Insch

A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875

Etymology
The name Insch, or Inch, is derived from the Gaelic Innis, which signifies "an island," which may have arisen from the situation of the villiage or town being situated on a low flat, piece of ground at the junction of two rivulets. Inch also appears singly in Wigtonshire, where it gives name to a parish. Innis, for "an island," also appears in the counties of Perth, Argyle, and Inverness, and Inch-garth, on the Dee in Banchory-Devenick, is from Innis-goirt, which means "the island of the field or enclosure." But although Inch or Innis as now explained, generally applies to an island, it also signifies a "meadow," and thereby low lying pasture, which would more exactly correspond with the site of the village of Insch, and that the name had originally been confined to this small spot, and afterwards extended to the whole parish.

Boundaries
The parish is bounded on the north by the parishes of Drumblade and Forgue; on the east by Culsalmond and Oyne on the south by Premnay, Leslie, and part of Kennethmont, and on the west by part of Kennethmont and Gartly.

Extent
The greatest length of the parish, measuring in a direct line from south to north, is 6 miles; and the greatest breadth, also in a direct line from east to west, is 3¾ miles. The whole area is computed to be 8,371½ acres.

Topography
The higher range of the Foudland Hills run parallel to and along the north boundary of the parish, and the western ridge runs from the west Foudlands, and terminates in the hill of Dunnideer on the south. The lower rounded hills of Knockenbaird and Nether Boddam traverse the central parts of the parish from east to west, while most of the lower grounds present a slightly undulating surface, rising by gentle slopes into the knolls and higher hills.

The church of Insch stands 406 feet above sea level; the ruin on the top of Dunnideer is 876 feet; the old Toll House at Wraes is 850 feet; and the highest point on the Foudland Hills is 1,528 feet. The hill of Dunnideer is conical in form, with a flattened top, crowned with a ragged wall between 50 and 60 feet high, and with steep acclivities, all round, rising from the plain below; it is seen at a great distance when viewed from the east and west. Hector Boethius, or Boece, calls it Dun-d-ore, i.e., "the fort on the golden hill," or "golden mountain in Garioch," and says "that the teeth of the sheep that pastured upon it were the colour of gold."  In the Celtic language Dunnideer is called Dun-a-torr, which signifies "the fort on the round hill."  The Daugh of Moreal lies to the south of Dunnideer, but is separated from it by a deep narrow glen through which the Shevach Water flows; and although this part of Rath-Moreal or "the majestic fort," belongs to Insch, there is reason to believe that the Daugh had originally belonged to Christ's Kirk, which now forms part of the adjoining parish of Kennethmont.

To the west of Dunnideer is the site of the ancient Castle, or Meikle Ward-House, and to the north of it is the Little Ward-House, and further north, and where the valley of the Shevach opens up to the west, there is the Ward-Head, all being vestiges of the ancient defences of Dunnideer. The Foudland Hills (originally written Fondland), before mentioned, overlook the whole parish, and commnnd a fine prospect of the Garioch district and of the lower parts of Aberdeenshire. The name is from the Gaelic, Fonn-da-choille, which signifies "the land of the two woods," or, "the hill of the woods." Among other more prominent topographical features in the lower parts of the parish, is that of the green rounded hill of Knockenbaird, in Gaelic Cnoc-an-bhaird, or "the bard's knoll," and Drumrossie, which signifies "the point of the ridge," which stands to the east of the village of Insch. North of the village is a piece of rising ground called the Gallow Hill, and along the Gallow-road there is the Bass, a piece of flat ground of about five acres in extent, which belongs to the kirk-session; and nearer to the village is the Moat-ach well, i.e., "the well of the field of the Moat," altogether giving strength to the tradition and probability that Insch, "though only a burgh of barony, had had at one time the power of pot and gallows."

[A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875]