Aaford

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.

Aaford or Awfort Scots Gaelic: Athfort
Alford Location within Aberdeenshire
Population	1,925  (2001 census) est. 2,050 (2006)
OS grid reference	NJ5716
Cooncil area	Aiberdeenshire
Kintra	Scotland
Sovereign state	Unitit Kinrick
Post toun	Alford
Postcode destrict	AB33
Police	Scots
Fire	Scots
Ambulance	Scots
EU Pairlament	Scotland
UK Pairlament	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Scots Pairlament	Aberdeenshire West

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.

Public transport

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 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:

• the X18/218 goes via Westhill
• the 220 goes via Kintore.

Notable residents

• Alford is the birthplace o the renouned poet, Charles Murray
• Stewart Milne, chairman o baith the Stewart Milne Group an Aberdeen Football Club wis born nearbi an attendit schuil in Aaford
• Laird Forbes, o Forbes Castle
• William McCombie, Pioneer Aberdeen Angus breeder
• Emeli Sandé, sangster-sangwriter. Olympic openin ceremony performer.
• Dougie Gray, Rangers F.C. fullback

Freemit airtins

• Alford Valley Railway Archived 2014-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
• Oatmeal of Alford
• Grampian Transport Museum
• Cragievar Castle Archived 2005-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Alford Image Library
• Alford Fiddlers
• Haughton Country Park Archived 2013-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Haughton Caravan Park Archived 2014-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Ski Slope Archived 2013-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
• Stagecoach Bluebird