ELGINSHIRE
(Or MORAY).
So designated from the name of its capital, Elgin, and sometimes
Morayshire, from being the central division of the "Province of
Moray," is one of the northern counties of Scotland; hounded oil
the north-east by the North Sea, and on the north-west by the
Moray Firth, on the east and south-east by Banffshire, on the south
and south-west by Inverness-shire, and on the west by the
county of Nairn. It has about 30 miles of coast line indented by
geveral small harbours. The figure of Elginshire is very irregular,
being intersected in several places by districts of the counties which
form its boundaries ;â– with Nairn it is so intimately connected that,
in speaking of its shape, that small county is not unfreqnently
included in the description. Thus conjoined, the district is some-
what of a triangular figure — with the apex pointed inland — and in
this quarter partaking of the wild, rocky and mountainous
character of the Highlands. The county comprises 485 square'
miles, or 305,119' acres of 'land and 3,381 of water, and extends
from north to south 30 mileB, and from east to west 25 miles.
In point of size Elgin ranks aB the eighteenth and in popula-
tion aB the eighteenth amongst Scottish counties, having a
population in 181)1 -of 43,453, and in 1901, viz. : males 21,101 and
females, 23,690. In 1901 the number of houses was, inhabited,
9,304; uninhabited, 592, and building, 73.
HiBtory. — In ancient times the limits of the county were much
more extensive than at present, comprehending all that tract of
country which lies between the river Spey on the east, the Beauly
on the north-west, and in the northern confines of Argyleshire on
the south-west. The remains of antiquity are numerous, of which
the cathedral of Elgin, the Bishop's palace at Spynie, the priory of
Pluscardine, the estates of Lochindorb and Duuphall, and the
"dun" of Relugas, are the chief. Of the struggles of the natives
with the Danes, who infested the district in former ages, there are
various testimonials, such as "cairns," monumental pillars &c.
&c. The " Province of Moray," anciently so important and ex-
tensive, in the present day is without any political distinction, and
is divided into three several shires of Banff, Moray (or Elgin) and
Nairn. On the east it is separated from Aberdeenshire by the
Deveron ; on the west it is bounded by lnverness-shiro, and on the
north it has the large arm of the sea, designated from it the Moray
Firth. So late as the time of Charles I. the Highlanders considered
Moray as a sort of neutral land, where every man was at liberty to
take his prey. The province of Moray suffered more, perhaps, than
any other district in Scotland by the civil wars. The people were
then generally attached to the covenant, and, as Montrose made it
one of his principal scenes of action, it is easy to conceive that its
peaceable farmers were not permitted to nave both their opinions
and their goods undisturbed. Montrose, in hia descent upon Moray,
in 1645, after his victory of Innerlochy, destroyed all the houses of
such as did not join his standard, and gave up the towns of Banff,
Cullen and Elgin to indiscriminate pillage.
Soil, Surface, Climate, Produce Ac— The soil of this country,
though less uniform than that of Banffshire, is for the most part a
sandy loam — in some places a sandy gravel ; considerable tracts are
of very fertile clay, and of the most genial mould. The low
country may be pictured as a large plain, extending from the Spey
westward, between the shore and a range of mountains, for the
whole length of the district, nearly 40 miles, but of unequal
breadth, from about 5 to 12 miles or more, measured in a
straight line from the hills to the shore ; this plain, however, is
diversified over its whole extent by ridges of lower hills in general
nearly parallel to the shore; beyond this are valleys of great fer-
tility and beauty, near the sources of the river Spey, Lossie
and Findhorn, with the lesser vales along the banks of the
tributary streams which pervade the intervening hills. Within the
range of the mountain district the country may be described as
chiefly pastoral ; the arable land, in most instances, hanging upon
the acclivities of the valleys, or stretching out in narrow plains
upon the banks of the, waters which wind among the hills— the
wideness of the valley bearing a relative proportion to the size of
the river. The upper part of the country is popularly termed
"the Brae of Moray," and is mountainous and woody, and
abounds in beautiful lakes. Agriculture is pursued in a spirited
manner, and the land in general yields a higher rent than that of
the neighbouring shires ; and the greater portion of the waste land
is now either brought into cultivation or planted with forest trees.
In the lower part of the county the Duke of Fife and other pro-
prietors formed plantations to so great an extent that almost every
part of the land inaccessible to the plough has been covered with
different species of forest trees. The only mineral raised in 1897
was S,300 tons of basalt and 56,585 tons of sandstone. The south
of this county produces principally oats, but in the north is unsur-
passed for the quantity and quality of the crops of turnips, potatoes,
barley and wheat. The chief crops as shown by the ' ' Agricultural
BeturnB for Great Britain" 1902 were: oats, 21,649 acres;
barley or here, 13,205; wheat, 748; rye, 614; total of corn
«^ops, 36,258; turnips and awedea, 15,315 acres; potatoes,
1,684; vetches or tares, 391; total of green crops, 17,462;.
clover, sainfoin and grasses (for hay), 5,659 acres; (not for
hay), 32,802 acres; permanent pasture (for hay), 262 acres;
(not for hay), 8,948. Total area of land 305,119 acres, of which
72,046 acres are mountain and heath (used for pasture) and
48,688 woods and plantations. To the breeding and rearing of
cattle much attention is devoted, the polled Aberdeenshire and
the pure shorthorned being the breeds most highly prized.
