Dalgety Bay, as described in 1882
17 October
Thanks to George Owenson for submitting these articles, which first appeared in a Gazetteer of 1882.
Dalgety is a coast parish of S.W. Fife, containing the villages of St. David's, Fordel and Moss-green, and traversed down to the coast at St. David's by the Fordel mineral railway; whilst its church stands 1-5/8 miles West by South of the post town Aberdour, and 4 miles West by South of Burntisland. It is bounded West and North by Dunfermline, North East by Aberdour, and South East by the Firth of Forth, here from 1-3/4 to 4 miles broad. Its utmost length, from North to South, is 4 miles; its breadth, from East to West, varies between 4 furlongs and 2-5/8 miles.
The coast-line is fully 5 miles long, if one follows the bends of Barnhill, Braefoot, Dalgety and Donibristle Bays, the largest of which, Dalgety Bay, measures 6 furlongs across the entrance, and 4 thence to its inmost recess. From the shore, which in places is beautifully wooded right down to the water's edge, the surface here and there rises steeply to 100 feet any more above sea- level, thence gently ascending throughout the interior, till close to the northern border, l/4 mile East of Crossgates, it attains 426 feet.
A darkly-wooded glen, cleaving the grounds of Fordel, is traversed by a brook which makes a fine waterfall of 50 feet; and a beautiful little loch is at Otterston, which still boasts some magnificent trees. The rocks are chiefly of the Carboniferous formation, and include great abundance of sand-stone, limestone, and coal; the last, of very superior quality is mined at Fordel. The arable soil is loam, partly light and dry, more generally deep and strong .
A village of Dalgety stood at the head of Dalgety Bay, 1/2 mile South South East of the present church; but the ivy-clad ruins of St. Bridget's Kirk, dating from the 12th century, are all that now mark its site. First Pointed in style, these retain a piscina and a number of quaint old epitaphs; whilst Chancellor Seton, first Earl of Dunfermline is buried in a vault to the West.
Other antiquities are Fordel Castle and a fragment of Couston Castle, at the East end of Otterston Loch, the retreat this of Charles I's persecuted chaplain, the Rev. Robert Blair, whose grave is at Aberdour; of Seton's favourite residence, Dalgety House, not so much as a stone remains.
The chief mansions are Donibristle House, Fordel House, Cockairnie and Otterston (1589), the two last both the property of Captain Moubray, R.N., whose ancestor, a cadet of the Bambougle Moubrays, settled here in 1511.
Giving off its northern portion to the 'quod sacra' Parish of Mossgreen, Dalgety is in the Presbytery of Dunfermline and Synod of Fife; the living is worth £358. The present church, built in 1830, is a good Gothic structure, containing 500 sittings; and 2 public schools, Hillend and Mossgreen, with respective accommodation for 116 and 220 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 102 and 168, and grants of £80 l ls.and £147. Valuation (1882) £7695. 15s. 5d. Population (1801) 890, (1861) 1569, (1881) 1321.
Dalgety is a coast parish of S.W. Fife, containing the villages of St. David's, Fordel and Moss-green, and traversed down to the coast at St. David's by the Fordel mineral railway; whilst its church stands 1-5/8 miles West by South of the post town Aberdour, and 4 miles West by South of Burntisland. It is bounded West and North by Dunfermline, North East by Aberdour, and South East by the Firth of Forth, here from 1-3/4 to 4 miles broad. Its utmost length, from North to South, is 4 miles; its breadth, from East to West, varies between 4 furlongs and 2-5/8 miles.
The coast-line is fully 5 miles long, if one follows the bends of Barnhill, Braefoot, Dalgety and Donibristle Bays, the largest of which, Dalgety Bay, measures 6 furlongs across the entrance, and 4 thence to its inmost recess. From the shore, which in places is beautifully wooded right down to the water's edge, the surface here and there rises steeply to 100 feet any more above sea- level, thence gently ascending throughout the interior, till close to the northern border, l/4 mile East of Crossgates, it attains 426 feet.
A darkly-wooded glen, cleaving the grounds of Fordel, is traversed by a brook which makes a fine waterfall of 50 feet; and a beautiful little loch is at Otterston, which still boasts some magnificent trees. The rocks are chiefly of the Carboniferous formation, and include great abundance of sand-stone, limestone, and coal; the last, of very superior quality is mined at Fordel. The arable soil is loam, partly light and dry, more generally deep and strong .
A village of Dalgety stood at the head of Dalgety Bay, 1/2 mile South South East of the present church; but the ivy-clad ruins of St. Bridget's Kirk, dating from the 12th century, are all that now mark its site. First Pointed in style, these retain a piscina and a number of quaint old epitaphs; whilst Chancellor Seton, first Earl of Dunfermline is buried in a vault to the West.
Other antiquities are Fordel Castle and a fragment of Couston Castle, at the East end of Otterston Loch, the retreat this of Charles I's persecuted chaplain, the Rev. Robert Blair, whose grave is at Aberdour; of Seton's favourite residence, Dalgety House, not so much as a stone remains.
The chief mansions are Donibristle House, Fordel House, Cockairnie and Otterston (1589), the two last both the property of Captain Moubray, R.N., whose ancestor, a cadet of the Bambougle Moubrays, settled here in 1511.
Giving off its northern portion to the 'quod sacra' Parish of Mossgreen, Dalgety is in the Presbytery of Dunfermline and Synod of Fife; the living is worth £358. The present church, built in 1830, is a good Gothic structure, containing 500 sittings; and 2 public schools, Hillend and Mossgreen, with respective accommodation for 116 and 220 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 102 and 168, and grants of £80 l ls.and £147. Valuation (1882) £7695. 15s. 5d. Population (1801) 890, (1861) 1569, (1881) 1321.
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