Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 6

URR, BRIDGE OF
there is a Free church at Muir of Ord, and a small
Episcopal church at Highfield. Under the school board
the Marybank and Tarradale schools, with accommoda-
tion for 137 and 180 pupils respectively, had in 1884
attendances of 95 and 168, and grants of £57, 6s. 9d.
and £104, 8s. The chief landowner is John Stirling,
Esq. of Fairburn, and 3 others hold each an annual
value of more, 5 of less, than £2000. Valuation (1860)
£9586, (1885) £15,447, of which £14,697 was for the
Inverness-shire portion. Pop. (1801) 2083, (1831) 2768,
(1861) 2355, (1871) 2308, (1881) 2427, of whom 1175
were males and 1252 females, while 34 (17 males and 17
females) were in the Inverness-shire portion, and the
rest in Koss-shire. Houses (1881) 495 inhabited, 9 un-
inhabited, and 1 being built, of which 6 — all inhabited
— were in Inverness-shire. — Ord. Stir., shs. 81, 82,
1881-82.
Urr, Bridge of, a hamlet in Kirkpatrick-Durham
parish, Kirkcudbrightshire, on the left bank of Urr
Water, 4 miles N by E of Castle-Douglas.
Urr, Haugh of. See Hatch of Ukr.
Urr Water, a river of Kirkcudbrightshire, issuing from
bleak Loch Urr (5x4 furl. ; 680 feet), at the meeting-
point of Gleneairn, Dunscore, and Balmaclellan parishes,
and flowing 27£ miles south-by-eastward along the
boundaries of Dunscore, Balmaclellan, Kirkpatrick-
Durham, Parton, Crossmichael, Urr, Buittle, and Col-
vend, till it falls into the Solway Firth near the little
island of Hestan, midway between the Nith and the Dee.
Its tributaries are numerous, but, excepting Kirkgunzeon
Lane or Dalbeattie Burn, they are all individually in-
considerable. About 4 J miles before losing itself in the
Solway, it begins to expand into an estuary, which,
with a maximum breadth of 1J mile, embosoms Rough
VENLAW
Island. The Urr is naturally navigable for considerable
craft 3 miles above its incipient expansion, or 7J above
its embouchure, and could easily, at small expense, be
deepened over this distance, and rendered navigable
higher up. It affords good sea-trout and fairish river-
trout fishing ; whilst salmon are caught in considerable
quantities in wet summers ; but in dry seasons sea-fish
can get but little higher than the flow of the tide.
For a number of miles after issuing from Loch Urr, it
holds its course through a wild country and over an
irregular channel ; but it eventually begins to show
some strips of level and fertile ground upon its banks ;
and from the point where it begins to run along the
margin of the parish of Urr, it pursues its way among
increasingly level and cultivated grounds. — Ord. Sur.,
shs. 9, 5, 1863-57.
Ury, a troutful stream of Aberdeenshire, rising 4J
miles SSE of Huntly, and winding 19| south-eastward
through or along the boundaries of Gartly, Drumblade,
Insch, Forgue, Culsalmond, Oyne, Rayne, Chapel-of-
Garioch, Keithhall, and Inverurie parishes, till it falls
into the Don a little below the town of Inverurie. —
Ord. Sur., shs. 86, 76, 1876-74.
Ury. See Urie.
Ushenish, a headland on the E coast of South Uist
island, Outer Hebrides, Inverness-shire. A lighthouse,
built on it in 1857 at a cost of £8809, shows a fixed red
light, visible at a distance of 18 nautical miles.
Ussie, Loch. See Foddertt.
Uyea, an island of Unst parish, Shetland, J mile S of
Unst island, from which it is separated by Uyea and
Skuda Sounds. With an utmost length and breadth of
1§ and 1 mile, it rises to a height of 183 feet. Pop.
(1841)23, (1871)9, (1881)5.
