Foveran

   FOVERAN, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 12 miles (N. by W.) from Aberdeen; containing, with the village of Newburgh and the barony of Kuockhall, 1620 inhabitants. This place was formerly remarkable for its castle, called Foveran, as is supposed, from a sweet and powerful spring, which still flows with its ancient vigour; but every vestige of the fortress is gone. The parish is situated in the district of Formartine, stretching along the coast of the German Ocean, and is separated on the north by the burn of Tarty from the parish of Logie-Buchan, and from the sands of Forvie on the east by the river Ythan. It is about seven miles in length, from east to west, and three in breadth, from north to south, and is watered by the beautiful burn of Foveran, which turns three meal-mills, and, after forming in its pleasing course the chief ornament in the scenery, which is nearly destitute of wood, falls into the Ythau at Newburgh. Agriculture is steadily pursued; but the principal interest of the locality lies in the fishing village and maritime port of Newburgh, which see. The land is generally fertile, and distributed into many good farms, producing fine crops; the farm-houses are mostly built of stone and lime, and are commodious and well finished: within the last twenty years large tracts of barren soil have been improved, and drains and fences constructed on an extensive scale. The mailroad from Aberdeen to Peterhead intersects the parish, and has several branches, one of which, called the Fiddes road, joins the Udny turnpike-road, opening important facilities of intercourse with that part of the country: there is also a turnpike-road from Aberdeen to Methlick, at the western extremity of the parish; and another has been just completed, which is found highly beneficial, from Old Meldrum to the village of Newburgh. About twenty head of fat-cattle are shipped every week at the port, for the London market; and lime, coal, timber, bones, &c. are imported. The rateable annual value of the parish is £5713. Foveran is in the presbytery of Ellon and synod of Aberdeen, and in the patronage of the Crown; the minister's stipend is £193, with a manse, and a glebe valued at £11 per annum. The church is a plain substantial edifice, built in 1794, and accommodating 700 persons; the interior contains two handsome marble monuments to the Foveran family, and another, of very superior character, designed by Bacon, to the Udny family. Excellent walls have recently been built round the churchyard, with money left for that purpose by Miss Robertson, of Foveran. The parochial school affords instruction in the usual branches; the master has a salary of £28, with about £31 fees. There is also a school at Cultercullen, in the western quarter, with an endowment of £8 per annum, and a free house, and piece of land. Mr. Mather, a native of the parish, left a sum for the establishment of four bursaries at Marischal College, under the patronage of the minister, for boys educated in the parochial school; also money for clothing and educating twenty poor fishermen's children belonging to Newburgh, and £20 per annum to the minister or schoolmaster for lecturing once in each week to the people in the village, About half a mile north of Newburgh, are the ruins of the castle of Knockhall, built in the year 1565, and accidentally burnt in 1734; it was the seat of the family of Udny, whose ancient burial-ground, also in the neighbourhood of the village, contains the remains of an old chapel generally called Rood Church.