KEITH-AND-HUMBIE, a parish, in the county of
Haddington, 8 miles (S. W. by S.) from Haddington;
containing 881 inhabitants. This parish was formed,
subsequently to the Reformation, by the union of the
two parishes of Keith-Symmars and Keith-Hundeley.
It is about si.x miles in length from east to west, and
five in breadth from north to south, comprising an irregular
area which, towards the south-western extremity,
is intersected by part o£ the parish of Fala. Keith and
Humbie parish is bounded on the north by the parish
of Pencaitland; on the east by the parishes of Bolton,
Salton, and Yester; on the south by the Laramermoor
hills; on the west and south-west by the parishes of
Crichton and Fala; and on the north-west by those of
Ormiston and Cranston. Its surface is greatly diversified,
rising gradually from the northern part of the
parish, which is 350 feet above the level of the sea, till
it attains a height of 600 feet at the base of the Lammermoor
hills, of which Lammerlaw, the loftiest eminence
of the range, has an elevation of 1*200 feet, and
other eminences vary from 800 to 1000 feet. The lands
are watered by three rivulets, which have their source in
the higher grounds, and in their way through the parish
acquire a sufficient strength to give impulse to several
mills. Of these streams the Keith and the Humbie unite
their waters a little below the church, and after flowing
in one channel for nearly two miles, receive the waters
of the Birnswater, which, from its rise to its junction,
forms the eastern boundary of the parish: they all three
abound with trout of good quality. The scenery is enriched
with timber of mature growth, and with young
and thriving plantations. Humbie wood comprises an
area of 400 acres of oak, birch, beech, and firs, many of
which display luxuriancy of growth, and in combination
with the adjoining woods in the parish of Salton form a
conspicuous and beautiful feature in the landscape, finely
contrasting with the various aspects of the Lammermoor
hills, some of which are covered with barren heath and
others with lively verdure.
In some places the soil is a rich loam, in others a
light sand, and in others again, clayey and mossy. The
number of acres in the parish is estimated at 17,000, of
which about 7'JOO are arable or capable of tillage. A
considerable portion of the mossy bogs in the Lammermoor
range has been reclaimed by open surface-draining,
and converted into excellent pasturage; and from '200 to
300 acres more might be brought into profitable cultivation.
In addition to the 400 acres forming Humbie
wood, about 100 are covered with plantations in the
different demesne lands; and '2500 acres arc hilly pasture
and moor. The system of agriculture, which has
always been good, is at present in a highly improved
state; the crops are wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, peas,
and turni])s. Rape-dust manure has been successfully
employed in the cultivation of wheat, and bone-dust on
the turnip grounds. The farm houses and olliees are
substantial and well arranged: the lands are inclosed
partly with stone dykes, but chiefly with hedges of
thorn, which have been planted at considerable expense,
even where the soil was not originally favo\irable to
their growth. Great attention is paid to live stock:
the sheep are generally of the Cheviot breed, or a cross
between the Cheviot and the Leicestershire, with a few
of the black-faced, which, however, are diminishing in
number; about 3000 sheep are kept, and more than
300 head of cattle. The annual value of real property in
Keith and Humbie is £"603. Whitburgh, a handsome
modern mansion, pleasantly situated; Keith House,
an ancient mansion, formerly the residence of the Earls-
Marischal of Scotland, the timber for the erection
of which was a present from the King of Denmark;
and the mansion of Johnstonburn, lately much improved
and enlarged; are the houses of note in the parish.
There is facility of communication with the towns of
Haddington and Dalkeith, which are the chief markets
in this part of the country for the sale of agricultural
produce. The roads throughout the parish are kept in
repair by statute labour: over each of the rivulets is a
good stone bridge of one arch. Ecclesiastically the
parish is within the bounds of the presbytery of Haddington,
synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. The stipend
of the incumbent is £2/2: the manse was erected in
1790, and enlarged in 1822, and is a comfortable residence;
the glebe is valued at £10 per annum. The
church, situated nearly in the centre of the parish, was
built in 1800, and is a plain substantial edifice adapted
to a congregation of 400 persons. A place of worship
has been erected for members of the Free Church.
There are two parochial schools, the masters of which
have each a salary of £30, with a house and garden, and
the fees.