Downies

Downies is a cliff-top village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland situated on Cammachmore Bay.^[1] Historically Downies was a fishing village, until much of the local North Sea fishery collapsed from overfishing; presently Downies is chiefly a residential dormitory adjunct to the city of Aberdeen.^[2]

Local area history

The local area of Downies was first recorded in medieval history in association with the Causey Mounth. Downies is positioned somewhat east with respect to the ancient Causey Mounth trackway, which route was constructed on high ground to render this only available medieval route from coastal points south from Stonehaven to Aberdeen. This passage specifically connected the River Dee crossing (where the present Bridge of Dee is situated) via Portlethen Moss, Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south.^[3] The route was that taken by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Marquess of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of 9000 soldiers in the first battle of the Civil War in the year 1639.^[4]

^ United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map Landranger 45, Stonehaven and Banchory, 1:50,000 scale, 2004
^ Downies and Portlethen Archived 10 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ C. Michael Hogan, Causey Mounth, Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham, 3 November 2007
^ Watt, Archibald, Highways and By-ways around Kincardineshire, Stonehaven Heritage Society (1985)

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v t e Settlements and places of interest in Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements	Auchenblae Chapelton Drumoak Fettercairn Gourdon Inverbervie Johnshaven Laurencekirk Newtonhill Portlethen St Cyrus Stonehaven
Other settlements	Arbuthnott Banchory-Devenick Benholm Bridge of Muchalls Cammachmore Catterline Cookney Downies Drumlithie Edzell Woods Findon Fordoun Glenbervie Kinneff Kirkton of Durris Luthermuir Maryculter Marykirk Muchalls Netherley Portlethen Village Tewel
Places of interest	Causey Mounth Crawton Drum Castle Dunnicaer Dunnottar Castle Fetteresso Castle Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve (Craiglethy) Monboddo House Muchalls Castle Normandykes Portlethen Moss Raedykes Stonehaven Open Air Pool Stonehaven Tolbooth Storybook Glen

v t e Areas and primary settlements in Aberdeenshire (see also: Aberdeen City)
in Banff and Buchan	Aberchirder Banff Fraserburgh Gardenstown Inverallochy and Cairnbulg Macduff Portsoy Rosehearty Sandhaven Whitehills
in Buchan	Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield
in Formartine	Balmedie Cuminestown Ellon Fyvie Newburgh Oldmeldrum Pitmedden Potterton Rothienorman Tarves Turriff
in Garioch	Blackburn Insch Inverurie Kemnay Kintore Newmachar Westhill
in Kincardine and Mearns	Drumoak Fettercairn Gourdon Inverbervie Johnshaven Laurencekirk Luthermuir Newtonhill Portlethen St Cyrus Stonehaven
in Marr	Aboyne Alford Ballater Banchory Braemar Huntly Lumphanan Tarland Torphins