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Click here for a general location map Click here for a map of the
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Abernethy is situated on the banks of the River Earn where it joins the River Tay in Perthshire close to the border with Fife. Perthshire is one of the most attractive areas of Scotland and Abernethy provides an ideal base for exploring this part of Scotland while still providing easy access to Edinburgh (45 miles by Motorway most of the way), Glasgow (60 miles by trunk road), Dundee (31 miles by trunk road), Aberdeen (106 miles by trunk road) and Inverness (116 miles by trunk road).
The
countryside around Abernethy provides wonderful opportunities for
recreation having many golf courses including, Carnoustie, Gleneagles,
Lansdown, St Andrews, (to mention but a few) virtually on the doorstep.
In fact there are more than 40 courses in a 20 mile radius and of
these at least 20 are championship courses. The fishing villages
of the East
Neuk of Fife, the Angus glens, and the majesty of highland Perthshire
are all easily accessible by car from Abernethy. Abernethy itself has an interesting circular walk with fine views and historic associations. Abernethy nestling in the Ochill hills overlooking the lands of the Earn and Tay estuaries, at first sight appears to be a typical Perthshire Village, with narrow winding streets lined with 18th century houses. The main A913 road bypasses the centre of the village leaving it a peaceful place. But other than the famous Round Tower there is little to show that Abernethy, was at one time, an ecclesiastical capital and a place of immense significance in Scotland's Story. The remains of an Iron Age hill fort on Castle Law, above the village, show that the area was populated in pre Roman times. The grassy embankments, which remain, show that the fort had massive twin walls of stone filled with rubble and timber. The Romans themselves had a camp at Ardargie, just to the west and excavations have revealed a Roman residence and bathhouse at nearby Carpow, dating from the late 2nd century.
Abernethy has a long history of religious involvement: the first Christian Church had been established in 460AD and was restored by St Columba in 590AD. The Church became a Monastery from which monks travelled out to spread their gospel to the Pictish people. As Abernethy's reputation as a centre of learning grew it was selected by Pictish Kings as their capital and place of residence, being once the seat of the Bishops of the whole Pictish kingdom. .
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At least one of these kings was called Nectan -giving the village its name - Obar Nectar – Nectan’s work/strong hold. Although the primacy of the Church passed to Dunkeld when the Scots became united under Kenneth MacAlpin, monks continued to live in Abernethy: however the increasing ascendancy of the Celtic Church meant they were Culdee monks rather than Columbians Most Church buildings were destroyed during the Reformation in 1560. Later, in the mid 18th century Abernethy became a leading centre of the Secession Church. The round tower built in the early 9th century, is one of only two such towers in Scotland, the other being at Brechin. This 72ft/22m tall tower was built by the monks from the nearby monastery and has served several purposes; as a place of refuge, as a belfry and as a sepulchral - several skeletons have been unearthed within the building. Attached to the outer wall, medieval jougs (an iron collar and chain) can be seen and there is part of a Pictish sculpture stone at the foot of the Tower. In 1072 Scottish king Malcolm Canmore was here forced to kneel and pay homage to William the Conqueror. William had battled northwards with such great success that Malcolm's capitulation seemed to be the only way to persuade the Normans to return to England.
Abernethy had a thriving agricultural industry, helped by the fertile lands along the banks of the rivers Earn & Tay. The rivers also supported salmon fishers & ferrymen and although the salmon fishing has all but disappeared in the Abernethy area, the ferries and ferrymen long gone, agriculture still plays a large part in the local economy today. Other than the Round Tower there are several other interesting buildings in the village.
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