Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

34
ST ANDREWS.
embouchure of the Eden — up which the tide flows 4
miles — is a flat sandy bay abounding with large floun-
ders, cockles, and mussels. In the course of the river,
for about a mile from its mouth, salmon are caught,
but in no great quantity. Towards the east end
of the parish are some small creeks among the rocks,
where vessels of inferior size occasionally deliver lime
and coals. St Andrews bay is proverbially dangerous
to navigators. Vessels driven into it by an easterly
wind, being unable to weather the opposite points
of Fifeness and the Redhead, are compelled to run
into the mouth of the Tay, which presents an intri-
cate navigation amid its sand-banks. On the lands of
Brownhills and Kinkell — which form the first rising
ground eastward from St Andrews harbour — there
are a few insulated rocks, from 20 to 40 feet high,
and of nearly equal breadth ; one about halS-a-mile
from the harbour, is called the Maiden stone ; and
about half-a-mile farther, is the Rock and Spindle.
The chief land-marks in this parish are the steeples
of St Andrews, and a small obelisk of stones on the
highest part of the farm of Bahymont, about 2 miles
south-east of the town. The principal hills are the
East and West Bahymonts, which rise to the alti-
tude of about 360 feet above sea-level ; and the hill
of Clatto which has an elevation of 548 feet. On
Strathkinness moor, about 3 miles west from the
town, and on Nydie hill— which is a more elevated
and westerly portion of the same moor — are quarries
of excellent freestone, of which most of the houses
in St Andrews are built. In Denhead moor, in the
south-west corner of the parish, coal exists, but it is
not wrought. About a mile east from the harbour,
there is a natural cave, called Kinkell cave. The
mouth is to the north; the direction of the cave is
southwards, and it penetrates about 80 feet; the
shelving of the freestone roof presents a triangular
cross section, and there is a continual dropping from
the roof and sides which are covered with hanging
plants. There are no very old or extensive plantations
of wood in this parish. The number of acres under
cultivation is about 10,000; the average rent per
acre did not exceed 2os. in 1794, and does not ex-
ceed 30s. now. The highways through this parish
are such only as diverge from St Andrews as a centre,
viz. to Crail south-east; south to Anstruther; south-
west to Ely; west to Cupar; and north-west to
Dundee. On the road to Dundee, over the Eden, is a
bridge of six arches, called the Gair or Guard-bridge,
originally built at the expense of Bishop Wardlaw,
who died in 1444, and who established a family of
the name of Wan as hereditary keepers of this bridge,
for which they have a perpetual fee of about 10 acres
of land adjoining to it. The language of the parish
of St Andrews is the common dialect of the Scotch
Lowlands. The Fifans, it has been alleged, use a
drawling pronunciation, but they have very few pro-
vincial w ords ; and if they are at all worthy of so
high a character as the first Statistical reporter on
St Andrews bestows on the people of his charge, they
must be such a very amiable set of people that one
can easily overlook in them so trivial a fault as
that of a drawling speech. " The people of this
parish,'' says the reporter, "are sober, temperate,
and industrious ; more addicted to the arts of tran-
quil life than to military service; kind and hospi-
table to strangers; benevolent and friendly to one
another ; very ready to all the offices and duties
of society; not very forward in making new dis-
coveries, but willing to improve by the experi-
ments elsewhere made; peaceable in their demea-
nour; candid and liberal in their judgments; respect-
ful to their superiors, without servility; compas-
sionate to the distressed, and charitable to the poor;
contented and thankful in their situation ; attached
to their religion, without bigotry or enthusiasm ;
regular in their attendance on Christian institutions,
and pious without ostentation; loyal to the king;
obedient to the laws ; enemies to sedition, faction,
or tumult, and deeply sensible of the blessings they
enjoy as British subjects. In no corner of the king-
dom," adds the worthy reporter — and who will gain-
say him if such be the character of one's neighbours
here — " is it more comfortable to live, as neighbours,
magistrates, or ministers." Population, in 1801,
4,203; in 1831, 5,621; of whom 3,767 were inhabit-
ants of the city of St Andrews. Houses 863. As-
sessed property £21,723. The population consists
chiefly of shopkeepers, handicraftsmen, and labourers.
The parish of St Andrews is in the presbytery of
St Andrews and synod of Fife. It is a collegiate
charge ; the Crown appointing the first minister ;
and the magistrates of St Andrews the second.
Stipend of the first minister £439 9s. 4d., with a
glebe of the annual value of £23; of the second
£161 18s. 2d., with a glebe of the value of £16 5s.
2d. ; both ministers have an additional allowance for
a manse. Unappropriated teinds £791 9s. lOd. The
parish-church, within the city of St Andrews, was
erected in the 12th century, and thoroughly repaired
in 1798. Sittings 2,128— There is a chapel at
Strathkinness where public worship is performed
every Sabbath — An Episcopalian congregation has
existed here since Episcopacy was the established
religion of Scotland. The chapel was erected in
1825; cost £1,400; sittings 170. Minister's stipend
£90.— The United Secession congregation was estab-
lished in 1748; chapel built in 1826; cost £940;
sittings 440. Stipend £100, with manse and gar-
den. — An Original Burgher congregation was estab-
lished at Strathkinness in 1823. Stipend £96, with
manse and garden — The Independent chapel was
built in 1807 ; cost £700 ; sittings 336. Stipend £70.
The parish of St Leonard consists of a few
districts in different quarters of the town and sub-
urbs of St Andrews, and three farms in the coun-
try, about 3 miles distant from the town, all origi-
nally belonging to the priory, afterwards to the college
of St Leonard, and now to the United college of
St Salvator and St Leonard. Its total extent is
820 acres ; and population 482, of whom 62 reside in
the country. It is probable that the erection of the
parish is of the same date with the foundation of
the college whose name it bears. Although the
principal of St Leonards did not always officiate as
minister of the parish — and in the instance of Mr
George Buchanan, was not even a clergyman — it is
certain, that for some time before the Revolution,
the two offices were held by the same person ; and
ever since that period the principal of the college
has been a clergyman, andithe minister of this parish.
The chapel of St Salvator's college is used as the
parish-church; the old parish-church having been
long in ruins; sittings 312. Minister's stipend £152
Is. 9d. ; with a glebe of the annual value of £25.
There is no parochial school. Population of this
parish, as distinct from that of St Andrews, in 1801,
363 ; in 1831, 482. Houses 77.
The city of St Andrews is situated in N. lat.
56° 19' 33", and W. long. 2° 50' ; 39 miles north-
north-east of Edinburgh, upon a rocky ridge pro-
jecting into the sea, at the bottom of the bay to
which it gives name. This ridge, washed by the
waves on the west and north, and terminating
towards the sea in an abrupt and high precipice,
gives the city, to a traveller approaching from the
west, an appearance of elevation and grandeur. Ap-
proaching along the road from Cupar and Dundee,
by the Gair-bridge, we have a fine prospect of the
city at the distance of some miles. On the left the