Kemnay (Gaelic: Ceann a' Mhuigh) is a village 16 miles (26 km) west of Aberdeen in Garioch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. With a population of 3,830 residents aged 16 or over (2012), Kemnay is the third largest settlement in the Garioch after Inverurie and Westhill.
The village name Kemnay is believed to originate from the Celtic words that mean "little crook in the river" due to the village location on the bend of the River Don.Kemnay House is classified by Historic Scotland as a category A listed building.
Kemnay has church buildings available for the following religious groups:
Kemnay is popular with explorers of Aberdeenshire who can stay in numerous guest houses, hotels, and bed and breakfasts within the village. There are two pubs, the Bennachie Lodge and the Burnett Arms Hotel.
Kemnay Quarry was opened in 1830 by John Fyfe, and became commercial in 1858. Kemnay Granite has been used in many famous buildings and structures, including;
Granite workers from Kemnay helped to quarry and shape the Australian granite used in the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They also travelled to quarries in California, the Mississippi Levees and Odessa.
Kemnay has various sports clubs, including;
There are playing fields available for use by the public at Bogbeth Park, which is also home to the Kemnay Skate Park.
Golfer Paul Lawrie, who won the 1999 Open Championship is a former pupil of Kemnay Academy, as is former Aberdeen F.C. footballer Darren Mackie.