Gazetteer of Scotland

STO
In which is an ifland and a building,
which is faid to have been a place for
depofiting the royal ftores ; whence
was derived the name of the diftrict.
Storemount, contracted Stormont.
STORNAWAY; a town and pa-
rifh in Rofs-fhire, in the ifland of
Lewis. The parifh is of very great
extent ; but the inhabited parts are
foraewhat of the figure of an ifofceles
triangle, two of the fides of which are
about 10 miles, and the remaining 7
miles long. The general appearance
is a flat muir, with a fmall extent of
cultivated land on the coafts, the foil
of which is generally a blackjfh mould,
not unfertile when properly drained
and manured. The extent of fea coaft
is about 35 miles, and the fhores are
partly fandy and partly rocky. The
principal bays are Broad bay, South
bay, Loch Stornaway, and Loch Grim-
Jbader ; and the headlands are Torjia-
J'eller Tiumpan, and Seller-heads. All
thefe bays afford tolerable anchorage
for veffels employed in the fifheries ;
but Loch Stornaway is particularly ex-
cellent: fhips of any burden have fuf-
"ficient water, good ground, and no
heavy fea can ever come into it. At
the head of this bay, upon a point or
nefs jutting into it, is built the town
of Stornaway ; which, from a fmall
origin, has, of late, by the exertions of
Lord Seaforth, arrived at a confider-
able fize and extent. The harbour of
Stornaway is excellent, and well fre-
quented ; and the principal fource of
employment is the profecution of the
white and herring fifheries in the bays,
in which about 35 or 40 fmall veffels
are annully fitted out. It is a port of
the • cuftcm-houfe, and has a poft-of-
fice and a regular packet, which fails
every week with the mail and paffen-
gers. The houfes in the town are in
general well built ; and, befides a neat
and commodious cuftom-houfe, there
is a town-houfe, an affembly-room, an
elegant church, and two commodious
fchool-houfes. The number of inha-
bitants in the town is about 760. On
an elevated fituation near the town,
ftands Seaforth-Lodge, the refidence of
Lord Seaforth, the proprietor of the
ifland, when he comes to viflt his
eftates. The number of cattle in the
parifh is 7440, fheep 2576, and horfes
556. In 1798; the population was
3639 , increaie 837 fincc 1755.
STR
STOURHOLM ; a fmall ifland of
Shetland, lying on the N. fide of Main-
land, and pariih of Northmaven.
STOW ; a parifh fituated in the
fouthern part of Mid-Lothian, and
comprehending a fmall part of Sel-
kirkshire. It extends about 15 miles
in length, and on average 5 in breadth,
containing 37,500 fquare acres, of
which 3700 are under culture. The
furface is hilly, and interfered by nu-
merous ftreams, which fall into the
Gala and the Tweed. The whole
diftrict is well adapted for the pafture
of fheep, of which there are computed
to be about 2,1,000. In 1792, the po-
pulation was about 140© ; increafe
ig6 fmce 1755.
STRACAT HRO\ Vide Stricka-
THROW.
STRACHAN. Vide Strathaen.
STRACHUR and STRALACH-
LAN; an united parifh in Argyllfhire,
in the diftrict of Cowal, about 18 miles
long, and from 3 to 6 broad, lying on
the S. W. bank of Loch Fyne, and wa-
tered by the river Chur, which falls
into Loch EJk in this parifh, which
again empties itfelf by the river Each-
aig into the Frith of Clyde. The ge-
neral appearance is hilly, affording ex-
cellent pafture for ?fheep and black
cattle ; but there are confiderable fields
of arable land on the banks of Loch
Fyne; and the floping fides of the hills
are finely covered with wood, both
natural and planted, the cutting of
which every twentieth year is esti-
mated at 6000I. fterling. In the hills
are feveral remarkable caves ; as alio
obeliiks, watch-towers, and other re-
mains of antiquity. The number of
fheep is about 12,280, of black cattle
1000, and of horfes 175. Cajile-Lach-
lan, the feat of Donald Maclachlan,
Efq. is an elegant building, near the
fite of the old caftle of the fame name,
Strachur-Park is alfo an elegant mo-
dern manfion, the feat of General
Campbell of Strachur, the chief of
the clan Macarthur. In 1791, the
population was 1061 ; decreafe 13 a
fince 1755.
STRAGLASS ; a diftrict. in Inver-
nefs-fnire.
STRAITON ; a parifh in Ayrfhire,
about 15 miles in length from N. W.
to S. E., and 5 in breadth, compre-
hendinga fuperficiesof 75 fquare miles.
The greater part of the pariih is only