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

CEIECH.
318
CRIEFF.
This parish, anciently a vicarage, is in the presby-
tery of Cupar-Fife, and synod of Fife. Patron,
Grant of Congelton. Stipend, £227 14s. Id.; glebe,
£7. Unappropriated teinds, £18 17s. 5d. School-
master's salary now is £35, "with about £18 fees,
and some other emoluments. The parish church,
which is at Luthrie, was built in 1830-2. It is a
handsome structure in the pointed style, and con-
tains 252 sittings. The ruins of the old church near
the northern extremity of the palish, indicate con-
siderable antiquity. There is a Free church jointly
for Flisk and Criech. There are also a Free church
school and a subscription library.
CEIECH, a parish, containing the post-office
village of Bonar- Bridge, in the south of Suther-
landshire. It extends south-eastward from Ben-
more-Assynt to within 3 miles of Dornoch. It is
bounded by Dornoch parish on the east ; by the
Dornoch frith, and the Oikell river, which separate
it from Boss-shire, on the south ; by Assyut on the
west ; and by Lairg on the north. Its length is
about 30 miles ; and its breadth varies from 2 to 10
miles. About one-thirtieth part only is cultivated ;
the rest being billy, and covered with moory ground.
A vast number of sheep and black cattle are reared
on the heathy grounds. The arable soil is light and
thin, except at the east end, where there is a deep
loam. There are some meadows on the banks of
the Oikell, and the rivulets which run into it. The
two rivers Shin and Cassley run across the parish,
into the Oikell. There are also several lakes
abounding with trout, of which the largest are Loch
Migdall and Loch Ailsh. There is a great deal of
natural wood, principally of oak and birch; and
there are several plantations of fir. At Invershin,
near the confluence of the Shin with the Oikell, is a
fine cataract. The scenery along the strath and
hill-flanks of the Oikell is very diversified, and com-
prises some highly picturesque views, but will be
noticed in the article Oikell (The). There are two
quarries of very hard whinstone. The salmon-fish-
ings of the Shin are veiy valuable. The real rental
of the parish, exclusive of fishings, is about £3,700.
There are five landowners. Near the church is an
obelisk, 8 feet long and 4 broad, said to have been
erected in memory of a Danish chief who was in-
terred here. On the top of the Dun of Criech is a
fortification, which is said to have been erected about
the beginning of the 12th century by an ancestor of
the Earl of Boss. The parish is traversed by four
excellent government roads. Population in 1831,
2,562 ; in 1861, 2,521. Houses, 549. Assessed pro-
perty in 1843, £4,811 8s. 3d. ; in 1860, £5,466.
This parish, formerly a vicarage, is in the presby-
tery of Dornoch, and synod of Sutherland and Caith-
ness. Patrons, the Crown, and the Duke of Suther-
land. Stipend, £208 18s. 9d.; glebe, £5. Unappro-
priated teinds, £86 17s. 9d. Schoolmaster's salary
now is £52 10s., with fees. The parish church stands
near the shore of the Dornoch frith, about 3 miles
south-east of Bonar-Bridge. It was built in 1790,
and contains 500 sittings. There is a mission of
the Royal Bounty at Bosehall. There is one Free
church at Criech, with an attendance of 800, and
another at Rosehall, with an attendance of 420.
The yearly sum raised in 1865 in connexion with
the former was £200 6s. 6|d., and with the latter
£95 2s. 7id. There are two Assembly's schools.
CBIEFF, a parish, containing a post-town of the
same name, in the central part of Perthshire. A
large division of it is separated from the rest by the
intervention of the parish of Monzie. This division
comprises Corriemucklook and the greater part of
Glenalmond. It is highland in character, abounding
in wild and romantic scenery, and full of attraction to
sportsmen. It belongs to three proprietors, and
yields a real rental of about £2,300. Two other dis-
tricts, belonging to other proprietors, also lie de-
tached, — Callander, comprising several farms, to the
north-west of Monzie House, — and Achalhanzie,
consisting of one farm, to the east of Cultoquhey
House. But all these districts are attached quoad
sacra to the parish of Monzie. The main district,
containing the town of Crieff, constituting the whole
quoad sacra parish of Crieff, lies in Stratheam, and
is bounded by Foulis- Wester, Monzie, Monivaird,
Madderty, and Muthill. Its length south-eastward
is about 4 miles ; and its breadth is about 3 miles.
The Turrit traces the western boundary ; the Shaggy
traces part of the north-western ; the Pow traces the
eastern; and the Earn, except for cutting off one
farm of about 100 acres, traces all the southern.
The surface exhibits the luxuriant loveliness which
general fame so justly ascribes to Stratheam. The
only eminences in it worth mentioning are Callum
Hill and the Knock of Crieff, — the latter elevated
about 400 feet above sea-level. About 560 acres are
under wood. A gritty sandstone is extensively
quarried. Lord Willoughby D'Eresby, Moray of
Abercaimey, and the proprietors of Femtower,
Broich, Inchbrackie, and Crieff, are principal land-
owners. The parish is traversed by the Crief Junc-
tion railway, which was amalgamated in 1865 with
the Caledonian ; by the Crief andMethven Junction
railway, which was opened in May 1866 ; and by
the Crief and Comrie railway, which was in progress
in 1866. Pop. in 1831, 4,786; in 1S61, 4,490. Houses,
672. Assessed property in 1866, £16,993 8s. 5d.
This parish, formerly a vicarage, is in the presby-
tery of Auehterarder, and synod of Perth and Stir-
ling. Patrons, the Trustees of Lady Willoughby
D'Eresby. Stipend, £182 14s. ; glebe, £10. School-
master's salary, £50. The parish church was built
in 1786, and repaired in 1827, and contains 966 sit-
tings. A quoad sacra parish church, called the
West Church, was built in 1837, contains 1,000 sit-
tings, and is in the patronage of the male communi-
cants. There is a Free church ; and the sum raised
in connexion with it in 1865 was £590 5s. 4id.
There are also two United Presbyterian churches,
an Episcopalian chapel, a Baptist chapel, and a Bo-
man Catholic chapel.
The Town or Crieff stands adjacent to the Earn,
on the w est road from Perth to Stirling, 6 J miles
east of Comrie, 10 miles south of Amulree, 17 west
by south of Perth, and 21 north-north-east of Stir-
ling. Its site is the gently elevated skirt of a beau-
tiful, wood -crowned hill, sheltered from the east
winds, overlooking a fine reach of Stratheam, and
commanding a rich prospect of farms, pleasure-
grounds, water, woods, hills, and mountains to the
west. Any array or even sprinkling of villas and
cottages-ornees, so common in the outskirts of the
prosperous second and third class towns of Scotland,
is here totally awanting ; but great numbers of pro-
prietorial mansions of high character adorn the en-
virons for miles and miles in all directions, — and
these environs themselves comprise a rich breadth
of luxuriant strath, abundantly relieved by natural
diversities, and profusely beautified by every kind
of culture, till they grandly rise to the clouds at
no great distance in the frontier summits of the
Grampians. The view from the Knock of Crieff,
and that from the top of Tuiieum, two mDes to the
south-west, are remarkably brilliant. Ferntower
House in the vicinity entertains properly introduced
strangers with a sight of Tippoo Saib's sword, pre-
sented to Sir David Baird at Seringapatan. Several
walks of moderate length, lead through exquisite
close scenery to objects of eminent interest : among