Todhills
TODHILLS, a small hamlet, in the parish of
Tealing, county of Forfar; containing 50 inhabitants.
Tollcross
TOLLCROSS, a village, in the late quoad sacra parish
of Shettleston, parish of Barony, suburbs of the
city of Glasgow, and county of Lanark, 2 miles (E. by
S.) from Glasgow; containing 1767 inhabitants. This
populous and prosperous village owes its origin to the
establishment of the Clyde iron-works, in the immediate
vicinity, at which, and also in the neighbouring collieries, its population, for the most part, is employed;
but some of the inhabitants are engaged in the manufactures of the district, principally hand-loom weaving.
The road from Holytown to Glasgow passes through.
Tollcross House, the property of the Misses Dunlop, is
a handsome mansion, built about the middle of the 17th
century, and subsequently enlarged and improved.
Tomachar
TOMACHAR, a small hamlet, in the parish of Port
of Monteith, county of Perth; containing 20 inhabitants.
Tombreck
TOMBRECK, a small hamlet, in the parish of
Weem, county of Perth; containing 21 inhabitants.
Tomintoul
TOMINTOUL, a village, and lately a quoad sacra
parish, in the parish of Kirkmichael, county of
Banff; containing 919 inhabitants, of whom 530 are
in the village. This place is supposed to have derived
its name, signifying the "Barn Hillock," from the situation of the barn belonging to a farm that originally
occupied the site of the village. The village, which
was commenced in 1750, stands on a tract of table-land
overlooking the river Aven, and consists chiefly of one
long street, in the centre whereof is a spacious square.
The houses, with few exceptions, are one story high,
neatly built, and roofed with slate; and attached to
each are about two acres of land, in the cultivation of
which the inhabitants are partly employed. No manufactures are carried on here, nor is there any trade, except the handicrafts requisite for the wants of the neighbourhood; there are a few shops for the sale of various
articles of merchandise for the supply of the inhabitants,
and a circulating library containing nearly 200 volumes
of religious and historical works. A post-office has
been established, which has a daily delivery; and there
are four good inns. A small lock-up house has been
erected for the temporary confinement of offenders
against the peace; but there is no resident magistrate.
Fairs, chiefly for cattle and sheep, and for the hiring of
servants, are held on the last Friday in May, the last
Friday in July, O. S., the third Wednesday in August,
O. S., the Friday after the second Tuesday in September, O. S., and the second Friday in November, O. S.
The great military road from Perth to Inverness passes
through the village; and the district affords ample
means, which might easily be made available to greater
facilities of communication.
The district was separated for ecclesiastical purposes
from the parish of Kirkmichael, and erected into a quoad
sacra parish, by act of the General Assembly in 1833;
it comprises by computation 30,000 acres, of which by
far the greater portion is moorland pasture. The surface is hilly and mountainous, and the scenery, from the
want of plantations, bleak and comparatively uninteresting; the river Aven flows through the district in its
course to the Spey, and there are numerous springs, of
which some possess mineral properties, though they are
not used medicinally. The soil in some parts is a rich
marl, and the arable lands are under good cultivation,
producing favourable crops of grain; the hills, also,
afford pasturage for sheep and black-cattle, of which
considerable numbers are reared, and sent to the southern
markets. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the super.
intendence of the presbytery of Abernethy and synod of
Moray. The church was erected in 1827, at a cost of
£750, by the commissioners under the act for building additional places of worship in the Highlands and Islands
of Scotland; it is situated about five miles from the
parish church, and is a neat substantial structure containing 336 sittings, to which 200 may be added by the
erection of a gallery, for which the plan of the building
is well adapted. The minister has a stipend of £120,
paid from the exchequer, with a manse, built by government at an expense of £738, and a glebe valued at £2
per annum; patron, the Crown. A Roman Catholic
chapel was built in 1838; and there is a school in connexion with the Established Church, of which the master
receives £17. 3. 3. as a gratuity from the Duke of Richmond, in addition to the fees. There is also a school
in the village, of which the master has a salary of £26,
arising from an endowment by the late Mr. Donaldson,
of Aberdeen.
Tongland
TONGLAND, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, 2 miles (N. N. E.) from Kirkcudbright;
containing 826 inhabitants, of whom 31 are in the village. This parish, the name of which is of very doubtful
origin, is bounded on the east by the river Dee, separating it from the parish of Kelton; and on the west by
the river Tarff, dividing it from the parish of Twynholm. From the confluence of these rivers at its
southern extremity, the parish extends for nearly eight
miles towards the north, gradually increasing from less
than half a mile to about three miles in breadth, and
comprising an area of about 6138 acres; 1346 are
arable, 2792 meadow and pasture, and the remainder,
with the exception of a few acres of woodland and plantations, moor and waste. The surface is divided in the
southern and central portions by a narrow and uneven
ridge, which gradually increases in height from the junction of the two rivers; in the northern portion it expands into broken moorlands, interspersed with irregular tracts of partially cultivated land, and with rugged
valleys whose acclivities are partly clothed with wood.
The Tarff has its source in the Loch Whinyion, in the
adjoining parish of Twynholm, and, after winding
through the western district of this parish in a beautifully limpid stream, runs into the Dee at Compston
Castle; it abounds with yellow trout and herling, and
occasionally with salmon. In its course it forms several
romantic cascades, of which the principal is the Linn of
Lairdmannoch, where its water falls from a height of
nearly sixty feet into a dark and deep pool. The scenery
of the Dee is remarkably picturesque, along the whole
of the four miles for which it forms the boundary of
the parish; its banks are planted with oak, birch, ash,
elm, alder, and hazel, and in many places it forces its
way with great impetuosity between rugged and precipitous rocks rising to the height of seventy or eighty
feet.
The soil varies greatly in different parts, but is
mostly fertile, and in some parts exuberantly rich; the
crops are, oats, barley, potatoes, and turnips, which last
are cultivated to a great extent, and in every variety.
The system of agriculture is improved; the farms are
usually of moderate extent, averaging from 300 to 500
acres; the principal manure is lime, and the rotation
system of husbandry is generally practised. The farmbuildings are commodiously arranged. The cattle are
of the Galloway breed, except on some of the dairyfarms for which the Ayrshire breed is preferred; the
sheep on the arable farms are the Leicestershire, and on
the moorlands mostly the Cheviot and the black-faced.
The substrata are chiefly porphyry and clay-slate, of
which the rocks principally consist; the bed of the
Dee is entirely slate. An attempt was made some time
since in search of coal, but without the least success:
lime, coal, and bone-dust for manure, are supplied from
the landing-place at Tongland bridge. The plantations
consist of oak, ash, lime, larch, and Scotch spruce and
silver firs; and around the church are some fine plane
and beech trees, of more than one hundred years'
growth. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£6283. The principal mansions are, Argrennan, the
seat of Robert Ker, Esq., a handsome modern house,
beautifully situated; and Barcaple, Valleyfield, and
Dunjop, which are also modern residences. There is
no village of any importance; neither is there any trade
or manufacture carried on, the population being wholly
agricultural. Communication is afforded by the turnpike-road from Carlisle to Portpatrick, which passes
through the centre of the parish, and by other roads
in excellent repair. There are three bridges over the
Tarff; and the river Dee, which is navigable for vessels
of forty tons to Tongland bridge, affords means of conveyance for supplies of coal and lime from Cumberland,
and of bone-dust for manure from Ireland and Liverpool, and also facility for the export of grain, potatoes,
and other agricultural produce, for which there is a commodious wharf. The bridge is a handsome structure of
one arch, 110 feet in span, erected under the superintendence of Mr. Telford, engineer, at a cost of £7700.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Kirkcudbright and synod
of Galloway. The minister's stipend is £158. 17. 7., of
which about one-tenth is paid from the exchequer; with
a manse, and a glebe valued at £40 per annum: patron,
the Crown. The church, situated on the Dee, at the
southern extremity of the parish, was erected in 1813;
it is in the early English style of architecture, with a
square embattled tower, and contains 420 sittings. The
parochial school is attended by about ninety children;
the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a house and
garden, in addition to the fees. There is a school for
females, of which the mistress receives a salary of £10,
raised by subscription; and a Sunday school is taught
by the same person. The only remains of the abbey of
Tongland, founded in the 12th century by Fergus, Lord
of Galloway, for Præmonstratensian canons, are a small
low arch forming part of the northern wall of the old
church: in digging in the vicinity for a garden, on the
farm of Kirkconnel, part of an ancient cemetery was
explored, in which was found a gold ring, but without
either name or date. There are some remains of a
Druidical circle, of eleven upright stones, with one in
the centre; the tops are very little above the surface of
the moor on which they are situated. At a short distance to the west is a large cairn.
Tongue
TONGUE, a parish, in the county of Sutherland,
250 miles (N. by W.) from Edinburgh; containing, with
the island of Roan, and the villages of Tongue, Skianid, and Torrisdale, 2041 inhabitants, of whom 1558
are in the rural districts. This place anciently formed
part of the parishes of Durness and Eddrachillis, from
which it was severed in 1724, by act of the General
Assembly. It derived its original name, Kintail, signifying in the Gaelic language the "Head of the Sea,"
from its situation at the head of an inlet from the North
Sea, by which it is bounded on the north. The parish,
on its separation, took its present name from a narrow
neck of land projecting far into the inlet above noticed:
from this neck there is a ferry to the opposite shore,
and from it, in all probability, the arm of the sea, also,
is called the Kyle of Tongue. This part of Sutherlandshire was for many generations the residence of the
family of the Mackays, from whom the surrounding
district, to a large extent, obtained the appellation of
Lord Reay's country; it is now the property of the
Duke of Sutherland, who is sole proprietor of the parish.
Few transactions of historical importance are recorded
in connexion with the place. Some tumuli, however,
at a place called Druim-na-Coup, point out the spot
where a battle was fought between the Mackays and
the Sutherlands, and where, also, in more recent times,
a party landing from a vessel bringing a supply of gold
from France for the Young Pretender, were seized and
stripped of their treasure, by the inhabitants.
The parish is about twenty miles in extreme length,
and nearly eight miles in average breadth, comprising
an area of 140 square miles, of which not more than
1000 acres are arable; 500 are in natural woods, about
250 in plantations, and the remainder, of which probably a few acres might be reclaimed, mountain pasture,
water, and waste. The surface is boldly diversified.
Two continuous ridges of mountainous elevation, rising
abruptly from the sea, and stretching towards the south,
intersect the parish in nearly parallel directions, and,
terminating in a similar range of heights which extends
from east to west, form a semicircular chain of hills
inclosing a spacious vale. In the western range, the
highest hill is Ben-Hutig, on the north, elevated 1345
feet above the level of the sea, which for several miles
is the average height of the ridge, till it terminates on
the south in the lofty mountain of Ben-Hope, rising to
the height of 3061 feet. The eastern range, which is
greatly inferior in elevation, consists of a series of hills of
conical form, in some places ascending precipitously from
the shores of the Kyle, but mostly of gradual ascent, and
of which the lower acclivities, to a considerable distance from their base, are under profitable cultivation.
The inland or southern ridge abounds with features of
picturesque and romantic character. The principal
mountain in this range is Ben-Laoghal; it rises from a
base two miles in breadth to the height of 2508 feet,
and the summit is divided into four massive and lofty
peaks, of which the highest is by far the most prominent. When partially covered with mist, the hill presents a most fantastic appearance. In the valley inclosed by these mountain ranges, the Kyle of Tongue
forms a chief feature, resembling, from the number of
islands at its mouth, which in some points of view hide
its communication with the sea, a spacious inland lake,
apparently divided into two lakes by the tongue of land:
from the south-eastern shore rises the bold promontory
of Varrich, crowned with the ruins of an ancient castle.
The lands are interspersed with numerous lakes, of
which more than a hundred may be seen at one time
from some of the eminences, and of which those most
deserving of notice are the following. Loch Maedie, in
the southern extremity of the parish, is about six miles
in circumference; it is indented with many points of
land projecting from its shores, and forming small bays,
and is studded with islands, on which are trees of
ancient growth. Loch Diru is situated at the base of
a rock of that name, branching off from the west side of
the mountain of Ben-Laoghal; it is two miles in length,
and is accessible to persons travelling on foot. The
shore on one side is the rock, which towers precipitously to the height of 200 feet, but whose rugged
aspect is at intervals softened by a few trees of birch
and mountain-ash. Loch Laoghal, the largest of a
series of four lochs on the east and south sides of the
mountain, is five miles in length and more than a mile
in breadth; its margin on the west is ornamented with
a few trees, and that on the east with a wood of thriving
birch, at the base of a considerable hill clothed with
verdure to its summit. There are two islands in this
lake, the resort of numerous wild-fowl. The other lakes
in the chain are Lochs Cullisaid, Craggy, and Slam, which
communicate with each other, and with Loch Laoghal,
by small rivulets, and of which Loch Craggy, commanding a fine view of Ben-Laoghal, is the most interesting. The principal rivers are, the Borgie, the Rhians,
and the Kinloch. The Borgie, which is the largest, and
is sometimes called the Torrisdale, has its source in
Loch Slam, and, flowing in a north-eastern direction,
and forming a boundary between this parish and that
of Farr, falls into the bay of Torrisdale. The Rhians
and the Kinloch, after very short courses, flow into the
Kyle of Tongue near Castle-Varrich; and the smaller
streams of Tongue and Skerray both run through
straths to which they respectively give name, the former
into the Kyle, and the latter into the sea. There are
also many perennial springs in the parish, and several
sulphureous and chalybeate around the mountain of
Ben-Laoghal, which are strongly impregnated, but have
not hitherto been accurately analyzed.
The coast is more than ten miles in extent, generally elevated and rocky, and, around the promontory
of Whiten Head, extremely bold and romantic; it is
indented with some fine bays and numerous creeks,
affording shelter to vessels of considerable burthen,
and to various small craft. The Kyle of Tongue,
nearly in the centre of the coast, is about nine miles in
length, and more than a mile and a half in breadth;
of no great depth; from the numerous islands at the
entrance, difficult of access; and from the shifting nature of the sand-banks, of dangerous navigation. At
the mouth of the Kyle is good anchorage for ships of
the largest size, which may ride there in safety, being
protected from the adverse winds of almost every quarter; and on the western shore are fine roadsteads for
vessels, near Portvasgo, and in the small bay of Talmine,
which has a good bottom and a smooth sandy beach,
and is one of the principal fishing-stations on the coast.
On the eastern side of the Kyle, and nearly opposite to
the bay of Talmine, is the small creek of Sculomy, now
affording shelter only for a few fishing-boats, but which,
at no very great expense, might be rendered a safe station for vessels of greater burthen. The bay of Torrisdale, to the east of the entrance of the Kyle, is wide
and spacious, but gives little shelter to vessels, being
open and exposed to all winds, which are here frequently violent and tempestuous. The only headland
of any importance on the coast is Whiten Head, which
is partly in Durness parish, and of which the rocks
are perforated by the action of the waves into various
caverns of romantic appearance; the cavern of Fraisgill
has a naturally-formed arch at the entrance, fifty feet
high and twenty feet wide, and penetrates for nearly
half a mile into the rock, gradually contracting its
dimensions both in breadth and height.
