The agriculture of this county is in a very low state, since there arc few inclosures except in the immediate vicinity of large towns, and of gentlemen's seats. Da vid Davidson, Esq. of Cantray, has been justly distin guished for his exertions in ornamenting and improv ing his property, by bringing 400 acres of waste into a very high state of cultivation, and planting more than 2000 acres. The example of gentlemen farmers arc rarely followed very hastily by the adjoining telvanTry, whose cautious and calculating habits generally yield only to the successful results of practical farmers. The smallness of the harms militates very much against the introduction of any very lasting change, since few te nants occupy farms amounting to 50/. per annu:n ; and the great majority of farms does not exceed 20/. The rental of the different farms varies from 2s, 6d. to 35s. per acre.
The whole amount of land under timber of native growth is 4000 acres, and under plantations 6000.
The amount of the inhabitants in 1801 was 8257, and in 1811, 8251, It has only one royal borough, Nairn, and two villages, Auldearn and Calder, and sends a member to parliament alternately with Cromarty.
Temples of the Druids are numerous, and prove this county to have been inhabited from very remote anti quity. It is generally supposed that an artificial green mount, in the parish of Auldearn, had been formed for a court of civil justice when the druidical temples were forsaken. The celebrated historian George Buchanan
supposes thc castle near Nairn was taken by the Danes in the reign of Malcolm 1.
The village of Auldearn is distinguished as the spot where the Marquis of AIontrose, in 1645, obtained a most decisive victory over the friends of the presbyte rian form of church government, in which he lost only 20 men, while 2000 of the enemy werc slain, many pri soners captured, and the whole baggage, much wealth and ammunition, with 16 standards, taken. In the par ish of Croy, not far from the ridge of moorish grounds, on the side towards the river Nairn, the ever memora ble action of Culloden was achieved. The royal army consisted of 8811, and the rebel of 8350. The victory obtained on this day put a final period to the hopes of the Pretender, whose history, and that of his family, must ever remain a valuable lesson to all future gene rations. Only 50 of the royal army fell, of whom 6 were officers, while the number of the rebels killed in the action and pursuit has heen computed at 2500.
See MORAYSHIRE. Statistical Account of Scotland. hy Sit John Sinchir, Bart. A Survey of the Province of Monty. The Rev. Mr. Leslie', General View of the Ag riculture of the Counties of Nairn and Moray.