Kintore, Aberdeenshire

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The Town House, Kintore.

Kintore (Gaelic: Ceann Tòrr) is a small royal burgh near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, now bypassed by the A96 road between Aberdeen and Inverness.

Established in the late 12th century (about 1190) as a royal burgh, Kintore had its royal charter renewed by King James IV in 1506. But the area has clearly been a popular settlement since prehistoric times. Recent archaeological excavations show neolithic remains dating as far back as far as 5,000 years BC.

Nearby are the remains of Hallforest Castle, former stronghold of the Earls of Kintore. Its Town House dates back to 1747. It is situated on the banks of the River Don.

The town is the site of Deer's Den Roman camp and is thought to relate to Agricola's campaigns into Scotland. The Romans, it is believed, were attracted by the belief that Scotland was rich in natural resources, including gold, silver and tin. The Deer's Den camp could have been involved in the preparations for the decisive battle of Mons Graupius. The archaeologists say that the Kintore camp was definitely occupied in 120 AD and may have been occupied on as many as three occasions during the Scottish campaigns, before disappointment about the lack of resources and more pressing matters elsewhere in the Roman Empire, brought about consolidation and retreat.

The name Kintore comes from the Gaelic, Ceann-an-torr. "Ceann" means the head, or the end, and "Torr" which means a round hill. So the name signifies that the town was at the head or end of a round hill. This probably refers to Tuach Hill to the south of the town.

Kintore is said to be the fastest growing town in Aberdeenshire. The population in the 2001 census was 1696. By 2001 Aberdeenshire Council's figures gave the population as 2170, with a predicted 2521 in 2006.