Methlick

Methlick is a village in Aberdeenshire about 20 miles north of Aberdeen; its main attraction is Haddo House. Methlick derives from Gaelic Maothulach, which may mean "vale of honey". It's not a census district but its population is probably little changed from the 1851 count, of 1737.

Methlick is of one a handful of similarly-sized villages in a triangle of farmland between the coast and the cross-country route to Moray and Inverness, so they're all off the main track. These villages include Turriff, Fyvie, Tarves, Pitmedden and Oldmeldrum. The area lacks public transport, but has visitor facilities and a scattering of historic and prehistoric sights. The south tip of the triangle is commuterland for Aberdeen, where once-small villages grew in the late 20th century into the dormitory towns of Ellon and Inverurie.

Get in

 * The facilities of communication are pretty good: there are commutation roads leading to New Deer, Fyvie, Ellon, Meldrum, and Tarves; and a mail-gig runs daily between Methlick and Aberdeen. - Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 1851

The village is at the junction of B9005 from Ellon to Fyvie and B9170 from Inverurie to New Deer.

Stagecoach North Scotland Bus 290 / 291 runs from Aberdeen Union Square via Udny to Methlick, M-Sa every couple of hours, four buses Sunday, 75 min. A few of these continue, as Bus 292 to Ellon or as Bus 293 to Fyvie.

Bus 35 runs from Aberdeen via Dyce to Oldmeldrum, Fyvie, Turiff, Macduff, Banff, Portsoy, Buckie, Cullen and Elgin. They're every 30 min M-Sa and hourly Sunday from Aberdeen to Banff, where alternate buses turn back.

The nearest railway station is Inverurie, with trains every couple of hours on the Aberdeen-Inverness line, so bike-on-train would work.

Get around

 * There once was a troop of Irish Dragoons / came marching down through Fyvie-oh
 * - trad Scottish folk song; but lacking a reliable internet travel guide, the excursion did not end well.

It's a scattered district, you need a car or bike.

See

 * is a small village where the Victorian schoolhouse has been made into a heritage project, open Apr-Oct: Th-Su 1-4:30PM. The parish church graveyard has an ornate medieval tomb. There's accommodation in Tarves, see Sleep.
 * is a brick tower built in 1861/2 to commemorate the 4th Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Haddo, UK Prime Minister 1852-55.
 * Tolquhon Gallery is a commercial art gallery next to the castle, free entry. It's open M Tu F Sa 11AM-5PM.
 * is a tower house of 14th / 15th century. A mansion house was tacked on in the 1870s but demolished in the 1960s. No tours but you can admire the exterior.
 * is on the ridge just north of Daviot village off A920. It's virtually intact, and Bronze Age though some pottery found at the site is early Neolithic.
 * Tolquhon Gallery is a commercial art gallery next to the castle, free entry. It's open M Tu F Sa 11AM-5PM.
 * is a tower house of 14th / 15th century. A mansion house was tacked on in the 1870s but demolished in the 1960s. No tours but you can admire the exterior.
 * is on the ridge just north of Daviot village off A920. It's virtually intact, and Bronze Age though some pottery found at the site is early Neolithic.
 * is a tower house of 14th / 15th century. A mansion house was tacked on in the 1870s but demolished in the 1960s. No tours but you can admire the exterior.
 * is on the ridge just north of Daviot village off A920. It's virtually intact, and Bronze Age though some pottery found at the site is early Neolithic.

Do

 * Golf: there are courses at Ellon, Oldmeldrum, Meldrum House and Turriff.
 * Braes of Gight is one of several hiking trails. Start from B9005 and follow the Ythan riverbank upstream for views of Gight Castle, eventually looping back on the other bank.
 * Oldmeldrum Highland Gathering is held in June on the village Pleasure Park, with the next on Sa 15 June 2024.

Buy

 * Farmers, dinnae trust to luck, always use our Turriff muck - marketing Aberdeenshire-style in the 1950s


 * Ellon has the largest store hereabouts, Aldi open 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-7PM.
 * Oldmeldrum Co-op is open daily 6AM-10PM.
 * Pitmedden Co-op is open daily 6AM-10PM.
 * Methlick Costcutter is open M-Sa 8AM-7PM, Su 10AM-1PM.
 * Tarves Spar is open daily 7AM-10PM.
 * Turriff has Tesco open M-Sa 7AM-11PM, Su 8AM-10PM and several other stores.

Eat

 * Oldmeldrum also has Meldrum Kitchen (Chinese obviously, W-M 4-1).
 * Ellon has East & West, Nosheen Tandoori, and fast-food takeaways.
 * Ellon has East & West, Nosheen Tandoori, and fast-food takeaways.

Drink

 * Ellon has The Bridge Bar and The Tolbooth.
 * Pitmedden has The Craft Bar.
 * Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum distills whisky and offers tours.

Sleep

 * is off B9005 in Ythanbank.
 * Ellon further east has Buchan Hotel, New Inn and Station Hotel.
 * Ellon further east has Buchan Hotel, New Inn and Station Hotel.
 * Ellon further east has Buchan Hotel, New Inn and Station Hotel.
 * Ellon further east has Buchan Hotel, New Inn and Station Hotel.

Connect
As of Oct 2021, in Methlick you can get 4G with EE and 3G with Three and Vodafone, but there's no signal from O2.

Go next

 * Northwest to Huntly for sumptuous Leith Hall and the elegant shell of Huntly Castle.
 * North to the coast for the fishing ports of Banff, Portsoy, Gardenstown and Fraserburgh
 * East to Peterhead, with a notorious prison and a fine coastline.
 * South to the big city attractions of Aberdeen.