St Drostan's Episcopal Church Old Deer

During the winter when the trees are bare the church spire of Old Deer Church may be seen through the trees on the south of the Line as one walks between   Aden Park and Deer Abbey. St Drostan's Episcopal Church in Old Deer is associated with two remarkable people, the infamous John Graham of Claverhouse and the lesser known but equally inspirational, Deaconess Anna Ritchie.

St Drostan's Episcopalian Church

St Drostan's Episcopalian Church, which was built in 1851 on land gifted to the congregation by the Russells of Aden Park, is situated in Abbey Street.  Some bones from the tomb of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, (Bonnie Dundee or Bluidy Clavers, according to ones perspective) were buried in the chancel in the 19th century.

Within a short time of the church being built  Dean Rankin, the incumbent, was presented by  a friend  with what were claimed to be some of the bones of Graham of Claverhouse which he had removed from Claverhouse's burial vault at Blair Atholl. Dean Rankin was a strong Jacobite and a fervent admirer of Claverhouse. Although his friend wished to honour the Dean by gifting him the relic, this created a great moral dilemma  for the Dean who  could not   return them to Atholl for fear of implicating his friend in  a sacrilegious crime,but  at the same time wished to ensure that the bones were treated reverently. Therefore Dean Rankin, 'at dead of night managed to prize up some of the tiles of the chancel and dig  a hole - just under the present window - where he deposited the prized remains' .Presently it began to worry the Dean that the resting place of the bones was unmarked so he installed a commemorative window and inscription close to the burial spot. 

The window on the south side of the chancel beneath which  Dundee's bones are said to be buried. 

The brass plaque below the window has the inscription: 'Sacred to the memory of John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee, who died in the arms of Victory and whose battle cry was 'King James and the Church of Scotland'.

Collage of images from the Claverhouse Window

Portrait of Deaconess Anna Ritchie which hangs above what was her usual pew in the church.

Anna Ritchie, the daughter of Strichen farmers, was born  in 1884 and became an early female graduate of Edinburgh University. Anna married Tom Smith, a headteacher at Kilspindie near Perth, who sadly died of TB within a short time of their marriage. Following an early career as a teacher Anna  returned to Buchan to look after her widowed mother. Anna's second marriage to local Doctor Dr James Ritchie of Mavisbank, Old Deer also ended tragically when, on their wedding night, Dr Ritchie collapsed and died after having been out to attend a patient. Anna then  trained as  a Deaconess and became the first Deaconess in the Scottish Episcopal Church, serving as Deaconess at St Drostan's for many years. During her ministry at St Drostan's her interest in education was maintained and she not only set up a postal home Sunday School scheme, but also gave home tuition to those children who at the time were considered ineducable. Her unceasing efforts to set up a school for special needs was recognised by the education authority in 1963 when Anna Ritchie school in Peterhead was named in her honour. Anna Ritchie died peacefully in her sleep on 11thh December 1971 and her ashes a buried close in St Drostan's kirkyard on the right of the main door quite close to the part of the church in which she worshipped.

Anna Ritchie was awarded an MBE in 1958. She was a remarkable and inspirational pioneering woman who deserves to be more widely remembered than appears to be the case.

Deer:Aikey Fair and Deaconess Anna Ritchie, a Visionary Educationalist

A sunlit Deer Abbey seen from the Line, the banks of the Ugie are covered in fragrant Meadow Sweet. (Filipendula ulumaria) Meadow Sweet derives its name from mead rather than meadow since it was traditionally used to brew mead. It also had a number of medicinal uses. Grey Granite cannot help wondering if the abbey monks made use of the abundant supply outside the abbey walls.

'The monks of Deer quaffed Biffie Beer

On Fredes fan they fasted

But when unwell, they drank 'Harebell'

Till death stude flabbergasted.'

The large white house which can be seen on the hill immediately beyond the abbey was originally the gardener's cottage for Pitfour Estate. In 1929 it was purchased by Anna Ritchie for her parents who then retired from farming at Newlandshill, Strichen. Anna Ritchie was an extraordinary lady, born in 1884, she was educated in New Pitsligo, she became an early graduate of Edinburgh University and received teacher training  at Dalry House, the Episcopal teacher training college. When she returned to Buchan in 1931 to look after her widowed mother, Anna took an interest in the education of children with disabilities, for whom there was little provision. This culminated in her badgering the education committee to establish the special needs school in Peterhead which was named in her honour. Anna Ritchie became the first Deaconess of the Scottish Episcopal Church and served at St Drostan's, Old Deer for many years.

Newlands seen from the road at Deer Abbey

Following the death of Anna Ritchie, Newlands passed to her nephew, Arthur Kitchin, the distinguished Edinburgh cardiologist, who had spent time there as an evacuee in World War 11. Dr Kitchen died on 15th May 2012

Aikey Brae, the historic fair stance seen from the Line at Abbey  Bridge. A few travellers' caravans can just be seen on the site.

Aikey Fair is thought to date back to the Middle ages and during the 19th century was the largest horse fair in the North of Scotland, attracting vast numbers of horses and country folk. It was traditionally held on the first Wednesday after July 19th, the feast day of St Drostan who brought Christianity to the district and was responsible for the founding of Deer Abbey.

According to local tradition began when a travelling packman, Aul Aikey,  fell in to the Ugie, soaking all his wares. He spread them out in the sun to dry but before long passersby spotted his goods and bought them up so quickly that he promised to return to the same spot, on the same day the following year. The fair gradually grew up attracting  traders, showmen and especially horse traders and incorporating a feeing mart as well as being a great place to meet friends. The traders who were involved in the fair began setting up their stalls in readiness on the Sunday preceding the Wednesday fair, often with an audience of country folk watching. In 1926 one enterprising showman started up his merry-go-round and before long members of the crowd were enjoying the ride. The Aikey Sunday Fair had begun and was to outlive the original main event, the horse fair. This began to decline when tractors began to replace horses declining so that in 1950 there were only about 100 horses, this had shrunk to 60 the following year and in 1952 only one horse was offered for sale. Attempts to revive the horse fair in recent years have failed.