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

CltAIGO.
310
CRA1L.
£2,646. The total yearly value of raw produce was
estimated in 1843 at £7,457. The assessed property
in 1860 was £3,305. The landowners are Campbell
of Barbreck, M'Dougall of Lunga, and C. F. T. Gas-
coigne ; the first of whom resides here in Barbreck
House, the second in Dail House, and the third in
Craignish Castle. The last of these mansions con-
sists of a handsome modem edifice conjoined to ex-
tensive remains of an ancient strong fortalice, prin-
cipally a square tower and a vaulted dungeon. Re-
mains of another old stronghold of similar character
stand in the north-west. Fortified eminences, rude
in construction, and supposed to be of Danish origin,
are numerous ; and two farms bear evidently Danish
names. The strath of this parish is traditionally
reported to have been the scene of an engagement
between the Danes and the natives, in which Olaus,
a royal prince of Denmark, was slain ; and it con-
tains, among numerous cairns and other artless
monumental records of former times, a mound or
tumulus, now modernized into a burying-ground,
which is still called Dunan Aula, or the Little
mount of Olaus. The parish is traversed for two
miles by the road from Lochgilphead to Oban ; and
it enjoys valuable communication with the Clyde by
means of the Glasgow and Inverness steamers.
Population in 1831, 892; in 1861, 618. Houses, 129.
This parish, formerly a vicarage, is in the presby-
tery of Inverary and synod of Argyle. Patron, the
Duke of Argyle. Stipend, £169 10s.; glebe, £18.
There are no unappropriated teinds. School-
master's salary now is £35, with £12 10s. other
emoluments. The church was built in 1826, and
contains 500 sittings. There is a private school.
CRAIGO, an estate, a village, a seat of manufac-
ture, and a station on the Aberdeen railway, in the
parish of Logie-Pert, Forfarshire. See Logie-Pert.
Population of the village, 359.
CEAIGOWL, one of the Sidlaw hills, in the
parish of Tearing, Forfarshire. It rises to 1,600
feet above sea-level, and is the highest summit in
the range.
CRAIG-PHADRIC, a steep but finely-wooded
hill in the neighbourhood of Inverness; rising 420
feet above the level of the Ness, which flows at its
foot. It is noted for the remains of one of those
fortifications, which, from the vitrified appearance
of the stones, and the marks of fusion which they
exhibit, have received the name of vitrified forts.
That on Craig-Phadric is by far the most complete
and extensive in Britain. The summit of this hill
is flat, and has been surrounded by a wall in the
form of a parallelogram, the length of which is about
80 yards, and the breadth 30 within the wall. The
stones are all firmly connected together by a kind
of vitrified matter resembling lava, or the scoria? or
slag of an iron-foundry ; and the stones themselves
in many places seem to have been softened and vitri-
fied. The greater part of the rampart is now covered
with turf, so that it has the appearance of an earthen
mound ; but, on removing the earth, the vitrified
matter is everywhere visible, and would seem to
have been in some places of great height. On the
outside there is the appearance of a second rampart,
but not so regular as the first. Considerable masses
of vitrified matter are also found in this second
structure, under which is the natural rock, chiefly
a fine granite, with some breccia or pudding-stone,
in a cement of argillaceous and quartzosc matter.
Within the area is a hollow, with a small spring of
water.
CRAIGROSSIE. See Auohteeaedek.
CRAIGROSTAN. See Benlomond.
CRAIGROTHIE, a village in the parish of Ceres,
2 miles west of the town of Ceres, Fifeshire. It is
a burgh of barony, and is governed by a bailie and
councillors, who are elected by the inhabitants. It
has a subscription school and a Friendly society.
In its vicinity is a quarry of good building stone.
Population, 308.
CRAIGS-BLEBO. See Blebo Ckaigs.
CRAIGS-OF-KYLE. See Coylton.
CRAIGS OF MADDERTY. See Craig and
David's (St.).
CRAIGSPARROW. See Neweurgh.
CRAIGSTON CASTLE. See Kikg-Edward.
CRAIGTON, a village in the parish of Monikie,
Forfarshire. Population, 162.
CRAIGTON FIELD, a village in the parish of
New Kilpatrick, Dumbartonshire. Population ii»
1851, 69.
CRAIGWARD. See Alloa.
CRAIGY-BARNS. See Craigiebarns.
CRAIKMOOR. See Roberton.
CRAIL, a parish, containing a royal burgh of ita
own name, in the south-east angle of Fifeshire,
commonly called 'the East Neuk o' Fife.' It is
bounded on the north by Denino and Kingsbarns ;
on the east by the sea ; on the south by the sea and
Kilrenny ; and on the west by Kilrenny and Cam-
bee. It is of very irregular outline, varying in
breadth from 2 furlongs to 2J miles, and stretching
westward from Fifeness to a length of 6J miles.
The surface is, in general, flat, naked, and uninter-
esting. It rises abruptly at the coast to an elevation
of from 20 to 80 feet ; and it thence swells gently to
the west, with hardly a hedge to frill its thin dress,
and without an acclivity or a lake or stream to
relieve the monotony of its aspect. Coal-mines,
which formerly enriched the country, have long
been exhausted. Limestone is abundant, but lies
too deep to admit of being very extensively worked.
Good sandstone for all ordinary purposes occurs in
almost every quarter. Ironstone is worked for ex-
portation. Clays are dug for the supply of a local
manufacture of bricks, tiles, and chimney- cans.
The real rental of the parish, exclusive of the burgh
and its pendicles, is about £10,500. There are
seven principal heritors, and seventeen smaller
ones. The mansions are Aiedrie [which see],
Iiingsmuir House, Wormistone, Kirkmay House,
and Balcomie Castle. The last is situated a little
east of the burgh. It was at one time a mansion of
great size and splendour, but is now reduced to one
wing which is inhabited by a tenant, and serves as
a landmark to mariners. It was anciently the resi-
dence of the Balcomies of that Ilk. During the
reign of James IV. it was acquired by the Lear-
months of Dairsie. In 1705, the estate was pur-
chased by Sir William Hope; and afterwards suc-
cessively by Scott of Scotstarvet and the Earl of
Kellie ; and now it belongs to Sir Thomas Erskine,
the Earl's great-grandson. Below Balcomie is a
small cave, where tradition says, King Constantine
was beheaded by the Danes in 874. There is a
curious dike, or perhaps natural ridge of stones,
about half-a-mile in length, and stretching from the
frith of Forth on the south-west, to the German
ocean on the north-east, so as to enclose a triangular
space of ground forming the Ness. Tradition attri-
butes this work to the Danes. A few years ago
several rude stone coffins were discovered on the
farm of East Wormiston, within view of the place
where the skirmish between the Scots and Danes
took place in 874; and, from its being without 'the
Dane's dyke,' it is supposed these coffins may have
contained the relics of the Scottish warriors who fell
in this engagement. They were 25 in number, and
were arranged side by side, the skeletons being
divided by only a single stone, which thus formed