Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/24

Rh ABEKDEKXSHIKK. 14 10 feet permile. It abounds in fine salmon. Balmoral, the favorite northern rcsidei, l.ijusty.insi: on Deo aide, 60 mile* from Aberdeen, in the midst of wild and magnificent scenery. The Doe rues on the side of the mountain Breriach, at an elevation of 4,000 feet. The Don has its source in a peat moss, among the mountains on the western side of the county, at an al- titude <>f 1 ,640 feet. In the upper part of its course it has many winding*. Trout abound in it, and it used formerly to be frequented by salmon. These are now taken at the mouth of tho ri nis of stake-nets. It is said in this river, but tin y are not found now. The Y than is a less rapid stream than the Due and the Dun. Its length is 37 miles. It is only navigable by small craft fora short distance above it-, li. It is well stocked with fish : trout, eels, and wilinon. Occasionally seals have been observed in it. Tin; pearl mussel is found. There is a tradition that tho large pearl in the Scottish crown was found in the Ythan, or in one of ita tributary streams. The Ugie is formed bv the confluence of two streams, tho north and south iJgie, and after a course of not more than 6 miles from tho point of junction, it falls into tho German Ocean near Petcrhcad. Its motion is very slow. Black or brown trout are very plentiful in it Tho Dovem, or Deveron, takes its rise in Aberdeenshire, and flowing thence partly through Banflshirc, partly through Abcr- deen&hire, and partly on the borders of these two counties, falls, after a course of 61 miles, into tho German Ocean. It flows very rapidly, and for the greater part of its course, through a deep and narrow valley. The Bogie fall* into it near Huntly. Aberdeenahire baa no lakes of importance. On the Muick, a trihutaryof the Dee, there are two lochs, Dhuloch, or tho " Black Lake," and Loch Muiek. There are several others connected by small streams with the Dee ; lochs Connor, Dawan, Drum, and Skene. Tho Scottish North-Eastem railway connects tho city with the principal towns in tho south, pawing along the coast, and parallel with it, to Stone- haven ; thence taking a more inland course to Arbronth, with brunches to Montrose and Brecbin ; and from Ar- broath, close along the coast to Dundee and Perth. The Great North of Scotland, and Aberdeen and Inverness Junction railways connect Aberdeen with the north ; pawing bv Kii- in,-, ami Turriff, to Keith; and fr. in Keith, thp Inverness. There ore branch lines to Alfurd and Old Mcldrum. Another lino has been opened along the valley of the Dee, from Aberdeen to Aboync, a distance of '32 miles. The prin- cipal roads in the county ore the following : from 'mrgh, passing through Montrose to Aberdeen, and thence to Peterhead; from Aberdeen to Banff; from Aberdeen to Elgin and Inverness ; to Caitlrtnwn in the Grampians ; and from Pcterhoad to Banff. The climate is -is less liable to extreme cold than other districts lying further south and inland. The noil in n{ very various character. Two-thirds of the whole surface of the county consist of mountain or moss. In highlands, about the source of the Dee, the loamy, resting generally on clay orgravel. In tins dis- are 10,000 acres of forest. The prim-i],..! timbers consist ;,!.,r. .,!! r. and the moun- tain ash. Larch and E have been extensively planted. In tl M;ir if produced the largest nnd host fir timi lirit.iin Ited deer and roes !'i tin' ulley "I" thi' I>"n tin- - 'il i- rally loam, on a gravelly substratum. There are pcat- "ii ! :.;. i.:.',-toj I - - il the IWQal 1 atnre in this lias its own limekiln ..in there is more arable and Alxnit , re annually r oat.i, but ' in at- '. liiy i.i i: !. Mii'h progress has boon made of lato yean in agri ITiorn hedges have - .king the ; has been ; i. and tenantry-at-will years; but the tenant is frequently restricted in the management of his land to the five- :md seven-course rotations, although the six-course shift has been proved 3 the beet adapted to tho soil. Inthedistrictcxtcndingalong the coast south of I here is but a nof waste land or of forest. About four-fifths of this district are under cultivation. Since the facilities of conveyance to j the London market have been increased, the culti vatiun of turnips for fattening stock has been greatly > *t< ;:d. 1. The breed of horses and cattle i improved. Farmh' and roads have shared in the general progress. '1 is are for tho most part resident on th< i and the efforts of tho Highland Society have giv. useful stimulus to agriculture. Aberdeenhliii< y, Al enleon, the capital of tho North of S land, and a royal and parliamentary borough; three othiT royal and parliamentary boroughs, Inven Kintore, and 1'cterhead; and six boroughs of bai namely, Chorlcstown, Fraserburgh, Iluiitly, Old drum, Roaehearty, and Turriff. The < urns , one member to parliament, and the population, accoi to tin. u-usof 1861, is 221,380, against 212,032 in ls.il. showing an increase of 9,348 in the decennial period, no less than 100,315 < --us of 1801, so tint the population lias nearly doubled since the comnx ment of tho present century. It is governed by a Ix.nl- nant and about seventy deputies, with a his substitute. It is included in the Synod of ' which comprises also parts of the counties of Km! 1 Kincardine. The number of parishes is 88, bcsiiU .< 1 I quoad taera parihh I In Kirk numbers 70 gregations in the county. There are s> lions of other Dissenters and !;>; .cs. and a I large number of Episcopalians. School* nro numerous. Aberdeen has a county gaol and a Uii'i. ..! ; :in;i!I burgh prisons, which are not much used at pi. at old Aberdeen, Old Mcldrum, Inv. i,uy. Kii " ad, nndFraserburKh. I 1, t. iln i I erected prison, and a sheriff's court. A) > been long noted for its woollen manufactures, particularly the knitting of stockings and hose, in v ! rs of the common people have for centime* and which, till lately, were exported in lavire quuM to Germany. The manufactures, which me piinripally carried on at Aberdeen, Petcrhead, and Huntlv, are those efflux, linen, cotton, M tweeds, rope, twine, lint, combs, carpets, a> There are also a great number of blacksmiths, > founders, masons, quarriers, millwright*, ;u lint only the sin population with the necess^iriis ;nrl luxi 1 . but export largely. Tho county can boast many i remains of ancient times: its cainis, Druiili .-incl 1'icts' houses. There is a Roman p n:ir. tho ancient Tainia, which led from IVrlli to liuixl rled,bywayofItiiiia..M"]!~(i,,ini Castle, to the some pla< I is a remarkable stone, 10 feet high, 3 feet broad, nnd 1 foot in thickness, marked tith hiiT>i:ly]>hic which is supposed to bo of t" tho dejith of (i fe<'t l'ln .1 Piets' hen l ithonl mi the- Miininiit "f a hill. I!y means of dykes, this CJ i with others at a distance. Th, and their connecting dykes, may bo traced fnr M miles near the Dee. In the 1 1th e. ntiii-y a ' between K'll.i i : I'.iueeand Comyn, I-jirl of liu- liarra Hill, in this enmity, in which In 1411, P"ii:ild of the Isle- Mai, nt 11 Harlaw, in Chapel of ii I'.-iri^li. In ID 1 1 an I tnnk phi. Id !::i"M'.;illd the ( 'nVenanterS, under 1 !m lev, in :ir A 1.' rdean, in whii-h the Cnven.M wi T. M i .;. .1. A)., r! "I.M occupied by Ovnaral Honk, 1 th:it the I 1 !, - 1 ill ITl.i, when Jlar nt up IIJK standard in ir At th- ...rdon and tho troo]M of the Pretender occupied Aberdeen and