Govan
GOVAN, a parish, chiefly in the Lower ward of the
county of Lanark, but partly in the Upper ward of the
county of Renfrew; including the village of Strathbungo, and the late quoad sacra district of Partick; and
containing 7810 inhabitants, of whom 2474 are in the
village of Govan, 2 miles (N. W.) from Glasgow. The
name of this parish is generally supposed to have been
derived from the two Saxon words god and win, "good
wine," applied on account of the superior ale for which
the place was celebrated, and which, after being kept
for several years, approached in flavour to wine. Some,
however, derive it from the Gaelic word gamham, pronounced gavan, and signifying "a ditch," used in reference to the river Clyde, which runs through the parish,
and which, in ancient times, was a very narrow stream.
The most remote historical information relating to
Govan is connected with the removal of Constantine,
King of Cornwall, into Scotland: that prince is said to
have come from Ireland, after resigning his crown,
among the followers of St. Columba, in the year 565,
and to have founded a monastery here, of which he
became the first abbot. He is supposed to have been
martyred by the inhabitants of Cantyre, who thus resisted his attempts to convert them to Christianity, and
afterwards to have been buried in his own monastery.
Many of the estates of the parish were, in early times,
successively made over as gifts to the church. David I.
gave the lands of Govan to the church of St. Kentigern,
otherwise called St. Mungo, at Glasgow; and in 1136,
when present at the consecration of the cathedral of
that city, he bestowed a part of the estate of Partick,
and subsequently another portion of the same lands, on
the see.
These grants, with many others, were confirmed by
the bulls of several popes; and Bishop John, who filled
the episcopal chair for thirty-two years, made Govan a
prebend of Glasgow, the emoluments of which were
increased by Herbert, chancellor of Scotland, who presided as Bishop of Glasgow till 1164. The lands were
consequently long held by tenants under the bishops
and archbishops; but at the Reformation, Walter,
commendator of Blantyre, was commissioned to feu
the estates, that the tenants, becoming heritable possessors of their several properties, might be encouraged
to improve them to the utmost. In 1595, the landholders united in procuring a charter, to confirm this
privilege, from James VI.; and from that time the
crown became lessor. Afterwards, the college of Glasgow obtained leases of the lands from the crown, and
continued to hold them for upwards of a century, to
the year 1825, when, in lieu of the leases, a grant was
made to the establishment of an annuity of £800, for
fourteen years, by George IV. The heritors still pay
feu duties to the crown, as coming in place of the archbishops. But the parish is not remarkable solely on
account of its ecclesiastical history: as containing the
Muir of Govan, it was in ancient times the scene of
several important political and military transactions.
That this was the case, is evident from the circumstance
that the lords who had confederated together in defence
of the Protestant religion, after the treaty between the
queen regent and the Protestants, at Leith, on July
24th, 1559, suspecting her integrity, resolved to have a
meeting with "their kin and friends, upon Govan Muir,
beside Glasgow," for the purpose of providing for exigencies. This meeting, however, the queen regent, by the
exercise of no common address, contrived successfully
to prevent. The moor, also, is famed for the defeat of
Queen Mary's army after her escape from the castle of
Lochleven.
The parish is about five miles long, and from two to
three miles broad. The lands of Haggs, Titwood, and
Shields belong to the county of Renfrew: the remainder
of Govan is bounded on the north by the parishes of
New Kilpatrick, Barony, and Glasgow; by Cathcart,
Eastwood, and the Abbey parish of Paisley, in Renfrewshire, on the south; on the east by Barony, Gorbals,
and Rutherglen; and on the west by Renfrew parish.
The surface is diversified by gentle undulations and
acclivities, the extensive and fertile plain in the centre
of the parish being succeeded on each side by gradually
rising grounds; and the fields are defined by wellgrown hedges, which, with the Clyde, and the numerous
and beautiful villas in different directions, constitute an
assemblage of very agreeable and interesting scenery.
The Clyde, after being joined by the Kelvin, runs
through the centre of the parish, and, though anciently
rather a narrow stream, is now a channel for ships of
600 tons' burthen, conveying stores from every part of
the world into the harbour of Glasgow. The soil in
general is of good quality, and produces fine crops of
grain, as well as of the best potatoes and turnips. The
five years' rotation is followed; and the ground is
largely supplied with manure from Glasgow, to which
it is chiefly indebted for its fertility: wheat and oats
are the chief grain, and are grown in considerable quantities. Many improvements have been made, in remoter
as well as more recent times, in the agricultural character of the district; and the celebrated moor, depicted
in song as "the carpet of purple heath," now consists
of a number of well-inclosed fields, bearing, year after
year, as luxuriant crops as are any where to be met
with. Similar changes have been effected in other
parts, especially about Moss House and Heathery Hall.
At White-Inch, the low ground along the north side of
the Clyde has been recently enriched, and elevated to a
height of from ten to fifteen feet, by soil obtained from
the deepening and widening of the river, in consequence
of which the worth of the land has been nearly doubled.
The rateable annual value of Govan is £30,070.
The subterraneius contents of the parish are
chiefly coal, with the strata peculiar to that formation.
Several pits are regularly worked, in one of which, at
Bellahoustown, on the south of the river, a portion of
the layers consists of parrot or cannel coal, which sells
at a high price for the purpose of being converted into
gas. At Jordanhill and Cartnavel, about fifty fathoms
beneath the surface, are sixteen beds of coal, some of
them two feet thick, and part being, like the parrot
coal, of the finest quality for making gas. Above the
gas-coal, as well as at a lower depth, are numerous
seams of ironstone, which vary in thickness from five to
twelve inches, and are of excellent quality. The collieries of Govan, forming part of the well-known Glasgow coal-fields, have been long wrought; and it is
supposed that, beneath the seven principal seams now
open, lie others, which will afford a plentiful supply if
at any time those at present being worked should be
exhausted. The surface just above the coal is composed,
in general, of diluvial matter, containing rolled stones,
over which are deposits of sand, fine clay, and marine
shells. A number of fossil trees were discovered a few
years ago at Balgray, standing close to each other in
their natural position, though two feet only of the
trunks were found attached to the roots.
The population of the parish, which has very considerably increased of late years, from the growing prosperity of Glasgow, is chiefly employed in agriculture
and Manufactures, and a large number in coal-pits
and quarries. In the village of Govan are 340 handloom weavers; a dye-work employs 118 hands; and at
a small distance from the village is a factory for throwing silk, erected in 1824, and which affords occupation
to about 250 persons. Near Port-Eglinton is a carpet
manufactory, established several years ago, in which
554 persons are engaged; and various other concerns
are carried on in different parts, chiefly connected with
the cotton manufacture. In the neighbourhood of the
collieries are iron-works, containing several blast-furnaces, which produce many hundred tons of pig-iron
annually; and near these, a bar-iron manufactory, belonging to the same proprietor, has been constructed,
producing upwards of 400 tons weekly. There is a
fishery for salmon on the Clyde, the rent of which was
formerly £326; but it has fallen, since 1812, to £60
per annum, in consequence of the erection of the numerous manufactories on the banks of the river. In
the villages of Govan and Partick are penny-posts, which
communicate with Glasgow twice each day. Four great
roads pass through the parish, one of which runs from
Glasgow to Paisley; another leads to Kilmarnock and
Ayr; the third to Port-Glasgow and Greenock, through
Renfrew; and the fourth to the West Highlands by the
town of Dumbarton. The Glasgow and Johnstone canal
also intersects the parish, and a branch of the Forth
and Clyde canal touches its northern boundary. A
boat, capable of conveying horses and carriages, plies
upon the ferry that connects the two parts of the parish
at the village of Govan: all steam-boats, also, except
those of the largest class, land and take in passengers
here. The Pollock and Govan railway joins the mineral
fields on the south-east of Glasgow, with that city and
the harbour; and the Greenock and Ayr railroad runs
for about three miles through the parish of Govan.
The ecclesiastical affairs are subject to the presbytery of Glasgow and synod of Glasgow and Ayr. The
temporal immunities of the church came, at the time of
the Reformation, into the possession of the college of
Glasgow. The Regent Morton had offered the benefice
to his uncle, Andrew Melville, principal of the college,
on condition that he would not press his views of ecclesiastical polity; but this compromise being refused by
Melville, the regent conveyed the temporalities to the
college, devolving upon the principal the obligation of
serving the cure; and since that time the university
has held the patronage. The stipend of the minister
is £315, with a good manse, standing near the church,
and a glebe of seven acres, valued at £25 per annum.
The church, situated at the west end of the village of
Govan, and about 100 yards from the Clyde, was built in
1826, and is a plain structure containing 1096 sittings:
the design of the tower and spire was taken from the
church of Stratford-upon-Avon, in England. The churchyard is raised several feet above the level of the adjacent
ground, and is surrounded by a double row of venerable
elms. There are places of worship belonging to the Free
Church, United Secession, Relief Church, and Roman
Catholics. The parochial school is situated in the village of Govan; the master has the maximum salary,
with £1. 13. 4. from Glasgow college, £1. 19. accruing
from an ancient bequest of Lamb Hill, and £36 arising
from a sum of £200, left by Mr. Abram Hill, in 1757.
Mr. Hill was educated in the school as a poor orphan,
and his gift was invested in ten acres of land, now producing the above sum, for which ten children are taught
gratuitously: the master has also £18 fees, a good
house, and an allowance in lieu of a garden. An infant
school was instituted at Partick, in 1837, on a very
extensive scale; and other schools are supported in different parts of the parish. There is a good parochial
library, under the management of the trustees of Mrs.
