COUNTIES OF ELGIN AND NAIRN. 5 



pleasantly situated about 12 miles to the west of Elgin. It was 

 created a royal burgh by William the Lion. The town, though 

 small, is clean and attractive, the locality being as famous for its 

 scenic loveliness as for its historic interest. In its suburbs the 

 soil is very rich and well sheltered, which, combined with warm 

 climate, specially adapts it for garden purposes. There is also a 

 nursery of no little importance in its neighbourhood. According 

 to tradition, Forres was also burned by the " Wolf of Badenoch " 

 in 1390, in consequence of a feud with the Bishop of Moray. 

 The ancient charters of the burgh having been thus burned, a 

 new one was granted by James IV. in 1496. The last census 

 returns gives the population of the burgh of Forres as 4030, 

 2257 females and 1773 males. The number of separate families 

 is 1036, inhabited houses 845, vacant houses 40, and 8 houses 

 building. The principal public works, at which a good number 

 of the inhabitants are employed, are manure manufactory, iron 

 works, woollen factory, brewery, flour and saw mills, and coach 

 works. The most striking object of interest to the casual 

 observer is an immense obelisk 23 feet in height, most beauti- 

 fully and richly sculptured, and prominently placed on an 

 elevated piece of ground on the south-east of the town. It is 

 known as " Swenos Stone," and is said to have beeen erected to 

 commemorate a defeat of the Danes. On the south-east of the 

 burgh is CTuny Hill, on which there is a beautiful plantation and 

 many delightful walks. From the top of this hill a fine view 

 can be had of a long stretch of cultivated land, and beautifully 

 laid off farms, lying between Forres and the Moray Firth. 

 Among other objects of interest is the Forres hydropathic 

 establishment, which is situated on the south side of Cluny Hill, 

 and which is as useful as it is ornamental. On the top of Cluny 

 Hill there is a tower erected in honour of Nelson's victory at 

 Trafalgar. The total revenue of Forres for 1881 was about 

 £1714, 16s. 3d. Along with Inverness, Nairn, and Fortrose, 

 Forres has a representative in the House of Commons. The 

 sitting member for these burghs is Mr C. Fraser-Mackintosh, while 

 Mr Alexander Asher is member of Parliament for the Elgin group 

 of burghs. The constituency of Forres in 1881 numbered 408. 



As 1 have already indicated, there are a large number of 

 villages in Morayshire. The principal of these are Lossiemouth, 

 Branderburgh, and Stotfield, which together have a ])opulation 

 of 3497; Burghead 1428, Kothes 1382, Grantown 1374, Hope- 

 man 1323, and Garmouth and Kingston 952, &c. The total 

 valuation of Morayshire in 1881-1882, including railways, 

 exclusive of the royal burghs of Elgin and Forres, was £183,660 

 and the rural ])arli;imentary constituency was 1617. Nairn, 

 the only royal burgh in the county of Nairn, has a ])()pulation of 

 4-161, 1«67 males and 2294 fema'h's. It will be observed that 



