Buchan is one of the 6 administrative Areas established by Aberdeenshire Council (the others are Banff and Buchan, Formartine, Garioch, Marr and Kincardine and Mearns). As far as is practicable, decision making and service provision will take place at Area level. The administrative Area is therefore the Council's main point of contact with the people of Buchan, and their representative organisations.

Area characteristics:

Land area 585 sq km (226 square miles). Population density 67 persons per sq km. The Area is characterised by an open agricultural landscape with occasional woodland, interspersed by farms and small settlements. The 48 km coastline is comprised of sandy bays and dune systems with occasional stretches of rocky foreshore. Physical features include the River Ugie, the Loch of Strathbeg, and the Bullers O' Buchan cliff formation. The built heritage is varied; ancient villages contrast with the planned settlements built in the `Age of Improvement' (late 17th and early 18th centuries), and Peterhead's outstanding conservation area.

Population:

Whole of Buchan:39,368
Source: Aberdeenshire Council.

Major towns are Peterhead (17,800), Mintlaw (2,700), Cruden Bay (1,800), and Boddam (1,400). The settlements of St Fergus, Crimond and Maud are projected to experience the most rapid relative population increases, 7% of the Area's population are pre-school age, 16% school age, 63% working age, and 15% retired.

Services and Facilities:

Peterhead is Buchan's main service centre and has seen some leisure and retail developments in recent years. Cruden Bay, Strichen, New Deer, Maud, New Pitsligo and Mintlaw also offer a range of services and facilities. The Area has 2 secondary schools and 26 primary schools. Public facilities include a swimming pool and 6 libraries. The Area office at Maud has been developed as a focus for local community activities including the Buchan Development Initiative. In common with other parts of Aberdeenshire, the number of key facilities (shops, post offices, primary schools, petrol stations and doctors surgeries) in rural areas has fallen with a reduction of 28% since 1981.