Glenbuchat Heritage

33 Belnacraig 1865 Map

From: Wanderings in the Highlands of Banff and Aberdeen Shires, (1881) Author: Phillips, J. G

After passing the Public School, a tidy little building, Glenbucket began to show distinctive features. Before this it would be impossible to describe it otherwise than a ravine among the hills ; but now it suddenly opened out, and the country presented to the eye the appearance of a basin, or, if you will, a bucket with a single outlet, formed by the stream that drains the Glen, and has its confluence with the Don a little further down. There cannot be the shadow of a doubt but that the basin has been scooped out by the action of water. But we dare not approach the scientific in this sketch; we only glance at the physical outlines of the district as they strike the eye. Here we saw two little hamlets slumbering in the side of the basin, as it were, named respectively Belnaboth and Belnacraig ; while down in the bottom of the basin stood the Free Church and Manse. Away further up we could also catch a sight of the Established Church and Manse, hid in a grove of trees. Close by. Ben Newe rears its somewhat conical summit, dividing Glenbucket from Strathdon. Near the foot of Ben Newe is the old Market Stance of Peterfair, now removed to Huntly, owing, it is said, to its being likely to prove a second Donnybrook, as far as free fighting is concerned. Following the course of the Bucket a little further, the scene spread out before us, and, panoramic like, at once rose from the commonplace to the picturesque and lovely.