Gazetteer of Scotland

c o c
valuable trees ; Pemmijh'u-l wood con-
tains nearly 100 acres of fine natural
oak. Nearly a quarter of a mile above
the Peefefbri'dge are the remains of an
ancient caftle, called the old tower;
it appears to have been a place of great
ftrength, but the date of its erection
is unknown. Situated near the bound-
ary of the kingdom, and pofielhng
many ftrong military partes, this pa-
ri in has been frequently the fcene of
war; this appears from the camps ftill
vilible on the riling grounds, and the
marks of military entrenchments in
the glens. About 60 years ago, an
attempt was made to clear a bafon,
and form a harbour at the mouth of
a fmall rivulet, called the Cove ; af-
ter the work was confiderably ad-
vanced, it was deftroyed by a ftcrm,
and has never been renewed. A road
was at that time cut through the
rock, by which carts pais under ground
for the fpace of 60 or 70 yards. In
this parifh the mineralogift will be
highly gratified with the appearance
of the fcbijtic rocks which compote
the Lammermuir hills, and the ar-
rangement of the primary and fecond-
ary ftrata ; the upper part of the rock
isfchijeus, and the lower is compofed
of ftrata of fandftone, coal, &c. The
meeting of thefe is diftindtly feen at
Slckar Point, a promontory waihed by
the fea ; here the horizontal ftrata of
fandftone lie upon the broken and
rugged edges of the febifrus, whofe
beds are nearly in a vertical pofition.
Several thick beds of gravel lie upon
the fandftone, compofed of rounded
pieces oifchijlus, whin and muirftone,
porphyry, granite, and fmall nodules
of limeftone. The greateft advantage
lias attended the ufe of the fea ware
or weed as a manure ; it is found to
make the harveft earlier, and the barley
raifed by that manure brings at leaft
is. per boil more than the current
price. The beds of coal, which were
formerly wrought, feem to be com-
pletely exhauftcd. Population in 179. ),
o8>
COCKPEN ; a parifh in the county
of Edinburgh, about 2 miles long, and
1 \ broad. The foik is a ftrong clay,
which in very fertile, and in general
well cultivated. There is no particular
manufacture carried on, if we except
a fmall manufactory of gun-powder
(the only one in Scotland), which
COL
was erected fome years ago. Coal fa
to be found in every part, and has been-
wrought to great advantage. The
Southefk divides the parifh ; at its
fouthern extremity its banks are bold,
and covered with natural wood ; and
over it is thrown an elegant bridge.
Dalhouiie-caftle, the feat of the noble
family of Ramfay, is a building of
great antiquity, pleafantly fituated
on the banks of the river ; it was
fomewhat modernized by the late
Earl, and has loft much of its vene-
rable appearance. The grounds are
well laid out, and ornamented. The
manfion of Cockpen, lately purchaild
by the Earl of Dalhoufie, is admired
for its delightful fituation, and the
romantic beauty of the furrounding
fcenery. Population in 1790, 1123.
COLDINGHAM ; a town and pa-
rifh in the county of Berwick. The
town ftands in a retired dry valley,
having a fmall rivulet of excellent
water running upon each fide of it,
and is about a mile diftant from the
fea. It appears to have been of con-
fiderable antiquity, for its menaftery
was one of the moft ancient and
flouriihing on the eaft of Scotland;
and, prior to the confecraf on of the
famous St. Cuthbert, which was per-
formed in the cathedral of York, a-
bout the year 685, the firft monaftery
was burnt, but was rebuilt (as Lord
Hailes ftates in his Annals of Scotland)
by king Edgar in 1098, who, in per-
fon, affifted at its confecration to the
Virgin Mary. The town appears long
ago to have been much larger than at
prefent ; but, of late, it has affumed a
more lively and cheerful appearance ;
and the wealth and population are
vifibly increafing. It contains about
720 inhabitants. The parifh is of an
irregular fquare figure, of 7 or 8 miles.
The general appearance is flat, but
there is a confiderable portion of rifmg
grounds, of eafy afcent and, gentle de-
clivity, which are, with a few excep-
tions, acceffible to. the plough, and
are of a rich fertile foil, except about
600 acres of muir, of which the foil
is altogether barren and unfit for cul-
ture. There are feveral peat mofies,
but the peats want that folidity which
renders that fort of fuel fit for fires.
St. jibtfs Head is fituated on the coaft,
which is in general dangerous and
rocky. There is a confiderable extent