Thorm, its founder, and containing above 600 volumes;
also a savings' bank, and several friendly societies.
The ruins of the once celebrated Hospital of Polmadie
were, at the close of the last century, among the most
interesting Antiquities of the parish. This hospital
was built at a very remote period, for the reception of
persons of both sexes to be maintained for life; and
was dedicated to St. John. The church and temporalities of Strathblane were early annexed to it, with
part of the lands of Little Govan; and these possessions, with many important privileges, were confirmed
to the establishment by Alexander III., Robert Bruce,
and several others. In the year 1427, Bishop Cameron,
with the consent of the chapter, erected the hospital,
and the church of Strathblane, into a prebend, with a
provision that the person collated to the office should
support a vicar in the parish of Strathblane, and pay
four choristers to sing in the cathedral. St. Ninian's
Hospital, founded by Lady Lochow, in the fourteenth
century, for the reception of persons afflicted with
leprosy, partly occupied a piece of ground called St.
Ninian's croft, where Hutchesonton, formerly within this
parish, but now in Gorbals, at present stands; and close
to its site, a number of human bones were not long
since found, pointing out the locality, as is supposed, of
the lepers' churchyard. On the south of the Clyde,
opposite the ferry-house, is an ancient circular hill,
thought to have been the sepulchre of some celebrated
hero; and in another part of the parish is the picturesque
ruin of Hagg's Castle, built in 1585, by an ancestor of
Sir John Maxwell, of Pollock.—See Gorbals.
Gowan-Bank
GOWAN-BANK, a hamlet, in the parish of St.
Vigean's, county of Forfar; containing 72 inhabitants.
Gowkhall
GOWKHALL, a village, in the parish of Carnock,
district of Dunfermline, county of Fife, 1 mile (E.)
from Carnock; containing 196 inhabitants. It is situated in the eastern part of the parish, a short distance
north of the high road from Dunfermline to Carnock;
and is one of three villages of which the population is
chiefly engaged in manufactures.
Gowkshill
GOWKSHILL, a village, in the parish of Cockpen, county of Edinburgh; containing 219 inhabitants.
Gilemsay Isle
GILEMSAY ISLE, in the parish of Hoy, county of
Orkney; containing 214 inhabitants. It is one of the
Orkney group, and lies about a mile and a half south
from Stromness; in length it is nearly two miles, and in
breadth one. The whole of the island is level, and is
either cultivated for the production of grain, or suffered
to remain in old grass for the pasturage of sheep and
cattle. Through almost its whole extent runs a bed of
schistus, or slate, used for the covering of houses. The
inhabitants excel in fishing. The principal disadvantage
under which they labour, is the scarcity of fuel. Græmsay was formerly a vicarage, but is now united to Hoy,
which see.
Grahamston
GRAHAMSTON, a village, in the parish of Falkirk, county of Stirling, 1 mile (N.) from Falkirk.
This village derives its name from Sir John the Graham,
who was killed here in the battle which Wallace fought
with Edward I. in 1298. It forms part of the suburbs
of Falkirk, and is included within the burgh, and situated on the south bank of the Forth and Clyde canal,
over which is a drawbridge, connecting it with Bainsford. The houses are handsomely built, chiefly of
stone, and of modern appearance; and there are numerous shops, stored with various kinds of merchandise.
The labouring portion of the inhabitants are chiefly
employed in the Falkirk iron-works, and in those of the
Carron Company. From its situation on the canal, the
place carries on a considerable trade in timber and in
grain; and numerous vessels arrive here with dried fish
for the market of Falkirk, where it finds a ready sale.
A post office, subordinate to that of Falkirk, has been
established; and there are several schools in the village.
Grahamstown
GRAHAMSTOWN, a village, in the parish of Neilston, Upper ward of the county of Renfrew, 3 miles
(S. S. E.) from Paisley; containing 706 inhabitants.
This village, like many others in the parish, is indebted
for its origin to the introduction of the cotton manufacture into this district about the year 1790, and to the
erection of an extensive spinning-mill in 1801, by Mr.
Graham, from whom it takes its name; it is neatly
built, and principally inhabited by persons employed in
the cotton-works.
Graitney
GRAITNEY, vulgarly called Gretna, a parish, in
the county of Dumfries, 9½ miles (N. by W.) from Carlisle, and 309 (N. W. by N.) from London; containing,
with the village of Springfield, 1761 inhabitants. The
derivation of the name of this place is doubtful; but it
is usually traced to the words Great knowe, descriptive
of a hill standing at the distance of about a quarter of a
mile from the church. The district is chiefly memorable for the many bloody feuds of which it was formerly the scene, as the frontier land of Scotland, and
the celebration of which in tales and songs has scarcely
at this time altogether passed away. The parish is
skirted on the east by the river Sark; and the lands
lying between that river and the Esk, now forming the
English parish of Kirkandrews, were for many ages
debateable ground, being common to both England and
Scotland. These lands extended eight miles in length
and four in breadth, and were long held by a kind of
lawless banditti, whose chief employment was rapine
and smuggling. In the year 1552, however, a line of
demarkation was agreed upon by the sovereigns of the
respective kingdoms; but notwithstanding this, the
habits of the people continued nearly the same until
the union of the crowns under James VI., from which
time the state of the population gradually improved.
The parish is six miles in length and three in
breadth, and contains about 11,000 acres. It is bounded
on the north by the parishes of Kirkpatrick-Fleming
and Halfmorton; on the south by the Solway Frith;
on the east by the county of Cumberland; and on the
west by the parish of Dornock. The surface is generally
level towards the south and west; but towards the
east and north it is diversified by many gentle acclivities, of which Graitney, the highest, rises about 250
feet above the sea. This eminence commands a beautiful and extensive view of the valleys of Esk and Eden,
the Solway Frith, the coast of Cumberland, and St.
Bees in a southern direction, and the mountains of
Dumfriesshire and Northumberland. The eastern portion of the parish, from the number of its hedge rows,
has the appearance of being well wooded; and the lands
in this quarter are thickly interspersed with ash, oak,
and plane trees, among which the first predominates.
These, with the laburnum, give a pleasing variety to
the scenery, and indicate, by their fine and expansive
growth, the fostering power of a congenial soil. The
whole southern boundary of the parish is washed by the
Solway, the flat shore of which consists of sand and
clay; but the only part of the coast approximating to
the character of a bay is the curve between Redkirk and
Tordoff points, the latter of which is about two miles
from Bowness, on the opposite shore. The Frith, in
the widest part, is between four and five miles across;
and it is navigable as far as Sarkfoot, in this parish,
for vessels of 120 tons' burthen. The tide flows with
great rapidity, and rises, at its spring, twenty feet above
the low-water mark; when it recedes, the streams of
the rivers Esk and Eden, which run into the Solway
from Cumberland, are seen with a wide bed of intermediate sand, and the Frith appears like a sandy waste,
for a distance of forty miles, to the south-western extremity of Dumfriesshire, where the river Nith joins it.
There are several little landing places along the shore;
but the navigation is dangerous to those not acquainted
with the soundings of the Frith. The Kirtle stream
divides the parish into two nearly equal portions.
There are excellent salmon-fisheries on the coast, and
sturgeon, cod, and herrings are occasionally caught:
salmon ascend the rivers for spawning, in the beginning
of October, and return early in March.
The soil near the sea is a rich loam, with a subsoil
of deep strong clay, and has the appearance of having
been transported hither by the tides, which formerly
came much higher up than at present. Further inland,
the earth partakes more of the nature of clay and
gravel, resting upon hills of sand of great dimensions.
Portions of peat-moss are seen in different places, in
which the remains of large oak-trees are imbedded; and
in some of these, silver coins have been discovered,
without a date, but bearing the scarcely legible marks
of Canterbury and London, and partly belonging to
the reign of one of the Edwards. About 10,000 acres
are cultivated, or occasionally in tillage; 300 acres
have never been cultivated, and sixty are planted with
wood. All kinds of green crops and grain are produced, oats being the chief crop of the latter; and
considerable quantities of every sort of live stock are
kept. The most improved system of husbandry is followed: the manure in use comprises dung and lime, and
guano, the lime being brought from several of the neighbouring parishes. The farms have been considerably
enlarged, and are well inclosed with hedges; and the
superior method of cultivation which has been pursued
has nearly tripled the worth of the land since the year
1790, the rateable annual value of the parish now
amounting to £6069. The prevailing rock is sandstone,
through which many excellent springs of water find a
passage. Among the villages and hamlets is that of
Gretna, where a weekly cattle-market was formerly held,
and which was a burgh of barony: the cross was
standing till within these few years. The ancient mansion of Graitney Hall, in which one of the landowners
once resided, has been fitted up in an elegant and commodious manner, as an inn; it is properly conducted,
and every accommodation may be had, the same as at
the best inns in England. The population are partly
engaged in agriculture: about 600 persons are cottonweavers, employed by Carlisle houses, and who receive
the yarn regularly every fortnight. Vessels of 100 tons
arrive at various places along the shore, from the ports
of Cumberland, and bring coal to the amount of 600
tons yearly, together with about an equal quantity of
slate. Grain and potatoes are largely exported to Liverpool and other places on the coast of Lancashire. Till
the commencement of the present century, an extensive
contraband trade was carried on with the Isle of Man;
but this traffic, with all its injurious consequences, has
been abolished. The turnpike-roads between Glasgow
and Carlisle, and between Carlisle and Portpatrick, run
through the parish; and the old road to Carlisle crosses
the Glasgow road at the village of Gretna, where is a
post-office, connected with that of Carlisle. There are
two bridges over the Sark, and one over the Kirtle,
which, as well as the roads, are kept in good order. A
cattle-market is held in June, and fairs on the 15th of
September, the first Thursday after Falkirk tryst in
October, and the second Thursday in November.
