Gazetteer of Scotland

CLY
from the district of Annandale* near
to the sources of the Annan and the
Tweed, and, dividing the county of
Lanark through its whole length, near-
ly 55 miles, falls into the Frith of
Clyde, opposite to the district of Ar-
gyllshire named Cowal, and the island
of Bute. Next to the Tay it is the
largest river in Scotland, and is navi-
gable for small vessels as far as Glas-
gow. At D'almure burn-foot^ 6 miles
below the city, it is joined by the
great canal from the Forth. In the
course of this river, through that part
of Lanarkshire to which it gives the
name of Clydesdale or Strathclyde, it
waters the most fertile vale in Scot-
land, and forms several romantic falls
and cascades. Nearly 20 miles from
its source the vale begins to be con-
tracted, the banks become wide and
deep, with a gradual declivity on both
sides, which are covered by gentle-
mens seats, highly cultivated and em-
bellished. 'Numerous orchards occu-
py its vales, loaded in autumn with
the finest fruits, and beautiful mea-
dows, covered with flocks, adorn its
holms and its plains. Nature has a-
greeably diversified the whole scene
with hill and dale, contrasted together
in the finest manner. About Lanark
the scenery is particularly interesting,
by its various and romantic appear-
ance. The description of this scene-
ry, as given by Mr. Lockhart in the
Statistical Account of Scotland, is so
accurate and beautiful, that we have
have taken the liberty to transcribe
his words in this place. " The falls of
Clyde principally interest the stranger,
and we shall begin with the uppermost
one, although to come at it we are
obliged to pass the second fall, or Cor-
ra linn. The uppermost one is some-
what above 2^ miles from Lanark,
and, from the estate in which it is si-
tuated, is called the Bpnniton fall or
linn. From Bonniton House, a very
neat and elegant modern building, you
arrive at the linn, by a most romantic
walk along the Clyde, leaving the Pa-
vilion and Corra linn on your right
hand. At some little distance from
the fall, the walk, leading to a rock
that juts out and overhangs the river,
brings you all at once within sight of
{his beautiful sheet of water; but no
Stranger rests satisfied with this view :
fjfi stjll presses onward. ?,long the wajk,
CLY
till, from the rock immediately abova
the linn, he sees the whole body of
the river precipitate itself into the
chasm below. The rock over which
it falls is upwards of 12 feet of per-
pendicular height, from which the
Clyde makes one precipitate leap or
tumble into a hollow den ; whence
some of it recoils in froth and smok-
ing mist. Above, the river exhibits a
broad, expanded, and placid appear-
ance, beautifully environed with plan-
tations of forest trees. This appear-
ance is suddenly changed at the fall ;
and below it the river is narrow, con-
tracted, apd angrily boils and thun-
ders among rocks and precipices. The
same beautiful and romantic walk
conducts you back again, along the
precipice that overhangs the river,
both sides of which are environed by
mural rocks, equidistant and regular,
forming, as Mr. Pennant expresses it,
" a stupendous natural masonry,"
•from whose crevices choughs, daws,
and other wild birds, arc incessantly
springing. You descend along the
river for about half a mile, till you ar-
rive at the Corra linn, so called from
an old castle and estate upon the op-
posite bank. The old castle, with
Corra House, and the rocky and woody
banks of the Clyde, form of themselves
a beautiful coup d'oell ; but nothing
can equal the striking and stupendous
appearance of the fall itself, which,
when viewed from any of the seats
placecLhere and there along the walks,
must fill every unaccustomed beholder
with astonishment. The tremendous
rocks around, the old castle upon the
opposite bank, a coin mill on the
rock below, the furious and impatient
stream foaming over the rock, the
horrid chasm and abyss underneath
your feet, heightened by the hollow
murmur of the water, and the screams
of wild birds, form at once a spectacle
both tremendous and pleasing. A sum-
mer-house or pavilion is situated over
a high rocky bank that overlooks the
linn, built by Sir James Carmichael of
Bonniion in 1703. From its upper-
most room it affords a very striking
prospect of the fall, for all at once, on
i throwing your eyes towards a mirror,
on the opposite side of the room from
the fall, you see the whole tremendous
cataract pouring as it were upon you£
head. The Corra linn by mea^urs-