Lochmaben
LOCHMABEN, a royal
burgh, the seat of a presbytery, and a parish, in the
county of Dumfries, 8½ miles
(E.N.E.) from Dumfries, and
68 (S. by W.) from Edinburgh,
containing, with the hamlets
of Greenhill, Heck, and Smallholm, and the villages of
Hightae and Templand, 2809
inhabitants, of whom 1289
are in the burgh, which contains also forty-one persons
in the adjoining parishes of Tinwald and Torthorwald.
This place, which is supposed to have derived its
name from the numerous lakes in the parish, is of
very remote antiquity, and at an early period formed
part of the possessions of the ancient lords of Annandale, whose baronial castle was on an eminence close
to the town, called Castle hill, and surrounded by a
deep moat and fosse. The castle thus situated continued to be the residence of the Bruces, lords of
Annandale, till the end of the thirteenth century, and
was the birthplace of Robert Bruce, subsequently
King of Scotland, who, after his accession to the throne,
erected a much larger fortress on a peninsula south-east
of Castle Loch, and in the completion of which the
stones of the former castle were used. This second
castle was by far the largest and the strongest of the
border fortresses, and, including the outworks, occupied
an area of sixteen acres in extent. It consisted of three
courts, inclosed with massive walls twelve feet thick,
and was surrounded by a triple fosse, in which was a
spacious basin defended by walls of hewn stone, affording
to the boats belonging to the garrison and the town
secure shelter, either from the weather, or the attacks
of any enemy.
Burgh Seal.
The town, which had arisen near the site of the
castle, is supposed to have been first erected into a royal
burgh by Robert Bruce, soon after his elevation to the
throne; but, from the frequent inroads of the English,
by whom the town was often plundered and burnt during
the border warfare, all its ancient records were either
lost or destroyed. In 1463, the Earl of Warwick plundered and burnt the town; and in 1479, the Duke of
Albany, at that time Lord of Annandale, being accused
of treason, was publicly cited at the castle of Lochmaben,
and at the market-cross of the burgh, to appear and
answer to the charge. In 1592, a sanguinary feud took
place between the Maxwells of Nithsdale and the Johnstones of Annandale, in which the former were defeated
with great slaughter: a number of the Maxwells, in
their flight from the field of battle, sought refuge in the
church of Lochmaben, which the Johnstones on that
occasion burnt to the ground. The castle, which had
been annexed to the crown in 1487, was maintained as
one of the strongest frontier garrisons, under the superintendence of the lords of Annandale, till the union of
the English and Scottish crowns in the reign of James VI.,
after which time it was suffered to fall into decay. The
only remains now are the shapeless walls, from the
surface of which the hewn stone has been taken for
building materials, leaving only the internal rubble,
which is firmly cemented into a solid mass. In 1612,
James VI. granted to the inhabitants a charter embodying all the privileges they had previously enjoyed under
the charters that had been destroyed; and in the same
year, that monarch bestowed the barony of Lochmaben,
with the tithes and advowson of the church, upon John
Murray, whom in 1625 he created Earl of Annandale and
Lord of Lochmaben, and whose descendant, the Earl of
Mansfield, is the present proprietor.
The town is situated between the Castle loch, on
the south, and the Kirk loch on the south-west, and
consists chiefly of one spacious street, in which are the
church, the town-house, and the market-cross, and of a
street extending nearly at right angles with it, on
the road that leads to Dumfries. A public library is
supported by subscription, and contains a valuable and
well-assorted collection of literary and historical volumes.
Neither any manufacture nor trade is carried on, with
the exception of a few stocking-looms; there are three
good inns, and some shops for the supply of the neighbourhood, but so little traffic takes place that the town
has all the appearance of a large rural village. The
government is vested in a provost, three bailies, a dean
of guild, and ten councillors: there are several incorporated guilds, into which the fees of admission are, for
strangers £1. 10., and for sons of burgesses 10s. 6d.;
but they are very little regarded. The jurisdiction of
the magistrates, comprehending that of royal burghs, is
exercised chiefly by the provost, who ex officio is justice
of the peace for the county; and the burgh is associated
with those of Dumfries, Annan, Kirkcudbright, and
Sanquhar, in returning a member to the imperial parliament; the number of qualified voters being forty-eight. The town-hall, erected in 1745, is a good building
with a tower and spire; and underneath it is what was
once the gaol, consisting of two rooms, one for debtors,
and one for criminals. In front of the town-hall is an
arched weigh-house for the use of the market, as well
as a market-cross. A market is held every alternate
week during the winter for the sale of pork; all other
produce is sent to the markets of Annan or Dumfries.
There is neither river nor canal navigation; the chief
medium of communication is by the road to Dumfries.
It is expected, however, that a railway in contemplation,
to connect Scotland with England, will pass not far from
the parish. The post-office in the town has a tolerable
delivery.
The parish, which is bounded on the east by the
river Annan, and on the north and north-west by the
water of Ae, is about ten miles in length and three in
breadth, comprising an area of 10,750 acres, of which
5500 are arable, ninety woodland and plantations, and
the remainder, with the exception of 400 acres of waste,
good meadow and pasture. The surface is generally
level, with a considerable ascent towards the west, and
is diversified by numerous lakes, of which the most
considerable are, the Castle loch, 200 acres in extent;
the Broomhill loch, eighty acres; the Mill loch, seventy;
the Kirk loch, sixty; and the Hightae loch, fifty-two
acres in extent. Their average depth is about fifty feet;
the water is peculiarly soft, and they all abound with
various kinds of fish, among which are, pike, perch, two
species of trout, one weighing from two to five pounds
each, and the other from twelve to fourteen pounds,
roach, chub, eels, loach, and minnow. In the Castle
loch are found also bream, the greenback, and a sort
called the vendace, resembling a small herring, but of
more delicate flavour, and which is not found in any
other water in Scotland. The vendace is remarkable
for a thin membrane on the top of the head, in the form
of a heart, of a brownish hue, and perfectly transparent,
under which the brain is distinctly visible; it is from
four to six inches in length, of a bright silvery colour,
inclining to blue, along the back, and dies immediately
on its being taken out of the water. The chief rivers
are, the Annan; the water of Ae, which, after washing
the north-western part of the parish, unites with the
Kinnel, and flows into the Annan; and the Dryfe, which
separates a portion of the parish from that of Dryfesdale,
and runs into the Annan at Halleaths. The Castle loch,
being free from the currents that occur in rivers and
estuaries, is peculiarly adapted for aquatic sports; and
accordingly, in the year 1843, a regatta club was formed,
which has been attended with considerable success, the
novelty of such races in the interior, and the beautiful
wood and water scenery around the town, attracting
strangers from all parts of the county. A vendace club,
also, meets annually at Lochmaben in July or August,
and is supported by the chief gentlemen of the district.
The soil along the banks of the rivers is a rich
alluvial loam, producing luxuriant crops of every kind,
and in many parts nine feet in depth; to the westward, or in the upland portion, it is light, gravelly,
and cold. The only uncultivated portions are some
tracts of peat-moss, which afford fuel for the inhabitants.
The system of agriculture has been gradually advancing,
and all the more recent improvements in husbandry
have been adopted; the lands have been drained and
inclosed; bone-dust has been introduced for manure,
and the farm-buildings and offices are now generally
substantial. The dairy-farms are well managed, and
great attention is paid to the rearing of live-stock. The
cattle are of the Galloway breed, except on the dairy-farms, where the cows are chiefly of the Ayrshire; they
are usually sold to dealers when two years old, and
fattened in the English pastures for the London market,
where they obtain a ready sale. A considerable number
of horses are reared in the parish; they are of good
size, and by many judges are preferred to the Clydesdale
breed. Great numbers of swine are also fed on the
different farms, and almost every cottager feeds a couple
of pigs. Few sheep are bred; such as are reared are
fed chiefly on turnips. The plantations, which are mostly
on the demesnes of the resident landed proprietors,
consist of oak, ash, plane, and horse-chesnut, of which
there are many stately specimens. The substrata are
principally red sandstone and whinstone; the sandstone
occurs in thin layers easily separated, and is quarried
for the roofing of farm-buildings. The rateable annual
value of the parish is £7708.
The residences are, Elshieshields, a handsome castellated mansion; Halleaths; and Newmains. Besides
the burgh, there are several villages in the parish, of
which the principal are, Hightae, containing 436, Greenhill eighty-nine, Smallholm eighty-two, and Heck fifty-seven, inhabitants. The lands attached to these were
portioned out by Robert Bruce to his retainers, whose
descendants hold them by Udal tenure, under the
Murrays, against whose encroachments on their privileges they have frequently appealed to the sovereign,
and obtained redress. These lands, which are called
the "Barony of the Four Towns of Lochmaben," are
transferable by any of the possessors under a simple deed
of conveyance, enrolled in the rent-book of the lord
without fee or reward. A large tract of common in
which the tenants of the barony had also an interest,
with the inhabitants of the burgh, was by mutual agreement divided many years since; and several portions
have been purchased by different proprietors, and greatly
improved. The largest portion was purchased by Mr.
Bell, of Rammerscales. The ecclesiastical affairs
are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Lochmaben and synod of Dumfries. The minister's
stipend is £264. 19. 2., with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £10 per annum; patron, the Earl of Mansfield. The
church, which is at the south extremity of the burgh, is
a handsome and substantial structure, erected in 1819,
at a cost of £3000, and contains 1200 sittings. There
are places of worship for members of the Free Church,
Burghers, and Cameronians. The parochial school,
situated in the burgh, is well attended: the master has
a salary of £34, with a house and garden, and the fees,
averaging about £25; also the interest of a bequest of
£200 by Mr. Richardson, of Hightae, for teaching ten
poor children gratuitously, There is likewise a school
at Hightae, of which the master has a salary of £17. 2. 2.,
with a house and garden, and fees averaging £21; he
also receives the interest of £150 bequeathed by Mr.
Richardson. Other schools in the parish are supported
exclusively by the fees. There are some remains of
Roman encampments, and part of the Roman road to
Bodotria may be traced. Rochall Mount, situated on
the side of a ridge of hills which overhangs the castle, and
supposed to have been anciently a station for administering justice, and also a beacon for signals in times of
danger, is perfectly circular at the base, and terminates
in a sharp point. On the north of the parish are the
remains of Spedlin's Tower, once the residence of the
Jardines, of Applegarth; it is a massive quadrangular
structure with circular turrets at the angles. The walls
are of immense thickness; the entrance is on the north
side; and over the circular gateway, near the summit
of the tower, is the date 1605, thought to be the time
when it was last repaired. In the Castle loch, ancient
relics have been found at various times, spear heads,
pieces of armour, and a gold ring without inscription;
and in a tract of moss near the town, several silver
groats of Alexander I. of Scotland and Edward I. of
England, and other coins, have been discovered.
Lochrutton
LOCHRUTTON, a parish, in the stewartry of
Kirkcudbright, 4 miles (W. S. W.) from Dumfries;
containing 659 inhabitants, of whom 130 are in the village of Lochfoot. This place, which is situated in the
eastern portion of the stewartry, takes its name from a
lake on what was formerly the great road to Ireland,
called in the Gaelic language Rutton, or "the straight
road." The parish is four and a half miles in length
and three miles in breadth, and comprises nearly 8000
acres, of which about 6500 are arable, meadow, and
pasture; 250 woodland and plantations, and the remainder moss, moorland, and waste. The surface is
boldly undulated to the south, east, and west, rising towards the boundaries in those directions into considerable elevation, but subsiding towards the north into a
rich and pleasant vale. The lake from which the parish
takes its name is about a mile in length and more than
half a mile in breadth, and abounds with pike, perch,
and eels; in the centre is a small circular island, partly
artificial. The only river is the Cargen Water, a small
stream issuing from the lake, and which, after receiving
various others in its course for nearly two miles through
the parish, falls into the broad stream of the Nith below
Dumfries.
The soil is generally a light shallow loam, and the
arable lands are under good cultivation; the crops are,
oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips, with the various
grasses. The farm-buildings are substantial and commodious, and the various improvements in husbandry
have been adopted. A considerable number of cattle
and sheep are fed on the pastures, and sent to the English markets; and large quantities of oats and barley
are forwarded to Dumfries for sale. The principal substrata are whinstone and granite; limestone is found,
but of very indifferent quality; and a bed of shell-marl
has been discovered, which is used as a substitute for
lime. The Markland Well, a chalybeate spring supposed to be efficacious in diseases of the stomach, is
resorted to during the summer and autumnal months.
The village of Lochfoot is small, and inhabited chiefly
by persons engaged in rural pursuits. There are a mill
for oats and barley, and one for dressing flax, both of
which are driven by the stream from the lake; and to
the latter is attached machinery for carding wool and
for sawing timber. The great military road from Dumfries to Portpatrick passes through the whole length of
the parish. The rateable annual value of Lochrutton is
£3836. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery and synod of Dumfries: the minister's stipend is £182. 6. 4. with a manse,
and a glebe valued at £15 per annum; patron, the
Duke of Buccleuch. The church, a neat plain structure
erected in 1819, contains 300 sittings. The parochial
school is attended by about seventy children: the master
has a salary of £30, with a house and garden, and the
fees, averaging £15 per annum; also the interest of a
bequest of £62. A small school situated at the extremity of the parish is partly supported by a bequest
from the Rev. George Duncan, formerly minister. On
a hill in the eastern extremity of the parish are the remains of a Druidical temple; and near the lake is still,
tolerably entire, one of the towers of the ancient castle
of The Hills, a stronghold of the Douglas family when
lords of Galloway, and in which Edward I. is said to
have passed a night, on his route from the castle of
Caerlaverock to Kirkcudbright.
