18 High St, Inverurie - 01467 625800 Chapel of Garioch, Inverurie - 01467 681470 inverurie@visitscotland.com

Inverurie is located in the valley of the River Don at the centre of Aberdeenshire and is known locally as the Heart of the Garioch. It sits between the River Don and the River Ury and is only 10 miles (16 km) from the imposing hill of Bennachie. The word "Inverurie" comes from the Scottish Gaelic Inbhir Uraidh meaning "Mouth of the Ury" after the river which joins the Don just south of the town. It was commonly spelt "Inverury" until the late 19th century when, it is alleged, it was altered to avoid confusion with Inveraray in Argyll, on the south west coast of Scotland because it was felt that "a" and "u" were particularly hard to distinguish in handwritten addresses.

The town centre is triangular and is dominated by the grand Town Hall built in 1862. In the middle of the 'square' (as it is known locally) is the Inverurie and District War Memorial, capped by a lone Gordon Highlander looking out over the town.

The main shopping areas include the Market Place and West High Street which branches off from the centre towards the more residential part of the town. South of the River Don is the village of Port Elphinstone, which is part of the Royal Burgh of Inverurie and is so called due to the proximity of the Aberdeenshire Canal (Inverurie to Aberdeen) (now disused).