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PRESBYTERY OF GARIOCH, SYNOD
OF ABERDEEN.
THE REV. HENRY SIMSON, MINISTER.
I.—Topography and Natural
History.
Name and Boundaries.—The
ancient name of this parish was Logie Durno or Durnock, which is said to
signify a low or hollow place. Before the Reformation, it would appear
that there were three places of public worship in the parish, viz. Logie
Durno, Fetternear, and a chapel, formerly called [Chart. Aberdon, p. 31.]
Capella Beatae Mariae Virginis de Garryoch, where the present parochial
church is now built. Early in the seventeenth century, the parsonage of
Fetter-near, lying on the north side of the river Don, was annexed to that
of Logie Durno on the north side of the Ury. The church was then
transferred from Logie Durno to its present situation, at the east end of
the hill of Benochie, on account of its being the most centrical part of
the parish, and appointed to be called Chapel of Garioch, in a decree
respecting the stipend obtained about that time. It is the seat of the
Presbytery of Garioch, which consists of fifteen members, and forms one of
the most convenient and compact presbyteries in Scotland ; no clergyman
being farther distant from the usual place of meeting than nine miles.
The parish of Chapel of
Garioch is 10 miles in length from north to south, and from 2 to 5 from
east to west. It forms an irregular figure. Its greatest breadth at the
northern extremity is 5 miles, and at the southern 3; from whence it
contracts, as it approaches towards the centre of the parish, where its
greatest breadth does not exceed 2 miles. It is bounded on the north by
the parishes of Rayne and Daviot; on the east, by Bourtie, Keith-hall, and
Inverury; on the south, by Monymusk, and that part of the parish of Kemnay
which lies on the south side of the river of Don; and on the west, by the
parish of Oyne, and hill of Benochie.
Topographical Appearances.—
The surface of the parish is uneven ; but can neither be said to be
mountainous or hilly. There are two ridges of rising ground to the north
and south of the Ury which stretch from west to east, in a direction
nearly parallel to it, and which are either planted or cultivated up to
their summits. On the ridge to the south of the Ury the church is built;
by which the old road from Aberdeen to the upper part of the Garioch and
Cabrach went, previously to the present turnpike road being made. About
half a mile to the east of the church, there is an eminence which commands
an extensive view of the Garioch, and from which nine parochial churches,
with as many manses, may be seen; all of which, with the exception of
Kinneller, are in the Presbytery of Garioch.
Soil, Climate, &c.— The
soil is of various characters. In some parts of the parish, it consists of
a rich black loam, and in other parts, it has a considerable mixture of
clay on a tilly bottom. On the banks of the rivers, it is generally of a
strong gravel, intermixed with vegetable mould. These soils produce fine
grain, and early crops, considering their elevated situation; and as an
instance of the fertility of this district, it may be mentioned, that the
Garioch has been considered and called the granary of Aberdeenshire. The
climate is reckoned temperate and salubrious. There are no diseases
peculiar to the inhabitants of this parish, who are in general remarkably
healthy, and instances of longevity are numerous. Many persons in the
parish have attained to the age of seventy, eighty, and even ninety years
and upwards; which may in a great measure be attributed to the dry and
bracing climate, and to the temperate habits of the parishioners.
Hydrography.—This parish is
well supplied with excellent springs of water, which issue from gravelly
soils. The only two rivers of any consequence connected with it are the
Ury and the Don. The river Ury takes its rise in Strathbogie, and, after a
course of about sixteen miles, following its windings, it enters this
parish, and runs through it for about five or six miles. After leaving the
confines of the parish, it moves onwards in its course for a mile and a
half farther, dividing a part of the parish of Keith-hall from that of
Inverury, and then falls into the Don, immediately below the said burgh.
It is one of the finest trouting streams in the north of Scotland, and
trouts have been caught in it weighing from one to five pounds.
The river Don, which rises
in the mountains between Aberdeen and Banffshire, about three miles above
Corgarff, and empties itself into the German Ocean about a mile from
Aberdeen, forms the southern boundary of the parish for about three miles.
Following its turnings and windings, from the source to the mouth, it is
about sixty-one miles in length, and in an ideal straight line about
forty-two miles. It also abounds with salmon, eel, trout, and pike; but
the rod-fishing for salmon has been in this neighbourhood, for some years
past, greatly deteriorated, in consequence of part of the water having
been diverted from the channel of the river, to supply the various
manufactories on the banks of the Don, in the vicinity of the city of
Aberdeen. The salmon come up the river to spawn in the end of the month of
September, and return again to the sea about the beginning of the month of
April. Geology and
Mineralogy.—The rocks consist chiefly of granite and whinstone. Their
direction is from east to west, and they dip towards the north. Detached
masses of these are also to be found scattered over the face of the
country. It is rather a singular circumstance, that almost the whole of
the rocks to the north of the Ury, and for two miles to the south of it,
are of whinstone; whilst the remainder of the parish, for three miles to
the south of a small stream called Burnervie, which issues from Benochie,
is < granite. Cairngorums have been occasionally found here of
considerable magnitude, and portions of the rock are sometimes studded
over with very minute crystals of it, which are generally very complete in
their formation. The principal stones used for build ing mansion-houses
and farm-steadings in the neighbourhood, are obtained from the hill of
Benochie, and also at its base in this parish. The chimney-pieces in the
two drawing rooms of Logie Elphinstone are of Benochie granite, and the
crystals of these specimens are similar to the Egyptian granite, which,
although not so large in grain, yet admit of an equally good polish. A
quarry of limestone was opened, some years ago, upon the estate of
Pittodrie; but, owing to the distance from coal, and as it was found to be
neither pure, nor remunerating, it was soon given up.
Zoology.—There are none of the rarer species
of animals to be found in this parish; but, under his head, the writer may
remark that, among others more common, the following quadrupeds and birds
have been seen in it, viz. red-deer, roebuck, hare, rabbit, fox, hedgehog,
badger, polecat, weasel, otter; wild goose, wild duck, teal, pheasant,
woodcock, blackcock, fieldfare, raven, heron, snipe, magpie, jackdaw,
swallow, sparrow hawk, bluehawk, corn-rail, grey owl, goldfinch,
bullfinch, blackbird, thrush, and cuckoo. Some years ago, there was shot
at Pittodrie, a great northern diver or ember goose, which was stuffed,
and is now in the possession of Colonel Knight Erskine.
