Document of the Month August 2009
The Muckle Spate, 1829
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August 2009 sees the 180th anniversary of the disastrous floods that occurred in the North East of Scotland on 3-4 August 1829. Extremely heavy and slow-moving rain going eastwards over the Grampian Mountains on those days resulted in severe damage being caused to land and properties across the Highlands, North-East, and Angus estimated at £2.04 million in today's money. Records from the time note that 95mm of rain fell over 24 hours in Huntly, and that the water level of the River Dee rose by 27 feet.
There are various references in Aberdeenshire's Archives relating to the damage caused, including the destruction of the Bridge at Ballater, and severe damage to the Bridge of Feugh in Banchory.
But one of the most detailed notes of the event appears in the Aberdeenshire Turnpike Road Trustees minutes in the form of a detailed annual report by the General Superintendant John McDonald on the state of the roads and bridges controlled by the Trustees in the County. As well as containing the usual statements about potholes, McDonald's report provides a striking picture of the devastation left by the floods in Aberdeenshire, as the extract shows.
A full transcription can be found Aberdeenshire Turnpike Trustees Minutes Oct 1829 transcriptions.
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