The principal islands are, Eilean-nan-Naomh, or "the
Saints' Island;" Eilean-nan-Ron, or "the Island of
Seals;" and the Rabbit islands. Eilean-nan-Naomh,
situated near the eastern extremity of the coast, had
anciently a chapel with a burying-ground, of which
traces may still be discovered. On the south side of
this island is a circular fissure in the rock, through
which the sea, after forcing its way along a narrow
channel, ascends in a perpendicular column to the height
of thirty feet, accompanied, within a few seconds, by a
violent rushing of water from the eastern side of the
island, with a noise resembling the discharge of a cannon. Eilean-nan-Ron, to the west of the former, has at
high-water the appearance of two islands, and is partly
under cultivation by a few tenants who, from a hollow
in the form of a basin, containing land of great fertility,
raise some fine crops of grain. The rocks, which rise
precipitously to a great height, are on the north side
divided by numerous fissures, through which the wind
rushes with great force, carrying with it great quantities of saline spray, and thus affording the means of
curing fish without the use of salt. On the same side
of the island is a naturally-formed arch, of lofty dimensions, and of such symmetry and elegance as to
rival the work of art. Nearly in the centre of the isle, the
surface has subsided into a spacious chasm of circular
form and great depth, which is supposed to communicate by a cavern with the sea. The Rabbit islands, which
are more within the mouth of the Kyle of Tongue than
Eilean-nan-Ron, are three in number, of no great elevation, and only covered with verdure affording pasture
to rabbits. The ancient name of these islands, "Eileanna-Gaeil," or "the Island of Strangers," is supposed to
have been derived from their occupation by the Danes,
who are said to have landed on them, and retained possession for a time. The fish taken off the coast of the
parish are chiefly cod, ling, haddock, whiting, skate,
and flounders; in September, coal-fish are found in
great quantities, near the rocks; and turbot and tusk
are occasionally taken. The shores in the upper part
of the Kyle abound with shell-fish, including muscles
and spout-fish of excellent quality, and cockles, of which
vast numbers are used during the summer months for
food. Salmon, grilse, trout, and char are found in
some of the lakes and rivers; and at the salmon-fishery
on the Borgie, about 2000 are annually taken, on an
average. The herring-fishery, which was formerly carried on to a great extent, and was very lucrative, has
within the last few years been rapidly decreasing.
From the small proportion of land under cultivation,
the agricultural economy of the parish is scarcely an
object deserving notice; the soil of the arable land is a
rich black loam, producing grain of all kinds, but the
only remunerating crop is that of potatoes, which are
raised in large quantities. The lands are chiefly in pasture; but from being overstocked, the sheep and cattle
are often stinted in their growth. The sheep on the
larger farms are generally of the Cheviot breed, and are
sent to the southern markets, where they are in much
estimation and obtain high prices; the sheep reared by
the smaller tenants are either of the black-faced breed
or a cross between that and the Cheviot. Great quantities of wool are forwarded to Inverness, and also to the
Liverpool market. The cattle are of the Highland blackbreed, and are usually sent for sale to the Aultnaharrow market, in the adjoining parish of Farr, or to the
Kyle market near Bonar Bridge, but frequently are purchased by drovers who travel through the country to
collect them. The natural wood, which for some time
had been neglected, and for want of regular thinning
was beginning to decay, has within the last few years
been carefully managed, and is now in a thriving state.
The most extensive of the more recent plantations are
those around the House of Tongue; they display some
fine specimens of beech, ash, elm, and lime, with firs
of various kinds, of which the spruce thrives better
than the Scotch fir. The rocks in the parish are principally gneiss, in some places intersected by veins of
quartz and granite; the mountain of Ben-Hope is composed chiefly of mica-slate, and that of Ben-Laoghal of
sienite. The substratum of the lower lands is chiefly
sandstone. Black manganese ore has been found in
Ben-Laoghal, and bog-iron ore occurs in many places;
slate and flag quarries are wrought at Talmine and
Portvasgo, on the lands of Melness, on the western shore
of the Kyle of Tongue, but the return is inconsiderable. The rateable annual value of the parish is £3417.
The only seat is the House of Tongue, the property and
occasional residence of the Duke of Sutherland. This
mansion, which is of ancient date, and irregular in its
style of architecture, is situated in grounds tastefully
laid out, and comprehending much beautiful scenery;
and the surrounding demesne is richly planted, and embellished with timber of stately growth. The villages
of Skianid and Torrisdale are both described under
their respective heads. In Tongue is a post-office,
which has a delivery three times in the week from
Thurso, and twice from Golspie; a subscription library
and a public reading-room, both recently established, are
supported by subscription, and rapidly improving; and
there is a good inn. Facility of communication is maintained by excellent roads, of which nearly forty miles
pass through the parish, the greater number parliamentary and county roads; and by the ferry across the
Kyle of Tongue, which, from the shallowness of the
water, and the abundance of materials for the purpose
in the immediate vicinity, might perhaps be converted
into a public road.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Tongue and synod of
Sutherland and Caithness. The minister's stipend, including an allowance for communion elements, is
£158. 6. 8., of which sum more than two-thirds are
paid from the exchequer; with a manse, and a glebe
valued at £35 per annum; patron, the Crown. The
church, erected in 1680, was nearly rebuilt in 1731, at
the expense of Lord Reay, and substantially repaired in
1779; it is a neat substantial structure, conveniently
situated, and containing 520 sittings, all of which are
free. A missionary station is established at Melness,
in the western district of the parish; and a church containing 500 sittings, and a manse, were erected there by
the late Duchess-Countess of Sutherland: the missionary has a stipend of £50, paid by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The members of the
Free Church have a place of worship. The parochial
school affords instruction to about sixty children; the
master receives a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a house and
garden, and the fees average £10 annually. There are
also two schools supported by the education committee
of the General Assembly; one is at Melness, the other
at Skerray. Among the interesting monuments of
antiquity, the remains of the castle of Varrich are the
most conspicuous. These ruins, which occupy the summit of the promontory of the same name, consist chiefly
of the massive walls of a square tower two stories in
height; the lower story had a roof of vaulted stone,
and the upper a ceiling of timber frame-work: but nothing of the original founder, or of its early history, is
known. Extending from the coast into the interior,
are remains of several circular towers which, from their
being within sight of each other, are supposed to have
formed a chain of signal stations, for the communication of intelligence in times of danger. Subterraneous
caverns, some of them evidently of artificial construction, are found in various places, and appear to have
been places of retreat of the inhabitants from the pursuit of their enemies.
Torbolton
TORBOLTON, county of Ayr.—See Tarbolton.
Torbrex
TORBREX, a village, in the parish of St. Ninian's,
county of Stirling, 1 mile (S.) from Stirling; containing 141 inhabitants. This is a small place in the
suburbs of the town of Stirling, and a short distance
west of the high road thence to the village of St. Ninian's. It is one of the smallest of several villages in the
parish.
Torogay
TOROGAY, an isle, in the parish of Harris, county
of Inverness. It is a very small uninhabited isle,
lying in the sound of Harris, a short distance from the
most northern point of the main land of North Uist,
and equidistant, southward, from the island of Bernera.
Torosay
TOROSAY, a parish, in the district of Mull, county
of Argyll, 18 miles (W. by N.) from Oban; containing, with the late quoad sacra parish of Kinlochspelve,
and part of that of Salen, 1616 inhabitants, of whom
679 are in Torosay Proper. This place derives its
name, signifying in the Gaelic language "the country
of hills and water," from the mountainous character of
its surface, and the numerous indentations of its shores
by arms of the sea. Originally it formed part of the
territories of the Macdonalds, lords of the Isles, whose
principal residence was at Aros, in the neighbouring
parish of Kilninian. In the earlier part of the 14th
century, the lands were granted by the Macdonalds to
two brothers of the family of the Mc Leans, who, during
a visit which they paid to the chieftain Macdonald, had
become his sons-in-law; the one fixed his residence at
Duart, in the north-eastern, and the other at the head
of Loch Buy, in the south-western, extremity of the
parish. In a succeeding age, after the death of a
Maclaine of Lochbuy, whose son was then an infant,
Mc Lean of Duart took forcible possession of his estates,
which he annexed to his own, failing, however, to
obtain the person of the infant, who was conveyed in
safety to Ireland, and placed under the protection of
his maternal uncle, ancestor of the present Earl of
Antrim. The heir of Lochbuy, on attaining the age of
manhood, embarked with a few resolute attendants to
recover his paternal estates, and, landing near Lochbuy,
was recognised by the tenantry, who reinstated him in
his inheritance, which is now mostly the property of
his descendant, Murdoch Maclaine, Esq., the principal
landowner in the parish. The lands of Mc Lean of
Duart afterwards became forfeited to the crown, and
were granted, in reward of their eminent services, to
the Argyll family, of whom the present Duke sold the
lands of Torosay Proper to the late Colonel Macquarrie,
of Ulva, from whom they were purchased by Colonel
Campbell, of Possil. The other landholders in the
parish are, the Macquarrie family, of Glenforsa, the
Duke of Argyll, and Duncan Mc Intyre, Esq. There
are still considerable remains of the ancient castles of
Duart and Lochbuy. The former, situated on the promontory of Duart, consists of a quadrangular range of
buildings, with a strong tower of two stories on the
north: the walls of the tower are from ten to fourteen
feet in thickness, and of more ancient date than the
other buildings, on one of the doors of which is the
crest of the Mc Leans, with the date 1663. The castle
of Lochbuy, situated on a low rock near the head of a
lake, consists of a square tower of three stories, of
which the two lower have roofs of stone, richly groined:
though apparently of equal antiquity to that of Duart,
it is in much better preservation. On the east it was
defended by a semicircular fosse, which may still be
traced; and the entrance was by an embattled gateway, with a portcullis and drawbridge.
The parish is about twenty miles in extreme length,
and nearly twelve in extreme breadth, comprising an
area of 160 square miles. Not more than 7500 acres
are arable and in cultivation, to which, however, 8000
might be added; the large remainder, with the exception of a few acres of plantations, is moorland-pasture
and waste incapable of tillage. The surface is hilly and
mountainous, and in some parts diversified with glens
of considerable extent. The principal mountains are
Ben-More and Bentealluidh, rising, the former to an
elevation of 3000, and the latter to the height of 2800,
feet above the level of the sea, commanding extensive
prospects, and forming magnificent features in the landscape as seen from Loch-na-Gaul and the sound of
Mull; especially Bentealluidh, which, being of conical
form, and clothed with verdure to its summit, combines
beauty with grandeur. In addition to these, a chain of
mountains of inferior elevation, having one common
base, extends through the whole length of the parish;
and in a transverse direction, and nearly parallel with
each other, are several ranges, the summits of which
are peaked. At the head of Lochbuy is the mountain of
Ben-Maigh, ascending from an extensive plain to a height
nearly equal to that of Bentealluidh. The chief valleys
are, Glenmore, Glenforsa, and Glencainail. Glenmore is
about ten miles in length, constituting a narrow defile
between mountains, and extending from the western to
the eastern extremity of the parish; Glenforsa is about
five miles in length and three-quarters of a mile in width,
reaching from the coast, near Salen, to the base of Bentealluidh, in Glenmore. Glencainail, to the west of
Glenforsa, with which it is nearly parallel, is about three
miles in length and three-quarters of a mile in breadth,
and bounded by a mountain range that separates it
from Glenforsa, and by the base of Benmore, near which
it terminates; the principal feature of this glen is a
fresh-water lake of considerable extent, at the lower
extremity.
Among the rivers are, the Lussa, the Forsa, and the
Ba. The Lussa has its source in some lakes near Glenmore, from which it flows in a north-eastern direction
for nearly two miles, when it deviates towards the
south-east: after a rapid course of six miles, it runs
into the sea at Loch Spelve. The Forsa takes its rise
near the base of the mountain Bentealluidh, and, flowing northward, falls after a course of about four miles,
in which it has received the waters from the heights of
the glen to which it gives name, into the sound of Mull
near Pennygowan. The Ba issues from the lake of
that name, in the western portion of the parish, and,
passing in a north-western direction, after a course of
two miles joins Loch-na-Gaul. There are many inland
lakes; the most conspicuous are Loch Ba and Loch
Uisge. Loch Ba, which is near the western extremity
of the parish, is about seven miles in circumference:
Loch Uisge, romantically situated near the head of Loch
Buy, an arm of the sea, is five miles in circumference;
and owing to the precipitous elevation of its banks, every
feature in the surrounding scenery is distinctly reflected
on its surface. None of the smaller lakes are remarkable for their extent or any peculiarity of character.
The rivers abound with salmon, grilse, and sea-trout;
trout of small size are found in all the fresh-water lakes;
and in such of them as have communication by rivers
with the sea, the fish that ascend the streams frequently
remain till the end of spring. The coast is indented
with numerous bays, of which the principal are, Loch
Buy, on the south; Loch Spelve and Loch Don, on
the east; and the bays of Duart, Craignuire, Mac
Alister, and Corinachencher, on the north. Loch Buy
is about three miles in length and two in width. Loch
Spelve is six miles long and about a mile and a half in
breadth, communicating with the sea by a lateral
opening nearly in the centre of the eastern side, which
is supposed to have been produced by some violent
convulsion, thus changing the loch from its original
character as a fresh-water lake into an arm of the sea.
Loch Don is four miles in length, and half a mile in
breadth at its entrance, beyond which it contracts itself
to a few yards, but again expands into an irregular
surface of considerable width. The bay of Mac Alister is
two miles wide, and each of the others about a mile.
These several bays abound with cod, ling, whiting,
plaice, flounders, skate, and lythe; herrings, mackerel,
and gurnet, are also taken during the seasons. Oysters
and muscles are abundant on the shores of Loch Spelve,
especially the former; and in the bays of Duart and
Craignuire, shell-fish of circular form, of the size of an
oyster, and of little less depth than the cockle, are
found in great quantities at low-water. The soil is
various; on some of the arable lands, tolerably fertile;
near the shores, a deep loam alternated with sand and
gravel; and in other parts, clayey: on the higher lands
are extensive tracts of peat. The chief crops are oats
and bear, with potatoes, turnips, and the usual grasses.
The system of husbandry is improved, and considerable
breadths of waste land have been reclaimed and brought
under cultivation; but the principal reliance of the
farmers is upon the rearing of sheep and cattle, for
which the hills afford good pasture. The farms are of
various extent, and there are many small crofters. The
buildings on the larger farms are generally substantial
and commodious, and many of the houses are of recent
erection; but the cottages of the crofters are of a very
inferior order, and few inclosures have been made except
on the immediate lands of proprietors. The Laird of
Lochbuy is making extensive improvements. The sheep
are mostly the black-faced, and much attention is paid
to their breed by the importation of "tups" from the
southern districts, and of ewe lambs from the mainland
of Argyll; the cattle are all of the West Highland
black-breed, and under the patronage of an association
of gentlemen for their improvement, much benefit is
anticipated. The Mull ponies, of small stature, but
strong and hardy, and equal to arduous labour, have
here, of late, been improved in size; but what they
have gained in that respect, is more than counterbalanced by what they have lost in spirit, and in their
capability of enduring fatigue. There are some remains
of the ancient woods with which, from the discovery of
large trunks of trees in all the peat bogs, it seems evident that the parish must have abounded; these consist of copses of oak, ash, mountain-ash, hazel, birch,
and holly. The plantations are of recent formation, and
consist of larch, and spruce, Scotch, and silver firs,
interspersed with elm, alder, beech, and plane, of which
the last is found to flourish in some of the most unfavourable situations both with respect to soil and climate.
