Geological Features of the District of Suchan. 39 



again south-westward, so as to form a very considerable bay between it 

 and Kinnaird's Head ; immediately to the south of which last, lies the 

 town of Fraserburgh. 



The coast line of Frasersburgh parish extends about four miles. Two 

 miles of this to the south of the town, are low and sandy. The rest is 

 rocky but not high, except at Kinnaird's Head, which forming the turning 

 point of the Moray Frith, stands out a high and bold headland. The 

 rocks on the coast are gneiss and mica slate. Mormondhill lying to the 

 south, in the interior, is quartz rock surrounded by gneiss.* Its height is 

 810 feet, f — at the upper end of the town of Fraserburgh, limestone 

 occurs, and is quarried for building purposes. % Limestone also occurs 

 in the parishes of Lonmay and Rathen. 



Westward, the two parishes" of Pitsligo and Aberdour, complete the 

 district of Buchan and the shire of Aberdeen in this direction. 



The coast line of Pitsligo is four miles in length. My impression of 

 its appearance received from a hurried ride along the coast, was, that 

 from Fraserburgh to Rosehearty it was sandy, rising in considerable hills, 

 and at low water presenting low flat rocks beyond the beach. Onwards 

 from Rosehearty towards Aberdour it is very different, rising the whole 

 way in a continuous mural line of blackened and rifted precipices. 



I staid two days one summer at Bi-aco Park, about a mile west from 

 Rosehearty. To wile away a forenoon we went to fish. The house was 

 about a quarter of a mile from the sea. A single field lay between. 

 Till within a hundred yards of the cliff edge the field presented a steep 

 descent. At that point a little marshy hollow was carpeted with Anagallis 

 tenella, or the Bog Pimpernel, and starred with the beautiful Parnassia 

 palustris. Vaulting a three feet wall of loose stones, five or six yards 

 more took us to the cliff. These are so precipitous that there is but one 

 or two places here and there where it is possible to descend them. In 

 descending we passed a fissure, going down plumb to the water, quite 

 narrow, with equidistant sides, and in which the swell was roaring far 

 into the earth with a hollow sound. This and numerous other fissures 

 run farther into the cliff than the most adventurous ever yet penetrated. 

 Of this particular one it is related, what, however, is said also of many 

 others, that in it a curious explorer lost his life. He took with him the 

 national musical instrument, bagpipes, that he might indicate to his friends 

 on the earth, how far be had penetrated into it. It requires too great 

 credulity to believe all that is told by the peasant, as to the length of 

 time his music was heard, or the distance inland at which the decreasing 

 strains were audible. One thing is certain, they ceased at last, nor did 

 he ever return to tell how he had fared. About half way down the rocks, 

 a broad plateau expanded, from which, by various perilous ways, it was 

 possible to reach near the water, but at no point to attain it. Seated 

 here upon a jutting out cliff, with feet hanging over the deep green water, 



* Nicol, i>. 187. f Stutistical Account, p. 250. \ Ildd. 