II.—Civil History.
Pictures.—Amongst many others, there are at
Logie Elphin-stone, portraits of Bishop Elphinstone, of Charles Lord
Elphin-stone, of Sir John and Sir James Elphinstone of Logie Elphinstone,
and other patrons of the parish of the same family; of Viscount Dundee, of
Count Patrick Leslie of Balquhain, and of Sir James Leslie of Pitcaple.
Eminent Characters.—Sir Walter Farquhar, Bart.
who was born at Peterhead, was son to the late Rev. Robert Farquhar, for
many years minister of Chapel of Garioch. Having gone through a course of
classical learning at the parochial school of that parish, he went to the
University of Aberdeen, where, having finished his academical studies, he
took his departure for London, and afterwards became one of the physicians
of King George IV. whilst Prince Regent.
Land-owners.—The land-owners, according to the
valued rent of their respective properties, are as follows:
Parochial Registers.—The records of the kirk-session
begin on the 9th of May 1714, and from that time to the present period,
they appear to have been accurately kept. There are four volumes of these
records. There are two volumes of baptismal registers, which have been
rather irregularly kept till within these few years. They begin upon the
6th of May 1763. The register of marriages only commences in the year
1817; and there is no register of burials.
Antiquities.—About half a mile to the
south-east of the church is to be seen the old ruinous castle of Balquhain,
the ancient seat of the Leslies of Balquhain. In it Queen Mary spent a day
in her journey to the north, which terminated in the battle of Corrichie;
and at which time, it is said, she attended mass in the church of Chapel
of Garioch. This castle is of so great antiquity, that there is no
tradition of its erection; but it is said to have been burnt to the ground
by the Duke of Cumberland in the year 1746. The walls are six feet thick,
and the cement almost as hard as the stone. From it, there is one of the
finest echoes in Scotland. There is also, at a short distance to the east
of it, a Druidical circle, which is very entire. About a mile to the north
of it, the tenant in Mains of Balquhain, about three years ago, in
trenching a piece of barren ground, called the Gallow Hill, dug up three
human sculls, which, from the name of the spot, were supposed to have
belonged to criminals or vassals in the fedual ages.
The Castle of Pitcaple, which is situated on
the south bank of the Ury, is also an ancient building; but a considerable
addition was recently made to it, according to a plan prepared by Mr
William Burn of Edinburgh, whose taste in this department of architecture
is generally acknowledged. There are various historical traditions
connected with the old castle, some of which may be mentioned.
The celebrated but unfortunate Marquis of
Montrose, after making his final attempt to support the royal cause in the
northern part of Scotland, was defeated by the Covenanters in Sutherland,
and obliged to borrow the clothes of a poor Highlander, in the hope of
escaping from his enemies. In this habit he traversed the mountains for a
few days ; but, being at length exhausted by hunger and fatigue, he was
induced to throw himself on the honour and humanity of Macleod of Assynt,
to whose castle he repaired, not doubting that Macleod, who had been
formerly amongst his followers, would afford him an asylum in this period
of adversity. Macleod betrayed his commander, and delivered him up to
Generals Leslie and Strachan.
In the course of their progress southward,
they arrived at Pitcaple, on which occasion this illustrious nobleman, in
his miserable costume, was seated on a Highland pony, having his feet tied
underneath with straw ropes. Before him rode a herald, exclaiming "Here
comes James Graham, a traitor to his country."
The Laird of Pitcaple's wife, who was cousin
to Montrose, humanely offered her assistance towards facilitating his
escape. She showed him a hole in the wall, resembling a chimney vent,
communicating betwixt the room where he was detained, and a subterraneous
passage, and she advised him to creep down through it. But on examining
the place, he said, "Rather than go down to be smothered in that hole, I
will take my chance at Edinburgh." The room in which he was confined is
called Montrose's room to this day.
The circumstances now detailed must have taken
place in the month of April 1650, as Montrose landed in Orkney in the
beginning of March, and was executed at Edinburgh upon the 21st of May
that year. In the
month of July, the same year, King Charles II. having sailed from Holland,
landed at Garmouth upon the Spey, from whence he proceeded to rest at the
Bog of Gight, now Gordon Castle. When on his journey southward, the King
sent notice to Leslie of Pitcaple that he was to dine with him. Pitcaple
received the communication in the market called St Sair's Fair, and
hearing that his Majesty was attended by a considerable number of
followers, he was apprehensive of his stock of wine not being sufficient,
and he purchased all the claret in the market, to aid in entertaining the
Royal party. When
Charles crossed the Ury, near the Castle of Pitcaple, he is said to have
been struck with the luxuriancy of the crop, observing that it reminded
him of dear England. The farm, to which this remark was applied, has ever
since been called England, and is still known by this name.
On the occasion of the Royal visit, a ball
took place here, and the party danced under the thorn tree which still
stands on the lawn, and which is said to be one of the largest thorn trees
in Great Britain. [Dr Keith's Agricultural Survey of Aberdeenshire, p.
117.] When Charles
took his departure from Pitcaple, the Duke of Buckingham was on his right
hand, and the Marquis of Argyle on his left. It will readily be believed
that so interesting a spectacle would attract a great number of the people
in the neighbourhood. Among the multitude, and perched on the top of a
dike, was the "good wife" of Glack, who, nothing daunted by the presence
of Argyle, exclaimed with a shrill voice, "God bless your Majesty, and
send you to your ain; but they are on your left hand that helped to tak
aff your father's head, and if ye tak na care, they will hae aff your's
next." There is also
another tradition, that, upon a certain occasion, when there was a
garrison of Covenanters in the Castle of Pitcaple, they expected a party
of their friends to celebrate a marriage on the lawn. The opposite party
having become aware of this circumstance, very ingeniously availed
themselves of the information, by decking themselves out as people
attending a wedding; and having brought with them a piper, they commenced
dancing on the green. The garrison speedily went out to join them, when
their enemies dancing around to intercept them, pulled up the draw-bridge,
and thus obtained possession of the castle without violence or bloodshed.
The traditions now detailed were communicated
by the late Miss Lumsden of Pitcaple, the great grand-daughter of the
laird who received King Charles as above, and who afterwards accompanied
the King to Worcester.
