Aberchirder
| Aberchirder Scots: Foggieloan / Aberchirder | |
| Banffshire | |
|---|---|
 Main Street, Aberchirder | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NJ624522 |
| Location: | 57°33’30"N, 2°37’48"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,149 (2001) |
| Post town: | Huntly |
| Postcode: | AB54 |
| Dialling code: | 01466 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Aberdeenshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Banff and Buchan |
Aberchirder is a village in Banffshire, found on the A97 road six miles west of Turriff. It is known locally as Foggieloan or "Foggie".
History
The village of Aberchirder was founded in 1764 by Alexander Gordon, the 5th Laird of Auchintoul. Until 1823 its name was "Foggieloan" after a small farm community on the site of which it was built.[1]
There is some uncertainty as to how the name Foggieloan originated. There are various theories; the most likely is that there is a stretch of moorland north of where the farm town existed (and, now, north of the village) which was named Foggieloan Moss from two Gaelic words foidh (peat moss) and lòn (meadow), so Foggieloan means peaty or boggy meadow.
Kinnairdy Castle, now belonging to the Innes family is two miles to the south-west, where the River Deveron joins the Auchintoul Burn. In 1823 the village was renamed Aberchirder after the 13th century Thanes of Aberkerdour of Kinnairdy Castle.[2]
As a planned community, the village was built on a grid pattern around a central square and had a mix of single storey thatched, stone-built houses fronting onto the streets (to prevent people having their middens on show) with long gardens intended to provide the inhabitants with a seasonal supply of food. Alexander Gordon envisaged a thriving industrial village and built a small linen factory in Back Street (now North Street) which produced fine linen table clothes and wincey using flax from Auchintoul Moss. By the late 19th century, wealthier inhabitants had built some grander houses and in addition to the Church of Scotland there was a selection of congregations of various denominations throughout the town.[3]
Outside links
- Foggieloan
- Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2004: Aberchirder
- Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2004: Aberchirder history
References
- ↑ Peden, Bob (2010). Old Aberchirder. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing. pp. 3. ISBN 9781840335057.
- ↑ Peden, Bob (2010). Old Aberchirder. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing. pp. 3. ISBN 9781840335057. http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=620.
- ↑ Peden, Bob (2010). Old Aberchirder. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing. pp. 3. ISBN 9781840335057. http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=620.