Gazetteer of Scotland

SKE
mod extenfive. It is watered by the I
North and South Calders ; and the J
Cramond and A-von have their fources
in it. The foil is chiefly clay, with a i
mixture of loam on the banks of the |
rivers. Till of late the appearance
was. bleak and barren ; but, by the
exertions of fome of the proprietors,
the greater part is enclofed, and be-
gining to affume a more fertile and
pleafant afpect. Coal and ironftone
are abundant; andthelatter iswrought
to a great extent at the Omoa iron
ivorks, on the eftate of Col. Dalrym-
ple of Cleland, and on the eftate of
Mr. David Young of Little-Hahjhaw.
Gavin Hamilton, Efq. of Murdie-
Jlon, the well known hiftorical painter,
is a native of this parifh, and pofieffes
a confiderable eftate in it. In 179?,
the population was 2041 ; decreafe
281 fmce 1755.
SHUNA ; a fmall ifland of Argyll-
fhire, which contains a quarry of ex-
cellent flate.
Shuriry (Loch) ; a fmall lake in
the county of Caithness, which gives
rife to the river Forfe.
SlDLA,SlDLAW,OrSUDLAW HlLLS;
a ridge of hills which extends in a di-
rection from W. to E. through the
counties of Perth and Angus, begin-
ning at Kinnoul, and terminating near
Brechin. This ridge forms the S. fide
of the valley of Strathnwre, and' re-
ceives its name from that circum-
ftance ; Sudlauis being the Gaelic
name iorfovth hills. The mountains
of the ridge are of various heights ;
but the elevation of the moft remark-
able, above the level of the fea, is as
follows: Dunjinnane, io2^\iett; King's
Seat, 1238 feet; Kinpurnie (on which
is an obfcrvatory), 1151 feet; and Sid-
law hill, 1406 feet.
SIMPRIN; a parifh in Berwick-
fbire, united to that of Swinton in
1 761 ; alfo a fmall village in that pa-
rilh. Vide Swinton.
S k A G G 1 a. ; a fmall river in Perth-
shire, which rifes in the parifh of
Monzie, and joins the Erne near Crieff.
SKARBA. Vide Scare A.
Skeen (Loch); a fmall lake in
Dumfries-fhire, about 1100 yards long,
and 400 broad, having a fmall ifland,
on which great numbers of eagles
breed. The waters iffuing from this
lake form a beautiful cafcade, called
the Cray mare's tail, in the neighbour-
SKI
hood of the town of Moffat. Vide
Moffat.
SKENE; a parifh in Aberdeen-
mire, of an oval form, 6 miles long,
and 3| broad, comprehending above
8000 iquare acres; 356 of which are
arable, 1640 pafture ground, 5 34 mofs,
and the remainder black rnuir. The
general appearance is hilly and rocky;
and, though the foil is exceedingly va-
rious, both in point of quality and
fertility, the moft predominant is that
of gravel. The loch of Skene is about
a mile long, and fomewhat more than
\ of a mile broad ; it abounds with
pike and eel. There is a confiderable
extent of plantation around the houfe
of Skene, the elegant refldence of Geo.
Skene, Efq. About a mile from the
church are evident traces of a rectan-
gular encampment ; and near thefe is
a very large cairn. In 1792, the po-
pulation was 1233 ; decreafe 18 fince
1755.
SKERRIES, or SKERRY ISLES ;
three fmall iflands of Shetland, lying
15 miles N. E. from the ifle of Whal-
fay, and nearly 20 from the Mainland.
In 1792, they contained 11 families,
or 70 inhabitants.
SKERRIES; a name applied to
certain low-lying rocky iilands, in
different parts of the Northern and
Weftern Ifles ; particularly Hell's
S kerries, Pent l and Skerries,&c^
See thefe articles.
Skiach (Loch); a fmall lake in
Perthshire, in the parifh of Little
Dunkeld; well ftored with excellent
trout.
SKIPNESS; a parifh in Argyll-
Shire, united to that of Saddel. Vide
Saddel and Skipness.
SKIRLING ; a parifh in the coun-
ty of Peebles, about i\ miles in length,
and nearly of the fame breadth ; con-
taining between 2000 and 3000 acres.
The general appearance is uneven ;
but none of the eminences deferve
the name of hills, and they are all
covered with verdure to the fummit.
The foil is in general light, and toler-
ably fertile ; but the crops, from the
high fituation, are liable to be affected
by the frcft towards the end of fum-
mer. The village of Skirling is fitu-
ated on the road from Edinburgh to
Leadhills, and is noted for 4 great
annual fairs. The caftle of Skirling
appears, from the veftiges of its walls^