Alford
Alford is a large village in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, existing just south of the River Don. It exists within the Howe of Alford (likewise called the Vale of Alford) which inhabits the middle reaches of the River Don. The place-name is believed to originate from the Scots auld ford; its original setting getting on the financial institutions of the Don. The "L" noise in the word has, over time, been gone down, and also is silent. Alternatively, the name could be a tautology; a mix of ath as well as ford, both indicating 'ford' in Gaelic and Scots specifically. Alford gave its name to a fight of the Battle of Alford (1645 ). It is also the residence of the Aberdeen Angus livestock breed, which is commemorated by a life-sized version of a bull on the edge of the village, which the Queen Mother inaugurated in 2001. It is thought that the original breeding place of the cattle was Buffal, situated in between Hard (Tulloch) and also Craigievar close-by Alford. An additional specialty for the community is Alford Oat meal, ground at Montgarrie, simply outside the community. Alford likewise sports the Alford Community Campus, with a collection and swimming pool. The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Museum and Craigievar Castle are preferred visitor tourist attractions, with a range of various other historical sites, rock circles, and also castles (including Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser as well as Drum Castle) being within very easy reach by road. One rock circle, originally thought to be ancient, ended up being a 20-year-old replica. Positioned in Alford, Haughton Country Park is a large and also prominent eco-friendly area with a caravan park and also woodland walks. The 18 hole Alford Golf Club is an appealing and also positive training course which has a huge neighborhood membership.
