INVERNESS-SHIRE, a county (extensive), in the
north of Scotland, bounded on the north by Ross-shire
and the Moray Firth; on the east, by the counties of
Nairn, Elgin, Banff, and Aberdeen; on the south, by
Perthshire and the county of Argyll; and on the west,
by the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between 56° 54' and
57° 50' (N. Lat.), and 4° '20' 10" and 6° 35' (W. Lon.),
and is about ninety miles in length, and nearly eighty in
extreme breadth; comprising an area of 7200 square
miles, or 4,608,000 acres, exclusive of the several islands
attached to it; and containing, according to the last
census, 19,779 houses, of which 19,194 are inhabited;
and a population of 97,799, of whom 45,538 are males
and 52,261 females. This county, which takes its name
from its chief town, originally formed the western portion
of the ancient province of Moray, and, prior to the
union of the Scottish and Pictish kingdoms under Kenneth
II., was inhabited by the Picts, who are said to have
had frequent battles with the Danes, by whom their
territories were invaded. The town of Inverness is
thought to have been the residence of the Pictish kings,
and is so identified with the historical events of the
county as to render any notice of them here superfluous.
Prior to the abolition of episcopacy, the county was part
of the diocese of Moray; it is now included in the
synods of Moray, Ross, and Glenelg, containing several
presbyteries, and about forty-five parishes. For civil
purposes, it is under the superintendence of four sheriffssubstitute,
appointed by the sheriff, and who hold their
courts respectively at Inverness, Fort-William, Skye,
and Long Island. The county contains the villages of
Fort-George, Fort-Augustus, Portree, Grantown, Campbelton,
Kingussie, Beauly, and several others. Under
the act of the 2nd and 3rd of William IV., it returns
one member to the imperial parliament: the constituency
numbers 850.
The SURFACE is strikingly diversified by wild and
lofty mountains interspersed with deep and narrow
glens, and by numerous ridges of hills inclosing valleys
of various width and aspect. The mainland is divided
into two nearly equal parts by the vale of Glenmore,
which intersects it throughout in a direction from
north-east to south-west, reaching from the Moray
Firth to Loch Eil, and containing a succession of lakes,
by the connecting of which the great Caledonian canal
has been formed. On both sides of this valley are a
number of straths, separated by mountainous ridges, and
all watered by streams descending from the heights.
The country on the west of Glenmore, between it and
the Atlantic, is the more extensive and mountainous,
constituting the Highland district; that on the east is
the Lowland district, and, though in many parts of wild
appearance, is in a better state of cultivation. The coast
is indented with a variety of inlets from the sea, forming
salt-water lochs, several of which, on the south-west,
separate it from the county of Argyll; and in addition
to the districts of Badenoch, Lochaber, Glenelg, Glengarry,
Arisaig, Moydart, and Strathglass, into which the
main land is naturally divided, the county contains the
Isle of Skye, part of Lewis, North and South Uist, Benbecula,
Barra, Eigg, Eriskay, Bernera, and others of the
Hebrides. Among the mountains are, Ben-Nevis, which
has an elevation of 4370 feet above the level of the sea;
Mealfourvonie, which rises to the height of 3600 feet;
and Scarsough, 3412 feet.
The chief rivers are the Ness and the Spey. The river
Ness issues from Loch Ness, in the valley of Glenmore,
and taking a north-eastern course for a few miles, falls
into the Moray Firth, forming the harbour of Inverness,
to which town it gives its name. The river Spey has its
source in Loch Spey, in the district of Badenoch; and
flowing eastward with great rapidity, and receiving numerous
tributary streams in its long and winding course
through the strath to which it gives name, it passes
the village of Rothes, and diverting its course towards
the north, falls into the Moray Firth at Garraouth. Of
the smaller rivers, the Beauly, the Foyers, and the Garry
only are deserving of any particular description. The
Beauly has its source in the continence of the rivulets
Farrar, Carrick, and Glass, which give their names to
the straths they flow through: after a course of about
eight miles between rocky and precipitous banks, in
which it makes some beautiful falls (the chief one being at
Kilmorack), it runs into Beauly Firth. The Foyers rises
in the mountainous district of Badenoch, and after a
course of ten miles through a tract of country abounding
in romantic scenery, joins Loch Ness. In its progress
it makes some highly-picturesque cascades. At one
part, its waters form three successive descents together
from a height of above 200 feet into a pool beneath,
beyond which the stream, flowing along a narrow rocky
channel, falls from an elevation of more than 212 feet
in one unbroken sheet, which, after heavy rains, has an
impressive grandeur of effect. The river Garry has its
source in a small lake of that name, nearly in the centre
of the county, and passing through the strath of Glengarry,
runs into Loch Oich. The principal rivers, and
also their tributaries, abound with salmon. In this
county the lakes form a very important feature: the
chief of them are, Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch
Lochy, which are situated in the valley of Glenmore, and
connected with each other by the Caledonian canal;
Lochs Laggan, Treag, and Ericht, in the south; Lochs
Affarie, Benevian, Clunie, and some others, in the north;
and Lochs Morir, Quoich, Arkaig, and Shiel, in the
western part of the county. The salt-water lochs, or
inlets from the sea, in the mainland, are Lochs Moidart,
Nevis, Hourn, and Beauly.
