KINGOODIE, a village, in the parish of LongFORGAN,
county of Perth, I5 mile (E. by S.) from
Loogforgan; containing 263 inhabitants. This village,
which is on the banks of the river Tay, is chiefly inhabited
by persons employed in the extensive quarries of freestone
situated here, and which have been in operation for five
or six centuries. The stone of these quarries is of a
bluish colour, and exceedingly compact and durable,
though consequently diflicult to work; it is also susceptible
of a very high polish. The tower of Dundee, which
was built towards the close of the tvielfth century, and
at present exhibits no symptoms of decay, and Castle-
Hiuitly, built in the fifteenth century, were both erected
with stone from these quarries. Considerable quantities
of it are raised for various buildings in the vicinity, and
for exportation to Aberdeen, Perth, and Dundee, where
it has been used in the construction of docks, piers, and
other works. The rock in some parts is more than
seventy feet in depth; and immensely large blocks are
obtained entire, some of them more than ten tons in
weight. The lessees of the quarries have constructed a
small harbour here for the boats employed, two of which
are of thirty and one of fifty tons' burthen, the former
almost confined to the navigation of the river, and the
latter occupied in the conveyance of the stone to more
distant ports. At this small port, lime and coal are
landed from Sunderland for the supply of the neighbourhood,
and grain and potatoes are shipped for the London
market. Facility of intercourse is maintained with the
other parts of the parish by good roads, kept in repair
by statute labour; and from the high road by the coast
to Aberdeen, a line branches off at Longforgan to the
quarries of this place.