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Postcard of ruins of Huntly Castle
288 Located on the outskirts of Huntly, the castle stands on the south bank of the River Deveron. The castle dates from the late 12th century with a Norman Motte and Bailey , a medieval L-Plan tower house and defence earthworks of the Civil War nearby. The castle was the home of the Gordons, a powerful Catholic family who once ruled over much of the North-East. The main structure was begun by Lord Gordon in 1452, being built in the new 'Palace' style. The castle was not completed in its final form until 1597/1606. In 1650 it was visited briefly by Charles ll, on his way to Worcester, defeat and exile. After the Civil War, the castle fell into disuse and the Dukes of Gordon moved to Fochabers. Much of the impressive ruin still remains including the fine heraldic doorway. The castle is now the property of Historic Scotland, and is open to the public. The Barracks, Woodside
440 A factory worker had a hard working day with the day beginning as early as 5.30 same days, wages were also very poor. Woodside works built housing across the field from the mill to house apprentices. The building was known as the Barracks and also Persley Castle. It later served as a residential care home. Little Belmont Street
895 Little Belmont Street from Belmont Street, showing the spire of St. Nicholas Church and part of the former Central School, converted into the Old Town School pub by 2002. Further along is the ancient building of Ma Cameron's pub. The building on the right was the South Church, later known as West St. Nicholas Kirk House, now converted to Slains Castle pub. Settmaker at Persley Quarry
1071 The Aberdeen area had many granite quarries, and there was a need for men who had the skill to reduce huge blocks of granite into manageable pieces by chipping it with a variety of hammers, and chisels to produce the required shape and size. In this 1920's photograph we see a settmaker at Persley Quarry on the north side of the River Don in Aberdeen, at his wooden shelter or 'skaithie'. These shelters provided some sort of wind break for these men who had to sit on blocks of granite patiently working on the hard stone. Settmakers made cassies for roads and Aberdeen setts were used to pave streets in London. On his left is a tripod structure which acted like a small crane to lift the bigger stones into position. Note the lack of protective safety equipment apart from some extra padding on his knees. Stop 1: Marion Douglas, Lady Drum (1577-1633) and Katherine Forbes, Lady Rothiemay (1583-1652), The Town House
2300 On the ground floor of the Town House on each side of the walls hang the mortification boards. These boards form a public record of the mortifications or legacies given by wealthy citizens to Aberdeen Town Council for various charitable purposes. Many of the donors are women and two are of particular interest - Lady Drum and Lady Rothiemay. They were early philanthropists, aware of older women and girls living in circumstances locally much less favourable than themselves.
Lady Drum left money to provide a home for poor widows and aged virgins. This home known as "Lady Drum's Hospital" was built c1677 in what became known as Drum's Lane, just off Upperkirkgate and today a plaque marks its site. Lady Rothiemay had a turbulent life. Her husband and son were killed in a feud with a neighbouring family and she attempted to avenge their deaths. She was imprisoned in Edinburgh. Once released she lived in Aberdeen and founded Lady Rothiemay's School for Girls, in which she took a personal interest. The school moved several times, from Guestrow finally to Littlejohn Street. It was closed in 1873 when School Boards were set up to oversee primary education for the under twelves, following the Education Act of 1872
Duthie Park
2476 A photograph from an Adelphi Series postcard showing a southern portion of Duthie Park.
The image looks east across the park's old Lower Lake towards Arthurseat House.
This lake was expanded, and made more rectangular, in the 1920s. This was undertaken to provide improved facilities for the sailing of model yachts and for skating and curling in winter. From the time of the park's creation, this earlier lake contained two spray fountains at either end. The more easterly of these is shown here.
Arthurseat House dates from before the creation of the park, when the land was owned by Arthur Dingwall Fordyce. The house remained, primarily as a museum, until it was demolished in 1934.
For a detailed account of the park, its history and creation, see the article 'Miss Duthie's Gift: History and Description of the Park' in the Aberdeen Journal of 26th September 1883 (published the day before the park's official opening) and the park's entry in Historic Environment Scotland's Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes - reference number GDL00166.
