Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/16

NAIRN, THE. NANTFORCH. in the breeding of cattle, horses, and sheep. The pro- perties are in genera.! large, there being only fifteen landowners, and 29,553 acres of cultivated land in the county. The farms are small, varying from 30 to 200 acres each of arable land. The universal term of lease is nineteen years ; and in 1855 the number of occupiers of land paying a yearly rental of 10 and upwards was 428, exclusive of tenants of woods, mills, &c. Of the remainder of the county not in waste and moorland, there are 8,000 acres of natural woods, and about 4,000 in plantations. The only manufactures are those of woollen cloth and whisky, besides which a remunerative fishery is carried on at Nairn, the sole seat of commerce in the county. The only rivers are the Nairn and Findhorn, with their tributaries, including the burn of Cawdor, which flows through the richest part of the country, and abounds in salmon and trout. The lochs are numerous, as Cranloch, Loch Lilty, Loch of the Clans, Loch Bellivat, and Loch Lee, several of which are the resort of wild fowl. The leading linos of turnpike road are those from N aim to Forres ; Nairn to Inverness ; Nairn to Fort George, Campbeltown, and the Ferry ; and Nairn to Grantown. Within the present century internal communication has been much facilitated by the construction of good cross roads in every direction, especially in the lowlands ; and there is now constant steamboat communication between Nairn and Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Cromarty, and Inver- ness ; also a railway which connects the town of Nairn westward with Inverness. The only royal burgh is Nairn, the capital of the county; the only burgh of barony Auldearn, and the principal villages Calder or Cawdor, Seatown-of-Delnies, and Newtown, besides 15 villages or hamlets. Nairnshire unites with Elginshire in returning one member to parliament, and in 1855 had a constituency of 132. It is governed by a lord lieutenant, 6 deputy-lieutenants, and a sheriff in common with Elgin. The sheriff and other courts are all held at Nairn. The county contains only four entire parishes Ardclach, Auldearn, Calder, and Nairn ; and parts of five others Croy, Dyke, Hoy, Petty, and Urquhart belonging to the surrounding counties. All the parishes are assessed for the poor. It constitutes the presbytery of Nairn, which, however, does not include the whole of the county, and is comprised within the synods of Moray and Ross. The principal seats are Cawdor Castle and Delnies House, of tho Earl of Cawdor ; Boath, of Sir J. A. Dunbar, Bart. ; lyybank, of Gordon ; Geddes House, of Mackin- tosh ; Kilravock, of Rose ; Kinsteary Lodge, of Gordon ; Lethen House, of Brodie ; Milbank, of Colonel Findlay , Nairn Grove, of Macfarlane ; Nairnside, of Falconer ; and Viewfield, of Grant-; besides which there are several modern villas near Nairn, and shooting lodges in the highlands. There are remains of Cawdor Castle, the greater part of which was built in 1454, though the popular tradition makes this the castle in which King Duncan was murdered by Macbeth ; also of Kilravock Castle, which dates from 1460, and of the chapel of Raith Castle, which belonged to the Cuminines. The vitrified fort called Castle Finlay is situated in a hollow part of the hill of Urchany, and Dun Evan on the summit of a hill in tho parish of Cawdor. Roman coins have been found, and many stone circles and cairns are scattered over the county. NAIRN, THE, called in Gaelic TKsge Nearne, or " water of alders," a river "in the ancient prov. of Moray, Scotland. It rises in the Highland district of Badenoch, in Inverness-shire, 8 miles to the E. of Loch Ness, and, flowing in a north-easterly direction through tho vale of Strathnairn, traverses the adjoining county of Nairn to the Frith of Forth, where it forms the harbour of Nairn. Its banks are skirted by rich meadows and pastures, interspersed with patches of arable, and flanked by barren mountain heights covered with heath, occasionally varied by thriving plantations and orna- mental grounds, as at