Parish of Tarland

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: Tarland
1834-45: Tarland

Tarland, a village and a parish of Aberdeenshire. The village, lying, 440 feet above sea-level, on the left bank of Tarland Burn, is 5½ miles NNW of Aboyne station, 16 SW of Aboyne, and 31 W of Aberdeen, under which it has a post office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments. A burgh of barony, it has also branches of the Union and Aberdeen Town and County Banks, two hotels, a cafe and reading-room, and fairs on 5 Jan. (if a Wednesday, otherwise on the preceding Wednesday), the second and the last Wednesday of Feb. o.s., the first Wednesday of May and the Wednesday after 26 May, the Friday after St Sairs (Wednesday after last Tuesday of June), the second Wednesday after first Tuesday of Oct. o. s., and 22 Nov. (if a Tuesday, otherwise on the Tuesday and Wednesday following). Pop. (1861) 316, (1871) 315, (1881) 374.

The parish, comprising the ancient parishes of Tarland and Migvie, consists of four separate portions, and has a total area of 271/6 square miles or 17, 381¼ acres.- The portion containing Tarland village is bounded N by Leochel and Cushnie, E and S by -Coull, and W by Logie-Coldstone. Its utmost length, from N to S, is 33/8 miles; its utmost breadth is 3¼ miles; and its area is 4719¼ acres. Tarland Burn drains it towards the river Dee; and its highest point is Sockaugh or Cushnie Hill (2032 feet), at the meeting-point of Tarland, Leochel, and Logie-Coldstone parishes.-The second portion, containing Migvie church, 33/8 miles WNW of Tarland village, is bounded N by Towie and on all other sides by Logie-Coldstone. Its utmost length, from NNW to SSE, is 25/8 miles; its breadth varies between 1 and 1¾ mile; and its area is 1969¾ acres. It likewise is drained towards the Dee by Tarland Burn, and its surface rises north-north-westward from 600 to 1500 feet. -The third or Deskry-side portion of Migvie, 7 miles NW of Tarland village, is bounded N by Glenbucket and Strathdon (detached), E by Towie, SE by Logie-Coldstone, and W and NW by Strathdon. Its utmost length, from N by E to S by W, is 33/8 miles; its breadth varies between 5 furlongs and 1¾ mile; and its area is 2398¾ acres. Deskry Water winds 5½ miles north-eastward, north-north-eastward, and west-south-westward-for 15/8 mile across the interior, but elsewhere along the Logie-Coldstone and Strathdon boundaries- till it falls into the Don, which itself winds 35/8 miles north-north-eastward and east-south-eastward along all the north-western and northern boundary. The surface here ranges in altitude between 750 and 1250 feet. -The fourth or Donside portion of Tarland, 13 miles WNW of Tarland village and 18 SSW of Rhynie, is bounded NW by Kirkmichael in Banffshire and on all other sides by Strathdon. Its utmost length, from WNW to ESE, is 6½ miles; its breadth varies between ½ mile and 41/8 miles; and its area is 8293¾ acres. Ernan Water runs 7¼ miles east-south-eastward to the Don, which here winds 51/8 miles east-north-eastward along all the southern boundary; and the surface rises west-north-westward from 1000 to 2553 feet. Granite is the predominant rock; and the soil of the arable lands is clayey or loamy. Scarce a vestige remains of Migvie Castle, a seat of the Earls of Mar, near Migvie church; but in the churchyard and on the Kirkhill are three sculptured stones. There is a Picts' house on Mill of Migvie farm, and another at Culsh; and several stone cists have been found on the farm of the Meadow; but a good many cairns and stone circles have been almost wholly removed. Mansions are Tarland Lodge, Tillypronie, Hopewell, Candacraig, Edinglassie, Skellater, and Inverernan (the last four all in the Donside portion of Tarland); and there is one estate with a gross rental of over £2000, besides 7 with a rental of between £390 and £625. Giving off its westernmost portion to Corgarff quoad sacra parish, Tarland and Migvie is in the presbytery of Kincardine O'Neil and the synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £285 (16 chalders). Tarland church is a good Gothic structure, built in 1870 at a cost of £2300. Migvie church, built about 1777, contains 250 sittings, and is served on the afternoon of every second Sunday. There is a Free church of Tarland; and two public schools, Migvie and Tarland, with respective accommodation for 65 and 193 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 39 and 122, and grants of £31, 1s. 6d. and £107, 2s. Valuation (1860) £4539, (1885) £7262, 10s. Pop. (1801) 922, (1831) 1074, (1861) 1246, (1871) 1275, (18 81) 1173-, of whom 1051 were in the ecclesiastical parish.—Ord. Sur., shs. 76, 75, 1874-76.

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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