Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

BLACKHALL
blackhall, a station in Cambusnethan parish, Lanark-
shire, on the Morningside and Bathgate railway, 3j
miles NE of Morningside, and 10J SSW of Bathgate.
Blackhall, a village on the mutual border of St
Cuthbert's, Corstorphine, and Cramond parishes, Edin-
burghshire, on the road from Edinburgh to Queensferry,
2J miles W by K of Edinburgh. It has a head post
office, with telegraph department. Craigleith quarry,
St Cuthbert's workhouse, Blinkbonny, Ravelston House,
Craigcrook, and the eastern skirts of Corstorphine Hill
are in its vicinity.
Blackhall, an estate in Abbey parish, Renfrewshire,
adjacent to the SE side of Paisley. It gives appellation
to Sir Michael Rt. Shaw-Stewart, Bart, of Ardgowan
House, and was conferred on his ancestor, Sir John
Stewart, by King Robert III. The mansion on it,
about 1 mile SE of the centre of Paisley, is a plain,
strong, ancient pile, which after 1710 became a farm-
house, and is now deserted, roofless, and of very dismal
appearance. Lime works are on the estate.
Blackhall, a mansion on the N border of Strachan
parish, and an estate partly also in Banchory-Ternan
parish, Kincardineshire.
Blackhill, a quoad sacra parish, formed in 1878, mainly
out of Peterhead parish, Aberdeenshire, its church be-
ing 4 miles SW by W of Peterhead town. Its central
point is a hill of its own name, on the mutual border of
Peterhead, Longside, and Cruden parishes, which, ris-
ing 374 feet above sea-level, was formerly deemed so
worthless as to defy improvement ; but now is nearly
all under the plough, and also yields, in an extensive
quarry, large blocks of excellent syenite, of the kind
called popularly Peterhead granite. A public school, with
accommodation for 80 children, had (1879) an average
attendance of 43, and a grant of £34, 17s.
Blackhill, a place in Barony parish, Lanarkshire, on
the Monkland Canal, 2 miles E of Glasgow. The canal
here makes a rise of 96 feet ; and it effects the elevation
partly by two sets of four double locks, each set worked
independently of the other, and partly by an inclined
plane, with rails 1040 feet long, worked by steam-power
traction. The inclined plane was constructed, as a sup-
plement to the locks, in 1850 ; and it takes up empty
boats in caissons, thus making a vast saving of time
and water.
Black Hill, a hill in Crawfordjokn parish, Lanark-
shire, 2 miles WNW of Abington. It rises 1260 feet
above sea-level, and commands a fine view down the
Clyde. Two concentric artificial circles are traceable on
it, the inner one 34 yards in diameter, the outer one 58 ;
and they seem to have been a military station.
Blackhills, a hamlet in Skene parish, Aberdeenshire,
8 miles W of Aberdeen. An Independent chapel here
was built in 1802, and contains 235 sittings.
Blackhills, a mansion (Dav. Maxwell, Esq.) in Elgin
parish, Elginshire, 4| miles SE of Elgin town.
Blackhope, a mountain on the mutual border of Edin-
burgh and Peebles shires, and a rivulet in Heriot parish,
Edinburghshire. The mountain, Blackhope Scar, cul-
minates at the meeting-point of Temple, Heriot, and
Innerleithen parishes, and is the highest of the Moor-
foot Hills, rising 2136 feet above sea-level. The rivulet,
flowing from its NE shoulder, runs 3 miles north-east-
ward, and 1J south-south-eastward ; makes a confluence
with Ladyside Burn to form Heriot Water ; and, in some
sheltered pools, contains a fair store of trout.
