301 Aberdeenshire & Mar(r)

At one time Aberdeen was the busiest port in Scotland and Mar, with a coast length was only that between the Dee and the Don, produced more trade goods than the rest of Scotland.

Being the richest area in Scotland probably explains why the Standard was raised on the Braes of Mar for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

The road from Linn of Dee to Blair Atholl through Glen Tilt can be seen on - Glen Tilt OS Six Inch 1888-1913
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=14&lat=56.85575&lon=-3.74839&layers=6&b=1 - #zoom copy the link to new window or tab as no back arrow to this page?

At one time prior to this map being made the route was important enough to have OS survey benchmarks, BM on the map, placed at regular intervals.

On inspection one can see milestones, MS, indicating Braemar 8, 9 and 10 miles and Blair Castle 1 - 13 miles.

- - web source to be added 20220626 - -
These are not the source(s) ... but may lead to it ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Mar"

https://www.electricscotland.com/history/aberdeen/chapter14.htm - History of Aberdeen and Banff Chapter XIV

John Speed’s The Kingdome of Scotland 1610 imprint / 1627 issue? https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000201 shows Marr at it’s greatest extent. In the West it is from Loch Ness, South to the River Spean and then Loch Tay East to Dunkeld and North to Loch Muick the start of the southern boundary to Aberdeen. The northern boundary is the River Don the over to Loch Ness.

The area of Marr is much reduced in Robert Greene’s Imprint of 1679 https://maps.nls.uk/scotland/rec/2775

Marr was memorably divided :-

Braemar - the braes of Marr
Cromar -   the bowl of Marr, area near Tarland
Migmar -   the plain of Marr (now Midmar – typographical error in days gone bye)

Herman Moll’s (died 1732) Imprint of 1745 https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000262 is the earliest map found to date showing Aberdeenshire being the combination of Buchan and Marr.

John Elphinstone’s Imprint of 1745 https://maps.nls.uk/view/74400596 probably shows the line of the older border Marr as the border between Angus and Gaurie.

Timothy Pont Maps of Scotland Imprint ca. 1583-1596 https://maps.nls.uk/view/00002300
This map is of "Deeside", note that North is to the right and the Dee "flows" from top to bottom.

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