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Mormond Hill:
To the north east of Strichen is Mormond Hill rising to 769ft
(234m). Mormond comes from the Gaelic --mor-- meaning big and
--monadh--for hill.
The Mormond Hill Horse
The figure of a horse cut into the hillside above the village
around 1800 and filled with white quartz is a well known Buchan
landmark. The horse is 164ft/50m from nose to tail and 146ft/44.5m
from head to hoof.
| It is said to have been created by Captain Fraser of
Strichen (who succeeded to the estate in 1775) as a tribute
to a Sergeant James Hutcheon of New Pitsligo. Sergeant
Hutcheon gave the horseless captain his mount in the height
of battle against the French near Gilze in Holland on
26th August 1794. The sergeant was killed before he could
find a loose mount for himself.
The Mormond Hill Stag
constructed in 1869-70 by a Mr W. F. Cordiner of Cortes,
decorates the east side of Mormond overlooking the village
of New Leeds on the A92. Vanity may have taken a hand
in its design for it is even bigger than Strichen's
horse. |
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Hunting Lodge
On one of the highest ridges are ruins of a Hunting Lodge, built
in 1779 by the same Captain Fraser. This was a two storey building
with the gamekeeper occupying the upper floor.
The single large room of the ground floor had a fireplace big
enough to roast a deer. This room was used by the laird and
his guests after the hunt. The door lintel bears the works "In
this Hunter's Lodge Rob Gib commands, MDCCLXXIX".
Tradition has it that a locally-born jester of this name served
King James V (1513-1542), saying "I serve your Majesty
for stark love and kindness" (some sources have him serving
James VI or Charles II). The words "Rob Gib" were
used as a tacit loyal toast in Jacobite circles and it remains
a mystery whether the laird simply hoped goodwill might prevail
within his Lodge, or was making a veiled political statement,
Charles Edward Stuart being alive at this time.
Partway up the hill between the White Horse and the Stag lies
a flat stone. It is said to have been a spot for resting coffins
in distant ages when there was no consecrated burial place at
Strichen and the dead had to be borne over the hill to the graveyard
at Rathen. Philologists translate the farm name --Dencallie--above
which the stone lies as "the den of rest", giving
this some credence.
Communication Station
Today, Mormond's most conspicuous landmarks are the 20th century
telecommunications dishes and radio masts on the eastern summit
of the hill. Until the end of the Cold War, in the early 1990's,
this was an American Military installation for eavesdrop on
enemy communications. Now the dishes are used by commercial
communications companies including BT and Stratos.
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