In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Keig like this:
Keig, a parish of central Aberdeenshire, whose church stands near the left bank of the river Don, 3 miles NNW of Whitehouse station, this being 2¾ E by S of Alford and 26¼ WNW of Aberdeen, under which there is a post office of Keig. The parish, containing Whitehouse station in the extreme S, is bounded N by Leslie and Premnay, E by Oyne and Monymusk, S by Monymusk and Tough, SW by Alford, and W by Tullynessle. ...
Its utmost length, from N to S, is 4½ miles; its breadth, from E to W, varies between 1¾ and 31/8 miles; and its area is 8119¼ acres, of which 60½ are water. The Don winds 53/8 miles east-north-eastward here-5 furlongs along the boundary with Alford, 35/8 miles through the interior, and 9 furlongs along the Monymusk border; and here it is fed by several little burns. Along it the surface declines to 335 feet above sea-level, thence rising northward and north-westward to 1619 feet on Bennochie and 929 at the Barmkin, southward to 1250 on the western slope of Cairn William. Granite is the prevailing rock; gneiss, greenstone, and clay-slate appear in a f w places; mica slate lies profusely scattered on much of the surface; and masses of porphyry and some tolerable specimens of rock crystal are found. The soil of the haugh along the Don is mostly sandy or gravelly alluvium, combined with clay; of the plain, is partly a good mould; and of the arable acclivities, is mostly reclaimed moor. Rather less than half of the entire area is arable, nearly one-third is under wood, and the rest of the land is either pasture or moor. Two Caledonian stone circles, and a ruinous circular enclosure of loose stones, called the Barmkin, are the chief antiquities. Castle-Forbes, noticed separately, is the only mansion; and Lord Forbes is the chief proprietor, but two others hold each an annual value of between £100 and £500. Keig is in the presbytery of Alford and synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £216. The parish church is a neat Gothic structure of 1835, containing 450 sittings. There is also a Free church; and a public school, with accommodation for 100 children, had (1883) an average attendance of 103, and a grant of £102, 7s. 6d. Valuation (1860) £3230, (1882) £4492, plus £179 for railway. Pop. (1801) 379, (1831) 592, (1861) 811, (1871) 886, (1881) 776.—Ord. Sur., sh. 76, 1874.
Keig through time
Keig is now part of Aberdeenshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Aberdeenshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Keig itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Keig in Aberdeenshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/16978
Date accessed: 23rd April 2024
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