Edzell
Encyclopedia
Edzell is a village in Angus
, Scotland
. It is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Brechin
, by the River North Esk
. Edzell is a Georgian
-era planned town, with a broad main street and a grid system of side streets. Originally called Slateford, Edzell was renamed in 1818 after an earlier hamlet, located 1.5 miles (2.5 km) to the west, which by then had been abandoned. Edzell's population in 2004 was 780.
The original village of Edzell was located around the walls of the first Edzell Castle
, a motte and bailey structure to the south of the present castle. Of this village, only part of the church now remains, within the original churchyard.
. The new parish church, replacing the one in the old village, was built in 1818 on the village's north boundary, and led to the official renaming of the village as Edzell.
In 1861, Queen Victoria
and Prince Albert visited Edzell, as part of a Royal progress through Angus and Kincardineshire
, just weeks before Albert's sudden death. Edzell was not connected to the railway until 1896, and only had a passenger service until 1931, although it reopened experimentally in the summer of 1938. The line closed to freight traffic in 1964. In the twentieth century, the increasing popularity of golf
led to more tourists visiting Edzell's parkland course. At one point the village had three large hotels, but it now has only two, along with a series of B&Bs. There are two tearooms, a pharmacy, a post office, several shops and two hairdressers.
The most distinctive landmark of the village is the Dalhousie Arch, which spans the main road into Edzell from the south. It was erected in 1887 to commemorate the deaths of the 13th Earl of Dalhousie and his wife, both of whom died on the same day. Confusion with a similar arch in the neighbouring village of Fettercairn
, built in 1864 to commemorate Victoria and Albert's stay at the village's Ramsay Hotel, has led some to believe that Edzell's arch was built to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee
in 1887, but this is not the case.
Other significant buildings in the village include the Inglis Memorial Hall, a gothic
building gifted to the village by Sir Robert Inglis in 1896, in memoriam of his father. It now houses the local library. Edzell Muir is a large expanse of parkland and sport fields to the north of the village, used extensively for picnicking and municipal events, and upgraded in 2000.
A former Royal Air Force
base, RAF Edzell
is situated four miles (7 km) from Edzell by road, but only one mile (1.5 km) directly east, over the North Esk. It was active for over fifty years, first as a RAF base during World War II
, and later on lease to the United States Navy
, From 1960 until its decommissioning in 1996, and final closure in 1997. Its stock of 150 houses were sold off in 1999 to become a new, independent village called Edzell Woods.
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located 5 miles (8 km) north of Brechin
Brechin
Brechin is a former royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese , but that status has not been officially recognised in the modern era...
, by the River North Esk
River North Esk
The North Esk is a river in Angus and Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is formed by the meeting of the Water of Mark and the Water of Lee , and enters the North Sea four miles north of Montrose. It forms the boundary between Angus and Aberdeenshire at certain stages in its course...
. Edzell is a Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
-era planned town, with a broad main street and a grid system of side streets. Originally called Slateford, Edzell was renamed in 1818 after an earlier hamlet, located 1.5 miles (2.5 km) to the west, which by then had been abandoned. Edzell's population in 2004 was 780.
Early village
Edzell Castle
Edzell Castle is a ruined 16th century castle, with an early 17th century walled garden. It is located close to Edzell, and is around north of Brechin, in Angus, Scotland. Edzell Castle was begun around 1520 by David Lindsay, 9th Earl of Crawford, and expanded by his son, Sir David Lindsay, Lord...
, a motte and bailey structure to the south of the present castle. Of this village, only part of the church now remains, within the original churchyard.
Present village
The existing village of Slateford was expanded in the early 19th century by the Earl of PanmureEarl of Panmure
Earl of Panmure was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1646 for Sir Patrick Maule, a former Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI and loyal follower of Charles I. He was made Lord Maule, Brechin and Navar at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland...
. The new parish church, replacing the one in the old village, was built in 1818 on the village's north boundary, and led to the official renaming of the village as Edzell.
In 1861, Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and Prince Albert visited Edzell, as part of a Royal progress through Angus and Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire
The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns was a local government county on the coast of northeast Scotland...
, just weeks before Albert's sudden death. Edzell was not connected to the railway until 1896, and only had a passenger service until 1931, although it reopened experimentally in the summer of 1938. The line closed to freight traffic in 1964. In the twentieth century, the increasing popularity of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
led to more tourists visiting Edzell's parkland course. At one point the village had three large hotels, but it now has only two, along with a series of B&Bs. There are two tearooms, a pharmacy, a post office, several shops and two hairdressers.
Description
Fettercairn
Fettercairn is a small village in northeast Scotland. It is located northwest of Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire on the B966 from Edzell...
, built in 1864 to commemorate Victoria and Albert's stay at the village's Ramsay Hotel, has led some to believe that Edzell's arch was built to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
in 1887, but this is not the case.
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
building gifted to the village by Sir Robert Inglis in 1896, in memoriam of his father. It now houses the local library. Edzell Muir is a large expanse of parkland and sport fields to the north of the village, used extensively for picnicking and municipal events, and upgraded in 2000.
RAF Edzell
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base, RAF Edzell
RAF Edzell
RAF Edzell is a former Royal Air Force station located in one mile east of Edzell, Angus, Scotland.It was active for over fifty years, first as a RAF base during World War II, and later on lease to the United States Navy, From 1960 until its decommissioning in 1996, and final closure in 1997.Its...
is situated four miles (7 km) from Edzell by road, but only one mile (1.5 km) directly east, over the North Esk. It was active for over fifty years, first as a RAF base during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and later on lease to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, From 1960 until its decommissioning in 1996, and final closure in 1997. Its stock of 150 houses were sold off in 1999 to become a new, independent village called Edzell Woods.
External links
- Edzell page on Undiscovered Scotland