COUNTIES OF KOSS AND CROMARTY. 113 



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by the late tenant was either one or two years grass, wheat, oats, 

 turnips, and either wheat or oats sown with grass seeds. 



The next parish we enter in the Black Isle is Kesolis, part of which 

 lies in Eoss-shire and part (the larger part) in Cromarty. The prin- 

 cipal proprietors in this parish are Mr J. A. Shaw Mackenzie of 

 Newhall, Mr George Mackenzie of Poyntzfield, ]\Ir C. Lyon Mac- 

 kenzie of St Martins, Mr H. K. Fraser of Braelangwell, Captain J. 

 D. Mackenzie of Findon, and Mr J. Urquhart of Kinheachie. The 

 Kewhall property contains two large farms, Kirkton and Mains 

 of Eesolis ; but a very large portion of the estate is taken up by 

 crofts, which number close on 100. A few of these crofters pay 

 half-a-crown of rent, while others pay L.8, L.IO, orL.12. The 

 crofts are chiefly situated on the Bog and Muir of CuUicudden; 

 and by many years of patient toil the tenants of these small hold- 

 ings have added considerably to the arable area of the estate. 

 They have almost all leases of nineteen years, and, generally 

 speaking, they live comfortably and contentedly. The extensivs 

 farm of Mains of Braelangwell, for some time occupied by Mr 

 John Gordon, now in Balmuchy, lies in this parish, as also the 

 desirable farm of Mains of St Martins. 



Proceeding along Cromarty Fkth, in the direction of Ding- 

 wall, we pass into the parish of Urquhart, in which the larger 

 proprietors are Mr Aithur Forbes of Culloden, Sir Kenneth S. 

 Mackenzie of Gaiiloch, Bart., and Captain J. D. Mackenzie of 

 Findon. 



The estate or barony of Ferrintosh, extending to close on 6000 

 acres, though situated in the parish of Urquhart, really belongs 

 to the county of ISTairn. It is owned by Mr Arthur Forbes of 

 Culloden, and within the past thirty years has been improved to 

 a very great extent. In 1853 Mr Duncan Forbes, brotlier of the 

 proprietor, reported to tlie Highland and Agricultural Society 

 (see "Transactions" for 1853, series iii. vol vi.) on extensive 

 improvements that had been carried out on the Ferrintosh estate 

 under his own management. Between 1<S47 and 1853, 072 acres 

 were reclaimed from rough, stony moorland and brought into 

 profitable cultivation. The greater portion had to be trenched, 

 at a cost of from L.7 to L.8 per acre, and before it was thoroughly 

 drained, cleared, and fenced, and prepared for cropping, the total 

 cost per acre ranged from L.2() to L.23. The diains were cut to 

 a depth of 3 feet, and laid with horse-shoe tiles, upon the top of 

 which was placed a layer of about 14 inches in depth of small 

 stones. Fur leaders 4 and 5 inch tiles were used, and those 

 ])laced in the brancli drains were about 2 inches. AVhere stones 

 could be had dykes were made, wire being used where stones was 

 scarce. And since these imi)r()vemcnts, re])orted upon so fuUy 

 by Mr Duncan Forbes, were completed, extensive improvements, 

 in the way of reclainiin</. (b-aining, fencing, building, &c,, have 



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