Kincardineshire

Kincardineshire, or THE MEARNS, a maritime county of Scotland, with Aberdeenshire and the Dee on the N., Forfarshire and the North Esk on the S. and W., and the North Sea on the E. The rocks are granite, gneiss, sandstone, conglomerate, mica-slate, clay-slate, limestone, and trap. Area, 383 sq. m., or 245,346 acres, of which 120,050 are in cultivation, and 23,153 in wood. The county may be divided into four sections—viz. the Coast, the 'Howe o' the Mearns,' the Grampians, and Deeside. The coast-land and much of the 'Howe' is of superior quality, and rents from £2 to £3, 10s. an acre. The 'Howe' forms a continuation of the Valley of Strathmore (q.v.). The Grampians, running across the country from east to west, parallel to the Dee, with an average breadth of from 7 to 8 miles, cover about 80,000 acres; one of the peaks, Mount Battock, is 2555 feet high. The Deeside portion of the county is a comparatively narrow strip of light, sharp soil. There are few manufactures in the county. The principal towns and villages are Stonehaven (q.v.), the county town; Bervie, a royal burgh; Laurenceekirk, a borough of barony; Banchory; and Johnshaven. Of the objects of antiquarian interest the most noted are Dunnotar Castle (q.v.) and Raedyke's Camp, an entrenchment seemingly on the Roman method, in which it has been supposed that the ancient Caledonians under Galgacus encamped prior to their battle with the Romans under Agricola. Kincardineshire was the birthplace of George Wishart, Robert Barclay, Dr J. Beattie, and Dr Thomas Reid; and the father of Robert Burns was born in Dunnotar parish. Pop. (1801) 26,349; (1871) 34,630; (1881) 34,460; (1891) 34,647.