120 ON THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE 



The whole of the 577 Scots acres attached to the Cromarty 

 estates have been planted, and are now carrying valuable wood ; 

 and of the 370 apportioned to the Ferrintosh property, part has 

 already been planted, and part reclaimed by crofters, while ar- 

 rangements have now been completed for having the remainder 

 enclosed with a view to its being planted. 



Mid Boss. 



Mid Eoss proper includes all of the Black Isle that lies in the 

 county of Koss, as well as the parishes of Urray, Contin, Ding- 

 wall, Fodderty, Kiltearn, and Alness. But for convenience, the 

 Black Isle was taken separately. By train the traveller enters Eoss- 

 shire near the Muir of Ord, in the parish of Urray. Part of this 

 parish lies in Inverness-shire, but by far the greater portion is in 

 the county of Eoss. The principal proprietors in the Eoss-shire 

 portion of the parish are Mr J. A. F. H. S. Mackenzie of Sea- 

 forth, Mr John Stirling of Fairburn, Mr James F. Gillanders of 

 Highfield, the Eight Hon. H. J. BaiUie of Eedcastle, Mr Thomas 

 Mackenzie of Ord, Mr A. J. Balfour of Strathconan, and Mr J. S. 

 Chisholmof Chisholm, who owns theestateof Eheindown. The Ord 

 estate, though not very extensive, has, nevertheless, been the scene 

 of great activity and enterprise for many years, and is now one 

 of the best farmed little properties in the county. The Eev. James- 

 Macdonald, writing on the parish of Urray for the I^ew 

 Statistical Account of Scotland in 1841, says, "The principal 

 agriculturist within the parish is Mr Mackenzie of Ord, who 

 has improved his lands very much of late." And since then the 

 value of the estate has been very much increased both by re- 

 claiming new land, and draining, and otherwise improving the 

 old. The rental in the parish of Urray in 1840 was L.342, now 

 itisL.1494. 



The estates belonging to the Seaforth family have been consi- 

 derably reduced by selling off' detached portions during the past 

 twenty-five years ; but on what still attaches to Brahan Castle (the 

 beautifully situated residence of the family), a good many improve- 

 ments have been effected of late, while the general system of 

 husbandry pursued on the estate is of the most advanced de- 

 scription. The e.^tate of Highfield has also been very largely im- 

 proved within the past twenty-five or thirty years. In 1840 the 

 rental was L.402 ; in 1868, L.1895 ; now it is L.2315. The Ehein- 

 down estate has advanced in rental during the past eight or ten 

 years from L.540 to L.Glo 



Last year Mr John Stirling purchased the estate of Fairburn 

 from the Seaforth family, the estate of Anchonachie from Mr 

 Douglas Mackenzie, and the estate of Muirton from Mr Eobert 

 Ainslie. These estates adjoin each other, and lie in the valleys 

 of the Conan and the Orrin. Their united rental is L.35G. 



