Balmedie
| Balmedie Gaelic: Baile Mheadhain | |
| Aberdeenshire | |
|---|---|
 Sand dunes at Balmedie in 2006 | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NJ965178 |
| Location: | 57°15’0"N, 2°3’-0"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,230 (2006[1]) |
| Post town: | Aberdeen |
| Postcode: | AB23 |
| Dialling code: | 01358 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Aberdeenshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Gordon |
Balmedie is a village in the parish of Belhelvie, Aberdeenshire, lying north of the city of Aberdeen. The long and wide beach is bordered by an extensive dune system that stretches 14 miles from Aberdeen to just north of the Ythan Estuary at Newburgh. The dunes are a substantial area of stable grassland where the principal vegetation is marram grass. They support a large array of wildlife. Two watercourses make their way to the sea within the area creating ribbons of wetland vegetation along their course. The area lies within the Sands of Forvie Site of Special Scientific Interest, the fifth largest sand dune system in Britain.[2]
Balmedie village
The village facilities include a primary school, a small library and a sports centre. Shops include a small supermarket, a pharmacy, a fish and chip shop and a convenience store/post office. Other services include a car mechanic, a cafe/gallery and the White Horse Inn Hotel, Bar and Restaurant. Bus services link Balmedie to Aberdeen, Ellon, Fraserburgh and Peterhead. There are four small play parks in Balmedie there are also two full-sized football pitches where amateur side Trophies International play their home matches.
Balmedie Country Park
The Balmedie Country Park provides amenities within the dunes for visitors, including parking, toilets, wooden walkways across the sands and streams, picnic areas with barbecues, and a swing park with a fishing theme. The park is often used by horse riders as a starting / finishing point for beach rides with room to park a horsebox or trailer.[3] The beach is also known for its vast dunes.
During World War Two, Balmedie beach was designated as a bomb cemetery. Defused and unexploded bombs from Luftwaffe raids in Aberdeen were brought here to be cleaned of explosives or detonated on the foreshore. Three pillboxes were build on the dunes at Balmedie to protect a small radar station consisting of three masts. Anti-tank blocks are also located in the dunes along with remains of the barbed wire defences just to the north.
Menie Estate
Menie House is a grand 14th-century country property surrounded by over 200 acres of private land, collectively known as the Menie Estate. The house was designed by the Aberdeen architect John Smith for George Turner around 1835. It is listed as category B by Historic Scotland.[4]
During World War II, a beach minefield was laid beside the Mill of Menie in case of a German invasion. The minefield was cleared by the 11th Coy Bomb Disposal under Major W.M. Hewitt of the Royal Engineers. During construction of the Menie golf course, the rusting harmless fragments of a landmine were found.
References
- ↑ Statistics
- ↑ SNH. "Sands of Forvie and Ythan Estuary SSSI: Citation" (PDF). http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/sitelink/documentview.jsp?p_pa_code=1404&p_Doc_Type_ID=1. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ↑ "Balmedie Country Park". Aberdeenshire Council. http://aberdeenshire.gov.uk/countryparks/locations/balmedie.asp. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ↑ "Menie House (Ref:2787)". Historic Scotland. http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/pls/htmldb/f?p=2200:15:0::::BUILDING,HL:2787,Menie%20House. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Balmedie) |