ABERLOUR, a parish, in the county of Banff, a
few miles (W. N. W.) from Dufftown, and on the road
from Elgin to Grantown; containing, with the village
of Charlestown, 1352 inhabitants. This parish, which
was formerly called Skirdustan, signifying in the Gaelic
tongue " the division of Dustan," its tutelary saint, derived
its present name from its position at the mouth
of a noisy burn which discharges itself into the river
Spey. It is situated in the western part of the county,
and extends nearly seven miles along the south bank of
the Spey, from the hill of Carron on the west, to the
mouth of the river Fiddich on the east. The surface is
very uneven. Towards the southern part is an almost
unbroken chain of mountains, consisting of the Blue
Hill, the East and West Conval hills, the mountain of
Benrinnes, and the broad hill of Cairnakay; with part
of the hill of Carron, on the border of the Spey, and
separated from Benrinnes by a narrow valley. A deep
and narrow pass called Glackharnis, of great length, and
of uniform breadth at the bottom, separates the mountain
of Benrinnes from the Conval hills, and is remarkable
for the great height and regularity of its declivity
on both sides. The mountain of Benrinnes, as its name
implies, is precipitous in its ascent, and sharp on the
summit. It has an elevation of 2756 feet above the sea,
and of 1876 feet from its base, being the highest in the
country for many miles around. From the summit are
seen the Grampian hills to the south, the interesting
valley and hills of Glenavon to the west, and to the
north the mountains of Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness;
it embraces a fine view of the sea, along the coasts
of Moray and Banffshire, and forms a conspicuous landmark
for mariners. The Conval hills are spherical ia
form, and profusely covered with heath; and between
these and Benrinnes is the fine valley above mentioned,
the south part of which, consisting of sloping land, and
including the district of Edinvillie, is divided on the
north-east, by a brook, from the lands of Allachie, and
on the north, by the burn of Aberlour, from the district
of Ruthrie. To the north-west of Ruthrie is the district
of Kinnermony. The lands of Aberlour are watered
by two rivulets, descending from the Blue hill, and
which unite to form the burn of AUachoy, separating the
lands of Aberlour from the district of Drumfurrich.
These several districts contain some good tracts of
holm land, and form the principal arable grounds of the
parish, of which, upon the whole, not more than onehalf
is under cultivation. The soil, near the river, is a
rich deep loam, mixed with sand; towards the hills a
deep clay, lying on a substratum of rough gravel, and
covered with a thin alluvial soil; and towards the
centre of the parish, a richer alluvial soil, resting on a
bed of granite. In the neighbourhood of Glenrinnes,
limestone is quarried for agricultural purposes, and, by
many of the farmers, burnt upon their own lands. The
principal crops are barley, oats, wheat, and peas; and
the barley produced here weighs more, per bushel, than
that of the heavier soils of the adjoining parishes. The
Morayshire breed of black-cattle is raised, and the
sheep are of the hardy black-faced kind. Several of
the farms are inclosed with fences of stone, and the
farm-buildings generally are substantial and commodious.
The annual value of real property in the parish
is £3169. Here is the handsome seat of Aberlour,
occupied by Alexander Grant, Esq., the chief resident
proprietor: a column of the Tuscan order has lately
been erected on the estate. There are several flourishing
plantations of fir in the hilly districts, and of elm
and ash near the river, the banks of which are in some
places decorated with birch-trees of very luxuriant
growth.
The river Spey, from the rapidity of its current, and
the narrowness of its channel, frequently overflows its
banks, and damages the neighbouring lands. In 1829
a very destructive flood occurred, the waters rising to
the height of nearly twenty feet above the ordinary
level, sweeping away the entire soil of several fields,
with all their crops, and leaving upon others a deposit
of sand and rough gravel, to the depth of several feet.
A cottage and offices were carried away; and the dry
stone arches which formed the approach to the bridge
of Craig-EUachie were entirely destroyed, only a few
yards of masonry being left on which the end of the
arch rested. This bridge consists of one metal arch,
more than 160 feet in span, abutting on a solid rock on
the north side of the river, and supported on the Aberlour
side by a strong pier of masonry, built on piles.
It was erected in 181.5, at an expense of £8000, of which
one-half was defrayed by government, and the other by
subscription. The rivers Spey and Fiddich afford excellent
salmon and trout; the fishing season commences
in February, and closes in September. The parish also
abounds with various kinds of game. On the burn of
Aberlour, about a mile above its influx into the Spey, is
a fine cascade, called the Lynn of Ruthrie; the water
falls from a height of thirty feet, and, being broken in
its descent by a projecting platform of granite rock,
richly adorned with birch-trees and various shrubs,
presents an interesting and highly picturesque appearance.
Fairs are held annually in the village of Charlestown.
For ecclesiastical purposes the parish is in the presbytery
of Aberlour and synod of Moray: Lord Fife is
patron, and the stipend of the incumbent is £287. 8. 2.
The church, a well-arranged structure, erected in 1812,
is situated to the north of Charlestown, at a distance of
about 300 yards from the ruins of the old church near
the influx of the burn of Aberlour into the Spey; Mr.
Grant has lately made an addition to the length of the
edifice, and erected a handsome tower. In the valley
of Glenrinnes is a missionary establishment, and a
chapel of ease has been erected, the minister of which
has a stipend of £60 per annum, royal bounty, with a
manse, glebe, and other accommodations provided by
the heritors. The parochial school affords instruction
in the Latin language, arithmetic, elementary mathematics,
&c. i the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4^. per
annum, with a house and garden, and the school-fees
average about £40.