Gazetteer of Scotland

M O N ]
MONTQUHITTER, a parish in Aber-
deenshire, about 9 miles from N. to S. 6
from E. to W. about 10 and a half in a dia-
gonal direction. It is watered by 2 consi-
derable rivulets. By the side of these
streams, the soil is deep and fertile ; but the
seasons are generally late. There is one
village in the parish, called Cuminestown.
In this parish was fought the battle of Len-
drum, in whi h Donald, Lord of the Isles,
received a final overthrow. Population
1710.
MONTROSE, a royal borough, and sea
port town of Angus-shire, sealed on a pen-
insula, formed by the South Esk river. It
isneatly built. consisting ofa spacious street
with bye lanes. The houses, if not elegant,
are, upon the whole, well built and regular.
The principal buildings are, the Old Town-
house, repaired as a prison ; the New Town-
house; the parish church, the Episcopal
chapel, and the lunatic hospital. The har-
bour is very commodious, admitting vessels
of large burden; and, in the river below
the town there is safe anchorage. The
principal manufactu e is linen yarn and
thread ; and the sheeting and sail cloth ma-
nufacture have been carried on to a consi-
derable extent. Montrose has enjoyed the
privileges of a royal borough for about 600
years. It is governed by a provost, 3 bailies,
a dean of guild, treasurer, hospital master,
10 merchant councillors, and 2 councillors
from the trades. It joins with Aberdeen,
Aberbrothock, Bervie, and Brechin, in
sending a member to parliament; and it
gives tiile of duke, as it did formerly of earl
and marquis, to the chief of the noble fa-
mily of Graham. Montrose contains about
5200 inhabitants. The PARISH of MON-
TROSE is about 3 miles long, and 2 and a
half broad, lying betwixt the mouths of the
rivers North and South Esks. A very fine
bridge was built in 1775 over the N.Esk,
consisting of 7 arches, and lately a fine
wooden bridge has been constructed over
the S. Esk, by the island of Inchbrayock,
which gives an open communication with
the south part of the country. The surface
is level, and the lands are well cultivated.
Population 7974.
MO N YMU i; K, a parish in Aberdeenshire,
in the district of Garioch, about 7 miles
long, and from 4 to 5 broad. The arable
land lies mostly upon the banks of the Don.
The remainder is hilly. Population 900.
MONZIE, a parish in Perthshire, about
12 miles long, and 7 broad, lying about 14
miles from the town of Perth, and 3 from
Crieff". It is very mountainous. It is wa-
tered by the Amond, the Keltie, and the
Shaggie. Population 1120.
MOONZIE, a small parish in Fifeshire,
being only 2 and a half miles long, by 1 and
a half broad, containing 1 100 acres. It lies
about 2 miles from Cupar, the county town.
Population 200.
MOORFOOT HILLS, a range of moorish
hills in the southern boundary of Mid-Lo-
thian.
MORAY, or MURRAY, (COUNTY of,)
formerly comprehended the shires of Nairn,
Moray Proper, or Elgin, and a great part of
the shire of Banff. It was anciently ac-
counted the granary of Scotland. It gives
title of Earl to a branch of the noble family
of Stuart.
MORAYSHIRE (PROPER), or Elgin-
shire,^ the middle district of the ancient
county of Moray. It is bounded on the N.
by that branch of the German Ocean cal-
led the Moray Frith ; on the N. and S. E. by
Banffshire ; on the S. W. by Inverness-shire
and on the W. by the counties of Inverness
and Nairn. It extends about 42 miles in
length, and its average breadth is about 20.
The southern part, called the district of
Braemoray, is rocky and mountainous. The
lower parts, towards the N. are rich
and fertile. The principal rivers are the
Spey, Findhorn, and Lossie, all of which a-
bound with Salmon. It contains two roy-
al burghs, viz. Elgin, the county town, and
Forres ; and several considerable towns, as
Grantown, Garmouth, and Lossiemouth.
Except freestone, limestone, and marl, no
mineial substanceof value has been disco-
vered. Morayshire is divided into 18 pa-
rochial districts, which contained, in 1811,
28,108 inhabitants.
MORAY FRITH, a considerable inlet
of the German Ocean. From betw een Tar-
betness in Ross-shire, on the N. and Kin-
naird's head, in the district of Buchan, on
the S. it extends in a westerly direction as
far as Inverness. Its breadth, opposite to
the point of Arderseir, on which Fort
George is built, is contracted to about two
miles, above which it expands into a consi-
derable bay, with safe anchorage. At its
extremity it receives the rivers Ness and
Beauly.
MORBATTLE, a small parish in the
county of Roxburgh, watered by the rivers
Bowmont and Kail. The village of Mor.
battle, which contains about 200 inhabi-
tants, lies about 8 miles E. from Jedburgh.
Population 785.
MORDINGTON, a parish in Berwick-
shire, situated in the S. E. corner of the