ABERDEENSHIRE, maritime county, ex-tending from the river Dee to the Moray Firth, and from the Dee's mouth to the summits of the Cairngorm Mountains. Its length is about 86 miles ; its greatest breadth about 47 miles ; its extent of coast about 70 miles ; its circumference about 280 miles ; its area 1970 square miles. Its ancient divisions were Buchan, Strathbogie, Formartine, Garioch, and Mar ; and its modern districts are Deer, Turriff, Huntly, Garioch, Alford, Ellon, New Machar, Aberdeen, Deeside, and Braemar. The coast has few indentations, is partly rocky and precipitous, and includes the most easterly ground in Scotland. About two-thirds of the interior are either sands, mosses, moors, hills, or mountains. The northern, eastern, and south-eastern parts are the least elevated, and comprise a large aggregate of low flat land ; while the south-western parts are prevailingly lofty and rugged, and include summits and offsets of the Cairngorm Mountains. The chief rocks are granite, gneiss, and mica slate. The principal rivers are the Dee, the Don, the Deveron, and the Ythan. The soils are very various and averagely poor, but have been so skilfully worked as to be remarkably productive. The towns with each above 4000 inhabitants are Aberdeen, Peterhead, and Fraserburgh ; with each above 2000, Huntly, Inverury, Turriff, and New Pitsligo ; with each above 1000, Old Meldrum, Rosehearty, and Strichen ; and the villages with each above 500, Auchmull, Ballater, Boddam,Cuminestone, Ellon, Inverallochy, Kintore, New Aberdour, Newburgh, and St. Comb. The county sends 2 members to Parliament, and is cut for that purpose into two divisions, eastern and western. Real property in 1880-81, 919,203. Pop. in 1871, 244,603 ; in 1881, 267,963.

ABERDONA, seat, 4J miles north-east of Clackmannan.

ABERDOUR, village and parish on north coast of Firth of Forth, Fife. The village fandl on a fine sheltered bay, 2i miles west-by-south of Burntisland ; consists of three parts, Wester Aberdour, Easter Aberdour, and Newton ; was anciently a royal landing-place for Dunfermlme ; contains the site of an ancient nunnery and finely situated ruins of an ancient castle ; is now a favourite summer resort for rustication and sea-bathing; maintains direct steamboat communication with Leith ; and has a post office, with money order and telegraph departments, under Burntisland, an Established church, a Free church, and a public school with about 166 scholars. Pop. 610. The parish contains also Donibristle colliery and Wemyss Square villages, and includes Inchcolm Island. Acres, 5974. Real property in 1880-81, 12,500.. Pop. 1736. The coast is intricate, diversified, and picturesque, and commands charming views. The land thence, to a hill-ridge through the centre, is mostly fertile and beautiful, and the tract on the north is mostly bleak hill. Aberdour Castle is a seat of Baron Aberdour, the Earl of Morton, and there are 4 other mansions. A public school is at Donibristle.

ABERDOUR, parish, containing New Aberdour village, on north coast of Aberdeenshire. New Aberdour stands 8 miles west-south-west of Fraserburgh, was founded in 1798, and has a post office under Fraserburgh, an Established church, a Free church, and 2 public schools with about 238 scholars. Pop. 642. The parish contains also the fishing village of Pennan, and is about 7 miles long and 5 miles broad. Acres, 15,508. Real property in 1880-81, 8672. Pop., quoad civilia, 2124 ; quoad sacra, 1903. The western division rises mostly from 200 to 300 feet above sea-level ; the eastern division is comparatively low and flat ; the whole comprises a great proportion of moss, moor, and barren land. The coast is rocky, bold, and cavernous ; includes a striking natural feature similar to the Bullers of Buchan ; and is surmounted at one point by the ruined historical castle of Dundargue. The rocks possess much interest both for science and for utility. There are 4 schools for 440 scholars, and one of them and an enlargement for 121 are new.

ABERFELDY, town at terminus of branch of Highland Railway, 32J miles north-west of Perth. It stands on Moness burn, adjacent to the Tay, amid a picturesque tract of country ; is famous for falls on Moness burn in a wooded dell, sung by Burns as the ' Birks o' Aberfeldy ; ' has good street arrangements, with recent ex-tension in questionable tastes ; has much at-traction for tourists and summer residents, and contains a head post office with all departments, 3 banking offices, 2 hotels, a public hall projected in 1880, an Established church, also projected in 1880, a large Free church, a large Congregational church, a small Baptist chapel, and a public school with about 240 scholars. Pop. 1260.

ABERFOYLE, parish in south-west extremity of Perthshire, with post office under Stirling, and a hotel 6J miles north-north-west of Bucklyvie railway station. Length, lOi miles ; breadth, 5J miles ; area, 26,810 acres. Real property in 1880-81, 4579. Pop., quoad civilia, 465 ; quoad sacra, 409. A bill was promoted in 1880 for a railway, on a capital of 55,000, from the vicinity of the hotel to a junction with the Forth and Clyde Eailway between Bucklyvie and Balfron. A glen, on the south-east border, contains the hotel and the church ; extends about 2 miles west-ward, with a width of about mile, and is traversed by the chief head-stream of the river Forth. A, pass at the glen's head figured much in the raids of the Highland caterans, and was the scene of a victory by Graham of Duchray over a body of Cromwell's troops. The general surface is upland, and includes Benvenue, Benchochan, and some lesser mountains. Loch Katrine, the Trossachs, and Loch Achray are on the-northern border ; Loch Drunkie is in the north-east corner ; and Lochs Chon and Ard are in the south-west. The aggregate scenery is much diversified and richly picturesque, and many spots figure graphically in Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy, Waverley, and Lady of the Lake; but the ' clachan ' of his romance, on a site about a mile west of the hotel, is now extinct. The public school has about 65 scholars.