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DAB
295
DAI
D
DAB AY, a small island of the Hebrides, annexed
to the county of Inverness. It is about a mile long,
and half-a-mile broad ; fertile in corn and grass, but
liable to be blasted by the south-west winds.
DAER, or Dear, a stream in the upper ward of
Lanarkshire, taking its rise in the mountains border-
ing on Dumfries-shire. It has been contended by
many — and not without show of reason* — that the
Daer is the origin of the Clyde, in so far as the
streamlet which bears the latter name is insignificant
in size as compared with the former at the point at
which the confluence of their waters takes place.
It affords the title of Lord Daer to the eldest son of
the Earl of Selkirk, the residence of which noble
family is at St. Mary's Isle, in the stewartry of Kirk-
cudbright, and their principal possessions are also
situated in that neighbourhood.
DAFF, a village in Renfrewshire, in the parish
of Innerkip, about 3 miles west of Greenock.
DAILLY,* a parish in the centre of the district
of Carrick, Ayrshire. It is bounded on the north
by Kirkoswald ; on the east by Kirkmichael and
Straiton ; on the south by Barr and Girvan ; and on
the west by Girvan. It is of an irregular oblong
figure, stretching from north-east to south-west ;
and measures, in extreme length, nearly 7 miles, and
in breadth from 4 to 6. Its area probably contains
upwards of 17,000 acres. The parish is intersected,
in its extreme length, and along its central division,
by Girvan water ; which, all the way, is a beautiful
pastoral stream, and here receives, on both banks,
several rills of local origin. The surface, at first,
rising gently and variedly from the banks of the
river, and, afterwards soaring into hills of consider-
able height, is a basin abounding in the beauties of
landscape. The lowlands are fertile, well-cultivated,
and richly wooded; and the uplands, though natu-
rally heathy and bleak, are partly reclaimed; and
nearly all afford good pasturage. The beds of the
indigenous rills are, for the most part, deep, well-
wooded, picturesque glens. The soil, in the holms
and meadows along the banks of the Girvan, is light
but very productive; on the south side, is light and
dry, resting on a bed of gravel; on the north side,
is clayey and retentive ; and, on the hills, is thin,
wet, and spungy, consisting in many places of moss.
Coal, limestone, and freestone abound. The coal-
bed is believed to be a wing of the great coal-field
which stretches from the vicinity of Edinburgh into
Ayrshire, and is here worked in 5 seams, of from 4
to 14 feet in thickness. Limestone is worked at
Blairhill, near the south-eastern extremity of the
parish, and at Craighead, near the north-western
extremity. Argillaceous marl is found in most parts,
and has been successfully employed as manure. Nu-
merous small chalybeate springs welling up in dif-
ferent parts of the parish, seem to indicate the exist-
ence of strata of ironstone. ..The climate, in the
valley, is generally dry and mild, but on the high
grounds is moist and chilly ; and though everywhere
subject to heavy showers during westerly winds, is
rarely loaded with fogs. The parish is divided among
7 landowners, 5 of whom have mansions within its
limits. At Kilkerran and Penkill are ruins of forti-
fied castles. Near the lower extremity of a wild and
* The name is probably descriptive of the central stripe, or
dale, of the parish. The ancient name was Dahnaolkeraii, :>*„'.
nilying the 'Dale of St. Keran.'
romantic glen once stood a chapel dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, whence the locality is still called Lady-
glen. At a place called Machry-kill are vestiges of
a small church or chapel, probably dedicated to St.
Macarius. At the southern termination of the west-
ern heights is an oval and doubly enclosed encamp-
ment, 100 yards by 65, commanding an extensive
and uncommonly brilliant view, and probably raised
during the wars of Robert Bruce. There is only
one village, that of New Dailly, situated on the
Girvan, substantially and singularly built, and, of late
years, greatly improved. There are here a library,
a friendly society, and a savings bank. Across the
Girvan are 4 bridges, 3 public and one private. Popu-
lation of the parish, in 1801, 1,756; in 1831, 2,074.
