Shaint
SHAINT, isles, in the parish of Lochs, county of
Ross and Cromarty. These are three small isles of
the Hebrides, well known to mariners, lying in the
channel between the islands of Lewis and Skye, and in
the district of the former. One of them is called Ilaun
Moair, or St. Mary's Island; and together they are
sometimes designated the Holy Isles. On St. Mary's
was anciently a chapel, dedicated to the Virgin. Black-cattle are pastured upon them all, and they are famous
for fattening sheep; as are also some small rocks in
their neighbourhood, which have fine grass upon their
summits. A family usually resides on the largest, for
the purpose of tending the cattle.
Shandwick
SHANDWICK, a village, in the parish of Nigg,
county of Ross and Cromarty, 4½ miles (N. E.) from
the village of Nigg; containing 192 inhabitants. It is
a small place in the north-eastern part of the parish,
and on the eastern shore of the county. Near the village is a large stone or obelisk, called Clach a Charridh
in Gaelic, "the stone of the burial-ground;" in height
it is eight feet, in breadth four, and in thickness one, and
it is of great antiquity. According to tradition, it commemorates a shipwreck of Danes upon the coast, in
which three sons of the king of Denmark perished, and
were buried on this spot. For ages the ground around
was used for sepulture, but it has not been so employed
for the last sixty years.
Shapinshay
SHAPINSHAY, an island and parish, in the county
of Orkney, 3 miles (N. N. E.) from Kirkwall; containing 935 inhabitants. This island, which is bordered by
the Frith of Stronsay, is said to have been visited by the
Roman general Agricola, in his voyage round Britain;
and a place still called Grucula, on the western coast,
nearly opposite the Skerry of Vasa, where the tide is rapid
and the sea shallow, is supposed to commemorate the
loss of one of his ships, which, being driven by the violence of the waves, was stranded near the spot. In
1263, Haco, king of Norway, in his expedition against
Alexander III. of Scotland, is said to have lain with the
whole of his fleet for a considerable time in a harbour
near Kirkwall, called Elidarwick, which is clearly identified with the harbour now designated Elwick, on the
south-west coast of Shapinshay. The parish, which is
of very irregular form, is about seven miles in length
from south-west to north-east, and five miles in extreme
breadth; and comprises about 6270 acres, of which
not more than about 750 are arable, 2400 pasture, and
the large remainder waste. The surface near the shore,
and for a considerable distance inland, is low and comparatively level, but towards the centre rises gradually
to a considerable elevation, terminating in a lofty hill
commanding an extensive and richly diversified view
over fifteen surrounding parishes, with the North Orkney isles and the various friths. The soil along the
shore is rich and fertile, producing excellent crops of
grain of different kinds, and the meadows and pastures
are luxuriant; but the higher lands are sterile and unproductive, affording only scanty pasturage for sheep.
The system of agriculture, with the exception of some
farms in the hands of a proprietor, is in a very neglected
state; and the general scenery is cheerless and dreary,
from the want of wood and plantations. The substrata
are chiefly sandstone and sandstone-flag, with clay and
a little limestone.
Cliffdale, the residence of Captain William Balfour, a
handsome modern mansion near the village of Elwick,
is the only seat throughout the island. The small
village of Elwick, built on the shore of the harbour by
the late Colonel Balfour, is inhabited chiefly by fishermen, who for part of the year are engaged in the cod
and herring fisheries, in which about fifty boats are employed. Eleven of these are during the season used in
the cod-fishery, and the quantity taken generally averages about two and a half tons per boat, at £10 per
ton; the average quantity of herrings is sixty cranes
for each boat, which are sold at ten shillings per crane.
The making of nets, of which about one hundred, valued
at sixteen shillings each, are annually produced, also
affords employment to a considerable number of persons; and nearly 200 of the female population of the
parish are engaged in the manufacture of straw-plat.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of the North Isles and synod of
Orkney; patron, the Earl of Zetland. The minister's
stipend, including £8. 6. 8. for communion elements, is
£158. 6. 8., of which half is paid from the exchequer;
with a manse built in 1831, and a glebe valued at £21
per annum. The church is a neat and commodious
structure erected in 1821. There is a place of worship
for the United Associate Synod. The parochial school
was established in 1804, and is well attended; the master has a salary of £25. 13. 3., with a small dwellinghouse, and the fees average about £10 per annum. A
school is also supported by the Society for Propagating
Christian Knowledge, the master of which has a salary
of £15. Opposite to the mouth of the harbour is the
small island of Elhardholm, where are some vestiges of
an ancient chapel of which nothing is recorded: leadore has been found there, but it has never been wrought.
