Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 1

ARDOCH.
71
ARDROSSAN.
tion is much impeded by bridgeless rivers, marshy
grounds, and want of roads. Several good harbours
exist both on the outer coasts and within the sca-
lochs; but they are comparatively little used. The
main marketing of the pariah is done either across
the Sound of Mull with Tobermory, or by the Skye
and Long Island steamers with Glasgow. Popula-
tion of the entire parish in 1831, 5,669; in 1861,
4,700. Houses, 801. Population of the Inverness-
shire district in 1831, 2,358; in 1861, 1,917
Houses, 326.
This parish is in the presbytery of Mull and
synod of Argyle. Patron, the Duke of Argyle.
Stipend, £228 4s. 4d., with a manse and glebe.
The parish church was built in 1830, and has 600
sittings. An assistant minister has under bis
charge the greater part of Moydart, and the whole
of Arasaig and South Morar, and officiates in two
places of worship, 46 and 56 miles distant from the
parish church, the one a thatched house at Polnish,
and the other a school-house at Ardnafuaran.
Stipend, £88 lis. Id., with £5 for communion ele-
ments. A missionary on the Eoyal Bounty, with a
salary of £60, has charge of the district of Laga, 10
or 12 miles in extent along Loch Sunart, and
preaches in a thatched house midway between the
parish church and the church of Aeharaele. Two
ministers, each with a government church and a
manse, have charge of the large districts of Ach-
aracle and Stroxtiax: see these articles. There
was a Free church preaching station in Ardnamur-
clian Proper ; and the yearly sum raised in connex-
ion with it in 1853 was £8 6s. 7d. There are two
Free churches, — one for Aeharaele and Moydart, and
the other for Strontian. The salary of the parochial
schoolmaster of Arduamurchan was raised to £50.
There are also a school at Strontian, two Assem-
blv's schools, and three other schools.
ARDNEIL. See Kilbride- West.
ARDO. See Baxchory-Davextck.
ARDOCH, a village in the parish of Muthill,
Perthshire. It stands on the river Knaik and on
the road from Stirling to Crieff, 4A miles south-west
of the village of Muthill, and 12 miles north by east
of Stirling. It is sometimes called Braco from the
estate of which it is feued. A Chapel of Ease was
built here in 17S0, and contains 600 sittings. Here
also is a Free church ; and the yearly sum raised in
connexion with this in 1865 was £177 Is. 7d. An
United Presbyterian church stands about li mile to
the south. The village contains a subscription
library; and is a thriving place. Fairs are held on
the first AVednesday of January, on the last Tues-
day of April, on the first Tuesday of August, and
on the last Tuesday of October. Population, in
1861, 807.
A large Roman camp at Ardoch has been an ob-
ject of inteuse interest to all Scottish antiquaries,
and the subject of high controversies among them ;
and is both one of the largest and one of the best
preserved antiquities of its class in Britain. It
closely adjoins the village, and is intersected by the
highway. " The situation of it," says the writer of
the Old Statistical Account of Muthill, " gave it
many advantages ; being on the north-west side of
a deep moss that runs a long way eastward. On
the west side, it is partly defended by the steep
bank of the water of Knaik ; which bank rises per-
pendicularly between forty and fifty feet. The
north and east sides were most exposed ; and there
we find very particular care was taken to secure
them. The ground on the east is pretty regular,
and descends by a gentle slope from the lines of for-
tification, which, on that side, consist of five rows
of ditches, perfectly entire, and running parallel to
one another. These altogether arc about fifty-five
yards in breadth. On the north side, there is an
equal number of lines and ditches, but twenty yards
broader than the former. On the west, besides the)
steep precipices above mentioned, it was defended
by at least two ditches. One is still visible ; the
others have probably been filled up, in making the
great military road from Stirling to the North. The
side of the camp, lying to the southward, exhibits to
the antiquary a less pleasing prospect. Here the
peasant's nigged band has laid in ruins a great part
of the lines ; so that it may be with propriety said,
in the words of a Latin poet, ' Jam seges est, ubi
Troja fait.' The area of the camp is an oblong of
140 yards, by 125 within the lines. The general's
quarter rises above the level of the camp, but is not
in the centre. It is a regular square, each side
being exactly twenty yards. At present it exhibits
evident marks of having been enclosed with a stone
wall, and contains the foundation of a bouse, ten
yards by seven. That a place of worship has been
erected here, is not improbable, as it has obtained
the name of Chapel-hill from time immemorial."
The reporter goes on to state that there are other
two encampments adjoining, having a communi-
cation with one another and containing above 130
acres of ground These, he thinks, were probably
intended for the cavalry and auxiliaries.
ARDPATRICK, a headland at the north side of
the entrance of West Loch Tarbert, and at the
south-western extremity of Kiapdale, Argyleshire.
Tradition asserts that St. Patrick landed here on his
way from Ireland to Iona.
ARDRISHAIGr, a small sea-port and post-town,
in the parish of South Knapdale, Argyleshire. It
stands at the east end of the Crinan canal, about 2
miles from Lochgilphead. It has a handsome re-
cently-built hotel, and two places of worship, Estab-
lished and Episcopalian ; and it partakes in the in-
stitutions and marketingsof Lochgilphead. Its inhab-
itants are supported principally by the Loch-Fyne
herring fishery, by the traffic through the canal, and
by the resort of steamers from Glasgow. Upwards
of 100 fishing boats sometimes frequent the har-
bour during the fishing season ; and commonly three
steamers daily during summer, and either one or
two during winter, ply between this and Glasgow,
irrespective of those which pass through the canal.
The quantity of sheep and cattle shipped here is
considerable. On Wednesday, August 18th, 1847,
the Queen and Prince Albert landed here, in their
voyage from Inverary to Invemess-shire, and were
welcomed by an immense and enthusiastic con-
course of people. From the quay the royal party
proceeded by a road about 200 yards in length,
specially constructed for the occasion, and leading
between a double row of trees, to the canal bank,
where the royal barge was in waiting to convey
them to the Victoria and Albert yacht, which, hav-
ing rounded the Mull of Kintyre, lay at anchor in
Crinan bay. Population in 1861, 902.
ARDROSS, a mountainous district, between Al-
ness Water and Rorie Water, on the east side of
Ross- shire. It was the early residence and fastness
of the great clan Ross, and is now the property of
Alexander Matbeson, Esq.
ARDROSS, a barony in Fifeshire. See Ely.
ARDROSSAN, a parish, containing the sea-port
town of Ardrossan, and part of the sea-port town of
Saltcoats, in the district of Cunningham, Ayrshire.
It is bounded on the south-west by the frith of Clyde,
and on the other sides by the parishes of West Kil-
bride, Dairy, Kilwinning, and Stevenston. Its
greatest length is 6 miles, and its greatest breadth
3J. The extent of sea-coast is about 4 miles. The