Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 2.djvu/58

FOKFAE. FOKFAE. pians, passes through Strathmore and Brechin, and falls into the sea at Montroso. The Isla issues from the Grampians in the N.W., and passes into Perthshire, where it becomes confluent with the Tay. Its banks are beautifully wooded, and it has one or two fine cascades. The Melgam "Water, the Dean Lunan, and Dighty are a few out of the numerous minor streams which water this county. Many of the lochs have been drained, and their beds cultivated or excavated for manure. The principal remaining are lochs Lee and Lentrathen, among the Grampians, lochs Forfar, Eescobie, and Bel- gavies, abounding with excellent fish and waterfowl. The geological formation of the Grampian district con- sists chiefly of granite, gneiss, mica slate, and clay slate. Rock crystals, garnets, and porcelain clay are found in some places, and lead ore was formerly worked ; lime- stone, greenstone, and basalt are met with, and jasper occurs at Glenesk. Pearls have been found in the North Esk. The prevailing formation of the Strathmore district is Old Eed sandstone, with pudding-stone, shell marl, some Ironstone, and pipe-clay. The Sidlaw district is composed of sandstone and trap, accompanied with breccia, or yolky stone, consisting of quartz, whinstonc, jasper, &c. The whole is overspread with a layer of basalt, porphyry, and greenstone. Agate and onyx are found among these hills. Lime and sandstone are quarried : lead and copper exist in small quantities. The climate of this county, from the variety of its eleva- tion, is necessarily variable. Snows and piercing winds prevail on the heights, while the valleys are mild and salubrious. The soil among the Grampians is generally moorish, but on descending into the valley, it is com- posed of alluvium mixed with sand, and is light and friable. In the Strathmore district the soil is alluvial, but poor, and sometimes assumes the form of sterile sand. A rich black soil occurs near Montrose, from which, fol- lowing the coast northward, the surface consists of a sandy plain of considerable extent. The principal peat bed is at Diltyr Moss, on the Sidlaws ; peat is also obtained on the Grampians. Modern improvements in farming are extensively adopted. The farms average in size from 100 to 200 acres. Low stone walls called dykes, as in many other parts of Scotland, take the place, of hedges, from the superabundance of boulders on the surface of the soil. The principal crops raised are oats, barley, and wheat which last is exported pretty largely. Peas, beans, turnips, flax, &c., are also grown. There are extensive grazing tracts among the hills. The breeding of horses is much attended to ; one breed, the small grey garron, is very powerful, and requires but little care. Small white-faced sheep are reared among the mountains. This breed was originally purer, but is now mostly crossed with other classes. Cattle are much improved, both in point of size and otherwise. The red deer is now seldom seen, but the roebuck still frequents the valleys of the Grampians. The badger, white or alpine hare, fox, eagle, kite, hawk, otter, seals, and wild swans and geese are seen in the county at cer- tain seasons. The salmon fishery of the Tay is very considerable, as is also the coast fishery, in cod, turbot, haddock, herring, skate, sprats, smelts, soles, crabs, lobsters, and mussels. A great proportion of the inha- bitants is engaged in the manufactory of coarse linen goods, this county being the great linen district of Scot- land. There are extensive plantations of beech, oak, larch, ash, elm, &c. There are several old castles about the county : the principal are those of Brought}' ; Balrea, the ancient seat of the Fentons ; Brechin, that of the Maules the latter being among the principal proprie- tors : this castle was one of great strength, and was besieged by Edward III. in 1303 ; Dudhope, of the Scrymgeours ; Halton, of the Oliphauts ; Kedcastlo, Inverquharity, Panmure, Finhaven, Kelly, Affleck, In- vermark. Abbeys and churches of nntiquity are found at Fearn, Arbroath, Forfar, Brechin, Kettins, and Foulis. The principal seats are Cortachy, of the Earl of Airlie ; Careston, of the Earl of Fife ; Glammis Castle, of the Earl of Strathmore ; Ethie, of the Earl of Northesk ; Gray, of Lord De Gray ; Camperdown, of Lord Duncan ; Pan- mure, of Lord Panmure ; Southesk, of the Carnegies ; Lindortis, of the Munros ; Inverquharity, of the Ogilvies ; Balmain, of the Eamsays ; Isla Bank and Euthven, of the Ogilvies ; Boysack, of the Carnegies ; Brechin, of Fox Maule, M.P. ; Craig, of the Carnegies ; Langley Par 1 of the Constables ; Keithock, of the Cruickshank Guthrie, of the Guthries ; and Wedderburn, of the We derburns, besides many others. The principal roads a from Dundee to Forfar and Aberdeen, to Stonehaven 1 Arbroath, to Balmoral by Cupar Angus and the Gra pians. There is a railway communication with Dund Arbroath, Forfar, Newtyle, Glammis, Cupar Ang Broughty Castle, and Easthaven. There is in all ab 66 miles of railway in the county. FOEFAE, a par. in the co. Forfar, Scotland, contain the county town of its name and the vils. of Carseburn. and Lunanhead. It is seated about the middle of the oo., and is bounded by Eescobie on the N., Dunni- chen and Inverarity on the E., and Kinnettles, Glammis, and Kirriemuir on the W. Its length is 6 miles, its breadth 4. The surface is slightly undulating. It lies within the How of Angus, and contains Balmashinar Hill and the lochs of Forfar and Fithie. The soil for the most part consists of a light loam, watered by two or three small streams. This par. gives name to a presb. in the synod of Angus and Mearns, in the patron, of the town council of Forfar. The minister has a stipend of about 350. There are a chapel-of-ease, two United Presbyterian churches, and Congregational, Episcopal, and Eoman Catholic chapels. There are four public, several private, and female industrial schools. The road from Dundee to Aberdeen traverses the parish. Eestenet Priory stands in this parish on a projecting eminence, formerly a peninsula in the loch of Eestenet, which is now drained. In the loch of Dean formerly stood an artificial island, supposed to have been the retreat of Margaret, Queen of Malcolm Canmore. The waters of this lake have greatly receded by drainage. There are traces of a large camp about l mile from the town, also of an earthwork stretching from Loch Forfar to Loch Eestenet. Don, the botanist, was born in this parish. The presbytery of Forfar includes Aberlemno, Cortachie, Clova, Glammis, Inverarity, Oathlaw, Eescobie, Tannadice, Duunichen, Forfar, Kinnettles, and Kirrie- muir. The Free Church district includes the last four of these, with Mearns. FOKFAE, a post and market town, and royal burgh, being the county town of co. Forfar, Scotland, 14 miles N.E. of Dundee. It is a station on the Perth, Dundee, and Arbroath railway. The town is situated in a hollow of Strathmore. The hills on all sides slope up gently from its site, though not to screen the distant view of the Sidlaws and Grampians. It is irregularly built. The principal or High-street runs from S.W. to N.E., and is about 1,200 yards long. From about its centre Castle- street, the next most important street, turns off, and numerous subordinate thoroughfares branch off at various points. The principal buildings are the parish church and school, St. James's church, the United Presbyterian church, and Episcopal chapel, the new court-houses and prison, three banks, insurance offices, the townhouse, the Forfar Academy, reading-rooms, library, deaf and dumb association, and horticultural society. The chief trade of the town is in the weaving of coarse linen fabrics. Formerly the place was noted for the manu- facture of its "brogues," or shoes, but the trade has now nearly passed away. The town enjoys every facility of transit by road, rail, and canal. It is governed by a provost, 3 bailies, 1 1 councillors, treasurer, and 4deacons of the incorporated crafts of shoemakers, glovers, and tailors. The corporation of weavers is now abolished. The magistrates preside over the royal borough, assisted by the town-clerk as assessor. It returns one member to parliament, together with Arbroath, Montrose, and Brechin. Forfar is supposed to have grown out of a castle, in which, it is alleged, Malcolm Canmore called together a parliament after the regaining of his king- dom from Macbeth. Some traces of the castle were still remaining at the N. end of the town about half