There is a tolerably large upright stone in the parish,
supposed to have been a Druidical altar; and on the
north side, near the sea, is a large mass of black stone,
prostrate, called the Stone of Odin. In Shapinshay are
also several of those remains called Picts' houses, along
the coast; and near Cliffdale, a subterranean building
has been discovered, consisting of upright pillars of
loose stones about four feet in height, supporting a roof
of broad flag-stones that covered an area in which was
found an ancient ring of gold.
Shawhead
SHAWHEAD, a village, in the parish of Kirkpatrick-Irongray, stewartry of Kirkcudbright,
8 miles (W.) from Dumfries; containing 84 inhabitants. It is a very small place, in the southern quarter
of the parish, and contains one of two parochial schools.
The church is distant from it, north-eastward, about
four miles.
Sheep
SHEEP, an isle, in the parish of Southend, county
of Argyll. This is a small island, lying southward of
the peninsula of Cantyre, and close to the island of
Sanda. It is well calculated for the pasturage of a
small number of sheep, from which circumstance it derives its name.
Sheriffhall-Engine
SHERIFFHALL-ENGINE, a hamlet, in the parish
of Newton, county of Edinburgh, 1 mile (S. E.) from
the village of Newton; containing 47 inhabitants. This
is a small colliery-hamlet, lying in the southern part of
the parish, near Sheriffhall Mains.
Shetland, or Zetland, Islands
SHETLAND, or ZETLAND, ISLANDS, forming,
with Orkney, a maritime county, in the northern extremity of Scotland, bounded on the north by the
North Sea, on the east by the German Ocean, and on
the west by the Atlantic. They lie between 59° 51' and
60° 52' (N. Lat.) and 52' and 1° 57' (W. Long.), and
extend for about seventy miles from north to south, and
fifty-four miles from east to west; comprising an area of
about 855 square miles, or 547,200 acres; 5530 houses,
of which 5388 are inhabited; and containing a population of 30,558, of whom 13,176 are males, and 17,382
females. These islands, like those of Orkney, with
which in their history they are closely identified, appear
to have been visited by the Romans, though they
effected no permanent settlement in either. They were
at a very early period inhabited by the Picts, of Scandinavian origin, who, long after their defeat by Kenneth
II., and the consequent union of the two kingdoms,
continued, under his successors, to maintain in these
distant territories a kind of independent sovereignty.
As closely connected with the Orkneys, the islands
were governed by a succession of petty kings till they
were subdued by Harold Harfager, who attached them
as appendages to the crown of Norway, and placed them
under the government of a succession of Norwegian earls.
On the marriage of James III., however, with the Princess Margaret of Norway, they became, and they have
ever since remained, part of the kingdom of Scotland.
After various grants to different individuals by succeeding monarchs, and their subsequent reversion to the
crown, as detailed under the head of Orkney, the Shetlands became partly the property of Sir Lawrence Dundas, ancestor of the present superior, the Earl of Zetland, to whom they give that title.
Previously to the Reformation, Shetland formed part
of the diocese of Orkney; at present it constitutes
the synod of Shetland, and comprises the presbyteries
of Lerwick and Burravoe, and twelve parishes. For
civil purposes the islands are united with those of Orkney, forming one county under the jurisdiction of a
sheriff-depute, who appoints two sheriffs-substitute, one
for each of the districts. By the provisions of the
act of the 2nd of William IV., Shetland is also associated with Orkney in returning a member to the imperial parliament. The only town of any importance is
Lerwick, besides which there are merely the small town
of Scalloway, with some villages and small hamlets on
the coasts.
Shetland comprises a cluster of ninety islands, of
which twenty-five are inhabited, and the remainder
small holms principally appropriated to pasture. They
are nearly contiguous to each other, and separated only
by narrow sounds or friths, with the exception of Foula
and Fair isle, of which the former is about twenty-five
miles to the west, and the latter twenty miles to the
south, of Mainland. Of the inhabited islands the principal is Mainland, above fifty-five miles in length and
twenty-five miles in breadth. To the north of Mainland, from which it is separated by Yell Sound, is the
island of Yell, twenty miles long and seven miles in
average breadth, to the north of which, again, is the
island of Unst, about twelve miles in length and from
three to four in breadth. These three are the most
important of the group. Of the other islands the largest
is Fetlar, to the east of Yell, about four and a half miles
in length and three and a half miles in breadth; and to
the south of this, and opposite to Lerwick, is the island
of Bressay, about four miles long and two miles in
breadth. Of the two distant islands, Foula, supposed
to be the Ultima Thule of the ancients, is three miles in
length and a mile and a half in breadth; while Fair isle is
about the same in length and two miles broad. Among
the remaining inhabited islands are, Whalsay, Trondray,
and the Out Skerries; and in addition to these are
numerous small isles, holms affording pasturage to cattle, skerries covered by the tide at high water, and
rocky islets, which it would be tedious to enumerate.
