Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 1

BORROWSTOWNNESS.
183
BORTHWICK.
It has two principal streets running from west to
cast about 300 yards, which terminate in one which
is 350 yards more. The streets and lanes are nar-
row; the houses in general low and old- fashioned.
The town grew suddenly into bulk in the 17th
century, then flourished exceedingly for a short
Seriod, and then stood still or began to fall into
ecay. About the beginning of that century, only
one house stood on the shore between Kinniel man-
sion and Camden ; and about the end of the century,
the town of Borrowstownness and some villages to
the east of it formed an almost continuous line of
buildings, two miles in length, along the coast.
Defoe, speaking of the state of things in his time,
says, " Borrowstownness consists only of one strag-
gling street, which is extended along the shore,
close to the water. It has been, and still is, a town
of the greatest trade to Holland and France of any
in Scotland, except Leith ; but it suffers very much
of late by the Dutch trade being carried on so much
by way of England. However, if the Glasgow
merchants would settle a trade to Holland and
Hamburgh in the firth, by bringing their foreign
goods by land to Alloa, and exporting them from
thence, as they proposed some time ago, 'tis very
likely the Borrowstownness men would come into
business again ; for as they have the most shipping,
so they are the best seamen in the firth, and are
very good pilots for the coast of Holland, the Baltic,
and the coast of Norway."
Borrowstownness was constituted a head port in
1707, with a district extending on both sides of the
frith from Cramond Water and Dunibrissle Point to
the boundaries of Alloa, In 1799, the corps of the
port, including all attendants at the creeks, amounted
to 44 persons; but in recent years it has been re-
duced to 11, — only three of whom officiate at the
head -port. Grangemouth was made a separate
port in 1810. Acts of parliament were obtained at
several dates between 1744 and 1816 for improving
the harbour of Borrowstownness, regulating the
affairs of the port, and cleaning, paving, and light-
ing the town, and supplying it with water ; but the
powers created by these acts proved incompetent, —
insomuch that desirable improvements could be
but partially undertaken, and a debt of upwards of
£2,000 was gradually contracted; so that in 1842
application was made to parliament for greatly en-
larged powers. The harbour comprises a basin of
240 feet in breadth, and two piers of 566 feet in
length, and has a depth of water at spring tides of
from 16 to 20 feet. In 1794, 25 vessels belonged to
the town, 11 of which were brigantines engaged in
the Baltic trade, and 6 were brigantines under con-
tract to sail regularly once every fortnight to and
from London; and about the same time between
110 and 150 vessels belonged to the several creeks.
In 1839, there belonged to the entire port 101 ves-
sels, of aggregately 6,521 tons; and in 1864, 61
vessels, of aggregately 6,307 tons. During the
year 1860, the coasting trade comprised a tonnage
of 3,735 inward, and of 38,166 outward ; and during
1863 the entire trade comprised a tonnage of 14,010
inward in British vessels, 12,453 inward in foreign
vessels, 80,044 outward in British vessels, and
73,906 outward in foreign vessels. A grand cause
of the falling off was the opening of the Forth and
Clyde canal, and the erection of Grangemouth into a
separate port. An attempt was early made to avert
the evil by beginning to cut a canal from the town
to Grangemouth, to communicate there with the
Forth and Clyde canal ; but this project was never
completed.
Whale-fishing at one time occupied the attention
of the inhabitants of Borrowstownness to such an
extent that they had eight whale-ships and two
boiling-houses; but this avocation proved on the
whole disastrous, and was gradually relinquished.
The home-fisheries of the town and its vicinity are
of small value. A pottery, a foundry, a small rope-
work, and a large distillery, all of long standing, give
various employment. Two important recent acces-
sories are theKinniel iron-works, and a branch rail-
way communicating with the Monkland system at
Airdrie. An extensive grain trade is carried on in
the town. A weekly market is held on Monday.
An annual fair is held on the 16th of November.
The town has a branch office of the Clydesdale
Bank, a subscription library, a total abstinence so-
ciety, and several charitable institutions. Borrow-
stownness is a burgh of barony under the Duke of
Hamilton, and is governed by a bailie. Population
in 1841, 1,790; in 1861, 3,814. Houses, 310.
BOKTHWICK, a parish, containing the post
office hamlet of Fushie-Bridge, and part of the post-
office village of Ford, in the Moorfoot district of
Edinburghshire. It contains also the villages of
Clayhouse, Dewarton, Middleton, North Middleton,
and Newlandrig, the hamlets of Borthwick, or kirk-
town of Borthwick, Castleton, Brewery, Bell's-
Mains, and Catcune Mill, and part of the village of
Stobb's Mills. It is bounded by the parishes of Car-
rington, Cockpen, Newbattle, Cranston, Crichton,
Heriot, and Temple. Measured from Ford on the
north-east to Castleton hill on the south-west, it is
nearly 6 miles in length ; and from Amiston bridge
on the north-west to Fala hill on the south-east, it
is about 4 miles in breadth. The general aspect of
the parish is hilly, especially when viewed from the
kirk-town, which is near the centre of the parish.
Two streams, known as the South and North Mid-
dleton burns, descend from the Moorfoot hills on
the southern boundary, and, after pursuing north-
easterly courses, unite a little above the kirk-town ;
and then fetching a circuit round the mole on which
Borthwick castle is built, flow north-west, under
the name of the Gore, to a point a little beyond Ar-
niston bridge, where they unite with the South Esk.
These streams drain a vast extent of upland surface,
and are consequently subject to sudden and exten-
sive floods. The South Esk divides this parish
from Carrington ; and the Tyne divides it on the
east from Crichton. Many romantic scenes occur
throughout this district, particularly in the valleys
of the Gore and the Tyne ; and the locality is a fa-
vourite one with botanists. Grahame has described
the sylvan sceneiy of the district in the following
lines : —
" What though fair Scotland's valleys rarely vaunt
The oak majestical, whose aged boughs
Darken a rood breadth ! yet nowhere is seen
More beauteously profuse, wild underwood ;
Nowhere 'tis seen more beauteously profuse.
Than on thy tangling banks, well-wooded Esk,
And Borthwick, thine, above that fairy nook
Formed by your blending streams. The hawthorn there.
With moss and lichen grey, dies of old age,
o steel profane permitted to intrude:
Up to the topmost branches climbs the rose,
And mingles with the fading flowers of May;
While round the brier the honeysuckle wreaths
Entwine, and witli their sweet perfume embalm
The dying rose; a never-failing blow
From spring to fall expands; the sloethom white,
As il a flaky shower the leafless sprays
Had hung; the hawthorn, May's fair diadem;
The whin's rich dye ; the bonny broom ; the rasp
Erect; the rose, red, white, and faintest pink;
And long-extending bramble's flowery shoots."
There are large beds of limestone within the parish ;
and lime is extensively manufactured at Hemperston
and Middleton, at Vogrie and Arniston. Coal is
extensively wrought on the estate of Vogrie. Sand-