Portree
PORTREE, a parish, mostly in the Isle of Skye, and
wholly in the county of Inverness; including the islands
of Fladda, Rasay, and Rona; and containing 3574 inhabitants, of whom 510 are in the village of Portree, 25
miles (N. W.) from Broadford, 21 (E.) from Dunvegan, 80
(N. by E.) from Tobermory, 110 (N. by W.) from Obau, and
109 (W. by S.) from Inverness. This place was formerly
called Ceilltarraglan, a compound Gaelic term which signifies "a burying-ground at the bottom of a glen," and
which was particularly appropriate; but after the visit
of King James V. to the northern portion of his dominions, and his putting into the bay here, where he remained for some time, the name was changed to Portree,
or Port-roi or righ, "the King's harbour." The parish
consists of the portion properly called Portree, and the
islands of Rasay, Rona, and others of small extent, separated from the main body by a branch of the Atlantic
Ocean, called Rasay sound. It measures seventeen miles
in length and twelve in breadth, and is principally a pastoral district, the quantity of land under tillage being
but very small in comparison with the part uncultivated.
On the east is an arm of the sea dividing Rasay from
the parishes of Gairloch and Applecross. The long line
of coast exhibits great diversity of appearance: its
lofty and almost perpendicular rocks are succeeded in
some places, especially at the heads of the lochs, by
sudden depressions sinking almost to the level of the
beach; and the shores are intersected by numerous
breaks and fissures. Among the bays are those of Loch
Inord, Loch Sligichan, Camistinavaig, and several small
bays in the island of Rasay; but that of Portree is by
far the most considerable, and is capable of containing
several hundred sail, shelter on all sides being afforded
by very high lands, and its tenacious clayey bottom supplying excellent anchorage. The Rasay branch of the
Atlantic, which washes the parish throughout its whole
length, is sufficiently deep for the passage of a first-rate
ship of war. It receives a large influx of fresh water
from the hills on each side, bringing down earthy deposits which, from the rapidity of the currents in its friths,
render it turbid and dark in wintry or stormy weather;
but in the tranquillity of summer it is beautifully
clear.
The surface in the interior is varied with hills, valleys, and plains, interspersed with innumerable springs
of the purest water, several lakes and rivulets, and some
highly ornamented cascades, which together render the
scenery deeply interesting. The district is circumscribed
by a most circuitous and irregular outline, approaching
in its general form to an oblong, and is traversed from
south to north by a glen, skirted on each side by a range
of hills greatly differing in height and dimensions. The
most striking elevation is that called Aite Suidhe Fhin,
"the sitting-place of Fingal," where that celebrated hero
is traditionally reported to have sat to direct his followers
in the chase, and which, rising gradually from the head
of Loch Portree, reaches 2000 feet above the level of the
sea. Near this, on the east side of the harbour, and of
almost equal height with the former, rises the hill of
Peindinavaig, or "the hill of protection;" while much
to the south are the hill of Beinligh, and that of Glamaig, with the loch of Sligichan between them. The
latter is crowned with a verdant tract, and has a spring
sending forth an immense quantity of clear water: indeed
all the elevations, with slight exceptions, are covered to
their summits with excellent pasture for sheep and cattle,
and are well watered with springs and rivulets. There
are six fresh-water lochs, most of which abound in good
trout; and though of no great extent, the largest not
being above a mile long, they exhibit much picturesque
and beautiful scenery, enriched, in Rasay, with clumps of
natural wood, or grotesque rocks. From their vicinity
may be seen the celebrated hills of Cullins, in the parish
of Bracadale, and of Store, in the parish of Snizort;
and from a loch in Rasay, in favourable weather, a very
fine prospect may be had of all the hills in the district,
to the point of Hunish. with the expanse of sea to the
island of Lewis. The climate is one of the most variable
to be found, many descriptions of weather being frequently experienced within the space of a day and night;
and diseases arising from the sudden changes of temperature, are often prevalent.
The soil between the hills is to a great extent peatmoss, whence the inhabitants are amply supplied with
their ordinary fuel; but that most general is a gravelly
earth, abounding in springs. These render the land
raw and unproductive; and in addition to the natural
sterility of the soil, the poverty of the inhabitants, and
their necessarily imperfect system of husbandry, the
vicissitude of the weather, either in seed-time or in
harvest, and sometimes in both, often destroys at once
the hopes of the year. The whole of the main land part
of the parish belongs to Lord Macdonald; and the
island of Rasay, with its subordinate isles, to Macleod,
of Rasay. The former proprietor, about the year 1811,
for the accommodation of the rapidly increasing population, caused all the farms held by small tenants to be
subdivided into allotments or crofts. This has tended
still further to increase the number of persons here
located; and the inhabitants now so far exceed the
productive capabilities of the soil, as to place the tenants
upon the lowest possible scale with respect to the comforts of life, as well as to keep the land far below the
average state of that in neighbouring districts. The
crooked spade is used, and is well suited to the peculiar
character of the surface, the arable portion frequently
hanging on steeps and precipices, and being set with
rocks or large stones; and after the seed is sown the
hollows and inequalities are neatly raked over, and
smoothed with a hand-harrow. Even were the tenants
competent to the undertaking, the land is incapable of
successful draining, as its fixed watery nature, arising
from springs, would soon cause it to revert to its original
spongy character. The crofters live in huts of the meanest
condition, and are often without proper food and clothing;
this however is in no way attributable to any want of
disposition to promote improvements, but to poverty and
destitution which they are unable to controul. Their
sobriety and general character are spoken of in the
highest terms; and this circumstance has induced the
proprietor, for these few last years, to expend considerable sums of money in sending part of the population
to the British colonies in North America.
