2025 Oot an Aboot
Birse Soutar’s Shop 12 March
A little early in the year for this outing. Eleven members travelled to the Soutar’s Shop at Ballogie. We were met by Toni Hart, the manager of Birse Community Trust, who showed us round a little time capsule. The little inconspicuous shed by the roadside had been a soutar’s (shoemaker’s) shop from ?? until 1941 when the soutar retired.
James Merchant opened his shop in Ballogie in 1896. He also had a 9 acre croft so he was pat time soutar and part time crofter.
In the earlier years he mainly made boots and stout shoes for all the local community. The bulk of his work would have been repairing boots for the local farm servants. They often only owned one pair of boots so they had to sit and wait while repairs were done. It would have been a good place to hear all the local gossip.
As time wore on and factory-made stylish shoes became more affordable, the business changed and he began to stock more ready made shoes. When the business closed in 1941 the shed was left as it was and never cleared out. As a result, all the old stock and tools, even the scraps of leather on the floor, remain just as they were.
Birse Community Trust will soon begin a programme of replacing old timber affected by rot and woodworm to restore the building to near original condition. They have our best wishes.
Picnic Cottage at Linn of Quoich 21 June
We had a good turnout of members in glorious June weather for our visit to the Picnic Lodge at the Linn of Quoich.
The lodge was built around 1850 and was probably a keeper’s cottage. Queen Victoria liked to picnic at this spot just above the famous “Punch Bowl”, a natural hollow in the rock at the water’s edge.
After the Princess Louise married the Duke of Fife, then owner of Mar Lodge, she liked to visit the old lodge and spend time beside the River. She renovated the lodge so that it could be used by the Queen, her grandmother, as a convenient picnic spot. The lodge was also known as Queen Victoria’s Tea Room by local people.
The lodge was in a state of disrepair when NTS took over the ownership of Mar Lodge in 1995 but it has recently been renovated with a new roof and new windows and doors and makes a lovely shelter or meeting place for the public.
After a quick history lesson on the decline and restoration of the native woodlands on Mar Lodge, Irvine led us up to the top of the hill to enjoy the view. After he realised we had taken the wrong trail, he led us all back down again.
After we had been revived by lunch, we set off on the correct trail following up the east bank of the Water of Quoich for about 2 kilometres where we could admire the remarkable natural regeneration of the native pine woods spreading up the hills on either side of the glen. After crossing the water on a footbridge we took the easy trail back downhill to the car park. A lovely place, full of history and well worth the visit.
Glen Muick and the MacKenzies 7 July
We had a good turn out of members and guests for our third Oot an Aboot of the summer. Peter Craig was our guide and he had a fund of information from his personal recollection and from his research into the MacKenzie family who owned Glen Muick Estate. We set off from Ballater and followed the footpath to the monument to Sir Allan Russell Mackenzie, 2nd Baronet of Glenmuick born March 29th 1850, Died August 19th 1906. The monument includes a seat and is well maintained by the Ballater Historical Society .
The Mackenzie family built two large houses in Glen Muick, the first built in 1870 was demolished in 1947 and no trace of it remains. The house was surrounded by gardens and various small buildings and also the Mackenzie mausoleum and graveyard which have survived. The road leading to the graveyard is bordered by mature trees, a legacy of the landscape planting of the original house. The second house, built in 1897 on the site of the old Braichlie Castle, is still in use.
We visited the Mausoleum, which is now sealed, and contains the remains of the First Baronet Glenmuick. Nearby is the Chapel of Saint Nathalan which was partly demolished in 1948 leaving only the empty tower. The contents and stained glass windows were taken to St Kentigern’s church in Ballater, where they remain.
We paused for a rest in the pleasant surroundings of the old fishing pond and then walked back to Ballater, ignoring a light shower of rain. Our thanks go to Peter for a fascinating afternoon.