At Fishinish, on the Lochbuy estate, are some large
planes in a very thriving condition, while there is
scarcely a tree of any kind, or even a shrub, in the
neighbourhood. The principal substrata are, trap, sandstone, and coarse limestone, of which the hills are
generally composed; granite, in large boulders, occurs
near the shore; and rock-crystals, and calc and fluor
spars, are found in the rocks. The limestone abounds
with fossil remains, chiefly of the testaceous kind. The
ateable annual value of the parish is £5008. The
principal seats are, Lochbuy House, a handsome manion, erected by the grandfather of the proprietor, at
he head of Loch Buy, and at a small distance from the
ancient tower, commanding a fine view of the loch, and
of the island of Colonsay, in the Atlantic; Achnacroish
House, the seat of Colonel Campbell, of Possil, to which
considerable additions have been made by the present
proprietor; and Glenforsa, the seat of the late Captain
Macquarrie. The only village of importance is Salen.
Fairs for black-cattle and sheep are held annually, on
The lands of Fishinish, on the Tuesday before the last
Wednesday in May and October; and a fair for horses
on the first Friday after the 20th of August. The postoffice, at Auchnacraig, has three deliveries weekly; and
facility of communication is afforded by the district
road from the ferry at Auchnacraig to Tobermory,
which passes for seventeen miles through the parish,
and by the road to Kilfinichen, which intersects the
southern portion of the parish for eighteen miles.
Steamers ply almost daily in the sound of Mull; the
bays are all frequented by trading vessels, and there
are ferries to Morvern, Nether Lorn, and Kerrara.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Mull and synod of Argyll.
The minister's stipend is £172. 18. 4., with a manse, and
a glebe valued at £11 per annum; patron, the Duke
of Argyll. The church, erected in 1783, and repaired
in 1832, is conveniently situated, and contains 280
sittings, all of which are free; there are also parliamentary churches at Kinlochspelve and Salen. Torosay
has three parochial schools; the masters receive salaries
of £15 each, with a house and garden, and the fees
average about £5 each annually. There are also schools
supported from the funds of the General Assembly and
the Gaelic Auxiliary Society, of which the masters have
salaries of £20 each. At the extremity of Laggan Point,
on the south side of Loch Buy, is an excavation in the
rock, 300 feet in length, about twenty feet in width at
the mouth, and forty feet high: these dimensions it
retains for about one-third of its extent, when it expands
into a breadth of forty-five feet, and reaches 120 feet in
height, which elevation it preserves to its extremity.
From the point where it begins to expand, branches off,
at an angle of thirty degrees, another cave, 150 feet long,
twelve feet broad, and twenty-four feet in height, and
which appears to have had an entrance from the sea
that is now closed. The whole bears the appellation of
din's Cave, which it probably received from the Danes
when they had possession of the Hebrides. At Killean,
and also at Laggan, are the ruins of ancient chapels of
which the history is unknown; and in the buryinggrounds adjacent to them are some richly-sculptured
tombstones, supposed to have been removed from the
island of Iona. Stone coffins, containing human bones
and ashes, have been found in various places, while
excavating the ground for the formation of roads; and
also some silver coins, among which were a Spanish
dollar, a shilling of Queen Elizabeth, and a small coin
of Charles II.
Torphichen
TORPHICHEN, a parish, in the county of Linlithgow; containing, with the village of Blackridge,
417 inhabitants, of whom 397 are in the village of
Torphichen, 2¾ miles (N. by W.) from Bathgate. This
place, which is supposed to have derived its name from
its hills, was anciently the seat of a commandery of
the Knights of Malta and St. John of Jerusalem, founded
in the year 1153 by King Malcolm IV., and more
largely endowed by his successors, Alexander II. and
III. The establishment received additional grants of
land, and various immunities, from succeeding sovereigns till the time of James IV., by whom the privileges were confirmed; and the possessions of the
commandery were ultimately erected into a lordship,
designated the Lordship of St. John and Commandery
of Torphichen. In 1298, Sir William Wallace made the
place his head-quarters for some time previously to the
battle of Falkirk, in which Alexander de Wells, then
commander of Torphichen, was killed. Many of the
commanders were distinguished for the important offices
they filled in the state, and as members of the council
and of parliament; the last, Sir James Sandilands, took
an active part in promoting the Reformation. Sir James
was succeeded in the lordship of Torphichen by his
nephew, Sandilands, of Calder, who made Calder House,
which had long been the patrimonial residence of the
family, the seat of the lordship. The commandery was
now abandoned, and soon fell into decay; the only
remains are the choir, which, however, is almost perfect,
and is about sixty-six feet in length and twenty feet in
breadth within the walls, which are of great thickness.
The interior contains many interesting architectural
details in the richer Norman style; and at each end is
a beautiful window enriched with tracery, beneath one
of which is an arched and canopied recess, where the
remains of the commanders were placed, during the
performance of the funereal rites previously to their
interment. In the cemetery is a low square pillar of
stone, with a Maltese cross rudely sculptured: from
this were measured the limits of the sanctuary of Torphichen, marked by stones similarly sculptured, and
within which all persons charged with offences not
capital were safe.
The parish is about ten miles in extreme length
from east to west, and varies from a mile and a half to
about two miles and a half in breadth, comprising an
area of 10,430 acres, of which the greater portion is
arable, and the rest composed of extensive tracts of
hilly moorland, pasture, and plantations. The surface
is diversified with ranges of hills, the highest, called
Cairn-Naple, having an elevation of 1498 feet. Towards
the north are Cockleroi and Bowden hills, from the
summits of which are interesting views extending from
North Berwick Law to Ben-Lomond, and embracing
the city and castle of Edinburgh with Salisbury Craigs
and Arthur's Seat, the Frith of Forth, the Fifeshire
coast, the Ochils, the ancient town of Stirling, and the
Grampians. The ridge of hills immediately above the
village forms a continuation of bold circular eminences,
and on the western side gradually diminishes into gentle
undulations, among which are seen, with beautifully
picturesque effect, the village, the church, and the
venerable remains of the commandery. The small river
Avon flows along the northern boundary of the parish,
dividing it from that of Muiravonside; and the Loggie
burn, a still smaller stream, for several miles separates
the parish from that of Bathgate, and flows into the
Avon near Craw Hill. About a mile to the north-east of
the village is Loch Cote, a sheet of water about twentytwo acres in extent, surrounded by the hills of Bowden,
Cockleroi, and Kipps, and which, after having been
drained, has been restored by the present proprietor.
The soil around the village is extremely fertile; and
that in other parts, though wet, is well adapted to the
growth of timber of every kind. The lands have been
mostly inclosed, and improved by draining, and produce
favourable crops of grain; the farms are generally
small, but the farm-buildings are nevertheless substantial and commodious. Those parts not in cultivation
afford good pasturage for the sheep and cattle, which
are usually of the common breeds: of the latter, several
of the Ayrshire kind have been recently introduced.
There are quarries of limestone in the Hilderston and
Bowden hills, the latter of which is worked by an adit
from the side of the hill; and on Hilderston, and in
the hollow between the Kipps hills and the Torphichen
range, are coal-mines. At the former of these the coal
crops out at the surface, which has an elevation of 800
feet above the level of the sea. There is also a mine on
the lands of Bridgecastle; but the coal, though of good
quality, is thin, and the mine not now in operation.
In the parish are two quarries of granite, and one of
sandstone; and on the banks of the Avon is a mine of
ironstone, which, however, has not been wrought for
many years. In the limestone quarry on Hilderston
hill, silver-ore was formerly found, but not of any
purity, or in quantity adequate to the expense of extracting it. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£6644. The seats are, Wallhouse, Cathlaw, and Lochcote, the last a modern mansion, which, when completed, will be an elegant structure. Bridgecastle,
formerly the seat of the earls of Linlithgow, still retains
vestiges of its ancient character, and some of the venerable trees by which it was surrounded are in good preservation. Behind the old mansion-house of Craw Hill,
on the banks of the Avon, is a chasm called Wallace's
cave; and in some clefts in the rock are fine specimens
of mosses, of several rare varieties. About two miles
to the south-west of Bridgecastle are the foundations of
the castle of Ogilface, the ancient seat of the family of
De Boscos, barons of Ogilface, and which was a place
of considerable strength. There are some vestiges of
the castle of Bedlormie, comprising a square tower with
a vaulted roof; also remains of the castle of Kipps, of
similar character, but smaller dimensions.
The village of Torphichen, consisting of scattered
clusters of houses, is pleasantly situated. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in agricultural pursuits and
in the quarries; there are likewise two corn-mills, two
flax-mills, and two mills for the spinning of wool, part
of which is manufactured into shawls. Blackridge is
in the western portion of the parish, near the river
Avon; it is noticed under its own head. Facility of
communication with Linlithgow and the other towns
in the neighbourhood is maintained by good roads; the
Linlithgow and Glasgow, and the Edinburgh and Glasgow, turnpike-roads passing through the parish. The
ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of
the presbytery of Linlithgow and synod of Lothian and
Tweeddale. The minister's stipend is £163. 13. 7., of
which £25. 7. are paid from the exchequer; with a
manse, and a glebe valued at £12 per annum: patron,
Lord Torphichen. The church, which is adjacent to the
ancient commandery, near the eastern extremity of the
parish, is a neat building erected in 1756, and containing 550 sittings, of which all are free. A church has
been erected in the village of Blackridge, and the members of the Free Church have a place of worship. There
are parochial schools at Torphichen and Blackridge; the
master of the former has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a
house and garden, and his fees average about £14.
There are also parochial libraries in both villages.
Several stone coffins of rude construction have been
found on the high grounds above the Logie burn.
Torrance
TORRANCE, a village, in the parish of Campsie,
county of Stirling, 2 miles (W.) from Kirkintilloch;
containing 473 inhabitants. This village is situated in
the southern extremity of the parish, and on the northern
boundary of the parish of Cadder, or Calder, in Lanarkshire. The estate of Torrance once belonged to the
Hamiltons, cadets of the illustrious family of that name;
it was afterwards sold to the Stuarts, of Castlemilk.
The village is on the high road from Lennoxtown to
Calder, and a large portion of the population is engaged
in the various branches of manufacture connected with
the district. One of the parochial schools is situated
here; and in the schoolroom divine service is performed
on Sunday evenings, owing to the church of Campsie
being about five miles distant. The present population
in the village, and around it, is stated to be about eight
hundred.
Torrisdale
TORRISDALE, a village, in the parish of Tongue,
county of Sutherland, 6 miles (N. E. by E.) from the
church of Tongue; containing 106 inhabitants. This
village is situated on the north coast of the county, at
the head of a small bay of its own name, and is the seat
of a valuable salmon-fishery. The water of Borgie, also
called Torrisdale, issues from Loch Laoghal, and pursuing a northern course, and separating the parish from
that of Farr, falls into the sea at the village. At the
east side of the bay is a small indentation called the
bay of Farr.
Torry
TORRY, or Newmills, a village, in the parish of
Torryburn, district of Dunfermline, county of Fife,
1½ mile (E.) of Culross, and ½ a mile (W.) from Torryburn village; containing 411 inhabitants. This village,
which was formerly in a flourishing state, has greatly
declined in importance since the discontinuance of the
extensive salt-works, and of several collieries, in the
vicinity. The inhabitants are partly engaged in agricultural pursuits, and partly at the remaining colliery;
and from its situation on the Frith of Forth, it participates in the exportation of coal, which is the only
trade carried on here.
Torry
TORRY, a village, in the parish of Nigg, county of
Kincardine, 1 mile (S. by E.) from Aberdeen; containing 295 inhabitants. This place, which is situated
on the south shore of the river Dee and harbour of
Aberdeen, is inhabited by persons employed in the
fisheries, and by a few others engaged in various handicraft trades. The fish taken here are, salmon, with
which the river abounds, and cod, haddocks, ling, turbot, and different kinds of shell-fish, all which are
found off the coast. The salmon are packed in ice, and
sent to the London market, and the white-fish chiefly to
the market of Aberdeen. Three boats also, of fourteen
tons' burthen, with crews of six men, belonging to this
place, go during the season to the herring-fishery on
the north coast. There is a pier, at which vessels occasionally land supplies of various articles; but since the
breaking up of a Greenland company, which had a boiling-establishment here, it has not been much frequented.
A school in the village is supported by the fees.
Torryburn
TORRYBURN, a parish, in the district of Dunfermline, county of Fife; containing, with the villages of Torryburn, Torry, and Crombie-Point, 1435 inhabitants, of whom 602 are in the village of Torryburn,
4 miles (W. by S.) from Dunfermline. This place takes
its name from the situation of the church and principal
village on the burn of Torry, and comprises the ancient
parish of Crombie, which, after its church had fallen
into decay, was annexed to Torryburn about the year
1620. The parish is bounded on the south by the
Frith of Forth; it is situated at the south-western extremity of the county, and is about five miles in length
and from one to two miles in breadth, comprising an
area of 3520 acres. The surface is beautifully varied;
and the higher grounds command fine views of the
Frith and the opposite coasts, with the castle, and part
of the city, of Edinburgh. The lower grounds are
watered by the Torry, which flows into the Frith; and
two small streams form part of the boundaries of the
parish on the east and west. The lands off the shore
are dry at low-water, and a considerable portion of rich
soil might be recovered from the sea, by embankment,
at a very moderate expense. The soil of the parish is
various, but generally fertile, producing crops of wheat,
barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips. The system of
agriculture is in an improved state; the farm-buildings
are substantial and well arranged; the land has been
well drained and inclosed, and all the more recent improvements in implements of husbandry have been
adopted. The substratum is chiefly coal, of which
many mines were formerly in operation; at present,
one only is wrought, affording employment to sixty
men. There is a seam of fine parrot coal, of excellent
quality for gas, and of which 2500 tons are annually
raised; and from another seam, of rough splint coal,
about 6000 tons are produced. The rateable annual
value of the parish amounts to £5978. Torrie House,
the seat of Capt. James Erskine Wemyss, is a handsome
mansion finely situated, and once contained a valuable
collection of paintings, which were bequeathed by the
late Sir John Erskine to the university of Edinburgh.
There are also the houses of Craigflower, Inzievar, and
Oakley, all pleasant residences.
The village of Torryburn is on the road from Dunfermline to Alloa, and was formerly a town of considerable trade; but since the discontinuance of the saltworks here, which were very extensive, and the abandonment of many of the collieries, it has greatly declined. About 6000 tons of coal, however, are still
shipped annually from the pier (which is in a very indifferent state of repair); and at present there are seven
vessels, of 320 tons' aggregate burthen, used in what
remains of its extensive trade in coal. The inhabitants
of the parish are now chiefly employed in agriculture,
and in the weaving of damask, and of cotton goods for
the houses of Glasgow, in which branches of manufacture about sixty persons are engaged; and many of the
females are occupied in tambour work and the flowering
of muslin. A fair, chiefly for pleasure and toys, and
which generally terminates in a horse-race, is held
annually on the village green, on the second Wednesday in July. Facilities of communication are afforded
by the turnpike-road from Dunfermline, which passes
for four miles through the parish; and by means of a
boat from Crombie-Point, access is obtained to the
steamers in the Frith of Forth, that ply between Stirling and Edinburgh. The hamlet of Crombie-Point
contains 54 inhabitants, who are partly employed in
agriculture, and partly in the collieries. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the
presbytery of Dunfermline and synod of Fife. The
minister's stipend is £179. 4. 4., with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £10. 13. 4.; patrons, the representatives of the late Rev. Dr. Erskine, of Carnock. The
church, which is situated at the east end of the village,
was rebuilt in 1800, and is a neat plain structure in
good repair, containing 502 sittings, nearly the whole
free. The members of the Free Church have a place of
worship. The parochial school is attended by about
eighty children; the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4.,
with a house and garden, and the fees average £36 per
annum. There are other schools, two of which are
chiefly for teaching girls to read and sew. Some remains exist of the ancient church of Crombie, situated
on an eminence overlooking the Frith of Forth; and
there are some upright stones in the parish, supposed to
have been erected in commemoration of a battle which
had taken place near the spot, but of which there is no
distinct record.
