Gazetteer of Scotland

POR
craggy mountains, rich meadows, and]
thriving plantations, lying around the
beautiful expanse of water Loch Le-
ven. The arable soil, which mostly
liesat the eastern extremity of the lake,
and on the banks of the river Leven,
which issues from it, is light, early,
and exceedingly fertile. The pasture
lands usually maintain 1500 head of
black cattle, and about 1 400 sheep.
Limestone and freestone are abundant
in the district. There are two villages,
■viz. Portmoak and Kinnesswood ; the
former containing about 300, and the
latter 170 inhabitants. On the banks
of the lake, near the mouth of the ri-
ver, stands the ruinous monastery of
Portmoak ; and, on St. Serf's isle, in
Loch Leven, belonging to this pa-
rish, are the ruins of a priory, dedi-
cated to St. Servanus. At the foot
of one of theLomond hillsare the ruins
of the hospital Fontis Scctiee, or Scot-
land's Well, founded in the 1 1th cen-
'tury by William Malvoisine Bishop of
St. Andrews j and so named from a
copious spring of excellent water
which there issues from the hill.
Near this place also are to be seen the
remains of the bank or mound, raised
by the English army in 1SS5, du-
ring the siege of Loch Leven Castle,
when they expected, by damming up
\hg water, to force the besieged to e-
vacuate the fortress. The event,
"Which was fatal to the English army,
Is mentioned under the article Leven
(I,o ch). Andrew Winton, Prior of
Loch Leven in the reign of James I.
was a native of this parish. He wrote
'« The Loch Leven Chronicle," or
" A History of the World, from its
Creation to the Captivity of James I."
in Scotish verse, a copy of which is
preserved in the Advocates Library
at Edinburgh, and is frequently con-
sulted by later writers. John Doug-
las, the first prot^stant Archbishop of
St. Andrews, was also a native of Port-
moak. Michael Bruce the poet was
born at Kinnesswood, in this parish,
on 27th March 1746. His youth was
distinguished by his superior genius,
which his parents, though in indigent
circumstances, endeavoured to im-
prove by every means in their power.
He received an university education
St Edinburgh, being intended for the
church ; but not succeeding for want
q{ patronage, he taught a small school,
"FOR
first at Eorest-hill, in the parish of
Dunfermline, and afterwards at Gair-
ney-bridge, near Loch Leven. Here
the delightful scenery inspired his
muse, and produced several beautiful
poetic effusions. Being of a delicate
constitution, he was attacked with
consumptive complaints, which car-
ried him off in the 21st year of his
age. His principal poems are, " Loch
Leven," " Daphnis," and « The
Mousiad ;" with Elegies, Pastorals,
and Odes, which were collected after
his death, and published by one of
his friends. In the 37th number of
" The Mirror," is an essay on his
poems, with the life of the author,
written by Lord Craig. Population
in 1807, 1151.
PORT-NA-HAVEN ; a fishing vil-
lage in the island of Hay, in the pa-
rish of Kilchoman.
PORTNOCKIE ; a fishing village
in Banffshire, in the parish of Rathven,
about 4 miles E. from Porteasy, con 7
taining about 240 inhabitants.
PORTO-BELLO and BRICK-
FIELD ; two thriving villages, about
3 miles S. E. of Edinburgh, on the
coast of the Frith of Forth. The in-
habitants carry on a considerable
trade in making salt, stone-ware, and
tiles ; and a number of neat and com-
modious dwellings have been erected
for bathing quarters, for which the a-
greeable softness of the adjacent san-
dy beach, the purity of the air, and
the convenience of the road from E r
dinburgh to Musselburgh, are ob-
vious recommendations. A subcrjp-
tiou was lately set on foot for erec-
ting hot and cold baths at this place;
and in consequence some of these
have been finished in an elegant and
commodious manner.
PORT-PATRICK; a town and
parish in Wigtonshire, situated on the
coast of the Irish sea, being the nearest
point of Great Britain to Ireland, and
the best place for crossing from one
kingdom to the other, the distance
being only 21 miles. The parish is
about a\ miles square, and the greater
part is moory, and abounding with
extensive mosses. The surface is un-
even and hilly, the highest eminence,
the Cairnpat, being elevated 800 feet
above the sea level. The town of
Port-Patrick is delightfully situated*
with a fine- southern exposure, ar.<|