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

BLACKBURN.
170
BLACKHOUSE
BLACKBURN (The), a tributary of the Lossie,
in the parish of Dallas, Morayshire.
BLACK CABT. See Cam.
BLACK CAVE. See Aeean.
BLACKCBAIG-, a village in the parish of Minni-
gaff, Kirkcudbrightshire.
BLACK CRAIG, a mountain, 1,600 feet high
above the level of the Nith, in the parish of New
Cumnock, Ayrshire.
BLACK CEAIG, a hill in the parish of Creich,
Fifeshire, commanding a brilliant and extensive
view of the lower basin of the Tay and the frontier
Grampians.
BLACK CRAIG, or Craigdhu, a frontier moun-
tain of the Grampians, apparently between 1,800
and 2,000 feet high, in the parish of Port of Men-
teith, Perthshire. Its outline resembles that of a
hog's back. Its composition is conglomerate and
limestone, — the latter of a blue colour streaked
with white, and possessing enough of the proper-
ties of marble to be suitable for mantel-pieces.
BLACK DEVON. See Clackmannanshire.
BLACK ESK. See Esk.
BLACKFORD, a parish, containing a post-office
village of its own name, in the south-eastern part of
Perthshire. It is bounded on the south by the
counties of Clackmannan and Stirling, and on the
other sides by the parishes of Dunblane, Mutb.il,
Crieff, Trinity-Gask, Auchterarder, and Glendevon.
Its length northward is 10 miles, and its breadth is
about 5 miles. The Devon traces the southern bound-
ary ; the Earn traces the northern boundary ; and the
Madrany, the Ruthven, and the Allan have their
early course in the interior. The southern district
is part of the Ochils, — steep and craggy toward the
Devon, but fiat and moorish toward the north.
The central district is largely occupied by the
great planted moor of Tullibardine ; yet contains
some lovely tracts, — particularly the charming and
romantic Kincardine Glen, along the course of the
Madrany. The northern district consists of rich,
well-cultivated lands, of similar character to those
of the other outspread parts of Stratheam. The
climate of the upland tracts is moist and churlish.
There are a few small lakes. Sandstone is quarried
of a very hard quality, well adapted for millstones.
The chief landowners are Lord Stratballan, Lord
Camperdown, and Moray of Abercaimey. The
Scottish Central railway and the great east road
from Stirling to Perth go through the parish ; and
the former has a station here. There were formerly
several chapels in this parish ; and, before the year
1745, divine service was occasionally performed in
one at the house of Gleneagles, the burial-place of
the family of Haldane; and in another near the
castle of Tullibardine, in the choir of which the
Dukes of Athole formerly interred. Besides these,
there are the vestiges of two chapels in Mahany, at
one of which is a burying-ground still in use by the
inhabitants of the neighbourhood. Upon an emi-
nence, fronting Gleneagles, are the vestiges of a small
Roman camp ; there are also several Druidical cir-
cles. In this parish, the ancestors of the Duke of
Montrose had their ordinary residence, at the castle
of Kincardine, which was burned in the time of the
Civil wars, and has never been rebuilt. In Tulli-
bardine stand the remains of a castle of that name,
the seat, in former times, of the Earls of Tullibar-
dine, who, for a long time after that family came to
the titles of Athole, resided here some part of the
year. In 1715, it was garrisoned by a party of the
Earl of Marr's army, and taken by the Duke of
Argyle ; before the year 1745, Lord George Murray
and his family inhabited it ; but since that time it
has been suffered to go to ruin. Tullibardine gives
the title of Marquis to the illustrious family oi
Murray, Duke of Athole. The village of Blackford
is situated nearly in the centre of the parish, 4J
miles south-west of Auchterarder, and 10 miles
north-east of Dunblane. Fairs are held here on the
3d Wednesday of April, and the 3d Wednesday of
October. Population of the village in 1861, 881.
Population of the parish in 1831, 1,918; in 1861,
2,041. Houses, 312. Assessed property in 1843,
£10,700; in 1865, £14,667 0s. 6d.
This parish is in the presbytery of Auchterarder,
and synod of Perth and Stirling. Patron, Mrs.
Home Drummond of Blair-Diummond. Stipend,
£207 lis.; glebe, £18. Schoolmaster's salary now
is £55, with £22 fees. The parochial church was
built in 1738, and repaired about 1835, and contains
500 sittings. There is a Free church ; attendance,
200; yearly sum raised in 1865, £155 12s. 3|d.
There are three private schools.
BLACKFORD HILL, ,an eminence about 1J
mile south of Edinburgh, divided from Braid hill on
the south by a ravine which is intersected by Braid
burn. " It is well worth while," says Campbell in
his Journey from Edinburgh, " to ascend to the top
of Blackford hill, from which a fine prospect of Edin-
burgh, the frith of Forth, the coast of Fife, the Lo-
mond and Ochil hills, even to the Grampian moun-
tains, is commanded. In ascending from the bottom
of the valley through which the rivulet winds, we
first reach one summit ; and in gaining the next, the
heaving into view of the castle, spires, and other
buildings of the city, piled in irregular masses, and
enveloped in the sombre obscurity of its smoke, seems
as if all were in motion by the power of enchant-
ment. On obtaining the topmost ridge of the hill,
an extent of prospect truly sublime and beautiful
spreads out before us. Immediately beneath the
north brow, Blackford mansion-house, half hid
among trees, and several others near it, of aii old
construction and aspect, appear on the plain below.
One of these, namely, Grange house, was that in
which Principal Robertson breathed his last."
BLACKFRIARS. See Ate, Edinburgh, Glas-
gow, Perth, Andrews (St.), Stirling, Wigton.
BLACKHALL, a station on the Wilsonton rail-
way in Lanarkshire, 3 J miles north-east of Morning-
side, and 10J south-south-west of Bathgate.
BLACKHALL, a post-office village 2J miles west
by north of Edinburgh, on the road thence to
Queensferry. Corstorphine hill and Craigleith quarry
are near it. See Craigleith.
BLACKHALL See Paisley and Strachan.
BLACKHILLOCK, a post-office station, subordi-
nate to Keith, Banffshire.
BLACKHILLS. See Skene.
BLACKHOPE SCARS, or Bi.akehope Scaues,
the loftiest of the Moorfoot hills, on the mutual
border of the parish of Innerleithen, Peebles-shire,
and the parishes of Temple and Heriot, Edinburgh-
shire. It has an altitude of about 1,000 feet above
the stream at its base, and of 2,193 feet above the
level of the sea ; and is the highest ground in the
Lothians. A brook called Blackhopo Water flows
away from it to a confluence with Heriot Water.
BLACKHOUSE, an old square tower, on Douglas
burn in Selkirkshire, about 5 miles south-west of
Traquair, one of the most ancient seats of the puissant
family of Douglas. It now gives name to a sheep-
fami of about 4,000 acres in size, belonging to the
Earl of Traquair. It is said to be mentioned as early
as the reign of Malcolm Canmore. The tower might
be built by William, first Earl of Douglas, when he
succeeded to the Forest; for Robert Bruce had
granted to his favourite warrior, Sir James Douglas,
the forests of Selkirk and Traquair. From the