Gazetteer of Scotland

HOW.
the Cheviot hills, is the march. The
furface is hilly and mountainous, but
the pafture is excellent ; and this pa-
rifh is noted for a particular breed
of fheep, cilled the Kale-water breed,
from a ftreana of that name which runs
through the middle of the diftrict.
The Roman road from Boroughbridge
in Yorkfnire, towards the Lothians,
can be diftinctly traced in this parifh
for 5 miles : there are the remains of
a rectangular encampment on the furn-
mit'of Hounam Law, one of the higher!
of the border hills. Population in
2791, 365.
HOUSE ; a fmall ifland in Shetland,
united by a bridge to the ifland of
Barra. It lies in the parifh of Bref-
laty, and contains nearly 150 inhabit-
ants ; it is 3 miles long, and about
half a mile broad.
HOUSTON and KILLALLAN.
Thefe united parifhes lie in the coun-
ty of Renfrew, and extend about 6
miles in length, and 3 in breadth. The
furface is confiderably broken with
rocky eminences, which are fcantily
covered with a coarfe benty grafs, fit
for fheep pafture : the low ground is
in general fertile, being partly loam,
and partly clay : an extenlive mofs of
many hundred acres occupies the
weftern diftrict. There is a neat vil-
lage called Neiu-Houjlon, or He-iv's-
town, built near the fite of the old vil-
lage, of the fame name. It contains
about nearly 300 inhabitants, who are
chiefly employed in the cotton manu-
facture. An extenfive bleachfield is
lately erected in the neighbourhood
of the village. The manfion-houfes of
Houjton, the property of Mr. Fleming;
of Barocban, the feat of Mr. Boyd ;
and Elder/lie, the feat of Mr. Spiers ;
are furrounded with considerable ex-
tent of wood, both natural and plant-
ed. There is abundance of limeftone,
and feveral quarries of excellent free-
ftone. Befides the old caftle of Houf-
ton, which is an ancient fortification,
there are feveral remains of antiquity,
particularly feveral fepulchral monu-
ments adjoining the church ; and in
the neighbourhood are feveral cairns,
which have been found to contain
ftone coffins enclofmg human bones
and allies. Population in 1790, 1034.
How an Sound; a ftrait of the
Orkneys, between the iflands of Eglif-
bav and Roufay.
HUM
HOY; a considerable ifland of tile
Orkneys, lying S» of the Mainland,
and W. from S. Ronaldfhay. It is
about 9 or 10 miles long, and, in ge-
neral, is about 6 broad ; its furface h
very hilly, and the mountains are fo
encumbered with huge rocks, as to
be almoft inacceffible ; and one of
thefe is calculated to be about a mile
of perpendicular height above the level
of the Tea - : The arable land is ill cal-
culated for cropping ; and, indeed, the
great employment of the inhabitants,
is the breeding and rearing of fheep.
The dwarfic Jione, a remarkable relic
of antiquity, is in this ifland ; it mea-
fures 32 feet in length, 16^ in breadth,
and j\ in height, hollowed in the in-
fide into feveral apartments. A very
rich ore of lead was difcovered here
fome time ago, and a portion of it af-
fayed by Dr. Black of Edinburgh j
and it appeared, that befides the lead,
a ton of ore contained about 46 ozs»
of filver. Population about 250.
HOY and GRiEMSAY; a parifh
in Orkney, comprehending the iflands
of Hoy and Gr^msay. See thefe
articles.
HUMBIE ; a parifh in the county
of Haddington. It forms nearly a
fquare of 6 miles, interfered in two
places by the parifhes of Fala and
Soutra. The furface is uneven, and
the high grounds are well adapted
for fheep pafture: attempts have been
made to raife crops upon thofe parts
where the foil is naturally good ; but,
though fkill and induftry have occa-
fionally fucceeded, the expence, ex-
pofure, and climate, point out paftur-
age as the moft proper and profitable
fyftem : in the low grounds the foil is
various, and is generally cultivated
with great attention aud ability. A-
bout 300 acres are covered with oak
and birch plantation, and the trees
are in a very thriving condition. The
parifh is watered by feveral fmall
rivulets, which contain a few trout,
and are fufficient to drive confiderable
machinery. There is abundance of
iron ore ; and many places indicate
the exiftenceof coal: one of the fprings
contains iron, and is impregnated
ftrongly with the aerial acid. On the
S. W. border are the diftinct veftiges
of a Roman military ftation, many of
the ftones of which have been lately
carried off to build the manfion-houfs