Alford
Alford is a huge town in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, existing simply southern of the River Don. It exists within the Howe of Alford (also called the Vale of Alford) which occupies the middle reaches of the River Don. The place-name is thought to originate from the Scots auld ford; its original placement being on the banks of the Don. The "L" sound in words has, over time, been dropped, and is silent. Conversely, the name could be a tautology; a mix of ath and also ford, both indicating 'ford' in Gaelic and Scots respectively. Alford offered its name to a fight of the Battle of Alford (1645 ). It is also the home of the Aberdeen Angus livestock reproduce, which is celebrated by a life-sized design of a bull on the edge of the town, which the Queen Mother inaugurated in 2001. It is thought that the original breeding ground of the cattle was Buffal, located between Hard (Tulloch) and also Craigievar neighboring Alford. An additional specialty for the community is Alford Oat meal, ground at Montgarrie, just outside the community. Alford additionally sports the Alford Community Campus, with a collection and also pool. The Alford Valley Railway, Grampian Transport Museum, Alford Heritage Museum as well as Craigievar Castle are popular site visitor attractions, with a series of other historical sites, stone circles, and castles (consisting of Balfluig Castle, Castle Fraser and also Drum Castle) being within simple reach by roadway. One rock circle, initially believed to be primitive, ended up being a 20-year-old reproduction. Positioned in Alford, Haughton Country Park is a large and popular environment-friendly area with a caravan park as well as woodland strolls. The 18 opening Alford Golf Club is an eye-catching and positive training course which has a huge regional subscription.