Banchory-Ternan
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Banchory (, , ) is a
burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...
or town in
Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
, historically in
Kincardineshire Kincardineshire or the County of Kincardine, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the stewartry"), is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area on the ...
, Scotland. It is about west of
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
, near where the
Feugh River The Water of Feugh ( or ) is a stream in Aberdeenshire that is the largest tributary to the River Dee. This stream rises in the Grampian Mountains of Scotland, in an area known as the Forest of Birse, and has a particularly scenic aspect in a ...
meets the River Dee.


Prehistory and archaeology

In 2009, a farmer discovered a short
cist In archeology, a cist (; also kist ; ultimately from ; cognate to ) or cist grave is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. In some ways, it is similar to the deeper shaft tomb. Examples occur ac ...
burial to the east of the town.
Archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
were called into excavate it and they found that it was a burial from the
Beaker culture The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell Beaker (archaeology), beaker drinking vessel used at the beginning of the European Bronze Age, ...
. Radiocarbon dating put the burial at sometime between 2330 and 2040 BC.
Stable isotope analysis Isotope analysis is the identification of isotopic signature, abundance of certain stable isotopes of chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds. Isotopic analysis can be used to understand the flow of energy through a food web ...
of the human remains indicated that he or she grew up on basalt geology, like that of the region, or on chalk, meaning they were either local or could have come from another place, like
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
. Residue analysis of the Beaker pot found in the burial established that it had held either butter or milk.


History

The name is thought to be derived from an early Christian settlement founded by
St Ternan Saint Ternan (''fl.'' fifth or sixth century) is venerated as the "Bishop of the Picts". Not much is known of his life. Different historians place him either at the mid-fifth century or the latter part of the sixth. Those who place him in the ear ...
. It is claimed that Ternan was a follower of
St Ninian Ninian is a Christian saint, first mentioned in the 8th century as being an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland. For this reason, he is known as the Apostle to the Southern Picts, and there are numerous dedicatio ...
. Tradition has it that he established his settlement on the banks of the River Dee on what was later to become the kirkyard of the medieval parish of Banchory-Ternan. The village and parish retained the name until the 1970s. The original Gaelic form is almost identical to that of Bangor, of similar meaning, and also the site of a monastery, in Northern Ireland. Relics associated with St. Ternan were preserved by hereditary keepers at Banchory until the
Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process whereby Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke away from the Catholic Church, and established the Protestant Church of Scotland. It forms part of the wider European 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Fr ...
. Two early Christian cross-slabs survive in or near the old churchyard on the site of the early church. One is built into a corner of the 'mort house' in the churchyard, and shows two crosses incised in a worn pink granite slab. The other is a ringed cross in relief built into the wall facing the main road outside the churchyard.
Glen o' Dee Hospital Glen o' Dee Hospital is situated in the west end of Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a small community hospital that provides services for the population of Royal Deeside supported by local GPs. It is managed by NHS Grampian. History T ...
was the first
sanitorium A sanatorium (from Latin ''wikt:sanare, sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a Hospital#Specialized, specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sa ...
to be built in Scotland. It was designed by George Coutts of
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
and opened in 1900. It was constructed mainly of timber with a central tower of
Hill of Fare The Hill of Fare is a small hill in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located about 5 km (3 miles) northeast of the village of Torphins. The hill is long and ridge-shaped, and 470 metres (1542 feet) tall at its highest point. At the top of the ...
granite. All rooms had balconies and verandas and faced south across the river. Access corridors ran along the north side. A recreation pavilion was later added to the south‑east, below the dining‑hall. On 13 October 2016 the former hospital was destroyed by fire. Two 13-year-old boys were later charged by the police in connection with the blaze. From 1946 to 1986,
lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...
fields were in production in Banchory and the industry made the town world famous.


Overview

Banchory is the largest town in the area and has a High Street. There are a number of hotels and restaurants including the Stag Hotel, Scott Skinners Bar and Restaurant, the Burnett Arms, and the Douglas Arms. The shops include newsagents, hairdressers and chemists. Since the 1970s, the town has grown steadily. Since 2001 there has been rapid expansion. A large forested area 'the Hill of Banchory', owned by the Burnett family (owners of
Crathes Castle Crathes Castle (pronounced ) is a castle, built in the 16th century, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is in the historic county of Kincardineshire. This harled castle was built by the Burnetts of Leys and was owned by the family for ...
), to the north east of the town has been replaced by a large housing estate and an influx of new residents. The Hill of Banchory primary school was opened in 2006 to cater for the increased population.
Banchory Town Hall Banchory Town Hall is a municipal structure in the High Street, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The structure is primarily used as a community events venue. History The foundation stone for the town hall, which was financed by public subscr ...
was completed in 1873 and the Kinneskie Road drill hall was completed in around 1908.


