Footdee

Footdee (/fʊtˈdiː/), locally known as Fittie, is a picturesque area of Aberdeen, Scotland. A former fishing village, it lies at the entrance to Aberdeen Harbour. The name appears to mean "foot of the Dee", but it has also been linked to Fittick, a local saint.^[1]

Footdee Fittie
Footdee Location within the Aberdeen City council area Show map of Aberdeen City council area Footdee Location within Scotland Show map of Scotland
OS grid reference	NJ957058
Council area	Aberdeen City
Lieutenancy area	Aberdeen
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ABERDEEN
Postcode district	AB11
Dialling code	01224
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	Aberdeen North
Scottish Parliament	Aberdeen Central
Website	aberdeencity.gov.uk
List of places UK Scotland 57.1438°N 2.0711°W / 57.1438; -2.0711

Footdee is mentioned in sources from the 14th century onwards.^[2] The medieval village centred on the church of St Clement, some distance west of the modern Footdee. The modern village, referred to on early maps as "Fish Town", was laid out by John Smith in 1808–9. Smith's design comprised 28 cottages arranged in two squares, North Square and South Square. The development was later enlarged by the addition of Middle Row (c. 1837) and Pilot Square (c. 1855).^[3]

On Tuesday 25 September 2012, parts of Footdee became covered in foam from the sea after experiencing strong wind and rain conditions. The effect was like a blanket of snow and this made the UK national news.^[4][5]

Transportation

See also: Transport in Aberdeen

Footdee was formerly served by the number 15 bus route. The route was withdrawn in July 2022.^[6][7]

Gallery

• 
  Detail from Parson Gordon's map of Aberdeen (1661), showing "Futty"
• 
  North Square Mission Hall
• 
  Houses in Footdee
• 
  Houses in Footdee
• 
  Footdee War Memorial

References

1. "Footdee: Overview". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
2. "Footdee". Dictionaries of the Scots Language. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
3. "NJ90NE0007 - FOOTDEE". Aberdeenshire Historic Environment Records. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
4. Strange sea foam blankets Scottish fishing village as storms batter Britain, The Telegraph.
5. "Footdee foam clears as area returns to normal after storms". BBC News. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
6. Gerrard, Philippa (23 July 2022). "Devastated Fittie residents left 'stranded' after vital bus service is cancelled". Press and Journal. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
7. Topp, Kirstie (22 September 2022). "Council to meet with bus firm to bring service back to Fittie". Press and Journal. Retrieved 22 September 2022.

External links

• Historic Environment Scotland