Torsay
TORSAY, an island, in the parish of Kilbrandon
and Kilchattan, district of Lorn, county of Argyll.
This small isle lies in a sound encompassed by the
islands of Seil, Luing, and Shuna, and on the west by
the main land of Nether Lorn: it has a quarry of excellent slate, and is inhabited. There is an ancient
tower here, which at one period belonged to the great
Macdonald, who made it his half-way hunting-seat in
his progress from Cantyre to his northern isles; and
hence it was called Dog Castle. Macdonald invariably
resided in the tower until he had expended the whole of
the revenue collected by him in the neighbourhood.
Torthorwald
TORTHORWALD, a parish, in the county of
Dumfries; containing, with the villages of Collin and
Roucan, 1346 inhabitants, of whom 178 are in the village of Torthorwald, 4¼ miles (E. N. E.) from Dumfries.
This place derives its name, signifying in the Saxon
language the "Tower of Thor in the wood," from the
ruins of an ancient castle nearly in the centre of the
parish, which is said to have been originally surrounded
by an extensive forest. Of this tower, which, from the
remains, appears to have been erected during the Saxon
heptarchy, little of the earlier history has been preserved, though probably it was raised in honour of
Thor, the chief of the Saxon deities; it was subsequently the residence of the Torthorwald family, of
whom David de Torthorwald swore fealty to Edward I.
of England, at Berwick, in 1291. The castle and the
lands were afterwards the property of Sir William Carlyle, Knt., who married the sister of Robert Bruce, and
whose son obtained from that monarch a grant of the
whole barony of Torthorwald, which in the reign of
James III. was confirmed to his descendant, Sir John
Carlyle, who was elevated to the peerage by the title of
Lord Carlyle. After the decease of Michael, Lord
Carlyle, without issue male, the estate passed to his
grand-daughter, Elizabeth, who conveyed it, with the
title, to Sir James Douglas, on the death of whose son,
in 1638, the title became extinct, and the estate went
into the possession of William, the first earl of Queensberry, whose descendant, the marquess, is now the
principal proprietor of Torthorwald.
The parish is bounded by the river Lochar, separating it from the parish of Dumfries, and is about six
miles and a half in extreme length, varying greatly in
breadth, and comprising 5500 acres; 2600 are arable,
1050 meadow and pasture, and the remainder, of which
but little is capable of being reclaimed, moss and waste.
The surface in the west, along the river, is low, forming
a portion of the tract called Lochar Moss; but towards
the east it rises into a ridge of hills of considerable elevation, of which one, the Beacon, commands an extensive view over the surrounding country, embracing the
southern portion of Dumfriesshire, the eastern parts of
Galloway, the coast of Cumberland, Solway Frith, and
the Irish Channel. The river, which for more than
seven miles forms the western boundary of the parish,
flows in a gently winding course southward, through
the centre of Lochar Moss, and, deviating towards the
east, falls into the Solway Frith. This river, from the
level nature of the ground, has scarcely any perceptible
current; it abounds with pike, perch, trout, and eels,
and the adjacent moss is frequented by numbers of
wild-ducks, teal, plovers, and moor-fowl of various
kinds.
The soil is various; for some breadth to the east
of the moss, light and sandy, and well adapted for turnips, potatoes, and barley; for some distance up the
sides of the ridge, of stronger quality, and equally fertile, producing excellent crops of wheat; and thence to
the summit of the ridge, of an inferior description, cold,
and resting on a substratum of retentive till. The
crops are, oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, and turnips,
with the usual grasses. The system of husbandry has
been gradually improving; and the lands have mostly
been inclosed, partly with stone dykes, which, however,
soon fall into decay from the perishable nature of the
stone, and partly with hedges of thorn, which, with
moderate attention, are kept in good order. The lands
in general are better adapted for tillage than for pasture; but owing to the introduction of turnip-husbandry, 2000 sheep are upon the average annually fed on
the turnips, and sent to distant markets. Considerable attention is also paid to the management of the
dairy-farms, on which about 360 cows are pastured;
and large quantities of milk, butter, eggs, and poultry
are forwarded to Dumfries. The cattle, of which about
500 are reared yearly, are of the Galloway breed; and
400 swine are annually fattened. There are scarcely
any plantations, and no remains of ancient wood, though
the numbers of trunks of trees dug up in the mosses
afford sufficient evidence that the parish was originally
thickly wooded; oak, fir, birch, and hazel trees, several
of them of great size, are met with in a sound state, and
used by carpenters for various purposes. The substrata
are chiefly greywacke and transition rock, of which the
ridge is chiefly composed; stones found on the surface
of the lands are employed for constructing dykes for
inclosures on some of the farms, but there are neither
quarries nor mines. The rateable annual value of the
parish is £4960.
The village of Torthorwald is situated on the acclivity
of the ridge, about half way from its base, and on the
road from Lockerbie to Dumfries; it consists chiefly of
clusters of cottages, irregularly built, and inhabited by
persons employed in agriculture, and in the various
handicraft trades requisite for the neighbourhood. Letters are delivered regularly every day from the postoffice at Dumfries; and facility of communication is
afforded by turnpike-roads, which pass for more than
seven miles through the parish, and by roads kept in
repair by statute labour. The villages of Collin and
Roucan are described under their respective heads.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery and synod of Dumfries; the
minister's stipend is £220. 15. 10., with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £20 per annum; patron, the Marquess
of Queensberry. The church, conveniently situated
nearly in the centre of the parish, is a neat substantial
structure, erected in 1782, and containing 500 sittings,
all of which are free. There are two parochial schools;
one is near the church, and the other in the village of
Collin. The master of the former has a salary of
£31. 6. 6., with a house and garden; and the fees
average about £28, in addition to which he receives
the interest of a bequest of £160. The master of the
school at Collin has a salary of £20, with a house, and
three-quarters of an acre of land reclaimed from the
moss; and the school fees average £20. The number of
children attending these schools is 150, on the average.
The remains of the ancient castle are situated on rising
ground near the church, and form an interesting and
picturesque feature in the scenery of the parish; the
building appears to have been strongly fortified; and
the walls, of extraordinary thickness, seem likely, from
their solidity, to bid defiance to the ravages of time.
On the west, and also on the east, of the castle, are the
remains of a British camp, thirty yards in diameter,
and surrounded in some parts with two, and in others
with three, strong intrenchments. The parish was the
burying-place of the family of the first lord Douglas of
Dornock, who was proprietor of the castle, and on whose
decease it was suffered to fall into ruin.
Torwood
TORWOOD, a village, in the parish of Dunipace,
county of Stirling, 4 miles (N. W.) from Falkirk; containing 151 inhabitants. This village, which is chiefly
inhabited by persons engaged in agriculture, is beautifully situated near what remains of the Caledonian
forest, and is distinguished for the venerable ruins of
Torwood Castle, the ancient residence of the lords
Forrester. By marriage with the daughter of the second
lord, it became the property of the Baillie family, from
whom it was purchased by the grandfather of Colonel
Dundas, the present proprietor. The high road from
Falkirk to Stirling passes through the village. The remains of the castle are surrounded by a richly-wooded
demesne, in which was once an oak twelve feet in diameter, wherein it is said the celebrated Sir William
Wallace concealed himself after the battle of Falkirk.
Near the site of this oak, Donald Cargill pronounced
sentence of excommunication against Charles II., the
Duke of York, and others, in Sept., 1680; but this act
was never publicly ratified by Presbyterians.
Tough
TOUGH, a parish, in the district of Alford, county
of Aberdeen, 5 miles (S. E. by E.) from Alford; containing 762 inhabitants. This place is situated partly
in the northern and western portions of the Corrennie
range, or "Red hill," and partly in the vale of the river
Don, occupying that extension of it called the Vale of
Alford, though in no part does it reach to the bank of
the river. Its figure is altogether irregular; its length
from south-west to north-east is between five and six
miles, and its breadth varies from half a mile to upwards
of three miles, the whole comprising, exclusively of a
large tract of hills bounding the parish on the south,
5650 acres, of which 2300 are in tillage, 1100 in plantations, and 2250 uncultivated. The rugged and unequal nature of the surface, which consists of valleys
and mountains, and its general elevation of 420 feet
above the level of the sea, produce much diversity in
the scenery, climate, and soil; the district is exposed to
many vicissitudes of weather, and in the early part of
the winter the low grounds, which are damp and marshy,
often suffer from sharp frosts. The Corrennie hill, rising
to the height of 1578 feet, forms a protection for the
subjacent vales, and affords commanding views from its
summit of all the local scenery, which, however, though
well watered with rivulets and good springs, is destitute of any considerable stream. The prevailing soil
is a light reddish mould, shallow, and rather sharp,
but of good quality; the best lands are those stretched
along the bases, or on the lower acclivities, of the hills.
Oats and bear are the grain here raised; and the green
crops consist principally of turnips and potatoes, of
which the former are by far the most extensively cultivated, the latter being grown only for domestic consumption. The grounds receive large supplies of bonemanure, which is often mixed with dung. The cattle
here are a very superior stock, being in general the old
Aberdeenshire, crossed with the West Highland and
other sorts, and not unfrequently with the Teeswater;
the sheep are mostly the black-faced, but are comparatively few in number, and kept by the farmers who
dwell near the hill. About 1000 head of cattle are
usually kept on the pastures, the farmers making the
fattening of them a leading object; they are fed during
the winter on oat-straw and turnips, and sent to market when about three years old. The annual average
value of the agricultural produce is £7400, of which
£4000 are returned for grain alone. The rotation system is followed, and various other improvements have
been introduced, among which the most important are,
the adoption of the new plough, the cultivation of turnips, the growth of different grasses, the free use of
lime for manure, and the cleaning and draining of the
grounds. These have placed the husbandry of the
parish upon an entirely new and superior footing; and
in addition to the direct cultivation of the soil, the subsidiary aids to good farming have met with much attention, especially the erection of threshing-mills, of which
there are about twenty, mostly turned by water, the
construction of stone dykes for fences, and the building
of good farm houses and offices.
The predominant rock is red granite, and mica-slate
interlaid with granitic veins; magnesian limestone is
found, and also boulders of blue granite in various
places, with red slate, clay-stone, and very beautiful
felspar-porphyry supplying excellent stones for building.
The red granite is frequently dug out of beds, and used
for repairing roads. A clay-stone and porphyry-dyke
of a reddish hue, and of very compact texture, traverses
the eastern side of the parish, and continues for several miles. The plantations, in the midst of the most
luxuriant of which is inclosed the garden of Tonley, an
exquisitely beautiful spot in a picturesque dell, cover
most of the higher grounds, and, among many varieties,
contain Scotch fir, larch, and spruce, all of large bulk and
height, and yielding excellent timber. Tonley, the seat
of the late eminent antiquary, James Byres, Esq., is a
handsome modern mansion erected on the site of a former house, part of which is included in it; and is surrounded by beautifully laid-out grounds, ornamented
with many fine old trees. The mansion of Whitehouse,
also in the midst of flourishing plantations, occupies
the south-west portion of a hill, and commands fine
prospects of the fertile vale of Alford, and the adjacent
mountains. The turnpike-road from Aberdeen to Strathdon passes through the northern quarter, and that from
the same place to Tarland touches on the south; there
is also a good road to Kintore, about thirteen miles distant. Thither the produce of Tough is occasionally
sent, being conveyed thence by canal to Aberdeen; but
the direct route to Aberdeen by the road is generally
preferred. Many black-cattle from this place are shipped for the London market; and butter, cheese, and
large quantities of eggs, are also taken for sale to Aberdeen, the last amounting to about 6000 dozens yearly.
About 3000 pairs of good worsted stockings, also, are
annually knitted by females here, for a manufacturing
establishment at the same place. The rateable annual
value of the parish is £2450.
The parish is ecclesiastically in the presbytery of
Alford, synod of Aberdeen, and in the patronage of Sir
John Forbes, Bart. The minister's stipend is £159, of
which above a fifth is paid by the exchequer; with a
manse, and a glebe of six acres valued at £7. 10. per
annum. The church, containing 550 sittings, is a handsome edifice, built in 1838, and conveniently situated
for the larger part of the people. By a decree of the
Court of Teinds within the present century, this parish
was annexed to that of Keig; and on account of the
saving thus made of £57. 17. paid to the two ministers
previously, from the exchequer, under the Small-stipend
act, the government agreed to advance £1200 towards
the erection of a bridge at Keig, over the river Don.
This annexation, however, after having been effected
upon the death of one of the incumbents, in 1832,
according to the decree, was found so inconvenient and
unsatisfactory that it was dissolved, and the parishes
now remain in their former state. The parochial school
affords instruction in the usual branches; the master
has a salary of £25. 13. 4., a house, an allowance from
the Dick bequest, and £5 fees. A school, also, for girls,
under the direction of the Kirk Session, receives an
auxiliary sum annually from the Society for Propagating
Christian Knowledge. The interest of £200, left by the
late Peter Mc Combie, is annually distributed among
the poor. There is a subscription library containing
between 400 and 500 volumes. Many Druidical circles
are to be seen; the largest is called the Auld Kirk of
Tough, and is surrounded by tumuli. On the hill above
Whitehouse is a monumental stone more than twelve
feet high, called Luath's stone, from a son of Macbeth,
who, according to tradition, in his flight from Lumphanan, where his father had been slain, fell here. Two
stone collars, of the shape of those used for horses, but
only of a size to fit a pony, are preserved as curiosities,
among many others, at the mansion-house of Tonley,
the late proprietor of which, Mr. Byres, who died here
at an advanced age, was celebrated for his profound acquaintance with architectural antiquities and the fine
arts, and delivered public lectures on these subjects at
Rome, where he long resided.
Towie
TOWIE, a parish, in the district of Alford, county
of Aberdeen, 4½ miles (S. W.) from Kildrummy; containing 748 inhabitants. This place, of which the
former name was Kilbartha, from a cell or church dedicated to St. Bertha, and subsequently Kinbattoch, from
its situation at the head of a grove, is supposed to have
derived its present appellation, signifying in the Gaelic
language "the North Country," from its relative position in respect of other localities in the county. After
the Reformation it appears to have formed part of
the possessions of the family of the Forbes's, of whose
manorial residence, Towie Castle, there are still some
portions remaining, and whose descendants, the Honourable Lord Forbes, and Sir Charles Forbes, Bart., still
retain land in the parish. The first occurrence worthy of notice was in the reign of Edward I. of England,
when a party of English, under the command of Lord
Atholl, marching through Towie to besiege the castle
of Kildrummy, at that time almost the only fortress in
the hands of Robert Bruce, was repulsed by the people
of the district with great slaughter. Few other historical events of importance are recorded in connexion
with the place, till the 16th century, when a party of
unreformed Gordons set fire to the mansion of the
family of Forbes, which had been just erected, and the
whole of the unfortunate inmates perished. The metrical legend, however, that records this catastrophe, confounds the circumstances with others of a like nature
which are unconnected with it; and consequently, the
exact names of the parties engaged or suffering on the
occasion cannot now be learned.
