Newmachar is a village in
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire ( sco, Aiberdeenshire; gd, Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the County of Aberdeen which has substantially differe ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
about 10 miles (16 km) to the north-west of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
.
The settlement has a long history previously being known as Summerhill within the parish of New Machar, later being renamed Newmachar. Some buildings retain the split name "New Machar" to this day including the primary school and church.
The population, approximately 2,500.,
Aberdeenshire Settlements Population 2016 is served by one shop, two public houses, a primary school, a bowling club and, a football club.
History
Etymology
The name originates from the original parish created in 1609, from part of the parish of
St Machar's Cathedral
St Machar's Cathedral usually called Old Machar (Scottish Gaelic: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Machar), (or, more formally, the Cathedral Church of St Machar) is a Church of Scotland church in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located to the north of the c ...
. The name refers specifically to the village, originally known as Summerhill,
with the surrounding parish being correctly known as New Machar.
In 1928, the name Summerhill was changed to Newmachar, which was also the name of
the railway station serving the village.
Railways
The
Newmachar railway station
Newmachar railway station was a railway station in Newmachar, Aberdeenshire which is now closed.
History
The station was opened on 18 July 1861 by the Great North of Scotland Railway
The Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) was one of t ...
, on the
Formartine and Buchan Railway
The Formartine and Buchan Railway was a railway company operating in the north-east of Scotland. It was built to link the important fishing ports of Fraserburgh and Peterhead with Aberdeen. It had a junction with the main line of the Great Nort ...
, closed in 1965.
Auxiliary Units (World War II)
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
initiated the forming of a British resistance force called Auxiliary Units. These units were put together in top secret, and were selected from areas that could be used to benefit from guerilla warfare. Typically, these units (called patrols) were made up from farmers, gamekeepers and estate workers. Newmachar had one of these patrols that were tasked with destroying the main railways to Inverness, and the Buchan line to Fraserburgh and Peterhead, also RAF Dyce and bridges over the River Don.
Research by C.A.R.
has revealed the patrol members and also the location of the Operational Base. The Operational Base was built underground to house up to 8 patrol members who, when the Invasion came would go into hiding for 7–14 days before coming out at night to attack "targets of opportunity", including assassinations of key individuals (both local and enemy personnel). Aux unit members had a life expectancy of up to 2 weeks after an invasion. All the members had to sign the official secrets act, and were trained at Blairmore House near Huntly. Auxiliary units were well armed with the latest weapons and conventional and booby trap explosives.
Governance
Newmachar is part of the
Gordon (UK Parliament constituency), Gordon county constituency for UK Parliament elections.
For Scottish elections Newmachar is part of the
Aberdeenshire East constituency and part of the
North East Scotland electoral region.
Newmachar is within the
East Garioch ward which forms part of the
Garioch
Garioch ( sco, The Geerie, , gd, Gairbheach) is one of six committee areas in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has a population of 46,254 (2006 estimate), which gives it the largest population of Aberdeenshire's six committee areas. The Garioch con ...
administrative area of
Aberdeenshire Council.
Newmachar Community Council represents the views of residents to Aberdeenshire Council and other public bodies. It has a statutory right to comment on all planning applications including all the major housing developments. The Council has nine elected member with elections held every three years.
Geography
Newmachar is situated on the A947 between
Dyce
Dyce ( gd, Deis) is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
History
Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8 ...
and
Old Meldrum
Oldmeldrum (commonly known as Meldrum) is a village and parish in the Formartine area of Aberdeenshire, not far from Inverurie in North East Scotland. With a population of around 2,187, Oldmeldrum falls within Scotland's top 300 centres of popul ...
, 10 miles (16 km) NW of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
and 100 miles (160 km) NNE of
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. The main road (A947) bisects the village with most amenities (school, church, park, pub & hotel) to the East side of the road, the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan currently proposes adding a distributor road to bypass the village to the north relieve traffic through the town centre.
Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2021 - Settlement Statements - Garioch
Roughly 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east of Newmachar is the old
Kingseat Hospital, Aberdeenshire, Kingseat Hospital a former mental health facility with a village type layout, opened in May 1904 and closing in April 1994.
The site has been designated a conversation area and many of the hospitals building have been redeveloped for residential use.