Lochs
LOCHS, a parish, in the island of Lewis, county of
Ross and Cromarty, 12 miles (S. by W.) from Stornoway; containing 3653 inhabitants. This parish derives
its name from the great number of lochs by which it is
distinguished. Its history is involved in much obscurity; but some indications of its ancient state may be
obtained from the traditions of the old Shenachies, or
bards, who resided in Uig and Barvas, and whose tales
have been in many cases so faithfully transmitted as to
entitle them to the credit of authentic history, especially
when, as in the present instance, they are supported by
the evidence of several interesting antiquities. The
strong fort of Dun-Charloway, in the parish, is one of
those circular fortifications that are generally allowed
to be Danish. The tradition of the Highlanders states
that this fort, which was a place of residence as well as
defence, was once captured by the famous Donald
Caum M'Cuil, well known in the stories of Lewis; and
there is a portion of the parish which still goes by
the name of "Donald Caum's Shealing." He is reported, indeed, to have resided here. A very large part
of the parish was formerly uninhabited, and used, as
several islands are at present, for shealings, or as summer pasturage for cattle; and the portion above mentioned, being appropriated to such a purpose by this farfamed robber and chief, came thus to be called by his
name. On the island of St. Colm, at the entrance of
Loch Erisort, is still the ruin of an ancient religious
edifice, the ground surrounding which is the only cemetery in the parish; it is uncertain what the nature of
this establishment was, but it furnishes us with evidence
of the early occupation of the island by a religious fraternity.
The extent of the parish is variously stated; the
lowest estimate makes it eighteen miles long and about
nine miles broad, but its irregular form renders a correct calculation extremely difficult. It is bounded on
the north by the parish of Stornoway and the river
Creed; on the south by Loch Seaforth; on the east by
the Channel which separates Lewis from the main land
of Ross-shire; and on the west by the hills of Harris
and the parish of Uig. The surface is intersected by
numerous friths; and a large part of it forms a peninsula, called Park, or the Forest of Lewis, from the appropriation of the ground originally to red deer by the first
Earl of Seaforth, who constructed a large stone dyke
across the neck of the isthmus, for the security of the
property. The arms of the sea by which the peninsula
is formed are Loch Seaforth and Loch Erisort. The
coast is bold and rugged, rising considerably in the
vicinity of the headlands called Kilbag-head and RhuRairnish; the other parts of the shore are much
more equal, and abound in sea-weed, the material for
the manufacture of kelp. The interior of the parish is
almost a continued flat covered with heath and coarse
grass, but relieved towards the south by a boundary
ridge of lofty mountains, interspersed with several fruitful valleys. The climate is damp and rainy, but not
unfavourable to health, though by no means beneficial
to agricultural interests. The chief rivers are the Creed
and the Laxay. There are also several fresh-water
lakes; the principal is Loch Trialivall, which is distinguished for its sandy bottom and transparent water,
the other lakes being usually highly discoloured by their
mossy bed. The most celebrated of the salt-water
lochs are Seaforth, Erisort, Grimshadir, and Shell, the
first of which is famous for its large extent and magnificent scenery; it is about twelve miles in length, and is
intersected by numerous bays, surrounded on all sides
by thick, and sometimes gloomy, foliage.
The soil throughout is mossy, being composed of decayed vegetable matter, with gravel or sand, and almost
incapable of profitable cultivation. Even in the best
parts it is poor; but in general it is a moss eight or ten
feet deep, producing nothing but the worst heath: there
are between 2000 and 3000 acres cultivated, or occasionally in tillage; and about 100,000, or more, are waste.
A small copse of birch at Swordle is the only wood.
There are a few cultivated tracts, but none strictly
speaking arable, as no plough is used: the crooked
spade, the unscientific implement so well known in the
Highlands, is employed for turning the soil; and all the
produce is not sufficient for the support of the inhabitants. The live-stock consists of black-cattle, sheep,
and horses, all of which are small in size, being supported
only on the heath of the moors. The whole of the
parish is the property of the Mc Kenzie family, and its
rateable annual value amounts to £2514. The cottages
in which the people reside form detached hamlets, each
containing from ten to forty families; the houses consist of
but one apartment for the family and cattle, without any
division, and are built chiefly of moss. There are, indeed, only three or four good houses; these are of stone
and clay, and occupied by respectable farmers. The
labour of the main part of the population is distributed
in husbandry, fishing, kelp-making, and pasturing. Cod
and ling are the fish that chiefly visit the waters; about
sixty tons are taken annually. The herring-fishery,
formerly so prosperous, has long failed, the fish having
forsaken the shores since the prevailing manufacture of
kelp, through the loss, as is supposed, of the beds of
weed which afforded them shelter. A few salmon, and
considerable quantities of small trout, are taken in the
rivers and fresh-water lochs. The whole population are
engaged in the season in the manufacture of kelp,
which is exported to Liverpool, and the females spin
yarn, and make many articles of wearing apparel.
Mills abound so much in the parish, that one is to
be seen on nearly every stream; they are constructed
in the most simple and rude manner. No roads
have been made in any part, and all communication
with the market-town of Stornoway is therefore over
the moors, or by sea. There are, however, several
good harbours, the chief of which are, Cromore, at the
entrance of Loch Erisort; and Loch Shell, and Mareg
in Loch Seaforth, which have a depth of fifty feet, and
afford protection to ships of the largest burthen.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the presbytery of
Lewis and synod of Glenelg, and the patronage is in
the Crown: the stipend of the minister is £158, of
which about a fifth is received from the exchequer;
and there is a commodious manse, built about forty
years ago, and situated on the north side of Loch Erisort. The church, occupying a small peninsula on the
farm of Keose, was rebuilt in 1831, and is a plain structure, containing 716 sittings. At Carloway is a preaching-station, where the clergyman of the parish officiates
once a month, from April to September; but the communication with it is much impeded by morasses and
rivers, and the want of roads and bridges. The members of the Free Church have a place of worship. There
is a parochial school, of which the master has a salary
of £28, with a slated dwelling; no fees are charged,
owing to the poverty of the inhabitants. Of several
other schools, one is supported by Stewart Mackenzie,
Esq., of Seaforth; and the teachers of two are allowed
£20 per annum each by the Gaelic School Society, and
of a fourth, £15 by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The late Angus Nicolson, of Stornoway,
bequeathed £100, the interest of which is distributed
among twelve of his poorest relatives. The chief relic
of antiquity is the circular fortification in the district of
Carloway, supposed to have been built by the Danes.
The lower part, which is the more capacious, was a
place of residence, having communication by a subterraneous passage with a neighbouring hill; and it was
once surrounded by two walls of stone, between which
was a staircase leading to the top. The height of the
whole building, when complete, was about twenty feet.
Lochside
LOCHSIDE, a hamlet, in the parish of St. Cyrus,
county of Kincardine; containing 66 inhabitants.
It consists of a small group of cottages, of which the
occupants are feuars and crofters.
Lochthorn
LOCHTHORN, a village, in the Old Church parish
of Dumfries, county of Dumfries; containing 64 inhabitants. This is one of a number of small villages, or
rather hamlets, in the parish, of no particular interest or
importance.
Lochwinnoch
LOCHWINNOCH, a parish, in the Upper ward of
the county of Renfrew, 4 miles (N.) from Beith, and
12 (S. by E.) from Port-Glasgow; containing, with the
village of Howwood, 4716 inhabitants, of whom 2681
are in the village of Lochwinnoch. The name of this
place, signifying, in the Gaelic language, which, previously to the introduction of various manufactures, was
exclusively spoken throughout the whole district, "the
island of the lake," is derived from a very extensive lake
near the village of Lochwinnoch, where, during the internal hostilities that prevailed in the 15th and 16th
centuries, the proprietor of the barony, Lord Sempill,
erected a strong peel or castle, of which there are still
some remains. The Sempill family were vassals of the
Stuarts of Renfrew, afterwards kings of Scotland, to
whose fortunes they stedfastly adhered; Robert Sempill was created a baron by Alexander II., and his three
sons zealously maintained the interests of Bruce during
the disputed succession to the throne. John, the seventh
lord, was one of the commissioners for procuring the
liberation of James I., then a prisoner at the English
court. On the separation of Renfrew from the county
of Lanark, in 1406, Sir William Sempill was made
sheriff of the former, which was erected into an independent county; and he obtained from James III. a grant
of the barony of Castletown, now Castle-Semple, which
passed from his descendants, the last of whom, Lord
Hew, distinguished himself at the battle of Culloden in
1745, to the Macdowals, of Garthland, by purchase, and
from them to its present proprietor, Colonel Harvey.
The parish is about twelve miles in length from east
to west, and nine miles at its greatest breadth, and comprises 19,219 acres, of which about 9000 are arable,
700 woodland and plantations, 300 water, 100 garden
and orchards, and 9119 hilly moorland, pasture, and
waste. The surface is extremely uneven, and towards
the western extremity rises into hills of great elevation,
forming part of the lofty range that extends along the
coast from Greenock to Ardrossan. The hill of Misty
Law, which rises to the height of 1246 feet above the
level of the sea, is within the limits of the parish; and
its summit commands a most magnificent prospect over
twelve counties, embracing the Frith of Clyde, and the
isles of Arran, Bute, Ailsa, and others, with a richly-diversified view of the surrounding country. The hill of
Staik, which is a portion of the western boundary of the
parish, has an elevation rather greater than that of Misty
Law; and in the east of the parish is part of a tract of
elevated table-land stretching from Paisley to the western
coast. There are several beautiful valleys among the hills;
and in a large valley which passes through the parish,
and is by far the most extensive and romantic, were formerly the three lakes of Castle-Semple, Barr, and Kilbirnie, which in rainy seasons frequently united their
waters, and spread for miles over the valley. The lake
of Castle-Semple, and the site of that of Barr, are within
this parish; and though the first is so much contracted
as to leave the castle, which was erected on an island
in its centre, now almost upon its margin, yet it forms
an extensive sheet of water, between which and Kilbirnie
is a large area of richly-cultivated land. The Barr loch,
situated near that of Castle-Semple, has been drained to
a considerable extent, and, except in rainy seasons, when
it still preserves the appearance of a lake, produces
luxuriant crops of oats and meadow-grass. The vale
affords throughout its whole length a rich combination
of beautiful scenery and romantic objects: as seen from
the west, the venerable remains of Barr Castle, for many
generations the seat of the proprietors of the neighbouring lands; Garthland, the residence of the Macdowals
of Garthland, who are the present proprietors; the
agreeable village of Lochwinnoch; the lake of Castle-Semple, with the ruins of the ancient castle belonging
formerly to that family; and the woods and pleasuregrounds of the mansion of Colonel Harvey, present themselves in succession, and, with the flourishing plantations and wooded eminences in the immediate vicinity,
and the lofty hills in the distance, contribute to render
this interesting valley one of the most pleasing and
picturesque in the country. The chief river in the parish
is the Calder, which has its source in the high lands on
the borders of Ayrshire, and flowing in a south-eastern
direction, after making a variety of cascades in its progress, winds round the village, and falls into Castle-Semple loch. On its issuing from the lake, it takes the
name of the Black Cart, and, forming a boundary between Lochwinnoch and the parish of Kilbarchan, pursues
a north-eastern course, and, uniting with the White Cart
at Inchinnan, falls into the Clyde near Renfrew. The
banks of this river, as it approaches the village, are richly
clothed with natural wood and thriving plantations;
and throughout the remainder of its progress, it adds
greatly to the interest of the scenery of the valley. The
small river Dubbs issues from the north of the loch of
Kilbirnie, and, flowing through a level tract of rich
meadow land, falls into Castle-Semple loch.
The soil is generally light, but in some parts luxuriantly fertile; in others, clay, which has been drained,
but not sufficiently; and in some parts, sandy. The
principal crops are, oats, barley, and potatoes, with a
small portion of wheat, which has been recently introduced, but with no great success; and the meadows and
pastures produce good rye-grass and clover. Numbers
of sheep and cattle are reared for the neighbouring
markets of Paisley and Glasgow; the cattle are chiefly
of the Ayrshire breed, and the cows on the dairy-farms
are fine specimens of that kind. The farm-buildings
are usually substantial and commodious, and roofed with
slate. Great improvements have been made in draining
and inclosing the lands; the fences are generally of thorn,
though some of the old stone dykes are still preserved.
