Gazetteer of Scotland

POR
FOR
PORTO-BELLO& BRICKFIELD ;
two thriving villages, about 3 miles
S. E. of Edinburgh, on the coaft of
the Frith of Forth. The inhabitants
carry on a coniiderable trade in making
fait, ftone-ware, and tiles ; and a num-
ber of neat and commodious dwellings
have been erected for bathing quarters,
for which the agreeable foftnefs of the
adjacent fandy beach, the purity of
the air, and the convenience of the
road from Edinburgh to Muffelburgh,
are obvious recommendations.
PORT-PATRICK; a town and
parifh in Wigtonfhire, fituated on the
coaft of the Irifli fea ; being the neareft
point of Great Britain to Ireland, and
the beft place for croffing from one
kingdom to the other, the diftance
being only %\ miles. The parifh is
about 4 \ miles fquare, and the greater
part is muiry, and abounding with
extenfive modes. The furface is un-
even and hilly, the higher! eminence,
the Cairnpat, being elevated 800 feet
above the fea level. The town of
Port-Patrick is delightfully fitu-
ated, with a fine fouthern expofure,
• and furrounded on the other fides by
a ridge of fmall hills, in the form of
an amphitheatre. It is an excellent
bathing quarter, and is much fre-
quented during the fummer months.
Formerly the harbour was fmall and
incommodious, being a mere inlet be-
tween the two ridges of rock that
projected into the fea ; and the vefiels
were fo much expofed, that to fhelter
them from the waves, it was neceffary
to draw them by great exertions up
the beach. There is iioav one of the
iineft quays in Britain, with a reflect-
ing light-honfe ; and 4 elegant packet
boats regularly fail betwixt this port
and Donaghadee, on the Irifli fide,
with the mail and paffengers ; and
mail coaches are now eftablifhed from
Edinburgh and London to Port-Pa-
trick, and from Dublin to Donagha-
dee. Since the erection of the harbour,
and the eflablifhment of the regular
paffage-boats, the town and its com-
merce have greatly increafed. No
more than 40 years ago, the number
of inhabitants was only about 100 ;
and, in 1790, there were 512; and,
inftead of a few fmall floops and fifli-
ing boats, a number of confiderable
trading veffels belong to the tovfn.
The principal trade carried on is the
j importation of black cattle and horfes
J from Ireland ; and, by the average of
the laft 5 years ending 1790, it is com-
puted that about ii,oqo head of black
cattle, and 2000 horfes, are annually
imported at this harbour. The great
improvements of the town and har-
bour are chiefly to be attributed to
the exertions of the late Sir James
Hunter-Blair. The caftle of Dim/key,
the property of Sir David Hunter-
Blair, ftands on the brink of a tre-
mendous precipice, on the coaft of
the Irifh fea, and has been fecured on
the land fide by a ditch and draw-
bridge, the remains of which are ftill
vifible. Before the invention of artil-
lery, it muft have been impregnable.
In 1790, the parifh contained 996 in-
habitants ; increafe 445 fince 1755.
PORTREE ; a parifh in Invernefs-
fhire, in the ifland of Sky, including
the iflands of Raafay and Ronay. It
extends about 9 miles in length, and
3 in breadth, containing an area of a-
bout 41,900 fquare acres. The fur-
face is agreeably diverfified with hills,
valleys, and plains: the coaft, on the
found which feparates Sky from the
mainland, is very rugged, and nearly
perpendicular, riling, particularly to-
wards the N., to a ftupendous height.
The principal hill is called Ait fuidlx
Finn, " Fingai's fitting-place," which
rifes in a conical fhape to a great ele-
vation. There are feveral frefh water
lakes, particularly Loch Fad and Loch
Leathern give rife to two fmall rivu-
lets which abound with falmon, the
water of Loch Leathan forming a beau-
tiful cafcade when it iflues from the
lake. In the rocks are many caves
of great extent, fome of which are
covered with ftala&ycal incruftations.
The greater part of this parifh is
more adapted for pafture than til-
lage ; but a confiderable extent is ca-
pable of being rendered fertile, were
it not for the llovenly mode of agri-
culture which univerfdiy prevails in
the Highlands. The plough is but
little ufed ; the cafcroim or crooked
fpade being the only inftrument ufed
by the ordinary clafs of tenants. The
town of Portree is fmall, but thriving,
and admirably adapted for trade, and
profecuting the fifheries. It has two
fairs for cattle, in May and July,
which are the beft attended of any in
the Highlands. Its harbour is capa*