PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



101 



year-old larch on the heights, and pine and spruce in the hollows. 

 The Bin Hill, which is the central peak, rises to a height of 1027 

 feet. It is on the property of the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, 

 who, along with the Duke of Fife, owns — or owned — most of the 

 property for miles along the river banks. The Bin-wood was 

 planted in 1850, and since then has been always carefully forested, 

 and yields an annual return of timber. It is also grazed by cattle, 

 but not by sheep. The under cover, as in nearly all the woods of 

 the district, old or young, consists of a long white grass, with here and 

 there heather and mosses. Of game, it contains Pheasants, Black- 

 game, Roedeer, Hares, and Eabbits. Upon the opposite side of the 

 river, and below Huntly, is the Crow Wood, — remnants of old pine- 

 tree growth on the Huntly estate, — which holds a large rookery. 

 The extensive woods opposite Rothiemay were cut down about 

 forty years ago, and consisted of very fine old pine — say 1 h feet in 

 diameter, clean and straight, without branches, till the tops were 

 reached, which latter spread out and nearly met overhead. At the 

 present day, larch, pine, and spruce hold the area, and already — at 

 the age of forty years — are yielding a second paying crop ; this is 

 now being cut by the Duke of Fife. There are some magnificent 

 specimens of silver fir close to the road, which follows the right 

 bank of the river below Rothiemay ; and elsewhere in the district. 

 Extensive woods also crown the sides and summits of the lower 

 hills behind Rothiemay and upon Rothiemay, Braco, and Grange, 

 and reach up the sides of the Balloch Hills, near Keith, on the 

 course of the Isla, and of the Knock Hill. An extensive wood 

 occupies the flat moss land through which the branch railway 

 runs to Banff from Grange Station. 



To the natural lie of the land and natural drainage; to the 

 fact of the river retaining a very uniform level for a long time 

 even in dry weather; to the circumstance that cattle grazing and 

 feeding is the principal care of the farming population, and that 

 sheep-grazing is far from general — even the heathery hills near 

 the sources, not affording rich feeding for sheep, owing to the 

 thinness of the soil and short crisp nature of the heather which 

 grows upon it — to these causes, and also to the industrious char- 

 acter of the farming population and dependants, few ever thinking 



