Parish of Dunbarney

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

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1791-99: Dunbarny
1834-45: Dunbarny

Dunbarny, a parish of SE Perthshire, containing the post-office village of Bridge of Earn, with a station on the North British, 3¾ miles SSE of Perth, and also, 1 mile S by W, the village of Kintillo. It is bounded NW by the Craigend section of Forteviot, N by Perth, NE by Rhynd, E by Abernethy, SE by Dron, and W by the Glenearnhill section of Dron and by Forgandenny. Its greatest length, from NNE to SSW, is 4] miles; its greatest breadth, from E to W, is 4 miles; and its area is 41361/3 acres, of which 76½ are water. The river Earn winds 5¾ miles east-by-southward along the Forteviot and Abernethy borders and through the interior between banks of singular beauty; and from its low-lying valley the surface rises northward to 725 feet on richly-wooded Moncreiffe, southward to 800 on the western slopes of Dron Hill. Trap and Old Red sandstone are the prevailing rocks, and both have been largely quarried. Five mineral springs at Pitcaithly enjoy a high medicinal repute, and attracted so many invalids and other visitors, as to occasion the erection of Bridge of Earn village, and of hotels both there and at Pitcaithly. The soil of the arable lands is variously till, clay, loam, and alluvium, and has been highly improved. Illustrious natives or residents were Robert Craigie (l685-1760), Lord President of the Court of Session; Robert Craigie, Lord Craigie- (1754-1834), also an eminent judge; Sir Francis Grant (1803-78), president of the Royal Academy; and his brother, General Sir James Hope Grant, G. C. B. (1808-75). Mansions are Ballendrick, Kilgraston, Moncreiffe, Dunbarny, and Kinmonth, the two last being 2 miles W by N, and 3 miles NE, of Bridge of Earn; and 5 proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 3 of between £100 and £500, 3 of from £50 to £100, and 12 of from £20 to £50. Dunbarny is in the presbytery of Perth and synod of Perth and Stirling; the living is worth £300. The ancient church stood at the extinct village of Dunbarny, close to Dunbarny House; its successor was built near Bridge of Earn in 1684; and a few yards E of the site of this is the present church (1787; 650 sittings). Chapels subordinate to the ancient church stood at Moncreiffe and at Kirkpottie in Dron; and that at Moncreiffe continues to be the burying-place of the Moncreiffe family. There is also a Free church; and a public school, erected in 1873, with accommodation for 180 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 106, and a grant of £104, 5s. Valuation (1882) £8429, 12s. 7d. Pop. (1801) 1066, (1831) 1162, (1851) 1056, (1871) 913, (1881) 756.—Ord. Sur., sh. 48, 1868.

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer

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