Battle of Harlaw.—Upon the 24th of July 1411,
on St James's Even, the memorable and bloody battle of Harlaw was fought
in this parish, between Alexander Earl of Mar, who commanded the Royal
army, and Donald, Lord of the Isles. Donald having passed through
Ross-shire, and having afterwards ravaged Moray, Strathbogie, and the
Garioch, promised his followers a rich booty in the plunder of Aberdeen.
The Duke of Albany, then Regent, alarmed at the progress of Donald, sent a
commission to Alexander Earl of Mar to levy forces and oppose him. The
Earl, [Tytler's History of Scotland, Voll. iii. pp. 173-74-75.] in a very
short time, found himself at the head of the whole power of Mar and
Garryach (Garioch,) in addition to that of Angus and the Mearns; Sir
Alexander Ogilvie, Sheriff of Angus; Sir James Scrymgeour, Constable of
Dundee, and hereditary Standard-bearer of Scotland; Sir Alexander Irvine,
Sir Robert Melville, Sir William de Abernethy, nephew to Albany, and many
other barons and esquires, with their feudal services, joined him with
displayed banner; and Sir Robert Davidson, the Provost of Aberdeen, and a
troop of the stoutest burgesses, came boldly forward to defend their
hearths and their stalls from the ravages of the Island King.
Mar immediately advanced from Aberdeen, and,
marching by Inverury, came in sight of the Highlanders at the village of
Harlaw, on the Water of Ury, not far from its junction with the Don. He
found that his little army was immensely out-numbered, it is said, by
nearly ten to one; but it consisted of the bravest barons in these parts;
and his experience had taught him to consider a single knight in steel as
a fair match against a whole troop of ketherans. Without delay, therefore,
he intrusted the leading of the vaward to the Constable of Dundee, and
Ogilvy, the Sheriff of Angus, who had with them a small but compact
battalion of knights and men-at-arms; whilst he himself followed with the
rearward, composed of the main strength of his army, including the Irvines
of Drum, the Maules, the Morays, the Straitons, the Leslies, the Stirlings,
the Lovels, headed by their chiefs, and with their banners and penoncelles
waving amid their grove of spears. Of the Islesmen and Highlanders the
principal leaders were, the Lord of the Isles himself, with Macintosh and
Maclean, the heads of their respective septs, and innumerable other chiefs
and chieftains, animated by the old and deep-rooted hostility between the
Celtic and Saxon race.
The shock between two such armies may be
easily imagined to have been awful,—the Highlanders, who were 10,000
strong, rushing on with the fierce shouts and yells which it was their
custom to raise in coming into battle, and the knights meeting them with
levelled spears, and ponderous maces and battle-axes, which inflicted
ghastly wounds upon their half-armed opponents. In his first onset
Scrymgeour, and the knights and bannerets who fought under him, with
little difficulty drove back the mass of Islesmen, and, cutting his way
through their thick columns, made a dreadful slaughter. But, though
hundreds fell around him, thousands poured in to supply their place, more
fierce and fresh than their predecessors; whilst Mar, who had penetrated
with his main army into the very heart of the enemy, found himself in the
same difficulties, becoming every moment more tired with the slaughter,
more encumbered with the numbers of the slain, and less able to resist the
increasing ferocity and reckless courage of the masses that still yelled
and fought around him. It was impossible that this should continue much
longer without making a fatal impression against the Scots, and the
effects of fatigue were soon seen. The Constable of Dundee was slain; and
the Highlanders, encouraged by his fall, wielded their broadswords and
Lochaber-axes with murderous effect, seizing and stabbing the horses, and
palling down their riders, whom they dispatched with their daggers. In
this way were slain some of the best and bravest soldiers of these
northern districts. Sir Robert Davidson, with the greater part of the
stalwart burgesses who fought around him, were amongst the number; and
many of the families lost not only their chief, but every male in the
house. Leslie of Balquhain, a baron of a noble and ancient lineage, is
said to have fallen, with six of his sons slain beside him. The Sheriff of
Angus, with his eldest son, George Ogilvyj Sir Alexander Irvine of Drum,
[There is a tradition in the family of Irvine of Drum that the Laird of
Maclean was slain by Sir Alexander Irvine. Genealogical Collections, MS.
Advocates' Library, Jac. v. 4, 16, Vol. i. p. 180. Irvine was buried on
the field, where in ancient times a cairn marked the place of his
interment, which was long known by the name of Drum's Cairn. Kennedy's
Annals of Aberdeen, Vol. i. p. 51. This cairn is still in existence (1834)
upon the field of battle, and is known by the name of Drum's Cairn.] Sir
Robert Maule, Sir Thomas Moray, William Abernethy, Alexander Straiten of
Lauris-ton, James Lovel, Alexander Stirling, and above five hundred
men-at-arms, including the principal gentry of Buchan, shared their fate;
[Fordun a Hearne, pp. 1175-76, Extracta ex Chronicis Scotia;, MS. fol.
257.] whilst Mar himself, and a small number of survivors, still continued
the battle till nightfall, when the slaughter ceased, and it was found in
the morning that the Island Lord had retreated, [Here it may perhaps be.
considered as not out of place to remark, that, in describing the result
of the battle of Harlaw, Mr Tytler has fallen into an important
topographical error in stating that the army of the Isles retreated "by
Inverury and the Hill of Benochie,"—Inverury being in fact two miles south
of the field of battle in the rear of the Royal army, and directly on the
road to Aberdeen, and the Hill of Benochie being nearly due west from the
field; whereas there is every reason to suppose that the retreating army
retraced their steps by the common route to the north, passing through the
gorges of the Foudland hills, and that they fell back upon those
districts, from which their force had been so considerably increased, on
their advance southwards.] checked and broken certainly by the desperate
contest, but neither conquered, nor very effectually repulsed. Mar, on the
contrary, although he passed the night on the field, did so, not in the
triumphant assertion of victory, but from the effects of wounds and
exhaustion. The best and bravest of his friends were stretched in their
last sleep around him, and he found himself totally unable to pursue the
retreat of the Islesmen. Amongst those of the Highlanders who fell, were
the chiefs of Maclean and Macintosh, with upwards of nine hundred men; a
small loss compared with that sustained by the Lowlanders. From the
ferocity with which this battle was contested, and the dismal spectacle of
civil war exhibited to the country, it appears to have made a deep
impression on the national mind. It fixed itself on the music and the
poetry of Scotland. A march called the Battle of Harlaw continued to be a
popular air, down to the time of Drummond of Hawthornden; and a spirited
ballad on the same event is still repeated in our own age, describing the
meeting of the armies and the death of the chiefs in no ignoble strain.
