View source for Keith Inch

{{Short description|Easternmost point of mainland Scotland, Aberdeenshire}}
{{distinguish|text="[[Inchkeith]]", in the Firth of Forth}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

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| name                  = Keith Inch
| native_name           = {{Native name|gd|Keith Insche}}
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| type                  = Headland
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'''Keith Inch''' (originally ''Keith Insche'', ''Keithinche'' or ''Caikinche'')<ref name=McKean152/> is the [[extreme points of the United Kingdom|easternmost point]] of mainland Scotland, having formerly been an island. It is located in [[Peterhead]] in [[Aberdeenshire]], forming the north point of [[Peterhead Bay]]. It is now joined to Greenhill, another former island, previously separated from Keith Inch by the Poolmouth.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Alexander |first=William McCombie |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p-0gAAAAMAAJ&q=quinzie+peterhead |title=The Place-names of Aberdeenshire |date=1952 |publisher=Third Spalding Club |language=en}}</ref> Greenhill Road leads the motorist onto Greenhill from the town via Alexandra Parade.

It forms part of Peterhead Harbour. ''Inch'' is a common Scottish word for an island, such as [[Inchcolm]], [[Inchkenneth]] and {{lang|gd|na h-Innse Gall}} ([[Hebrides]]), and derives from the [[Scottish Gaelic language|Scottish Gaelic]] {{lang|gd|innis}}.
[[File:Remains of whale bone arch, Peterhead - geograph.org.uk - 176530.jpg|thumb|Remains of the whale bone arch in Peterhead Harbour]]
It was used in the whaling industry, and [[rendering (animal products)|boil yards]] were here; the remains of a whale bone arch can be seen.

==Castle of Keith Inch==
{{Main|Keith Inch Castle}}
On the island of Keith Inch once stood a castle built by [[George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal]], in the late 16th century.<ref name="McKean152">{{cite book |last1=McKean |first1=Charles |title=Banff & Buchan: An Illustrated Architectural Guide |date=1990 |publisher=Mainstream Publications Ltd. |isbn=185158-231-2 |page=152}}</ref> The castle is thought to have been modelled on the castle of [[Kronborg]] in Denmark.<ref name="McKean152" /> In 1644 about 500 of [[Oliver Cromwell]]'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.<ref name="McKean152"/>

==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''
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==External links==
{{oscoor gbx|NK 14232 45865}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Keith Inch}}
[[Category:Landforms of Peterhead]]
[[Category:Headlands of Scotland]]
[[Category:Former islands of Scotland]]
[[Category:Kronborg]]

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