Gazetteer of Scotland

CRA
C R A
»ut the climate, on account of the
vicinity to the Atlantic, is fo moid
and variable, as often to blaft the farm-
er's hopes. Captain Campbell of Craig-
nifh, is the only perfon in the pariih
who has his farm enclofed, and em-
ploys fallow and artificial grafles. A
few herrings, and other fiih, are caught
on the coaft. There are many fortified
eminences in the parifn, fuppofed to
be Danilh. In the vale, many rude
monuments of death record in the
moft artlefs manner the battles of
ancient times. " There," fays Ofiian,
." the gray ftones rear their heads in the
heath, to mark the graves of fallen
heroes." There are alfo the remains
of cairns, and othe tumuli. Coal is
much wanted in this remote part of
the Highlands ; but, it is hoped, the
repeal of the coal tax, and the opening
of the Crinan canal, will remove that
want.- Population in 1792, 770.
Craig-Owl ; one of the Sidlaw
bills, in the pasrifti of Tealing, in the
county of Angus ; has been found by
actual measurements to be elevated
1 100 feet perpendicular above the
level of the fea.
Craig-Phatric ; a fteep and rug-
ged hill in the neighbourhood of In-
vernefs ; the elevation of the higheft
part is 1 150 feet above -the level of the
river Nefs, which flows at its foot ; it
is noted for the remains of one of thofe
fortifications, which, from the vitrified
a;:pearanceof the ftones, and the marks
of fufion which they exhibit, have re-
ceived the name of vitrified forts. That
on the fummit of Craig-Phatric is by
far the moft complete and extenfive
one in Britain. The top of Craig-Pba-
tric is flat, and has been furroundec
by a wall in the form of a parallelo-
gram, the length of which is about 80
yards, and the breadth 30 within the
wall. The ftones are all firmly con-
nected together by a kind of vitrified
matter, refembling lava, or the/cor/^
or flag of an iron foundery, and the
ftones themfelves in many places feem
to have been foftened and vitrified.
The greater part of the rampart is now
covered with turf, fo that it has the
appearance of an earthen mound ; but,
on removing the earth, the vitrified
matter is every wbere vifible, and
would feem f to have been in fome
places of great height. On the out-
ride there is the appearance of a fecond
rampart, but not fo regular as tire nVir f
confiderablc mafles of vitrified matte?
are alfo found in this fecond ftructure.
under which is the natural rock, chief-
ly a fine granite, with fome breccia or
pud ding J} one here and there, compofed
of red granite, pebbles, quartoze, no-
dules, &c. in a cement of argillaceous
and quartoze matter. Within the area
is a hollow, with a fmall fpring of wa-
ter. The ruins of fimilar vitrified fortr*
are to be feen on the iummits of other
hills in the Highlands. On Knock-
farril and Caftle-Finlay, in Rofsfhire \
on Dun-evan, in Nairnfhire ; and an-
other, near the S. W. extremity of the
ifland of Bute. The opinions con-
cerning thefe ruins are very different;
fome maintain that the vitrification is
the effect of a volcano ; others, the
work of art ; but Mr. Frazer Tytlei,
in the fecond volume of the Tranfac-
tions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh-,
endeavours to eftahlifti, that the vitri-
fication is the refult of accident, the
ruins of ancient forts deftroyed by fire.
For a more particular account of this
remarkable appearance, we refer the
reader to a work by Mr. Williams^
entitled, " An account of fome re-
markable ancient ruins, lately difco-
vered in the Highlands of Scotland.;"
to, the Philofophical Transitions of
London for the year 1777.; and to Mr.
Tytler's treatife in the Philofophical
Tranfactions of Edinburgh, vol. a.
CRAIL ; a royal borough of great
antiquity, in the county of Fife. It
was anciently called Caryle and Cair-
raille, and is mentioned by old hifto-
rians as a town of confiderable note,
as early as the middle of the 9th cen-
tury. It received its royal charter
from Robert the Bruce, which was fuc-
cefiively confirmed, with feveral new
grants, by Robert II. Mary, James Vi-
and Charles I. It is fituated on the
coaft of the Frith of Forth, near Fife-
nefs, and 'pofiefies a fmall harbour-,
which, however, is neither commodi-
ous nor fafe. A creek, a little to the
weftward of the town, could, at a
fmall expence, be converted into an
excellent harbour. It confifts of two
parallel ftre'ets, extending along the
lh ore, which is here fteep and high.
The houfes are fallen into decay, and
the whole town bears evident marks
of having feen better days. Crail uied
to be the great rendezvous for the