Kirkton of Culsalmond

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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Culsalmond, a hamlet and a parish in Garioch district, Aberdeenshire. The hamlet-a farm-house, the church, and the manse-stands at 600 feet above sea-level, near the left bank of the Ury, 4½ miles NNE of its post-town and station, Insch, this being 27½ miles NW of Aberdeen. Containing also Colpy post-office hamlet, and bounded N by Forgue, NE by Auchterless, E by Rayne, S by Oyne, SW and W by Insch, the parish has an utmost length from N to S of 5 miles, a varying width from E to W of 13/8 and 35/8 miles, and an area of 6995 acres, of which 1 is water. The drainage is carried south-south-eastward by the upper Ury; and the surface, sinking in the S to 310 feet above sea-level, thence rises northward to 431 feet at Little Ledikin, 521 near Mellenside, 607 at Fallow Hill, 1078 at the wooded Hill of Skares, and 1249 at the Hill of Tillymorgan. A fine blue slate was quarried prior to 1860; and a vein of ironstone, extending across the parish from Rayne to Insch, was proved, by specimens sent to Carron works, to contain a large proportion of good iron. A subterranean moss, in some parts more than 8 feet deep, occurs on Pulquhite farm; and a strong mineral spring, said to be beneficial in scrofulous complaints, is at Saughen-loan. The soil is mainly a yellowish clay loam, lighter and mixed with fragments of slate on the uplands, and at Tillymorgan giving place to moss and inferior clay. Plantations cover a considerable area. Cairns were at one time numerous; two stone circles have left some traces on Colpy farm; two sculptured standing - stones (figured in Dr John Stuart's great work, 1866) are on the lands of Newton; and stone coffins, flint implements, etc., have been from time to time discovered. Newton and Williamston are the principal mansions; and 5 proprietors hold each an annual value of more, 3 of less, than £100. Culsalmond is in the presbytery of Garioch and synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £220. The parish church, an old building, was the scene of one of those contests that led to the Disruption; and the neighbouring Free church, Early English in style, with a tower, was erected in 1866 at a cost of £2000, its predecessor from 1843 having been a mere wooden shed, in the 'deep hollow of Caden.' There are also an Independent church and Tillymorgan Episcopal chapel (1851); whilst Culsalmond public school (rebuilt 1876) and Tillymorgan Episcopal school, with respective accommodation for 150 and 64 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 100 and 43, and grants of £61,8s. and £33,13s. 6d. Valuation (1881) £6415, 16s. 5d. Pop. (1801) 730, (1831) 1138, (1861) 1165, (1871) 896, (1881) 828.—Ord. Sur., sh. 86, 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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