Scotland > 1868, 1878 - Slater's (late Pigot & Co.'s) Royal national commercial directory and topography of Scotland > 1861

PERTHSHIRE.
T.
HIS is one of the most extensive counties in Scotland, lying nearly in the centre of the kingdom,
whose great northern and southern divisions it may be said in some measure to connect. It is bounded
on the east by the county of Forfar ; on the south-east by the counties of Kinross and Fife from the
latter county it is cut off for a considerable distance by the Firth of Tay ; further on the south its boun-
daries are Stirlingshire and the small county of Clackmannan, which iatter it embraces on two sides ;
on the south-west Dumbarton touches it for a short distance ; on the west it is bounded by Argyleshire ;
and on the north-west and north by lnverness-shire. The figure of the county is very irregular, being
intruded upon by other counties in some quarters, and having many indentations and projections in other
parts ; but for these circumstances, its form would be nearly that of a perfect circle. From the Firth of
Forth at Culross, on the extreme south, to the Forest of Atho], at the source of the Tilt, on the north, it
: measures sixty-eight miles ; and from Meigle on the east, to Argyleshire on the west, about seventy-seven
miles. The contents of the area of this county have been variously estimated ; we find one authority com-
puting its superficies at two thousand five hundred and eighty-eight square miles of land, and "fifty of
lakes; and another (perhaps the most correct), at two thousand eight hundred and thirty square miles ol
land, and thirty-three of water. About twelve or fifteen years ago, the number of acres cultivated did
not exceed six hundred thousand.
Early History. — The monuments of antiquity which exist in Perthshire are sufficiently numerous
to afford a field of curious investigation. Lying northward of the Roman wall, this shire was the theatre
of the last struggle for independence which the inhabitants of the low country of Scotland made against
the arms of their skilful and then invincible oppressors: the final and most distinguished battle fought
by the Britons was that against Agricola, under a leader to whom the Romans have given the name of
Galgaciis. One of the roads formed by the invaders, passing along the district of Strathearn towards
Perth, may still be traced, and also from Perth, aiong Stiathirsore, to the extremity of the county ; the
remains of several encampments, likewise, are at this day observable, particularly one at Ardoch, in the
parish of Muthill, the largest and most conspicuous in Scotland. This shire also possesses antiquarian
remains of a later age and history, in ruined towers and religious structures, the district having once
been the residence of a number of powerful chiefs, and of a large body of churchmen. Before the re-
formation, and during the domination of episcopacy, Perthshire formed the ample diocess of a bishop
whose seat was at Dunkeld, as well as another bishopric at Dumblane.
Soil, Surface, and Climate. — Perthshire may be considered the Yorkshire of Scotland : like that
immense county, it is subdivided into districts, which, previous to the jurisdictions established in 1748,
were stewartries under the power of different great landed proprietors ; the names of these various dis-
tricts (or feudalities) are Monteith, Gowrie, Perth Proper, Strathearn, Stormont, Breadalbane, Rannoch,
Balquhidder, and Athol. Little attention, however, is now paid to these divisions, and the county is
arranged more naturally under the two extensive denominations of Highland and Lowland, the range of
Grampians forming the line of demarkation. Eighteen parishes belong to the Highland portion, while
that of the Lowland comprises fifty-eight. The soil of Perthshire comprehends all the varieties known
in Scotland — the carse and loamy being prevalent on the banks of the rivers, and the sandy and tillable
classes on the sides of the hills ; in many places are extensive mosses, particularly in Monteith district.
Within the last ninety years there has been a great deal of planting in Perthshire, greatly to the ame-
lioration of the climate and the advantage of the agriculturist. His Grace the late Duke of Atho! acted
a most distinguished part in the rearing of plantations ; it appears from returns published in J 830, that
he planted 15,473 English acres, the number of plants amounted to the enormous number of 27,231,600,
of these plantations the principal portion to the amount of about 8,600 acres are of larch, about 1,000
of oak, the remainder are of Scotch fir, spruce fir, a few acres of birch &c. The same patriotic nobleman
exerted himself most beneficially in the improvement of the roads of the county, which have latterly been
brought into excellent condition. During the progress of the last seventy years, a prodigious and most-
gratifying change has been effected in the agriculture of Perthshire, the low parts of which now vie, in
rural cultivation, wealth and beauty, with any district in Scotland ; the upper portion of the county is
still devoted to the pasturage of sheep and cattle, which are mostly driven southward for sale and con-
sumption. The mountains of greatest altitude above the level of the sea, in Perthshire, are— Ben
Lawers, 4,015 ; Ben More, 3,903; Ben Gloa, 3,724,; Schiallion, 3,564 ; Ben Derig, 3,550 ; Ben-Ard-
lanach, 3,500 ; Ben Ledi, 3,009 ; Ben Venue, 3,000 ; Ben Chonzie, 2,922 ; Farragon, 2,584 ; Ben
Achally, 1,800 ; Birnam Hill (mentioned in Shakspere's play of 'Macbeth'), 1,580 ; Turleum, 1,400 ;
Blair, 1,300; Ring's Seat, 1,196; Lochtown Hill, 1,172; Kinpurnie, 1,151 ; Beingloe, 1,040; Dunsinane
(whereon was a strong hold of Macbeth, twelve miles from Birnam Hill), 1,024; .Kinnoul, 700; and
Barry, 688.
Produce and Manufactures. — The subject of the mineralogy of Perthshire affords sufficient
materials to excite and to reward the curiosity and research of the scientific student of the works of
nature ;• but, in a commercial or economical point of view, its minerals are of no great importance. At
Culross, upon the Forth, coal has been wrought for ages ; but from its situation, it is of little advantage
to this county. Limestone rocks are found in a variety of localities, both in the high and the low
country ; but the use of lime is greatly impeded from the want of proper fuel for burning it —peat, which
is the fuel of all the inland districts, being a weak and ineffectual agent in the process of calcination.
Marble, of a superior quality, is worked near Glentilt ; beds of fire-clay have been discovered near
Culross ; and in that neighbourhood, on the Devon, there is abundance of ironstone. About Callander
that species of rock called breccia, or, more familiarly, ' plum-pudding stone,' is not uncommon ; and
here also, as in other parts, are various kinds of slate. A chain of sandstone runs from Gartree to the
vicinity of Crieff; upon the Tay is one of the most celebrated stone quarries in this country ; the prin-
vo I05tf
i