A large tract in the parish is undivided common, consisting of hill pasture which is covered in the summer
months with cattle, which are small but hardy, and
mostly out of shelter for the whole year. They are supported in the winter on straw; but after feeding at the
return of spring on the pasture, which is chiefly mossgrass, they acquire strength and flesh, and are carried
off by the south-country dealers in large numbers, to
fatten for the markets of England, where they are much
esteemed, and fetch a high price. The sheep are a cross
between the native stock and the black-faced of the
south; the horses, though very small, are hardy. The
breeds of cattle and sheep are much attended to; and
great improvements have recently taken place in consequence of the stimulus given by the premiums of the
Highland and local agricultural societies, and especially by the facilities of conveyance to the leading
markets by steam navigation. Coal was wrought about
the beginning of the present century by Lord Macdonald; but the expense, after a regular system of
operations had been for some time carried on by experienced colliers from the south, proved so great that the
quantity raised was not sufficient to remunerate the
proprietor, and the work was abandoned. Excellent
granite is found in several places, particularly in Rasay,
and, being of very hard texture, is formed into millstones for grinding oats and barley, which are sold at
from £9 to £12 per pair, and supply all the mills in
Skye and the neighbouring parishes. Limestone is
abundant; and at Portree, on both sides of the harbour, freestone is found in very large quantities in the
lofty rocks, which are nearly perpendicular. Stone of
the same species, but of far superior quality, is obtained
in great plenty in Rasay; and some of it was used in
building, a few years since, the elegant mansion of the
proprietor of the island, the only gentleman's seat in
the parish. Near this residence are some fine old
trees; but the other wood in the parish is only plantation of Scotch fir, larch, birch, ash, and oak, of recent
formation, and situated principally in the island of
Rasay and the village of Portree.
The village, in which the population amounts to above
500, is ornamented by some pretty plantations, and
contains several good houses and shops, and a branch
establishment of the National Bank of Scotland. The
sheriff-substitute of the district of Skye holds his
courts in the court-room of the gaol here, as the superintendent of the judicial affairs of the place; and there
is a post-office having a regular delivery of letters
three times a week. A road has been formed through
the whole length of the parish, under the direction of
the parliamentary commissioners for building bridges
and making roads in the Highlands and islands; and
Glasgow steam-boats, weekly in the summer, and monthly
in the winter, come into the harbour, by which means
the cattle and other produce are sent to the southern
markets. Salmon, also, the fishing of which belongs to
a small company from the south, is cured in the village,
and forwarded by the same conveyance to Glasgow and
London. Three fairs are held, respectively in May,
July, and November, the two former for the sale of
black-cattle, and the latter for the hiring of servants
and for other business. The rateable annual value of
the parish is £3195. It is in the presbytery of Skye
and synod of Glenelg, and in the patronage of the Crown:
the minister's stipend is £150, of which about one-half
is received from the exchequer; with a manse, and a
glebe, consisting principally of moss and hill pasture,
and valued at £11 per annum. The church, built about
the year 1820, for the accommodation of 800 persons
with sittings, is situated in the village, but on account
of its distance from the southern boundary, which is
fifteen miles off, is inconvenient for a considerable portion of the population. A missionary is stationed in
the parish, on the establishment of the committee of the
General Assembly, and receives a salary from the bounty
allowed by the crown for the benefit of the Highlands.
The parochial school, also situated in the village, affords
instruction in Latin, Greek, geography, book-keeping,
and English, in addition to the elementary branches;
the master has a salary of £34. 4., with a house, an
allowance for a garden, and £5 fees. There is a branch
parochial school in Rasay, in which the elementary
branches only are taught; also two schools where the
instruction is in Gaelic, this being the vernacular
tongue.
Portsburgh
PORTSBURGH, a burgh of barony, in the parish
of St. Cuthbert, county of Edinburgh. This place,
which was once a portion of the barony of Inverleith,
was conveyed by its ancient lords, the family of Touris,
to Hepburn, of Humby, from whose descendants the
superiority was purchased in 1648 by the corporation
of Edinburgh. Of that city it now forms an integral
part, comprising Easter and Wester Portsburgh, which
are divided by the lands stretching along the north
boundary of the Heriot's Hospital estate and the old
south wall of the city. Easter Portsburgh comprehends
the district to the east of Bristo-street, including Potter-row and Lothian and South-College streets, with
parts of Drummond and Nicholson streets; Wester
Portsburgh comprises the lands extending from Wharton-lane to Lochrin, including the site of the King's
stables to the south of the castle, and the whole of
Laurieston, with Cowfield-row, Portland-place, and
Home and Leven streets. The district intervening
between Easter and Wester Portsburgh embraces the
west side of Bristo-street, Park-place, Teviot-row, the
Meadow Walk, and the sites and grounds of Watson's
and the Lying-in hospitals, all forming parts of the city
of Edinburgh, which see. The burgh is governed by a
baron-bailie, generally one of the old magistrates of
Edinburgh, two resident assistant bailies, and a procurator-fiscal, appointed by the town-council of the city,
whose magistrates have jurisdiction both in civil and
criminal cases, and hold courts for the determination of
pleas to any amount, and for the trial of all offences not
capital. The ancient mansion-house was the seat of
Napier, of Merchiston, the inventor of logarithms.
