2018 - Stonehaven Guide Blog

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Monday 17 December 2018

New venture for Aberdeenshire Country Sports Specialists

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Henderson Country Sports, based in Turriff Aberdeenshire recently announced a new venture.

Aberdeen Shooting School has been set up in conjunction with Trump Aberdeen at Balmedie, Aberdeen.

They will be providing clay shooting, private tuition and simulated games days for up to 16 guns with hospitality courtesy of Macleod House at Trump Aberdeen. Watch out for competitions and challenge days too.
Watch video below for Christmas Offer for a Clay Pigeon Shooting Trial.


You can take advantage of a special Christmas offer to shoot 15 clays in a 30minute beginner session with fully qualified and insured instructors with tuition in gun etiquette, safety instruction with ear defenders, guns and cartridges supplied.

Vouchers available online for only £25 per person.
A great idea for a Christmas gift.
Get your vouchers at https://trumpgolfscotland.voucherconnect.com/product/2556 
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Tuesday 11 December 2018

Aberdeen bypass 20-mile section to open on Wednesday.

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The article below confirms that this Wednesday 12th December 2018 is the opening date for the opening of the 20 mile stretch of the new AWPR from Stonehaven to Craibstone'

A major section of the delayed Aberdeen bypass will open on Wednesday, officials have announced.

The 20-mile stretch of the new Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) covering the A90 between Stonehaven and Craibstone and the A956 between Cleanhill and Charleston will open early on Wednesday morning, Transport Scotland said.

The police will open the junctions on a phased basis, starting at Craibstone and followed by Stonehaven, Charleston, Deeside, Kingswells South and the A90 southbound exit slip road only at Kingswells North.

Officials said there will be no access to the northbound AWPR from Kingswells North for safety reasons until the whole road is complete.

Contractors hope to have a remaining section of the bypass, crossing the River Don, completed by Christmas, but this is weather-dependent.

Work on the 36-mile road was due to be completed in spring 2018 but was hit by delays.

©  Press Association

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “This new section of road, which will make more than 85% of the project open to traffic, will immediately make a tremendous difference to road users across the north east.

“It will provide thousands of drivers every day with a range of benefits, including improved journey time reliability, better local access and reduced congestion, while safety will also be enhanced.

“It will also improve air quality and reduce traffic volume in Aberdeen City, making pedestrian and cycle travel around Aberdeen easier, safer and a more enjoyable experience.”

He added: “The full benefits of these works will be realised when the remaining section of the project between Craibstone and Parkhill also opens to traffic.

“This investment is expected to bring in an additional £6 billion to the north-east economy and create around 14,000 jobs over the next 30 years.”

Earlier, he said it had taken his intervention for this to happen, despite this stretch having been completed two months ago.

Last week, contractors giving evidence at a Holyrood committee confirmed the total cost of the bypass will top £1 billion.

The road is being built under a £745 million fixed-price contract but contractors told MSPs delays to the project resulted in hundreds of million of additional costs.

Negotiations are ongoing about who is liable for any extra costs and Transport Scotland has said it does not recognise the £1 billion claim.

Mr Matheson has said if ongoing negotiations do not resolve the matter it could end up in court and has pledged to notify parliament if any additional costs to the taxpayer over £745 million are
incurred.

Original Article Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6480195/Aberdeen-bypass-20-mile-section-open-Wednesday.html
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Tuesday 27 November 2018

Amazing Adventure Running in Stonehaven

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We love it when visitors to Stonehaven share their experience and we are grateful to Göran Winblad from Norway, for sharing a video with us which show him and his partner on an epic trail running day in Stonehaven.

Here is the video which shows that they had quite an adventure.
You will probably see parts of Stonehaven you have never seen before.







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Thursday 22 November 2018

Fotheringham Homes completes transformation of derelict Stonehaven building

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The renovation of a former Stonehaven care home is now complete with new residents moving in throughout November. The derelict Eden Manor property has been transformed into five apartments and ten single storey terraced homes which were aimed at buyers over fifty.
Fotheringham Homes worked with John D Crawford Architects on the renovation project which has beautifully restored the main features of the abandoned C-listed building into modern homes. The main building itself has retained many of the original features such as the staircase, bay windows and masonry. Contemporary bathrooms and kitchens from Laings of Inverurie feature throughout the properties as well as heated flooring.
The dilapidated extension to the rear of the building was removed to create space for ten modern homes built around a courtyard area. Knowing that being part of a community can have a positive impact on health, the designs were created to embrace this while still maintaining resident privacy.
(from left) Fotheringham Homes directors Allan Fotheringham, Michael Fotheringham and Allan Fotheringham Senior Michael Fotheringham, director of Fotheringham Homes, said: “When we took on the development we had a sense of excitement around the project due to the level of interest on social media. Throughout the renovation, we have shared updates and ‘sneak peeks’ and have enjoyed seeing people respond, sharing their own stories and history of the building. “We are extremely proud to see the impact we have made by restoring Eden Manor, not only for the residents moving in but also their families and the local community surrounding it.”

