Editing Aberdour

{{for|the place in Aberdeenshire|New Aberdour}}
{{distinguish|Aberlour}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name                    = Aberdour
| scots_name                       = 
| gaelic_name                      = Obar Dobhair
| static_image_name                = AberdourHarbour.jpg
| static_image_width               = 240
| static_image_caption             = A view across Aberdour Harbour
| map_type                         = Scotland
| coordinates                      = {{coord|56.052778|-3.302105|display=inline,title}}
| population                       = {{Scottish locality population|name|POP=Aberdour}}
| population_ref                   = ({{Scottish settlement population citation|year}})<ref>{{Scottish settlement population citation}}</ref>| os_grid_reference                = NT190852
| unitary_scotland                 = [[Fife]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Fife]]
| country                          = Scotland
| post_town                        = BURNTISLAND
| postcode_area                    = KY
| postcode_district                = KY3
| dial_code                        = 01383
| constituency_westminster         = [[Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (UK Parliament constituency)|Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Cowdenbeath (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Cowdenbeath]]
}}

'''Aberdour''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|b|ər|ˈ|d|aʊər|audio=Aberdour.ogg}}; Scots: {{IPAc-en|ˌ|eI|b|ər|ˈ|d|u|r}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=15|title=Fife Place-name Data :: Aberdour|website=fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk}}</ref> {{langx|gd|Obar Dobhair}}) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of [[Fife]], [[Scotland]]. It is on the north shore of the [[Firth of Forth]], looking south to the island of [[Inchcolm]] and its Abbey, and to [[Leith]] and [[Edinburgh]] beyond. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 1,633.<ref name="Scotland's Census 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ods-web/area.html|title=Scotland's Census 2011- Aberdour Locality 2010 Profile |publisher=www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk|year=2011 |access-date=2 March 2015}}</ref>

The village's winding High Street lies a little inland from the coast. Narrow lanes run off it, providing access to the more hidden parts of the village and the shoreline itself. The village nestles between the bigger coastal towns of [[Burntisland]] to the east and [[Dalgety Bay]] to the west.

The [[Civil parishes in Scotland|parish]] of Aberdour takes its name from this village, and had a population of 1,972 at the [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]].<ref name= "KS101SC_1">Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usual Resident Population, published by National Records of Scotland. Website http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved Apr 2018. See “Standard Outputs”, Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930, Area: Aberdour</ref>

== Etymology ==
Aberdour means 'mouth of the Dour'. The first element is the [[Pictish language|Pictish]] word ''aber'' 'river mouth'.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Grant|first=Alison|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/759569647|title=The Pocket Guide to Scottish Place-Names|date=2010|publisher=Richard Drew Ltd|isbn=978-1-899471-00-3|editor-last=Macleod|editor-first=Iseabail|location=Glasgow|pages=23|oclc=759569647}}</ref> The name of the Dour Burn, which enters the [[River Forth]] at the village's harbour, is from Pictish ''{{lang|xpr|duvr}}'' 'water'.<ref name=":0" /> A cognate of this word is also seen in [[Dover]] and [[Andover, Hampshire|Andover]]. The Pictish word was subsequently changed to [[Scottish Gaelic|Gaelic]] ''dobhar''.<ref name=":0" /> Aberdour is recorded in 1179 as Abirdoure and in 1126 as "Abirdaur".<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Ross, David, 1943-|title=Scottish place-names|date=2007|publisher=Birlinn|isbn=9780953021307|page=5|oclc=213108856}}</ref>

== History ==
For much of its history Aberdour was two villages, Wester Aberdour and Easter Aberdour, on either side of the Dour Burn; however this distinction was blurred by the 19th century arrival of the railway.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gifford |first1=John |title=The Buildings of Scotland: Fife |date=1992 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-300-09673-6 |page=58}}</ref>

The original church was dedicated to St Fillan in 1178 but only was given parish status in 1640 when the area was disjunctioned from the parish of Beath and Dalgety.<ref>Pre Reformation Churches of Fifeshire by J Russell Walker</ref>

In the 18th century Aberdour's harbour was improved by the addition of a stone pier to help handle the coal traffic from nearby collieries. However, in the 1850s the traffic changed dramatically, and Aberdour Harbour became a popular destination for pleasure steamers from [[Leith]]. This in turn led to the building of a deeper water pier a little around the bay at Hawkcraig, and to the development of hotels and many of the other services still on view today in the village.