The parish is nearly four miles in length, and about
three miles and a half in breadth; it is of pretty regular
form, but its superficial contents have not been correctly ascertained. Nearly 3000 acres of the land, however, are arable; and the remainder, with the exception
of a moderate extent of woodland and plantations, is
hill pasture, moor, and waste. The surface is abruptly
diversified, and almost surrounded with hills of considerable height, the Soccoch hills, on the south-east,
attaining an elevation of 2000 feet above the level of
the sea; the hills in the interior are mostly of undulating form, and covered with heath. The aspect of
the district towards the south, is bleak and rather destitute of interest. The river Don traverses the parish
from west to east, dividing it into two nearly equal portions, and making in its course several graceful windings: from the rapidity of its current through a narrow
gravelly channel, it frequently overflows its banks, and
lays waste the low lands on either side. The water of
Deskry bounds the parish for almost a mile on the west,
and taking a north-western course, flows into the Don;
the burn of Kindie runs along the north-western boundary of the parish into the same river, which also
receives several smaller streams that have their rise in
the south and south-east of Towie. The Don abounds
with trout of large size and of very superior quality,
and formerly salmon were taken in great numbers; but
since the use of stake-nets at the mouth, and cruives in
the lower parts of the stream, few salmon have ascended
so high up the river. The moors are the resort of grouse,
partridges, snipes, woodcocks, and wild-ducks, affording
ample recreation for sportsmen; many hares are to be
found, and considerable numbers of roe-deer are seen
in several parts.
The soil is generally a light friable loam, of no great
depth, resting on a gravelly bottom; but in some few
places clay, with a hard retentive subsoil. The chief
crops are oats and barley, with potatoes, some flax, and
the various grasses; and within the last few years, the
cultivation of vegetables of most kinds has been gradually increasing. The system of husbandry has been
greatly improved; much waste land has been reclaimed;
and the steep acclivities of the hills, previously considered as inaccessible to the plough, are now under good
cultivation to a considerable height above their base.
The lands have been drained and partly inclosed; the
farm houses and offices, with very few exceptions, are
substantial and commodious; a due regard is paid to
a regular rotation of crops, and most of the more recent
improvements in the construction of agricultural implements have been adopted. The hills afford good pasture for sheep and black-cattle, of which numbers are
reared, and much attention is paid to the improvement
of the breeds; the sheep, when fattened, are sent chiefly
to the Aberdeen market, and the black-cattle sold, when
young, to dealers for the supply of the English markets. There are considerable remains of ancient wood
in the north-western part of the parish, and the plantations have for some time been increasing. The rocks
are mainly of the trap, magnesian, and primitive limestone formations. The limestone was formerly wrought
for agricultural purposes; but owing to its inferior
quality, and the difficulty of obtaining fuel, the working
of it has been discontinued; and though there are pretty
certain indications of freestone, yet from the wet and
low situation in which the material occurs, it has not
been thought advisable to open any quarries. The
rateable annual value of the parish is returned at
£2383.
There are no villages. The St. Andrew Masonic lodge,
here, was instituted in 1814, and a spacious hall erected
in 1821; the buildings comprise also an excellent and
well-frequented inn. A public library, which contains
more than 500 volumes of standard works on theology,
history, and general literature, was established in 1827,
and is well supported by subscription. Fairs, chiefly
for cattle, are held annually near the Masonic lodge,
at Glenkindie, on the first Monday after Trinity Muir
fair in April, and the first Saturday after that of Keith
in September; there are also fairs for hiring servants
on the days after Whitsuntide and Martinmas. Facility of comunication is afforded by the Aberdeen turnpike-road, which passes through the north of the parish;
by the old road from that city, which intersects it on
the south; by tolerable roads kept in repair by statute
labour, and bridges over the river Don. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the
presbytery of Alford and synod of Aberdeen. The
minister's stipend is £159. 6. 1., of which about onesixth part is paid from the exchequer; with a manse,
and a glebe valued at £10 per annum: patron, Sir
Alexander Leith, K. C. B. The church, situated nearly
in the centre of the parish, is a plain substantial structure with a small campanile turret. The parochial
school affords instruction to about ninety children: the
master has a salary of £28, with a house and garden,
and the fees average £20; he has also a portion of the
Dick bequest. Of the ancient castle of Towie, one
square tower is remaining, but in a very ruinous state.
There are ruins of ancient chapels at Nether Towie,
Kinbattoch, Belnaboth, Ley, and Sinnahard; and on
the farm of Kinbattoch are several tumuli in which, on
being opened in 1750, were found some kistvaens containing urns, human bones, trinkets, and some Roman
medals. On the Glaschul, or "grey moor," are also tumuli,
which appear to have been raised in commemoration of
the defeat of Lord Atholl and his party; and at Fechley is a mound sixty feet in height, 200 feet in length,
and 127 feet in breadth, surrounded at the base by a
broad fosse, and on the summit of which are the remains of a vitrified fort.
Tradeston
TRADESTON, a suburb of the city of Glasgow, in the parish of Gorbals, county of Lanark.
This flourishing place, which is situated on the south
bank of the river Clyde, and forms one of the most
interesting of the suburbs, was founded in 1790, for
which purpose lands were purchased from the Trades'
House and corporation of the city. It consists of
several spacious and well-formed streets, intersecting
each other at right angles, and of which the principal
are in a direction nearly parallel with the river. The
houses are generally three and four stories in height,
handsomely built of stone, and roofed with slate; and
attached to each is a court-yard or garden: the streets
are lighted with gas, and the inhabitants amply supplied with water. Facility of communication with the
city is afforded by the Jamaica-street bridge, from
which, on this side of the river, a spacious quay extends
towards the west for nearly 700 yards, in front of the
Clyde-buildings, an elegant range of houses, beautifully
situated in Clyde-street, which, with Carlton-place,
forms an extensive and delightful promenade on the
margin of the river. The inhabitants include many of
the most opulent merchants and manufacturers of the
city, and others connected with the trade of the port;
and some of the population are employed in the various
branches of manufacture carried on in the vicinity. A
factory for the weaving of silk veils, satin, velvet, and
other articles, affords employment to fifty persons; the
bleaching and printing of cotton and calico are also on
a considerable scale.
Trailflat
TRAILFLAT, a hamlet, in the parish of Tinwald,
county of Dumfries, 3 miles (N. W. by W.) from Lochmaben; containing 44 inhabitants. This is a very small
place, lying in the eastern part of the parish, and watered
by the river Ae. The lands around it formed an ancient
parish, now united to Tinwald, which see.
Tranent
TRANENT, a parish, in the county of Haddington; containing, with the villages of Cockenzie, Elphinstone, Meadowmill, and Portseaton, 3887 inhabitants,
of whom 2000 are in the town of Tranent, 7 miles (W.)
from Haddington, and 10 (E.) from Edinburgh. The
name of this place is of uncertain derivation, though it
is generally supposed to be of Gaelic origin, and descriptive of the position of the ancient village at the head of
a deep ravine watered by a small rivulet. Tranent has
been the residence of some of the most distinguished
families of antiquity, and was the frequent resort of
many of the earlier Scottish monarchs, and, in subsequent times, the scene of many events of historical
importance. On the invasion of Scotland by the Earl
of Hertford, in 1544, the parish church was plundered,
and almost destroyed, by the English soldiers under
his command, who defaced and burnt the timber-work
of the interior, and carried away the bells and every
thing of value. During the invasion of the country by
the English under the Protector, the Duke of Somerset,
in 1547, an engagement took place here between the
English and Scottish cavalry, in which the latter were
defeated with the loss of 1300 men. After this defeat,
many of the Scots, having taken refuge in the coal-pits
in the parish, were pursued by the English, who, unable
to dislodge them from their retreat, stopped up all the
avenues that admitted air to the mine, and kindled
large fires at the entrances, with a view either of forcing
them to surrender or of suffocating them. The battle
of Pinkie occurred on the following day, September 10, in
which, according to some historians, 14,000 of the Scots
were slain by the English. In 1745, the battle of Preston
was fought within less than a mile from the parish
church, on the 21st of September, when the royal forces,
consisting of nearly 3000 men, were defeated by the
Scottish adherents to the fortunes of the Pretender.
After the engagement, the military chest belonging to
the royal army was found at Cockenzie. In this battle,
Colonel Gardiner was killed while endeavouring to rally
a body of infantry near the present village of Meadowmill; he was buried in the parish church, and the
bodies of others who were slain were interred on the
farm of Thorntree-Mains, where, towards the close of
the century, some of the bodies were discovered by
workmen employed in making a drain, their clothes
being in such preservation as to distinguish the royalists
from their opponents.
The parish is about five miles in length from north-east to south-west, and three miles in breadth; it is
bounded on the north by the Frith of Forth, and comprises 5464 acres, of which, with the exception of 100
in woodland and plantations, and about fifty along the
sea-shore, the whole are arable. The surface rises in
gentle undulations from the Frith towards the south,
attaining at its greatest height an elevation of 300 feet
above the level of the sea; the sea-shore is flat and
sandy, and the coast, which extends for about two miles,
is a regular range of greenstone rock. The scenery is
not strikingly varied, but is generally pleasing, and in
some parts enriched with wood; and the views from
the higher grounds embrace many interesting and
romantic features. The lands are watered by a few
small rivulets, which are concentrated in the coal-field,
and thence conveyed to the sea in one united stream,
thus rendered powerful enough to give motion to several
mills in its progress. The soil towards the coast is
light and sandy, though of late considerably improved;
in some parts, an unproductive moor, of which a portion has been reclaimed by draining; in others, a deep,
rich, and fertile loam, occasionally intermixed with clay.
The crops are, wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and turnips.
The system of agriculture is in a highly improved state;
the lands are inclosed with hedges of thorn, kept in
good order; tile-draining has been carried on to a very
great extent, and rape and bone-dust manures have
been introduced: the farm-buildings are substantial.
The woods consist of oak, elm, and plane; and the
plantations, which are chiefly on the grounds of St.
Germain's, of every variety of forest-trees, for all which
the soil is favourable with the exception of fir, which is
not found to thrive well.
The substratum of the parish generally is of the coal
formation, intersected in some places with dykes of
trap; and towards the coast, greenstone and whinstone
are found. The coal has been wrought from a remote
period: the upper seam is from six to nine inches in
thickness, of very good quality, and found at about 220
feet below the surface. The second seam, at a depth
varying from fifty to eighty feet below the first, is about
five feet thick; and at a further depth of from thirty to
fifty feet is a third seam, three feet in thickness. About
100 feet lower is a seam of four feet, and there is another
of five feet, which has not been wrought. In addition to
these, a thin seam of cannel coal has been found on the
lands of Falside. The mines were extensively wrought
by the Seaton family, afterwards earls of Wintoun, who
obtained a grant of the lands from Robert Bruce, and
were formerly cleared from water by levels cut through
the rocks, though now chiefly by steam-engines: the
produce was generally conveyed to the port on the
backs of horses. After the forfeiture of the estates by
the Earl of Wintoun, the works were sold to the York
Building Company, of London, who, in 1722, laid down a
tram-road of wood, which continued till 1815, when an
iron railroad was constructed by the Messrs. Cadell,
who had obtained possession of the mines in this parish,
and who still work them. About 400 persons are
employed in the collieries; and the produce, averaging
60,000 tons annually, is shipped from Cockenzie. Freestone is extensively quarried for building, and whinstone
for mending the roads; some faint indications of ironstone have been observed; and in the sandstone quarries, various fossils of trees, and specimens of fern, are
found. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£15,081. The chief mansion-house is St. Germain's,
the residence of David Anderson, Esq., an ancient
structure originally a preceptory of the Knights Templars, conferred, on the suppression of their order, by
James IV. on the principal and fellows of King's College, Aberdeen; it is pleasantly situated in grounds
richly planted, and containing many stately trees of
luxuriant growth. The village, or town, is mostly inhabited by persons connected with, and working in, the
coal-mines; and several of the people are employed in
the salt-works carried on here, which were introduced
by the Earl of Wintoun in 1630. Facility of intercourse
with the market-towns of Haddington and Dalkeith is
afforded by good roads, which pass through the parish;
and there is a daily post to Haddington and Edinburgh.
The parish was anciently of much greater extent than
at present, including the whole of the parish of Prestonpans, which was severed from it in 1606, and also parts
of the parishes of Gladsmuir and Pencaitland. It is in
the presbytery of Haddington, synod of Lothian and
Tweeddale, and patronage of the Crown; the minister's
stipend is £295. 13. 5., with a manse, and the glebe is
valued at £20 per annum. The church, erected in
1801, is a neat substantial structure adapted for a congregation of 912 persons, and containing twenty free
sittings. A church was erected in the village of Cockenzie in 1838, by subscription, aided by grants from the
General Assembly and the East Lothian Church Extension Society, and £150 raised by the Rev. A. Forman,
of Innerwick; it is a neat edifice containing 452 sittings, from the rents of which is derived the minister's
income. There are in the village of Tranent places of
worship for members of the Free Church and United
Secession. The parochial school affords a liberal course
of instruction to about 100 children; the master has a
salary of £34. 4. 4., with £40 fees, and a house and
garden. In the village of Tranent are three schools
supported by subscription; and a subscription library
is also maintained, which has a useful collection of
volumes. An hospital was founded near the village of
Meadowmill by the late Mr. George Stiell, of Edinburgh, who endowed it with property producing an
income of £900 per annum, for the maintenance and
education of a limited number of boys and girls, and for
the support of a free day-school. This institution, for
which a handsome building has been erected, at an
expense of £3000, is under the direction of governors,
consisting of the Lord Justice Clerk, the sheriff of the
county, and others; the boys' school is under the care
of two masters, of whom the first has a salary of £40,
and the second of £30 per annum, with board and
lodging, and the girls' under a mistress who has a
salary of £18. There are no longer any remains of the
old palace of Seaton, which was frequently the resort of
the ancient monarchs of Scotland while in possession
of the Seaton family; the few remains that formerly
existed were removed to make room, and afford materials, for a modern house, by the late proprietor of the
estate. When James VI. was on his way to England
after his accession to the throne, the funeral of the first
earl of Wintoun was proceeding from the palace; and
the king, out of respect to this friend of his family,
ordered his retinue to halt, and remained in the garden
till the procession had passed. The ancient church of
Seaton, to which considerable additions were made by
the Seaton family, was a beautiful structure in the decorated English style of architecture; and the remains
are carefully preserved by the Earl of Wemyss, the
present proprietor of the estate. The castle of Falside,
which offered resistance to the progress of the Duke of
Somerset, was burnt on the morning of the battle of
Pinkie; but from the great strength of its walls, a considerable portion is still remaining, to which some
additions have been made.
