Gazetteer of Scotland

ABE
ABE
lence of the falmon with which they
abound. The rents of the fifhings arc
eftimated at 2480I. per annum., and the
produce at upwards of io,oool. Be-
fides the fifhings of the rivers, the fea
coaft of Aberdeenfhire abounds with
all kinds of excellent fifh ; and a num-
ber of timing vefiels are fitted out
from the fea ports of the county, par-
ticularly Peterhead and Frazerburgh.
Under the articles of fifheries, we may
mention the celebrated pearl timing
in the river Tthan* In this river fome
pearls have been found, which fold
fingly fo high as %\. and 3I. With re-
gard to mineralogy, little wealth of
that defcription has hitherto been
found in this county. The granite
quarries are the moft valuable articles.
From thofe in the neighbourhood of
Aberdeen, 12,000 tons and upwards
are annually exported to London; the
value of which may be eftimated at a-
bout 8400I. There are feveral quarries
in the parifh of Aberdour, which yield
excellent millftones. There is a quarry
of blue flate wrought in the parifh of
Culfalmond, and a vein of manganeze
in the neighbourhood of Old Aber-
deen. In the parifh of Huntly there
are many indications of metallic ores;
and confiderable quantities of plum-
bago, or black lead, was lately difco-
vered. The county abounds with
limeftone ; but, from the want of coal,
it cannot be wrought to much ad-
vantage, except near a fea port. In
Old Machar and Old Deer parifhes,
about 55,000 bolls of lime are an-
nually burnt, valued at 2750I. Some
kelp is made on the coaft, the value
of which muft be confiderable. Many
fmail pieces of amber are found on
the Buchan coaft ; and Cambden men-
tions a piece of fuch a fize found on
that coaft, that it requires the utmoft
ftretch of belief to allow it credit. In
the parifh of Lefly, a beautiful green
amianthus, with white and gray fpots,
is found in confiderable quantities. It
is eafily wrought, and formed into
fnuff-boxes and other ornaments by
the country people. Amethyfts, e-
meralds, and other precious ftones,
particularly that kind of topaz called
Cairngorm ftones, are found in the
mountains in the parifh of Crathy ;
and agates of a fine polifh, and beau-
tiful variety, are found on the beachy
fhore, near Peterhead. On the eftate
of Invercauld, there are found large
fpecimensof rock cryftals; one in the
poffeffion of Mr. Farquharfon, is by
far the largeft ever found in the king-
dom. Befides thefe, afbeftos, talc,
mica, fchiftus, and other curious mi-
nerals, are found in many parts of the
county. Several of the mountains in
the diftrict of Marr fhew evident figns
of volcanic origin. There are many
famous mineral waters ; but thofe of
Peterhead, and Glendee or Pannanach^
are defervedly celebrated for their ef-
ficacy in curing difeafes. Aberdeen-
fhire has been long noted for the dif-
ferent branches of the woollen manu-
facture, particularly the knitting of
ftockings and hofe, in which great
numbers of the common people are
conftantly employed, and gain a live-
lihood. Of late, the linen and fail*
cloth manufactures have been fuccefs-
fully introduced, particularly in A-
berdeen, Peterhead, and Huntly ;
which latter, according to the report
of a minifter in a neighbouring parifh,
" promifes fhortly to become the
Paifley of the North." Aberdeen-
deenfhire contains 3 royal boroughs,
viz. Aberdeen, Kintore, and In-
verury; and feveral large and hand-
feme towns, as Peterhead, Fraser-
burgh, Huntly, Keith, and Old Meldrum,
Aberdeenfhire is divided into 85 pa-
rifhes, which, by the returns of the
different clergy to Sir John Sinclair
in 1790-8, contained 122,921 inhabit-
ants ; being an increafe of fince
1755, when like returns were made,
collected by Dr. Webfter. The fol-
lowing is a lift of the chief feats of
the nobility and gentry, which orna-
ment this county. Huntly-lodgc, Mar-
quis of Huntly ; Slain' s-ca file, Earl of
Errol ; Keith-hall, Earl of Kintore ;
Aboyne-cajlle, Earl of Aboyne ; Meerr-
lodge, Earl of Fife ; Philorth-houfe,
Lord Saltoun ; Putachie, Lord Forbes ;
Ellon-caflle, Earl of Aberdeen ; Mony-
muj% Sir. Archibald Grant ; Fintry-
hoitfe, Sir William Forbes; Fyvie-cajlle,
the Hon. Gen. W. Gordon ; Iri-ver*
cauld, James Farquharfon, Efq. ; Pit-
four, James Fergufon, Efq. ; Logie-
Elphinftone, R. D. Horn-Elphinftone;
Leith-hall, Major-General Hay; Free-
field, Alexander Leith, Efq. ; Aber-
geldy, Captain P. Gordon ; Skene-houfe,
George Skene, ) fq. : Cluny, Charles
Gordon* Efq. ; Shaloch, John Ramfay,