Dawn Renton

Food and drink producers and hospitality venues are set to open their doors as part of the fourth Provenance Festival.

The plans will add a second phase to the housebuilder’s previous development, The Grove at Inverurie, which sold out at the end of 2021. The next step will be for Cala to submit a detailed planning application. Lynn Melvin, Senior Land Manager for Cala Homes (North), said: “We are pleased to be a step closer to bringing more much-needed, high-quality homes to Inverurie. “We have been working closely with the Council to address feedback provided at a committee meeting in May during which the mast…

Five more Aberdeenshire primary schools are to join a peak time road closure trial, following a successful launch in Fraserburgh.

A new rail link connecting Aberdeen to Fraserburgh via Peterhead would deliver a north east economic boom and reduce fatal accidents on one of Scotland’s deadliest roads, a key study has found.

The team from BMRT, accompanied by members of the National Trust for Scotland, embarked on a 4.5-mile journey leaving from Mar Lodge and heading up the mountainous landscape where they met lead artist Claudia Zeiske, who is currently undergoing her final ‘Mountain to Sea’ walk as part of the project. A series of 8 benches are set to be placed along key points of a walking journey – including Haughton Park, Kemnay Donside and the Oldmeldrum Housing Estate. The 250km route, starting at the region’…

Rock Up & Ride is specifically aimed at children who would not otherwise have access to their own bike, giving them the chance to acquire new skills, techniques, and confidence for cycling in an inclusive environment. Thirty pupils from Alford and the surrounding rural primaries participated in ‘Learn to ride and look after your bike’ sessions, delivered by Deeside Thistle Cycling Club, hosted at Grampian Transport Museum. At the end of the sessions, children were given a brand-new bike to take…

This visit hosted by The Scottish Seafood Association and The Fishmongers’ Company marks a significant step in fostering stronger ties and collaborative opportunities between two of the UK’s leading seafood hubs. The delegation, composed of prominent members of the Fishmongers’ Company and Grimsby Seafood Cluster, was warmly welcomed by representatives from the North East fishing industry. The visit included a comprehensive tour of the Peterhead Fish Market, the largest whitefish market in Europ…

Gordon Gunn is one of the organisers who were concerned that without the use of the bridge there would not be a suitable route. He said: “The Alford 10k is one of the most picturesque runs on the calendar. It starts at Grampian Transport Museum, which is the perfect spot to set up our facilities. From there takes in 10 kilometres of the lovely Donside country roads on a carefully measured and approved route which includes the Haughton Bridge. In April the bridge supports were battered by the spr…

A bakery in Peterhead has reinvented a much-loved North East delicacy, the buttery, in response to changing consumer concerns around health.

The Long Term Plan for Towns funding announced by the UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, will be spent over the next decade and will be managed by the Town Board. It will feature local champions from the community including representatives from the voluntary and education sector, business, cultural, arts and sports, Aberdeenshire Council and the local MP. Under the new approach, local people will be put in charge and given the tools to change their town’s long-…

As motorists will be aware, Aberdeenshire Council introduced a ban on pavement parking in December last year. It followed the introduction of new Scottish Government legislation which prohibits pavement parking, double parking and parking at dropped kerbs. Drivers can be issued with fines of £100 if found to be breaking the law – reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days. The ban was introduced to create safer and more accessible spaces for pavement users as pavement parking can force people onto ro…

Aberdeenshire Council’s programme of surface dressing works gets underway across the north-east next week and motorists are being warned of the risks of loose chips on newly-dressed roads.

Welcomed by Mr. Alastair Macphie, the Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire, Mr. Mike Park OBE, Chairman of Stonehaven Unit, and Lieutenant Commander Michael Blacklaw RNR, Commanding Officer of Stonehaven Unit, Her Royal Highness received a Royal Salute from the unit’s enthusiastic cadets. The event, attended by over 300 cadets, parents, volunteers, supporters, and members of the local community, also marked the 70th anniversary of the unit. Following a speech by HRH, The Princess Royal toured the…

Pupils from nearby Crathie School – celebrating its own 150th anniversary this year – were given the important task of cutting a ceremonial ribbon on Friday, May 10 to open the popular path. The A-listed bridge – also known as Crathie suspension bridge – was constructed in 1834 and paid for by Queen Victoria. Unfortunately the bridge had reached the point of deterioration in recent years where it would have required permanent closure having suffered storm damage, with the timber deck also beginn…

Scottish Water has teamed up with the Ballater Walking Festival to launch its 116th Top-Up Tap.

Back in September, Aberdeenshire Council agreed to grant the Freedom of Aberdeenshire to The Royal Regiment of Scotland (SCOTS). This symbolic honour represents the close historical ties between the Regiment, its antecedent regiments before, and the communities of Aberdeenshire. As part of the proposal was a weekend of activity, which will see significant parades in three towns. Saturday, May 11 The main event takes place in Peterhead. This will be where the official Freedom will be conferred on…

The Long Term Plan for Towns funding will be spent over the next 10 years and will be managed by a board of local champions from the community including representatives from the voluntary and education sector, business, cultural, arts and sports, Aberdeenshire Council, and the local MP. Announced in the March Budget, Peterhead is joining this programme from the Department of Communities and Levelling Up and will see a dedicated Town Board agreeing a long-term vision and investment plan for the t…

The 2024 Toulmin Prize University is run by the University of Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute and £500 is up for grabs for the winning entry. The Toulmin prize has inspired a wide-range of creative writing in a mixture of Doric and English since its inception in 2008. It is sponsored by grandsons of Toulmin (John Reid), Steven and Martin Reid. John Reid (1913-1998) was an Aberdeenshire farm labourer from Rathen, near Fraserburgh, who spent most of his life working long hours for very small rewa…

The collection of 220 properties, including several retail opportunities, is the largest phase of the development to date and offers more options for people to move into this popular community, with new homes available for sale from early May. The Duke of Fife officially marked the launch by cutting a ribbon at an event held to celebrate this milestone in the development of North-East Scotland’s newest town. Chapelton is rapidly emerging as a thriving and sustainable place to live that will even…

The tractor run started at Crathes Hall and followed the proposed pylon route through Durris, Drumoak, Echt and Dunecht to Leylodge with affected communities gathering along the way in support. Scottish & Southern Electricity Network’s (SSEN) proposal is to drive the corridor of 1500, 70-meter-high pylons, on average 300m apart, through the heart of Aberdeenshire. The pylons twice the height of average pylons – equivalent to a 23-storey skyscraper - will carry double Scotland’s national power de…