Scotland > 1882-1915 - Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Scotland > 1886 - Slater's (late Pigot and Co's) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland

/ fiHIS is a very extensive county, being tbo first in Scotland in magnitude, though only ranking the tenth in population ; it is bounded
X on the north by the counties of Ross and Cromarty; on the east by those of Nairn and Moray — the Frith of the latter also touching
It on this quarter; on the south are the shires of Perth and Aigyle, with a small part of Aberdeen;. and tbo Atlantic Ocean washes
its western boundary ; a small insulated district between the shires of Banff and Moray belongs to it, and several of tho Hebrides arc
politically attached to it. Tho county (excluding the islos) extends in length, from the point of Arisaig ou the west to that of Ardersier
on the east, about ninety-two miles, and its greatest breadth is ovei- fifty miles. The whole surface comprises 4,054 square miles of land,
and one hundred and ninety of lakes. Taking the computed number of acres at 3,000,000, little more than one-tenth is cultivated. The
shire comprehends a variety of districts of local importance — as Badenoeh in its south part, Lochaber ou the south-west, Moidart on the
west, Glenelg ou the north-west, Gleugany iu its central part, and others of less consequence, as Glengary, Glenmorison, Glenshiel, &c.
The Islands annexed to the county are Skye, Harris, North and South Uist, Benbecula, Barra, Eigg, Muck, Rum, and Cauna; besides a
number of islets.
Surface, Suit,, Produce, &c. — The greater part of the surface of this county consists of lofty mountains, which, especially towards
the west, tower above each other in stupendous magnificence. It would be vain to attempt a particular description of the scenery to bo
met with iu this great county, comprehending, as already mentioned, so many mountains, between all of which are dsep glens of bound-
less variety and beauty, each having its stream and its lake, and many shrouded in woods. One of the mountains is, nevertheless, too
conspicuous to pass over in silence — the noble and celebrated Ben Nevi^, the highest elevation iu Great Britain, soaring to the height of
4,406 feet above the level of Loch Liuuhe. This remarkable eminence stands to the north-east of Furt William, near the Bhore of an arm
of the sea ; from the top, in clear weather, a view can be obtainud across nearly the whole of the north of Scotland, from sea to sea ; it is
generally enveloped, however, in a mantle of clouds, and is toilsome in the ascent. It consists principally of a hoe brown poi'phyrv, and
contains red granite of a most beautiful Rrain; it is said also to possess veins of silver and lead. Being cleft in many places to the very
base, by ravines and glens, its precipices are of prodigious altitude ; one of them, the inaccessible eyrie of eagles, is nearly 500 feet
perpendicular; and in the fissures, even iu tho warmest weather, suow remains unmelted. Around its southern base flows the Nevis
streamlet, through the glen of that name ; it was at the opening of this valley that tho Marquis of Montrose achieved the brilliant victory
of luverlochy. On the summit is an observatory, erected by the Scottish Meteorological Society, and about a hundred yards to tho south
of this is a new hotel, which was opened during July of the present (18851 year. The other remarkable eminences are MeUourvonie,
3,600 ; Scarsough, 3,412; and Craig-Phadrig, 1,150 feet respectively above the level of the sea. Inverness-shire is divided into two almost
equal parts, by a valley running from south-west to north-west, parallel to the Grampians. This valley is called Qlen-morc-na h' Alabin,
or the " Great Glen of Albion," and appears to be a deep continuous rent between the chains of enormous mountains which range in the
same direction ; through the greater part of its length the ^len is filled with water, or rather an almost connected succession of lakes,
not rising very cou c iderably above the level of the sea — a circumstance which suggested the comprehensive plan of forming the
Caledonian Canal; of that stupendous undertaking wo shall have occasion to speak hereafter. On the eastern side of the county,
agriculture is conducted with as much skill, spirit, and success as in any district northward of tho Grampians; in the interior,
and on the western coast, it languishes under tho natural obstructions of soil aud climate. Along the whole of the western division
the climate is much more rainy than on the eastern side of the island; it is seldom fair weather iu the latter with a westerly wind.
