Portlethen
Encyclopedia
Portlethen is a town
located approximately 7 miles south of Aberdeen
, Scotland
along the A90
. The estimated population is currently 7,327.
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, it resembles a residential suburb
without a clear 'town centre' or focal point.
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. 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.
and the Red-spotted newt. The remainder of Portlethen Moss is approximately one quarter of the size it was twenty years ago. Groups such as the Portlethen Moss Conservation Group were created specifically to maintain the area for the use of future generations.
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.
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.
There also various youth groups running regularly at Portlethen Parish Church and Jubilee Hall.
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. There are also several small parks containing swings and climbing frames throughout Portlethen.
The Social Work offices of Aberdeenshire Council for the local area are located within Portlethen.
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
.
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.
In 1989 Fishermoss School, the second primary school in Portlethen, opened its doors.
There are currently plans to refurbish the Portlethen Primary School building and build a third school in Portlethen.
in the north, and Newtonhill
and Stonehaven
in the south. Buses are operated by Stagecoach Bluebird
.
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.
coast. A small island May Craig
is situated off shore from Portlethen. Portlethen is located in the historic county of Kincardineshire.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
located approximately 7 miles south of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
along the A90
A90 road
The A90 road is a major north to south road in eastern Scotland, running from Edinburgh to Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire.From Edinburgh, it travels west and over the Forth Road Bridge, before turning into the M90 motorway. At Perth, the M90 again becomes the A90, now running north east to Dundee...
. The estimated population is currently 7,327.
To the east of Portlethen lie three fishing villages: Findon, Downies
Downies
Downies is a cliff-top village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland situated on Cammachmore Bay. Historically Downies was a fishing village, until much of the local North Sea fishery collapsed from overfishing; presently Downies is chiefly a residential dormitory adjunct to the city of Aberdeen.-Local area...
and Portlethen Village
Portlethen Village
Portlethen Village is a settlement along the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village is also known as Old Portlethen. The skerry of Craigmaroinn is situated just off the coastline near Portlethen Village.-History:...
(now often referred to as Old Portlethen).
Although Portlethen has been granted official town status, it resembles a residential suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
without a clear 'town centre' or focal point.
History
Portlethen was originally a small fishing village. 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.Causey Mounth
The Causey Mounth is an ancient drovers' road over the coastal fringe of the Grampian Mountains in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This route was developed as the main highway between Stonehaven and Aberdeen around the 12th century AD and it continued to function as the principal route connecting these...
road, which was built on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route across the Mounth
Mounth
The Mounth is the range of hills on the southern edge of Strathdee in northeast Scotland. It was usually referred to with the article, i.e. "the Mounth". The name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic monadh which in turn is akin to the Welsh mynydd, and may be of Pictish origin...
from coastal points south to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the Bridge of Dee
Bridge of Dee
The Bridge of Dee or Brig o' Dee is a road bridge over the River Dee in Aberdeen, Scotland. The term is also used for the surrounding area of the city. Dating from 1527, the bridge crosses at what was once the City of Aberdeen's southern boundary...
with Muchalls Castle
Muchalls Castle
Muchalls Castle stands overlooking the North Sea in the countryside of Kincardine and Mearns, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The lower course is a well preserved double groined 13th century towerhouse structure, built by the Frasers of Muchalls. Upon this structure, the 17th century castle was begun by...
and Stonehaven
Stonehaven
Stonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 9,577 in 2001 census.Stonehaven, county town of Kincardineshire, grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" , and expanded inland from the seaside...
to the south. The route was that taken by the William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal was a Scottish nobleman and Covenanter. He was the eldest son of William Keith, 6th Earl Marischal...
and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
when they led a Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
army of 9000 men in the first battle of the Civil War in 1639.
Expansion
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.Farming
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.Portlethen Moss
Much of modern day Portlethen has been built over the Portlethen Moss Nature Reserve, formerly home to the Great Crested NewtGreat Crested Newt
The Great Crested Newt, also called Northern Crested Newt or Warty Newt is a newt in the family Salamandridae, found across Europe and parts of Asia.-Distribution:...
and the Red-spotted newt. The remainder of Portlethen Moss is approximately one quarter of the size it was twenty years ago. Groups such as the Portlethen Moss Conservation Group were created specifically to maintain the area for the use of future generations.
Retail
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
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
superstore in Portlethen Retail Park and two Co-Operative Food
The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food, abbreviated sometimes to the Co-op, is a brand devised for the supermarket and convenience store business of the UK's consumers' co-operative movement. It is the name of the largest division of The Co-operative Group, and is used by other independent consumer co-operatives...
convenience stores located at The Green and Rowanbank Court. Other well known outlets in the town include Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
, Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
, Matalan
Matalan
Matalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
and Coral.