Land use

Banchory Academy Banchory Academy is a secondary school serving Banchory, Scotland and surroundings, including the neighbouring communities of Raemoir, Crathes, Strachan, Drumoak, Durris, Inchmarlo and Glassel. The current school roll is around 800 pupils. Rec ...
is a
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
secondary school, with a school roll capacity of 900. The Banchory Sports Village opened in 2019 within the Hill of Banchory development area, with a 25 m 6-lane swimming pool, gym and sports hall.


Tourism and culture

Banchory is known as the Gateway to
Royal Deeside The River Dee () is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It source (river), rises in the Cairngorms and flows through southern Aberdeenshire to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen. The area it passes through is known as Deeside, or Royal Deeside in ...
. Banchory River Festival used to be held every June: the main event is held on the Saturday in the Bellfield Park, Banchory.The Banchory show is held every July: there is an Agricultural Show, Dog Show, Craft Fair, Highland Dancing Competition and the Scolty Hill Race, as well as traditional fairground stalls and games. Scotland's only
Rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
distillery, Dark Matter Distillers, is located on the outskirts of Banchory.


Transports

In 1853
Banchory railway station Banchory railway station was situated on the Aberdeen and Ballater branch (the Deeside Line). It was situated at from Aberdeen, and was the terminus of the railway from its opening on 8 September 1853 until extension to in 1859. The branch ...
was opened on the
Deeside Railway The Deeside Railway was a passenger and goods railway between Aberdeen and Ballater in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Opening in 1853 to Banchory, an extension reached Aboyne in 1859. A separate company, the Aboyne & Braemar Railway, built an extensi ...
. The station was closed by
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. Originally a trading brand of the Railway Executive of the British Transport Comm ...
in 1966. The town is on the
Deeside Way The Deeside Way is a rail trail that follows, in part, the bed of the former Deeside Railway in Aberdeenshire. Forming part of the National Cycle Network (National Route 195) the trail leads from Aberdeen to Ballater. The route The pathway r ...
, a shared pedestrian and cycle path which runs along the trackbed of the former Deeside Railway. In 2017, the Banchory town service 205 was withdrawn. An internal bus was re-introduced in 2020.


Notable people

*Sir John Macqueen Cowan (1891–1960), botanist *
James Scott Skinner James Scott Skinner (5 August 1843 – 17 March 1927) was a Scottish dancing master, violinist, fiddler and composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential fiddlers in Scottish traditional music, and was known as "the Strathspey Kin ...
(1843–1927), fiddler and composer *
Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a folkloristics, collector of folklore, folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectur ...
(1844 - 1912), anthropologist, folklorist, writer, Fellow of the British Academy lived in the town in his final years. * Caroline Phillips (1874–1956), Scottish suffragette and journalist, who owned Banchory Station Hotel 1912 to 1940s *
Pete Cashmore Pete Cashmore (born 18 September 1985) is the founder and former CEO of the media and entertainment company Mashable, He grew up in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and founded Mashable in Aberdeenshire in 2005 when he was 19. Biography In 2 ...
(born 1985), founder of technology blog
Mashable Mashable is a Online newspaper, news website, digital media platform and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005. History Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2004. Early iterations o ...
* Ben Kilner (born 1988), snowboarder, Winter Olympian *
Norman Douglas George Norman Douglas (8 December 1868 – 7 February 1952) was a British writer, now best known for his 1917 novel ''South Wind''. His travel books, such as ''Old Calabria'' (1915), were also appreciated for the quality of their writing. ...
(1868–1952), Scottish novelist and travel writer *
Andrew Considine Andrew MacLaren Considine (born 1 April 1987) is a Scottish former professional association football, footballer who played as a defender (association football), centre-back. He played over 550 times for Aberdeen F.C., Aberdeen across 18 years, ...
(born 1987), Scottish international footballer * Calum Bowie (born 2000), Scottish singer-songwriter *
Roger Cruickshank Roger Cruickshank DFC (born 18 October 1982) is a Scottish pilot in the Royal Air Force, a Squadron Leader, and one of United Kingdom's top downhill skiers. Early life Roger Cruickshank was born on 18 October 1982 in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Sc ...
(born 1982), Scottish downhill skier, pilot, and author


See also

*
Banchory Ternan East Church Banchory Ternan East Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, a member of the Presbyterian Church. The church building is located in Station Road, Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland. The church today serves the east parish of ...
*
Cluny Crichton Castle Cluny Crichton Castle (also known as Clounie Crighton Castle) is a ruined 3-storey tower house on the southern slopes of the Hill of Fare in Aberdeenshire, 4 km (2.5 miles) north of Banchory and 6.5 km (4 miles) east of Torphins. His ...
, a ruined tower house just north of Banchory. *
Glen o' Dee Hospital Glen o' Dee Hospital is situated in the west end of Banchory, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is a small community hospital that provides services for the population of Royal Deeside supported by local GPs. It is managed by NHS Grampian. History T ...


References


External links


Visit Banchory – Gateway to Royal Deeside

Banchory Community WebsiteBanchory information guide for visitorsBanchory Community Football Club
{{authority control Parishes in Kincardineshire