Drumlithie is a small village nestling in the Glenbervie area of The Mearns, an area closely associated with the Burn(e)s family who farmed here for several generations before William, the father of Robert Burns moved to Ayrshire. The churchyard in the village has several Burn(e)s tombstones and there is a commemorative cairn by the roadside.
The Drumlithie steeple has to be one of the most famous landmarks of the Glenbervie area and the story goes that when it was first built in 1770 the inhabitants were so proud of it that they took it indoors in inclement weather. In fact the tall free-standing Steeple of Bell Tower, complete with its weather-vane, was built as a means of "clocking on and off" for the members of the local weaving community.
Because the village lies well away from the main North-South route through the Howe o' the Mearns (the A90), it has retained its somewhat sleepy air, although today it has grown in size due to recent housing developments.
Lewis Grassic Gibbon (see Arbuthnott) was none too complimentary about the place however, with one of his characters in Sunset Song describing the place as "no more than a rickle of houses".
Other than that, there's not a great deal to Drumlithie. Close to the village is the land of Mondynes, and a large standing stone which, legend has it, must be kept whitewashed at all times, stands in a field at nearby Mill of Mondynes, allegedly marking the spot where King Duncan II was slain.
For a map of the area, click here.