Food & Drink
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 FayreBrewers Fayre
Brewers Fayre is a chain of around 125 licensed family and casual dining pub restaurants in the United Kingdom, owned by Whitbread.They are known for serving traditional British pub food, including gammon and steak & ale pie which are among the most popular choices. Nearly all Brewers Fayres are...
pub restaurant across the A90
A90 road
The A90 road is a major north to south road in eastern Scotland, running from Edinburgh to Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire.From Edinburgh, it travels west and over the Forth Road Bridge, before turning into the M90 motorway. At Perth, the M90 again becomes the A90, now running north east to Dundee...
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.
Hospitality
In addition to the Brewers Fayre restaurant, there is a Premier Inn hotel at the Mains of Balquharn.Sport
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.Youth
A Youth drop-in centre was opened in April 2007, in the old library building.There also various youth groups running regularly at Portlethen Parish Church and Jubilee Hall.
There are two main parks in Portlethen: Bourtree Park and Nicol Park. Nicol Park has a toddlers park, a skate
Inline skates
In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...
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. There are also several small parks containing swings and climbing frames throughout Portlethen.
Other Amenities
There is a public library and community centre located within Portlethen Academy.The Social Work offices of Aberdeenshire Council for the local area are located within Portlethen.
Education
There has been a school in Portlethen since the nineteenth century. 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
Portlethen Primary School
-History:The school dates back to the nineteenth century when Portlethen was a small fishing village. The first school building was what is now the Police Station. The school moved to the building more recently used as the Community Centre, which was built in 1860...
.
In 1987, Portlethen Academy
Portlethen Academy
Portlethen Academy is a six-year comprehensive secondary school in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.-History:With the expansion of the communities of Portlethen and Newtonhill in the 1980s, the Education Committee of Grampian Regional Council decided to build a new six-year Academy in Portlethen. Until...
was opened. Until this, pupils had been bused to Mackie Academy
Mackie Academy
Mackie Academy is a secondary school in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire. As of 2008, Mackie Academy currently has roughly 1300 pupils and 80 staff.-History:...
in Stonehaven. The academy moved to its current new building, adjacent to the original building, in 2006.
In 1989 Fishermoss School, the second primary school in Portlethen, opened its doors.
There are currently plans to refurbish the Portlethen Primary School building and build a third school in Portlethen.
Train
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.Bus
Portlethen is connected by direct bus routes to AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
in the north, and Newtonhill
Newtonhill
Newtonhill is a farming village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has been popular with farm workers and tradesmen for decades for its cheap housing and location, just six miles south of Aberdeen.-Facilities:...
and Stonehaven
Stonehaven
Stonehaven is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It lies on Scotland's northeast coast and had a population of 9,577 in 2001 census.Stonehaven, county town of Kincardineshire, grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" , and expanded inland from the seaside...
in the south. Buses are operated by Stagecoach Bluebird
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
.
Portlethen Golf Club
Portlethen Golf ClubCountry club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
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
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
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.
Community Council
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 is currently looking to re-establish the Portlethen Gala and considers many other 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.Geography
Portlethen is a coastal town lying along the North SeaNorth Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast. A small island May Craig
May Craig (island)
May Craig is a rocky island situated along the North Sea coast of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. May Craig lies about one half mile south of Newtonhill and a mile northeast of the village of Muchalls...
is situated off shore from Portlethen. Portlethen is located in the historic county of Kincardineshire.
Notable people
- Barry JonesBarry and StuartBarry Jones and Stuart MacLeod are a two-man magic act from Scotland, who perform as "Barry and Stuart" or "The 2magicians". They are known for their dark and gory performing style, and for taking as inspiration the accounts of Biblical miracles to form the basis for some of their illusions.-...
, a magician featured on the 2010 TV Series The MagiciansThe Magicians (TV series)The Magicians is a British family entertainment television show, first broadcast throughout January 2011 on BBC One. The show features magicians Luis de Matos,Barry and Stuart, and Chris Korn performing a number of magic tricks with guest celebrities, competing for audience support...
, is originally from Portlethen. - Lesley McKay, a drama teacher at Portlethen AcademyPortlethen AcademyPortlethen Academy is a six-year comprehensive secondary school in Portlethen, Aberdeenshire.-History:With the expansion of the communities of Portlethen and Newtonhill in the 1980s, the Education Committee of Grampian Regional Council decided to build a new six-year Academy in Portlethen. Until...
, was a in-vision continuity announcer on Grampian TV in the 1980s and 90s under the name Kay DuncanKay DuncanKay Duncan, is a drama teacher and former broadcaster, who previously worked as an in-vision continuity announcer for Grampian Television between 1985 and 1992....
. - Phillip Quirie of Edinburgh distorted pop band MeursaultMeursault (band)Meursault are an alternative indie band from Edinburgh, Scotland, led by singer-songwriter Neil Pennycook. Their musical style has been variously categorised as folktronica, alternative rock and indie folk...
was raised in Portlethen and attended both Portlethen Primary School and Portlethen Academy.