Aberfoyle, Stirling
Aberfoyle
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Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | STIRLING |
Postcode district | FK8 |
Dialling code | 01877 |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Aberfoyle (
The parish of Aberfoyle takes its name from this village, and had a population of 1,065 at the 2011 census.[2]
Geography
The town is situated on the River Forth at the foot of Craigmore (387 m or 1,270 ft high). Since 1885, when the Duke of Montrose constructed a road over the eastern shoulder of Craigmore to join the older road at the entrance of the Trossachs pass, Aberfoyle has become the alternative route to the Trossachs and Loch Katrine; this road, known as the Duke's Road or Duke's Pass, was opened to the public in 1931 when the Forestry Commission acquired the land.
Loch Ard, about 2 miles (3 kilometres) west of Aberfoyle, lies 40 m (130 ft) above the sea. It is 3 mi (5 km) long (including the narrows at the east end) and 1 mi (1.5 km) broad. Towards the west end is Eilean Gorm (the green isle), and near the north-western shore are the falls of Ledard. The loch's northern shores are dominated by the mountain ridge of Beinn an Fhogharaidh (616 m or 2,021 ft). Two miles (three kilometres) northwest of Loch Ard is Loch Chon, at 90 m (300 ft) above the sea, 1+1⁄4 mi (2 km) long and about 1⁄2 mi (800 m) broad. It drains by the Avon Dhu to Loch Ard, which is drained in turn by the Forth.
Toponym
Aberfoyle supposedly originates from the Brittonic Celtic, aber poll or aber phuill (Scottish Gaelic, Obar Phuill), meaning (place at the) mouth of the Phuill Burn (the Pow Burn enters the River Forth at Aberfoyle). Historically, alternative spellings such as Abirfull, Aberfule, Aberfoill and Aberfoil have been recorded before the current spelling became accepted by the 20th century.[3] The river-name is from either Gaelic poll or Brittonic pol, both of which mean 'pool, sluggish water'.[4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Milepost_on_A81_-_geograph.org.uk_-_988577.jpg/220px-Milepost_on_A81_-_geograph.org.uk_-_988577.jpg)
Industry
The slate quarries on Craigmore which operated from the 1820s to the 1950s are now defunct; at its peak this was a major industry. Other industries included an ironworks, established in the 1720s, as well as wool spinning and a lint mill.
From 1882 the village was served by Aberfoyle railway station, the terminus of the Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway which connected to Glasgow via Dumbarton or Kirkintilloch. The station closed to passenger traffic in 1951, and the remaining freight services ceased in 1959.
The above industries have since died out, and Aberfoyle is supported mainly by the forestry, industry and tourism.[5]
Tourism
Visitors were first attracted to Aberfoyle and the surrounding area after the publication of
Aberfoyle is also home to the largest
Historical figures
This section needs additional citations for verification. (May 2023) |
![Visit the grave of the Rev Robert Kirk at the The Old Kirk in Aberfoyle](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/The_Old_Kirk_Graveyard_in_Aberfoyle.jpg/220px-The_Old_Kirk_Graveyard_in_Aberfoyle.jpg)
Aberfoyle has connections to many historical figures such as
However, the most local historical figure is the Reverend
Kirk had long believed that the local Doon Hill was the gateway to the "Secret Commonwealth", or the Celtic Otherworld. It was a place that Kirk visited often, taking daily walks there from his manse. The story goes that the Fairies of Doon Hill were angry with the Rev. Kirk for going into the domain of the Unseelie court, where he had been warned not to go, and decided to imprison him in Doon Hill — for one night in May 1692, the Rev. Kirk went out for a walk to the hill, in his nightshirt. Some accounts claim that he simply vanished, however he suddenly collapsed. He was found and brought home, but died soon afterwards. He was buried in his own kirkyard, although local legends claim that the fairies took his body away, and the coffin contains only stones. The huge pine tree that still stands at the top of Doon Hill is said to contain Kirk's imprisoned spirit.
Kirk's cousin, Graham of Duchray, was later to claim that the spectre of Kirk had visited him in the night, and told him that he had been carried off into the
Today, visitors to Doon Hill write their wishes on pieces of white silk, or other white cloth, and tie them to the branches of the trees for the Good People to grant.
Use in fiction
- Aberfoyle was used as the location and inspiration for the adventure novel "Les Indes noires" (English title: The Child of the Cavern) by Jules Verne.
- The "Clachan of Aberfoil", then (in 1715) a small hamlet, plays a significant role in the second Volume of the novel Rob Roy by Walter Scott.
- Aberfoyle is where two grandfathers grew up in Shadow Land by Adam Wright. The grandfathers are the ancestors of two sub-characters who are related to Shellycoats. In the book, it is surmised that people from Aberfoyle have a hint of the faerie in their blood.
See also
References
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ 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: Aberfoyle
- ^ McNiven, Peter E. (2011). Gaelic place-names and the social history of Gaelic speakers in Medieval Menteith (PDF) (PhD). University of Glasgow. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
- OCLC 759569647.
- ^ "Aberfoyle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland".
- ^ "About Aberfoyle". Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- ISBN 9781840331103. Archived from the originalon 4 February 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ "Parish of Aberfoyle". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ISBN 1-59017-177-2.
- ^ Hare, John Bruno (27 February 2004). "The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies". Retrieved 14 August 2009.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Read more about Aberfoyle and its history