Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 6

VENNACHAR, LOCH
record as early as the middle of the 14th century,
belonged successively to the Dikesones and the Hays.
The present proprietor, Capt. Jas. Elphinstone Erskine,
R.N. (b. 1838; sue. 1S77), holds 950 acres in the
shire, valued at £649 per annum. — Orel. Stir., sh. 24,
1864.
Vennaehar, Loch, a lake on the mutual border of
Callander, Aberfoyle, and Port of Monteith parishes,
Perthshire. Formed by expansion of the southern
head-stream of the Teith, and lying 270 feet above sea-
level, it extends 3| miles east-by-northward to within
2J miles of the town of Callander ; and has a maximum
breadth of 5£ furlongs. The picturesque valley in
which it lies has been rendered famous as the main
scene of Scott's Lady of the Lake ; and it takes its name,
signifying 'the lake of the fair valley,' from the loveli-
ness of its environments, having a beautiful sinuous
cincture, charmingly wooded shores, and finely gradu-
ated flanks, overlooked in the distance by grandly
imposing mountains. Its upper reaches are very fine ;
but the lower are somewhat tame, and are by no means
improved by some storage embankments connected with
the Glasgow waterworks. (See Coilantogle.) A
wooded bank on the N shore bears the name of Coille-
bhroine ('wood of lamentation'), from a legend of a
malignant water-kelpie ; and on the S shore stands the
mansion of Invertrossachs, which was occupied by
the Queen in 1S69. Its waters contain some salmon,
WALSTON
very fine trout, perch, and large pike. — Ord. Sur., sh.
38, 1871.
Veyatie, Loch, a lake on the mutual border of Assynt
parish, Sutherland, and Lochbroom parish, Cromarty-
shire, 4i miles WNW of Altnakealgaeh inn. Lying
366 feet above sea-level, it extends 4 miles north-west-
ward, varies in breadth between 1 and 3$ furlongs, eon-
tains salmo-ferox and plenty of fine trout, at its head
receives a stream flowing $ mile from Cama Loch, and
sends off another 9 furlongs west-north-westward to
Fewin or Fionn Loch. — Ord. Sur., sh. 101, 1882.
Vigeans, St. See St Viqeans.
Vogrie, a plain mansion of recent erection in Borth-
wick parish, Edinburghshire, near the left bank of Tyne
Water, 5 miles SE of Dalkeith. Its owner, James
Cumming Dewar, Esq. (b. 1856 ; sue. 1SS0), holds 1936
acres in the shire, valued at £2898 per annum, the
estate having been acquired by the family about the
beginning of the 18th century. — Ord. Sur., sh. 32, 1857.
Voil, Loch, a beautiful lake in Balquhidder parish,
Perthshire, 3J miles W by S of Loehearnhead station.
An expansion of the river Balvag, and lying 414 feet
above sea-level, it extends 3J miles east-north-eastward,
has a maximum breadth of 3 furlongs, at its head
communicates with small Loch Doine, is flanked by
mountains 2156 to 2467 feet high, and contains
salmon, bull-trout, and loch-trout. — Ord. Sur., sh. 46,
1872.
w
WADBISTER, a village in Tingwall parish, Shet-
land, on Wadbister Voe, 11 miles NNW of
Lerwick.
Walkerburn, a modern manufacturing vil-
lage in Innerleithen parish, Peeblesshire, on the right
bank of the Tweed, J mile NNW of Walkerburn station
(across the river) on the North British railway, this
being If mile E by N of Innerleithen station and 10J
miles W of Galashiels. The first of its two large woollen
factories was founded in 1855 ; and there are a post
office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph
departments, a public school, a public library, and an
Established church. The last, a plain Early English
structure, containing 500 sittings, was built in 1876 at
a cost of £1500, and in 1883 was raised to quoad sacra
parochial status. Pop. of village (1861) 316, (1871)
802, (18S1) 1026.— Ord. Sur., sh. 24, 1S64.
