Gazetteer of Scotland

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CORTACHYandCLOVA. Thefe
pniteS parifhes occupy a very exten-
five portion of the county of Angus.
The foil is in general poor, with a wet
and cold bottom ; a part, however, of
the haugh ground, on the banks of the
Elk, the only river in the diftrier, is a
light early foil, interfptrfed with fre-
quent patches of mofs. The parifhes
include a great part of the Grampian
mountains, and from this circumftance
are calculated principally for pafture ;
fome of the hills are of great height,
and many places are beautifully ro-
mantic and picturefque. In the fmall
part of the parifhes which is capable
of cultivation, the farmers follow a
regular iyitem of agriculture. Marl,
which is procured in great plenty at
the diftance of 3 miles, is the only ma-
nure. There are two fmall lochs in
the difkrict, which abound with trout
and pike. The common fuel is peat,
turf, or heath, which are abundant in
every part. Cortachy-caftle, belong-
ing to Lord Airly, and Clova-houie,
the property of the Hon. Walter Ogil-
vie, are the only feats. Whhifcone is
found in great quantity ; but no free-
flone, or any valuable mineral, has
been yet difcovered. Population 3n
1791, 49°-
Cory-Vreckan; a dangerous gulf
■pr whirlpool, between the iflands 'jura
.and Scorba, on the coaft of Argyllihire.
It is nearly as much dreaded by the
faiiors on thefe coafts, as the much
famed Gulf of Charybdis was by the
faiiors of old.
COULL; a parifh in Aberdeenfhire,
fituated at the head of a ftrath which
is called Cromar. Its fhape is nearly
triangular, thelongeft fide of which is
about 5 miles, and the other two a-
feout 34. Coull, and the reft of the
ftrath of Cromar, is fiat, but much
sheltered by high hills on each fide.
The foil is excellent, being compofed
of clay and fand. The pariih takes
in a»"o part of the hills, which are
bleak and barren, affording pafture to
a few iheep. None of them rife to a
great height. A confiderable bog, in
rainy feafons, is completely converted
into a lake, and covered with aquatic
fowls. There is a fmall druidical edi-
fice, on fome of the ftcnes of which
are the appearance of hieroglyphics,
and figures of men. It is called Tam-
j^wyV/or hili afwor/hip. Several pieces
c o w
of fd ver coin, of eld Scottifh monarch s,
have been dug up amongft the ruins
of the cafile of Ccull. The great difi-
advantage of this pariih is the dif-
ta'nce from a fea port ; Aberdeen., the
neareft, being diftant 'upward:-, of 30
miles. Population in 1791, 465.
Coulter (Loch); a fmall lake
in Stirlingihire. It is about. 2 miles
in circumferer.ee, and pours its waters
into Ban?iockbnm, the rivulet whofe
banks s.re celebrated for the decilive
viclcry gained over the Engliih army
by King Robert Bruce. The rivulet
of Bannockbum falls into the Porth, at
the N. E. boundary of the parifh of
St. Ninians.
COVINGTON; a parifh in the
county of Lanark. It extends in length
about 3 miles, and in breadth rather
more than 2. The furface is partly
haugh ground on the banks of the
Clyde, and partly mountainous- Tb?-
io, the higheft point, is elevated to the
height of 1720 feet above the level of
the Clyde. The hilly part of the pa-
rifh is covered with heath, but the
reft of the foil is fertile, and well cul-
tivated. There is a fmall village, called
Thankerton, beautifully fituated on the
banks of the Clyde, over which river
there is a bridge at this place. Within
this fmall diftrict we meet with nu-
merous relics of antiquity ; particu-
larly four circular- camps, and a large
cairn on the fummit of the hill ofTinta M
where a fire was conftantly kept up,
whence its name, which fignifies " the
hill of fire" There is alfo a fine ruia
of a fortification built by a Sir ;
Lindfey of Covington, in the year 144c.
Population returned to Sir John Sin-
clair, 484.
COWAL ; a diftrict of Argyllihire,
is a peninfula or point of land ilretch-
ing N. E. and S. W. between the Frith
of Clyde and Loch Fyne. The N. E.
part of the diftrict, which borders with
Perthihire, prefents a rugged and bro-
ken' furface. The mountains become
gradually lpwer, and the furface lefs
rugged, as you advance to the S. W.j
and towards the extremity, compara-
tively fpeaking, the land is low and
level. The hills afford excellent paf-
ture for lheep and black cattle; though
formerly covered with heath, they are
gradually growing green, fince the in-
troduction of iheep. The foil has fo
great a tendency to produce heath,