The ecclesiastical affairs are directed by the presbytery of Annan and synod of Dumfries; patron, the
Earl of Mansfield. The stipend of the minister is £237;
the manse has recently been enlarged and repaired, and
is now a comfortable residence; the glebe consists of
about sixteen acres, valued at £28 per annum. The
church was built in 1790, and is a commodious building
capable of containing 800 persons. There is a meeting-house at the village of Rigg, belonging to the United
Associate Synod. Two parochial schools are supported,
in which the usual branches of education are taught,
and the masters of which have each £25 a year, with
fees amounting to about £24 and £20 respectively. A
friendly society was instituted more than fifty years
ago. There are several ruinous towers in the parish, the
relics of ancient times, and raised for the defence of the
inhabitants against the English borderers; the walls
were of great thickness, and the doors of massive iron,
and within were formed caves for the safe custody of
cattle, &c. They have port-holes above, for the inspecting or carrying on of warlike operations. The
lands of Redkirk were formerly a separate parish; but
its church, situated at Redkirk point, has been entirely
swept away by the repeated encroachment of the tide.
The remains of a Druidical temple are still visible on
the farm of Old Graitney; and there are also the remains of several old camps in the neighbourhood. This
being the nearest and most easily accessible point in
Scotland from the sister kingdom, it has long been a
place for fugitive marriages, first celebrated here by a
man named Paisley, a tobacconist, whose original residence was on a green between Gretna and Springfield,
to the latter of which villages he removed in 1782. It
is said that between 300 and 400 marriages are annually celebrated in the neighbourhood by rival "priests,"
functionaries of the lowest class, who accost parties as
they pass, and officiate for a very small charge. An
attempt was made in the General Assembly, in 1826,
to suppress this description of marriage, but without
success. Paisley died at a great age, in 1814.
Grange
GRANGE, a parish, in the county of Banff, 3 miles
(E. by N.) from Keith; containing 1661 inhabitants.
This place originally formed a part of the parish of
Keith, from which it was separated in the year 1618;
it took its name from the circumstance of its being a
country residence belonging to the abbots of Kinloss,
to whom it was given by William the Lion in the 12th
century. Attracted by the beauty of the place, at that
time mostly under wood, the abbots had a castle here,
situated upon an eminence, partly natural and partly
artificial, and overlooking rich and extensive haughs,
enlivened and refreshed for several miles by the meanderings of the picturesque Isla. In the neighbourhood
is the Gallow-hill, the spot upon which criminals were
executed within the local jurisdiction. At the time of
the Reformation, the abbot, anticipating the change
about to take place, feued out the district into many
small properties, of which that of Edingight still belongs to the descendant of the original feuar, and about
four-fifths of the others to Lord Fife, who inherits from
his ancestor, Alexander Duff, of Braco, another of the
first feuars. The remaining portion is in the possession
of the Earl of Seafield.
The parish is six miles in length and five in breadth,
and comprises about 20,000 acres, of which a large portion is under cultivation: there are extensive plantations of young wood. The surface is much diversified,
and consists of high and low ground, the latter comprehending most of the cultivated parts: on the east is
the Knock, an eminence rising 1600 feet above the level
of the sea, and cultivated to a considerable height.
This hill is chiefly covered with deep peat and heather,
the moss running, at the summit, to the depth of eight
or ten feet; and from it a very fine and extensive view
may be obtained both of land and sea. In the dry
summer of 1826, its sides were surrounded by a conflagration, destroying the combustible portion of the
surface; but it has not been ascertained in what way
the fire originated. There are also several lofty hills in
the northern part of the parish; in the southern division are two called the Mickle and Little Balloch, ornamented around their base with wood; and in
the centre is the Sillyearn, where there is a young,
though large and thriving, plantation. The scenery is
much indebted for its variety to its sylvan beauties,
and to the course of its interesting stream, on the south
of which a wide belt of larch and Scotch fir, of recent
growth, especially improves the locality; and the Isla
is rendered still more striking in pictorial effect by an
ancient bridge, erected by a Mr. Christie, to render the
church accessible to the residents of Cantly. This benevolent act was notified, and the memory of it transmitted to posterity, by an inscription on a stone once
part of the bridge, but now supposed to be submerged
in the flood below, consisting of these words: "Built
by Alexander Christie, tenant in Cantly, for the glory
of God, and the good of the people of Grange." A
provision was made for the repairs of the bridge by the
deposit of 100 merks in the hands of the laird of Edingight; and though this sum is supposed to have been
long since exhausted, an addition was made to the
structure in the year 1783, by erecting, and cementing
to it, another bridge of the same size, to render it
passable by carts, the first being only for foot-passengers. The cost of this was defrayed by the transfer,
on the part of the patron, of the vacant stipend of that
year.
The soil in some parts is very good, particularly on
the banks of the Isla, where the ground, having a fine
southern exposure, is tolerably dry, and produces early
crops; but in the other parts, especially in the northern
quarter, the soil is clayey, cold, and wet, with an impervious subsoil, and not only comparatively unproductive,
but frequently of very poor quality. Oats forms the
staple crop of grain; and the green crops consist of
rye-grass and white and red clover. Husbandry is on
a very respectable footing, and the six-shift course is
that chiefly followed: bone-manure is much used for
turnip-soils, and most of the larger farms have
threshing-mills, and are inclosed with limestone dikes
and good hedges. The portion under tillage is gradually increasing in extent; and many of the lower parts
of the heathy and mossy hill of Aulmore, which is interspersed with numerous cottages of the poor, have
been brought into cultivation. Substantial embankments, also, have been raised on some of the farms,
against the floodings of the Isla; and on the better
cultivated lands, all the implements of agriculture are
of the best description, and the horses and cattle of a
superior stock. Limestone of very fine quality is abundant, and is constantly worked to a great extent; many
of the small farms have lime-kilns, and large lime-works
are also in operation. At a place called Seggiecrook
is a bed of plumbago. The deep and wide-spreading
mosses supply abundance of peat for fuel; and the
residue of the woods once beautifying the locality, is
found deeply imbedded, comprising thick logs of oak
and fir. The rateable annual value of Grange is £5299.
The mansion of Edingight, in the parish, is an ancient
structure, irregularly built, and standing on an estate
ornamented with young plantations covering fifty or
sixty acres. Braco was formerly the residence of the
ancient family of Duff. There is a hamlet named Nether-mills; and the parish is traversed by the turnpike-road
from Keith to Banff: the produce, consisting of grain,
pork, and fat-cattle, is shipped chiefly at Banff, for the
London market. Grange is in the presbytery of Strathbogie and synod of Moray, and in the patronage of the
Earl of Fife; the minister's stipend is £165, with a
manse, and a glebe of five acres, valued at £7 per
annum. The church was built in 1795, and contains
616 sittings; it is situated within a mile of the border
of the parish, on the site of the old castle occupied by
the abbots of Kinloss. There is a place of worship
for members of the Free Church, and another for the
United Associate Synod. The parochial school affords
instruction in the usual branches; the master has a
salary of £34, with a house, and about £6 fees. He
also receives a bequest of £1. 2. yearly; the interest of
£100 left by the late Rev. Mr. Bruce, minister of
Dunbar; and a portion of the Dick bequest. There is
likewise a General Assembly's school, the master of
which has £25 per annum, with a small piece of land:
the premises were built by subscription, in 1827,
through the exertions of the minister, the Rev. W. Duff;
and the tenants on the estate subscribe for the rent
of the master's allotment. The Earl of Fife derives his
title of Baron Braco from the farm of that name.
Grane
GRANGE, a hamlet, in the parish and district of
St. Andrew's, county of Fife, 1¼ mile (S. by E.) from
St. Andrew's; containing 84 inhabitants. It lies a
short distance west of the high road from West Anstruthere to St. Andrew's.
Grange
GRANGE, a hamlet, in the parish of Errol, county
of Perth, 2 miles (N. E. by N.) from Errol; containing 68 inhabitants. It is seated on the road from Errol
to Invergowrie, and is one of several small hamlets in
the parish, besides the village of Errol, in which the
linen-cloth manufacture engages a part of the population.
Grangemouth
GRANGEMOUTH, lately a quoad sacra parish, in
the county of Stirling; comprising the sea-port town
of Grangemouth, in the parish of Falkirk, and also part
of Polmont parish; the whole containing 1722 inhabitants, of whom 1488 are in the town, 3 miles (N. E.)
from Falkirk. This place derives its name from its
original situation at the mouth of the Grange burn, a
stream flowing round the grange of the ancient abbey of
Abbotshaugh, but now, by a recent diversion of its
course, falling into the river Carron at a considerable
distance to the east. The town, which is situated at
the eastern extremity of the Forth and Clyde canal, was
commenced in the year 1777, by Sir Laurence Dundas.
