PLATFORM 22 – Community arts centre & coffee house
PLATFORM 22 is the perfect place in which to experience the culture and hospitality of rural Aberdeenshire and discover the rich and diverse heritage of the hills and glens of Deeside. Based in the village of Torphins we are a community based arts centre and cultural exchange with facilities that include an art gallery, ceramics studio and coffee house.
The gallery features work by local artists and craft-makers in a wide range of media and materials. The work on show changes throughout the year and, additionally, we host several special exhibitions, most notably the annual North East Open Studios (NEOS) event in September. NEOS week is a highlight of the arts year and typically Platform 22 plays host to over a dozen artists some of whom are on site through the week giving demonstrations of their skills and chatting to the visitors.
Ceramics are something of a speciality at Platform 22 and we have our own studio where gallery owner and ceramicist Emma Pattullo produces a range of wares and from where she runs a variety of popular pottery classes.
The third element of Platform 22 is the coffee house where visitors can relax and enjoy a steaming cappuccino or revive themselves with an espresso and one of our famous “gooey” chocolate brownies.
PLATFORM 22 opened in 2004 and sits on the former site of Torphins railway station; remnants of the old Deeside line are still evident in the area including the notorious “Satan’s Den” cutting between Torphins and Lumphanan. The business is very much community based and its aim is to provide a range of facilities and services that will allow members of the community to share ideas, skills and knowledge and will allow local artists, artisans and produces to trade their wares in a wider market. Since opening Platform 22 has grown and diversified to encompass a wide range of artistic and cultural enterprises including the gallery, ceramics studio and coffee house. In addition to these regular activities we run a variety of occasional events including art and craft courses and seasonal markets for local crafts-people and food producers. Details of these events are available from our website or by contacting us directly.
TORPHINS itself is a charming village of around 1000 inhabitants nestling between the foot of Learney Hill and the southwestern end of the Hill of Fare, with views south to the hills of the Mounth. Folklore suggests Torphins drew its name from a cousin of Macbeth, Thorfinn Sigurdsson, however, it is more likely that the name derives from the Gaelic torr fionn meaning “white hill”. Although the Viking connection is debatable the area does have a strong link with Macbeth himself and the Scottish king was defeated and killed at the Battle of Lumphanan in 1057, just 3 miles from Torphins. Torphins itself does not feature large the historical records until the middle of the 18th century and remained little more than a hamlet till the arrival of the railway a century later; the architecture of the village bears the hallmarks of the Victorian age. The village expanded again following the discovery of oil in the North Sea and its present popularity owes much to its convenient commuting distance from Aberdeen and its rural location with access to all manner of outdoor activities including fishing, walking, canoeing, mountain biking, skiing and golf; the village has a challenging 9 hole course!
THE TARLAND TRAIL has its base at Platform 22 where a map/guide and information is available. The Trail runs from Aberdeen to Dinnet following the B9119, which passes over Learney Hill following the ridge of hills that divides Deeside from Donside. It is a route studded with fascinating historical sites such as Sunhoney Stone Circle, Midmar Kirk, the Peel Ring of Lumphanan and Craigievar Castle, and some spectacular scenery most notably the Queen’s View and Muir of Dinnet National Nature Reserve. An objective of the Trail is to encourage access to the countryside and there are several public footpaths around the villages of Echt, Torphins, Lumphanan, Tarland and Dinnet. Torphins itself has the Learney Woods an area of mixed woodland where native regeneration has been encouraged and where wildlife thrives; roe deer and red squirrels are common sights. As well as the main trail along the B9119, and various footpaths, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the network of minor roads and forest roads on bicycle and it’s an ideal way to find some of the better-hidden attractions!
EXPLORING AND DISCOVERING Deeside requires a change of pace, the gems are there but you have to slow down to appreciate them and Platform 22 in Torphins is the ideal departure point for that relaxing journey of discovery.
Opening Hours
10 am to 5 pm
Closed Sunday & Monday
Closing Day(s)
- Mon
- Sun
Property Address
22a
Station Road
Torphins
Banchory
Aberdeenshire
AB31 4JF
Great Britain
Contact
PLATFORM 22 – Community arts centre & coffee house
22
Station Road
Torphins
Banchory
Aberdeenshire
AB31 4JF
Scotland
Tel: +44 (1339) 882039
E-Mail: mail@platform22.co.uk
WWW: http://http://www.platform22.co.uk
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