LOSSIEMOUTH, a village and sea-port, in the parish
of Drainie, county of Elgin, 3 miles (N. N. E.) from
Elgin; containing 902 inhabitants. This place is situated
at the mouth of the river Lossie, which, after a
course of about twenty-six miles from its source in the
hills of Dallas, empties itself into the Moray Firth, and
gives the name to this thriving little village. There has
been a large increase in the traffic and the population
since the introduction of steam-navigation. The portion
adjoining the sea is called Seatown or Fishertown of
Lossiemouth, and is peopled principally by fishermen and
seafaring persons, the former of whom, in connexion
with the fishermen of the adjacent village of Stotfield,
consisting together of about seventy men and twenty-five
boys, carry on the herring and white fisheries, employing
in both forty-five boats. In a late year the exports were,
4243 quarters of grain, 2000 barrels of herrings, 200
barrels of cod-fish, and three cargoes of plantation timber;
and the imports, 4500 tons of English coal, 1000
tons of Scotch coal, 400 tons of bones and bone-dust,
140 tons of bark, and 150 tons of salt, besides various
other articles. The number of vessels that entered in
the same period was 106, registering 4816 tons; and the
number outward-bound was forty-four, registering 1918
tons. Steam-vessels, plying between London and the
Moray Firth, used regularly to call here in .summer for
the conveyance of passengers, and for general traffic,
bringing various articles of merchandise, but chiefly
foreign and colonial produce, and taking away live stock,
agricultural produce, fresh provisions, salmon, and pickled
cod and herrings. They now call, it is presumed,
at Stotfield, in consequence of the formation there of the
new harbour mentioned below. The English coal imported
is carried to Elgin and the neighbouring country,
chiefly for family use; the Scotch coal is for breweries,
distilleries, and other public works. The grain exported
is sent to different ports in the kingdom; and the herrings
to the London, Liverpool, and Irish markets, and
occasionally to Hamburgh and Stettin. The vessels
frequenting this port, which is within the jurisdiction of
the custom-house of Inverness, are of the smaller class,
seldom amounting to above seventy tons' register, on
account of the shallowness of the water, which rises only
to about nine feet at stream tides. A new and more
commodious harbour has, however, been constructed at
Stotfield, with outer and inner basins excavated from
the solid rock; and this, at (jrdinary tides, will admit
vessels drawing fifteen feet of water. Considerable business
is nevertheless still transacted at Lossiemouth harbour.
An excellent turnpike-road, on which there is a
daily post, runs from the village southwards to Elgin,
and another in a western course, through Duffus and
Kinloss, to Forres. A jjlace of worship is supported, in
connexion with the United Presbyterian Synod; and
there is a school maintained by the General Assembly.