Auchenblae

Auchenblae
Auchenblae  Auchenblae shown within Aberdeenshire
OS grid reference	NO7278
Council area	Aberdeenshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Scottish
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Scottish Parliament	Angus North and Mearns
List of places UK Scotland

Coordinates: 56°53′N 2°28′W / 56.89°N 02.46°W / 56.89; -02.46

Auchenblae (Scottish Gaelic: Achadh nam Blàth) is a village in the Kincardine and Mearns area of Aberdeenshire, formerly in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is featured in Lewis Grassic Gibbon's novel, Sunset Song. The name is a derivation from the Gaelic for "Field of Flowers" possibly due to the growing of flax in bygone times. The village was known for its weavers, a whisky distillery and the annual Paldie's Fair horse market. The current parish church, on the opposite side of the Luther Water was built next to an older chapel dedicated to St. Palladius and was formerly known as Fordoun Parish Church. This location, known as at Kirkton of Fordoun was the birthplace of the chronicler John of Fordun (before 1360 – c. 1384) and has been a religious site since the 7th century. St Palladius died and was reputedly buried here. There is a Pictish cross slab, the Fordoun Stone, in the kirk's vestibule. In the graveyard is the ancient ruin of St Palladius' Chapel and there is a memorial to Scotland's first Protestant martyr George Wishart, born at Mains of Pittarrow in the old parish of Fordoun and burnt at the stake under the orders of Cardinal Beaton in St Andrews.

Looking down into Auchenblae from the kirkyard

Someone from Auchenblae is referred to as an Auchenblaesian.

See also

• Drumtochty Castle
• Monboddo House

Line notes

• George Robertson (1810) A General View of Kincardineshire, Or, The Mearns, R. Phillips (Originally published by Oxford University), 576 pages

Bibliography

• A. Grove, The History of Auchenblae, Scottish Women's Rural Institutes, Auchenblae Branch, Angus, Scotland (1967)
• Ronald P.A. Smith, Stonehaven/Portlethen Street Plan: Including Auchenblae, Drumlithie, Gourdon (1998) ISBN 1-85812-904-4

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Auchenblae.

Settlements and places of interest in Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire
Primary settlements	Auchenblae Drumoak Fettercairn Gourdon Inverbervie Johnshaven Laurencekirk Newtonhill Portlethen St Cyrus Stonehaven
Other settlements	Arbuthnott Banchory-Devenick Bridge of Muchalls Cammachmore Catterline Cookney Downies Drumlithie Findon Fordoun Glenbervie Kinneff Kirkton of Durris Maryculter Marykirk Muchalls Netherley Portlethen Village Tewel
Places of interest	Causey Mounth Crawton Drum Castle Dunnottar Castle Fetteresso Castle Fowlsheugh Nature Reserve (Craiglethy) Monboddo House Muchalls Castle Normandykes Portlethen Moss Raedykes Stonehaven Open Air Pool Stonehaven Tolbooth

Areas and primary settlements in Aberdeenshire (see also: Aberdeen City)
in Banff and Buchan	Aberchirder Banff Fraserburgh Gardenstown Inverallochy and Cairnbulg Macduff Portsoy Rosehearty Sandhaven Whitehills
in Buchan	Boddam Crimond Cruden Bay Fetterangus Hatton Longside Maud Mintlaw New Deer New Pitsligo Peterhead St Combs St Fergus Strichen Stuartfield
in Formartine	Balmedie Cuminestown Ellon Fyvie Newburgh Oldmeldrum Pitmedden Potterton Rothienorman Tarves Turriff
in Garioch	Blackburn Insch Inverurie Kemnay Kintore Newmachar Westhill
in Kincardine and Mearns	Drumoak Fettercairn Gourdon Inverbervie Johnshaven Laurencekirk Newtonhill Portlethen St Cyrus Stonehaven
in Marr	Aboyne Alford Ballater Banchory Braemar Huntly Lumphanan Tarland Torphins