1214. MINTLAW village has a key 1216. STRICHEN village, on Ugie post office, an inn, and about 250 inha- Water, 6 miles north-west of Mintlaw, bitants. Longside parish, around it and is a neat, well-built place, on a regular to the south-east, was, for 64 years, the plan, and has a town house with a spire, residence of the Episcopalian minister, a post office under Mintlaw, a banking John Skinner, the author of "Tulloch- office, four places of worship, an inn gorum," "John o' Badenyon," "The called the Commercial, and about 700 Ewie wi' the Crooked Horn," and other inhabitants. Strichen House, in its popular songs; and has, in its church-southern vicinity, is the seat of George yard, a handsome monument to his me- Bane, Esq. Mormond Hill, in the northmory. 1215. DEER parish, from half a mile to 5 miles west of Mintlaw, contains the ancient village of Old Deer, with about 220 inhabitants; the modern village of Crichie or Stewartfield, with about 600 inhabitants; some fragments of a great Cistercian abbey, founded in the 13th century by one of the Comyns, Earls of Buchan; and the splendid modern mansion of Pitfour, the residence of George Ferguson, Esq., constructed at a cost of nearly £80,000. New Deer parish, from 5 to 10 miles west of Mintlaw, contains the village of New Deer, with about 350 inhabitants; the ruined baronial fortalice of Federate Castle; and the mansions of Bucklaw, Captain Alexander D. Fordyce, R.N., and Nethermuir, John Gordon, Esq. north-eastern vicinity, a conical eminence 810 feet high, commands an extensive view. New Pitsligo, 4 miles west of Strichen, contains a post office under Mintlaw, a banking office, a handsome parish church of 1853, two other places of worship, and about 1650 inhabitants. 1217. NEW LEEDS is a small village, with a United Presbyterian Church. Crimond parish, on the east, contains the scene of the famous, ballad of "Sir James the Rose." Lonmay parish, northwest and north of Crimond, contains the mansions of Cairness, John W. Gordon, Esq.; and Crimondmogate, Sir Alexander Bannerman, Bart. Strathbeg Loch, near the shore, on the mutual border of Crimond and Lonmay, a sheet of water 2 miles long, abounds with trout, perch, fresh-water flounders, and very large eels. 410 RATHEN-FRASERBURGH. 1218. RATHEN parish, extending | contains numerous cairns, and has a bold, north-eastward from Mormond Hill to cavernous coast, crowned on one point the mouth of Rathen Water, contains a by the ruin of Dundargue Castle, which Druidical temple, a large cairn, the made a figure in the wars of the Succesruined old baronial castles of Cairnbulg|sion. and Inverallochy; Mormond House, the 1220. FRASERBURGH stands on a seat of Miss Strachan; and Memsey small bay immediately south of KinHouse, a seat of Lord Saltoun. Rathen naird Head. Its streets cross one Water runs 9 miles eastward and north- another at right angles, and are well eastward to the sea, 2 miles south-east of built and spacious. Its Cross is a fine Fraserburgh. A tract around the upper old hexagonal structure, with a large part of the stream contains memorials base and a pillar. Its Town Hall is a of ancient strife, and the mansions of handsome edifice with a dome, built in Boyndlie, Ladysford, and Tillanamols; 1855. Anold, quadrangular, three-storied and a tract on its lower part, toward tower, is part of a large building erected Fraserburgh, contains some ruins of in 1592 to serve as a college. An artiScandinavian houses, and the mansion of ficial harbour, with a basin of about 7 Philorth, the chief seat of Lord Sal- acres, was constructed during the war toun. against Buonaparte, at a cost of about £50,000; and another harbour, to the north of this, comprising an area of about 11 acres, was constructed in 1856. A light-house stands on Kinnaird Head, showing a fixed light at an elevation of 120 feet above the level of high water. The town has a key post office, four banking offices, a public library, five places of worship, and two hotels— the Saltoun Arms and the Commercial. Its population in 1851 was 3093.. 