FORFAR

FORFAR or ANGUS, a county of Scotland, is bounded by the shires of Aberdeen and Kincardine on the north, the German Ocean on the east, the Firth of Tay, which separates it from Fife, on the south, and by Perthshire on the west. It is situated between 56° 27' and 57° north latitude, and between 2° 28' and 3° 22' west longitude from Greenwich, and extends from north to south about 36 miles, and from east to west 27 miles. It contains, according to the agricultural statistics taken in 1854, 457,054½ imperial acres, of which 58,43½ acres are let to small holders under £1.10 of rent. Excluding the latter,

Forfar. the acreage is occupied as follows: 89,361 in cereals, or white crop; 1601½ in beans, pease, and vetches; 32,200 in turnips; 12,530 in potatoes; 63 in mangold, carrots, and cabbage; 136 in flax; 77,350 in grass under rotation; 27,225 in permanent pasture; 106,809 in sheep walks; 69,940 waste; 26,604 woods; the remainder being occupied by houses, roads, &c. More than one-third of its area is occupied by sheep-walks and waste ground, forming part of the Grampian range, here called the Binchinn hills, which join the Braes of Mar in Aberdeenshire. The surface of this northern division of the county, or the Braes of Angus, with the exception of the mountains at the head of Glen Clova, is not in general so bold and abrupt as many other Alpine districts in Scotland; the hills are for the most part rounded, and rather tame, and covered with a thin coat of moorish soil, bearing stunted heath. Catlaw, the highest, is 2264 feet above the level of the sea. There are several considerable valleys in this district, the principal of which are Glen Isla, Glen Prosen, Glen Esk, Clova, and Lethnot, which are watered by streams that rise in the west and north, and commonly flow south-east, receiving innumerable torrents from the mountains in their progress. South from the Grampians; and parallel to them, is another but lower range, called the Siedlaw Hills, supposed to be a continuation of the Ochils: some of these are 1400 feet in height. Between these two grand divisions lies Strathmore, the Great Valley, as the name in Gaelic denotes, or as it is commonly called the How of Angus, forming a continuation of the How of the Mearns, extending about 33 miles in length, and from six to eight in breadth; a district beautifully diversified by gentle eminences, fertile fields, plantations, villages, and gentlemen's seats, very little of it being 200 feet above sea-level. The Aberdeen and Scottish Midland Railways run along this valley, from which there are branches to Arbroath, Dundee, Kirriemuir, Blairgowrie, &c. The fourth and remaining division extends from the Siedlaw Hills to the German Ocean on the east, and the Firth of Tay on the south, and is, with a few exceptions, a rich and well-cultivated tract, varying in breadth from three to eight miles, and comprehending about a fourth part of the whole country.

The general colour of the soils in the lower districts is red, in other parts often inclining to dark brown or black. The soil in the Grampians is generally moorish over whitish retentive clay, but loose, friable, and productive in the glens. Over the pudding-stone, or falcilite rock, in the lower grounds, it is sometimes thin, mossy, and encumbered with stones, and over the sandstone a tenacious clay often occurs. The soil above whinstone is fertile, though sometimes shallow. There is no great extent of moss, the greater part of it having been drained and cultivated during the last twenty years.

The mineralogy of a considerable portion of Forfarshire was examined by Colonel Imrie, who has given a minute description of it in a paper published in the sixth volume of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In the Grampian districts, towards the summit of the county, on the confines of Aberdeenshire, the prevailing rock is granite, some of it very beautiful, and containing in its cavities or fissures topazes and rock-crystals called cairngorms, from a mountain of that name in Aberdeenshire; also micaceous schistus, and porphyry, dykes of the latter in some places intersecting the former. Laminated mica, called by the natives sheep's siller, from its silvery lustre, is found in veins, in mica slate, and the rock-crystals are found in the beds of torrents. Lead was once wrought at Gilfanan, above the old castle of Invermark, in the upper part of the parish of Lochlee, and also at Ardoch, near Millenden on the Esk. At the former place, according to Edward, in his Description of Angus, published in 1678, it yielded one sixty-fourth part of silver; but both mines have long

