Gazetteer of Scotland

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man reported to the voyagers the
wonders he had feen. They vifited
the ifl and ; and, an account of it was,
by Sir Jofeph Banks, communicated
to Mr. Pennant, who publifi led it in
Jus " Tour to the Hebrides." Since
that time it has been vifited by innu-
merable naturalifts, who have publifh-
«d accounts of it in their different
works ; of thefe we may principally
mention Mons. Faujas de St. Fond, and
Dr. Garnett. We have been more mi-
nute than ufual in the notice of this
ifland; as it is, to ufe the words of the
laft tourift, " undoubtedly the great-
eft natural curioiity in Europe, if not
in the world."
STAIR ; a parifh in Ayrfhire, a-
bout 6 miles long by 2 broad, lying
on the banks of the river Ayr. The
foil is in general a deep clay, but is
loamy on the fides cf the river: the
whole is enclofed, and well cultivated.
The chief feats are Stair, the feat of
General Stewart ; Barjkimming, the
feat of Lady Miller of Glenlee ; Dron-
gan, the feat of Mr. Smith ; and Gad-
girtb-cajlle, the feat of Mr. Steel. The
parifh of Stair is exceedingly well fup-
plied with coal from 3 extenfive coal-
cries. On the lands of Dalmore, fpe-
cimens of antimony and copper have
been found ; and on the fame lands a
confiderable quantity of plumbago or
black lead has been difcovered, which
has been found to anfwer all the pur-
pofes of that found in Cumberland.
This parifh alfo affords thofe hones,
known by the name cf the water of
Ayrjlones. In 1791, the population
was 518 ; increafe 149 fmce 1755.
Stalk (Loch) ; a lake in Suther-
landfhire, in the parifh of Edderachylis,
two miles long, and half a mile broad,
giving rife to the river of Laxford.
STANLEY ; a confiderable village
in Perthshire, lying partly in the pa-
rifh of Auchtergaven, and partly in
that of Redgorton, famous for the ex-
tenfive cotton-fpinning machinery, e-
recled by a company of gentlemen,
on the eftate of the Duke of Athol.
In 179;, the village contained about
520 inhabitants.
STAXIGOE ; a fmall village with
a harbour, in Cakhnefs, near the town
of Wick, built on the eftate of Mr.
Dunbar of Hempriggs.
STEKNESS ; a parifh in the ifland
©f Pomona, in Orkney, united with
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the parifh of Firth. In 1793, tfie
population of the united parifh was
1186 ; increafe 78 fmce 1755.
Stenness (Loch ) ; a fmall lake
in Orkney, in the above parifh, noted
for a remarkable caufeway or high-
way over it, forming a communica«
tion between two druidical temples.
STENTON ; a parifh in Hadding-
tonfhire, about 3-5 milts long, and 3
broad ; but there is a narrow fcripe
of muiry land, which extends S. into
Berwickfhire to the banks of the
Whittadder. The face of the country-
is open and beautiful ; and the great-
er part is enclofed. The foil is ex-
ceedingly various : it lies moftly upon
freeftone and gravel. Around the vil-
lage of Stenton the ground is very
ftony, and the fmall ftones lie fo thick
upon the ground, that in fome fpots,
when harrowed, fcarce any foil is to
be feen ; and yet, in the fields, the
crops are generally good, and often
luxuriant, in 17 91, the population
was 624 ; decreafe 7 fmce 1755.
STEVENSTON ; a parifh in Ayr-
fhire, lying on the northern fhore of
the bay of Ayr. Its form is a kind of
irregular fquare, 2~| miles in length,
and nearly the lame breadth ; but the
fandy ground extends about 2^ miles
farther S. along the coaft, terminat-
ing at the mouth of the river Irvine.
The whole extent of coaft is flat and
fandy ; affording no harbour, except
at the northern extremity at Salt-
coats, and at the fouthern extremity
at the harbour of Irvine, The fur-
face of the parifh is divided into two
diftricts of nearly equal extent ; the
fandy level plain on the coaft, and
the enclofed and cultivated land in the
interior diftrict : thefe are feparated
from each other by a ridge of rocky
ground, now almoft covered with
foil. In the latter diftrict the foil is
moftly clay, with fome fields of gra-
velly loam. The town of Stcvenjfon
is fituated nearly in the center of the
pariih, built on the elevated rocky
ridge, and commanding an extenfive
and delightful profpeel; of the whole
bay of Ayr, with the diftant ifland of
Arran, and the conical rock of Aifla.
In 1792, it contained 1019 inhabit-
ants. At the northern border of the
parifh ftands the thriving town of
Saltcoats, lying partly in the parifh of
Ardrujjan; (vide Saltcoats.) There