Editing Aberdeenshire (section)

==History==
[[File:Blaeu - Atlas of Scotland 1654 - ABERDONIA & BANFIA - Aberdeenshire and Banffshire.jpg|300px|thumb|left|1654 map covering "Aberdonia & Banfia" ([[Banffshire]])]]
[[File:Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Moray topo.png|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Topographic map of Aberdeenshire and Moray]]
Aberdeenshire has a rich prehistoric and historical heritage. It is the locus of a large number of [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]] archaeological sites, including [[Longman Hill]], [[Kempstone Hill]], [[Catto Long Barrow]] and [[Cairn Lee]]. The area was settled in the [[Bronze Age]] by the [[Beaker culture]], who arrived from the south around 2000–1800 BC.<ref name=EB/> Stone circles and cairns were constructed predominantly in this era. In the [[Iron Age]], hill forts were built.<ref name=EB/> Around the 1st century AD, the [[Taexali]] people, who left little history, were believed to have resided along the coast.<ref name=EB/> The [[Picts]] were the next documented inhabitants of the area and were no later than 800–900 AD. The [[Roman Empire|Romans]] also were in the area during this period, as they left signs at [[Kintore, Aberdeenshire|Kintore]].<ref name=EB/> Christianity influenced the inhabitants early on, and there were [[Celts|Celtic]] monasteries at [[Old Deer]] and [[Monymusk]].<ref name=EB/>

Since [[medieval]] times, there have been many traditional paths that crossed the [[Mounth]] (a spur of mountainous land that extends from the higher inland range to the [[North Sea]] slightly north of [[Stonehaven]]) through present-day Aberdeenshire from the Scottish Lowlands to the [[Scottish Highlands|Highlands]]. Some of the most well known and historically important [[trackway]]s are the [[Causey Mounth]] and [[Elsick Mounth]].<ref>[[W. Douglas Simpson]], ''"The Early Castles of Mar",'' Proceedings of the Society, 102, 10 December 1928</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=The Megalithic Portal and Megalith Map |url=http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18037 |title=C.Michael Hogan, ''Elsick Mounth'', Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham |publisher=Megalithic.co.uk |access-date=6 July 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110610071947/http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=18037| archive-date= 10 June 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref>

Aberdeenshire played an important role in the fighting between the Scottish [[Kings of Scotland|dynasties]]. [[Macbeth]] fell at [[Lumphanan]] in 1057.<ref name=EB/> During the [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman]] penetration, other families arrive, such as [[House of Balliol]], [[Clan Bruce]], and [[Clan Cumming]] (Comyn).<ref name=EB/> During the [[Scottish Wars of Independence]], the [[King of England]] [[Edward I]] travelled across the area twice with his invading army, in 1296 and 1303. In 1307, [[Robert the Bruce]] was victorious near [[Inverurie]].

These new families set the stage for the upcoming rivalries during the 14th and 15th centuries.<ref name=EB/> This rivalry grew worse during and after the Protestant Reformation when religion was another reason for conflict between the clans. The Gordon family adhered to [[Catholicism]] and the [[Clan Forbes|Forbeses]] to [[Protestantism]]. Aberdeenshire was the historic seat of the [[Thomas Dempster#The fall of the clan|clan Dempster]].<ref>[https://www.geni.com/people/William-Leslie-Ninth-Baron-of-Balquhain/6000000007193751531 Geni - William Leslie]</ref><ref>[https://www.electricscotland.com/history/statistical/turriff.htm The New Statistical Account of Scotland]</ref> Three universities were founded in the area prior to the 17th century, [[King's College, Aberdeen|King's College]] in [[Old Aberdeen]] (1494), [[Marischal College]] in [[Aberdeen]] (1593), and the [[Fraserburgh University|University of Fraserburgh]] (1592).

During the 17th century, Aberdeenshire was the location of more fighting, centred on the [[Marquess of Montrose]] and the [[Wars of the Three Kingdoms]].<ref name=EB/> This period also saw increased wealth due to the increase in trade with Germany, Poland, and the [[Low Countries]].<ref name=EB/>

After the end of the [[Glorious Revolution|Revolution of 1688]], an extended peaceful period was interrupted only by fleeting events such as the [[Rising of 1715]] and the [[Rising of 1745]]. The latter resulted in the end of the ascendancy of [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Episcopalianism]] and the feudal power of landowners. An era began of increased agricultural and industrial progress.<ref name=EB/>

The present council area is named after the [[Counties of Scotland|historic county]] of [[Aberdeenshire (historic)|Aberdeenshire]], which has different boundaries and ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]]. The pre-1975 territory of Aberdeenshire was then split between four of the five new districts in the [[Grampian]] region: [[Banff and Buchan]] (which also included eastern parts of Banffshire, including its county town of [[Banff, Aberdeenshire|Banff]]), [[Gordon, Scotland|Gordon]], [[Kincardine and Deeside]] (which also included most of Kincardineshire), and Aberdeen City. Local government functions were shared between the two levels.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973|year=1973|chapter=65|accessdate=17 April 2023}}</ref>

The modern council area was created in 1996 under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]]. It covers the combined area of the Banff and Buchan, Gordon, and Kincardine and Deeside districts that had been created in 1975. The present Aberdeenshire Council area therefore consists of all of the historic counties of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire (except the area of those two counties making up Aberdeen City), as well as the north-east portions of Banffshire.<ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia |editor-first=Dale H. |editor-last=Hoiberg |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |title=Aberdeenshire |edition=15th |year=2010 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. |volume=I: A-ak Bayes |location=Chicago, IL |isbn=978-1-59339-837-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/28 28–29] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/28 }}</ref>