The village of
Kingseat
Kingseat is a village in Fife, Scotland, approximately northeast of Dunfermline. It was originally a coal mining village with the first pits sunk in the area in 1800. The name of the village is thought locally to have originated from when the kin ...
is connected to Newmachar by the B979 and a separate walking path.
The village is on fairly level terrain at an elevation of 100m, an elevation which proved challenging for the design of the old
Formartine and Buchan Railway
The Formartine and Buchan Railway was a railway company operating in the north-east of Scotland. It was built to link the important fishing ports of Fraserburgh and Peterhead with Aberdeen. It had a junction with the main line of the Great Nort ...
running to the Village. There are a number of springs and burns around the village notably Pinkie Burn to the SE and the longer Burn of Straloch to the SW, these both run south in to Goval Burn which joins the
River Don at
Dyce
Dyce ( gd, Deis) is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
History
Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8 ...
.
Demography
Economy
Culture and community
Shopping
Currently there is only one food shop in Newmachar, a
Co-op Food
Co-op Food is a brand used for the food retail business of The Co-operative Group in the United Kingdom.
Prior to reintroducing the brand in 2016, the group used " The Co-operative" branding, which is still used by a number of consumers' co- ...
. There used to be two shops in the village; A
Costcutter
Costcutter Supermarkets Group is a business based in the United Kingdom and Ireland primarily operating as a symbol group supplier to various independently owned convenience shops and off-licences. It has operations in the United Kingdom, the ...
was opened across the road from the Newmachar Hotel, which had an adjoining petrol station. This closed in 2011 and is now demolished. A small block of flats now stands in its place. The Co-op also contains a
Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
branch.
There is a village pharmacy
Pubs and Hotels
The village contains one pub and one hotel.
The Newmachar Hotel has been named "Evening Express Pub Of The Year 2010". The Newmachar Hotel retained the title as Aberdeen's Best Pub, having won the last time the competition ran in 1993.
Beekies Neuk commonly referred to as "Beekies", has won "PUB OF THE YEAR" twice and was also voted "Best Aberdeenshire business" 2018 in Scotlands Business Awards.
Takeaways
The village has Newmachar Fish Bar and the Famous House Chinese Takeaway.
Newmachar Scout and Guide Hall
![Newmachar Scout and Guide Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/Newmachar_Scout_and_Guide_Hall.jpg)
Towards the south end of the village is the Newmachar Scout and Guide Hall. This hall is used regulatory by various groups including the Scouts, Guides, Playgroup, and many others.
Play park
![Newmachar Play Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Newmachar_Play_Park.jpg)
There is a large play park near the center of Newmachar including a small grass basketball/football pitch. Adjacent to the play park are fenced tennis courts.
Ingram's Neuk
![Ingrams Neuk](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Ingrams_Neuk.jpg)
Ingram's Neuk Community Wildlife Garden is small area of land which runs adjacent to path running between
Kingseat
Kingseat is a village in Fife, Scotland, approximately northeast of Dunfermline. It was originally a coal mining village with the first pits sunk in the area in 1800. The name of the village is thought locally to have originated from when the kin ...
and Newmachar. Started in 2010 it's currently mostly overgrown but the corner of the garden has been well maintained as shown.
The garden contains a willow tree "tunnel", larger snaking arrangement of small boulders, a number of fruit trees, raised beds and wild flowers.
Sport
Axis Centre
![Newmachar Axis Centre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Newmachar_Axis_Centre.jpg)
The original village hall was closed in 2012, and replaced with the Axis Centre, opened on 30 August 2014. The Axis Centre is a multipurpose facility owned and managed by the community. As well as a fitness suite, fitness classes and children's facilities it also houses "The Chinwag Café".
Bowling Club
Golf
The local Newmachar Golf Club located just outside the village is noted for being the official golf course of
Paul Lawrie
Paul Stewart Lawrie (born 1 January 1969) is a Scottish professional golfer who is best known for winning The Open Championship in 1999. He was a vice-captain for the European Ryder Cup team in 2016.
Early career
Lawrie was born in Aberdee ...
at the time he won
The Open in 1999. It was also the venue of a hole in one in which the winner became a professional with a handicap of 24. This was because, to claim the 15k prize, he had to be a pro at the sport.
Football
The village is also host to
Newmachar United F.C.
Newmachar United Junior Football Club are a Scottish football club from the village of Newmachar, Aberdeenshire. They became members of the Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affil ...
