ROXBURGHSHIRE stretches from the banks of the Tweed to the summits of the Cheviot Hills, including the fine pastoral district of Teviotdale-watered by the River Teviot, an affluent of the Tweed. It is undulating in the north, and hilly in the south. Its industries comprise the woollen manufacture, agriculture, and the rearing of cattle and sheep. JEDBURGH (2), its county town, is on the little stream of the Jed, which joins the Teviot. A few miles north-west of Jedburgh is Ancrum Moor, where the Earl of Angus defeated an English army in 1545. Hawick, in upper Teviotdale, the centre of the manufacture of "tweeds" and other woollen goods, and Kelso, on the Tweed, are both of larger size. Melrose, famous for the ruins of its well-known abbey, and Abbotsford, formerly the residence of Sir Walter Scott, are in this county, both on the south bank of the Tweed. SELKIRKSHIRE, a pastoral and hilly region, includes the tract of country called Ettrick Forest, watered by the Ettrick, which joins the Tweed, receiving on its way the tributary stream of the Yarrow. The county town, SELKIRK (6), on the right bank of the Ettrick, has large woollen mills. On the opposite bank of the river is Philiphaugh, the scene of Montrose's surprise and defeat in 1645. Galashiels (on the Gala Water) also manufactures "tweeds," tartans, shawls, &c. PEEBLESSHIRE, a pastoral and hilly region, embraces the upper portion of Tweeddale, and is entirely agricultural. The county town, PEEBLES (5), is on the north bank of the Tweed. Innerleithen has a mineral spring-St. Ronan's Well, and tweed manufactures. DUMFRIESSHIRE, which is agricultural in its lower grounds, and pastoral towards the interior, includes the greater part of Nithsdale (or the valley of the River Nith, which enters the Solway Firth), and also the valleys of the Annan and the Esk-Annandale and Eskdale. The town of DUMFRIES (17), its capital, stands on the left bank of the Nith; it is the largest town in the south-west portion of Scotland, and a great market for agricultural produce. Burns, the Scottish poet, died at Dumfries in 1796. To the north of Annan is Ecclefechan, the birthplace of Carlyle. Moffat is a favourite summer resort. KIRKCUDBRIGHTSHIRE is hilly and pastoral in the north, and agricultural along the shores of the Solway Firth on the south. The county town, KIRKCUDBRIGHT (2), lies near the mouth of the River Dee, which enters the Solway Firth. There are large granite quarries at Creetown and Dalbeattie; the former supplied the granite for the Liverpool Docks, and the latter that for the Thames Embankment. WIGTOWNSHIRE, at the south-west extremity of Scotland, is also a pastoral region. The small town of WIGTOWN (1), its capital, is on the shore of Wigtown Bay. Stranraer, at the head of Loch Ryan, and Port-Patrick, on the shore of the North Channel, are small ports, Port-Patrick is only 22 miles distant from Donaghadee, on the coast of Ireland, but the maïs now go viâ Stranraer and Larne. AYRSHIRE, sometimes called the "Dairy of Scotland,” embraces a pastoral tract of country in the south and east, but includes a manufacturing and coal-mining district in the north and along the sea-coast. Its county town, AYR (29), at the mouth of the River Ayr, has a considerable trade. Robert Burns was born in this vicinity-a short way to the southward, in a cottage beside the stream of the Doon. Kilmarnock, on the River Irvine, has extensive woollen manufactures, large ironworks, and machinery factories. Ardrossan, Irvine, Saltcoats, Troon, Girvan, and Ballantrae are thriving ports on the Ayrshire coast. LANARKSHIRE includes Clydesdale, the upper part of which is a pastoral region. But its lower portion is a populous seat of manufacturing and commercial industry. GLASGOW (760), on the banks of the Clyde, within the north-western border of Lanarkshire, is the centre at once of the cotton manufactures, the iron trade, and the foreign commerce of Scotland.. It is, indeed, the commercial metropolis of North Britain, and surpasses all other cities in Scotland in number of inhabitants. Glasgow is, besides, the seat of an ancient university. A short distance to the southwards is the battlefield of Langside, the scene of the last contest on behalf of the ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots (A.D. 1568). Airdrie, to the east of Glasgow, is in the midst of extensive coal mines and large ironworks, and has also cotton and other manufactures. Hamilton has large textile factories, and Coatbridge, Rutherglen, and Motherwell, have numerous coal and ion mines. Below Hamilton, on the Clyde, is Bothwell Bridge, the scene of a well-known skirmish between the Covenanters and the Royal forces in 1679. LANARK (6), in Upper Clydesdale, is the county town. Below it are the picturesque Falls of Clyde, formed by the descent of the river over successive ledges of rock. RENFREWSHIRE is manufacturing and commercial. It includes part of the coal and iron district, and possesses several flourishing ports on the lower Clyde. RENFREW (9), the county town, has silk and muslin factories. Paisley (80), seven miles west of Glasgow, shares in the manufacturing industry of that city, and is famous for its thread and shawls. Port Glasgow (17), and Greenock (68), are both great ship-building ports on the Clyde; the latter is the seat of an extensive foreign trade. Johnstone, three miles south-west of Paisley, has flax and cotton mills, and engineering wo ks. II.