Slains

A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875

Etymology
The name of this parish has been written Slains as far back as can be traced; and as to that of Forvie, no satisfactory account can be given; neither are there my satisfactory records when Forvie (now overblown with sand) was united to Slains.

Boundaries
The parish is bounded on the north by Cruden; on the east by the German Ocean; on the south and south-west by the river Ythan and the parishes of Foveran and Logie-Buchan; and on the west, also by Logie-Buchan.

Extent
The greatest length of the parish in a direct line is from the mouth of the Ythan to near Auchenten in Cruden, nearly seven miles; and its greatest breadth, also in direct line, from the sea to near Birness, is 4¼ miles. The whole area is computed to be 9,276 acres.

Topography
The surface of the parish is undulatory, rising from the Ythan and from the sea shore, the north part of which, from Hackley-head to the march with Cruden, is composed of a series of rocky cliffs, ranging from 50 to 150 feet above sea level; and from Hackley-head to the mouth of the Ythan, about one-tbird of the whole sea-board, the shore is composed of fine sand--"the sands of Forvie, which presents a scene more in accordance with the desolation of an African wilderness, than the blue hills and green fields of my native Caledonia."
From the Preventive Coastguard station, northward to Hell's-lum, the rocks are bold and precipitous, with many caves entering from the sea, the Dropping Cave, or White Cave of Slains, being one of the chief natural curiosities of the district. The cave of Hell's-lum is said to be upwards of 200 feet in length, and, in some places, 30 feet in height. About a mile north of the church are the ruins of the old castle of Slains, anciently the seat of the Errol family. It stands on the top of "bold precipitous rocks and steep braes, with a fine bay on the north, and a broad sweep inland on the south, over which the rocks tower to a magnificent height, form the principal features of the place." There is one fissure about 30 yards in length, four feet in width, and from 20 to 30 feet in height, called the Needle's Eye, which runs through a round hill near the manse. This fissure or tunnel, perforates a round bluff hill of solid rock, which is covered with a layer of earth to the depth of several feet, and its sides are polished by the action of the waves, which, in an easterly gale, rushes through it with terrific violence. "The chief celebrity of these caves," says Mr. Dunn, "arose from their having afforded excellent places of concealment for contraband goods, in the high and palmy state of smuggling, which was carried on here to an almost incredible extent."
The sands of Forvie stretch from the Ythan along the seashore to near the village of Collieston, and average fully a mile in breadth, covering nearly 2,000 acres of land. They are composed of a series of sand and scantily covered bent hillocks, representing a sandy desert of no mean magnitude, and terminated on the north by the Sand-loch and the loch of Cothill, both being about 110 feet above sea level. North and westward of the church, the parish presents an undulating appearance. The Muckle Loch, being surrounded on three sides by the Kippet-hills (which are about 50 feet above its level), is 134 feet; the mosses of Loch Lundie range from 220 to 240 feet; and the road on the boundary with Cruden, opposite to South Kiplaw, is 278 feet above sea level.

[A New History of Aberdeenshire, Alexander Smith (Ed), 1875]