BOHARM, a parish, partly in the county of Elgin,
but chiefly in that of Banff, 6 miles (W.) from Keith;
containing 1261 inhabitants. The original word Bucharin,
or Bocharin, from which Boharm has been formed,
is said to signify " the bow or bend about the hill". It
was correctly applied to this locality on account of the
cultivated part consisting chiefly of a valley, stretching
in a circular form around the north, east, and south
sides of the mountain of Benagen, which rises abruptly
from the Spey river, the boundary line of the district on
the west. There was formerly a church on the estate
of Arndilly, called the church of Artendol; and it appears
that, about the year 1215, one of the family of
Freskyn de Moravia, who had large estates here, granted
to the cathedral of" Moray " the church of Arteudol,
with all its pertinents, excepting the corn-tithes of the
two Davochs, which lay next to his castle of Bucharin ".
It is therefore conjectured that the old parish was named
Artendol, and that, upon the church there falling into
ruin, the chapel of the castle of Bucharin was used in
its stead as the parochial church, in consequence of
which the parish was called Bucharin. The parish was
augmented in l/SS, to the extent of about one-third,
by the annexation of part of the suppressed parish of
Dundurcus, lying on the east of the river. The whole
measures about twelve miles in extreme length, and four
at its greatest breadth, comprising 4739 acres under
tillage, besides a large extent of wood, mountain-pasture,
and waste. The lofty eminence of Benagen, situated
about the middle of the parish, and attaining an elevation
of 1500 feet above the sea, occupies so large a portion
of the surface as to render the valley at its base
comparatively narrow. At its summit level the valley is
about 400 feet above the sea, and from this height
gradually descends towards each extremity, when it
abruptly falls into the valley of the Spey. The sides of
the vale are cultivated for a considerable distance upwards,
as well as the bed; and the southern and eastern
sides of the mountain, for nearly half way up, have been
brought under tillage.
The Fiddich, a stream of some magnitude, flowing
between beautifully-wooded banks, forms a confluence
with the Spey near the bridge of Craigellachie, from
which point to the distance of a mile above the village
of Fochabers, the latter river separates this parish from
Rothes. Both these streams are subject to violent
floodings, and sometimes, by the sudden and irresistible
impulse of their waters, have destroyed the bridges,
tenements, crops, and almost every thing in their way.
A very ancient bridge, chiefly of wood, formerly crossed
the Spey near the influx of the Orchil, and was supposed
to have been constructed by the Romans under
Severus; but no remains of it have been visible for
many years: the passage was afterwards accomplished
by a ferry-boat. An establishment called the Hospital
of St. Nicholas stood near this bridge, on the Boharm
side of the river, having been founded in the beginning
of the thirteenth century by Muriel de Pollock, heiress
of Rothes, and dedicated to God, the Virgin, and St.
Nicholas, for the reception of poor passengers. Andrew,
Bishop of Moray, granted to the hospital the church of
Rothes with its pertinents, and Alexander II. in 1232
endowed it with a chaplaincy: it had pretty extensive
estates also in the neighbourhood. It is supposed that
the bridge was kept in repair by this house, and that,
about the time of the Reformation, the structure either
fell to decay, or was destroyed by a flood, and, having
lost its means of support, was not renewed. The ruins
of the hospital were removed, and a new bridge built, a
few years since, at a cost of £3500, on the suspension
principle, viith a span of 235 feet. The Orchil, or burn
of Mullen, formed by a collection of the waters of the
lower part of the district where a valley from Keith opens
into the circular valley, runs rapidly through a rocky and
romantic channel into the Spey at Boat of Bridge; and
the Aldernie conveys the waters of the upper district to
the Fiddich. These streams abound with trout, which,
as well as grilse and salmon, are also found in the Spey.
The soil in some parts is gravelly, and in others
sandy, but is more frequently clayey, and very retentive
of moisture. All sorts of grain are raised, the wheat in
small quantity, and also most kinds of grasses and green
crops. Much attention is paid to turnips, the growth
of which has increased of late years, and large applications
of bone-manure have been made with great success.
Lint also is cultivated, but oats of excellent
quality are the staple article. Lime is extensively used
for agricultural purposes, and draining and the improvement
of waste land have been carried on with spirit;
good inclosures and farm-buildings are still much
needed, though in several parts the latter have been
greatly improved. The black-cattle, which are small in
size, are chiefly the Highland and the Aberdeenshire,
and the sheep are the Leicester and the Linton, the
former kept on the lower, and the latter on the higher,
grounds: there are some sheep also of the large English
breed, valued for the wool. The annual value of real
property in the parish is £3764.
Gneiss is the prevailing rock in the southern portion
of the district. Talc-slate is found in the principal
valley, and up to the summit of the hills, traversed by
veins of quartz, and by a strip of primitive limestone
originating in the great limestone formation of Banffshire.
This last is wrought for burning into lime, and
also for building, being well adapted for the latter purpose
on account of a siliceous mixture. The rocks in
the valley of the Spey are gneiss and quartz, in some
places overlaid by a large deposit of red clay and gravel,
spreading itself extensively in several directions. Boulders
of granite and hornblende are numerous, and supply
an excellent material for buildings. Mica-slate is
also found in large beds. The woods and plantations
form a prominent feature in the scenery, and comprise
almost every description of trees grown in the country.
In the south-west corner of the parish, on the bank of
the Spey, is the mansion-house of JnidiUy, occupying
an eminence once the site of the church, the remains of
which were removed to make way for the present residence,
and the ancient glebe now forms part of the lawn
before the mansion. It is situated in a recess of
Benagen, nearly surrounded by wood, with the river in
front, and commanding fine views. The only other
mansion is Auchlunkurt, a spacious residence in the
midst of plantations, and enlivened by a pleasing
brook; it has a colonnade and portico in the Grecian
style, and a conservatory, attached to the southern portion,
communicating with the drawing-room.
Ecclesiastically the parish is within the bounds of the
presbytery of Aberlour, synod of Moray, and in the
patronage of the Crown and the Earl of Fife; the
minister's stipend is above £200, with a manse, built in
18U, and a glebe valued at £22. 10. per annum. The
church and manse stand nearly in the centre of the parish,
upon the boundary line of the old parish and the
annexed portion of Dundurcus; the church was built in
1793, and accommodates 700 persons. The parochial,
or grammar, school affords instruction in the usual
branches; the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a
house, £17 fees, and a portion of the Dick bequest.
Boharm has also a parochial library, and a savings'
bank instituted in 1821. The castle to Bucharin, now
Galval, supposed to have been built by the Freskyns, is
the chief antiquity, forming a fine ruin, situated on an
eminence between the brooks Aldernie and Fiddich:
silver spoons were found under the buildings some years
since; and lately, from beneath a stone in the floor of
the oratory, a silver ring was taken up, on which was a
small shield, with two martial figures. James Ferguson,
the celebrated astronomer, received the rudiments of his
education here; he died in the year 1/66.