-SEVEN NORTH-LOWLAND COUNTIES.1 DUMBARTONSHIRE is Highland and pastoral in its northerly division, including the chief part of the shores of Loch Lomond. In the south it reaches to the banks of the Clyde. A detached portion of the county is in the plain further to the eastward. The chief town, DUMBARTON (20), an important port with large shipbuilding yards, stands on the Clyde, at the mouth of the little River Leven, 1. The areas and population of the Seven North Lowland Counties are as follows: (s) Dumbarton, 241 sq. m., pop. 113.870. (a) Stirling, 447 sq. m., pop. 147.338. (3) Clackmannan, 47 sq m., pop. 32,019, (4) Kinross, 72 sq. m., pop. 6, 8, which forms the outlet of Loch Lomond. The vale of Leven is a busy sce of manufacturing industry, with cotton-print and calico works, &c. Kirkintilloch is a manufacturing town of considerable importance, to the north-east of Glasgow. STIRLINGSHIRE is mining and manufacturing in its eastern division, which is within the Lowland region; but its westerly portion, which is pastoral and agricultural, stretches into the Highlands. The fertile "Carse of Stirling" is highly cultivated. The county town, STIRLING (18), stands on the south bank of the Forth, its fine castle, on a lofty rock which overlooks the town, has been the scene of many events important in Scottish annals. Stirling has manufactures of woollen and cotton fabrics. St. Ninians and Bannockburn, both populous villages in its immediate vicinity (forming, in fact, suburbs of the town), also possess extensive woollen manufactures. Bannockburn recalls the memory of Bruce's great victory over the English in 1314. Falkirk, in this county, is a great coal and iron centre, and an important cattle market, and is historically noteworthy on account of two engagements which have taken place in its vicinity-one a victory gained by Edward I. over the Scottish army (1298); the other a defeat sustained by the royal forces at the hands of Prince Charles Edward's followers in 1746. Grangemouth, an important seaport, with large shipbuilding yards, is on the Firth of Forth, at the eastern terminus of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Larbert, between Falkirk and Stirling, is an important railway junction. Kilsyth, on the southern border of the county, was the scene of Montrose's brilliant (though fruitless) victory in 1645. Slamannan, near the southern border of the county, has extensive coal and ironstone mines. CLACKMANNANSHIRE is enclosed by the counties of Perth and Stirling, and is the smallest county in Scotland. It is partly within the great Lowland coalfield. Alloa (14), its largest town (on the left bank of the Forth), has some trade in coal and iron. CLACKMANNAN, a mining village, is the county town. Alva (5) has manufactures of shawls and tweeds. KINROSS-SHIRE is enclosed between the counties of Fife and Perth, and is, on the whole, well cultivated. It includes Loch Leven-the largest lake within the Lowland region. Its county town, KINROSS (2), is on the west shore of the lake. The castle of Lochleven, on an island in the lake, was the temporary prison of Mary Queen of Scots, and the scene of her romantic escape in 1568, immediately prior to the battle of Langside. Milnathort has manufactures of tartan shawls and plaids, and has also important live-stock sales. FIFESHIRE, a Lowland county, forms a peninsula, lying between the Firths of Forth and Tay. Its interior is hilly and pastoral, but a broad and fertile belt of country stretches along the coast,' on which are numerous seaport and fishing towns. CUPAR (5), on the Eden, is the county town. Kirkcaldy is a busy seaport, and has numerous coal mines and manufactures of linen, oilcloth, &c. Dun. fermline, in the centre of the coalfield, is a great seat of the linen manufacture, and has an ancient abbey church, within which are the remains of Robert Bruce. between its fertile sea board and comparative sterile interior. 1. James VI. compared Fife to a "beggar's Bantle fringed with gold," alluding to the contrast St. Andrews is the seat of the oldest of the Scottish universities. Along the coast are a number of seaports and seaside resorts-Inverkeithing, Aberdour, Burntisland, Kinghorn, Largo, Elie, Pittenweem, Anstruther, and Crail. FORFARSHIRE, or Angus, is principally within the Lowland region, and is (with Fifeshire) the chief seat of the linen and jute manufacture. FORFAR (11), the county town, lies in the heart of the great plain of Strathmore. Dundee is not only a great seaport, with an extensive coasting and foreign trade, but an important manufacturing city-the chief centre of the linen and jute manufacture. Montrose, also a thriving seat of trade, is on the coast of the North Sea. Midway between Montrose and Dundee is Arbroath (or Aberbrothock), the nearest port to the celebrated Bell Rock, or Inchcape. Brechin and Coupar-Angus (so called to distinguish it from the county town