Kittybrewster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article refers to the area of Aberdeen. There is also a Kitty Brewster (sic) trading estate in Blyth, Northumberland.

Kittybrewster is an area within Aberdeen, Scotland, north of the city centre and roughly south-west of Old Aberdeen. Within the area the A9012 road joins the A978 road; there are also several railway tracks, one of which follows the route of the Aberdeenshire Canal. The name Kittybrewster has been given to three railway stations over the years, including Aberdeen's original main railway station for routes to the north (on the Great North of Scotland Railway). All three stations are now gone, although the route north continues.

The area now contains a small number of bars, the Kittybrewster and Woodside Bowling Club, Kittybrewster Primary School, two retail parks (on the sites of former railway yards), a council depot (on the site of one of the railway stations) and the moderne-styled Northern Hotel.

The name first appears in an official document of 1615, although the lands around were known as the Browster lands in 1376; in 1675 it appeared again as "Kettiebrauster". It has a Celtic derivation from Cuitan Briste, meaning "broken fold". (Cuitan, dim. of cuit, fold; briste, broken.) Usually, folds for cattle had water near them. Kittybrewster was in the den now called Berryden, which means watery den.^[1]

The name is remembered in a Victorian era fantasy poem by William Cadenhead (1819-1904), "Kittybrewster".

She sell’t a dram – I kent her fine –
Out on the road to Hilton;
Afore the door there stood a sign,
A hint a lairack beltin’.

The sign to mak’ it bright and gay
Taxed Tinto’s best resources,
An ale-stoup and a wisp o’ hay –
“Farin’ for men and horses.”

Her dram was good, but O, her ale!
“Twas it that did her credit,
Aboon a’ brewsts it bore the bell,
And ‘twas hersel’ that made it;

Just twa-three waughts o’t wi’ a frien’,
Out ower a bargain makin’,
Wad cheer your heart and light your een,
And set your lugs a-cracklin’.

Her yaird had midden-cocks and game,
And mony a cacklin’ rooster;
She was a canty, kindly dame,
They ca’d her Kitty Brewster.

Alas, the change! Houses, like men,
Have just their life to live it;
Kind Kitty’s canty but-and-ben
Is levelled with the divot.

Kate’s brewin’ craft and spotless fame –
For name had e’er traduced her –
We own that Lily Bank we name
Conjoined wi’ Kitty Brewster.

Sir John Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet (1912-1992) was born at Powis House, Kittybrewster and took the name as his territorial designation when he was given a baronetcy in 1964.