Portseaton
PORTSEATON, a village, in that part of the parish
of Tranent which formed a portion of the late quoad
sacra parish of Cockenzie, county of Haddington,
2 miles (N. by W.) from Tranent; containing 270 inhabitants. This place derives its name from the family of
Seaton, earls of Winton, who were proprietors of the
estate on which it is built. It is situated on the shore
of the Frith of Forth, and is inhabited by persons connected with the fisheries, in conjunction with the population of Cockenzie, of which it may be regarded as a
continuation, and under which head the fisheries are
described. A mill has been erected for the preparation
of linseed-oil; it is worked by steam, and after the extraction of the oil, the residue is formed into cakes for
feeding cattle. Seaton House, a magnificent palace, and
partially occupied in 1715 by the old Brigadier Mackintosh, has been removed, with its fine gardens and terrace-walks, and is succeeded by a modern mansion of
no architectural pretensions. The old collegiate church,
which was considerably injured by the Earl of Hertford
in 1544, and more wantonly in subsequent times, is an
interesting specimen of Gothic architecture, now carefully preserved by the Earl of Wemyss, the proprietor;
it contains the mausoleum of the Seaton family. The
children of the village attend the schools established in
the parish.
Portskerray
PORTSKERRAY, a village, in that part of the
parish of Reay which is in the county of Sutherland,
13 miles (W. S. W.) from Thurso; containing 371 inhabitants. This village is situated on the bay of Bighouse,
about a mile to the east of the village of Melvich, and
on the turnpike-road from Thurso to Tongue; and is
inhabited chiefly by persons engaged in the fisheries,
which are carried on here to a considerable extent. The
scenery is enlivened by the windings of the river Halladale, which flows near the western extremity into the
bay, where a small harbour has been formed, affording
secure shelter to the vessels employed in the fishery.
Among the fish taken are cod, ling, turbot, skate,
whiting, haddocks, flounders, sand-eels, and occasionally smelts; and a herring and salmon fishery have
been established for some years with success.
Portsoy
PORTSOY, a sea-port town, a burgh of barony, and
lately a quoad sacra parish, in the parish of Fordyce,
county of Banff, 8 miles (W. by N.) from Banff, and
18 (E. by N.) from Fochabars; containing 1720 inhabitants, of whom 1523 are in the burgh. This place is
supposed to have derived its name from Loch Soy,
originally an extensive sheet of water in its immediate
vicinity, but which since the erection of the town has
been greatly reduced by draining, and is now converted
into a mill-dam. Portsoy is a place of some antiquity,
and appears by charter of Mary, Queen of Scots, granted
in 1550 to Walter Ogilvy, of Boyne, its ancient proprietor, to have been erected into a burgh of barony:
the Earl of Seafield is now the superior. The town
is situated on a point of land projecting into the Moray
Frith, and on the western bank of the streamlet Durn,
which here falls into the sea; it is small, and irregularly built, but nevertheless of very pleasing appearance. The coast, though not precipitous, is bold and
rocky; most of the houses command a fine view of the
sea, and the environs comprise much pleasing scenery,
which derives additional interest from the mansionhouse of Durn, within half a mile of the town. Two
public libraries, containing a good collection of volumes
on history and general literature, are supported by subscription; and there is also a small theological library,
in connexion with the Sabbath school. The manufacture of fine linen and thread, formerly carried on here
for the supply of the English market, has been for some
years discontinued; and the only manufacture now is
that of ropes for the use of the fishermen, together with
the making of various trinkets from the Portsoy marble, for which the parish is celebrated. The staple trade
of the place is the exportation of grain and herrings,
and the importation of coal, bones for manure, and a few
other commodities. The number of vessels at present
registered as belonging to the port is eight, of the
aggregate burthen of 556 tons, and all employed in the
coasting-trade; and about an equal number of foreign
vessels, from various parts of the Baltic, annually visit
the port, landing cargoes of bones, and taking away
herrings in return.
