Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland

STEACHAN
13 miles; its utmost breadth is 7| miles; and its area
is 65$ square miles or 41,8851 acres, of which 2134 are
water. Issuing from tiny Loch Tennet (1650 feet above
sea-level), on the KW slope of Mount Battock, the
"Water of Aan, A'en, or Avon runs 8£ miles north-east-
ward along the Aberdeenshire border, till it falls into
the Water of Feugh, which passes off into Banchory at
a point 7J furlongs above its influx to the river Dee.
The Water of Dye, rising at an altitude of 2000 feet
on the SE slope of Mount Battock, winds 14J miles
eastward and north-by-eastward to the Feugh; and the
Dee curves 3J miles eastward along all the northern
boundary. The surface declines beside the Dee to 195
feet above sea-level, and rises thence to 1104 feet at the
Hill of Goauch, 1747 at Kerloch, 1944 at Claohnaben
or Klochnaben, 1488 at Cairniemount, and 2558 at
Mount Battook, near the meeting-point of Kincardine,
Forfar, and Aberdeen shires. 'The main portion of
Strachan consists of high hills and moors,' writes Mr
James Macdonald in Trans. Highl. and Ag. Soc. (1881).
' The arable area is very small, and is made up largely
by a narrow irregular fringe along both sides of the
Feugh and its affluent, the Water of Dye. Near Strachan
hamlet on the Feugh, there is a considerable stretch of
really good arable land, mostly black free fertile loam.
The principal estates in this parish are those of Glendye,
Strachan, and Blackhall. On the former there is a
small strip of arable land along the course of the Dye,
mostly between Binglyburn and Glendye Lodge, a short
distance above the bridge of Dye. On the Strachan
estate there are a few good arable farms, the largest,
Bowbutts, expending to 180 acres. The soil is light
black loam on gravel or rock. . . . Very little
wheat is grown in this district, but oats and barley of
heavy weights and very fine quality are raised. Har-
vesting begins, as a rule, early in September. A good
many cattle, mostly crosses between the polled and
shorthorn breeds, are reared in the parish. Most of the
land has been drained since 1850 by Government, the
proprietors, or the tenants; while, besides great improve-
ment in the way of building and fencing, a large extent
of new land has been reclaimed, chiefly from moor and
moss. Rent varies from 20s. to 28s. per acre. On the
Blackhall estate there are also some very good arable
farms, managed in a manner similar to the system pre-
vailing on the Strachan property. One of the largest
and best managed holdings is the combined farms of
Letterbeg and Bucharn. The extent is 245 acres arable
and 60 of natural pasture, the rental being £240, lis.
The soil is mostly black friable loam. A portion of the
farm is put under sheep, and is broken up occasionally.
The other portion is worked in five shifts.' The pre-
dominant rock is granite. Barely one-twenty-fifth of the
entire area is in tillage; nearly as much is under wood,
plantations mostly of larch and Scotch firs in the north-
ern district; and all the remainder is either pastoral
or waste. In the north of the parish, along the Dee,
strawberries are extensively grown. On 21 Sept. 1861,
the Queen, after leaving Fettercairn, ' came to a very
long hill, called the Cairniemount, whence there is a
very fine view, but which was entirely obscured by a
heavy driving mist. We walked up part of it, and then
for a little while Alice and I sat alone in the carriage.
We next came to the Spittal Bridge, a curious high
bridge, with the Dye Water to the left, and the Spittal
Burn to the right. Sir T. Gladstone's shooting-place
is close to the Bridge of Dye — where we changed car-
riages again, re-entering the double dog-cart — Albert
and I inside, and Louise sitting behind. We went up
a hill again and saw Mount Battock. You then come
to an open country, with an extensive view towards
Aberdeen, and to a very deep, rough ford, where you
pass the Feugh at a place called White Stones. It is
very pretty, and a fine glen with wood. ' Dr Thomas
Eeid (1710-96), the distinguished moral philosopher,
was the son of a minister of Strachan; and the great
Covenanter, Andrew Cant (circa 1590-1664), was one of
the Cants of Glendye. The modern name, Strachan, is
simply a corruption of Stratha'en ('Valley of the A'en '),
1532
STRACHUE AND STRALACHLAN
and is popularly pronounced Straan. This parish is in
the presbytery of Kincardine O 'Neil and the synod of
Aberdeen; the living is worth £167. The parish church,
at the hamlet, was built in 1867, and contains 340 sit-
tings. There is also a Free church; and two public
schools, Glendye and Strachan, with respective accom-
modation for 48 and 145 children, have an average at-
tendance of about 25 and 80, and grants amounting to
nearly £35 and £75. Valuation (1885) £5782, (1893)
£5917, 16s. Pop. (1831) 1039, (1861) 870, (1871) 795,
(1881) 694, (1891) 655.— Ord. Sur., sh. 66, 1871.
