i^r^^rM THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (<=!~>-^ M 7 TOPOGRAPHY OF OR, BRITISH TRAVELLER'S POCKET DIRECTORY; BEING AN ACCURATE ASD COMPREHENSIVK TOPOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL DESCRIPTION OP ALL THE COUNTIES IN 0n0lantit Sbtotlantit antr W^alt^, WITH THE ADJACENT ISLANDS: ILtUSTRATED ^V'ITH MAPS OF THE CO UNTIE Sy WHICH FORM A COMPLETE BRITISH ATLAS. BY G. A. COOKE, ESQ. VOL. XXV. CONTAINING SCOTLAND.^MIDDLE DIVISION. Hontion: Printed, by Assignment from the Executors of the late C. Cooke^ FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, PATERNOSTER-ROW ; AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MIDDLE DIVISION OF SCOTLAND., Consisting of the following Counties: NAIRN, FIFE, MURRAY, KINROSS, BANFF, CLACKMANNAN, ABFRDEEN, STIRLI.XCt, MEARNS, DUMBARTON. ANGUS. ARGYLE, and PERTH, BUTE. Containing AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR Situation, Extent, Hivers, Minerals, Fisheries, Manufactures, Commerce, Agriculture, History, CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTIONS, ^•(?. 4^C, BY GEORGE ALEXANDER, COOKE, Editor of the Universal System of Geography, JlonDon: Priuted for C COOKE, No. IT, Paternoster Row, by G. Brimmer, "Water Lane, Fleet Street,' And sold by all ihe Booksellers ia the United Kingdoia. j Tr 2^ DBSCRiPTIOn OF TEE ' MIDDLE DIVISION OF SCOTLAKD. THE Middle Division of Scotland is separate i from the Southern by the Friths of Forth and yde, and from the Northern by the Great Canal. It con- tains many ranges of mountains, particularly the Grampians, stretching from Aberdeenshire, to the Atlantic Ocean, This division consists of the coua-- ties of Nairn ; Murray or Elgin ; Banti"; Aberdeen ; Mearns, or Kincardine ; Angus, or Forfar ; Perth ;; Fife; Kinross; Clackmannan; Stirling j Dumbarton Argyle j and Bute. NAIRNSHIRE. This county is a small maritime county, bein^ bounded on the north by the Frith of Murray, and on the south-west and west by the county of Inverness, It is about eighteen miles long and ten broad. The general appearance is agreeable, rising into consider- able mountains towards the south, but towards the north it is level, and the soil abundantly fertile. The river Findhorn winds through it for many miles; tiie river Nairn rises in the county, and falls into the Frith of Murray at the town of Nairn, where there is a hand- some bridge, and a salmon fishery. Besides these rivers there are several small brooks, the banks o^ "which are covered with woods and plantations. This county, according to the late population act, passed in the year 1801, contained 1972 houses, occu- pied by 8,257 inhabitants, viz. 3,639 males, and4,6lS females ; of wliom 898 were returned as being chiefly employed in trade and manufactures, and 2,901 iii agriculture. It contains one royal borough, Nairn, and it is divided into five parochial districts; andt sends one member to parliament, alcernatcly with the €Ounty of Cromarty. 4 TOPOGRAPHICAL DfeSCRlPTTON OP The parish of Auldearn is about six miles square, and coniained, according to the h\te population act, 285 houses and 1,401 inhabitants, viz. 645 males, and 756 females; of whom 225 were returned as being employed in agriculture, and 63 in trade and manu- facture. The lands are in general fertile, early, and well cultivated ; many of the fields are enclosed, and there are some ihri /ii)g plantations. Boath, the seat of Alexander Dunbar, Esq. is a handsome modern house, situated in a well cultivattd valley, a little to the northward of the village of Aul- dearn. The estate extends westward to the bridge of Kairn, and the gardens, fields, and rural decorations, exhibit a very fine landscape, Lethen House, the usual sear of that family, but of late possessed by Colin Robertbon, Esq. stands also in this parish. It is a stately modern building, situated in a fine valley, which is beautifully diversified by woods, pastures, and corn fields. Ardclach parish occupies a considerable extent of the southern quarter of the county, being twelve miles in length, and eight in breadth, and containing S19 houses, and 1256 inhabitants, viz. 540 males and 716 females; of whom 147 were returned iis being employed m agriculture, and 69 in trade and manu- facture. This is a hilly tract ; and the soil is much encumbered with stone, but there is a considerable extent of growing timber. Lulmouy, a modern mansion house, appertaining to the Lethen estate, is situated on the steep banks of the Findhorn, in tiiis parish. Contiguous to the house are several enclosed fields, beyond whicli the country presents a romantic prospect of woods, rocks, and lofty hills. The parish of Calder lies chiefly in this county, though a small part of it is in Inverness-shire. It is four miles in length and two in breadth, and contains 295 houses^ and 1179 inhabitants, viz. 540 males, and 639 females; of which number J99 were returned as being JTAIRN SHIRE. 