Gazetteer of Scotland

HA M
HAR
thefe ruins, on the other fide of the
Avon, is a fhewy building, in imita-
tion of ruin, planned by the elder
Adams, and executed in 1730 by the
Duke of Hamilton ; faid to have been
a reprefentation of the caftle of Cha-
telherault in Normandy, from which
the Dukes of Hamilton have the title
of Duke of Chatelherault in France.
In the park are fome of the ftatelieft
oaks in Scotland. Within the laft
century, the number of thele trees has
gradually diminilhed, many having
fallen through decay of age : fome,
however, ftill remain, which meafure
Upwards of 27 feet in girth. The park
is well flocked with fallow deer. A
little below Cadzow, on the fame fide
of the Avon, is Barncluitb, or rather
the remains of it ; it is much reforted
to by ftrangers, for the fine profpecl
it commands of the fine wooded
banks of the Anion, and the fertile
vales on the banks of the Clyde ; it
was formerly a villa, built in the
Dutch tafte, by one of the family of
Hamilton of Pencaithland, and orna-
mented with trimmed walks, with fan-
taftical evergreens, and terraces with
pavilions, and 3. jet d'eau, in the molt
favourable points of observation* The
parilh of Hamilton is of a fquare form,
about 6 miles in length, and the fame
in breadth, fituated in the center of
the middle ward of the county of
Lanark. It is watered by the Clyde
and Avon, over each of which there
are 3 bridges. On the banks of the
Clyde lie eXtenfive meadows and
holms, with a rich fertile foil ; the
ground rifes gradually to the S. W.
the higheft parts are about 600 feet
above the level of the fea, but with-
out forming any hills, or becoming
remarkably uneven ; the land is all
arable, except the fteep banks of the
Avon, fome fwampy meadows, and
thofe parts which are itili covered
with natural wood and plantations ;
the extent of which is confiderable,
though many acres have been lately
converted into corn fields. The foil is
in general good ; but, upon the whole,
this parifn is rather a beautiful than a
fertile country, and cultivation has
been more fuccefsful in beautifying
the fcenery, than in multiplying the
annual produce : this appears to be
produced by the extravagant height
to which the rents have been railed,
by which the energy of the fanner is
diminilhed. Coal is found in every
part, and is wrought in feveral places
in the neighbourhood of the town :
limeftone abounds in the upper part
of the pariih, and in one place it has
been wrought for upwards of a cen-
tury paft : in the lime works are found
petrified bivalvular and Ipiral fea ihells
in great variety ; and, in a bed of clay
above the lime, many of thefe are
found, which are fo fmall, as fcarcely
to be difcerned without the aid of a
microfcope : in this clay are frequent-
ly found fine fpecimens of fileceous
petrifactions of wood, fo hard as to
ftrike fire with fteel, and, at the fame
time, the component parts fo well
preferved, that the bark and veins of
the wood can be eafily diftinguifned i
freeftone and ironftone abound, and
many fprings contain iron in folution.
There are feveral beds of Jieatifes, or
rock foap, and clay of the fineft kind,
fit for the making of earthen ware :
feveral fprings contain calcareous earth
in folution, giving them a petrifying
property. The late Dr. William
Cullen, a phyfician " omni prceconio
major" was born here, and received
the firft rudiments of his education in
the town : here alfo he practifed for
fome time as a furgeon, till called forth
to the high ftation of teacher of medi-
cine in the univerfity of Edinburgh,
of which he was the chief ornament.
The late Mr. John Millar alfo, prO-
feffbr of law* in the univerfity of Glaf-
gow, and author of feveral excellent
historical works, was a native of this
pariftu Population in 1790, 5017.
HANDA ; a fmall ifland on the Wj
coaft of the county of Sutherland, fe-
parated from the mainland by a nar-
row found. It is a mile fquare, afford-
ing excellent pafture for a few fheep ;
towards the N. one perpendicular
rock of 80 or 100 fathoms prefents its
face to the fea ; the S. is lower, and
the afcent is gentle and eafy ; it is the
property of Lord Reay, who rents it
at about 12I. per annum.
HARRAY; a pariih in the ifland of
Pomona, in Orkney, united to the pa-
riih of Birfay ; it is 6 miles long, and
of irregular breadth, containing about
30 fquare miles ; it is interfered by
many rivulets defcending from the
hills, which renders the foil fwampy,
and liable to be deluged with the tor-
Dd