Portnockie

   PORTNOCKIE, a village, in the parish of Rathven, county of Banff, 1¼ mile (N. W.) from Cullen; containing 725 inhabitants. This fishing-station is the property of the Earl of Seafield, and is situated 2 miles to the eastward of Findochtie; it was built about the year 1677, and has now nearly 100 boats belonging to it, of which seventy are of the larger class, and all engaged in the herring and other fisheries on the coast. A church was built here a short time since, called Seafield church, at a cost of £400, raised by subscription, towards which the Hon. Col. Grant, now sixth earl of Seafield, gave £100. This portion of the parish has for a long period been annexed quoad sacra to Cullen; it was lately proposed to erect it into an ecclesiastical district, and attach it to the new church, but that proposition has not been carried into effect. The earl has built an excellent school-house, and allows £10 per annum to the teacher, who is permitted to charge the same fees as those at the parish school.