Gazetteer of Scotland

CUR
CUS
nad turned afide into the peninfula of
Fife, and vifited the cells, or rather
loathfome dungeons of Cupar !" Yet
into theie cells, where there is " no
light, but rather darknefs vifible," is
the fitfpeSed criminal thrown to lan-
guish, often during the fevereft winter
months. In Cupar, and the neighbour-
ing country, a coniiderable quantity
of coarfe linens are manufactured ; a-
bout 500,000 yards are annually (lamp-
ed, the agregate value of which will
be nearly 30,000b fterling. There is al-
fo a coniiderable tanwork. Population
of the town is about 3140. The parifh
of Cupar is an irregular fquare of 5
miles, divided into 2 parts by the river
Eden, the banks of which are covered
with numerous farm houfes, and or-
namented with elegant and ftately vil-
las. Carjlogis, the feat of Colonel Cle-
phane, is an ancient manfion. Garlie
Bank, the property of James Wemyfs,
Efq. of Winthank, is celebrated for
the treaty concluded en the 13th of
June 1559, between the Duke de Chat-
telherault, on the part of the Queen
regent, and the Earl of Argyll com-
manding the forces of the Congrega-
tion. The population of the parifh
(including the town of Cupar) in
1793, amounted to 3702; in 1801,
there were 4463 inhabitants in the
fame diftricl.
CUPTNSHAY, or COPINSHAY;
one of the Orkney iflands, about a
mile long, and half a mile broad. It
contains 2 or 3 families, making about
15 inhabitants. Adjoining to it lies
the Kirkholm of Copinfliay, feparated
by a reef, dry at low water, on which
are the ruins of an ancient chapel,
»and other religious houfes.
Cur, or Chur; a river in the dif-
tridt of Cowal in Argyllshire. It takes
its rife in the mountains which border
on Loch Goilhead ; its courfe for 2
miles is rough and rapid, forming, as
it defcends from the mountains, feve-
ral fine cafcades : when it comes into
the plains of Strachur, it runs fmooth-
ly, making a number of beautiful turns.
The banks are in general of an excel-
lent deep foil, partly of loam and clay,
but the crops are frequently much
damaged by the fudden riling of its
waters ; after a courfe of about 9 or
10 miles, it falls into Loch Eck, a lake
which communicates with the Frith of
Clyde by the river Eachaig.
CURRIE ; a parifh of Mid-Lothian,
about 6 miles W. of Edinburgh. Its
extent is about 5 or 6 miles in every
direction ; but from E. to W. it ad-
vances to 9 miles in length. The fitu-
ationis very elevated; Ravelrig, about
the middle of the parifh, is 800 feet a-
bove the level of the fea. This height,
and the vicinity to the Pentland hills,
renders it cold and damp. The foil is
a tough clay, which requires much cul-
tivation : about one third of the whole
is hill and mofs : the manure employed
is often brought from Edinburgh, but
lime is more generally ufed. The ri-
ver Leith takes its rife in the weftem
extremity of the parifh. Limeftone is
abundant, but is not wrought, as there
is no coal at a nearer diftance than 8 or
9 miles ; however, there is every rea-
fon to fuppofe, that while all the
neighbouring parifhes abound with it,
this alfo contains the feme mineral,
if proper trials were made. Freeftonc
abounds in the parifh, a quarry of
which has been wrought for building-
many houfes in the new town of Edin-
burgh. There is plenty of ironftone,
and a rich vein of copper. About a
mile from Currie village, is the ro-
mantic glen where Ramfay has laid
the fcene of the Gentle Shepherd;
(vide Glencross.) There is an old
cattle, called Lennox tower, faid to
have belonged to the family of Lennox,
and to have been occalionally the re-
lidence of Mary.
" When love was young, and Darnley
was kind. "
It has a fubterraneous pafTage to the
river, and has been a place of consider-
able ftrength ; the circumference of
the rampart is 912 feet. In 1793,
Currie contained 1300 inhabitants.
CUSHNIE ; a fmall parifh in Aber-
deenfhire, the form of which is fo ir-
regular, that no certain idea can be
given of its extent. Its furface is
mountainous and rocky, and from
being fituated at the head of a large
open glen, it is much expofed to fe^
vere winter ftorms. The foil is very
indifferent, in molt places inclining
to clay ; the hills are covered with
heath, and abound with game. There
are two fmall burns in the parifh, which
are well ftored with trout. The wo^
men, as in moft places of Aberdeen-
fhire, are employed in knitting ftock*