Forfar presents great variety of surface. The northern division, comprising nearly half the county, is occupied by the Binchinnin hills or “Braes of Angus,” which form part of the Grampian mountain range, and join the “Braes of Mar” in Aberdeenshire. At the head of Glen Clova they rise boldly and abruptly, and are clothed in summer by a green covering of grass; but for the most part they are rounded and rather tame, and covered with a thin coat of moorish soil bearing stunted heath. The highest summit is Glas Meal, 3502 feet, and a large number are over 3000 feet. The range is intersected by several wooded and fruitful valleys, the principal of which are Glen Isla, Glen Prosen, Glen Clova, Glen Lethnot, and Glen Esk. These are watered by streams that rise in the west and north, and commonly flow south-east, receiving the mountain torrents in their progress. Some miles south from the Grampians, and parallel to them, there is another and lower mountain range called the Sidlaw hills, the higher eminences generally covered with moor and heath, but the lower ridges cultivated or wooded. Their highest summits are Auchterhouse hill (1399 feet), and Gallow hill (1242); and a considerable number are above 1100 feet. The breadth of this range is from 3 to 6 miles. Between these two mountain districts lies Strathmore or the Great Valley, as the name means in Gaelic, or, as it is commonly called, the “Howe of Angus,” forming a continuation of the “Howe of the Mearns,” and having a breadth of from 6 to 8 miles,—a district beautifully diversified by gentle eminences, fertile fields, plantations, villages, and gentlemen’s seats, very little of it being 200 feet above sea-level. From the Sidlaw Hills to the German Ocean on the east and the Firth of Tay on the south there extends a tract of low and level ground, varying in breadth from 3 to 8 miles, and comprehending about a fourth part of the whole county. The southern shore is level and sandy, but from Arbroath to Lunan Bay the coast line is formed of sandstone cliffs, in some parts very steep and precipitous, and containing a number of caves, most of which are only accessible from the sea.

The principal rivers are the Isla, the South Esk, and the North Esk. The Isla rises in the Grampians in the northwest of the county, and flows from north to south through the glen which bears its name, until at Ruthven it bends to the westward and joins the Tay in Perthshire. Below the Bridge of Craigs it has cut a chasm, in some places more than 100 feet in depth, through a barrier of porphyry and gravel stone rocks, where it forms cascades of singular beauty. The South Esk has its source in the Grampians a few miles east of the Isla, and flows south-east till it reaches the valley of Strathmore, after which it takes an eastward course, and passing Brechin discharges itself into the basin of Montrose. The North Esk issues from Loch Lee, and, flowing first eastward and then south-east, forms for about 10 miles of its course the boundary between this county and that of Kincardine, and falls into the sea about 3 miles north-east of Montrose. Among the smaller streams are the Dean, a tributary of the Isla; the Prosen, which falls into the South Esk; the Mark, the Westwater, and the Cruick, which join the North Esk; the Dighty, which flows south-eastwards into the Firth of Tay at Broughty Ferry; and the Lunan, which empties itself into the German Ocean at Lunan Bay. There are a number of small lochs, the principal being Loch Lee, Lintrathen Loch, and the lochs of Forfar, of Rescobie, and of Balgavies.

Geology and Minerals.— In the northern portion of the Forfarshire Grampians the prevailing rock is granite, some of it very beautiful, and containing in its cavities topazes and rock crystals called “cairngorms,” from the mountain of that name in Aberdeenshire. Other portions of the Grampians are composed of micaceous schist and porphyry, dykes of the latter in some places intersecting the former. Laminated mica is found in veins in mica slate, and rock crystals are found in the beds of torrents. Lead was at one time wrought at Gilfianan, above the old castle of Invermark, in the upper part of the parish of Lochlee; and according to Edward, in his Description of Angus published in 1678, it yielded one sixty-fourth part of silver. It has also been wrought at Ardoch near Millden on the Esk. Limestone occurs in various parts of the Grampians, and jasper is frequently embedded in the micaceous schist. In the lower portions of the Grampians pudding-stone prevails, and afterwards sandstone. Clay marl is found both in Strathmore and the Sidlaw hills. Shell marl abounds in the beds of the various lochs, some of which have been partly or wholly drained to render it easy of access. The Sidlaw hills are chiefly composed of sandstone of various colours. Sandstone flags are quarried in large quantities on the hill of Balmashanner, in the moor to the south of Forfar, in the parish of Carmylie, and along the southern declivity of the Sidlaw hills. In this sandstone district lies the famous Forfarshire fisìibed, containing the earliest known vestiges of vertebrate life. In the maritime district there are numerous beds of red sandstone, which, however, are frequently intersected by whinstone and porphyry. The principal limeworks are in this division,— at Hedderwick near Montrose, and at Boddin in the parish of Craig.

