The village of Strachan (Strachan, Aberdeenshire) is located some 15 miles northwest of Stonehaven, 3 miles outside of Banchory, north and adjacent to the Highland Boundary Fault. Therefore, the Barony of Strachan is located within the Highland Region. These lands, including Birse and Durris (RMS, ii, no. 251; and Rotuli Scotiae, i, p 10; Skene, 1890), as well as the Howe O' Mearns fell under the demesne of the Mormaer of the Mearns, Máel Petair of Mearns. His name means "tonsured one of (Saint) Peter". One source tells us that Máel Petair was the son of a Máel Coluim. His name occurs in many sources because he was the man who, in 1094, is often credited for the murder of King Duncan II of Scotland. Most historians agree that King Edgar, the brother and heir of Duncan II confiscated Máel Petair's mormaerdom, and converted it to crown lands. By mid-13th century, virtually all of the Mearns were converted to thanages. (Grant, 1998; Broun, 2015; and Early Sources, ii, pp 90).