The harbour affords safe accommodation to vessels of
100 tons, and in 1828 was greatly improved by the construction of a new pier, at great expense, by the Earl of
Seafield, rendering it one of the most secure and commodious harbours on the coast. This pier was, however,
considerably injured by a violent storm on the 7th of
January, 1839; and by a second storm on the 30th of
that month, was totally demolished. It has not since
been rebuilt; the old pier is consequently still used for
loading and unloading vessels, and, though small, is not
inconvenient. About ten boats are employed in the
cod and herring fisheries off the coast, each boat having
a crew of four men; and when the fishermen go to
more distant stations, larger boats are used, having
crews of from five to seven men each. In successful
seasons, each man upon an average clears £30. There
is a small distillery in the town; and a mill for crushing
bones, a saw-mill, and a threshing-mill, have recently
been built, all of which are driven by one and the same
water-wheel. Branches of the Aberdeen and North of
Scotland Banks, and of the Banff Savings' Bank, have
been established; and there are several inns, and various
shops for the supply of the neighbourhood. The market, which is amply furnished with provisions of every
kind, and with agricultural produce, is held weekly on
Saturday, and numerously attended. The post-office
has a tolerable delivery; and facility of communication
is maintained by excellent roads, of which the turnpikeroads to Banff, Cullen, Elgin, Keith, and Huntly, pass
through the parish. The burgh, under its original charter, ratified by James VI., is governed by a baron-bailie
chosen by the Earl of Seafield; but the bailie, though
vested with the ordinary powers, neither holds any
courts nor exercises any jurisdiction, rather adjusting
differences as an arbiter than using authority as a
magistrate; and the burgh has neither property nor
revenue. A small weekly custom is raised, sufficient
merely to pay the salary of the person appointed to
superintend the market. The late quoad sacra parish of
Portsoy, including the town and surrounding district,
and comprising an area of nearly five square miles, was
separated from Fordyce by act of the General Assembly
in 1836. The church, originally built as a chapel of
ease, at a cost of nearly £900, is a neat substantial
structure containing about 700 sittings, of which thirtyfive are free: the minister has a stipend of £80, of
which £40 are paid by the Earl of Seafield, who is
patron, and the remainder is derived from the seatrents. There are also in the town an episcopal chapel,
a Free church, and a Roman Catholic chapel. A school
is chiefly supported by the Society for Propagating
Christian Knowledge, who pay the master a salary of
£15, to which £5 are added by the Earl of Seafield; and
he has also a house, and grass for a cow, in addition to
the school-fees, averaging about £20 annually.
Port-William
PORT-WILLIAM, a village, in the parish of Mochrum, county of Wigton, 8½ miles (S. W.) from Wigton; containing 634 inhabitants. This is a neat and
thriving sea-port village, situated on the eastern shore
of Luce bay; it was built about 1762 by Sir William
Maxwell, Bart., of Monreith, in honour of whom it is
named. In 1788 small barracks were erected here for
military, and for custom-house officers, in order to the
prevention of contraband trade. The harbour is safe
and commodious, and from it large quantities of potatoes and grain are shipped for Liverpool and Lancaster.
The bay abounds with fish of excellent quality, and in
great variety. In the village is a post-office, which has
a daily delivery.
Powfoot
POWFOOT, a village, in the parish of Cummertrees, county of Dumfries, 2½ miles (W. by S.) from
Annan, containing 72 inhabitants. This is a pretty
rural watering-place on the Solway Frith; and forms a
branch station of a fishery, in which its population is
engaged. The parochial church stands about a mile
north-east of the village.
Premnay
PREMNAY, a parish, in the district of Garioch,
county of Aberdeen, 3½ miles (S. S. W.) from Old Rain;
containing, with the village of Auchleven, 691 inhabitants.
This parish is about four and a half miles in length from
north to south, and four miles in extreme breadth, and
comprises between 5000 and 6000 acres, of which 3200
are arable, fifty plantations, and the remainder, with the
exception of a small extent of good pasture, waste, moor,
and mountain. The surface is considerably diversified.
A chain of beautiful little hills or undulations runs along
the centre from east to west, and is entirely cultivated
except on the summits, which are covered with whins on
a very thin and rocky soil; and from the bases of this
range, extensive tracts of arable land rise on each side
with gentle ascent. The northern portion of the parish
is watered by the rivulet Shevock, forming about a mile
of its boundary, and separating it from the parish of
Insch; and the southern by the Gady, which enters on
the west near the church of Leslie, and continues its
course to the eastern limit, between acclivities well cultivated, and occasionally ornamented with picturesque
hedge-rows. On the south side of this stream, which,
as well as the Shevock, affords good trout, and opposite
to the church, which is situated on its northern bank,
rises the elevation called Tillymuick, a hill of moderate
height and bleak appearance. A little farther southward is the mountain of Benochie, having its western
extremity in this parish, and of which the summit, 1500
feet above the level of the sea, commands interesting
and extensive prospects, embracing on the east many
miles of the shore of the German Ocean, and on the
north, the Moray Frith, and the Caithness hills in the
distance. The soil in general is dry and productive,
well suited to turnip husbandry, and incumbent on a
gravelly subsoil or on rock; near the bases of the two
principal hills it is poor, and rests upon a hard tenacious
earth. The crops consist of oats, bear, turnips, potatoes, and grass, the cultivation of which, with the
rearing of black-cattle and a few sheep and horses, constitutes the chief employment. The rotation of crops is
practised; but many improvements in husbandry are
still wanting, and the inclosures are very few in number,
as well as deficient in condition. The rateable annual
value of Premnay is £2226.
There are several kinds of rock; but the most abundant is red granite, which is found in great plenty in two
of the hills, and, on account of its being easily wrought,
is extensively used throughout the neighbouring district
for building purposes. The hills in the centre of the
parish supply a common stone adapted for the roads;
and serpentine and limestone also exist, with some beds
of very fine clay: the mosses on Benochie are still
resorted to for fuel, but the lowland mosses are almost
exhausted, and nearly the whole brought into cultivation.