Climate and Agriculture.— The climate differs considerably in various parts of the county; but is on the whole salubrious and favourable for agricultural pursuits. According to observations taken by Alexander Brown, LL.D., at Arbroath, for ten years, from March 1868 to March 1878, the mean of the barometer, reduced to sea-level and a temperature of 32° F. was 29 , 83 inches. The mean temperature was in spring 46 0, l F., summer 58° ’ 3, autumn 47° '7, winter 39°O. The mean annual rainfall was 29 - 8 inches. The average annual number of days whereon the wind was from the N. was 29, N.E. 15, E. 26, S.E 28, S. 69, S. W. 36, W. 78, and N.W. 38, while 46 were calm. In Strathmore, owing to the proximity of the Grampians, the rainfall is considerably greater than in the maritime district. In these two districts the harvests are nearly as early as in any other district of Scotland, but in many of the uplands they are often very late. The total area of arable ground in 1878 was 252,902 imperial acres, of which 95,448 were under com crops, 51,396 under green crops, 81,415 under rotation grasses, 24,295 permanent pasture, and 348 fallow. There were 31,857 acres under wood. The principal wheat district is the valley of Strathmore and the neighbourhood of Dundee and Montrose; and the yield is excelled by few districts in Scotland. Its acreage (9416 in 1878) has, however, as elsewhere in Scotland, been decreasing, while there has been a gradual increase in that of barley (31,593 acres in 1878). Oats, for which the soil generally is well adapted, are the principal crop, the acreage (1878) being 52,802. Potatoes are chiefly grown in the upland and maritime districts; the acreage was 16,479. As a large number of sheep and cattle are kept, turnips are very largely grown, their acreage being 33,953. The acreage under beans was only 1060. The system of rotation varies according to soil and situation. The five years’ shift, at one time the most common, has of late been largely superseded by a seven-shift, The number of cattle in 1878 was 44,405, or an average of nearly 17 8 to every 100 acres under cultivation as compared with 23 - 6 for Scotland. Of these the number of cows and heifers in milk or in calf was only 11,452, and except in the vicinity of the towns there are no dairy farms. The polled Angus cattle are not so much bred in this their native district as in the neighbouring county of Aberdeen. Shorthorns are now being largely introduced. A large number of Irish cattle are imported for winter feeding. Forfar has suffered more from contagious diseases than any other Scotch county. Their prevalence is thought by some to be partly due to the practice of letting grass and turnips to be consumed by the cattle of dealers and middlemen. The number of horses was 10,164 or an average of nearly 4 to every 100 acres under cultivation, just the average for Scotland. The most common breed is the Clydesdale, the small native garrons being now little used. The number of sheep was 122,798, an average of 50 ’ l to every 100 acres under cultivation, as compared with 149 ’ 3 for Scotland. The blackfaced breed are the most common in the mountain districts, but their number has been much diminished of late years, owing to the large extent of country that has been converted into deer forests. Crossbred lambs are bought in considerable numbers for winterfeeding in the lowland districts, and cross-bred ewes are kept ou many farms for breeding. There are also a few flocks of pure-bred Border Leicesters, and some Shropshire downs and other varieties. The number of pigs was 5900, or an average of 2'3 to every 100 acres, as compared with 3'3 for Scotland.