The general surface is diversified with hills, of which
the highest, named Rona, has an elevation of 1476 feet
above the level of the sea, but of the others few attain
a height of 500 feet. Between these hills are valleys of
pleasing appearance, of which those near the coasts
have a wildly romantic character; but the great scarcity
of trees detracts much from the beauty of the scenery.
There are numerous springs of good water, and some of
them send forth streams of moderate extent, none of
which, however, can claim the appellation of rivers.
The surface is also enlivened with lakes, many of picturesque character, and some of considerable size; most
of them abound with trout, and in several are small
islands on which are the remains of Pictish castles. On
an island in Loch Strom are the ruins of a castle once
inhabited by a son of one of the earls of Orkney.
Of the large number of acres, not more than 25,000
are arable and in cultivation; more than 500,000 of the
remainder are hilly moorland pasture, water, and waste;
and there are several fertile meadows, and wide tracts
of moss affording an abundant supply of fuel. The soil
is generally a light sand intermixed with clay and gravel, but in some parts a clayey loam; the most fertile
lands are those near the coasts. The chief crops are,
oats, bear, potatoes, and turnips. The system of husbandry is in a comparatively low state; but from the
institution of agricultural associations, which award
premiums for the breaking up of waste lands and for
other improvements, there is every prospect of its
advancing. The principal manure is sea-weed, of which
great abundance is found upon the coasts, with dung,
ashes of peat, and mould mixed together. Spade husbandry is still much in vogue; little has been done in
the draining and inclosure of lands; and the want of
good roads is a great obstacle to improvement. The
cattle and sheep are both of the native breed, strong
and hardy, though small in stature; of the former
about 45,000, and of the latter about 80,000, are generally fed on the different pastures. Poultry are largely
kept on the several farms, and swine are fed in great
numbers. The horses, of which about 20,000 are pastured on the hills, are of the native breed, small, hardy,
and sure-footed; they are well known as Shetland
ponies or shelties, and not a few are reared for the
supply of the southern markets.
The principal substrata are limestone and sandstone.
The former is used for mortar, for which purpose it is
burnt with peat, but it is not employed for agricultural
purposes; sandstone-slate is also found, and quarried
for roofing. The prevailing rocks are of granite, gneiss,
mica and clay slate, limestone, and serpentine; copper and
iron ores are found, and also chromate of iron, of which
great quantities have been quarried from the serpentine
rocks in Unst. From the remains of ancient trees
found in the mosses, there is every reason to conclude
that the islands formerly abounded with wood, though
at present, except in one or two gardens, in which are a
few sycamores, there is scarcely a tree of any kind to
be seen. The residences of the proprietors of land are,
Gloup, Midbrake, Busta, Greenbank, Buness, Reawick,
Belmont, Hammer, Lund, Uyeasound, Uyea, Brough
Lodge, Smithfield, Reafirth, West Sandwick, Burravoe,
Symbister, Gardie House, Ollaberry, and others.
The chief manufactures are, the knitting of wool into
stockings, gloves, and shawls, and the weaving of coarse
woollen-cloth; the fleece of the Shetland sheep is remarkably soft, and has been wrought into stockings of
so fine a quality as to sell for forty shillings per pair.
The manufacture of kelp, for which the coasts do not
afford so ample a supply of material, is not carried on
to so great an extent as in the Orkneys. The main
dependence of the population is the cod, ling, and herring fisheries, for which convenient stations have been
established on the coasts, at Unst, Delting, Yell, Fetlar,
Bressay, Scalloway, Northmavine, Papa-Stour, and other
places. Among the fish taken are, tusk, haddock, skate,
halibut, flounders, and oysters of very large size; the
shores also teem with saith, or coal-fish, which form part
of the food of the inhabitants, and, according to their
size, are called sillocks and piltocks. The trade embraces the exportation of dried fish, herrings, oil, butter,
beef, cattle, sheep, Shetland ponies, hosiery, and shawls;
and the importation of almost every requisite for the
use of the fisheries, clothing, manufactured goods of all
kinds, groceries, and numerous other articles for the
supply of the inhabitants. The port is Lerwick, where
is the custom-house; and exclusively of the sloops
employed in the fisheries, the number of vessels registered as belonging to the place is seventy, of the aggregate burthen of above 2000 tons. Vessels on their
voyage to the Greenland whale-fisheries, and to those of
Davis' Straits, touch at this port, where they take in a
considerable number of men, who are much esteemed
for their skill and intrepidity. On Sumburgh Head,
the southern extremity of Mainland, is a substantial
and elegant lighthouse, erected at a cost of £40,000,
displaying a fixed light visible at a distance of twenty-two nautical miles. The annual value of the Shetland
Isles, as assessed to the income-tax, is £19,929. The
remains of antiquity are, Pictish castles, which are
found in profusion, in many instances on islands in the
lakes; tumuli, which were found to contain human
bones inclosed with square stones; the ruins of churches
and religious houses, among which are those of St.