[Battle of Harlaw, Lang's Early Metrical Tales, p. 229.] Soon after the
battle, a council general was held by the governor, in which a statute was
passed in favour of the heirs of those who had died in defence of the
country, exempting them from the feudal fines usually exacted, before they
entered upon possession of their estates, and permitting them, although
minors, immediately to serve heirs to their lands. Bruce, on the eve of
the battle of Bannockburn, encouraged his troops by a promise of the like
nature. [The fact mentioned in the text is proved by a retour in the
Chartulary of Aberdeen, fol. 121, in favour of Andrew de Tulidef, whose
father, William de Tulidef, was slain at Harlaw.]
Buchanan also observes, that, in the Battle of
Harlaw, there perished more noble and illustrious men, than had fallen in
foreign warfare during many years; and a village, formerly obscure, became
distinguished to after ages.
In the immediate neighbourhood, two cairns
were opened a few years ago. In the first, nothing was found but ashes;
and in the other, a stone coffin of rude workmanship, containing human
bones, and also ashes. There are other two cairns upon the field of
battle, still left untouched. The one, as formerly mentioned, is called
Drum's Cairn, and the other Maclean's Grave. [In the year 1837, when the
tenant at Harlaw was trenching a piece of barren ground, about a quarter
of a mile to the north of the field of battle, he dug up the bones of
about twelve human bodies. Part of a scull, and of the thigh bones, are in
the possession of the writer hereof. The place in which they were found
was a trench about 3½ feet deep, 4 feet wide, and 12 feet in length.]
The field upon which, it is said, the battle
was fought, is about a quarter of a mile to the south-east of the farm of
Harlaw, and still goes by the name of the Pley Fauld. About a hundred
yards to the west of said farm, is to be seen a large whinstone, about 7
feet in height and 2 in breadth, which is called the Liggar's Stane, and
which is said to have been put up in its present situation, to mark the
spot where the females who followed the soldiers, and who were slain in
the battle, were buried. A few years ago, there were two of these stones;
but at that time, one of them was removed by a farmer in the neighbourhood;
and after being broken down, was put into his house which was then
building. In the
Genealogical Collections of Macfarlane, preserved in the Advocates'
Library, [MS. Jac. V. 4, 16, Vol. i. p. 180.] (as mentioned by Tytler,)
there is a manuscript account of the family of Maclean, which informs us
that Lauchlan Lubanich had by M'Donald's daughter a son, called Eachin
Rusidth ni Cath, or Hector Rufus Bellicosus. He commanded as
lieutenant-general under the Earl of Ross at the Battle of Harlaw in 1411,
where he and Irvine of Drum, seeking out one another by their armorial
bearings on their shields, met and killed each other. He was married to a
daughter of the Earl of Douglas.
In the manuscript Geographical Description of
Scotland, collected by the same industrious antiquary, (Advocates'
Library, Vol. i. p. 7,) it is mentioned, that to the west of the field of
battle about half a mile, is a farmer's house, called Legget's Den, [There
is a tradition still prevalent in the parish, that this farm was so named,
in consequence of a conference having been held here, between one of the
Kings of Scotland and a Pope's legate.] hard by, in which is a tomb built
in the form of a malt steep, of four large stones covered with a broad
stone above, where, as the country people generally report, Donald of the
Isles lies buried, being slain in the battle, and therefore they call it
commonly Donald's Tomb. So far the manuscript. It is certain, however,
says Tytler, that the Lord of the Isles was not slain. This may probably
be the tomb of the chief of Maclean or Macintosh, both of whom fell in the
battle. It is more likely to have been Macintosh's tomb, as Maclean's
grave, as formerly mentioned, is still pointed out on the field of battle.
Some of the stones composing this tomb, were in the situation as above
described, till about thirty years ago, when the tenant unfortunately
removed them. One of them is still shown as forming part of an embankment
to prevent the river of Ury from encroaching upon the farm of Mill of
Pitcaple; but what became of the others is unknown.
To the north of the House of Pitcaple, there
are traces of an ancient camp; immediately adjoining to which, the
foundation of an old bridge across the Ury was, some years ago,
discovered. It is
said that Lollius Urbicus, the gallant general of Antoninus Pius, crossed
the Don at Inverury, passing Harlaw and Pitscurry in Chapel of Garioch,
near to the latter of which places are the remains of a Roman post, placed
there, as is supposed, to keep up their communications between the camps
of Peterculter and Glen-mailen, about twenty-six statute miles from each
other. Chalmers in
his Caledonia observes, that there is indeed reason to believe, that there
are traces of roads which may have been made by Roman hands, farther north
than that which went across the moor at Brechin, where vestiges of it
appear pointing to Keith-ock. In Aberdeenshire, between the rivers Don and
Ury, on the eastern side of Benochie, there exists an ancient road, [The
traces of this ancient road are still visible. ] which is known in the
country by the appropriate name of the Maiden Causeway. [Some of the Roman
roads in the north of England are distinguished by same name of Maiden
Causeway.] It proceeds from Benochie, whereon there was a hill fort, more
than the distance of a mile, into the woods of Pit-todrie, where it
disappears from the most inquisitive sight. It is paved with stones, is
about 14 feet wide, and has every appearance of a vicinal way of the
Romans. This Maiden-way (says Colonel Shand) is on the west side of the
ninth Iter on its course from the Don to the springs of Ithan, (the Ituna
of Richard, where the camp of Glen-mailen was placed,) the station of
Rae-dikes. If this way were continued in its appropriate direction, it
would join the tract of the Iter near the river of Ury, and contiguous to
the supposed Roman post.
