Monzievaird and Strowan

"MONIVAIRD AND STROWAN, are united parishes in the district of East Perth, county Perth, Scotland. This united parish is bounded on the N. by Comrie and Monzie, by the former also on the W., by Muthill on the S., and by Crieff on the E. The river Earn, which formerly formed the boundary between for 3 miles, has greatly deviated in its course. The parish of Monivaird extends 8 miles from N. to S. in length, with an extreme breadth of 6 miles. The parish of Strowan, which joins Monivaird on the S. side of the Earn's valley, extends 6 miles in length from E. to W., with an extreme breadth of 3 miles. The united parish also includes several sections which are entirely isolated. The surface is hilly, and even mountainous in parts, abounding in sheepwalks. The highest hills are, Benchonzie, which, standing on the boundary, attains an altitude of 2,922 feet above sea-level, and Torlum Hill, at the southern extremity of Strowan, which rises 1,400 feet. The district is also varied by numerous lakes, the principal of which are Loch Turret and Loch Monivaird, which last has an old castle with an echo. The soil among the hills is chiefly of a moorish nature, while in the low grounds it is generally light, gravelly, and fertile. The larger portion of the land is in hilly pasture, with about 3,000 acres under cultivation, and the same quantity in wood. The prevailing rocks are greywacke and red sandstone in the hills, which, including slate, are quarried to a considerable extent. The principal part of this united parish is traversed by two roads along Strathearn, the detached sections being separated by the road betwixt Comrie and Callander. The village is distant 2 miles N.W. of Crieff, its post town, and is situated on the river Earn, under Benchonzie and other hills. It was given by the earls of Strathern to Inchaffrey Abbey in the beginning of the 13th century, at which period its name was Moivard. In 1511 this parish was the scene of the massacre of the clan Murray by the clan Drummond. The latter, being the most powerful, collected the men, women, and children belonging to the Murray clan into the old parish church, and set fire to it, when every soul, save one, was burned. Under Benchonzie Hill are Druidical stones, cairns, Cam Chainichin, or Kenneth's barrow, with some conical heaps, also Tom-a-hastle fort; but many of the cairns have recently been removed, and used as material for stone fences. This parish is in the presbytery of Auchterarder, and synod of Perth and Stirling, and in the patronage of the crown and the Earl of Kinnoul alternately. The minister has a stipend of £261. The united parish church was erected in 1804, up to which period there were formerly two parish churches. There is a parochial school. There are several residences in the neighbourhood, among which may be mentioned Lawers and Ochtertyre, near which latter is a Roman camp. Colonel Dow, author of the "History of Hindoostan," was a native of this parish, besides several other distinguished men."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003