Also shown in this picture is the park's main rockery, described in the Aberdeen Journal article as follows:
"A most picturesque rockery has been built upon the brow of the rising ground to the west of Arthurseat House, and immediately above the pond we have just been describing. It is very extensive, being upwards of 100 feet in length and 66 feet broad at the widest part, and is composed of different kinds of peculiar stones, broken into all manner of fantastic fragments, which are set-up on end in groups and cone-like eminences. A footway winds through it from end to end; and as the spaces between the stones are occupied by Alpine plants and flowers of various kinds, the whole as viewed from the low ground in front presents a most charming appearance."
Town House Extension Foundation Stone
2757 The foundation stone of the Aberdeen Town House extension on Broad Street.
As stated on the stone, it was laid by Lord Provost Robert S. Lennox on 17th November 1975.
The city architects responsible for the extension were I. A. Ferguson and T. C. Watson. It was built by Taylor Woodrow Construction (Scotland) Ltd.
The stone also makes reference to a casket buried five metres below the foundations to commemorate the dissolution of the Corporation of the City of Aberdeen as part of local government reform.
The casket ceremony was held on 15th May 1975 shortly after the last meeting of the Aberdeen Town Council which was being replaced by the City of Aberdeen District Council.
The casket ceremony was the final act of John Smith as lord provost. The official switch over of councils was marked by the "Bon-Accord" bell of the West Church of St Nicholas tolling from 11:50pm to midnight on 15th May. Earlier in the day saw a fireworks display at the Queens Links, pipe bands and a special lunch and church service for members and officials of the corporation. See local newspaper coverage from the time for more details on the occasion.
Around 80 people, including councillors, family and Taylor Woodrow employees watched Lord Provost John Smith place 29 items of interest into the copper clad box. Smith joked, "About the year 3048, an unsuspecting archaeological digger may come upon this box and he will no doubt remark on my genius."
Among the buried items were copies of the Press & Journal and the Evening Express, local books, records and cassettes of Scottish music, local government data, sets of coins of the realm and postage stamps, local stones, a phial of North Sea oil and plans for the Town House extension.
The casket was placed on a crane hook by Aberdeen Town House project manager Tom Nisbet and guided into the ground by foreman Andrew Benzies.
The ceremony was reported in local newspapers and the July 1975 issue of the construction company's magazine, Taywood News. Aberdeen Harbour
3528 A photograph looking south east towards the Upper Dock across the junction of Guild Street, Trinity Quay and Market Street.
Multiple trawlers are moored in the dock. Onlookers can be seen alongside the docked boats. An unidentified steam vessel larger than the rest can be seen in the far left in the background.
The first ship on the left of the row is the steel fishing trawler Curlew (A906). This ship was built in the Panmure Yard belonging to Dundee Shipbuilders Co. Ltd., in 1897. In 1903 this ship was registered A906 in Aberdeen. The Curlew was wrecked in 1922 in Aberdeen Harbour.
Seen behind the Curlew is most probably the steel fishing trawler Strathairlie (A39) built by Hall, Russell & Co Ltd, Aberdeen in 1905 for Aberdeen Steam Trawling & Fishing Co Ltd. This vessel later served as a minesweeper from 1915-1919 for the Admiralty Service.
The second boat in the row is the wooden fishing trawler Alnwick Castle (KY120) built by William Jarvis in Anstruther in 1895 for The Forth Steam Fishing Co. Ltd. The ship was initially named Copley but was later renamed to Alnwick Castle in 1899. The ship was later broken up in 1922.
The third boat in the row is the wooden fishing trawler Merganser (A740) which was built by James N. Miller & Sons Ltd., in the St. Monance shipyard in 1894. It was registered as A740 in Aberdeen by Henry Alexander circa 1901 and later broken up in 1923.
The final boat in the row on the far right visible in the image is the iron fishing trawler Evening Star (A406) built by J. T. Eltringham & Co in the South Shields shipyard in 1891. Initially named Ella, it was renamed to Golden Monarch by W. H. Dodds in Aberdeen during 1915. It was renamed to Evening Star by W. Hutchinson in Aberdeen during 1920. The boat sank in 1927 in the Firth of Forth.
Based on the above boats, this photograph may date from the very early 1920s. Crathes Castle
4221 A photograph of Crathes Castle looking west across one section of its walled garden. This historic property can be found approximately 16 miles to the south west of Aberdeen. It is not far north of the River Dee before Banchory.
