Aberdalgie and Dupplin Perthshire Scotland

Aberdalgie and Dupplin, Perthshire, Scotland. Aberdalgie and Dupplin in 1846. Aberdalgie and Dupplin, a parish, in the county of Perth, 3 miles (S. W.) from Perth; containing 360 inhabitants. These two ancient parishes were united in the year 1618, and are beautifully situated on an eminence forming the northern boundary of the vale of Strathearn; they measure about 3 miles in length, from east to west, and 2½ miles in breadth, and comprise 2900 acres, of which more than 2000 are under tillage, and the remainder wood and waste. The river Earn flows on the south, and, with its picturesque windings through the strath, and its banks, ornamented with gentlemen's seats, good farm-houses, and well-cultivated lands, forms a principal feature in the interesting scenery of the locality. In the direction of the river, the prospect is terminated by the Ochil hills; and towards the north, where the higher lands of the parish gradually slope, appear the vales of the Almond, the Tay, and Strathmore, the richly diversified views being bounded by the Grampian mountains. The parish consists of six large farms and three of smaller extent, which are under the best system of husbandry, and produce in the northern district, where the climate is sharp and the soil cold and tilly, oats, barley, peas, and beans; in the southern portion wheat is much cultivated, the greater warmth of the sun and the rich loamy and clayey soil favouring its growth. Among the many improvements in agriculture, wedge-draining has been of great service on wet cold grounds, and is extensively practised; and the introduction of turnip husbandry, and the increase in the growth of potatoes, have proved highly beneficial. The prevailing rock is the old red sandstone, of which there are several quarries.

Dupplin Castle, the seat of the Earl of Kinnoull, the sole heritor, was accidentally burnt on the 11th of Sept., 1827, and a new edifice was erected on the same site, and completed about the year 1832, in the Elizabethan style, by the present earl, at a cost of upwards of £30,000. The wood on the property is exceedingly beautiful, extending to some hundreds of acres, and comprising sweet and horse chesnuts, beech, spruce, and Scotch fir, some of which are of large bulk and stature. The castle was visited by Her Majesty, during her tour in Scotland, on the 6th of Sept., 1842; she arrived here at two o'clock, and, after partaking of a sumptuous déjeúner, received a deputation from the city of Perth, consisting of the lord provost, magistrates, and other authorities, who presented a loyal address. The old road from Perth to Stirling passes through the northern declivity of the parish, and a new line was finished in 1811, running along the plain below, for the commencement of which the Earl of Kinnoull advanced £3000. On the sides, many excellent farm-houses have been built, and it has proved of great advantage to the locality for the conveyance of lime and other manures, as well as for the export of general produce, consisting chiefly of grain and potatoes, sent to Perth and Newburgh. The parish is in the presbytery of Perth and synod of Perth and Stirling, and in the alternate patronage of the Crown and the Earl of Kinnoull; the minister's stipend is £157. 19. 4., with a manse, and a glebe of 14 acres, including the site of the manse, garden, &c. The present church of Aberdalgie was built in 1773, and under it a vault was constructed for the Hay-Drummond family, though their ancient burialplace is at the church of Kinnoull: in the churchyard is the cemetery of the lords Oliphant, of Bachilton, for centuries the feudal lords of Aberdalgie, and on the outside is a large stone with a well-executed figure of a warrior. The foundations of the old church of Dupplin are still remaining, within an inclosed churchyard. The parochial school affords instruction in the ordinary branches; the master has a salary of £34.4.4., with a house, and £14 fees. The Earl of Kinnoull takes the title of Viscount Dupplin from this place.