a county of Scotland, including Menzieith, Braidalbin, Athol, Stratherne, part of Gowrie, and Perth Proper; is bounded by Badenoch and Lochaber on the north and north-west; by Marr on the north-east; by Argyle and Lennox on the west and south-west; having Clackmannanshire, part of Stirlingshire, and the Forth to the south; the shires of Kinross and Fife to the south-east, and Angus to the east. It extends above 70 miles in length, and near 60 at its greatest breadth, exhibiting a variety of Highlands and Lowlands; mountains, hills, dales, and straths, diversified with pasture-grounds, corn-fields, and meadows; rivers, lakes, forests, woods, plantations, inclosures, towns, villages, and a great number of elegant seats, beautifully situated, belonging to noblemen and gentlemen. The chief rivers of Perthshire are the Tay, the Keith, and the Terne, besides a great number of subordinate streams. The Tay, which is the largest river in Scotland, derives its source from Perth, the mountains of Braidalbin, and spreads itself into a lake, called Loch Tay, 15 miles in length and six in breadth; then, after a winding course of 40 miles, during which it is swelled by many brooks and rivulets, it ends in the Frith of Tay, a broad navigable inlet, which opens to the sea, not far from the bay of St Andrews. The river Keith is famous for its salmon-fishery, and its steep cataract, near the Blair of Drummond, the noise of which is so loud as to deafen those who approach it. The river Irne rises from Loch-Ierne, a lake seven miles long, in the mountainous country of Strathern: this river, after a course of 34 miles from east to west, during which it receives many streams and rivulets, falls into the Tay, at Abernethy.

Free-stone, lead, iron, and copper ores, with some lapis calaminaris, are found in different places of Perthshire. The soil, being generally rich and well manured, produces excellent wheat, and all kinds of grain. The hilly country abounds with pasture for the black cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and deer. The heaths, woods, and forests, are stored with variety of game; the rivers teem with salmon and trout; the gardens and orchards are stored with all kinds of herbs, roots, apples, pears, cherries, plums, and almost every species of fruit found in South Britain. The houses and attire, even of the commonalty, are neat and decent; and every peasant can produce a good quantity of linen, and great store of blankets, made in his own family. Indeed, this is the case through all the Lowlands of Scotland. Flax is reared by every husbandman; and being dressed at home, is spun by the females of his family into thread for linen; this is woven by country weavers, of whom there is a great number through all the Low Country, and afterwards bleached or whitened by the good-wife and her servants; so that the whole is made fit for use at a very small expense. They likewise wash, card, spin, and weave their wool into tartan for plaids, kerseys, and coarse rustic cloth, for common wearing, besides great part of it which is knit into caps, stockings, and mitts. Plaids, made of the finest worsted, are worn either plain or variegated, as veils, by women of the lower, and even of the middle rank; nay, some years ago, ladies of fashion wore filken plaids with an undress: this is a loofe piece of drapery, gathered about the head, shoulders, and waist, on which it is crossed, so as to leave the hands at liberty, and produces a very good effect to the eye of the spectator. The Lowlanders of Perthshire are civilized, hospitable, and industrious: the commerce of the country consists chiefly in corn, linen, and black cattle: there are, moreover, some merchants who trade to foreign countries.—For an account of the different divisions of this county above mentioned, see the articles as they occur in the order of the alphabet.

Perth Proper, stretching 20 miles in length, and, at some places, 15 in breadth, is bounded on the north-east, by the Carse of Gowrie; on the east, by Angus; on the west, by Strathern; on the north, by Athol; and on the south, by the Frith of Tay. This is likewise a fruitful country, populous, and well cultivated, abounding with gentlemen who possess opulent estates; with farmers who understand agriculture; and with manufacturers who turn their industry to great account. North-eastward from Perth to Brechin, lies Perth, the vale of Strathmore, one of the most fertile districts in Scotland, which gives the title of Earl to the noble family of Lyon.

capital of the county of that name, is an agreeable, populous town, situated 20 miles within land, on the south bank of the river Tay. It was otherwife called St Johnston's, from a church dedicated to St John, as the patron of the place. It is a royal borough, second in dignity to the metropolis, the seat of a large presbytery, and gave the title of Earl to the family of Drummond, which is now forfeited. Perth, in the reign of Edward I. of England, was possessed by the English, who secured it with fortifications; but, after an obstinate resistance, they were expelled by Robert Bruce. In the year 1715, the rebels made it a place of arms, and retired to it, after the battle of Dumbarton; but they were in a little time dislodged by the duke of Argyle, and retreated northwards with the pretender. The town is populous and handsome; the streets are well paved, and tolerably clean at all times; and the houses, tho' not flatly, make a very decent appearance. Here is a large church, an old palace that belonged to the earls of Gowrie, but now devolved to the crown; a flatly town-house, several other public edifices, and houses belonging to gentlemen. A monastery of Carthusians was here established by king James I. of Scotland, who lost his life on the very spot, by the treachery of Athol and his accomplices. The town was anciently provided with a stone-bridge over the river, which an inundation swept away; but a new and very fine one has lately been built.

This town has but one parish, which has two churches, besides meetings for separatists, who are very numerous. One church, which belonged to a monastery, is very ancient: not a vestige of the last is now to be seen; for the disciples of Knox made a general desolation of every edifice that had given shelter to the worshippers of the church of Rome: it being one of his maxims, to pull down the nests, and then the rooks would fly away.

The flourishing state of Perth is owing to two accidents: the first, that of numbers of Cromwell's wounded officers and soldiers choosing to reside here, after he left the kingdom, who introduced a spirit of industry among the people: the other cause was the long continuance of the earl of Mar's army here in 1715, which occasioned vast sums of money being spent in the place. But this town, as well as all Scotland, dates its prosperity from the year 1745; the government of this part of Great Britain having never been settled till a little after that time.

The trade of Perth is considerable. It exports annually 150,000l. worth of linen, from 24,000 to 30,000 bolls of wheat and barley to London and Edinburgh, and about the same in cured salmon. That fish is taken there in vast abundance; 3000 have been caught in one morning, weighing, one with another, 16 pounds; the whole capture, 48,000 pounds. The fishery begins at St Andrew's day, and ends August 26th, old style. The rents of the fisheries amount to 300l. per annum. Smelts come up this river in May and June.

There has been in these parts a very great fishery of pearl, got out of the fresh-water muscles. From the year 1761 to 1764, 10,000l. worth were sent to London, and sold for 10s. to 1l. 16s. per ounce. Mr Pennant was told that a pearl has been taken there that weighed 33 grains. But this fishery is at present exhausted, from the avarice of the undertakers: it once extended as far as Loch-Tay.