The live stock in 1902 comprised 3,798 horses, used solely for
agriculture and brood mares; unbroken horses, 1,018 ; oows
and heifers' In milk or in calf, 6,695; other cattle, 15,197; ewes-
kept for breeding, 24,566 ; other sheep, 38,816 ; sows kept for
breeding, 407; other pigs, 1,946. Little can be said respecting
manufactures; woollen stuffs are made to a small extent, which,
together with grain, cattle, salmon, hewn freestone, wood andi
whiskey, comprehend the principal exports ; the chief import*
being coal, iron, timber and manures. There are also ship and boat
building yards, breweries, tanneries &c. Herring fislung is pro-
secuted at several villages on the coast, and fine salmon fishing at
the mouths of the Spey and Findhorn, and all along the sea coasts.
The coast of this district, although within the fifty-eighth degree of
north latitude, has ever been distinguished for the mildness of its-
climate; the hardier kinds of fruit, all the varieties of the apple,
and almost all of the pear and of the plum, by a little attention
may be abundantly produced on every farm ; whilst flowers and
fruit of the more rare species are brought to perfection in the
gardens and orchards of this county. "With respect to the winds,
the most prevalent gales are from the north-west. This part of the
country presents no object so elevated as to attract the clouds or
impede their course ; and from this cause, it is concluded, falls of
snow are comparatively unfrequent and of small depth, as they are
drifted over the subjacent levels insomuch that the operations of
husbandry are but little interrupted by the inclemency of the
weather. It is asserted that in the lower parts of the Moray the
climate is as warm, and the atmosphere at least as dry, as in any
district in Scotland ; in the higher quarter the weather is more
mild than in the adjoining county of Banff, at the same distance
from the sea coast — a natural consequence of its local position, the
progress of cultivation and the inherent warmth of the soil.
Rivers, Lakes and Railways.— The principal rivers are the Spey,.
the Findhorn and the LoBsie, all flowing in a northerly direction*
and each teeming with the finest salmon ; the Spey and Findhorn
rise in Invetness-shire, and reach the sea at Garmouth, the end of
an estuary on the east of the county and Findhorn Bay on the west
near Forres, and the Lossie, which is smaller than the former rivers^
rises in the hills near Dallas and Strathspey and debouches at
Lossiemouth. There are many delightful lakes, of which Loch
Spynie is most deserving of notice ; it is three miles in length and
one in breadth, and appears to have been formerly a firth of the sea,
though it is now shut up at the east and west by a long extent of
valuable ground. In accordance with this apparency, the laud be-
tween the lake and the sea still retains the appellation of Ross Isle ;
and a corroborative proof of the accuracy of the popular designation
Is exhibited by the sea shells (particularly those of the oyster) that
are found on the margin of the lake, several feet below the surface
of the earth. Loch Spynie produces several kinds of fish, but
none in such abundance as the perch and the pike. The rail-
ways in this county are the Great North of Scotland and the High-
land lines, the former entering the north of Tillynaught Junc-
tion (Banffshire), which place is a branch to Banff; the line
running westward by the coast branch, via Cullen, Buckie &c.
and runs to Elgin, "where it is joined by a branch from Keith
via Cralgiellachie junction, and Eothes, the branch from Craigiel-
lachie to Boat of Gartan, running through the south-east of
the countv from Elgin; there is also a branch to Lossiemouth.
The Highland railway enters the county from Keith, via Mul-
ben and Orbliston, from which place there is a branch to
FochaberB, runs to Elgin, thence to Alves, with a branch to
Burghhead and Hopeman on the north coast, and turning west
proceeds to Forres, and north-east to Nairn, and south to Gran-
town and Kingussie, Perthshire.
Divisions, Representation &c— Elginshire comprises nineteen
parishes ; it contains two royal burghs— Elgin and Forres ; the
former unites with Cullen, Banff, Inverurie, Kintore and Peter-
head in returning one member to Parliament, and the county in
conjunction with Nairnshire returns one member. The Elgin par-
liamentary constituency for 1903 was 4,872. The valuation of the
county for 1897-8 was £241,065.
MEMBER FOR ELGINSHIRE & NAIRNSHIRE.
Hon. John Edward Gordon, East Dene, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight ;
Quiuta Santa Anna, Madeira; & 61 Prince's gate & Carlton club,
London S W