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

CONAN.
298
CONTIN.
It is bounded on the south by a precipitous moun-
tain, finely fringed towards the west with aged
birches, and on the north with woods of ash and
oak. There is a heronry on a small island in this
lake.
CONA WATER. See Glencoe.
CONACHAN. See Kilda (St.).
CONAN (The), a river of Eoss-shire. It issues
from Loch Chroisg, a lake 5 miles in length, at the
western extremity of the parish of Contin, about 15
miles east-north-east of the head of Loch Torridon.
It flows eastwards from its source through Strath-
bran; and after receiving the Gradie from Loch
Fannich, flows into Loch Luichart or Lichart.
Issuing thence through a deep gorge, interesting
alike to the geologist and the lover of the pic-
turesque, it is precipitated over a ledge of rock, and
flows in a south-east direction, and receives the
Meig or Meag flowing from Loch Benachan north-
eastwards through Strathcoran. Five miles below
this it receives, on the north side, the Garve, which
rises on the confines of Loehcross, and flows east-
south-east. Two and a half miles east of its junc-
tion with the Garve, while sweeping in a semicir-
cular form round the finely-wooded grounds of
Castle-Brachan, it receives the Orrin from the south-
west; and then turning north, at Conan house, it
flows into the western extremity of the frith of Cro-
marty. Its length of course is about 35 miles. Its
breadth at its mouth is about 50 yards; but it is
comparatively shallow here, although throughout
much of its course it is a deep dark-coloured stream.
It is a fine trouting-stream, and there are valuable
salmon-fisheries upon it. All the Strathbran lakes
— which are veiy numerous — are celebrated for the
sport which they afford to anglers. In the Conan is
found the river-mussel, the Mya margaritifera of
Linnseus; and fine pearls have occasionally been
obtained from them.
CONAN-BRIDGE, a village with a post-office in
the Eoss-shire district of the parish of Urquhart
and Logie-Wester. It stands on the right bank of
the Conan, 2i miles south-south-west of Dingwall,
on the road thence to Beauly. It takes its name
from a stone bridge of five arches, with a water-way
of 265 feet, which was here erected over the Conan
by the Parliamentary Commissioners in 1809, at an
expense of £6,854. The village has a station on the
Highland railway, and a good inn ; and is prosper-
ous. Population in 1861, 501.
CONANSIDE. See Urquhart and Lqgie- Wes-
ter.
CONDOEAT, a village in the parish of Cumber-
nauld, Dumbartonshire. It stands on the road from
Glasgow to Stirling, 2J miles south-west of the vil-
lage of Cumbernauld. It is inhabited principally
by cotton-weavers, and has a slightly endowed
school. Population, 559.
CONINGSBUEGH, an ancient parish, now an-
nexed to Dunrossness, in the southern part of the
mainland of Shetland. The hamlet of Conings-
burgh stands on the east coast, 9 miles south-south-
west of Lerrick. The Free church of Coningsburgh
had in 1853 a total yearly receipt of £94 3s. lid.
CONNAGE, or Fisherton, a fishing-village in the
parish of Petty, Inverness-shire. The fishermen
dispose of their produce at Inverness. The timber
of woods cut down in the eastern parts of the parish
is shipped at the beach here.
CONNAL FEEEY, a strait in Loch Etive, 3
miles east of Dunstaffnage, Argyleshire. A ridge
of rugged and uneven rocks here runs across two-
thirds of the channel, and occasions, at certain peri-
ods of the ebbing or flowing tide, such a rapid cur-
rant that no vessel even with a fresh breeze can
stem it. In the beginning of the flood, the tide
runs up with great rapidity, and Loch Etive being
at once swelled with the spring-tide from the ocean,
and the water of Loch Awe, as soon as the former
begins to ebb, discharges itself with a violence and
noise unequalled by the loudest cataract, and which
may be heard at the distance of many miles. This
celebrated fall of salt water seems to be alluded to
by Ossian : —
"These are not thy mountains, O Nathos!
Nor is that the roar of thy climbing waves."
The ferry of Connal, though in appearance very
formidable, is safe, owing to the skill of the boat-
men.
CONNEL (Loch). See Kirkcolm.
CONNICAVAL. See Edenkeilue.
CONON-BRIDGE. See Conan-Bbidge.
CONTENT. See Qurvox (St.) and Wallacetown.
CONTIN, a parish in the centre and south-east
of Eoss-shire. The post-towns nearest it are Ding-
wall and Strathpeffer. The parish is bounded on
the north by Lochbroom ; on the east by Uiray and
Fodderty ; on the south by Kilmorack and Urray ;
and on the west by Gairloch and Lochcarron. It
measures, along the parliamentary road which
passes through it, 33 miles ; and it is supposed to
be little less in breadth ; so that, as to extent of
area, it is one of the largest parishes in Scotland.
It is, in general, mountainous and barren ; yet im-
bosoms numerous glens and valleys, which are
well-watered, and, though of light and shallow soil,
are in good cultivation. The principal streams are
the Conan, the Meig, and the Easay, which rise
near the western or north-westem verge of the par-
ish, and all traverse it eastward, to make a junction,
and fall, under the name of the Conan, into Cro-
marty frith, a few miles from the town of Dingwall:
see Conan. Perennial springs are abundant ; and
several are strongly impregnated with iron. Lakes
are numerous, — most of them mossy in their waters,
but all abounding with fish. Loch Fannich is 12
miles long, and 1 broad; Loch Chroisg, 5 miles
long, and 1 broad; Loch Luichart, 6 miles long,
and £ mile broad. Loch Achilty is about 2
miles in circumference, pure in its waters, very
deep, and discharging its surplus contents by a
subterranean canal into the river Easay, about a
mile to the north-east. In this lake is an artificial
island, accessible by a drawbridge, and formerly
the site of a house and garden, which were used as
a retreat from danger. Loch Kinellan has also an
artificial or floating island, buoyant on a timber
base, where formerly the family of Seaforth had a
fortified residence ; and it contrasts the green culti-
vated field on one of its sides very picturesquely
with the wild upland scenery on the other. At one
period, natural plantation appears to have covered
the greater part of this parish ; and even yet it ex-
ists in considerable patches. All the straths are
subject to wasteful inundations; and the climate,
though generally mild and dry, is insalubrious. On
the eastern bank of Loch Achilty is a Draidical
temple, or circle of stones ; and a quarter of a mile
to the east of Loch Kinellan is a place called Mar'
na'n Ceann, or ' the field of heads,' where there was
a fierce conflict between the Mackenzies of Seaforth
and the Macdonnells of Glengarry, — the Macdon-
nells having made an inroad to revenge some old
quarrel, and being routed and pursued with great
slaughter by the Mackenzies, and eventually driven
headlong into the water and drowned at the conflu-
ence of the Conan and the Easay. On the farm of
Kinellan is an echo which repeats distinctly an
entire sentence, and is believed to be unequalled.