BANFFSHIRE, a county (maritime), in the north-east
part of Scotland, bounded on the north by the Moray
Firth; on the east and south-east, by Aberdeenghirc;
and on the west, by the counties of Moray and Inverness.
It lies between 57° 5' and 57° 43' (N. lat.) and
2° 17' and 3° 37' (W. long.), and is about fifty miles in
length, varying from twenty miles to only three miles in
breadth. It comprises an area of about 647 square miles,
or 414,080 acres, and contains 11,149 inhabited houses,
with a population of 49,679, of whom 23,249 are males,
and 26,430 females. This county, which includes the
districts of Boyne, Enzie, Strath-Doveron, Strathaven,
Balvenie, and part of Buchan, was a sheriffdom in the
reign of David I., and, previously to the Reformation,
was included in the diocese of Moray. It is now partly
in the synod of Moray, and partly in that of Aberdeen,
and comprises several presbyteries, with twenty-four
parishes. The county contains the royal burghs of Banff
and Cullen, the former of which is the county town, and
several thriving and populous villages, whereof the chief
are Keith, Newmill, Gardenstown, Dufftown, Buckie,
Portsoy, and Macduff. Under the act of the 2nd of
William IV. it returns one member to the imperial parliament.
The surface is beautifully diversified with mountains
and vales, and the scenery enriched with woods and
plantations, and enlivened with rivers and lakes. The
principal mountains in the county are, Ben-Macdhui
and the Cairngorm, which have an elevation of more
than 4000 feet above the sea; Benrinnes, rising from
the banks of the river Spcy to the height of 2747 feet;
Knockhill, near the north termination of the Grampian
range, the Buck of Cabrach, and others, about 2500 feet
high. Its chief vales are, those of Strath-Doveron and
Strathaven, the former branching off to the right, and
the latter to the left, from the forest of Glenavon; Glen-
Livet; and Glen-Fiddich, which last extends to the
strath of Balvenie. Its rivers are, the Spey, which has
its source in Loch Spey, and after a long course falls
into the Moray Firth near Fochabers; the Doveron,
which rises in the hills of Cabrach; the Avon; the
Livet; and the Isla; with countless smaller streams,
which turn numerous mills. The salmon-fisheries on
the Spey and the Doveron are extensive, the former
yielding a rental of £6000, and the latter of nearly
£2000 per annum. The coast, which extends for nearly
thirty miles, is bold and rocky, in some parts precipitous;
and is much indented with small bays.
The soil, near the sea, is rich; in the valleys, luxuriantly
fertile; and the mountainous districts afford
tolerable pasturage: the moors abound with game.
Nearly one-half of the land is under cultivation; the
system of agriculture is in a highly improved state, and
much waste has been inclosed and rendered profitable.
The natural woods and the plantations are extensive
and well managed, and there are numerous oaks and
firs of extraordinary dimensions. The chief minerals
are ironstone and lead-ore, and there are some fine
quarries of limestone, freestone, gneiss, and granite: a
mine of manganese has lately been wrought to a great
extent by the Duke of Richmond near Tomintoul. In
this county the best seats are Gordon Castle, Glenfiddich.
Duff House, Rothieraay, Banff Castle, Balvenie
Castle, Cullen House, Birkenbng, Forglen, Troup, Arndilly,
Baldorney, Ediugarth, and Kinnairdy. The principal
manufacture is that of linen. There are several
tanneries, some distilleries, and works in connexion with
the shipping, which is almost confined to the ports of
Banff, Macduff, Portsoy, and Gardenstown. The herring-
fishery is also very extensive, and is prosecuted
along the coasts with great industry and success. Facility
of intercourse has been greatly promoted by many
excellent roads, constructed by commissioners appointed
under an act of parliament; and the bridges over the
different streams are kept in good order. The annual
value of real property in the county is £124,347, of which
£ no,60S are returned for lands, £8403 for houses,
£'2.59'3 for fisheries, £380 for quarries, and the remainder
for other kinds of real property. There are numerous
cairns, tumuli, ruins of ancient castles, and other monuments
of antiquity, all noticed in the respective articles
on the localities in which they are situated.