About a quarter of a mile to the north of the
supposed Roman post, there was dug up about two years ago, within four
inches of the surface, a stone coffin of rude workmanship containing human
bones, and a Roman urn of baked clay filled with ashes, which is now in
the possession of Sir Robert Dalrymple Home Elphinstone, Bart. The scull
and jaw bones, together with the teeth, were very entire. The coffin was
composed of five stones. It had on each side and on each end of it, a rude
granite flag, and was covered with a slab of the same material. It was
four feet in length, two in breadth, one and a half in depth, and the
cover one stone, measuring five feet by three. Another Roman urn of baked
clay, containing human bones, which had been exposed to the action of
fire, was dug up, in 1S38, betwixt Pitcaple House and the Urv, and is now
in Mr Lumsden's possession.
To the west of the House of Logie Elphinstone,
and about a quarter of a mile distant from it, the tenant of Craigmill,
about three years ago, when trenching a piece of barren ground, dug up a
stone coffin, in which ashes only were deposited. Nothing, however, was
found to elucidate the time and occasion of its being placed there; but as
it was surrounded by a cairn of stones, it marked, in all probability, the
spot where one of the chieftains of Donald of the Isles was buried, in his
retreat to Ross-shire and the Isles from the battle of Harlaw.
About half a-mile to the north-west of the
church, is to be seen a large stone, called the Maiden Stone, which is ten
feet high above ground, two feet and ten inches broad, and about ten
inches thick. It is supposed to be about six feet below the surface of the
ground. Upon it there are several curious hieroglyphical figures cut. The
occasion of its erection is unknown; but there is a tradition that there
existed a feud betwixt the Laird of Balquhain, and the neighbouring
proprietor of Harthill, which was carried to such a height, that they had
no intercourse with each other. Notwithstanding of this, it is reported
that the daughter of the former and the son of the latter became attached
to each other. Upon an appointed day, the young people set off together,
when their flight being immediately communicated to the Laird of Balquhain,
he pursued them with as many of his vassals as he could collect, and
having overtaken the fugitives at the place where the stone is erected, a
rencontre took place, in which the young lady was unfortunately killed.
Afterwards, this stone was erected to her memory, and from hence called
the Maiden Stone. In the opinion of some antiquaries, the heiroglyphics
upon it are Danish. It might have, also, had some connection with the
Maiden Causeway on the hill of Benochie, as it is about equidistant
betwixt it and the supposed Roman post near Pitcaple House.
The ruins of the Church of Logie Durno, in the
lands of Logie Elphinstone, and of Fetternear, [It appears that there was
a chapel built at Fetternear in the year 1109, which received from his
Majesty Malcolm IV., a charter dated 20th August 1160. ---Orem's History
of Old Aberdeen.] in the lands of Balquhain, with their accompanying
cemeteries, completely surrounded with wood, are still visible.
Mansion Houses.—There are four mansion-houses
in the parish, viz. Logie-Elphinstone, the residence of Sir Robert
Dalrymple Horn Elphinstone, Bart.; Pittodrie, the residence of Colonel
Knight Erskine. Balquhain, the residence of Ernest Leslie, Esq.; and
Pitcaple, the residence of Hugh Lumsden, Esq. Sheriff of Sutherlandshire.
Logie Elphinstone is upon the north, and Pitcaple upon the south bank of
the Ury. Pittodrie is upon an elevated situation on the east side of
Benochie, and commands an extensive prospect of the rich valley of the
Garioch. Fetternear (once the residence of the Bishop of Aberdeen, [The
House of Fetternear was built in 1329, by Alexander Kininmonth, Bishop of
Aberdeen, for a summer lodging to the Bishops of Aberdeen, when coming to
survey the canons and priests of Fetternear Chapel, about 230 yards from
the Bishop's lodging—Orem.]) is upon the north bank of the Don. They are
all elegant, commodious, and spacious mansions, surrounded by fertile
fields, and well-wooded; and have excellent gardens, avenues, and fields
laid out with great taste.
Mills, &c.—There are in the parish seven
corn-mills, with five barley mills attached to them; another barley-mill;
two mills for carding and spinning wool; a lint-mill; and three saw-mills.
The mansion-houses of the resident
proprietors, together with the church, manse, and school-house are built
of granite. Some of the mills and farm-steadings are also built of
granite, and others of them of whinstone.
III. Population
The increase of the population seems chiefly
to have arisen from the hitherto uncultivated parts of the parish having
been converted into arable land, and cottages built for the occupants; and
also from the improved system of husbandry which is now followed in this
part of the country.
The oldest woman, at present, living in the
parish is ninety-eight years of age ; the oldest man, ninety-one; and both
are enjoying good health. One woman died last year aged ninety-four, and
another two years ago, aged ninety-two.
The people in this parish are, in general, a
tall, robust, hardy race, and patient of fatigue.
There are two fatuous persons in the parish.
In their general character, the people are
sober, cleanly, industrious, and charitable to the poor; decent and
exemplary in their attendance on religious ordinances; and appear to be
quite contented with their situation and circumstances. Their ordinary
food consists of the different preparations of oatmeal, of potatoes, of
greens, and milk, and occasionally of a little beef at Christmas,—at which
period the generality of farmers kill and salt a mart for family use. The
parishioners are neither addicted to poaching in game, nor in the
salmon-fisheries.
IV.—Industry.
Agricultural and Rural
Economy.—The number of acres in this parish cannot be correctly
ascertained; for whilst some of the proprietors have accurate plans of
their estates lately made out, there are others whose plans are from sixty
to one hundred years old, and they cannot be altogether relied upon;
besides, there are some farms which have never been measured; at any rate,
no plan giving the amount of their contents, can be found. The writer
hereof, however, has done all that was in his power to remedy this defect,
by inquiring at tenants and others who could give him any information upon
the subject, and if there are any mistakes, he is quite satisfied that
they have been unintentional on the part of those to whom he has applied.
[* If the east front of Benochic to the top of
the hill was to be included in the measurement, it would make an addition
of from 1000 to 2000 acres to the waste lands of the parish; but as it is
somewhat doubtful whether it belongs to the parish of Oyne or to that of
Chapel of Garioch, it has not been taken into the calculation.]
The general kind of trees planted consists of
larch, spruce, and Scotch firs; but the mansion-houses and lawns of the
resident proprietors are ornamented with fine old trees, such as ash, elm,
beech, birch, horse-chestnut, and plane. The soil appears particularly
congenial to all kinds of trees.
