read all General Interest

A few miles from Aberlour lies the village of Archiestown. It straddles the B9102 en route to Knockando and although small, Archiestown offers a warm welcome to those who visit.

Archiestown has a rich history. In 1760 Archibald Grant of Monymusk engineered the building of a small gathering of dwellings on the otherwise bleak and somewhat boggy moorland at Ballintomb. In line with other landowners, Archibald Grant was keen to improve his estate and for him Ballintomb was no different than anywhere else. He hoped to provide work and lodging for anyone who would come to his ‘planned village’ and would go on to name it Archiestown, after himself.

Following in the footsteps of improving landlords before him, Archibald and his advisors laid out a typical planned village with a square in the middle, a main lane running through the centre along which the homes and businesses would sit, smaller single track lanes running off, allowing access to plots of land at the rear of the dwellings and buildings. Further plots of land of up to several acres were available on the edge of these planned villages, enabling villagers to undertake growing or agricultural practices of their own.

Villagers from all walks of life and professions were encouraged to settle in Archiestown with the offer of good schooling for village children an adequate water supply and stone for building. Flax was planted and a linen and weaving industry encouraged; an industry recognised and remembered today by the image of the blue flax flower on signs that welcome visitors to the village.

Settlers came from far and wide to populate Archiestown and included were families with all manner of surnames, many of which still exist in the area today; Ogg, Mackie, Anderson and Dunbar to name but a few. The setting up of a planned village meant that tradesmen and women were needed to service the needs of other villagers and travellers; a trip to Elgin was not generally easy nor frequent, so villagers needed to be able to shoe their own horses, bake their own bread, butcher their own meat and grow their own crops. Agriculture was important to the village and the area in general.

Farming and forestry form the backbone of Archiestown’s surrounding area today and although cows no longer wend their way along Archiestown’s main street, cattle are still raised on the farms and horses still graze the fields and use stables within the village. Sadly most of the shops and former trades no longer exist with most villagers finding employment out-with the village boundaries. Thankfully, though, there is still a village shop and post office supplying necessary supplies to those villagers that need them.

Although the school has long gone, many of the older buildings are still in evidence and their mellow stone brings character to the village lanes. The Archiestown Hotel is probably the largest and most recognisable building in the village today and provides refreshment and complete repast for those who choose to visit or to stay for longer. On one side of the village square sits the village hall. Recently refurbished it provides a meeting place for all manner of groups including the village council and the local toddlers. The village fete takes place each year during the summer and in recent years has been held on the playing field rather than in the aforementioned village square.

Standing at 747 feet above sea level Archiestown can sometimes be snowbound during colder winters. This is nothing new for the village and although snow-ploughs are in evidence, the smaller lanes and entrances take manpower to clear. Neighbours mean everything at times like these and Archiestown is strong on this aspect of traditional life.

One of the most delightful aspects of Archiestown is the village walk and a wander around the village is within the capabilities of most walkers, it’s a couple of miles of mostly level lanes and easily accessible paths along which to meander and is to be recommended.

Begin your walk outside the Archiestown Hotel where there is ample parking and to which you can return at the end of your walk for refreshment. You’ll notice the newer properties intermingled with the older houses around the square and in the middle is the war memorial that each November draws villagers and clergy to honour those who laid down their lives in two world wars. Here too is recognition of the village prowess in the ‘Best Kept Village’ competition; stunning floral displays are testament to the dedication of green fingered villagers. Before leaving the square take a look at the information board outside the hotel, it provides interesting facts for walkers and visitors alike.

Taking South Lane at the bottom end of the hotel car park our walk begins by passing farm buildings. To the right as you walk there are fantastic far reaching views over the surrounding countryside towards Ben Rinnes and delightful village gardens encourage you to peek over walls to appreciate what lies within. If time allows, explore the tiny lanes on your left that lead towards the High Street; these make up some of Archibald Grant’s original and formal layout. Our walk continues to the end of the lane, passing stables on your left where chickens sometimes scratch and take dust baths. As you round the corner stop to admire Rose Villa an impressive cream-boarded house with a turret like entrance; it’s amazing what treasures this small Speyside village hides.

Walk on towards the High Street and, taking care, cross over. Here you’ll leave Smiddy Lane for Schoolhouse Lane; lanes with names reminiscent of trades and pastimes that long ago took place there. As you continue along you’ll pass the entrance to North Lane and just after here turn right onto the village playing fields. Complete with children’s play area and a delightful pavilion this is a perfect stop off point for anyone with children. It’s here that in recent years the village fete has taken place and with all manner of attractions including a vibrant craft fair, archery, face-painting, a bottle stall, tombola, barbecue and teas, it’s easy to see why the village fete is still an important date on the calendar for villagers.

If you wish to join the village walk, the entrance to the playing field is where to begin, but for our purposes we will walk on, re-joining North Lane at this point. Walk up-hill passing a stunning Money Puzzle tree in the garden of Woodlea before coming out behind the village hall at the top end of the village square. Alongside you on your right is the house named Old St. Andrews one of the oldest in the village being built in the 1760s, and across the square lies the equally impressive Old Manse. Here you can either turn left and head back to the hotel or if you fancy joining the village walk from this end you can turn right.

If you take the village walk option you will not be disappointed. Passing cottages and open farmland as you walk, the wind turbines on the Ballindalloch Estate can be seen. Here, turn right onto a track that can be wet underfoot at times of heavy rainfall. Reaching the reservoir affords more splendid views of the surrounding countryside dominated by Ben Rinnes; a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed for here a thoughtfully placed bench bids you sit and take in the view awhile.

Walk on when you are ready and arriving at the gate take the right-handed path downhill under the rowan trees. Keep on this same path until you come to the children’s play park that you visited earlier. There are sometimes horses and ponies in the fields along here; a form of mobility that earlier villagers would have known all about and appreciated for their ability to provide much needed transport and real horse-power around the village in the days before the internal combustion engine took their place. Walk back to the High Street and turn right when you meet it taking time to admire the older properties and more named lanes; Craigroy, McQibbans, Bakers, Chapel and Souters. Cross the road and proceed up a flight of steps to the Hotel from where you started the walk. For those who prefer to travel by public transport a bus stop is located at the front of the Hotel.

For more information visit www.archiestown.com and www.archiestownhotel.co.uk

By Heidi M. Sands