Dyce

Dyce
Scottish Gaelic: Deis
Scots: Dyce
Dyce  Dyce shown within the City of Aberdeen
Population	5,811 [1]
Language	English
	Scots (Doric)
OS grid reference	NJ885125
– Edinburgh	99 mi (159 km) [2]
– London	408 mi (657 km) [2]
Council area	Aberdeen
Lieutenancy area	Aberdeen
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Aberdeen
Postcode district	AB21
Dialling code	01224
Police	Scottish
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Gordon
Scottish Parliament	Aberdeen Donside
Website	aberdeencity.gov.uk
List of places UK Scotland Aberdeen

Coordinates: 57°12′11″N 2°11′31″W / 57.2031°N 2.1920°W / 57.2031; -2.1920

Dyce (Scottish Gaelic: Deis) is an area of the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north west of Aberdeen city centre, and best known as the location of the city's airport. It is on the River Don.

History

Dyce is the site of an early medieval church dedicated to the 8th century missionary and bishop Saint Fergus, otherwise associated with Glamis, Angus. Today the cemetery, north of the airport, and overlooking the River Don, hosts the roofless but otherwise virtually complete former St. Fergus Chapel, within which Pictish and early Christian stones from the 7th–9th centuries, found in or around the churchyard, are displayed (Historic Scotland; open at all times without entrance charge).

The Chapel is a unicameral late medieval building with alterations perhaps of the 17th or 18th centuries. Two further carved stones, of uncertain (though probably early) character, were discovered re-used as building rubble in the inner east gable and outer south wall during the chapel's restoration. They were left in situ and are readily visible. A broken font, somewhat resembling a round-backed chair in its present condition, lies outside the church, and may also be of early medieval date.

The graveyard surrounding the old church was used into the 20th century, and retains almost no old gravestones. There is a small 'mort house' in one corner of the enclosure, which is adjoined by a modern extension, still in use for burials.

Climate

Economy

Head office of BMI Regional, Aberdeen Airport

BMI Regional has its corporate head office at Aberdeen Airport East in Dyce.^[4] Halliburton has an office in Dyce.^[5]

Dyce has one main shopping centre which is mainly an Asda store, with a Boots chemist, a hairdresser, an optometrist and several empty units.

Oil

Aker Solutions, the Norway-based oilfield services giant, runs its UK operations from Dyce, at the Aberdeen International Business Park. The North Sea headquarters of BP are located at the Farburn Industrial Estate.^[6]

Prince Charles visited Dyce on 3 September 1992 to BP to officially inaugurate the Miller oilfield; he later met people with the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (now called Youth Business Scotland).

BPPD (BP Petroleum Development) offices seen from the air in November 1981

Transport

Aberdeen Airport is located in Dyce.

Dyce railway station is served by First ScotRail and East Coast trains on the Aberdeen to Inverness Line.

There is an old railway line running from Dyce northwards past Newmachar which is now a path for pedestrians and cyclists and is the start of the Formatine and Buchan Way cycle route.^[7]

When complete the Aberdeen Bypass, will circle west and north of the suburb. The Dyce junction is scheduled for completion in Autumn 2016.^[8]

BP (British Petroleum) offices in 1985; all of BP's UK fields are operated from here, and the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh, Harold Wilson (Prime Minister) and Prince Andrew came to the BP offices on 3 November 1975 to switch on the supply of oil from the BP Forties Oil Field - the oil came inland at Cruden Bay, and ended up 130 miles away at Grangemouth Refinery. Development of the field had cost around £750m. Britain would become self-sufficient in oil by 1980. The next main field to come ashore was from the Auk oilfield .

Education

The local secondary school, Dyce Academy, has about 500 pupils. There is also a primary school, Dyce Primary School. Dyce is also the location for the Cordyce School, a secondary school serving pupils who require additional support.^[9]

Parks and recreation

The area of Aberdeen has sports facilities including the local junior football team Dyce F.C who currently play in the Scottish Junior Football Association North Region and the cricket team. Dyce also have an amateur football team, currently named Dyce ITC Hydraulics in honour of its sponsors ITC Hydarulics also of Dyce. Dyce ITC currently play in the Aberdeenshire Amateur Association Premier League and play their home games at Pitmedden Road in Dyce.

Dyce (Aberdeen) Amateur Swimming Club (Est 1977), which runs its own Swim School for those wishing to learn to swim, is based at the Dyce Academy swimming pool. The Club and Swim School are both affiliated to the Scottish Amateur Swimming Association to help swimmers compete up to North District and Scottish National Level.

People From Dyce

• Dr James Edward Crombie FRSE (1862-1932) philanthropist and seismologist, of the Crombie clothing empire, lived at Parkhill House just outside Dyce.

References

Areas of Aberdeen
	Airyhall Altens Berryden Bieldside Braeside Bridge of Don Broomhill Bucksburn Cornhill Cove Bay Craigiebuckler Cults Cummings Park Danestone Dyce Ferryhill Footdee Foresterhill Froghall Garthdee Hanover Hazlehead Heathryfold Hilton Kaimhill Kincorth Kingswells Kittybrewster Leggart Mannofield Mastrick Middlefield Midstocket Milltimber Nigg Northfield Old Aberdeen Peterculter Powis Queen's Cross Rosehill Rosemount Rubislaw Ruthrieston Seafield Seaton Sheddocksley Stockethill Stoneywood Summerhill Sunnybank Tillydrone Torry Tullos West End Woodside