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[From Wikipedia]
The hill of Foudland (rising to 1100 feet) is the highest, forming the chief of a series of slate hills stretching into the parish of Gartly on the west, and into Culsamond on the east. The hill of Dunnideer is about a mile west of the village of Insch and is only half the height of Foudland, but is the most striking object to be seen. Opposite to Dunnideer, on the west, is the equally abrupt eminence of Christ-kirk, in the parish of Kinnethmont, which is separated from Dunnideer only by a narrow valley, watered by the Shevock. in the 1850s the soil was a light loam with a gravelly subsoil and in some places there were peat mosses, supplying fuel. However, most of the peat was by then exhausted and the inhabitants were dependent on wood and coal for fuel. Coal was brought from [[Place:Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland|Aberdeen by canal to Inverurie. Much of the arable land is of superior quality, and produces excellent crops, chiefly of oats. "The cattle are of the Aberdeen or the Angus kind, which are frequently crossed with the short-horned or Durham breed; and the improvement in the stock has been considerable, in consequence of the great encouragement offered by the cattle-shows held by the Highland and the local agricultural societies. A six years' rotation is prevalent; and the general system of husbandry includes all the modern improvements: bone-manure is liberally and successfully applied to the turnip lands; and threshing machines, generally driven by water, one of them by steam, are every where in operation. The chief deficiency is the want of inclosures and of good farm-buildings. The annual value of real property in the parish is £5,334." "J. M. Lesly, Esq., of Balquhain, holds the estates called the Barony of Meikle-Wardhouse, Knockenbaird, and others. The slate of the Foudland hill quarries, an excellent material of blue colour, has long been highly celebrated, and wrought to a great extent. About 900,000 slates used to be annually raised, a large portion of which were sent to Aberdeen; but not more than half this number are now produced, the demand having diminished on account of the facility with which the Easdale slates, from Argyllshire, can be conveyed by sea. In the smaller hills the rock is principally gneiss, with black or grey granite; and on the low grounds, near the base of Dunnideer, considerable quantities of bogiron ore have been found. "The only gentleman's seat is Rothney, a handsome modern mansion in the cottage style, finely situated on a gentle acclivity on the northern bank of the Shevock". "The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in agriculture, and in trading in corn and cattle; a few are employed in making stockings for the Aberdeen manufacturers. The feuars of Insch are heritable proprietors of their houses and small gardens; they also mostly rent about four acres of ground each, under Sir Andrew Leith Hay, superior of the ancient burgh of Insch. Within the last thirty years, the village has been almost entirely rebuilt; the houses are generally of two stories, constructed of stone and lime, and there are several good shops. For some years it has been supplied with gas. The Aberdeen mail-road passes through the parish, and is of considerable service, the produce of the district being conveyed along it to the canal at Inverurie, from which place the carts bring back coal, lime, and bones for manure. Two fairs for cattle, horses, and general wares, are held respectively on the third Wednesday in May and third Tuesday in October. "Insch church, a plain building in the village, is supposed, from a date on its fine old belfry, to have been built in the year 1613; it was well roofed in 1789, new-seated in 1793, and contains 460 sittings. The members of the Free Church also have a place of worship.
[edit] Population Growth
Populations 1801-1951 from A Vision of Britain through Time (http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk).
[edit] Research TipsThere was formerly a note on this page that the parish was linked to the Presbytery of Garioch, Synod of Aberdeen, Scotland. It would appear that since 1975 the organization of the presbyteries and synods has been revised. Readers are reminded that the Church of Scotland is Presbyterian in nature while in England the Church of England is Episcopalian. (See Wikipedia. )
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