Aaford[1] or Awfort[2]
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Location within Aberdeenshire | |
Population | 1,925 [4] (2001 census) est. 2,050[5] (2006) |
OS grid reference | NJ5716 |
Cooncil area | |
Kintra | Scotland |
Sovereign state | Unitit Kinrick |
Post toun | Alford |
Postcode destrict | AB33 |
Police | Scots |
Fire | Scots |
Ambulance | Scots |
EU Pairlament | Scotland |
UK Pairlament |
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Scots Pairlament |
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Aaford (pronooncit i/ˈɑːfərd/ Inglis: Alford, Scots Gaelic: Athfort) is a muckle veelage in Aiberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, leein juist sooth o the River Don. It lees athin the Howe o Aaford (cried the Vale o Alford an aw) which occupies the middle reaches o the River Don.
The place-name is thocht tae come frae the Scots "auld ford"; its oreeginal poseetion bein on the banks o the Don. The "L" soond in the wird haes, ower time, been droppit, an is silent. Alternatively, the name coud be a tautologie; a combination o 'Ath' an 'ford', baith meanin 'ford' in Gaelic an Scots respectively. Aaford gae its name tae a battle o the Battle o Alford (1645). It is the hame o the wad popular Aiberdeen Angus cattle breed, which is celebratit bi a life-sizit model o a bull on the edge o the toun. It is believit that the oreeginal breedin grund o the cattle wis Buffal, locatit atween Tough (Tulloch) an Craigievar nearby Alford. Anither claim tae fame for the toun is the warld famous Alford Oatmeal, grund at Montgarrie, juist ootside the toun.
Probably due tae Aaford's relative isolation an muckle catchment aurie, thare are a muckle nummer o services in the veelage, includin three banks, a supermercat, three garages, a bakery an a wide range o ither shops. Thare is a dry ski slope an aw, soummin puil an public librar.
The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Centre an Craigievar Castle are popular visitor attractions, wi a range o ither airchaeological steids, stane circles, an castles (includin Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser and Drum Castle) bein athin easy reach bi road. Situatit in Aaford, Haughton Country Park is a muckle an popular green space wi a caravan park an firthland walks. The 18 hole Alford Golf Club is a attractive an pleasant course which haes a muckle local membership.
Thare is a bus service connectin wi Aiberdeen, approximately 25 mile (40 km) away. Thare is hintle new hoosebiggin goin on in Alford as o 2006[update] tae cater for a wirkforce who mainly commute in Aiberdeen tae wirk in the ile industry. Bus services are operatit bi Stagecoach wi dialabus services bein operatit bi Aiberdeenshire Cooncil. Bus services connectin Alford tae Aberdeen go bi twa different routes: