Criech
CRIECH, a parish, in the county of Sutherland,
11½ miles (W. N. W.) from Tain; containing, with the
village of Bonar, 2582 inhabitants. This place is famed
for a contest which happened in the eleventh or twelfth
century, between the Scots and the Danes, at Druimleah,
near Bonar-Bridge, whence the invaders, after being
completely routed, retired to their ships at Portnacoulter, at present called the Meikle Ferry. It is an extensive parish, in length about forty miles, and six miles
in average breadth, and contains about 150,000 acres.
The general appearance of the surface is hilly, approximating in many parts to the character of a mountainous
district, and a small proportion only of its area is under
cultivation, the rest being covered with natural wood
and heath. At Ledmore is a fine oak-wood of about
150 acres; and in several other parts there is a considerable quantity of natural wood, as well as of plantations. A large extent of ground on the estates of Skibo
and Pulrossie was planted with fir and larch about forty
years ago, to which about 1500 acres have been added
by the present proprietor, with an intermixture of oak
and other forest trees. Other plantations have been
made within the last few years, and the extent of the
whole of them throughout the parish is now calculated
at 2500 acres. The rivers are, the Shin, the Oykell, a
considerable stream, and the Cassley, the two last of
which join at the southern extremity, and form the
Frith of Dornoch; they all contain salmon, which are
regularly taken, and sturgeons are also sometimes seen
in the Shin. There are likewise several lakes, the most
considerable of which are Migdol, Gour, and Elst, all
abounding with small good-flavoured trout.
The prevailing soil is the gravelly peaty kind usual
in mountainous districts. At Pulrossie, Flode, Rosehall,
and some other places near the Frith, there is an admixture of clay, and the hills in the vicinity of Rosehall
form a fine natural pasture, and are covered with sheep.
The largest corn-farm produces about £300 per annum,
and the others, amounting to about six in number, return severally from £50 to £200: the only sheep-farms
are at Auchinduich and Inverchasly, and the breed on
each is the Cheviot. Great improvements have been
made within these few years, particularly on the two estates just named, consisting chiefly in the reclaiming of
waste lands, draining, and irrigation. The rateable annual value of the parish is £4811. There are two quarries
of whinstone, but both very hard to work; and at Rosehall is a vein, about five inches wide, of fine-grained,
solid, bluish-grey manganese, perfect and free from iron,
but which, though valuable for its quality, is of too inconsiderable extent to repay the expense of working.
A village and a cotton manufactory were established at
Spinningdale by Mr. Dempster, of Dunnichen, in the
latter part of the last century; but, the factory being
destroyed by fire in 1809, the village has since fallen to
decay. The neighbouring village of Bonar has, however, increased in extent and importance, especially since
the erection of the great iron bridge in 1812, and vessels
now trade to it, of from thirty to sixty tons' burthen,
importing meal, coal, and lime, and exporting fir-props,
wool, oak-bark, corn, and salmon. Newton is also a
shipping-place for articles of the same kind. The ecclesiastical affairs are subject to the presbytery of Dornoch
and synod of Sutherland and Caithness; patrons, the
Crown and the Duke of Sutherland. The minister's
stipend is £209, with a manse, and a glebe valued at
£5 per annum. The church, a plain structure, built in
1790, is in good condition, and accommodates 500 persons with sittings. A place of worship has been erected
in connexion with the Free Church. There is also a
parochial school, for which a new school-house has been
built; the master has a salary of £30, with some
small fees. The relics of antiquity comprise numerous
tumuli, a vitrified fort on the summit of the Doune or
Hill of Criech, and an obelisk near the church, eight
feet long and four broad, erected, according to tradition,
in memory of a Danish chief who fell near the spot.
There are also various chalybeate springs in the parish.
Crieff
CRIEFF, a parish, in the county of Perth; containing 4333 inhabitants, of whom 3584 are in the
town of Crieff, 17 miles (W. by S.) from Perth, and
56 (N. W.) from Edinburgh. This place, of which the
name, of Gaelic origin, is derived from its situation on
the side of a hill, appears, from various old documents,
to have been, at a very remote period, the spot where
the ancient thane of the district usually held his court
in the open air, and dispensed justice to the inhabitants. It was from an early date regarded as the
chief town of Strathearn, and was the seat of an earldom until the heiress of Malise, the last earl, marrying
the English Earl de Warren, was led into rebellion
against Robert I., in 1320. It continued, however, to
be the capital of that district, and was the seat of the
jurisdictions of the king's steward of Strathearn, which
office became hereditary in the family of Drummond,
with whom it remained till the abolition of hereditary
jurisdictions in 1748. About half a mile to the east of
the town, is a spot till of late surrounded with a low
wall of earth and stone, now hardly to be traced. Here
the courts were held; and a little to the west of the
town, is a rising ground where criminals were executed,
and which still retains the appellation of Gallow Hill.
The town was occupied by the army of Montrose
during some of the disturbances of the civil war, but
was at other times the head-quarters of the insurgent
forces. It was burnt by the Highlanders in 1715, and
in the rebellion of 1745 was saved from destruction
only by the interposition of the Duke of Perth. During
all these conflicts the inhabitants maintained a firm
and stedfast loyalty to their legitimate sovereign. On
the 10th of September, 1842, the town was visited by
Her Majesty, in the course of her tour in Scotland;
she was rapturously received by the inhabitants of the
place, by whom a triumphal arch had been erected at
the entrance of the town, and through this the Queen
passed to Drummond Castle, in the vicinity.
The town is beautifully situated on the sloping acclivity of an eminence near the base of the Grampian hills,
commanding an extensive and richly-varied prospect of
the country towards the south, which is in a state of
high cultivation, and thickly studded with the residences of the gentry. It consists of one principal or
high street, in the centre of which is St. James's-square,
a handsome range of building, and of several other
well-built streets, one of which leads to a bridge over the
river Earn, affording a communication with the parish
of Muthill. The inhabitants are amply supplied with
excellent water from springs in the immediate vicinity,
from which it is conveyed into a reservoir in the
centre of St. James's-square, where a handsome building
of stone has been erected, which, surrounded with
some lime-trees of great beauty, forms an interesting
and picturesque ornament in the town. Nearly in the
centre of the high street is the ancient cross, of rude
workmanship, consisting of a block of stone raised on
a plinth of hewn stone. It is about six feet three
inches high, about two feet in breadth, and little more
than six inches in thickness; the front is embellished
with a cross, carved in relief, and there are traces of a
legend, of which the characters are so greatly obliterated by time, as to be altogether illegible. A subscription library has been established, and is well
supported; the number of volumes at present is above
1000, and it is supposed that the number will soon be
greatly extended. A circulating library is also kept;
and two reading-rooms are supported by subscription. Assemblies are held in the ball-room of the
chief inn, and also in the large rooms of St. Michael's
Lodge, and the Weavers' Hall.
The principal trade carried on is the weaving of
cotton, for the manufacturers of Glasgow, in which
nearly 500 persons are employed at their own homes,
in producing checks and handkerchiefs. The quantity
of yarn annually sent to this place from Glasgow is
valued at £15,000; the average value of the goods
when manufactured is about £20,000. About 400
looms are engaged regularly at this work, which
forms the staple manufacture of the town. The manufacture of woollen-stuffs is also carried on to a moderate extent, in a factory lately erected on the banks
of the river Turret, and affords employment to about
forty persons. The articles are, blankets, plaiding,
shawls, and various coloured stuffs; and all the processes are performed with machinery propelled by
water, of which the river affords an abundant supply.
Several other persons are occupied in the manufacture
of linen-cloth, chiefly for home consumption, and a
considerable number of females in tambour work, and
in working figured-muslins. There are three tanneries,
employing a considerable number of hands, and producing a very large quantity of leather; likewise two
distilleries, which produce about 73,000 gallons of
whisky annually, and pay duties to the excise of more
than £7000. Five malting establishments are also
conducted, yielding in the aggregate nearly 7000 quarters of malt, and paying a duty of £5420 per annum.
An oil-mill has been established, which is in constant
operation; and there are corn, flour, and barley mills,
all belonging to one proprietor, who disposes of the
produce at the Glasgow and Dundee markets. The
trade is principally with Glasgow, but certain portions
of it are carried on with Edinburgh, Perth, Stirling,
Dundee, and several towns in England. Great facility
of communication with the neighbouring towns is
afforded by good roads which pass through the parish,
and of which the Tay-bridge road, traversing Glenalmond, is one of the best in the country. Mail and
stage coaches pass daily through the town. The market
is on Thursday, and is well attended by the farmers,
and abundantly supplied with provisions of all kinds
for the supply of the inhabitants. From its central
situation, the town has been made the seat of numerous
fairs previously held in the neighbouring parishes;
and nine fairs, for which a commodious situation has
been provided by Lady Willoughby de Eresby, are
now regularly held. They are on the first Thursday
in January, the third in February, the second in
March, the first in April, the first and last in June,
the second in July, the third in August, and the
Thursday preceding the October Falkirk tryst.
The government of the town, which is a burgh of
barony, is vested in three baron-bailies and a committee, appointed by the three proprietors of the lands
on which the town is built, of whom Lady Willoughby
de Eresby is the chief. The common funds, amounting
to about £100 per annum, are appropriated by the
committee in watching and lighting the streets, and
supplying the inhabitants with water. A court is held
four times in the year by the sheriff of the county
for the recovery of small debts and the determination
of minor offences; but there is neither a regular magistracy nor police, and the whole management is vested
in the committee of the inhabitants of the town.
The Masons' Hall, or St. Michael's Lodge, was built
in 1816, at an expense of £2000, under the direction
of a committee, for the transaction of the society's
business; it is a handsome edifice, containing a good
assembly-room, and the requisite offices. The Weavers'
Hall, a neat building also containing an assembly-room,
was erected by that company in 1786. The old Tolbooth was built in 1665, for the accommodation of the
officers of the stewards' court after the proceedings
ceased to be conducted in the open air. It contained
a prison in the lower part, in which offenders were
temporarily confined; a court-room where the smalldebt and other courts were held; and above, a room
for the use of the public library. The building has been
demolished by the County Prison Board, and a larger
edifice is in progress of erection on its site.
The parish is separated into two divisions by the
intervening lands of the parish of Monzie. The Highland division comprises the larger portion of the
district of Glenalmond, through which the river Almond
has its course, and abounds with every variety of
mountain scenery, in its wildest and most romantic
features. The Lowland division, which may properly
be regarded as the parish, is about four miles in
length, and three in breadth, and comprises 3800 acres;
it is bounded on the north-west by the river Shaggy,
on the east by the Pow, on the south by the Earn,
and on the west by the Turret. The surface is generally level, being broken only by the Knock of Crieff
and the hill called Callum's, the former of which has an
elevation of 400 feet above the sea. These eminences,
which are both richly wooded, add greatly to the
diversity and to the beauty of the scenery. The Earn,
which issues from the lake of that name, forms the
boundary of the parish for nearly three miles, and at
Crieff receives the waters of the Turret. It is crossed
by a good stone bridge of four arches, one of which, in
1715, was broken down by the Highlanders to arrest
the pursuit of the royalist forces, and has been replaced
by one that does not harmonize with the others. The
rivers generally abound with trout, and the Earn with
salmon, eels, perch, and pike, which are taken in great
numbers, and are of superior quality.
The soil in the north, west, and south, is light and
sandy, intermixed with gravel; nearer the town, a rich
loam; and in the east and south-east portions, a stiff
reddish clay. Of the 3800 acres in the parish, all, with
the exception of about 600 in plantations, are under
cultivation; the system of agriculture is in a highly
improved state, and draining has been extensively practised in the most efficient manner. The crops are,
oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips, of which great
quantities are grown, of excellent quality; wheat is
also raised, but to a very limited extent, the soil not
being so well adapted for it. Considerable quantities
of cattle are reared here, for the supply of the south
country markets, and for home consumption; about
1500 are annually fed by the various distillers in the
neighbourhood, and particular attention is paid to the
improvement of the breed. The black-cattle are the
Highland or Teeswater, with a cross of the Dunlop.
Few sheep are pastured, except for the use of the
parish. The woods, occupying little more than ten
acres, consist of oak (of which there are three kinds, the
common, the scarlet, and the Turkey), ash, elm, beech,
sycamore, chesnut, plane, walnut, and poplar; and
the plantations, to which considerable attention is
paid, are chiefly larch, spruce, Scotch, and silver firs.
There are not many trees remarkable for their growth:
at Inchbrakie, however, is an ancient yew of extraordinary size, in which the Marquess of Montrose is
said to have concealed himself. The substrata of the
hills are mostly mica and clay slate, with quartz, hornblende-slate, and some portions of granite. The lower
lands are partly sandstone of a reddish hue, alternated
in some places with trap dikes of limited extent, and
partly greenstone, which is wrought for the roads.
Quarries of freestone are worked in several parts, the
stone possessing great durability, and being susceptible
of a high polish; but the veins have not yet been
wrought to a sufficient depth to produce the best specimens. The rateable annual value of the parish is £7600.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Auchterarder and synod
of Perth and Stirling; patron, Lady Willoughby de
Eresby. The stipend of the incumbent is £182. 14.,
with a manse, built in 1701, and a glebe valued at £10
per annum. The church, built in 1786, and thoroughly
repaired in 1827, affords accommodation for 966 persons; and an additional church was erected in 1837,
at an expense of £1533, and until lately had a quoad
sacra parish annexed to it, containing 2177 inhabitants,
and called West Church. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church, United Secession,
and Relief Church, Original Seceders, and Roman Catholics. The parochial school affords a useful education; the master has a salary of £34, with a house
and garden. There are numerous friendly societies, of
which the Masons', instituted by the Duke of Perth in
1737, and the Weavers', in 1770, are the chief. On
the taking down of the old parish church, which was
a very ancient building, about forty gold coins of the
reign of Robert I. were found in a niche in one of the
walls; on the obverse was a head of the king, with
the legend Robertus Rex Scotorum, and on the reverse,
a figure of St. Andrew with his cross. There are
some traces of the Roman road, which is supposed
to have connected the camp at Strageath with that
at Dalginross, passing through the lands at Broich;
and in forming the present road through Burrel-street, a Roman pavement was discovered, in tolerable
preservation, and at a considerable depth below the
surface. Near the spot where the stewards of Strathearn were accustomed to hold their courts, is a large
upright stone, of which the history is not clearly ascertained. From the well-known fact that many Druidical
remains existed in the neighbourhood, it is, however,
supposed to have been one belonging to a circle, of
which the others may have been removed at various
times, and applied to agricultural uses. This spot was
the scene of a sanguinary conflict, in 1413, between
Graeme, Earl of Strathearn, and Drummond of Concraig, steward of that district, in which the former was
slain. It was also chosen by Sir John Cope for his
head-quarters, in the rebellion of 1745; and there is
still a fine spring called "Cope's well," near which an
old sword was lately found. Some slight remains
exist of the ancient house of Inchbrakie, the strongly-fortified residence of Patrick Graeme, colonel of the
Posse Comitatus of the county of Perth, and cousin of
the celebrated Marquess of Montrose, in whose cause
he took a decisive part. He is said to have defeated
the Duke of Argyll, and to have taken Aberdeen, in
retaliation for which, his house at Inchbrakie was
burnt by Cromwell. Mallet, the poet, and Dow, the
historian of Hindostan, are said to have received their
early education in the school of this parish; and
Dr. William Wright, a physician and natural philosopher of eminence, and Dr. Thomas Thomson, the distinguished professor of chemistry in the university of
Glasgow, were natives of the place. Sir David Baird,
Bart., passed the later years of his life at Ferntower,
in the parish; and the sword of Tippoo Saib, presented
to the general after the storming of Seringapatam, is
still preserved there. A marble tablet on the wall of the
parish church records his decease, and the deep sympathy which it excited in the minds of the people of
Crieff, by whom his memory is held in veneration.
Crimond
CRIMOND, a parish, in the district of Deer, county
of Aberdeen, 9 miles (N. N. W.) from Peterhead; containing 767 inhabitants. This place once contained a
castle belonging to the celebrated Cumyn, Earl of Buchan, which stood on a small hill called Castlehill, and
was suffered to fall into ruins after his fatal defeat at
the battle of Inverury by Robert Bruce. Near this
castle, the remains of which are covered over with sand
blown from the sea-shore, are the walls of a chapel in
good preservation, supposed to have been the private
family chapel; and in the immediate vicinity formerly
stood the ancient town of Rattray, which, in the sixteenth century, possessed all the privileges of a royal
burgh, except that of sending members to parliament.
The Earl of Errol was superior of the burgage lands, of
which, though originally extensive, there is now only
one feu remaining. The parish is situated in that
part of the county called Buchan, and on the coast of
the German Ocean, about midway between Peterhead
and Fraserburgh; it comprises nearly 6000 acres, of
which 4093 are arable, 707 pasture, 100 plantations,
and the remainder moor, moss, bent, and waste. The
coast measures two miles, and consists of flat beach
and sand-hills, except at the famous promontory of
Rattray head, where it runs into a ridge of low rocks,
stretching into the sea, in an easterly direction, to the
distance of between one and two miles. There were
formerly numerous shipwrecks; but these accidents
have become far less frequent, chiefly in consequence of
a lighthouse having been erected at Kinnaird's head to
the north, and another at Boddom, near Peterhead, on
the south. The surface along the shore rises to the
height of nearly 200 feet, but slopes towards the interior, which is only slightly elevated above the sea.
Afterwards, however, the land rises to the south and
south-west boundaries, uniting with the higher grounds
of Lonmay and St. Fergus.
