A warm welcome awaits you in the community of Peterculter—

or more usually just “Culter”.

As you descend by plane into Dyce Airport at Aberdeen, you will likely spot the scattering of communities clutching the banks of the River Dee. These run westwards, like a spine  following the course of the River Dee, giving the area the name "Cul-Tir" , "the back of the land".  The City of Aberdeen has grown where two rivers meet- “between the Dee and the Don”.  If you arrive in Aberdeen, by road,  following the A90  northward and then heading west on the A93 you will follow the Royal Deeside route which takes you eventually to Banchory, Ballater, Braemar and Balmoral. By public transport, you can take the "Turquoise line" from the centre of Aberdeen out along the A93 to the "village" of Culter. As you reach Mannofield and Pitfodels you briefly enter  part of old Banchory-Devenick before arriving at Cults and the beginning of the Parish of Peterculter. The parish extends a further 6 miles, or so, until the boundary with Drumoak is reached- west of the village of Peterculter. Leaving Aberdeen by Bridge of Dee and Leggart Terrace, you approach Ardo House Hotel and historic Blairs College where  the Parish of Maryculter borders the south bank of the River Dee until reaching the Parish of Durris seven miles further west.

Visitors started to take an interest in Culter around the first Millennium with the arrival of Romans expanding their Empire. They set up camp, no doubt to the annoyance of the local Pictish residents, at Normandykes. 

As the second Millennium got under way, the areas around Culter received royal patronage through the leisurely pursuits and royal patronage of Robert the Bruce. King Robert could be seen out and about in the 1300’s on his holiday hunting parties ( when not otherwise engaged in fighting battles and ruling the country). His grant of lands outside Aberdeen brought the building of Drum Castle , 3 miles to the west of Culter, by the Irvine family. His royal patronage was also bestowed on the Burnett family of Leys at Crathes. They eventually built Crathes Castle after living for many years in a "crannog" at the Loch of Leys. Robert, in an unselfish act of generosity gave the lands of Skene to a local who rescued the King when he was attacked by a wolf. Skene takes its name from the gaelic "Skein" - the dagger which saved his life. Both Drum and Crathes Castles are maintained by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

The ancient Order of the Knights Templar owned land close by and eventually this led to the building of St Mary’s Chapel on the south side of the River Dee. A river width away, on the north bank of the Dee, was built St Peter’s Church. This resulted in two “Culters”- Peterculter and Maryculter.  You can still visit the ruin of St Mary's Chapel situated near present day Maryculter House Hotel. Parts of the hotel building date from about 1225A.D.

Neither the Legions of Rome or Royal patronage can claim to have left as much of a mark on the landscape and the heart of Culter as one Bartholomew Smith. Bartholomew was not even a local - he was an Englishman from the Isle of Man. In 1750, he began a venture which would lead to the name of Culter being known worldwide for the manufacture of paper and the forerunner of the Culter Mills Paper Company.

So, as you surf through this website, maybe you will get a brief insight into our corner of the Scottish countryside and its people.  The motto of the City of Aberdeen is “Bon-Accord”. You will most certainly be greeted with the Toast of Bon-Accord:

"HAPPY TO MEET ...SORRY TO PART ... HAPPY TO MEET AGAIN”