Welcome to Inverurie

Inverurie is located where the River Don meets the River Urie, in the county of Aberdeenshire, approximately 542 miles north of London and 17 miles north-west of Aberdeen.

The town has a population of around 7,700. Administratively it is within the district of Gordon until 1996 when it was incorporated into the Aberdeenshire unitary area which covers approximately 6,313 sq kms and which has a population of around 227,000.

It is an attractive and prosperous town of wide streets and granite buildings, and a good base for trout and salmon fishing and for exploring the surrounding wooded valleys. There are some notable historic buildings, including the remains (a 50ft high grass mound called the Bass) of its 12th-century castle.

The town's history dates back a thousand years - a monastery was established nearby about 1000AD - and surprisingly, considering its strategic location and the turbulence experienced by much of Scotland over the centuries, its history has been a fairly peaceful one. A motte and bailey castle 'The Bass' was built here in the 12th century by the Earl of Garioch and used as a base by Robert the Bruce before his victory over the Earl of Buchan in 1308. Inverurie received its charter as a burgh in 1195.

Historically the town's economy has been based upon farming and, being at the heart of a prime agricultural region, this remains important. There is also a continuing focus to develop the service sector to support tourist activities. Notable employers are in the food processing and paper making industries, and the ANM Group, including Thainstone Agriculture Mart. Its proximity and good transport links to Aberdeen mean that many residents also commute to work in the city.

The name Inverurie simply describes the town's location at the 'mouth of the Urie' from the Gaelic inver+urie.