| Portlethen | |
| Scottish Gaelic: Am Port Leathann | |
|
Portlethen
Portlethen shown within Aberdeenshire |
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| Population | 7,327 (2011 Estimate) [6] |
|---|---|
| Council area | Aberdeenshire |
| Lieutenancy area | Kincardineshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ABERDEEN |
| Postcode district | AB12 4xx |
| Dialling code | 01224 78xxxx |
| Police | Grampian |
| Fire | Grampian |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine |
| Scottish Parliament | Aberdeen South and North Kincardine |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
Portlethen is a town located approximately 7 miles south of Aberdeen, Scotland along the A90. The estimated population is currently 7,327.[1]
To the east of Portlethen lie three fishing villages: Findon, Downies and Portlethen Village (now often referred to as Old Portlethen).
Although Portlethen has been granted official town status,[2] it resembles a residential suburb without a clear 'town centre' or focal point.
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Portlethen was originally a small fishing village.[3] The harbour is located in what is now Old Portlethen, the original village on the coast about a half a mile east from Portlethen Parish Church.
Portlethen lies about two kilometers east of the ancient Causey Mounth road, which was built on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route across the Mounth from coastal points south to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the Bridge of Dee with Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south.[4] The route was that taken by the William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the first battle of the Civil War in 1639.[5]
Over the past decades Portlethen has expanded very rapidly. In the 1970s, people were demanding more amenities as Portlethen had a severe lack of them. In the mid 1980s these demands were fulfilled with a new retail park and the new Green shopping centre being constructed. The 70s saw Portlethen expand towards the moss and now most of the town has engulffed what used to be parts of the moss. Portlethen in the 21st century is still continuing to expand into a sizable town and maybe one day in the future be reaching the size of Stonehaven. Aberdeen City Council may reallocate Portlethen into its borders in the near future if it expands any more. Portlethen has been expected to expand across the railway line and continue to expand towards the sea.
The Webb chicken was first bred on a farm to the west of Portlethen in the 1920s. The Webb and its related breeds are popular choices with free range farmers due to their natural disinclination to roost in trees and shrubs.
Much of modern day Portlethen has been built over the Portlethen Moss Nature Reserve, formerly home to the Great Crested Newt and the Red-spotted newt. The remainder of Portlethen Moss is approximately one quarter of the size it was twenty years ago.[6] Groups such as the Portlethen Moss Conservation Group were created specifically to maintain the area for the use of future generations. [7]
Portlethen has developed a large range of retail outlets. There are four main shopping areas in the town: Portlethen Retail Park, The Green, Muirend Court and Rowanbank Court.
There is an Asda superstore in Portlethen Retail Park and two Co-Operative Food convenience stores located at The Green and Rowanbank Court. Other well known outlets in the town include Argos, Homebase, Matalan and Coral.
There is a variety of various take-away and restaurant outlets in Portlethen, most of these are located within the main shopping areas. There is also a Brewers Fayre pub restaurant across the A90 dual carriageway at the Mains of Balquharn.
There is a total of four pubs in Portlethen, the Mains of Balquharn, The Paddock (at The Green), The Lethan Arms and The Neuk (in Portlethen Village). Portlethen Golf Club also has a bar open to the public.
In addition to the Brewers Fayre restaurant, there is a Premier Inn hotel at the Mains of Balquharn.
Portlethen has two all-weather concrete tennis courts, a bowling green with public and private sessions, a swimming pool and a private members' golf club.
A Youth drop-in centre was opened in April 2007, in the old library building.[8]
There also various youth groups running regularly at Portlethen Parish Church[9] and Jubilee Hall.[10]
There are two main parks in Portlethen: Bourtree Park and Nicol Park. Nicol Park has a toddlers park, a skate park and two basketball courts. Bourtree Park has a football pitch and a few swings and climbing frames. There are currently plans to create a new "green area"/park in the north end of Portlethen.[11] There are also several small parks containing swings and climbing frames throughout Portlethen.
There is a public library and community centre located within Portlethen Academy.[12][13]
The Social Work offices of Aberdeenshire Council for the local area are located within Portlethen.[14]
There has been a school in Portlethen since the nineteenth century.[15] The original school building is still in use today as the local police station. The school was then moved to new buildings on Cookston Road in 1860. In 1962, a new school block was opened directly across from the old buildings on Cookston Road. This is now Portlethen Primary School.[16]
In 1987, Portlethen Academy was opened. Until this, pupils had been bused to Mackie Academy in Stonehaven. The academy moved to its current new building, adjacent to the original building, in 2006.[17]
In 1989 Fishermoss School, the second primary school in Portlethen, opened its doors. [18]
There are currently plans to refurbish the Portlethen Primary School building and build a third school in Portlethen.[19]
There is a train station in Portlethen. According to the Portlethen corridor capacity study, carried out in 2008, services to Portlethen station are too infrequent.[20]
Portlethen is connected by direct bus routes to Aberdeen in the north, and Newtonhill and Stonehaven in the south.[21] Buses are operated by Stagecoach Bluebird.
Portlethen Golf Club was founded in 1981, and a championship course designed by Donald Steel opened for play in 1989. The Club is owned by its members, but welcomes visitors and currently has vacancies for membership in most categories including gents, ladies and juniors. Club Professional is Muriel Thomson who, when she was appointed in 1990, was the first female golf professional in Scotland. The course is a perfectly-balanced par 72 with two par 3s and two par 5s in each half (providing a par 3 and a par 5 facing each of north, south, east and west) to complement five par 4s in each half. A series of circuits make it easy to play a few holes or a complete round. The club provides an excellent clubhouse and full practice facilities. In 2011, Portlethen won the Aberdeen and District Pennant League for the first time in the club's history.
The Portlethen & District Community Council (PDCC) was officially reformed on 30 November 2007. It meets monthly in Portlethen Academy, normally on the fourth Tuesday of each month and considers many issues including development proposals and transport. Meetings are open to the public and offer an opportunity to raise hot topics of relevance to the local community. Portlethen Gala is a social and community event held every summer on the last Saturday in August.
Portlethen is a coastal town lying along the North Sea coast. A small island May Craig is situated off shore from Portlethen. Portlethen is located in the historic county of Kincardineshire.
| Banchory-Devenick | Aberdeen | Findon | ||
| Maryculter | Portlethen Village | |||
| Portlethen | ||||
| Cammachmore | Newtonhill, Stonehaven | Downies |
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