V
VAILA, an island of Walls parish, Shetland, in the
mouth of Vaila Sound, within j mile of the near-
est point of the Mainland. It has an utmost
length and breadth of 1J and 1J mile. Vaila
Sound, running up to the vicinity of Walls church, is
well sheltered, and forms an excellent natural harbour.
Pop. of island (1841) 29, (1881) 9.
Vallay, an island of North Uist parish, Outer
Hebrides, Inverness-shire, separated from the NW side
of North Uist island only by a narrow sound, dry at
low water. It measures 2J miles in length from ENE
to WSW, and 3 furlongs in mean breadth ; and has a
light, sandy, fertile soil. Pop. (1841) 59, (1861) 56,
(1871) 48, (1881) 29.
Valleyfield. See Penicuik.
Valleyfield House, a handsome and commodious man-
sion, with beautiful grounds, in Culross parish, Perth-
shire (detached), 1$ mile ENE of Culross town. Its
owner, Rt. Wm. P. C. Campbell-Preston, Esq. of Valley-
field and Ardchattan (b. 1865; sue. 1870-78), holds 674
acres in Perth and 8000 in Argyll shire, valued at
£1113 and £1342 per annum.— Ord. Sur., sh. 39, 1869.
Valtos, a village on the E coast of Kilmuir parish,
Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, 13J miles N by E of
Portree. It may be called the home of the crofter
agitation, and was the scene of a great disturbance on
30 Jan. 1885.
Valtos, a village in Uig parish, Lewis, Ross-shire, on
the SW shore of salt-water Loch Roag, 34 miles W of
Stornoway. Pop. (1871) 310, (1881) 332.
Varrich Castle. See Tongue.
Vat, a cave and a burn in Glenmuick parish, Aber-
deenshire. The cave, opening vertically, and shaped
somewhat like a vat, was a retreat of the famous free-
booter Gilderoy. The burn traverses the cave, augment-
ing its romantic appearance, and passes ifito the W end
of Loch Kinord.
474
Vaternish or Waternish. See Duirinish.
Vatersay or Watersay, an island of Barra parish,
Outer Hebrides, Inverness-shire, immediately S of Barra
island, and 11 miles N by W of Barra Head. It is
separated from Barra island by Vatersay Sound, studded
with islets, and so narrow in one part as to afford passage
to only small boats ; and from Fladda and Sanderay
islands, on the S, it is separated by the Sound of
Sanderay, f mile broad. It measures, at extreme
points, 3 miles from E to W and 2-J from N to S, but is
so deeply indented by the sea as to possess an area
of not more than 3 '9 square miles, being almost bisected
near the middle by two bays on opposite sides, one of
them forming an excellent natural harbour. It chiefly
consists of two hills and a low sandy intervening
isthmus ; commands from its hills a comprehensive and
picturesque view of the entire southern group of the
Outer Hebrides ; rests on a basis of gneiss rock ; and
undergoes constant change of surface, from shiftings,
accumulations, and dispersions of drift sand. Pop.
(1841) 84, (1861) 32, (1871) 23, (1881) 19.
Vatsker, a village in Stornoway parish, Outer Hebrides,
Ross-shire, on the W coast of Broad Bay, 7 miles NNE
of Stornoway town. Pop. (1861) 316, (1871) 376, (1881)
396.
Veatie, Loch. See Veyatie.
Vementry, an island of Sandsting parish, Shetland,
on the. S side of St Magnus Bay, within 1 furlong of the
nearest point of the Mainland, and 3^ miles E of Papa
Stour. It has an utmost length and breadth of 1\ and
lg miles ; is deeply indented by the sea ; contains five
little fresh -water lakes ; attains a height of 297 feet ; and
is heathy on the W, verdant on the E, affording good
pasture for sheep and black cattle.
Venlaw, a mansion in Peebles parish, Peeblesshire, \
mile N of the town. Built about 1782, it occupies the
site of the castle of Smithfield, which, appearing on