Udny, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Written and Researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska, B.F.A.
Udny in the 1800's (nineteenth century)
Udny is a parish in Scotland, containing a post office station of its own name, in the district of Formartin, Abeedenshire. It is bounded on the north-west by Bourtie and Tarves; on the north-east by Ellon and Logie-Buchan; on the east by Foveran and Belhelvie; on the south by New Machar; and on the south-east and west by Fintray, the detached part of New Machar, and by Keith-hall. It forms a belt of 6 3/4 miles by 1 1/2 miles, extending from north to south; but expands at the middle to a maximum breadth of about 6 miles. Its surface is partly undulated and partly level; the inequalities nowhere amounting to more than small eminences or gentle hills. The streams which drain it are three or four unimportant affluents of the Ythan; all running eastward, so as to indicate an easterenly inclination of the whole surface. The soil is, in general, a deep loam; good, where lying upon rock, and naturally marshy, but now drained and improved, where lying upon clay. Granite and limestone abound, and the former is worked. About 7,500 acres are in tillage; about 400 are pastoral or waste; and about 270 are under wood. The principal landowners are the Earl of Aberdeen, Sir William C. Seton, Bart., and Lieutenant-colonel J.R. F. Udny of Udny; and there are eleven others. The estimated value of raw produce in 1840 was 14,290 pounds. Assessed property in 1860, 10,063 pounds. The principal mansions are Pitmedden-house, Pittrichie-house, and Tillygrieg. The chief antiquity is Dumbrake castle on the Udny estate. This consists of four stories; the first and second of which are vaulted, and the third disposed in one spacious hall; and it has enormously thick walls, and is believed to have been built about the commencement of the 14th century. A process of modernizing it was begun about 60 years ago, but has never been completed. The north-eastern and eastern extremities of the parish are the distance of 3 and 4 miles respectively from Ellon and Newburgh; and the interior is traversed by one turnpike westward from Aberdeen. Fairs are held in Udny on the day in March before Lenabo, on Tuesday after the 21st of November. Population of the parish in 1831, 1,309; in 1861, 1,668. Houses 273.
The parish is a presbytery of Ellon, and synod of Aberdeen. Patron, Udny of Udny. Stipend, 217 pounds 7 shillings 2d; glebe 10 pounds. Unappropriated teinds, 197 pounds, 7 shillings, 5d. Schoolmaster's salary 45 pounds, with about 14 pounds fees, and 5 pounds 10 shillings other emoluments. The parish church was built in 1821, and contains 750 sittings. There is a Free Church, with an attendence of 500; and the amount of its receipts in 1865 was 222 pounds 13 shillings 1 d. There are two non-parochial schools. The parish of Udny was erected in 1597 out of parts of the parishes of Ellon, Logie-Buchan, Tarves, and Foversan, and the parts of which belonged to Ellon and Logie-Buchan still pays small sums towards the stipends of these parishes.
Source:
Wilson, Rev. John Marius (editor). The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland. London: A. Fullarton & Company, 818-819.
RELATED LINKS:
Udny Castle .....Udny (Genuki)
This page was last updated on April 27, 2005
