| Below is a brief description of Kincardine O'Neil's past. |
| Kincardine O'Neil is the oldest village in Deeside. Its name comes from two parts; Kincardine is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Ceann-na-cearn, which means head of the hill or district. O'Neil is said to come from the barony of O'Neil and may even be connected to the Neil burn which passes through the village. |
|
B.C. Stone age finds have been made in and around the village with axe heads, flint knives and pottery being found. Further a field in Deeside saddle-querns (distinctively shaped implements for grinding corn) have been found. It is also believed that the “Shortcist” people arrived in Deeside about 2000 BC (so called because they were buried in short cists averaging 3ft 8ins x 2ft 6ins x 1ft 8ins) Earth-house specimens were found to have existed near Kincardine O’Neil. These houses were all under ground and had a narrow, low entrance apt to escape notice There is an earth-house a few miles from Kincardine O’Neil, which has been preserved, and can be visited. |
|
5th Century Saint Erchard (disciple of St Ternan) is the patron Saint of Kincardine O’Neil. He converted local people to Christianity and built a church near the river. St Erchard was ordained a bishop when he went to Rome. There is now a well named after St Erchard on the edge of the village. St Erchard’s day is the 24th of August. |
| 1057 Malcolm and MacDuff, who were in pursuit of Macbeth, arrived in Kincardine O’Neil with their armies. While Malcolm was resting Macduff marched his army to Lumphanan, where he killed Macbeth. Tradition says Macduff carried Macbeths head back to Kincardine O’Neil on a golden platter, where it was presented to Malcolm. |
| 1150 King David 1st passed through Kincardine O’Neil on his way North to Moray. It is believed he might even have stopped in the village. This was part of the campaign David fought to bring feudalism to Scotland. His opponents crossed and re-crossed Deeside many times via Kincardine O’Neil. |
| 1220 The first bridge was built across the river Dee at Kincardine O'Neil by Thomas Durwood. The exact date is unsure but it may have been built as late as 1230. The bridge is believed to have been wooden (some believe it was made of stone). This was the only bridge over the Dee for three centuries untill the next was built in Aberdeen in 1520-27 after that was at a bridge Invercauld in 1752. In the olden days they believed that the river Gods required human sacrifices to allow people to cross in ferries. However the building of the bridge helped to stop the human sacrifices. |
| 1233 Alan Durwood founded the first hospice. It is believed to have been near the bridge his father built. In 1240 Alan Durwood built a church, which is believed to have been on the site of St Erchards church,This was later built over by St Mary’s Church, which is now a ruin. |
| 1296 Edward 1st of England camped over night on the 9th of august with an army of 30,00 men at arms and 5,000 mail-clad Knights. It is said they took all the food to be had. O'followers he haed a flock, Left neither capon, hen nor cock, Na, nor butter, bread, nor cheese, Else my informant tells me lees, An' warst o' a' I'm wae to tell, They left them neither maut nor ale. Eight years late on 17th of October Edward again stopped at Kincardine O'Neil with his army. This was his last visit to Deeside. |
| 1328 St Mary's church was built. It is also now known as the Auld Kirk. |
| 1388 Isobell Duff, Baroness of O’Neil. Gave orders to erect a cock-stool and a ducking-pool. This was done to punish women who had done wrong. For scolds, an' limmers, an' sic cattle Wha deal in fibs, an' tittle-tattle |
| 1511 Kincardine O'Neil became a burgh of barony. This was done to encourage trade. |
| 1526 King James v came in disguise to Kincardine O’Neil and stopped at a near by croft tenanted by a family called Cochran. They made James feel welcome James being so pleased with the reception he had received he granted Cochran the croft land and thus the name Cochran’s croft. This became a small hamlet called Cochran. Which is now part of Kincardine O’Neil. |
| 1733 St Mary's church was burnt. Tradition says this happened when a villager was shooting at a dove on the roof of the church. The heather thatched roof caught fire. The roof was later rebuilt with slate and the church continued to be used until 1862 when the new church was built. |
| 1790s At this time thousands of cattle were being sold at the Barthol fair each year. The population was 100 and the first school had already been established. |
| 1800s Kincardine O’Neil was a place of rest for travellers. During the winter coaches would rarely travel further west than Kincardine O’Neil. |
| 1814 Potarch Bridge was built reducing the amount of traffic travelling north/south via the Kincardine O'Neil ford and ferry. |
| 1826 The whole of Deeside suffered a famine. |
| 1848 Queen Victoria stopped in Kincardine O'Neil. |
| 1850 There was still a cattle market. |
| 1856 The Morrice school (it was an all female school) was built in memory of Rev W Morrice. |
| 1857 The Deeside railway was built and by passed Kincardine O’Neil. The exact reason for this is unsure but it’s commonly believed the local laird demanded too much money to build the railway through Kincardine O’Neil, which at the time was the central hub of Deeside. This allowed the hamlets of Torphins and Lumphanan to gain from the railway and become villages in ther own right. |
| 1858 The Auld Kirks roof was deemed unsafe. |
| 1862 Present church was built. |
| 1863 Episcopal church was built. |
| 1878 The Village suffered a diphtheria epidemic. |
| 1895 Present day Kincardine O'Neil primary school was opened. |
| WW1 Sixty-two men from the surrounding area lost their lives in the war. Returning service men formed a Kincardine O’Neil branch of the British legion. |
| 1937 The last ferry-boat was swept downstream in a flood. It had been in use until that day. |
| WW2 Seven Men and a Woman were killed during the war. There is now a memorial to honour those who died during the wars. |
| 1966 The Deeside railway closed. This was due to popularity of road transport and this meant Kincardine O'Neil was en'route again. |
| 1978 Kincardine O'Neil was declared a conservation area. |
| 1986 Neil burn Drive was created. |
| 1999 Canmore place was erected. |