The mansion of Licklyhead, long the family seat of the
proprietors of Premnay, was erected above 200 years
since, in the castellated style, and is still inhabited;
Overhall is a modern residence, built in a plain manner,
and in tolerable repair. The village of Auchleven contains
about twenty houses, and also one of the three cornmills in the parish, which is turned by the water of the
Gady; one of the others is on the Shevock, and the
third at Gariochsford. The inhabitants are partly engaged in the spinning and carding of wool, the former
branch employing two jennies, and the latter three
engines; the villagers also manufacture woollen cloth to
a small extent. The public road from Insch to Keig
passes over the Gady, at the village, by a bridge of two
arches, erected in 1836 at a cost of £70; and this road
is crossed near the centre of the parish by another,
leading from the upper district of the country to Inverury
and Aberdeen, and which in 1824 was made turnpike
from the church to Mill of Carden, where it joins the
great north road from Inverness to Aberdeen. A third
road, lately made from Kinnethmont to Inverury, passes
through the north of the parish. The produce is generally sent to Inverury, eleven miles distant from the
church, whence lime, guano, and bones for manure,
and coal, are obtained at all times for the use of the
district. Bear from this place is used at the distilleries of
Inverury and other places. The parish is within the
limits of the presbytery of Garioch and synod of
Aberdeen, and in the patronage of Sir Andrew Leith
Hay, of Rannes: the minister's stipend is £159, with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £12 per annum. The
church, built in 1792, has 360 sittings, all free with the
exception of sixty in a gallery erected in 1828 by the
Kirk Session, with consent of the heritors. The parochial school affords instruction in Latin, Greek, mathematics, book-keeping, and all the elementary branches:
the master has a salary of £27, with a house, an allowance for a garden, and £11 fees; also a share of the
Dick bequest. The interest of £1000, left by the late
Thomas Gordon, Esq., is distributed among the poor.
Preston
PRESTON, county of Berwick.—See Bunkle.
Preston
PRESTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Cranston,
county of Edinburgh, 1 mile (E. N. E.) from the village
of Cranston; containing 35 inhabitants. It is situated
in the eastern quarter of the parish; and near it is
Preston Hall, the splendid mansion of Mr. Callender.
Preston
PRESTON, a village, in the parish of Prestonpans,
county of Haddington, 1½ mile (N. W. by W.) from
Tranent; containing 57 inhabitants. This place, now
a small and decayed, was formerly a considerable, village, and had a noted fair in October, called St. Jerome's
fair. The barony was long the property of the Hamilton
family, and there is the ruin of a tower in which they resided, and which was accidentally burnt in 1633. Preston
now consists of a few mean houses and some old mansions; but its situation is pleasantly rural and retired.
In the vicinity is an hospital founded by Dr. James
Schaw, in 1784, for the maintenance and education of
twenty-four boys, with preference to those of the names
of Schaw, Macniell, Cunningham, and Stewart: the
present building, which is very commodious, was erected
in 1831, near the site of the old mansion of Preston
House, that stood behind it, and had been previously
used as the hospital. At the end of the village is the
ancient cross.
Preston-Mill
PRESTON-MILL, a village, in the parish of Kirkbean, stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 14 miles (S.) from
Dumfries; containing 76 inhabitants. Though now,
like the preceding, a decayed village, this place was
formerly a burgh of regality, under the superiority of
the Regent Morton, who frequently inhabited the castles
of Cavens and Weaths, which stood within the barony
of Preston, and of each of which a portion still remains.
There were four fairs held here annually; and the ancient cross is yet standing in the village, the only memorial of the privileges it once enjoyed.
Prestonholme
PRESTONHOLME, a village, in the parish of Cockpen, county of Edinburgh, ½ a mile (S. by W.) from
the village of Cockpen; containing 210 inhabitants. It
is situated in the south-eastern quarter of the parish, on
the bank of the South Esk; and is the seat of a considerable flax-spinning establishment, the proprietors of
which support a school for the children of the workmen, allowing the master a dwelling-house, and a salary
of £70.
Prestonkirk
PRESTONKIRK, a parish, in the county of Haddington, 5 miles (E. N. E.) from Haddington; containing, with the village of Linton, 1869 inhabitants. This
place, originally called Linton from the principal village,
assumed at the time of the Reformation the appellation
of Prestonhaugh, from the position of its church near a
meadow on the bank of the Tyne; and this name it
still retains in legal documents, in common with its
present name of Prestonkirk, which it afterwards obtained. The parish is about seven miles in length from
north to south, and four miles in breadth from east to
west, and comprises 6270 acres, of which 200 are meadow and pasture, and the whole of the remainder, with
the exception of a little waste and wood, arable. The
surface is nearly uniform, being broken only by the hill
of Traprain Law, in some parts of nearly perpendicular,
and in all of precipitate, elevation; and by a very narrow, deep, and richly fertile vale watered by a rivulet.
The scenery upon the whole is pleasing, but not adorned
with wood, except near the church and the hamlet of
Preston, where are some few trees of remarkably fine
growth. The river Tyne, which has its rise within ten
miles of Haddington, intersects the parish from west to
east, dividing it into two nearly equal portions, and falls
into the sea about three miles from Dunbar; it forms a
beautiful cascade at the village of Linton, which from
that circumstance derives its name. The extent and
beauty of this fall have, however, been greatly diminished
by the cutting of the rocks, which were supposed to
obstruct the passage of the salmon up the river; and it
is only after floods or continued rains that the cascade
displays its wonted grandeur. The removal of the obstructions, moreover, has not added to the quantity of
salmon, which are still of small size and in small number; but trout of large size, eels, and flounders, are
obtained in great plenty and of excellent quality.
