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

CLOCKSBRIGGS.
274
CLOSEBURN.
assumes here a southerly direction. The jurisdic-
tion of the Glasgow water baillie terminates here.
A regular ferry is maintained between this point
and the village of Dunoon. A lighthouse was built
here in 1797, and is one of the most important
beacons on the Clyde. It is a circular tower rising
to the height of 76 feet above the water, and dis-
playing a white fixed light. The view from Cloch
point is very brilliant, embracing a great range of
the frith, together with the Cowal mountains,
Dunoon, and the wooded peninsula of Roseneath.
CLOCKSBRIGGS, a station on the Arbroath and
Forfar railway, between Auldbar and Forfar.
CLOFFIN BURN. See Moffat.
CLOLA. See Deer.
CLONCAIRN CASTLE. See Kibkmichael.
CLOSEBURN, a parish, containing a post-office
village of the same name, in Nithsdale, Dumfries-
shire. It is bounded on the north by Lanarkshire,
and on other sides by the parishes of Kirkpatrick-
Juxta, Kirkmahoe, Keir, and Morton. Its length
southward is 10 miles, and its greatest breadth is
7J miles. The Nith runs on the south-western
boundary ; the Cample on most of the western boun-
dary, and the Ae on part of the eastern boundary;
and a number of indigenous streams run severally
to these rivers. The surface near the Nith is low
valley-ground, with a fine rich loamy soil ; farther
up, it is higher, yet but slightly diversified, and has
a light dry soil ; and farther still it expands drearily
in a great tract of moorland, partly reclaimed and
partly irreclaimable, until it terminates among the
mountain-masses of the Southern Highlands, at the
watershed between Nithsdale and Clydesdale. The
highest summit is Queexsbeeky: which see. In
1834 there were 5,683 acres in tillage, 1,500 under
wood, and 23,006 in pasture, — 1,428 of which were
arable. The grandest architectural feature in the
jarish is the baronial mansion, Closeburn-Hall, a
arge splendid Grecian edifice, figuring beautifully
in the landscape. The most remarkable of the in-
digenous streams — one noted for its romantic fea-
tures — is the Crichup. This rises in a moss near
the northern extremity of the parish. Not far from
its source, it forms a very beautiful cascade, called
1 the Grey Mare's tail,' by falling over a precipice
of about 80 or 90 feet in height, and almost perpen-
dicular. About halfa-mile below this, the water
has, in the course of ages, hollowed out to itself a
strait passage through a mass of red freestone,
forming a peculiarly romantic linn. This linn,
from top to bottom, is upwards of 100 feet; and
though 20 deep, it is yet so strait at the top, that
one might easily leap across it, were it not for the
tremendous prospect below, and the noise of the
water running its dark course, and by its deep mur-
murings affrighting the imagination. " Inaccessi-
ble in a great measure to real beings," says the Old
Statistical Account, " this linn was considered as
the habitation of imaginary ones; and at the en-
trance into it, there was a curious cell or cave,
called the Elfs kirk, where according to the super-
stition of the times, the imaginary inhabitants of
the linn were supposed to hold their meetings.
This cave proving a good free-stone quarry, has
lately been demolished, for the purpose of building
houses, and from being the abode of elves, has been
converted into habitations for men. In the limes of
persecution, the religious flying from their persecu-
tors, found an excellent hiding-place in Crichup
linn; and there is a seat in form of a chair, cut out
by nature in the rock, which having been the_ re-
treat of a shoemaker m those times, has ever since
borne the name of ' the Sutor's seat.' Nothing can
he more striking than the appearance of this linn
Is
from its bottom. The darkness of the place, upon
which the sun never shines, — the ragged rocks,
rising over one's head, and seeming to meet at the
top, with here and there a blasted tree, bursting
from the crevices, — the rumbling of the water fall-
ing from rock to rock, and forming deep pools, —
together with some degree of danger to the specta-
tor, whilst he surveys the striking objects that pre-
sent themselves to his view, — all naturally tend to
work upon the imagination. Hence many fabulous
stories are told, and perhaps were once believed,
concerning this curious linn." Sir Walter Scott has
taken this place for the prototype of the haunts of
Balfour of Burly while under hiding. Sandstone
and limestone are extensively worked. The sand-
stone is laminated, and serves for paving and slat-
ing. The limeworks were begun by Sir James
Kirkpatrick in 1772, and prosecuted with vigour by
the present proprietors, and have proved most bene-
ficial to the district, although the nearest coal-pits
are at Sanquhar, 14 miles distant, and the coal
generally used is brought a distance of 30 miles.
Four kilns are in operation; and the average yearly
turn-out from them is about 320,000 bushels. The
total yearly value of the whole produce of the
parish, agricultural and mineral, was estimated in
1834 at £40,300. The castle of Closeburn, formerly
belonging to the family of Kirkpatrick, but which
passed from them in 1783, when the estate was pur-
chased by Mr. Menteath, is an ancient building,
surrounded by a fosse which formerly communicated
with a small lake now drained. This very ancient
fortalice is a square tower about 50 feet high, con-
sisting of a ground floor, and three series of vaulted
apartments. It is still inhabited. Grose has given
a drawing of it. Near this castle is a mineral well
which has been of service in scrofulous cases. It
is impregnated with sulphur. Upon the farm of
Kirkpatrick were the remains of an old chapel and
burying-ground. There is also near the village of
Closebum a chalybeate spring of considerable
strength. The road from Glasgow to Dumfries and
the Glasgow and South-western railway traverse
the lower part of the parish ; and the latter has a
station in it. The village of Closeburn stands on
the Glasgow and Dumfries road 2i miles south-
south-east of Thornhill. Population of the village
in 1851, 123. Population of the parish in 1831,
1,680; in 1861, 1,651. Houses, 285. Assessed pro-
perty in 1860, £12,881.
This parish, with which that of Dalgarno was
incorporated in 1697, is in the presbytery of Pen-
pont, and synod of Dumfries. Patron, Douglas
Baird of Closebum. Stipend, £234 19s. 3d.; glebe,
£19. The principal school of the parish is one
which, in honour of its founder, is called the school
of Wallacehall. John Wallace, merchant in Glas-
gow, a native of Closeburn, in the year 1723, morti-
fied £1,600 for the purpose of erecting this school.
The presbytery of Penpont were appointed trustees
for the management of the fund, judging of the
qualifications of the teachers, and watching over
the interests of the school. The only hereditary
patron is Wallace of Kelly. But originally five
patrons were appointed to nominate the rector of
the school, viz., John Wallace of Elderslie, Thomas
Wallace of Cairnhill, and Michael Wallace, mer-
chant in Glasgow, three brothers, the minister of
Closeburn, and the town-clerk of Glasgow, for the
time being. In the election of a rector, it is recom-
mended to the patrons to give a preference to one of
the name of Wallace if equally qualified. Of the
money mortified by Mr. Wallace, £200 was laid out
in building a school-house and dwelling-house for
the rector, and in purchasing 5 acres of ground con