COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIKN. 



11 



running in a direct line through the centre from east to west, 

 and the Great North from north to south-east through the glen 

 of Rothes, crossing the Spey by a well-constructed viaduct, and 

 on past Craigellachie. From the main line at Craigellachie the 

 Strathspey section of the railway extends to Boat of Garten, a 

 distance of 33^ miles, where it forms a connection with the 

 Highland line. 



The extent of land under woods in both counties is large. In 

 Morayshire there were 45,368 acres in 1871, and 50,130 in 1881, 

 which shows an increase of 4762 acres during the last decade. 

 In 1871 there were 14,349 acres under woods in Nairnshire, and 

 in 1881, 13,241, which shows a decrease of 1108 acres. Last 

 year there were 26 acres under grass lands and fruit trees in 

 Morayshire, one acre used as market gardens for the growth of 

 vegetables, &c., and 93 acres used by nurserymen. In Nairn- 

 shire there were 12 acres under grass lands and fruit trees, and 

 3 acres used by nurserymen. 



Population. 



The following table shows the population of both counties 

 since 1801 : — 



It will be observed that, excepting a slight decrease in the 

 case of Nairnshire during the decade of 1831-41, the respective 

 populations of these counties have been gradually increasing 

 since the first of the present century. Between 1851 and 1861 

 there was an increase of 4363 in Morayshire, being more than 

 at any decimal period since 1801. For the past twenty years 

 the increase in both counties has been insignificant, there being 

 a diminution in a great many rural districts since 1871. ])urgh 

 po[)u]ations, as a rule, have been growing much more rapidly than 

 rural ones during the past ten years. In regard to population, 

 Morayshire stands seventeenth in Scotland, which it also tiiil in 

 1801, and Nairnshire stands thirty-second. In the former county 

 there are nearly 7^ acres to each inhabitant, while in thu latter 

 there are about Hi acres to each person. In 1881 there were 

 20,700 males and 23,060 females in Morayshire, while in Nairn- 