The soil is generally good, and in some parts exceedingly rich; the crops are, wheat, oats, barley, potatoes,
turnips, and mangel-wurzel. The system of agriculture
is highly advanced; considerable progress has been
made in draining and inclosing the lands, and the more
recent improvements in the construction of implements
of husbandry have been adopted. The introduction of
bone-dust and guano manures has been attended with
success; there is little waste or unprofitable land; the
farm-buildings are substantial and commodious, and on
most of the farms are threshing-mills, of which many
are driven by steam. The substrata of the parish are,
limestone, claystone, and clinkstone. The limestone is
of a reddish brown colour, interspersed with veins of
flint, and is covered with a deep incrustation of calcareous marl, which is substituted for lime in various
agricultural uses. The claystone, which is by far the
most extensive, appears in some places of the basaltic
character, of a dark brown colour inclining to purple,
impregnated with iron, and containing porphyry and
crystals of felspar. The clinkstone has many varieties,
resembling greenstone in some parts, in others interspersed with veins of yellow jasper susceptible of a high
polish, and in others with veins of heavy spar. The
rateable annual value of Prestonkirk is £16,256. Smeaton House, the seat of Sir Thomas B. Hepburn, Bart.,
is a handsome modern mansion; Beanston, the property
of the Earl of Wemyss, has been deserted, and is fast
going to decay. The village is pleasantly situated on
the banks of the Tyne, and enjoys facility of intercourse
with the neighbouring towns by good roads, which have
been lately much improved: the great London road
passes for four miles through the parish. There are
several mills for oatmeal and barley, and one for flour;
and a distillery was until recently carried on, which
afforded employment to fifty persons, manufacturing
about 500,000 gallons of whisky annually, and paying
duty amounting to £112,000 per annum. The parish
is in the presbytery of Dunbar and synod of Lothian
and Tweeddale, and patronage of Sir Charles Dalrymple
Fergusson, Bart.: the minister's stipend is £310. 13. 2.,
with a manse, and the glebe is valued at £27. 10. per
annum. The church was built in 1770, and enlarged in
1824; it is a neat substantial edifice adapted for a congregation of 800 persons. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church, and the United Associate Synod. The parochial school is well conducted,
and the master has a salary of £34. 4., with £30 fees,
and a house and garden: the female parochial school is
managed by a mistress, who has a salary of £3, with
a house and schoolroom. There was also till lately a
subscription school, of which the master received a
salary of £40, with a house and garden. A church
appears to have been founded here at a very early period
by St. Baldred, the tutelar saint, but was destroyed,
together with the neighbouring village, in an irruption
of the Saxons. At Hailes are the ruins of Hailes Castle,
for some time the residence of Mary, Queen of Scots,
when carried off from Edinburgh by the Earl of Bothwell, its proprietor; part of it is appropriated as a
granary, and the remainder is rapidly passing into decay. On the lands of Markle are the ruins of an ancient
religious house, of which, after the Reformation, the
greater portion of the lands was resumed by the crown,
and annexed to the chapel royal at Stirling: little is
known of the history of the establishment, but from the
ruins it appears to have been of great extent, and the
style of building of very rude character. There are
several large upright stones, supposed to point out the
places of interment of chiefs killed in battle; and in
the immediate neighbourhood of one of these, near the
village of Linton, stone coffins have been frequently
discovered. George Rennie, Esq., of Phantassie, in this
parish, was celebrated for his extensive improvements in
agriculture: his son, the late John Rennie, Esq., eminent as a civil engineer, was born and educated here.
Andrew Meikle, who, if not the original inventor of the
threshing-machine, at least brought it to its present
state of perfection, lived and died at Prestonkirk; and
a tombstone is erected to his memory in the churchyard.
Prestonpans
PRESTONPANS, a parish, in the county of Haddington; containing, with the villages of Cuthill, Dolphingstone, and Preston, and part of the late quoad sacra
parish of Cockenzie, 2234 inhabitants, of whom 1659
are in the town of Prestonpans, 8 miles (E.) from Edinburgh. This place derived its name, originally Preston,
or Prieststown, from its belonging to the monks of
Holyrood, who eventually erected pans on the sea-shore
for the manufacture of salt, after which it obtained the
appellation of Salt-Preston, since changed into its
present designation. In 1544, the town, which appears
to have arisen from the establishment of the salt-works,
was burnt by the English forces under the Earl of
Hertford, on his invasion of Scotland; and the castle
and the church were at the same time destroyed. In
the immediate vicinity occurred, in 1745, the conflict
called the battle of Prestonpans, in which the royal
forces were defeated with great slaughter by the Highland troops in the interest of the Young Pretender, and
which really took place within the limits of the parish of
Tranent. From its situation on the high road to Edinburgh, it was, during its occupation by the monks of
Holyrood, frequently honoured with the visits of the
kings of Scotland; and there are still remaining the
vestiges of the buildings supposed to have been inhabited by the brethren of that monastery.
