Gazetteer of Scotland

MAY
itnon offic'male, " common gromwell,"
the astragalus ura/enjLs," milk vetch,"
&c.
MAYBOLE ; a parish and town in
Ayrshire, in the district of Carrick.
The parish is about 12 miles in length,
and 7 in breadth, watered by the ri-
vers Doon and Gir.van. The surface
5n general is hilly, and fitted for pas-
ture ; but on the banks of the rivers
there are many excellent farms. The
•town of Maybole is situated on a
small eminence, around which the
surrqunding hills rise in the form of
an amphitheatre, defending it on every
side from stormy winds. It js well-
supplied with excellent water, and is
noted for the health and longevity of
its inhabitants. In 1791, there were
Jiving in it 10 persons, the aggregate
amount of whose ages was upwards
of 900 years. It was erected into a bo-
rough of barony in favour of the Earl
of Cassillis, by a royal charter, dated
at Edinburgh 14th November 1516.
The principal business is the blanket
manufacture, in which upwards of : °>oo
persons areconstantly employed. The
produce is sold at the 4 annual fairs,
which are held in the town. In 1 791,
it contained upwards of 1000 inhabi-
tants. Near the town is a very old
building called the college, the area of
which is used as theburying-place of
the family of Cassillis. The house of
Cassillis, one of the seats of that no-
bleman, is pleasantly situated on the
banks of the river Girvan, surround-
ed with beautiful pleasure grounds.
Population of the town and parish in
i801 5 3162.
, MEAGLE or MEG-HILL; a hill
in the parish of Galashiels, in Tweed-
dale, elevated 1480 feet above the le-
vel of the sea.
MEALFOURM'HONIE, or
MEALFOURVONIE ; a mountain
in Inverness-shire, which rises on the
W. side of Loch Ness to the height
af SOGO feet above the level of the
sea. It is noted for being the first
land mark seen by mariners, after
they pass Kinnaird's-head, in enter-
ing the Moray Frith. On the very
top of the hill is a small lake of
cold water, which never freezes, and
is always equally full, though no
stream issues from it. This lake is a-
bout 30 fathoms long, and 6 broad ;
and, according to an accurate ac-
MEI
count given by the Rev. Mr. Frazer i$
the Philosophical Transactions (Low-
thorp's abridgement, ii. 222.), it was
sounded by a Captain Orton, with loo
fathoms of small line, without finding
a bottom. This idea is now proved
to be erroneous, as its depth has been
lately ascertained to be very inconsi-
derable.
MEARNS, or KINCARDINE-
SHIRE. Vide Kincardineshire.
MEARNS ; a. parish in Renfrew-
shire, about 6 miles long by 3-§ broad,
lying in the middle betwixt the towns
of Glasgow and Paisley. The surface
rises gradually from the eastern ex-
tremity to the W- where there is an
extent of 1600 acres of moor land.
There are no considerable hills ; but it
is beautifully diversified with a great
variety of swelling hills and vales*
The soil is all light and early, except
some small fields of a clayey nature
on the eastern border. It is chiefly
noted for the excellence of the pas-
ture ; and the principal business of
the farmer is the magagement of the
dairy. There are 3 small lakes, the
largest of which is nearly l\ miles in
circuit. There are several modern
mansions of great elegance ; and the
castle of Mearns is a fine piece of an-
tiquity. It is a large square tower, si-
tuated on a rocky eminence, surround-
ed with a strong wall and ditch, and
the entrance secured by a draw-
bridge. Population in 1801, 1714.
MED WIN ; a small river in La-
narkshire, which has its rise in the
parish of Dunsyre, in the highest
middle ground between the eastern
and western oceans. It is remarka-
ble of this stream, that, near its source,
it is so divided by a mill pond, that
one half of its waters falls into the
Clyde, while the other half runs into
the Tweed.
MEGGET {Ohm Rodonno); a
parish in the county of Peebles unit-
ed in 1621 to the parish of Lyne.
Vide Lyne and Megget.
MEGGET; a river in Peebles-
shire, which runs through the parish
of Megget, and falls into St. Mary's
loch, after a course of 8 miles.
MEIG; a river in Ross-shire,
which takes its rise in tbe western
parts of the county, near the borders
of the parish of Lochcarron, and
falls into the Lichart ; about 5 miles