The railway came to Aberdour in 1890, with the building of the line east from the newly opened [[Forth Bridge]]. The [[Aberdour railway station|station]] has won many "best kept station" awards.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vKJ1I75Mx0EC&q=1890,+Forth+Bridge+awards+%22kept+station%22|first=Alan|publisher=[[David & Charles]]|last=Hall|title=Fife & Perthshire: Including Kinross (Pevensey Guide)|date=2002|page=25|isbn=9781898630494|access-date=2019-07-21}}</ref>

== Geography ==

The [[A921 road|A921]], the main road along the south coast of [[Fife]], leads down the High Street of Wester Aberdour, before kinking sharply left to cross the railway line, then right again to progress through Easter Aberdour's Main Street.

Wester Aberdour has a narrow through road more closely hemmed in by shops and hotels. A number of vernacular buildings of the 17th-early 19th centuries add to the historic scene. Close to the railway bridge, three lanes continue eastwards, presumably once the route of the original High Street before the arrival of the railway. One now leads to [[Aberdour railway station]], a beautifully kept and cared for example of a traditional station, in keeping with its role of transporting at least a quarter of the village's working population to their work each day.

A second lane leads alongside the railway line to Aberdour Castle, while a third leads to the restored Aberdour House. A little further west, a narrow road closely lined with high walls, Shore Road, leads down to the West Sands and the Harbour. For many this area is the highlight of any visit to Aberdour; parking at the foot of Shore Road is usually at a premium.

Another road leads coastwards from Easter Aberdour. Hawkcraig Road leads past St Fillan's Church and through Silversand Park, home to [[Aberdour Shinty Club]], en route to a parking area on Hawkcraig. The car park was the site of a whinstone quarry between 1910 and 1933,<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Lloyd |first=Arthur |title=Aberdour Present and Past |date=2019 |publisher=Aberdour Cultural Association |location=Aberdour}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Drumm |first=P |title=A Nice Little Place by the Sea The Story of Aberdour's Maritime Past |date=2009 |publisher=Syntax |location=Edinburgh}}</ref> exploiting the dolerite sill which forms the bedrock geology.<ref>{{Cite web |last=British Geological Survey |title=Geology Viewer |url=https://geologyviewer.bgs.ac.uk/?_ga=2.223816667.1960318699.1715605739-1260849317.1715605739 |access-date=13 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Goodchild |first=J. G. |date=1900 |title=The Dolerite of Aberdour, with some Speculations on the Origin of Eruptive Rocks in general |url=https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/abs/10.1144/transglas.11.2.271 |journal=Transactions of the Geological Society of Glasgow |volume=11 |issue=2 |pages=271–272|doi=10.1144/transglas.11.2.271 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matley |first=C. A. |date=1910 |title=The Lower Carboniferous rocks near Aberdour (Fife) |url=https://www.lyellcollection.org/doi/abs/10.1144/transed.9.5.364 |journal=Transactions of the Edinburgh Geological Society |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=364|doi=10.1144/transed.9.5.364 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Strimpel |first=Oliver |date=10 October 2022 |title=Anna Fleming on the Experience of Rock Climbing |url=https://www.geologybites.com/anna-fleming |access-date=13 May 2024 |website=Geology Bites}}</ref> The area was then used as the council refuse tip before becoming a car park in the 1970s,<ref name=":1" /> part of the overgrown and rocky bluff separating Aberdour's two bays. From here is it a short walk to the Silver Sands, Aberdour's busiest and most popular beach.

