Keith Inch (originally ''Keith Insche'', ''Keithinche'' or ''Caikinche'')
[ is the easternmost point of mainland Scotland, having formerly been an island. It is located in ]Peterhead
Peterhead (; , ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is the council area's largest settlement, with a population of 19,060 at the 2022 Census for Scotland, 2022 Census. It is the largest fishing port in the United Kingdom for total landi ...
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
, forming the north point of Peterhead Bay. It is now joined to Greenhill, another former island, previously separated from Keith Inch by the Poolmouth.Hebrides
The Hebrides ( ; , ; ) are the largest archipelago in the United Kingdom, off the west coast of the Scotland, Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Ou ...
), and derives from the Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...
.
It was used in the whaling industry, and boil yards were here; the remains of a whale bone arch can be seen.
Castle of Keith Inch
On the island of Keith Inch once stood a castle built by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, in the late 16th century.Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...
's English soldiers rampaged in the Peterhead area. They were encamped on Keith Inch, with their headquarters in the castle.
After 1715, it was purchased by Thomas Arbuthnot, who built a modern house to the north of the island. When it was abandoned, it was converted into partly a fish-house and partly into boil yards. The final complete vestiges were removed in the late 19th century, although an occasional "massive" stone wall can be found.
See also
* Dunnet Head – Scotland's most northerly point on the mainland
* Mull of Galloway – Scotland's most southerly point
* Corrachadh Mòr – Scotland's most westerly point on the mainland
* List of extreme points of the United Kingdom
References
* Haswell-Smith, Hamish ''The Scottish Islands''
External links
Landforms of Peterhead
Headlands of Scotland
Former islands of Scotland
Kronborg
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