Inverurie (
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
: ''Inbhir Uraidh''
or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the
River Ury
The River Urie (or River Ury) ( gd, Uaraidh / Ùraidh) is a small river in northeastern Scotland situated in the Garioch area of Aberdeenshire. Its origins are close to Bennachie, approximately 25 miles to the northwest of Aberdeen. The river run ...
') is a town 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 at the confluence of the rivers Ury and
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
, about 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 ...
.
Geography
Inverurie is in the valley of the
River Don at the centre of Aberdeenshire and is known locally as the Heart 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 ...
. It sits between the
River Don and the
River Ury
The River Urie (or River Ury) ( gd, Uaraidh / Ùraidh) is a small river in northeastern Scotland situated in the Garioch area of Aberdeenshire. Its origins are close to Bennachie, approximately 25 miles to the northwest of Aberdeen. The river run ...
and is only from the imposing hill of
Bennachie
Bennachie ( ; Scottish Gaelic: ''Beinn na Cìche'') is a range of hills in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.Whiteley, A.W.M. (Ed.) (1976). ''The Book of Bennachie''. The Bailies of Bennachie. . Mostly anecdotes and verse about the mountain and its surrou ...
. The town centre is triangular and is dominated by
Inverurie Town Hall
Inverurie Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Inverurie, Scotland. The structure, which served as the meeting place of Inverurie Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.
History
The first municipal building in the to ...
built in 1863. In the middle of the 'square' (as it is known locally) is the Inverurie and District War Memorial, capped by a lone Gordon Highlander looking out over the town. The main shopping areas include the Market Place and West High Street which branches off from the centre towards the more residential part of the town. South of the River Don is the village of
Port Elphinstone
Inverurie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Uraidh'' or ''Inbhir Uaraidh'', 'mouth of the River Ury') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about north-west of Aberdeen.
Geography
Inverurie is in the val ...
, which is part of the
Royal Burgh
A royal burgh () was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished by law in 1975, the term is still used by many former royal burghs.
Most royal burghs were either created by ...
of Inverurie and is so called due to the proximity of the former
Aberdeenshire Canal
The Aberdeenshire Canal was a waterway in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, designed by John Rennie, which ran from the port of Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, Inverurie. It was originally planned to reach Monymusk, but had been truncated by the time an ...
which ran from Inverurie to
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 ...
.
Etymology
The word "Inverurie" comes from the
Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
meaning 'confluence of the Ury' after the river which joins the Don just south of the town.
[ In the 19th century, with the increased use of the postal service, many letters addressed to "Inverury" were being sent to "]Inverary
Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Arg ...
" in Argyll
Argyll (; archaically Argyle, in modern Gaelic, ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a historic county and registration county of western Scotland.
Argyll is of ancient origin, and corresponds to most of the part of the ancient kingdom of ...
, on the west coast of Scotland. The town council ordained that the name to be used for council business should be "Inverurie" which they also regarded as being the "ancient spelling". They asked the public to use this spelling in future and said that the Postmaster General had accepted the change. The town clerk made the official announcement on 20 April 1866.
Prehistory
Excavations by archaeologists in the summer of 2018 at the Thainstone Business Park, discovered the remains of: a Scottish Middle Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
(1550–1150 BC) roundhouse and a urned cremation cemetery; Scottish Late Bronze Age (1150–800 BC) cremation practices; and a Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
roundhouse and souterrain
''Souterrain'' (from French ''sous terrain'', meaning "under ground") is a name given by archaeologists to a type of underground structure associated mainly with the European Atlantic Iron Age.
These structures appear to have been brought northw ...
from the 1st/2nd century AD, indicating human occupation in the area for thousands of years. An excavation in 2002 uncovered the remains of another Iron Age roundhouse.
History
The Bass of Inverurie
The Bass of Inverurie is the remnant of a motte-and-bailey castle based on a natural mound about high and in diameter to the south of the town of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The Bass and the adjacent Little Bass to the east are the re ...
is said to have been founded by David, Earl of Huntingdon
David of Scotland (Medieval Gaelic: ''Dabíd'') (1152 – 17 June 1219) was a Scottish prince and 8th Earl of Huntingdon. He was, until 1198, heir to the Scottish throne.
Life
He was the youngest surviving son of Henry of Scotland, 3rd Earl of ...
, brother of Malcolm IV
Malcolm IV ( mga, Máel Coluim mac Eanric, label=Medieval Gaelic; gd, Maol Chaluim mac Eanraig), nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" (between 23 April and 24 May 11419 December 1165) was King of Scotland from 1153 until his death. He was the eldest ...
