CROVIE
Built on a narrow strip of land on the North coast of the Buchan Peninsula and just 40 miles north of Aberdeen the village offers a tranquil fishing village, little changed in over 100 years.
The first record of a settlement here was in about 1297, and the nearby St John's Church dates as far back as 1004.
Over the years there have been many spellings proffered for Crovie. The most common being Cruvie, Crovie and Cruvy. The differences in the spelling are nothing in comparison to the definitions given. The Gaelic translation is "Running water on leap". An alternative is "Hovel, river where you catch salmon".
It was not until the 1700s that the village started to grow, By 1791 there were around 100 residents living in 20 cottages. By the start of the 20th century it had trebled in size. This could be put down to the population shifts from the Highland Clearances.
The
culture of Crovie came to an abrupt end in January 1953, when massive storms
devastated the Scottish coastline, destroying several of the cottages forcing
the majority of the residents to leave. The soul of the village had been destroyed
by the storm and the decision was taken to bulldoze the entire village into
the sea. Fortunately some of the owners of the houses rebelled and the Crovie
Preservation Society was formed with the desire to restore Crovie as a living
village. Nearly all the cottages have since been renovated for now and future
generations to enjoy the village of Crovie.
There is no room for a road so residents have to transport their goods from the car park at the end of the village using barrows. The village went into decline in the early 20th century with the invention of the steam drifter, as the harbour was not deep enough for the new boats. Nowadays there are but a few permanent residents.
