Echt Parish, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Echt Parish in the 1800's (nineteenth century)
Echt parish is located in the Kincardine O'Neil district of Aberdeenshire. It contains a post office station of its own name, and lies from 10 to 14 miles west of Aberdeen. It is bounded on the north by the parishes of Cluny and Skene; on the east by Skene and Peterculter; on the south by Drumoak parish and part of Kincardinshire; and on the west by the parish of Midmar. Its form is nearly square, measuring 4 1/2 miles from east to west and from north to south. Though this is a hilly district, few of the hills are of great height and many of them are under tillage to the very submit. The hill of Fare, which has an elevation of 1,794 feet above sea level, stands partly within the south-western boundry. The total extent of area under cultivation is about 8,000 acres; the extent never cultivated, 5,700 acres; the extent under wood, from 2,000 to 2,500 acres. The arable soil is partly clay and partly light sand, and in general is highly improved. The How of Echt is a valley in the centre of the parish, where the air is very mild and salubrious. The Loch of Skene is on the north-eastern boundary; and various burns effect the general drainage southward to the Peterculter burn, which falls into the Dee. There are four principal landowners. The valued rental is 2,364 pounds 15 shillings Scots. The yearly value of raw produce was estimated in 1842 at 8,362 pounds 9 shillings. Assessed property in 1843, 5,690. Echt house, the seat of Lord Lindsay, the most extensive heritor, is an elegant modern mansion, surrounded with extensive and thriving plantations, on the top of Barmekid, one of the highest hills. An ancient circle fortification sits here, concerning which tradition is silent [no one knows of its origin or significance]. Here are also several cairns and druidical edifies. The road from Aberdeen to Alford goes across the northern border of the parish, and that from Aberdeen to Tarland through the centre. Fairs are held on the estate of Echt on the Monday in July before St. Sairs, on the Tuesday in October before Kinkell, and on the first Tuesday of each of the other ten months in the year.
Population in 1831, 1.030; in 1861, 1,287. Houses, 242.
The parish is the synod of Aberdeen, and the presbytery of Kincardine O'Neil. Patron, the Earl of Fife. Stipend, 182 pds. 16 s. 8 d.; glebe, 10 pds. Schoolmaster's salary, under the recent act, 45 pds. and other emoluments. The parish church was built in 1804, and contains 600 sittings. There is a Free church; attendence, 200; receipts in 1865, 77 pds. 15 s 10d. There is a female school and two other endowed schools (Wilson, 504).
Kincardine-O'Neil:
Kincardine-O'Neil, is in the south-western district of Aberdeenshire. It comprehends all the upper part of the basin of the Dee, as much of the central portion of that basin as belongs to Aberdeenshire, a small part of the lower portion of that basin and a small part of the right side of the central portion of the basin of Don. It comprises the parishes of Craithie and Braemar, Glenmuck, Tullock, and Glengairn, Logie-Coldstone, Tarland, Coull, Aboyne, and Glentannar, Birse, Lumphanan, Kincardine O'Neil, Midmar, and Cluny of Echt.
Its length, in the direction of east by north, is 57 miles; and its breadth varies from 8 to 16 miles. Population is 1831, 15, 415; in 1861, 15,725. Houses, 3,052.
Sources:
Wilson, Rev. John Marius (editor). The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland. London: A Fullarton & Co., 504.
Written and Researched by Margaret Odrowaz- Sypniewska, B.F.A.
This page was last updated on February 21, 2005
