In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Glenshee like this:
Glenshee, a hamlet, a glen, and a quoad sacra parish in Kirkmichael parish, NW Perthshire. The hamlet, Spittal of Glenshee, lies 1125 feet above sea-level, at the head of the glen, 5½ miles SSW of the meeting-point with Aberdeen and Forfar shires, 31 NE of Pitlochrie, and 20 N by W of Blairgowrie, under which it has a post office. ...
Formerly a stage on the great military road from Perth to Fort George, it was a halting place for refreshment of the Queen and Prince Albert, on the earliest occasions of their journeying to and from Balmoral (1848); and it has a good inn, and a fair on the third Tuesday of October o. s. The glen, commencing at the convergence of Glenbeg, Glenhaitneich, and Glenlochy, in the vicinity of the hamlet, is traversed by the Shee or Black Water, flowing 14¾ miles south-by-eastward through Kirkmichael and along the border of Alyth and detached sections of Caputh, Rattray, Bendochy, and Blairgowrie, till at Strone House, 6 miles NNW of blairgowrie town, it unites with the Ardle to form the Ericht, having in this course descended from 1125 to 480 feet above sea-level. Glenshee takes up the pub. lic road from Blairgowrie, through grand mountain scenery, onward to the Cairnwell Pass into Aberdeenshire; contains three old castles, a famous rocking stone, and numerous cairns and ancient Caledonian stone circles; and has, at its head, the mountain Ben Ghulbhuinn (2641 feet). The quoad sacra parish comprises the Kirkmichael or upper portion of the glen, and is in the presbytery of Dunkeld and synod of Perth and Stirling; the minister's stipend is £120. Its church, at the hamlet, was built as a chapel of ease in 1831 for a population of 400, and contains nearly 400 sittings. A public school stands 1¾ mile SSE. Pop. of q. s. parish (1871) 241, (1881) 226.—Ord. Sur., sh 56, 1870.
Glenshee through time
Glenshee is now part of Perth and Kinross district. Click here for graphs and data of how Perth and Kinross has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Glenshee itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Glenshee, in Perth and Kinross and Perthshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/21431
Date accessed: 26th April 2024
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