Houses 314. Assessed property, in 1815, .£7,887
Dailly is in the presbytery of Ayr, and synod of Glas-
gow and Ayr. Patron, the Crown. Stipend £348
7s. 9d. ; glebe £15 10s. The old church which
stood at Old Dailly, about 3 miles from the present
church and village, was granted by Duncan, the first
earl of Carrick, to the monks of Paisley ; but was
afterwards transferred by Robert I. to the monks of
Crossraguel, and remained with them till the Refor-
mation. In 1653, an extensive tract of the original
parish of Dailly, lying on the south-east among the
upper branches of the Stinchar, was detached in
order to form the modern parish of Barr. Dailly,
however, received, at the same time, a small addition
on the north-east from Kirkoswald. Though no-
where touching the sea-coast, the parish includes also
the romantic rock of Ailsa, in the centre of the frith
of Clyde. See Ailsa Craig. The present church
was built in 1766, and cost £600. Sittings 650.
There are 4 schools, 3 of them nonparochial. Par-
ish schoolmaster's salary £30, with £30 other emolu-
ments.
DAIRSIE, a parish in Fifeshire; bounded on the
north by Kilmany, Logie, and Leuchars parishes;
on the east by Leuchars ; on the south by Kem-
back, from which it is divided by the Eden ; and on
the west by Cupar. It is of an irregular form, ex-
tending from south-east to north-west 2£ miles; and
from south-west to north-east 2 miles. Superficial
area 2,306 acres, of which only 15 are waste land.
Its general appearance is that of a gently rising
ground : the inclination being towards the south and
south-east. There are in it two hills of a moderate
height, from which are very extensive prospects.
The one is called Foodie, the other Craigfoodie, and
both of them are remarkable for bearing crops nearly
to their summit. The soil is for the most part fer-
tile, and in many places rich and deep. The high
road from St. Andrews to Cupar passes through the
southern part of the parish. The church, a hand-
some building, and the bridge of 3 arches across the
Eden here, were built by Archbishop Spottiswood,
when proprietor of Dairsie. In an old castle, near
the church, he is said to have compiled his Church
history. This castle was once a place of consider-
able strength, and a parliament was held in it in
1355. It is now greatly dilapidated; but a view
of it is given in the edition of Sir Robert Sib-
bald's History of Fife, published at Cupar in 1803.
The principal village is that of Darsiemuir, some-
times called Osnaburg, which is of recent erection.
There is a spinning mill at Newmiln, and another at
Lydiamiln, both on the Eden. A part of the popti- .
295
DAI
D
DAB AY, a small island of the Hebrides, annexed
to the county of Inverness. It is about a mile long,
and half-a-mile broad ; fertile in corn and grass, but
liable to be blasted by the south-west winds.
DAER, or Dear, a stream in the upper ward of
Lanarkshire, taking its rise in the mountains border-
ing on Dumfries-shire. It has been contended by
many — and not without show of reason* — that the
Daer is the origin of the Clyde, in so far as the
streamlet which bears the latter name is insignificant
in size as compared with the former at the point at
which the confluence of their waters takes place.
It affords the title of Lord Daer to the eldest son of
the Earl of Selkirk, the residence of which noble
family is at St. Mary's Isle, in the stewartry of Kirk-
cudbright, and their principal possessions are also
situated in that neighbourhood.
DAFF, a village in Renfrewshire, in the parish
of Innerkip, about 3 miles west of Greenock.
DAILLY,* a parish in the centre of the district
of Carrick, Ayrshire. It is bounded on the north
by Kirkoswald ; on the east by Kirkmichael and
Straiton ; on the south by Barr and Girvan ; and on
the west by Girvan. It is of an irregular oblong
figure, stretching from north-east to south-west ;
and measures, in extreme length, nearly 7 miles, and
in breadth from 4 to 6. Its area probably contains
upwards of 17,000 acres. The parish is intersected,
in its extreme length, and along its central division,
by Girvan water ; which, all the way, is a beautiful
pastoral stream, and here receives, on both banks,
several rills of local origin. The surface, at first,
rising gently and variedly from the banks of the
river, and, afterwards soaring into hills of consider-
able height, is a basin abounding in the beauties of
landscape. The lowlands are fertile, well-cultivated,
and richly wooded; and the uplands, though natu-
rally heathy and bleak, are partly reclaimed; and
nearly all afford good pasturage. The beds of the
indigenous rills are, for the most part, deep, well-
wooded, picturesque glens. The soil, in the holms
and meadows along the banks of the Girvan, is light
but very productive; on the south side, is light and
dry, resting on a bed of gravel; on the north side,
is clayey and retentive ; and, on the hills, is thin,
wet, and spungy, consisting in many places of moss.
