Places

Over time I would like to create a snapshot of the folk who lived in the Parish of Birse at a particular time.

This will be based on the 1792 List of Inhabitants for the Parish compiled by the Rev Joseph Smith.

This is the same listing that was used as a basis for the Statistical Account of the Parish of Birse in 1792.

Photographs of various places in Birse

Auchabrack

Forest of Birse Church (the last of winter)	Forest of Birse Road
			A small bridge spanning a burn in the Forest of Birse walking from the Kirk up to Ballochan whins in bloom
Wester Floors Forest of Birse

				Torquhandallochy “The hill at the end of the field or haugh”

Pronounced Tor-fun-lachie (stress on the “fun”) known locally as “Torms” Noted in Aboyne Records in 1539
		Looking out towards Balnacraig from the dyke at “Torms”
Looking out over the River Dee Towards the Cairngorms from the dyke at “Torms”
Clochnaben The distinctive mountain with the bump on the side overlooking the parishes of Birse and Strachan
Potarch Bridge Potarch pronounced “Piterch” emphasis on “terch”. From the Gaelic Poll tairbh, the bull’s pond referring to the pool in the Dee there

Looking out over Powlair From poll laire, mare’s pool

Source for meanings of placenames:

“The Place-Names of Aberdeenshire” by William M Alexander Printed for the Third Spalding Club 1952