Monzie

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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Monzie, a hamlet and a parish of central Perthshire. The hamlet stands on the left bank of Shaggie Burn, 3 miles NNE of the post-town, Crieff.

The civil parish consists of a main body (containing the hamlet) and of three detached portions-the Innerpeffray, Auchnafree, and Logiealmond sections. Its total area is 33¾ square miles or 21, 592¹/₃ acres, of which 104¾ are water, and 3849½ belong to the main body. This, with an utmost length from NNW to SSE of 4¾ miles, and an utmost breadth of 2 miles, is bounded NE and E by Fowlis-Wester, and S, W, and N by Crieff. Shaggie Burn, rising on the NE border at an altitude of 2050 feet, runs 5¼ miles south-south-eastward and south-south-westward, mainly along the north-eastern and southern boundaries, but for 1⁷/₈ mile across the interior, till it passes off into Crieff, ¾ mile above its influx to Turret Burn; and Keltie Burn, rising at an altitude of 2200 feet, runs 4½ miles south-south-eastward along the western border, till it falls into Shaggie Burn at the SW corner of the parish. The surface sinks here to 250 feet above sea-level, and rises to 700 feet on the *northern slope of the Knock of Crieff (911), 1153 at *Milquhanzie Hill, 1461 at Cnoc Beithe, and 2255 at *Mealneveron, where asterisks mark those heights that lie upon the boundaries.

Of the three detached sections, the smallest (1⁷/₈ x 1¾ mile) contains the ruins of Innerpeffray Castle, 4 miles SE of Crieff, and is bounded NE by Madderty, E and SE by Trinity-Gask, SW by Muthill, and W and NW by Crieff. The Earn flows 1½ mile south eastward along all the Muthill boundary; and the surface sinks nowhere much below, and nowhere much exceeds, 100 feet above sea-level. Of the two Glenalmond sections, the upper (4½ x 4¼ miles) contains Auchnafree Lodge, 7 miles WSW of Amulree, and is bounded SE by Crieff, S by Monzievaird and Comrie, W and NW by Kenmore, and N and E by detached portions of Dull, Weem, Kenmore, and Fowlis-Wester. The new-born Almond has here an easterly course of 4 miles; and along it the surface declines to 880 feet, chief elevations being Ben Chonzie (3048 feet) at the SW corner, and a nameless summit (2838) on the northern boundary. The Logiealmond section (5³/₈ x 4¾ miles) in its SE corner contains Glenalmond College, 9¾ miles NE of Crieff and 11¾ WNW of Perth, under which there is the post office of Heriotfield. It is bounded NE by detached portions of Methven and Redgorton, E by Auchtergaven and Moneydie, S by Methven and Fowlis Wester, W by Fowlis-Wester, and NW by Little Dunkeld. The Almond winds 6 miles eastward, mainly along the southern border; Milton Burn runs to it 4½ miles south-south-eastward along the western border; and Shochie Burn, another of its affluents, runs 2¼ miles south-eastward along the Auchtergaven and Moneydie boundary. The surface sinks to 450 feet along the Almond, and rises to 654 feet near Saddlebank, 773 near Montreal, and 1913 at Meikle Crochan on the Little Dunkeld boundary.

Such are the general features of this large and scattered parish, whose rocks include excellent slate, red sandstone compact and durable, and limestone of indifferent quality. The soil of most of the arable lands is light, dry, and fertile. There are several hundred acres of thriving plantation; but fully two-thirds of the entire area are desolate upland, partly green, mostly heathy, and good only for the grazing of Highland or blackfaced sheep. ' Weems, ' or subterranean dwellings, have been discovered in Monzie Park, where also are remains of several stone circles. Monzie Castle, 5 furlongs SSW of Monzie hamlet, bears date 1634, and is a square, three-story, battlemented pile, with a western two-story wing, and round towers flanking the angles. In its beautiful grounds are four out of five larches, coeval with those of Dunkeld (1738), and one of them 18 feet in girth at 3 feet from the ground. The estate belongs to George Johnstone, Esq. of Lathrisk, his father having purchased it from Alex. Cameron-Campbell, Esq., who died in 1869, and who from 1841 to 1843 was Conservative member for Argyllshire. (See Inverawe.) Another estate, with a mansion, is the Cairnies in Logiealmond; and altogether 5 proprietors hold each an annual value of more than £500, and 3 of less than £100. Ecclesiastically, the parish, as redistributed at various periods between 1702 and 1871, takes in part of Fowlis-Wester, and gives off its own detached sections to Muthill, Amulree, Methven, and Logiealmond. Monzie itself is in the presbytery of Auchterarder and the synod of Perth and- Stirling; the living is worth £200. The parish church, at the hamlet, was built in 1831, and contains 512 sittings. There is also a Free church of Monzie; and Monzie public school, with accommodation for 133 children, had (1883) an average attendance of 50, and a grant of £58, 10s. Valuation (1860) £7753, (1884) £8868, 1s. 1d. Pop. of civil parish (1801) 1157, (1841) 1261, (1861) 972, (1871) 803, (1881) 753; of ecclesiastical parish (1871) 324, (1881) 304, of whom 208 were in Fowlis - Wester.—Ord. Sur., shs. 47, 48, 1869-68.