Wallace Hall. See CLOSEBtrRN.
Wallace Monument. See Abbey Craig.
Wallacestone and Standrig, a conjoint village in
Polmont and Muiravonside parishes, Stirlingshire, 1J
mile SW of Polmont Junction. It has a Wesleyan
chapel. Pop. (1871) 492, (1881) 334.
Wallacetown. See Ayr and St Qtjivos.
Wallhouse (originally Well-house), a modern castel-
lated mansion, with wings and a lofty square tower, in
Torphichen parish, Linlithgowshire, 3 miles NHW of
Bathgate. Its owner, Andrew Gillon, Esq. (b. 1823 ;
sue. 1846), holds 1465 acres in the shire, valued at £1521
per annum.— Ord Sur., sh. 31, 1S67. See Jn. Small's
Castles and Mansions of the Lothians (Edinb. 1883).
Walls, a parish in the W of the Mainland of
Shetland, whose church stands at the head of Vaila
Sound,^ 24 miles WNW of Lerwick, under which
there is a post office. The parish, containing also
the post office of Sandness, 31 miles WNW of
Lerwick, comprehends the ancient parishes of Walls,
Sandness, Papa-Stour, and Foula ; comprises the main-
land districts of Walls and Sandness, and the in-
habited islands of Papa-Stour, Vaila, Linga, and
Foula ; and is bounded on the E by Sandsting, and
on all other sides by the sea. Its utmost mainland
length, from N to S, is 6J miles ; its utmost mainland
breadth is 5 miles ; and its total land area is 38?- square
miles or 24,499 acres. The islands are separately
noticed. The mainland district extends southward
from St Magnus Bay to the S end of Vaila Sound ;
includes the most westerly ground on the mainland ;
is indented, but not to any considerable length,
by several creeks and bays ; and has mostly a rocky
coast, often rising to a height of over 100 feet. The
interior is hilly, attaining 817 feet at Sandness Hill,
536 at Dale Hill, and 549 at Stoubrough Hill ; to the
E are more than thirty smaU fresh-water lochs. The
rocks are gneiss, quartzite, granitic porphyry, and Old
Red Sandstone. The soil is mostly moorish or mossy,
but forms some good arable tracts. Upwards of 1000
acres are in tillage ; a great extent is meadow or pasture ;
and abundance of peat is on the hills. R. T. C. Scott,
Esq. of Melby, is chief proprietor, 2 others holding
each an annual value of between £100 and £500, 2 of
from £50 to £100, and 3 of from £20 to £50. Walls is
in the presbytery of Olnafirth and the synod of Shetland ;
the living is worth £185. The parish church was built
in 1743, and contains 500 sittings. The sub-parochial
churches of Sandness and Papa-Stour were built in 1749
and 1806, and contain 278 and 190 sittings. There are
also Free, Congregational, and Wesleyan churches ; and
six sAools, with total accommodation for 311 children,
had (1884) an average attendance of 259, and grants
amounting to £215, 18s. 3d. Valuation (1860) £1651,
(1884) £2187, 7s. Pop. (1801) 1817, (1831) 2143,
(1861) 2570, (1871) 2579, (1881) 2262.
Walls and Flotta. See Hoy and Flotta.
Wallyford, a collier village in Inveresk parish,
Edinburghshire, 1J mile E by S of Musselburgh.
Walston, a parish in the Upper Ward, E Lanarkshire,
whose church stands towards the centre, 2| miles SSW
of Dunsyre station, and 5| NNE of the post-town,
Biggar. Containing also the village of Elsrickle, i
is bounded E by Dolphinton, SE by Biggar, W by
Libberton, and NW by Carnwath and Dunsyre ; and at
its SE corner it just touches the Peeblesshire parishes o
Kirkurd and Skirling. Its utmost length, from ENE
to WSW, is 3| miles ; its utmost width is 3 miles ; and
its area is 4366A acres, of which nearly fl are water.
475