Dunecht, Aberdeenshire

Dunecht, Aberdeenshire

Dunecht is a small, planned village south-west of Aberdeen. It was laid out in the late Victorian period by AC Pirie, owner of the Dunecht estate.

At the south-east edge of Dunecht stands the great mid-Victorian Dunecht House, built for the Earl of Cowdray to a design by GE Street. The house was the setting for one of the most unusual and intriguing mysteries of the Victorian age.

The Great Dunecht Mystery

When the 25th Earl died in 1880 he was buried in a special family vault. Shortly after, the vault was burgled and the body disappeared. The body remained missing for over a year, and the story was front-page news; even Queen Victoria took a personal interest and sent a note of condolence to the Countess.

The missing corpse was finally discovered reburied in a shallow grave near the house. A rat-catcher by the name of Charles Soutar was convicted and executed for his part in the 'Great Dunecht Mystery'.

There are numerous ancient sites in the area, among them Cullerlie Stone Circle, Sunhoney Stone Circle, and Midmar Kirk Stone Circle.