Lossiemouth

   LOSSIEMOUTH, a village and sea-port, in the parish of Drainie, county of Elgin, 3 miles (N. N. E.) from Elgin; containing 902 inhabitants. This place is situated at the mouth of the river Lossie, which, after a course of about twenty-six miles from its source in the hills of Dallas, empties itself into the Moray Frith, and gives the name to this thriving little village. There has been a large increase in the traffic and the population since the introduction of steam-navigation. The portion adjoining the sea is called Seatown or Fishertown of Lossiemouth, and is peopled principally by fishermen and eafaring persons, the former of whom, in connexion with the fishermen of the adjacent village of Stotfield, consisting together of about seventy men and twenty-five boys, carry on the herring and white fisheries, employing in both forty-five boats. The exports in a recent year were, 4243 quarters of grain, 2000 barrels of herrings, 200 barrels of cod-fish, and three cargoes of plantation timber; and the imports, 4500 tons of English coal, 1000 tons of Scotch coal, 400 tons of bones and bone-dust, 140 tons of bark, and 150 tons of salt, besides various other articles. The number of vessels that entered in the same period was 106, registering 4816 tons; and the number outward-bound was forty-four, registering 1918 tons. Steam-vessels, running between London and the Moray Frith, regularly call here in summer for the conveyance of passengers, and for general traffic, bringing various articles of merchandize, but chiefly foreign and colonial produce, and taking away live stock, agricultural produce, fresh provisions, salmon, and pickled cod and herrings. The English coal imported is carried to Elgin and the neighbouring country, chiefly for family use; the Scotch coal is for breweries, distilleries, and other public works. The grain exported is sent to different ports in the kingdom; and the herrings to the London, Liverpool, and Irish markets, and occasionally to Hamburgh and Stettin. The vessels frequenting this port, which is within the jurisdiction of the custom-house of Inverness, are of the smaller class, seldom amounting to above seventy tons' register, on account of the shallowness of the water, which rises only to about nine feet at stream tides. A new and more commodious harbour has, however, just been constructed at Stotfield, with outer and inner basins excavated from the solid rock; and this, at ordinary tides, will admit vessels drawing fifteen feet of water. An excellent turnpike-road, on which there is a daily post, runs from the village southwards to Elgin, and another in a western course, through Duffus and Kinloss, to Forres. A place of worship has recently been erected belonging to the United Associate Synod; and there is a school supported by the General Assembly.