As you explore Culter, set between the seventh and eighth milestones west of Aberdeen, you will note many of the road names have local connections.

The 8th milestone; the War Memorial; The Beeches along "Lovers Walk"

Recent speculation in the local press has sparked  discussion about the origins of  place names. EE STORY.  Some of these are discussed in our LOCAL NAMES section. As far as Pittengullies is concerned...

The residents of Pittengullies Circle can rest in peace , easy in the knowledge that any eerie early morning clinking  drifting over the mist Dee is more likely to be the milkman rather than sound of bones blowing in the breeze.

The anglicised corruption of “pit and the gallows” is just a bit ropey. Gallows were usually put up in prominent spots so that the perpetrators of dastardly-doings were seen dangling as a visible reminder to others in the area of the dangers of transgressing the law. No noose is good noose. So we get places such as “”Gallowhill”.  As usual, in the north-east, the Picts have to swing for the choice of name.  Many localities in EE country have the prefix “Pit” , simply meaning a “piece of land”. The reference is used first in the Book of Deer (1150). Usually “Pit” is used for a piece of cultivated land. 

So, a closer guess at translation:

PITTENGULLIES. The, now demolished, farmhouse at Pittengullies was once an inn on the Old Deeside Road . The name is said to mean “ a farm in the fork between two burns” or "the hollow of the clear stream" -PIT-EAN-GELLY. Regular surfers will have seen the 16th Century Pont Map (link on the right) where the Dee forks around an island at this point- creating  two streams. This island later became the Inch of Culter as the River changed course.  

Rest easy in your beds folks!

ABERDEEN At the mouth of the River Don. "Aber"- a confluence or river mouth. The name was recorded as "Aberdon" in the 12th Century and referred to Old Aberdeen, close to the Cathedral of St Machar. 

ARDBECK "Ard" Gaelic for high or height.

BIELDSIDE An OldEnglish word "Bield" is a "Shelter or refuge". The old highway ran along the side of the southern slope , sheltering hte Bieldside property. 

CROMBIE PARK  Named after Theodore Crombie, of Crombie Woollen Mills, who owned rather a lot of Culter at one time.

CULTER from "Cul" and "Tir" meaning the back of the land. Or looking at it from Aberdeen, Culter stretched out on both sides of the River Dee - the River forming the "spine " of the land.

CULTS Gaelic "Coillte" meaning "Woods".

DALMAIK This estate off School Road takes its name from the old church at Drumoak. The ruins are south of the A93 junction with Drum Castle. The church is mentioned in a papal bull of 1157 as “Dulmayok”. Nearby was St Maik’s Well (St. Mayota/Mazoto) dedicated to the patron saint of the parish. St. Mazota of Abernethy was an 6th century nun who accompanied St Bride to Scotland.  St Bride came to instruct her cousin Garnard, King of the Picts, in the Christian faith. 

DRUMOAK. The Gaelic word "Drum"- the ridge of a hill- is attached to the Irish Saint "Moloch" (Moak) to give us the Hill of St. Moloch.

INCH FERRY The Inch of Culter is now attached to the land of Maryculter by a change in the course of the Dee. The Dee at one time ran both ways around an island at this point. An "Inch" OR "Innis" is a Gaelic Water Meadow or island.

JOHNSTON GARDENS. One of Culter’s largest housing schemes built in the early 1970’s was named in honour of the Johnston family. Aberdeen County Council perhaps had a double connection in mind in the naming. John Johnston became manager of the Culter Mills Paper company in 1865. His son John William Johnston followed in his fathers footsteps. By the end of the 19th century, under the Johnston family reins, the Mills was employing 500 people and producing 500 tons of paper every week. Kenneth Johnston (1931-1983) was Housing Manager at Aberdeen County Council until ill health forced his resignation in 1974. 

MALCOLM ROAD On the 1841 census is "Malcolm's Road". Sure enough, halfway up there is a family called Malcolm. So quite literally on your way to Skene you went up "Malcolm's Road". 

ST PETER'S TERRACE/ ST MARY'S TERRACE take their names from the respective parishes of Peterculter and Maryculter. The chapel of St Mary being on the south bank  of the river and St Peter's Church on the north.

ST. RONAN’S.A house called St. Ronan’s was on part of this site. St Ronan was a Celtic saint who died about 778AD. Perhaps the owner of the original house was a devotee of Sir Walter Scott who wrote the novel “St. Ronan’s Well”.

PITTENGULLIES. The, now demolished, farmhouse at Pittengullies was once an inn on the Old Deeside Road. The name is said to mean “ a farm in the fork between two burns” or "the hollow of the clear stream" -PIT-EAN-GELLY

LEUCHAR.  A place of the rushes. LEU-CHAR.

KENNERTY.  CEANNE-ARDE, which signifies "the head of the small height". This is where the Barons of Kennerty lived.

With a wealth of history, local connections and a hint of mystical Gaelic roots—Culter highlights its historical heritage. We can only reflect on future generations who are faced with explaining some of the choices of modern day house builders and developers.

TOWERVIEW is named after Belskavie Tower which can be seen from the housing estate. Belskavie is a granite tower built on a high point in the woods to the South-West of Culter. It is said to be a watch-tower for Drum Castle which would have given a clear view to the East towards Aberdeen.

HILTON "Hilltown"

ALTON "Old Town"                

© CulterNET 2008