EDINKILLIE PARISH lies to the south of Forres and has a breadth of about seven miles by thirteen in length. The church which is near the centre of the parish is about eight and a half miles from Forres and has the most romantic situation perhaps of any church in the north of Scotland. It stands on the bank of the Divie, a black tumbling stream that dashes from rock to rock along the bottom of deep narrow ravines and, a little farther down, falls into the Findhorn.
As a whole the parish of Edinkillie is quite famous for its scenery. A walk along the banks of the Findhorn from a point some two miles above Forres to near the Church of Edinkillie, a distance of six miles or thereby, presents a magnificence of scenery which tourists who have travelled all over Scotland declare no other part of the country can equal. The Trossachs have a beauty of a different kind, but for wild grandeur they are not for a moment to be compared with the banks of the Findhorn, The Heronry, Sluie, the influx of the Divie, Randolph’s Leap, which are all familiar to the lovers of fine scenery in the North and to many from other parts of the world.
The woods of Darnaway on the west and Altyre and Logie on the east are very extensive and unsurpassed in beauty. Now that there is railway communication to the district, the scenery will soon become better known than it has hitherto been and cannot fail of itself to attract many tourists to this part of the country. The viaduct which carries the Inverness and Perth Junction Railway over the Divie near the Church of Edinkillie is said to be the finest bridge in the north of Scotland. It has seven arches and the height from the surface of the water to the rails is about 110 feet. The Inverness and Perth Junction passes through the whole length of the parish. The station is near the post office, about a mile below the church.
The population in 1861 was 615 males and 688 females, in all 1303.

HERITORS
The Earl of Moray,
C L Cumming Bruce of Dunphail, MP
Sir A P G Cumming of Altyre, Bart
George Robert Smith Esq of Relugas
Mrs Valiant Cumming of Logie

PATRON
The Right Honourable The Earl of Moray

MINISTER
The Reverend Peter Ferries, ordained 1828,
Stipend £123.6s.10d, with 46 bolls, 1 firlor, 2 pecks, one half lippy of barley, 4 bolls, 1 firlor, 2 pecks, one half lippy of oat meal and 1 firlor, 1 lippy of oats, old country measure.
Average £180 with Manse, Offices and Glebe 10 acres.

SCHOOLS
Parochial School - William Fraser, teacher.
Salary £35 which with bequest and school fees amount to £95.

Society (for Propagating Christian Knowledge) School
Relugas Village formerly Maidenrow. - William Robertson, teacher.
Salary £20 and £5 by the Proprietor with house and garden valued at £8 and school fees.
Female Department - Mrs Thomas McKenzie.

Society School Conicavel - James Cumming, teacher.
Salary £20 and fees with House, Garden and Croft.

Logie School (fine new building) - William Martin, teacher.
Female Department - Mrs Martin.

Society School Dallasbrachig - Jane Bowie, teacher.

Holy Davoch School - Mrs Russell, teacher.

Parochial Board Members
For the Heritors -
C L Cumming Bruce of Dunphail, MP , Chairman
Alex Colvin Earlsmill for the Earl of Moray
Robert Walker Altyre for A P G Cumming of Altyre, Bart
Robert Urquhart, Forres for Mrs Cumming of Logie
William Sclanders, Forres for Mr Smith of Relugas

For the Kirk Session -
The Reverend P Ferries.   John Hopkirk, Dunphail Mains.   James Allan, Tullyglens.
Elected members for 1862/3 -
Donald Morrison, Ardoch.   John Wight, Logie Mains.
Register and Session Clerk - William Robertson, Teacher.

Valuation £4,854.9s
Rate of assessment for poor 1/7d per pound on the rental of the parish, ie 9 1/2d on owner, 9 1/2d on occupant.
Inspector and Collector - William Robertson, Relugas Village.

POST OFFICE AT TORMORE
Postmaster - William Grant, Merchant
A mail gig which leaves Forres at 6.35pm carries up the mails, reaching Edinkillie at 9 - 10pm. It leaves Edinkillie the following day at 2.20pm and reaches Forres at 5pm.
On Sunday it leaves Edinkillie at 7am and arrives at Forres at 9.40 leaving Forres at night at the usual hour.

Directory for Edinkillie Parish