Hopeman, a fishing village in Duffus parish, Elgin shire, 2¾ miles E by N of Burghead station, 6½ W by S of Lossiemouth, and 6½ NW of Elgin. Founded in 1805, it rose into prosperity under the late proprietor, Admiral Duff of Drummuir, who purchased the property twenty-one years before his death in 1858 ; and it now has a post office under Elgin, with money order and savings' bank departments, a new and commodious harbour (1865), 119 boats and 250 fisher men and boys, a Free church (1854), and a public school. The harbour, completely sheltered, includes an outer and an inner space, with an entrance from the former to the latter, only 36 feet wide, at right angles to the coast. It has 5 feet of water at ebb of spring tides at the outer extremity of the pier, and 17½ feet of water at the top of spring tides, in good berths along the pier ; and adjoins a sandy beach where vessels, if unable to clear the entrance in a northerly gale, may lie with little or no risk to either themselves or their cargo. Fish of all kinds common in the Moray Firth are found close to the entrance of the harbour ; and the fishing-grounds frequented by the boats of the town are only about 1 mile or less than 1 mile distant. Pop. (1831) 445, (1861) 1070, (1871) 1226, (1881) 1323.-.Ord. Sur., sh. 95, 1876.
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