mon fc a r c ity o f r e tr e a ts f o r th e d if t r e ile d n a v i g a t o r : t h e y o c c u r
feldom , a n d h a v e o ft e n n e a r t h e ir e n t r a n c e s t h e o b f t r u f t io n s o f
fand to re n d e r th e a c c e f s d i f f i c u l t . O n th e w e ft e r n fid e o f t h e
Jcihgdom N a t u r e h a th d e a lt o u t th e h a r b o u r s w it h a p e r fe d t p r o fusion';
n o t a h e a d la n d c a n b e d o u b le d , b u t w h a t o ffe r s a fe f e
an ch orage to th e d if t r e ile d v e f le l.
|mAierbrothic w o u ld h a v e w a n t e d a h a r b o u r , h a d n o t th e a id o f
art been c a lle d in : f o r in d e f a u lt o f a n a t u r a l, a t o le r a b le a r t ificial
one o f p ie r s h a s b e e n f o rm e d , w h e r e , a t f p r in g - t i d e s , w h ic h
|ife here, fifte e n f e e t , ffiip s o f tw o h u n d r e d to n s c a n c o m e , a n d o f
e ig h ty at n e a p - t id e s ; b u t t h e y m u f t lie d r y a t l o w w a t e r . T h i s
port is o f g r e a t a n t i q u i t y : th e r e is a n a g r e em e n t y e t e x t a n t b e -
» e e n the a b b o t a n d th e b u r g h e r s o f Aberbrothic, in th e y e a r 1 x 9 4 ,
concerning th e m a k in g o f t h e h a r b o u r . B o t h , p a r t ie s w e r e b o u n d
to c o n trib u te th e ir p r o p o r t i o n s ; b u t t h e l a r g e f t f e l l t o t h e ffia r e
| | i f the fo rm e r, f o r w h ic h h e w a s t o r e c e iv e a n a n n u a l t a x ,, p a y a b le
a u t o f e v e r y r o o d o f la n d l y in g w it h in th e b o r o u g h . T h i s is a
W al b o r o u g h , a n d , w i t h Montrofe, Brechin, Inverbervie, a n d Abev~
If», return s o n e m e m b e r t o p a r liam e n t .
T h e . g lo r y o f th is p l a c e w a s th e a b b e y , w h o f e v e r y r u in s g i v e
b e idea o f i t s f o rm e r m a g n i f i c e n c e : i t lie s o n a r i f i n g a b o v e
tow n , a n d p r e fe n ts a n e x t e n f i v e a n d v e n e r a b le f r o n t ; is m o i l
■©.•licioufly f itu a t e d , c o m m a n d s a v i e w o f th e fe a t o t h e e a f t , o f
■ f e r t i l e c o u n t r y t o t h e w e f t , b o u n d e d b y t h zGrampian h i l l s ; a n d ,
j p o f t h e fo u th , o f th e o p e n in g s in t o th e fir t h s o f la y a n d Forth.
T T h e a b b e y w a s o n c e in c l o f e d w it h a f t r o n g a n d l o f t y w a l l ,
p ith fu r r o u n d e d a v e r v c o n f id e r a b je t r a d : o n th e f o u t h -w e f t
H arbour.
A b bbv.