Hide

DALMENY, West Lothian - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

hide
Hide

The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland - 1868

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer (1868)]

"DALMENY, a parish in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland. It consists of two detached portions, the larger for the most part surrounding the town of Queensferry, except on the N. side, and being bounded by the Firth of Forth, Cramond, Edinburghshire, Kirkliston, and Abercorn. It has an extreme length from E. to W. of 5 miles, with an extreme breadth of 3 miles. The other portion is situated 2 miles S.W. of the former, and is bounded by Ecclesmachan, Kirkliston, and Abercorn. Its greatest length is nearly 2 miles, with a breadth of 1 mile.

This more southern portion, is called Auldcathie, and constituted a separate parish before the Reformation. The surface of the larger portion is elevated in the centre, with a slope to the S., and a steeper declivity towards the Forth. From the eastern wooded hills, called Mons, Dundas, and Craigie, a splendid panorama, extending from the Lammermuir range on the E. to Ben Lomond on the W., is spread out before the spectator.

The chief seats are Dalmeny Park, Craigic Hall, and Dundas Castle. The whole parish is well cultivated and planted, and the soil is rich and productive. Freestone of excellent quality is found on the coast. Limestone and ironstone also occur. On the shore, at the W. end. of Queensferry, are the remains of a monastery of Carmelite friars; and further westward, on a high sea-bank, remains, supposed to be those of a Roman out-look, together with silver medals of Mark Antony, have been discovered.

The parish church seems, from its architecture, to be Saxon. The church of Warthwick, near Carlisle, built before the Conquest, strikingly resembles it, but is inferior in decoration. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Dalmeny Park, in their progress through Edinburgh, in 1842. Inch-Garvey, an island in the Firth of Forth, belongs to this parish.

The village of Dalmeny, consisting of about a dozen cottages, is situated in the centre of the larger portion of the parish, overlooking the Forth. There is also a hamlet of Craigie. This parish is in the presbytery of Linlithgow, and synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, and in the patronage of the Earl of Roseberry. The minister has a stipend of £264. The territory within the burgh of South Queensferry was in 1636 detached from Dalmeny, and formed into a separate parish."

"ALD CATHIE, a parish in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, now united with Dalmeny."

"CRAIGIE, a village in the parish of Dalmeny, in the county of Linlithgow Scotland, 3 miles N.E. of Kirkliston and 10 from Edinburgh. It is situated on Almond Water, under Craigie Hill, from whence there is an extensive view."

"CRAIGIEHALL, a village in the parish of Dalmeny, in the county of Linlithgow, Scotland, 3 miles E. of Kirkliston and 10 from Edinburgh. It is situated under Craigie Hill."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcription ©2003]