Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

FOR
573
FOR
4£d., with £22 15s. fees and other emoluments, be-
sides a share of the Dick bequest, which, it is sup-
posed, will yield about £30 per annum. There are
three private schools.
FORGUE, a parish in Aberdeenshire, bounded on
the north and north-east by the Deveron and Banff-
shire ; on the south-east by Auchterless ; on the south
by Culsamond and Inch ; and on the west by Drum-
blade and Huntly. It extends to about 9 miles in
length, from north-west to south-east; and its great-
est breadth is about 6 miles. Area about 50 square
miles. Houses 480. Assessed property, in 1815,
4,155. Population, in 1801, 1768; in 1831, 2,286;
in 1837, about 2,440. The soil, in the lower parts
of the parish, is generally a deep rich loam on a clay
bottom, producing heavy crops; towards the south,
the ground is still partly in a state of nature, and
covered with heath ; but the proprietors have been
sparing neither trouble nor expense in improving their
several estates, in which they have been aided by the
exertions of industrious and spirited farmers. The
waste grounds have been planted, where they are not
susceptible of higher improvement. The parish is
intersected by two rivulets, the Forgue and the Fren-
draught, which meet a little below the church, and
flow north-eastvvardly with many romantic windings
into the Deveron near the church of Inverkeithing ;
the former is beautifully skirted with wood. For-
mal!, partly in this parish, is a noted hill, 1,000 feet
above the Deveron. On its south-eastern declivity,
is Cobairdy house, environed with highly cultivated
fields and fine plantations. This quarter of the par-
ish is elsewhere ornamented with extensive planta-
tions, and the other sides of the hill are also adorned
with wood. There are several Druidical temples
and encampments in the parish It is in the pres-
bytery of Turriff, and synod of Aberdeen. Patron,
Morison of Bognie. Stipend £191 6s. 5d. ; glebe £18.
Unappropriated teinds £406 13s. 8d. Church built
in 1819; sittings 900 Here is an Episcopalian con-
gregation, with a chapel built in 1795; sittings 230 :
and a United Secession mission, with a chapel built
in 1805; sittings 400 Schoolmaster's salary £28,
with £20 fees and other emoluments, besides a
share of the Dick bequest. There are five private
schools in the parish.
FORMAN, or Formon, one of the Grampian
mountains, in Aberdeenshire, the elevation of which
is upwards of 1,000 feet above the Deveron, which
runs at its base. It is entirely covered with wood,
except on the south-east : see Forgue.
FORMART1NE, an ancient middle district of
Aberdeenshire, which gives the title of Viscount to
the Earls of Aberdeen. It is bounded by Buchan on
the north-east; by a ridge of low hills near Old
Meldrum, by which it is separated from Garioch, on
the south-west; and by Strathbogie on the north-
west. This district includes all the lands along the
coast for 10 miles between the Don and Ythan; then
crosses the Ythan, 'and extends to the banks of the
Deveron, by Turriff. It consists partly of a stony
soil intersected by bogs, and partly of an excellent
clay capable of a high degree of improvement. Area
280 square miles. Parishes 16-
FORRES, a parish in Morayshire; bounded on
the north by Findhorn bay, a large basin of shallow
water, on the Moray frith, formed by the meeting of
the tide and the river Findhorn ; on the north-east
by the parish of Kinloss ; on the east, and south, by
the parish of Rafford; and on the south-west, and
north-west, by the river Findhorn, which divides it
from the united parishes of Dyke and Moy. The
form is irregular, approaching nearest to a triangle,
with a strip of moorish and hill ground about 3 miles
ia length, stretching from one corner. It is 4 miles
in length, and 2i in breadth, and contains about 9
square miles. Houses 798. Assessed property of
burgh and parish, in 1815, £4,216. Population, in
1801, 3,114; in 1831, 3,895; in 1S37, according to
a census taken by the minister and session-clerk,
3,680. The parish, even at the date of the Old
Statistical Account, was almost all "one continued
rich arable well-cultivated field." It is at present
in a state of the highest cultivation, yielding crops
equal to any in Scotland. " In point of situation
and climate," says the Old Statistical Account, "it
is inferior to no part of Scotland. The air is dry,
serene, and healthy — less rain falls here than in most
other parts in the kingdom; the showers being at-
tracted by the Moray frith on the north, and on the
south by the hills which divide Moray from Strath-
spey." The Findhorn, and the burn of Forres, are
the only streams in the parish. The latter flows
past the west end of the town of Forres, and drives
several mills. The fishing, in the river and bay of
Findhorn, is of much importance to the district.
Salmon, trout, flounders, and eels, are caught, and
in the frith, abundance of haddocks This parish is
in the presbytery of Forres, and synod of Moray.
Patron, the Earl of Moray. Stipend £274 3s. 2d. ;
glebe £22. Church built in 1775; sittings 920. Un-
appropriated teinds £423 13s. 2d. — A United Seces-
sion congregation was established in the parish in
1768. Minister's stipend £130, with £10 for com-
munion elements. Chapel built in 1812; sittings 712.
— An Independent congregation was established in
1800. Minister's stipend £60. Chapel built in 1802 ;
sittings 500. — Schoolmaster's salary £40, with a house
and garden, and £22 fees and other emoluments.
There are 19 private schools, attended, in 1S34, by
559 scholars. " Of the schools not parochial, (one
of which is an academy conducted by four teachers
and two assistants, and another a boarding-school,
wherein are five teachers,) the instruction consists
of reading, writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, mathe-
matics, Latin, Greek, French, Italian, drawing, and
music. There are about 160 persons in the parish,
above 15 years of age, who cannot read ; but nearly
all of these are strangers from the Highland districts
of the country."*
The most interesting antiquities in this parish are
the celebrated ' Sweno's stone,' or the Forres pillar,
and the witches' stone. The Forres pillar is a mag-
nificent Runic obelisk, of dark grey stone, on the
north side of the Findhorn road, about half-a-mile
to the east of the burgh of Forres, — the position in
which, in all probability, this enormous slab was ori-
ginally placed. The stone steps around the base
were placed as supports to the pillar by a Countess
of Moray, Lady Ann Campbell, about a century ago.
The stone itself is a hard grey sandstone, 23 feet in
height above ground, and at least 3 feet, but said to
be 14 feet, additional, in depth, under ground; the
breadth, at the base, is 4 feet; the thickness, about
15 inches. On the northern side, as represented in
* The Rev. Mr. John M'Donnel, writer of the Old Stntistir.il
Account, has favoured us with tiie following rather amusing
mqralization on the progress of civilization and extravagance
in this parish, end of last century. " Maimers. — About 50
years a;<o there were only 3 tea-kettles io Forres • at present
there are not less than 3H0! The blue bonnets of Forres were
then famous for good credit, and at that period there were only
(i.people with hats in the town : now above -101) ! Happy for
our country did we keep pace in virtuous improvement, with
the extravagant refinement adopted in dress and manners.
About 30 years ago, 30s. would have purchased a complete
holiday-suit of clothing for a labouring servant : according to
the present mode of dress, it will require at least £5 to equip
him." From the virtuous indignation here manifested at the
fearful inroad of hats and tea-kettles, it must surely follow,
that the worthy minister would condescend to no such new-
fangled practices in his own proper person, but continued still
to * doff a blue bonnet,' and ' bend o'er a bicker,' himself, as of
old.