Gazetteer of Scotland

C AE
C AI
a light fandy till, progreffively to a
deep earth, and blade mofs. Much has
been done of late years in tne way of
improvement by the plough, and by
the ufe of lime as a manure. Tne
improvements in agriculture in this
neighbourhood are much owing to the
great canal between the Forth and
Clyde, which runs through the pariih
for 5 miles. The in/pop's Loch, a fmall
lake, one mile in length, and a quarter
of a mile in breadth, is occupied as a
refervoir for fupplying the canal with
water. Some years ago, a lake was
completely drained by a mine driven
a full mile in length under a hill, by
which 1 20 acres of the fineft arable
land has been gained. The roads from
Glafgow to Edinburgh, and from Glal-
gow to Falkirk by Cumbernauld, pafs
through the pariih. The river Kelvin
forms its northern boundary for near-
ly 1 % miles, and ufed to overflow its
banks in time of rain., and do confider-
able damage, efpecially in feed time
and harveft. Antoninus' wall can be
traced diftinctly for 4 miles, and one
of the watch towers on it is hill very
vifible. At Robroyjlone, on the 13th
Sept. 1303, Sir William Wallace was
betrayed to Edward I. of England, by
whom he was ignominioufly put to
death. Population in 1792, 1767.
CAERLAVEROCK, a pariih in
the county of Dumfries, is a kind of
peninfula, formed by the river Nith,
Lochar water, and the Solway Frith.
The middle and weftern part is hilly ;
towards the E. the furface becomes
low and level. The high land has ge-
nerally a light, dry, and fertile foil, in-
terfberfedwith patches ofwet, muirifh,
and fhsllow foil. The whole of the
parifh lies on a bed of red freeftone,
which is quarried in many places.
The greater part of the arable ground
is enclofed, and well cultivated. There
are two fmall harbours, where veflels
of 70 or 80 tons burden may unload.
The Nith and Lochar abound with
fifh. Lochar mofs, which borders
with this parifh, fupplies the inhabi-
tants with fuel. Near the mouth of
the Nith are to be traced the veftiges
of a moated triangular caftle, fuppofed
to be the Garbuntorigum of Ptolemy ;
to the N. E. of theft remains, is the
venerable ruin of the ancient caftle of
Caerlaverock, built about the year
3:424, and long the residence- of the
noble family of Marwell. Several
moats and Roman encampments are
eaiily traced. Dr. John Hutton, frrit
phylician to king William and queen
Mary, was a native of this pariih, and
endowed it with many liberal bene-
factions. Population in 179 1, 955.
Cairngorm, or Blue Moun-
tain; one of the higheft of the
Grampian hills, is iituated betwixt the
counties of Banff and Moray ; its
height, by an accurate calculation,
was found to be 4050 feet above the
level of tire fea, and 1780 feet above
Loch Avon, though this lake is only
a mile from its bate. It is of a coni-
cal lhape ; the fides and bafe are
clothed with extenfive fir woods,
while its top is covered almoft all the
year round with fnow. It is celebrat-
ed for thole beautiful rock cryltals, of
various tints, which are called Cairn-
gorm Jto-nes ; though other places in.
Scotland afford them in great abund-
ance. They are a fpecies of topaz,
much admired by lapidaries. 1 Hey
were formerly found in great quanti-
ties ; but, of late, are more fcarce, and
only found amongft the rubbiih of the
mountain, brought down by the cur-
rents after a ftorm. They are regular
6 fided cryfcals, with a 6 lided pyra-
midal top ; the other extremity is
rough, and often a part of the rock to
which it was attached adheres to it.
Some have been found weighing 3 or
4 ounces. Befides thefe ftones, fine
fpecimens of qjbeftos, covered with
calcareous cryftalhzations, ta/'c, -zeoiite t
cryjiallized quartz, and /pars, are fre-
quently found. Cairngorm is thus
defcribed in a poem lately publifned :
" In flony bed, his clannifh ftrath along,
The boitt'rous Spey, his roaring torrent
drives
By brown Cairngorm ; whofe feet with
native pine
Are, ever -during, girt ; his frozen head
Is fprinkled early with autumnal fnows ;
His crumbled rocks art; llrew'd with bril-
liant gems,
Whofe brightness, fparfeling in Altera s hair,
Or blifsful on her panting bofom bung,
The topaz envies. 1 '
Wallace's Views.
CAIRNY, a parifh in the county
of Aberdeen, forms part of the lord-
fhip of Strathbogie, granted by Robert
Bruce to Sir Adam Gordon, after the