Hilary's kirk; Druidical pillars; old forts, of which
one consists of two concentric circular mounds of earth
and stone; numerous barrows; and various other relics,
which are noticed under the heads of the islands and
parishes in which they occur.
Shettleston
SHETTLESTON, lately an ecclesiastical district, in
the parish of Barony, and within the jurisdiction of the
city of Glasgow, county of Lanark; containing, with
the villages of Westmuir and Tollcross, 7220 inhabitants,
of whom 1543 are in the village of Shettleston, 3 miles
(E. by S.) from Glasgow. This district, which for
ecclesiastical purposes was separated by act of the
General Assembly, in 1835, from the Barony parish, an
arrangement now set aside, is about four miles in length
and three miles in average breadth, and comprises
nearly 3800 acres. The surface is varied, the soil
generally fertile, and the lands in profitable cultivation.
The substratum is principally coal, of which there are
numerous mines in active operation; there are also
quarries of good sandstone: fossils of fish, and of trees
and vegetable substances, are frequently found in the
coal beds. The Monkland canal passes through the
northern part of the district, affording facility for conveying the produce of the collieries to Glasgow and other
places. The chief village is situated on the road to
Edinburgh; and there are several other villages in the
district, including Tollcross, Sandyhills, Westmuir,
Parkhead, and Lightburn, inhabited by persons mostly
employed in agriculture, in the mines, and in hand-loom
weaving. The village of Tollcross owes its origin to
the Clyde iron-works, in its immediate vicinity. Tollcross House, an ancient mansion, was built about the
middle of the 17th century; and there are several other
mansions, of which the chief are Gartcraig, Easterhill,
Dolbeth, and Sandyhills. The late quoad sacra parish
was in the presbytery of Glasgow and synod of Glasgow
and Ayr: the minister's stipend was £100, without
either manse or glebe, paid from the seat-rents by the
managers and subscribers, who were the patrons. The
church, built by subscription of the several landholders,
in 1752, is a neat structure containing 911 sittings. The
members of the Free Church have a place of worship;
and in the village of Tollcross is one for members of
the Relief. There are two parochial schools, in one of
which are 135 children, and in the other fifty. The
late Captain Robert Tennent bequeathed £460, of which
the interest is distributed among the poor.
Shewalton
SHEWALTON, a village, in the parish of Dundonald, district of Kyle, county of Ayr, 5 miles (W.
by S.) from Kilmarnock; containing 219 inhabitants.
This is a colliery village seated on the bank of the
Irvine, in the northern quarter of the parish. The
colliery has been a considerable time in operation, and
the produce is largely exported: the depth of the shaft
is thirty-five fathoms, and there are two seams of coal,
the one thirty-four, and the other forty-three inches
thick, the distance between the two being about sixteen
feet. In the village is a school.
Shieldag
SHIELDAG, lately a quoad sacra parish, partly in
the parish of Gairloch, but chiefly in the parish of
Applecross, county of Ross and Cromarty, 10 miles
(N. W.) from Lochcarron; containing 1899 inhabitants,
of whom 188 are in the village. This place includes
the north-eastern portion of the parish of Applecross,
which, together with the south-western part of the
parish of Gairloch, was separated from those parishes
for ecclesiastical purposes, and erected into a quoad
sacra parish, by act of the General Assembly, in 1833.
The district is about eighteen miles in extreme length,
and nearly fifteen miles in breadth, comprising a large
extent of surface, of which, with the exception of some
narrow strips of land near the coast, the whole is one
continued tract of barren rocky hills, affording only
scanty pasturage for a few flocks of sheep and herds of
cattle. The soil of the very small proportion under
cultivation is tolerably fertile, producing favourable
crops of barley, oats, and potatoes; but there is nothing
either in the system of husbandry, or in the management of the lands, requiring any particular notice. The
population, except two or three families in the interior
who are employed in the feeding of sheep and cattle,
are resident on the coast, and place their chief dependence on the fisheries, which are carried on to a considerable extent. The agricultural produce, beyond
what is requisite for the supply of the inhabitants, is
sent to Glasgow; and the few sheep and cattle reared
in the pastures are sold to small dealers in the adjacent
districts, who purchase for the more distant markets.
