MOFFAT, the name of a town and parish of Scot land, in the county of Dumfries. The town is situated on the east side of the river Annan, at the head of a plain or valley extending upwards of 20 miles along the banks of the river.
The principal street, through which passes the great road from Edinburgh to Dumfries and Carlisle, is spa cious. The town contains many good houses, two inns, excellent lodging-houses, with a handsome church, and an assembly-room.
Moffat is principally celebrated for its mineral waters. The sulphurcous spring called Moffat Well is situated about a mile and a half from the town. There is a good carriage road to the well, and excellent accommodation for the company while they are drinking the water. This well was discovered about 170 years ago ; and, according to Dr. Garnet, it contains muriate of soda, 36 grains, sulphurctted hydrogen gas, 10 cubic inches, azotic gas, 4 cubic inches, and carbonic acid gas, 5 cubic inches.
The chalybeate spring called llartfcll Spa, issues from a rock of alum slate, on a tremendous ravine on the side of Ilaitfell. According to Dr. Garnet, a wine-gallon of it contains sulphate of iron, 84 grains, sulphate of alu mine, 12 grains, azotic gas, 5 cubic inches, together i I) 15 grains of oxide of iron, with which the sul phuric acid seems to be supersaturated, and which it gradually deposits on exposure to the air, and almost immediately when boiled. The other chalybeate spring near the bridge is now choaked up. There are vestiges of a Roman military road, and of several stations near the town. About a mile east of the Roman road are two large caves cut out of freestone rock.
In 1811, the parish contained 406 families, of whom 120 were employed in trade, and 72 in agriculture ; and the total population was 1824 inhabitants. See Dr. Singer's As-ricult. Account of Dumfries-shire, p. 48, &c.