‘Aathegither at Aden’

In 2004 the Buchan Heritage Society held the first of their ‘Doric’ Workshops for primary school children at Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, this continued until 2017 when there was a problem with funding and venue at Aden.

The Society, in conjunction with Aberdeenshire Council, the Education Arts Officer and the Staff of Aden Country Park Museum, along with the Society Tutors and their helpers, has very successfully worked together on this project which is proving very popular with schools.

Each year there has been increasing demand for places. Each year we can take up to around three hundred children during the two week period but find that the need is far greater
The purpose of the workshops is to promote the culture and linguistic heritage of the North East of Scotland in a manner where by the children have fun and enjoy a day out, at the same time learn about their heritage in the stories, songs, poetry, dance and way of life in this small corner of Scotland.

We do not wish to live in the past, however knowledge of the landscape, places and people of Aberdeenshire will engender a greater sense of belonging and allow the children to take some pride in the area in which they live. For those pupils who are brought up in Doric speaking homes it will broaden their horizons and give their form of speech an importance it has long been denied; for those who have little contact with the local dialect it will open a door of discovery.