Rent of Land.— The rent of arable land per
Scotch acre is from L.2 to L.2, 10s. for infield, and from 8s. to 16s. for
outfield, averaging about 17s. 6d. per acre, and giving a rental for the
parish of L.6000. The
average rent of grazing is about L.3 for a cow or full-grown ox; L.l, 10s.
for a two-year old; and L.1 for a year old.
Rate of Wages.—A good ploughman gets from L.10
to L.14 per annum, and a woman servant, L.3 in summer, and L.2 in winter,
with victuals. In the time of harvest, men's wages are from L.2 to L.2,
10s., and women's from L.1, 10s. to L.2, with victuals. Common labourers
have from 1s. 6d. to 2s. in summer, and from 1s. to 1s. 6d. in winter. A
mason and carpenter's wages is about 2s. 10d. in summer, and 1s. 10d. in
winter. An excellent wooden plough fully mounted costs L.3; a cart, L.10;
and a pair of harrows, L.l.
Live-Stock.— To the improvement of the breed
of cattle in this parish, great attention has been paid. A great
proportion of them are of the Aberdeenshire and Buchan polled breeds, with
a cross betwixt both. There are very few of the old Aberdeenshire horned
cattle in the country; but the proprietors of this county propose next
year to give premiums, in order to encourage farmers to rear a greater
number of this breed, which were always much admired, both for their
symmetry and many valuable qualities; and which would make their total
loss a matter of serious regret to the agricultural interest.
Aberdeenshire cattle are held in high estimation by the English graziers,
who fatten for the Smithfield market, and during the winter a great many
in this parish are fed upon turnips and straw, and are either sold to the
butcher, or sent by sea to London.
Husbandry.—The system of husbandry pursued is,
in most cases, a seventh rotation. In breaking up the lea or pasture
ground, which has lain in grass for three seasons, the first crop is oats;
2. oats; 3. turnips or potatoes, having the soil well manured; 4. oats,
bear, or barley, sown down with rye-grass and clover seeds; 5. hay; 6.
pasture; 7. pasture. A few acres of wheat are also sown annually after
potatoes or summer-fallow, and good crops of it are produced. It has not
been hitherto much cultivated ; but as there have been such fine seasons
of late, and the climate having been much improved by extensive drainage,
farmers are finding the culture of it profitable, and several of them have
sown small patches of it, this year, who never before attempted to raise
such a crop. Turnips
have been for many years cultivated largely in the parish, and the
introduction of bone-manure has enabled the farmer to raise a greater
quantity of them, and by this means to improve his ground, and also to
rear and fatten more cattle for the butcher.
A large extent of waste ground has been
reclaimed within the last fifty years, and a considerable proportion of
the fields have been enclosed with stone dikes.
The duration of leases is nineteen years, and
every encouragement has been given by the proprietors to respectable and
industrious tenants. The greater part of the farm-buildings are excellent,
commodious, and suitable to the occupants. The landlords are not much
given to change, and consequently the tenants are seldom turned out of
their possessions. Indeed, many of the ancestors of the present generation
for more than a century have been inhabitants of the parish, and, in
several instances, were tacksmen of the same farms which their descendants
now occupy. There are at present living upon the lands of Logie
Elphinstone three brothers and two sisters, all above seventy years of
age, and whose united ages amount to 390 years. With the exception of
eleven years residence in a neighbouring parish, they, together with their
paternal and maternal ancestors, have been tenants in the parish for about
120 years.
Produce.—The average gross amount of raw produce yearly raised in the
parish, as nearly as that can be ascertained, is as follows:—
V.—Parochial Economy.
Market-Town.—The parish contains neither
village nor town,; The nearest market-town is Inverury, which is distant
from the church about four or five miles. There is now a post-office at
Pitcaple, which is of great advantage to the neighbourhood.
Means of Communication.—The parish is well
supplied with roads. There are four miles and a half of turnpike road, and
thirty-five of statute-labour. The roads and bridges are kept in a good
state of repair. The south mail from Aberdeen, and the north mail from
Inverness, generally meet each other daily in the parish about ten o'clock
every morning. There are also three stage coaches, which pass every lawful
day to and from Aberdeen through the parish; besides carriers from Huntly,
Keith, and other parts of the country on their way to Aberdeen.
Ecclesiastical State.—The parish church was
built in 1813. It is a substantia] edifice, built of granite, and in very
good repair. It is situated as nearly as possible in the centre of the
parish, as to its territorial boundaries (being about five miles from the
southern, and the like distance from the northern extremities); but it
unfortunately happens that the most populous parts of the parish are at
the two extremities, and near to the old church of Logie Durno, and the
parsonage of Fetternear.
The Established Church is the only place of
public worship in the parish, and accommodates from 750 to 800 persons.
With the exception of the minister's and elders' seats, each of the
heritors has his proportion of the church allotted for his own family, and
also for his tenants, so that it may be said that all the seats are free.
[In 1839, a very neat church, capable of containing .500 sitters, was
erected at Blairdaff, in the south side of this parish, about four miles
and a-half distant from the church of Chapel of Garioch. It is placed in a
beautiful situation, and completely surrounded with wood. Besides the
portion of this parish lying to the south, a part of the parishes of Oyne
and Monymusk, containing in the three parishes a population of more than
1000 souls, are accommodated by this erection. The expense of the church
was about L. 500, and was defrayed by subscriptions from some of the
heritors and parishioners of Chapel of Garioch, Oyne, and Monymusk; from
the ministers of the presbytery of Garioch, and other charitable
individuals connected with this part of the country; and also from a
liberal grant from the General Assembly's Church Extension fund. The
ground on which the church is built, and that intended for a burial
ground, containing in whole about a Scots acre, was most handsomely
conveyed over by Robert Grant, Esq. of Tillyfour, to the minister and
elders of the parish of Chapel of Garioch, and their successors in office,
the minister and elders of said parish, in all time coming, for the
payment of one penny Scotch, in name of blench farm at Whitsunday yearly,
upon the ground, if asked only. There is no debt upon the building. The
church was opened for public worship upon the 9th day of June 1839, and
since that period has been always well attended. At the dispensation of
the sacrament of our Lord's Supper this year (1840) in the new church,
there were 318 communicants. It is much to be regretted that an endowment
cannot be obtained for this church, as the hearers in the neighbourhood
are in general so poor, that they can afford to give but little for the
support even of a preacher to officiate each Lord's day.]
