Inverurie

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Inverurie is a burgh in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, approximately 16 miles north west of Aberdeen along the A96 road.

Map sources for Inverurie at grid reference NJ7721

1 Geography
2 Etymology
3 History
4 Industry
5 Language
6 Religion
7 Sports
8 Facts
- 8.1 Divorce Rate
- 8.2 Population

[edit] Geography

Inverurie straddles the River Don and the River Ury. Although the part of the town south of the Don is actually called Port Elphinstone, it is common to hear the title "Inverurie" used to refer to the entire conurbation.

[edit] Etymology

The word "Inverurie" comes from the Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Uraidh meaning "Mouth of the Ury" after the river which joins the Don just south of the town.

It was commonly spelt "Inverury" until the late 1800s when it was altered to avoid confusion with Inveraray in Argyll, on the south west coast of Scotland because it was felt that "a" and "u" were particularly hard to distinguish in handwritten addresses.

[edit] History

Inverurie is said to have been founded by David of Huntingdon, Earl of the Garioch, brother of Malcolm IV and great-great-grandfather of Robert the Bruce who defeated the Comyns nearby at the Battle of Barra on Christmas Eve 1307. The town's earliest known charter dates from 1558, but its modern development occurred after the building of the Aberdeenshire Canal linking Port Elphinstone with Aberdeen Harbour in 1806. The Inverurie Locomotive Works (1905-1969) led to a modest increase in size and prosperity, but it was not until the "Oil Boom" of the last quarter of the 20th century that the town developed into much of its present form. The nearby Easter Auchquhorthies recumbent stone circle is a fine example of the rich history of the North East of Scotland, an ancient monument dating back to the 3rd Millennium BC. There have been two well known battles in the town: The Battle of Inverurie (1308) and the Battle of Inverurie (1745).

[edit] Industry

Inverurie is a thriving market town, with many small shops, businesses and services. Its main industries other than service and commerce are agriculture, oil and paper manufacture. Agriculture continues to be a mainstay of Inverurie's economy, as it has done since the town's inception. Thainstone Mart, to the south east of the town, is the biggest livestock market in Scotland, and rents out commercial units to various agricultural support services. Lying beside Thainstone Mart, the paper mill is also a big employer.

Following the discovery of North Sea oil in the mid 1970s, several oil service companies appeared in Inverurie. Many residents who work in this sector do so on offshore oil installations in the North Sea on a "two week on- two week off" basis in addition to those who work in the town itself.

In recent years, Inverurie has also seen increasing numbers of Aberdeen commuters going to live there.

[edit] Language

Inverurie natives speak the Aberdeenshire Doric dialect of Scots.

Inverurie Doric has become weaker in recent years due to an influx of residents from England, and southern Scotland, as well as nearby Aberdeen, not to mention the introduction of television to the area, and the state curriculum, yet it is still spoken to a greater or lesser degree. The range of the Doric vocabulary in Inverurie is more limited than in the more rural parts of Aberdeenshire.

Historically, Pictish is the ancient language of the area, which can be found in many placenames. It appears to have been a Brythonic language. There is also evidence of Scottish Gaelic having been spoken in the area, both in words in the Doric, and placenames, such as Inverurie itself. The Book of Deer originates from a few miles to the north east.

[edit] Religion

Inverurie Roman Catholic Church

Inverurie has churches for each of the following Christian denominations: Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Roman Catholic, Episcopal Church of Scotland (Anglican) and Baptist. There is also a Gospel Hall and a Salvation Army meeting place. A religious group also uses the secondary school for Sunday worship.