Glen Nochty – One-Place Study – Invernettie

Glen Nochty – One-Place Study – Invernettie

Invernettie remains a working farm in Glen Nochty but has a long document history going back to the early Jacobite period.

View of site

These short clips should give you an idea of the sites and sounds standing looking towards the site, and hopefully give you a sense of what it is like to be there if you are unable to visit.

Meaning of Name

According to ‘Place Names of West Aberdeenshire’ the name has an early mention, ‘1550, Invernyte, Ant. IV,, 1475; 1507 Invernethy, Ant. IV., 738; 145 1, Invernate, Chamb. Rolls. Cf. Drumanettie, which is near this place; Bothanyettie in the next parish; and Renatton, which also is near.’

In Gaelic it would literally mean mouth of the Nettie burn.

Aerial Drone footage

Aerial view of the Invernetty site not yet available.

Archaeological notes from Canmore

There are eight associated notes/ sites from Canmore listed for Invernettie.

757759 – House (Period Unassigned)

For present farmhouse and steading of Invernettie (NJ 3435 1549), see NJ31NW 95.

Documentary record [unspecified] for site of manor.

131078 – Farmstead (Period Unassigned)

For possible predecessor house of Invernettie (NJ c. 343 154), see NJ31NW 6.

243860 – Building(S) (Period Unassigned)

No associated notes

157131 – Building (Period Unassigned)

A long building is set into the foot of the scarp on the N side of the Nettie Burn some 260m E of Invernettie farmhouse (NJ31NW 95). It measures about 25.2m from ENE to WSW by 5.4m transversely over grass-grown stone wall-footings no more than 0.3m high, and the interior has been dug up to 1m into the slope on the N. A partition wall can be seen a third of the way along the building from the ENE end, and there is a central entrance on the downhill side of the larger, W, compartment.

Visited by RCAHMS (SPH), 2 March 1998.

243858 – Rig And Furrow (Medieval)

NJ31NW 127 centred 3484 1559

131077 – TORRAN BUIDHE Lade (Period Unassigned)

(Location cited as NJ c. 34 15). This lade has been noted by RCAHMS in an area of rough grazing at an altitude of about 410m OD on the steep NW flank of Torran Buidhe. It swings round the head of the Clinie [Cline] Burn and down to Innernettie [Invernettie], and from Allt Eassain [Allt Easain] round the flank of Torran Buidhe down to Tornagawn

NMRS, MS/712/34.

(Location amended to NJ 3499 1539 to 3450 1500). The remains of this lade are situated on the lower NW flank of Torran Buidhe; it has been taken off the S side of the Allt Easain (NJ 3507 1539), entering the mapsheet at NJ 3499 1539 and leaving at NJ 3450 1500. From there the lade runs S to a point (NJ 3450 1496) where it drops sharply downhill towards Tornagawn farmsteading (NJ31SW 57)

Information from RCAHMS (JRS), 4 December 1998.

106890 – Croft (Period Unassigned)

(Formerly named Cline Burn and classified as house and enclosure; name changed to Nettie Burn and reclassified as cottage and croft). This cottage is situated on the NW side of the Nettie Burn, some 540m NE of Invernettie farmsteading (NJ31NW 95). It forms part of a two compartment range, on to which an outshot has been butted on the N, and there is a garden enclosure on the W; a small outbuilding is set adjacent to the NE end of the building, and what is either a second outbuilding or an earlier shieling-hut lies a little way to the SW.

The range measures about 19.7m from NNE to SSW by 5.3m transversely over walls 0.7m in thickness by up to 1.5m in height. The cottage, which occupies the NNE end of the range, measures 10.8m from NNE to SSW by 5.3m overall. The walls of the cottage appear to be earthen bonded, whilst those of the SSW end of the range have a core of loose stones and some mortar pointing. The outbuilding adjacent to the NE corner of the range, measures about 5.5m from NW to SE by 4.1m over tumbled grass-grown walls up to 0.5m high. The outbuilding or shieling-hut to the SW measures 7.1m from NE to SW by 4.4m transversely over a wall reduced to a grass-grown stony bank 1m thick and up to 0.3m high.

Both the cottage and the small building adjacent to its NE corner are depicted as roofed on both the 1st and 2nd editions of the OS 6-inch map (Aberdeenshire, 1869, sheet lx and 1903, sheet lx). On the earlier map the buildings are set within unimproved moorland; by the end of the 19th century, however, two areas of moorland, extending about 15.6 acres and 7.8 acres respectively (c.9.7ha in total), had been taken in, though the fields are shown unfenced.

Visited by RCAHMS (SPH), 2 March 1998.

145562 – Little Cat Cairn

(Cited as being in Glenbuchat parish). Natural outcrop; nil antiquity.

1747 – Roys Military Map

Roy’s Military mentions Invernetty.

1841 – Census

The 1841 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie.

Charles Edward – 35 – Farmer
Margaret Edward – 23
Mary McGregor – 19 – Female Servant
Jane McPherson – 12 Female Servant
Alexander Don – 27 – Male Servant
William McHandy – 50 – Male Servant
John Ross – 50 – Male Servant

1843 – Map

Invernettie is featured on the first OS map.

