Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1878 > Part 1

rOEFARSHIRE,
Ob
/E Anchjs. — This county is bounded on the fiast by the German Ocean, on the west by Perthshire, on the north by th«
floontioa of Aberdeen and Kincardine, the latter lying also on its north-eastern verge ; on the south, the Frith of Tay is its boundary, as
likewise is Perthshire for a short distance; its extent from north to south is about thirty-eight miles, and from east to west thiity-
eix. The figure of this county is, perbaps, the most uniform of any in Scotland; and but for an indentation on its -weHtern side,
caused by the intrusion of a part of Perthshire, it would describe almost a p rfcct square. The contents of its area have been
variously estimated; it is stated to contain 889 square miles or 5o8,75J statute acres; of these there are about three hundred
thousand cultivated, and two hundred and sixty thousand uncultivated; the portion occupied by lakes is inconsiderable.
Early History.— The district of Angus (now Forfarshire), with the contiguous county of Kincardine on the north, anciently
formed the country of the Horesti, and a portion of the Pictish kingdom. On the dissolution of that government by Kenneth II.,
about the end of the ninth ceutury, he is said to have divided it between his two brothers, Angus and Mearus, from whom the two
counties derived their appellation. The district gave the title of Earl to two different families; on the ostinotion of the first, tha
earldom was conferred on a relation of King David Bruce; and in 1477 it merged in the family of the Douglasses: it has sinco
devolved on the Duke of Hamilton. There are a numbar of old ruinous castles in this county, most of which have fallen to decay*
tn consequence of the baronies on which they stand having passed into the hands of the proprietors of other estates.
Soil, Surface and Produce.— The great level valley of Strathmore runs through the centre of the county from east to west, and
the lines of hills which flank this extensive and fine tract of country, with the Grampians on the north, and some minor ranges on the
south, may be said to form this district into a series of continuous ridges, generally pursuing a direction from west to east, interrupted
occasionally by the different rivers and streams coursing to the sea. The eminences of greatest altitude in the shire are — Hill of Dundee*
B25; Dunnichon Hill, 72U ; Belmont, 759; Sidlaw, 1.40a; Craigowl, 1,600 ; Oathlaw, one of the Grampians, 2,26i ; and Mount-Battock*
8,465 feet above the level of the sea. The portion of the Grampian mountains in this shire is diversified by many beautiful valleys, and
from the summit of these elevations to the ocean on the east, and the Tay on the south, the sm-face of the land may be considered an
inclined plain. From the serial region of the highest Grampian an extensive and well-varied prospect is presented, not only of almost
the whole country adjoining the Tay, and of the ocean, but of the eastern part of the peninsula of Fife, the coast of East Lothian, and
the heights of Lammermoor. The capabilities of Forfarshire for agriculture continued for centuries in that dormant state wliioh
characterised most parts of Scotland, but it cannot escape observation, at the present day, that this district is completely emancipated
from the reproach of inattention to husbandry; it now exhibits a lively spiritj and practically enlightened system of farming, and
consequently a just appreciation of the advantages of this most useful of all sciences. Within the last soventy-tive years,
the farmers of this county have kept at least equal pace, in the improvements adopted, with those of similarly situated
divisions of the country ; and the wealth of Forfarshire has been steadily increasing both from its agriculture and its manu*
facturing products. The general drainage of the land has been proceeded in to a great and beneficial extent; and several lochs,
particularly that of Rescobie, have been drawn off, for the purpose of obtaining shell-marl, which has long been in high repute
with the agriculturists in their respective neighbourhoods; the introduction of bone manure has been foUowed by the most profitable
results. The sowing of permanent pasture grasses and turnips is persevLred in to a broad and lucrative amount ; and the quantity of
groiind appropriiited to tillage is annually augmenting. The improvement of live stock has been in proportional advance with that of
cultivation, and has been materially facilitated by the zealous co-operation of the various agricultural societies. In traversing tha
lower parts of the shire, beautiful enclosures and plauta*ions meet the eye in every parish; and by the formation of excellent roarls in
(ill directions a pleasing inducement is now held for travelling through this progressively prospering county. The planting of waste
lands in this county seems to have made very little progress till about tbe middle of the last century, and when, at length, this sure
source of future profit suggested itself, Scotch firs were the only sort of trees planted in such situations. More recent planters intro-
duced the larch as a more valuable species of timber, and aflapted, as thr^y thought, to every variety of soil and situation, but
experience has exploded this latter notion for it has been profitably proved that by the operation of draining, the moors and waste lands
produce excellent oak and beech, of which a number of proprietors have planted extensively. From the mouth of the Tay to near tho
Westbavew the coast is sandy— having, from therce eastward, many sunken rocks. Within a mile to the east of Arbroath tho shoro
becomes bold and rocky, presenting dreadful precipices to the sea, perforated with caverns by the incessant aud insidious workings of
the waves; the " Redhead," a promontory upwards of two hundred feet in perpendicular height, is the most striking feature of this
rooky front; it forms the south point of Lnnan Bay, and exposes a beautiful beach to the ocean for nearly three miles. The fisheries of
Forfarshire are of great importance, those of the North and South Esk, and the coast of the county, are at the present time very
valuable, and the mode of packing salmon in ice, for tlie London market, is a practice which has proved of peculiar advantage to thosb
connected with that branch of the fishery.