The streets may be said to be regularly formed, and the
houses are well built and of handsome appearance; the
environs are pleasant, and the place has generally a
cheerful and prepossessing aspect. The trade of the
port has been progressively increasing since the formation of the harbour; and in 1810, an independent custom-house was in consequence established here. The
trade consists principally in the exportation of coal,
glass, and bricks to Russia, Sweden, and Norway; pig
and wrought iron, to Denmark; coal, soap, woollens, and
pig-iron, to Prussia; coal, pig and cast iron, and cotton
manufactures, to Holland; pig and cast iron to Germany; coal, pig-iron, glass, and bricks, to France, Portugal, Italy, and Turkey; glass, and woollen and cotton
manufactures, to Van Diemen's Land; coal, bricks,
cordage, woollens, and cottons, to Canada and New
Brunswick; and coal and beer to the ports of Brazil. The
imports are chiefly corn, tallow, flax, hemp, matting,
tar, bristles, and wooden wares, from Russia; manganese ore, pitch, and linseed-cakes, from Sweden; corn
from Denmark and Germany; corn, flax, timber, and
wooden wares, from Prussia; bark, cheese, madder, and
geneva, from Holland; and timber from Canada and
New Brunswick. The number of vessels that cleared
outwards in a recent year to foreign ports was 615, of
the aggregate burthen of 61,979 tons; the number that
entered inwards from foreign ports was 148, of 21,145
tons; and the amount of duties paid at the customhouse was £20,000. This sum, however, does not show
the full trade of the place, as a large part of the goods
imported was removed, under bond, to Glasgow, where
the duties were paid. The number of vessels registered as belonging to the port, in the same year, was
fifty-two, of 7270 tons' aggregate burthen. A considerable coasting trade is also carried on here; and
a very extensive inland trade by means of the Forth
and Clyde canal, which is navigable for vessels of ninety
tons from this place to Port-Dundas, near Glasgow, and
also to the Clyde, and through which the number of
vessels that passed in a late year was 2959. The custom-house establishment consists of a collector, comptroller, clerk, two land-waiters, six tide-waiters, and a
locker; and the officers of the Canal Company here, are
a collector, overseer of works, and a harbour-master.
The harbour and quays are situated near the mouth
of the river Carron, at its junction with the Forth and
Clyde canal. Considerable improvements have been
recently made, under the superintendence of Sir John
Macneill, civil engineer, of London, employed for that
purpose by the late Earl of Zetland and the council
of the Canal Company. According to the plan adopted,
the channel of the Grange burn has been changed, and
a spacious wet-dock to the east of the harbour has been
constructed, which is twenty-seven feet in depth, and
capable of receiving seventy sail of merchantmen or
steamers of the largest class. The entrance-lock is 250
feet in length and 55 feet broad, and the facilities of trade
have been consequently greatly increased. The basin
for bonded timber has been very much enlarged; and a
canal, fifteen feet in depth, has been cut, forming a
communication between it and the wet-dock. The river
Carron has been deepened so as to allow canal traders,
drawing nine feet water, to enter and to depart at low
tides; and all the local advantages of the port have
been rendered available to its improvement, and to the
extension of its commerce. Ship-building is carried on
with success; and a graving-dock, which, at spring
tides, has a depth of fourteen feet, was constructed by
Lord Dundas in 1811, and is capable of receiving two
vessels of 300 tons' burthen. The first steam-boat built
here, was launched in 1839 as a towing vessel for the
port of Memel: the vessels generally built at this place
vary from ninety to 250 tons. The manufacture of sails
and ropes is also extensive, and considerable quantities
are exported to the colonies. The distance from the
quay to the farthest beacon at the mouth of the Carron,
is nearly a mile and a half: vessels were formerly exclusively conducted by the Carron pilots stationed here
under the Trinity House of Leith, but they are now
partly towed by steam-boats.
The parochial district until recently attached to the
port, was separated for ecclesiastical purposes soon
after the erection of a church here in 1837. It comprised about 1300 acres, of which 100, forming the
demesne of Kerse House, a seat of the Earl of Zetland,
are ornamented with thriving plantations, and the remainder is divided into farms not exceeding 120 acres
each. The surface is generally flat, and the soil almost
uniformly a rich alluvial clay, with a small intermixture
of fine white sand; the lands are well cultivated, and
the crops are usually favourable. Kerse House is the
principal mansion in the district; it is surrounded with
thriving plantations, and there are a few trees around
some of the farm-houses; but otherwise there is little
wood in the neighbourhood. The church was erected
by the late earl, and is situated near Kerse House; it is a
handsome structure in the Norman style of architecture,
and contains 700 sittings, exclusively of the front gallery, which is appropriated to the family of the founder.
In the year 1843, this edifice, with the consent of the
Earl of Zetland, passed into the hands of the members
of the Free Church, of whom there is now a very considerable congregation: the minister derives his stipend
from the sustentation fund of the Free Church, aided by
his hearers. The only other place of worship is one for
Baptists; but many of the inhabitants attend places of
worship at Falkirk. Schools for boys and girls, with
dwelling-houses for the master and mistress, and a
room which is used as a library, were erected by the
late Lady Dundas, in 1827. The master has a salary
of £10, and the mistress of £5, paid by the Earl of
Zetland, with an allowance for the gratuitous instruction
of poor children; and the fees average £40 and £20
per annum, respectively.
Grangepans
GRANGEPANS, a village, in the parish of Carriden, county of Linlithgow, ½ a mile (E. by S.) from
Borrowstounness; containing 517 inhabitants. It is
situated on the south shore of the Frith of Forth, and
nearly equidistant from Borrowstounness and Bridgeness. The place has been for some time the seat of the
salt manufacture, and although the trade in the article
has been much reduced, yet in 1834 there were six pans
in operation, producing annually about 23,000 bushels;
in 1843 the number of pans had decreased to four. In
the village is also a mailting establishment; and until
lately the manufacture of sal-ammoniac was carried on.
The mansion-house of Grange is of some antiquity, and,
having undergone repair, is now occupied by a tenant.
The coast road from Borrowstounness to Bridgeness
passes through the village.
Granton
GRANTON, a growing town, in the parish of Cramond, county of Edinburgh, 2½ miles (N. W.) from
Edinburgh. This place, formerly remarkable only as
the spot where the English troops under the Earl of
Hertford disembarked in the year 1544, now claims
importance for its magnificent and extensive pier, the
finest landing-place in the Frith of Forth. This truly
national work was erected, at his sole expense, by the
Duke of Buccleuch, who is proprietor of the estate of
Caroline Park, formerly called Granton. It was commenced in November, 1835, and partially opened on
the 28th of June, 1838, the day of the coronation of Her
Majesty, by Lord John Scott, brother of his Grace, in
presence of an immense concourse of spectators; and in
commemoration of the day, one of the jetties is named
the "Victoria." Vessels and steamers of the largest
size can approach the pier, which is 1700 feet in length,
and varies in breadth from eighty to 160 feet; it has
a massive wall with occasional entrances to each side of
the pier, running up the centre; and the whole is of the
most solid and beautiful masonry. The Victoria jetty,
on the west side, extends ninety feet; on the east side
is a jetty of similar dimensions; and two others are at
the distance of about 350 feet seawards. There are
also two slips for shipping cattle; and a lighthouse at
the extremity of the pier. On the Queen's visit to this
part of her dominions in 1842, Granton pier was the
place of Her Majesty's landing, on the 1st of September,
and of her embarkation, on her return to England, on
the 15th of the same month. In July, 1844, an act was
obtained for the extension of the Edinburgh and Newhaven railway to Granton; the line has been commenced, and, it is expected, will be completed in 1846.
An elegant and commodious inn has been erected here
by the Duke of Buccleuch, and there is already the
nucleus of a handsome town and sea-port. The most
direct road from Edinburgh to Granton is by Inverleithrow, at the head of which is the new road, on the left,
through Wardie grounds.
Grantown
GRANTOWN, a town, in the parish of Cromdale,
county of Inverness, 135 miles (N. by W.) from Edinburgh; containing 1000 inhabitants. This place, situated
about half a mile north of the river Spey, was founded
upon an uncultivated moor, in 1766, by Sir James
Grant, of Grant, Bart., since which it has risen to a
flourishing condition, and become one of the neatest and
most interesting towns, in appearance, in the north of
Scotland. It contains several good shops; and in its
centre is a spacious square, 700 feet in length, and 180
in breadth, on the south side of which is the Speyside
Orphan Hospital, built in 1824, with money left by Lady
Grant, of Monymusk. This charity is supported from
a fund amounting to nearly £200 per annum, which has
increased to the present sum by additions from the
Grant family: the children, now about thirty in number, must be natives of the parishes of Cromdale, Abernethy, Duthil, Inveraven, or Knockando, and they are
boarded, clothed, and educated. A branch of the National Bank of Scotland was established in 1829, and a
branch of the Caledonian Bank in 1839; there is also a
prison in the town. The post-office communicates daily
with Carr-bridge, Forres, and Ballindalloch; and a good
road runs from the place to Keith, and another to
Forres. There are four annual markets, exclusive of
cattle-trysts; cattle are purchased here by graziers for
the southern markets, and much traffic is also carried
on with the surrounding districts. A church was built
in 1802, a little to the north of the town, containing
accommodation for nearly 1000 persons; and the parochial minister officiated here alternately with the church
at Cromdale, till the year 1835, when an ordained
minister was appointed to this station, comprehending
the old parish of Inverallan. There is also a place of
worship for Baptists. A grammar school was built a few
years since by the proprietor, from whom the master
receives a salary of £25 per annum: in addition to the
usual branches, instruction is given in the classics and
mathematics.
Grasshouses Of Thornton
GRASSHOUSES OF THORNTON, a hamlet, in the
parish of Glammis, county of Forfar; containing 74
inhabitants.
Graystone
GRAYSTONE, a hamlet, in the parish of Carmylie,
county of Forfar, 4 miles (S. by E.) from Letham; containing 79 inhabitants. It lies about a mile westward
of the high road from Monikie to Brechin; and is one
of several small hamlets, of which the largest contains
about twenty houses.
Great Cumbray.
GREAT CUMBRAY.—See Cumbray, Great.—
And all places having a similar distinguishing prefix, will
be found under the proper name.
Green Holm
GREEN HOLM, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine, county of Shetland. It lies a short distance
north of the main land of Northmavine, between Fethaland point and Romna Stacks, and is uninhabited.
Green Holm
GREEN HOLM, an isle, in the parish of Tingwall,
county of Shetland. This is an islet of very inconsiderable extent, one of the smallest of the Shetland
group, situated about a mile south-west of Scalloway, a
sea-port village on the main land of the parish. It is
uninhabited.
Green Holm, Little and Muckle
GREEN HOLM, LITTLE and MUCKLE, two isles,
in the parish of Eday, county of Orkney. They lie to
the south of the island of Eday, about a mile distant
from Warness point. The larger is appropriated to the
pasturage of cattle and sheep; the smaller is very inconsiderable, and both are uninhabited.
Greenend
GREENEND, a village, in the parish of Old Monkland, Middle ward of the county of Lanark, 1 mile
(S. W.) from Airdrie; containing 502 inhabitants. It
is situated in the eastern part of the parish, a short distance north of the Calder water, which is here very
devious in its course; and is one of numerous large
villages which have latterly sprung up in this wealthy
mining parish, now the principal seat of the iron manufacture in Scotland. The village is in the immediate
vicinity of the great Calder iron-works, and of extensive
coal-mines, in both of which a large portion of the male
population is engaged.
Greengairs
GREENGAIRS, a village, in the parish of New
Monkland, Middle ward of the county of Lanark,
3 miles (N. E.) from New Monkland; containing 184
inhabitants. This place is situated in the north-east
part of the parish, and is divided into East and West.
It is one of several thriving villages which owe their
prosperity and increase of population to the valuable
coal and iron mines of the district. The high road
from New Monkland to Slamannan church runs for a
short distance on the south; and in the neighbourhood
are some small streams. In the village is a school, with
a house for the master.
Greenhill
GREENHILL, a hamlet, in the parish of Lochmaben, county of Dumfries, 2 miles (S. W. by W.) from
Lockerbie; containing 89 inhabitants. It is seated in
the eastern part of the parish, and on the west side of
the river Annan, which winds along the borders of
Lochmaben, and separates it from the parish of Dryfesdale.
Greenlaw
GREENLAW, a burgh of barony, the county town,
and a parish, in the county of Berwick, 8 miles (S. W.)
from Dunse, and 36 (S. E. by E.) from Edinburgh;
containing 1355 inhabitants. This place is supposed
to have derived its name from the situation of the
ancient village on one of those conical eminences of
which there are several in the parish, which eminence,
from its superior verdure, obtained the appellation of
the Green Law. The manor anciently belonged to the
earls of Dunbar, under whom Sir Patrick Home, ancestor of the Home family, held the lands in 1435, when
the earldom became annexed to the crown. After Berwick had ceased to be part of Scotland, in 1482, the
courts of justice previously held there were generally
held at Dunse, and occasionally at Lauder, till towards
the close of the seventeenth century, when the town of
Greenlaw was declared, by act of parliament, to be the
head burgh of the shire. Since that time this has continued to be the county town. The burgh, of which
Sir Hugh Hume Purves Campbell, of Marchmont, Bart.,
is superior, is pleasantly situated on the north bank of
the river Blackadder, over which are two bridges of
stone; and consists principally of one street of considerable length, opening, on the south side, into a spacious quadrangular area. In the centre of this area
was the market cross, a handsome Corinthian column,
erected by the Earl of Marchmont, and on the site of
which is the present county-hall. The houses are neatly
built; and the inhabitants are amply supplied with water,
conveyed into two spacious reservoirs of stone, erected
at the expense of the superior of the burgh. A public
library, containing a well-assorted collection of volumes,
is supported by subscription; and there are several
good innes in the town.
No manufacture is carried on here, and only a few persons are employed in a carding and fulling mill; a considerable degree of traffic, however, arises from its situation as a public thoroughfare, and there is a post-office
subordinate to that of Dunse. The weekly market has
long been discontinued; but fairs are held on the 22nd
of May, and the last Thursday in October, for milchcows and various kinds of cattle, and are numerously
attended. Facility of communication is afforded by the
great road from London to Edinburgh, by way of Coldstream, and others that pass through the place. As the
county town, the sheriff's and usual courts are held, and
the public business of the county transacted, here; the
sheriff's and commissary courts occur every Thursday
during the session, and the justice-of-peace courts for
small debts, monthly. The county-hall is a handsome
structure in the Grecian style of architecture, erected by
the late Sir W. P. H. Campbell, and contains a hall
sixty feet long, forty feet wide, and twenty-eight feet in
height, ornamented with columns of the Corinthian
order; also various apartments for the accommodation
of the sheriffs and others attending the county meetings.
The principal entrance is by an elegant vestibule, lighted
by a dome, and containing a room for the preservation
of the records. The new gaol, erected in 1824, is a
neat building containing eighteen sleeping-cells, two
day-rooms for criminals, and one for debtors; attached
to the day-rooms are spacious airing-yards, to which
the prisoners have access during the day, and the whole
is surrounded by a lofty wall. There is a plentiful supply of water; and the prison is under excellent management.
The parish is from eight to nine miles in length, and
nearly three miles in average breadth, comprising an
area of about 12,000 acres, of which nearly 7000 are
arable, 500 woodland and plantations, 1200 undivided
common affording good pasture, and the remainder
moor, moss, and waste. The surface is diversified with
hills of no great elevation, and, in the upper part of the
parish, is intersected for almost two miles by a gravelly
ridge called the Kaimes, about, sixty yards in width at
the base, and forty feet high. On the south side of this
ridge is the moss of Dugden, 500 acres in extent, and
in some places ten feet deep, yielding peat which, when
properly dried, is little inferior to coal. The only river
of importance is the Blackadder, which flows through
the parish, dividing it into two nearly equal parts, and,
about two miles above the town, being joined by a
small stream called the Faungrass; it abounds with
trout, and is much frequented by anglers. The soil on
the south side of the Blackadder is a deep rich loam,
producing grain of excellent quality, and on the north
side, moorland and heath; the crops are, wheat, oats,
barley, potatoes, and turnips, with the usual grasses.
The system of husbandry is in an improved state; the
lands have been drained and partly inclosed, and the
farm-buildings are generally substantial. The pastures
are well adapted for sheep and black-cattle, of which
considerable numbers are reared in the parish; and horses
for agricultural purposes are bred upon many of the
farms. The rateable annual value of the parish is £7410.
The rocks are mostly of the primitive formation, and
the substrata principally red sandstone; white sandstone and a claystone porphyry are also found in some
places. The mansions are Rowchester and Lambden,
both of modern erection: the pleasure-grounds and
house of Marchmont, also, the noble seat of Sir H. H. P.
Campbell, though situated in the adjoining parish of
Polwarth, add much to the beauty of the scenery of
Greenlaw. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery of Dunse and synod
of Merse and Teviotdale. The minister's stipend is
£254. 15., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £30
per annum; patron, Sir H. H. P. Campbell. The church,
situated in the town, is a plain structure in good repair,
containing 476 sittings. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church, the United Secession,
and Original Burghers. The parochial school is attended
by about 130 children; the master has a salary of £34,
with a house and garden, and the fees average £50.
Sir W. P. H. Campbell bequeathed £50 per annum to the
poor. There are some remains of a Roman camp on the
north bank of the Blackadder, about two miles from the
town; and directly opposite to it, on the other side of
the river, several trenches diverge towards Hume Castle,
four miles distant. On the north-east of the parish, also,
are still visible the remains of an intrenchment, intersecting the moor from east to west for more than a
mile; it is called Herriot's Dyke.
Greenloaning
GREENLOANING, a village, in the parish of Dunblane, county of Perth, 5 miles (N. E. by N.) from
Dunblane; containing 58 inhabitants. It is situated in
the north-east part of the parish, and on the east bank
of the river Allan: there is a Secession place of worship.
Greenock
GREENOCK, a sea-port,
burgh, and market-town, in
the Lower ward of the county
of Renfrew, 17 miles (W. N.
W.) from Renfrew, 22 (W. N.
W.) from Glasgow, and 65
(W.) from Edinburgh; comprising the parishes of East,
Middle, and West Greenock,
and containing 36,936 inhabitants. This place is said
by some to have derived its
name, in the Gaelic language
Grian-chnoc, from the site of its ancient baronial castle
on a hill unsheltered by any intervening object from
the rays of the sun. It originally consisted partly of
the lands of Easter Greenock, in which is the suburb of
Cartsdyke, or, as it is also called, Crawfordsyke, so
named from the erection of a small quay by its proprietor, Thomas Crawfurd, Esq.; and partly of the small
village of Greenock, belonging to Sir John Shaw, owner
of the barony of Wester Greenock, and who, in 1669,
purchased from Margaret Crawfurd, lady of Kilberny,
the barony of Easter Greenock, with the exception of
the lands of Crawfurdsdyke, which are now the property of William Crawfurd, Esq. On the decease of Sir
J. Shaw, the last of that name, in 1752, John Shaw Stewart, Esq., afterwards Sir John Shaw Stewart, succeeded
to the lands of Easter and Wester Greenock, in right of
his mother; and on his death in 1812, they passed to
his nephew, Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, from whom they
descended to Sir Michael Robert Shaw Stewart, the
present proprietor.
Burgh Seal.
The villages both of Wester Greenock and Crawfurdsdyke at first consisted only of a few thatched huts,
stretching along the bay, and inhabited by fishermen;
but they gradually increased, and in 1670, Sir John, son
of the former Sir John Shaw, obtained from Charles II.
a charter annexing the lands of Finnart, of which he
had become proprietor, to the barony of Wester Greenock, and erecting both into one barony, under the
designation of the barony of Greenock. The inhabitants
appear to have pursued the fishery with success; they
had some shipping, and carried on a considerable coasting, and a small foreign, trade, chiefly in herrings, of
which, in 1674, they sent 20,000 barrels to Rochelle,
exclusively of other quantities to Sweden and the Baltic.
The two places had each a harbour capable of receiving
vessels of large burthen; and from that of Crawfurdsdyke, a part of the expedition to Darien was fitted out,
in 1697. The union of the two kingdoms opened to
the inhabitants new channels of commerce; and in
1719, they fitted out the first vessel employed in the
American trade, which they afterwards prosecuted with
singular success, bringing home great quantities of
tobacco, which they exported for the supply of the continent. The rapidly-increasing importance of Greenock
was, in fact, such that it excited the jealousy of the
ports of London, Bristol, and Liverpool; but the breaking out of the American war greatly obstructed its chief
source of prosperity, and the loss of the American trade
for some time impeded the commercial interests of the
port. It was, however, soon counterbalanced by an
enlarged traffic with South America and the East and
West India colonies; the trade of the port revived;
and it has continued to increase till the present time,
the place now ranking as one of the principal sea-ports
of the country. The town, extending in every direction
for the accommodation of its growing population, has
become the residence of numerous merchants and shipowners; the seat of various thriving manufactures, which
put it nearly on a part with the most flourishing commercial and manufacturing towns in the kingdom; and
more recently, a parliamentary borough.
The town is beautifully situated on the south shore
of the Frith of Clyde, which is here four and a half
miles broad; and extends for almost a mile along the
margin of the united bays of Greenock and Crawfurdsdyke. The buildings occupy a narrow site of level
land, bounded on the south by a ridge of hills which
rises abruptly to an elevation of nearly 600 feet immediately above the town, commanding a richly-diversified
view of the Frith and the coast of Dumbarton, on the
north, and much variety of interesting scenery on the
east and west. The place is for the most part very
irregularly built, consisting, in the older portion, of various narrow and ill-formed streets, and in that of more
modern date, of several spacious and handsome streets,
with numerous pleasant villas, especially towards the
west, in which direction chiefly the houses are increasing. It is paved, lighted with gas, and amply supplied
with water from the vicinity, passed through filters
previously to its being distributed through the town,
the necessary works having been constructed by a company incorporated by act of parliament, in 1825, chiefly
for providing water-power for giving motion to the
machinery of mills and factories. For this latter purpose, an enterprize of vast magnitude has been completed under the direction of Mr. Thorm, civil engineer,
and proprietor of the Rothesay cotton-works, at the
suggestion of Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, from whom the
undertaking is called the Shaw's-water works. These
works, which are mostly situated at a distance of about
three miles, on the south-west side of the ridge of hills
that overlooks the town, consist partly of a spacious
reservoir formed by strong embankments, inclosing an
area of 295 acres, and containing 284,678,550 cubic feet
of water, conveyed by an aqueduct six miles in length
from numerous streams; and there is also a compensation reservoir of forty acres, containing 14,465,898
cubic feet. From the principal reservoir, which has an
elevation of 500 feet above the town, the water descends
by a gradual declivity, and in its course towards Greenock forms, at convenient intervals, many falls of greater
or less height, from which it is diverted to the several
factories that have been erected near it, supplying to
each 1200 cubic feet per minute for twelve hours
daily. The aggregate power of these different falls,
which vary in depth, according to the wants of each
factory, is estimated as equivalent to that of 1782 horses.
This important undertaking was successfully completed
in 1829, at an expense of £31,000, including the purchase of the ground.
The public library, established in the year 1783, and
for many years held in the Freemasons' Hall, in Hamilton-street, has been removed into a building in Unionstreet, towards the erection of which Mr. James Watt
contributed £3000, as a suitable place for the reception
of a marble statue, by Chantrey, in honour of his father,
the celebrated improver of the steam-engine, which
statue had been voted at a public meeting of the inhabitants of Greenock, the native place of Watt. The
building, which is in the early English style of architecture, consists of a centre, containing the library, and
two wings, one of which forms a reading-room, and the
other a house for the librarian; the library consists of
above 10,000 volumes, and is supported by annual subscriptions of thirteen shillings and £1. 1. A mechanics'
institution was established in 1836; and a handsome
building has been erected for its use at an expense of
more than £1300, raised by subscription. The ground-floor contains a library of 2000 volumes, a readingroom, and an apartment for mechanical and philosophical apparatus; above which is a hall sixty-two feet
long, and thirty-nine feet wide, for the delivery of lectures on chemistry, mechanics, and other subjects.
There is also a mechanics' library at Crawfurdsdyke,
containing nearly 1500 volumes; and three circulating
libraries have collections varying from 500 to 1500
volumes. Two public newsrooms are likewise supported, in one of which, in Cathcart-square, is a portrait of Sir John Shaw, who is justly regarded as the
founder of the commercial prosperity of the town.
Assemblies are held in the Exchange buildings, in which
are elegant rooms; and a theatre, erected by Stephen
Kemble, is opened occasionally. The Tontine hotel, in
the principal street, is a spacious building, erected at an
expense of £10,000, and contains some handsome apartments, and every requisite accommodation for families.
Manufactures of almost every kind are carried on
here to a very considerable extent; and there are numerous large establishments for refining sugar, breweries,
distilleries, tanneries, foundries, and forges. The manufacture of woollen cloth and yarn is pursued in two
factories, in one of which 25,000 stones of wool are annually consumed in the production of tartans, twilled
cloths, and yarn; and the other, of recent establishment, is still more extensive. A very large cotton factory has lately been opened, of which the machinery is
propelled by the Shaw's water: the building, which is of
stone, is 263 feet in length, sixty feet in breadth, and
three stories in height. In those parts where the process carried on is most in danger of fire, the building is
fire-proof; and in case of need, the pipes by which it is
heated with steam can be rendered available as a fireengine. The water-wheel that drives the machinery is
seventy feet in diameter, and wholly of iron, weighing
about 180 tons. The number of people employed is generally 400, of whom the greater number are females. There
are eleven large establishments for the refining of sugar,
affording occupation to 350 persons; one of these is wholly
engaged in refining for exportation, and the aggregate
quantity is about 14,000 tons annually. Three breweries
employ about forty-five persons, and do business to the
amount of £30,000 per annum; and there is a distillery
producing whisky annually to the amount of £50,000,
and paying duties to the excise of £21,000. Connected
with the distillery is a dairy of fifty cows. The manufacture of sail-cloth gives employment to nearly 300
persons, and consumes annually about 600 tons of raw
material: attached to the premises, is an extensive
rope-walk, in which large quantities of cordage are annually made, averaging 700 tons. There are also three
other rope-walks, in the aggregate, affording employment to eighty persons. Four tanneries employ together about fifty hands, and do business to the amount
of £18,000 annually; and two potteries, in which 200
people are constantly engaged, make on the average
100,000 dozens of white and printed earthenware. The
paper manufacture provides occupation to about forty
persons, of whom a considerable number are females,
and produces annually 300 tons of packing and coloured
papers. There are also some extensive cooperages, together employing about 500 men and boys. The strawplat manufacture of Greenock occupies generally about
seventy persons on the premises, and affords employment to 150 who work at their own dwellings in the
town, and to 1500 in the islands of Orkney. There are
three extensive iron-foundries and forges for all kinds
of castings, and for the manufacture of steam-engines
and boilers, and various sorts of machinery, together
affording employment to more than 1000 persons. In
these establishments, steam-engines of the aggregate
power of nearly 3000 horses are annually manufactured;
and numerous English-built steamers have been supplied with engines and machinery from the works. Two
manufactories for chain-cables and anchors, also, employ above 110 persons; and there is a work for the
making of bar-iron, in which a considerable number are
engaged. Four large mills for grinding grain, yield
upwards of 50,000 bolls annually: one of them was
also supplied with machinery for freeing rice imported
into this country from the husk, but this was found to
be attended without any of the expected benefit, and has
been discontinued.
The trade of the port, which, after it had recovered
from the depression it suffered during the American
war, had greatly increased, has recently sustained some
diminution from the deepening of the Clyde and the
introduction of steam towing-boats, by which ships that
previously landed their cargoes here are now enabled to
reach Glasgow. The exports are chiefly linen, woollen,
and silk manufactures, cotton-yarn, hardware, earthenware, glass, refined sugar, iron and machinery, copper,
and lead. The imports are, cotton-wool, sugar, molasses,
coffee, cocoa, pepper, tobacco, corn, wine, oil, spirits,
timber, deals, mahogany, dye-woods, brimstone, and
numerous other goods. The quantity of cotton-yarn
exported in a recent year was valued at more than
£1,000,000; and the quantity of cotton-wool imported
was 11,597,653 lb. The number of vessels that entered inwards during 1843 was, 206 from British ports,
of the aggregate burthen of 60,269 tons; and six from
foreign ports, of the aggregate burthen of 2583 tons.
The number that cleared outwards in 1838 was, 235
British vessels, of 63,582 tons; and nine foreign vessels, of 3411 tons. In the coasting trade, during the
same year, 911 vessels entered inwards, of the burthen
of 99,430 tons; and 1222 cleared outwards, of 128,017
tons' burthen. The amount of duty paid at the customhouse in 1843 was £347,869: the number of vessels
registered as belonging to the port is 451, of 86,942 tons'
aggregate burthen; and the number of seamen is 3365.