On account of these disadvantages, the principal employment of the farmer in this district is the management of black cattle and sheep,
especially the former. The mountains and forests are widely inhabited by the red deer and roe, who roam in safety through seclusions,
and lodge in recesses impenetrable to man ; the alpino and common hare, and other species of game, are also abundant. The extensive
plains which surround the lakes are in general fertile. The military roads iu this county, made by the soldiers under General Wade,
nover fail to excite the astonishment of travellers. Additional roads were formed, and bridges constructed, under the direction of
Government, through every district of this extensive shire. On the cnufiues of the county are extensive tracts of natural wood, evidently
the remains of much larger forests; the fir woods of Gloumoreand Strathspey are supposed to be more thau all the other natural woods
of Scotland if summed together. The trees that grow naturally are oak, fir, birch, ash, mouutuin-ash, holly, elm, wild-groeu, hazel, and
the Scottish poplar; those planted are chiefly larch, spruce, silver-fir, beech, plane, and fruit trees. Those districts in cultivation, along
with those iuthe course of gradual adaptation to purposes of husbandry, are in the north-oast or Lowland quarter, where there are to be
seen many fine fields yielding good crops of wheat, barley, oats and turnips ; potatoes, in several parishes, aro produced in great abund-
ance. In tbe district in the vicinity of Spey, near Castle Grant, a very improved system of cultivation has for many years been intro-
duced. In this shire, as in other counties in the north, the removal of the poorer native classes, or small farmers, by tbe landlords has
thinned the population, expatriated thousands, and reduced to the lowest conceivable depths of bumau suffering those wretched families
who have been permitted to remain iu rude hamlets outlie sea-shore. During the severe winters of 1836-7, and likewise 1846-7, tho dis-
tress of the more indigent inhabitants of the Highlands (owing to the deplorable failure of their naturally limited crops, the extreme
inclemency of the weather, and the almost total destitution of fuel) was of the most appalling description; in the islands more particu-
larly this combination of calamities was experienced to a direful extent. In the Isle of Skye tue want of fuel had reduced the unhappy
occupants to such a state of desperation that, it has been asserted, lots were cast among a certain number of poor families to decide
which should consent to the destruction of their hut for the purpose of furnishing fire-wood for the general good. The case of these poor
people excited universal sympathy throughout the kingdom, and subscriptions, headed munificently by London, poured in for their
relief; the sum thus promptly raised was very considerable. Among the provincial towns of England, Manchester stood eminently con-
spicuous in the humane and benevolent work. We now return from this digression to our more general and cheering account of tho
capabilities of this wide district. The exports of the county may be briefly enumerated in the articles of cattle, wool and corn ; the skins
of goats, deer, roes, foxes, hares and rabbits ; salmon, herrings, dried and salted fish, and fir timber, with the produce of tho labours of
the hempen and thread manufactures. The spinning of flax and wool is the occupation of the females, in their respective families, over
the whole county. The principal imports will be detailed under the head of Inverness. Limestouo is everywhere abundant; and in many
parts are to be found marble, slate and granite, the latter said to be tho most beautiful in the world.
Rivers and Lakes, Canals and Railways.— The principal river is the Ne,ss, which flows from Loch Ness to the Moray Firth ; the
next is the Spey, which, though a larger river in its lower parts, is about the same size while running through the shire ; the smaller
rivers are the Beauly, tho Foyers, the Garry, the Coiltrie, the Glass, the Morriston, the Enneric, the Kinnie, with others of still minor
note; the whole produce ample supplies of trout and salmon. On the Foyers is a celebrated waterfall, descending in one leap to the
depth of two hundred feet ; a dense mist is continually seen rising from the broken water, and the noise resulting from the fall" may be
heard at a considerable distance. The Caledonian Canal, before adverted to, is composed of a chain of lakes, connected with the Bea
on either side of the island by artificial watercourses and lochs, and stretches across Inverness-shire, in a south-westerly direction from
Inverness, on tho Moray Firth, to Loch Eil, on the western course— a distance of about sixty miles. To connect the several lakes by
artificial navigation, and thereby the Western Ocean with the North Sea, by the Moray Firth, was an undertaking to which a great
portion of the public attention had long been directed ; and it was at length commenced by Government in 1803-4. After a persevering
labour of about eighteen years, and at an expense of upwards of £800,000, the canal was opened for the admission of vessels in 1822 ; up to
1830, the total expense fell very little short of one million sterling. The canal is twenty feet deep, fifty feet wide at bottom, and one
hundred and ten feet wide at surface, and is much used by steamers and sailing vessels, more especially the former, large numbers of
tourists going by this route to the north. Besides the lochs, which have been made subservient to this great line of canal navigation
ihero are others of greater or less magnitude scattered throughout the district ; and several arms of the sea advance into the western
shore of the county. Railways have extended their iron influence to this remote county by means of the Highland Railways which
are complete as far north as Thurso and "Wick, an important branch of which runs by Dingwall to Strome Ferry, thus opening'a com-
munication with the Isle of Skye.
Division, Representation, &c— Inverness -shire comprehends twenty-four parishes, and thirteen parts of parishes. The county is
singularly destitute of towns— the only one it possesses being Inverness, which is a royal bunrh; it joins with Fortrose (in Ross-shire),
Nairn {in the county of that name), and Forres (in Morayshire), in sending one member to Parliament ; aud the county of Inverness
returns another representative. The present member for the county is Donald Cameron, Esq. of Lochiel. Tho parliamentary con-
stituency for 1884-85 numbered 2,022. The lord-lieutenant is Lord Lovat.
By the returns presented to the Government in 1871, the entire county contained a population of 41,104 males, and 46,911 females ;
total, 88,015. In 1881 the numbers stood— males, 43,852 ; females, 46,602 ; total, 90,454 ; showing an increase of 2,439 persons in ten years. .
78
•T