There are three villages in Old Deer Parish.
[In 1861 there were apparently four. See Biffy below].

OLD DEER PARISH [Deer]
Old Deer ‘lies almost in the centre of the district of Buchan, and is strictly compact. Old Deer parish contains the villages of Deer, Biffy, and Stewartfield [nowadays spelt Stuartfield], and the post-0ffice village of Fetterangus. It is bounded by the parishes of Strichen, Longside, Cruden, Ellon and New Deer. Its length south-eastward in 11 miles, and its breadth 5 1/2 miles. It is watered by two rivulets, the Deer and the Strichen, which afterwards form the Ugie. Population in 1861 1937, houses 1965.
‘There were formerly within the parish several interesting Druidical remains. There are two woollen mills at Millbrake and Aden. There are also in the parish eight mill meals. A number of the parishioners are linen weavers.’ The 1861 Imperial Gazetteer Of Scotland
In 1861 the parish held a Parish church, a Free church, a United Presbyterian church, a Congregational chapel, a Scotch Episcopalian chapel and an English Episcopalian chapel.

FETTERANGUS
The village is locally known as Fishie. People have made various suggestions why.
Lord Pitfour is credited with establishing the village in 1752 as it fell within the lands of the Pitfour estate. In 1861 it was ‘on the property of Ferguson of Pitfour. Most of its inhabitants are are employed in the manufacture of linen yarn. Population 345.’
Wikipedia says the current population is 400, and ‘The local area is rich with prehistory and historical features. Somewhat to the south of Fetterangus are a number of prehistoric monuments including Catto Long Barrow, Silver Cairn and many tumuli. In the same vicinity of the Laeca Burn is the point d'appui [place where troops assembled prior to a battle] of historic battles between invading Danes and indigenous Picts. ’
A remarkable number of fine Stewart singers lived in Fettercairn there in 1960, mostly on Garval Street, and their stories are celebrated in this website.

STUARTFIELD [Stewartfield]
‘Founded in the latter part of the 18th Century, and for some time called Critchie, it now had a post office, U P church, Congregational chapel and girls’ public school. The population in 1861 was 751, and in 1891 597 people, of whom 318 were females’. 1861 Imperial Gazetteer
The Gazetteer For Scotland says ‘The village of Stuartfield was created by John Burnett, the Laird of Crichie who was a relative of James Ferguson of Pitfour. The village bears the name of his grandfather, Captain John Stuart. There was a prisoner-of-war camp here during World War II.’
Wikipedia tells us ‘It was formerly known as New Crichie, and the name is still used by locals as illustrated by the village association website being critchie.org, The name Crichie (Crechy) derives from the Gaelic word for clay.’

OLD DEER [Deer]
In 1861 Old Deer had two banks, one of them commercial, the other savings, and a friendly society, a small library, and the seat of an agricultural association. The village held two annual fairs for cattle and horses, and five ‘fairs of inferior consequence’.
‘Not far from Old Deer stand the remains of the abbey of Deer, built in the beginning of the 13th Century by Cummyn, Earl Of Buchan, for some monks of the Cistercian order. It has been an extensive building, but is very much in ruins. Round the village of Deer is a plain of considerable extent, ornamented with the woods and pleasure-grounds of Pitfour.’ 1861 Imperial Gazetteer
The Gazetteer for Scotland says ‘The settlement of Old Deer is located on the south side of the Forest of Deer. St Columba is said to have founded the Abbey of Deer where the famous Book of Deer was produced between the 9th and 12th centuries. This volume contains some of the earliest known writing in Gaelic. In 1218 the new Abbey of St. Mary was established for Cistercian monks by the Earl of Buchan. noted for its cattle fairs, the village was largely rebuilt in the 19th century. Although smaller that New Deer, Old Deer is regarded as the 'capital' of the area. Situated on the Formartine and Buchan Way, Old Deer has camping and caravan facilities and an Agricultural Heritage centre. The website for The Book Of Deer Project tells that the The Book of Deer is described as “one of the principal antiquities of Celtic Scotland”.

BIFFY [Biffie]
Where and when was the village of Biffy?
The 1861 Imperial Gazetteer Of Scotland lists Biffy as one of the four villages of Old Deer, and the Pont map of about 1610 has the words ‘Ra Biffy’ and ‘Byr Of Biffy’ at a spot south of Bruxie and west of Mill Of Aden. Johnston’s 1850 map shows only one building there, labelled Biffie. Some maps show the 'Brae Of Biffie'.
Currently Historic Environment Scotland lists Biffie Farmhouse as an A Category B Listed Building in Old Deer, Aberdeenshire, saying it was associated with a former brewery and distillery which closed c. 1910.

There must have been a smithy at Biffy. See this rhyme from the Greig-Duncan Collection, Vol 8 p334.
I drank my tay at Scatlan brae
I shoo'd my horse at Biffey
I pu'ed a wand at Benwal's yard
And ca'd him hyme to Bruxie
[Scatland Brae is n.e. of Stuartfield, Benwells is n.w. of Aikey.]

Ra of Biffy and Byr of Biffy.
17th C Pont map

Old Deer