5 ^ feeing employed in agriculture, and 73 in trade and manufacture. The southern quarter of this parish is enhvened by the Findhorn, and the river Nairn fid us for a short space through its northern side, which spreads into a broad plain, and stretching southward rises from a hilly tract into a lofty mountain. The castle of Calder or Caudor, built in the lotli century, is pleasantly situated on the bank of a brook;, embellished by wood and a great extent of fertile land. From this castle Macbeth drew his second title. lu was formerly of great strength^ and the drawbridge over the mote is still to be seen : the walls of the tower are of great thickness, and encompassed at top with strong battlements : in the castle stands the bed in which IJuncan lay when he was murdered by Mac- beth. Mr. Pennant observed on a pillar of the door of Calder church a joug, i. e an iron yoke or ring, fastened to a chani, which was in former times put round the neck of such as offended against the rules of the church, who were left there exposed to shame du- ring the time of divine service; and was also used as a punishment for defamation, small thefts, &c. But tiiese penalties are happily abolished. The parish of Ckoy is situated on the north-wesfc side of Calder, and a great part of it is in the county of Inverness. It is sixteen miles in length and eight in breadth; and contains 409 houses and 1601 i..ha- bitants; viz. 738 males and 863 females: of whom 429 were returned as being employed in agriculture, and 80 in trade and manufacture. It is intersecled by tlie river Calder, In this parish, on the banks of the river, stands Kilravock Castle, the seat of the ancient family of the Roses : it is an old tower, to which a handsome mo- dern addition has been made. The gardens, fdanca- tions, and ail the rural tcenery, have many natural advantages, highly miprovcd by the exertions of genius and taste, A S Farther ; 6 TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION ©F Farther up on the course of the river is the man sion liouse of Rose of Holm, and Cantray House, the seat of Davison, Esq. On Druniossie moor, near the northern bank of the river, vras the last unavaiUng effort of the house of Stuart, to recover the throne, which they had so weakly abdicated ; there is little to be seen on the field of bat- tle, though it is still visited by many : some of the graves of those who fell are, however, strikingly distin- guishahle by their verdant surface of grass, rising through the brown-surrounding healh. The parish of Nairn stretches along the shore, from the parish of Auldearn to the confines of tl)e county of Inverness ; it is eight miles in length and six in breadth and consists of 547 houses, and 2,215 inhabitants, viz. 930 males, and 1,235 females; of whom 1151 v/ere returned as beip.g employed in agriculture, and 621 in various trades and manufactures. Nairn is a royal burgh, and the county town, and united with Forres, Foitrose, and Inverness sends one member to parliament. It is pleasantly situated on the coast of the Murray Frith, where the river Nairn flows into that arm of the sea, eight miles from Fort George, and ten from Forres. The tov/n is neatly "built, and has a small and convenient harbour, capable of being highly improved. Its situation has undergone several changes ; it being originally placed at least half a mile fiom where it now stands, defended by a castle, the ruins of which are covered by the sea. In the river is a good salmon fishery ; and several boats are kept at the town for the purpose of catching iiaddock, skat«, cod, and other fish in the Frith. The government of the town is vested in seventeen persons, viz. a provost, three bailies, a dean of guild, treasurer, and eleven counsellors. It formerly gave title of baron to the Nairn family. Near the ijvvn are the vestiges of an ancient build- ing called Caisteil Fionlah, i. e. Finlay's Castle. And cot far from it the remains of the castle of Rait, built probably NAIRNSItlRE. 7 probably by one of the name of "Rait, but at what period is uncertain. A little below this castle is a place called Knock-na-gillan, i. e. the hill where the young men were killed. Here it is said, that eighteen of the Mackintoshes were destroyed by the Cummins, who then hved at Rait, on account of some grudge that tlien subsisted between the families. ( 8 ) ' COUNTY OF MURRAY or ELGIN. Ti/l URRAY or Elginshire, is a raaritime county, -^ * bouaded on the north by a bay of the German sea, called the Frith of Murray ; on the east by the county of Bamff; on the south by the counties of Aberdeen and Inverness ; and on the west by the counties of Inverness and Nairn; being about fort}-- two miles in length and twenty in breadth.