Gazetteer of Scotland

AIR
but the mountains and forests of Glcntanar
extend nearly 10 miles farther. The soil is
very sandy and thin, particularly on the
banks of the Dee, where, in dry seasons, the
crop is very scanty. Charlestownof Aboyne
ts a pleasantly situated little town, pretty
much frequented by invalids for the benefit
of the goat whey. It is a burgh pf barony,
of which the Earl of Aboyne is superior,
and has a weekly market. Population 905.
ACHESON'S HAVEN, a small harbour
and village near Prestonpans, in the county
of East Lothian. It is often named Mori-
Son's Haven. It v?as known as a port long
before Leith ; the remains of an ancient
fort at the head of the harbour, destroyed
hy Cromwell, are still to be seen.
ACHILTY (LOCH), a lake in the parish
of Contin, in Ross-shire, of considerable ex-
tent. It is remarkable that, except in the
time of very high rains, there is no visible
running water issuing from it, though a
great quantity runs into it. It probably dis-
charges itself, by subterraneous passages,
into the river Rassay, distant about a mile.
There is an artificial island, with the ruins
of a house upon it.
ACHN AR, a small island of the Hebrides,
Jyingonthe south side of Islay.
ACHRAK1N (LOCH), a small arm of the
sea on the west coast of Ross- shire.
AD, a river in Argyleshire ; has its source
in the marshes, in the northern extremity
of the parish of Glassary, and falls into the
sea at Crinan.
MBVDJEand EMODiE.— Vide Western
Isles and Hebrides.
AFFULA, a small island at the mouth of
Loch Broom.
AFTON, a small river in Ayrshire, a
tributary stream qf the Nith. It gives its
name to a barony or district in the parish of
New Cumnock.
AGAISH,or AIGASH, a small island in
Inverness-shire, formed by the waters of the
Beaulie. It is of an oval figure, about a
mile and a half ja circuit, and covered with
natural wood.
AIRDRIE, a small town in the parish pf
EastMonkland, in the county of Lanark, si-
tuated between two rivulets, on a beautiful
vising ground on the high road between E-
dinburgh and Glasgow, from which last it
is distant 10 miles. It is regularly built,
with fine wide streets, extending nearly a
mile in length- It was, by act of Parliament
in lb')3, erected into a market town, with
the privilege of holding a weekly and live
annual markets. Population 1S00.
A1HLY, a parish iu.the county of Angus,
I A L F
extending about 6 miles in length, and from
3 to 4 in breadth. It lies partly in the vale
of Strathmore, and partly in the Grampian
hills, which bound the strath on the north.
The surface, even of the lower part, is by
no means level. Of the 5900 acres which
the parish is supposed to contain, 4000 are
arable; the rest being mpor and moss, (in
which there are inexhaustible beds of rock
and shell marie) and a small part occupied
by plantations. Airly-castle, the residence
of the Earl of Airly, a line modern house,
e rectcd on the ruins of an ancient castle of
the same name, is situated on a promontory
at the confluence of the rivers Isla and Mel-
gums. The population 928.
AIRTH, a parish in Stirlingshire, about
6. miles in length, and 2 in breadth. The
soil is a strong clay, abundantly fertile. It
lies on the banks pf the Forth, and has 3
harbours for small vessels. In Dunmore
hill, a few years ago, an anchor was found,
at least half a mile from the present course
of the river. The whole parish, with the
exception of the hills of Airth and Dunmore,
is a plain. Population 2000.
AISLA, or AILSA, an insulated rock on
the western coast of Scotland, bet wixt the
shores of Ayrshire and Kintyre. It is about
two miles in circumference, and rises to a
great height, in a conical form. Its top is
covered with heath and grass ; goats, rabbits,
solan geese, and other sea fowl, are its only
inhabitants. On its top is a small edifice in
ruins, whose origin or use is not ascertained.
It belongs to the Earl of Cassilis, who draws
for it about L.30 annually.
AITHSTING. Vide Sandsting.
ALBANY.or ALBAIN, the ancient name
of the interior of Scotland, which formerly
gave the title of Duke to a branch of the
royal family of Scotland.
ALCLUID, or ALCLUITH, the ancient
name of the castle of Dunbarton, (supposed
to be the Balclutha of Ossian), the capital
of the kingdom of Strath-Clyde.
ALE, a small rivulet, which takes its rise
from Alemour loch, on the borders of Selkirk
and Roxburgh shires ; and holding an eas-
terly course, after joining with other rivulets,
falls into the Tweed a little above Kelso. It
abounds with trout. There is anothersmall
river in Berwickshire of the same name,
that fallsinto the Eye a little above Eye-
mouth.
ALEXANDRIA, a village on the west
bank of the Lcveii, about 4 miles N. of Dun-
barton, it contains 600 inhabitants, chiefly
pmploycd in the neighbouring nrintficids.
ALFOllD, u pariah in Aberdeenshire, on