Blair Collection > Place names in Strathbogie, with notes historical, antiquarian and descriptive

Hujitly. 229
CHAPTER IX.
nUNTLY.
EARLY RECORDS.
'T^HE parish of Huntly is formed by the union
of the old parishes of Kinnoir and Dun-
bennan. In 1222, Pope Honorius confirmed the
erection of these parishes into a prebend of the
Cathedral of Moray. So far as appears they
were always held as one charge, though it was
not until 1725 that they were formally united.
The early records are few, and all that can be
gleaned of the ecclesiastical history has been
given in the Spald. Club Antiquities, the Sta-
tistical Account of the parish, and various local
publications.
KINNOIR.
The earliest references to Kinnoir are of
dates, 1222, 1224-42, and 1226, (r.e.m.), and the
name is given Kynor which I think, represents
the Gaelic Ceann-oir, ' the head of the edge or
margin,' possibly referring to the Deveron. The
name no doubt originally applied to the hill now
called the Wood of Kinnoir. In the same way
the parishes of Dunbennan, Kildrummie, Towie,
Kintore, and many others derived their names
from hills or ridges in the respective parishes.