Alford, Aberdeenshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Alford | |
  Alford shown within Scotland |
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| Population | est. 1,950 (2004) [1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Aberdeenshire |
| Constituent country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Police | Grampian |
| Fire | Grampian |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| European Parliament | Scotland |
| List of places: UK • Scotland | |
Alford (pronounced "aaford") is a large village in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, lying just south of the River Don. The place-name is thought to come from the Scots "auld ford"; its original position being on the banks of the Don. The "L" sound in the word has, over time, been dropped, and is silent.
Alford gave its name to a battle of the Civil War, and lies within the Howe of Alford. It is also the home of the world popular Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, which is celebrated by a life-sized iron model of a bull on the edge of the town.
Probably due to Alford's relative isolation and large catchment area, there are a large number of services in the village, including three banks, a supermarket, three garages, two bakeries and a wide range of other shops. There is also a dry ski slope (one of only a handful in Scotland), a swimming pool and a public library.
The Vale of Alford Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Centre and Craigievar Castle are popular visitor attractions, with a range of other archaeological sites, stone circles, and castles (including Castle Fraser and Drum Castle) being within easy reach by road. Situated in Alford, Haughton Country Park is a large and popular green space with a caravan park and woodland walks. The 18 hole Alford Golf Club is an attractive and pleasant course which has a large local membership.
There is a bus service connecting with Aberdeen, approximately 25 miles away.
A small castle can be found at Kingsford about half a mile from the village. This castle used to be bigger but was mostly destroyed in a fire. A small farmhouse is nearby and the farm buildings have been recently refurbished into homes. A ruin of a house lies farther up the lane.
There is much new housebuilding going on in Alford as of 2006 to cater for a workforce who mainly commute in Aberdeen to work in the oil industry.[citation needed]
Another claim to fame for Alford is the world famous Alford Oatmeal, ground at Montgarrie, just outside the town.
[edit] Notable residents
- 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
- Alford is also the birthplace of the person who played the most games for Glasgow Rangers, Douglas Herbert Gray, who played 948 games for the team.
[edit] External links
- [http://www.alfordtaxis.com/ A&M Alford Taxis
- Oatmeal of Alford
- Grampian Transport Museum
- Cragievar Castle
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