Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 13.djvu/211

 V I N V 199 at the end of the 14th century, but it was removed to its present site in the middle of the 18th century. In- veraray was erected into a burgh of barony in 1472; and Charles I., while a prisoner in Carisbrook Castle, raised it to a royal burgh in 1G48. It is governed by a provost and council. Much has been done for Inveraray by the ducal house of Argyll, whose seat, Inveraray Castle, is a quarter of a mile to the north. This hand some square edifice, built between 1744 and 17C1 and restored 1879-80, consists of two stories and a sunk floor, with round overtopping towers at the four corners. Many interesting and valuable relics were destroyed by a fire in 1877. The population of the royal burgh in 1871 was 984, and in 1881 it was 939. INVERNESS, a maritime county of Scotland, is situ ated as to its mainland portion between 56 38 and 57 36 N. lat. and 3 27 and 5 54 W. long., and is bounded on the N. by Ross, N.E. by Nairn and Elgin, E. by Banff and Aberdeen, S.E. by Perthshire, S. by Argyll, and W. by the Atlantic. It measures 85 miles from north-west to south-east and 55 miles from north-east to south-west. The total area is 2,723,840 acres or 4256 square miles. The mainland portion has an area of 1,947,520 imperial acres or 3043 square miles, of which* 86,400 acres or 135 square miles are under water. The area of the islands is 776,320 acres or 1213 square miles, of which the area under water is 39,040 acres or 61 square miles. The surface of the county is very varied, consisting of ranges of lofty mountains alternating with deep narrow valleys, the beds of numerous lakes and rivers. Its exterior outline is very irregular. On the north-east a narrow tract runs out between Nairnshire and the Moray Firth. Further to the south-east a portion of it was detached till 1870, when by Act 33 & 34 Viet. c. 16 this and a similarly detached portion of Elgin were inter changed. Argyllshire penetrates it from the south-west, and Ross-shire from the north-west, while the western coast is indented by Lochs Moidart, Aylort, Nevis, Hourn, and other arms of the sea. Both the mainland and island portions abound in grand and picturesque scenery. The islands in the county are those of the Outer Hebrides (excluding Lewis, which belongs to Ross-shire, but includ ing Harris), and Skye, Raasay, Rona, Sealpa, Eigg, &c. (see HEBRIDES). The mainland portion is divided into two nearly equal parts by the valley of Glenmore, or the Great Glen, which crosses it from the south-west to the north-east. This glen is now traversed by the Caledonian Canal, which, begun in 1803 and finally completed in 1817, at a total cost of 1,300,000, forms a line of in land navigation between the east and west seas, from the Moray Firth on the north-east to Loch Linnhe on the south-west. It has a length of 60^ miles, including about 37 miles of lakes, namely, Loch Ness with a length of 23 miles, Loch Oich of 4, and Loch Lochy of 10. On each side of this valley there are numerous glens and straths, separated by mountain ridges, and displaying, with their lakes and rivers, a great variety of beautiful scenery. The western half of the county is the more wild and moun tainous. Its principal divisions are Moidart, Arisaig, Morar, Knoidart, and Glenelg, with the glens or valleys of Glengarry, Glenmoriston, Glenurquhart, and Strath- glass. Among the numerous lakes in this portion of the county are Loch Shiel bordering on Argyll, Loch Arkaig, Loch Morar, Loch Quoich, and Loch Garry. The eastern half of the county comprises the extensive district of Badenoch, south-west of which lies Lochaber, and to the north the Aird. The principal valleys are Glenroy, Glen Spean, Strathspey, Stratherrick, Strathclearn, and Strath- nairn ; and Loch Ericht on the borders of Perthshire, Loch Treig, Loch Laggan, Loch Inch, and Loch Ouchan are among the largest lakes. The greater part of the county is occupied by mountains, many of which are over 3000 feet in height, the highest summits being Ben Nevis, 4406 feet, and Cairngorm, which is partly in BanfFshire, 4095 feet. The principal rivers are the Spey, the Find- horn, and the Nairn, which flow in a north-easterly direction into the Moray Firth ; the Ness, which issuing from Loch Ness flows north-eastwards, passing through the town of Inverness, and falls into the Moray Firth after a course of 6 miles ; the Lochy, which flows south- westwards from Loch Lochy, and after a course of 10 miles falls into Loch Eil near Fort William ; and the Beauly in the north of the county, which, after being joined by the Glass and two smaller streams, falls into the Beauly Firth. The small river Foyers, which flows north wards into Loch Ness, forms near the loch two beautiful falls, the one 30 and the other 90 feet in height. Like the greater part of the Highlands of Scotland, Inver ness-shire rests on the Old Laurentian gneiss. The Okl Red conglomerate is found in Glenmore and along the sea-coast. Granite, gneiss, limestone, slate, marble, and brick-clay abound in many parts. The general direction of the rocks is from south-west to north-east. The upper part of Ben Nevis is composed of beautiful porphyry. Lead has been found on Ben Nevis and in Glengarry, but is not worked. Silver and iron ore have also been met with in small quantities. The want of coal renders the limestone of little value. On account of the irregular surface the climate of Inverness-shire is very diversified, and in many parts it is very unfavourable for the prosecution of agriculture. According to the agricultural returns for 1880, the total area of arable land was 126,306 acres, or 4 f 6 per cent. (4-2 in 1870), of which 39,584, or 1 5 per cent. (1-4 in 1870), were under corn crops, 19,513, or 7 per cent. (07 also in 1870), under green crops, 27,155, or 1 - per cent. (0 9 in 1870), under rotation grasses, 39,140, or l - 4 per cent. (1 2 in 1870), under permanent pasture, and 914 fallow. There were 160,656 acres under wood. Within the last twenty-five years great progress has been made in the reclamation of waste land, the arable land in 1855 extending only to 42,030 acres. There are nearly 300,000 acres of deer forests, and about 1,700,000 of heath land, one half of which affords pasturage for sheep, the other half being of no value except for grouse shooting. From the trees found in great numbers in the peat-bogs of the county it would appear to have been at an early period thickly covered with wood. Strathspey is still celebrated for its great forests ; and the natural woods on Loch Arkaig, in Glengarry, Glenmoriston, Strathglass, Strath- farrar, and at the head of Loch Shiel are also very extensive. The forests consist chiefly of oak, fir, birch, ash, mountain ash, holly, elm, hazel, and Scotch poplar. There are also extensive plantations of larch, spruce, silver fir, beech, and plane. Part of the great Caledonian forest extends for several miles near the Perthshire boundary. The most unproductive portion of the county is that to the north-west of the Caledonian Canal, although it in cludes several patches of highly cultivated land. In the low districts surrounding the county town the soil and climate are both excellent, and good crops of all kinds are raised, which are not much later in reaching maturity than in the earlier districts of Scotland. The soil of the Badenoch and Laggan districts is generally good, but the climate is very uncertain, and much injury is often caused by early frosts. In many districts the grain in late seasons never reaches full maturity. In the whole of the Western Isles the soil is generally poor, and the moist climate renders it very difficult to secure the crops in good condition.