Drumoak

Drumoak
Drumoak village
Population910 (2022)[1]
OS grid referenceNO7999
Council area
Lieutenancy area
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Postcode districtAB31 5xx
Dialling code01330 811 xxx
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament
List of places
UK
Scotland
57°05′10″N 2°20′18″W / 57.08622°N 2.338277°W / 57.08622; -2.338277
Drumoak and district bowling green

Drumoak (/drəˈmk/, Scottish Gaelic: Druim M'Aodhaig, lit.'the ridge of St Aodhag') is a village situated between Peterculter and Banchory in North Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.[2] Drumoak is proximate to the River Dee, with Park Bridge, named for the local Park Estate, being a local crossing; Park Estate,[3] was formerly owned by the railway engineer Sir Robert Williams;[4] Sir Robert is interred at Drumoak.

There is a church, small shop (located in Park), bowling green and the, now demolished, Irvine Arms restaurant pub (aptly named after the family that owned the 13th century Drum Castle). Drum Castle is run by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to visitors. Relics and portraits of the Irvine family are kept here, and it was conferred by Robert the Bruce onto William de Irvine. There are a number of housing developments progressing; a new primary school and nursery with over 100 pupils serves Drumoak. The Dee River gravels also attract gravel extraction on both sides of the river.

Drumoak Manse in 1638 was the birthplace of James Gregory,[5] discoverer of diffraction gratings a year after Newton's prism experiments, and inventor of the Gregorian telescope design in 1663. The design is still used today in telescopes such as the Arecibo Radio Telescope upgraded to a Gregorian design in 1997 giving Arecibo a flexibility it had not previously possessed. His older brother David was also born there in 1620.[6]

Between Drumoak and Peterculter is the site of a Roman encampment Normandykes

History

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A history of Drumoak was commissioned by the Kirk Session of Drumoak Parish Church in 2000 in order to commemorate the second millennium. It was entitled The Parish of Drumoak and was written by Robin Jackson.

Drumoak Church

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  2. ^ AA Touring Guide to Scotland (1978)
  3. ^ ""Sporting Estates, Fishing, Shooting, Stalking, Lodges, Scotland, Holidays". Archived from the original on 22 March 2005. Retrieved 15 December 2008."
  4. ^ Robert Clarke Hutchinson, George MartelliRobert's People: The Life of Sir Robert Williams, Chatto and Windus, 1971
  5. ^ "James Gregory - Biography".
  6. ^ John Keay; Julia Keay (2000). Collins encyclopaedia of Scotland. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-710353-9. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
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