The coast is indented on the east by Loch Shieldag,
which forms an inlet from the centre of Loch Torridon
towards the south, and is about two miles and a half in
length and one mile in mean breadth, and an excellent
station for vessels employed in the herring-fisheries.
The village is situated on the west of Loch Shieldag,
and consists chiefly of irregularly-built cottages extending along the shore, and inhabited by fishermen who,
at their intervals of leisure, are employed in the cultivation of the lands. The fish taken here are, salmon,
which are found in considerable numbers, yielding a
tolerable rent to the proprietors, cod, ling, sythe, cuddy,
flounders, and various other kinds of white-fish, with
shell-fish of different sorts, among which the cockle
and muscle are found in large quantities. Several boats
are also engaged in the herring-fishery, which is carried
on to a good extent, affording the principal means of
subsistence for the inhabitants. Within a small distance from the village is a natural wood of fir, producing excellent timber for boat-building and other
purposes. Facility of inland communication is maintained by the turnpike-road from Shieldag to Lochcarron, the nearest post-town, from which letters are
brought by a carrier at the public expense; and several
foot-roads intersect the parish in various directions, all
of which are kept in decent repair. Loch Shieldag
affords safe anchorage to the vessels employed in the
fisheries, and at Loch Torridon are ample opportunities
of conveyance to distant ports. The ecclesiastical affairs
are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Lochcarron and synod of Glenelg. The church was
built in 1827, by parliamentary grant, at a cost,
including the manse, of £1480; and is a neat substantial structure containing 300 sittings. The minister's stipend is £120, paid from the exchequer; with a
manse and garden: patron, the Crown. A place of
worship in connexion with the Established Church, and
in which the minister of Shieldag preaches once a
month, was erected at Kishorn by the proprietor of
Applecross and a few of the inhabitants; it is a commodious structure containing 200 sittings. A school
is supported from the funds of the General Assembly;
and there is a Free church.
Shirgarton
SHIRGARTON, a hamlet, in the parish of Kippen, county of Perth; containing 80 inhabitants. It
is a small place, situated in a detached portion of Perthshire surrounded by Stirlingshire, and a short distance
westward of the village of Kippen.
Shona
SHONA, an island, in that part of the parish of
Ardnamurchan which formed part of the late quoad
sacra parish of Aharacle, county of Inverness; containing 110 inhabitants. This island is situated in
Loch Moidart, on the western coast, and is between
three and four miles long and one mile and a half
broad, and composed for the most part of masses of
rock, rather scantily covered with heath and wood, but
exhibiting here and there spots of great verdure and
fertility. The dwelling-house of the principal resident,
and the scenery around it, are very beautiful. In the
island are numerous creeks for fishing-boats, which are
resorted to in the cod-fishing season by crews from the
Southern Highlands: there is also excellent and secure
anchorage for shipping.
Shonaveg
SHONAVEG, an island, in that part of the parish
of Ardnamurchan which formed part of the late quoad
sacra parish of Aharacle, county of Inverness; containing 26 inhabitants. This is a small isle, on the
east side of Shona island, in Loch Moidart.
Shotts
SHOTTS, Lanarkshire.—See Bertram-Shotts.
Shuna
SHUNA, an island of the Hebrides, in the parish of
Kilbrandon, district of Lorn, county of Argyll;
containing 69 inhabitants. It is a small isle on the
coast of the county, separated from the island of Luing
by a sound of its own name. The isle is noted for its
slate and limestone quarries; and there is a quay for
the accommodation of vessels engaged in the export of
these articles.
Sibbaldbie
SIBBALDBIE, Dumfries.—See Applegarth and
Sibbaldbie.
Silverbanks
SILVERBANKS, a village, in the parish of Cambuslang, Middle ward of the county of Lanark; containing 150 inhabitants. It is one of thirteen small
villages and hamlets in the parish, the inhabitants of
which are principally miners, or weavers who work for
the manufacturers of Glasgow.
Simprin
SIMPRIN, county of Berwick.—See Swinton.
Sinclairton
SINCLAIRTON, Fife.—See Clairtown, St., and
Pathhead.
Skateraw
SKATERAW, a hamlet, in the parish of Innerwick, county of Haddington, 1 mile (N. E.) from the
village of Innerwick; containing 72 inhabitants. It
lies in the northern extremity of the parish, on the
road from Berwick to Dunbar, and has a small harbour
opening into the Frith of Forth, erected some years
since by Messrs. Brodie, of Thorntonloch, and Lee, of
Skateraw; it is used for the export of lime, and import
of coal.
