Auchterturra

Auchterturra is a fictitious village created by the Scottish comedy team Scotland the What?. Its ethos is characterised by the quotation: "As Rhynie is tae Aberdeen, so is Auchterturra tae Rhynie!" It generally seems to be somewhere in Aberdeenshire where the inhabitants speak the Doric dialect of North East Scotland, but can contain elements from the Highlands or even the Western Isles, if a joke should call for it. The town often reflected current events in Scotland; for instance in 1992, at the time the ITV licences were up for renewal, Auchterturra Broadcasting sought the franchise held by Grampian Television on the basis that "due tae popular demand, we willna be shawin ony Gaelic programmes at aw."

The name is probably based on Turriff which is known locally as "Turra", where 'Scotland the What' come from. 'Auchter' is a generic prefix from the Scots Gaelic "Uachdar" meaning high ground, and is common in placenames in the north east.

Decline in the village of Auchterturra forms the basis of a musical sketch by Scotland the What? entitled "How are things in Auchterturra", based loosely on the tune of How Are Things in Glocca Morra?.

Auchterturra is now widely used as a pseudonym for a generic Scottish town.