Gazetteer of Scotland

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CULTS ; a parifh in the center of
the county of Fife, extending in length
about z\, and in breadth i T miles.
Its general furface is flat, declining
frorfl the S. where there are a few
hills. The foil is light, and in fome
places (particularly the banks of the
Eden) gravelly, but towards the S.
it is a ftrong day. The river Eden
paffes through the parifh. There are
numerousfiveftone and hmert one quar-
ries, of excellent quality ; there is alfo
plenty of coal. There are feveral re-
mains of Roman encampments ; and
many urns have been dug up, contain-
ing human bones. Population in
1790-8, 5:34; in 1802, 699.
CUMBERNAULD ; a village and
parifh in the county, of Dumbarton.
The parifh extends about 7 miles in
length, and 4 in breadth. The fur-
face has a romantic appearance, being
beautifully diveriified with fmall hills
and fertile dales. The higher! part is
called Fannyfide muir, producing no-
thing but heath and furze. On the S.
fide are two lochs, about a mile long,
and one fourth of a mile broad ; the
remainder is moftly arable, with a deep
clay foil, tolerably fertile. There is
abundance of coal, though none is
Avrought at prcfent. Lime and free-
ftone alfo abound. Confiderable re-
mains of Antoninus' wall are to be
difcovered, nearly in the courfe of
which runs the great canal which con-
nects the Clyde and Forth. The vil-
lage of Cumbernauld is pleafantly fitu-
ated in a valley, almoft furr bunded with
the policies and pleafui'e grounds of
Cumbernauld-houfe, the feat of Loi'd
Elphinftone. The new road from Glaf-
gow to Edinburgh paries through the
village ; near which is built a large and
commodious inn. Population of the
parifh in 1791, about 1600.
CUMMERTREES ; a parifh in the
county of Dumfries, extending about
4 miles in length, and 3 in breadth.
The furface is level, and the foil in ge-
neral good ; in the center of the pa-
rifli it is excellent, and remarkably
fertile ; it lies on the banks of the
Annan, which river bounds it on the
E. There are feveral extenfive flow
mojfcs in the pariih, utterly incapable
of improvement ; thefe furnilh excel-
lent peat, which is the only fuel. A-
griculture is rapidly advancing in im-
provement, and enclofures are becom-
CUM
ing general. Freeftone is abundant,
and limeftone of excellent quality is
found in an inexhauftible quarry near
the center of the parifh : the great
drawback is the want of coal for burn-
ing it, peat notanfweringthepurpofe.
The military road through Dumfries-
fhire interfects the parifh. The caftle
of Hoddam is an ancient caftle, ftill
in good repair: near it, on a high
ground, is a fquare tower, 25 feet high,
which is fuppofed to have been a
watch tower in the border wa r s. De-
rides the minerals mentioned above,
in a limeftone quarry at /i'ilhead fe-
veral veins of a beautiful dark colour-
ed marble have appeared, which ad-
mits of a fine poliih. Shells, entrocbi,
petrified vegetables of a whitifh colour,
appear to great advantage on the dark
ground. Population in 1792, 1050.
CUMNOCK, or OLD CUMNOC K.
The parifn of Old Cumnock, from
which New Cumnock was disjoined
about the beginning of the prefent
century, is fituated in the county of
Ayr ; it is of an oblong figure, about
10 miles in length, and 2 in breadth ;
its furface is partly fiat, and partly
hilly ; the foil in general is a deep clay,
but the low grounds are intermixed
with fand and gravel. There are fe-
veral rivulets, all of which fall into the
Lugar, a ftream which empties itfelf
into the river of Ayr, near Barfkim-
ming. The hills exhibit frequent
marks of volcanic fire, many of them
being compofed of bafaltic columns,
of irregular cryftallization- Several
fpeciraens of calcareous petrifactions
of filh and moffes are found in the
bed of the Lugar ; and in a limeftone
quarry, belonging to the Earl of Dum»
fries, is found a fbecies of red corai.
The limeftone of this quarry receives
a good polifh, and maker, a very pret-
ty bluilh marble. A vein of lead ore
alfo runs through it, which was found
by a late trial to yield 65 lb. of lead
per cnvt. of ore. Freeftone abounds,
and a great part of the parifh lies up-
on excellent coal. The village of
Cumnock is fituated on the banks of
the Lugar, and is well adapted for
manufactures, from the vicinity of coal
and water ; it contains nearly 800 in-
habitants, and j::ves title of Baron to
the family of Dumfries. Near the
village are the remains, of a moat or
court-field, where anciently the ba.-