Burn of Muchalls

The Burn of Muchalls is an easterly flowing stream in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that discharges to the North Sea. Its point of discharge is on a rocky beach set with scenic sea stacks. Flowing principally over agricultural lands, the Burn of Muchalls traverses through the hamlet of the Bridge of Muchalls, flows beneath the A90 road and thence to the rugged shoreline of the North Sea slightly to the south of Doonie Point. Just above the discharge to the North Sea is a scenic pool, used in the drowning scene of Ophelia in the Franco Zeffirelli film Hamlet. A northern fork of the Burn of Muchalls flows over lands of Muchalls Castle prior to the confluence with the mainstem Burn of Muchalls within the Bridge of Muchalls.

History

In the Middle Ages the only coastal land route, the over the Mounth, the Causey Mounth, crossed the Burn of Muchalls at the Bridge of Muchalls.

Near the mouth of the Burn of Muchalls is an old mill that earlier functioned to harness the power of the burn. There is also a fisherman's stone bothy on the cliffs near the burn overlooking the North Sea.

Muchalls

Coordinates: 57°01′16″N 2°09′40″W / 57.021°N 2.161°W / 57.021; -2.161

Muchalls is a small coastal ex-fishing village in Kincardineshire, Scotland, south of Newtonhill and north of Stonehaven. Muchalls is situated slightly north of a smaller hamlet known as the Bridge of Muchalls. At the western edge of Muchalls is the historic Saint Ternan's Church. The rugged North Sea coastline near Muchalls features numerous cliffs, sea stacks and headlands, not infrequently in haar. The Grim Brigs headland is situated at Muchalls southern edge and Doonie Point headland is approximately 1.5 kilometres south.

Charles Dickens visited Muchalls in its heyday as a Victorian resort and declared that Muchalls was a remarkably beautiful place. Footage was recorded in Muchalls for the 1990 film Hamlet. Muchalls is the birthplace of Richard Henry Brunton, the father of Japanese lighthouses.

History

Muchalls is situated slightly to the east of the ancient Causey Mounth trackway, which was constructed on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route from coastal points south from Stonehaven to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the River Dee crossing (where the present Bridge of Dee is situated) via Gillybrands, Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south. The route was that taken by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Marquess of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the battle of the Civil War in 1639. From Muchalls Castle to the sea is a secret cave about one mile long which smugglers once used. The cave is said to be haunted by the green lady. The cave has been boarded up at the castle end and at the sea and (near the bridge of Muchalls) it has collapsed just below the railway line.