Gazetteer of Scotland

S M A
Roxburghshire, which unites with the
Teviot at the town of Hawick.
SMALLHOLM; a parish in the
county of Roxburgh, of an irregular
triangular form, the length of which
from E. to W- is about 4 miles, and
from N. to S. about 3. The surface
exhibits an agreeable variety of high
and low grounds, and the soil is e-
quaily various, but in general with a
mixture of clay, highly susceptible of
cultivation, and tolerably fertile. Of
late a considerable part has been in-
closed. The village of Smallholm is
situated on the turnpike road from
Edinburgh to Kelso, about 4 miles
from the latter. At the S. W. "corner
of the parish is a large square tower,
belonging to Mr. Scott of Harden,
which is called Smallholm tower or
Sandy Know ; and, as it is situated
on a considerable eminence, it forms
a conspicuous land- mark at sea to di-
rect vessels to Berwick. Population
in I SOI, 445.
SMALL ISLES ; a parish of the
Hebrides, comprehending the islands
of Esgg, Rum, Canna, and Muck, of
which Eigg is politically annexed to
the county of Inverness, and the other
three belong to that of Argyll. (See
the account of each island.) Popu-
lation of the parish in 1801, ISS9.
SNIZORT ; a parish in Inverness-
shire, in the isle of Sky, about 18
miles long and 9 broad, of an irregu-
lar figure, the W. part being intersec-
ted by an arm of the sea called Loch
•Snizort, which stretches from the
western coast of the island nearly 14
miles in a S. E. direction, and is nar-
row and shallow, with frequent sunk
rocks. The general appearance is
hilly and mountainous ; but the sea
coast, and some of the glens or vallies,
afford some pretty extensive arable
fields. The soil is various ; but a
gravelly loam, on a cold clay, is most
prevalent. There are 7 or 8 conside-
rable streams, which afford salmon.
The most considerable of these is the
water of Snizort, which, about a
quarter of a mile before it falls into
the ocean, forms a small island* on
which are the ruins of an old cathed-
ral, formerly the metropolitan church
of the isle of Sky. There are several
cairns, tumuli, and druidical temples ;
but the greatest curiosity i» a natural
obelisk or perpendicular 3toue, of un-
SOL
common height and magnitude, being
360 feet in circuit at the base, and
gradually tapering to a sharp point,
which is calculated to be 300 feet of
altitude from the base. Not far from
this obelisk is a beautiful fall of wa-
ter or cataract, the perpendicular
height of which may be about 90 feet.
What is most remarkable relative to
this fall is, that nearly opposite to the
middle of it there is an arched hollow
path across the rock, along which 5
or 6 people may walk abreast with
the greatest safety, quite secure from,
and unmolested by the body of water
which rolls over them. Population
in 1801, 2144.
SOA ; a small island of the Hebri-
des, about a mile in circumference,
lving near the remote island of St;
Kilda.
SOAY ; a small island on the S.
W. coast of the isle of Sky.
SOAY ; two small islands on the
W. coast of Harris.
SOAY ; a small pasture island on
the coast of Sutherlandshire, near the
entrance of Loch Inver harbour, in
the parish of Assint;
SOL WAY FRITH or Bootless
Wath ; a navigable arm of the sea,
which extends eastward from the
Irish sea, forming the boundary be-
tween England and Scotland for up-
wards of 50 miles. The shore, parti-
cularly on the Scotish coast, is fiat
and sandy, with a few sunk rocks ;
but almost every part affords safe
landing-places for small vessels. The
Frith is navigable for vessels of ioo
tons burden within 6 miles of its ex-
tremity ; but the sea is gradually re-
tiring from the land, so that many-
places are now covered with verdure,
over which, even in the memory of
those alive, the tide was wont to flow.
The tides are very regular, spring
tides rising 20 feet above low water
mark, and ordinary tides about 10 or
12- A considerable number of rivers
pour into this arm of the sea, particu-
larly on the Scotish side, where it re-
ceives the Southern Dee, the Urr, the
Nith, the Annan, and the Kirtle ;
while the Sark, the Esk, and the Lid^
dal uniting form its eastern extremi-
ty. It contains various kinds of fish,
and the fishings, especially of salmon,
are very considerable, and merit a
particular detail, from the singula,*-
sNa