The loch of Strathbeg, situated partly in Crimond,
but chiefly in Lonmay, parish, covers between 600 and
700 acres; the water is now fresh, but it formerly communicated with the sea, and was entered by vessels of
small burthen till the year 1720, when a strong east
wind blew the sand into the channel, and effectually
choked up the entrance. The banks towards the sea
present nothing but a succession of sand-hillocks covered
with bent, and the other side is lined with bogs and
marshes. The loch, however, has many attractions to
the botanist and the sportsman, from the variety of the
productions growing near its banks, or on the margin
of its tributary burns; its numerous wild-fowl, comprehending most species usual in the country; and its
supply of different sorts of fish. The upper part of the
parish contains the loch of Logie, which covers about
twenty acres, and is surrounded by low tracts of moss,
of a dreary and barren appearance. The prevailing soil
is a light loam, incumbent on clay; that near the shore
is sandy, and other parts contain a great extent of moss.
The land produces good crops of all kinds of grain,
potatoes, turnips, and hay; the system of farming is
of a superior kind, and considerable improvements have
been effected by draining, although much yet remains
to be done in this respect. On account of the facilities of communication between Aberdeen and London, much attention has been recently given to the
rearing and fattening of cattle for the market; and
among other kinds, a cross between the Teeswater and
Buchan is in general preferred. But few sheep are
kept; and cows for the dairy, now numbering between
250 and 300, have been less regarded since the increase
in the sale of cattle. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £3424.
The rocks comprise whinstone, which is abundant,
and a darkish blue granite of very good quality; red
granite is also found, but chiefly in a decomposed state,
and limestone was formerly worked near Bilbo. There
is an ancient seat called Haddo, and an elegant modern
mansion has been built on the estate of Rattray. The
population of the parish is mostly agricultural; but
some are engaged in fishing, and besides the perch,
trout, eels, and flounders taken in Loch Strathbeg and
its burns, the neighbouring seas afford herrings, mackerel, skate, haddock, and other fish, especially the famous
cod known as the Rattray-head cod. The turnpike-road
from Peterhead to Fraserburgh runs through the parish.
Fairs are held in February, September, and October,
for horses, cattle, and sheep; and home-made shoes,
and cotton-pieces for gowns, were formerly sold. The
parish is in the presbytery of Deer and synod of Aberdeen,
and in the patronage of the Earl of Fife; the minister's
stipend is between £200 and £300, with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £6 per annum. The church is an elegant structure, built in 1812, and surmounted by a
lofty spire, containing a good clock and bell. The parochial school affords instruction in the usual branches;
the master has a salary of £35, with a house erected in
1816, and £17 fees, in addition to which he receives a
portion of the Dick bequest, and the interest of £400
left by the Rev. Mr. Johnston, a former minister of the
parish. There is also a parochial library, containing
about 400 volumes. Arthur Johnstone, a Latin poet of
the sixteenth century, is said to have been born in the
parish; and Mr. Farquhar, of Fonthill, who amassed an
immense fortune in India, and was generally known by
the name of "rich Farquhar," was also a native.
Crinamail
CRINAMAIL, an isle, in the parish of Barra,
county of Inverness. It is one of the Hebrides, situated in the roads of Ottervore, and is of very small
extent, and uninhabited.
Crocketford
CROCKETFORD, a village, partly in the parish of
Kirkpatrick-Durham, and partly in that of Urr,
stewartry of Kirkcudbright; containing, in the Kirkpatrick-Durham portion 117, and in the Urr portion
122, inhabitants. A road branches off from the village
to New Galloway and the Glenkens. There is a small
school.
Crofthead
CROFTHEAD, a village, in the parish of Neilston,
Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, ¾ of a mile
(W. S. W.) from Neilston; containing 297 inhabitants.
This place, which is situated a little east of the road
from Irvine to Barrhead, owes its origin to the introduction of the cotton manufacture. In 1792, an extensive spinning and weaving mill was built, around
which the village has arisen. In addition to the cottages of the work-people employed in the factory, and
in the printing and bleaching establishments connected
with the cotton trade, there are some neat houses inhabited by persons occupied in superintending and conducting these extensive works.
Croich
CROICH, or Croick, lately a quoad sacra parish,
forming part of the parish of Kincardine, county of
Ross and Cromarty, 9 miles (W.) from Kincardine;
containing 316 inhabitants. This place, of which the
name signifies a nook or corner, is situated on the Carron
water, and is the head of a remote pastoral district of
the civil parish. It was formed into a parish in 1827,
and placed under the controul of the presbytery of Tain
and synod of Ross: the church was erected in the same
year. The stipend of the minister is £120, with a
manse, and a glebe of the annual value of £10; the
patronage is in the Crown. There is a small school.
Crolin
CROLIN, an island, in the parish of Applecross,
county of Ross and Cromarty; containing 40 inhabitants. It is situated near the entrance into Loch Carron,
on the western coast, and is the most southerly of a
small group, and about a mile in length and of nearly
equal breadth. There is some good pasturage.
Cromarty
CROMARTY, a burgh of barony, sea-port, and
parish, in the county of Ross and Cromarty, 175
miles (N. by W.) from Edinburgh; containing 2662 inhabitants, of whom 1938 are in the burgh. This place,
of which the Gaelic name, Crom Ba, signifying the
crooked bay, is derived from the winding shore of the
Frith of Cromarty, appears to have attained to some
importance at an early period, though few details of its
ancient history are recorded. It is identified in some
degree with the usurper Macbeth, to whom it gave his
earliest title of Thane of Cromarty. It also seems to
have been the scene of various disastrous battles, in
commemoration of which are numerous tumuli in different parts of the parish, raised over the bodies of the
slain. The hill behind the town is distinguished by tradition as the site of one of the victories gained by William
Wallace over the English, during the disputed succession to the Scottish throne in the reign of Edward I. of
England; and the opinion is confirmed by some artificial hillocks still discernible among the trees which
crown that eminence. The district appears to have
been originally inhabited by the Lowland Scots. Prior
to the reign of Robert II., the town, which carried on a
considerable trade in the exportation of wool and salmon to Flanders and France, was erected into a royal
burgh, and united with that of Inverness.
The inhabitants were constantly subject to the predatory incursions of the Highlanders of the surrounding
district; and in the reign of James IV., a combination
of the Highland clans assaulted the town, and carried
off nearly the whole of the property, even to the household furniture, for the restitution of which a decree was
enacted by the lords of the council. Nearly the whole
of the lands in the old county of Cromarty belonged to
Sir John Urquhart, who was hereditary sheriff; and on
his petition, the town was disfranchised as a royal burgh,
and erected into a burgh of barony under his own jurisdiction. The prosperity of the place was subject to
great fluctuation prior to the Reformation; but at that
time it began to revive, and in the reign of Anne it had
regained much of its previous importance, and had five
vessels engaged in the herring-fishery. At the period
of the union it experienced considerable depression, and
in 1730 had so far declined that scarcely a single shopkeeper was to be found in the town. In 1765, however, the lands of Cromarty were purchased by George
Ross, Esq., who, at his own cost, added greatly to the
revival and prosperity of the town by the construction
of a pier, the introduction of an extensive manufacture
of hempen-cloth, the erection of a public brewery, and
the establishment of a lucrative trade in pork for the
English market. Among other beneficent measures,
was the erection and endowment of a Gaelic chapel for
the accommodation of Highland inhabitants.
The town is pleasantly situated in the eastern part
of the parish, upon a low promontory between the
Moray Frith on the east, and the Frith of Cromarty on
the west. It consists of several streets of irregularlybuilt houses, which, notwithstanding the antique appearance of the more ancient, have an air of cheerful
neatness. The herring-fishery, which was formerly
carried on to a great extent, and, within the last twelve
years, produced annually not less than 20,000 barrels
that were shipped from the port, has recently been
almost discontinued. The manufacture of hempen-cloth introduced by Mr. Ross is, however, still carried
on in an extensive factory, in which about 150 persons
are employed, in addition to nearly half that number
in its collateral branches; the brewery noticed above is
a ruin. The principal trade of the port is the exportation of pork for the supply of the English market,
of which the average quantity annually shipped is
valued at from £15,000 to £20,000; and the importation of coal from Sunderland, and other produce from
different parts of the coast. The harbour has a commodious pier, and is accessible to vessels of 400 tons,
which can come up to the quay; and should the population and the trade of the district require it, this might
be made one of the best harbours on the coast.
The entrance into the bay of Cromarty, from the
North Sea, is between two lofty and precipitous promontories called the North and South Souters, of which
the former is in the county of Ross, and the latter in
that of Cromarty. The passage is about a mile and a
half in width, and the bay is about seven miles in length,
five miles in breadth, and from nine to twelve fathoms
in depth, and affords secure shelter to vessels in the
severest gales. Towards the south-west, it contracts
into a frith of about two miles in breadth, across which
is a good ferry to Invergordon, where no accident has
occurred within the memory of man. The market, which
was on Friday, and amply supplied with provisions,
has long been discontinued; and of the several fairs
that were formerly held here only one remains, on the
third Tuesday in November. (O. S.) The government of the burgh, since the late act for municipal
reform, has been vested in a provost, two bailies, and
seven councillors; but they have no funds. The burgh
is associated with those of Dingwall, Dornoch, Kirkwall,
Tain, and Wick, in returning a member to the imperial
parliament; the number of qualified voters is about
fifty. The town-hall, a neat substantial building, was
erected by Mr. Ross, and contains, in the upper story,
a spacious hall surmounted by a dome, and on the
ground-floor a prison. The internal intercourse is impeded by the numerous inlets from the sea with which
the parish is indented; but a road has been formed to
Inverness, which passes through Chanonry, Rosemarkie,
and Avoch, and the regular sailing packets from London, Leith, and Inverness touch at the port, and afford
great facilities.
The parish extends from five to seven miles in length,
and from two to three in breadth, comprising about
7100 acres, of which 2047 are arable, 1850 woodland
and plantations, and the remainder meadow, pasture,
and waste. The surface is strikingly diversified. Towards the Moray Frith it is precipitous and abrupt,
attaining, at a small distance from the shore, an elevation of 470 feet above the sea. On the north and west,
it declines gently towards the Frith of Cromarty for
some distance, and then subsides, more abruptly, into a
continuous extent of table-land overhanging the beach.
In the eastern portion of the parish is the hill of Cromarty, having an elevation of 300 feet, and richly
crowned with wood; and about two miles to the east
of the town, is a natural arch in the cliff, affording a
passage to a peninsulated rock rising to the height of
100 feet from the beach. The small burn of Ethie,
which forms the extreme southern boundary of the
parish, flows for nearly two miles through a deep ravine
in a bed of sandstone, of which the banks rise precipitously to an elevation of 250 feet. In its course it forms
numerous cascades of romantic character, and in one
part flowing between banks crowned with flowers and
foliage of every hue, falls from a height of thirty feet
into a dark mossy basin, shaded with plantations of hazel,
birch, and hawthorn, intermixed with ivy and wild
honeysuckle.
The soil of the arable land is of a clayey quality, and
in other parts are large tracts of moor and moss. The
system of agriculture is in an improving state; the
chief crops are, wheat, which was first raised about
forty years since, and the various other kinds of grain.
The substrata are mostly sandstone of various formation, and granitic gneiss, of which the rocks are mainly
composed. Cromarty House, a handsome modern mansion, beautifully situated in a richly-planted demesne,
and Udale, are the principal residences. The Ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the
presbytery of Chanonry and synod of Ross. The
minister's stipend is £251. 12., with an allowance in
money in lieu of a manse, and the glebe is valued at
£15 per annum; patron, the Crown. The church is a
plain structure in very bad repair. The Gaelic chapel
erected in 1783, by Mr. Ross, for the accommodation
of the Highlanders employed in his factory, has an
endowment of £150 per annum from government, for
the support of its minister. To this chapel, containing
580 sittings, of which 300 are free, the Gaelic people
now come indiscriminately from all parts of the parish.
There is also a place of worship for members of the
Free Church. The parochial school is well conducted;
the master has a salary of £40, with a sum for house
and garden, and the fees average £10. The poor have
bequests producing £75 per annum. There are some
very slight remains of ancient chapels, of which the
most perfect are those of St. Regulus; and among the
ruins of the chapels of St. Duthac and St. Bennet, are
two springs of excellent water. Of the distinguished
persons connected with the place, may be named, Sir
Thomas Urquhart, celebrated as the author of Genealogy
and Universal Language, and the late Dr. James Robertson, librarian of the university of Edinburgh, and professor of the Oriental languages, who were both natives.
The town formerly gave the title of earl to the
Mackenzie family, but George, the third earl, was attainted for his participation in the rebellion of 1745,
and the title became extinct.
Cromarty
CROMARTY, County of.—See Ross and Cromarty.
Crombie-Point
CROMBIE-POINT, a village, in the parish of Torryburn, district of Dunfermline, county of Fife, 3 miles
(E.) from Torryburn; containing 54 inhabitants. This
village, which is situated on the north shore of the
Frith of Forth, was formerly a place of considerable
trade. It was, indeed, the principal depôt for the
transit of the manufactures of Dunfermline, which
were shipped hence to Borrowstounness, at that time
the chief port on the Frith. The harbour, which is dry
at low water, is inclosed by a pier of stone, now in
great want of repair. A very considerable portion of
the coal found in the neighbourhood, and of agricultural produce, is still shipped from this place; and the
Newhaven and Stirling steamers still land, and take in,
passengers and goods at the pier.
Cromdale
CROMDALE, a parish, partly in the county of
Elgin, but chiefly in that of Inverness, 18 miles (S. W.)
from Rothes; containing, with the village of Grantown,
3561 inhabitants. It is supposed to have derived its
name from the Gaelic words crom, signifying crooked or
curved, and dail, a plain or meadow, a portion of land
being made semicircular, by the winding of the river
Spey. This district, consisting of the three ancient
parishes of Cromdale, Inverallan, and Advie, has from
an early period been possessed by the Grant family, who
were very powerful in Scotland in the thirteenth century,
and the first of whom mentioned in old records was
Gregory de Grant, sheriff-principal of Inverness, Ross,
Sutherland, and Caithness, in the reign of Alexander
II. Among the many sanguinary conflicts of the neighbourhood, a battle fought on the haughs of Cromdale,
on the 1st May, 1690, is the most celebrated. It took
place between General Buchan, with a large party from
different clans, on the side of the Stuarts, and Sir
Thomas Livingstone, who commanded the royalists; and
the Highlanders, after fighting bravely, were routed
with considerable slaughter. The castle of Lochindorb,
situated in the parish, on an island in a loch of the same
name, afforded a retreat for the lady of the Earl of Athol,
when the latter had been killed in an engagement with
the Earl of March, in 1335, at Kilblair: Sir Alexander
Gordon shortly laid siege to the fort, but was obliged to
withdraw in the following year.
The parish is very irregular in its outline, and is
about twenty-seven miles in length, and ten miles at its
greatest breadth, comprising, according to a survey made
in 1810, 54,744 acres, of which 5306 are arable, 3283
underwood, 396 lake, and the remainder hill, moor, and
moss. The lands are separated into two distinct portions by the Spey. Those on the northern side are much
varied by slopes, stretching down to the river, and
covered with thick forests of pine, oak, and larch;
on the south the most prominent feature is Cromdale
hill, a lofty mountain ridge, about seven miles long,
covered with heath, extending to the east and west, and
separating this parish from that of Kirkmichael. Most
of the high grounds abound with grouse and different
kinds of game, and with brown and white hares; and
ptarmigan have been shot in some places: the Spey is
well stocked with salmon. The soil is in general favourable; but the vicissitudes of the climate, the site of the
parish being 600 feet above the level of the sea, often
expose promising crops to ruin from cold and frost.
Agriculture is, however, on a very respectable footing,
the rotation of crops, and other approved usages of
modern farming being followed; and lime is prepared on
almost every allotment of land, however small. The
sheep are mostly the black-faced, with a few Cheviots;
and the black-cattle, which are very superior, are of the
West Highland breed. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £5849. Primitive limestone of excellent quality
is abundant, and is extensively wrought by nearly all the
tenants, not only for manure, but for the purposes of
building; granite of a superior kind is also found, with
many rocks of the primitive formation.
The parish is famous for its large and flourishing
plantations, which are said to exceed those of any other
parish in this part of the country. About 5000 acres are
covered with larch, fir, and various other trees, half of
which have been planted within the last thirty years;
and many trees among the older plantations are of great
bulk and value, especially in the vicinity of Castle-Grant,
whence some have been taken to Garmouth for shipmasts. The natural wood, also, comprises a considerable extent of oak, birch, and alder; and in the churchyard is a very old and magnificent beech, the branches
of which are capable of overshadowing more than 1000
persons. The mansion of Castle-Grant is situated on an
eminence on the northern side of the Spey, about two
miles from the river, and is encompassed with forests of
ancient and noble trees. This splendid edifice, the seat
of the Grant family from remote ages, but now the property of the Earl of Seafield, the sole proprietor of the
parish, was built in the fourteenth century, but has since
been frequently altered and improved, especially within
the last few years. It consists of a quadrangular pile of
several stories, with lower wings; and the apartments,
which are spacious, and handsomely furnished, contain
many valuable paintings by the ancient masters, and one
by Hamilton, of very superior merit, representing the
Death of Patroclus. In the front hall are between
thirty and forty portraits of different members of the
Grant family; and there is also an extensive armoury.
The parish is in the presbytery of Abernethy and synod
of Moray, and in the patronage of the Earl of Seafield;
the minister's stipend is £249, with a manse, and two
glebes, the one at Cromdale, and the other at Advie,
valued at £22 per annum. The church, situated on the
southern bank of the Spey, was built in 1809, and will
accommodate 900 persons. There are four parochial
schools affording the usual instruction; the masters
receive each £12. 16. per annum, with fees, and the
master of the school at Advie also shares the Dick
bequest. The chief relics of antiquity are, the ruin of
the castle of Lochindorb, already mentioned, and that
of Muckerach Castle, built by Patrick Grant, about
1598. Sir James M'Grigor, Bart., the head of the
medical department of the army, was born here in 1771.—See Grantown.
Cromwell-Park
CROMWELL-PARK, a village, in the parish of
Redgorton, county of Perth; containing 124 inhabitants. It is situated on the Almond river, and is the
seat of extensive cotton-works and a bleachfield, which
employ the greater part of the population. The Almond
turns several spinning-mills near this place, and has
some fine waterfalls at short distances from the village.
Cronay
CRONAY, an isle, in the parish of Assynt, county
of Sutherland. This is a small flat islet, with a
shallow shore, lying in Oldernay bay, on the western
coast of the county, and a short distance westward of
Oldernay island.
Crook
CROOK, a hamlet, in the parish of Alves, county
of Elgin; containing 73 inhabitants.
Crook Of Devon
CROOK OF DEVON, a village, in the parish of
Fossoway and Tulliebole, county of Kinross, 5 miles
(W. N. W.) from Kinross; containing 61 inhabitants.
It is situated in the western part of the parish, and at
an angle of the Crook water, which here turns suddenly.
The vicinity is very romantic: the Devil's mill is about
a mile and a half, the Rumbling Brig two miles, and the
Cauldron Linn three miles, below the village.
Cross and Burness
CROSS and BURNESS, a parish, in the island of
Sanda, county of Orkney; containing 983 inhabitants,
of whom 515 are in Cross, and 468 in Burness. These
two ancient parishes, now united, include about onehalf of the island in which they are situated, the former
occupying the south-west, and the latter the north-west,
portion, together about nine and a half miles in length,
and from half a mile to three miles in breadth. They
are bounded on the north by the Frith of North Ronaldshay, which is about seven miles broad, and on the west
by the Atlantic Ocean. Cross comprises about 4600
acres, of which one-fourth is moorland, and nearly an
equal quantity sandy downs. Its surface is diversified
with hills, rising in some parts to an elevation of more
than 300 feet above the sea. One of these, called the
Brae of Fea, terminates on the west in an abrupt precipice, washed by the sea, and fretted by the action of the
waves into numerous fantastic caverns; it slopes gradually on the east to the margin of Ben-Loch, the declivity being richly covered with pasture, and enlivened
with a pleasing variety of field flowers. The district of
Burness, anciently St. Colmes, comprises about 2500
acres, of which a considerable portion is under profitable
cultivation. Its surface is nearly an uninterrupted
level, and, being almost surrounded by the sea, is abundantly supplied with weed for manure, and also for the
manufacture of kelp. The lands of the district are generally fertile, and in good cultivation, and the scenery is
enlivened with fields of luxuriant pasture, except near
the junction with the district of Cross, where there is
an extensive tract of barren moor. It is bounded on
the west by the Atlantic, from the violent surges of
which it is sheltered by the Holms of Ire; and on the
east by the bay of Otterswick, formerly Odinswick, by
which it is separated from the parish of Lady-Kirk.
There are several lakes of considerable extent and
depth, and one fresh-water lake, which, together with
those in the district of Cross, are frequented by a great
variety of aquatic fowl.
The substrata of the parish, in common with those of
the whole island, are principally of the old red sandstone formation, with sandstone flag and a little limestone. In Burness is an isolated mass of gneiss, about
fourteen tons in weight, resting upon the surface, and
to which there is no rock of similar formation nearer
than Stromness, about thirty miles distant. On the west
shore of Cross is a singular rock of breccia, consisting of
rounded nodules of sandstone, with a few specimens of
quartz and calcareous nodules intermixed. The bays of
Stove and Otterswick abound with shell-fish of various
kinds, particularly cockles and the razor-fish; and the
large accumulation of shells reduced to powder, and
heaped on the beach by the action of the waves, has
tended much, by intermixing with the soil, to improve
its fertility. The system of Agriculture is inferior to
that of many of the other islands of Orkney, from the
neglect it suffered during the almost general attention of
the inhabitants to the more profitable pursuit of manufacturing kelp, vast quantities of sea-weed being thrown
upon the shores. It has, however, been considerably
improved under the auspices of Mr. Laing, of Papdale,
and Mr. Traill, of Westove. The soil is well adapted
for turnips, of which large quantities are raised; and
the abundant use of weed as manure has greatly benefitted the lands, which now produce excellent oats and
bear, potatoes, grass, and various green crops. The
cattle are of the common breed, to the improvement of
which much attention is paid. The native breeds of
sheep are similar to those of Shetland and the Hebrides;
some merinos, introduced by Mr. Laing, have been
crossed with those of the Cheviot breed, and subsequently with those of the Orkneys.
The manufacture of kelp was formerly very extensive,
about 480 tons being produced annually, of a very superior quality, and readily obtaining a market at £9 per
ton; but this source of profit has been almost annihilated. As a substitute, considerable attention has been
paid to the improvement of the fisheries off the coast,
which are now conducted with activity and success.
The lobster-fishery affords employment to fourteen
boats, and fifteen sloops and boats are engaged in the
herring and cod fisheries; the average quantity of cod
cured and dried here may be stated at fourteen tons
annually. Otters are frequently seen in the caverns of
the rocks on the western coast, and large shoals of what
are called bottle-nosed whales are occasionally embayed
here. These fish, which vary from five to twenty-five
feet in length, and in numbers from fifty to five hundred,
are on their appearance surrounded by the boats, and
driven into the shallow water on the sandy shore, where
they are easily taken. The Ecclesiastical affairs are
under the superintendence of the presbytery of the North
Isles and synod of Orkney. The minister's stipend, including an allowance for communion elements, is £210,
with a manse situated in Cross, and a glebe in each of
the districts, together valued at £19 per annum; patron, the Earl of Zetland. The churches are both old
and inconvenient structures; that of Cross contains
248, and the church of Burness 262, sittings. Divine
service is performed at each on alternate Sundays.
There is a place of worship for members of the Free
Church. The parochial school is well attended; the
master has a salary of £46. 14., with a house and garden, and the fees average £10. Several of those ancient
buildings called Picts' houses are scattered along the
shores; and in Cross was formerly a small but handsome structure of stone, erected by James Fea, of Claistron, about the beginning of the last century, as a
family chapel and burying-place. This was taken down
when the property was in the possession of Malcolm
Laing, the celebrated historian of Scotland.
Cross
CROSS, or Ness, lately a quoad sacra parish, with
the island of Rona-Lewis, in the parish of Barvas,
county of Ross and Cromarty, 27 miles (N. W.) from
Stornoway; containing 1810 inhabitants. The district
is about ten miles in length, and seven in breadth, and
surrounded on all sides by the Atlantic, except on the
south, where it is bounded by Barvas and Stornoway.
It forms the most northerly part of the island of Lewis;
its shores are bold and wild. In many parts it is hilly,
abounds in lakes, and its large moors are deep and
wet: the population is employed a good deal in cod and
ling fishing. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
presbytery of Lewis and synod of Glenelg: the church,
situated about two miles from the Butt of Lewis, was
erected, in 1829, by the Parliamentary Commissioners,
and is a good and substantial, but plain edifice. The
stipend of the minister is £120, with a manse, and a
glebe of the annual value of £3; patron, the Crown.
There is a school under the General Assembly's Education
Committee, and two Gaelic schools are supported; in
the latter Gaelic alone is taught, and in the other combined with the ordinary branches of instruction. Here
are ruins of a place of worship, supposed to have been a
chapel before the Reformation.
Cross
CROSS, an isle, in the parish of Dunrossness,
county of Shetland. It lies a short distance west of
the mainland of the parish, at the entrance of Quendal
bay, and is one of the smallest of the Shetland isles.
Cross-Arthurlee
CROSS-ARTHURLEE, Renfrew.—See Arthurlee, Cross.
Crossford
CROSSFORD, a village, in the parish and district
of Dunfermline, county of Fife, 2 miles (S. W. by W.)
from Dunfermline; containing 443 inhabitants. This
village, which is situated on the road from Kincardine
to Alloa, is built on the lands of Pitferrane, the property
of Sir Charles Halket, Bart. It is small, and chiefly
inhabited by persons employed in agriculture, and in
the several works in the neighbourhood.
Crossford
CROSSFORD, a village, in the parish of Lesmahago, Upper ward of the county of Lanark, 5 miles
(N. W. by W.) from Lanark; containing 431 inhabitants.
It is in the northern part of the parish, and on the high
road from Lanark to Hamilton. The river Clyde, which
bounds the parish on the east, passes close to the village.
Crossgates
CROSSGATES, a hamlet, in the parish of Cults,
district of Cupar, county of Fife; containing 20 inhabitants.
Crossgates
CROSSGATES, a village, chiefly in the parish of
Dunfermline, but partly in that of Dalgety, district
of Dunfermline, county of Fife, 3 miles (E. by S.) from
Dunfermline; containing 646 inhabitants. This village
is situated at the junction of the parishes of Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, and Dalgety, and takes its name
from the intersection of the roads from Edinburgh to
Perth and from Dunfermline to Kirkcaldy, which cross
each other here. It is well built, containing several
neat houses, and a good inn, where an agricultural association of the neighbouring gentry hold their meetings
for the annual distribution of prizes. A post-office has
been established under that of Inverkeithing; and fairs
are held on the last Tuesday in April, the fourth Wednesday in May, the third Tuesday in July, the second
Thursday in September, and the Friday before Hallowtide. There is a place of worship for members of the
United Associate Synod.
Crosshill
CROSSHILL, a village, in the parish of Kirkmichael, district of Carrick, county of Ayr, 2¾ miles
(S. E.) from Maybole; containing 1163 inhabitants.
This village, which is pleasantly situated on the river
Girvan, has arisen within the last fifty years, and is
partly built on lands let for that purpose by the proprietor of the barony of Dalhoan. The inhabitants, of whom
a large majority are settlers from Ireland, are chiefly
employed in the cotton manufacture established by the
wholesale houses of Glasgow, who have agents residing
on the spot. A considerable number of the female
population, both here and throughout the parish, are
employed in working and flowering muslins for the
Glasgow and Paisley manufacturers, and their work is
much admired for its elegance. A chapel of ease has
been erected; it is a neat and substantial edifice, adapted
for a congregation of more than 450, and is so arranged
as to admit of future enlargement by the addition of
galleries when requisite. A spacious schoolroom was
erected in the village by a former proprietor, for the
instruction of the children of this part of the parish,
and in addition to the use of the schoolroom, the
master till recently received £3. 10. from the heritors.
This school has lately been taken into connexion with
the schools of the General Assembly.
Crosshill
CROSSHILL, lately a quoad sacra parish, in the
parish of Old Monkland, Middle ward of the county
of Lanark, 4½ miles (E. by S.) from Glasgow; containing, with the villages of Baillieston, Barachnie, Craigend,
West Merrystone, and Swinton, 2591 inhabitants. This
district is, for the most part, beautifully situated, the
land rising considerably above the vale of the Clyde, and
commanding, on the south, an interesting view of all
the hills and heights from the western shore to the
ridge of Tinto on the east, and on the north from BenLomond all along the Campsie and Kilsyth hills. It is
about eighteen square miles in extent, the whole under
cultivation, with the exception of a few acres of plantation. The soil is chiefly sandy, but towards the north
of a stiff clayey nature, and the farms have been latterly
very much improved by tile-draining: the average rent
is now about £2. 5. per acre. The freestone and coal
formations prevail, and there are seven coal-mines, of
which six are at present in operation. The road between
Glasgow and Edinburgh, and the Monkland canal, pass
through the parish, the latter affording great facilities
for the conveyance of coal to Glasgow, and of manure
and other heavy articles to the farmers along the whole
of its line, on which are also boats for passengers.
Among the chief mansions are Mount Vernon, Blairtummock, Easterhouse, Baillieston House, and Garrowhill, the last the residence for some time of a former
Duchess of Atholl. The ecclesiastical affairs are under
the presbytery of Hamilton and synod of Glasgow and
Ayr: the church was erected in 1833, by subscriptions
from the neighbouring heritors, aided by £50 from the
university of Glasgow, and is a neat plain edifice, with a
belfry, and contains 494 sittings, of which twenty-six
are free. The stipend of the minister is £70, raised by
seat-rents; patrons, the Subscribers and Pew-holders.
The United Secession had a place of worship here for
several years, but it has been converted into dwelling-houses. There are schools connected with some of the
coal-works; and of two other schools, one is aided
by the heritors of Old Monkland and the congregation
of Crosshill, and the master of the other has a free
house, school-house, and garden.
Crosshill
CROSSHILL, a village, in the parish of Cathcart,
Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 2 miles (S.)
from Glasgow; containing 63 inhabitants. It lies in
the northern part of the parish, and on the eastern confines of the county: the road from Glasgow to Cathcart
runs a short distance westward of the village. There
is a valuable quarry of freestone, which is extensively
wrought for the erection of buildings in Glasgow.
Crosshouse
CROSSHOUSE, a village, in the parish of Kilmaurs, district of Cunninghame, county of Ayr, 2½
miles (W. by N.) from Kilmarnock; containing 255 inhabitants. This place is situated on the western side
of the Carmel water, and on the roads between Irvine
and Kilmarnock, and Dundonald and Kilmaurs, which
here form a junction. In the village is a small school,
of which the master is allowed £6 per annum and a
dwelling by the heritors.
Crosslee
CROSSLEE, a village, in the parish of Houston,
Upper ward of the county of Renefrew, ½ a mile (S. by
E.) from Houston; containing 711 inhabitants. This
village is in the southernmost extremity of the parish,
and on the banks of the Gryfe water, which is here very
devious in its course. It is a seat of the cotton manufacture, and there is an extensive mill, which employs a
great part of the population. In the vicinity is Crosslee House. A school has been established for the use
of the work-people and their children.
Crossmichael
CROSSMICHAEL, a parish, in the stewartry of
Kirkcudbright; containing, with the village of Clarebrand, 1321 inhabitants, of whom 222 are in the village
of Crossmichael, 3½ miles (N.) from Castle-Douglas.
This place, which is of remote antiquity, derives its
name, in old documents Corse-Michael, from the dedication of its church, which was granted to the abbey
of Sweetheart, in the year 1275, by Dervorgille, wife
of Allan, Lord of Galloway, and mother of John
Baliol, King of Scotland. The parish is situated nearly
in the centre of the stewartry, and is bounded on the
east by the river Urr, and on the west by the Dee.
It is about four miles and a half in length, and nearly
three and a half in breadth, comprising 9700 acres,
which, with the exception of a few acres of woodland
and plantations, and a small proportion of pasture, are
all arable.
The Surface is beautifully diversified. The lands
along the banks of the Dee form part of an extensive
valley in rich cultivation; but, both from the Dee
on the west, and the Urr on the east, the ground rises
gradually, towards the centre, into a ridge of which the
acclivities are marked with gentle undulations, all
arable. Towards the north-east, are several hills affording only pasture for sheep and cattle, and of which
some have been planted with larch, adding greatly
to the beauty of the scenery. There are three lakes
in the parish, of which Loch Roan, situated in the
highest district, is about fifty acres in extent, and of
very considerable depth; there are two outlets from it.
Loch Encrogo, in which are two small islands, where
sea-gulls formerly built their nests, is smaller than
Loch Roan; and if the water were not necessary for
driving a corn-mill, it might easily be drained. Loch
Smaddy is still smaller in extent. All these lakes
abound with trout, perch, pike, and eels.
The soil is partly a fertile loam alternated with
gravel and sand, producing favourable crops of grain
of all kinds, with potatoes and turnips; and the pastures are luxuriantly rich. The system of agriculture
is improved, and some of the lands have been drained,
though much still remains to be done in that respect.
The cattle are generally of the Galloway breed; the
cows upon the dairy-farms are the Ayrshire: large
numbers of sheep are fed. The rateable annual value
of the parish is £8827. The plantations, which are
well managed, and in a thriving condition, are chiefly
larch. The substrata are mostly greywacke and slate.
The seats are, Greenlaw, Mollance, Danevale, Hillowton,
Cullgruff, and Ernespie. The village of Crossmichael
has a branch post-office under that of Castle-Douglas;
and facility of communication is afforded by good roads,
of which those from Kirkcudbright to Ayr, and from
Dumfries to Portpatrick, pass through the parish.
There is a bridge over the Dee at Glenlochar; also a
ferry, nearly opposite the manse.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Kirkcudbright and synod
of Galloway. The minister's stipend is £269. 15., with
a manse, and a glebe valued at £28 per annum; patron,
Mrs. Gauld. The church, situated in the western portion of the parish, is a plain structure erected in 1751;
it has been frequently repaired, and contains 650
sittings. There is a place of worship for members of
the Relief Synod. Two parochial schools are supported; the master of one has a salary of £31, with a
house and garden, and the fees average £30. The
other school was built, and endowed with £11 per annum, by William Gordon, Esq., in addition to which
the master has a salary of £20, with a house and
garden, but no fees. There is also a parochial library.
The parish formerly contained numerous tumuli, in
which were found human bones of large size; and there
are still several remains of ancient forts. Roman urns
and weapons have been discovered by the plough;
also, the head of a war-horse in bronze, and other
Roman relies. On a steep crag overhanging Loch Roan,
are some remains of a hill fortress still called the Kirk
of Loch Roan.
Crossmill
CROSSMILL, a village, in the Abbey parish of the
town of Paisley, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew; forming part of the late quoad sacra parish of
Levern, and containing 265 inhabitants.
Crossmyloof
CROSSMYLOOF, a village, in the parish of Cathcart, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 2½ miles
(S. S. W.) from Glasgow; containing 587 inhabitants.
It is situated on the road from Glasgow to Pollockshaws, and a short distance north-eastward of the latter
town; the Whitecart water passes in the vicinity, on
the south. There is a small dissenters' school.
Crovie
CROVIE, a village, in the parish of Gamrie, county
of Banff, 6 miles (W. by N.) from Aberdour; containing 164 inhabitants. This is a small fishing-station,
situated on the coast of the Moray Frith, about a
mile to the east of the village of Gardenstown, and is
supposed to have been founded in the early part of
the last century. Nine boats belonging to it are engaged in fishing for haddock, whiting, and other small
fish, which produce as much as £1215 per annum; and
a revenue of nearly £400 per annum is obtained from
cod and ling.
Croy and Dalcross
CROY and DALCROSS, a parish, partly in the county
of Nairn, but chiefly in that of Inverness, 7 miles
(S. W.) from Nairn; containing 1684 inhabitants. The
etymology of the name of Croy is altogether uncertain:
the word Dalcross is derived from a Gaelic term signifying "the dale at the end of the ravine," and this
description is strikingly applicable to the locality. The
date of the union of the two ancient parishes cannot
now be ascertained; but upon the authority of charters still extant, the event appears to have taken place
some time between the middle and the close of the 15th
century. In the year 1128, Dalcross, which anciently
formed part of the lordship of Lovat, was annexed to
the priory of Urquhart, founded in 1125 by David I.,
and the vicar of Dalcross, by order of the prior, also
officiated in the private chapel of Kilravock. A large
part of the moor of Culloden is situated in the parish:
here was fought, on the 16th April, 1746, the celebrated
battle which decided the fate of the Stuarts. The
parish, the outline of which is of the most irregular description, is about twenty-one miles in length, and three
and a half miles in average breadth, and comprises 44,800
acres. The surface partly consists of a long continuous
vale, watered by the river Nairn, and the lands of
which are in some places wooded, and in others rich
and well cultivated; and an extensive tract of upland
moor reaches from the river to the north and north-western boundaries, and is here and there interspersed
with cultivated portions, but is in general bleak and
barren, and of wild appearance.
The soil on the southern bank of the river is light
and gravelly, but, if well farmed, fertile; in the eastern
part of the parish, it comprises all the varieties of sand,
lime, fine vegetable mould, and cold and wet, and
sometimes ferruginous, earth. In the centre of the
district, it is a very fine mould; and between this and
the western portion called Leys, is the moor, covering
about 1700 acres, the soil of which exhibits sand, lime,
and clay, with various admixtures. The Leys district
is chiefly a siliceous or gravelly earth incumbent on red
sandstone. The general husbandry is improved, but
the old system is still partly followed, to the exclusion
of many modern improvements. Some of the larger
proprietors have set an example to the tenants, in
the erection of inclosures, and the reclaiming of large
tracts of waste ground, which have been sheltered with
belts of plantations, and are so well cultivated as to
produce fine crops of wheat, oats, and barley. The
rateable annual value of the parish is £3917. The
rocks comprise granite, gneiss, and the old red sandstone: several quarries of the last are in operation.
Some of the trees of the plantations are of great age
and stature, and 400 acres have been lately set apart
for larch, oak, and other wood, in addition to the extensive plantations already existing. The castle of Kilravock, situated upon a bold rugged rock, and the
residence of the Roses since the year 1460, is the property of Hugh Rose, Esq., the chief, and the twenty-fourth in lineal descent. Dalcross Castle, built by
Lord Lovat in 1621, stands in the midst of imposing
scenery, and commands extensive views of the most
interesting character: Leys Castle, recently built, is a
strikingly beautiful edifice, and also commands views
embracing every description of picturesque scenery.
The mansion of Holm is an elegant modern structure,
situated on the banks of the Nairn; and that of Cantray, also a modern edifice, is nearly encompassed on
the south by the same river. A market is held for the
sale of cattle and sheep, on the Saturday immediately
following the great Beauly market. The parish is in
the presbytery of Nairn and synod of Moray, and in the
patronage of Earl Cawdor and Mr. Rose, who present
alternately; the minister's stipend is £239, with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £11 per annum. The
remains of Dalcross church have almost disappeared:
the present parish church, containing sittings for 527
persons, was built in 1767, and repaired in 1829.
The parochial school affords instruction in the usual
branches; the master has the maximum salary, with a
house, and about £20 fees. The parish contains several
Druidical circles; and to the west of the church is
a large grey stone called Clach na Seanaish, or the
listening stone, at which, in ancient times, secret communications were made relating to the movements and
designs of hostile clans.
Cruden
CRUDEN, or Invercruden, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 7 miles (S. S. W.)
from Peterhead; containing, with the villages of Finnyfold or Whinnie-Fauld, Bullers-Buchan, and the Ward,
2349 inhabitants. This place was the scene of a memorable battle fought in the year 1005, upon a plain near
the bay of Ardendraught, between Malcolm II. and the
Danes under Canute, in which the latter, who had a
castle in the neighbourhood, were totally defeated. The
parish is situated on the shore of the German Ocean,
and is eleven miles in length, and varies in breadth from
four to seven miles, comprising mostly cultivated land.
The sea forms the southern boundary, and the coast
is marked by bold and lofty rocks of red granite, from
the east end to Slains Castle, close to which is the Ward,
a small fishing village affording occasionally a landing
place for coal and lime. Beyond this, to Sand End, a
distance of about two miles, stretches a fine sandy beach
called the Bay of Cruden, from the south extremity of
which runs a ridge of sunken rocks named the Scares
of Cruden; and from this place the shore is exceedingly
abrupt and majestic all along the south, the rocks consisting of black basalts. The climate is bleak; and
when the wind is high the grandeur of the ocean is so
striking that Dr. Johnson, who visited this spot in his
celebrated tour, declared that Slains Castle was the
place from which he should wish to behold a storm.
Husbandry is on a respectable footing, great improvements having been made, especially in draining; and
the farmers, who have in general commodious houses,
live comfortably. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £8792. Quarries of red granite were in operation some time since, and supplied a material for
several of the London bridges; but they have all been
closed. Very little wood is to be seen, and this is
chiefly in the vicinity of Slains Castle, a remarkably
strong edifice, built on the margin of the sea, and the
residence for generations of the earls of Erroll. A carding and spinning mill was lately erected on the estate
of Aquaharney, and is on a somewhat extensive scale:
the thread manufactories formerly employing so many
hands have become totally extinct. The parish, which
has a post-office, is situated on the public road between
Aberdeen and Peterhead, and to the latter place and
Newburgh the produce is sent for sale, except that part
of the cattle disposed of at various other markets. A
small cattle-fair is held in April, and another in May;
and some business is done in the sale of fish, a salmon-fishery being in operation near Ward, and there being
stations at the other villages for the fish common to
the coast. The parish is in the presbytery of Ellon and
synod of Aberdeen, and in the patronage of the Earl of
Erroll; the minister's stipend is £204, with a manse,
and a glebe of six acres of arable land and pasturage
ground. The church was built in 1776, and lately enlarged. A place of worship has been recently erected
in connexion with the Free Church, and there is also an
episcopal chapel. The parochial school affords instruction in the usual branches; the master has a salary of
£26, with £18 fees, and also participates in the Dick
bequest. A parochial library was established a few
years since.
Cuffabout
CUFFABOUT, a hamlet, in the parish of Carriden,
county of Linlithgow; containing 16 inhabitants.
This is a very small place, situated on the shore of the
Frith of Forth, a short distance east-south-east of Bridgeness, and close to the parochial church.
Culbokie
CULBOKIE, a village, in the parish of Urquhart
and Wester Logie, county of Ross and Cromarty;
containing 107 inhabitants. It is situated a short distance eastward from the shore of the Frith of Cromarty,
and about two miles and a half east-north-east from
Dingwall. Four fairs are holden in the course of the
year.
Culcaboch
CULCABOCH, a village, in the parish and county
of Inverness, 1 mile (S. E.) from Inverness; containing 279 inhabitants. This village, which is pleasantly
situated to the west of the Castle Hill, is inhabited
chiefly by persons employed in agriculture, and by a
few wrights and masons.
Cullen
CULLEN, a burgh, seaport, and parish, in the
county of Banff, 5 miles
(W. by N.) from Portsoy,
and 170 (N. by E.) from
Edinburgh; containing 1564
inhabitants, of whom 712 are
in the town of Cullen, 711 in
the sea-town of Cullen, and
141 in the rural district.
This place, the origin of the
name of which is altogether
uncertain, was originally
called Inverculan, being bounded on the north and west
by the water of Cullen, which falls into the sea on the
western side of the parish; and in ancient times it
formed part of the parish of Fordyce. Its early history
is for the most part involved in obscurity; but there
appears to be no reason to doubt the truth of the tradition, that a severe conflict took place here between the
Danes and the Scots under Indulfus, in the year 960.
