Gazetteer of Scotland

C R A
Snexhauftible quarriesof limeftone, and
•of fine ilate. The united parilhes of
Crathy and Braemarr contained in
179.? about 1024 inhabitants.
CRAWFORD; a village and parifh
•in the county of Lanark; The village
is of considerable antiquity, confiding
of freedoms granted to the fetters by
the neighbouring proprietors. Each'
freedom conhfts of 6 acres of >croft
•land, and the privilege of feeding a
•certain number of horfes, .cows, or
fheep, on the hill or common. It is
governed by a birlty court, in which
each freeman has a liberty to vote.
There is a great want of induftry in
the village, and agriculture is little
■attended to through the parifh. The
extent of the pariih is in length about
18, and in breadth about 15 miles ; it
is bounded en the 3. bj that ridge of
•hills which divides it from Tweeds-
muir, and from which the Tweed, the
•Clyde, and the Annan, the 3 principal
.rivers in the fouth of Scotland, take
their rife. The hill of Lauders is
chiefly in this parifh, of which the
elevation, above the level of the fea, is
,3 150 feet. The greafceft part of the
pariih confifts of hiils and muirs; fome
are fit for pallure, but many are bleak,
and fcarcely exhibit marks of vegeta-
tion. In the valleys the foil is general-
ly light and fpongy, but in fome
places there is .clay ; the iituation
and climate, however, even of the
■belt grounds is adverfe to agriculture.
Mineralogifts would find great 'field
for refearch in the grounds. Lead-
hills aie in this pariih, the moft exten-
iive mints in the kingdom; (vide
Leadhills.) During the minority of
James VI. a German was fent by
Queen Elifabeth to examine the lands
of the rivers Elvan and Glengonar,
and, it is faid, that he gathered acon-
■fiderable quantity of gold duft. The
Earl of Hopetoun has in his poffefiioK
a mafs of lead ore weighing 5 tons,
and a piece of native gold found here
of 2 ounces. The Daire, the Clyde,
the Elvan, and Glengonar, are the ri-
vers of the pariih. Population in
5792 (including Leadhills), 149.3.
CRAWFORD-JOHN, a parifh in
Lanarkfhire, is of an oblong figure,
extending 15 miles in length, the
greateft breadth being about 6. The
general appearance is hilly, adapted
ipr iheep pafture, with a few patches
of arable land in the valleys between
the hills. Round Gilkerfcleugh and
Glefpine, two gentlemens feats, arc
fome thriving plantations ; and feveral
improvements are .carrying on which
do great credit to the proprietors. On
Glendorch eftat e, the property of the
Earl of Hopetoun, there is a valuable
lead mine. This mineral has alfo been
found on the Gilkerfcleugh eftate, on
which property there are alfo an ex-
cellent limeftone quarry, abundance of
white freeftone and coal ; on other-
parts of the pariih are the marks of
former mines, which report fays were
wrought in fearch of gold, and that a
conliderable quantity of that precious
metal was found here. There are the
veftiges of an .extenfive encampment,
and the ruins .of two ancient caftles.
Afmallriver, named De?neatoncivater f
takes its rife at the head of the parifh,
and runs through the whole extent.
Population in 1791, 590.
CRAY ; a pariih fituated partly in
the county of Nairn, and partly in
that of Invernefs ; the extreme length
is about 16 miles, but it is fo interfect-
ed with other parifhes, that its extent
in breadth cannot be exactly afcertain-
ed. The river Nairn runs through
the parifh for 8 -miles, on which is a
tolerably productive falmon fifhing.
The banks of the river are well culti-
vated, and, .where they do not admit
of cultivation, covered with wood,
natural or planted, which, with the
feats of Kilravock, Holme, and Can-
tray, forms a feene of true rural ame-
nity and beauty ; the remainder is in-
differently cultivated, and has a bleak
and naked appearance. The proprie-
tors of the parifh, and Mr. Davidfon
of Caniray in particular, have done
much towards improving their lands,
and introducing a regular fyftem of
agriculture. Population in 1793, 15 52.
Cr.ee ; a river which takes its rife
in the northern parts of the county of
Wigton, and the ftewartry of Kirk-
cudbright. It is for feveral miles very
fmall, and runs through a bleak and
dreary .country, but is foon confider-
ably increafed by tributary ftreams;
it now changes its appearance, and
inftead of rocks and muirs, it holds
its courfe nearly S. through a beautiful
valley, till it empties itfelf into Wigton
bay ; it forms the boundary betwixt
the counties of Wigton and Kirkcud-r
M x