The plantations are thriving; and where there is sufficient depth of soil, forest-trees of every kind attain a
stately growth. On the lands of Castle-Semple are numerous ancient oaks, with beech, Scotch and English
elms, and plane-trees of large dimensions; larch and
silver-fir of extraordinary size; and some of the largest
cedars of Libanus to be found in the country. Upon
the Garthland estate are some very fine plantations of
similar trees, but of more modern growth. The substratum of the lands is mostly whinstone. The rocks
are of secondary trap, alternated with greenstone, basalt,
amygdaloid, porphyry, and, in some instances, greenstone stratified with clay-slate, and crystallized free-stone, in which are imbedded petrifactions of arborescent
fern. The hills of Misty Law and Staik are chiefly of
porphyry, intersected towards their summit with dykes
of greenstone. Carbonate of copper in small quantities
is found in the whinstone; sulphate of barytes is prevalent in the trap-rocks, varying from six to sixteen feet in
thickness; and trap-tuffa is occasionally seen imbedded
in the porphyry. Coal is found in the vicinity of Castle-Semple loch, near the extremity of which it sometimes
crops out; the thickest bed, at Hall hill, is from six
to ten feet, and the others vary from two to three, in
thickness. It has been wrought, but not to much profit,
producing only to the proprietors a gain of about £300
annually after all expenses are paid. There is a smaller
work at the western extremity of the parish, which has
been lately discontinued. Limestone is found, but not
to any great extent; it is quarried at Howwood, and
abounds with organic remains, consisting mainly of
bivalves, coralloids, entrochi, and encrini. Similar
quarries were opened at Midtown and Garpel, but they
have been completely exhausted. Minerals of various
kinds occur throughout the district, chiefly of the zeolite
species; many of them are very beautiful. Freestone
of excellent quality for building is quarried in several
places, chiefly for the use of the parish; but the quarries
are only occasionally in operation. The rateable annual
value of Lochwinnoch is £17,888. Among the principal
seats is Castle-Semple House, the residence of Colonel
Harvey, a handsome mansion, erected in 1735, on the
north side of the loch, but by no means upon a scale
corresponding to the splendid demesne in which it is
seated; the grounds attached to it comprise more than
900 acres, and abound with diversity of character, and
with every variety of natural and artificial embellishment. The eminences which intersect it are richly
crowned with wood to their summits; and in several parts
are noble avenues of trees, and detached clusters scattered over the verdant lawns: in every part, indeed, the
greatest skill and the most cultivated taste have been
displayed in the improvement of the grounds, which are
almost unrivalled. To the north of the house are spacious gardens, laid out with great beauty, and containing
long ranges of conservatories for plants, hot-houses for
the choicest fruits, a large pinery, and every requisite
for horticultural purposes. In front of the house is an
extensive flower-garden, surrounded with shrubberies of
rare plants; and encircling a fish-pond is a border of
fragments of various rocks, among which is every variety
of rock plants. Garthland, the residence of Colonel
Macdowall, is beautifully situated near the remains of
the ancient castle named Barr, and surrounded by
grounds richly planted, and embracing much pleasing
scenery. Lochsyde House is in a demesne forming an
interesting feature in the surrounding scenery, and commanding extensive views. Glenlora, erected in 1840, and
Muirsheil, in 1843, are also handsome mansions.
The village of Lochwinnoch consists of one principal
street about half a mile in length, and of one smaller
street crossing it at right angles. The houses, generally
two stories in height, and roofed with slate, are neatly
built; and there are several houses of superior order,
belonging to the proprietors of the various works which
have been established in the parish, and to the introduction of which is to be attributed the very rapid and progressive increase of the population within the last fifty
years. To the north-west of the village is a bridge over
the river Calder, which is noticed in many ancient records; it is of great antiquity, and of elegant design,
and was widened and repaired in 1814. The linen manufacture established at Paisley in 1707 induced the
farmers of this parish to cultivate the growth of flax for
its supply; and many of their female domestics were
employed in spinning yarn for the weavers of that place,
till, in 1740, a company from that town built a factory
here, and subsequently one of greater extent, which
afforded employment to many of the inhabitants. The
making of thread was introduced here in 1722, and
about twenty mills were erected for that purpose; but,
in process of time, that trade began to decline, and at
present it is nearly discontinued. A bleachfield belonging to the company of Paisley was established here, into
which was introduced the use of sulphuric acid by Dr.
Home, of Edinburgh; at Lonehead, a second bleachfield was soon after begun; and another, at Burnfoot,
was established by Mr. Hamilton Adams. Bleachfields,
also, were commenced by Mr. Wilson, of Bowfield, and are
still carried on with spirit; and at Midtown are similar
works, constructed by Mr. Cameron, in connexion with
which a beetling-mill has been built on the river Calder,
for finishing goods for the market. About fifteen weavers are employed in making goods for home consumption; and more than 200 are engaged in weaving for the
manufacturers of Paisley and Glasgow. The principal
articles were formerly muslins of different kinds; but
these have given place to the weaving of China crapes,
Angola shawls, silk cypresses, and various stuffs of silk
and cotton mixed. There is also a mill belonging to the
Messrs. Crawford, partly used for carding and spinning
wool, which is carried on in the upper part of the premises; in the lower part is a very spacious and complete
mill for grinding corn: this building, which is substantial and handsome, was erected in 1814. The cotton
manufacture, however, at present constitutes the staple
trade of the place. The old mill, erected by Messrs.
Houston, Burns, and Co., in the year 1788, is situated
on the north-west of the village, and the machinery is
put in motion by the waters of the Calder; the building
is very extensive, five stories in height, and contains
8140 spindles for yarn and water twist of various sizes,
affording constant employment to about 180 persons.
The new mills, built by Messrs. Fulton and Co., are a
spacious and handsome building, not far from the end
of the high street, and near the Calder, by the stream of
which the works are driven, together with a steamengine, added to the original building in 1825. In this
establishment 25,224 spindles are constantly at work,
which make on an average about 6000 pounds of
cotton-yarn every week, and give occupation to 350
persons. A mill upon a smaller scale, employing eighty
persons, was built by Messrs. Caldwell and Co. at Boghead, near the village; but it was burnt down by an
accidental fire in 1813, and has not been rebuilt. A
post-office has been established in the village; and excellent roads to every part of the parish, and public
turnpike-roads kept in good repair, afford a facility of
intercourse with Glasgow, Paisley, and the principal
towns in the neighbourhood. A canal from Glasgow to
Ardrossan was begun about the commencement of the
present century, intended to pass along the side of Castle-Semple loch, and was completed as far as Johnstone;
but it was then discontinued, and has not been since
resumed. There is, however, a railway from Glasgow
to Ardrossan and Ayr, which runs through the parish.
Numerous shops in the village supply the district with
all kinds of provisions and articles of merchandize; and
three fairs are held in the course of the year. The Hill
fair, so called from its being held on the market hill, is
chiefly for cattle, on the first Tuesday in November,
O. S. The May fair is on the second Tuesday in May,
O. S., and was formerly celebrated by a procession of
the trades; but a few cattle only are sold. On the first
Tuesday in July a fair is held, at which the farmers on
the north side of Castle-Semple loch assemble and parade
the village, mounted on their best horses, which are
showily caparisoned, and their riders also decorated with
ribbons, sashes, and other ornaments: after the parade,
races frequently take place. The numbers attending
upon these occasions, however, are gradually diminishing;
and the practice will probably be soon discontinued.
A few cattle are still sent to this fair.
The parish is in the presbytery of Paisley and synod
of Glasgow and Ayr, and in the patronage of the
heritors; the minister's stipend is £277. 1. 6., with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £19. 10. per annum. The
old church, which was collegiate, was built by Sir John
Sempill, who was created Lord Sempill by James IV.,
and was killed at the battle of Flodden Field, in 1513;
it was amply endowed. The walls are still remaining;
and the chancel, which was separated from the nave by
a screen, and subsequently inclosed, contains the ashes
of many members of that ancient family, and is still
used as a place of sepulture for the existing proprietors
of the Castle-Semple estate. The present parish church,
a handsome edifice, was erected in the year 1806, and has
a fine portico surmounted by a neat spire; it is situated
near the western lodge of the grounds of Castle-Semple, surrounded on three sides by a high wall, and
on the fourth inclosed by a parapet wall with an iron
palisade. It is adapted for a congregation of 1250
persons; and the ground in which it stands is well
planted, and embellished with flowering shrubs and
evergreens. There are places of worship for members
of the Free Church, and United Secession. The parochial school is well regulated; the master has a salary
of £34, with £32 fees, and a house and garden. There
is a school at Beltrees, to the master of which £5 per
annum are paid by the parochial schoolmaster; and a
school is supported at Howwood, of which the master
has a house and garden rent-free, and occasionally receives a sum of money raised by subscription. A school
has also been established in the village of Lochwinnoch,
by the proprietors of the new mill, who pay the master
a salary of £36 per annum for instructing the children
employed in their works, for which purpose they have
provided an excellent schoolroom. A parochial library
was established in the parish in 1823; and in 1833
another was opened, exclusively for religious purposes:
there is also a small library of religious books for circulation among the children of the Sabbath schools. William Brown, Esq., who died in 1835, bequeathed to the
Kirk Session the sum of £3300, to be invested, and the
interest appropriated to the relief of the poor. There are
five friendly societies in the village of Lochwinnoch, and
one in the village of Howwood; also a female provident
society and a female benefit society, the ladies connected with which visit all the poor in their neighbourhoods, and distribute clothing and fuel to such as are
in need of assistance.
The walls of the ancient peel erected on the island in
Castle-Semple loch, but the site of which, from the partial
draining of the lake, is now up upon its margin, are
still remaining, and show the fortress to have been
an impregnable stronghold, well calculated for security
during the turbulent times in which it was raised. On
the opposite side of the loch are the remains of Elliston Castle, the residence of the Sempill family previously to the 15th century. It is a quadrilateral building, about forty-two feet in length, thirty-three in
breadth, and about thirty feet high; the side walls are
six and a half feet, and the end walls about nine feet, in
thickness. Upon a headland to the west of the village
are the remains of Barr Castle, which, with the exception of its roof, is still entire: it is a tower of oblong
form and of great height, crowned with battlements, and
strengthened with angular turrets; the walls are pierced
with loop-holes for arrows, and also with port-holes
for cannon. It consists of four stories: the lowest,
which has an arched roof, appears to have been used for
the security of horses and cattle in case of hostile irruptions; the story immediately above it contains the banqueting-hall; and the others, various apartments for
the use of the family. On the public road to Dunlop
are the remains of Auchinbathie Castle, said to have
been the residence of the ancestors of the brave Sir
William Wallace; an opinion confirmed by the name of
the small barony in which it is situated, still called
Auchinbathie-Wallace. From the ruins, it is difficult
to ascertain its original dimensions; but the walls still
standing, and which are in good preservation, are about
thirty feet in length, twelve feet in breadth, and seventeen feet high. Near the castle is a small eminence in
the midst of a morass, called Wallace's Knowe: here
Sir William Wallace is said to have defended himself
against a strong party of the English, and in the neighbourhood he performed many memorable exploits. In
the eastern part of the parish are traces of an encampment, on the farm of Castlewaws, near which was
fought the battle of Muirdykes, in 1685. The Duke of
Argyll, who had assembled in Holland a force of 1500
of his countrymen, refugees, being on his arrival in
Scotland surprised and captured at Inchinnan, the
remnant of his troops was placed under the command of
Sir John Cochrane, and attacked here by the army of
James VII., which, after an obstinate engagement, called
the battle of Muirdykes, they repulsed with considerable loss. Remaining masters of the field, they intrenched themselves behind a natural defence till it was
dark, when, fearing a reinforcement on James's side,
they retreated towards Beith. The camp is situated on
the summit of one of the highest hills on the south side
of the loch, and, on that part which is least precipitous,
is defended by a rampart of stones and turf. Within
the intrenchment is a circular wall of the same materials, about sixty yards in diameter; it was probably
one of the hill forts of the ancient Britons, of which
there are several in this part of the country, though by
some it is supposed to have been a stronghold thrown
up by Sir William Wallace in his wars with the English. Many canoes have at various times been found in
the loch; and between the peel and the north side of the
lake, twenty have been found buried in the mud within
the last half century. Among the most eminent persons
connected with the parish was Alexander Wilson, the
poet, a native of Paisley, who followed the occupation
of a weaver in the factories of Lochwinnoch. Many of
his poems, indeed, have reference to incidents which
happened in this parish. Having, however, incurred a
fine for a satirical poem, he emigrated to America, and,
living in Philadelphia, devoted himself to the study of
natural history, and published a work entitled American
Ornithology. James Latta, a native of this place, was
the author of a Practical System of Surgery.
Lockerbie
LOCKERBIE, a thriving and populous town, in
the parish of Dryfesdale, district of Annandale,
county of Dumfries, 11 miles (N. N. W.) from Annan,
and 12 (E. N. E.) from Dumfries; containing 1315
inhabitants. This place derives both its origin and its
name from an ancient castle or fortress on a hill between
two lakes, which castle was the baronial residence of
the Johnstones, a branch of the family of the Johnstones
of Lochwood, ancestors of the present Marquess of
Queensberry. The small hamlet which arose round the
castle gradually increased under the liberal patronage of
its proprietors, who granted lands for building upon
long and favourable leases; and its situation in the
centre of an extensive pastoral and agricultural district
has contributed to render it a prosperous and flourishing
town. It is on the turnpike-road from Glasgow to
Carlisle, and consists of one spacious and regularlyformed street, extending for more than half a mile from
north to south, and from the northern extremity of
which a similar street, of half that length, branches off
at right angles to the east. The houses are well built,
and of handsome appearance. A public library was
formerly supported; and there was a public reading
and news room, supplied with most of the Scottish and
English journals and periodical publications. No manufactures have hitherto been established; but all the
handicraft trades requisite for the wants of the adjacent
district are carried on to a great extent; and there are
numerous shops, abundantly stored with merchandize of
every kind for the supply of the vicinity. Branches of
the Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Western Banks have
been opened in the town. The post-office has a tolerable
delivery; and there are some excellent inns for the
accommodation of the visiters who attend the fairs and
cattle-markets for which this place is celebrated.
Fairs for lambs and wool, which are largely resorted
to by persons for many miles around, are held at Lammas
and Michaelmas; the former is on the 2nd of August, O.S.,
except it happen on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, in
which case it is postponed to the following Tuesday. At
this fair, which was formerly held at the base of Lockerbie
hill, from 70,000 to 80,000 lambs are now frequently sold
to various dealers; and so much has the business of late
years increased, that the whole of that hill, of which the
superiority was purchased from the corporation of Glasgow by Lady Douglas, of Lockerbie House, is now
appropriated to the purpose. The Michaelmas fair is
held, with the same restrictions, on the 2nd of October,
and is also numerously attended. There are markets
for cattle, sheep, and horses on the second Thursdays,
O.S., of January, February, March, April, May, July,
September, October, November, and December, all of
which are free of toll. Markets are also held fortnightly
during the winter for the sale of pork, in the purchase
of which £1000 are often expended in one day; and
fairs for hiring servants take place in April and at
Michaelmas. At the northern extremity of the village
is the parish church, which, after having been twice
removed from its original situation, to protect it from
encroachments of the river Dryfe, was finally built on
its present site, which is well adapted for the convenience
of the parishioners. There are also in the village places
of worship for members of the Free Church, and for
Antiburghers. The old tower of Lockerbie has been
adapted for the custody of prisoners previously to their
commitment to the gaol of Dumfries; but it is scarcely
ever occupied.