The particulars of the battle are shortly these. Sir
John Cope, the commander of the royal forces, on the
afternoon of the 20th of September, perceiving the vanguard of the Young Pretender's army, drew up his troops
in order of battle, having his foot in the centre, with a
regiment of dragoons and three pieces of artillery on
each wing. His right was covered by Col. Gardiner's
park wall, and by the village of Preston; at some distance on his left, stood Seaton House; and the sea,
with the villages of Prestonpans and Cockenzie, lay
upon his rear. The Highlanders advancing with the
utmost alacrity and spirit, the two armies were soon
only a mile apart; the prince's occupying the ridge
beyond the town of Tranent, with a gentle descent and
a deep morass between them and their enemy. But,
however desirous Charles was to indulge the impatience
of his troops by an onset the same day, it was found
impracticable from the nature of the ground, as the
morass was deep and difficult, and could not be passed
for the purpose of attacking the English in front without
risking the loss of the whole army. Charles accordingly desisted, to the great dissatisfaction of the common
Highlanders; nor did Cope, urged as he was by the
bolder spirit of the gallant Colonel Gardiner, do otherwise than remain on the defensive, satisfied with the
strength of his position. In the night, however, one of
Charles's officers, Anderson of Whitburgh, who was
well acquainted with the nature of the country, suddenly bethought himself of a path that wound from the
heights where the prince's followers lay, towards the
right, by the farm of Ringan Head, avoiding in a great
measure the morass, and leading to the plain below.
By this path the Pretender caused his troops to pass;
and though some little difficulty was experienced, even
in this selected place, yet they all soon reached the firm
ground, concealed from the enemy at first by the darkness, and, when day began to break, by a frosty mist.
The insurgents thus compelling General Cope to an
engagement, he lost no time in disposing his troops, his
order of battle being nearly the same as that adopted
when he first saw the enemy on the previous day, except
that the men's faces were now turned in a different
direction, towards the east: his infantry stood in the
centre, Hamilton's dragoons on his left, and Gardiner's,
with the artillery before them, on his right next the
morass. As soon as the mists rolled away before the
rising sun, the Highlanders dashed forward, each clan
a separate mass, and, raising a war-cry that gradually
became a terrific yell, made so overwhelming an onset
that but a short time elapsed before the day was decided.
They first reached the royal artillery, which they took
by storm, running straight on the muzzles of the
cannon. The cavalry commanded by Hamilton and
Gardiner soon wavered and took to flight, before the
drawn swords of the Highlanders, notwithstanding the
exertions of their leaders; and at length the infantry of
the king's army, uncovered at both flanks, were completely beaten, not above 170 of them escaping from
the field. Thus was a perfect victory obtained by the
insurgents at every point, and in a space of time most
astonishingly short. The numbers on each side were
between 2000 and 3000: of these, Charles lost only
thirty killed, and had but seventy wounded; while the
number of slain on the royal side was nearly 400,
including the brave and estimable Col. Gardiner, who,
heading a party of foot when forsaken by his horsemen,
was cut down by a Highlander with a scythe, and
despatched with several wounds, close to his own park
wall. This battle, called of Preston, or of Prestonpans,
by the well-affected party, received the name of Gladsmuir from the insurgents, out of respect, as it would
seem, to certain ancient predictions. "On Gladsmuir
shall the battle be," says a book of prophecies printed
at Edinburgh in 1615; but Gladsmuir, a large open
heath, lies fully a mile to the east of the actual scene of
conflict.
The parish is about two and a half miles in length,
and about one mile in breadth; it is bounded on the
north by the Frith of Forth, and comprises 740 acres,
chiefly arable, and in a state of profitable cultivation.
The surface is generally flat, and towards the Frith, which
here forms a wide bay, is defended from the encroachments of the sea only by a low barrier of shelving rocks:
south-west of the ancient village, however, are some
trifling elevations which give a little variety. The soil
is mostly a fertile loam, resting partly on clay and
partly on gravel, the former deep and strong, and the
latter thin and of lighter quality; the crops are, wheat,
barley, oats, beans, peas, potatoes, and turnips. The
system of husbandry is in an advanced state; the lands
have been well drained, and are inclosed chiefly with
stone dykes, which are preferred to hedges as taking
less room, and affording no shelter for birds. The
farm-buildings are substantial and well arranged, and
all the more recent improvements in implements have
been adopted. The substratum is shale and sandstone,
connected with the coal formation: coal was extensively
wrought here formerly, but at present one mine only is
in operation. The principal trade carried on is the
dredging of oysters, for the supply of the markets of
Newcastle, Hartlepool, and Shields; the oysters found
here are in much repute, and the taking of them affords
employment to a considerable number of persons. The
chief manufacture is that of salt, for which several pans
are still in use; the rock-salt is imported mostly from
Liverpool, in great quantities, and manufactured here
in a superior way. There are some soap-works, a distillery of whisky, and an ale brewery, each conducted
in the best manner. The manufacture of all kinds of
pottery and earthenware was also formerly very extensive; but at present, with the exception of two small
establishments for brown ware, that branch has been
discontinued. A foreign trade was once carried on with
France and Holland, and also a large coasting-trade, for
the convenience of which a good harbour was formed a
little to the west of the ancient village, by the family of
the Morisons, proprietors of Preston-Grange, from whom
it takes its name. The harbour has about ten feet of
water at spring-tides, is capable of being considerably
deepened, and is one of the safest on this part of the
coast. A custom-house was early established here, of
which the jurisdiction extends from the Figgat rivulet,
on the west, to the mouth of the river Tyne on the east,
including the creeks of Figgat Burn, Musselburgh, Port-Seaton, Aberlady, and North Berwick, which are considered as members of the port of Preston. The rateable annual value of the parish is £6766.
