In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Forglen like this:
Forglen, a parish of NE Banffshire, whose church stands 2¼ miles WNW of Turriff, under which there is a post office of Forglen. It is bounded N and NE by Alvah, E and S by Turriff in Aberdeenshire, and SW and W by Marnoch. Its utmost length, from NW to SE, is 53/8. ...
miles; its utmost breadth is 37/8. miles; and its land area is 6249 acres. The river Deveron flows 3¼ miles east - north - eastward along all the southern, then 31/8. miles along all the eastern and north-eastern, border. Sinking in the NE to 75 feet above sea-level, the surface thence rises to 400 feet at Todlaw Wood, 323 near Sawmill Croft, 557 at Auldtown Hill, 600 near Craiglug, and 575 at Craig Aithry. It thus is beautifully varied with gently rising grounds, having a gradual slope towards the Deveron, and being well sheltered by woods and hills. Greywacke rock prevails in the W, and appears also in the N and the centre; whilst clay slate predominates in the lower grounds and towards the S. The soil is generally light sandy along the Deveron, clayey in parts of the interior, and seldom loamy. Fully one-fifth of the entire area is under wood, and nearly all the rest of the land, partly in result of recent reclamation, is either regularly or occasionally in tillage. Forglen House, on the left bank of the Deveron, 2½ miles NW of Turriff, is a noble castellated edifice of 1842, successor to an older mansion that dated from the middle of the 15th century. It is the seat of Sir Robert John Abercromby of Birkenbog, chief of the clan Abercromby, and seventh Bart. since 1636 (b. 1850; suc. 1872), who owns 8053 acres in the shire, valued at £6290 per annum. Carnousie, the other mansion, is noticed separately; and the property is divided among three. Constituted a parish about 1640 out of portions of Alvah and Marnoch, Forglen was sometimes known as Tennan or St Eonan (Adamnan) from an ancient chapel in it, remains of which still exist. This chapel, or a predecessor, was Adamnan's principal church among the northern Picts towards the close of the 7th century; and in it was preserved the Bricbannoch, or banner of Columba. Forglen is in the presbytery of Turriff and synod of Aberdeen; the living is worth £225. The present parish church, built in 1806, contains 450 sittings. A Free church stands 2¼ miles to the WNW; and two public schools, boys' and girls', with respective accommodation for 120 and 85 children, had (1881) an average attendance of 76 and 47, and grants of £85 and £42, 8s. 2d. Valuation (1860) £4470, (1882) £5378, 14s. 8d. Pop. (1801) 605, (1831) 820, (1861) 783, (1871) 845, (1881) 744.—Ord. Sur., sh. 86, 1876.
Forglen through time
Forglen is now part of Aberdeenshire district. Click here for graphs and data of how Aberdeenshire has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Forglen itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Forglen, in Aberdeenshire and Banffshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/16427
Date accessed: 25th April 2024
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