Traquair
TRAQUAIR, a parish, in the county of Peebles,
8 miles (S. E.) from Peebles; containing 682 inhabitants. This place, of which the name is supposed to be
a modification of Strath-Quair, or "the Valley of the
river Quair," is not distinguished by many incidents of
historical importance: the Marquess of Montrose, however, is said to have rested here, at the house of the
Earl of Traquair, on the night after the battle of Philiphaugh. In 1674, the greater portion of the ancient
parish of Kailzie, which was at that time suppressed,
was united to this parish, and the remainder to the
parish of Innerleithen. Traquair is situated in the
eastern portion of the county, and bounded on the north
by the river Tweed; it is about eight miles in length
from east to west, and five miles in breadth, and comprises 17,600 acres, of which 3000 are arable, 600 woodland and plantations, and the remainder hilly moorland
and sheep pastures. The surface is very hilly, with
some tracts of valley on the banks of the Tweed and
the Quair. The hills in some parts attain a mountainous elevation; the highest are, Minchmoor, nearly 2300
feet above the level of the sea, situated in the eastern
part of the parish, and Gumscleugh, in the west, which
is about 2500 feet high, and was selected as one of the
stations for carrying on the trigonometrical survey of
Great Britain. The other hills, though rather steep,
are not of very great height, and afford good pasturage
for sheep. Among the hills, near Gumscleugh, are the
banks of Glendean, forming a strikingly romantic chasm
between rocks of nearly perpendicular elevation, which
extend for more than half a mile on both sides. The
lands are intersected by numerous streams, of which
the Quair is the principal; it has its source within the
parish, through which it flows for five or six miles,
receiving in its devious course many streamlets and
burns, whereof the Glengaber and the Glenlude are the
most considerable. Other burns fall into the Tweed
near the eastern extremity of the parish. This river
contains abundance of salmon at certain seasons, but,
from so long a run, they are seldom of good quality;
trout, however, of excellent quality abound both in the
river and in the Quair, and also in the several burns
that flow into them.
The soil is generally light and thin, and on some
grounds appears to be much exhausted; the crops are,
oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, and turnips. The system
of agriculture is improved, and the lands are mostly
well drained and inclosed; but the distance from limeworks and collieries, which is not less than twenty
miles, and the acclivity of the farm roads for conveying
manure, greatly retard advancement. The farm-houses
are substantial and commodious, and the various
improvements in the construction of agricultural implements have been adopted. Much attention is paid to
the breed of live-stock. The cattle are the Teeswater or
short-horned, with an occasional cross of the Ayrshire;
the number reared is not very great, but considerable
numbers are bought, and fed for the market. The
sheep are almost entirely of the Cheviot breed, and
about 7000 are annually pastured on the hills; of these,
1200 are fed off chiefly on turnips; and about 2300 lambs
are generally disposed of in the autumn. The woods
include ash, beech, elm, and plane, which seem best
adapted to the soil, though forest-trees of every kind
have been planted, and thrive well: there is little very
ancient timber remaining. The plantations are mostly
Scotch fir, spruce, and larch, of which fine specimens
are found in the demesnes of the resident heritors. The
substrata are mainly whinstone of various qualities, with
some slate, but of inferior quality, and not much used,
one small quarry of it only having been wrought. A
vein of porphyry is found in the hills; but there are
no mineral ores of any note. Traquair House, the seat
of the Earl of Traquair, is an extensive mansion, of
which part is of very great antiquity, though the precise
time of its erection is not known. The mansions of
Cardrona, Kailzie, and the Glen, are also elegant
residences, situated in well-planted demesnes commanding much interesting scenery. The parish has facility
of communication with the neighbouring places by good
roads, of which the turnpike-road to Edinburgh passes
near. The rateable annual value of Traquair is £5565.
It is in the presbytery of Peebles, synod of Lothian and
Tweeddale, and patronage of the Crown: the minister's
stipend is £216. 3., with a manse, and the glebe is
valued at £20 per annum. The church, built in 1778,
and improved in 1840, is situated nearly in the centre of
the parish, but at a remote distance from those portions
of it which are most thickly inhabited; it is adapted
for a congregation of 350 persons. At Traquair House
is a private Roman Catholic chapel for the family; but
there are no other places of worship in the parish. The
parochial school affords a useful course of instruction to
the children of the parish; the master has a salary of
£34. 4., with £25 fees, and a good house and garden.
A handsome and commodious parochial school-house
was recently erected by the heritors. A friendly society
has been established in the vicinity, but has tended
little to diminish the number of applications to the
poor's fund. Near the house of Cardrona are remains
of a British camp. An urn of Roman bronze, and a
small battle-axe, were found in making a drain on the
lands of Kailzie; and several sepulchral urns containing
ashes have been found at various times. On the outside wall of the church is a tablet to Mr. Brodie, a native
of this place, who, as an iron-master in the county of
Salop, in England, accumulated property to the amount
of nearly half a million sterling. The Earl of Traquair
takes his title from this place.
Treishnish
TREISHNISH, isles, in the parish of Kilninian,
county of Inverness. These are a cluster of small
islands, lying about four leagues westward of the Island
of Mull, and in the vicinity of Staffa. One of the principal, Cairn-burgh-more, was formerly considered by
the natives as a place of great strength, and its castle
was generally occupied by a small party; it is a high
rock, of considerable extent, and inaccessible on all
sides except by one narrow pass. Another, Cairn-burghbeg, is a smaller rock near it, separated by a narrow
sound, and to which the same description in every
respect applies. These rocks are said to have been
the boundary of the two governments into which the
Hebrides were divided when subject to the crown of
Denmark. In 1249, Cairn-burgh-more was summoned
to surrender to Alexander III., who meditated the conquest of these islands. The Macleans possessed it in
1715, and during the rebellion of that year it was taken
and retaken by each of the contending parties.
Trinity-Gask
TRINITY-GASK, Perthshire.—See Gask, Trinity.
Trinity-Muir
TRINITY-MUIR, a hamlet, in the parish of Brechin, county of Forfar; containing 34 inhabitants.
Troda
TRODA, an isle, in the parish of Kilmuir, county
of Inverness. It is a small isle of the Hebrides,
appropriated to the pasturage of sheep.
Trondray
TRONDRAY, an isle, in the parish of Tingwall,
Whiteness, and Weesdale, county of Shetland;
containing 8 inhabitants. This island lies in the sound
of Cliff, south of Scalloway, and opposite to that village.
It is about four miles in length and two in breadth,
with a very indented coast; and is distant west-south-west from the town of Lerwick about four miles.
Troon
TROON, a flourishing town, and lately a quoad sacra
parish, in the parish of Dundonald, district of Kyle,
county of Ayr; containing, with the village of Loans,
2306 inhabitants, of whom 1409 are in the town,
9 miles (S. W. by W.) from Kilmarnock. This place,
which is situated on the shore, about five miles to the
south of the port of Irvine, of which it is considered a
creek, has within the present century risen into great
importance under the auspices of the Duke of Portland. A charter for the construction of a harbour
was obtained in the reign of Queen Anne, by William
Fullarton, Esq., proprietor of the lands of Fullarton, in
the parish; but no measures were taken for carrying
that design into effect. The advantages of its situation
for the purposes of a harbour, also, induced the merchants and citizens of Glasgow to make advantageous
proposals to the proprietor for granting them a lease of
the adjacent lands, in order that they might accomplish
this desirable object; but their offers were rejected.
In this state things remained till the year 1808; when
the Duke of Portland, who had lately purchased the
estate of Fullarton, embarked in the undertaking, which
after great perseverance was finally completed, at a cost
of more than £100,000. Since that period the town
has been progressively increasing in extent, and in
importance as a place of maritime trade; and the facilities for sea-bathing which it affords, have, by rendering it the resort of numerous visiters during the
season, materially contributed to its prosperity.
The town is romantically situated on a promontory
projecting in a semicircular curve for about a mile and
a quarter into the Frith of Clyde, and is neatly built,
containing many substantial houses, several handsome
cottages for summer residences, and numerous respectable inns and lodging-houses for the accommodation of
visiters. A public library is supported by subscription.
The post-office has a regular delivery by a messenger
from the head office of Kilmarnock; two branch banks
have been established here, and there is every facility
of internal communication. On a site commanding a
fine view of the Frith and the adjacent country, was once
an octagonal building called the Temple, erected by
Mr. Fullarton for the entertainment of his friends. The
principal trade of the port is the exportation of coal
from the mines belonging to the duke and others in
the parish and vicinity of Kilmarnock, and the importation of timber. The coal is conveyed from the various
works by the Kilmarnock and Troon railway, and on
an average about 150,000 tons are annually shipped: the
quantity of timber imported exceeds 5000 tons. The
number of vessels registered as belonging to the port is
fifteen, of the aggregate burthen of 3800 tons; and the
number annually entering and leaving the harbour is
1070, of 108,000 tons' aggregate burthen. The harbour,
which is easy of access, affords safe anchorage for vessels requiring sixteen feet depth at low-water; and at
the pier, at right angles with the rock, constructed by
the duke, and which is 800 feet in length, is a depth of
nineteen feet at low-water. A spacious wet-dock has
been formed, in which vessels of the greatest size may
ride in safety from all storms; there are also two drydocks, of which the larger is 300 feet in length, and of
proportionate width. A lighthouse has been erected,
which is maintained from the funds of the harbour;
and on Lady Isle, to the south-west of the port, two
lofty pillars have been raised as a guide to the entrance.
There are an extensive yard for building and repairing
vessels, a large sail manufactory, and various other works
connected with the trade of the port.
The district of Troon was separated from the parish
of Dundonald for ecclesiastical purposes, by an act of
the General Assembly, in 1836; and is about four miles
in length, and nearly two miles in average breadth.
Two-thirds of the land are arable and under good cultivation; and the remainder, with the exception of sixty
acres of plantations, is rough pasture and waste. Fullarton House, the property of the Duke of Portland, is
a handsome mansion built by the late proprietor, William Fullarton, Esq., and pleasantly situated, commanding a fine view of the Ayrshire coast: in 1801 it was for
some time the residence of Louis-Philippe, now King of
the French. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery of Ayr and synod of
Glasgow and Ayr. The church, a handsome and substantial structure, was erected in 1837, by subscription,
at a moderate expense, and contains 1000 sittings: the
minister, who is appointed by the male communicants,
has a stipend of £150, of which £20 are paid by the
Duke of Portland, and the remainder derived from seatrents and contributions. There are places of worship
for members of the Free Church and United Secession.
A school for the accommodation of 230 children has
been erected at a cost of £335, of which sum one-half
was paid by government, and the remainder raised by
subscription. The village of Loans is described under
its own head. There are some remains of the ancient
church of Crosbie, of which the burial-ground is still
used as a place of interment by the inhabitants. David,
the brother of James Hamilton who shot the Regent
Murray, was buried there; and the castle of Crosbie,
now a shapeless ruin, was for some time the residence
of Sir William Wallace.
Troqueer
TROQUEER, a parish, in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, ¾ of a mile (S.) from Dumfries; including
the burgh of Maxwelltown, and containing 4351 inhabitants, of whom 3230 are in the burgh. This place is
supposed to have derived its name from its forming one
of the three ancient seminaries in the district, the other
two being Lincluden and Newabbey. The parish is
bounded on the east by the river Nith, and is about
seven miles and a half in length, and four miles and a
half in extreme breadth, comprising an area of almost
6000 acres, of which from 500 to 600 are woodland and
plantations, and the remainder arable, meadow, and
pasture. The surface is intersected by three nearly equidistant and parallel ranges of heights, the first of which,
rising gradually from the river, has been long in a high
state of cultivation, and contains several nursery
grounds and gardens of great fertility. The valley
between it and the second ridge is also fruitful, and is
watered by the Cargen, which flows into the Nith. The
second ridge, of greater elevation, produces excellent
crops of turnips and potatoes, with wheat, barley, and
oats; and the interval between it and the third ridge
is partly good meadow land, but chiefly moss, which
might at a moderate expense be brought into tillage.
The third ridge, and the highest, extends through the
whole length of the parish; it is arable on the acclivities nearly to the summit, and though less fertile than
the others, yields remunerating crops. The Nith, of
which the water is beautifully limpid, abounds with
salmon, grilse, and herlings, even beyond what is necessary for the supply of the surrounding district. The
plantations consist of oak, ash, elm, and other foresttrees, with fir and larch; they are carefully managed,
and in a flourishing condition. The substrata are principally mica-slate passing into sienite, with occasional
masses of granite; there is neither limestone nor coal,
nor any mineral of importance. The rateable annual
value of Troqueer is £11,906.
There are numerous handsome mansion-houses, with
grounds tastefully laid out, and embellished with stately
timber; and also various pleasing villas, scattered
through the parish, of which the north-eastern portion
forms a suburb of Maxwelltown. That village, anciently
called Bridge-End, from its situation at the extremity of
a bridge over the Nith, connecting it with the town of
Dumfries, has been erected into a burgh of barony in
favour of the proprietor, Mr. Maxwell; and is described
in a separate article. The ecclesiastical affairs are
under the superintendence of the presbytery and synod
of Dumfries, and the patronage is in the Crown; the
minister's stipend is £350. 7. 2., with a manse, and a
glebe of ten acres of good land. The church is an
ancient and handsome structure in good repair, and
contains 840 sittings. A chapel of ease was erected
some few years since in the burgh of Maxwelltown,
containing 1600 sittings; the minister has a stipend of
£150, but neither manse nor glebe. The parochial
school is well attended; the master has a salary of
£30. 16., with a house and garden, and £2. 10., the
proceeds of a bequest for teaching gratuitously the poor
children on the estate of Dalscairth. A school is supported by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, who pay the master a salary of £15; he has also
an allowance of £9. 12. from the heritors for the keep
of a cow, with a dwelling-house and garden rent-free.
There is a third school, on the estate of Cargen, supported by the tenants; the master lives by turns with
the parents of his scholars. These schools together are
attended by about 180 children; and there are also
schools at Maxwelltown, of which one is endowed. The
principal remains of antiquity in the parish are the
traces of a circular mound of considerable elevation, the
site of the ancient castle of the Cummins.
Trows, New
TROWS, NEW, a village, in the parish of Lesmahago, Upper ward of the county of Lanark, 1 mile (S.
by W.) from the village of Lesmahago; containing 61
inhabitants. This small hamlet lies on the west side of
the Nethan water, on the banks of which river, in its
neighbourhood, are several handsome mansions.
Trumisgarry
TRUMISGARRY, a quoad sacra parish, in the
parish and island of North Uist, county of Inverness, 30 miles (N. W. by W.) from Dunvegan; containing 1495 inhabitants. This place, which occupies the
eastern portion of the island, was separated for ecclesiastical purposes from the parish of North Uist, and
erected into a quoad sacra parish, by act of the General
Assembly, in 1838. The district is bounded on the
north by the sound of Harris, and on the east by the
Little Minch; and is nearly seventeen miles in extreme
length and about twelve in extreme breadth, comprising
an area of 140 square miles, of which one tenth part is
arable, and the remainder hill-pasture, moss, and waste.
The surface is diversified with ranges of hills, varying
in elevation from 300 to 700 feet, and intersected by numerous inlets from the sea, and by inland lakes, in some
of which are found salmon and various kinds of trout
of excellent flavour. The coast is bold and elevated,
and deeply indented with bays, whereof Loch Maddy,
the most important and extensive, forms a harbour for
vessels of the largest burthen, to which it is easily
accessible, and is sufficiently capacious to afford accommodation to any number of ships, which, protected by
the high grounds on either side from all adverse winds,
may ride at anchor in perfect safety. The fish caught
here are, cod, ling, sythe, eels, and other kinds, of which
the inhabitants near Loch Maddy take enough for their
own subsistence; and several sorts of shell-fish are
found on the sands; but there are no regular fisheries
established.
