Alford (pronounced /ˈɑːfərd/ Scots: Aaford or Awfort, Scottish Gaelic: Athfort) is a large village in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, lying just south of the River Don. It lies within the Howe of Alford (also called the Vale of Alford) which occupies the middle reaches of the River Don.
Alford
| |
|---|---|
 | |
  Alford Location within Aberdeenshire | |
| Population | 2,610 (2022)[4] |
| OS grid reference | NJ5716 |
| • Edinburgh | 90 mi (145 km) |
| • London | 409 mi (658 km) |
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Alford |
| Postcode district | AB33 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
The "L" sound in the place-name has, over time, been dropped, and is silent. Alford gave its name to a battle of the Battle of Alford (1645). It is also the home of the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, which is celebrated by a life-sized model of a bull on the edge of the village, which the Queen Mother inaugurated in 2001.[5] It is believed[by whom?] that the original breeding ground of the cattle was Buffal, located between Tough (Tulloch) and Craigievar nearby Alford.
The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Museum and Craigievar Castle are visitor attractions, with a range of other archaeological sites, stone circles, and castles (including Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser and Drum Castle) also nearby. One stone circle, originally believed to be prehistoric, turned out to be a 20-year-old replica.[6]
Sport
editAlford Golf Club opened on 15 May 1981. Initially a nine-hole course, it reopened as an eighteen-hole course in May 1992.[7][8][9]
Public transport
editAlford railway station was the former terminus of the closed Alford Valley Railway branch line.
There is a bus service connecting with Aberdeen, approximately 26 miles (42 km) away. There is much new housebuilding going on in Alford as of 2006[update] to cater for a workforce who mainly commute in Aberdeen to work in the oil industry.[citation needed] Bus services are operated by Stagecoach, with dial-a-bus services being operated by Aberdeenshire Council. Bus services connecting Alford to Aberdeen go by two different routes:
Notable residents
edit- Alford is the birthplace of the renowned poet, Charles Murray
- Stewart Milne, chairman of both the Stewart Milne Group and Aberdeen Football Club was born nearby and attended school in Alford
- John Forbes, minister exiled by James VI
- Lord Forbes, of Forbes Castle
- William McCombie, pioneer Aberdeen Angus breeder
- Laura Main, actress in Call the Midwife
- Emeli Sandé, award-winning singer/songwriter.
- Dougie Gray, Rangers F.C. fullback
- William Minto, critic and novelist
References
edit- ^ "Rannsaich an Stòr-dàta Briathrachais Gàidhlig" (in Scottish Gaelic). .smo.uhi.ac.uk. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- ^ Scots Language Centre: Scottish Place Names in Scots
- ^ The Online Scots Dictionary[permanent dead link].
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Davies, Caroline (11 October 2001). "Queen Mother helps to unveil statue of a bull". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ Metcalfe, Tom (21 January 2019). "'Ancient' Stone Circle Actually Built in 1990s by Scottish Farmer". Live Science. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ^ Third, Paul (5 May 2022). "Alford Golf Club's 40th anniversary: Steward who has been there since day one reflects on club's journey". Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ Beattie, Kieran (13 October 2015). "Pensioner hit in head by golf ball as he walked down Aberdeenshire street". Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ Wyllie, James (27 November 2020). "Alford Golf Club manager 'succumbed to temptation' by embezzling £12,000". Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
External links
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