CULLEN, a parish and sea-port and burgh, in the county of Banff,
5 miles (W. by N.) from the town of Portsoy, and 170 (N. by E.) from
Edinburgh; containing 1564, inhabitants, of whom 712 are in the town
of Cullen, 7II in 1 the Sea-town of Cullen, and 141 in the rural district.
This place, the origin of the name of which is altogether
uncertain, was originally called Inverculan, being bounded on the north and west
by the water of Cullen, which falls into the sea on the
western side of the parish. In ancient times it formed
part of the parish of Fordyce. Its early history is for
the most part involved in obscurity; but there appears
to be no reason to doubt the truth of the tradition, that
a severe conflict took place here between the Danes and
the Scots under Indulfus, in the year 960. The Scottish
king was killed by an arrow at the head of his troops;
but the enemy were completelj' routed, and this battle is
supposed to have been among the last fought with the
Danes before their expulsion from the kingdom in the
beginning of the eleventh century. It is known by the
name of " the battle of the Baads ", on account of the
field of action (which was the moor of Rannachie) being
called the Baads of Cullen; tumuli abound in every
direction, and the decayed bones and fragments of arms
contained in them are concluded to be deposits of the
remains of the defeated army. The lands have from a
remote period been the property of the ancestors of the
Earl of Seafield, the present proprietor, who traces his
descent from Gilchrist Ogilvie, created Earl of Angus by
King Malcolm Canmorc. A bede-house was erected,
most probably by one of this family, and endowed for
the support of eight decayed farmers and eight farmers'
widows i but the hospital system was abolished about
sixty or seventy years since, and the funds arc now applied
by the Earl of Seafield, who has the management.
in the distribution of meal to poor families belonging to
his estates in the parishes of Cullen, Rathven, Deskford,
and Fordyce. The church of Cullen, originally dedicated
to St. Mary, was founded by Robert I., whose
queen, Elizabeth, is supposed to have been buried in it,
and who appointed a chaplain, with an endowment, to
offer up prayers for her soul. It had a provost, six
prebendaries, and two singing boys, whose offices were
founded in 1543, by one of the Ogilvies, aided by several
eminent persons of both the clergy and laity: the foundation
was endowed with considerable property and
many privileges, and vvas subsequently confirmed by
William, Bishop of Aberdeen, and John, Archbishop of
St. Andrew's. The town was much exposed in turbulent
times to the violence of party commotions. It was
repeatedly plundered by the Marquess of Montrose; on
one occasion, in May 1645, he sent troops to the place,
who first plundered it of every thing valuable, and then
burnt it to the ground.
The TOWN is situated on the coast of the Moray Firth,
and consists of two parts, entirely separated, called respectively
the New-town and the Sea or Fish town.
The former of these received its distinguishing appellation
from its recent erection in place of the old town,
which was meanly built, and entirely demoli.shed about
the year 1S5'2 to make room for the improvements of
Cullen House. It stands nearer to the sea than the old
town, being close to the eastern extremity of the Seatown,
and is on a much higher site. There are many
good houses, regularly and tastefully disposed; and it
has altogether a neat and interesting appearance, forming
a striking contrast to the miscellaneous collection
of fishermen's tenements below, constituting the Seatown.
All the buildings contemplated in the plan are
not yet completed; but the favourable situation of
the place for fishing and agricultural occupations, and
the agreeable character of the surrounding district,
afford every promise of future advancement. Its contiguity
to the beautiful bay of Cullen, and the picturesque
grounds of Cullen House, with the traffic of the
post-road from Banff to Fochabers, which runs through
it, invest the immediate locality with a lively and pleasing
aspect; while the highly diversified scenery around,
comprising hill and dale, wood and water, with well cultivated
fields, and the precipitous and majestic rocks
along the shore, unite to render the environs attractive.
Some of the eminences command fine views of the sea,
enlivened with trading-vessels and fishing-boats, with the
lofty headland of Scarnose at the western extremity of
the bay, and the Castle hill, the site of an old fortification,
overhanging the Sea-town; and over the Firth, in
the distance, are seen the sable mountains of Sutherland
and Caithness. The Bin hill, bordering upon the parish,
and ri.':^ing IO76 feet above the sea, and which is planted
with trees of various kinds, is also a prominent object in
the surrounding scenery, and affords an excellent landmark
to maiiners. The town contains numerous good
shops, and has every convenience calculated to render it
a desirable place of residence: many of the houses are
lighted with gas, supplied by a company established in
1841 with a capital of £1000. Among the public buildings
the most conspicuous is the hotel, erected in 1822,
at a cost of £3000, by the Earl of Seafield. It is situated
in the public square, and has attached to it an elegant
ballroom, forty-three feet long and twentv-three broad;
a spacious room in which the sheriff and justice-of-peace
courts are held; and the council-room of the burgh, an
elegant circular apartment, twenty-three feet in diameter
and sixteen feet high.
The inhabitants were formerly much engaged in manufactures.
