Gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 2

M A R K I N C H.
755
channels. Inch Maree has been dedicated to
a saint of that name ; and it still contains a
burial place, chosen, it is said, like all those
which are found in islands, to prevent depreda-
tions from the wolves of ancient days. I ought
not to forget, before quitting Loch Maree,
what is interesting as a point of natural his-
tory, namely, the existence of the grey eagle in
this place ; because it is not known any where
else in Scotland. There was a pair in Pen-
nant's time, and there is a pair still ; one of
which I had the good fortune to see. It is a
long-lived bird ; and it is not unlikely that these
are the same individuals."
MARLIE, (LOCH) a small lake in the
parish of Kinloch, Perthshire.
MARKINCH, a parish in the county of
Fife, bounded by Falkland and Kettle on the
north, Kennoway on the east, on the south by
Wemyss, and on the west by Dysart, Kinglas-
sie, and Leslie. It extends from north to south
five and a half miles by a mean breadth of two.
In the southern end it is considerably wider.
It possesses a detached portion, lying on the sea
6hore, west from the town of Leven, and cut
off from the main portion by the intervention
of Wemyss. This small district contains the
pretty little town of Dubbieside, a resort for
sea-bathers, and west from thence the exceed-
ingly ancient and decayed town and sea port of
Methill. The parish of Markinch has a gene-
ral slope towards the south, and is under the
best state of cultivation, enclosures, and plan-
tations, being among the most beautiful parts
of Fife. It is traversed by the river Leven
and by the Orr. The great road through Fife
crosses it, and has within its bounds two large
inns, the New Inn and Plasterers' Inn. The
parish contains Balgonie castle, one of the seats
of the Earl of Leven, and from whence his
eldest son takes the title of Baron. It is a
place of great antiquity and considerable
strength, in the Gothic style, situated on the
south bank of the Leven, in the midst of some
fine woods. About half a mile east, is the
castle of Balfour, an old building, surrounded
by fine plantations and enclosures. The
house of Balbirnie is a good modern mansion,
in a delightful situation in the parish. Besides
the village of Markinch and those already men-
tioned, the parish contains the village of Mill-
town, lying on the road from Markinch to
Leven. The district abounds in coal, and has
several manufactories. The village of Mark-
inch stands near the centre of the parish, at
the distance of ten miles from Cupar, and
eight north east of Kirkaldy. It occupies an
exposed situation oh a .piece of irregular rising
ground, and on the highest part of the emin-
ence stands the parish church. Weaving is a
principal employment. Three annual fairs are
held. The reverend statist of the parish in-
forms us that the original church of Markinch
was of considerable antiquity. " It was," says
he, " given by Maldevinus, Bishop of St. An-
drews, to the Culdees in the 10 th century.
Towards the end of the 12th century, it was
mortified to the Priory of St. Andrews, by
Eugenius, the son of Hugo, a second son of
Gillimichel M'Duff, the fourth Earl of Fife,
which deed was confirmed by a charter of
King William. From this Eugenius, the
Wemyss family is supposed to have sprung.
About the beginning of the 17th century,
the small parsonage of Kirkforthar, belong-
ing to Lindsay of Kirkforthar, a cadet of
the family of Crawford, was suppressed and
annexed to Markinch. The ruins of the
church of Kirkforthar are still to be seen, in
the northern part of the parish, standing in the
middle of the old church-yard, or burying-
ground, which is enclosed by a wall, and there
many of the people belonging to the district
still bury their dead. — Population of the pa-
rish and villages in 1821, 4661.
MARNOCH, a parish in Banffshire, lying
on the north bank of the Deveron river, bound-
ed by Forglen on the east, and Rothiemay on
the west, extending from nine to ten miles in
length, and from four to five in breadth. In
general it is rather flat, being mostly surround-
ed by hills upon the west, north, and east.
It has much fine land on the banks of the river,
and is generally arable; the hilly parts are
suited for the feeding of black cattle. The
parish contains some excellent and beautiful
plantations. The church of Marnoch is situa~
ted on the Deveron Population in 1821,
2210.
MARR, a district in Aberdeenshire, lying
chiefly betwixt the Dee and Don rivers, and
including thirty-nine parishes. — See Aber-
deenshire. Marr gives the title of Earl to the
ancient and noble family of Erskine. The Ers-
kines are first noticed in history in the thirteenth
century, and some of them were at first only
Lords Erskine. Thomas,- the ninth Lord, was
created or confirmed Earl of Marr, by James IL