The County of Kincardine, also known as Kincardineshire or The Mearns is located on the coast of northeast Scotland. It is bounded by Aberdeenshire on the north and west, and by Angus on the south.

Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven, was the last castle in Scotland to hold out against Oliver Cromwell's soldiers, surrendering in 1652 after an eight-month siege. Only ruins remain of Arbroath Abbey, where Scotland's Declaration of Independence was signed in 1320. At the mouth of the River South Esk, Montrose, is a popular sailing area. The river flows through a 2 mile wide tidal basin which lies between the town and the North Sea.