Administrative History | John Fyfe (1830 - 1906) operated the largest granite quarrying firm in the north-east at Kemnay from 1857, and invented the Blondin transporter. He had previously ran his family's quarrying business at Tyrebagger. Fyfe's supplied granite for the Forth and Tay Bridges, the Thames embankment and the Holburn viaduct, as well as Victoria Bridge in Aberdeen.
Rubislaw Quarry was first quarried in 1740. It was taken over by the Gibb family from 1830 (John Gibb, engineer at Aberdeen Harbour, his son Alexander, and his grandson William). In 1880 the company adopted the name Rubislaw Granite Quarry, and in 1890 this was changed to Rubislaw Granite Company Ltd and Gibb was joined by Robert Gordon Wilson, Robert McKay, Charles Christie and Frank Mason. In 1967 the quarry was bought by John Fyfe and closed completely in 1970. Rubislaw Granite Company Ltd. was dissolved in 1994. |