In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Kirkhill like this:
Kirkhill, a parish of N Inverness-shire, comprising the ancient parishes of Wardlaw and Farnua, and containing the stations of Bunchrew, Lentran, and Clunes, 3½, 5¾, and 7½ miles W by N of the post-town Inverness. It is bounded NW by Kilmorack, N by the Beauly Firth, E and SE by Inverness, and S by Kiltarlity. ...
Its utmost length, from E to W, is 71/8 miles; its utmost breadth, from N to S, is 5¾ miles; and its area is 13, 2132/3 acres, of which 20¼ are water, 104¾ tidal water, and 17032/3 foreshore. The river Beauly winds 4¾ miles north-eastward along all the north-western border to the head of the Beauly Firth, which lower down receives from this parish Moniack, Bunchrew, and other burns, and from which the surface rises steeply southward over the eastern half to 588 feet at Inchberry Hill, 1036 at Cnoc na Moine, and 1337 at An Leacainn. The rocks are partly eruptive, partly Devonian; and the soil of the low grounds is a rich clayey loam, whilst that of the higher grounds is thin and gravelly. A large proportion of the parish is occupied by plantations or by natural woods of birch and alder. Near the left bank of the Beauly, opposite Beauly town, stood Lovat Castle, founded by the Bissets in 1230. Other antiquities are remains of two ancient Caledonian stone circles; a group of tumuli, said to be memorials of a desperate clan -fight; and the site of Wardlaw church, now occupied by the Lovat mortuary chapel. Mansions are Achnagairn, Balblair, Bunchrew, Kingillie, Lentran, Moniack Castle, and Newton; and Lord Lovat and 6 lesser proprietors hold each an annual value of £500 and upwards. Kirkhill is in the presbytery of Inverness and synod of Moray; the living is worth £343. The parish church, ¾ mile SSW of Clunes station, is a modern and commodious edifice. There is also a Free church; and three public schools:- Inchmore, Kirkton, and Knockbain-with respective accommodation for 160, 60, and 75 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 75, 27, and 72, and grants of £5l, 9s. 6d., £38, 19s. 6d., and £63, 19s. Valuation (1860) £8493, (1882) £10,659, 13s. Pop. (1801) 1582,(1831) 1715, (1861) 1757, (1871) 1582, (1881) 1480, of whom 886 were Gaelic-speaking.—Ord. Sur., sh. 83, 1881.
Kirkhill through time
Kirkhill is now part of Highland district. Click here for graphs and data of how Highland has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Kirkhill itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Kirkhill, in Highland and Inverness Shire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/16830
Date accessed: 26th April 2024
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