Our Environment

Maryculter is an area of outstanding environmental value.

Maryculter is also an area rich in historically preserved buildings and monuments.

Our landscapes are strewn with environmentally designated Special Areas of Conservation, Ancient woodland and Landscapes of significance.

Our area supports a diverse abundance of flora and fauna; Roe Deer, badgers, otters, bats, owls, curlews, raptors, salmon, ……. and the list goes on.

OUR ENVIRONMENT IS A PLACE OF EXTRAORDINARY DIVERSITY, RICHNESS AND VALUE. IT MUST BE PRESERVED AND CANNOT BE DESTROYED.

River Dee and Crynoch Burn Special Area of Conservation

Much of the area of Maryculter consists of the River Dee valley and lands adjoining the Crynoch Burn, a major tributary of the River Dee.

Both the River Dee and the Crynoch Burn are covered by a designated Special Area of Conservation, in relation to Atlantic salmon, otters and freshwater pearl mussels.

This status gives exceptionally strong protection under both UK and European environmental law, Habitats Directive.

Area of Landscape Significance and Green Belt

All of the River Dee valley within Maryculter is designated as an Area of Landscape Significance. This designation relates to local Council policies that seek to protect the area from development, which would detract from the quality or character of the landscape.

Also much of Maryculter itself remains designated as Green Belt.

The intention with Green Belt lands are to maintain a ring of countryside where development will be resisted, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail.

Unfortunately, Aberdeen’s Green Belt lands appear to be a resource which is steadily and continually being eroded.

Diverse and Abundant Flora and Fauna

Our area is not intensively farmed, much has been left to nature and has physically changed little over many centuries. As a direct result a diverse and abundant array of flora and fauna exist in the area.

The following are regularly seen in this area: owls, heron, curlew, lapwing, raptors, dippers, duck, wrens, frogs, toads, bats, badgers, fox, deer, otters, to name but a few.

Botany, Trees and Ancient Woodland

Much of the area of Maryculter is extremely rich in many types of unusual flora. Corbie Lynne has been noted since the 1800’s as a particularly species rich area.

Within the Parish there are many old, mature trees, with some having Tree Preservation Orders.

Large areas of Maryculter are designated as Ancient Woodland, and there are areas of Long Established Woodland. Several areas of woodland are noted on the 1747-1755 Colonel Roy maps of the Parish. The Military Survey of Scotland, 1747-1755, was undertaken after the Jacobite rising of 1745, and was the first systematic survey of mainland Scotland.

National Cycle Network

The National Cycle Network offers miles of cycle routes on quiet country lanes and traffic-free paths, using easy to follow route signs and connecting towns and villages throughout the UK.

The National Cycle Network passes through much of the back roads of Maryculter, and will be dissected and cut numerous times by the proposed AWPR routes.
We have always welcomed the recreational use of our area by walkers, cyclists, naturalists, and horse-riders. Any AWPR development cutting through and dividing this area would deprive citizens of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire of these amenities to the detriment of their health and wellbeing.

We need to preserve our safe rural routes.

http://www.sustrans.org.uk

Scheduled Ancient Monuments, National Monuments and Listed Buildings

Within our small Parish we have three Scheduled Ancient Monuments; Craigentath and East Crossley field systems and houses, and the Medieval St Mary’s Chapel and burial ground.

There are at least 13 listed buildings within our Area; 7 category B (buildings of regional importance), and 6 category C (buildings of local importance).

We have 77 records of National monuments, contained within our small area. These monuments vary from Cairns and Standing Stones to Watermills and sundials.

A listing of these monuments can be found in the following Microsoft Excel File (Maryculter-List of Monuments.xls).

Fishings and other River Water Sports

Since the 1500’s the fishings on the River Dee at Maryculter has been an important element of the Community both in terms of economic and social development. The current proposal to site a major new bridge east of the Maryculter Bridge would totally destroy any value to the fishing enterprise.

The current bridge at Maryculter and Milltimber, and adjoining river bank, also provides safe and easy access to watersports such as canoeing and rowing that is used throughout the year, by locals and residents of the greater area.

Building a major new river crossing in close proximity to this location will severely impact the considered use of watersports in this area.