ABERDEENSHIRE, a county (maritime), in the
north-east part of Scotland, and one of the most extensive
counties in the kingdom, bounded on the north by
the Moray Firth; on the east by the German Ocean;
on the south by Perth, Forfar, and Kincardine shires, and
on the west by the counties of Banff and Inverness. It lies
between 56° 52' and 57° 42' (N. Lat.), and 1° 49' and 3°
48' (W. Lon.), and is eighty-six miles in extreme length,
and forty-two miles in extreme breadth; comprising an
area of 1985 square miles, or 1,2/0,400 acres; 32,063
inhabited, and 1091 uninhabited, houses; and containing
a population of 192,387, of which number 89,707
are males, and 102,680 females. From the time of
David I., the county was included in the diocese of
Aberdeen; at present, it is almost wholly in the synod
of Aberdeen, and includes several presbyteries, the whole
containing eighty-five parishes. For civil purposes, it
is divided into eight districts, Aberdeen, Alford, Deer
otherwise Buchan, Ellon, Garioch, Kincardine-O'Neil,
Strathbogie, and Turriff, in each of which, under the
superintendence of a deputy lieutenant, the county magistrates
hold regular courts. It contains the three
royal burghs of Aberdeen, Kintore, and Inverury, the
market-towns of Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Turriff,
and Meldrum, and numerous large fishing-villages on
the coast. Under the act of the 2nd William IV., the
county returns one member to parliament.
The SURFACE, towards the sea, is tolerably level; but
the greater portion forms part of the central highlands,
and consists of high mountains, interspersed with a few
valleys. The principal mountains are, Ben-Macdhui,
the loftiest in Britain; the Braeriach, which has an
elevation of 4304 feet; Ben-Aburd, Ben-Aven, Lochnagar,
and Morven, which vary from '2500 to 4300 in
height, with numerous others from 800 to 2000 feet in
height. Of the valleys the chief are the Garioch and
Strathbogie, the former inclosed on all sides with hills
of moderate height, and the latter enriched with wood,
abounding in beautiful scenery, and highly cultivated.
The rivers are the Dee, the Don, the Ythan, the Doveron,
and the Ugie, but the rapidity of their currents
renders them comparatively useless for the purpose of
navigation; they have their sources, generally, among
the mountains in the south-west, and flow towards the
north and north-east. All of them abound with fine salmon,
and fish of every kind is taken on the coast.
About one-third of the land is under cultivation, and
the remainder mountain, pasture, and waste. Towards
the sea, and in the valleys, the soil is rich and fertile,
producing excellent crops of wheat and other grain;
and in the more secluded portions of the county is some
fine timber, among which are numerous lofty pine-trees,
fit for the masts of ships; but from the want of inland
navigation, few of them are felled for that purpose.
Between the Dee and the Ythan is a low tract of waste,
on which are some sand-hills that have been lamentably
destructive of the adjacent lands; several fertile fields,
to the north of the Ythan, have been covered, to a great
extent, with sand blown from these hills, and the walls
of a church and a manse that have been buried by them
are still to be seen. The minerals are quartz and asbestos;
and various gems and pieces of amber are
found in the mountains: the principal quarries are of
granite of very superior quality, of which vast quantities
are sent to London and other places, and freestone and
limestone are also extensively quarried. Many of the
proprietors reside on their lands, and have materially
contributed to their improvement, by extensive plantations,
and the introduction of a better system of agriculture,
and superior breeds of cattle; and much waste
land has been brought into cultivation under the patronage
of the Highland Society. The chief seats are
Haddo House, Aboyne Castle, Huntly Lodge, Slains
Castle, Keith Hall, Mar Lodge, Delgaty Castle, Skene,
Castle-Forbes, Philorth House, iVIonymusk, Ellon Castle,
Fintray House, Fyvie Castle, Gordon Lodge, and Castle-
Frazer. The coast is bold and rocky, with some alternations
of level beach. On the Moray Firth, the most
prominent headlands are Rosehearty Point and Kinnaird
Head; and on the German Ocean, Cairnbulg
Point, Rattray Head, Scotstown Point, Invernetty Point,
and Buchan Ness. The chief bays in the former are,
the harbour of Rosehearty, and the bay of Fraserburgh;
and in the latter, Peterhead Bay, Cruden Bay, Sandy
Haven, Long Haven, Garrick's Haven, and the bay of
Aberdeen. Facility of communication is maintained by
good roads, some of which were made under the authority
of the commissioners for Highland roads and
bridges, appointed by act of parliament. The annual
value of real property in the county is £605,S02, of
which £423,388 are returned for lands, £145,366 for
houses, £8864 for fisheries, £108* for canal navigation,
£1085 for quarries, and £26,012 for other species of
real property.