Blackhouse, a range of mountains on the mutual
border of Selkirk and Peebles shires, and a ruined
baronial tower in Yarrow parish, Selkirkshire. The
range of mountains extends about 3J miles from NNE
to SSW ; has two principal summits nearly 2J miles
asunder, with altitudes of respectively 2332 and 2283
feet above sea-level; is conjoined, on the N, with another
range along the mutual boundary of the two counties,
having summit-altitudes of 2382 and 2249 feet above
sea-level ; throws down, from its Selkirkshire side, the
head-streams of Douglas Burn ; projects along the flanks
of that burn, high spurs with altitudes of 1717, 1378,
and 11S0 feet above sea-level ; and, together with these
162
BLACKLAW
spurs, forms an upland region, partly suited for sheep
pasture, but mainly of stern and savage aspect. This
region, from so early a period as the time of Malcolm
Ceannmor, belonged to the family of Douglas, and
appears to have been used by them as both a fastness
and a hunting-ground. The baronial tower stands on
the left side of Douglas Burn, 3J miles E of the moun-
tain watershed, 2i NNE of the foot of St Mary's Loch,
and 5 W by N of Yarrow Feus ; is thought to occupy
the site of some previous erection, occasionally inhabited
by Sir James Douglas, the friend and favourite warrior
of Robert Bruce ; may have been built by Sir James's
descendant, the first Earl of Douglas ; is traditionally
said to have been the place whence Lady Margaret
Douglas was abducted by her noble lover as commemo-
rated in the old ballad of the 'Douglas Tragedy;' and
appears to have been a square structure, with a circular
turret at one angle, flanking the entrance and carrying
up the staircase. Seven large stones near the tower are
said to mark the spot where seven brothers of Lady
Margaret, on their making pursuit, were slain by her
lover. The current tradition narrates that both she
and her lover were so injured that they died the same
night, and that —
' Lord William was buried in St Marie's kirk,
Lady Marg'ret in St Marie's quire ;
Out o' the lady's grave grew a red rose,
And out o' the knight's a brier.
And they twa met, and they twa plat,
As if full fain they would be near ;
Sue that a' the world might ken right weel
That they grew frae twa lovers dear.
But bye and rade the Black Douglas,
And wow but he was rough ;
For he pulled up the bonny brier,
And flung't in St Mary's Loch.'
Scott's steward and trusted friend, Wm. Laidlaw (17S0-
1850), was born at Blackhouse farm, and Hogg was shep-
herd to his father from 1790 to 1800.
Black Isle, the peninsula between the Beauly and
the Moray Firths and the Firth of Cromarty, compris-
ing parts of Ross, Cromarty, and Nairn shires. It con-
tains the parishes of Killearuan, Kilmuir-Wester, Knock-
bain, Avoch, Rosemarkie, Cromarty, Resolis, and Ur-
quhart ; and it consists largely over its north-western
portion of the broad based hill, Ardmeanach. It
constitutes a poor law combination, and has a poorhouse
with accommodation for 100 inmates. A project was
adopted at a public meeting at Fortrose, in October
1872, to form a line of railway, about 22 miles long,
through the Black Isle, from Muir of Ord to Cromarty.
Black-knowe, a mountain on the SW border of Ettrick
parish, Selkirkshire, on the E side of the upper part of
Ettrick Water, 2J miles SW of Ettrick village. It has
an altitude of 1804 feet above sea-level.
Black-knowe-Head, a mountain on the SW border of
Ettrick parish, Selkirkshire, between two small head-
streams of Ettrick Water, 2 j miles W by N of Black-
knowe. It has an altitude of 1938 feet above sea-level.
Black-knowe-Head, a mountain on the mutual border
of Kirkhope and Yarrow parishes, Selkirkshire, 3 miles
NNE of Tushielaw Inn. It has an altitude of 1S06 feet
above sea-level.
Black Lakes, small sheets of water in the NW of
of Lorn, Argyllshire, 3 miles E of Oban. Small trout
abound in them ; and four or five dozen, averaging |
pound, have frequently been taken in a day.
Blacklarg, a mountain on the mutual boundary of
Ayr and Dumfries shires, extending also into Kirkcud-
brightshire, and culminating nearly 7 miles SSE of
New Cumnock village. It adjoins other mountains of
the Southern Highlands ; has an altitude of 2231 feet
above sea-level ; and sends olf, to the NNW, the head-
streams of Afton Water.
Blacklaw. See Maenoch.
Blacklaw, a ruined tower of the Douglases of Fingland,
in Moffat parish, Dumfriesshire, near the left bank of
Evan Water, 2^ miles WNW of Moffat town. Behind
it rises Blacklaw Hill (907 feet), and Blacklaw Burn
runs by it to the Evan down a precipitous ravine. The