Stonehaven is a delightful costal town 15 miles south of Aberdeen, the oil capital of Europe and administrative centre for the north east of Scotland.

The origins of Stonehaven lie in the agricultural, fishing, and leather working industries and while the latter has long passed into history and the fishing is reduced to a few shell fish and static net operators only farming remains. The nature of that industry is such that fewer people are involved in working the land and much of the processing of produce is carried out in large centralised factories outside the area so most of the employment is to be found in Aberdeen.

Stonehaven's most famous son will be Robert William Thomson because he patented the world's first pneumatic tyre. He also invented the fountain pen and a method of detonating explosives with an electric charge.

The harbour caters for the core fishing industry that continues and is a regular port of call for leisure sailors who meet up with the local yachting community based there. Tourism forms a significant part in the local economy.

For further information on the history of Stonehaven, visit the web site of the Stonehaven Heritage Society.

For local information about Stonehaven and the surrounding area, including community and tourist information try the Stonehaven Guide site.

Situated on the coast half a mile from Dunnottar church.

For more information see the Scottish National Heritage web site.

How to find Dunnottar Church.

Position as shown on www.streetmap.co.uk

Also available on www.multimap.com

The postal code of the church, AB39 3XL, can be used with these sites to find its position accurately.