four miles south-west of Birnie, and near five miles north of Knockando. In the lower end of the parish is Killess, church land, for above an hundred years the heritage of Farquharson of Killess, now extinct, and the lands are the property of the Earl of Fife. Above this is the Barony of Dallas. I know not, if from this valley, Dallas of that Ilk had its name and designation. But I find Willielmus de Doleys, a witness to Hugo Herok's donation, anno 1286, (Appendix, No XVI.) "Johannes de Dolais, Thanus de Cromdale anno 1367," (Appendix, No XX,) and Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of Archibald Dallas of that Ilk, with consent of her husband Duncan Fraser, in 1428, disponed her right of Dallas, to John Dallas of Easter Ford, her uncle, and the heir male of that family, who, in exchange of his lands in the south, got from David Earl of Crawford, the lands of Budzet in Calder parish anno 1440. (Hist. Kelr.) This barony had been long the property of Cummine of Altyre, before it was sold to Sir Ludovick Gordon of Gordonstown, in the end of the last century. Sir Robert Gordon, by ditching, draining, and manuring, has improved this place, and built a convenient house, adorned with planting. A mile north-west from the church is Brenchil, sometime the property of Grant of Brenchil, but lately of Cummine of Craigmiln, who, about anno 1752, sold it to James Grant of Knockando. I now return to the mouth of the river Lossie.

KENEDAR PARISH.

The parish of Kenedar (Cean-edir, i. e. a point, betwixt the frith and loch) is two miles in length, and one mile in breadth, westward from Lossiemouth,* betwixt the frith and the loch of Spynie. The

• The village of Lossiemouth is the harbour of the town of Elgin, being purchased by the Magistracy of Elgin in the year 1698. In the conveyance, it is described as a piece of waste barren unmanured ground, and was nearly 80 acres of naked gravel and sand, with an allowance on the quarries of the

church standeth near the centre, a mile east from Duffus; two and a-half miles almost north from New Spynie; and two miles and ahalf north-west from St Andrews. At the mouth of Lossie is a harbour, but so barred as to admit only small craft. It is the property of the town of Elgin, where they have some fishing boats. Next thereto are the lands of Kenedar, granted by Patrick Hepburn, Bishop of Moray, to the Earl of Moray, Regent, and purchased from that family by the Lord Brodie. Here there is a fishing of white fish at Stotfield. West from Kenedar is Drainie, once the heritage of Innes of Drainie, now extinct, from whom Sir Robert Gordon purchased it anno 1636, as he did in 1638, the adjacent lands of Ettles, from Innes of Pathnack, and, in 1639, the lands of Plowlands, Ougstown, and Bellormine, from the Marquis of Huntly. Here is a fine seat called Gordonstown, and a large modern house, with gardens, ponds, and planting. At Cove-sea there is a good white fishing.

Coulard, for the restricted purpose of building and upholding the pier, and for the accommodations requisite for the town of Lossiemouth; for which the community became bound to pay yearly £2, ls. 7d. subjecting the inhabitants of Lossiemouth to be poinded for any arrears that may be incurred; and to the courts of the superior, which he may hold either in the town or at the burn of Kenedar, for any riot happening either among themselves or with the superior's tenants of the barony; and to send a Burgess of Elgin yearly to the Head Court, upon the first Thursday after Michaelmas, to answer in their name; and to allow the accommodation of the harbour to all ships and fishing boats appertaining to the superior, or freighted by any merchant upon his account, or employed by him for exportation or importation, without payment of any dues to the community. Besides irregular streets fronting towards the sea, the town is laid out into four principal streets, at right angles to the shore, each 42 feet wide, and commodious lanes cutting across the streets, equal to half their breadth, with a handsome square and cross in the midst. There are 175 feus marked off on the plan, each 120 by 180 feet, granted for the duty of 5s. each; but many remain to be taken, and many that have been granted are not yet built; but a number also of handsome houses of two and three stories, containing more than 200 inhabitants, have been erected. The harbour is sufficiently commodious for vessels about 80 tons burden. The community say, that, prior to the year 1780, £1200 Sterling had been expended in the formation of the quay; since that time, a pier opposite on the other side the river, for clearing out the sand off the bar has been erected at the expense of £2000 Sterling, from the funds of the town. aided by private subscription, and a donation of £200 Sterling from the Convention of Boroughs.