1851 – Census

The 1851 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie

Charles Edward – 47 – Head – Farmer of 80 acres – POB Aberdeenshire
Jane Edward – 30 – Wife – POB Strathdon
Ann Edward – 9 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon
Jane Edward – 7 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon
Hellen Edward – 5 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon
William Stewart – 54 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
James Paterson – 31 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Leochel Cushnie
John Beattie – 28 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
Alexander Grassick – 16 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
Jane McDonald – 20 – Servant – House Servant – POB Aberfour, Banffshire

1861 – Census

The 1861 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie

Charles Edward – 57 – Head – Farmer of 110 acres– POB Aberdeenshire
Jane Edward – 41 – Wife – POB Drumblade, Aberdeenshire
Ann Edward – 18 – Daughter – Farmer’s Daughter – POB Strathdon
Jean Edward – 16 – Daughter – Farmer’s Daughter – POB Strathdon
Hellen Edward – 14 – Daughter – Farmer’s Daughter – POB Strathdon
Charles Edward – 4 – Son – POB Strathdon
William Edward – 11 months – Son – POB Strathdon
Joseph McGregor – 33 – Servant – Ploughman – POB Strathdon
James Findlay – 20 – Servant – Ploughman – POB Strathdon
James Clark – 15 – Servant – Cattlehead – POB Strathdon

1871 – Census

The 1871 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie

Charles Edward – 67 – Head – Farmer of 110 acres arable– POB Aberdeenshire
Janet Edward – 51 – Wife – Farmer’s Wife – POB Drumblade, Aberdeenshire
Charles Edward – 14 – Son – Scholar – POB Strathdon
William Edward – 10 – Son – Scholar – POB Strathdon
Janet Edward – 8 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon
Margaret Milne – 36 – Servant – General – Servant Domestic – POB Coull
James Davidson – 23 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Lumphanan
John Downie – 78 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Tarland

1875 – Newspaper Advert

An advert from July 1875 advises of the sale of the estate belonging to the Earl of Fife.

1881 – Newspaper Article

The article below detaining a pouching incident outlines the poverty in which some of the farm workers in Glen Nochty were experiencing at this time.

1881 – Census

The 1881 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie

James Gordon – 55 – Head – Farmer of 160 acres of which 100 arable – POB Crathie
Annie Gordon – 47 – Wife – POB Strathdon
James Gordon – 24 – Son – Engine Smith at Factory (out of employment) – POB Strathdon
Jane Gordon – 30 – Daughter – Farmer’s Daughter – POB Strathdon
Donald Gordon – 16 – Son – Farmer’s Son – POB Strathdon
William Gordon – 13 – Son – Scholar – POB Strathdon
Annie G Gordon – 11 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon
James Kellas – 30 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Glenbuchat
George Reid – 16 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
Leah Mollison – 21 – Servant – General Servant – POB Old Machar

1881 – Book mention

Invernettie is mentioned in ‘Wanderings in the Highlands of Banff and Aberdeen’ by J G Philips :

“Leaving the house of Belnabodach, we walked over the cultivated part of the estate, in company with Mr Farquharson. It carries an admirable stock of cross cattle. The estate is of about 458 acres, half cultivated, and half in rich pasture. The situation is pleasant, on the south side of the Nochty. From the house a beautiful view of Strathdon is obtained. On the opposite side of the Nochty is Invernettie, now become the property of the Rev. Mr Watt, minister of Strathdon. Torrincroy, away on a height above Invernettie also belongs to that gentleman, who bought it from the Earl of Fife a few years ago.”

1891 – Census

The 1891 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie.

James Gordon – 65 – Head – Farmer – POB Crathie
Annie Gordon – 57 – Wife – Farmer’s Wife – POB Strathdon
Donald Gordon – 26 – Son – Farmer’s Son – POB Strathdon
Annie G Gordon – 21 – Daughter – Farmer’s Daughter – POB Strathdon
Charles M Gordon – 4 – Grandson – POB Aberdeen
William Riach – 22 – Servant – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
Elizabeth Murison – 15 – Servant – General Servant (Domestic) – POB Strathdon

1894 – Newspaper Article

The following circumstances detail the sad circumstances around the death of William Anderson. The death certificate records cause of death as ‘gun-shot wound to the face (accidental)’

1901 – Census

The 1901 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie.

John Farquharson – 39 – Head – Farmer – POB Logie Coldstone
Jane Farquharson – 39 – Wife – Farmer’s Wife – POB Tarland
Jane Farquharson – 4 – Daughter – POB West Kilbride
James Farquahrson – 3 – Son – POB Strathdon
Maggie Farquharson – 1 – POB Strathdon
Helen Forbes – 16 – Servant – General Serv (Domestic) – POB Kincadine
William Watt – 24 – Servant – Ploughman – POB Glenbuchat
Peter Cowe – 16 – Servant – Ploughman – POB Towie

1911 – Census

The 1911 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie.

John Stewart – 67 – Head – Farmer – POB Strathdon
Charlotte Stewart – 45 – Head – POB Kirkmichael, Banffshire
John Stewart – 21 – Son – Farmer’s son working on farm – POB Strathdon
Margaret Ann Stewart – 19 – POB Strathdon
Charles Stewart – 17 – Farmer’s son working on farm – POB Strathdon
James Stewart– 13 – Son – School – POB Strathdon
Francis Stewart – 6 – Son – School – POB Strathdon
Una Stewart – 6 – Daughter – School – POB Strathdon
Annie Stewart – 3 – Daughter – POB Strathdon
Alex Adam – 67 – Visitor – Farm Labourer – POB Aberdeen

1921 – Census

The 1921 census states the following individuals as resident in Invernettie.

Charlotte Stewart – 51 – Head – Head of Household – POB Kirkmichael, Banffshire
John Stewart – 31 – Son – Farmer – POB Strathdon
James Stewart– 22 – Son – Shepherd – POB Strathdon
Francis Stewart – 19 – Son – Farm Servant – POB Strathdon
Una Stewart – 16 – Daughter – Housemaid – POB Strathdon
Annie Stewart – 13 – Daughter – Scholar – POB Strathdon

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