Prestonpans is in the presbytery of Haddington and
synod of Lothian and Tweeddale, and patronage of Sir
George Grant Suttie, Bart.: the minister's stipend is
£287. 18., with a manse, and the glebe is valued at £25
per annum. The church, a plain substantial edifice,
was erected in 1774, and is adapted for a congregation
of 750 persons. The members of the Free Church have
built a place of worship in the town. The parochial
school is well attended; the master has a salary of
£34.4., with £50 fees, and a house and garden. Schaw's
Hospital, situated at the east end of the village of
Preston, fronting the street, was instituted in 1784, by
James Schaw, for the maintenance and instruction of
twenty-four poor boys, with preference to those of the
name of the founder, and of the names of Cunningham,
Macniell, and Stewart. The boys are inmates of the
asylum for five years, when they are apprenticed to a
trade, a small sum as a fee being paid with each. A
new building of considerable exterior elegance, and
superior internal accommodation, was erected for the
institution in 1831; and the grounds around it, which
are kept with great care and taste, form a very attractive feature in the scenery of the parish. There are
also three adventure schools, attended each by between
twenty and fifty children; two girls' schools for sewing,
&c.; and an infant school, on the plan of the General
Assembly. To the north of the village are the remains of
the castle, of which the original foundation is unknown;
the keep only is left. In a garden not far from the
ruins is preserved the cross of the old town, which by
some means became the property of the fraternity of
Chapmen of East Lothian, who celebrate an annual
festival on the spot. At Dolphingstone are the ruins of
several ancient houses, supposed to have been the buildings of some religious house connected with the monastery of Holyrood. Alexander Hume, an eminent philologist, was for some years schoolmaster of the parish.
Sir William Hamilton, professor of logic in the university of Edinburgh, is a descendant of the Hamiltons,
ancient proprietors of the barony of Preston.
Prestwick
PRESTWICK, an ancient burgh of barony, in the
parish of Monkton and Prestwick, district of Kyle,
county of Ayr, 1½ mile (N. by E.) from Ayr; containing 1152 inhabitants. The charter erecting this place
into a burgh was renewed and confirmed by James VI.
at Holyrood House, on the 19th of June, 1600; and
the narrative of the charter expressly states that it was
known to have been a free burgh of barony "beyond
the memory of man, for the space of 617 years previous
to the renewal." By the charter of James, it is privileged to elect annually a provost and two bailies, with
councillors, to grant franchises for several trades, and
hold weekly markets, and a fair on the 6th of November; but the markets and fair are completely swamped
by those of Ayr, and most of its other privileges have
fallen into disuse. It has still, however, its cross, prison,
and council-house, and is governed by certain bailies.
The village is situated on the coast road from Ayr to
Irvine, and is now a decayed place. Since the union of
the parish with that of Monkton, the church has been
allowed to fall into decay; but it serves as a landmark
for vessels navigating the Frith of Clyde.
Priest
PRIEST, an isle, in the parish of Lochbroom,
county of Ross and Cromarty. This isle, called also
Elan Achlearish, derives its name of Priest from its
having been once inhabited, it is said, by a Popish
clergyman, who used to shift his quarters from one
cove to another as the weather required. It is situated
on the west coast of Cromarty, at the entrance of Loch
Broom, and is the most distant from the main land of
a large group of islands in this quarter; its length is
about a mile, and its breadth considerably less; and it
is occasionally inhabited.
Primrose
PRIMROSE, county of Edinburgh.—See Carrington.
Pulteney-Town
PULTENEY-TOWN, a village, in the parish of
Wick, county of Caithness, ½ mile (S.) from the town
of Wick; containing 3132 inhabitants. This place,
which forms a pleasant and populous suburb to the
burgh of Wick, owes its origin to the British Fishery
Society, who, in 1808, purchased from the family of
Duffus a portion of the lands of Hempriggs, which they
laid out in building-lots, and granted upon liberal leases
for the erection of houses for persons connected with
the fisheries of Wick, to further the extension of which
they constructed commodious harbours and other works,
as detailed in the article on Wick. The village is situated on the south side of the river Wick, over which is
a bridge of three arches, connecting it with this burgh;
and consists of several well-formed streets of neatlybuilt houses, a handsome range of buildings called
Argyll-square, and numerous villas inhabited by the
more opulent families of the burgh. The streets are
lighted with gas, and the inhabitants tolerably supplied
with water. There is a reading and news room supported by subscription. An iron-foundry has been
established, with several other works, which are fully
noticed in the account of the burgh; and a floating-dock
has been constructed, which will admit a vessel of 500
tons, or two of one hundred tons' burthen. In 1844 an
act was passed for improving and enlarging the harbour,
and for better lighting and cleansing the village, and
better supplying it with water. A church, of which the
first stone was laid on the 17th of March, 1841, has
been erected by subscription, in connexion with the
Established Church; it is a neat structure containing
950 sittings, and the minister derives his stipend from
seat-rents and collections. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church, United Secession, and
Reformed Presbyterians. A school called the Academy,
for which a spacious building has been erected by the
British Fishery Society, at a cost of £1700, is under
the superintendence of two masters, to whom the company allow a salary, in addition to the fees; it is attended by about ninety children. There is also a Sabbath school, in which are 320 children.