In 174s the Earl of Findlater and Seafield introduced
the manufacture of linen, and subsequently
sixty-five looms were constantly at work, some of them
for weaving damask, besides seven stocking-looms. In
addition to this, a great number of webs were given out
to be woven by country-people in their own houses; but
these sources of employment have now all ceased, and
the inhabitants are almost exclusively occupied in agriculture
and fishing. There are about thirty boats belonging
to the place which are engaged in fishing for cod,
skate, ling, and haddocks: the herring-fishery, on account
of some recent failures in the quantity of fish, has
been given up, and the men and their boats are hired
every season by the curers at Wick, Macduff, Fraserburgh,
and Peterhead. The average annual value of the
several fisheries carried on in the bay is £7543, including
£750 for the salmon-fishery. About twenty persons are
employed in boat-building, and complete above forty
boats each year; and recently, five vessels varying in
burthen from 40 to 110 tons have been built here in
three years. The harbour, which is small but convenient,
was constructed by the Earl of Seafield in I8I7, and
enlarged in 1834 with an additional quay, the cost of the
whole work amounting to more than £10,000; the water
at neap tides is eight feet and a half deep, and at spring
tides twelve feet. There are four vessels belonging to
the port of from 40 to 100 tons each, the aggregate
burthen being 270 tons. Coal, salt, staves, and barley for
distillation, constitute the chief imports; and the exports
are herrings, dried-fish, timber, oats, and potatoes. A
distillery was erected in 1824, and considerably enlarged
in 1S28; it produces upwards of 25,000 gallons of proof
spirits annually, and on the water of Cullen are a lintmill,
a saw-mill, and a meal-mill. Steam-boats plying
between Inverness and Leith visit the bay. A weekly
market is held during the spring months for the sale of
grain; and there are fairs, principally for the hiring of
servants, on the third Friday in May, the second Friday
in November, and the 7th of January.
Cullen is a royal burgh of considerable antiquity, as
appears from a charter of James I., dated 1455, ratifying
one of Robert I., by which the usual liberties and privileges
had been granted. It was at one time a constabulary,
of which the Earl of Findlater was hereditary
constable, by virtue of an ancient right; but the council
now consists of a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild,
treasurer, and thirteen others, the jurisdiction extending
over a district of about three miles from east to west and
two from north to south. The parliamentary boundaries
are much less extensive than those of the royalty: the
burgh is united with Elgin, Banff, Inverury, Peterhead,
and Kintore, in sending a member, and of the constituency
of the whole about thirty-eight belong to Cullen.
A sheriff small-debt court, for suras not exceeding £8.
6. 8., is held on the second Thursday in February, June,
and October; and a justice-of-peace court on the first
Tuesday in every month, for sums not exceeding £5.
A lock-up house containing three apartments is used for
the punishment of delinquents, and for the custody of
persons to be afterwards sent to the county gaol.
The PARISH is about a mile and a half in length from
north to south, and one mile in breadth. It comprises
an area of 684 acres, of which 34 are occupied as the site
of the to\vn,4'25 are arable, 1 10 park-ground belonging to
CuUen House, and the remainder waste pasturage and
moor, along the sea-shore. The land in general is of
superior quality, consisting of a rich loam incumbent on
clay or gravel, and yielding crops of wheat, barley, oats,
potatoes, and turnips; the soil on the higher grounds
is thin, resting on gravel, but tolerably productive, and
most of the land owes its abundant returns, in a great
measure, to the profusion of fish-refuse applied as
manure. About 200 acres of land are let to the inhabitants
of the town in small allotments, each being sufficient
for the support of a cow. The towns-people
usually keep Banffshire cows; the cattle on the farms
are mostly a cross between the Banffshire and the Teeswater:
the sheep are chiefly of the Cheviot kind. The
annual value of real property in the parish is £2243.
Cullen House, situated at a small distance from the town,
is an ancient structure with many splendid apartments
elegantly furnished. It is embosomed in plantations
covering about thirty acres, and comprising all the trees,
both useful and ornamental, found in the country. At
the base of the rock on which the mansion stands flows
the water of Cullen, here crossed by a stone bridge of
one arch; and the numerous winding walks and drives
also contribute to the beautifully picturesque appearance
of the pleasure-grounds. Ecclesiastically the parish is
in the presbytery of Fordyce, synod of Aberdeen, and in
the patronage of the Earl of Seafield. The minister's
stipend is £156, of which about a fourth is received from
the exchequer; with a manse, and a glebe valued at £27
per annum. Cullen church, accommodating 800 persons,
is a cruciform structure of great antiquity, but still in
very good condition. It is situated in the centre of the
old burying-ground, nearly encompassed by the lands of
Cullen House; and the interior contains many elegant
monuments to members of the Findlater and Seafield
family who were buried here. A portion of the parish
of llathven has long been attached to Cullen quoad
sacra, and a church was erected in that district in 1839,
chiefly by the assistance of the Earl of Seafield. A place
of worship has been erected in connexion with the Free
Church. The parochial or grammar school affords instruction
in the usual branches; the master has a salary
of £36, with a house and garden, between £10 and £15
fees, and a share in the Dick bequest. A parochial
library was established in 1830. Of the eminent characters
connected with this parish may be mentioned,
James, fourth Earl of Findlater and first Earl of Seafield,
the distinguished lawyer and statesman, who died
in 1/30; and James, sixth Earl of Findlater and third
Earl of Seafield, who introduced into the north of Scotland
those improvements in agriculture and manufactures
which raised it so considerably in civilization:
he died at Cullen House in 1/70. Sir James Clark,
Bart., first physician in ordinary to Her Majesty, was
born in the parish in 1788.