82 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF ABERDEEN AND DISTRICT 
XII. 
AGRICULTURE IN ABERDEENSHIRE 
IN THE OLDEN DAYS 
BY 
DUTHIE WEBSTER (COLLYNIE). 
In times past in Scotland the roads were fixed by the good fords over 
the rivers. On this account Aberdeenshire was for long particularly 
inaccessible. ‘Three rivers cross Aberdeenshire to the sea. The Dee, 
Don and Ythan isolated the east portion from the south prior to the 
erection of the ‘ Brig o’ Balgownie ’ some 800 years ago. Cattle going 
south had to ford the Ythan at Tangland, the Don at Thanestane, and 
the Dee at Kincardine O’Neil, on their way south by the Cairn o’ Mount. 
Droves of cattle went south over these fords from Aikey Fair to the 
famous Falkirk Tryst. Several thousands in one drove are reported to 
have passed through Tarves on their way south. ‘These were stirks or 
cattle to feed, as, until the turnip was introduced about 1750, cattle 
could not be fattened in Aberdeenshire. Stirks were reared here and 
went south to England to be fattened. So even the famed roast beef of 
old England had a little of Scotland in it. Oats were grown in small 
quantities, a thin crop of poor quality on the in-field, hardly enough to 
provide meal for the population, not to speak of feed for cattle. What 
did our forbears do without potatoes or tea? Potatoes first appeared 
in some parts of Scotland about the time of the Union. It was then a land 
of small holdings, held under improving leases which bound the tenant 
to do everything, build his houses, drain his land, and reclaim all he 
could from the surrounding heather. His rent was small, mostly in 
‘kind,’ a few hens, some peats, some labour, and a little money. The 
living was a bare one, the tenants were often on the edge of starvation 
in winter. ‘The chief articles of food were oatmeal, kail and red cabbage, 
a little beef and fish. One is not surprised to learn that in these days 
Scotsmen emigrated in great numbers. There were many small estates, 
and each had a meal mill where tenants were bound to meal their oats. 
Oatmeal, the food of the townsman, was the chief article sold by the 
farmer. After the Bridge of Don was built, meal was carted to Aberdeen 
from all over the county. While the farmer supplied the meal to the 
town, his wife washed, carded and spun wool to make worsted for stockings. 
Stocking merchants traversed the county with a pack selling their goods in 
exchange for stockings. In the Tarves district a common meeting place 
was at Raitshill, a small ale-house on the T'arves-Aberdeen road where the 
wives went with their stockings to meet the merchant, and no doubt got 