Coal, limestone, and freestone abound. The coal-
bed is believed to be a wing of the great coal-field
which stretches from the vicinity of Edinburgh into
Ayrshire, and is here worked in 5 seams, of from 4
to 14 feet in thickness. Limestone is worked at
Blairhill, near the south-eastern extremity of the
parish, and at Craighead, near the north-western
extremity. Argillaceous marl is found in most parts,
and has been successfully employed as manure. Nu-
merous small chalybeate springs welling up in dif-
ferent parts of the parish, seem to indicate the exist-
ence of strata of ironstone. ..The climate, in the
valley, is generally dry and mild, but on the high
grounds is moist and chilly ; and though everywhere
subject to heavy showers during westerly winds, is
rarely loaded with fogs. The parish is divided among
7 landowners, 5 of whom have mansions within its
limits. At Kilkerran and Penkill are ruins of forti-
fied castles. Near the lower extremity of a wild and
* The name is probably descriptive of the central stripe, or
dale, of the parish. The ancient name was Dahnaolkeraii, :>*„'.
nilying the 'Dale of St. Keran.'
romantic glen once stood a chapel dedicated to the
Virgin Mary, whence the locality is still called Lady-
glen. At a place called Machry-kill are vestiges of
a small church or chapel, probably dedicated to St.
Macarius. At the southern termination of the west-
ern heights is an oval and doubly enclosed encamp-
ment, 100 yards by 65, commanding an extensive
and uncommonly brilliant view, and probably raised
during the wars of Robert Bruce. There is only
one village, that of New Dailly, situated on the
Girvan, substantially and singularly built, and, of late
years, greatly improved. There are here a library,
a friendly society, and a savings bank. Across the
Girvan are 4 bridges, 3 public and one private. Popu-
lation of the parish, in 1801, 1,756; in 1831, 2,074.
Houses 314. Assessed property, in 1815, .£7,887
Dailly is in the presbytery of Ayr, and synod of Glas-
gow and Ayr. Patron, the Crown. Stipend £348
7s. 9d. ; glebe £15 10s. The old church which
stood at Old Dailly, about 3 miles from the present
church and village, was granted by Duncan, the first
earl of Carrick, to the monks of Paisley ; but was
afterwards transferred by Robert I. to the monks of
Crossraguel, and remained with them till the Refor-
mation. In 1653, an extensive tract of the original
parish of Dailly, lying on the south-east among the
upper branches of the Stinchar, was detached in
order to form the modern parish of Barr. Dailly,
however, received, at the same time, a small addition
on the north-east from Kirkoswald. Though no-
where touching the sea-coast, the parish includes also
the romantic rock of Ailsa, in the centre of the frith
of Clyde. See Ailsa Craig. The present church
was built in 1766, and cost £600. Sittings 650.
There are 4 schools, 3 of them nonparochial. Par-
ish schoolmaster's salary £30, with £30 other emolu-
ments.
DAIRSIE, a parish in Fifeshire; bounded on the
north by Kilmany, Logie, and Leuchars parishes;
on the east by Leuchars ; on the south by Kem-
back, from which it is divided by the Eden ; and on
the west by Cupar. It is of an irregular form, ex-
tending from south-east to north-west 2£ miles; and
from south-west to north-east 2 miles. Superficial
area 2,306 acres, of which only 15 are waste land.
Its general appearance is that of a gently rising
ground : the inclination being towards the south and
south-east. There are in it two hills of a moderate
height, from which are very extensive prospects.
The one is called Foodie, the other Craigfoodie, and
both of them are remarkable for bearing crops nearly
to their summit. The soil is for the most part fer-
tile, and in many places rich and deep. The high
road from St. Andrews to Cupar passes through the
southern part of the parish. The church, a hand-
some building, and the bridge of 3 arches across the
Eden here, were built by Archbishop Spottiswood,
when proprietor of Dairsie. In an old castle, near
the church, he is said to have compiled his Church
history. This castle was once a place of consider-
able strength, and a parliament was held in it in
1355. It is now greatly dilapidated; but a view
of it is given in the edition of Sir Robert Sib-
bald's History of Fife, published at Cupar in 1803.
The principal village is that of Darsiemuir, some-
times called Osnaburg, which is of recent erection.
There is a spinning mill at Newmiln, and another at
Lydiamiln, both on the Eden. A part of the popti- .
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