On the west side of Hawkcraig Point there is a short concrete jetty that was used as part of the development of radio controlled [[torpedoes]] during [[World War I]]. The foundations of the Radio Hut can still be seen in the lea of the hill.

== Landmarks ==
[[Image:Aberdour Castle from dovecote.jpg|thumb|[[Aberdour Castle]]]]

Virtually between the two former settlements, though actually part of Easter Aberdour, lies [[Aberdour Castle]]. This started life as a modest [[hall house]] on a site overlooking the Dour Burn in the 13th century. The oldest part of the present semi-ruin constitutes one of the earliest surviving stone castles in mainland [[Scotland]]. Over the next four hundred years the Castle was successively developed according to contemporary architectural ideas. Notable are the parts, still largely roofed, built by the Earls of Morton, with refined [[Renaissance]] detail, in the second half of the 16th century.

A fire in the late 17th century was followed by some repairs, but in 1725 the family purchased 17th-century Aberdour House, on the west side of the burn and in Wester Aberdour, and the medieval Castle was allowed to fall into relative decay. Aberdour Castle is now in the care of [[Historic Environment Scotland]] and open to the public (entrance charge). After a period of dereliction Aberdour House was developed for residential use in the early 1990s.

[[Image:St Fillans Church -Aberdour -Scotland2.jpg|right|thumb|St Fillan's Church]]

Neighbouring St Fillan's Church is one of the best-preserved medieval parish churches in [[Scotland]], dating largely to the 12th century and originally under control of [[Inchcolm Abbey]]. A south arcade was added to the nave in the early 16th century (open in summer). It was controversially considered for closure by the [[Church of Scotland]] in 2022, but a campaign was mounted to keep it open.<ref>{{cite web |title=Villagers fighting to save Fife church thrown lifeline ahead of its 900th anniversary |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/fife/3855295/st-fillans-church-plan/ |website=The Courier |date=7 November 2022 |access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref>

The Aberdour obelisk was built by [[James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton|Lord Morton]] on his departure from the village to relocate to a large home in Edinburgh, it was built so he could see his former hometown from his new house when he looked through binoculars &ndash; it stands in a cowfield between the castle and the beach.

== Culture ==
Aberdour hosts an annual festival, which runs from late July to early August and features musical events, shows, sporting events and children's events.<ref>{{cite web |author=Craig Robertson |url=http://www.aberdour-festival.org |title=Aberdour festival |publisher=Aberdour festival |access-date=2010-05-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402152843/http://www.aberdour-festival.org/ |archive-date=2 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Aberdour was a 2005 finalist in the prestigious "Beautiful Scotland in Bloom" awards. It was nominated for "''Best Coastal Resort''" in [[Scotland]] along with [[St Andrews]] in [[Fife]], [[North Berwick]] in [[East Lothian]], and [[Rothesay, Argyll and Bute|Rothesay]] in [[Argyll and Bute]].
In 2014 Aberdour was voted Best Coastal Village in Fife and Best Small Coastal Village in Scotland. It also received a Gold Award in Beautiful Fife and Beautiful Scotland. In 2018 Aberdour was voted the second-best place to live in Scotland by The Sunday Times list of Best Places to Live<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/aberdour-fife-best-places-to-live-qg32sckfh|title=Aberdour, Fife — best places to live in the UK 2018|first=The Sunday|last=Times|date=March 18, 2018|via=www.thetimes.co.uk}}</ref>

Aberdour is home to Fife's only senior shinty club. [[Aberdour Shinty Club]] field teams in both the men's and women's senior national leagues.

Aberdour is one of the few communities outside of [[Turkmenistan]] to celebrate [[Melon Day]] on the second Sunday of every August.<ref name="Melon Day">{{cite web |url=https://aberdourfestival.org/events/month/2023-07/ |title=Aberdour Festival}}</ref>

== Aberdour's beaches ==
[[File:Silversands Bay from the air (geograph 5835067).jpg|thumb|right|Silversands Bay from the air]]
Aberdour has two beaches &ndash; the Silver Sands, and the Black Sands.

