Parish of Crimond

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: Crimond
1834-45: Crimond

Crimond (anc. Creichmont, 'clay hill'), a hamlet and a coast parish of Buchan, NE Aberdeenshire. The hamlet, lying 2¼ miles inland, is 3 miles ESE of Lonmay station, 8¾ SE by S of Fraserburgh, and 9 NW of Peterhead, under which it has a post office.

The parish, containing also the fishing hamlet of Rattray, formerly a royal burgh, 2 miles to the ENE, is bounded SW, NW, and N by Lonmay, NE and E by the German Ocean, and SE by St Fergus in Banffshire (detached). Its utmost length is 65/8. miles from ENE to WSW, viz., from Rattray Head to a little beyond the Loch of Kininmonth; its width in an opposite direction varies between 13/8 and 27/8 miles; and its area is 6281½ acres, of which 243½ are water, and 148½ foreshore. The coast-line, 23/8 miles in extent, includes the low, rocky, shelving promontory of Rattray Head; and elsewhere presents a broad band of flat beach, backed by bentcovered sand-hills. The interior rises abruptly from the shore to 106 feet above sea-level near the coastguard station, and, thence descending gradually towards the centre, ascends again gently southward and south-westward to 136 feet near South Mosstown, 228 at Upper Ridinghill, and 284 at Lochhills. Loch Strathbeg, 23/8 miles long, and from 2 to 4¼ furlongs broad, lies on the northern border, and receives burns and runnels draining the interior; the Loch of Kininmonth (3 X 1 furl.), in the SW, has been recently drained. Streams of pure water are scarce, most being tainted with iron. Dark blue granite prevails in the E; red granite, generally in a Crumbling condition, is found in the W; trap rock is also abundant; and limestone was at one time quarried. The soil near the coast is light and sandy; towards the centre is generally of a black loamy nature, resting on a clay bottom; and elsewhere is cold and wet. Nearly five-sevenths of the entire area are arable, less than one-eighth is pastoral, and plantations cover a considerable extent. Crimond estate belonged once to the Earls of Errol, whilst Logie was the seat of a branch of the Gordons; but both belong now to Ethel, daughter (b. 1869) of the late Sir Alex. Bannerman of Crimonmogate. Logie was the scene of the fine old Jacobite song, O Logie o' Buchan, believed to- have been written about 1736 by George Halket, schoolmaster at Rathen; and at a spot called the Battle Fauld, tradition points out the grave of the hero of the famous ballad, Sir James the Rose. A circular mound, called Castle Hill, at the E end of Loch Strathbeg, was the site of a castle of Comyn, Earl of Buchan; and near it are the First Pointed ruins of St Mary's chapel of Rattray; whilst on the farm of Netherton of Logie is an ancient Caledonian circle in a high state of preservation. John Farquhar (1751-1826), known as ' the rich Farquhar of Fonthill,' was a native. Rattray House is the principal mansion; and 3 proprietors hold each an annual value of more, 5 of less, than £100. Giving off a south-western portion to the quoad sacra parish of Kininmonth, Crimond is in the presbytery of Deer and synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £296. The present church, at the hamlet, was built in 1812. and, containing 500 sittings, has a steeple and clock; its ruined predecessor, near the manse, ¾ mile N by W, is said to have been a prebend of St Machar's at Aberdeen in 1262, and bears date 1576. A public school, with accommodation for 142 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 98, and a grant of £84,2s. Valuation (1881) £5997,12s. 7d. Pop. of civil parish (1801) 862, (1821) 900, (1841) 767, (1851) 893, (1871) 887, (1881) 827; of ecclesiastical parish (1881) 815.—Ord. Sur., shs. 97,87,1876.

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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