Coordinates: 56°03′10″N 3°18′08″W / 56.052778°N 3.302105°W
| Aberdour | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dobhair | |
 A view across Aberdour Harbour |
|
 
Aberdour
Aberdour shown within Scotland |
|
| Population | 1,690 [1] (2001 census) est. 1,680[2] (2006) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Fife |
| Lieutenancy area | Fife |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BURNTISLAND |
| Postcode district | KY3 0xx |
| Dialling code | 01383 86 |
| Police | Fife |
| Fire | Fife |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Aberdour (Gaelic: Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is situated on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the Island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyond. According to the 2006 population estimate, the village has a population of 1,680.
The village's winding main street lies a little inland from the coast. Narrow lanes run off it, providing access to the more hidden parts of the village and the shoreline itself. The village nestles between the larger coastal towns of Burntisland to the east and Dalgety Bay to the west.
Contents |
The origins of the village lie with its harbour, where the Dour Burn enters the River Forth. The place-name itself is Pictish, implying an origin in the Dark Ages: aber 'confluence'. The -dour element, referring to the Burn, means simply 'water' (archaic dobur), and is unconnected to the Scots/English 'dour'. For much of its history Aberdour was two villages, Wester Aberdour and Easter Aberdour, on either side of the Dour Burn. Although this distinction was blurred by the 19th century arrival of the railway.
In the 1700s Aberdour's harbour was improved by the addition of a stone pier to help handle the coal traffic from nearby collieries. However, in the 1850s the traffic changed dramatically, and Aberdour Harbour became a popular destination for pleasure steamers from Leith. This in turn led to the building of a deeper water pier a little around the bay at Hawkhead, and to the development of hotels and many of the other services still on view today in the village.
The railway came to Aberdour in 1890, with the building of the line east from the newly opened Forth Railway Bridge. The station has won many "best kept station" awards. The half an hour journey to the centre of Edinburgh helped build on the existing popularity of the village, though it put the steamers out of business. The main result was a growth in the building of large and attractive houses, especially down the hill from Wester Aberdour to the West Sands.
Virtually between the two former settlements, though actually part of Easter Aberdour, lies Aberdour Castle. This started life as a modest 'hall house' on a site overlooking the Dour Burn in the 1200s. The oldest part of the present semi-ruin constitutes one of the earliest surviving stone castles in mainland Scotland. Over the next four hundred years the Castle was successively developed according to contemporary architectural ideas. Notable are the parts, still largely roofed, built by the Earls of Morton, with refined Renaissance detail, in the second half of the 16th century. A fire in the late 1600s was followed by some repairs, but in 1725 the family purchased 17th century Aberdour House, on the west side of the burn and in Wester Aberdour, and the medieval Castle was allowed to fall into relative decay. Aberdour Castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland and open to the public (entrance charge). After a period of dereliction Aberdour House was developed for residential use in the early 1990s.
Neighbouring St Fillan's Church is one of the best-preserved medieval parish churches in Scotland, dating largely to the 12th century. A south arcade was added to the nave in the early 16th century (open in summer). The A921, the main road along the south coast of Fife, leads down the High Street of Wester Aberdour, before kinking sharply left to cross the railway line, then right again to progress through Easter Aberdour's Main Street.
Wester Aberdour has the more 'olde worlde' feel of the two, with the narrower through road more closely hemmed in by shops and hotels. A number of vernacular buildings of the 17th-early 19th centuries add to the historic scene. Close to the railway bridge, three lanes continue eastwards, presumably once the route of the original High Street before the arrival of the railway. One now leads to Aberdour railway station, a beautifully kept and cared for example of a traditional station, in keeping with its role of transporting at least a quarter of the village's working population to their work each day.
A second lane leads alongside the railway line to Aberdour Castle, while a third leads to the restored Aberdour House. A little further west, a narrow road closely lined with high walls, Shore Road, leads down to the West Sands and the Harbour. For many this area is the highlight of any visit to Aberdour; parking at the foot of Shore Road is usually at a premium.
Another road leads coastwards from Easter Aberdour. Hawkcraig Road leads past St Fillan's Church and through Silversand Park, home to Aberdour Shinty Club, en route to the much better parking area on Hawkcraig, the overgrown and rocky bluff separating Aberdour's two bays. From here is it a short walk to the Silver Sands, Aberdour's busiest and most popular beach.
Aberdour has a very popular yearly festival, which runs from late July to early August and features musical events, shows, sporting events and children's events.[3]
Aberdour was a 2005 finalist in the prestigious "Beautiful Scotland in Bloom" awards. It was nominated for "Best Coastal Resort" in Scotland along with St Andrews in Fife, North Berwick in East Lothian, and Rothesay in Argyll and Bute.