The Silver Sands<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://coastradar.com/places/united-kingdom/isle-of-wight/bembridge/beaches/silver-sands-beach/|title=Silver Sands Beach (Isle of Wight) - UK Coast Guide|website=Coast Radar}}</ref> are located on the East side of the village, and have previously held a "[[Blue Flag beach|Blue flag]]" beach award, which denotes an exemplary standard of cleanliness, facilities, safety, environmental education and management. New facilities are currently under construction by Fife Council, which will much improve the beach throughout the year.

The Black Sands (also known as the West Beach), as the contrasting name would suggest, have a rockier and darker sand, and are also popular with visitors exploring the rock caves and unique sea life. During the summer months (April–September), dogs are banned from the Silver Sands but they are allowed all year round at the West Beach. The two beaches are linked by part of the [[Fife Coastal Path]] which also takes hikers past the harbour and the Hawkcraig &ndash; a popular rock climbing location.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listArea.php?AreaID=7544|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041221114813/http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listArea.php?AreaID=7544|url-status = dead|title=Rock Climbing Routes: Europe/Scotland/Central Lowlands/The Hawkcraig|archive-date=December 21, 2004}}</ref>

Silver Sands is becoming more popular with open water swimmers, who swim daily in the sea, both as a leisure pursuit, and as training for open water competition. The bay provides safety from the currents, although only the adventurous swim round to the harbour.

Several scenes of [[Richard Jobson (television presenter)|Richard Jobson]]'s 2003 movie ''[[16 Years of Alcohol]]'' were filmed at the Black Sands in Aberdour.

== Inchcolm ==
{{Main|Inchcolm}}

The island of [[Inchcolm]], or Island ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]] ''innis'') of [[Columba]], {{convert|1/4|mi|m}} from the shore, forms part of the parish of Aberdour. Its name implies associations dating back to the time of [[Columba]] and, although undocumented before the 12th century, it may have served the monks of the Columban family as an '[[Iona]] of the east' from early times.

During the First and Second World Wars, [[Inchcolm]] was occupied by the army as part of the defences of the [[Firth of Forth]]. There are extensive remains of gun emplacements, barracks, etc. from these periods.

The island is notable for its wildlife, especially seabirds and seals. These draw many visitors in summer, along with the remains of the historic Abbey, and is a popular setting for weddings.

== Notable residents ==
Notable past and present residents of the town include:
*[[Robert Blair (moderator)]], chaplain to King Charles I
*[[Robert Liston (minister)|Rev Robert Liston]] Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1787
*[[Geoffrey Keyes (VC)|Geoffrey Keyes]], recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Geoffrey C T Keyes VC|url=http://www.victoriacrossonline.co.uk/geoffrey-c-t-keyes-vc/4587307857|website=www.victoriacrossonline.co.uk|access-date=7 January 2017}}</ref>
*[[William Wotherspoon (rugby union)|William Wotherspoon]], rugby union player<ref>{{cite web |title=William Wotherspoon |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/player/972.html |website=ESPN scrum |access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref>

== Twin cities/towns ==
* [[Corte Franca]], [[Italy]] (since 31 July 2004)<ref>{{cite web|title=Town Twinning|url=https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/topics/index.cfm?fuseaction=service.display&objectid=909a83ad-347e-4e30-828c-07b353b68048|website=www.fifedirect.org.uk|access-date=26 January 2018|archive-date=3 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103165242/https://www.fifedirect.org.uk/topics/index.cfm?fuseaction=service.display&objectid=909A83AD-347E-4E30-828C-07B353B68048|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Aber and Inver as place-name elements]]
* [[Aberdour Shinty Club]]
* [[List of places in Fife]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Aberdour}}
{{EB1911 poster|Aberdour}}

* [http://www.aberdourfestival.org Aberdour Festival website]

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Aberdour| ]]
[[Category:Villages in Fife]]
[[Category:Parishes in Fife]]