Deer Abbey in Aberdeenshire is a beautiful sprawling ruin. It’s a peaceful place to visit. Reflective. A place to peer through old doorways into the past.
If I look back a year into my own past I see myself in quite a state, just about to go into hospital and become monstrous. I am better this year. Better than that anyway. Able to go out and about to places other than my doctor’s surgery.
Which brings me to the man trap:
You would definitely need some medical intervention after stepping in that! It’s a hideous contraption that was designed to catch poachers, widely used in the 19th century by local Lairds. It’s not known how it came to be at Deer Abbey.
From one of the informational plaques, the man trap in use:
For 340 years the Abbey housed a Cistercian community. The monks of Deer wore white robes and no underwear, a brave choice given Aberdeenshire’s low temperatures and the strong gales of winter!
After the reformation the building became the property of the Keith family. Mrs Keith dreamed of angry monks coming to destroy her home, Dunnottar Castle. And more recently, there have been sightings of a ghostly monk on the main road outside the Abbey. Maybe the old Cistercians do not rest easy yet.
I love the ancient trees of the Abbey grounds. And the pink hue of the crumbling walls. The hillside beyond is satisfyingly timeless, and probably offers quite a similar view to the one that the white robed monks looked out on.
A little more Deer Abbey will be dropping into my mailing list next week. Go here to sign up if you like.
FIREFLIES AND CHOCOLATE was inspired by the 18th century kidnapped children of Aberdeen and is set in both Scotland and Colonial Pennsylvania.
Set mainly in an Aberdeenshire castle, THE MERMAID AND THE BEAR features the 1597 Aberdeen witchcraft panic and a love story.
Paperbacks and kindle: http://author.to/mermaid
I remember the bandages and swelling from last year. I am so grateful you are no longer in that place.
Speaking of places, this is stunning. I’m in awe of the ruins and ancient trees (and history). Thanks, as always, for sharing.
Thank you Sarah. I am grateful for that too. And I’m glad you like the post 🙂
I love these posts about the amazing places in your corner of the world! Thanks so much! Interesting and informative.
I’m glad you like them 🙂
If the monks were ever exposed, it would go from ghostly to ghastly. Glad you are having a better year. Gorgeous photos and very interesting history.
Ha ha! Glad you like 🙂
Carl and I lived in Montrose and while there visited & toured many castles in Aberdeenshire. We have pictures of Dunnottar Castle ruins and we plan to return to Scotland to retrace our steps. Loved the post of Deer Abbey and the earlier one of Dunnottar! For those readers who’ve not yet read Fireflies & Chocolate- it’s a wonderful story! I did write a glowing review for Historical Novels Review Magazine but I’m not allowed to publish it on my blog until November 1- trust me- it’s a “bonny” read!
Thank you so much Dorothy! I’ll look forward to the review 🙂
Amazing article, nice pictures…man trap….great Ailish!!!! Wish just best health to You ! You will be OK !!!
Thank you Midian Poet 🙂
Your work is inspiring for the rookies like me. Keep doing the good work.
Thank you 🙂
Very cool. They really didn’t wear any undies lol.
🙂
Wow! Really interesting photos and backstory (esp. about the sans undies monks!). That wandering ghost of a monk must have been hunting for some woolies to protect himself from the updraft! Thanks for the laughs! Hope you’re feeling better each day.
Thank you!
Beautiful story and photographs. Your post has an enchanting feel. The monk who still wanders must be unable to disconnect from the lovely surroundings. Spooky and magical. 🙂
Glad you liked it 🙂
I’m that your health has improved from what it was last year. I love the photos. I’m always intrigued by old ruins.
I love old ruins too.
:Love your saunters through the history of one my favorite group of ancestors. Thanks.
Good 🙂
Beautiful place
It is.
Very interesting. Great pictures. KL ❤️
Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I love your posts and I hope you continue on the path to wellness.
Thank you 🙂
Perhaps we need some of those man traps here! The trees and the view are beautiful!
😀
Gosh, I love this post. Thank you for sharing. The yews are both beautiful and mysterious. The abbey is fantastic, and the information about the monks with no underwear fascinating!
It is a pertinent bit of information, that!
It’s always nice to know the history of a place so you can put yourself there in the past! That man trap looks like a bear trap my dog got snared in on a neighbor’s property when I was little. My dad had to take him to court to get him to pull up his traps. The dog was hospitalized but survived.
Oh your poor wee dog!
I recently visited a page with pictures of portals to another dimension. That arch could definitely qualify as a portal to another time.
It does look, and feel, a bit like that!
Thanks for the pictures and post! I love your small history lessons!
I’m glad you like them 🙂
Great post!! Interesting and quite informative!And great pictures
A charming write-up. I’d love to visit this place!
I hope you get the chance!
You Scottish?
I am already enamored.
Three reasons:
1. Macbeth is my favorite…
2. I love the swing in the snow photo
3.I forget three
4. You have a brain.
I like brains.
not to eat
to read.
Yu can go ahead and bannish me now, but please don’t.
We just met.
Gimme a chance.
I want to read more of you.
Your blog interests me.
Self-serving, c’est moi.
Ha ha! I like brains too…
Well my comment got blown away and I spent five hours on it. This is frustration in a bottle.
It’s found now.
You put so much into your posts. Thank you.
I’m glad you like them 🙂
Wonderful photos, and storytelling to go with it. Judging from these, and the book description, I’ve just added Fireflies and Chocolate to my “to order” list!
I am glad your health is better. Stay well, and write on. (And thank you for visiting my blog, as well.)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the book 🙂
Wow! Now that’s a trap. Ouch! Are there any true stories of them “catching their man”?
Unfortunately, they are meant to have been quite effective!
Good write up with beautiful pictures to accompany it. Nice.
Thank you!
Fascinating information and, oh, I could look at these pictures all day. Definitely wouldn’t want to step in that man trap, though. Yow!
How, indeed!
U.S.-blinders caused me to read this too quickly as “Dear Abbey”. Your version is much preferred. Lovely pictures and fascinating story.
Thank you 🙂