Auchenblae
Auchenblae is located in Aberdeenshire
Auchenblae
Auchenblae
Location within Aberdeenshire
Population520 (mid-2020 est.)[1]
OS grid referenceNO7278
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Auchenblae (/ˌɔːxənˈbleɪ/, Scottish Gaelic: Achadh nam Blàth) is a village in the Kincardine and Mearns area of Aberdeenshire, formerly in Kincardineshire, Scotland. The village was known for its weavers, a whisky distillery and the annual Paldie's Fair horse market.

Etymology

The name is a derivation from the Gaelic for "Field of Flowers" possibly due to the growing of flax in bygone times.[2]

History

The current parish church was built between 1827 and 1829 by John Smith.[3] The church was built on the opposite side of the Luther Water was built next to an older chapel dedicated to St. Palladius and was formerly known as Fordoun Parish Church.[3][4] The location of the older chapel, known as at Kirkton of Fordoun was the birthplace of the chronicler John of Fordun (before 1360 – c. 1384) and has been a religious site since the 7th century. The bones of St Palladius were brought to Auchenblae.[5] There is a Pictish cross slab, the Fordoun Stone, in the kirk's vestibule. In the graveyard is the ancient ruin of St Palladius' Chapel and there is a memorial to Scotland's first Protestant martyr George Wishart,[5] born at Mains of Pittarrow in the old parish of Fordoun and burnt at the stake under the orders of Cardinal Beaton in St Andrews.

James Taylor, developer of the tea industry in British Ceylon, was born in the village in 1835.

Auchenblae school house was built in 1850 and the current school building circa 1889 (they are Category C listed).[6][7]

Auchenblae village hall on Monboddo Street was built to a gable roof design in 1870 to a design by the Architect Johnstone and is Category B listed.[8]

Auchinblae distillery was a scotch whisky distillery in the village that was in operation between 1895 and 1916.[9] Prior the distillery, the site was occupied by spinning mill, the Den Mill, that was built in 1795 beside Luther Water.[9][10]

In 2009, there was a gas explosion at the Drumtochty Arms hotel in the village.[11][12] The explosion left three people injured and resulted in a fine for the company, as well as demolition of the hotel.[12]

Looking down into Auchenblae from the kirkyard

It is featured in Lewis Grassic Gibbon's novel, Sunset Song, as well as being mentioned in the thrash metal song "Hotel Blast Terror" by Thrashist Regime,[13] based on the tragic 2009 Gas explosion.[11]

See also

Bibliography

  • A. Grove, The History of Auchenblae, Scottish Women's Rural Institutes, Auchenblae Branch, Angus, Scotland (1967)
  • George Robertson (1810) A General View of Kincardineshire, Or, The Mearns, R. Phillips (Originally published by Oxford University), 576 pages
  • Ronald P.A. Smith, Stonehaven/Portlethen Street Plan: Including Auchenblae, Drumlithie, Gourdon (1998) ISBN 1-85812-904-4

References

  1. ↑ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Auchenblae: Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). Aberdeenshire Council. p. 8. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 Historic Environment Scotland. "AUCHENBLAE VILLAGE FORDOUN PARISH CHURCH AUCHENBLAE VILLAGE (Category B Listed Building) (LB10691)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  4. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Fordoun Parish Churchyard, excluding Scheduled Monument No 9723 'St Palladius' Chapel', Auchenblae (Category C Listed Building) (LB10691)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Overview of Auchenblae". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "FORDOUN SCHOOL HOUSE AUCHENBLAE (Category C Listed Building) (LB10731)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "FORDOUN SCHOOL AUCHENBLAE (Category C Listed Building) (LB10731)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "MONBODDO STREET, AUCHENBLAE PUBLIC HALL (Category C Listed Building) (LB49583)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  9. 1 2 Townsend, Brian (2017). Scotch Missed. Scotland: Neil Wilson Publishing. p. 63. ISBN 978-1906000820.
  10. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "DEN MILL BURNETT STREET AUCHENBLAE (Category B Listed Building) (LB10734)". Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Three are seriously hurt as gas explosion rocks hotel". The Scotsman. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Company fined over Drumtochty Arms explosion in Auchenblae". BBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "Hotel Blast Terror on YouTube". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
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