Aberdour is home to two beaches - The Silver Sands, and The Black Sands.
The Silver Sands is located on the East side of the village, and is one of Scotland's seven "Blue flag" awarded beaches, which denotes an exemplary standard of cleanliness, facilities, safety, environmental education and management.
The Black Sands, as the contrasting name would suggest, has a rockier and darker sand, and is also popular with visitors exploring the rock caves and fascinating sea life. During the Summer months (April-September), dogs are banned from The Silver Sands, but are allowed all year round at The Black Sands. The two beaches are linked by part of the Fife Coastal Path which also takes you past the harbour and The Hawkcraig - a popular rock climbing location[4].
Several scenes of Richard Jobson's 2003 movie "16 Years of Alcohol" were filmed at The Black Sands in Aberdour.
The island of Inchcolm, or Island (Gaelic innis) of Columba, a quarter of a mile from the shore, forms part of the parish of Aberdour. Its name implies associations dating back to the time of Columba and, although undocumented before the 12th century, it may have served the monks of the Columban family as an 'Iona of the east' from early times.
During the First and Second World Wars, Inchcolm was occupied by the army as part of the defences of the Firth of Forth. There are extensive remains of gun emplacements, barracks, etc from these periods.
The island is notable for its wildlife, especially seabirds and seals. These draw many visitors in summer, along with the remains of the historic Abbey, and is a popular setting for weddings.
Craig Levein -
current Scotland national football team manager.
Guido van de
Kamp - Dutch former Dunfermline Athletic F.C goalkeeper.
Lee Simon
Butler - Former Dunfermline Athletic F.C goalkeeper, and
current goalkeeping coach at Halifax Town F.C.
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
"Aberdour".
Encyclopædia
Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
Aberdour is a picturesque coastal village in Fife, Scotland.
Aberdour is a twenty minute drive North of Edinburgh over the Forth Bridge. The village is also served by excellent bus/train links, and is close to the M8 motorway. It's awesome!
Aberdour can be walked around in a couple of hours - take the Fife Coastal Path from the train station to the idyllic Silver Sands beach, then proceed to head West towards the Black Sands beach and picturesque harbour. Cut up the steep Hawkcraig Road and you'll arrive in the historic and rustic heart of the village - with friendly pubs, restaurants and unusual boutique shops.
Aberdour is well equipped for the hungry tourist/local. All of the village pubs and hotels have popular restaurants.
For a village of its size, Aberdour has a huge amount of pubs per person (it's the Scottish way!). The pubs are all within 5 minutes walking distance of each other, and most are traditional Scottish establishments, with friendly locals and bar staff.
| This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! |
Category: Outline articles
ABERDOUR, a village of Fifeshire, Scotland. Pleasantly situated on the shore of the Firth of Forth, 17 1/2 m. N.W. of Edinburgh by the North British railway and 7 m. N.W. of Leith by steamer, it is much resorted to for its excellent sea-bathing. There are ruins of a castle and an old decayed church, which contains some fine Norman work. About 3 m. S.W. is Donibristle House, the seat of the earl of Murray (Moray), and the scene of the murder (Feb. 7, 1592) of James, 2nd (Stuart) earl of Murray. The island of Inchcolm, or Island of Columba, 1/4 m. from the shore, is in the parish of Aberdour. As its name implies, its associations date back to the time of Columba. The primitive stone-roofed oratory is supposed to have been a hermit's cell. The Augustinian monastery was founded in 1123 by Alexander I. The buildings are well preserved, consisting of a low square tower, church, cloisters, refectory and small chapterhouse. The island of Columba was occasionally plundered by English and other rovers, but in the 16th century it became the property of Sir James Stuart, whose grandson became 2nd earl of Murray by virtue of his marriage to the elder daughter of the 1st earl. From it comes the earl's title of Lord St Colme (1611).
|
Aberdovey >> |
| This article has many red links. You can help Wikipedia by writing articles to help lower the amount of red links. |
Aberdour is a town in Fife, Scotland. It is located between Dalgety Bay and Burntisland.
| This article is uncategorized. Please help improve this article by adding it to one or more categories, in addition to a stub category. (how?) Please remove this tag after categorizing, but not before. This article has been tagged since December 2008. |
   | yearly festival - Aberdour Festival Website for 2009 |
| | Aberdour Community Council - Welcome to Aberdour |
| | Aberdour Website - Welcome to the Aberdour, the Jewel of Fife |
|
|
Wikis
Map
Search