Logie
LOGIE, a parish, in the district of Cupar, county
of Fife; containing, with the village of Lucklawhill-Feus, 419 inhabitants, of whom forty-six are in the village
of Logie, 4 miles (N. N. E.) from Cupar. This parish
derives its name from the situation of its church in a
hollow surrounded by hills, of which that term in the
Gaelic language is descriptive. It is about four miles
in length and little more than one mile in breadth, and
comprises 3343 acres, of which 2700 are arable, 300
meadow and pasture, and about an equal number woodland and plantations. The surface rises into irregular
hills, of which the highest, called Lucklaw hill, has an
elevation of about 600 feet above the level of the sea;
the general appearance is greatly diversified, and the
scenery enriched by plantations of comparatively modern
growth. The soil is various; in some parts, little better
than moorland; and in others, especially on the sides of
the hills, a rich loam which, under proper management,
produces abundant crops. The system of agriculture is
in a very improved state, and the rotation plan of husbandry prevalent; the crops are, oats, barley, wheat,
potatoes, peas, beans, and turnips. The cattle reared
on the several farms are of the Fifeshire breed, with a
cross of the Teeswater occasionally; and the sheep,
though few are reared, are of the Cheviot and Leicestershire breeds. The plantations are larch and Scotch fir,
with some mixtures of hard-wood. The farm-buildings,
though commodious, are inferior to some others in the
county; but those of modern erection are upon an improved plan; and considerable progress has been made
in inclosing the lands. The substratum is chiefly whinstone, of which, also, the hills consist; and in some
parts of the parish porphyry is found, of a reddish colour,
principally among the hills. The rateable annual value
of the parish is £4013. The ecclesiastical affairs are
under the superintendence of the presbytery of Cupar
and synod of Fife; patron, the Crown. The minister's
stipend is £170, with a manse, and a glebe valued at
£12 per annum. The church, built in 1826, and situated nearly in the centre of the parish, is a neat and
substantial edifice adapted for a congregation of about
300 persons. The members of the Free Church have a
place of worship. The parochial school affords liberal
instruction; the master has a salary of £34, with £9
fees, a house and garden, and fifty merks Scotch per
annum, the proceeds of a sum bequeathed for that purpose by an ancient heritor. There is also a Sabbath
school for the young, regularly taught under the immediate superintendence of the clergyman. Here are remains of an ancient square tower, apparently erected as
a fortified residence; but nothing either of its founder,
or its date, is recorded. John West, author of a Treatise on Mathematics, and of several valuable papers on
that subject, was the son of one of the incumbents of
this parish: he died a few years ago, an episcopal clergyman in the island of Jamaica.
Logie
LOGIE, a village, in the parish of Logie-Pert,
county of Forfar, 4 miles (N. by W.) from Montrose;
containing 332 inhabitants. This place is situated in
the extreme east of the parish, on the south side of the
North Esk, and but a short distance from that river.
It is the seat of a large manufacturing establishment,
comprising a flax spinning-mill and bleachfield, the
property of a company at Montrose; and about a mile
distant from these works, at Craigo, are others of a
precisely similar description. Both employ nearly the
whole of the population in their respective vicinities.
The old church of Logie stands close by the village,
where are also a school, and a good library containing
suitable volumes for the working-classes.
Logie
LOGIE, a parish, in the counties of Clackmannan,
Perth, and Stirling, 2 miles (N. E. by N.) from
Stirling; containing, with the villages of Craigmill,
Menstrie, Blairlogie, Bridge of Allan, and Causeyhead,
about 2200 inhabitants. Logie derives its name from
the Gaelic word lag or laggie, denoting "low or flat
ground," the lands consisting principally of an extensive
tract of perfectly level country. The parish is situated
on the northern bank of the Forth, which separates it
from the parishes of Stirling and St. Ninian's; and has
a very irregular outline in this direction, on account of
the many bends of the river. The extreme length from
north to south is about six and a half or seven miles,
and its greatest breadth six miles, comprising 10,000
Scottish acres, of which 4000 are arable, and 1000
under wood. The Devon bounds the parish on the
east, and, after a beautifully-winding course of about
thirty miles through a great variety of romantic scenery,
falls into the Forth at Cambus, in the parish of Alloa,
nearly due south of the spot where it rises, only a few
miles off, on the north side of the Ochil hills. This
range, stretching along the northern boundary of the
parish, ascends abruptly from the plain to the height of
2500 feet, and from Demyat peak commands extensive
and richly-diversified prospects. These embrace the
Forth almost from its source in Loch Ard to the German
Ocean, as well as the city of Edinburgh, with views of
the adjacent lands, the romantic stream of the Devon,
the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey, and the castle of
Airthrey shrouded in sylvan beauty: on the north and
west, the bold outline of the Grampians bounds the
view, and forms a striking contrast to the wide-spread
tracts below. From the foot of the Ochils, which have
but little wood, though well clothed with pasture, the
land is a rich, well-cultivated, and fertile plain entirely to
the southern boundary of the parish; and besides many
mountain streams and excellent springs, the lands are
watered by the Allan, which, as well as the Devon and
all the burns, contains a good supply of fine trout.
The soil of the carse land, which comprehends three-fourths of the arable portion of the parish, is a deep,
rich, alluvial earth, occasionally mixed with gravel, but
mostly formed solely of a strong tenacious clay, varying
in depth from three to six feet, and incumbent on a
dark blue silt with sand, plentifully interspersed with
the shells of oysters, muscles, cockles, and many other
fish. On the Ochils the soil consists principally of loam,
gravel, and sand, and rocky deposits, among which
are sometimes found large boulders. All kinds of grain
and of green crops are raised; and the husbandry is
excellent, and nearly the same on the dry-field portion
as on the carse land, except that wheat is not sown
upon the former. The pasture on the hills comprises
about 5000 acres, and is grazed by upwards of 4000
sheep, chiefly the black-faced and Cheviots; the latter
have been recently introduced, and the wool of the
former has been greatly improved by a cross with the
Leicester breed. Much attention is shown to the live
stock; and the cows, which are the Ayrshire, are, as
well as the horses, of good quality. The strata vary
considerably according to the nature of the ground;
the Ochil hills consist of trap-rock, comprising a large
proportion of amygdaloid, with agates, calc-spar, and
many other minerals peculiar to the trap formation.
Ironstone also exists; and copper-ore has been wrought
at the vein of the Mine-house, but it is now exhausted.
The substratum immediately south of the Ochils is a
continuation of the Clackmannanshire coalfield; but
no works have been formed, as it is concluded that in
this part the seams are too thin to be profitable. Logie
derives much celebrity from its mineral spring, situated
on the estate of Airthrey, near the village of Bridge of
Allan, to which place large numbers of visiters resort
every season for the benefit of the waters. The rateable
annual value of the Clackmannanshire part of the
parish is £6445, of the Perthshire part £3100, and the
Stirlingshire £5292.
The wood in the parish consists chiefly of plantations
of ash, elm, plane, beech, larch, oak, and fir, in the
vicinity of Airthrey Castle, which stands on the brow of
the Ochil hills, and is the seat of Lord Abercromby,
grandson of the late Sir Ralph Abercromby. A saw-mill
has been built on the spot, for the purpose of preparing
the wood for transit to various parts of the country, where
it is used for palings, in farm houses and offices, and
for many other purposes. The castle is surrounded by
a small but beautiful park, ornamented by an artificial
lake, and is the only mansion of note, with the exception of Powis House, a neat and commodious modern
structure. Independently of several small hamlets, the
parish contains the villages of Menstrie, Blairlogie,
Craigmill, Causeyhead, and Bridge of Allan. Craigmill
is situated at the southern base of the Abbey-Craig, a
remarkable rock of greenstone 500 feet high, in which
there is an extensive quarry, affording a material employed for several purposes, but especially adapted, on
account of its firm texture, and rough surface when
broken, for grinding wheat. Upwards of three hundred
pairs of millstones have been made for preparing flour,
and for the use of distilleries, at a cost of from £12 to
£20 per pair; but they are not at present in much demand, those made in France, and imported hither, being
now sold for a low sum. The French millstones were
originally the only ones employed, and, at the period
of the war, rose so much in price as to induce the
London Society for the Encouragement of Arts to offer
100 guineas for the discovery of any stone in Great
Britain from which millstones could be manufactured,
capable of being substituted for those from France. In
consequence of this, Mr. James Brownhill, of the Alloa
mills, presented specimens made from this rock; they
were approved, and he received the premium. Afterwards, the stones from France long commanding from
£45 to £60 per pair, the native stones continued in use
till the peace, when the great reduction in the price of
the former rendered those here prepared scarcely worth
the cost of the labour. There is another village, called
Abbey, situated where the celebrated abbey of Cambuskenneth once flourished; but this, with the barony
of the same name, in which it stands, has been considered from time immemorial as belonging to the
parish of Stirling. Law proceedings, however, were
lately taken on the part of the parish of Logie, which
claimed possession, in order to recover it. The commissary of Stirling and the commissary of Dunblane each
exercise jurisdiction over it as belonging to their respective provinces.
The turnpike-roads to Crieff, Alloa, Dollar, and Stirling all meet in this parish, at the village of Causeyhead; but the first has long been in very bad condition,
and is burthened with toll-gates. The Forth also
affords facility for internal communication, and is crossed
by an elegant bridge lately constructed, in place of the
old one, at Stirling, to which place the river is navigable for vessels of considerable size. The mail-coach
from Perth to Glasgow, besides several other conveyances to different places, passes through the parish;
and there are regular steam-boats between Stirling and
Edinburgh. Logie is ecclesiastically in the presbytery of Dunblane and synod of Perth and Stirling, and
in the patronage of the Earl of Dunmore: the minister's
stipend is £263, with a manse, and a glebe valued at
£24 per annum. The church, built in 1805, is a neat
edifice containing sittings for 644 persons, and is beautifully situated at the foot of the Ochil mountains. The
members of the Free Church have a place of worship.
The parochial school affords instruction in Greek and
Latin, and all the ordinary branches of education;
the master has a salary of £30, with £33 fees, and
about eighty children receive instruction. The school-house is very conveniently situated. On the Abbey-Craig hill, the Scottish army under Wallace was posted
the night before the celebrated engagement of Stirling,
Sept. 13th, 1297: upon the summit were formerly
the remains of a fort said to have been erected by
Oliver Cromwell when he besieged the castle of Stirling.
Large stones, so common throughout the country, set
up to commemorate battles, are seen in some parts;
and spear-heads, with other military relics, have been
found, some of which, from the skill displayed in the
construction, are supposed to be of Roman origin. The
entire skeleton of a whale, between sixty and seventy
feet long, was discovered in 1819 in the alluvial subsoil,
and is now in the museum of Edinburgh University.
The first earl of Stirling, born in 1580, an elegant
scholar and poet, and a great favourite of James VI.,
was the sixth baron of Menstrie, in this parish; and
General Sir Ralph Abercromby, the hero of Aboukir,
was born at the family mansion, Menstrie, in 1734.—See Cambuskenneth, Bridge of Allan, &c.
Logie
LOGIE, or South Parish, Forfar.—See Kirriemuir.
Logie-Buchan
LOGIE-BUCHAN, a parish, in the district of Ellon,
county of Aberdeen, 2 miles (E. by S.) from Ellon;
containing 713 inhabitants. The word Logie, expressing "a low-lying spot," has been applied to this place
on account of its appliability to the tract in which the
church is situated; and the affix is used, as descriptive
of the position of the parish in that part of the county
called Buchan, to distinguish this from other places of
the name of Logie. It is separated on the east from
the German Ocean by the parish of Slains, and is intersected by the river Ythan, which crosses it in the
centre in an eastern direction, and, after dividing it
into two nearly equal parts, falls into the sea about
three miles below the church. This river, the Ituna of
ancient geographers, and once highly celebrated for its
valuable pearls, has here four small tributary streams,
two of which separate the parish on the north from
Ellon, Cruden, and Slains, and two on the south from
Ellon, Udny, and Foveran. The length of the portion
of the parish in the former quarter is three miles and
three-quarters, and of that in the latter five and three-quarters,, and the breadth of the whole varies from
three-quarters of a mile to three miles; the entire district comprising 6600 acres, the number of which under
tillage is 5900, and in plantation 60: the remainder is
uncultivated. The surface is in general level, and the
highest hills reach an elevation of only 130 or 140 feet
above the sea. The principal object distinguishing the
scenery is the Ythan, which enters the locality through
a range of rocks, where there is a fine echo, near the
"Needle's Eye:" beyond this point, at which its breadth
is not more than fifty yards, it widens till it reaches,
at high water, the breadth of 600 yards, and forms a
noble basin. The river abounds with various kinds of
trout, and salmon, eels, flounders, and muscles; and
pearls are still occasionally found. It has a ferry opposite
the church, where its breadth at low water is about
sixty yards; and two boats are kept, the one for general passengers, and the other, a larger boat, for the conveyance of the parishioners to church from the northern
side. A tradition has long prevailed that the largest
pearl in the crown of Scotland was obtained in the
Ythan; and about the middle of the last century, £100
were paid by a London jeweller to a gentleman in Aberdeen, for pearls found in the river. The pearl-fishery
was formerly confined by patent, which privilege was
withdrawn by an act of parliament of the reign of King
Charles I.