Article Source: https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/article/fotheringham-homes-completes-transformation-of-derelict-stonehaven-building
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Friday 16 November 2018

Great Interest in the Fireballs This Year

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We have received lots of calls and emails for information on the Fireballs Festival in Stonehaven as we approach the end of 2018.

One young lady from Chigago, had booked flights to come to Stonehaven especially to see the Fireballs.

She was having problems getting accommodation so approached the Stonehaven Guide to see if we could help.

After several messageson Facebook, we were able to help her and she is really excited about visiting the town.

We were happy to help and even happier to receive the following review from her.


If you have never been able to visit Stonehaven to see the Fireballs the video below gives you more than a glimpse of what it all about.


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Friday 19 October 2018

Stonehaven’s Offshore Windfarm Taking Shape

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The first turbine for the new £500million project is now visible from the coast around Stonehaven. By the end of 2020 six more are expected to follow.

The turbine is over 600ft high and is situated 9 miles offshore between Stonehaven and Aberdeen.

The article below provides more detail;-




A major new offshore £500 million windfarm, visible from the coast around Stonehaven, has started to take shape.

The plans were developed by Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Ltd (KOWL) and with the first dot on the horizon now making an appearance – six more turbines are expected to follow by the end of 2020.

At almost 600ft high and expected to be generating power this year, the turbine is nine miles offshore between Stonehaven and Aberdeen and lies entirely within the Scottish Marine Area.

KOWL director Allan Macaskill said that the project would be the biggest in the world when completed.

Kincardine Offshore Windfarm Limited was set up by Scotland’s former deputy first minister Lord Nicol Stephen, who is also a director.

It is being operated by Pilot Offshore Renewables.

The wind farm was initially expected to cost £250 million when first planned in 2016, but will now cost closer to £500 million.

Mr MacAskill said the development would require £350 million to build, with lifetime operational expenditure likely to be around £150 million.

He added: “This type of project has never been done before. We will be producing this year and in the early part of 2020 we’ll be installing a further five 9.5 megawatt (MW) turbines.

“All in, this windfarm will be about 49 megawatts. When finished it will be the biggest floating windfarm in the world.”

The development plan for the Kincardine test and demonstration project originally envisaged the installation of eight turbines, but a variance applied for last year has seen that total drop to seven.

At two megawatts, the first turbine to be connected is less powerful than the six larger units which will follow.

They will be among the most powerful turbines in the world, with a potential rating of up to 9.5MW each.

In total, the Kincardine development is expected to produce enough power for 56,000 homes and support 110 jobs during assembly.



Article Source: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeenshire/1588291/stonehavens-offshore-wind-farm-starts-to-take-shape-on-horizon/
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Thursday 12 July 2018

We Was Brung Up Proper

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"And we never had a whole Mars bar until 1993"!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE 1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos...
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.
Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos...
Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on a Sunday, somehow we didn't starve to death!
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because........
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O..K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY ,no video/dvd filmsno mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! 
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no Lawsuits from these accidents.
Only girls had pierced ears!
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...
We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet because we didn’t need to keep up with the Jones’s!
Not everyone made the rugby/football/cricket/netball team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on MERIT 
Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and throw the blackboard rubber at us if they thought we weren’t concentrating .  
We can string sentences together and spell and have proper conversations because of a good, solid three R’s education.  
Our parents would tell us to ask a stranger to help us cross the road.  The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'  and 'Tiger'
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL !
And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.
And while you are at it, show this to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore 

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Tuesday 29 May 2018

Summer Opening for Stonehaven Open Air Pool

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The Stonehaven Open Air Pool had a glorious sunny day for this years Summer Opening on Saturday 26th May.




The Pool was officially opened by STV personality Andrea Brymer.



The crowd were entertained by Newtonhill Pipe Band as they excitedly waited to get in.

Just a few weeks ago fears had been raised that the opening of the outdoor attraction, which features heated salt water, would miss its traditional opening date on the last Saturday in May.

Last year, Aberdeenshire Council were involved in a health and safety investigation after a pensioner fell from scaffolding and injured himself.

The man was part of the Friends of Stonehaven Open Air Pool group, which is responsible for ensuring the upkeep of the pool’s façade.

Fortunately the situation was resolved and the injured man recovered so the Friends group were able to welcome visitors from all across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and further afield for the grand opening to the season on Saturday morning.

Over 300 visitors enjoyed a great day at the Pool.

See Opening Times for the season below


For more information visit stonehavenopenairpool.com
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Friday 18 May 2018

MailChimp and GDPR: How to Set Up GDPR Signup Forms

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If you are using MailChimp and you want to make sure you are GDPR compliant, you may well have received helpful information from MailChimp.



You may also find the video  a great help in setting up your GDPR sign up forms in Mailchimp
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Friday 27 April 2018

Are You Planning to Visit Stonehaven?

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You are welcome to stay at the Ship Inn. Some rooms overlook the beautiful harbour with stunning views.

