An ancient royal burgh in E Aberdeenshire, situated on the A96 road at the confluence of the River Don and the River Urie, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Aberdeen. The main town of the old lordship of Garioch and former administrative centre of Gordon District, Inverurie is said to have been founded by David of Huntingdon, Earl of the Garioch, brother of Malcolm IV and great-great-grandfather of Robert the Bruce who defeated the Comyns nearby at the Battle of Barra on Christmas Eve 1307. The town's earliest known charter dates from 1558, but its modern development occurred after the building of the Aberdeen Canal linking Port Elphinstone with Aberdeen Harbour in 1806.
To the east is The Bass, a mediaeval motte and bailey, and Kinkell Hall which includes a portion of the older Caskieben Castle associated with the Johnston family. To the south lie the ruins of the 16th Century parish church of Kinkell dedicated to St Michael with its richly ornamented sacrament house dated 1524. There are several prehistoric stones in the area, most notably the East Aquhorthies Stone Circle and the Brandsbutt sculptured stone.
The town has a library, museum, community centre and sporting facilities that include bowling, fishing, tennis, football, a swimming pool and an 18-hole golf course (Davah Lands). A centre of locomotive engineering between 1902 and 1968, Inverurie is now a paper making town with food processing, refrigeration, glass fibre and water treatment equipment industries located on two industrial estates.