The harbour was commenced in 1707, by the inhabitants, to whom the lord of the manor. Sir John Shaw,
conveyed the ground on which it is formed, together
with his right, as superior of the barony, to levy anchorage dues; and in order to raise funds for its completion,
they voluntarily imposed an assessment of 1s. 4d. on
every sack of malt brewed into ale within the burgh.
The harbour thus formed being found, however, totally
inadequate to the rapid increase of the trade, an extension including the bay of Crawfurdsdyke was carried
into effect, at an expense of £20,000; and the subsequent erection of dry-docks and other works requisite
to render it complete, including warehouses, bonding-yards for timber, and other accommodations, have in
the whole amounted to £119,000. The outer harbour,
which is accessible to the largest vessels, has sufficient
depth of water, and good anchorage; but the roadstead
is contracted by a considerable sand-bank, which extends from Port-Glasgow towards Dumbarton. The
entrance to the inner harbour is 105 feet wide, and the
depth great enough to allow vessels of any burthen to
approach the quays. The Custom-house quay is 1035
feet in length, the East quay 531, and the West quay
425 feet, forming together a line of very nearly 2000
feet, replete with every facility for the loading and landing of cargoes, with spacious warehouses and stores.
Ship-building is carried on to a great extent, for which
purpose there are seven dockyards belonging to different
companies, affording employment to 1200 men, with
dry-docks, and three patent-slips for repairing vessels,
one of which is capable of receiving ships of 400 tons.
The number of vessels annually launched averages about
twenty, of the aggregate burthen of from 6000 to 7000
tons. Boat-building is also carried on, by companies
confined to that object, who employ about forty workmen, and launch annually about 800 tons of all descriptions. The improvement of the harbour has greatly
tended to increase the trade of the port as well as its
revenue, which amounted in a recent year to as large a
sum as £12,079.
The custom-house, which is situated in the central
portion of the quay, is a spacious and elegant building
in the Grecian style, with a stately portico in front, the
whole erected in 1818, at an expense of £30,000. The
chamber of commerce and manufactures was incorporated by royal charter in 1813, and is under the
management of twelve directors, of whom three annually go out of office by rotation. The Exchange buildings, erected in 1814, at a cost of £7000, afford every
accommodation for the meeting of merchants and shipowners, and, for the transaction of commercial affairs;
they contain also two spacious assembly-rooms, in
which, during the season, concerts and card and dancing
assemblies are held. The post-office has a good delivery;
and in addition to the Greenock and the Clydesdale
Banks, there are branches of the Bank of Scotland, the
Royal Bank of Scotland, the Glasgow Union Banking
Company, and the Western Bank of Scotland. The
market, which is on Friday, is abundantly supplied
with grain and with provisions of all kinds; and fairs
are held on the first Thursday in July and the fourth
Thursday in November. Facility of communication is
afforded by excellent roads, of which eight miles of turnpike-road pass through the parish, and by steamers,
which have nearly superseded travelling by coaches. The
Glasgow, Paisley, and Greenock Railway was commenced
in 1837, by a company empowered to raise a joint-stock
capital of £400,000 in shares, and £133,333 by loan.
The length is twenty-two miles and a half, of which
seven miles form part of the Glasgow and Ayr railway,
whence the Greenock line diverges, to the south of
Paisley, crossing the rivers Black Cart and Gryfe, and
reaching its summit level on the Bishopton ridge.
Thence it is continued by an embankment, running
nearly parallel with the river Clyde, to Port-Glasgow,
from which, taking a curvilinear direction, it terminates
at Greenock, where is a short branch leading to the
docks. There are sixty bridges on the whole line, including the viaducts at Greenock and Port-Glasgow;
and four ascending and four descending planes, the
former of nine miles, and the latter seven and a half,
the remainder of the course being level. The line passes
along two tunnels at Bishopton ridge, cut through hard
rock for above a mile in length, and thirty-seven feet in
depth; the embankment near the Clyde is more than a
mile long, and twenty-eight feet in height, and there is
also one crossing Fulwood moss, four miles long, but
averaging only ten feet in height. The railway was
completed in June, 1840, at an expense of £498, 142,
including one-half the cost of the portion between Glasgow and Paisley, of which the other half was defrayed
by the Glasgow and Ayr Railway Company. The present capital is £866,666.
The town was erected into a burgh of barony by
charter of Charles I., granted to Sir John Shaw, its
proprietor, in 1635, and confirmed by Charles II. in 1670.
In 1741, the then Sir John Shaw, by a charter which
was renewed in 1751, conferred upon his tenants in the
burgh, the privilege of electing two bailies, a treasurer,
and six councillors, with power to hold courts for the
admission of burgesses, the good government of the
town, and the trial and punishment of delinquents.
This charter continued in force till the passing of the
Municipal Reform act of the 3rd and 4th of William IV.
A provost, four bailies, treasurer, and council are now
elected agreeably with the provisions of that measure;
and their jurisdiction extends over the whole of the municipal and parliamentary boundaries of the burgh. The
magistrates hold courts daily for the trial of criminal
causes not extending beyond petty thefts and misdemeanours, all higher matters being referred to the sheriff
of the county, who holds a court here for those cases to
which the jurisdiction of the magistrates does not extend. The burgh, under the provisions of the general
Reform act of the 2nd and 3rd of William IV., returns
one member to the imperial parliament: the right of
election is vested in the £10 householders, of whom
the number is 985. The town-hall was erected in 1765,
after a design by the father of the distinguished Watt;
it is a neat structure containing the several court-rooms,
and other apartments for the transaction of the public
business of the magistrates. The town gaol and bridewell, a handsome building in the castellated style, contains thirty-five cells for criminals. The sheriff's court-house, erected in 1834, by subscription, consists of a
spacious hall for the courts, with the necessary apartments for the sheriff and his clerk, and rooms for jurymen and witnesses, appropriately fitted up.
The parish originally formed part of that of Innerkip, from which it was separated by act of parliament,
in 1592; and it has since been subdivided into smaller
parishes, including the lands of Easter Greenock and
Crawfurdsburn, and a considerable portion of the
parish of Houston, which were annexed to it by the
Court of Teinds in 1650. It extends along the Clyde
for nearly five miles, and is bounded on the south by the
parish of Houston; on the south-east, by the parishes
of Port-Glasgow and Kilmalcolm; and on the west, by
Innerkip. The surface is hilly, rising towards the south,
by elevated ridges, to a height of 600 feet. The coast
is flat and sandy, and is not distinguished by any peculiarity of features, the hill of Binnans, the highest in the
ridge, forming the only landmark of importance, and
from which is obtained a beautiful view of the Frith.
The soil on the shore is chiefly clay, intermixed with
sea-shells and gravel; and in the higher grounds, a rich
loam, alternated with peat-moss. The estimated number of acres is 8000, of which nearly 3000 are arable,
1150 meadow and pasture, about fifty woodland and
plantations, and the remainder moor: there are some
quarries of sandstone, but of very inferior quality. The
scenery is beautifully diversified, and on the acclivities
of the hills are numerous scattered villas, overlooking
the Clyde. The mansion-house of Greenock is finely
situated on an eminence above the town; the greater
portion of it is ancient, but several additions have been
made of more modern character. There is some fine
old timber on the demesne, and also on that of Crawfurdsburn House, which is likewise an ancient building.
The rateable annual value of real property in Greenock
is £111,493.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Greenock and synod of Glasgow and Ayr. The original parish, which, since the
New or Middle parish was disjoined from it in 1741,
has been designated the parish of West Kirk, is about
three miles and a half in length and two and three-quarters in breadth. The minister's income is £718,
arising from a stipend of £287, an annuity from the
corporation of £25, and the rents of the glebe, amounting to £406, with a manse; patron, Sir Michael Robert
Shaw Stewart. The old church, a cruciform structure
built in 1590, being inconveniently situated, and greatly
dilapidated, has been superseded by a new church built
on a more commodious site; the present structure,
which is of elegant design, contains 1400 sittings. There
are places of worship for members of the Free Church,
as well as for the United Secession, Baptists, the Relief,
Independents, Reformed Presbyterians, and Wesleyans;
and an episcopal, and a Roman Catholic chapel. The
Middle Kirk parish, created by the Court of Teinds, is
about one-third of a mile in length, and a quarter of a
mile in breadth, and wholly within the town. The minister's stipend is £200, with £20 for communion elements, and a manse; patrons, the Magistrates and Town
Council, the Kirk Session, and the Feuars in the parish.
The church, erected in 1747, at an expense of £2388,
by subscription, aided by a grant from the corporation,
is a handsome structure in the Grecian style, with a
portico of the Ionic order, and an elegant spire 145
feet in height, and contains 1497 sittings. A chapel,
also, has been recently erected by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, for the use of the mariners
frequenting the port; it contains 350 sittings, and divine
service is regularly performed on Sunday by a missionary,
who has a salary of £26 per annum. The parish of East
Kirk was divided from the original parish, also by the
Court of Teinds, in 1809; it is about three miles and a
half in length and two and a half in breadth. The
minister's stipend is £200, with £20 for communion
elements, and a manse; patrons, the Magistrates and
Council, and a committee named by the Seat-proprietors.
