Alford
Alford is a big town in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, existing just south of the River Don. It lies within the Howe of Alford (also called the Vale of Alford) which inhabits the center reaches of the River Don. The place-name is believed to come from the Scots auld ford; its original position being on the financial institutions of the Don. The "L" sound in words has, over time, been dropped, as well as is silent. Conversely, the name could be a tautology; a combination of ath and ford, both suggesting 'ford' in Gaelic and Scots respectively. Alford offered its name to a fight of the Battle of Alford (1645 ). It is additionally the home of the Aberdeen Angus livestock breed, which is commemorated by a life-sized model of a bull on the edge of the village, which the Queen Mother inaugurated in 2001. It is believed that the initial breeding place of the cattle was Buffal, located between Challenging (Tulloch) and Craigievar neighboring Alford. Another specialty for the town is Alford Oatmeal, ground at Montgarrie, just outside the town. Alford likewise sports the Alford Neighborhood School, with a library and pool. The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Museum and also Craigievar Castle are popular visitor attractions, with a range of various other historical sites, rock circles, and also castles (including Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser and also Drum Castle) being within very easy reach by road. One rock circle, initially believed to be ancient, ended up being a 20-year-old reproduction. Situated in Alford, Haughton Country Park is a large and popular environment-friendly room with a campers park as well as forest strolls. The 18 hole Alford Golf Club is an appealing as well as enjoyable training course which has a big neighborhood membership.
