Inverbervie (Ordnance Survey grid reference ) is a small town on the north-east coast of Scotland, south of Stonehaven, in the Aberdeenshire council area.

The Inverbervie name derives from Inbhir Beirbhe, meaning Mouth of the River Bervie in Scottish Gaelic.

History

Inverbervie appears in written history at least as far back as the 12th century AD; in a document relating to Arbroath Abbey, Simon of Inverbervie is noted as having witnessed a charter transferring the lands of Balfeith to the Abbey. The settlement was formerly a royal burgh from 1342 to 1975 and a parliamentary burgh from 1708 to 1950, the former status being conferred by David II of Scotland for hospitality he and his Queen received when shipwrecked there the previous year when returning from exile.

A small harbour in the town was important in early years but despite improvements by Thomas Telford in 1819, disappeared by 1830 owing to the build up of the shingle bar at the river mouth. The first flax spinning mill in Scotland was established here at the Haughs around 1790 and by 1910 there were nine in operation employing 500-600 workers. As a result of this, the population of the settlement peaked at over 2,500 around the turn of the 20th Century but has since declined owing the downturn in that industry.

The town was within the county of Kincardineshire until 1975, when the county was merged into the Grampian Region. The Aberdeenshire unitary council area, which now includes Inverbervie, was created when the region system was eradicated in 1996. Aberdeenshire is also the name of another former county which was merged into the Grampian Region in 1975.

Prominent local buildings include Hallgreen Castle, founded in 1376, standing on a bluff overlooking the sea towards the southern end of the town.

Parliamentary burgh

The parliamentary burgh which existed from 1708 to 1950 was a component of the Aberdeen district of burghs of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832.

In 1832 Inverbervie became a component of the Montrose district of burghs.

In 1950 it was merged into the North Angus and Mearns constituency. North Angus and Mearns was replaced with new constituencies in 1983.

Notable ''Residents

• John Arbuthnot, mathematician, physician, satirist and polymath
• Hercules Linton, designer of the Cutty Sark clipper ship
• Lewis Grassic Gibbon, author, lived in nearby Arbuthnott

Attractions

Inverbervie has the local "Bervie Chipper" which won an award for the best fish and chip shop in the UK in 1998.

See also

• List of burghs in Scotland
• Aber and Inver as place-name elements
• Allardice Castle

References