The soil, which in some parts is clayey, produces
oats, bear, turnips, potatoes, and grass for pasture and
hay. Many improvements in agriculture have been
introduced within the present century, including the
rotation of crops and several other approved usages;
the scythe has taken the place of the sickle in reaping,
and most of the old farm-houses with thatched roofs
have been succeeded by others, two stories high, built
of stone and lime, and covered with slate. Oats and
turnips are the principal crops: the former are of excellent quality, chiefly in consequence of the great care
taken in the choice of seed; the latter are much indebted
to the plentiful application of bone-manure. The influence
of steam-navigation on the interests of agriculture has
been here most powerfully felt; and the facility of communication with the London market thus afforded has
given a decided impulse to the breeding and fattening of
cattle, which are crosses with the short-horned breed.
The rateable annual value of the parish is £3178. A
mansion has lately been built in the Elizabethan style,
on the estate of Auchmacoy, the property of James
Buchan, Esq., whose ancestors, from a very remote
period, have been located here, and were conspicuous in
the political convulsions of several reigns, and, with the
other chief proprietors of the parish, advocated the cause
of the king in opposition to the Covenanters. Most of
the inhabitants of the district are employed in agricultural pursuits, a small brick-work recently established
being the only exception. The great north road from
Aberdeen passes through the parish; and on it the mail,
with other public coaches, travels to and fro daily. On
another road, leading to the shipping-port of Newburgh,
the tenantry have a considerable traffic in grain, lime,
and coal, the last procured from England, being the
chief fuel. The river Ythan is navigable for lighters of
ten or twelve tons at high water. The marketable produce of the parish is sent to Aberdeen. Logie-Buchan
is in the presbytery of Ellon and synod of Aberdeen,
and in the patronage of Mr. Buchan: the minister's
stipend is £192, with a manse, and a glebe of five and a
half acres, valued at £12. 10. per annum. The church
was built in 1787, and contains 400 sittings, nearly all
free. The parochial school affords instruction in the
ordinary branches: the master has a salary of £25. 13.,
with a house, and £9. 7. 6. fees; he also partakes in
the Dick bequest.
Logie-Coldstone
LOGIE-COLDSTONE, a parish, in the district of
Kincardine O'Neil, county of Aberdeen, 9 miles
(W.) from Kincardine; containing 936 inhabitants.
This place comprises the ancient parishes of Logie and
Coldstone, united in 1618, and of which the former derives its name from a Gaelic term signifying a "hollow"
or "low situation," which is faithfully descriptive of its
character. Of the name Coldstone, formerly Colstane,
the derivation is altogether uncertain. The parish occupies a district between the rivers Don and Dee, from
both of which it is nearly equidistant; it is bounded
partly on the west by the river Deskry, separating it
from the parish of Strathdon, and is about six miles in
length and three miles and a half in breadth. It is of
very irregular form, inclosing within its boundaries a
detached portion of the parish of Migvy; neither have
its superficial contents been duly ascertained. About
3000 acres are arable, 900 woodland and plantations,
and the remainder hill pasture, moorland, and waste.
The surface is diversified with numerous hills, of which
a range of precipitous height extends along the western
boundary; the most conspicuous is the hill of Morven,
commanding from its summit an unbounded prospect
towards the east. On the north the hills are less elevated, of more gradual ascent, and partly under cultivation. The river Deskry, after forming for some
distance the boundary of the parish, flows into the Don;
and there are some small rivulets, which, after intersecting various lands here, flow into the Dee in the
parish of Aboyne. There are also several lakes, of
which Loch Dawan, situated at the south-western extremity of the parish, is nearly three miles in circumference: Loch Uaine, which takes its name from the green
colour of its water, is on the farm of Nether Ruthven;
and though apparently impure, the cattle drink of its
water in preference to any other. Of the numerous
springs, several of which possess mineral properties, the
most distinguished is a powerful chalybeate near the
church, called the Poll Dubh, signifying in the Gaelic
the "black mire," and which is still resorted to by
many persons for its efficacy in the cure of scorbutic
complaints.
The soil is various; in some parts, a deep rich loam;
in others, light and sandy; and on the slopes of the
high grounds, generally fertile; the whole producing
favourable crops of grain, potatoes, and turnips, with
the usual grasses. The system of husbandry has been
greatly improved, and considerable tracts of moor and
waste have been brought into profitable cultivation.
The lands have been inclosed; the houses and offices
are usually substantial and well arranged; threshingmills have been erected on most of the farms, and all
the more recent improvements in the construction of
agricultural implements have been adopted. The moors
abound with grouse, snipes, woodcocks, partridges,
hares, and game of every other variety; ptarmigan and
white hares are found in abundance on the hill of
Morven, and great numbers of wild ducks and geese
frequent the lower grounds. There are but small remains of ancient wood, consisting chiefly of dwarf
alder; but roots of oak, fir, and hazel of large growth,
are often dug up on the mosses. The modern plantations are principally fir and larch, for which the soil
seems well adapted, and which are all in a thriving
state. The rocks in the parish are of the granite formation; but there are neither mines nor quarries of any
description. The rateable annual value of Logie-Coldstone is £6258, the amount for Logie being £3178, and
for Coldstone £3080. The seats are Corrachree and
Blelack, both modern mansions. The ecclesiastical
affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Kincardine O'Neil and the synod of Aberdeen. The
minister's stipend is £217. 9. 3., with a manse, and
a glebe valued at £15 per annum; alternate patrons,
the Crown, and the Farquharson family, of Invercauld.
The church, rebuilt in 1780, is a neat plain structure,
and well adapted to the accommodation of the parishioners. The parochial school is attended by about 100
children: the master has a salary of £34, with a house
and garden, and the fees average £25 per annum; he
has also a portion of the Dick bequest. There are
several cairns in the parish, two of which, of large dimensions, have given the name of Cairnmore to the
farms on which they are respectively situated. In the
gable of one of the offices on the farm of Mill of Newton
is a sculptured stone, originally erected on ground in the
vicinity, which is still called Tomachar, or the "Hillock
of the Chair." Within the last few years, part of a
paved road was discovered below the surface of a
ploughed field, on the lands of Blelack; and near the
spot is a hollow called the Picts' Howe. On removing
some of the stones, layers of charred wood were found
beneath them.
Logie-Durno
LOGIE-DURNO, Aberdeenshire.—See Garioch,
Chapel of.
Logie Easter
LOGIE EASTER, a parish, in the county of Ross
and Cromarty, 5 miles (S. S. W.) from Tain; containing 1015 inhabitants. The name of Logie, so frequently
applied to designate Scottish parishes, is derived from
the Gaelic word laggie, which signifies a "hollow," and is
used in the present instance in reference to the site of
the first church, the ruins of which are still to be seen.
The place is not remarkable for any events of historical
importance; but there are many cairns remaining, the
ancient and ordinary memorials of bloodshed, and said
to have originated in a battle fought between the Danes
and Scots, in which the latter were conquerors. The
parish is seven miles long and about three broad, and
is bounded on the north by Tain-parish; on the south
by Kilmuir Easter; by Nigg on the east; and by Eddertoun on the west. The climate is usually mild, but intensely cold when the wind sets in from the east, which
is, however, but seldom, as the westerly winds are most
prevalent. The soil varies considerably in different
parts, consisting in some places of a light, sandy, unproductive earth; in others, of deep clay; and in some
tracts, of a rich black mould. Wheat is the principal
grain raised, and it is of a very superior quality. The
most approved system of agriculture has become general
since the breaking up of the small farms; the lands
are now let in large allotments, and exhibit the natural
effects of good cultivation. The population, however,
has been greatly diminished by the change in the system.
The whole land is the property of four individuals,
two of whom are resident: the rateable annual value of
the parish is £3297. There are several quarries of freestone; and a manufactory for tiles employs about thirty
hands. A cattle-market is held at Blackhill in the
month of May, at which large numbers of cows are sold.
The mail-coach runs daily through the parish; but the
roads, with the exception of a line of about three miles,
are in bad condition. Calrossie, the seat of the Ross
family, and Shandwick and Scotsburn, are very handsome mansions. The ecclesiastical affairs are directed
by the presbytery of Tain and synod of Ross, and the
patronage belongs to the family of Hay Mackenzie, of
Cromertie: the stipend of the minister is £237, with a
glebe of twenty-two acres. The church, which is an excellent and commodious building, capable of accommodating
700 persons with sittings, is situated on Chapel hill,
and was erected about twenty-five years since: near it
is the manse, built about fifty years ago, and commanding an extensive view of rich and beautiful scenery.
The members of the Free Church have a place of worship. There is a parochial school, the master of which
has a salary of £35, with a good school-house and about
£6 fees. Another school, in the district of Scotsburn,
is called the Assembly school; the master receives £20
per annum and some fees, and connected with it is a
small library. The language generally spoken in the
parish is Gaelic; but the younger part of the population
can all speak and read English. There was till lately
no assessment for the poor, whose relief was obtained
chiefly from the funds of the Kirk Session; they have
the interest of about £100, the aggregate of various
bequests.
Logie-Pert
LOGIE-PERT, a parish, in the county of Forfar,
5 miles (N. W.) from Montrose; containing, with the
villages of Craigo, Logie, and Muirside, 1560 inhabitants. This parish was formerly called Logie-Montrose;
but, upon the annexation to it of the parish of Pert
about the year 1610 or 1615, it assumed its present name
of Logie-Pert. The word Logie, so frequently used in
Scotland, is of Gaelic origin, signifying a "flat or low
situation," and is strikingly applicable to the old church
of Logie, situated in a hollow or piece of low ground
close by the North Esk river. The name of Pert is very
old, and of uncertain derivation; but its ancient church,
like that of Logie, is still standing, though both have
fallen into disuse since the erection of a central church
for the accommodation of the united parish in the year
1775. The parish is about five miles in length and
three in breadth, and is bounded on the north by the
North Esk, which separates it from Kincardineshire;
on the south by the parish of Dun, on the east by the
parish of Montrose, and on the west by the parish of
Strickathrow. The lower part lies along the banks of
the river, which here makes a beautiful curve; the upper
part is tolerably high, and generally with a gentle declivity to the river, though a considerable portion of it
has a southern exposure. The river, sometimes called
the North Water, gives the title of Earl to the noble
family of the Carnegies, earls of Northesk, who formerly
held a large tract of land in Pert and its vicinity, on
both sides of the stream, which property now belongs
to the Earl of Kintore and others. This river takes its
rise, like the South Esk, from the Grampian torrents,
and falls into the sea about three miles north of Montrose; it abounds with excellent trout and salmon, the
fisheries of which yield a considerable revenue to the
different proprietors.
The soil in the lower part of the district is a fine
deep loam, and in the upper part generally a black earth
resting upon a subsoil of clay. About 3795 acres are
under cultivation; 300 are waste, and 1100 are lying
under wood, consisting mainly of larch, spruce, and
Scotch fir. Oats and barley are the grain chiefly grown,
the amount of wheat being small; and potatoes and
turnips are produced in considerable quantities, with
other green crops. A good revenue is also derived from
the dairy produce, the chief part of which is disposed of
at the Montrose market. The system of husbandry
here followed is of the best kind; and the crops, especially the grain, are of excellent quality: the cattle are
of the Angus breed, and a few sheep are kept for the purpose of consuming the turnips in the winter. The farm
houses and offices are in general in superior condition,
and some of them built even in a handsome manner.
There are but a few thorn hedges, and scarcely any stone
fences, the inclosures being mostly constructed of a
strong and moveable paling. The chief improvement
recently carried out has been extensive and effectual
draining; scarcely any other is required. The limeworks formerly in operation are now given up; but
there is an excellent freestone-quarry on the estate of
Craigo, of which, however, the expense of working is so
considerable that very few stones are sent out of the
parish. There are two great manufacturing establishments at Logie and Craigo respectively, both situated
on the banks of the North Esk, about a mile distant
from each other. The Logie works belong to a company
at Montrose, and comprise a bleachfield and flax-spinning mill, the former of which has existed nearly eighty
years, and is at present employed in bleaching linenyarns, to be afterwards manufactured into different
kinds of cloth for the home and foreign markets. Between
forty and fifty persons are engaged in this branch, and
the mill occupies about 130 hands. The works at
Craigo comprise a flax-spinning mill of thirty-one frames,
a bleachfield, some cloth-finishing machinery, and an
alkali manufacture; 150 hands are constantly employed,
and £100 per week are paid in wages. The rateable
annual value of Logie-Pert is £6206.
Brushwood, which abounds in the parish, is frequently
used by the people as fuel; but the chief article of consumption is English coal, procured at Montrose. Two
fairs are held every year for the sale of cattle and horses,
the one on the second Tuesday in May, and the other
on the third Thursday in June. A daily post runs through
the parish from Montrose to Laurencekirk; and two
public coaches between Edinburgh and Aberdeen pass
along the turnpike-road, the line of which is about three
miles long in this parish. There are two large bridges,
one of which, the North Water bridge, consists of three
arches, and was built above 300 years ago; the Marykirk bridge, a handsome structure of four arches, was
built by shares, in 1814, at an expense of £7000, and has
proved of great benefit in facilitating the intercourse
between the two counties. Craigo House, built about
fifty-five years since, is a spacious and excellent mansion;
and the house of Gallery, of older date, is romantically
situated on the bank of the Esk. The ecclesiastical
affairs are directed by the presbytery of Brechin and
synod of Angus and Mearns; patrons, the Crown, and
St. Mary's College, St. Andrew's, alternately. The stipend
of the minister is £219, with a manse, and a glebe of
nine acres, worth about £2 per acre. The present
church, which is situated in the centre of the parish,
was built in 1840, and is a plain substantial structure,
capable of accommodating about 700 persons with seats.
There is a parochial school, where the usual branches of
education are taught; the master has the maximum
salary, with about £15 fees, and a house and garden.