Reay, a village of NW Caithness and a parish also of NE Sutherland. The village stands near the head of Sandside Bay, 10¾ miles WSW of Thurso, under which it has a post office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments. It consists of an inn, a school, the parish church, and a few houses. An older town, whose ruins were uncovered by a waterspout in 1751, is said to have been a burgh of regality, with two free fairs and a free port, granted by James VI. when he knighted Donald Mackay in 1616. This Donald Mackay was the first of the Lords Reay, an account of whom is given under Tongue. A market cross at the present village claims to have belonged to the traditionary burgh. Sandside Bay, measuring 6 furlongs across the entrance, and 5 thence to its inmost recess, is fringed with fine sandy links. A harbour was formed here nearly 50 years ago by Major Innes at a cost of over £3000.

The parish contains also the adjoining villages of Melvich and Portskerra, 6½ miles W of Reay; and, in the S, the station of Forsinard, 28½ miles SW of Thurso. It is bounded N by the North Sea, E by Thurso and Halkirk, SE by Thurso (detached) and Halkirk, SW by Kildonan, and W by Farr. Its utmost length, from N to S, is 19¹/₈ miles; its utmost breadth, from E to W, is 14⁷/₈ miles; and its area is 184²/₃ square miles or 118,169¼ acres, of which 46,326²/₃ belong to Caithness and 71,842¾ to Sutherland, whilst 2391½ are water, 442¹/₆ foreshore, and 34 tidal water. The bold and rocky sea-coast, which measures 15¼ miles along all its ins and outs, is indented by the Bay of Bighouse (6 x 5 furl.) near Portskerra, by Sandside Bay, and by triangular Crosskirk Bay (2½ x 3 furl.) at the eastern boundary. It rises rapidly from the sea to 91 feet near Portskerra, 314 at Cnoc Geodh Stoir, 152 at Fresgoe or Sandside Head, and 172 at the Hill of Lybster. Caverns a re not infrequent; and near Borrowston a turf-clad natural arch spans a tide-washed chasm, nearly 50 feet deep. The river Halladale, rising close to the southern boundary at an altitude of 1200 feet above sea-level, runs 22¹/₈ miles north-north-westward and northward to the Bay of Bighouse, and is fed by Dyke Water (running 8¾ miles north-north-eastward) and a number of lesser streams. Sandside, Reay, and Achvarasdal Burns flow northward to Sandside Bay; and Forss Water, issuing from Loch Shurrery (1¼ mile x 2½ furl.; 321 feet), winds 12½ miles northward, mainly along the eastern boundary, to Crosskirk Bay. Of sixty-eight other lakes and lakelets, the largest are Loch Calder (2³/₈ miles x 7½ furl.; 205 feet), on the eastern border; Loch Cailam or Chaluim (5 x 4 furl.; 435 feet), on the south-eastern border; and Loch na Seilge (5 x 4 furl.; 398 feet), 5 miles SSW of Reay. The surface is hilly but hardly mountainous, chief elevations being Ben Ratha (795 feet) and Ben nam Bad Mhor (952) in the Caithness portion, Ben Ruadh (837) on the western border, Ben Griam Bheag (1903) on the southern border, and the Knockfin Heights (1442) at the meeting-point of Reay, Kildonan, and Halkirk parishes. The rocks on the seaboard are Devonian sandstone, paving flag, and limestone; whilst those of the hills include granite, syenite, gneiss, hornblende, and quartzite. The sandstone and limestone have been largely quarried; shell-marl has been dug in large quantities at Dounreay and Brawlbin; iron ore is found in various places; and a vein of lead ore occurs near Reay village, but not under conditions to encourage mining. A mineral spring at Helshetter claims to be little inferior to the Strathpeffer wells. The soil on the seaboard about Borrowston and Dounreay is clayey and very tenacious of moisture, around Sandside Bay is sandy, and in the low parts of Strath-Halladale is a dark earth mixed with silicious sand. Little more than 3000 acres is in tillage; and a very trivial aggregate is under wood. The fine sheep-farm of Bighouse, comprising most of the Sutherland division of the parish, belongs to the Duke of Sutherland; the Sandside estate to the Duke of Portland; and the estate of Dounreay, 16,464 acres in extent, to Sir R.C. Sinclair of Stevenston, Bart. The great improvements carried out on the last-named property since 1859, in the way of building, draining, fencing, road-making, etc., are fully described in Trans. Highl. and Ag. Soc. for 1866 and 1875. Antiquities are a rude but extensive fortification on Ben Freiceadain near Loch Shurrery; remains of several circular towers in Strath-Halladale; numerous Picts' houses; and a ruined pre-Reformation chapel, St Mary's, at Lybster- 'one of the most remarkable and ancient churches in the north of Scotland.' Its nave measures 17 feet by 12, and its chancel is 10 feet square; whilst a door at the W end and another in the chancel have inclined jambs, and are less than 4 feet high (T. S. Muir's Old Church Architecture, 1861). Reay is in the presbytery of Caithness and the synod of Sutherland and Caithness; the living is worth £300. The parish church was built in 1739, and contains 432 sittings. Other places of worship are Shurrery mission chapel, Reay Free church, and Strath-Halladale Free Church mission chapel; and five public schools-Brubster, Dalhalvaig, Dounreay, Melvich, and Reay-with respective accommodation for 64, 72, 100, 150, and 143 children, had (1884) an average attendance of 22, 30, 38, 40, and 66, and grants of £42, 16s. 3d., £30, 10s., £37, 16s. 3d., £17, 6s. 8d., and £52, 16s. 11d. Valuation (1881) £10,421, (1885) £11,662, of which £8752, 8s. was for the Caithness division. Pop. (1801) 2406, (1831) 2881, (1861) 2476, (1871) 2331, (1881) 2191, of whom 1197 were in Caithness, and 1301 were Gaelic-speaking.—Ord. Sur., shs. 115, 109, 1878.

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