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Leslie

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

Etymology
The most ancient name of the parish is Lesly, and the tradition is, that Bartholomew de Leslyn, a noble Hungarian, came to Scotland with Queen Margaret about the year 1067; that he was the son of Walter de Leslyn, who had his name from the Castle of Leslyn in Hungary. It is also said that the Leslies, Earls of Rothes, were, at a more recent period, proprietors of one part of the parish, while Lord Glammis was proprietor of the other part.

Boundaries
The parish is bounded on the north by Kennethmont, on the east by Insh and Premnay, on the south by Keig and Tullynessle, and on the west by Clatt.

Extent
The greatcst breadth of the parish, from east to west, is along the water of Gady, from Edingaroch, in Premnay, to the Clatt boundary, which is about three miles, and the greatest length, in a direct line from south to north, is about 3¼ miles. The whole area is computed to be 4,446¼ acres.

Topography
With the exception of the valley of the Gady, the general appearance of the parish is hilly. On the north, a ridge of high land, in some parts rising into high rounded hills, run parallel to the Gady; and, on the south of the valley, a very high ridge of heath-clad hills run from Benachie westward along the southern boundary of Premnay and of this parish, forming the ridge of the Suie Hills in Clatt, and terminating in the Correen Hills bordering with Auchindoir. The northern slopes of the hills in the south division are closely cultivated, the whole of the division north of Gady is cultivated, excepting some patches of moss on the Kennethmont boundary, and a few acres covered with stunted trees; altogether, the face of the country has a bare aspect. The heath-clad hills on the south look gloomy, the green hills of the north are mountainous, while in the valley of the Gady there are few objects to attract attention, and none to afford relief or shelter from the prevailing westerly withering winds. The lowermost point on the Gady, bounding with Premnay, is 524 feet above sea level; the church, which stands on the banks of the stream, is 546 feet; and the site of the Druids' village, or the Druidical temples, on the borders of Keig, is 800 feet above sea level.

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