Cove Bay is situated to the east of the ancient
Causey Mounth, which road was built on high ground to make passable this only available
medieval route from
coastal points south from
Stonehaven to
Aberdeen. This ancient
trackway specifically connected the
River Dee crossing (where the
Bridge of Dee is located) via
Portlethen Moss,
Muchalls Castle and
Stonehaven to the south. The route was that taken by
William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the
Marquess of Montrose, who led a
Covenanter army of 9000 men in the
battle of the
Civil War in 1639.
Historically in the extreme north-east corner of
Kincardineshire, until 1975 it was governed from the county town of
Stonehaven, when it was added to the
City of Aberdeen district. Though simply referred to as Cove, in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was known as The Cove, becoming Cove Bay around 1912.
Cove Bay railway station opened in 1850 and operated until 1956 for passengers and 1964 for goods. The line remains in use and is now part of the
Dundee–Aberdeen line.
St Mary's Church was opened in 1864, and also served as the local boys' school until the 1890s when Cove School was built nearby. Cove School closed in 1981, when the newer Loirston Primary School was opened, becoming a community centre known as Loirston Annexe. In 2019, 5 cairns were erected with information plaques detailing the history of Cove Bay and Altens as a farming community. This was made possible with a donation from the late Margaret Allan, whose family occupied the Mains of Loirston farm, and latterly Sergent's Croft.
Industry Cove has been noted for industries such as
granite, which was quarried in several locations to the south of the village. Owing to its close-grained texture, Cove granite was one of the hardest in north-east Scotland and proved highly resistant to
frost, making it ideal for
causeway stones used in the construction of roads. It was widely exported to cities in England, including
Billingsgate Market in London.
Fishing The village itself sprung up around the fishing industry, with the boats berthed on a
shingle beach, a gap in the rocks that afforded a natural harbour. During this time, it is estimated that approximately 300 people lived in the area. In the mid 19th century the fishing was at its height, which, over years, has included cod, haddock, salmon, herring and shellfish. The piers and breakwater were constructed in 1878. At the end of
World War I the fishing began to decline. At present only a couple of boats pursue
shellfish on a part-time basis. Cove Bay harbour has been the centre of a legal battle between a local landowner, who purchased part of the harbour in 2001, and the local fishermen who use the harbour. Attempts were made by the landowner to get the fishermen to remove their boats, as the shore was now considered private land meaning the fishermen could no longer store their equipment and boats on the shore. This legal battle ended in 2018, with the landowner succeeding. Public right of way for vehicles and pedestrians is maintained down Balmoral Terrace, leading to the harbour, and the pier itself. In 2019, many of the remaining boats on the shore and the storage shed were set ablaze in what was thought to be a deliberate arson attack. Between 1894 and 1937, Cove also housed a fishmeal factory, the Aberdeen Fish Meal Factory, which was located at the edge of the cliffs. It produced quality
manure which was exported to both Europe and America. It became locally known as "the stinker" because of the processing odour, which was highlighted by the Aberdeen entertainer
Harry Gordon in a
parody entitled
A Song of Cove. ==Amenities==