Stonehaven guide

Stonehaven (Steenhive in the Doric dialect of Scots) and Cala na Creige in Gaelic is a town with around fourteen thousand inhabitants (9,577 in the 2001 census) on the northeast coast of Scotland. It is the county town of the historic county of Kincardineshire or The Mearns and the present day county of Aberdeenshire. It grew around an Iron Age fishing village, now the "Auld Toon" ("old town"), and expanded inland from the Seaside. As late as the 16th century, old maps indicate the town was called Stonehyve or Stonehive. The town is served by Stonehaven railway station. Historically the chief commerce of Stonehaven lay in fishing. Led by the herring fishery, the catch peaked around the year 1894 with a peak catch of about 15 million fish per annum and an employment in the fishing industry of 1280 people. Due to overfishing to serve the expanding regional population, the fishing industry declined with diminishing catches, such that by 1939 only a remnant of the earlier fishing fleet continued to exist, and the catch mostly supported the local population from that point onward.

At present day the town's primary industries are marine services and tourism, with Dunnottar Castle, a local landmark, bringing in a large volume of tourists every year. It was used in the 1990 movie Hamlet (directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close). Dunnottar Castle is a prominent landmark and is visible on many leaflets (flyers) advertising Scotland. The town has a long beach facing the cold North Sea, with large cliffs at either end sheltering small rock pools and inlets. It is also famous for its Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool, which is heated and filled with a mixture of tap water and filtered seawater. Another attraction is the local harbour, which features the Tolbooth, the town's tiny museum of local heritage.


Latest Tweets featuring Stonehaven

  • dtrucole

    The Laird of Stonehaven (Mass Market Paperback): A New York Times Bestselling AuthorHe appeared nightly in her d... http://t.co/XO0c3Zn4

    Today, 12:41

  • ACC_Business

    RT @RSPB_NEScot: Heading out to Fowlsheugh on The Lady Gail from Stonehaven, hoping to finish the full colony count today. #fowlsheugh

    Today, 12:34

  • RSPB_NEScot

    Heading out to Fowlsheugh on The Lady Gail from Stonehaven, hoping to finish the full colony count today. #fowlsheugh

    Today, 12:31

  • SummerBootyGals

    Outdoor pool opens for Summer season: It was more like Miami than the Mearns on Saturday when Stonehaven's famou... http://t.co/FHsZTuO7

    Today, 12:25

  • HowWeBuyHouses

    Stonehaven Court earmarked for closure: Stonehaven Sheriff Court has been identified by the Scottish Courts serv... http://t.co/9VkrFnUA

    Today, 12:01

  • cycleworlduk

    sorry but stonehaven will be shut today cos joes ill...if you call arbroath i may ansa but you wont understand me... http://t.co/dIftQi9r

    Today, 11:54

  • news24hsco

    Stonehaven Court earmarked for closure: Stonehaven Sheriff Court has been identified by the Scottish Courts serv... http://t.co/lNO9RZhp

    Today, 11:38

  • news24hsco

    Stonehaven Court earmarked for closure: Stonehaven Sheriff Court has been identified by the Scottish Courts serv... http://t.co/eBgwjlIu

    Today, 11:36

  • JobsterUK

    Recruitment & Compliance Team Leader #job in #Stonehaven #Human Resources #jobs. #JobsterUK: Salary: DOE - H... http://t.co/eSgxApOr

    Today, 11:26

  • Jack_Mercer01

    @MatthewHelingoe Is that at the doctor's in Stonehaven? I was there today and a sign said a student was sitting with Dr Howard

    Today, 11:24

  • PrincessMack_x

    RT @pirie1990: Matt loves you :) i shall text u in abit babe, working in stonehaven n im struggling t get signal :( lol <3

    Today, 11:02

  • pirie1990

    Matt loves you :) i shall text u in abit babe, working in stonehaven n im struggling t get signal :( lol <3

    Today, 11:02

  • PoshBoyOfficial

    Off to Stonehaven! Always good to have a cold to go on air with..

    Today, 10:15

  • ACandCo

    74 Braehead Crescent, Stonehaven - o/o £265,000 http://t.co/zuLBUI0I

    Today, 09:43

  • ABLocalBargains

    #aberdeen RT @losaltoshomes2012$1,998,000 :: 2120 Stonehaven Dr, Los Altos CA, 94024: 4 beds, 2 full, 1 part bathsHome size: 2,765 sq...

    Today, 09:36

Featured Businesses and Services in Stonehaven

Other Businesses and Services in Stonehaven

  • Woodside of Glasslaw
  • St Leonards Hotel
  • Molly Gunnings
  • Heugh Hotel Conference
  • Stonehaven and District Angling Assocation
  • Bayview
  • Adina
  • Pitgaveny

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