The Ship Inn is close to local attractions such as Dunnottar Castle.

Crowds of people visit the castle every day.

Visitors are encouraged to visit the town of Stonehaven before they move on.

A visitor from Perth Australia while sitting having a drink at a table outside the Ship Inn after visiting Dunnottar Castle, remarked "What a beautiful and quaint little place you have here.
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Wednesday 25 April 2018

Could This Building Soon Become A Restaurant in Stonehaven?

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Could This Building Soon Become a New Restaurant in Stonehaven?

I wouldn’t bank on it.

On passing the former Royal Bank Building at the Market Square, in Stonehaven the other day I saw a notice on a post just in front of it.

It was from Aberdeenshire Council announcing that there had been an application for permission for change of use to a Restaurant and Take Away.

On further investigation, I learned that the proposals had been submitted by Bennett Developments and Consulting, on behalf of owners Sava Estates.

It seems the developers believe that the Royal Bank  in the Market Square, could be the perfect location for the new venture.

It has been reported in the press, that at the moment, the owners can’t say who would be going into the premises.

However, they have had positive discussions with a few different potential end users at the site.

These include an Italian pizza business and Indian, but these discussions are only the start and it might be someone completely different who moves in.

Whoever takes on the building will have to keep the ATM machine in place. Planning documents submitted to Aberdeenshire Council reveal that this would have to remain there for a number of years.

Although the location is good, Stonehaven already has a number of good eating places and Take Aways.

Could another Restaurant and Take Away survive without some existing eating places closing ?

It would be interesting to hear what people think.

Leave a comment on this blog  or on Facebook page @stonehavenscotland
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Friday 23 March 2018

Top Band, Toploader for Top Town, Stonehaven

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Video created by Webecom Marketing

Stephen Jackson from Prestige Entertainment is bringing top 90’s Band to Stonehaven.

Toploader will perform at Stonehaven Town Hall on Saturday 6th October 2018.

The group from Eastbourne in south-east England, are touring this year after releasing their latest album Seeing Stars in 2017. The seaside town will be the band’s only gig in the North-east of Scotland.

Stephen said the band were really looking forward to visiting the area. “The group has a new album out and a single so they are touring across the country and we have the North-east exclusive in Stonehaven.

 “I have been working on different events and it was through some contacts that Toploader were in touch to see if there was any interest and I bit their hand off. It is hoped the event could bring more people to Stonehaven”. Why not plan an October trip to Stonehaven? Enjoy a stay in a local B&B or hotel, visit the local pubs and tourist attractions and be entertained by Toploader on 6th October 2018.

There will also be a support act. Tickets are available online at the Events page on www.masimpsons.com
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Thursday 15 February 2018

Aberdeenshire’s small businesses urged to consider support from First Employee Grant Scheme

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Small businesses in their first stages of growth in Aberdeenshire are being urged to consider whether a recently relaunched grant could help them expand.
The First Employee Grant Scheme offers £1,000 to businesses taking on their first employee and aims to help employers through the recruitment process.

If a business qualifies for support it receives £500 when it takes on a new employee and £500 after six months if the post is still filled.
It is not important how long a business has been in existence only that it has aspirations for growth and is seeking to take on its first employee.

One full time post must be created at a minimum of 30 hours per week, but can be filled by two part time workers.
The grant will not be given to businesses which are part of a group of companies or have a parent company.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Support for Aberdeenshire Business (SAB) project has been revised to accommodate the reintroduction of the grant scheme, last operational in January 2016.
SAB Development Grants, which include marketing grants and grants to assist in the implementation of a recognised quality system, now have a maximum amount of £10,000.
The SAB Sustainable Business Grant has been discontinued, with alternative grants offered by Resource Efficient Scotland and other bodies.
All loans under £25,000 will now be offered at 3% interest but there will be no setup fees.  
For more information on the First Employee Grant Scheme or help available under the SAB project please contact the Business Gateway Manager on (01467 534304), or email: econdev@aberdeenshire.gov.uk  
More information is also available online: http://bit.ly/2gknBu1

Article Source: https://sbnn.co.uk/2018/02/14/aberdeenshires-small-businesses-urged-to-consider-support-from-first-employee-grant-scheme/

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Thursday 18 January 2018

Motorhome Hire Available from New Stonehaven Company

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A website has just be launched for Haven Tourers Ltd by Webecom Marketing.

Haven Tourers have two luxury motor homes for hire from Stonehaven for people wanting to tour Scotland or anywhere else within the Uk




Both directors  are experienced motorhome and caravan users and like many other love the experience of life on the road.

If you are thinking about your forthcoming holidays. Why not book a luxury motorhome and experience life on the road, visiting all of the amazing places accessible to you?

The Tourers are smoke and pet free, giving you the highest level of comfort in your “home from home”.



You can get more information at www.haventourers.co.uk

Book now for 2018, as dates will be snapped up fast!

email info@haventourers.co.uk for prices and availability

or Call: +44(0) 7391 709459
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