The church, erected in 1774 as a chapel of ease, contains 976 sittings. The late quoad sacra parish of North
Kirk was separated from the parish of West Kirk by
the General Assembly, in 1834, and was about half a
mile in length, and less than a quarter of a mile in
breadth; patrons, the Congregation. The church, at
first a chapel of ease, was built in 1823, at an expense of
£600, and contains 1165 sittings. South Kirk quoad
sacra parish comprised a small district within the town;
patrons, the Proprietors of the church, which was built
as a Gaelic chapel of case, in 1791, at a cost of £1300,
raised in shares, and is a neat structure with 1300
sittings. The late quoad sacra parish of St. Andrew
was also separated from the old parish; patrons, the
Trustees. The church was built by subscription, aided
by grant from the Church-extension fund, at a cost of
£2600; it is a handsome structure in the later English
style of architecture, and contains 945 sittings. The
late parish of St. Thomas was separated in 1839, from
the old parish and the Middle parish: the church was
built by private subscription, aided by a grant from the
extension fund. Cartsdyke (which see) was separated
from the East parish, in the year 1839, but has, like
the four preceding districts, ceased to be a quoad sacra
parish.
The old parochial school has been superseded by the
establishment of two burgh schools, in one of which the
Latin, Greek, and French languages are taught; and in
the other, arithmetic, the mathematics, geography, and
drawing. They are under the management of two masters, appointed by the corporation, and who have each
a salary of £30, with the fees and an allowance of £25
in lieu of house and schoolroom. The Highlanders
academy was built in 1837, partly by subscription, and
partly by grant from government, on a site given by
the late Sir Michael Shaw Stewart; it is a handsome
building, containing two schools, and apartments for the
masters of an infant and juvenile school, with a large
inclosed play-ground. There are also two schools for
orphans, built by the corporation, one for the gratuitous
instruction of children in the elementary branches of
education, and the other for teaching girls to sew and
knit, and qualifying them for service; they are both
supported by subscription, and partly by the proceeds
of the children's work. The Greenock hospital and
infirmary was established in 1809, when a building was
erected at an expense of £1815, on a site of land given
by Sir John Shaw Stewart; it is maintained by subscription. The number of patients averages about 585
annually received into the house, and 200 out-patients.
Two wings have been added to the building, which is
now adapted for the reception of 100 patients. The
institution is under the superintendence of four physicians, two surgeons, and a resident apothecary; the
annual expenditure is about £1000. There are numerous friendly and benefit societies; and a savings' bank
has been for some time established, in which are deposits to the amount of £63,000. Galt, the novelist,
resided at Greenock, where he died in 1839. The town
gives the inferior title of Baron to the family of Cathcart, a dignity created in 1807, in the person of the
late Earl Cathcart, upon his return from Copenhagen,
where he had served as commander-in-chief of the military force employed in the expedition to that place.
Gretna
GRETNA, Dumfries.—See Graitney.
Grimsay
GRIMSAY, an island, in the parish of North Uist,
county of Inverness; containing 269 inhabitants. This
is an isle of the Hebrides, lying between North Uist and
Benbecula, and is about two miles in length: a large
portion of it is covered with heath. A great quantity of
kelp is burned on its shores, the manufacture of which
is the chief employment of the population. Grimsay is
an island only at high water.
Groay
GROAY, an isle, in the parish of Harris, county of
Inverness. It is one of a group of islets in the Sound
of Harris, and is of very small extent, and uninhabited.
Gruinard
GRUINARD. or Greinord, an isle, in the parish
of Lochbroom, county of Ross and Cromarty. It is
situated at the entrance to a loch of the same name, on
the western coast of the county, about five miles south-east of Udrigill Head.
Guildie
GUILDIE, a village, in the parish of Monikie, county
of Forfar, 3½ miles (W. N. W.) from Muirdrum; containing 83 inhabitants. It is in the eastern part of the
parish, and adjoining the village of Monikie: the population is chiefly employed in the weaving of linen for
the manufacturers of the neighbouring towns.
Guildiemuir
GUILDIEMUIR, a village, in the above parish and
county; containing 75 inhabitants. This village and
Guildie adjoin each other.
Guildtown
GUILDTOWN, a village, in the parish of St. Martin, county of Perth; containing 178 inhabitants. It
lies in the western part of the parish, and is of modern
date, having been founded within the present century.
The houses are in general neat and comfortable, with a
piece of garden-ground attached to each. This village,
and Caroline-Place, also in the parish, are the property
of the Guildry Incorporation of Perth.
Gulane
GULANE, anciently Golyn, a village, in the parish
of Dirleton, county of Haddington, 5½ miles (W. by
S.) from North Berwick, containing 273 inhabitants.
This village, which formerly gave name to the parish, is
pleasantly situated; and the ground in the immediate
vicinity is favourable to the training of race-horses, of
which two separate establishments have been erected.
There is a school attended by fifty children, of which
the master is provided with a house and garden, rentfree, by Mrs. Ferguson, who also allows him a salary of
£5 per annum, in addition to the fees.
Gunister
GUNISTER, an isle, in the parish of Northmavine,
county of Shetland. It is one of the smallest of the
Shetland group, and lies about a mile southward of the
main land of the parish: there is pasturage for cattle
and sheep.
Gunna
GUNNA, an isle, in the parish of Tiree, district of
Mull, county of Argyll. This is a small isle of the
Hebrides, lying in the sound between Tiree and Coll,
and is about a mile in length, and half a mile in breadth.
It is remarkable for the great quantity of sea-weed upon
its shores.
Guthrie
GUTHRIE, a parish, in the county of Forfar,
8 miles (N. W.) from Arbroath; containing 530 inhabitants. This place confers its name upon the very
ancient and distinguished family of the Guthries, one of
whom, on the resignation of the guardianship of Scotland by Sir William Wallace, in 1299, and his retirement into France, was sent by the Scottish nobles to
solicit the return of that hero, in order to assist his
countrymen to expel the English invaders. His descendant, Sir David Guthrie, who was lord high treasurer of
Scotland in the reign of James III., purchased from the
monks of Arbroath, the church of Guthrie, which had
for many years been attached to that abbey, and founded
here a collegiate church for a provost and three prebendaries. This foundation was confirmed by a bull
of Pope Sextus IV., in 1479; and to it was subsequently
annexed the vicarage of Kirkbuddo, or Carbuddo, now
forming a widely-detached portion of the parish of
Guthrie. Sir David Guthrie also erected a spacious and
strongly-fortified baronial castle here, which is still
entire; and on his decease, the manor passed to his
son, Sir Alexander, who, with one of his sons and three
of his brothers-in-law, fell in the battle of Flodden Field.
It is now the property of his descendant, John Guthrie,
Esq. The parish, including Kirkbuddo, which is situated at a distance of nearly seven miles to the south-west, and separated by several intervening parishes,
comprises an area of about 4000 acres, of which 3200
are arable, and the remainder woodland and plantations,
with a very considerable tract of unreclaimed moor.
The surface of the main portion is varied, sloping gradually from the hill of Guthrie, which is in the north-west, and has an elevation of about 500 feet, towards
the south and east; while in the southern, or Kirkbuddo, portion, the land is nearly level, though considerably raised above the sea. The parish is watered by
the small river Lunan, which flows through a narrow
valley, and forms its boundary. The soil in some parts
is a rich black loam, resting on a bed of retentive clay,
and in others of inferior quality, but generally susceptible of improvement by draining, which is gradually
growing into general practice. The system of agriculture is advanced, and some portions of the moor have
been reclaimed; the farm-buildings are usually commodious, and considerable progress has been made in the
inclosure of the lands. The woodlands around Guthrie
Castle and Kirkbuddo House are under good management; and in different parts of the parish are some
thriving plantations, which add much to the beauty of
the scenery. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£2727.
The castle, the seat of Mr. Guthrie, was originally
built in 1468. The more ancient part consists of a
massive square tower, crowned with embattled turrets, rising above the foliage of the richly-wooded
demesne by which it is surrounded, and conveying an
impressive idea of baronial grandeur; the more modern
portions have been added at various times, and the
whole has been recently improved by the present proprietor. It is beautifully situated on the banks of the
river Lunan, which has its source in a lake in the vicinity. Kirkbuddo House, the seat of George Ogilvy,
Esq., is a handsome modern mansion surrounded with
plantations. There is no village properly so called; the
population are principally agricultural, with the exception of a few who are employed in weaving for the
manufacturers in the neighbourhood. In Kirktown, a
hamlet consisting only of a small number of scattered
houses, are some individuals engaged in the various
handicraft trades requisite for the supply of the inhabitants of the parish. Facility of communication is afforded
by the Arbroath and Forfar turnpike-road, and the
Arbroath and Forfar railway, which pass near the
church. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Arbroath and synod of
Angus and Mearns. The minister's stipend is £158, of
which nearly one-half is paid from the exchequer, with
a manse, and a glebe valued at £9 per annum; patron,
John Guthrie, Esq. The church, which is situated on
an acclivity rising from the valley of the Lunan, is a
substantial neat building erected in 1826, and contains
306 sittings. Divine service is occasionally also performed by the minister in a schoolroom at Kirkbuddo.
The parochial schoolmaster is superannuated, and the
school taught by an assistant; the salary is £27, with
the fees, a house, and a garden. A school at Kirkbuddo is supported by subscription; and there is a parochial library, consisting chiefly of works on religious
subjects. Of the collegiate church founded by Sir David
Guthrie the only remains are a small aisle, now the burialplace of the family; and of the chapel of Kirkbuddo
scarcely any vestiges can be traced. In the southern
portion of the parish are some remains of a Roman
camp, still in a very entire state, inclosing an area of
about 760 yards in length and 360 yards wide: in the
south-east angle, supposed to have been the site of the
prætorium, is an eminence commanding a view of the
whole of the interior. John Guthrie, of this place, was
consecrated Bishop of Moray, over which see he continued to preside till 1638.