Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Crimond

Crimond (anc. Creichmont, 'clay hill'), a hamlet and a coast parish of Buchan, NE Aberdeenshire. The hamlet, lying 2¼ miles inland, is 3 miles ESE of Lonmay station, 8¾ SE by S of Fraserburgh, and 9 NW of Peterhead, under which it has a post office.

The parish, containing also the fishing hamlet of Rattray, formerly a royal burgh, 2 miles to the ENE, is bounded SW, NW, and N by Lonmay, NE and E by the German Ocean, and SE by St Fergus in Banffshire (detached). Its utmost length is 65/8. miles from ENE to WSW, viz., from Rattray Head to a little beyond the Loch of Kininmonth; its width in an opposite direction varies between 13/8 and 27/8 miles; and its area is 6281½ acres, of which 243½ are water, and 148½ foreshore. The coast-line, 23/8 miles in extent, includes the low, rocky, shelving promontory of Rattray Head; and elsewhere presents a broad band of flat beach, backed by bentcovered sand-hills. The interior rises abruptly from the shore to 106 feet above sea-level near the coastguard station, and, thence descending gradually towards the centre, ascends again gently southward and south-westward to 136 feet near South Mosstown, 228 at Upper Ridinghill, and 284 at Lochhills. Loch Strathbeg, 23/8 miles long, and from 2 to 4¼ furlongs broad, lies on the northern border, and receives burns and runnels draining the interior; the Loch of Kininmonth (3 X 1 furl.), in the SW, has been recently drained. Streams of pure water are scarce, most being tainted with iron. Dark blue granite prevails in the E; red granite, generally in a Crumbling condition, is found in the W; trap rock is also abundant; and limestone was at one time quarried. The soil near the coast is light and sandy; towards the centre is generally of a black loamy nature, resting on a clay bottom; and elsewhere is cold and wet. Nearly five-sevenths of the entire area are arable, less than one-eighth is pastoral, and plantations cover a considerable extent. Crimond estate belonged once to the Earls of Errol, whilst Logie was the seat of a branch of the Gordons; but both belong now to Ethel, daughter (b. 1869) of the late Sir Alex. Bannerman of Crimonmogate. Logie was the scene of the fine old Jacobite song, O Logie o' Buchan, believed to- have been written about 1736 by George Halket, schoolmaster at Rathen; and at a spot called the Battle Fauld, tradition points out the grave of the hero of the famous ballad, Sir James the Rose. A circular mound, called Castle Hill, at the E end of Loch Strathbeg, was the site of a castle of Comyn, Earl of Buchan; and near it are the First Pointed ruins of St Mary's chapel of Rattray; whilst on the farm of Netherton of Logie is an ancient Caledonian circle in a high state of preservation. John Farquhar (1751-1826), known as ' the rich Farquhar of Fonthill,' was a native. Rattray House is the principal mansion; and 3 proprietors hold each an annual value of more, 5 of less, than £100. Giving off a south-western portion to the quoad sacra parish of Kininmonth, Crimond is in the presbytery of Deer and synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £296. The present church, at the hamlet, was built in 1812. and, containing 500 sittings, has a steeple and clock; its ruined predecessor, near the manse, ¾ mile N by W, is said to have been a prebend of St Machar's at Aberdeen in 1262, and bears date 1576. A public school, with accommodation for 142 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 98, and a grant of £84,2s. Valuation (1881) £5997,12s. 7d. Pop. of civil parish (1801) 862, (1821) 900, (1841) 767, (1851) 893, (1871) 887, (1881) 827; of ecclesiastical parish (1881) 815.—Ord. Sur., shs. 97,87,1876.


(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a hamlet"   (ADL Feature Type: "populated places")
Administrative units: Crimond ScoP       Aberdeenshire ScoCnty
Place names: CREICHMONT     |     CRIMOND
Place: Crimond

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