Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

LAM
206
LAN
A rock with only 8 feet water on it at low springs,
lies about a fourth of the way across the southern
entrance, off Kingscross point. There is a small
village of the same name at the bottom of the bay.
See articles, Arran and Kilbride.
LAMMERMOOR- HILLS, a broad range of
moorish heights, stretching eastward from the vale
of Gala- water, in the south-east extremity of Mid-
Lothian, to the German ocean at the promontories
of Fast-castle, Ernscleuch, and St. Abb's-head, in
the parish of Coldingham, Berwickshire. From the
middle of the lofty mountain-range which begins at
Cheviot in Northumberland, and, passing into Scot-
Jand, runs quite across it to Lochryan, — from the
most elevated part of it, called the Louthers or the
Hartfell heights, at the meeting point of the counties
of Dumfries, Lanark, and Peebles, a less lofty and
less remarkable range goes off north-eastward, and
tumultously rolls across Peebles-shire to the vale
of the Gala, and, but for being cloven or ploughed
through by this vale, would, under the name of the
Lammermoor-hills, be continuous to the sea. The
Lammermoors all lie within East-Lothian and Ber-
wickshire ; commencing at their extreme western
limit, forming, for two-thirds of their extent, a
southern screen, or belt of uplands to Mid-Lothian,
and constituting — if the Lammermoor part of Lau-
derdale be included — nearly one-half of Berwick-
shire. The range forms, with the loftier and com-
manding chain of the Cheviots and the Louthers,
whence it diverges, the vast triangular basin of the
Tweed, — shuts out from the Ochil-hills a prospect of
the Cheviot range, — and overlooks, stretching away
from its north base, the grand expanse of the great
body of the Scottish Lowlands, till they are pent up
by the stupendous and seemingly impenetrable bar-
rier of the far-extending and thousand-summited
Grampians. The Lammermoors are, in themselves,
an extensive curvature of, for the most part, wild,
cheerless, unsightly heights, — nowhere bold and
imposing in aspect, and often subsiding into low roll-
ing table-lands, of bleak moor. They were at one
period clothed with forest, and must then have been
as bewildering to the traveller as grandly sylvan in
their vast contribution to the landscape. They still
have natural woods hanging on some of their steeps,
and, in such localities, are warmed out of their chilli-
ness of aspect ; but over their summits, and down
their higher slopes, they are almost everywhere
nakedly dressed in heath. Yet lovers of pastoral
seclusion may find pleasure in gazing on the great
flocks of sheep which tenant their higher grounds ;
while stirring agriculturists will look with glee on
the considerable ascents which have been made by
the plough on their lower declivities. The soil in
nearly all the upper parts is a light peat mould ; and
even in some of the lower parts — as in the parish of
Westruther — it is a swampy moss. But elsewhere
the prevailing peat is mixed with sand and clay, or
gives place to comparatively kindly soil ; and in the
vales and lower slopes, irrigated by the numerous
streams which are collected on the broad ridge, and
coming trottingly to the plains, are belts and expan-
ses of fertility, and agricultural, as well as scenic,
beauty. Primary micaceous schist composes the entire
range, not only of the Lammermoors, but ot the
heights which continue it through Peebleshire, till
it joins the metalliferous mountains about the sources
of the Clyde. Lammerlaw, which rises in the parish
of Lauder, and gives name to the whole range, has
an altitude of 1,500 feet. Among other chief or
remarkable summits, according to the measurements
of Blackadder in his survey of Berwickshire, Criblaw
has an elevation of 1,615 feet; Clint-hill, 1,544;
Tippet- knowes, 1,323; Manslaughter-law, 1,273;
Twinlaw-hill, 1,260; Earlston-hill, 1,200; Great
Dirrington-law, 1,145; Ayrhouse-hill, 1,054; Be-
merside-hill, 1,011; and Cockburn-law, 912: see
Berwickshire.
LANARK, a parish in the Upper Ward of the
county of the same name, and situated nearly in the
centre of that shire. It lies along the eastern bank
of the Clyde, which divides it from Pittenain and
Carmichael on the south, and from Lesmahago on
the west. Carluke bounds it on the north, and Car-
stairs on the east. It is of an irregular form, is fully
6 miles in length, and varies from 3 to 5 in breadth.
With the exception of the precipitous and highly
romantic banks of the Clyde and the Mouse, the land
of the parish generally consists of an elevated level,
the highest parts being the moors of Lanark and Lee,
which are about 760 feet above the sea-level. There
are no hills in the parish which deserve the name.
The soil, which lies upon a substratum of old red sand-
stone, of different degrees of thickness, is very vari-
able in quality. The orchard husbandry is practised
in this parish, but not extensively ; and terms of late
years have been so unremunerating, that this branch
of industry is more likely to decline in future than to
increase. The total amount of produce in the parish
has been estimated at about £25,000 per annum.
The country is beautifully diversified with timber,
consisting both of old natural wood, and of modern
plantation ; and in the former respect the estates of
Lee, Bonnington, and Cleghorn, are richly orna-
mented. The banks, too, of the Clyde and Mouse,
are beautifully fringed with natural wood and plan-
tation. In the vicinity of the mansion of Lee, are
two trees, which are celebrated in the district alike
for their age and size. The first is a majestic oak,
understood to be one of the few remains of the olden
Caledonian forest ; it is called the Pease tree, is 60
feet in height, 30 in circumference, and though it
still continues to bourgeon and blossom, the effects
of time have carved out such a hollow in the trunk,
that ten persons have been able to squeeze them-
selves into the cavity. The other is a splendid larch,
whose branches tower to the height of 100 feet, with
a circumference of trunk of 18 feet, and is altogether
one of the most gigantic specimens of the kind in the
country. Regarding the salubrity of Lanark, the
following statement, made half-a-century ago by Mr.
William Lockhart of Baronald, in the Old Statistical
Account, is still perfectly applicable. He says : —
" This parish, from its high, dry, and airy situation,
is perhaps as healthy a one as in Scotland. Being
situated in tie centre of the island, it is equally free
from the eastern fogs and the violence of the western
rains, so that the air is always pure and clear. The
climate, although drier than about Glasgow, or even
Hamilton, is certainly somewhat wetter than about
Edinburgh, but is more than compensated by the
absence of the eastern fogs, so disagreeable in the
neighbourhood of that city. Spring droughts fre-
quently retard the crops very considerably, and some-
times spring frosts. Heavy rains in July and August,
which are pretty common here, have a similar effect
in keeping back the harvest; but in general the
crops are earlier than in the neighbouring parishes,
and even more so than those lying much lower and
further down the Clyde." Although in the imme-
diate vicinity of the great western coal-field, Lanark
may be said to be entirely destitute of the more valu-
able kind of-mineruls. There is a post-olfice situ-
ated in the town of Lanark, and the parish enjoys
the most ample means of communication, possessing
15 miles of turnpike-road. There are stage-coaches
to and from Edinburgh and Glasgow daily in summer,
and less frequently in winter. There are here two
bridges over the Clyde, one of them called the Old