Aberarder and Farr. The length of its course is about 30 miles in a direct line -, and its influx to the Moray Frith occurs about 8 miles E. of Arlersier, where the frith contracts, and the same dis- tance S.W. of the embouchure of the Findhorn. The salmon fishery on the water of Nairn is the property of the Earl of Seafield, and of Davidson of Cantray, who have also a stell fishery at the mouth of the river, which are both farmed to tacksmen who drag the stream. During the great floods of 1782 and 1829 it overflowed its banks, carrying away part of the harbour works, and damaging the stone bridge at Nairn. NAKEEROGE, a small lough in the co. of Mayo, Ireland, 5 miles N.E. of Achill Head, and 16 N.W. of Newport. Itis situated near the foot of a lofty range of mountains between Newport and Blacksod bays. NALUGHRAMAN, a small lough in the co. of Donegal, Ireland, 4 miles S.W. of Adare. NANERTH, a tnshp. in the par. of Llangerniew, co. Denbigh, 6 miles N.E. of Llanrwst. NANERTH, a spot on the Upper Wye, co. Radnor, 2 miles N.W. of Rhayader. NANNAU-ISAFON and TJWCHAFON, tnshps. in the par. of Llanfachreth, co. Merioneth, 3 miles N. of Dolgelly. The village, which is considerable, is situated under Moel-Oflrwm, which rises to an elevation of 1,200 feet above the sea-level. In the vicinity is Nannau Hall, the old seat of the Vaughans. NANNERCH, a par. in the bund, of Rhuddlan, co. Flint, 6 miles from Mold, its post town, and 3 S. of Holywell. It is situated under Moel-Arther, a strong British post, defended by two ditches of great depth. It contains Cwm, Llan, Trefechan, and Penbedw, for- merly a seat of the Mostyns. The inhabitants are chiefly engaged in the iron and lead mines and lime- stone quarries. The living is a rect.* in the dioc. of St. Asaph, val. 292, in the patron, of the bishop. The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, has a monument to Charlotte, wife of R. Mostyn, Esq., of Penbedw. The charities produce about 2 per annum. NANNY WATER, a river of co. Meath, Ireland, rises near Navan, and falls into the Irish Sea., at Julianstown. NANT, a tnshp. in the par. of Abergele, co. Denbigh, near Abergele. NANT AND PRESTATYN, a tnshp. in the par. of Meliden, bund, of Prestatyn, co. Flint, 3 miles N.E. of Rhuddlan. It is situated on the coast. "Nant" in Welsh signifies a pass or hollow by a brook, and is frequently used as a prefix to other names. NANT-CLYWD, a tnshp. in the par. of Llanedilan, co. Denbigh, 4 miles S. of Ruthin. It is situated near the river Clwyd. NANT CONWAY, a hund. in the co. of Carnarvon, contains the pars, of Bettws-y-Coed, Dolwyddelan, Llan- Rhychwyn, Penmachno, Trefriw, and parts of Llan- rwst and Yspytty. NANTCWNLLE, a par. in the hund. of Penarth, co. Cardigan, 6 miles W. of Tregaron. It is situate on the river Aeron. Pen-y-Gaer camp is in this parish. The village is small and chiefly agricultural. The living is a vie. in the dioc. of St. David's, in the patron, of the bishop. The church is dedicated to St. Cynllo. NANTDDU, a chplry. in the par. of Cantreff, hund. of Penkelly, co. Brecon, 10 miles S.W. of Brecknock, its post town. It is situated on the greater Taf, near the Beacons. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of St. David's, val. 60, in the patron, of the Rector of Cantreff. The church is a small ancient edifice. NANTENAN, a par. in the bar. of Lower Connello, co. Limerick, prov. of Muuster, Ireland, 2 miles N. of Rathkeale. Askeaton is its post town. It is 2J miles long and 2 broad. The surface includes a large propor- tion of waste land in bog and rock. The parish is inter- sected by the roads from Adare to Shanagolden, and from Askeaton to Rathkeale. The living is a perpet. cur. in the dioc. of Limerick, val. 115, in the patron, of the Precentor of Limerick. The church was built by aid of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits in 1817. There is a Methodist meeting-house and a school. Nantenan House is the chief residence. Fail's are hsld on 10th July, 5th August, and 12th November. NANTFORCH, a tnshp. in the par. of Castle-Caerei- nion, co. Montgomery, 4 miles S.E. of Llanfair.