Skeilay
SKEILAY, an isle, in the parish of Harris, county
of Inverness. This is a small isle of the Hebrides, of
somewhat triangular shape, lying at the western entrance
of the sound of Harris, and about a mile and a half
distant northward from the island of Pabbay. On the
west side is the islet, of very minute size, called Little
Skeilay.
Skene
SKENE, a parish, in the district and county of
Aberdeen, 9 miles (W. by. N.) from the city of Aberdeen; containing 1846 inhabitants. This place, which
is of some antiquity, was originally part of the royal
forests of the kings of Scotland, and was granted to the
ancestor of the ancient family of Skene by Malcolm
Canmore, as an acknowledgment of his having saved
the life of that monarch by killing with his dirk a
wild boar by which the king was attacked while hunting
in the forest. In commemoration of that event, the
intrepid defender of his sovereign assumed for his family
name the Gaelic term Skian, signifying "a dagger or
dirk," which eventually extended to the estate, and
from which the present name of the parish is obviously
derived. The lands continued to descend from the
ancestor of the family, by direct succession, to his heirs,
till the year 1827, when the family became extinct;
they are now the property of the Earl of Fife, as heir of
entail. The parish is bounded on the west and on the
south by the Leuchar, separating it from the parishes
of Echt and Peterculter respectively; and is about six
miles in length and four miles in extreme breadth, comprising 9400 acres, of which 6350 are arable, 1300
woodland and plantations, and the remainder moorland, moss, and waste. The surface is diversified with
numerous small hills of moderate height, of which the
summits are mostly planted with fir, adding much to
the pleasing character of the scenery; and there are
also interspersed fertile valleys in a high state of cultivation, contrasting with several large tracts of moor
and moss. On the south-west boundary is Loch Skene,
a fine sheet of water of elliptic form, about three miles
in circumference, and twelve feet in its greatest depth;
it abounds with pike and eels, and, receiving numerous
small rivulets, forms a natural reservoir for supplying
water-power to several mills and other works. The
only stream resembling a river is the Leuchar burn,
which issues from Loch Skene, and, after passing southward along the western boundary of the parish, takes
an eastern course along its southern limit, and flows
through the parish of Peterculter into the Dee, on the
borders of Kincardineshire.
The soil is generally light and gravelly, of different
degrees of fertility in different parts, but on the old
infield lands most productive; the chief crops raised
in the parish are oats and barley, together with
potatoes and turnips, and the usual grasses. The
system of husbandry is greatly improved; the lands
have been mostly drained; and where the common mode
has not been found sufficiently effectual, furrow-draining
has been adopted. Considerable tracts of waste have
been reclaimed and brought under profitable cultivation.
The lands have been inclosed, chiefly with fences of
stone, for the erection of which materials are found in
abundance; and the farm-buildings, recently much
improved, are generally substantial and well arranged.
The hills and moorlands afford good pasture for sheep
and cattle, and much attention is paid to live-stock;
but few sheep are reared, many of the sheep-walks
having within the last few years been converted into
plantations. The cattle, of which nearly 2500 are
kept, are usually of the native breed, and considerable numbers are sent from Aberdeen to the London
markets. A few horses for agricultural purposes are
also bred on the several farms, and these are generally
hardy and robust. The plantations, with the exception
of some timber on the lands of Skene, are generally of
recent formation: they consist of ash, pine, plane,
willow, the various kinds of fir, and larix, for which the
soil seems to be congenial; they are well managed, and
regularly thinned. There is nothing peculiar in the
geology; the rocks afford stone of good quality for
the construction of fences, and the principal substrata
are sand, gravel, and clay. The rateable annual value
of the parish is £7397. Skene House, one of the seats
of the Earl of Fife, is situated in the western portion of
the parish, and has been recently enlarged: the more
ancient portion, for many generations the residence of
the family of the Skenes, is in good preservation. The
walls of the mansion are of great thickness; and the
interior, which has been lately fitted up anew, contains
many stately apartments, a fine collection of pictures,
and a library of more than 6000 volumes. The demesne
is embellished with timber of venerable growth, among
which are a stately chesnut-tree on the lawn, and some
beautiful silver firs in the avenue; the plantations of
more recent date are also extensive, and improve the
scenery. Easter-Skene, a mansion in the Elizabethan
style, erected by the present proprietor, and situated
in a well-planted demesne commanding a view of Loch
Skene and the lower range of the Grampians; and
Kirkville House, a handsome residence in the cottage
style, are the other principal seats.
