or the Mearns Kincardineshire

KINCARDINESHIRE, or THE MEARNS, eastern county, Scotland, bounded east by the North Sea, south and south west by Forfarshire, and north-west and north by Aberdeenshire. Area (excluding water), 244,482 acres. In the west and north west the Grampian hills extend into the county, reaching 2,555 ft. in Mount Battock, where the counties of Aberdeen, Forfar and Kincardine meet. This is one of several masses of granite rising through the crystalline schists of the Dalradian group which occupy the portion of the country north of the great fault cross ing it from near Stonehaven to Edzell (in Forfarshire), and con tinuing south-westward across Scotland. In the extreme north the Hill of Fare, famous for its sheep walks reaches 1,545 ft.

In the north the county slopes from the Grampians to the pic turesque and finely-wooded valley of the Dee, and in the south it falls to the Howe (Hollow) of the Mearns, a continuation north-eastward of Strathmore. Here, and generally south of the great fault mentioned above, the rocks are of old red sand stone age, with diabase and other volcanic intrusions. The Dee and North Esk serve as boundary streams during part of their courses, the one of Aberdeenshire, the other of Forfarshire. The other principal rivers are Bervie Water (2o m. long), flowing south-eastwards to the North Sea; the Water of Feugh (2o m.) taking a north-easterly direction and falling into the Dee at Banchory, and forming near its mouth a beautiful cascade; the Dye (15 m.) rising in Mount Battock and ending its course in the Feugh; Luther Water (14 m.) rising not far from the castle of Drumtochty and joining the North Esk; the Cowie (13 m.) and the Carron (81 m.) entering the sea at Stonehaven. Glen Dye in the north centre of the county is very beautiful, and the small Den Fenella, south-east of Laurencekirk, contains a fine waterfall. Except in the vicinity of St. Cyrus, the coast from be low Johnshaven to Girdle Ness presents rugged cliffs, with an average height of ioo to 25o ft., interrupted only by occasional creeks and bays, as at Bervie, Stonehaven, Portlethen, Findon, and Nigg. The evidences of glacial action show that the flow during the Ice Age was northward along the coast, though it ap proached the coastal district with a direction from the hills and an eastward trend across the lower ground ; as the shore was approached it gradually took on an easterly and finally a northerly direction.

Agriculture and Industries.

Much of the Grampian terri tory is occupied by grouse moors, but the land by the Dee, in the Howe and along the coast, is scientifically farmed and yields well. The most fertile region is along the coast, where the soil is generally deep loam resting on clay, although in some places it is poor and thin, or stiff and cold. Oats are the principal crop followed by barley; wheat is not largely grown. About one-fifth of the total area is mountain and heath land. Turnips form the main green crop, but potatoes are raised. About half the holdings

consist of so acres and under. Large stocks of cattle are kept. Blackfaced sheep are chiefly kept on the hill runs, Cheviots or a cross with Leicesters being usually found on the lowland farms. Pigs are also reared in considerable numbers.

Apart from agriculture, the principal industry is the fishing, of which Stonehaven is the centre, in spite of the difficult coast.

The village of Findon (pron. Finnan), now no longer a fishing centre, gave its name to the well-known smoked haddocks. The salmon fisheries of the sea and the rivers yield a substantial return.

Manufactures are of little more than local importance. Woollens are made at Stonehaven, flax is spun at Inverbervie and Johns haven. There are also a large distillery and a tannery at Stone haven, which is the chief port for seaborne trade.

The Deeside railway runs through the portion of the county on the northern bank of the Dee. The L.M.S. and L.N.E.R. run to Aberdeen via Laurencekirk to Stonehaven, using the same metals, and there is a branch line of the L.N.E. from Montrose to Bervie.

Population and Government.

The population was 39,864 in 1931, when 102 persons spoke Gaelic and English. The chief town is Stonehaven (pop. in 1931, 4,185) with Laurencekirk (1,316) and Banchory (1,690), but part of the city of Aberdeen, with a population of 12,423, is within the county. The county returns one of the three Aberdeenshire members to parliament, and Inverbervie, the only royal burgh, belongs to the Montrose group of parliamentary burghs. Kincardine is united in one sheriffdom with the shires of Aberdeen and Banff, and one of the Aberdeen sheriffs-substitute sits at Stonehaven. The county is under school-board jurisdiction. The academy at Stonehaven and a few of the public schools earn grants for higher At Blairs, in the north-east of the shire near the Dee, is a Roman Catholic training college for priests.

History.—The county belonged of old to the district of Picta via and apparently was overrun for a brief period by the Romans. In the parish of Fetteresso are the remains of the camp of Rae dykes, in which, according to tradition, the Caledonians under Galgacus were lodged before their battle with Agricola. Mearns, the alternative name for the county, is believed to have been de rived from Mernia, a Scottish king, to whom the land was granted, and whose brother, Angus, had obtained the adjoining shire of Forfar. The antiquities consist mostly of stone circles, cairns, tumuli, standing stones and a structure in the parish of Dunnottar vaguely known as a "Picts' kiln." The town which gave the shire its name stood about 2 m. N.E. of Fettercairn. By the end of the 16th century it had declined to a mere hamlet, and is now represented only by the ruins of the royal castle and an ancient burial-ground. The Bruces, earls of Elgin, also bear the title of earl of Kincardine.