The manse was built in the year 1789 : an
addition was made to it in 1814, and another addition in 1831. It is now a
large, comfortable, and commodious house, and one of the best manses in
the country. The
glebe is 18 imperial acres in extent, and is worth about. L.25 Sterling
per annum. The
stipend is 16 chalders Linlithgow measure, half meal, half barley,
according to the fiar prices of the county, together with L. 8, 6s. 8d.
for communion elements. The average amount for the last seven years,
exclusive of communion elements, is L. 216, 12s. 1¾d.
The last augmentation was obtained in 1826,
leaving the teinds unexhausted.
The numbers belonging to the Established
Church are, of families, 367; of individuals, 1763. The numbers belonging
to Dissenters and Seceders are, of families of Episcopalians, 9; of Roman
Catholics, 6; of Independents, 3; of Seceders, 1. Of individuals,
including parents and children, Episcopalians, 52; Roman Catholics, 29;
Independents, 19; and Seceders, 10.
Divine service in the Established Church and
in the new church is exceedingly well attended.
The number of communicants in the church of
Chapel of Garioch, at the last dispensation of the sacrament, was 807.
There are from 34 to 40 young communicants annually, and they generally
communicate for the first time, when they are about sixteen years of age.
Education.—The total number of schools in the
parish six,— one parochial; two receive each from the heritors annually
L.3, 3s.; another unendowed: two are schools taught by females, one of
whom has a salary of L. 20, and the other a salary of L. 10 from two
benevolent ladies connected with the parish.
The branches taught in the parochial school,
besides the ordinary ones, are, geography, practical mathematics, Latin,
and Greek. The salary is L. 27 per annum, and the school-fees amount to
about L. 20. A very commodious school, and dwelling-house has been lately
erected for the schoolmaster.
At the other schools, the ordinary branches of
education are taught. The teachers' emoluments in whole may amount to from
L.15 to L.18 per annum. The parochial school is quite close to the church.
The first of the three other schools is situated about a mile and a half,
the second about three miles and a half, and the third about four miles
and a half from the parochial school. There are no persons in the parish
above seven years of age, who cannot read, and only a few of the old who
cannot write. The people are fully alive to the benefits of education, and
would rather want some of their little comforts, than that their children
should not be instructed in the ordinary branches taught at parochial
schools. Besides the
weekly schools, there are four Sabbath-schools, one of which is taught by
the minister of the parish.
Library.—There is a small parochial library,
consisting principally of religious books.
Poor and Parochial Funds.—There never has been
an assessment for the poor in this parish. They are supported by church
collections, interest of capital, mortcloth, proclamation-dues, and a
mortification of L. 10 annually. The church collections for the support of
the poor for the last seven years, including the sacramental ones, average
L. 58, 0s. 7¼d. yearly; and when it is considered that the population is
entirely agricultural, the writer has great satisfaction in recording the
amount, as it evinces the liberality of the parishioners, and also the
regularity with which they attend public worship. The interest of capital
[The capital when the former Statistical Account was published was L. 106,
and till within these eighteen years no farther addition was made to the
funds. Since that period, however, it has been increased by legacies,
collections, &c. to the sum of L. 425, and about a month ago, another
legacy of L. 90 has been added, so that the capital for the support of the
poor is now above L. 500.] (L. 425, at 3½ per cent.) is L. 14, 17s. 6d.
The mortcloth and proclamation-dues average L. 5, 6s.; and a non-resident
heritor gives to the poor annually a donation of L. 5. In addition to
these funds, there is L. 10 annually mortified to the poor by Dr Anderson,
late of St Christopher's, a native of this parish. He also, at same time,
mortified L. 20 annually for a free-school to be kept within the parish of
Chapel of Garioch; but unfortunately for us, added, " or elsewhere in
North Britain, as my aforesaid trustees shall think it most expedient."
This addition has hitherto deprived the parish of the benefit of this
school; for although it is much wanted by the distant population, for whom
teachers can with great difficulty be obtained, as the remuneration is so
small,— yet Dr Anderson's Trustees have never as yet seen the expediency
of implementing this part of the testament so far as Chapel of Garioch is
concerned; but have, as I have every reason to believe, opened a school in
some other part of the country, and pay the schoolmaster this mortified
sum. The average
number of poor persons receiving parochial aid is 35, [The number of poor
upon the roll is now 64, and the expenditure has increased
proportionally.] and almost the whole of them are old persons. The
allowance to each averages from 9s. to 15s. per quarter, and in the
quarter in which the sacrament is dispensed, all of them receive 2s.
additional. There is also a fatuous pauper, who receives annually from L.
7 to L. 8. Occasional aid is likewise given to poor persons, who are not
upon the roll. Some of the resident heritors are very attentive to the
poor upon their estates, and give to several of them from one to two bolls
of meal annually, together with a free house, garden, and fire ; indeed,
the whole of the parishioners who can afford it, are ever ready to
alleviate the distresses, and to supply the wants of their poorer
brethren. The income
for the last seven years (exclusive of L. 15 of legacies) has been L. 652,
8s. 8¾d., giving an average annually of L. 93, 4s. l¼d. for the use of the
poor. The expenditure during the same period has been L. 605, 9s. 7½d.,
giving an average annually of L. 86, 9s. 11¼ 3/7d. There is also an annual
collection for the Aberdeen Infirmary, which gives free admission to all
parishioners recommended by the session. The seven last collections
amounted in whole to L. 66, 11s. 6d. giving an average annually of L. 9,
10s. 2½ 2/7d. During the same period, there have been three collections
for the pauper lunatic fund, under the management of the Presbytery of
Garioch, amounting in whole to L. 18, 10s. and two collections for the
Propagation of the Gospel in India,—the first amounting to L. 7, 7s. and
the second to L. 5, 5s., so that the church collections of this parish for
the poor, and for religious and charitable purposes, during the last seven
years, exclusive of proclamation dues, mortcloth, donations, and
mortification, have amounted to the sum of L. 503, 17s. 11d., averaging
annually L. 71, 19s. 8 3/7d.