Unendowed schools have been recently built at each of
the mills, where the same instruction is given as at
the parochial school; and there are two small parochial
libraries, and two or three savings' banks. The poor
have the interest of £189, left by the late David Lyall,
of Gallery. The only antiquities are three tumuli, on
three laws of Craigo, in which human bones of an extraordinary size have been found, with several urns and
other relics. The late James Mill, Esq., author of
British India, was a native of the parish: he died in the
year 1836.
Logierait
LOGIERAIT, a parish, in the county of Perth, containing, with the village of Ballenluig, part of that of Aberfeldy, and part of the late quoad sacra district of Rannoch, 2959 inhabitants, of whom 168 are in the village
of Logierait, 8 miles (N. N. W.) from Dunkeld. This
place, frequently called Laggan by the inhabitants,
derives its name from the two words Logie and Rait or
Reite, the first signifying a "hollow," and the latter
"arbitration" or "settlement of differences," the Court
of Regality under the jurisdiction of the house of Atholl
having been formerly held in this locality, where a large
court-house stood, containing a justiciary hall upwards
of seventy feet long, with galleries at the ends. King
Robert III. is supposed to have resided occasionally at
a hunting-seat, or castle, in the vicinity of the village,
the ruins of which are still to be seen. The parish
consists of several distinct portions, some of which are
far distant from the main part. The principal lands of
the main part lie between the rivers Tay and Tummel,
the former running along their southern, and the latter
marking their northern and eastern boundaries: the
rest of the main part is east of the Tummel, and bounded
by the parishes of Dunkeld, Kirkmichael, and Moulin,
the first and last of which penetrate by narrow tracts to
a considerable distance. On the south of the Tay, a
detached portion of Logierait, stretching from the river,
near Aberfeldy, for about a mile, runs between the
parishes of Dull and Fortingal; and two other separate portions are situated to the westward, in the district of Rannoch, beyond the parishes of Weem, Dull,
and Fortingal. On account of the very irregular boundary line of the main part, but especially on account
of the detached portions, it is difficult to state the
actual dimensions of the parish; but, supposing the
whole compact and continuous, it has been estimated at
twelve miles in length, and five in average breadth. It
contains 27,411 acres, of which 5002 are under cultivation, 2899 under wood, 15,533 moor, 768 common,
and the remainder other kinds of waste. The scenery between the two rivers, which in one part are about seven
miles distant, is richly varied and beautiful; and a sloping hilly ridge intersecting the district commands uninterrupted and picturesque views on each side, the bold
and imposing features of the rocky and mountainous
eminences in the adjacent parishes supplying a fine
relief to the softer scenery of the immediate locality.
The portion of the parish situated in Rannoch is skirted
on the north by the considerable loch of the same name;
but, with this exception, there are no waters of consequence besides the two rivers, and the stream which separates part of Logierait from Dull, and is ornamented
near Aberfeldy with the celebrated falls of Moness.
The soil in the haughs and low grounds is partly
alluvial, and partly gravelly; that of some of the slopes
is deeper, and of a rich loamy quality: the portion east
of the tunnel contains numerous springs, and is mostly
wet, resting on a clayey impervious subsoil. The crops,
which in general are fine, on account of the purity and
dryness of the climate and the kindly nature of the
soil, comprise wheat, barley, oats, and rye, the last, however, sown in only small quantities. Turnips and potatoes are also produced to some extent, with clover;
and lint is still grown, though bearing but a small proportion to the amount formerly raised. The six-shift
rotation is occasionally followed; but the five-shift prevails among the larger farmers, and the four-shift among
the cottars. The breeds of horses, sheep, and cattle
are much mixed, and comparatively inferior; improvements have, however, recently been made, and Leicester
sheep and Ayrshire cattle are seen on some of the best
farms. The husbandry on the whole is upon a good
footing; but the advances made in many other districts are here impeded to a considerable extent by the
minute subdivision of the land, which, falling into the
hands of inferior tenants, is deprived of the advantage of
an outlay of capital, and often much exhausted in cropping. The recovery of waste land, and draining and
embanking, have, nevertheless, been actively carried on;
and much attention has been paid to the erection of superior farm-houses and offices, which till recently were
of very indifferent character. The Duke of Atholl is superior, and principal heritor: the rateable annual value
of the parish is £10,290. Veins of limestone cross the
district in one or two places; but the substratum consists chiefly of common stone, quarries of which are numerous. The wood comprehends larch, several varieties
of fir, ash, elm, beech, oak, poplar, plane and other trees;
the largest plantations are those of larch, belonging to
the duke. There are several gentlemen's seats on the
north of the Tay, and on each side of the Tummel, all
of which are neat commodious structures. The village
of Logierait is ancient, and now almost ruinous: the
old prison in it belonging to the Regality Court, where
many of the rebels were confined after the battle of
Culloden, was taken down about twenty-five years since.
About 170 persons reside here; and 300 in that portion
of the village of Aberfeldy attached to this parish. Linenyarn was formerly manufactured, returning nearly £3000
annually; but this branch of trade has entirely disappeared. The parish contains, however, six distilleries,
which produce yearly about 65,000 gallons of spirit from
32,500 bushels of malt, one-third of the barley employed
being of native growth: there are also eight mealmills, two for flax, two saw-mills, and one for potatoestarch.
A good turnpike-road traverses Strath-Tay, and is
connected with the great road to Inverness on the north,
and with that to Breadalbane from Dunkeld on the south,
by two ferries, the one on the Tay and the other on the
Tummel; the passage on the latter being effected by a
fly-bridge constructed with two boats and a platform,
and adapted, by novel and ingenious machinery, to the
nature of the stream. There are several other ferries;
and a post every day except Tuesday. The chief trade
consists in the exportation of whisky to the southern
markets, and potatoes to Dundee for London; the meal
obtained from the oats is sold in the surrounding districts.
A fair is held on the first Tuesday after the 12th of May,
for the sale of seeds, &c.; but it has nearly fallen into
disuse in consequence of the farmers having discontinued
the sowing of lint-seeds. A market, also, now in a declining state, is held on the 22nd of August, for the sale of
horses and the hiring of shearers. The parish is ecclesiastically in the presbytery of Weem and synod of
Perth and Stirling, and in the patronage of the Duke of
Atholl. The minister's stipend is £232, with a manse,
and a glebe of several acres, valued at £10 per annum.
The church was built in 1806, and is conveniently situated within half a mile of the junction of the Tay and
Tummel, and in the vicinity of the principal ferries; it
contains accommodation for 1000 persons. There is an
episcopal chapel; and a place of worship for Baptists
has been erected. The parochial school affords instruction in the usual branches: the master has a salary of
£34, with a house and garden, and about £6 fees; also
£5 per annum from the rents of the bishopric of Dunkeld. There is likewise a free-school at Strath-Tay,
affording a good education to nearly 200 children, endowed
by David Stuart, a native of the parish, with six acres of
land, and the interest of £2500, for the support of a
master and assistant, and the supply of stationery and
prizes, besides an additional sum for the erection of school
premises: the master has a salary of £40, and the
assistant one of £20. The same benefactor also left funds
which are soon to become available, for the endowment
of an hospital at Edinburgh. There is a society called
the Atholl Wrights' Brotherly Society, instituted in
1812; the Strath-Tay Farmers' Friendly Society was
commenced in January 1826; and a savings' bank at
Aberfeldy, instituted in 1833, is open for deposits to a
small portion of this parish. The chief relic of antiquity
is the ruin of the castle or hunting-seat supposed to have
been occupied by King Robert; and there are several
places the names of which indicate the residence of
royalty, and the operations of judicial tribunals, such
as "king's stables," "gallow-hill," &c. The Duke of
Atholl takes his title of Lord Strath-Tay from this
parish.
Logie Wester
LOGIE WESTER, counties of Nairn, and Ross
and Cromarty.—See Urquhart.
Longforgan
LONGFORGAN, a parish, in the county of Perth;
containing, with the villages of Balbunno and Kingoodie,
1660 inhabitants, of whom 458 are in the village of
Longforgan, 2 miles (E. N. E.) from Inchture, and 5½
(W.) from Dundee. This place, the name of which, in a
charter of Robert Bruce's in 1315, granting the lands
and barony to Sir Andrew Gray, is written Lonforgund,
appears to have obtained its prefix to distinguish it from
other places called Forgan in the neighbourhood. The
parish forms the eastern extremity of the Carse of
Gowrie, and is about nine miles in length, and of very
irregular figure, varying from a mile and a half to four
miles in breadth. It is bounded on the south by the
river Tay, which washes its shores for nearly five miles;
and comprises 8992 acres, whereof 7200 are arable,
1003 woodland and plantations, and 189 hill-pasture
and waste. The surface is greatly diversified, rising in
some parts into hills of considerable elevation, of which
those of Ballo and Lochton, parts of the Sidlaw range,
are the principal, the former being nearly 1000, and the
latter nearly 1200, feet above the level of the sea. From
the banks of the Tay, also, the land rises gradually
towards the north-west to the hill of Drimmie, from
which is obtained a rich prospect of the luxuriant plains
of the Carse of Gowrie. The lower lands form a broad,
level, and fertile tract in the highest state of cultivation;
and the scenery is embellished with extensive and
thriving plantations, and with gentlemen's seats, round
some of which is timber of ancient and stately growth.
Numerous streamlets issue from copious springs of excellent water, affording an ample supply, and some are
sufficiently powerful to turn several mills.
The soil in the lower grounds is chiefly clay with a
rich black loam, but in some parts of them clay intermixed with gravel of a reddish colour, which by good
management is rendered very fertile. In the upper districts of the parish, the soil, though inferior in quality
to that of the carse land, is dry, and well adapted for
turnips, with the exception of some small portions which,
resting on a more compact clay, are moist and less productive. The crops are, wheat, barley, oats, peas, beans,
potatoes, and turnips. The system of agriculture attained a highly-advanced state under the auspices of the
Carse of Gowrie Agricultural Society, which held its
meetings for the promotion of improvements in husbandry in the village of Longforgan, but which has now
merged into the Perthshire Agricultural Association.
The lands are inclosed partly with stone dykes, and
partly with hedges; considerable benefit has been effected
by draining, and the landowners have introduced the
plan of embankments, for reclaiming a large portion of
land on the shores of the parish. The farm-buildings
are substantial and commodious; and on most of the
farms are threshing-mills, of which one is driven by
steam. The cattle are chiefly a cross of the short-horned
breed, but not many are reared, and very few sheep, the
lands not being adapted for the pasture of live stock;
some horses are bred, but the greater number are brought
from other places. The woods consist of oak, ash, elm,
Spanish chesnut, beech, lime, and plane trees, of which
many fine specimens are found on the lands of Castle-Huntly, Drimmie, Mylnefield, and Longforgan. There
are quarries of freestone at Kingoodie, and in the higher
district of the parish. The former, the property of Mr.
Henderson, are near the Tay, and have been wrought
from a remote period; the stone is of a blueish hue,
very compact and durable, and susceptible of the finest
polish. Great quantities of it are raised, and sent to
Aberdeen, Perth, Dundee, and other places, about sixty
persons being continually employed; and the lessees of
the quarries have constructed docks, and provided other
facilities for shipping the produce, in which three boats
are always engaged. The stone of the other quarry,
which is the property of Lord Kinnaird, is of similar
quality to that of Kingoodie, though of a whiter colour.
This quarry, however, from which the stone was raised
for the erection of Rossie Priory, is not wrought to any
very great extent, its situation precluding the facility for
shipping off the produce. The salmon-fishery in the Tay,
which was formerly very considerable, and afforded an
abundant supply for the inhabitants and also for distant
markets, has since the prohibition of the use of the stakenet been wholly discontinued. The rateable annual
value of the parish is £13,588.
Drimmie House, the seat of the Kinnaird family, was
destroyed by fire at the commencement of the last
century; and Rossie Priory, the present residence of
Lord Kinnaird, was erected in its stead, at some distance
from the site of the old mansion, within the parish of
Inchture, under which head it is described. Castle-Huntly, the seat of George Paterson, Esq., to whose
ancestor it was sold in 1777, is an ancient and stately
mansion, built of stone from the quarries of Kingoodie
by the second lord Gray, of Foulis; the walls are ten
feet in thickness, and exhibit no marks of decay, though
the building has stood for nearly five centuries. The
round tower, which is nearly 120 feet high, commands a
most extensive and rich view, comprising the entire
Carse lands strewed with handsome residences, the river
Tay for nearly the whole of its course till it falls into the
German Ocean, the opposite coast of Fife with the Lomonds, part of the vale of Strathearn, the Ochils, and
the lofty range of Sidlaw. Considerable additions have
been made to the castle; but uniformity of character
has been preserved, and the whole forms one of the most
magnificent seats in the country. Mylnefield, the seat
of Mr. Henderson, is a handsome mansion sheltered
with stately timber; and Lochton is also a handsome
house, pleasantly situated. The village is neatly built
and well inhabited: about 150 of its people are employed
in the manufacture of coarse-linen, and a considerable
number of women and children are engaged in spinning
and winding the yarn. The nearest market-town is
Dundee, with which, and with other towns, a facility of
intercourse is maintained by good roads; that from
Aberdeen passes through the parish, and from this principal road branch off two others, the one leading to the
quarries at Kingoodie, and the other to Cupar. A small
harbour has been constructed at Kingoodie, where lime
from Sunderland, and coal from Dundee, are landed.
