Aberdeenshire, ScotlandEdit This Page

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Aberdeen is a maritime county in the north-east part of Scotland.  It is one of the most extensive counties in the kingdom and is bounded on the north by the Moray Firth, on the east by the German Ocean, on the south by the counties of Perth, Angus, and Kincardine, and on the west by the counties of Banff and Inverness.  It is eighty-six miles in extreme length and fourty-two miles in extreme breadth, comprising an area of 1985 square miles or 1,276,400 acres.  The county contains eighty-five parishes and eight civil districts.  It includes the three royal burghs of Aberdeen, Kintore, and Inverury, the market-towns of Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Turriff and Meldrum, and numerous large fishing villages on the coast.  In 1851 the population was 192,387.

The surface of the county, towards the sea, is tolerably level, but the greater portion forms part of the central highlands and consists of high mountains interspersed with a few valleys.  About one-third of the land is under cultivation.  There are quarries for granite, freestone, and limestone.  The coast is bold and rocky with some level beach, and there are several bays.

(Source:  Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Scotland, 2nd ed. 1851; Family History Library book 941 E5L.)

Contents 1 Archives and Libraries 2 Census 3 Maps 4 Parishes 5 Poorhouse Records 6 Societies 7  Helpful Websites

Archives and Libraries

The Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Archives has recently put the catalogue to their collection on the Internet at Their collection of genealogical value includes:

• Records of the poor relating to Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Banffshire and Kincardineshire
• School records for Aberdeenshire, Morayshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Aberdeen City
• Burial records for some City cemeteries, as well as some in Aberdeenshire
• Records for several burghs in Aberdeen and Moray shires.
• Congregational, Episcopal and Methodist Church Records for a number of congregations in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
• Tax lists from as early as the 15th century 
• Valuation Rolls and Registers of Electors

Some burial records in their collection have been digitized and are searchable online at http://www.deceasedonline.com/.

The Aberdeen City Library has a local studies collection that includes published:

• Parish and local histories
• Biographies and family history
• Education, literature and architecture sources
• Local authority minutes and development plans
• Electoral and valuation rolls
• Newspapers and Periodicals
• Directories
• Maps
• Photographs

Census

The Scottish government began taking censuses of its population in 1841, and every ten years there after. The records must be 100 years old before they are released to the public, so the most recent record available is for the 1911 census.  Read more about Census Records.

Many census records have been indexed by surname. Some indexes cover one parish (and will be listed in the Wiki on the parish page) and some indexes are for the county as a whole. The Family History Library has county-wide census placename indexes for Aberdeenshire for 1881.  Click here for other census indexes available at the library.

Maps

Click on the map at the right to see a larger version, and click again on the larger map. Next, click on the ‘Expand’ button when it appears in the lower right-hand corner of the map.

 

Parishes

Here is a list of the historic parishes in the county of Aberdeen. Click on the parish name to see information about records.  See below for a map of the Aberdeenshire parishes.

PARISH	No.	***	PARISH	No.
Aberdeen	168a		Kincardine O'Neil	209
Aberdour	169		King Edward	210
Aboyne	170		Kinkell--see Keithall and Kinkell	206
Alford	171		Kinnellar	211
Auchindoir and Kearn	172		Kinnethmont	212
Auchterless	173		Kinnoir--see Huntley	202
Belhelvie	174		Kintore	213
Birse	175		Leochel-Cushnie	214
Bourtie	176		Leslie	215
Braemar--see Crathie and Braemar	183		Logie Buchan	216
Cabrach	177		Logie Coldstone	217
Cairney	178		Longside	218
Chapel of Garioch	179		Lonmay	219
Clatt	180		Lumphannan	220
Cluny	181		Methlick	221
Coull	182		Midmar	222
			Millbrex	222B
Crathie and Braemar	183		Monquhitter	223
Crimond	184		Monymusk	224
Cruden	185		New Deer	225
Culsalmond	186		Newhills	226
Cushnie--see Leochel-Cushnie	214		New Machar	227
Daviot	187		Old Deer	228
Drumblade	188		Old Machar	168b
Drumoak	189		Old Meldrum	229
Dumbennan--see Huntly	202		Oyne	230
Dyce	190		Peterculter	231
Echt	191		Peterhead	232
Ellon	192		Pitsligo	233
Essie--see Rhynie	237a		Premnay	234
Fintray	193		Rathen	235
Forgue	194		Rayne	236
Foveran	195		Rhynie (with Essie)	237b
Fraserburgh	196		Savoch	237b
Fyvie	197		Skene	238
Gartly	198		Slains	239
Glass	199		Strathdon	240
Glenbucket	200		Strichen	241
Glengairn--see Glenmuick	201		Tarland & Migvy	242
Glenmuick	201		Tarves	243
Huntly	202		Tough	244
Insch	203		Towie	245
Internochtie--see Strathdon	240		Tullich--see Glenmuick	201
Inverurie	204		Tullynessle & Forbes	246
Kearn--see Auchindour	205		Turriff	247
Keig	205		Tyrie	248
Keithall and Kinkell	206		Udny	249
Kemnay	207
Kildrummy	208

Poorhouse Records

There are three poorhouses:

Aberdeen www.workhouses.org.uk/Aberdeen/

Buchan Combination (Maud) www.workhouses.org.uk/Buchan/

Old Machar (Aberdeen) www.workhouses.org.uk/Aberdeen/

[Return to the Scotland counties list.]

Societies

The Aberdeen & North-East Scotland Family History Society exists to assist and promote the study of genealogy and family history based on the North-East corner of Scotland. This area covers the old counties of Aberdeenshire, Banffshire, Kincardineshire and Morayshire.

 Helpful Websites

• Looking 4 Kin Genealogy & Family History Network - Aberdeenshire