Hatton of Fintray, commonly referred to as Fintray, is a village on the River Don in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in the parish of Fintray. It was a textile village and its church dates from 1821, and there used to be a nearby ferry crossing the river.
The bridge across the Don at Boat of Hatton, formerly the site of the ferry
The name of the parish is said to be derived from the Gaelic, Fionn-traigh, meaning "the white strand" an appellation descriptive enough of the greater portion of the parish which lies along the left, or north bank of the Don. The parish is bounded on the south by the river Don, which separates it from the parishes of Dyce, Kinellar and Kintore; by the parish of Keith-hall on the north and west; and by Newmachar on the east. The greatest length of the parish, in a direct line from south to north is 4.5 miles (7.2km); and its greatest breadth, also in a direct line along the valley of the Don from east to west, is 5.5 miles (8.9km); and its whole area is estimated to be 7,388 acres (29.90km2). It was larger up to 1948 when it had two portions transferred to Dyce and Kinellar.
A rare example of a morthouse is located in the churchyard. This was built to frustrate the activity of bodysnatchers.
It is mainly an agricultural parish with very little other manufacture. The village Hatton of Fintray is typical picturesque Donside village, little changed over the last 50 years, with the exception of the addition of a number of new houses. It has three churches in the parish, but only the most recent dating from 1821 in use. A good and well attended primary school. An excellent village hall, kept very much up to date, and also well used by the community. A bar and lounge named "The Northern Lights" was established in the village in 1962 and converted from an old established shop and printing works. It also has a joiners business, and a garage selling used vehicles.
The numbers within the parish is slowly increasing, however this has been controlled by the village via its Community Council in conjunction with a sympathetic planning authority. Hatton of Fintray remains one of the last bastions of tranquillity within a ten-mile (16km) radius of Aberdeen.
Events
There are several local events known throughout the Aberdeenshire region that originate in Hatton of Fintray. First of all the Sheltie Stakes is a family event run by the community to raise money for a charity. The first Sheltie Stakes took place in early September 1997 and there is a larger turn out every year due to the introduction of advertising throughout Aberdeenshire. The event still takes place in early September, usually the first Sunday of the month. Much of the work is done through the primary school to encourage the children to help in the community.
The Fintray Hillclimb (full title Fintray House Hillclimb) is a speed motorsport event held near Hatton of Fintray. Each event is a separate round of the Scottish Hillclimb Championship. The venue is a working farm for the majority of the year but Grampian Automobile Club (GAC) stage two, two-day events each year. The venue has been used since the 1960s and continues to see record entries.[citation needed] Initially run back in the 1960s by ADMC (Aberdeen & District Motor Club), the event used to run as a National counter in the British Hill Climb Championship. The current track record of 25.72 was set by Roy Lane in a Championship runoff back on 25 June 1989.
Stewart Robb Jr finally broke Roy Lane's long standing 25.72 hill record at Grampian MC's short, 725-yard hill at Fintray, near Aberdeen, Saturday 8 Aug 2009. Lane's old hill standard was set at 1989's British Championship meeting in his Pilbeam-DFL MP58. Robb's father, Stewart Sr, was first inside the record – by a mere hundredth – aboard their 4-litre Pilbeam-Judd MP88. But on a day when nine class records were reset, his son applied the coupe de gras on the very last run of the day with a 25.28.
The River Don is a river in north-east Scotland. It rises in the Grampians and flows eastwards, through Aberdeenshire, to the North Sea at Aberdeen. The Don passes through Alford, Kemnay, Inverurie, Kintore, and Dyce. Its main tributary, the River Ury, joins at Inverurie.
Inverurie is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland at the confluence of the rivers Ury and Don, about 16 miles (26 km) north-west of Aberdeen.
Banchory is a burgh or town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is about 18 miles (29 km) west of Aberdeen, near where the Feugh River meets the River Dee.
Dyce is a suburb of Aberdeen, Scotland, situated on the River Don about 6 mi (10 km) northwest of the city centre. It is best known as the location of Aberdeen Airport.
The British Hillclimb Championship (BHC) is the most prestigious hillclimbing championship in Great Britain. The British Hill Climb Championship was held every year from 1947 to 2019, and resumed in 2021. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aberdeenshire or the County of Aberdeen is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. The area of the county, excluding the Aberdeen City council area itself, is also a lieutenancy area. The county borders Kincardineshire, Angus and Perthshire to the south, Inverness-shire and Banffshire to the west, and the North Sea to the north and east. It has a coast-line of 65 miles (105 km). The county gives its name to the modern Aberdeenshire council area, which covers a larger area than the historic county.
Alford is a large village in Aberdeenshire, north-east Scotland, lying just south of the River Don. It lies within the Howe of Alford which occupies the middle reaches of the River Don.
Kemnay is a village 16 miles (26 km) west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Gordon is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster), which elects one member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The constituency first returned a member in the 1983 general election, but has undergone boundary changes since that date.
EastAberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1918 and from 1950 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
WestAberdeenshire was a Scottish county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 to 1918 and from 1950 to 1983. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
St Cyrus or Saint Cyrus, formerly Ecclesgreig is a village in the far south of Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Hillclimbing in Great Britain differs from the style of hillclimb motorsport events staged in many other parts of the world, in that courses are generally short — mostly under one mile (1.6 km) in length — and this means that cars and drivers do not generally cross between British events and the longer hillclimbs found in many other parts of Europe.
Doune Hillclimb, Carse of Cambus, near Doune in the district of Stirling, Scotland, is the home of the only round of the British Hill Climb Championship currently to be held in Scotland. The course has been 1476 yards (1350m) in length since 1977. However, from the first meeting in 1968 until 1973 the start line was around 33 yards (30m) further back, and from 1974 until 1976 it was located beyond what is currently the first corner.
Newmachar is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, about 10 miles (16 km) to the north-west of Aberdeen.
Blelack is a place in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the location of Blelack House, a Scottish mansion house with origins in the seventeenth century.
Blackburn is a rapidly growing village northwest of Aberdeen, Scotland, and is situated in Aberdeenshire. Local amenities include an industrial estate, primary school, nursing home, post office, Starbucks Drive Thru, local Co-op and a community hall.
Fintray House Hillclimb is a speed motorsport event held near Hatton of Fintray, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Each event is a separate round of the Scottish Hillclimb Championship and the Highland Speed Championship, sponsored by Plenderleath Runcie. The venue is a working farm for the majority of the year but Grampian Automobile Club (GAC) stage two, two-day events each year. The venue has been used since the 1960s, and continues to see record entries.
The Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association (AAFA) is the governing body for amateur football in the City of Aberdeen and County of Aberdeenshire in North East Scotland. They run the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football League and associated cup competitions. The association was founded in 1947 and is affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Football Association.
Kingseat is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland about 10 miles (16 km) to the north-west of Aberdeen and 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Newmachar.
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