Of the lands not more than the one-twelfth part is under
cultivation, the remainder being either covered with
heath, or in mountain pasture. The soil on the level
grounds near the sea is chiefly clay alternated with
loam, and in some parts a fine rich black mould. In
some of the straths, also, between the mountain ridges,
the soil is extremely fertile, except in those parts where,
from the rapidity of the mountain streams, beds of gravel
accumulate. Tlie arable lands are in a good state of
cultivation, producing excellent crops of wheat, barley.
oats, &c.: great quantities of potatoes are raised. The
system of agriculture has been very much improved, and
considerable tracts of waste land have been drained and
brought into cultivation: the farm houses and offices,
also, are generally substantial and well arranged; but
the cottages of the labourers are very indifferent. Many
of the farms are of course in pasture, and the breed of
cattle and sheep has of late been an object of considerable
attention: the cattle, which may be averaged at
.50,000, are principally of the Skye or the Kyloe breed;
the sheep, of which from 120,000 to 130,000 are pastured
on the different farms, are of the Linton and Cheviot
breeds. The horses, previously to the increase of the
sheep-pastures, were of the Old Highland breed; but
the number has been greatly reduced, and those which
are now reared, chiefly for purposes of husbandry, are
of various kinds, according to the choice of the different
proprietors, who breed them only for their own use.
Considerable numbers of swine have been lately reared
in several parts, the Highlanders having in a great measure
overcome their wonted prejudices against that kind
of food; and the stock has been improved by the introduction
of the Chinese breed.
The whole county appears to have been at a remote
period covered with woods; and in most of the mosses,
some of which are very extensive, there are found
trunks of trees. In Glenmore and Strathspey are not
less than 15,000 acres of natural fir, exclusive of 70,000
acres of modern plantations of firs and larch; and in
other parts of the county are most extensive and flourishing
plantations of fir, larch, beech, plane, and oak,
of which last there are some carefully-preserved woods
at Lochiel and Fasfern. The substrata are principally
_ limestone, freestone, and granite: the limestone abounds
in many places, yet, from the scarcity of fuel, little of it
is burnt into lime, which for agricultural purposes is
chiefly imported. Slate of durable texture is quarried,
and great quantities of it are shipped off: a quarry of
grey slate was opened at Aultmore, but of too porous a
texture for roofing. Marble of every variety of colour,
and of excellent quality, is found in Ben-Nevis and in
most of the islands; and common granite, of which the
hills principally consist, is extensively quarried. A darkcoloured
granite occurs in many places, in large blocks
with scarcely any fissures, and is much esteemed for ornamental
buildings; and a variegated kind of granite,
with black, white, and red spots, which sparkle in the
sun, is found in Badenoch. Freestone of a reddish
colour, of compact texture, and susceptible of a high degree
of polish, is met with on the lands of Lovatt; but
no sandstone occurs in the county. There are some
indications of coal; but the only mineral worked is leadore,
of which there are mines in Ben-Nevis, at Inverskaddel,
near Loch Arkaig. Glengarry, and other places.
Black-lead, of good quality for pencils, is also found,
but is not wrought: there is clay for bricks and tiles
along the coast. In this county the gentlemen's seats are,
Castle-Grant, Dunvegan, Castle Mc Leod, Erchless
Castle, Fasfern, Lochiel, Beaufort, Belladrum,Rothiemurchus,
Kinrara, Farraline, Belville, Glengarry, Dalchully,
and others.
The principal manufactures are those of hemp, thread
of various colours, kelp, bricks, and tiles; and some
branches of the woollen manufacture, chiefly for domestic
use, and confined to private families. There are
several bleaching and print fields, tanneries, breweries,
and distilleries; and at Inverness, and other places on
the coast, a considerable trade is carried on in the exportation
of cattle, sheep, wool, timber, and slates, and
in the importation of coal, lime, flour, oatmeal, groceries,
and other articles for home consumption. There are
valuable salmon-fisheries on the rivers; the herringfisheries,
also, employ a number of the inhabitants on
the western coast of the county. Facility of communication
is afforded by several good roads that have been
formed throughout the interior; and the great Caledonian
canal, which intersects the county from north-east
to south-west, passing through the valley of Glenmore
for more than sixty miles, and connecting the German
Ocean with the Atlantic, offers means of inland navigation
for ships of considerable burthen, and facility for the
conveyance of produce of all kinds. The annual value
of real property in the county is £1S'2,064, of which
£161,499 are returned for lands, £17,^94 for houses,
£2596 for fisheries, and £75 for quarries.
Among the various remains of antiquity are the
ruins of ancient fortresses consisting of stones of enormous
size, placed together without cement of any kind.
They are generally of circular or elliptical form, containing,
between two concentric walls, a considerable interval
supposed to have been used for keeping military and
other stores: the area within the inner wall, which alone
was pierced with windows, is thought to have been occupied
by the garrison. Of these fortresses the three
most perfect are at Glenelg, Castle-Spynie, in the district
of Aird, and Dun-da-law, in Badenoch. On the
summit of Craig-Phadric are the remains of a vitrified
fort of elliptical form, of which the longer diameter is
220 feet, and the shorter little more than half that
length; and near Fort-William are the remains of a
similar fortress, called Dunghairdghall. Upon the east
bank of the river Lochy are the remains of Inverlochy
Castle, a square structure with circular towers at the
angles, surrounded by a ditch inclosing an area of 7000
square yards. On the summit of a precipitous rock
that divides the channel of the Lochy, are the ruins of
Tor Castle; and on a projecting rock on the west side
of Loch Ness, are the remains of LTrquhart Castle, which
was taken in 1303 by Edward I. of England, who, exasperated
at the obstinate and protracted defence, put the
governor and the whole of the garrison to the sword.
The roads of Glenroy, consisting of three parallel lines
on one side of the river, opposite to three similar lines
on the other, are most probably natural, though some
suppose them to have been made for the purpose of
hunting. There are several Druidical remains; and in
the Firth of Beaulv are some ancient cairns, two of which,
larger than the rest, rise above the surface of the water,
and have been found to contain beams of timber, and
human bones.