In Forfar the holdings called crofts, of 10 acres and under, and those from 100 to 300 acres are the most common. A large number are between 10 and 100 acres, a considerable number between 300 and 500, and a few above 500. The general colour of the soils in the lower districts is red, in other parts often inclining to darkbrown or black. The soil in the Grampians is generally moorish over white retentive clay, but loose, friable, and productive in the glens. Over the pudding-stone, in the lower grounds, it is sometimes thin, mossy, and encumbered with stones, and over the sandstone a tenacious clay often occurs, which, however, when properly cultivated, is very productive. The soil above whinstone is fertile though sometimes shallow. Along the coast there are large stretches of barren sand, but the soil of the district where cultivated is quick and very fertile. There is no great extent of peat; but nearly the whole of the northern division of the county is either waste land or occupied as sheep walks or deer forests. Farm management, except in the case of the crofts, is fully abreast of the times. Steamcultivation is gradually increasing, and reaping machines are universally in use. Most farms possess excellent farmhouses and steadings, and covered courts for cattle are generally in use. Considerable progress has been made in the erection of suitable cottages for the farm servants, but bothies for unmarried servants are much too common in the county, and in these the accommodation provided is often of the rudest kind.

According to the owners and heritages return of 1872-73, the land, exclusive of Dundee, was divided among 4898 proprietors, holding land the gross annual value of which was £795,581, 7s. Of the owners 80 per cent, possessed less than one acre, and the average value all over was £1, 8s. 8∣d. There were no fewer than 20 proprietors holding upwards of 5000 acres, viz., Earl of Dalhousie (Brechin Castle), 136,602; Earl of Airlie (Cortachy Castle), 65,059; Earl of Southesk (Kinnaird Castle), 22,525; Donald Ogilvie of Clova (Balnaboth), 21,893; Glamis Trustees (Glamis), 17,034; James Small (Brewlands), 10,300; Fotheringham Trustees (Fotheringham House), 8826; Helen C. Arbuthnott (Balnamoon), 8066; James T. Mackenzie, 7129; Hon. Mrs E. Maule of Fearn, 6992; Lord Whamcliffe (Belmont Castle), 6926; Major W. Lyon, 6888; Earl of Camperdown (Camperdown House), 6770; Col. Ogilvy of Ruthven, 6336; Trustees of Charles Lyell, 5728; Sir Thomas Munro, Bart. (Lindertis), 5702; J. L. D. Stewart (Glenogil), 5524; Countess of Home, 5209; Lord John F. G. Hallyburton (Hallyburton House), 5199; Trustees of Robert Smith (Baharry), 5097.

There are extensive grouse and blackcock shootings on the moors; the roedeer is met with on the mountains, and the stag is also occasionally seen; the alpine hare is plentiful on the uplands; eagles tenant the cliffs of the Grampians; there are numerous waterfowl in the lochs; and otters and seals inhabit the eastern coast. Particulars regarding the botany of the county will be found in William Gardner’s Botany of Forfarshire. Manufactures and Trade.— The staple industry of Forfarshire is the manufacture of flax and jute, Dundee being the principal seat of the linen trade in Britain. Besides employing a large portion of the population of the burghs, linen in various forms is also manufactured at Kirriemuir, Coupar Angus, Carnoustie, Friockheim, Edzell, Lochee, Letham, Monifieth, and Newtyle. In some villages handloom weaving exists to a considerable extent. According to the census returns for 1871, the number of persons engaged in the different branches of the linen manufacture was 45,633, 15,418 males and 30,215 females. There are breweries, tanneries, and bleach-works in most of the towns. The herring, white fish, and salmon fisheries are pretty extensive. The number of herring boats connected with the Montrose district is upwards of 900, with a total estimated value of nearly £50,000.

The number of royal burghs, all of which are also parliamentary, is five, viz., Dundee, Arbroath, Brechin, Forfar, and Montrose. The other towns and the principal villages on the coast are—Broughty Ferry (5817), a watering place and suburb of Dundee; the manufacturing village of Monifieth (919); Carnoustie (3012), a watering place, but possessing also manufactures and fisheries; and the fishing villages of Auchmithie (412) and Ferryden (1395). Inland there are Coupar Angus (the larger part of which is, however in Perthshire), Kirriemuir (4145), Friockheim (11'29), Letham (953), Newtyle (542), and Edzell (415), all chiefly engaged in the linen manufacture. The total population of the county in 1871 was 237,567, of whom 106,324 were males and 131,243 females; the population in 1861 was 204,425. In the towns the population in 1871 was 186,185, in the villages 8203, and in the rural districts 43,179, as compared with 149,309, 6602, and 48,514 respectively in 1861.

One member of parliament is returned by the county, two by the burgh of Dundee, and the other burghs unite with Inverbervie in Kincardineshire in returning a third.

