Parish of Strathdon

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: Strathdon
1834-45: Strathdon

Strathdon, a parish of W Aberdeenshire, whose church stands, 952 feet above sea-level, on the right bank of the Don, opposite the influx of the Water of Nochty, 13¾ miles N-by W of Ballater, 195/8 W by S of Alford, 45 W by N of Aberdeen, 17½ SW of Rhynie, and 21½ SW of Gartly station. With both Gartly and Alford stations Strathdon communicates daily by coach. There are a branch of the Aberdeen Town and County Bank, a post office under Aberdeen, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments, and fairs on the second Fridays of February, May, and November, the last Tuesday of April, the Friday of July after Glass, the Friday of August after Mearns, and the last Saturday of September. The parish, anciently called Invernochty, is bounded NE by Glenbucket, E by the Deskry section of Tarland-Migvie and by Logie-Coldstone, S by Glenmuick and Crathie-Braemar, and W and NW by Kirkmichael and Inveraven in Banffshire. It embosoms the Edinglassie or Glenernan section (8293¾ acres) of Tarland-Migvie parish, which ecclesiastically is united to Corgarff Its utmost length, from E t W, is 13¼ miles ; its breadth varies between 17/8 and 10¼ miles ; and the area is 74½ square miles or 47,737¼ acres, of which 9 are water, and 3557½ belong to an easterly detached portion, already noticed under Glenkindie. The troutful Don, rising close to the Banffshire border at an altitude of 1980 feet above sea-level, winds 233/8 miles east-north-eastward-for 51/8 miles along the southern boundary of the Edinglassie section of Tarland, and for the last 17/8 mile along the north-western boundary of its Deskry section-until, near Glenbucket Castle, it passes off from the main body. The chief of its many Strathdon affluents are the Water of Nochty, formed by two head-streams at an altitude of 1263 feet, and running 47/8 miles south eastward ; and Deskry Water, rising at an altitude of 1800 feet, and over the first 47/8 miles of its north-north-easterly course tracing all the boundary with Logie-Coldstone, over the last 2¾ furlongs part of that with the Deskry section of Tarland. Th-e surface sinks in the extreme E, where the Don passes off from the main body to 805 feet above the sea ; and chief elevations to the N of the river, as one goes up the valley, are the Hill of Cummerton or Lonach (1662 feet), *Breagach Hill (1825), the *Socach (2356), *Carn Mor (2636) *Geal Charn (2207), and *Carn Ealasaid (2600) ; to the S, Craig of Bunnsach (1742), Mullachdubh (2129), *Meikle Sgroilleach (2432), *Carn a' Bhacain (2442), and *Brown Cow Hill (2721), where asterisks mark those summits that culminate on the confines of the parish. The arable land which lies all in the glens, most of it in that of the Don, consists of considerable haughs, belts of hanging plain, and skirts of pastoral heights ; and it possesses in general a light, sharp, and somewhat fertile soil. Hill ranges of considerable height and breadth flank the glens, and render the general aspect of the parish Highland. The hills are prevailingly heath-clad ; and in their loftier altitudes are covered with a black spongy soil, inclined to moss ; yet in many parts they form good sheep-walks, and in most they abound with game. About one-fifteenth of the entire area is in tillage ; fully 5000 acres are under plantations ; and the rest is either pastoral or waste. Syenite, limestone, and coarse slate abound, and the limestone has been largely worked. The chief antiquities are noticed under Colquhony, Corgarff, Dcune, and Glenkindie. Mansions, also noticed separately, are Auchernach, Castle-Newe, and Glenkindie ; and 5 proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards. Since 1874 giving off its western portion to Corgarff quoad sacra parish, Strathdon is in the presbytery of Alford and the synod of Aberdeen ; the living is worth £307. The parish church, built in 1853, is a good Gothic edifice, with a lofty spire and 600 sittings. Upwards of 30 handsome marble tablets adorn the walls of the interior, and produce a most pleasing and striking effect. Five schools-Forbeston female public, Knocklea public, Strathdon public, Ardler, and Tillyduke-with respective accommodation for 50, 41, 96, 59, and 139 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 38, 19, 52, 22, and 40, and grants of £34, 10s., £25, 1s., £47, 15s., £26, 8s., and £32, 19s. 2d. Valuation (1860) £4755, (1885) £8618, 7s. 8d. Pop. (1801) 1354, (1821) 1698, (1841) 1563, (1861) 1459, (1871) 1469, (1881) 1316, of whom 1068 were in Strathdon ecclesiastical parish.—Ord. Sur., sh. 75, 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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