

William Lumsden William Forbes Lumsden, (4 September 1879 – 28 October 1956) was a British Army officer and Scottish first-class cricketer. Biography The son of the advocate James Forbes Lumsden, he was born in September 1879 at Peterculter, Aberdeenshire. ...

, cricketer *

John Mortimer Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for short stories about a barrister named Horace Rumpole, adapted from episodes of the TV series '' R ...

, cricketer *

Peter Donald Thomson Peter Donald Thomson (1872–1955) was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1934. Life He was born in Glasgow. He was educated at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh. He studied divinit ...

, moderator of the Church of Scotland

Notes

External links

CulterNET community website

Peterculter Parish Church

Peterculter Golf Club
{{Authority control Areas of Aberdeen Villages in Aberdeen

History

Attractions

Education

Notable people

See also

Notes

External links