1219. ROSEHEARTY, a sea-port village, 4 miles west of Fraserburgh, has a post office under that town, two places of worship, and about 900 inhabitants. Pitsligo parish, around Rosehearty, contains the ruined old baronial castles of Pitsligo and Pittullie, both on the property of Sir John S. Forbes, Bart.; and gave, from 1633 to 1746, the peerage title of Baron to Sir John's ancestors. Aberdour parish, contiguous on the west, ment, called the Maiden Stone, occurs 1221. PITCAPLE CASTLE, between | over the east side of Bennochie; and a the railway and the Ury, the seat of curious, large, sculptured, ancient monuHugh Lumsden, Esq., is an ancient edifice, notable for having lodged the Marquis of Montrose as a prisoner on his way to Edinburgh, and for a visit of Charles II.; but comprises also a tasteful recent addition, after a design by W. Burn. Balquhain Castle, about a mile to the south, is the ruin of a very ancient fortalice, which gave lodging to Queen Mary on the eve of the battle of Corrichie, and was burnt by the Duke of Cumberland in 1746; and Balquhain House, in its vicinity, the seat of E. Leslie, Esq., is a handsome modern mansion. Pittodrie House, to the southwest, high on the eastern skirt of Bennochie, is the property of the ancient family of Erskine of Balhaggardy, and commands an extensive view. LogieElphinstone House, the seat of Sir James D. H. Elphinstone, Bart., on the left side of the Ury, above Pitcaple, is an elegant edifice, and contains portraits of Bishop Elphinstone, Charles Lord Elphinstone, and other members of the family. Traces of an ancient camp are seen to the north of Pitcaple; a Roman road, called the Maiden Causeway, goes 1223. INSCH village contains a key post office, a parish church, an inn, and about 230 inhabitants. Dun o' Deer Hill, a mile to the west, an abrupt, conical eminence, about 550 feet high, is 412 KINNETHIMONT--ROTHIEMAY. crowned by a vitrified fort and remains | Huntly Lodge, a seat of the Duke of of an ancient square tower; Christ's Richmond, originally a shooting box, but Kirk Hill, on the other side of the rail- enlarged in 1832 into a commodious manway, takes name from an ancient church, sion, stands adjacent. Avochy, the seat now reduced to fragments; and some of John J. Roy, Esq., and Lessendrum, neighbouring heights give to view a good the seat of Archdeacon F. Bisset, are many Druidical stones and ancient monu- in the neighbourhood. Battle Hill, the mental obelisks. scene of a conflict between the Comyns and the Gordons, is a little to the east. The town includes two principal streets, crossing each other at right angles, with a spacious market-place at the intersection. It contains a large Parish Church, a neat Free Church, a Gothic fronted Independent Chapel, a Gothic Episcopalian Chapel with a spire, a Roman Catholic Chapel with a tower, a large, handsome suite of public schools, a neat recent hospital for aged persons. It has a key post office, three banking offices, a public reading room, two public libraries, and two chief inns, the Gordon Arms and the Strathbogie. And it gives the title of Marquis, in the peerage of Scotland, to a branch of the family of Gordon. Its population in 1851 was 3134. 1224. KINNETHMONT parish, around Kinnethmont Station, contains Leith Hall, a property of Sir Andrew Leith Hay, and was the birth-place of General Sir James Leith, and Admiral Sir James A. Gordon. Rhynie village, 4 miles south-west of the station, has a post office under Huntly, a banking office, two inns, three places of worship, and about 380 inhabitants. Lesmore Castle, a little west of the village, is the ruined stronghold of an ancient branch of the Gordon family. Noth Hill, to the north of Rhynie, and about 2 miles west of the railway, rises picturesquely to the height of 1830 feet, and is crowned by remains of a vitrified fort. A spot at the northwest skirt of the hill contains several tumuli, supposed to be memorials of a battle, in 1057, between Macduff and Lulach. 1227. ROTHIEMAY village, on the left side of the Deveron, 2 miles northcast of Rothiemay Station, has a post office under Huntly, a parish church, and about 80 inhabitants. Rothiemay House, a seat of the Earl of Fife, is adjacent; and Mayen, the seat of W. Duff, Esq., is 23 miles further down the Deveron. Marnoch parish, famous as the scene of one of the hottest of the contests which led to the formation of the Free Church, lies immediately beyond 1225. GARTLY CASTLE is a ruined old stronghold of the Gordons, and gave a night's lodging to Queen Mary. Some glens in its neighbourhood, particularly the Glen of Tillyminnet, descending north-eastward from beyond the hill of Noth, display much beauty. Bogie Water, which receives the drainage of these glens, and has a total course of 14 miles north-north-eastward to the Deveron in the vicinity of Huntly, is alto-Mayen, and contains the old castles of gether beautiful; and its basin, called Strathbogie, is celebrated in song. 1226. HUNTLY, a market town and