Kintore

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

Etymology
Kintore is from the Gaelic, Ceann-an-torr, which signifies the "head of the conical hill," or, "the town at the head, or end of the conical hill." Ceann, meaning the head or end, and Torr, a "round hill."

Boundaries
The parish is bounded on the north and east by the river Don and the parishes of Inverurie, Keith-hall, and Fintray; on the south by the parishes of Kinellar and Skene; and on the west by the parish of Kemnay.

Extent
In a direct line from south to north, that is from the boundary near Letter of Skene to the bridge over the Ury at Keith-hall, the distance is 5¾ miles, and from the Kinellar boundary, near the church, to the Kemnay boundary at Scrapohard, the distance, in a direct line, is 4½ miles. The whole area of the parish is computed to be 9,187 acres.

Topography
The surface of the parish is uneven, but far from hilly. The lands lying along the banks of the Don are flat, and (including the town of Kintore) are liable to be inundated by the river in time of floods. In the south division there are the rounded hills or knolls of Tuack and Tofts-hills, and the low rugged hills on Deystone and the Muir of Kinellar. In the south-east there is the higher land on Bogheads, Womblehills, Wardhouse, and Tillybin; and south-west of the burgh there are the higher ridges of Uppermill, Tom's Forest, and the Ratch-hills. On the north of these there is the finely wooded slopes of the Shaw Hill of Thainstone, which is about 480 feet above sea level, and the highest land in the parish. The 15th milestone on the Aberdeen and Inverurie road, which bounds the Parliamentary burgh of Inverurie in this parish, is 194 feet, the church of Kintore is 165 feet, the Ladies' Pool, or Pot, in the Don, on the northern boundary of the burgh, is 153 feet, and the junction of the Monymusk with the Aberdeen road at Midmill, is 201 feet above sea level. The centre arch of the bridge over the Don at Inverurie is 201 feet, nine inches, the confluence of the Ury with the Don is 170 feet, and the confluence of the burn of Tuack with the Don is 148 feet above sea level.

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