Kemnay

This article is about the community in Scotland. For the community in Canada, see Kemnay, Manitoba.

Kemnay (Gaelic: Ceann a' Mhuigh) is a town 16 miles (26 km) west of Aberdeen in Scotland. It has a population of about 4,500 (3,600 in 2001).

History

The villagename Kemnay is believed to originate from the Celtic words that mean bend and river due to the village location on the bend of the River Don^{[citation needed]}

Religion

Kemnay has church buildings available for the following religious groups:

• Church of Scotland
• Roman Catholic
• Scottish Episcopal Church

Tourism

Kemnay is popular with explorers of Aberdeenshire who can stay in numerous guest houses, hotels, and bed and breakfasts within the village. There are three pubs, the Laird's Throat, the Bennachie Lodge, and the Burnett Arms Hotel. Tourists also flock to Kemnay hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Dark Beast of Kemnay, known to stalk the surrounding countryside.

Granite

Kemnay Quarry was opened in 1830 by John Fyfe, and became commercial in 1858. Kemnay Granite has been used in many famous buildings and structures, including;

• Cenotaph, London
• Forth Railway Bridge, Edinburgh/Fife
• Marischal College, Aberdeen
• Thames Embankment, London
• Various buildings on Princes Street, Edinburgh

Granite workers from Kemnay helped to quarry and shape the Australian granite used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They also travelled to quarries in California, the Mississippi Levees and Odessa.

Places of interest

• Carrier (James Mitchell Monument)
• Fetternear Estate
• Fetternear Palace, archaeological dig site (Bishop's Palace)
• Johnstone FM Monument
• Kemnay Academy
• View Point
• War memorial

Sports

Kemnay has various sports clubs, including;

• Badminton
• Bowling Club
• Cricket
• Football
• Golf
• Tennis

There are playing fields available for use by the public at Bogbeth Park, which is also home to the Kemnay Skate Park.

Golfer Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open Championship is a former pupil of Kemnay Academy, as is former Aberdeen F.C. footballer Darren Mackie.

External links

• grid reference NJ7316
• Kemnay Village Community Web
• Kemnay Academy
• A guide to the Place of Origin