St Machar's Cross And St Machar's Well

NO59NW 2 5032 9988 and 5033 9988.

(NO 5032 9988) St Muchrieha's Cross (NR)

(NO 5033 9988) St Muchrieha's Well (NR)

OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 1st ed., (1865)

St Machar's Cross (NR)

St Machar's Well (NR)

OS 6" map, (1959)

St Muchrieha's or Mochrieha's (Scott 1918) Cross - a cross-incised stone standing on an earthen mound, on the SE periphery of which is St Muchrieha's or Mochrieha's (Scott 1918) Well. A large stone with an artificial hollow stood near the cross and was known as the saint's chair - "Cathair Mochrieha" (Scott 1918).

The cross-incised stone, of either granite or gneiss, stands about 3' high and is about 2' broad and conical in shape. The cross, on the E face of the stone, has equal and expanding arms. The mound on which it stands measures 25' in diameter and about 3' in height.

The well was an excellent perennial spring which was formerly encased in masonry which had been removed by 1865.

The saint's "chair" was broken up and removed for building purposes about 1810.

Watson (1926) gives the derivation of Muchrieha as "Mochridhe" - "my dear one". Scott is the only authority to associate the name with "Machar" which replaces it on the 2nd edition 6".

There is a tradition that the cross-stone was removed and miraculously returned. This may be based on the locally known fact that the stone was at one time removed to Dinnet (NO 46 98) but was returned because it was found to be a boundary stone. It is also locally said to have borne an inscription, which is most unlikely.

NSA 1845; W J Watson 1926; W D Simpson 1935; Name Book 1865; Ogston 1912; A B Scott 1918; Information from OS revisor (D B A) 10 August 1955