Alford is a big town in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, existing simply south of the River Don. It lies within the Howe of Alford (likewise called the Vale of Alford) which occupies the center reaches of the River Don. The place-name is believed to originate from the Scots auld ford; its initial position being on the financial institutions of the Don. The "L" noise in words has, over time, been gone down, and also is silent. Alternatively, the name could be a tautology; a combination of ath and ford, both implying 'ford' in Gaelic as well as Scots respectively. Alford provided its name to a fight of the Battle of Alford (1645 ). It is likewise the home of the Aberdeen Angus cattle breed, which is celebrated by a life-sized design of a bull on the edge of the village, which the Queen Mother inaugurated in 2001. It is thought that the original breeding ground of the cattle was Buffal, situated between Difficult (Tulloch) and Craigievar nearby Alford. Another claim to fame for the community is Alford Oat meal, ground at Montgarrie, just outside the town. Alford additionally sports the Alford Community School, with a library and also pool. The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Museum as well as Craigievar Castle are popular visitor tourist attractions, with a variety of other historical sites, rock circles, as well as castles (consisting of Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser as well as Drum Castle) being within simple reach by road. One stone circle, initially believed to be primitive, turned out to be a 20-year-old replica. Located in Alford, Haughton Country Park is a large and prominent environment-friendly space with a campers park and also timberland walks. The 18 opening Alford Golf Club is an appealing as well as enjoyable training course which has a huge local membership.