Kniphofia (Red-Hot Pokers) are the tall flowers in the foreground of this image. The garden's distinctive topiary yew trees can be seen on the left.
The castle is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. Their website states that "Alexander Burnett built the castle in the 16th century, an intricate maze of turrets, towers, oak panels and painted ceilings, many of which survive beautifully to this day."
This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It comes from a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department. Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
286 A drawing of the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital on Castle Terrace. The image features on the front cover of the hospital's annual reports prior to its move to new premises at Foresterhill in 1937.
Aberdeen Local Studies hold annual reports for the hospital from 1912 to 1947. In 1912 the hospital acquired its own Board of Management.
Instituted in 1893, the Maternity Hospital moved to Castle Terrace in 1900 after its buildings in Barnet's Close, Guestrow, part of the General Dispensary, Vaccine and Lying-in Institution, became inadequate. The new location in Castle Terrace was an old bank building adjoining the Children's Hospital.
Most of the services relocated to Foresterhill in 1937 as part of the Joint Hospital Scheme, but the antenatal clinic remained at Castle Terrace until a new antenatal annexe was built at the new site in 1941.
The illustration is signed A.J.M. Treasure 77: The Castle Spectre, 1876 - 1888
288 One of our treasures this month is a rare periodical known as The Castle Spectre. It is unusual as it was printed and published by a Victorian family from their home at 'The Castle', 6 Mackie Place, and later from 'The Galleries' on Skene Street West, and offers an insight into the lives of a middle-class family in Victorian Aberdeen. The copy on display was gifted to the library by the editor, Alexander D Forbes in 1888, and includes a handwritten letter to the City Librarian at the time.
It not only contains amateur poetry, literature, and social and religious commentary, but also sheds a light on a forgotten and mysterious dwelling place in the heart of the city. The area in question is the land behind Skene Street, encompassing Mackie Place, and the grounds of three old houses long since demolished by the Denburn - Cherry Vale, 'The Galleries', and the White House, also known as 'The Castle'.
As long as 'The Castle' at 6 Mackie Place existed (it was built towards the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th century, according to various reports) it was described as being haunted. No accounts mention a specific ghost, but the eccentricities of the occupant and his young family helped to fuel the reputation for the Castle's hauntings. The first issue of The Castle Spectre (October 21, 1876) states:
"We are the dwellers in that house in the neighbourhood of Skene Street known to the "oldest inhabitants" as the Haunted House, to younger inhabitants as the Castle, and to the Post Office as No.6 Mackie Place. In former days we were "desp'rate wicked". We dressed ourselves in white sheets, and popped out upon passers by, frightening them into fits. We used to scoop out the largest turnips?and having cut out slices to represent eyes, nose, and mouth, light candles in them, and stick them on poles in hedges?We used to lie behind low walls and growl like bears, or caterwaul like cats, whenever any weakly-looking person was passing?In short, we were the terror of the neighbourhood."
View the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries to find out more about the spooky publication and mysterious Mackie Place. Treasure 117: Estate Sale Catalogues
340 On display is a collection of local estate sale catalogues. During the 20th century many large estates were sold and the pattern of land ownership in Scotland changed. The division of estates at the time of sale lead to an increase in the ownership of smaller areas. Economic depressions and increased taxation were among the reasons behind the break up and sale of estates, particularly the imposition of death duties, also known as inheritance tax.
The catalogues typically include the following information:
1) The location of the estate and area that it covered in acres
2) The details of the sale of the estate
3) A description of all the properties and other assets on the estate
4) Descriptions of sporting activities usually shooting and fishing taking place on the estate which could be rented out
5) A list of individual properties on the estate; the current tenants and the rents that were paid
6) A list of burdens - these were often financial responsibilities shouldered by the owner of an estate that were transferred to the buyer at the time of sale
7) Photographs of properties and sometimes individual rooms within the main country house on the estate
8) Maps of the estate showing the lots if the estate was to be sold in parts
These catalogues provide a fascinating resource for anyone interested in family or local history as they provide detailed information about individual estates and the people that lived and worked on them.
Learn more about these fascinating documents - including the catalogue relating to the mysterious Slains Castle - in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreen. |