since been abandoned. Limestone in small quantities here frequently occurs, but is now seldom or never worked. There are also broad beds of slate, but which, from some imperfections, is of little use. In descending the Grampians to Strathmore, pudding-stone prevails; and afterwards on the lower grounds, sandstone. Clay marl is found both in Strathmore and the Siedlaw hills, but is little used. Shell marl, which is the remains of myriads of small testaceous animals, is in greater request, although not so much now as some years ago: it abounds in different parts, particularly in the lochs of Kinordie, Lundie, Logie, near Kirriemuir, and Restennet near Forfar. These lochs have been partly drained, and the marl rendered of easy access. It is also found in the lochs of Forfar, Rescobie, and Balgavies, where it is raised by scoops, and conveyed to the shore in boats. The Siedlaw hills are chiefly composed of sandstone of various colours. Sandstone flags, which are much used for roofing houses, are raised in great quantities on the Hill of Balmashanner, in the moor to the south of Forfar, in the parish of Carmyle, and along the southern declivity of the Siedlaw hills. The principal lime-works are in the maritime division at Heddlerwick, near Montrose, and at Boddin, in the parish of Craig. The only mineral springs worth noticing are chalybeate, one of which is near Montrose, another to the west of Arbroath, two in the side of a rivulet about a mile farther west, and one in the north-west corner of Dumbarrow, in Dunnichen parish.

The botany and zoology of the county were explored with great industry a good many years ago by Mr George Don of Forfar, who presented a very ample enumeration in both departments, in a paper subjoined to Mr Headrick's survey for the Board of Agriculture. A few years ago the late Mr Wm. Gardiner of Dundee, a good botanist and florist, published a small useful work on the botany of Forfarshire.

The most prevailing rains are from the east and south-east, as experienced all along the east coast of Scotland. At Crescent, half a mile westward of Dundee, the quantity of rain that fell during six years, from 1790 to 1795 inclusive, varied from 22.27 to 34.12 inches; but at Belmont, in the centre of Strathmore, during the same years, it was from 31.45 to 39.55 inches. The mean height of the barometer at Belmont during the first three of these years was 29.60°, and that of the thermometer 42°. At Crescent, the mean degree of cold during winter for the whole period was from 32½° to 39½°, and of heat during summer, from 60½° to 66°. The south-east wind blows at Crescent 21 days, and the south-west 109 annually; whereas at Belmont the former prevails 85, and the latter 138 days. It may be interesting to add the following meteorological observations, taken with great accuracy by Mr Alexander Brown, writer, Arbroath, for the ten years inclusive from 1845 to 1854. The situation was 50 feet above the level of the sea, and about half a mile distant from it.

Reduced to Temperature of 32°, and Corrected.

On the 22d December 1849, the barometer stood at 30.96; and on the 27th December 1852 it stood 28.00.

By average of Self-registering Thermometer, 11 feet from ground.

The maximum heat was on 14th July 1847, 83°; the minimum on 17th February 1855, 4°. At Arbroath, daily observations of the thermometer made at 8^h 20^m A.M., and 7^h 35^m P.M., local mean time, give the mean annual temperature of the year.

Rain-Gauge 3 feet from ground.

Deduced from observations of Wet and Dry bulb Thermometer.

The above tables will assist in forming a pretty correct idea of the climate of this county, which is one generally favourable to the production of white and green crops of all kinds, and salubrious.

In addition to the lochs or lakes already mentioned, there are other two considerable ones—viz., Lochlee, among the Grampians, from which the North Esk issues, and Lent-rathen near their base. This river, after leaving Lochlee, flows towards the east and then the south-east, where it forms the boundary between this county and that of Kin-cardine, and falls into the sea about three miles north-east of Montrose, having received in its course the Mark, the Tarf, the Westwater, the Cruik, the Luther, and other smaller streams. The South Esk rises in the north-western part of the county among the Grampian summits of Clova,

and passing by Brechin, discharges itself into the basin of Montrose, after being joined by the waters of Prosen, Carrity, and other mountain and a few lowland streams. Its general course is from north-west to south-east. Isla, the last stream of any note, has also its source in the Grampians, flowing from the summit of the glen which bears its name, in a direction from north to south, until at Ruthven it bends to the westward, and joins the Tay in Perthshire. Below the Bridge of Craig it has cut a chasm, in some places more than a hundred feet in depth, through a barrier of porphyry and gravel-stone rocks, where it forms cascades of singular beauty. The Dean, the Lunan, the Dightly, and a few others, are inconsiderable streams.

Much of the landed property of Forfarshire has changed its owners within the last century; and of the forty barons mentioned by Edward in the work already referred to, the descendants of not more than a third of them now possess estates in it, and most of these are considerably reduced in size. In 1811 a large proportion of the estates were from L.100 to L.1000 a year, some from L.2000 to L.6000, and only one or two worth L.12,000 a year. At that date about a third part of the county was held under entail, but the entail act has been taken advantage of extensively in effecting either actual sales, or in placing the properties in the fee simple possession of the owners. The valued rent in 1674 was L.171,239, 16s. 8d. Scots. At the above date there were 266 estates, three-fourths of which were below L.500 Scots.

The real rental of the lands in 1811 was set down at L.260,196, 15s., and of the houses L.64,108 sterling. The whole number of farms was then 3222, of which about the half were under L.20 of yearly rent, and only 86 above L.300. Since that period the tendency of landowners has been to add to the size of their farms by joining smaller ones together—a policy which, in some respects, has been much questioned. The rent of lands in 1853-4 was L.295,664; of quarries, fisheries, and other property, L.7952; and the yearly value of house-property was L.278,479. Total value of real property, L.582,095. There are more than sixty gentlemen's seats, some of them venerable for their extent and antiquity, such as the castles of Glammis, Brechin, Airley, &c.; and the castles of Kin-naird and Panmure are at present undergoing such repairs and additions as will render them among the most commodious and magnificent mansions in Scotland. There is one estate that yields above L.25,000 a year, and two or three from L.16,000 to L.20,000. The farms rent from L.1500 downwards. Great improvements have been made during the last twenty years in the erection of substantial farm-houses and steadings, but very little advance has been made in supplying suitable accommodation to either married or single farm-servants. A movement has lately been set on foot, which is only a revival of one or two similar attempts formerly made to remedy this evil, but the obstacles in the way are not easily overcome. The greatest of these is, doubtless, the want of capital (and in many cases disposition conjoined) to erect proper cottages; and to supply the means necessary for this purpose, the "Agricultural Labourers' Association" does not recommend any measure of relief by loan or otherwise.

Great advancement has, of late years, been made in this county in the science and practice of agriculture, and it contains a class of tenantry nowhere exceeded in Scotland for enterprise and intelligence. The system of rotation varies according to soil and situation. The five-course shift is that most usually adopted; but as guano and artificial manures are becoming more in use, there is less land kept in grass, and more sown in green crop. Wheat, which according to Pennant was a rare crop in 1776, is now much cultivated upon almost every variety of soil, to the height of more than 1000 feet above the level of the sea; while a

