Longside is a town[2] located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, consisting of a single main street. It lies seven miles inland from Peterhead and two miles from Mintlaw on the A950. Its population in 2001 was 721.[3] The River Ugie flows through it.

It lies in the centre of what was the ancient parish of Longside, which was established in 1641 and covered an extensive area. There are a number of listed buildings in the village. During the First World War, the most northerly Royal Navy air station was based within the parish and there was also an active airfield used during World War II on a different site close to the village.

Amenities include a local Parish Church, a primary school,[4] and a junior football club, Longside F.C. There is also a golf club, Longside Golf Club, which was opened in 1979 and its course was extended to 18 holes in 1996.[5] There are also local shops; businesses; a community hall; and tennis courts.[6]

History

There is considerable evidence of prehistoric activity in the nearby area, most notably in the form of the Catto Long Barrow and numerous tumuli.[7]

The records of the Parliament of Scotland shows an act[which?] was passed in November 1641 to allow the erection of a kirk at Longside.[8] A church had previously been sited in Longside dating back to 1620.[9]

Jamie Fleeman, the Laird of Udny's Fool

Almost a century later following the Penal Act 1746 (19 Geo. 2. c. 38), the Episcopal Church at Longside was burnt down by the Hanoverians. Rev John Skinner of Longside spent six months in prison after evading a strict Penal Act 1748 (21 Geo. 2. c. 34) which decreed that Episcopalian ministers could only preach to his own family. Skinner had tried to circumvent the act by preaching from his cottage window to a congregation outside.[10][11] Skinner is buried in the parish churchyard and his grave is marked by a monument.[11]

The grave of Jamie Fleeman (1713–1778) who was better known as 'the Laird of Udny's Fool' is also at Longside and a monument to mark his grave was erected in 1861. He was born in Longside and died at nearby Kinmundy.[11] His notoriety in the area is best exampled by his mention in the New Statistical Account of Scotland 1845, where under Section II, eminent characters, it states:

Transport

Longside was a mainstay of the turnpike system as it was crossed by two turnpikes; one running a mail coach twice a day and a stage coach running between Peterhead and Banff and returning in the evening.[28] The twelve-mile stretch of road from Peterhead to Pitfour and then on to Coilsmore ran through Longside and was completed in 1810. It was partly funded by James Ferguson (the member) but he sold it to a Peterhead merchant, James Hutchison, in January 1809.[29]

Listed buildings

The former Bruce Arms Hotel, pictured in 2006

Both the Old Parish Church dating back to 1620 and the Churchyard Gateway, which is on Inn Brae, are category A listed buildings on the Historic Environment Scotland register. The church was built with rubble and the windows conveyed an unbalanced appearance. The bellcote is thought to date from 1637. The Gateway also dates back to 1620 with the finial at the top added in 1705.[30][31]

St John's Episcopal Church was built in 1853 to the design of the architect William Hay. Hay was particularly renowned for his work overseas but undertook this work and also built a house in Broad Street, Peterhead for his mother during the same period. St John's is a category B listed building.[32][33]

The slightly earlier Parish Church at Longside was built in 1835-6 and is also a category B listing. Its construction is attributed to the architect John Smith who undertook a lot of work in the area, including designs for James Ferguson at Pitfour, Peterhead Prison and the remodelling of Slains Castle. A vestry was added to the church in 1889.[34][35]

Other structures

The former Bruce Arms Hotel, on Main Street, was built around 1845. Charles McKean noted it on his pre-1990 visit to the village,[36] but it is now closed.

Kininmonth House was built in 1740, while the nearby Kininmonth Church followed about a century later.[37]

The Toll House is in Main Street, Longside; as the Toll House was sympathetically extended in 2008, it still allows the original features of the toll houses to be seen.[38]

Expansion

In 2007, the village was expanded when a residential housing development of 33 houses was undertaken adjacent to Skinner Road, on the western edge of the village opposite the golf course.[39][40] A further 21 houses were built on the same development in 2008.[41] Further residential development is planned through to 2015.[6]

Events

Each year, an annual gala is held in May. The Longside Gala is the first Gala held in the area each season. Always well supported by the local community, the weekend of events includes activities ranging from a parade, five a side football, netball and Tae Kwon Do. There is an outside stage set up for various entertainments; a gala dance in a marquee on Saturday evening and various events are also held throughout the Sunday.[42][43]