, who are affiliated with the
Scottish Junior Football Association
The Scottish Junior Football Association (SJFA) is an affiliated national association of the Scottish Football Association and is the governing body for the junior grade of football in Scotland. The term "junior" refers to the level of football ...
.
Education
Primary
![New Machar School](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/New_Machar_School.jpg)
New Machar School is a non-denominational primary school. It has a current role of 370 P1-P7 pupils and 55 pupils in the Early Learning and Childcare Centre. The catchment area is the village of Newmachar and the surrounding rural area.
Secondary
For secondary education most pupils transfer to
Dyce Academy
Dyce Academy is the only state secondary school in Dyce, a small suburb of Aberdeen, serving as the sole provider of secondary education in the area. Dyce Academy's catchment area includes Dyce and the nearby village of Newmachar, though some ...
, an Aberdeen City school.
Library
![Newmachar Library](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Newmachar_Library.jpg)
Located across the road from the primary school is Newmachar Library part of "Live Life Aberdeenshire Library Services".
Religious sites
File:New Machar Church.jpg, Outside of the Newmachar Church taken from School Road
File:Newmachar Church.jpg, Other view of Newmachar Church also taken from School Road showing grave yard
File:The Pathway Centre.jpg, Outside of The Pathway Centre taken from School Road
New Machar Church is a late 18th century building and part of the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
with an extension built in 2006-2007.
The Pathways Centre was officially opened on Easter Sunday 2018, it comprises one main hall with multimedia facilities, a small meeting room and small kitchen for preparation of refreshments.
![Newmachar Cemetery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Newmachar_Cemetery.jpg)
New Machar Cemetery, located a short distance from the church, contains burials from 1905. There are also Commonwealth War Graves within the Cemetery with a Cross of Sacrifice near the entrance.
The Parish of Newmachar War Memorial is located west of village.
File:Newmachar War Memorial.jpg, Newmachar War Memorial with poppy wreath
File:Newmachar War Memorial - Side1.jpg, Newmachar War Memorial - In Memory of Our Gallant Men Who Fell In The Great Wars, Their Name liveth for evermore
File:Newmachar War Memorial - Side2.jpg, Newmachar War Memorial - Names
File:Newmachar War Memorial - Side3.jpg, Newmachar War Memorial - Names
File:Newmachar War Memorial - Side4.jpg, Newmachar War Memorial - Names
In pop culture
The hamlet of Brokenwind (or Brokenwynd) near Newmachar was named the UK's third worst place name in a 2012 poll.
September 6, 2018, Radio 1 presenter Greg James managed to get a Cornish Pasty delivered to the village from Cornwall via Radio 1 listeners over the course of four days.
Notable people
*
Thomas Reid
Thomas Reid (; 7 May ( O.S. 26 April) 1710 – 7 October 1796) was a religiously trained Scottish philosopher. He was the founder of the Scottish School of Common Sense and played an integral role in the Scottish Enlightenment. In 1783 he wa ...
(1710-1796), The philosopher was parish minister from 1737 to 1752.
*
Nora Griffith
Nora Griffith (7 December 1870 – 21 October 1937) was a Scottish Egyptologist, archaeologist, illustrator and conservator. On the death of her husband, the eminent Egyptologist Francis Llewellyn Griffith, she founded and endowed the Griffi ...
(1870-1937), The Egyptologist and archaeologist was born in the village.
*
Neil Simpson
Neil Alexander Simpson (born 15 November 1961) is a Scottish former association football, footballer, who played for Aberdeen F.C., Aberdeen, Newcastle United F.C., Newcastle United, Motherwell F.C., Motherwell and Scotland national football te ...
(born 1961), The village was also the home to former
Aberdeen FC
Aberdeen Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen, Scotland. They compete in the Scottish Premiership and have never been relegated from the top division of the Scottish football league system since they were ...
player who was part of the Aberdeen team which won the
1983 Cup Winner's Cup under
Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson (born 31 December 1941) is a Scottish former football manager and player, best known for managing Manchester United from 1986 to 2013. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all tim ...
.
* Jenny Gray (born 1932), awarded
British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...
for services to the Scouting Movement.
Press & Journal article "Honours: Newmachar founding scout leader awarded BEM for more than 40 years of service"
References
External links
Newmachar Community Council
Newmachar Golf Club
British Resistance Archive - Coleshill Auxiliary Research Team (CART)
{{Authority control
Villages in Aberdeenshire