Newtonhill

This article is about Newtonhill in Aberdeenshire, formerly known as Skateraw. For the East Lothian settlement, see Skateraw (East Lothian).

Newtonhill, Aberdeenshire

Newtonhill Scottish Gaelic: Cnoc an Baile Ùr
Newtonhill Location within Aberdeenshire
Population	3,010 (2022) [1]
Council area	Aberdeenshire
Lieutenancy area	Kincardineshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	STONEHAVEN
Postcode district	AB39
Dialling code	01569
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine
Scottish Parliament	Aberdeen South and North Kincardine
List of places UK Scotland 57°01′55″N2°09′00″W / 57.032°N 2.150°W / 57.032; -2.150

Newtonhill village in the snow taken from the railway bridge to the north of the village

Newtonhill is a town in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is popular due to its location, just nine miles south of Aberdeen with easy reach of Stonehaven and with views over the North Sea.

History

The town was originally called Skateraw in the 17th Century. Skateraw was a fishing village, and the older part of the village (still called Skateraw) between the railway line and the sea reflects that heritage, though nearly all of the old houses have been modernised and extended. An old smoke house is still visible on Skateraw Road, though it has been many years since it was in use. The village had a railway station which led to the change of name from Skateraw to Newtonhill but it was closed in 1956; the signal box was still in use until May 2019 and remnants of a platform can still be seen. A feasibility study received funding in May 2018 to study the possible reopening of the station. ^[2]

In 1846, the first school in Skateraw (Newtonhill) was established by the Scottish Episcopal Church. The school was housed in a rented cottage No.18 Skateraw Village (Now 15 Skateraw Road). In 1855, due to the ruinous state of the school room, the church then established the school in St Michaels on Elsick Place, the current site of Newtonhill Church.

Newtonhill is in Kincardineshire, though local government re-organisation means that the local authority is Aberdeenshire Council.

The town is situated about half a mile east of the ancient Causey Mounth road, which was built on high ground to make passable. This was the only available medieval route from coastal points North to Aberdeen. This ancient passage specifically connected the Bridge of Dee via Portlethen Moss, Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south. ^[3] The route was that taken by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Duke of Montrose when they led a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the first battle of the First Bishop's War in 1639. ^[4]

In the 1880s, Skateraw pier was built on Skateraw Shore to accommodate larger fishing boats in the waters around Skateraw. In the early 1980s, the pier was demolished by the British army due to its deterioration.

Transport links

Newtonhill today is accessed by the A92 road and functions primarily as a commuter town to Aberdeen and other business hubs in the area. The town is also well served by buses run by Stagecoach Group providing regular services to Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Montrose. There are proposals to reopen Newtonhill railway station, on the main line to Aberdeen, which closed in 1956.

On 14 December 2015, the "park and choose" was opened to the west of the A92. It is served by the X7 Coastrider service. ^[5] The facility, which also serves the nearby village of Chapelton, allowed two bus stops at the side of the A92 to be removed. ^[6]

Community and amenities

Newtonhill railway viaduct

Newtonhill has a successful Boys' Brigade chess team which has won the Scottish tournament many times and have won the British grand finals the most out of all British teams. ^[7]

There is an active community spirit in Newtonhill and many events are organised through the Newtonhill and District Village Association, with wider planning issues being discussed by the Community Council.

Newtonhill Post Office Circa.1925 - Now the Skateraw Store

There are four commercial outlets; A Tesco Metro Store, a coffee shop - Skateraw Store, which also hosts a weekly post office, a pharmacy and a Chinese Takeaway. There are two pubs in the town, Quoiters Cafe Bar and The Newton Arms.

Skateraw Hall, built in the 1880s. Pictured in 2013.

A community hall was built in the 1980s. ^[8] Due to a demand for more space, it was expanded and renamed the Bettridge Centre in 2003. The Centre is run by elected local residents. ^{[9] [10]} Beside this centre is Newtonhill Library. There is also the Skateraw Hall built in the 1880s, originally provided for the residents when Newtonhill was a fishing village.

Newtonhill Primary School serves the town and surrounding hamlets of Muchalls and Cammachmore. It opened in April 1969 and had an initial roll of 144 pupils. ^[11] It replaced Cairnhill and Cookney schools. ^[12]

Events

Dunnottar Pipes and Drums playing at the Skateraw Fair in 2024

The Skateraw Fair is held annually on the last Saturday in June with events leading up to the main event throughout the month. The Skateraw fair originates from before World War II as a small Gala. The fair returned in 1977. In 1980, an official committee was established, and the fair was given the name 'Skateraw Fair'.^{[ citation needed ]}

Geography

The Bay at Newtonhill, which features several caves

Newtonhill is located on the North-East coast of Scotland, approximately 9 miles south of Aberdeen and 6 miles north of Stonehaven.

The Burn of Elsick, which drains agricultural lands from the west, flows into the North Sea at Newtonhill. The White Wife is a rock formation which allows sea angling. Newtonhill also has a great scenic view of the cliffs looking on to the pebble shore, where fishing is still a custom to many.

Notable People

Alistair Urquhart (1919-2016) Gordon Highlander captured by the Japanese in World War II - Author of the biography ‘The Forgotten Highlander’. ^[13]

See also

• Cammachmore
• Elsick House
• May Craig
• Chapelton, Aberdeenshire

References

1. "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
2. Beattie, Kieran (22 May 2020). "New £80,000 study could lead to new train stations between Laurencekirk and Aberdeen". Press and Journal. Archived from the original on 22 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
3. "C.Michael Hogan, Causey Mounth, Megalithic Portal, ed. by Andy Burnham, 2007". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
4. Watt, Archibald (4 June 1984). Highways and Byways Round Stonehaven (1st ed.). Stonehaven: Stonehaven Heritage Society. p. 216. ISBN   0907301088.
5. McLaren, Andy (1 December 2015). "Park and choose to replace A90 bus stops". Evening Express. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
6. "Park and choose facility for new town". Kincardine Observer. 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
7. "National Competitions". The Boys Brigade. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
8. "£100,000 plan for Newtonhill hall". The Press and Journal. 14 December 1984. p. 27.
9. "About Us". The Bettridge Centre. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
10. "Barratt's gift to Bettridge". Mearns Leader. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
11. May C., Jenkins (4 October 1969). "Newtonhill has a school now - officially". Evening Express. p. 6. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
12. "Muchalls bid for school bus meets with success". The Press and Journal. 20 February 1969. p. 15.
13. Childs, Martin (29 October 2016). "Obituary: Alistair Urquhart, soldier who survived '˜Death Railway' and Nagasaki atomic bomb detonation". The Scotsman. p. 1. Retrieved 26 August 2024.