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March Stone 1 CR|ABD
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March Stone 1 CR|ABD

Historic Photographs
Adam Robertson
This item is active and ready to use
March Stone 1 CR|ABD
Historic Photographs
3177
March Stone 1 CR|ABD
This stone is located near the kerb at 79 Hardgate, at the east side of the intersection with Union Glen. It is march stone 1 and marks the the junction of the Inner and Outer Marches to the south of the town.

The 1929 Blue Book gives the following 1525 description for an earlier version of the stone: "[...] ane gret grey stane, with ane sawssir [...]". It was still marked with a saucer in 1698 but a new stone marked '1 ABD CR' was in place by the late 18th century.

The Ordnance Survey town plan of Aberdeen from 1867 has a first March stone marked on the north east corner of the New Bridge, on the Hardgate, which went over the then open Hol Burn. This stream ran east then south, joining Ferryhill Burn on its way to the Dee (where we can now find the Alpha stone).

The Hol and Ferryhill burns have since been fully, or for the most part, covered over by urban development.

The Blue Book records stone 1 at the north gable of 81 Hardgate and a photograph of it up-right at this location is included.

The inscription in this 1980s image looks different and the marker was likely moved to this flat, roadside location when the properties on the Hardgate were redeveloped sometime in the mid-20th century. The stone would have been either moved and altered, or replaced.

The stone in 2020 looks in better condition than shown here in the 1980s, which suggests it has had further attention in the intervening years.

A slide of this image was kindly lent to Aberdeen City Libraries by Colin Johnston so that we could create a digital copy for public use.

The image was taken in the early 1980s when Colin worked as a teacher at Bridge of Don Academy. He led several current and former pupils, and staff members in an investigation into the location, physical condition and public knowledge of Aberdeen's historic boundary markers.
Hardgate
Boundary Stones
Colin Johnston
MS02_05
Aberdeen Local Studies
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