Tarves
| Tarves | |
|---|---|
Tarves war memorial and church | |
Tarves Location within Aberdeenshire | |
| Population | 1,080 (2020)[1] |
| Council area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ELLON |
| Postcode district | AB41 |
| Dialling code | 01651 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
Tarves (/ˈtɑːrvɪs/) is a settlement in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, situated in the Formartine area between Oldmeldrum and Methlick.
Following population growth to over 1,000 residents, Tarves is classified as a town in data published by Understanding Scottish Places, a change reported by BBC News in 2025.[2][3]
History
Much of the settlement was planned and laid out by the Marquess of Aberdeen in the 19th century, but the history of the parish goes back considerably earlier. A Bronze Age hoard of weapons was found near Tarves in the nineteenth century and was donated by the Earl of Aberdeen to the British Museum in 1858.[4] Dating to between 1000 and 850 BC, the hoard was made entirely from bronze and consists of three swords, a pommel, a chape and two pins (two items of which were not part of the original gift and are now lost).
Notable residents
- Alexander Forbes Irvine of Drum FRSE (1818–1892), advocate and philosopher
- Duncan Mearns, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1821,[5] minister of Tarves from 1799 to 1816
Tarves today
The community has an active heritage group which operates a registered museum and heritage centre. The settlement is situated close to Haddo House and Tolquhon Castle.
References
- ^ "Population estimates for settlements and localities in Scotland: mid-2020". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ "Tarves, Aberdeenshire". Understanding Scottish Places. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Scotland has 33 new towns - where are they and what's it like living in one?". BBC News. 27 November 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
- ^ "Collection". The British Museum. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Duncan Mearns
External links
- Tarves.org.uk
- Tarvesheritage.org.uk Archived 2 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine