Kemnay (Gaelic: Camnaidh) is a village west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
History The village name Kemnay is believed to originate from the Celtic words that mean "little crook in the river" due to the village location on the bend of the River Don. Kemnay House is classified by Historic Scotland as a category A listed building.
The village was served by Kemnay railway station on the Alford Valley Railway from 1859 to 1950. The alignment through the village has been lost to housing developments.
The pre-Reformation church was dedicated to St Anne. The parish was united with Craigern in 1500 and both came under the umbrella of nearby Kinkell. The old church was extensively rebuilt in 1632.Aberdeenshire Epitaphs and Inscriptions; 1901
The current parish church dates from 1844.Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae; by Hew Scott; vol. 6 The pre-1844 church was of unusual cruciform style, with the earth floor 1m below the surrounding ground, and prone to icing in winter. The two upper galleries were accessed by earth ramps in the graveyard. The church was enlarged in 1871 by Rev George Peter of St Cyrus.Epitaphs and Inscriptions in Aberdeenshire: Kemnay p. 18
The village was substantially rebuilt after the creation of Kemnay railway station in 1858.Aberdeenshire Epitaphs and Inscriptions: Kemnay
It shares its name with 'Kemnay' a small community in Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Whitehead about 10 kilometres west of Brandon on PTH 1A.
Notable people
David Leitch (b.1608) minister of the parish and Chaplain to King Charles II
Religion Kemnay has church buildings available for the following religious groups: Church of Scotland Roman Catholic Scottish Episcopal Church Jehovah's Witnesses
Tourism Kemnay is popular with explorers of Aberdeenshire who can stay in numerous guest houses, hotels, and bed and breakfasts within the village. There is a pub for tourists and guests to stay in, the Bennachie Lodge Hotel. The Burnett Arms Hotel was another option, but is permanently closed as of June 2026.
Granite Kemnay Quarry was opened in 1830 by John Fyfe, and began commercial operation in 1858. Fyfe invented the Blondin aerial ropeway system at Kemnay in 1872.
Kemnay Granite has been used in many famous buildings and structures, including;
Cenotaph, Glasgow Forth Railway Bridge, Edinburgh/Fife Marischal College, Aberdeen Kew Bridge and Putney Bridge, London Thames Embankment, London
Granite workers from Kemnay helped to quarry and shape the Australian granite used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They also travelled to quarries in California, the Mississippi Levees and Odessa.
Places of interest James Mitchell Memorial Fetternear Estate Fetternear Palace, archaeological dig site (Bishop's Palace) Johnstone FM Monument Kemnay Academy View Point (Place of Origin) War Memorial Kemnay morthouse in the parish churchyard This is dated 1831 over its iron door.
Sports Kemnay has various sports clubs, including; Badminton Bowling Club Cricket Football Golf Tennis
There are playing fields available for use by the public at Bogbeth Park, which is also home to the Kemnay Skate Park.
Golfer Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open Championship is a former pupil of Kemnay Academy, as is former Aberdeen F.C. footballer Darren Mackie.
In April 2017, a gym opened in the village, Station 83.
Education
In Kemnay, there are two primary schools and one secondary school:
Kemnay Primary School Alehousewells Primary School Kemnay Academy, which unveiled a £14.3 million extension in 2015.
References Citations
Bibliography
External links
Kemnay Village Website Kemnay Academy