There is no village properly so called. A factory for
the spinning of woollen yarn, of which the machinery
is driven by the water of Loch Skene, and, on the
failure of that power, by steam, has been established
at Garlogie by Messrs. Hadden and Sons, of Aberdeen;
and about 120 persons are constantly employed here,
in connexion with their carpet-manufactory in that
city. This factory is conducted with the most scrupulous regard to the comfort of the work-people, for
whose accommodation there are neat cottages, and a
schoolroom for the instruction of their children under
a master and assistants maintained by the company.
Several of the inhabitants of Skene follow the handicraft trades requisite for the wants of the neighbourhood; there are shops in various parts for the sale of
different wares, and some inns. Facility of communication is afforded by the turnpike-roads from Aberdeen
to Alford and Strathdon, and to Tarland and Kincardine, which branch from one road near its eastern
boundary, and on the former of which is an office under
the post-office of Aberdeen, whence letters are regularly
delivered; there are also several good roads kept in
repair by statute labour. The ecclesiastical affairs
are under the superintendence of the presbytery and
synod of Aberdeen. The minister's stipend is £158. 6. 8.,
of which one-third is paid from the exchequer; with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £20 per annum: patron,
the Earl of Fife. The church, which is situated nearly
in the centre of the parish, was built in 1801, and has
been recently repaired; it is a neat substantial structure, and contains 700 sittings. There are places of
worship for members of the Free Church, and Independents. The parochial school is attended by more
than sixty children, and the master has a salary of
£30, with a house, an allowance of £2 in lieu of garden,
and the fees, averaging about £18; he also participates
in the Dick bequest, and receives £20 from a bequest
by Dr. Milne, of Bombay, for the gratuitous instruction
of twenty-five poor children. There are several Sabbath schools, numerously attended; and a parochial
library, in which is a collection of upwards of 600
volumes, is supported by subscription. The principal
relics of antiquity are some remains of Druidical circles,
and vestiges of a Roman road leading from the river
Dee to the Don, which may still be traced in its progress
through the parish, and near which were lately found
two Roman urns, a sword, and some spear heads, at
present in the possession of the former proprietor of
Kirkville. In Skene House are preserved some manuscripts of a date prior to the invention of printing, and
a charter of Robert Bruce confirming the original grant
of the lands by Malcolm Canmore. The identical
"skian" with which the wild boar was killed, is said
to be in the possession of a distant relative of the
family.
Skeotisway
SKEOTISWAY, an isle, in the parish of Harris,
county of Inverness. It is one of a large group of
isles lying in East Loch Tarbert, and is about a mile in
length, and of very irregular form.
Skerries
SKERRIES, islands, forming part of the parish of
Nesting, Lunnasting, and Whalsay, in the county
of Shetland; and containing 122 inhabitants. These
are three small isles, sometimes called the Out Skerries,
in contradistinction to the Pentland Skerries, and named
respectively Bruray, Grunay, and Housay. They lie
about fifteen miles north-east from Whalsay, and twenty
miles distant from the Mainland: on the western side
are several detached rocks, and ten miles north-west of
the group is the islet of Muckle Skerry. Each of the
three islands is about a mile in extent, and in all are
beds of primitive limestone associated with gneiss. The
population consists of fishermen and their families. A
lighthouse on the low rocks here would materially contribute to the security of the whole of the eastern coast,
and in war time would be particularly advantageous, as
naval vessels are then almost constantly cruising between
the Naze of Norway and the Isles of Shetland.
Sketraw
SKETRAW, a village, in the parish of Fetteresso,
county of Kincardine, 6 miles (N. E. by N.) from
Stonehaven; containing 183 inhabitants. This village,
which is situated on the eastern coast, to the north of
Stranathro, is chiefly inhabited by persons employed in
the white-fishery, which is carried on to a considerable
extent, and in which seven boats, having each a crew of
five persons, are regularly engaged. Great quantities of
haddocks are taken here, of which, after supplying the
markets in the immediate neighbourhood, considerable
numbers are cured, and sent by the Edinburgh steamers
to the London market. During the season, the inhabitants are also engaged in the herring-fisheries at Peterhead and Fraserburgh.
Skianid
SKIANID, a village, in the parish of Tongue, county
of Sutherland, 3½ miles (N. by W.) from Tongue
church; containing 243 inhabitants. This place is
situated on the western shore of the Kyle of Tongue,
where the indentations form a kind of harbour, protected by a small island called Rabbit island. Southward of the village is a ferry to the opposite side of the
Kyle, leading to the village of Tongue.