baronial burgh, stands on the peninsula between the Bogie and the Deveron, environed by wooded hills. Huntly Castle, a fine ruin, partly the fragment of an ancient stronghold of the Comyns, partly a structure of 1602, built by the first Marquis of Huntly, adjoins the town. Kinardy and Crombie, belonging to the Earls of Fife and Seafield; the mansions of Auchintoul, Netherdale, Ardmellie, and Cluny; and the large thriving village of Aberchirder. Forgue parish, on the right side of the Deveron, from 13 to 7 miles south-east of Rothiemay, includes the fiae, wooded, high, conical hill of Forman, near the railway, and contains some relics of the Druids and the Ro GRANGE--KEITH. mans; some fragments of Frendraught or Frennet Castle, celebrated in song; and the mansions of Frendraught, Haddo, Cobairdy, Corse, Auchaber, Templeland, Drumblair, and Boyne's-mill. 413 1230. CULLEN, a sea-port and a royal burgh, stands on a crescent bay 5 miles west of Portsoy. The adjacent coast is grandly rocky; and the landward environs are rolling and picturesque. A 1228. GRANGE Church, an edifice of hill, called the Bin of Cullen, 1043 feet 1795, on the left side of the Isla, north high, rises 3 miles to the south-west, of Grange Station, occupies the site of a sheeted with wood, and exhibiting an splendid ancient castle of the abbots of outline like a lion couchant. Cullen Kinloss. Knock Hill, 3 miles to the House, the chief seat of the Earl of Seanorth-north-east, has an altitude of 1640 field, stands amid a splendid park in the feet above the level of the sea. Edin- southern vicinity of the town, and is an gight Castle, the seat of Sir James M. ancient and stately edifice. The Parish Innes, Bart., stands at the west skirt of Church, near Cullen House, is a venerKnock Hill; and Park House, the seat able cruciform structure. An eminence, of L. Duff Gordon, M.P., stands 3 upwards of 200 feet high, contiguous to miles to the north-east. Isla Water, the fishing suburb, was formerly crownfalling into the Deveron 4 miles south-ed by a vitrified castle, thought by some east of Grange, rises among hills 10 to have been the death-place of the queen miles west of Huntly; describes nearly a of Robert Bruce; and a spot in the semicircle of about 15 miles, with con- neighbourhood, called the Baads of Culvexity to the north; runs generally among len, was the scene of a battle, in 960, bepleasant scenery, and is a fine trouting tween the Scots and the Danes. The stream. town has been chiefly rebuilt on a new site since 1822; it presents a regular, well-constructed, pleasant appearance; it contains a key post office, two banking offices, a spacious hotel, and a public library; and it runs a coach in connection with the railway trains at Portsoy. It is governed by a council of thirteen; and it unites with Elgin and five other 1229. PORTSOY, a small sea-port town, stands on the coast, 7 miles west of Banff. A branch railway of 12 and 16 miles strikes off in the vicinity of Grange; has stations at Knock, Cornhill, and Tillynaught; and forks, at the last of these, toward Portsoy and Banff. Portsoy is an old place, irregularly built, and contains a key post office, two bank-burghs in sending a member to Parliaing offices, four places of worship, and about 2100 inhabitants. A tract around it exhibits rock formations of deep interest to the geologist, and yields beautiful quartz and finely ornamental serpentine. Glasshaugh House, in the vicinity, the seat of A. Abercromby, Esq., is a neat, large mansion. Boyne Castle, on a sea-crag 13 mile to the east, once the residence of the ancestors of the Earl of Seafield, is now a tolerably entire ruin, with vestiges of considerable beauty and magnificence. Findlater Castle, on a peninsulated sea-cliff 4 miles to the west, is the ruin of a very strong fortalice of the 14th century, and gave the title of Earl, from 1683 till 1811, to the family of Ogilvie. ment. Its population in 1851 was 3165. The tract westward from its vicinity to the Spey contains some interesting shorescenery, some cairn-memorials of conflicts with the Danes, the fishing town of Buckie, with about 2810 inhabitants; four fishing villages, with aggregately about 2200 inhabitants; and the mansions of Letterfourie, Sir William Gordon, Bart.; Cairnfield, John Gordon Esq.; Tannachy, A. Stewart, Esq.; Buckie Lodge, Colonel Gordon; Burnside, the Duke of Richmond; and Presholme, Bishop Kyle. 1231. KEITH stands on the Isla; is partly an old town, but chiefly modern; and consists of three parts, called Old |