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Keith, Moray

About 3 pages (798 words)

1 History and culture
2 Tourist attractions
3 Sport Facilities
4 Famous residents
5 External links

St. Rufus Church

Strathisla Distillery

Keith, also known as 'the friendly town' according to the signs as you enter Keith by road, is a small town in the northeast of Scotland with a population of around 5,000. It is part of the Moray council area, but was historically (until 1975) in Banffshire (this use persists in postal addresses and is common usage amongst older residents). It is divided into two main sections, Keith, which is the new town, and Fife Keith, which is the older section. Newmill, a short distance from the main town, is also an attempt at a planned village. The oldest part of the town dating back to around 1180. The main part of the town today is on higher ground above the river, laid out in 1755 by the Earl of Findlater. It is located at the crossing of the A95 and A96 roads. It has a several local services including a Health Centre, Dentist, Optician and multiple Hairdressing Salons. The town is home to three schools: Keith Grammar School, Keith Primary School and St Thomas RC Primary School. The annual Keith Show, held in a local park, is a notable event in the farming calendar of north-east Scotland.

History and culture

The Chronicles of Keith, compiled in the 19th century, provide an unusually comprehensive view of the area's history. From it, we learn that early on, Keith was known as "Kethmalruff", a dedication to Saint Maol Rubha (d. 722), also Latinised as "St Rufus". This dedication to an early medieval saint may imply a Dark Age origin for the first church at Keith (still marked by an ancient graveyard, though the parish church was rebuilt on another site in Victorian times), though no archaeological evidence for this has hitherto been identified. The language spoken indigenously round Keith is Doric, a particularly vibrant form of Lowland Scots, although Scottish Gaelic was also used anciently in the area (as evidenced by numerous placenames), and by one or two Highland colonies. Before these, the language would have been Pictish.

Tourist attractions

It has one of the few tartan museums in Scotland, an indication of the town's history in the wool industry. Keith is at the start of the Malt Whisky trail, and the town itself is home to three distilleries, amongst them Strathisla Distillery - one of the oldest in the Highlands. The Keith and Dufftown Railway is an 11-mile heritage railway running to Dufftown. The Keith and District Heritage Group have published a number of maps that lead visitors on walking tours through the town and surrounding countryside. In the second weekend of August the town hosts the yearly Keith Country Show. The Show was founded in 1872 and every year promises days of prize winning livestock and family fun^[1].

Sport Facilities

Keith is has an 18-hole golf-course, three tennis courts, a bowling club, squash court, skate park, multiple football pitches (one official pitch where Keith F.C. play) and a large sports hall. The swimming pool has been refurbished with a gym and sauna room now added to the facilities. Keith Cricket Club play their home games at Fife Park.