Skiltiemuir
SKILTIEMUIR, a hamlet, in the parish of Cockpen, county of Edinburgh; containing 45 inhabitants.
Skipness
SKIPNESS, county of Argyll.—See Saddell.
Skirling
SKIRLING, a parish, in the county of Peebles,
2 miles (E. N. E.) from Biggar; containing 345 inhabitants, of whom 75 are in the village, and the remainder
in the rural districts. This place, of which the name,
in some ancient documents written Scrawline, is of uncertain derivation, is undistinguished by any historical
event prior to the reign of Robert the Bruce, by whom
the barony, together with the advowson of the church,
was granted to John Monfode, to whose successors the
gift was confirmed by charter of David II. From this
family the barony passed to the Cockburns, and subsequently to various other families till the time of the
Revolution, when it was in the possession of General
Douglas, a member of the Queensberry family, after
whose death at the battle of the Boyne it was purchased
by John, first Earl of Hyndford, and given to his second
son, the honourable William Carmichael, whose descendant Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael, Bart., is the present
proprietor. The parish is two miles and a half in
length and nearly the same in breadth, and comprises
about 3330 acres, of which 2610 are arable, 40 woodland plantations, and the remainder rough pasture and
waste. The surface is pleasingly undulated, in some
parts rising into hills of inconsiderable height. The
Biggar water, which skirts the parish for some distance
on the south, and is the principal stream, has been recently deepened, so as to receive the numerous drains
that have been laid down for the improvement of the
lands, by which means, and by embankments, a considerable portion of unproductive ground has been reclaimed and brought into profitable cultivation. The
scenery is varied; but the want of wood and plantations
renders it destitute of beauty, and the imperfect state
of the inclosures gives it rather a bleak appearance.
The soil, however, is generally fertile, and the pastures
rich, with the exception of a few patches: the crops
are, oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips. The system of
agriculture is advanced, and the rotation plan of husbandry usually practised; the lands are well drained,
and the more recent improvements in implements have
been introduced. Lime, brought from a great distance,
is plentifully used as manure; and the farm-buildings,
though inferior to some others in the adjoining districts,
are substantial and commodious. The dairy forms a
principal object of attention; the cows are mostly of the
Ayrshire breed, and so much care has been bestowed on
their improvement that many of the premiums awarded
at the annual exhibition of Biggar have been adjudged
to the farmers of this place. Few sheep are reared, and
these are all of the black-faced breed. The woods are
chiefly ash, elm, beech, and plane; and plantations,
Scotch and spruce firs, intermixed with various kinds of
forest-trees. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£2258.
The village is pleasantly situated, and has facility of
communication with Biggar, the nearest market-town,
and with other places in the district, by good statute
roads kept in excellent repair, and by turnpike-roads
which pass for three miles within the parish. Fairs are
held here on the third Tuesday after the 11th of May,
the first Wednesday after the 11th of June, and the
15th of September, for cattle and horses, and are well
attended. There is a small prison in the village for the
temporary confinement of offenders, under the jurisdiction of a baron-bailie appointed by the lord of the barony.
The parish is in the presbytery of Biggar and synod of
Lothian and Tweeddale, and patronage of Sir Thomas
G. Carmichael: the minister's stipend is £216. 4. 10.,
with a manse, and the glebe is valued at £60 per annum.
The church, which is conveniently situated, is an ancient
edifice; it was thoroughly repaired in 1720, is still in
good condition, and adapted for a congregation of 200
persons. The members of the Free Church have a place
of worship. The parochial school is well conducted, and
affords a liberal education to the children of the parish;
the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4½ with £25 fees,
and a house and garden. Attached to the school is a
library supported by subscription, which has a collection
of about 300 volumes of well-selected works. A friendly
society, also, has been established for more than forty
years, which has tended greatly to diminish the number
of applications for parochial aid. There are no vestiges
of the ancient castle of Skirling, the very site of which
has been obliterated by the plough. It was long the
residence of the Cockburn family, of whom Sir James
Cockburn in the 16th century held the castle of Edinburgh for Mary, Queen of Scots, and was appointed one
of her commissioners at the conference held at York.
From the fidelity with which he adhered to the fortunes
of that queen, he became obnoxious to the regent Murray, by whose order his castle of Skirling was utterly
demolished in 1568. Several coins of Adrian and Antoninus have been found at Greatlaws, in the parish, within
the last thirty years; and near the same place were
discovered some very ancient sepulchres, formed of upright flags of whinstone covered with a slab of the same
material. At Kirklaw Hill are slight remains of some
religious establishment of which the history is altogether
unknown. Howe, the celebrated painter of cattle, was a
native of Skirling.