Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 3

GLENSALACH
GLENSHIEL
the lowest possible outlet, which is the col at Mnckall
above Loch Laggan. See K. Chambers' Ancient Sca-
ilargins (1848), and Prof. Tyndall's Lecture in the
Popular Science Kcvieio (1876), with authorities there
citei.—Ord. Siir., sh. 63, 1873.
Glensalach, a glen in Ardchattan parish, Argyllshire,
extending 5i miks north-north-westward from Loch
Etive, near Ardchattan House, to Loch Creran, near
Barcaldiue. It takes down the last 9 furlongs of the
EsEAGAN to the former sea-inlet, and 4J miles of the
Dearg Abhainn to the latter, the ' col ' between these
streams having an altitude of 516 feet. — Old. Sur., sh.
45, 1S76.
Glensanda. See Castle-Mearnaig.
Glensannox, a glen in the NE of Arran, Buteshire,
commencing among the stupendous western buttresses
of Goatfell at an altitude of 1680 feet, and winding
round the northern skirts of that mountain 3J miles
east-north-eastward, till it opens to the Sound of Bute
at Sannox hamlet, 7 miles N of Brodick. The grandest
glen in Arran, surpassed in all Scotland by only Glencoe
and Coruisk, it was pronounced by Dr Macculloch ' the
sublime in magnitude, simplicity, obscurity, and silence. '
Near its mouth is the burying-ground of a small pre-
Keformation monastery ; and a barytes manufactory was
established in it in 1839.— Orrf. Sur., sh. 21, 1870.
Glensassmm, a little glen in the E of FortingaU parish.
Perthsliire, 3 miles S bj- W of Kinloch Rannoch. Its
name, signifying the ' Englishman's glen, ' arose from
the fact that during the War of Independence, a body
of English passed this way to meet an opposing force of
Robert Bruce at Innerhadden. — Ord. Sur., sh. 55, 1869.
Glensas, a burn of Peebles parish, rising in the S of
its Selkirkshire section at an altitude of 2100 feet above
sea-level, and running 6J miles north-north-eastward,
till, after a total descent of nearly 1600 feet, it falls into
the Tweed, at a point 1| mile ESE of Peebles town. It
stands in high repute as a trouting stream. — Ord. Sur.,
sh. 24, 1864.
Glenshant. See Glenkosie.
Glenshee, a hamlet, a glen, and a quoad sacra parish
in Kirkmichael parish, KW Perthshire. The hamlet,
Spittal of Glenshee, lies 1125 feet above sea-level, at the
head of the glen, 6J miles SSW of the meeting-point
with Aberdeen and Forfar shires, 31 NE of Pitlochrie,
and 20 N by W of Blairgowrie, under which it has a
post office. Formerly a stage on the great military
road from Perth to Fort George, it was a halting place
for refreshment of the Queen and Prince Albert, on the
earliest occasions of their journeying to and from Bal-
moral (1848) ; and it has a good inn, and a fair on the
third "Tuesday of October o. s. The glen, commencing
at the convergence of Glenbeg, Glenhaitneich, and Glen-
lochy, in the vicinity of the hamlet, is traversed by the
Shee or Black Water, flowing 14| miles south-by-east-
ward through Kirkmichael and along the border of Alyth
and detached sections of Caputh, Rattray, Bendochy,
and Blairgowrie, till at Strone House, 6 miles NNW
of Blairgowrie town, it unites with the Ardle to form
the Erich t, having in this course descended from 1125
to 480 feet above sea-level. Glenshee takes up the pub-
lic road from Blairgowrie, through grand mountain
scenery, onward to the Cairnwell Pass into Aberdeen-
shire ; contains three old castles, a famous rocking stone,
and numerous cairns and ancient Caledonian stone
circles ; and has, at its head, the mountain Ben
Ghulbhuinn (2641 feet). The quoad sacra parish com-
prises the Kirkmichael or upper portion of the glen, and
is in the presbytery of Dunkeld and synod of Perth and
Stirling ; the minister's stipend is £120. Its church,
at the hamlet, was built as a chapel of ease in 1831 for
a population of 400, and contains nearly 400 sittings.
A public school stands If mile SSE. Pop. of g. s. parish
(1871) 241, (1881) 226.— Ord. Sur., sh. 56, 1870.
Glenshee, the glen of the upper part of Shochie Bum,
in E central Perthshire, commencing 4i miles E by S of
Amulree, and descending 7 miles east-south-eastward,
chiefly along the mutual border of Auchtergaven and
Moneydie parishes on the left, and the detached sections
of Redgorton and Monzie parishes on the right. — Ord.