of Fifeshire) are in this county. KINCARDINE, or the Mearns, extends from Forfar to the banks of the Dee, and includes the most eastward portion of the Grampians. But the coast division of the county is Lowland. STONEHAVEN (5), the chief town, is on the shore of the North Sea, and is an important herring-fishing station, as also are Bervie, Findon, and other fishing ports. From Findon, or Finnan, the name "Finnan haddocks" is derived. III-THREE SOUTH-HIGHLAND COUNTIES.1 BUTESHIRE, the most southward of the Highland counties, consists of the islands of Bute, Arran, and the Cambraes, in the Firth of Clyde. Arran is hilly, but Bute is level and fertile. The latter has the most salubrious climate in Scotland. The county town, ROTHESAY (9), a large watering-place on Bute, has an exceptionally mild climate, and is much frequented. The beautiful channel which divides Bute from the mainland is called the Kyles of Bute. Arran has a more rugged surface, and furnishes some granite; its chief town is Brodick, a small place on the east coast. Lamlash is a small fishing village in Arran. ARGYLLSHIRE embraces a rugged Highland tract on the Scottish mainland, and includes many of the adjacent islands— amongst them Mull, Jura, and Islay, with Coll, Tiree, Colonsay, and many of smaller size. Staffa and Iona, off the west coast of Mull, are of the number. The county town is INVERARAY, near the head of Loch Fyne. Campbeltown, on the peninsula of Cantire, is of larger size. Oban, the "Capital of the West Highlands," and the north-western terminus of the Highland Railway, is a rising place on the coast, near the entrance of Loch Linnhe. Glencoe, the scene of the infamous massacre of the Macdonalds in 1692, is a wild pastoral valley, which adjoins the south shores of Loch Leven, one of the estuaries of the western coast. The areas and population of the Three SouthHigh and Counties are as follows: Bate, 171 sq. m., pop. 18.786. (Argyll, 3 213 sq. m., pop 73.665. 13 Perth. 2.537 sq. m, pop. 123.262. 2. There are two lochs bearing this name-one PERTHSHIRE is Lowland in the east and centre; but its western division includes an extensive and rugged portion of the Highlands. It comprehends, in the south-west, the romantic district of the Trossachs, within which are embraced the wooded heights of Ben A'an and Ben Venue, with the winding shores of Loch Katrine, Loch Achray, and Loch Vennachar. The city of PERTH (33) lies on the right bank of the Tay, immediately above the estuary which the river forms in its lower course. Near Perth, (upon the opposite bank of the river) is Scone, the ancient coronation-place of the kings of Scotland. Tippermuir, the scene of one of the victories gained by Montrose (in 1644), during his brilliant but evanescent career of success, is a short distance to the south-west of Perth. The other towns of Perthshire are all of small size. Dunkeld and Dunblane are noted for their ancient cathedrals. Two miles to the eastward of Dunblane is Sheriffmuir, the scene of an indecisive engagement between the royalist and rebel forces in 1715. Crieff and Callander are favourite summer resorts. Callander is at the entrance to the far-famed Trossachs. The Pass of Killiecrankie, on the romantic banks of the Garry, which joins the Tummel' below the defile, is in the northern part of Perthshire. It was here that the leader of the Highland clans, Viscount Dundee, fell in the moment of victory over the forces of King William in 1689. IV. NINE NORTH-HIGHLAND COUNTIES.? ABERDEENSHIRE is Lowland towards the coast; but its interior belongs to the Highlands. Large numbers of cattle are reared in this county for the English markets, and there are extensive herring and salmon fisheries, and large granite works near Aberdeen and Peterhead. The "granite city" of ABERDEEN (151), its capital, situated between the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don, is one of the most important commercial towns in Scotland, and is distinguished for its university. At the bridge of Dee, two miles above Aberdeen, Montrose defeated the Covenanters in 1644. Peterhead, a flourishing port, is on the coast to the northward, and is the chief station of the Greenland seal and whale-fishery. Fraserburgh, another seaport, still further north, is a great centre of the Scottish herring-fishery. Inverury, at the junction of the little River Ury with the Don, is a small inland town. Balmoral Castle, the Highland home of King Edward, is in this county, within the beautiful valley of the Upper Dee, near its southern bank. BANFFSHIRE is chiefly Lowland, but penetrates the Highland region in its southerly division. The chief industries are agriculture and fishing. The county town, BANFF is near the mouth of the River Deveron. Portsoy and Cullen are small fishing towns on the coast. The noted distilleries of Glenlivet are in this county. 1. The Tummel is an affluen of the Tay. 2. The areas and population of the Nine North High and Counties are as follows: (1.) Aberdeen, 1,970 sq. m., pop. 304,420. (2.) Baff. 650 sq. in., pop. 61,487. (3) Elgin, 475 sq. m., pop. 44,808. (4.) Nairn, 178 sq. m., pop. Q.201. (5.) Inverness, 4.088 sq. m., pop. 90,182. (9.) |