The Freedom Lands
In 1319, when the Kingdom of Scotland was passing through a period of depression and the victorious King Robert the Bruce felt he had an honourable duty to perform to those who helped him establish the independence of the Kingdom, a regular feudal Charter of the burgh of Aberdeen and of the Stocket forest was granted the burgesses. The Forest of the Stocket, together with certain additional areas, comprises what is known as "The Freedom Lands".
The Marches
The observance of boundaries or marches and the preservation of landmarks are of remote origin, and go back to the time when man took one of his early steps along the path of civilization. At first, no doubt, the landmarks were natural objects, such as hills, trees and streams, and the rough tracks or highways of the time, but as early society grew in complexity, the necessity for marks of artificial construction arose, and with these came the collateral necessity of guarding against their removal. A riding of the Marches at frequent intervals was undertaken for the purpose of ensuring that the landmarks were not moved, or if moved, that they were restored to their original position.
The interactive map below shows the extent of The Freedom Lands and the Inner and Outer Marches, the boundaries of the lands. The stones have been grouped into four areas, each outlined on the map. Click onto an area to read more about the stones.
Maps
A number of maps of the March Stones have been created over the years. In addition to the interactive map created for this site, maps from 1929 and 1977 can be viewed by clicking the thumbnails, below.
About Us
This site has been created by The Burgesses of Guild of the Royal Burgh and City of Aberdeen, with the support of the Aberdeen City Council, to provide a resource to those interested in The Freedom Lands and the March Stones.
Information about the stones, and images of the March Stones will be added to the above map in the near future.
Images and historical information courtesy of Aberdeen City Council.