, in the late 12th century. The religious foundation pre-dates this by five centuries with the establishment of the Kirk of Inverurie now known as St Andrew's Parish Church. However, the town's earliest known charter dates from 1558, with its modern development taking place after the building of the Aberdeenshire Canal
The Aberdeenshire Canal was a waterway in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, designed by John Rennie, which ran from the port of Aberdeen to Port Elphinstone, Inverurie. It was originally planned to reach Monymusk, but had been truncated by the time an ...
linking Port Elphinstone with Aberdeen Harbour in 1806.
On a nearby hillside the Easter Aquhorthies stone circle
Easter Aquhorthies stone circle, located near Inverurie in north-east Scotland, is one of the best-preserved examples of a recumbent stone circle, and one of the few that still have their full complement of stones and the only one that has all i ...
dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. On the outskirts of the town the Brandsbutt Stone
The Brandsbutt Stone is a class I Pictish symbol stone in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Description
A large block of whinstone, high, wide and deep, the stone had been broken up and used in building a dry stone wall before 1866. The st ...
is a class I Pictish symbol stone with an ogham
Ogham (Modern Irish: ; mga, ogum, ogom, later mga, ogam, label=none ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish langua ...
inscription.
There have been three well known battles in the town: The Battle of Inverurie (1308)
The Battle of Inverurie, also known as the Battle of Barra, was fought in the north-east of Scotland and was a victory for the Scottish king Robert Bruce over his chief domestic enemy, John Comyn, 3rd Earl of Buchan. Though part of the wide ...
, the Battle of Harlaw
The Battle of Harlaw ( gd, Cath Gairbheach) was a Scottish clan battle fought on 24 July 1411 just north of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. It was one of a series of battles fought during the Middle Ages between the barons of northeast Scotland ag ...
(1411) between Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles (MacDonald) and an army commanded by Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar;[ and the ]Battle of Inverurie (1745)
The Battle of Inverurie was fought on 23 December 1745 at Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, during the Jacobite rising of 1745.
Background
After the Jacobite capture of Edinburgh in autumn 1745, Lord Lewis Gordon had been designated as t ...
during the Jacobite Rebellion of that year.
The House of Aquahorthies is at Burnhervie on the edge of Inverurie, built around 1797. The house served as a Catholic seminary until 1829 and since then has been a private family home.
During the Second World War, German planes would have been seen several times, due to the bombing of the nearby city of Aberdeen but Inverurie itself was not bombed.
The Inverurie Locomotive Works
Inverurie Locomotive Works was created in 1902 when the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) moved their works from Kittybrewster, in Aberdeen about to Inverurie.
History
The Great North of Scotland Railway constructed its locomotive constru ...
, which closed in 1969, led to a modest increase in size and prosperity, but much of the growth came from the "Oil boom
An oil boom is a period of large inflow of income as a result of high global oil prices or large oil production in an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economic benefits, in terms of increased GDP growth, but might later lead ...
" in 1970s.
Twinning
* Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Bagnères-de-Bigorre (, literally ''Bagnères of Bigorre''; oc, label= Gascon, Banhèras de Bigòrra ) is a commune and subprefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées Department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.
Name
The town was known ...
(France) since 2016.
Industry
Inverurie is a market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, now with a monthly Farmer's Market, with many small shops, businesses and services. Its main industries other than service and commerce are agriculture, oil and, until International Paper
The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 56,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
History
The company was incorporated January 31 ...
closed the mill at Thainstone in March 2009, paper manufacture. The Great North of Scotland Railway constructed its locomotive construction and repair works on a site at Inverurie. Coombes, a small sweet shop, was famed as being the oldest family-owned business in Scotland until the death of Colin Coombes in 1957 whereupon the business closed. The bakery chain JG Ross is headquartered in the town.
Agriculture continues to be a mainstay of Inverurie's economy, as it has done since the town's inception. The Thainstone Centre, to the south east of the town, is a large livestock market, which rents out commercial units to various agricultural support services, oil industry storage yards and vehicle hire companies.
A retail park opened in June 2009.
The town is served by Inverurie Hospital
Inverurie Hospital is a small hospital in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, 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 wit ...
.
Language
Some Inverurie natives speak the Aberdeenshire Doric dialect of Scots, as well as Scottish English.
Other notable ethnicities include English, Polish and American. The council's 2016 population survey estimated a population of 13,480 of which 90.0% spoke primarily English at home, 4.9% Scots and 1.5% Polish. However, 51% of residents reported being proficient in the Scots language.