Forfar. very small proportion is sown with here or bigg, which, with oats, used to be the principal white crops sown. A corresponding progress has been made in the improvement of live stock. What is usually known as the Clydesdale or west country breed of farm-horses, is common in the lower districts. The garran and small highland breeds, so famous for their action and durability, are now almost extinct. Last year there were 9290 saddle and work horses, of the probable value of £300,000; and, perhaps, 2000 colts and fillies, worth £30,000. About fifteen or twenty years ago, the Angus, a black polled breed of cattle, was almost exclusively raised. These are well known and highly valued, being in the estimation of some agriculturists of note better suited in certain respects for a northern climate than the breeds more recently introduced, especially for feeding purposes, by crossing with a short-horn bull. Crossing, however, has become so common during the last ten or fifteen years, that the pure Angus breed is not easily obtained, except from a comparatively few agriculturists who have made breeding of first-class stock a main object, the most eminent of whom is Mr Watson of Keillor. Last year there were 13,764 milk cows, 25,605 other cattle, and 10,874 calves, in all 50,243, of which 2240 belonged to tenants under £10 of rent. The total value may be estimated at above £500,000, being nearly double of what they were reckoned to be worth twenty years ago. The flocks of black-faced sheep are considerable; and during the last few years sheep-grazing has become general in the lowlands—the Leicester, or a cross between them and the black-faced, being most in favour. There are of ewes, gimmers, and ewe-hogs, 53,169; and of tups, wethers, and wether-hogs, 51,349, which may be valued at upwards of £100,000. There are few or no goats worth mentioning kept. The quantity of swine fed is limited, owing to there being few or no large dairy farms. The number is 8822, of which upwards of 1000 belong to the small holders. The value of swine may be £10,000; and the total value of live stock within the county cannot be much under £1,000,000 sterling.

Forfarshire contains five royal burghs—viz., Forfar, the county town, Dundee, Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin, together with a number of villages, such as Kirriemuir, Glammis, &c.

The fisheries on the coast for herring, white fish, and salmon, are prosecuted with considerable success.

Many religious and military ruins are to be found in Forfarshire. Among the former, the most celebrated are the remains of the Abbey of Arbroath. This building was founded and dedicated to Thomas à Becket in 1178 by William the Lion, whose ashes repose within its walls. It was richly endowed, and has some historical interest attached to it from having, among other incidents, been the place where was held the parliament of Robert Bruce, which addressed the celebrated remonstrance to the Pope asserting the independence of the kingdom. The abbey was destroyed before the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Beside the cathedral of Brechin is a curious round tower, of which, though such be common in Ireland, only two, it is said, have been observed in Britain—this and another one at Abernethy, in Perthshire. (See BRECHIN.) A hill called Cater-thun, in the parish of Menmuir, north-west of Brechin, is worthy of notice. Pennant thinks it was one of the posts occupied by the Caledonians before their engagement with Agricola, at the foot of the Grampians.

There are fifty-six parishes in the county. In 1833 there were about 20,000 communicants or members of the Established Church, and about 2300 dissenters. Since that period the number of church members has greatly decreased, a large proportion of them since the Disruption having become dissenters.

Among the eminent men connected with this county

may be mentioned Hector Boetius, who was born in the parish of Panbride; Archbishop Leighton and Andrew Melville, born in the parish of Craig; the Marquis of Montrose, Joseph Hume, and Sir Alexander Burnes, born in Montrose; and in Mains and Strathmartine was the residence of Grahame of Claverhouse. The county sends one member to parliament, the burgh of Dundee one, and the other royal burghs, in conjunction with Bervie, one.

Twenty years ago there was no assessment levied for the poor within the county. One half of the parishes are now assessed. Last year the number of poor on the roll was 5172, for whose support £25,976 were expended; and there were of casual poor 1454, who received £1165. These sums amount to more than an eleventh part of the land-rent of the county, exclusive of the sum raised by voluntary assessment.

See Edward's Description of Angus, reprinted in 1791, and Colonel Imrie's Section of the Grampians, already referred to; Beauties of Scotland, vol. iv.; Headrick's General View of the Agriculture of Angus or Forfar-shire; Memoirs of the Wernerian Society, vol. ii.; The General Report of Scotland; Playfair's Description of Scotland, vol. i.; and the old and new Statistical Account of Forfarshire. (S. C.—K.)

The following are the returns of the population, &c., from 1801 to 1851:—

By the computation of 1841 flats were reckoned houses.