BELLIE, a parish, in the counties of Banff and
Elgin, 8 miles (E. by S.) from Elgin; comprising the village
of Fochabers and part of the quoad sacra district of
Enzie, and containing 2434 inhabitants. By some the
Gaelic word bellaidth, signifying " broom", has been considered
as giving name to this place; but others derive
the appellati(m from beul-ailh, the meaning of which is
" the mouth of the ford". The parish is situated on the
eastern bank of the river Spey, and is bounded on the
north by the Moray Firth. It is of an oblong form, but
narrower at the northern than at the opposite end; and
comprises 12,048 acres, of which 3658 are arable, 643
pasture, 2852 wood, and the remainder chiefly moor.
The highest land is in the south-eastern portion, consisting
principally of barren uncultivated moor, diversified
by hills of various figure and altitude; the soil here is
partly clayey loam, mixed with moss, and resting on a
substratum of blue slate. On the west and south of this
high district is a red impervious clay, intermixed with
gravel and small stones. The soil near the eastern
boundary of the parish is sandy and light, and the lower
lands are of the same nature, approximating in the vicinity
of the river to a fertile loam, resting on a stony or
gravelly bed, once overflowed with water. The tract
along the coast, about a quarter of a mile wide, is altogether
barren. All kinds of grain and of green crops are
raised, of good quality; and an improved method of
husbandry has been pursued with considerable enterprise,
for a number of years: barley was formerly the
leading crop, but since the suppression of illicit distillation,
wheat has been grown in large quantities, and, with
oats, turnips, and potatoes, receives much attention. The
manures comprise lime, sea-weed, farm-yard dung, and
the refuse of herrings obtained from the fishing-station
of Port-Gordon; with, sometimes, portions of bone-dust.
The annual value of real property in the parish is £4802,
including £617 for the Elginshire portion.
The principal rock is the red sandstone, consisting of
a mixture of dark argillaceous and siliceous earths, large
masses of which are applied to various architectural
uses; but though very hard when first quarried, its friable
quality after long exposure to the air renders it necessary
to cover it with a thick coating of lime. The
loose strata, of the same component parts, in which it is
generally found, are much in demand for roads and garden-
walks, and its interior often contains breccia rock.
Beautiful specimens of asbestos are frequently found,
washed down, as is supposed, by the mountain streams.
The scenery is relieved with Scotch fir, and some birch
and larch. The grounds of the splendid mansion of
Gordon Castle exhibit a fine display of numerous other •
trees, among which are many limes, planes, and horsechesnuts,
with majestic rows of elm and beech; and an
eminence known as the "holly bank" is covered with a
profusion of that evergreen, of the most luxuriant description.
The magnificent Castle, the seat of the Duke
of Richmond, is situated in a spacious park in the immediate
vicinity of Fochabers, and extends in a direction
from east to west nearly .'j/O feet. It is a modern structure,
and the roof and interior of the eastern wing are of
very recent date, having been restored in consequence of
an accidental fire on the 1 1th of July, 18'27. The great
road from Edinburgh to Inverness through Aberdeen
traverses the parish, and crosses the Spey by a bridge
originally built in 1804, at a cost of upwards of £14,000.
Two of the western arches of the bridge were carried
away by the flood of 18'29, and were replaced in 1832
by a beautiful wooden arch of 184 feet span, raised at an
expense of more than £5000, for defraying which a pontage
is levied on wheel-carriages, horses, and foot-passengers.
For ecclesiastical purposes the parish is in the presbytery
of Strathbogie, synod of Moray, and in the
patronage of the Duke of Richmond: the minister's
stipend is £1.58. 6. 8., of which about £60 are received
from the exchequer; with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £33 per annum. The church is situated in the village
of Fochabers, and is a handsome edifice, built in 1798.
There i.s a place of worship for members of the Free
Church. An episcopal chapel was lately built by the
Duchess of Gordon, on the north side of Fochabers; the
Roman Catholics have a place of worship in that village,
and another about four miles distant, near the eastern
boundary, where their clergyman resides. The parochial
school affords instruction in the classics, in addition to the
usual branches: the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with
a house and garden given by the Gordon family, and £18
fees; he also participates in the Dick bequest. A legacy
of 100,000 dollars was left by Mr. Alexander Milne, merchant
of New Orleans, and a native of Fochabers, who
died in October 1839, for the erection and endowment
of a free school for the parish of Bcllie: a great part of
this money has been realized, and a body of directors,
incorporated by act of parliament, have established a free
school. To the north of Gordon Castle are the remains
of a military station of quadrangular form, styled the
" Roman Camp", thought to have been formed by a portion
of the troops of Agricola, and intended to cover a
ford on the river Tuessis, or Spey. A little to the east
are the remains of a Druidical temple; and not far off,
a mound called the " Court hillock", supposed to have
been the seat of an ancient court of justice. Within the
Duke of Richmond's park is an old cross, around which
the village of Fochabers stood, until the latter was removed
to its present situation by Alexander, fourth Duke
of Gordon. See Fochabers.