The principal crops are bear and potatoes; the system of agriculture is improved, and considerable tracts
of land have been reclaimed and brought into cultivation. The cattle are all of the Highland black-breed;
and large numbers are reared in the pastures, and sold
at the fairs held annually near Loch Maddy, in July
and September. There are no villages; and the only
manufacture carried on is that of kelp, in which some
families are employed during the months of June, July,
and August, under the proprietor, who sends the produce to the south, where it is sold on his account. A
post-office has been established at Loch Maddy, under
the office at Dunvegan; and there is a good inn. A
packet of sixty tons' burthen sails twice in the week
from this port to Dunvegan, when the weather permits;
and facility of internal communication is maintained by
good roads, which within the last few years have been
greatly improved. The ecclesiastical affairs are under
the superintendence of the presbytery of Uist and synod
of Glenelg. The minister's stipend is £120, paid from
the exchequer, with a manse, and a glebe valued at £4
per annum; patron the Crown. The church, erected
by government in 1829, at a cost of £750, is a neat
substantial structure containing 326 sittings, and conveniently situated for the accommodation of the district.
The members of the Free Church have a place of worship, and a school is supported by the General Assembly: there is also a parochial school.
Tulliallan
TULLIALLAN, a parish, in the county of Perth,
½ a mile (N. by E.) from Kincardine; containing, with
the sea-port town of Kincardine, 3196 inhabitants, of
whom 321 are in the rural districts. This place derives
its name, signifying in the Gaelic language, the "Beautiful Hill," from its situation on a gently sloping eminence at the south-western extremity of the county.
It was anciently the property of the Blackadder family,
of whose baronial residence, Tulliallan Castle, there are
still some portions remaining. Previously to the Reformation, and for some time after, the parish consisted
only of the barony of Tulliallan; but in 1673, the
barony of Kincardine, with the lands of Lurg, Sands,
and Kellywood, was separated from the parish of Culross, and annexed to this parish, by the Earl of Kincardine, at the recommendation of the presbytery. The
parish is bounded on the south by the river Forth, and
is about three miles and a half in extreme length and
nearly two miles and a half in breadth, comprising 3850
acres, of which about 3000 are arable, 500 woodland
and plantations, and the remainder rough pasture and
waste. The surface is varied, rising by a gradual ascent
from the shore of the Forth towards the north, and
commanding some fine views of the river and the
country adjacent; and the prevailing scenery, enriched
with wood, and embracing many interesting features, is
in some places beautifully picturesque. The soil is
various; in some parts clayey, in others a deep rich
loam alternated with sand; and on the lands recently
reclaimed from the sea, an alluvial deposit of great fertility. The crops are, wheat, barley, oats, beans, peas,
potatoes, and turnips, with the usual grasses. The system of husbandry has been greatly improved, and considerable quantities of land have been reclaimed from
the sea by embankments on the east and west of the
town of Kincardine, of which one was commenced by
the late Viscount Keith in 1821, and completed in 1823,
at an expense of £6000; the other was commenced in
1829 by his trustees, and completed in 1838, at a cost
of nearly £14000. The farm-buildings are generally
substantial and well arranged; the lands have been
inclosed partly with stone dykes, and partly with hedges
of thorn, which are kept in excellent order. The facility
of obtaining manure from the town of Kincardine in
some degree counterbalances the expense of bringing
lime from distant quarries; and the farms are all under
excellent cultivation, producing abundant crops. The
plantations, which are in a thriving state, consist of
firs, interspersed with various kinds of forest-trees; and
in the hedge-rows on the public roads are fine specimens of oak, ash, beech, elm, plane, and hornbeam, of
stately growth. The principal substrata are, freestone,
coal, and ironstone. The freestone is excellent for
building, of very compact texture, and of a beautiful
white colour; the quarry at Longannat, in the eastern
portion of the parish, has been long in operation, and
the produce in high repute. This quarry was formerly
wrought by a company from Holland, who raised from
it the materials for the erection of the Stadt House;
and in addition to the Royal Exchange, the Infirmary,
and the Register Office, of Edinburgh, and one of the
churches in Aberdeen, it has supplied materials for
most of the principal mansion-houses in the neighbourhood. The rateable annual value of the parish is
£4880. Tulliallan House, one of the seats of Lady
Keith, is a handsome modern mansion, beautifully situated on a rising ground about half a mile from the
Forth, in a richly-planted and tastefully-embellished
demesne. The town of Kincardine is described under
its own head. At Longannat is a small hamlet, inhabited by persons employed in the quarry, and where are
some slight remains of a pier which is said to have been
constructed by the Dutch company who rented the
quarry.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Dumblane and synod of
Perth and Stirling. The minister's stipend is £259. 3. 9.,
with a manse, and a glebe valued at £44. 10. per annum; patron, Lady Keith. The church is a handsome
and substantial structure, erected in 1833 by the heritors, at an expense of £3500, and contains 1176 sittings. There are also places of worship for members
of the Free Church and United Secession. The parochial school affords instruction to 180 children; the
master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a house and
garden, and the fees average about £60 per annum,
out of which he pays £40 to an assistant. A schoolroom has recently been built by aid of government; and
the school, in which about 100 children are taught, is
supported by the parents. The remains of the castle
of Tulliallan, situated on a rising ground to the west of
the town, consist of a portion of the walls, of great
thickness, and three rooms on the lower story, of which
the groined roofs are sustained on a pillar in the centre;
the castle appears to have been originally a place of
great strength, and was surrounded with a moat communicating with the Forth. There are also vestiges of the
ancient church at Overtown, formerly the buryingplace of the Keith family, and in which are several
tombstones of great antiquity. Near the site have been
found gold, silver, and copper coins of the reign of
Edward I. of England; and on the farm of Damend, in
the north of the parish, Roman urns partly filled with
ashes were dug up in 1830.
Tullibody
TULLIBODY, a village and ancient parish, in the
parish of Alloa, county of Clackmannan, 2 miles
(W.) from the town of Alloa; containing 600 inhabitants. This parish was united to Alloa about the time
of the Reformation. The inhabitants are chiefly employed in the tanning of leather, for which there is a
large establishment in the village; and in the manufacture of glass, for which there are extensive works
belonging to the same proprietors. The ancient church
has been restored, and adapted for the accommodation
of this remote part of the parish; and the members of
the Free Church have a place of worship. A school is
supported by Lord Abercromby, who provides the master with a dwelling-house and garden, and an acre of
land, and pays him a regular salary in addition to the
school fees.
Tullich
TULLICH, a village, in the parish of Glenmuick,
Tullich, and Glengairn, district of Kincardine
O'Neil, county of Aberdeen, 7 miles (S. W. by W.)
from Tarland; containing 74 inhabitants. The lands
of Tullich, situated on the north side of the river Dee,
and now united to Glenmuick and Glengairn, anciently
formed a distinct parish, and are more populous and
extensive than either of the other portions of the present
united parish, being eighteen miles in length from east
to west. Tullich appears to have belonged in whole or
in part to the Knights Templars, who had a residence
within it; and on the largest of several small islands in
a beautiful lake about three miles in circumference,
called Loch Cannor, formerly stood a small fortress,
said to have been built, and occasionally occupied as a
hunting-seat, by Malcolm Canmore. In this fortress,
many of the Cummings, in 1335, took shelter after their
defeat in the famous battle of Culblean, fought between
them and the forces of King David Bruce. Soon after
the Revolution, an encounter took place here between
the soldiers of King William under the command of
General Mackay, and some gentlemen of the country,
with their dependants; but the latter made such a
precipitous retreat, that in derision it was called "the
race of Tullich." The village is situated on the high
road from Tarland to Ballater, from which latter place
it is distant north-eastward about two miles.
Tulliebole
TULLIEBOLE, in the county of Kinross.—See
Fossoway and Tulliebole.
Tulloch
TULLOCH, a village, in the East parish of the
city and county of Perth; containing about 216 inhabitants.
Tullynessle and Forbes
TULLYNESSLE and FORBES, a parish, in the district of Alford, county of Aberdeen, 2½ miles (N. by
E.) from Alford; containing 846 inhabitants. The former of these ancient parishes, which were united by act
of the General Assembly in 1808, derives its name, in
some records Tullynesset, from the Gaelic, signifying
either a dwelling on a sloping bank, or a dwelling upon
the river Esset, from the situation of its church and
manse. The latter parish was named from its proprietors, the ancient family of Forbes. The only transaction of historical importance connected with the district,
is the encampment of General Baillie in the immediate
vicinity, near the river Don, on the night previous to
the battle of Alford, in which he was defeated by the
forces under the Marquess of Montrose, in 1645. The
parish is washed on the south by the Don, and is nearly
seven miles in extreme length and four miles in breadth,
comprising about 10,000 acres, of which 3500 are arable, 1100 meadow and pasture, 1300 woodland and plantations, and the remainder moorland pasture and waste.
The surface is intersected with hilly ridges, interspersed
with glens, and extending towards the south-east from a
chain of lofty hills which surround the parish on the
north and west, and of which the highest have an elevation of more than 1300 feet above the level of the sea.
The glens are watered by burns descending from the
northern and western hills, the most copious being the
Esset, which in its course of little more than two miles
gives motion to three meal-mills, one flax-mill, and six
threshing-machines, previously to its influx into the
Don. There are also numerous springs of excellent
water, and a few more or less impregnated with iron.
The Don abounds with trout of superior quality, of
which some are of very large size; but since the use of
stake-nets near the mouth, few salmon are met with in
this part of its stream. Par, and trout of smaller size,
are found in great numbers in the Esset burn.
The soil of the arable lands is mostly fertile, and
even on the acclivities of some of the heights, of very
considerable depth; on other rising grounds, thin and
stony, but dry, producing favourable returns. The
crops are, oats, barley, bear, occasionally a little wheat,
potatoes, turnips, and flax, with the usual grasses. The
system of husbandry is good, and a regular rotation of
crops is duly observed; bone-dust has been introduced
as manure; and under the auspices of the Alford Agricultural Association, of which Lord Forbes is president,
the lands have been greatly improved. The farm-buildings are generally substantially built, roofed with slate, and
well adapted to the extent of the several farms; the cottages of the smaller tenants, also, are comfortable and
commodious. Threshing-machines have been erected on
most of the farms, and all the more recent improvements
in the construction of implements have been adopted. The
cattle reared in the pastures are usually of a cross between
the Aberdeenshire and Teeswater breeds; considerable
attention is paid to their improvement, and owing to
the facility of conveyance by steam navigation, great
numbers are fattened and sent to the London market. The
plantations, which are very extensive, consist chiefly of
larch, and Scotch and spruce firs; on the lower parts
of the hills, of oak, ash, elm, Spanish chesnut, plane,
and gean; and along the banks of the Don, of alder
and birch: all are under good management, and in a
thriving state. The rocks are generally composed of
granite, gneiss, and mica-slate, and the substrata are
sandstone, limestone, and slate. The limestone, neither
in quality nor in quantity, has been thought sufficient to
warrant a continuance of the mines formerly in operatian: but there are two slate-quarries, producing slabs
for the pavement of halls and kitchens. From the
quarry at Coreen, slabs of very large size are raised, of
which some are used as sides for the porches of the
farm-houses; and a few years since, attempts were made
to open a quarry of roofing-slate, but discontinued on
account of the expense. Iron-ore is also found in a
vein of silicious sandstone, but is not wrought. The
rateable annual value of the parish is returned at the
sum of £3629.
Whitehaugh, the seat of J. F. Leith, Esq., is a spacious and elegant mansion, consisting of a centre of ancient
architecture, the original seat of his ancestors, and two
wings of corresponding character, added by the late
proprietor; it is pleasantly situated on the bank of the
Don, near the south-eastern extremity of the parish, in
a demesne tastefully laid out, and embellished with
thriving plantations. The mansion house of Little
Wood Park, the property of the second son of Lord
Forbes, is also on the river, in grounds surrounded
with plantations; it is at present rented by the tenant
who farms the neighbouring lands. There are no villages; the whole of the population is agricultural, with
the exception of a few who are engaged in the various
handicraft trades requisite for the wants of the parish.
During the winter and spring months there are monthly
markets for grain and fat-cattle at Alford, where also
are two annual fairs; but the produce of the parish is
chiefly sent to Aberdeen. Facility of communication is
afforded by the roads from Huntly to Kincardine and
from Aberdeen to Strathdon: these intersect each other
at the bridge over the Don, which is substantially built
of stone, and near which is a spacious and well-conducted inn, as well as a post-office where letters are received daily by a mail coach from Aberdeen. There are
also good roads kept in repair by statute labour, and
near the mansion of Little Wood Park was till lately a
bridge of wood over the Don. The inn has been recently enlarged for the accommodation of numerous
visiters who frequent this part of the country on fishing
excursions. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the
superintendence of the presbytery of Alford and synod
of Aberdeen: the minister's stipend is £222. 3. 6., with
a manse, and a glebe valued at £10 per annum; patron,
the Earl of Fife. The church is a neat and substantial
structure, affording ample accommodation for the parishioners. The parochial school is attended by about one
hundred children: the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4.,
with a house and garden, and the fees average £25 per
annum; he receives also a share of the Dick bequest.
A juvenile library has been established for the use of
the scholars. There were formerly numerous remains
of Druidical circles, all of which, except one, have been
removed in the progress of cultivation.
Tundergarth
TUNDERGARTH, a parish, in the county of Dumfries, 3 miles (E. by S.) from Lockerbie; containing
524 inhabitants. This place is supposed to have derived
its name, signifying in the British language the "Inclosure at the Oak hill," from the circumstance of its having formerly abounded with wood. It was one of the
principal seats of the Johnstones, Marquesses of Annandale, of whose ancient castle there are some very slight
vestiges remaining, and between whom and the Johnstones of Lockerbie there were frequent and inveterate
feuds for many years. The parish is bounded by the
river Milk, and is nearly thirteen miles in length and
from a mile and a half to two miles in breadth, comprising about 10,800 acres, of which 3000 are arable,
160 woodland and plantations, and the remainder hill-pasture, moor, and waste. The surface is generally
undulating, and in some parts abruptly precipitous; but
the only hills of any considerable elevation are those of
Grange Fell and Crieve, which rise to the height of
about 900 feet above the level of the sea. The river,
which skirts the parish on the north and west, is
beautifully picturesque throughout the whole of its
winding course; it receives numerous rivulets rising in
the higher grounds, and flowing through the deep valleys
with which the parish is intersected. The soil is
various, but mostly fertile in the valleys; towards the
hills, thin and cold, resting on a subsoil of till and
gravel; and in other parts, rocky, and alternated with
indurated clay. There are some extensive peat-mosses
in the upper districts, and the hills afford good pasturage for sheep. The crops are, grain of all kinds,
potatoes, turnips, and the various grasses; the system
of husbandry is improved, and the arable lands are
under good cultivation. The farms are from 100 to 200
acres in extent, with some of smaller size; they have
been well drained, and inclosed partly with stone dykes,
and partly with hedges of thorn. The sheep are generally of the Cheviot breed, but on some farms is a cross
with the Leicestershire, which is found to be well
adapted for the English market; much attention is
paid to their improvement, and large numbers are
reared in the sheep-walks, which occupy nearly half of
the parish. The cattle, of which considerable numbers
are also reared, are of the Galloway black-breed; and
the greatest care is shown in the selection of the finest
bulls in the county for the improvement of the stock.
