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Pennan ( sco, Peenan) is a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, consisting of a small harbour and a single row of homes, including a hotel. It is on the north-facing coast and is about one hour's drive from
Pennan seems to have come into existence as a fishing village in the 18th century. The people of Pennan were dependent on the sea. Most families had small boats for their own personal use. Where the men would catch the fish, it was usually down to the women and children to try to sell it to clients in the country. Until the 1930s, the population of the village seems to have come under three main surnames - Watt, Gatt and West. In the last 50 years, most of the native families have moved out and most of the houses have been bought as holiday homes.
Pennan became famous in the 1980s for being used as one of the main locations for the film '' Local Hero'', and representing the fictional village of ''Ferness''. Film enthusiasts have come from all over the world to make a phone call in the
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 ...
. It was formerly known as St Magnus Haven or Auchmedden.
Etymology
The name ''Pennan'' was recorded in 1587 as ''Pennand''. It is possibly derived from theBrittonic
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 ...
element ''*pen'' meaning "head, end, promontory" ( Welsh ''pen'').
Area history
Pennan seems to have come into existence as a fishing village in the 18th century. The people of Pennan were dependent on the sea. Most families had small boats for their own personal use. Where the men would catch the fish, it was usually down to the women and children to try to sell it to clients in the country. Until the 1930s, the population of the village seems to have come under three main surnames - Watt, Gatt and West. In the last 50 years, most of the native families have moved out and most of the houses have been bought as holiday homes.
Pennan became famous in the 1980s for being used as one of the main locations for the film '' Local Hero'', and representing the fictional village of ''Ferness''. Film enthusiasts have come from all over the world to make a phone call in the red telephone box
The red telephone box, a telephone kiosk for a public telephone designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar.
Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, ...
in the village. The phone box featured in the film was a prop. The genuine telephone box, a few yards away, was hidden from view during filming by a prop shed. The Pennan phone box (+44 (0)1346 6210) has been a listed building since 1989.
Landslips, especially one in 2007, have been damaging the village. In 2009 a 25-foot crack appeared on the cliff side, sparking calls for the village to be evacuated.
This part of Aberdeenshire was inhabited by prehistoric peoples since at least the 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 prin ...
. One of the most ancient extant monuments is the long barrow
Long barrows are a style of monument constructed across Western Europe in the fifth and fourth millennia BCE, during the Early Neolithic period. Typically constructed from earth and either timber or stone, those using the latter material repre ...
at Longman Hill
Longmanhill is a Bronze Age long barrow situated atop a prominent rounded landform in northern Aberdeenshire, Scotland near Banff Bay. Due to the low-lying coastal plain characteristics, the elevation of Longmanhill affords a long-distance view as ...
.C.M.Hogan, 2008
The nearby harled
Harling is a rough-cast wall finish consisting of lime and aggregate, known for its rough texture. Many castles and other buildings in Scotland and Ulster have walls finished with harling. It is also used on contemporary buildings, where it pr ...
early-19th-century farmhouse of Mains of Auchmedden "recall the palace of the Bairds of Auchmedden, demolished in the late 18th century". Some of its materials was possibly reused in New Pitsligo
New Pitsligo ( sco, Pitsligae), also known as Cavoch (locally ''Cyaak''),
Stone lifting enthusiasts can now enjoy the opportunity to lift the Millshore Ston
which is a natural lifting stone, thought to be made of granite. It can be easily found next to Mill of Nethermil
which is the bay immediately west of Penna
Parish churches
– website for Aberdour and Pennan churches
The Pennan Inn
- hotel in Pennan {{authority control Villages in Aberdeenshire
which is a natural lifting stone, thought to be made of granite. It can be easily found next to Mill of Nethermil
which is the bay immediately west of Penna
Footnotes
References
* United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map (2004) Landranger, 1:50000 scale * C.Michael Hogan (2008) ''Longman Hill'', Modern AntiquariaExternal links
*Parish churches
– website for Aberdour and Pennan churches
The Pennan Inn
- hotel in Pennan {{authority control Villages in Aberdeenshire