Elgin (Elgin; g hard), county town of Elginshire, 5 m. by rail SSW. of its port, Lossiemouth, 37 ENE. of Inverness, 178 N. of Edinburgh. It lies on the Lossie, in the ' garden of Scotland;' and while it retains a few quaint old houses, a cross (restored 1888), and its ruined cathedral, it has brightened up much during the 19th century. The Elgin Institution was erected in 1832 as an almshouse and school, out of £70,000 bequeathed by General Anderson. Other edifices are Gray's Hospital (1819) and the adjoining asylum (1834-65), the county buildings (1866), the court-house (1841), the market buildings (1850), the academy (1800), and the parish church (1828), with a tower 112 feet high. The once glorious Gothic cathedral (1224-1538) was 289 feet long by 120 across the transept, with two western towers, and a loftier central spire (198 feet). It was partially burned in 1270, and again in 1390 by the ' Wolf of Badenoch;' was dismantled in 1568; and in 1711 was finally reduced to ruins by the fall of the great tower. The chapter-house, with its ' prentice pillar,' is noteworthy. Little remains of the royal castle, which in 1296 lodged Edward I. of England; its ruins are surmounted by a monument (1839-55) to the last Duke of Gordon. A royal burgh since the reign of David I. (1124-53), Elgin unites with Banff, Macduff, Peterhead, Inverurie, Cullen, and Kintore to return one member. Pop. (1831) 4493; (1901) 8460.

Elgin

Elgin, a city of Illinois, on the Fox River, 36 miles WNW. of Chicago, with large watch-works and manufactures of carriages and agricultural machinery. Pop. (1880) 8787; (1900) 22,433.