Deer Abbey

Deer Abbey was a Cistercian monastery in Buchan, Scotland.^[1] It was founded by 1219 AD with the patronage William Comyn, jure uxoris Earl of Buchan,^[2] who is also buried there. There was an earlier community of Scottish monks or priests. The notitiae on the margins of the Book of Deer record grants made to the Scottish religious community in the 12th century and a claim that it was founded by Saint Columba and Saint Drostan.^[3] The old religious community was probably absorbed by the new foundation. The history of the abbey after the 1210s is obscure until the 16th century, when it was beginning to be secularized. The abbey was turned into a secular lordship for Commendator Robert Keith II (becoming Lord Altrie) in 1587.

The Abbey was included in the lands obtained by Lord Pitfour and became part of the Pitfour estate in 1766. His son, the third laird built the 5 metres (16 ft) high enclosing wall in 1809 and used the grounds as an orchard. He also discovered some of the graves but did not disturb them. The fifth laird had the site cleared and used the stones from the Abbey building to have a mausoleum constructed in which to bury his daughter when she died aged 21 years in 1851. The only other person buried in the mausoleum was Ferguson's mother-in-law. The mausoleum was destroyed in the 1930s when the Abbey was transferred to Roman Catholic ownership and parts of it were used to build an entrance; however this was undertaken without disturbing the graves of Lady Langford and Ferguson's daughter, Eliza.^[4]

Antiquities

Entrance sign to the modern ruins

main information plaque at deer abbey

There is considerable evidence of prehistory in the local area, most notably in the form of the Catto Long Barrow and numerous tumuli slightly to the south.^[5]

See also

• Abbot of Deer, for a list of abbots and commendators of the Cistercian monastery
• Ugie Water

Inline references

Bibliography

• Ian B. Cowan and David E. Easson (1976) Medieval Religious Houses: Scotland With an Appendix on the Houses in the Isle of Man, Second Edition, London, pp. 47, 74
• D.E.R. Watt and N.F. Shead (eds.) (2001) The Heads of Religious Houses in Scotland from the 12th to the 16th Centuries, The Scottish Records Society, New Series, Volume 24, Edinburgh, pp. 54–8
• C. Michael Hogan (2008) Catto Long Barrow fieldnotes, The Modern Antiquarian

Settlements and places of interest in Buchan, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements	Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield
Other settlements	Auchnagatt Buchanhaven Clola Inverugie Lonmay New Leeds Old Deer Rora Tyrie Whinnyfold
Places of interest	Aden Country Park/Aberdeenshire Farming Museum Bullers of Buchan Crimonmogate Deer Abbey Formartine and Buchan Way Loch of Strathbeg Maritime Heritage Museum Rattray Rattray Head Slains Castle

Coordinates: 57°31′24″N 2°3′14.5″W / 57.52333°N 2.054028°W / 57.52333; -2.054028