Garioch facts for kids

Map of Scotland showing the present-day committee area of Garioch

Garioch (pronounced GEER-ee) is one of six special areas in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It has the biggest population of all these areas, with over 46,000 people living there in 2006. Garioch mainly covers the land around the River Ury and its smaller rivers, the Shevock and the Gadie Burn.

What's in a Name?

The name "Garioch" comes from an old Scottish language called Gaelic. The word is Gairbheach, which means "place of roughness."

People first wrote down the name "Garviach" between 1178 and 1182. Back then, it only referred to a small part of the area, known today as the Upper Garioch. By 1195, the name "Garioch" was used for a much larger area, which stretched all the way to Inverurie in the east.

A Look at Garioch's Past

The view from Bennachie to Tap o' Noth, across the area of the original shire or thanage of Garioch.

Before the late 1100s, Garioch was a smaller region. It included parishes like Culsalmond, Insch, and Leslie. This smaller Garioch was likely a "shire" or "thanage." These were old types of land divisions, often controlled by a local leader called a "thane."

How Garioch Became a Lordship

A "lordship" was a large area of land controlled by a powerful lord. The bigger Garioch lordship was created by William the Lion, who was the King of Scotland. He gave this land to his brother, David, Earl of Huntingdon, between 1178 and 1182.

This new lordship was made up of eleven parishes. It included most of the older Garioch area and added new lands to the east, like Oyne and Inverurie. The king wanted to make sure he had strong control over the northern parts of Scotland. Giving Garioch to his brother was a way to do this.

Garioch was very important because it was located between other powerful areas. It also controlled the main routes that went north from the Mounth mountains. Earl David had helped the king stop rebellions in the north, so he knew how important this area was.

New People and a New Town

When Earl David took over Garioch, many new people moved there. These settlers came from places like England, France, and Flanders. You can still see their influence in some local place names today, like Ingliston and Williamston.

The Bass of Inverurie, the remaining motte of the main castle of the provincial lordship of Garioch

One of Earl David's first big decisions was to make Inverurie the main center of the lordship. Inverurie became a "burgh" by 1195. A burgh was a town with special rights, often for trade. Inverurie Castle was also built there by 1199. Before this, Inverurie was not a very important place.

Changes in Ownership

After Earl David's son, John, died in 1237 without children, the Garioch lordship was split among John's three sisters. This meant the land was then owned by the families of their husbands, including the Balliol and Bruce families.

Later, in the early 1300s, Robert the Bruce wanted to take full control of Garioch. After his big victory at the Battle of Bannockburn, he managed to reunite the lordship. In 1315, he gave all of Garioch to his oldest sister, Christina Bruce.

Christina died in 1357. After her death, the Garioch lordship became permanently linked to the Earldom of Mar.

Garioch Today

The Shevack inscription stone at Newton.

Today, Garioch is still centered around Inverurie. Inverurie is a traditional market town that has been around since the 800s.

Garioch has grown a lot because it's close to the city of Aberdeen. Many people have moved to the area, especially along the A96 road and in Westhill.

Even though it's close to Aberdeen, Garioch is still mostly a farming area. However, its economy is strongly connected to Aberdeen's, especially to the oil and gas industries.