Inner March Stone CR - Thistle Street.

Really difficult to find - took us two site visits and a trawl through the large scale OS to locate it. Just marked 'CR' for City Royalty, Crofts Royalty or City Regality. Or Crofts Regality.



The stone is set above head-height in a high wall at the back of a private car-park on Thistle Street, though it is visible from the street if you know exactly where to look. The wall was once part of the fortified wall of Aberdeen's West Prison, which sat at the north end of a then cul-de-sac Rose Street much shorter than we find that street today.

The CR stones mark the old 'Inner Marches' boundary. That is, the boundary of the city prior to Robert the Bruce's 'gift' to Aberdeen of the Stocket Forest in 1319. There aren't many of these CR-only stones left in place - that we know of! The council know of six, but acknowledge that there might be more, hidden in plain view, or in folk's gardens, or under a couple of inches of tarmac. We'll see...

Inner March Stone CR - Alford Lane

Very much 'hidden in plain view'. Just marked 'CR' for City Royalty, Crofts Royalty or City Regality. Or Crofts Regality.



Marks the older 'Inner Marches' boundary. That is, the boundary of the city prior to Robert the Bruce's gift to Aberdeen of the Stocket Forest in 1319.

At least, that's one story... As with all major real estate deals, there was bound to have been a bit of now-you-see-it-no-you-don't going on. And long spoons (tae sup wi the deil) and back room deals, and bad things made to look good, and good things made to look bad. We know the form...

March Stone CR 1 ABD

March (Boundary) Stone CR 1 ABD is a boundary stone marking border of the Freedom Lands of Aberdeen ('Outer' Marches), and a 'City Regality' (CR) stone marking the earlier boundary of the 'Inner' Marches.

It is located on New Bridge, embedded in the carriageway, at the junction between Dubbydykes Hardgate and Union Glen.

The boundary of the burgh between this stone and the Alpha Stone follows the route of the Ferryhill Burn.

When we were looking for it, we asked a local resident who was leaning out of the window of her flat if she knew where it was. She did (we were just about standing on it!), but she didn't know what it was. She thought it was "something to do with the fire brigade". She was surprised, delighted and proud to find out what it really was - right there, outside her house.

The Alpha Stone

The Alpha Stone is a March Stone, or Boundary Stone which marks the extent of both the inner and outer marches. The Alpha Stone is located at the outfall of the Ferryhill Burn, not far from the Queen Elizabeth Bridge.
It is marked A ABD CR