Gazetteer of Scotland

CRA
C R A
ffiie storms, to which, from its eleva-
ted situation, it is so much exposed.
Granshaws castle is a strong ancient
building, of small extent, but still very
entire. That edifice, the ruins of ma-
ny others of the same nature in the
neighbourhood, and the remains of
several encampments and cairns, shew
this district to have been the scene of
much bloodshed during the border
wars. Population in 1801, 166.
CRANSTON; a parish in the
county of Edinburgh, extending about
5 miles jn length, and 3 in breadth..
The surface is -unequal, but the gen-
tle swellings of the hills, adorned with
fine seats and extensive plantations,
are extremely beautiful. The soil is
excellent, and the whole parish is ara-
ble. The staple commodity is corn,.
of which a considerable quantity is
exported. Freestone, limestone, and
pit- coal abound in the parish ; and the
abundance of the last article induced
the proprietors to erect works, on the
ingenious plan of the Earl of Dundo-
riald, for the extraction of pitch, tar,
naptha, and volatile salt, from pit-coal.
There are three neat villages in the
parish, viz. Cranston, Cousland, and
Preston. Near Cousland are some
ruins, said to be of a nunnery. The
river Tyne, as yet a rivulet, runs
through the parish. The elegant
structures of Oxenford Castle and
Preston-Hall, the picturesque banks
of the rivulet, and the luxuriant crops
which adorn the fields, present to the'
eye perhaps as rich a landscape as the
most fertile spot of England could
produce. Population in 1801, 895.
CRATHY and BRAEMARR.
These extensive united parishes are
situated in that district of Aberdeen-
shire called MaiT, in the middle of the
Grampian mountains ; and are sup-
posed to be more elevated above the
level of the sea, and farther removed
in every direction from the coast, than
any other parochial district in Scot-
land. The length of Wb inhabited
part is about 30 miles, and the breadth
varies from 6 to 10; but, taking in
the mountainous and waste district,
the whole will cover an extent of 40
miles in length, and 20 in, breadth.
They are distant upwards of 50 miles
from the county town. In the low
grounds the soil is various, but when
properly cultivated, and in a favour-
able season, it produces good crops K
By far the greater part is covered with
mountains, some of which are the
highest in Scotland, with the excep-
tion of Benevis and Cairngorm. The
highest in this parish are called Loch-
na-garaidh, Binn-na-baird, and Binn-
na-muick-duidh.. , Nearly the whole
of Crathy and Braemarr has been ori-
ginally covered with wood, which be-
longed to the king, and was called the
forest of Marr. This forest, with
those of the Duke of Athol in Perth-
shire, and the Duke of Gordon in Ba-
denoch and Glenaven, constituted the
principal part of the great Caledonian'
forest. In the deepest mosses within
this immense range of extensive fo-
rests, there are found large logs and
roots of trees, which afford incontro-
vertible proof that they have formerly
been overrun with timber. In Brae-
marr, a great part of the wood still
remains. These woods are well stock-
ed with deer. Besides the natural
wood, there are extensive plantations
of fir and larch, of the former of which
one proprietor alone has planted up-
wards of J4" millions of trees. The
river Dee takes its rise in the forest of
Braemarr, and, running through the
whole extent of the district, is aug-
mented with several tributary streams,
in particular the Gealluidh, Luidh,
Coich, and Cluanaidh. The princi-
pal lakes are Loch Callader and Loch
Brotachan, which contain trout, a few
salmon, and some eel. The great mi»
litary road from Blairgowrie to Fort-
George, passes through the whole ex-
tent : the village of Castletown of"
Braemarr is situated on that line of
road. Near this village are the ruins.
of an old castle, said to have been a.
hunting-seat of King Malcolm Can-
more. It is situated on a high bank,
ontheE. sideof the water of Cluanaidh..
At a short distance is the castle of
Braemarr. It was once occupied as-
a garrison by King William, and was
burnt in the contest which took place
between the royal forces and the Eart
of Marr. Near the line of the mili-
tary road is a large cairn, called Calrn-
na-cuimkne, or " cairn of remem-
brance ;" a name still used as a watch-
word in the country. The mountains-
above mentioned abound with eme-
ralds, topazes, and amethysts, similar
to the precious stones of Cairngorra^