Skene (
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
: ''Sgainn'') is a small farming community in North East
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 ...
some 10 km 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 two traditional villages are
Kirkton of Skene and Lyne of Skene. As the name suggests, Kirkton is still the location of
Skene Parish Church
Skene Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in Skene, part of the Presbytery of Gordon. The parish has two places of worship, Skene Church in Kirkton of Skene and Trinity Church in Westhill. The current minister is Rev. Stel ...
. ''Lyne'' means 'glade' or 'enclosure'.
Kirkton of Skene consists of a main road that runs through its centre that branches off into a small warren of 5 or so streets that service just under 100 houses, a pub - The Red Star Inn, a big playpark, a village hall, the church and "The Village Store" the local shop.
The main concentration of population in the area is further east at the newer settlements of
Westhill and
Elrick
Elrick ( gd, An Eilreig) is a small village on the A944 road west of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. The name derives from a Gaelic word meaning a place where deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cerv ...
, both of which are built around ancient hamlets.
Nearby are the
Loch of Skene and Skene House.
In the 16th and 17th century the local Laird, Alexander Skene, was known as the "Wizard of Skene", and is the subject of legend and folklore in the local area. He is buried in Skene Churchyard.
[https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/wizard-lairds-dance-devil-2463535?amp - The Scotsman - Wizard Laird's dance with the devil]
References
;Map references
*Kirkton of Skene:
*Lyne of Skene:
External links
Skene Heritage Society;Gazetteer for Scotland
Villages in Aberdeenshire
{{Aberdeenshire-geo-stub