Strachur and Stralachlan, a parish on the W side of
Cowal district, Argyllshire, containing Strachur village,
1 mile SE of Creggans steamboat pier on Loch Fyne, 5
miles S by E of Inveraray, 4J NNW of Locheckhead,
and 19 NNW of Dunoon. The village has a post office,
with money order, savings bank, and telegraph depart-
ments, a free library, a good hotel, and cattle fairs on
the last Saturday of May and the first Tuesday of Octo-
ber. The present parish comprises the ancient parishes
of Kilmaglass or Strachur to the NE and Kilmorrie
or Stralachlan to the SW, whioh were disjoined from
Dunoon, Lochgoilhead, and Inverchaolain in 1650. It
is bounded NE and E by Lochgoilhead, S by Kilmun,
Kilmodan, and Kilfinan, and NW by Loch Fyne. Its
utmost length, from NE to SW, is 17 j miles; its breadth
varies between 1§ and 7 miles; and its area is 62§ square
miles or 39,083 r" s acres, of which 24,542J belong to
Strachur and 14,541 to Stralachlan, whilst 366$ are
foreshore and 440 water. The coast, extending 18f
miles south-westward along the eastern shore of Loch
Fyne, from the neighbourhood of St Catherines Ferry
to Largiemore, rises rapidly from the water's edge,
which, except for 3 miles near Stralachlan church, is
closely skirted by the road to Otter Ferry. It is slightly
indented by Strachur, Newton, and Lachlan Bays, and
between the two last projects its sole conspicuous head-
land, BaiT nan Damh, 527 feet high. The river Ct/r,
formed by two head-streams at an altitude of 380 feet,
runs 6| miles south-westward and south-eastward to the
head of fresh-water Loch Eck (6| miles x 3 furl. ; 67 feet),
whose upper 2& miles belong to Strachur. The surface
of Strachur is hilly everywhere, in places mountainous,
chief elevations from N to S being Creag Dubh (1559
feet), Creagan an Eich (1068), Meall Eeamhar (1364),
*Ben Lochain (2306), Carnach Mor (2048), *Bbn
Bheula (2557), Ben Dubhain (2090), *Sgor Coinnich
(2148), and Ben Bheag (2029), where asterisks mark
those summits that culminate on the eastern border.
In Stralachlan the highest point is Cruach nan Capull
(1576 feet). Metamorphic rocks, chiefly mica slate and
clay slate, predominate; limestone has been worked; and
there are indications of coal and ironstone. The low
grounds are disposed in two vales which bear the dis-
tinctive names of Strachur Strath and Strath-Lachlan.
The former and larger, at the head of Loch Eck, con-
sists of good alluvial soil, particularly along the banks
of the Cur. ' Any kind of crop might be raised in such
soil. There is good meadow ground for hay, but the
river often overflows its banks in summer and autumn,
doing much harm to the crops of hay and corn. Like
many other rivers fed by mountain streams, it is very
difficult to provide any remedy against the overflowing
of its banks or the occasional changing of its course.'
The hills afford excellent pasture for sheep and black
cattle, and, though once heathy, are now to a great
extent covered with rich soft verdure. Barely one-
thirtieth of the entire area is in tillage; nearly one-
twentieth is under wood ; and all the remainder is pas-
toral or waste. Strachur Park, between Strachur village
and Creggans, is the property of John Campbell, Esq.
(b. 1845; sue. 1874). Another mansion, noticed separ-
ately, is Castle-Lachlan". This parish is in the pres-
bytery of Dunoon and the synod of Argyll; the living
is worth £200. Strachur church, at the village, was
built in 1789, and contains about 400 sittings; and Stra-
lachlan church, 6 miles to the SW, was built in 1792,
and contains 150 sittings. There is a Free church of
Strachur; and three public schools — Poll, Strachur, and