Kemnay, Aberdeenshire

Kemnay (Gaelic: Camnaidh) is a village 16 miles (26 km) west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

Kemnay
Kemnay, war memorial and main street.
Kemnay is located in Aberdeenshire
Kemnay
Kemnay
Location within Aberdeenshire
Population3,890 (mid-2020 est.)[1]
OS grid referenceNJ730158
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townINVERURIE
Postcode districtAB51
Dialling code01467
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

History

The village name Kemnay is believed to originate from the Celtic words that mean "little crook in the river"[2] due to the village location on the bend of the River Don. Kemnay House is classified by Historic Scotland as a category A listed building.[3]

The village was served by Kemnay railway station on the Alford Valley Railway from 1859 to 1950. The alignment through the village has been lost to housing developments.

The pre-Reformation church was dedicated to St Anne. The parish was united with Craigern in 1500 and both came under the umbrella of nearby Kinkell. The old church was extensively rebuilt in 1632.[4]

The current parish church dates from 1844.[5] The pre-1844 church was of unusual cruciform style, with the earth floor 1m below the surrounding ground, and prone to icing in winter. The two upper galleries were accessed by earth ramps in the graveyard. The church was enlarged in 1871 by Rev George Peter of St Cyrus.[6]

The village was substantially rebuilt after the creation of Kemnay railway station in 1858.[7]

It shares its name with Kemnay a small community in Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Whitehead about 10 kilometres west of Brandon on PTH 1A. [8]

Notable people
  • David Leitch (b.1608) minister of the parish and Chaplain to King Charles II

Religion

Kemnay has church buildings available for the following religious groups:


Tourism

Kemnay is popular with explorers of Aberdeenshire who can stay in numerous guest houses, hotels, and bed and breakfasts within the village. There are two pubs, the Bennachie Lodge and the Burnett Arms Hotel.

Granite

Kemnay Quarry was opened in 1830 by John Fyfe, and began commercial operation in 1858. Fyfe invented the Blondin aerial ropeway system at Kemnay in 1872.[9]

Kemnay Granite has been used in many famous buildings and structures, including;

Granite workers from Kemnay helped to quarry and shape the Australian granite used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge.[13] They also travelled to quarries in California, the Mississippi Levees and Odessa.

Places of interest

Sports

Kemnay has various sports clubs, including;

  • Badminton
  • Bowling Club
  • Cricket
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Tennis

There are playing fields available for use by the public at Bogbeth Park, which is also home to the Kemnay Skate Park.

Golfer Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open Championship is a former pupil of Kemnay Academy, as is former Aberdeen F.C. footballer Darren Mackie.

In April 2017, a gym opened in the village, Station 83.[20]

Education
Kemnay Academy in 2005.

In Kemnay, there are two primary schools and one secondary school:

  • Kemnay Primary School
  • Alehousewells Primary School
  • Kemnay Academy, which unveiled a £14.3 million extension in 2015.[21]

References

Citations

  1. "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. Milne (1912), p. 204
  3. "Kemnay house, Ref: 9212". Historic Scotland. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  4. Aberdeenshire Epitaphs and Inscriptions; 1901
  5. Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; by Hew Scott ; vol. 6
  6. Epitaphs and Inscriptions in Aberdeenshire: Kemnay p. 18
  7. Aberdeenshire Epitaphs and Inscriptions: Kemnay
  8. Geographic Board of Canada (1933). Place-names of Manitoba. Ottawa: J. O. Patenaude, acting King's printer. p. 47. hdl:2027/mdp.39015027929515. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  9. Gwyn, David (9 April 2015). Welsh Slate: Archaeology and History of an Industry. Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales.
  10. SAFEGUARDING GLASGOW’S STONE BUILT HERITAGE (PDF). British Geological Survey. 2006. p. 75. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  11. "Messrs. John Fyfe, Kenmay Quarries, Aberdeenshire". Institution of Mechanical Engineers (Great Britain). 1907.
  12. "Marischal College". VisitScotland. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  13. Drysdale, Neil (12 January 2020). "The steely conviction of the Granite City men helped create Sydney Harbour Bridge". Aberdeen Press and Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  14. "James Mitchell". Kemnay Village Website. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  15. Historic Environment Scotland. "James Mitchell Memorial, Kemnay (LB9211)". Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  16. "Place of Origin". Kemnay Village Website. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  17. "War memorials". Kemnay Village Website. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  18. "Kemnay". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  19. Historic Environment Scotland. "Kemnay Parish Church, Morthouse (LB9208)". Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  20. "Gym and café offer Kemnay residents social benefits too". The Press and Journal. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  21. "Kemnay Academy extension opened". Retrieved 18 November 2018.

Bibliography

Milne, John (1912), Celtic Place Names in Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen Journal

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