The post-town is Inchture. Fairs are held on the first
Wednesday in June, the first Wednesday in October,
O. S., and the last Monday in April, for the sale of cattle,
agricultural produce, and other merchandize. The parish
is in the presbytery of Dundee and synod of Angus and
Mearns, and patronage of the Crown; the minister's
stipend is £268. 3. 4., with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £13 per annum. The church is a spacious and substantial edifice, well situated for the convenience of the
parishioners, and adapted for a congregation of 1000
persons. The members of the Free Church have a place
of worship. The parochial schoolmaster has a salary of
£34, with £16 fees, and a house and garden; he has
also £6. 6. from Mr. Paterson, and £2. 10. from Lord
Kinnaird, for the gratuitous instruction of poor children
on their respective estates: an excellent schoolroom has
been lately erected. A small library has been established,
which consists chiefly of religious works; and a savings'
bank was opened in 1824, but it has not been much encouraged. At Dron are the ruins of a chapel belonging
formerly to the abbey of Cupar-Angus founded by
Malcolm IV., in 1164, for monks of the Cistercian order;
the remains consist chiefly of the east and west gables
of the building, in the latter of which is a large window
of elegant design, and are situated in a deep dell, on a
rocky eminence, at the base of which is a small rivulet
of beautifully limpid water. A silver coin of the reign
of Robert II. or III. was found on a farm here in the
year 1826; the legend, Robertus, Dei Gratia Scotorum
Rex, is still legible, but every other part is completely
obliterated.
Longformacus and Ellim
LONGFORMACUS and ELLIM, a parish, in the
county of Berwick, 7 miles (W. N. W.) from Dunse;
containing 390 inhabitants. The name of this place has
been variously written at different periods, and its derivation is involved in much obscurity. In 1384, it is
called Longfordmakehouse in a charter by the Earl of
Orkney to his cousin "James de Santæ Clairo;" while,
in a charter of 1395, the lands of Lochirmackehous are
conveyed by the Earl of March to James Sinclair. In
1505, the spelling had changed to Lochirmacus, which
form it kept till about 1556, when it assumed its present
form of Longformacus. The name of Ellim has also
been spelt differently, sometimes being written Ellim,
and at other times Elm and Ellem: its derivation, too,
is uncertain, like that of Longformacus. These two
parishes, on account of their proximity, were united on
the 18th of February 1712, when the population of
Longformacus was 200, and that of Ellim 100. There
are no striking historical events; but notices of many
severe conflicts are handed down by tradition as having
taken place in this district, which, on account of its situation, was involved in the border warfare. The name
of Main, or Man-slaughter, Law is given to a hill in the
neighbourhood, where a bloody battle is said to have
been fought in 1402, between the Earl of Dunbar and
Hepburn of Hailes; and a large heap of stones at
Byrecleugh, called the "Mutiny Stones," about 240
feet long, mark the spot or vicinity of some severe encounter the particulars of which are unknown. There
being a place here of the name of Otterburn, the supposition has been hazarded that this parish was the scene
of the contest between Douglas and Hotspur, fought in
the year 1388.
The parish is about twelve miles in length, from
east to west, and eight miles in breadth, and contains
21,350 acres, of which 2200 are cultivated, 18,800 uncultivated, and 350 under plantation. It lies at the extremity of the county, and is bounded on the north by
the Lammermoor hills, which separate it from the parish
of Whittingham, in Haddingtonshire: it has on the south
the parishes of Langton, Greenlaw, and Westruther;
on the east, Dunse and Abbey St. Bathan's; and on
the west, the parish of Lauder. A part of the parish,
about two miles long and one and a half broad, called
Blackerstone, which belonged to the old parish of Ellim,
is locally situated in, and insulated by, the parish of
Abbey St. Bathan's: this portion is eight miles distant
from the church. The surface of the parish, in its general appearance, is hilly, being situated near the great
Lammermoor ridge; and is mostly covered with heath,
and traversed by large flocks of sheep. But, though the
hills are uncultivated, some of them, such as the two
Dirrington Laws, which are conical in form, are of
great beauty; and one of the two rises 1145 feet in height.
The most elevated part of the parish, however, is Meikle
Cese, or Sayrs Law, in the line of division between Berwickshire and East Lothian, and which is nearly 1500
feet high. The climate, on account of the peculiar situation, and in many parts lofty site, of the district, is cold
and piercing, but by no means unhealthy. The lands
are watered by the rivers Whiteadder and Dye, the
former of which cuts the northern boundary of the parish
at Duddy Law: the Dye is a tributary to the Whiteadder, and the Whiteadder to the Tweed; and both are
good trouting streams.
Though the farm-houses are generally in indifferent
repair, the system of husbandry is tolerably advanced;
and the crops usually produced are, barley, oats, turnips,
potatoes, rye-grass, and clover. Some of the grain and
of the potatoes is sent to the markets of Haddington,
Dunbar, and Berwick. Near the village of Longformacus, plantations have been made to a considerable
extent, especially in the immediate neighbourhood of
the Mansion House, the seat of the principal heritor,
John Home Home, Esq., where are some elm and ash
trees of very striking appearance. On the lands of
Blackerstone, also, at the Retreat, planting has been extensively carried on. The sheep pastured amount to
about 9000 or 10,000, two-thirds of which are of the Cheviot breed; 100 scores are the black-faced, and fifty scores
half Leicesters. The cattle are the common breed of
the county, but not of so fine a quality as those in the
southern districts. There is a vein of copper-ore in the
place where the old church of Ellim stood; it has at
different times been partially worked, but without success. An English company, not many years ago, renewed the attempt upon a larger scale; but it was shortly
abandoned, the ore not being sufficiently rich and plentiful to cover the expenses. A vein of superior quality,
however, is supposed to exist in the same neighbourhood. The rateable annual value of the parish is returned at £3788.
The only village is Longformacus: there are two main
roads running through the parish, one from Haddington
to Coldstream, and the other from East Lothian to
Dunse; but both are very indifferent. The cross-roads,
also, are in a bad state, the money for their repair, which
is levied upon twenty ploughs, the estimated number kept,
being found altogether insufficient for the purpose. The
Duke of Roxburghe has a shooting or fishing cottage
here; as have Lord Somerville, on the Dye water; the
Earl of Wemyss, at the Retreat; and Mr. Smith, at Rigfoot. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the presbytery of Dunse and synod of Merse and Teviotdale;
patron, Mr. Home Home. The stipend of the minister
is £222, with a manse, which stands about three-quarters
of a mile from the church, and was built about twenty-seven years ago. The glebe consists of twelve acres of
excellent land, and there is a right of pasturage for forty
sheep on the farm adjoining the old church of Ellim,
which privilege is in lieu of a glebe for that parish; the
minister has, however, commuted this privilege for £11
per annum. The church, a plain, long, narrow structure,
was built above a century and a half ago; it has lately
been repaired, and is in good order. It accommodates
200 persons with seats, and is conveniently situated,
although, from the angles and curvatures of the boundaries of the parishes in this portion of the county, which
in many parts shoot into and intersect each other, the
congregations of this and neighbouring churches are
frequently composed of persons belonging to several
different parishes. There is a parochial school, in which
the usual branches of education are taught; the master
has the maximum salary, with about £10 fees, and the
legal allowance of house and garden. The poor have
the interest of £100. In the Lammermoor district are
several heaps of stones, or cairns, the evidences of ancient conflicts; and on the sheep-farm of Byrecleugh,
belonging to the Duke of Roxburghe, is one, already
referred to, 240 feet long, of irregular breadth and
height, but where broadest seventy-five feet, and where
highest eighteen feet. The stones of this must have been
brought from a crag at least half a mile distant.
Long Island.
LONG ISLAND. This name is given to that district
of the Hebrides which extends from the island of Lewis,
on the north, to Barra, on the south, and which comprehends Lewis, Harris, Benbecula, North and South
Uist, Barra, and several smaller isles, being a space
about 166 miles in length, and in average breadth eight,
and containing 1202 square miles. The reason for so
many islands being included under this appellation is,
that the sounds between them are so shallow, the whole
appear as if they had once been a continuous ridge
of land; and several of them are, indeed, separated only
by a channel which is dry at low water. The principal
passage from the east to the west side of the Long
Island is by the sound of Harris, in which there is a
remarkable variation of the currents.—See Lewis, Harris, &c.
Longleys
LONGLEYS, a hamlet, in the parish of CuparAngus, county of Perth, 3 miles (N. E. by E.) from
Cupar-Angus; containing 56 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Cupar-Angus to Meigle, from
which latter place it is about a mile and a half distant.
Longniddry
LONGNIDDRY, a village, in the parish of Gladsmuir, county of Haddington, 4 miles (W. by N.) from
Haddington; containing 216 inhabitants. This village,
which is situated within half a mile of the Frith of Forth,
is irregularly built. It appears to have been once of
much greater extent than at present; a considerable
portion of the site of ancient buildings is now in a
state of cultivation; and in the memory of persons yet
living there were several ranges of houses, the foundations of which have been obliterated by the plough.
Part of the old mansion of the Douglases, here, is still
occupied by a tenant; and near it are the remains of
the ancient chapel, called, from his having preached in
it, John Knox's Kirk. A school, where about sixty
children are instructed, has been long maintained in
the village; the master has a house and garden rent
free, with a payment of £4 per annum from the
Earl of Wemyss and the proprietor, in addition to the
fees.
Longo
LONGO, an island, in the parish of Gairloch,
county of Ross and Cromarty; containing 35 inhabitants. This is a small island of very irregular form,
and having considerable indentations, lying at the
mouth of Loch Gairloch, a short distance from the main
land.
Longside
LONGSIDE, a parish, in the district of Deer, county
of Aberdeen, 6 miles (W. by N.) from Peterhead; containing 2612 inhabitants. This place was disjoined from
Peterhead, and received a separate erection, in the year
1620, when a church was built on an estate called Longside, and from this the parish was named. It is of an
irregular four-sided figure, and covers between thirty
and forty square miles, the length and breadth being
each nearly six miles; it comprises 16,370 acres, of
which 12,550 are cultivated, 370 planted, and the remainder pasture and waste, though mostly capable of improvement. The surface is either level, or rises in very gentle
undulations, so that, during the overflowings of the
river Ugie, which runs through the parish from west to
east, large portions of the lands are under water. This
stream affords good trout-angling; and, after the union
of its two branches here, which have flowed separately
for ten or twelve miles from the west, it falls into the
sea near Peterhead, about four miles from the junction.
The soil is in general light and shallow, and is incumbent upon a ferruginous stratum here called pan, of hard
consistence, and detrimental, when mixed at breaking
up, to the superior soil. The peat-moss, of which only
five tracts now remain, is disappearing by degrees through
the progress of agricultural improvement. The usual
kinds of grain, with the exception of wheat, are raised,
as well as the ordinary green crops, the whole amounting
in annual value to £56,100, of which the oats return
£31,200, and the turnips £10,500. The climate is
humid, cold, and variable, and unsuited to the more
delicate grain and vegetables; but the farming is good,
and is carried on chiefly according to the five-shift
course, though the seven-shift is sometimes followed.
Bone-dust manure, bottomed with dung and light mould,
is plentifully applied to the turnip soils; and among
the improvements, extensive draining, subsoil and trench
ploughing, and the formation of inclosures of stone
dykes, are conspicuous. Great attention is also paid to
the rearing of cattle, consisting of the native Buchan
breed, with occasional crosses with the Teeswater; and
most of the farmers belong to the Buchan Agricultural
Association, the premiums of which, for superiority in
every branch of husbandry, have excited a laudable
spirit of emulation, and proved highly beneficial. The
farm-buildings are in good condition, and each of them
has generally a threshing-mill attached.
Fragments of quartz and felspar are abundant; but
the prevailing rock is a fine grey-coloured granite, of
firm texture, capable of a high polish, and several quarries
of which are worked, supplying a material extensively
used for the more ornamental, as well as the substantial,
parts of buildings. Of this stone, portions of the Duke
of York's monument, in London, have been constructed,
and also portions of Covent-Garden market, and the
walls of the new houses of parliament. The land being
chiefly under tillage, plantations are comparatively rare;
the trees principally seen are, Scotch fir, spruce, and
larch, which, though inconsiderable in extent, contribute
much to improve the scenery. The landowners are
numerous; but two only are resident, occupying the
mansions of Cairngall and Innerquhomry, both of which
are modern edifices. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £5443. It contains the two villages of Longside and Mintlaw, two and a half miles distant from
each other, and both founded in the early part of the
present century; in the former are 384 persons, and in
the latter 240. A flourishing manufactory of woollencloth was carried on for some time; but it was discontinued in the year 1828, and the population are now
almost entirely occupied in agricultural pursuits. A distillery, however, has been at work nearly twenty years;
six meal-mills are in operation in different places; and
the parish is well supplied with the usual handicraft
trades. There is a general post-office at Mintlaw;
and the parish is intersected by the high road from
Aberdeen to Fraserburgh, which passes through Mintlaw, and on which the mail travels, and by that
from Peterhead to Banff, running from east to west, and
crossing the other road at Mintlaw. The farmers dispose
of their dairy produce, grain, and cattle chiefly at Peterhead and Aberdeen, for exportation to London; the
potatoes are mostly sent to Hull. Coal is obtained from
Peterhead, and is now used to a considerable extent for
fuel, the chief peat-mosses having been reclaimed by the
operations of the plough. Eleven fairs are held yearly
for cattle, sheep, and horses, as follows: viz., two at
Longside on the Wednesday after the 12th of May,
and the Tuesday after the 7th of November; three at
Lenabo on the Wednesdays after the 25th of March,
the 26th of June, and the 26th of November; and six
at Mintlaw on the Tuesdays after the 25th of February,
the 14th of April, the 14th of June, the 25th of August,
the 7th of October, and the 14th of December.