Manufactures and Minerals. — The manufactures of Forfar are of very high consequence ; and as Fifeshire is celebrated for tha
production of the finer linen fabrics, so is this county noted for the manufacture of the coarse hempen goods, wrought up from foreign
materials; the spinning of yarn in large mills is cm rt-d on to a prodigious extent. Dundee, Ai-broath and Montrose are its principal
trading ports; the two first-named enjoy pre-emineneo in tho making of sailcloths, osnaburghs, sackings, dowlasses, and other linen
textures; Brechin participates largely with other places in the preparation of flax ; and the towns of Forfar, Montrose and Kerriemuir
are seats of material manufacturing importance. Exclusive of these particular stations, tbe inhabitants of all the little towns and
villages are industriously employed in weaving the already prepared materials into cloth, and in the process of bleaching. This county
is not distinguished for its mineral treasures. Of limestone, which is found in various parts, there are immense tracts in the Grampians ;
but from the expense of conveying coal to burn it this natural product, so valuable under other circumstances, is not wrought to any
extent, except iu the neighbourhood of Montrose, at Buddin (on the north side of Lunan Bay), and in the vicinity of Brechin. Freestone
is plentiful in almost every parish ; the colour is various, but in no instance so white and beautiful as the stone of File or Mid-Lothian.
The Arbroath paving stone is well known, and has a ready sale in London and Edinburgh. Lead has been found in several places, aud
was at one time wrought to a limited amount iu the parish of Lochlee. But, unfortunately, for its local interests this county ia destitute
of coal — at least no vestige of this invaluable fossil has yet been discovered ; the whole district is, therefore, dependent on the Fife aud
Newcastle collieries for this essential article of domestic comfort and manufacturing facility
Rivers, Lochs and Railways. — The principal rivers are the North and South Esk, which rise near each other on the northern
confines of the county ; the former originates in Loch Lee, which is filled by the water of the Lee, after being joined by tbe Unich,
which latter forms several beautiful cascades. The tributaries of the North Esk are the Luther, the fruick. the West Water, tho Tarf*
and the Mark ; enriched with those streams, it fails into the sea three miles from Montrose. The South Esk passes through the centra
of tbe county, receiving in its progress the contributory waters of the Noran, the Lemno, the Caritv, and the Prosen, and enters the
ocean at Montrose. The third river in point of size is the Isla, which rises near tho sources of the Esks; it receives, near Meigle, tho
Dean, the Carleet a little above Glammis, and the romantic burn of Glammis near the castle ; and, turning westward into Periiishire it
joins the Tay at Kinclaven. There are also two lesser rivers, the Dighty aud the Lunan. Tho former proceeds from some small laiiea
in tbe parish of Lundie, and falls into the mouth of the Tay, east from Broughty-Ferrv; the latter conveys the waters of the lakes of
Eescobie aud Balgives to the sea, at Lunan bay. The Lunan is famous for its eels, aud'the other rivers abound with different varieties
of the trout and salmon. In the enumeration of rivers yielding wealth to this countv, the Tay must not be omitted— though this
district cannot claim its origin— being far the most valuable from its adaptation to the purposes oif commerce. It has its source in the
western extremity of Pt-rthshire, aud, after winding through delightful scenery, the beauties of which :i,re heightened by its sparklinff
waters, it becomes an estuary or firth, and about eight miles below Dundee it expands into the bay of St Andrews, and loses its dis^
tinction in the wide reservoir of the German Ocean. The lakes of most consequence are Loch Lee, in the parish of its name • Loch
Brandy, in the parish of Clova ; the Loch of Forfar, near that town ; the Lochs of Rescobie of Lundie aud Lentrathen, in tbe respective
parishes so denominated ; and of Belgives, in the parish of Aberlemno. None of these are of great magnitude— indeed few, if anv are
more than a mile in extent, and there is notliing peculiar in their qualities or situations. Forfarshire is included in an extensive line of
railway communication, and it may be said that every town of note in the shire is visited by a main line or branch from it.
Divisions, Ac- Forfarshire comprises fifty-two complete parishes and four parts o' piiishos, in whifih arc five royal and parliament
tary burghs, namely- Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Brechin, and Forfar; the four last-na ned burghs, with Inverbervie (in Kincardine-
shire), unite iu sending one member to the senate. The town of Dundee nlso returns o.ic, and the county at large another.
By the census returns prp.sentei to government in 1861 the county contained 92,2 l^ii males and 112,202 females, total, 204 425- in 1871
the numbers were— males, 106,324 ; females, 131,243; total, 237,567, showing au increise in the ten years of 33,143 persons ' '
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