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

DINGWALL.
317
west of the town is a small lake, called Ousie. The
sea, at high water, washes a considerable part of the
parish on the south-east, running in apparent canals
along the side of the town, and forming a beautiful
variety of islets and peninsulas ; but, even at high tide,
it is very shallow for several miles down the frith ;
and, at low water, it recedes to the distance of nearly
4 miles, leaving nothing but a slimy strand. It is
thought that about 200 acres of ground might easily
be reclaimed in this quarter. About 1,400 acres are
under wood, and 2,400 are in tillage. The land rent
of the parish, at the close of last century, was about
.£1,200. The value of assessed property, in 1815,
was £3,967, exclusive of the burgh-property. In
the New Statistical Account, the average gross
amount of raw produce is estimated at £15,854.
Population, in 1801, 1,418; in 1831,2,124. Houses,
in 1831, 355. Gaelic is still the language of the
lower orders here. — This parish is in the presbytery
of Dingwall, andsvnod of Ross. Patron, the Crown.
Church built in 1801 ; sittings 800. Stipend £244
8s. lid.; glebe £30. Unappropriated teinds £54
14s. lOd There is a small Episcopalian chapel
Schoolmaster's salary £34 4s. 4^d. ; with £25 4s.
fees. There were 4 private schools in 1834.
Dingwall, a royal burgh in the above parish, is
pleasantly situated at the mouth of the fertile val-
ley of Strathpeffer, at the head of the Cromarty
frith, and on the Great north road; 19 miles north
of Inverness by Beauly; 13j by Kessaek; 26 south-
west of Tain; 7 east of Contin; and 174i miles
west-north-west of Edinburgh. It chiefly consists
of a main street running east and west on the old
Strathpeffer road. At the west end of this street,
a small street runs north towards the Peffer ; and at
the east end, a large street, called Castle-street, ex-
tends from Castle hill, or from the canal afterwards
noticed, on the north, to the school-house on the
south. The town stands on a piece of level ground,
scarcely 4 feet above high flood-mark. It was erected
into a royal burgh by Alexander II. in 1227, and
its privileges were further confirmed by a charter
granted in the reign of James IV., and confirmed by
James VI. in 1587. It was entitled by these char-
ters "to all the privileges, liberties, and immunities
possessed by the burgh of Inverness." It was and
is still governed by a provost, 2 bailies, a dean-of-
guild, treasurer, and 10 councillors, and joins with
Tain, Dornoch, Wick, and Kirkwall, in sending a
member to parliament. Municipal electors 87. Par-
liamentary constituency 87. Revenue, in 1838-9,
£263 Is. 8d. " Dingwall had at one time a con-
siderable extent of landed property, which does not,
however, appear to have been turned to much account
while in the possession of the burgh, nor to have
produced any considerable revenue. The town pro-
perty began to be feued out, and far the greater part
was so alienated, more than forty years ago. In
most cases the grants were made to persons con-
nected with or influential in the burgh, and without
any competition or publication. But although, in
such circumstances, the interests of the community
were sometimes sacrificed, on other occasions the
alienation of a large tract affording only pasture was
sufficiently compensated by a very small permanent
revenue, joined to the advantage arising from the
extensive plantations or agricultural improvements
of the vassals. Within the last forty years the man-
agement of the town-property has been comparatively
pure ; and latterly, alienations have taken place only
after public advertisement, and by public sale, except
in a very few instances, where small plots of ground,
for erecting warehouses, or other such purposes, have
been granted on the petition of individuals, for an
annual duty fully equal to the value of the land.
The burgh now retains only seven or eight acres in
property, which, with the superiority of certain lands
held feu of the burgh, and fishings in the river Conan
and the Dingwall frith, produce altogether an average
rental of £273 7s. 2d. sterling. " [Parliamentary Re-
port on Municipal Corporations in Scotland. Part I. p.
189.] The annual expenditure of the burgh amounted,
in 1832, to £181 14s. lOd. The debts of the burgh
amounted, in 1832, to £2,367 10s. The lands with-
in the royalty are stated at a supposed rental of 338
bolls, 2 firlots; and according to the proportion held
by each proprietor, he is stented for payment of the
cess or land-tax now levied, and a sum of £45 yearly
in commutation of the statute-labour, under the acts
6° Geo. IV. e. 90, and 9° Geo. IV. c. 102. These
are the only local taxes now levied. The jurisdic-
tion of the magistrates, which extends over the roy-
alty, is in practice confined to the trial of assaults
and other petty crimes, and to the decision of actions
of debt, processes of removing, sequestration, en-
croachment, and other civil causes to a very limited
extent. Their whole functions as judges are rapidly
passing into the hands of the sheriff, who has a resi-
dent substitute holding regular courts at Dingwall.
The magistrates and council have no patronage ex-
cept the appointment of the town-clerk, at a salary
of 10 guineas; two burgh-officers, at £5 each; the
keeper of the town-clock, at £5 ; and a kirk-officer,
at a salary of 5s. annually. There are no incorpo-
rated trades claiming exclusive privileges within this
burgh. Persons carrying on merchandise within the
burgh must, however, take out their freedom as
burgesses, the expense of which varies from 5 to 15
guineas, according to the nature and probable extent
of the trade to be carried on ; or they may obtain a
temporary licence from the magistrates to open shop
at the rate of 5s. a-day or less. From many circum-
stances, it would appear, that anciently this town
was much greater than at present. Causeways and
foundations of houses have been found some hundred
yards from where the town now stands. It is how-
ever much improved of late. Above the town, the
Peffer used to spread itself into a small morass, which
has been successfully drained. A mile below the
bridge and town, coasting- vessels used to be loaded
and unloaded on the mud at low-water, their cargoes
being carried on a bad road to and from the east end
of the town. This inconvenience has been remedied
by shaping the lower end of the Peffer into a regular
canal 2,000 yards in length, with two wharfs at
which vessels of 9 feet draft of water find accom-
modation. The expense of these improvements —
which were executed in 1815-17 — amounted to
£4,365, of which £1,786 were furnished by the
Highland road commissioners, and £600 by the
convention of burghs. The average income of the
harbour is £137. As the centre of an agricultural
district, and the point of union of the Highlands of
Wester Ross with the more fertile country on its
eastern sea-coast, this burgh is of some consequence.
It is also well-situated for trade, but as yet no par-
ticular branch of manufacture has been introduced.
The burgh of Dingwall contains nearly 1,800 inhabi-
tants Near the town is a vestige of the ancient
residence of the Earls of Ross. It was built close
to the shore, and was at one time almost surrounded
by the Peffer, into which the tide flowed at high
water. What was not surrounded by the sea had
a deep ditch and a regular glacis. The site of
this castle is now occupied by a modern mansion.
The Earls of Ross were the most powerful of the
northern barons, and many of the ancient families in
Ross-shire held their estates by charters from them,
dated, "apud castrum nostrum de Dingwall.". — Near
the church is an obelisk, 57 feet high, though only