Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 3

GREENAN
system, Boat of Garten being distant from the head-
quarters of the line 101 miles. Turning back to Craigel-
lachie station, the Morayshire railway there branches
otf, crossing the Spey by a viaduct of four spans — three
of 57 and one of 200 feet— on stone piers supported on
concrete foundations, carried far down below the river's
bed, with lattice girders of 17J feet depth over the main
span. Dandaleith station is | mile from the viaduct,
and at Rothes (3 miles) the line leaves the Spey and
follows the Glen of Rothes, by some thought to have
beeu originally the com'se of the larger river. Near
Rothes tliere is a branch of the railway to Orton, now
disused, and affording a junction with the Highland
railway at Boat of Bridge. The romantic valley of the
Rothes is traversed for a considerable distance before
another station is reached, this being Longmorn, 9f
mQes from Craigellaclue, and 3 miles further the cathe-
dral town of Elgin is reached. The town, however, has
its principal railway connection E and "W by means of
the Highland railway. Proceeding northwards, the
Morayshire line passes the Castle of Spynie, a picturesque
ruin, on the borders of the loch of Spynie, formerly an
arm of the sea, and now almost entirely reclaimed and
converted into fertile farms. At an expenditure of about
£20,000, land to the extent of 762 acres has been brought
fi'om the sea to cultivation. The railway terminates at
Lossiemouth, on the coast, 5 J miles from Elgin, ISJ from
the junction at Craigellachie, and 86J from Aberdeen.
The Great North of Scotland railway is seen from the
above description to consist of an intricate series of
forks and branches, almost wholly local in character,
but serving very fully the district over which the line
extends. Excepting the struggle in 1882 with the
Highland company for the right of supplying new rail-
ways in the coast district between Portsoy and Lossie-
mouth, and the competition naturally existing between
the two companies for the traffic from the Elgin and
Keith districts to the S and through portions of Moray-
shire, the Great Nortli of Scotland possesses a monopoly
of the railway traffic over an extensive and important
territory. Many importaut fishing towns are touched
on the north-eastern point of Central Scotland, and the
favourite tourist district of Deeside is only accessible
over this system of railway. Over the whole extent of
the railway there are to be met many picturesque spots,
with castles, churches, and fortalices innumerable, each
famous in song or legend or historical reminiscence, and
presenting an infinite attraction to the artist and the
antiquary. The trains on the railway are leisurely,
and the traveller must not grumble at delays that in
a busier district, yielding better traffic results, would
not be tolerable. See The Great North of Seotlaibd Rail-
way, by W. Ferguson of Kinmundy (1S81).
Greenan, a ruined fortalice on the coast of Maybole
parish, Ayrshire, 3 miles SSW of Ayr. Standing on
low ground, overlooked by Brown Carrich Hill, it
figures couspicuously in a considerable extent of coast
landscape, and presents a weird appearance. — Ord. Siir.,
sh. 14, 1863.
Greenan, a loch at the mutual border of Rothesay and
North Bute parishes. Isle of Bute, IJ mUe WSW of
Rothesay town. It measures 4| furlongs by 1, and con-
tains shy trout, running 3 to the lb., and roach. — Ord.
Sur., sh. 29, 1873.
Greenbank, an estate, with a mansion, in Mearns
parish, Renfrewshire, If mile W of Busby. Its owner,
James Duulop Hamilton, Esq. (b. 1812), holds 70 acres
in the shire, valued at £143 per annum.— Ord Sur., sh.
22, 1865.
Greenbrae, a village in Dumfries parish, Dumfries-
shire, contiguous to Stoop village, 1 mile ENE of Dum-
fries town. Pop., together with Stoop, (1871) 312,
(1881) 568.
Greenbum. See Ceofthead and Fatjldhouse.
Greenburn, a place in Newhills parish, SW Aberdeen-
shh-e, IJ mile NW of Auchmill. Fairs are held here
on the second Tuesday of May and June, the last
Thursday of July, and the last "Wednesday of Septem-
ber, all four old style.
51
GREENLAW
Greencraig. See Ckeich, Fife.