Sur., sh. 47, 1869.
Glensheil. See Glenshiel.
Glenshellish, an estate, with a modern mansion, in
Strachur parish, Argyllshire, 3J miles NNE of the
village.
Glensherrig or Glenshurtg, a romantic glen in the E
of Arran, Buteshire, descending 2J miles east-north-
eastward to Glenrosie at Brodick church. — Ord. Sur.,
sh. 21, 1870.
Glenshiel, a Highland parish of SW Ross-shire, con-
taining Clunie and Shiel inns, the former of which,
standing 2J miles above the head of Loch Clunie, is 52
rnOes SW of Inverness, 25 WSW of Invermoriston on
Loch Ness, 22 WNW of Invergarry on Loch Oich, 12
ESE of Shiel Inn at the head of salt-water Loch Duich,
21 ESE of Glenelg on Sleat Sound, and 28 ESE of Bal-
macarra on Loch Alsh. The parish is bounded NW by
Kyle Rhea Strait and Loch Alsh, dividing it from the
Isle of Skye, N by Loch Duich and Kintail, and on all
other sides by Inverness-shire, viz., NE by Kilmorack,
E by Kiltarlity, S by Kilmonivaig, and SW by Glenelg.
Its utmost length, from WNW to ESE, is 24 miles ; its
width varies between 5J furlongs and 9^ miles ; and its
land area is 57,320 acres. Loch a' Bhealaich (| x J mile ;
1242 feet) lies just beyond the northern border, in Kin-
tail ; and the northern part of Glenshiel is drained by the
clear-flowing Croe, formed by two head-streams at an al-
titude of 180 feet, and running 5J miles north-westward
and westward through Glen Lichd and along the Kin-
tail border to the head of Loch Duich ; whilst the river
Lyne, with its expansion, Loch Lyne, winds 7J miles
eastward along the southern boundary on its way to the
Clunie. The river Shiel, rising on Sgurr Coire na
Feinne, close to the southern border, at 2900 feet above
sea-level, runs If mile north-north-eastward, then 8J
miles north-westward, till below Shiel Bridge it falls into
the head of Loch Duich. Hill Burton describes its glen —
' a narrow valley, pierced by the deep, roaring torrent,
with precipitous mountains rising on either side to a
vast height, and only to be crossed by rugged winding
footpaths, unknown except to the natives.' Also on
Sgurr Coire na Feinne, within 5 furlongs of the Shiel,
the Climie rises at 2500 feet, thence running 1§ mile
north-north-eastward, next 5J miles east-by-northward
and east-south-eastward to the head of Loch Clunie
(4| mUes X ^ mile ; 606 feet), whose upper and broader
IJ mile belongs to Glenshiel parish. Thus on the self-
same mountain these two streams have their source —
the Shiel flowing towards the Atlantic, the Clunie
towards the Moray Firth ; which shows that here is the
very Dorsum Britannice, the backbone of Scotland.
And truly the scenery is grandly alpine, chief summits
eastwards to N of the Shiel and the Clunie being Sgurr
na Moraich (2870 feet), pyramidal Sgurr Fhuaran or
Scour Ouran (3504), *Beinn Fhada or Ben Attow (3383),
*Sgivrr a' Bhealaich (3378), and *Garbh ieac (3673) ; to
S, *Sgurr Mhic Bharraich (2553), the 'Saddle (3317),
*Aonach air Chrith (3342), and Creag a' Mhaim (3102),
where asterisks mark those heights that culminate right
on the confines of the parish. Up Glen Clunie and
down Glen Shiel runs the old military road from Fort
Augustus, with a summit-level of 889 feet — a height
exceeded by that of the pass (1500 feet) between Strath-
atfi-ic and Shiel inn, and of the Ratagan Pass (1072)
between Shiel inn and Glenelg. The western division
consists of Letterfearn district, extending from the foot
of Glenshiel proper to Kyle Rhea, and exhibiting a
charming mixture of vale and upland, gentle slopes
along Lochs Alsh and Duich, bold headlands, precipitous
ravines, rocky eminences, cultivated fields, and clumps
of natural wood. Gneiss, occasionally alternating ^uth
mica slate, is the predominant rock ; a coarse-grained
granite, of a reddish hue, occurs on the shores of Loch
Clunie ; and two beds of limestone, very impure in
quality, are in the S of Letterfearn. The soil, in the
arable parts near the sea is generally a coarse gravel, and
in the best parts of the bottoms of the glens, is vegetable
mould incumbent on gravel and sand. A spot in Glen-
195