Gazetteer of Scotland

STI
are feveral feats of the refiding pro- 1
prietcrs ; the chief of which are thofe
©f Alexander Hamilton of Grange;]
R. R. Cunningham of Seabank ; and:
Patrick Warner of Ardeer, Efqrs. >
There is an old ruin, called Kirrila- j
cajile, formerly one of the feats of the
Earls of Glen'cairn. The coal ftrata
of the parifh are very extenlive, nay
almoft inexhauftible, and are fuppofed
to be the northern limit of the coal
country on the W. of Scotland. The
total quantity raifed at the pits is a-
bout 23,000 tons ; the greater part of
which is exported at the harbour of
Saltcoats. Limeftone of excellent qua-
jfity is alfo abundant ; and there are
many quarries of fine freeftone. In
1792, the population was 2425; in- 1
creafe 1013 fmce 1755.
STEWARTFIELD; a fmall vil- !
lage in the diftricTt of Buchan, Aber-
deenfhire. It is built on the eftate of
Mr. Burnet of Denns, who has efta-
blifhed a bleachfield in its neighbour-
hood, for the encouragement of its li-
nen and yarn trade. It is about \i
miles diiiant from Peterhead, and
contains nearly 800 inhabitants.
STEWARTOWN; a parifh and
coniiderable town in Ayrihire. The
parifh is above 10 miles in length,
and in fome places about 4 in breadth.
The general appearance is flat, with
a gentle flope towards the fea, beau-
tified with extenfive belts of planting.
The town of Stewartown may vie
with any of its flze in the W. of Scot-
land, for the beauty, regularity, and
cleanlinefs of its ftreets and houfes. It
is fituated on the water of Annock, a-
bout 6 miles N. from the town of Ir-
vine ; it is a poft town, and has feve-
ral well attended annual fairs. The
chief trade is the manufacture of bon-
nets, which has been carried on to a
great extent for upwards of a century
paft ; it contains about 2500 inhabit-
ants. There is plenty of limeftone,
but no coal. Near the town are the
foundations of a houfe, faid to have
been a feat of the family of Stewart,
from which the diftricl: derives its
name. In 1793, the population was
about 3000 ; increafe 181 fince 1755.
Stinchar, or Ardstinchar ; a
river in Ayrlhire. Vide Ardstinch ar.
STIRLINGSHIRE; formerly a
part of the fnire of Lennox ; is about
26 miles long, and on an average 12
STI
broad ; bounded on the N. by Perth*
fhire, and the river Forth ; on the E;
by Clackmannanihire, and Weft-Lo-
thian ; on the S. by Lanarkfhire ; and
on the W. by the county of Dumbar-
ton, and Loch Lomond. The features
of the country are rich and beautiful.
An extended plain ftretches towards
the N. W. terminated by the moun-
tain of Benlomond, and wafhed by the
Forth, winding with placid dignity,
and forming the beautiful Links for
which it is fo rema. liable- From this
level a bank of coniiderable height
rifes to the fouthern border, where
the furface becomes hilly, affording
great abundance of game, and excel-
lent pafturage for fheep. The eaftern
diftricl: is fertile ; but there are feveral
extenfive moffes on the banks of the
Forth, which, however, in a fhort
time, will be converted into excellent
land : the chief of thefe is Mofs Flan-
ders, which, with the Mofs of Kincar-
dine in Perthfhire, have nearly been
cultivated, through the exertions and
example of the late Lord Karnes ;
(vide Kincardine.) In former times,
the greater part of this county was
covered with wood ; and the foreft is
denominated the Nemus Stri-velenfe in
many old charters. To the S. of the
town of Stirling, there are veftiges of
it for feveral miles ; and banks of na-
tural wood fh ill remain in the caftle
park of Stirling, at Murray's wood,
at Kilfyth, and at Bannockburn ; and
ftumps of trees are found in all the
moffes, and many of the plains. Stir-
Hngfhire is one of the moft noted coun-
ties of Scotland in the annals of that
kingdom ; fituated upon the confines
of not lefs than four kingdoms, having
the Northumbrian and Cumbrian con-
quered provinces on the S., and the
the dominions of the Picls and Scots
on the N., it was the field of much
contention and bloodmed. Here, too,
the Romans having conquered the
fouthern provinces of Britain, found
the greateft- difficulty in fubjugating
the ancient inhabitants, who, from
their almoft impenetrable faftneffes,
poured down upon them like torrents
from their native mountains. To flop
the inroads of the Caledonians, Agri-
cola the Roman general, about the
year 80, built a chain of forts between
the Friths of Clyde and Forth, which
were afterwards, about the year 140,