Gazetteer of Scotland

JUR
fituation, fanned by breezes. It coa-
tained only about 750 inhabitants
when vifked by Mr. Pennant; but, in
5793, the numbers were 1387. The
inhabitants, like the reft of the High-
landers, are addicted to fuperftition,
and have their diftinct clans. The
Gaelic is the only language fpoken in
the ifland. The proprietors are the
Duke of Argyll, Mr. Macneil of Colon-
fay, and Mr. Campbell of Shawfield.
JURA and COLONSAY ; a parifh
of Argyllshire, compofed of 9 iflands,
of which the ifland of Jura is the
largeft ; the iflands of Colonsay and
GRANSAY, of SCARBA, Ll'NGA, BAL-
JUR
nAhuaigk, with 3 fmall uninhabited
ifles on the N. of Jura, form ths reft
of the diftric~t. The population had
increafed 1220 from 1755, notwith-
standing the emigrations to America.
In 1793, the numbers were thus :
Jura, - 1387
Colonfayand Oranfay, - - 718
Balnahuaigh, 132
Scarba and Lunga, - - - - 79
Total, - - 2316
erroneoufly ftated in the Index of the
1 2th volume of the Statiftical Accounts
j at i8?8.
K
RAM
KAIL, or Kale ; a river in Rox-
burghshire. It takes its rife in
the parifh of Oxnam, in the border
hills, and ruris meandering through
a fine plain, in the parifhes of Hounam
and Morbattle, till it enters the pariih
of Eckford ; then it becomes confined
between riling banks, runs more ra-
pidly, till it falls into the Teviot a
little below Eckford kirk, about 17
miles from its fource. It contains a
delicious red trout; and, as the banks
of the river are little encumbered with
wood, the angler meets with no an-
noyance in the purfuit of his diverfion.
The vale through which it runs is
noted for a particular breed of fheep,
called the Kail-water breed, which
is much admired.
KALLIGRAY, or CALLIGRAY ;
one of the Hebrides, in the diftridt of
Harris. Vide Call i gray.
Kame of Mathers ; -an ancient
ruin in the parifh of Ecclefgreig, in
Kincardinefhire, formerly a place of
great ftrength, being erected on a per-
pendicular and peninfulated rock, 60
feet above the fea, at the mouth of a
fmall rivulet. It was" built in confe-
quence of a murder committed in the
reign of James I. ; and the circum-
llance deferves to be recorded, as it
affords a fpecimen of the barbarity of
the times.- Mfilville, fheriff of Kin-
KEI
cardinefhire, had, by a rigorous exer-
cife of his authority, rendered himfelf
fo very obnoxious to the gentlemen
of the county, that they had made re-
peated complaints to the king. On
the laft of thefe occafions, thr king,
in a fit of impatience, happened to
fay to Barclay of Mathers, " Sorrow,
gif 'he were fodden, and flipped hi brie"
Barclay inftantly withdrew, and re-<
ported to the other gentlemen the
king's words, which they refolved li-
terally to fulfil. Accordingly, the
confpirators invited the unfufpedting
Melvill to a hunting party, in the fo-
reft of Garvock, where, having a fire
kindled, and a caldron of water boil-
ing on it, they ruffled to the fpot,
ftripped the fheriff naked, and threw
him headlong into the boiling veffel \
after which, on pretence of fulfilling
the royal mandate, each took a fpoon-
ful of the broth. After this cannibal
fraft, Barclay, to fcreen himfelf from
the vengeance of the king, built this
fortrefs, which, before the invention
of gunpowder, muff have been im-
pregnable. Some of the confpirators
were afterwards pardoned.
KEARN ; a parifh in Aberdeen-
ihire, united to that of Forbes. Vide
Forbes and Kearn.
KEIG ; a parifh in Aherdeenfhire,
of nearly a circular figure, from 3 to