PORTSOY, a sea-port and burgh (of barony) and quoad
sacra parish (for a time), in the parish of ForDYCE,
county of Banff, 8 miles (W. by N.) from Banff,
and 18 (E. by N.) from Fochabars; containing IT'iO inhabitants,
of whom 1523 are in the burgh. This place
is supposed to have derived its name from Loch Soy,
originally an extensive sheet of water in its immediate
vicinity, but which since the erection of the town has
been greatly reduced by draining, and is now converted
into a mill-dam. Portsoy is a place of some antiquity,
and appears by charter of Mary, Queen of Scots, granted
in 1550 to Walter Ogilvy of Boyne, its ancient proprietor,
to have been erected into a burgh of barony: the Earl
of Seafield is now the superior. The town is situated
on a point of land projecting into the Moray Firth, and
on the western bank of the streamlet Durn, which here
falls into the sea; it is small, and irregularly built, but
of very good appearance. Though not precipitous, the
coast is bold and rocky. Most of the houses command
a fine view of the sea, and the environs comprise much
pleasing scenery, which derives additional interest from
the mansion-house of Durn, within half a mile of the
town. Two public libraries, containing volumes on history
and general literature, are supported by subscription;
and there is a small theological library, in connexion
with the Sabbath school. The manufacture of
fine linen and thread, formerly carried on here for the
supply of the English market, has been some years discontinued;
and the only manufacture now pursued is
that of ropes for the use of the fishermen, together with
the making of various trinkets from the Portsoy marble,
for which the parish is celebrated.
The staple trade of the place is the exportation of
grain and herrings, and the importation of coal, bones
for manure, and a few other commodities. The number
of vessels registered as belonging to the port is eight, of
the aggregate burthen of 556 tons, and all employed in
the coasting-trade; and about an equal number of foreign
vessels, from various parts of the Baltic, annually visit the
port, landing cargoes of bones, and taking away herrings
in return. Portsoy harbour affords safe accommodation
to vessels of 100 tons. In 1S2S it was greatly improved
by the construction of a new pier, at great expense, by
the Earl of Seafield, rendering it one of the most secure
and commodious harbours on the coast. This pier was,
however, considerably injured by a violent storm on the
7th of January, 1839; and, by a second storm on the
30th of that month, was totally demolished. It has
not since been rebuilt; the old pier is consequently still
used for loading and unloading vessels, and, though
small, is not inconvenient. About ten boats are employed
in the cod and herring fisheries off the coast,
each boat having a crew of four men; and when the
fishermen go to more distant stations, larger boats are
used, having crews of from five to seven men each. In
successful seasons, each man upon an average clears £30.
There is a small distillery in the town; and a mill for
crushing bones, a saw-mill, and a threshing-mill, have
been built, all of which are driven by the same waterwheel.
Branches of the North of Scotland Bank, the
Aberdeen Bank, and the B inff Savings' Bank, have been
established; there are several inns, and various shops
for the supply of the neighbourhood. The market,
which is amply furnished with provisions of every kind,
and with agricultural produce, is held weekly on Saturday,
and is numerously attended. The post-office has a
tolerable delivery; and facility of communication is
maintained by excellent roads, of which the turni)ikeroads
to Banff, CuUen, Elgin, Keith, and Iluntly, pass
through the parish. In 1846 an act was passed authorizing
the construction of a railway from Aberdeen to Inverness,
with branches to Portsoy and other places.
The burgh, under its original charter, ratified by
James VI., is governed by a baron-bailie chosen by the
Earl of Seafield; but though vested with the ordinary
powers, the bailie neither holds any courts nor exercises
any jurisdiction, rather adjusting differences as an arbiter
than using authority as a magistrate; and the burgh
has neither property nor revenue. A small weekly
custom is raised, sufficient to pay the salary of the
person appointed to superintend the market. The church,
or chapel of ease, erected at a cost of nearly £900, is a
neat substantial structure containing about 700 sittings:
the minister has a stipend of £80, of which £40 are paid
by the Earl of Seafield, who is patron, and the remainder
is derived from the seat-rents. The former quoad
sacra parish of Portsoy, including the town and surrounding
district, and comprising an area of nearly five
square miles, was separated from Fordyce under act of
the General Assembly, in 1836. There are also in the
town an episcopal chapel, a Free church, and a Roman
Catholic chapel. A school is chiefly supported by the
Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, who pay
the master a salary of £15, to which £5 are added by
the Earl of Seafield; he has also a house, and grass for
a cow, in addition to the school-fees, averaging about £20
annually.