15th October 2026

Lexie Conyngham

Lexie Conyngham, a writer of historical novels, gave an insightful talk on how she went about crafting her books. She explained that a professional background as an archivist was an advantage in knowing how to access documents for research into the periods she chose to write about. Maps in particular were helpful as were historic adverts, which often gave good insights into the everyday life of a period. Knowing what material to discard was as important as knowing what to use, with the former exceeding the latter. Costume of a period was also useful in getting context about the past.

19th March 2026

Tom Innes

Joint meeting with Cromar History Group at Aboyne

Tom Innes gave an insightful talk on the life and times of Thomas Innes, a local man who lived during turbulent times at the end of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. He trained as a priest in the Roman Catholic Church at the Scots College in Paris before returning to Scotland. We remember him chiefly now as an early historian of Scotland, a role he was much admired for. He returned to Paris to serve on the staff of the Scots College, and in that role became familiar with the exiled Stuart Royal family at St Germain.

19th February 2026

Ann Raeburn

Ann Raeburn gave an informative and insightful talk on the crofts of Stothill, land on a small hill near Lumphanan. She explained that before crofts were established the practice had largely been subsistence farming. The crofts were essentially small holdings, with the crofters having to undertake other work, such as roadmen, to earn a living. She vividly brought alive the hard lives these people endured. Little now remains except a few stones from houses and the outlines of connecting lanes.

15th January 2026

Marcus Humphrey

Marcus Humphrey gave an insightful and very personal talk on the Honours of Scotland i.e. The Scottish Crown Jewels. He explained that they consisted of the Crown, Sceptre and Sword and dated back to being used at the coronation of Mary Queen of Scots. In a well illustrated talk he revealed that he had had a role as a supporter of the sword bearer  in the Service of Thanksgiving in St Giles Cathedral in 2023, when the King was presented with the Honours of Scotland. He added that the sword used in the ceremony was the newly forged Elizabeth Sword; the earlier Sword of State from 1507 was considered too fragile.

18th December

John Henderson

(The scheduled talk for this date was The Schools of Aboyne. Unfortunately the speaker, Aboyne Academy Head Teacher Michael Foy, was unavailable. We are most grateful to our own chairman John Henderson who stepped in at very short notice.)

John Henderson gave a most interesting and informative talk about the history of local hospitals on Deeside and further afield. He explained that the growth of hospitals in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries owed much to legislation strengthening Poor Law provision and Public Health regulation. Aboyne hospital, which opened in 1898, focussed on dealing with infectious diseases such as Scarlet Fever and Diptheria. The chosen site was not without controversy at the time, being opposed, amongst others, by William Cunliffe Brooks. The fear in those days was that infections would spread from a hospital into the wider community. Small hospitals for infectious diseases were also established around this time in Ballater and Braemar. Aboyne and Ballater also had auxillary hospitals during the First World War.

27th November 2025 (note – this talk was delayed a week from its programmed date due to weather)

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson gave an insightful and informative talk on the ‘Scottish Samurai’, Thomas Glover. Glover  was a prominent business man who was influential in Japan at a time when that country was going through considerable political and economic change. The speaker explained that Glover helped the rising generation of political and business leaders make contacts in Britain, which among other things led to Aberdeen benefitting from orders for the construction of ships. Glover had many business interests including with  Mitsubishi and Kirin beer. In the second half of the talk the North East of Scotland connections were explored, notably in Fraserburgh, where Glover was born, and in Aberdeen where he lived with his parents in ‘Glover House’ in the north of the city.

16th October 2025

Kathleen Anderson

Kathleen Anderson gave a well researched talk on the subject of the Balmoral Cairns. These are sixteen stone cairns on the Balmoral and Birkhall Estates. The context was explained of Victoria and Albert buying the Estates and in doing so having a long lasting impact on Upper Deeside, and a continuing Royal connection to the area. It was pointed out that the first cairn commemorated Prince Albert, whose early death devasted the Queen. Thereafter Victoria commissioned cairns, largely to mark the weddings of her nine children. It was fascinating to learn how through the marriage of her children, ties were made and strenghened with Royal families in Prussia, Russia and Spain; and finally we learnt of more recent cairns to mark milestones in Queen Elizabeth II’s life.

Cairns Smith

18th September 2025

Professor Cairns Smith gave a fascinating talk on two eminent North East of Scotland doctors who made a major contribution to our understanding of tropical diseases and their treatment. Patrick Manson from Old Meldrum graduated from the University of Aberdeen and had a medical career in Britain and China, founding the College of Medicine in Hong Kong. The talk explained his discovery of the connection between Malaria and the Mosquito. James Cantlie was another North East doctor featured in the talk. Like Manson his career took him to China and he co-founded the Hong Kong College of Medicine. He also played a role in helping to save Sun Yat Sen from kidnapping in London, thereby enabling Sun Yat Sen to later be instrumental in overthrowing the Manchu Chinese Empire. Professor Smith through his own wide knowledge of medicine was able to combine erudition with insights into the impact of these and other Scottish doctors.