The parish is in the presbytery of Deer and synod of
Aberdeen, and in the patronage of the Crown; the
minister's stipend is £217, with a manse, and a glebe
of several acres, valued at £17 per annum. The old
church having been found insufficient for the accommodation of the parishioners, the present edifice, a plain
and commodious building, situated in the village of
Longside, was erected in 1836; it contains sittings for
1000 persons, which are apportioned among the heritors,
and used by the tenants rent-free. There is also an
episcopal chapel, containing 551 sittings, erected in
1800, by subscription, at a cost of £429, for a congregation formed at the time of the Revolution, of which the
Rev. John Skinner, well known as the author of some
theological works and several popular Scottish songs,
was minister for sixty-four years. The parochial school
is in the village of Longside, and affords instruction in
Latin and mathematics, in addition to the ordinary
branches; the master has a salary of £31. 6., with a
house, and £30 fees. There is also a school at Mintlaw,
and another at Rora, both endowed in 1829 by the
heritors, from whom the master of each receives £10
per annum; and the fees are about £16. The master
at Mintlaw has likewise a free house, given by the late
Mr. James Mitchell, who left funds for the support of a
female school at Mintlaw, and of another at Rora, and
for the endowment of others in different parishes.
Longstone
LONGSTONE, a village, in the parish of Colinton,
county of Edinburgh, 1¼ mile (N. N. W.) from the
village of Colinton; containing 86 inhabitants. This
is a small place, situated in the extreme north of the
parish, and a short distance south of the high road
from Edinburgh to East Calder. The Water of Leith
passes close by the village, and very shortly enters the
suburban parish of St. Cuthbert.
Lonmay
LONMAY, a parish, in the district of Deer, county
of Aberdeen, 6 miles (S. E. by S.) from Fraserburgh;
containing, with the village of St. Combs, 1919 inhabitants. The name of this place is supposed to have been
derived from a word in the Celtic language descriptive
of the nature of the ground, especially of that part of
Lonmay where the church stands. The parish is about
nine and a half miles long, and varies in breadth from half
a mile to three miles and a half, containing 8766 Scotch
acres. It is bounded on the north-east by the German
Ocean; on the north-west by the parish of Rathen; on
the west by Strichen; on the south by the parishes
of Deer and Longside; and on the east by Crimond. The
sea-shore is flat and sandy, without bay or headland;
and the interior of the parish consists, with the exception
of two or three moderate ridges, of two extensive plains,
of which the northern contains the estates of Cairness,
Craigellie, Lonmay, Blairmormond, and part of Inveralochy and Crimonmogate. The chief portion of this
division is well cultivated, and ornamented with flourishing plantations of various kinds of trees, extending
over upwards of 200 acres: the waters of Strathbeg
loch cover about 500 acres in the division. The southern
plain, the surface of which is higher and more unequal,
comprehends part of Crimonmogate, and the estates of
Park and Kinninmonth. Two very extensive peat-mosses
are situated in this district, belonging to the properties
of Kinninmonth and Crimonmogate, and connected with
other large mosses in Strichen and Crimond.
A branch of the river Ugie runs between Lonmay and
the parishes of Deer and Longside; and the estuary of
the Moray Frith is considered as commencing at the
north-eastern boundary of the parish. The lake of
Strathbeg, covering about 550 acres, has nine-tenths
of its extent, as already observed, within Lonmay, and
the other tenth stands in the parish of Crimond; its
average depth is three and a half feet, and its greatest
depth about six and a half. The waters have sunk considerably during the last thirty years, having been in
1817 four feet higher than at the present time. Upwards
of forty years ago, an attempt was made to drain the
loch; but, after great expense had been incurred, it was
rendered abortive by the open canals cut for the purpose
being blocked up by drifting sand. There are a few
small islands in the loch; but its scenery is in general
barren and uninteresting. It contains, however, numerous kinds of fish, among which are, red and yellow
trout, perch, flounders, and very fine eels. In the neighbouring sea are found red and white cod, ling, haddock,
soles, John-dories, turbot, dog-fish, and coal-fish; the
whales named Finners are also occasional visiters, and
there are large quantities of herrings during the season.
The soil is generally light and sandy, of dark hue,
and resting upon a hard bed of red sand with a large
admixture of iron-ore; in some parts, however, the land
is clayey, and in a few places partakes of the nature of
loam. The number of acres cultivated or in pasture is
6488; in wood 222; and waste, moss, moor, and stony
land, 2056; making the total of 8766, of which nearly
700 acres of those now waste are considered capable of
cultivation. Grain is raised to a great extent, though
the soil is most suited to grasses and turnips. A regular
rotation of cropping has long prevailed; that which is
most approved of is the seven-years' shift. Much benefit
has also been derived from the extensive use of bonedust manure, which answers for surface-dressing the
pasture and for sown grasses, but chiefly for green crops.
Near the coast, compost is mixed with sea-weed, and
employed for fallow ground. Very large quantities of
land have been reclaimed from waste; good stone inclosures have been raised, and roads have been constructed
for local convenience; but the most prominent feature
in the improvements is the introduction of trenchploughing. The farm-steadings, also, once very indifferent, have to a considerable extent been placed on a
much better footing. The cattle of the parish were
originally the celebrated Buchan breed, with a kind
produced by crossing the Highland small-horned bull
with the larger native cow. These, however, were
displaced by a preference given to the polled-cattle,
which prevailed during the present century till within
the last fifteen years, and always fetched the first price
in the London market. Crosses of the short-horned
are now preferred; they obtain an excellent price, and
vast numbers of them are sent from the parish and the
rest of Buchan to London, either by steamers from the
city of Aberdeen, or by sailing vessels from the ports
of Peterhead and Fraserburgh. The sheep, which are
a mixed breed, have a coat of fine and heavy wool, and
the flesh is well flavoured, but not equal to that of the
black or white faced Highland sheep, many of which
are annually imported, and fattened for the market.
On the estate of Crimonmogate are some South-Downs
and Lincolns, and a number of half-bred English
sheep. The small draught-horses formerly in use, six
or eight of which were joined to the plough, have yielded
to a very superior race, distinguished by bulk and symmetry, and a pair of which are sufficient for turning the
soil. The horses for the saddle are also very much
improved in their character, great pains having been
taken by some of the resident gentry to effect this object.
Considerable numbers of pigs are reared, some of which
are a cross of the Bedford and Westphalia, and the
Orkney and Chinese. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £5443.
Among the mansion-houses, that on the estate of
Cairness holds a prominent place. The porch, supported
by four Ionic pillars, and the carved cornices, are of
granite obtained from the parish of Longside: the body
of the fabric is built of greenstone dug on the estate.
It was finished in 1799, at an expense of about £25,000.
Another extensive and elegant mansion, on the Crimonmogate property, was erected a few years ago at a cost
of upwards of £10,000. The only village is St. Combs,
situated at the north-eastern extremity of Lonmay, by
the sea-side, and principally inhabited by fishermen:
the main part of the population are scattered over the
parish. The manufacture of kelp, formerly carried on
to a considerable extent, is now at a very low ebb, in
consequence of the free importation of barilla; about
twenty tons were annually made, and the rent of the
kelp-shore averaged £50 per annum. There are two
annual fairs, one in spring, and the other in autumn,
for cattle and sheep and for hiring farm-servants.
Thirteen boats are employed in the herring-fishery, and
about the same number for ordinary white-fishing. The
turnpike-road from Peterhead to Banff, by Fraserburgh,
traverses Lonmay for about a mile and a half; and
another, from Fraserburgh to Aberdeen, by Mintlaw,
runs from north to south for nearly six miles through
the parish. A mail-coach passes daily to the south;
and there are two stage-coaches, one from Peterhead to
Banff, by Mintlaw, and the other between Peterhead
and Fraserburgh.
The ecclesiastical affairs are subject to the presbytery of Deer and synod of Aberdeen; patron, Gordon,
of Buthlaw. The stipend of the minister is averaged
at £226, with a manse, erected in 1824, and a glebe of
thirteen acres, valued at £18. 15. per annum. The
church, which was built in 1787 upon a new site, is
pretty conveniently situated, though more than seven
miles from the southern boundary of the parish; it
contains 680 sittings, and is in good repair. Originally
the church stood by the sea-side, near the village of
St. Combs; in 1607 it was removed to the spot which
is now occupied as a burial-ground, where it remained
till the present edifice was erected. There is an additional
parochial church at Kinninmonth built by voluntary
contributions, and through the aid afforded by the
Church-extension committee of the General Assembly,
in consequence of an application made in March, 1836,
to the presbytery of Deer for another place of worship
on account of the great distance of many parishioners
from the parish church. It accommodates about 400
persons, and a preacher is appointed, who has a cottage
near the church; divine worship is regularly performed,
and the services are well attended. There is also an
episcopal chapel, built in 1797, the minister of which
is paid from the seat-rents; it contains 342 sittings.
Three parochial schools are maintained, in all of which
the usual branches of education are taught; and in the
chief school, in addition to these, instruction is given in
mathematics, navigation, and Latin. The salaries are
£28, £13, and £10, a year respectively; each of the
masters has in addition his fees, respectively £23, £21,
and £15; and the three together have £25 annually
from the Dick bequest. The only antiquities are, a
Druidical circle at Crimonmogate, and the site of an old
castle called the Castle of Lonmay, near the sea, the
materials of which have been used in building farm-houses. There are several chalybeate springs.
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.
Loth
LOTH, a parish, in the county of Sutherland, 11
miles (N. E. by N.) from Golspie; containing, with the
villages of Helmsdale and Port-Gower, 2526 inhabitants,
of whom 1764 are in the rural districts. This place, the
name of which is supposed to be a Gaelic modification of
"Loch," appears to have derived that appellation from
some lakes here which, early in the 17th century, were
drained by the opening of a new channel for the river
Loth through a chain of solid rocks parallel with the seashore, by order of the Countess of Sutherland. In 1198,
King William the Lion, on his march into Caithness to
retaliate upon Harold, Earl of Orkney, the cruel death
he had inflicted upon the Bishop of Caithness, passed
through this parish, which afterwards, from its situation
on the border of the county, participated largely in the
frequent hostilities that took place between the inhabitants of the adjacent districts. During the turbulent
period that preceded the final establishment of legitimate government, the place also suffered much from the
depredations of lawless fugitives, for whose concealment
it afforded ample facilities in the solitary recesses of the
Ord of Caithness, which here separates the counties of
Sutherland and Caithness. In 1513, the Earl of Caithness marched through the parish, with a band of his retainers, to the battle of Flodden-Field; and in 1679, a
body of Highland troops passed on their route to Caithness, to support the claims of Campbell of Glenorchy to
the earldom. During the rebellions of 1715 and 1745,
the inhabitants took up arms in support of the government; and in 1746, the Earl of Cromarty, with a considerable force, advancing to Caithness for the purpose
of raising recruits for the rebel army, burnt the mansionhouses of Kintradwell and Crakaig, in this parish.
The parish is bounded on the south by the Moray
Frith, which is here forty miles in width, and on the
north by a ridge of hills; it is about eleven miles in
length, and varies from three-quarters of a mile to nearly
three miles in breadth. The surface towards the coast
is level, but rises by a gradual acclivity towards the hills
which form its northern boundary, and of which the
highest, Ben-Veallich, has an elevation of 1888 feet above
the level of the Frith. The principal rivers are, the
Helmsdale, which runs through the eastern portion of
the parish into the Frith at the village of Helmsdale; and
the Loth, a rapid stream flowing through Glen Loth
into the Frith near the western boundary of the parish.
Both these rivers are subject to sudden swells; but
no danger can now arise, as bridges have been thrown
across. The Helmsdale abounds with salmon of a supe
rior description; and near its influx into the Frith is a
very lucrative herring-fishery. The coast, from the
western extremity of the parish to Port-Gower, is a
level sandy beach, merely interrupted occasionally by
low rocks which are covered with the tide; but from that
point to the Ord, at the eastern extremity, is one continued chain of rugged limestone rocks. Of the lands in
the parish, about 1200 acres are arable; and there are
extensive tracts of meadow and pasture of excellent
quality, and also of hill-pasture. The soil on the arable
lands is luxuriantly fertile, producing abundant crops of
wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips; the system of
husbandry is improved. The farms are conveniently
divided, and under excellent management, and the
smaller holdings are also cultivated with industry and
skill; the farm-houses and cottages are substantial and
commodious, and much of the waste land has been reclaimed. The horses, cattle, and sheep reared are very
superior, and frequently obtain the highest prizes when
exhibited at the cattle-shows. Limestone is found in
abundance, but the distance of fuel renders the working
of it more expensive than the importation of lime from
England. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£2380.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Dornoch and synod of Sutherland and Caithness: the minister's stipend is £162. 8. 7.,
with a manse, and a glebe of moderate extent; patron,
the Duke of Sutherland. The church, recently erected,
is a very handsome structure, situated nearly in the
centre of the parish; and a church has subsequently
been built in the village of Helmsdale by the family of
Sutherland, in which divine service is regularly performed by a minister of the Establishment. The parochial school, situated at Port-Gower, is tolerably attended;
the master has a salary of £34, with a house, and an
allowance of £2. 2. in lieu of garden, and the fees
average about £10 per annum. There are some remains
of the ancient castle of Helmsdale, once a hunting-seat
of the Sutherland family; it is apparently of the time
of the 14th century, and is memorable for the death of
John, the 11th earl of Sutherland, and his countess, who
were poisoned in 1567. The remains of several Pictish
towers have disappeared within the last century; and there
were also formerly chapels dedicated respectively to St.
Ninian, St. John the Baptist, and others, of which only
the sites are left. There are numerous barrows and
cairns, in some of which latter have been found battleaxes of stone, and other military weapons.—See Helmsdale, &c.
Lothian, East
LOTHIAN, EAST.—See Haddingtonshire.
Lothian, Mid
LOTHIAN, MID.—See Edinburghshire.
Lothian, West
LOTHIAN, WEST.—See Linlithgowshire.