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Gazetteer of Scotland

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(456) [Page 414] -
ROX
tieron and the I/Ja ; and Major Alex-
ander Duff has lately built an elegant
and commodious refidence on the e-
ftate of Mayer. About a furlong Nv
of the houfe of Rothiemay, is a pretty-
entire druidical temple. In 1794, the
population was 11 25; decreafe 75 fince
*755«
ROTHIEMURCHUS ; a parifh in
Jnvernefs-fhire, united to the parifh
of Duthil in Moray fhire. Vide
Duthil and Rothiemurchus.
R O U S A Y ; one of the Orkney
iflands, about 9 miles long, and 4
broad, lying to the N. W. of the
Mainland. It is altogether a range of
hills, with fome ftripes of arable land
on the coaft. The foil is good ; and,
if well cultivated, would yield abund-
ant crops ; the hilly ground is cover-
ed with heath, and abounds with
game. There are feveral fmall lakes,
from which a number of rivulets take
their rife. It is, upon the whole, one
of the moil pleafant of the Orkney
ifies. Around it there are fafe har-
bours for Ihipping ; and the inhabit-
ants profecute the fifheries with great
diligence. In 179a, there were 77a
inhabitants.
ROUSAYandEGLISHAY; an
united parifh of the Orkneys, com-
prehending the iflands Rousay, Eg
ROX
and W. divifions of the county are
mountainous ; but the E. and S. are
upon the whole flat and fertile. The
whole abounds with the moft roman-
tic fcenery ; exhibiting in every part
the rough appearance of hills, moffes,
and mountains, interfperfed, however,
with narrow valleys, in which run nu-
merous ftreams, long fince familiar to
us from paftoral defcription. Befides
the Tweed, the Teviot, and the Liddal,
it is watered by the Ale, the Jed, the
SHttrick, the Rule, and the Kail, which
difcharge themfelves into the Tweed ;
and the Hermitage, Tweeden, Tin?iis,
Kerjhofe, and Blackburn, which, with
the Liddal, difcharge themfelves into
the head of the Sol-way Frith. In this
county alfo arife the rivers Tyne and
Coquet, which, entering the Englifh
lands, fall into the fea ; the one at Tyne-
mouth, and the other near Coquet iile.
The chief mountains are the Cheviot
and Cockraw, which are fituated in
the " Debateable land ;" the property
of which was formerly difputed by
the Scots and Englifh borderers, but
adjudged to Scotland at the Union.
Roxburghfliire contains one royal bo-
rough, viz. Jedburgh ; and feveral
considerable towns, as Kelfo, Hawick,
Melrofe, Cafllctown, and the final], but
ancient town of Roxburgh, which is
iishay, Weir, and Inhallow, with j the feat of the courts; though its pri-
a fmall holms or uninhabited iflets. In ! vileges as a royal burgh have long
1792, the population was 107a; in- 1 fince been transferred to Jedburgh.
creafe 94 fince 1755. Roxburghfhire is divided into 31 pa-
ROW; a parifh in Dumbartonfhire, | rochial diftricts, which, by the returns
lying upon Loch Gair, and the Frith j made to Sir John Sinclair, between
of Clyde. It is about 14 miles long,
and 3 broad ; and the furface is in ge-
neral hilly, the ground rifing gradu-
ally from the E. The foil is moftly
light, and, when properly cultivated,
abundantly fertile. The hills are
green, and afford good pafture to up-
wards of 5000 fhcep. In 1791, the
population was about 10.00 ; increafe
347 fince 1755.
ROXBURGHSHIRE is of an irre-
the years 1790 and 1798, contained
32,020 inhabitants ; increafe 747 fince
1755. But it is only of late that the
population has increafed ; for, before
the Union, this fhire was much more
populous, and, on account of the fort
of predatory war carried on between
the Scots and Englifh, it rendered
them inured to military difcipline ;
and, it is faid that they were fo alert,
that this and the neighbouring fhire
gular figure; the greateft extent of j of Berwick, could, in 24 hours, pro-
which, in every direction, is about 30
miles. It is bounded on the N. by
Berwickshire ; on the E. and S. by
the Englifh border ; and on the W.
by Dumfries and Selkirkfhives. It
comprehends the ancient diftricts of
Tcvtotdale and Liddifdale ; fo named
from' the rivers Teviot and Liddal,
1 1 iun through them. The N.
duce 10,000 men on horfeback, 'well
armed and accoutred. But the Union,
as obferved by the rev. Mr. Somerville
of Jedburgh, " has, in fome refpects,
produced an effect very different from
what might have been expected from
it. Inftead of promoting the increafe,
it has contributed to the diminution
of the people on the borders. Befidys,

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