Fetterangus - from the Celtic "Fo-thir Aonaich", meaning Land before a Hill. Locally known as 'Fishie'.

Fetterangus as a settlement dates back to pre-history, but today's village was established in the 1750's as a "planned village", laid out by the third James Ferguson of Pitfour as a centre for his estate workers and for trades people servicing the Estate. Once established, the village became self generating. The populace then required services in turn which would have brought the first butcher, the baker and probably the proverbial candlestick maker.

In 1795 the population of the village was given as 81 inhabitants. In 1891 it was recorded as 358. The population declined from the 1930's onwards to reach a low point of around 250 by the 1960's. New privately built housing and the reconstruction of older properties since the 1970's has seen a slow but steady rise in numbers, and the population is again now touching 360.

Reasons for this abound (including tales of fish wives and harbours) but a Gazetteer of Scotland dated 1780 concludes this byname has some connection with an earlier settlement.

School

Fetterangus Primary School was first established in the early part of last century. At one stage the roll reached almost eighty but in modern times has dropped to around fifty. The school was modernised in 1961 with the addition of a small assembly hall, new classrooms and a
kitchen. For pre-school children, there is Fetterangus playgroup, and also a mother and toddler group.

The "local" secondary school is Mintlaw Academy, two miles distant.

The Village Church

Fetterangus lies within the Parish of Deer and the Parish Church is in Old Deer village. Fetterangus Church was built during the first half of the 19th century as a "Chapel of Ease" to relieve villagers of the need to journey to Old Deer.

Morning services are conducted weekly in the Parish Church, with evening services now held at 6.00 p.m. in Fetterangus on alternate Sundays.

The building is stark in the traditional Presbyterian style. During the first half of the 19th century a Free Presbyterian Church was built on the northern half of the village Square.

Following the union of the U.F. Church with the Church of Scotland in 1929, the less ornate Church of Scotland building became the "village church" and the Free Church was sold off and demolished soon afterwards. The southern end of North Place was upgraded and driven through the site in the late 1940's.

Cemetery

Quarter of a mile to the west of the village is the cemetery and many interesting old gravestones, some dating back to the 17th century.

The ruined chapel within the cemetery was built by the monks of St. Thomas in the 13th century and stands on the site of an earlier place of Christian worship established by St. Fergus in the 6th or 7th century.

Adam King's "Calendar" gives the year Fergus landed on the Buchan coast as 505 AD, pre-dating Columba's arrival on Iona by sixty years, but alternative dates as late as 700 AD have also been put forward. Evidence suggests the site chosen by Fergus had been held sacred by
earlier pagan religions stretching back into the mists of time.

The gateway to the cemetery was erected in the 1920's as the village War Memorial and now carried plaques bearing the names of those lost in both World Wars.

Public Hall

The Public Hall and "Chalmers Institute" was built in 1896. It is community owned and replaced an earlier low thatched roof Hall at the opposite end of the village.

The old Hall stood on the site now occupied by the dwelling houses at 30-32 Gaval Street.

The "Institute" (a meeting place and a public library) was endowed by the Rev Andrew Chalmers, a locally born man of literary note who was vicar of St. John's Church, Wakefield, Yorkshire. The author of a number of books including travel sketches (Sundays in Strange Temples,
Transylvanian Recollections,etc.), Andrew Chalmers also issued three volumes of devotional literature and wrote numerous hymns which made his name familiar to cultured people of many creeds throughout the world. He died in July 1912 and was laid to rest in Fetterangus cemetery. The two thousand or so volumes in the library, including many valuable first editions, were disposed of during the Second World War.

The Hall was extended and updated in 1981 and serves as a community centre.

Bowling Green

The Bowling Green is located behind the Public Hall at the west end of Ferguson Street.

Having no full time greenkeeper it is not always open but visitors are welcome (to play or simply spectate) whenever any member of the village Club is present. The Green has one of the best playing surfaces in the north-east.

Children's Playground

Adjacent to the Hall, and behind the Public Toilets, is the children's playground. Beyond the Bowling Green (with vehicular access off Chalmers Place) is the playing field.

Village Shop/Post Office

As recently as the 1960's the village still had a bakery, two grocery shops, and a separate post office-cum-draper. Ten years earlier it could also boast a shoemaker/cobbler and tailor, but times change and the shop-cum-post office at the eastern end of Gaval Street is our sole
remaining shop. The shop is open daily but the Post Office section provides only a "Community" service during the mornings. Half-day closing is Thursday.

Hostelry

The Lounge Bar on the village Square is a friendly oasis for visitor and resident alike.

Industry

The major employer in the village is Grays of Fetterangus, manufacturing a range of agricultural machinery including tractor Loaders (Loading Shovels) and associated implements for materials
handling, field cultivators, bale and forage handling products. Much of the company's output is for the UK market but export markets include Europe, Australasia, the Americas, Canada and even Japan.

The Village is also home to Alexander Willox & Sons who pioneered a unique cable laying method and specialise in laying cables for British Telecom throughout Scotland.

Population and Housing

Population wise Fetterangus is a "young" village, with less than 12% of its 360 or so inhabitants over retirement age. Children and young people account for 25% of residents. 48% of the population make up the available workforce. Only 15% of the workforce is employed within the
village. 85% commmute to work elsewhere. Significantly, an almost equal number of people commute daily into Fetterangus to work.

Some 75% of housing in the village is owner occupied, the remainder being public sector housing. 72% of all housing is post-1930. 85% of private housing has been built (or reconstructed) within the last 30 years. One of the earliest cottages (8 Duke Street) bears the date 1795.

Observation Tower

Prominent to the west of the village is the Observation Tower in Drinnie's Wood. This 18th century vantage point has recently been redeveloped and is open to the public. Even from the base of the Tower the views of the surrounding countryside on a clear day are quite spectacular. Parking space is provided at the pathway leading to the Tower a little way beyond Den o' Howie Farm.

Walks

There are a number of popular Walks in the near vicinity, which are described in a booklet covering many Walks within Central Buchan. One takes you in a loop by the cemetery, the Standing Stone at Gaval Farm and the Mill of Gaval.

Others are Forest Walks around Drinnie's Wood (with its Observation Tower), the Stone Circle in Louden Wood, the Racecourse and the White Cow Wood where there is again a- Stone Circle-

Sculpted Stone

Affixed to the inner wall of the cemetery (to the right on entering) is an ancient stone probably of Pictish origin. The markings on the stone, weatherworn so as to be now barely visible, are an ornamental cross and the Triad symbol of three circles bound by a central line.

This symbol is found in both pagan and early Christian monuments, representing the Divine Trinity to Christians and the divine triad of Thor, Frey and Odin to those of early Norse culture.

The Old Parish

The "Parish of Fetterangus" had since the time of Fergus been allied to the coastal parish of Langley (now called St. Fergus) to the north of Peterhead, but was formally separated in November 1618 and united with Deer.

Interestingly, the old parish (landlocked within the northern half of Aberdeenshire) was until 1890 judicially a detached part of Banffshire.