It is with reluctance that the poor, in
general, seek for parochial aid; and there are individuals in the parish
who would submit to any inconvenience rather than apply for it; but this
spirit of independence is not so prevalent as it was some years ago. [An
orphan family receives at the rate of L.13 per annum from the poor's
funds; and although the parishioners give as liberally at the church as
usual, yet the poor have increased so much (about double) within these
five years, that the expenditure has considerably exceeded the income, and
in consequence, it has been found necessary to draw from the capital.
There has also been collected for the two by-past years L. 8 annually for
four of the General Assembly's schemes, viz. Church Extension; Colonial
Churches; Education in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and the
Propagation of the Gospel in India, i. e. L. 2 annually for each scheme.]
Inns, Alehouses, &c.—There is one inn, and two
houses licensed to sell ale and spirits in the parish, which, although
they are kept in an orderly manner, yet, to a certain extent, are
prejudicial to the morals of the people.
Fuel.—The expense of fuel, and the difficulty
with which it is obtained, is one of the greatest drawbacks under which
this parish lies. The tenants upon the estates of Logie Elphinstone and
Fetternear, at the northern and southern extremities of the parish, are
well supplied with peats from the mosses of Warthill and Fetternear; but,
as the great majority of the parishioners have no claim upon these mosses
for fuel, they are obliged to have recourse to the hill of Benochie for
their peats, by a very steep and dangerous road, which, in a rainy season,
is almost impassable. The moss is about 200 yards from the top of the
hill, (which is about 1440 feet above the level of the sea) ; and as it is
about four miles distant from the centre of the parish, two cart-loads can
only be brought home by one horse during the day. The cost of a cartload
to the consumer is reckoned about 4s. English coals are also very
expensive. They are to be procured at the canal basin of Port-Elphinstone,
near Inverury, which is about five or six miles distant from the church,
and when brought here, including all ex penses, cost from L. 1, 6s. to L.
1, 8s. per ton. English coals can be bought cheaper at Aberdeen ; but when
it is considered that it is twenty miles distant, a greater expense for
cartage is thus incurred ; so that the ton of coals from Aberdeen, and
from the canal basin at Inverury, may be reckoned, when laid down at
Chapel of Garioch, about the same price.
Miscellaneous Observations.
Since the last Statistical
Account was published, great improvements have taken place in the parish.
The system of husbandry is greatly changed for the better, and a great
proportion of the land that was then waste, has been either planted or
improved. Instead of (as there stated) sown grass and turnips being little
cultivated, excepting upon the farms in the possession of the proprietors,
every farmer, and even cottager, has at present his rotation of these
crops, and where nothing but heath formerly grew, are now to be seen well
cultivated and enclosed fields. Thriving plantations are rising up in
every direction, beautifying and improving the face of the country. All
the resident proprietors have had large additions built to their
mansion-houses. The church, schoolmaster's house, and parish-school have
been rebuilt. Most of the tenants' houses have also been rebuilt, and many
of them covered with slate roofs. Their manner of living is more
comfortable, and a change for the better has taken place in their dress.
The population is nearly doubled. The number of poor upon the roll was at
that period, 30, with an income of L. 35. The average number at present is
35, with an income for their support of L. 93, 4s. 1¼d.; so that it is
pleasing to observe, that they have not increas-ed in the same proportion
as the population; whilst their means subsistence are nearly tripled. A
new turnpike road has been made through the parish, along which the mail
and three other coaches daily pass to and from Aberdeen. In former times,
there was no similar conveyance. The people are more desirous of
knowledge, and anxious for the education and instruction of their
children. Upon the whole, they enjoy many blessings and advantages, of
which their forefathers had not the most distant prospect, and it is to be
hoped that they duly appreciate and are grateful for them.
Written in 1835,
Revised in 1840.
Addenda.
Antiquities.—About half a mile to the south-east of the church, is to be
seen the old ruinous castle of Balquhain. In it Queen Mary spent a day in
her journey to the north, which terminated in the battle of Corrichie; and
at which time, it is said she attended mass in the church of Chapel. This
ancient castle was long the seat of the present proprietor, Count Leslie,
twenty-third Baron of Balquhain. Of this venerable building the only
remains are a few shattered fragments of the court or quadrangle of which
it originally consisted, and the noble square tower or keep, which was
erected about the year 1530, by Sir William Leslie, seventh Baron of
Balquhain, to replace the more ancient castle, which had been burned down
in the memorable feud with the Forbeses in the year 15'26. The walls are
six feet thick, and the cement almost as hard as the stone. From it, there
is one of the finest echoes in Scotland. There is also, at a short
distance to the east of it, a Druid's circle, which is very entire.
Modern Buildings.—There are four
mansion-houses in the parish, viz. Logie Elphinstone, the residence of Sir
Robert Dal-rymple Horn Elphinstone, Bart.; Pittodrie, the residence of
Colonel Knight Erskine; Fetternear, the residence of Count Leslie,
twenty-third Baron of Balquhain; and Pitcaple, the residence of Hugh
Lumsden, Esq. Logie Elphinstone is upon the north, and Pitcaple upon the
south bank of the Ury; Pittodrie is upon an-elevated situation.
In the house of Fetternear there is a well
known relic of the Leslie family, called "John of Blairbowie's chair."
This massy and gigantic chair excites the admiration and wonder of the
degenerate men of modern times, on account of its tremendous strength and
dimensions. It is of such weight that the strongest man could scarcely
lift it from the ground; and derives its name from one of the family of
Balquhain, noted for his gigantic stature, and famous in northern song and
legend for his many daring exploits and adventures.
It may not be unsuitable here to mention that
a club of gentlemen of Aberdeen, (the Maryculter Club), who generally pay
an annual visit for a day or two to some of the more interesting
localities of the county, and whose present president (1841) is Thomas
Blaikie, Esq. chief magistrate of Aberdeen, selected this parish as their
rendezvous on the 24th of July of this year, on purpose to visit the field
of Harlaw. Among the party were several of the members of the
Town-Council; and the writer of this account of the parish had the
pleasure of accompanying them over the scene of combat, and of pointing
out Drum's cairn, Maclean's crave, and the other memorials still existing.
Thus, after the lapse of 430 years, and upon the anniversary day of the
battle, a Provost of Aberdeen led a body of his townsmen to render upon
the spot their respects to the memory of his gallant predecessor, and the
other brave men who had there died in defence of their burgh.
August 1841. |
