Descriptive account of the principal towns in Scotland

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to Candlemas ; and annual Fairs are held on the first
Thursday before Christmas, O. S. the first Thursday
before Candlemas, O. S. the second Thursday in
June, second Thursday in August, and the first Thurs-
day in November.
The parish of Dunnottar is of a triangular figure, ex-
tending about four miles each side. It is situated on
the coast ; and the Strath, called the How, or Hallow
of the Mearns begins here, and running through the
parish, divides it nearly into two equal parts. The
surface is generally uneven, but there are no risings
which deserve the name of hills, except the Gram-
pians, which are the boundary of the parish on the west.
Towards the coast, the soil is a clay loam, but as it
recedes inwards, it degenerates into a wet gravelly
moor. The coast is bold and rocky, and there are
many deep caves in the rocks frequented by sea fowl.
The new Town of Stonehaven, is in the parish of
Fetteresso, which bounds Dunnottar, on the north.
This parish is about ten miles'long, and six broad, of
which one third is arable, the rest is moor and moss ;
the richest part lies between the rivers Carron and
Cowie. This parish is rapidly improving in agricul-
ture, through the spirited example of the patriotic
Mr Barclay of Urie. The sea-coast continues to be
bold and rocky. Near Stonehaven, the ruins of the
Thane of Cowie's Castle, are still to be seen. On a
hill called King's Dikes, the vestiges of a rectangu-
lar encampment are very distinct.
The Population of the Town and Parish 1811, 1886.
1821, 1797.
X X