Tough Touch

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

Etymology
In the "View of the Diocese of Aberdeen" the name of this parish is spelled Touch, and "In a roll of missing charters by King David II., is 'Carta to Isabel Toulch, sister to Henry Toulch, of the lands of Toulch, in viscomitatu de Abirdene.'" In the Statistical Account of the parish, 1793, the name is written Tough, and the writer says "that there is no record that it had any other name than its present one, and that those skilled in the Gaelic language say that it signifies 'North- ward." In the Statistical Account of Tongh, 1842, the writer says "the name is derived from the Gaelic language, indicating its northern exposure." He, the writer, further adds that, "in a valuation of the thirteenth century it is, however, written Tullyunch, of which the present name may be a corruption." Except in the prefix to the latter name, viz., Tully, which means a "knoll," and as there is no Gaelic in the word Tough, it can have no topographical meaning in that language, therefore, we must conclude that the name of the parish has been derived from its former territorial owners-- Tough, or Toulch, as above referred to.

Boundaries
The parish is bounded on the north by the parishes of Alford and Keig; on the east by Monymusk, Cluny, and Midmar; on the south by Kincardine O'Neil and Lumphanan; and on the west by Leochel-Cushnie.

Extent
The greatest length of the parish in a direct line from the top of the hill of Benaquhalie on the south, to the burn of Bents, on the north, is four miles; and from the slack of the Tillyfourie Hill, on the east, to the Broomhill of Guise, on the west, it is, also in a direct line, four miles. The whole area is computed to be 7,112 acres, 189 decs.

Topography
Tough lies to the west and north of that long ridge called the hills of Corrennie, or Coire-aonach, which signifies "ravines in the hill with a projection." The lowest point on this ridge is at the slack of Tillyfourie, where the Alford road crosses, which is 647 feet above sea level. The church of Tough is 545 feet, the farm houses of Tillyfour are 832 feet. Benaquhalie is 1,621 feet, and the highest point on the northern end of the ridge of Corrennie is 1605 feet. The lowest point in the parish being at the burn of Bents, on the Alford boundary, which is about 440 feet above sea level, the farm offices of Guise are 813 feet, and the Strone Hill is 950 feet. The public road opposite Denmill is 580 feet, and the junction of this road with the south and north road, at Mill of Scuttrie, is 608 feet above sea level. The general appearance of the surface on the lower parts of the parish is flat, but rising with the streams which fall by the church, and along the burn of Lynturk the country is broken and rugged, and at Guise, Tillyfour, and Tullochvenus it is hilly. The southern range of the Corrennie Hills are mountainous, the higher parts being covered with heath and rock, while their northern slopes are here and there intersected by small ravines and rivulets, with patches of grass and tracts of peat moss. The higher eastern parts of the Corrennie range, and the southern parts of the Menaway ridge are rocky and barren, but their lower slopes were at one time covered with very thriving trees, which have been recently cut down, and the ground partially brought into cultivation.

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