Parish of Auchtertool

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: Auchtertool 1834-45: Auchtertool

Auchtertool (Gael. uaehtar-tuitl, 'above the hollow'), a village and a parish of SW Fife. The village stands 3 miles S of Cardenden station, and 4¼ W of Kirkcaldy; it has a post office under the latter and a large distillery. Pop., including the neighbouring hamlet of Newbigging (1871) 331.

The parish is bounded N by Auchterderran, NE by Abbotshall, E and SE by Kinghorn, S and SW by Aberdour, and NW by Beath. Its length from ENE to WSW varies between 1⁵/₈ mile and 3³/₈ miles, its breadth between 7 furlongs and 1¾ mile; and its area is 2755¾ acres, of which 17¾ are water. The surface rises westward to the Cullalo Hills, attaining 420 feet above sea-level near the ruined baronial mansion of Hallyards in the E, 430 at 2 furlongs S of the village, 556 at 3 furlongs NW of the church, 526 at Pilkhambrae in the SW, and 438 in the NW, 7 furlongs ENE of Cowdenbeath station. These heights, which fall off steeply to the S, command fine eastward views of the Isle of May, the Bass, and North Berwick Law. Two streams flow eastward, Doonachy Burn through the interior, and Bottom Burn along the southern boundary; in the E, near Hallyards, is Carmilla Loch (2 x 1 furl.); and the south-western corner of Loch Gelly lies within the northern border. Trap, sandstone, and limestone have all been quarried, and coalpits opened in the NW angle of the parish; its soils are variously loam, clayey, and mossy. Two proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards, 1 holds between £100 and £500,1 between £50 and £100, and 3 hold between £20 and £50. Auchtertool is in the presbytery of Kirkcaldy and synod of Fife. The church, ¾ mile WSW of the village, was repaired in 1833, and seats 280; the minister's income is £223. A public school, with accommodation for 99 children, had (1879) an average attendance of 63, and a grant of £50,7s. Valuation (1881) £7788, 11s. 5d. Pop. (1831) 527, (1861) 609, (1871) 529, (1881) 706.-Ord. Sur-, sh. 40,1867.

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