History and Antiquities.— Forfar belongs to that portion of Scotland inhabited in the time of the Romans by the Picts. The county is supposed by some to have received the name Angus from being granted to a son of one of the Scottish kings who bore that name; but others trace the origin of the title to a Gaelic designation for a particular kind of hill, and connect its use with the hill of Angus, to the east of the church of Aberlemno. It is only a few centuries ago that the name Forfar, borrowed from the county town, was applied to the whole county. In ancient times the county was governed by hereditary earls, and it was made an hereditary sheriffdom by David II. The principal historical events, not connected immediately with the burghs, are the supposed Roman battle of the Grampians; the battle of Egfrid, king of Northumbria, and Bridei, king of the Picts, near Dunnichen, in 685, in which the former was slain; battles with the Danes at Aberlemno and other places; the defeat of Elpin, king of the Scots, by Aengus, in the parish of Liff, in 730; a battle between the Picts and Scots near Restinoth, about the year 835; and the defeat of Lord Montfort near Panmure by the earls of Fife and March about the year 1336.

In various parts of the county pretty entire remains of the “weems,” or old subterranean dwellings of the Celts, are found; traces of Roman camps are very common; there are a large number of stone forts, and there are vitrified forts at Finhaven, at Dumsturdy Muir, and on the hill of Laws, near Monifieth. Spear heads, battle-axes, sepulchral deposits, Scandinavian bronze pins, gold bullets (used for coin), and other antiquarian remains are frequently met with. There are sculptured stone pillars at Aberlemno, Auldbar, Glammis, Kirriemuir, St Vigeans, and other places. The principal ecclesiastical antiquities are connected with the burghs. Among the old castles may be mentioned the roofless square tower of Redcastle, at the mouth of the Lunan; the old tower of the modem castle of Guthrie; the tower of the castle of Auchinleck; the stronghold of Inverarity, near Kirriemuir; the large square keep of Broughty castle; the ruins of the castle of Finnaven; the two towers of the old Edzell castle; the ruins of Melgund castle, which are in a pretty entire condition; the ancient part of the splendid castle of Glammis; the small castle of Newtyle; the old square tower and gateway of the castle of Craig; and the remains of the old castle of Airlie, whose burning by the earl of Argyll in 1640 gave rise to the ballad of “The bonnie house of Airlie.” The number of fine modern residences is too great to admit of their being here particularized.

The principal works on Forfarshire are Edward's Description of Angus, published in 1678, and reprinted in 1791; Forfarshire Illustrated, 1843; Gardner’s lìotany of Forfarshire ; and Memorial» of Angus and the Means, by Andrew Jervise, 1861.

Forfar, a royal and parliamentary burgh of Scotland, and capital of the county of the same name, is situated in the valley of Strathmore near the railway from Aberdeen to Perth. The principal buildings are the court-house, the town-hall, the county buildings, and the infirmary. The staple industry is the linen manufacture, but there are also breweries and tanneries. Forfar is of considerable antiquity, having been constituted a burgh before 1300. It was at one time the residence of royalty; and in the accounts of the chamberlain of the royal household, in the reign of Alexander III., and of some preceding monarchs, a charge is entered for the king’s gardeners at Forfar. The town was protected by a castle which stood on a mound on the north side. Its origin is uncertain, but it is believed to have been the place where, in 1057, the first parliament of Malcolm Canmore assembled after the defeat of Macbeth. It was occupied and strongly garrisoned by the English in the beginning of the 14th century; but in 1307 Bruce, on his way through Angus, captured and destroyed it, putting the English to the sword. Its site is now marked by the town cross. It appears that the weekly market-day previous to the reign of James VI. was Sunday, when it was changed by Act of Parliament to Friday. In 1661 a special commission was appointed by the crown to try several parties accused of witchcraft, some of whom were condemned to be burnt. The bridle which was put into their mouths in leading them out for execution is still preserved in the burgh. Further, it is recorded that John Ford, for his services as a “witch ricker” was on the same occasion admitted a burgess along with Lord Kinghorn. Previous to the middle of last century, the town possessed very few houses of two stories; and notwithstanding its proximity to good grey slate quarries, the houses were almost all thatched. This burgh unites with Montrose, Arbroath, Brechin, and Inverbervie in sending one member to parliament. The population of the burgh (royal and parliamentary) in 1861 was 9258, and in 1871 11,031.