Gazetteer of Scotland

OCH
qual to that imported from Saxony.
Arsenic and iron haye also been found ;
and of late extensive beds of coal
v.*ere begun to be wrought at the foot
of the ridge.
OCHILTREE ; a parish in Ayr-
shire, about 6 miles long, and 5 broad,
watered by the Lugar and the Coyl.
The surface is pretty level, undulated
by gently rising hillocks ; but towards
the S. it swells into higher ridges.
The soil is chiefly a strong clay, inter-
spersed with moss, but upon the whole
very productive. Except 3 or 4 sheep
farms, the whole is arable. The vil-
lage of Ochiltree is situated about 1 1
miles S. E. from Ayr, on the great
road from that town to Dumfries. It
contains about 268 inhabitants. It
formerly gave titleof Baron to abranch
of the family of Stuart. There are
the ruins of several old castles, the
property of the Earl of Glencairn.
Coal and limestone are found in the
parish ; but, except a small pit of the
former, none is wrought at present.
Marl of an inferior quality is also
found. Population in 1801, 1308.
OCKEL; a river which rises in
the parish of Assint, in Sutherland-
shire, and, after a course of upwards
of 40 miles through Ross-shire, falls
into the head of the Frith of Dornoch.
OICH (LOCH); a lake in Inver-
ness-shire, in the middle of the great
vale. It is about 4 miles long, and its
banks slope gently to the water, form-
ing a number of beautiful bays. It
has several small islands, which are
mostlv covered with wood.
OICH RIVER rises from the east-
ern extremity of Loch Oich, and, af-
ter a course of 5 miles, discharges it-
self into Loch Ness. The river Tarff
runs into the same lake, about 400
yards from the mouth of the Oich,
forming a beautiful peninsula, on
•which Fort Augustus is built.
OLA (St.), or St, OLAUS; a pa-
rish in Orkney, united to Kirkwall.
Vide Kirkwall and St. Ola.
OLD ABERDEEN. Vide Aber-
deen (Old).
OLDCASTLE. Tide Collis-
TOWN.
OLD CUMNOCK. Tide Cum-
nock (Old).
OLD DEER. Vide Deer (Old).
OLDHAMSTOCKS ; a parish, si-
tuated partly in the county of Iter.
OLR
wick, and partly in that of Haddmgw
ton, about 6 miles long, and from 2
to 3 broad. The ground rises gra»
dually from the sea coast towards
the Lammermuir hills, where the sur-
face is hilly, and fit only for sheep
pasture On the coast the soil is dry
and fertile. The village is finely siv
tuated as a fishing station, and is dis-
tant 7 miles from Dunbar, on the
road from thence to Berwick. Dun-
glass, the seat of Sir James Hall,
Bart, is an elegant modern building,
upon the site of the ancient castle of
Dunglass, which W3S a fortification
of great importance in former days,
and from which the Earls of Hume
have the second title of Baron. Near
it is an old chapel, still in good re«.
pair. In the lower parts of the pa-
rish are limestone,freestone, ironstone,
and coal ; the latter of which was
formerly wrought. Population is
1801, 575.
OLD KILPATRICK. J7«A?Kil-
patrick (Old or West).
OLD LUCE. Vide Luce (Old).
OLDMACHAR. Vide Aberdeen
(Old).
OLD MELDRUM. Vide Mel-
drum (Old).
OLDMONKLAND. HA Monk-
land (Old or West).
OLDNEY ; a small island of Su-
therlandshire, on the W. N. W. coast,
belonging to the parish of Assint. It
is about a mile long, and a quarter of
a mile where broadest, and has 2
small harbours.
OLRICK ; a parish in the county
of Caithness-, about 4 miles long, and
2 broad on an average. The surface,
though not level, is diversified by no
great eminences, and the uncultiva-
ted parts are wholly green, and afford
the most luxuriant pasturage. To-
wards the coast there is a continued
tract of rich cultivated land. Of late,
the modes of agriculture have been
greatly improved. The sea coast is
rugged and shelving, and affords a
safe harbour for shipping at the bays
of Dunnet and Murkle. In the south-
ern parts of the parish is a conside-
rable lake, called the Loch of Durran,
about 3 miles in circumference. Mur-
kle, Castlehill, and Olrick, are the
principal buildings. There are seve-
ral subterraneous buildings, called
Pictish houses ^ and, on the top of