Cross Of Fare Road

Walked the road, access from Turk Wood, and took photographs.

The Cross of Fare Road is a disused route linking the parishes of Midmar and Kincardine O’Neill over the Hill of Fare. It is shown on John Wilson’s (1739)‘Scheme of the Hill of Fare’(NAS RHP9, and on the First Edition OS maps of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire (1860s). The Statistical Account of Scotland 1791-1799, describes the road as ‘at all times unpleasant' (p.615). The road fell out of use in the 1830’s when Innes of Learney built what is now the B933 to improve access to the bridge at Potarch (built 1814).

A length of road between NJ65720 03120 and NJ66520 04570 was surveyed and is described below in three sections: southern, middle and northern. The survey area is also shown on the associated ‘Cross of Fare Road: topographical plan showing route of surveyed section’.

The southern section runs from NJ 65720 03120 to NJ65700 03420, starting at a wire fence 200m NNE of Braeside Farm. This part of the route can be seen and easily followed in the wintertime but is heavily overgrown with bracken during the summer. There are no signs of construction, though the first 300m of the route has been worn into the hillside.

The First Edition OS 6-inch map (Aberdeen-shire LXXXIII 1866) shows the route continuing S from the fence, running around the front of Braeside Farm and meeting up with an estate road to Coirmoir Farm and a peat track to Pitcullen at NJ654800 02700. A peat road also crossed the road at NJ65684 03487 – this linked Meikle Maldron, Thistleycrook and other townships in the W, to the peat banks on the Hill of Fare in the E. The E section of this peat road is still visible today as a hollow way, 1.5m wide and 0.5m deep.

The central section runs across the face of the hillside, from NJ65700 03420 to NJ66300 04070. It is somewhat overgrown with gorse but is still passable. It varies in width from c1.5 to 2.5m and has been surfaced, probably with shale. A culvert has also been built at NJ66111 03752.

The northern section runs from NJ66300 04070 to NJ66500 04570. It survives here as a grassy track running through heather moorland and ends at the gate leading into Upper Tillenhilt Farm.

Information from SRP Hill of Fare, November 2010.

Review of historical maps, archives and printed sources, including J. Wilson's Scheme of the Hill of Fare, 1739 (NAS RHP9), Innes of Learney estate papers (University of Aberdeen), and the Statistical Account of Scotland: Midmar parish (1771-79).