The Local Community Council works closely with the Gala committee and it also organises an annual Gardens competition, an environmental project which has run for many years.[44] A stretch of the Formartine and Buchan Railway Line runs alongside the village and the Community Council provided seating along the walk, a welcome facility popular with local cyclists, walkers and dog walkers.[44]

People

  • George Gatherer Wilson (1872-1949), son of Rev Thomas Lockerby Wilson (1810-1894) of the Free Church of Scotland in Longside. Working in a mission in Peking in the early 1900s he was awarded the Imperial Chinese Order of the Double Dragon by the Emperor in 1911 for his work in the city during the pneumonic plague.[45]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Scotland has 33 new towns. Where are they and what's it like living there?". BBC News. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Comparative Population Profile:Longside Locality Scotland Archived 19 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine scrol.gov.uk, accessed 12 October 2008
  4. ↑ "Longside Primary School". Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 8 January 2007.
  5. ↑ "Longside Golf Club". Longside Golf Club. Retrieved 8 January 2007.
  6. 1 2 "Planning" (PDF). Aberdeenshire Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Hogan, C. Michael. "Catto (Long Barrow)". the Modern Antiquarian. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  8. ↑ "Act regarding the erection of the kirk of Longside". University of St Andrews. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  9. ↑ May & Hay (2000): p. 1
  10. ↑ Buchan (2008): p. 110
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Parish of Longside". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  12. ↑ Presbytery of Deer, Synod of Aberdeen. The Rev. John Imray, A. M. Minister. "The New Statistical Account of Scotland (1845) Volume XII – Aberdeen Parish of Longside". ElectricScotland.com. Retrieved 2 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ Buchan (2008): p. 86
  14. ↑ "The Sections and Opening Dates of The GNSR". Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Cairngall". University of Portsmouth & others. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  16. ↑ "Statistical Account for Scotland 1791–99". Statistical Acct for Scotland. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  17. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Cairngall House and Garden Walls (Category C Listed Building LB9420)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  18. ↑ AG5458 operations – AirportGuide.com
  19. ↑ "Lenabo, Longside Airship Station". Canmore. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  20. ↑ May & Hay (2000): p. 334
  21. ↑ Royal Naval Airship Station Longside (inset Plaque). Lenabo: Longside Community Council. 2003.
  22. ↑ Hughes (2003): pp. 33–34
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 "RAF Peterhead". Secret Scotland. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  24. 1 2 3 "Peterhead Airfield". RCAHMS. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  25. ↑ "Energy archive" (PDF). Aberdeen University. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  26. ↑ Wilson, Terry. "Longside Cairn". RAF. Archived from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  27. ↑ AG5458 operations – AirportGuide.com
  28. ↑ Buchan (2008): pp. 103–104
  29. ↑ Buchan (2008): p. 103
  30. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Old Parish Church of Longside (Category A Listed Building LB9410)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  31. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Churchyard Gateway, Longside Parish Church (Category A Listed Building LB9412)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  32. ↑ "William Hay". Edinburgh Architectural Association. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  33. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "St. John's Episcopal Church, Longside (Category B Listed Building LB9419)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  34. ↑ "John Smith". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  35. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Parish Church of Longside (Category B Listed Building LB9411)". Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  36. ↑ McKean (1990), p. 94
  37. ↑ McKean (1990), p. 96
  38. ↑ "BW/2007/1983". Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 2 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  39. ↑ "Clover Way". Chap Construction. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  40. ↑ "APP/2005/0814". Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 2 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  41. ↑ "APP/2007/1302". Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 2 November 2012.[permanent dead link]
  42. ↑ "Weekend of fun". Buchan Observer. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  43. ↑ "Family fun beckons". Buchan Observer. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  44. 1 2 "Longside Community Council". Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  45. ↑ Ewing, William Annals of the Free Church

Bibliography

  • Buchan, Alex R (2008). Pitfour 'The Blenheim of the North'. Peterhead: The Buchan Field Club. ISBN 978-0-9512736-4-7.
  • Hughes, Jim (2003). Airfield Focus, RNAS Longside (Lenabo). Peterborough: GMS Enterprises. ISBN 1-904514-09-X.
  • Vi & Sandy, Gordon, May & Hay (2000). Longside: A parish and its people. Peterhead: Longside Parish Council. ISBN 09539586-0-4.
  • McKean, Charles (1990), Banff & Buchan, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, ISBN 978-1-85158-231-0
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longside