Historically, Pictish
Pictish is the extinct language, extinct Brittonic language spoken by the Picts, the people of eastern and northern Scotland from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Virtually no direct attestations of Pictish remain, short of a limited num ...
is the ancient language of the area, which can be found in many place names. It appears to have been a Brythonic
Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to:
*Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain
*Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic
*Britons (Celtic people)
The Br ...
language, but its classification remains uncertain. Pictish was eventually replaced by Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
in the area, and evidence of the language is found both in words in the Doric and in place names, such as Inverurie itself. The Book of Deer
The ''Book of Deer'' (''Leabhar Dhèir'' in Gaelic) (Cambridge University Library, MS. Ii.6.32) is a 10th-century Latin Gospel Book with early 12th-century additions in Latin, Old Irish and Scottish Gaelic. It contains the earliest survivin ...
originates from the village of Old Deer
Old Deer ( sco, Auld Deer, gd, Dèir) is a parish and village in the district of Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The population in 2011 was 152. The village lies on the Deer or South Ugie Water, west of Peterhead and from Mintlaw.
Industries ...
, a few miles to the north east.
Religion
The oldest church in Inverurie is St Andrew's Parish Church, 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 ...
which was founded as the "Kirk of Rocharl" by the Culdee
The Culdees ( ga, Céilí Dé, "Spouses of God") were members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England in the Middle Ages. Appearing first in Ireland and subsequently in Scotland, attac ...
monks in the 9th century.
Sports
Inverurie Loco Works F.C.
Inverurie Loco Works Football Club are a senior semi-professional football club from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who currently play in the Scottish Highland Football League (SHFL).
The club was founded in 1903 by workmen from the Gre ...
, who play their matches at Harlaw Park, are the local Highland League football team.
Inverurie Boxing Club, an amateur boxing club located in Kintore. The club was started in 2017 and has since then acquired its own premises and has had multiple Scottish novice and district champions
Colony Park F.C. are the town's juvenile team, founded by Dod Reid MBE in 1978.
Garioch RFC, based at Kellands Park, play Rugby Union.
Notable residents
* Hannah Miley, athlete, represented Scotland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...
.
*Peter Nicol
Peter Nicol (born 5 April 1973) is a former professional squash player from Scotland, who represented first Scotland and then England in international squash. In 1998, while still competing for Scotland, he became the first player from the UK ...
, former world squash
Squash may refer to:
Sports
* Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets
* Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling
* Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
number one, born in Inverurie.
*Barry Robson
Barry Gordon George Robson (born 7 November 1978) is a Scottish football coach and former player who currently works for Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. Robson played as a midfielder for several clubs in Scotland, England and Canada and r ...
, 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 ...
midfielder, born in Inverurie.
*Callum Smith
Callum John Smith (born 23 April 1990) is an English professional boxer. He held the WBA (Super) and ''Ring'' magazine super-middleweight titles from 2018 to 2020, and at regional level the British and European super-middleweight titles betwee ...
– Double Olympian in cross country skiing, who competed at both the 2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
and 2018 Winter Olympics
, nations = 93
, athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women)
, events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening =
, closing =
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Yun-a
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
, winte ...
attended both Kellands Primary School and Inverurie Academy.
Transport
Inverurie has an hourly internal bus service as well as some out of town services, including to 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 ...
– most (but not all) are provided by Stagecoach Bluebird
Stagecoach Bluebird (also known by its legal operating name Bluebird Buses Ltd, and formerly Northern Scottish Omnibuses Ltd) is a Scottish bus company which operates bus services in the areas of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray. It is a su ...
. The town lies on the A96 road
The A96 is a major road in the north of Scotland.
It runs generally west/north-west from Aberdeen, bypassing Blackburn, Kintore, Inverurie, Huntly, Fochabers and Forres, and running through Keith, Elgin and Nairn. The road terminates at the ...
and is served by Inverurie railway station
, symbol_location = gb
, symbol = rail
, image = Inverurie_Train_2019_HST.jpg
, caption = ScotRail HST at Inverurie Station, June 2019
, borough = Inverurie, Aberdeenshire
, country ...
on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line
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 nearest airport is Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeen International Airport ( gd, Port-adhair Eadar-nàiseanta Obar Dheathain) is an international airport, located in the Dyce suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, approximately northwest of Aberdeen city centre. A total of just under 3.1  ...
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 ...
. Port Elphinstone railway station was a freight depot
A transport hub is a place where passengers and cargo are exchanged between vehicles and/or between transport modes. Public transport hubs include railway stations, rapid transit stations, bus stops, tram stops, airports and ferry slips ...
in Port Elphinstone, it is now disused.
Education
Inverurie Academy
(The spirit within sustains)
, city = Inverurie
, county = Aberdeenshire
, postcode = AB51 3PX
, pushpin_map = Scotland Aberdeenshire#Scotland#United_Kingdom
, country ...
is the main secondary school in the town.
References
{{Authority control
Towns in Aberdeenshire