Drumoak is a village situated between Peterculter

Peterculter

Peterculter , also known as Culter, is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland approximately eight miles inland from Aberdeen city centre. Peterculter is situated along the northern banks of the River Dee in the vicinity of the confluences with Crynoch Burn and Leuchar Burn...

 and Banchory

Banchory

Banchory is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, lying approximately 18 miles west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee.- Overview :...

 in North Deeside, Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. Drumoak is proximate to the River Dee

River Dee, Aberdeenshire

The River Dee is a river in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It rises in the Cairngorms and flows through Strathdee to reach the North Sea at Aberdeen...

, with Park Bridge, named for the local Park Estate, being a local crossing; Park Estate, was formerly owned by the railway engineer Sir Robert Williams; Sir Robert is interred at Drumoak.

There is a church, small shop, bowling green and the Irvine Arms restaurant (after the family that owned 13 century Drum Castle

Drum Castle

Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'....

). Drum Castle is run by the National Trust

National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...

 and is open to visitors. Relics and portraits of the Irvine family are kept here, and it was conferred by Robert the Bruce onto William de Irvine. There are a number of housing developments progressing; a small primary school with about 100 pupils serves Drumoak. The Dee River gravels also attract gravel extraction on both sides of the river.

Drumoak Manse in 1638 was the birthplace of James Gregory (astronomer and mathematician)

James Gregory (astronomer and mathematician)

James Gregory FRS was a Scottish mathematician and astronomer. He described an early practical design for the reflecting telescope – the Gregorian telescope – and made advances in trigonometry, discovering infinite series representations for several trigonometric functions.- Biography :The...

, discoverer of diffraction gratings a year after Newton's prism experiments, and inventor of the Gregorian telescope

Gregorian telescope

The Gregorian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope designed by Scottish mathematician and astronomer James Gregory in the 17th century, and first built in 1673 by Robert Hooke...

 design in 1663. The design is still used today in telescopes such as the Arecibo Radio Telescope upgraded to a Gregorian design in 1997 giving Arecibo a flexibility it had not previously possessed.

Between Drumoak and Peterculter is the site of a Roman encampment Normandykes

Normandykes

Normandykes is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a hill overlooking the River Dee and the B9077 road further south. Aerial photographs...

History

A history of Drumoak was commissioned by the Kirk Session of Drumoak Parish Church in 2000 in order to commemorate the second millennium. It was entitled The Parish of Drumoak and was written by Robin Jackson. Copies of the book can be obtained from the Aberdeen and North East of Scotland Family History Society, 164 King Street, Aberdeen, AB24 5BD. http://www.anesfhs.org.uk