The king was killed by an arrow at the head of his
troops; but the enemy were completely routed, and
this battle is supposed to have been among the last
fought with the Danes before their expulsion from the
kingdom in the beginning of the eleventh century. It
is known by the name of "the battle of the Baads," on
account of the field of action, which was the moor of
Rannachie, being called the Baads of Cullen; tumuli
abound in every direction, and the decayed bones and
fragments of arms contained in them are concluded to
be the deposits of the remains of the defeated army.
The lands have, from a remote period, been the property
of the ancestors of the Earl of Seafield, the present proprietor, who traces his descent from Gilchrist Ogilvie,
created Earl of Angus by King Malcolm Canmore. A
bede-house was erected, most probably by one of this
family, and endowed for the support of eight decayed
farmers and eight farmers widows; but the hospital
system was abolished about sixty years since, and the
funds are now applied by the Earl of Seafield, who has
the management, to the distribution of meal to poor
families belonging to his estates in the parishes of
Cullen, Rathven, Deskford, and Fordyce. The church
of Cullen, originally dedicated to St. Mary, was founded
by Robert I., whose queen, Elizabeth, is supposed to
have been buried in it, and who appointed a chaplain,
with an endowment, to offer up prayers for her soul.
It had a provost, six prebendaries, and two singing
boys, whose offices were founded in 1543, by one of the
Ogilvies, aided by several eminent persons of both the
clergy and laity: the foundation was endowed with considerable property and many privileges, and was subsequently confirmed by William, Bishop of Aberdeen,
and John, Archbishop of St. Andrew's. The town was
much exposed in turbulent times to the violence of
party commotions. It was repeatedly plundered by the
Marquess of Montrose, and on one occasion, in May,
1645, he sent troops to the place, who first plundered
it of every thing valuable, and then burnt it to the
ground.
Burgh Seal.
The town is situated on the coast of the Moray Frith,
and consists of two parts, entirely separated, called respectively the New-town, and the Sea or Fish town.
The former of these received its distinguishing appellation from its recent erection in place of the old town,
which was meanly built, and entirely demolished about
the year 1822, to make room for the improvements of
Cullen House. It stands nearer to the sea than the old
town, being close to the eastern extremity of the Seatown, and is on a much higher site. There are many
good houses, regularly and tastefully disposed; and it
has altogether a neat and interesting appearance, and
forms a striking contrast to the miscellaneous collection
of fishermen's tenements below, constituting the Seatown. All the buildings contemplated in the plan are
not yet completed; but the favourable situation of
the place for fishing and agricultural occupations, and
the agreeable character of the surrounding district,
afford every promise of future advancement. Its contiguity to the beautiful bay of Cullen, and the picturesque grounds of Cullen House, with the traffic of the
post-road from Banff to Fochabers, which runs through
it, invest the immediate locality with a lively and pleasing appearance, while the highly diversified scenery
around, comprising hill and dale, wood and water, with
well cultivated fields, and the precipitous and majestic
rocks along the shore, unite to render the environs attractive. Some of the eminences command fine views
of the sea, enlivened with trading vessels and fishingboats, with the lofty headland of Scarnose at the western
extremity of the bay, and the Castle hill, the site of an
old fortification, overhanging the Sea-town; and over
the Frith, in the distance, are seen the sable mountains
of Sutherland and Caithness. The Bin hill, bordering
upon the parish, and rising 1076 feet above the sea, and
which is planted with trees of various kinds, is also
a prominent object in the surrounding scenery, and
affords an excellent landmark to mariners. The town
contains numerous good shops, and has every convenience calculated to render it a desirable place of residence: many of the houses are lighted with gas, supplied by a company established in 1841, with a capital
of £1000. Among the public buildings the most conspicuous is the hotel, erected in 1822, at a cost of
£3000, by the Earl of Seafield. It is situated in the
public square, and has attached to it an elegant ballroom, forty-three feet long and twenty-three broad; a
spacious room in which the sheriff and justice-of-peace
courts are held; and the council-room of the burgh, an
elegant circular apartment, twenty-three feet in diameter
and sixteen feet high.
The inhabitants were formerly much engaged in
manufactures. In 1748, the Earl of Findlater and Seafield introduced the manufacture of linen, and subsequently sixty-five looms were constantly at work, some
of them for weaving damask, besides seven stocking-looms. In addition to this, a great number of webs
were given out to be woven by country people in their
own houses; but these sources of employment have
now all ceased, and the inhabitants are almost exclusively occupied in agriculture and fishing. There are
about thirty boats belonging to the place which are engaged in fishing for cod, skate, ling, and haddocks: the
herring-fishery, on account of some recent failures in
the quantity of fish, has been given up, and the men
and their boats are hired every season by the curers
at Wick, Macduff, Fraserburgh, and Peterhead. The
average annual value of the several fisheries carried on
in the bay is £7543, including £750 for the salmon-fishery. About twenty persons are employed in boat-building, and complete above forty boats each year;
and recently, five vessels, varying in burthen from 40
to 110 tons, have been built here in three years. The
harbour, which is small but convenient, was constructed
by the Earl of Seafield in 1817, and enlarged in 1834
by an additional quay, the cost of the whole work
having amounted to more than £10,000; the water at
neap tides is eight feet and a half deep, and twelve feet
at spring tides. There are four vessels belonging to the
port of from 40 to 100 tons each, the aggregate burthen being 270 tons. Coal, salt, staves, and barley for
distillation, constitute the chief imports; and the exports are, herrings, dried-fish, timber, oats, and potatoes. A distillery was erected in 1824, and considerably
enlarged in 1828; it produces annually upwards of
25,000 gallons of proof spirits, and on the water of
Cullen are a lint-mill, a saw-mill, and a meal-mill.
Steam-boats plying between Inverness and Leith visit
the bay. A weekly market is held for the sale of grain
during the spring months; and there are fairs, principally for the hiring of servants, on the third Friday in
May, the second Friday in November, and the 7th of
January. Cullen is a royal burgh of considerable antiquity, as appears from a charter of James I., dated
1455, ratifying one of Robert I., by which the usual
liberties and privileges had been granted. It was at
one time a constabulary, of which the Earl of Findlater
was hereditary constable, by virtue of an ancient right;
but the council now consists of a provost, three bailies,
a dean of guild, treasurer, and thirteen others, the jurisdiction extending over a district of about three miles
from east to west, and two from north to south. The
parliamentary boundaries are much less extensive than
those of the royalty: the burgh is united with Elgin,
Banff, Inverury, Peterhead, and Kintore, in sending a
member, and of the constituency of the whole thirty-eight belong to Cullen. A sheriff small-debt court, for
sums not exceeding £8. 6. 8., is held on the second
Thursday in February, June, and October; and a justice-of-peace court on the first Tuesday in every month,
for sums not exceeding £5. A lock-up house containing
three apartments is used for the punishment of delinquents, and for the custody of persons to be afterwards
sent to the county gaol.
The parish is about a mile and a half in length,
from north to south, and one mile in breadth, and comprises 684 acres, of which 34 are occupied as the site
of the town, 425 are arable, 110 park grounds belonging to Cullen House, and the remainder waste pasturage and moor, along the sea-shore. The land in general
is of superior quality, and consists of a rich loam, incumbent on clay or gravel, and yielding crops of wheat,
barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips; the soil on the
higher grounds is thin, resting on gravel, but tolerably
productive, and most of the land owes its abundant
returns, in a great measure, to the profusion of fishrefuse applied as manure. About 200 acres of land are
let to the inhabitants of the town, in small allotments,
each being sufficient for the support of a cow. The
towns-people usually keep the Banffshire cows; the
cattle on the farms are mostly a cross between the
Banffshire and Teeswater: the sheep are chiefly of the
Cheviot kind. The rateable annual value of the parish
is £2243. Cullen House, situated at a small distance
from the town, is an ancient structure with many splendid apartments, elegantly furnished, and is embosomed
in plantations covering about thirty acres, and comprising all the trees, both useful and ornamental, found
in the country. At the base of the rock on which the
mansion stands, flows the water of Cullen, here crossed
by a stone bridge of one arch; and the numerous winding walks and drives also contribute to the beautifully
picturesque appearance of the pleasure-grounds. The
parish is in the presbytery of Fordyce and synod of
Aberdeen, and in the patronage of the Earl of Seafield.
The minister's stipend is £156, of which about a fourth
is received from the exchequer, with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £27 per annum. The church, accommodating 800 persons, is a cruciform structure of great
antiquity, but still in very good condition. It is situated in the centre of the old burial-ground, nearly encompassed by the lands of Cullen House; and the interior contains many elegant monuments to members
of the Findlater and Seafield family who were buried
here. A portion of the parish of Rathven has long been
attached to Cullen quod sacra, and a church was
erected in that district in 1839, chiefly by the assistance
of the Earl of Seafield. A place of worship has been
erected in connexion with the Free Church. The parochial or grammar school affords instruction in the usual
branches; the master has a salary of £36, with a house
and garden, between £10 and £15 fees, and a share in
the Dick bequest. A parochial library was established
in 1830.
Cullicudden
CULLICUDDEN, Ross and Cromarty.—See Kirkmichael and Cullicudden.