Greeneud, a village in Old Monkland parish, Lanark-
shire, li mile ESE of Coatbridge.
Greenend, a liamlet in Liberton parish, Edinburgh-
shire, J mile E by N of Liberton village. It has a post
office under Edinburgh.
Greenfield. See Hamilton.
Greenford, a village in Monikie parish, SE Forfar-
shire, 8 miles ENE of Dundee.
Greengairs, a collier village in New Monkland parish,
Lanarkshire, 4 miles NNE of Airdrie. At it are an
Established chapel of ease (1876 ; 400 sittings), ' Norse
Gothic' in style, a Free church (1874), and a public
school ; whilst in the neighbourhood are Glentore oil-
works. Pop. (1871) 450, (1881) 798.— Ord Sur., sh.
31, 1867.
Greenhall, a mansion in Blantyre parish, Lanarkshire,
on the right bank of the Rotten Calder, 5 furlongs W
by S of High Blantyre station. Its owner, John
Wardrop Moore, Esq., holds 332 acres in the shire,
valued at £786 per annum. Ancient stone coffins have
been found on the estate. — Ord. Sur., sh. 23, 1-865.
Greenhead. See Glasgow.
Greenhead, a village in Caerlaverock parish, Dumfries-
shire, near the old castle, 8^ miles SSE of Dumfries.
Greenhead, a village in Auchterderran parish, Fife,
4J miles NW by N of Kirkcaldy.
GreenhiU, a village in Lochmaben parish, Dumfries-
shire, 3J miles SW by W of Lockerbie.
GreenhiU, a villa of the Duke of Roxburghe in Hou-
nam parish, E Roxburghshire, IJ mile SSE of Hounam
church. It stands between two confluent burns, Cape-
hope and Heatherhope, at an elevation of 580 feet above
sea-level, with Green Hill (1244) behind it ; and is a
neat pleasant-looking house, amid prettily-wooded
grounds.— Ore?. Sicr., sh. 18, 1863.
GreenhiU, a station on the western verge of Falkirk
parish, Stirlingshire, at the western junction of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow section of the North British
railway with the Scottish Central section of the Cale-
donian, 15J miles NE by E of Glasgow.
Greenholm. See Newmilxs.
Greenholm, an island of Tingwall parish, Shetland,
1 mile E of the nearest part of Mainland, and 6 miles
NNE of Lerwick. It measures 3 miles in circumfer-
ence.
Greenholm, Little and Meikle, two islets of Stronsay
and Eday parish, Orkney, IJ mile SW of the southern
extremity of Eday.
Green Island. See Glass-Ellan.
Greenknowe, a ruined tower in Gordon parish, SW
Berwickshire, J mile NW of Gordon station. It was
the residence of the famous Covenanter, Walter Pringle
of Greenknowe, whose Memoirs were published at Edin-
burgh in 1723.— Ord Sur., sh. 25, 1865.
Greenknowe, a quoad sacra parish in Annan parish,
Dumlriesshire, comprising part of the burgh. Consti-
tuted in 1873, it is in the presbytery of Annan and
synod of Dumfries ; the minister's stipend is £120. Its
church was buUt as a chapel of ease in 1842 at a cost
of £1500 ; and there is also a public school. — Oi-d. Sur.,
sh. 6, 1863.
Greenknowes, a former crannoge or artificial, oval
mound in the midst of a bog in Culter parish, Lanark-
shire, to the NW of Cow Castle. A promiscuous heap
of stones, strengthened by a great number of vertical
oaken piles, it communicated by a stone causeway with
the firm ground at the side of the morass. — Orel. Sur. ,
sh. 24, 1864.
Greenland, a village in Walls parish, Shetland, 25
miles WNW of Lerwick.
Greenland, a hamlet in Dunnet parish, Caithness, 3
miles E by S of Castletown. It has a post office under
Wick, and a public school.
Greenlaw, an estate, with a mansion, in Crossmichael
parish, Kirkcudbrightshire, IJ mile NNW of Castle-
Douglas.
Greenlaw. See Glencorse.
Greenlaw, a small town and a parish in Berwickshire.
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