The sheep and cattle are sent to Lockerbie and Dumfries, whence they are forwarded to England. There
are some remains of ancient woods, chiefly on the lands
of Whitstone Hill, consisting of ash of venerable growth;
but the parish generally is destitute of old timber. Plantations, however, have been formed in various parts, all
of which are in a thriving state; and on the estate of
Grange, especially, are some extensive plantations of
trees of every kind, which have attained a luxuriant
growth, and add much to the beauty of the scenery.
The substrata are, transition slate and clay-slate, greywacke, and occasionally greenstone, of which the rocks
are principally composed. Repeated attempts have been
made to discover lead-ore, but without success; some
fine specimens of antimony have been found; and coal
is supposed to exist in some places, but none has yet
been actually discovered. There are several handsome
houses belonging to landed proprietors, the principal of
which are Whitstone Hill, Pierceby Hall, Gibsontown,
and Grange, beautifully situated, and surrounded with
plantations. There is no village; the inhabitants are
all engaged either in agricultural or pastoral pursuits,
except a few who are employed in the handicraft trades
requisite for the accommodation of the immediate neighbourhood. The nearest market-town is Lockerbie, with
which facility of communication is maintained by a road
extending for more than eight miles through the parish,
and kept in good repair, but inconveniently hilly. An
excellent road might be constructed near the banks of
the Milk, which would be level, and pass through the
most interesting part of the district. The ecclesiastical
affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of
Lochmaben and synod of Dumfries. The minister's
stipend is £156. 15., with a manse, and a glebe valued
at £10 per annum; patron, the Earl of Mansfield. The
church, erected about the year 1775, is a neat plain
structure conveniently situated. The parochial school
affords instruction to about seventy children: the master
has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with a house and garden, and
the fees average £20 per annum; he has also the interest
of a bequest of £100 for the gratuitous instruction of
poor children. Some traces of a Roman road leading
from the camp on Burnswark Hill were lately discovered, formed of broad flat stones, and about eight feet
in width; it had been covered with earth about nine
inches in depth. There are also numerous British camps
on eminences, each surrounded by a strong vallum and
fosse, and inclosing an area of about an acre; they are
supposed to have been places of safety during the border warfare. In some of them urns have been found
containing human bones and ashes. On the farm of
Whiteholm are the remains of a Druidical circle consisting of seven upright stones; and about a mile distant
were two large cairns, and also one on the lands of
Grange, on the removal of which for building dykes,
were found human skeletons in rudely-formed coffins of
square slabs of stone.
Turriff
TURRIFF, a burgh of barony, a parish, and the seat
of a presbytery, in the district of Turriff, county of
Aberdeen; containing 3146 inhabitants, of whom 1309
are in the burgh, 11 miles (S. by E.) from Banff, and
34 (N. N. W.) from Aberdeen. This place derives its
name, signifying in the Gaelic language "heights" or
"towers," either from the hills surrounding the parish,
or from its numerous ancient castles, of which, till
towards the close of the last century, the ruins of several
were remaining. The gateway and vaults of Castle-Rainy are only just removed. Of the original foundation of the town, which is of remote antiquity, little is
accurately known; but it appears evidently to have
been a place of importance at a very early period, and
is generally supposed to have been the residence of one
of the Pictish monarchs. An hospital here seems to
have belonged to the Knights Templars. On the north
side of the town are some lands retaining the appellation of Temple-Brae; and a house called Temple-Feu is
still in existence, of which the original proprietors held
their lands under Lord Torphichen, to whom many of
the possessions of the order of Templars were at the
time of its dissolution granted by the crown. Another
hospital was founded here in 1272 by Alexander Cumyn,
Earl of Buchan, with the consent of Hugo de Benham,
Bishop of Aberdeen, for a warden, six chaplains, and
thirteen poor brethren of Buchan, and was dedicated to
St. Congan; it had also, to a limited extent, the privileges of a sanctuary, the warden being bound to deliver
up only notorious malefactors for public trial. This
hospital was in 1329 endowed with lands in the parish
of Fyvie, by King Robert Bruce, for the maintenance of
a chaplain to say mass for the soul of his brother, Nigel,
who in 1306 had been taken prisoner, and put to death,
by the English who besieged and made themselves
masters of the castle of Kildrummy, in which he at that
time resided. In 1412, Greenlaw, Bishop of Aberdeen,
raised the wardenship of the hospital into a prebend of
the cathedral church; and William Hay, the warden,
who thus became prebendary of Turriff, built in the
Chanonry of Aberdeen a house for the residence of himself and his successors, which is now the property of
the corporation of Old Aberdeen. In 1511, James IV.
granted to Thomas Dickson, then prebendary, a charter,
erecting the town into a free burgh of barony, of which
he was to be the superior, and granting to the burgesses
power to choose annually bailies and other officers for
the government of the burgh, with the privilege of holding weekly markets and annual fairs, and receiving all
the tolls, customs, and dues. In 1589, James VI., in
the course of his progress through the country, passed
one night in the town, which, with the exception of
some slight skirmishes between parties of loyalists and
Covenanters in 1639, does not appear to have been
subsequently distinguished by any event of historical
importance.
The town is pleasantly situated on the bank of a
rivulet to which it gives name, about two furlongs from
its influx into the Doveran; and comprises one principal street of moderate extent, and several others of
inferior order, to which have been lately added two
that are spacious and regularly formed. The houses
are substantial and neatly built, and to most of them
are attached small gardens tastefully laid out, which
give to the town a cheerful and lively aspect; the
streets are lighted with gas from works established by a
joint-stock company in 1839, and the inhabitants are
well supplied with water. A public library, in which
are about 600 volumes of standard works, is supported
by subscription; and the reading-rooms are furnished
with most of the daily journals and periodical publications. There are several respectable inns. In the principal street is an ancient cross twenty feet in height,
raised on a building of circular form. The environs
abound with pleasing scenery. The spinning of linen
yarn, and bleaching, are carried on here, but not to so
great an extent as formerly; and the weaving of linen
and woollen cloth by hand-loom, and the dyeing of
woollens and silks, are also pursued, upon a moderate
scale. There are numerous shops for the supply of the
district with groceries, haberdashery, and hardware;
and the inhabitants display a general spirit of enterprise
in various branches of mercantile speculation: the
handicraft trades are carried on with skill, and the
articles produced by the artificers are equal in quality
to those of the principal towns. Here are branches of
the Commercial Bank of Scotland, and the North of
Scotland and Aberdeen Banking Companies; and agencies for the different insurance companies. The nearest
ports with which the town has intercourse are Banff
and Macduff, to which the grain and other agricultural
produce of the parish are sent, and from which supplies
of coal, lime, bone-dust, &c., for manure, and the various
kinds of merchandise, are brought for the consumption of the neighbourhood. A customary market
is well supplied with butchers' meat, and other provisions. Fairs, chiefly for cattle, horses, sheep, and
merchandise, are held on the Wednesdays after the 5th
of February, April, and August; the Wednesdays after
the 12th of October and December; the Friday after the
7th of May; the Saturday before Trinity Muir fair in
June; and the Thursday after the 27th of October; all
O. S. Fairs for hiring servants are also held at Whitsuntide and Martinmas, O. S. A post-office under that
of Aberdeen has two deliveries daily from the north
and south; and facility of communication is afforded
by the turnpike-road from Aberdeen to Banff, which
passes through the whole length of the parish; by good
roads kept in repair by statute labour, which intersect
the parish in different directions; and by bridges over
the Doveran and the burn of Turriff. The sheriff-substitute holds a quarterly court in the burgh for the
recovery of debts not exceeding £8. 6. 8., and from the
number of causes brought before him for decision, it
appears to be highly serviceable; justice-of-peace courts,
and courts of lieutenancy for the district, are also held
when requisite. The only place of confinement is a
small lock-up house containing two apartments, in
which offenders are lodged previously to their committal to the county gaol.
The parish is bounded on the north-west by the
river Doveran, separating it from the parishes of Forglen
and Marnoch; and is rather more than six miles in
length and five miles in breadth, comprising 21,300
acres, of which 13,555 are arable, 3000 woodland and
plantations, and the remainder moorland pasture and
waste. The surface is beautifully varied, rising gradually
from the banks of the Doveran towards the south, and
terminating in gently-undulating and richly-cultivated
hills, of which the highest, Darra, attains only a moderate degree of elevation. The hills of Vrae on the north,
Cotburn on the east, and Armiddle on the west, are also
only of moderate height; but they all command from
their summits extensive prospects over a richly diversified country, abounding with interesting features, and
with varied scenery, in many parts beautifully picturesque. The Doveran has its rise on the confines of the
county of Banff, and flows in graceful windings along
the northern boundary of the parish to the mill of
Turriff, where it changes its course abruptly to the
north; it falls into the Moray Frith at Banff. The only
other stream of any importance is the burn of Turriff,
which has its source in the parish of Aberdour, and,
after a course of about two miles and a half through
this parish, in which it gives motion to several mills
and the machinery of a bleachfield, flows into the
Doveran below the mill of Turriff. There are numerous
smaller streams, and also several springs of excellent
water, with a few mineral wells, of which, however, none
have obtained much celebrity. The Doveran abounds
with trout and other varieties of fish, and salmon are
also found in moderate quantities; the salmon-fishery
was formerly very valuable, but from the use of stakenets near the mouth of the river, it has ceased to be
advantageous. The burn of Turriff also contains trout,
and affords good sport to the angler.
The soil, on the banks of the river, and on most of
the level lands, is an alluvial deposit, alternated with
clay; on the higher grounds, and in other parts, sharp,
light, and gravelly, generally early, and of great fertility.
The crops are, oats, barley, bear, potatoes, turnips, and
occasionally a few tares, with the various grasses. The
system of husbandry has been greatly improved; and
by a judicious use of lime, also, and the introduction of
bone-dust as a manure for turnips, the soil has been
rendered more productive: due regard is paid to a
regular rotation of crops; and much of the waste land
has been reclaimed, and brought in cultivation by draining. The farm-houses are in general substantially built
of stone, and roofed with slate, and are commodious
and well arranged; but the cottages are very inferior.
On most of the farms are threshing-mills, many of which
are driven by water-power; much of the land is inclosed
with dry stone dykes, palings of wood, and hedges of
thorn; and all the more recent improvements in the
construction of agricultural implements have been
adopted. Under the auspices of the Turriff Agricultural
Association, of which the Earl of Fife is patron, and
which holds two annual meetings for awarding premiums to the successful competitors in husbandry,
and also a cattle-show annually, much emulation has
been excited, both in the cultivation of the lands and
the improvement of live-stock. The cattle are mostly
of the Aberdeenshire breed; but recently, a cross between
those and the Teeswater has been introduced: great
numbers are conveyed by steam to the London market.
The breed of horses has been also improved, and, under
the encouragement of the Highland Society, many of
those reared in the parish are equal to the Clydesdale:
a considerable number, however, of the old small-sized
kind are still bred, and are remarkable for their strength
and agility. Few sheep are reared in the parish, and
those are chiefly Cheviots; but during winter, numbers
of the black-faced breed are brought by the Highland
shepherds to pasture on the hills. Many pigs, mostly
of the Chinese breed, are fed on the different farms, and
sold to the curers, one of whom sends pork to the London
market, frequently to the value of £3000 in the year.
Little cheese is made; but large quantities of butter of
excellent quality are produced, for the supply of the
families in the neighbouring towns, and for dealers who
salt it for distant markets.
The old woodlands and the plantations are very
extensive; of the latter, more than 700 acres are of
comparatively recent formation. The former consist
chiefly of beech, oak, ash, and elm; and around the
principal houses are some plane and horse-chesnut trees
of stately and luxuriant growth. The plantations consist of larch, spruce and Scotch firs, and alder, interspersed with various kinds of forest-trees; they are all
under excellent management, regularly thinned, and in
a very thriving state. The rocks are mainly composed
of greywacke and clay-slate, in which are imbedded
veins of quartz and felspar; the substrata are mostly
red sandstone and clay-slate. The sandstone is quarried for building purposes; and considerable quantities
of coping-stone, and ashlar for mill-courses, are raised
for the supply of adjacent parishes. Several attempts
have been made to work a quarry for roofing-slates,
which have been met with of good quality; but from
the great labour and expense attending the undertaking,
no quarries are wrought. The rateable annual value of
the parish is £10,422. Delgaty Castle, once the residence of the earls of Errol, is now the seat of General
the Honourable Sir Alexander Duff: the ancient structure, in the castellated style, and of great strength,
forms the central range of the present mansion, there
having been recently added two wings of corresponding
character, connected by corridors. The house is situated in a demesne embellished with stately timber and
thriving plantations; it contains many spacious apartments, with some paintings by the old masters, and
portraits of the late Earl of Fife and his second son,
Sir Alexander. In the grounds is a lake, with a small
island in the centre, to which access is afforded by a
rustic bridge of pleasing design. Hatton Castle, the
seat of Garden Duff, Esq., is a handsome castellated
mansion with turrets at the angles, situated in an ample
and richly-wooded demesne, to which are approaches by
two neat lodges. The lawn in front of the house is
interspersed with clumps of trees, and the gardens and
shrubberies are tastefully laid out: in the grounds are
also some artificial lakes, on which swans are to be seen,
and the whole of the scenery is picturesque. The other
mansions are, Muiresk House, a pleasant residence on
the south bank of the Doveran; Scobbach House, a
building of recent erection, in the ancient style; Gask,
a sporting lodge belonging to the Earl of Fife, but at
present let, with the adjacent lands, to a farmer; and
Towie-Barclay, an ancient mansion in the Elizabethan
style of architecture.
The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Turriff and synod of Aberdeen.
The minister's stipend is £232. 4., with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £15 per annum; patron, the Earl of
Fife. The church, erected in 1794, and enlarged in
1830 by the addition of an aisle, is a neat plain structure, conveniently situated. There are an Episcopal
chapel, a Free church, and a place of worship for
Independents. The parochial school is attended by
more than 100 scholars: the master has a salary of
£34. 4. 4., with a house and garden, and the fees average
£45; he has also a share of Dick's bequest, but pays
an assistant £28 per annum. There are four Sabbath
schools in the town, and four in the rural districts of
the parish; and several private schools, of which the
teachers are solely supported by the fees. The late Dr.
Hall, in 1829, bequeathed £200 towards a fund for the
supply of coal to the poor, to which £50 were added in
1834 by Mr. Johnstone, of Aberdeen; this fund is
under the management of the Kirk Session, and is
assisted by annual collections made at the church, and
other contributions. There are some remains of the
ancient church, supposed to have been founded by Malcolm Canmore, consisting of the choir and the belfry, in
which latter is a bell with the date 1557. In the churchyard are some very old monuments with Latin inscriptions, to proprietors of the parish. On the lands of
Laithers were, till lately, some remains of a chapel dedicated to St. Carnac; and on the hill of Ardmiddle and
other high grounds tumuli and cairns, supposed to have
been raised over the remains of those who fell in battle
with the Danes, by whom this part of the country was
much infested. On the burn side near Delgaty, urns have
been found, containing ashes and calcined bones; and
arrow-heads of flint, fragments of ancient weapons, and
silver and copper coins of great antiquity, have been
dug up at various times.