In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Kinnell like this:
Kinnell, a parish of E Forfarshire, whose church stands on the left bank of Lunan Water, 1¾ mile ENE of Friockheim village and station. It is bounded N by Farnell, E by Craig and Lunan, S by lnverkeilor, SW by Kirkden, and W by Guthrie. Its utmost length, from E to W, is 55/8 miles; its utmost breadth, from N to S, is 33/8 miles; and its area is 6593¾ acres, of which 16 are water. ...
Lunan Water flows 1¾ mile east-south-eastward through the south-western corner of the parish; and Gighty Burn, its affluent, traces most of the Inverkeilor border; whilst head-streams of Pow Burn, running north-eastward into Farnell towards the South Esk river, drain the north-western district. Sinking in the S to 100 feet above sea-level, the surface generally is low and flat; but it rises gradually from the S and W, and more abruptly from the N, till in Wuddy Law it culminates at 434 feet. Old Red sandstone is the predominant rock; and the soil is mostly a clayey loam, either rather stiff or moorish, with clay subsoil. About seven -eighths of the entire area are arable, wood covers some 60 acres, and the rest of the land is either pastoral or waste. Tradition assigns to Kinnell the scene of a conflict, in 1443, between the Lindsays and the Ogilvies, and adds that the spurred boot of an Ogilvy, slain in the pursuit, was taken off and hung on an ash tree near the church; and a rust-covered spur, 8 inches long and 4½ broad, with a rowel as large as a crown piece, remained on the church wall till about the end of last century. Three spinningmills are in the southern district. Bolshan estate has been noticed separately, and the property is divided among four. Kinnell is in the presbytery of Arbroath and synod of Angus and Mearns; the living is worth £286. The church, rebuilt in 1855, is amply commodious; and a public school, with accommodation for 147 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 74, and a grant of £58, 15s. Valuation (1857) £5680, (1883) £7873, plus £1517 for railway. Pop. (1801) 783, (1831) 786, (1861) 816, (1871) 766, (1881) 696.—Ord. Sur., sh. 57, 1868.
Kinnell through time
A Vision of Britain through Time includes a large library of local statistics for administrative units. For the best overall sense of how the area containing Kinnell has changed, please see our redistricted information for the modern district of Angus. More detailed statistical data are available under Units and statistics, which includes both administrative units covering Kinnell and units named after it.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Kinnell in Angus | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/16775
Date accessed: 21st May 2013
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