Gardenstown
Encyclopedia
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...
, Northeast 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...
. It is known locally as 'Gamrie', from the name of the parish in which it stands. Gardenstown was founded in 1720 by Alexander Garden as a coastal fishing village. Nearby are the remains of the Church of St John the Evangelist which was built in 1513, and celebrates the defeat of the Danes at this site in 1004 in the 'Battle of the Bloody Pits'. A permanent meteorological station is situated at Gardenstown. The village's main economic base is fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
; within the village are a pub, a bakery, a butcher and an art gallery.
Ancient history
Prehistoric peoples are known to have lived in the general vicinity of Gardenstown; notably Longman HillLongman Hill
Longman Hill is a prehistoric monument in northern Aberdeenshire, Scotland near Banff Bay. Due to the low lying coastal plain characteristics, the elevation of Longman Hill affords a long distance view as far as the Moray Firth....
and Cairn Lee
Cairn Lee
Cairn Lee is a prehistoric monument in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Cairn Lee and proximate Longman Hill are the oldest prehistoric features in the local area.-References:...
are prehistoric monuments attesting to such an era.
Recent history
In May 2007, a TV series titled The Baron was filmed in and around the village. The series featured three celebrities — Malcolm McLarenMalcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
, Mike Reid
Mike Reid (entertainer)
Michael Reid was an English comedian, actor, author and occasional television presenter from Hackney in east London, who is best remembered for playing the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders and hosting the popular children's TV show Runaround...
and Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw
Suzanne Shaw is an English actress, singer and television personality...
— competing to be elected "Baron of Troup". During the filming, McLaren was thrown out of the village for unruly behaviour, leaving Reid and Shaw to contest the final election, which was won by Reid. The series was due to be shown on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network in August 2007; however due to Reid's death, transmission of the series was delayed until April 2008. Reid's widow, Shirley, retains the hereditary title Baroness of Troup.
Seawall controversy
In January and February 2008, the village again made headlines when Aberdeenshire Council refused funding to restore the road which runs along the seafront and is a key part of the village's sea defences. The refusal was based upon the status of the road as a private road, thus not the responsibility of the council. This has been seen as controversial since the road runs along the top of the seawallSeawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
, and the council is responsible for the wall. Residents are planning to appeal the decision.