Aberdour, United Kingdom
Aberdour is a town of 1,650 people in Scotland, United Kingdom.
Why visit Aberdour
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 8 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Aberdour Castle, Aberdour Heritage Centre and Aberdour Golf Club.
Weather in Aberdour
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Aberdour
Aberdour ( ; Scots: , Scottish Gaelic: Obar Dhobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyond. According to the 2011 census, the village has a population of 1,633.
From the Wikipedia article Aberdour (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Aberdour on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do6
Museums and landmarks11
HMS Campania
Monument and historic site · 3.1 mi
1914 seaplane tender
Blessing of Burntisland
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
Shipwreck off the Scottish Coast, imported from Canmore Nov 2020
Parks, trails and playgrounds8
Restaurants and cafes5
History
For much of its history Aberdour was two villages, Wester Aberdour and Easter Aberdour, on either side of the Dour Burn; however this distinction was blurred by the 19th century arrival of the railway.
The original church was dedicated to St Fillan in 1178 but only was given parish status in 1640 when the area was disjunctioned from the parish of Beath and Dalgety.
In the 18th century Aberdour's harbour was improved by the addition of a stone pier to help handle the coal traffic from nearby collieries. However, in the 1850s the traffic changed dramatically, and Aberdour Harbour became a popular destination for pleasure steamers from Leith. This in turn led to the building of a deeper water pier a little around the bay at Hawkcraig, and to the development of hotels and many of the other services still on view today in the village.
The railway came to Aberdour in 1890, with the building of the line east from the newly opened Forth Bridge. The station has won many "best kept station" awards.
From the History section of Aberdour on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More about Aberdour
Geography
The A921, the main road along the south coast of Fife, leads down the High Street of Wester Aberdour, before kinking sharply left to cross the railway line, then right again to progress through Easter Aberdour's Main Street.
Wester Aberdour has a narrow through road more closely hemmed in by shops and hotels. A number of vernacular buildings of the 17th-early 19th centuries add to the historic scene. Close to the railway bridge, three lanes continue eastwards, presumably once the route of the original High Street before the arrival of the railway. One now leads to Aberdour railway station, a beautifully kept and cared for example of a traditional station, in keeping with its role of transporting at least a quarter of the village's working population to their work each day.
A second lane leads alongside the railway line to Aberdour Castle, while a third leads to the restored Aberdour House. A little further west, a narrow road closely lined with high walls, Shore Road, leads down to the West Sands and the harbour. For many this area is the highlight of any visit to Aberdour; parking at the foot of Shore Road is usually at a premium.
Arts and culture
Aberdour hosts an annual festival, which runs from late July to early August and features musical events, shows, sporting events and children's events.
Aberdour was a 2005 finalist in the prestigious "Beautiful Scotland in Bloom" awards. It was nominated for "Best Coastal Resort" in Scotland along with St Andrews in Fife, North Berwick in East Lothian, and Rothesay in Argyll and Bute.
In 2014 Aberdour was voted Best Coastal Village in Fife and Best Small Coastal Village in Scotland. It also received a Gold Award in Beautiful Fife and Beautiful Scotland. In 2018 Aberdour was voted the second-best place to live in Scotland by The Sunday Times list of Best Places to Live
Aberdour is home to Fife's only senior shinty club. Aberdour Shinty Club field teams in both the men's and women's senior national leagues.
Aberdour is one of the few communities outside of Turkmenistan to celebrate Melon Day on the second Sunday of every August.
From the Wikipedia article Aberdour, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Aberdour
John SmithEnglish botanist, first curator of Kew gardens (1798–1888)Photo: AndyScott, CC BY-SA 4.0
Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyesrecipient of the Victoria CrossPhoto: unknown - from Imperial War museum, Public domain- Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of MortonBritish earl
- Nicholas Beatson-BellScottish colonial administrator and governor in British India
- William WotherspoonScottish rugby union player (1868-1942)
- Bobby Russellassociation football player (1919-2004)
- David AlexanderRoyal Marines officer (1926-2017)
Born in Aberdour, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship4
Burntisland Parish Church, East Leven Street, Burntisland
Church · 2.6 mi
St Columba's Episcopal Church
Church · Scottish Episcopal
Inverkeithing Road, Aberdour
Shopping7
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare1
Map of Aberdour
50 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Edinburgh Airport (EDI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Cowdenbeath 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Rosyth 5 mi west, about 9 min by car
- North Queensferry 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Dunfermline 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- Townhill 6 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Kirkcaldy 7 mi northeast, about 11 min by car
- Limekilns 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Edinburgh 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Glenrothes 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Broxburn 11 mi southwest, about 17 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Aberdour
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Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Aberdour Railway Station, Brewster d, CC BY-SA 4.0
- HMS Campania 1, Oscar Parkes, Public domain
- Burntisland Parish Kirk, Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St. Bridget's Church, Dkardokas, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Aberdour Castle from dovecote, Andy Hawkins, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Street-level photo, ginaroz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, jambamkin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, iain_mcnicol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, iain_mcnicol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, smsm1, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ginaroz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, hobgoblin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, iain_mcnicol, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, ccbb7766, CC BY-SA 4.0
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