Gazetteer of Scotland

LOG
Dryfe, which run into the Annan.
'The soil is exceedingly rich, and the
whole is arable, though not wholly in
tillage. There is a valuable salmon
fishing on the Annan ; and the other
rivers abound with trout. The largest
of the lakes, called the Castle Loch,
contains 15 or 16 different kinds of
fish fit for the table ; amongst which
there is a species which is supposed
to be found no where else in Britain.
It greatly resembles a small herring,
both in appearance and flavour, but
is esteemed more delicate, and is cal-
led Fendace or Vendise. Several at-
tempts have been made to transport
them to other lakes, but without suc-
cess, as they are so tender that they
die whenever touched. Tire barony
of Lochmaben, or the four towns (as
it is called), is a fertile district, and is
held by the same tenure as the crown
lands of Orkney and Shetland, viz.
ndal, that is, without charter or sei-
sin, the property being transferred sim-
ply by delivery and possession. The
tenants hold at a small rent of the
Earl of Mansfield, as Lord Viscount
Stormont ; and the transfer of proper-
ty requires only to be inserted in the
rental (which is done without ex-
pence), to render the transaction va-
lid. Near the town is the site of an
old castle, surrounded with a moat,
which was the seat of Robert Bruce,
Lord of Annandale, before he came to
the crown of Scotland. On a peninsu-
la, in the Castle Loch, is the largest
and strongest fortification on the bor-
der next to Carlisle, against which it
Was a frontier garrison. It was built
by Robert Bruce, and was esteemed
impregnable before the invention of
gun powder. The Earl of Mansfield,
as heir to Murray Earl of Annandale,
claims the title of hereditary keeper
and constable of the castle of Loch-
maben. Population in 1801, 2053.
LOCHMOIR ; a lake in the parish
of Edderachylis, Sutherlandshire, 3
miles long, and one half mile broad.
LOCHMORE ; a lake in the pa-
rish of Halkirk, Caithness, from which
the river of Thurso takes its rise.
LOCH-NA-GARAIDH; a lofty
mountain in Aberdeenshire, of the
Grampian ridge, in the parish of Cra-
thy, upon the top of which the snow
lies the whole year round. Upon it
?U - e found rn;;uv precious stones, si--
Lac
milar to the Cairngorm, and it is said
that amethysts of great value have
been found upon it.
LOCHNESS. Vide Ness (Loch).
LOCHRUTTON; a parish in the.
stewartry of Kirkcudbright, of an el-
liptical form, 4\ miles long by 3 broad.
The iake from which it received its
name is situated in the centre of the
parish, and is a mile in length, and a-
bout half a mile in breadth. In the
midst of it is a small artificial island.
The extremities are hilly, but the rest
of the parish lies in a valley of arable
land, interspersed with eminences,
mosses, and meadows. The soil is in
general a light shallow loam, on a gra-
vellish bottom, neither very barren
nor fertile. A number of young cat-
tle are reared, wnich are sold for feed-
ing into other districts. Limestone
and shell marl are found in the parish,
but the former is of inferior quality.
There is a mineral spring, called the
Merkland well, a weak chalybeate,
but of considerable reputation in
stomachic complaints. The vestiges
of a druidical temple are seen on a.
hill in the eastern part of the parish.
The spot is called the seven grey
stones, though in fact there are nine
upright stones surrounding an emi-
nence, and forming a circle of 17o
feet diameter. There are also vestiges
of ancient fortifications. The great
military road to Portpatrick runs
through the whole length of the pa-
rish. Population in 1801, 514.
L O C H R Y A N. Vuk RvAii
(Loch).
LOCHS ; a parish in Ross-shire, in
the island of Lewis, so named from
the great number of lakes which are
interspersed over its surface. It is a-
bout 19 miles in length, without in-
cluding the numerous inlets of the
sea, which extend its line of coast te»
upwards of 90 miles ; the average
breadth is about 9 miles. Along the
coast it has a bold and rocky appear-
ance ; in the interior, the surface is
moory and inhospitable ; and there i, 1 ?
no soil fit for culture, except what has
been forced into some kind of culti-
vation in the creeks by the use of sea
weed as a manure, and the indefatiga-
ble industry of the inhabitants. Abor.t
50 tons of kelp are manufactured an-
nually ; and the greater number of
the inhabitants are constantly employ,-