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

DRONGAN.
399
DRUMLANRIG CASTLE.
breadth, and stands in a sloping direction. On
gently pressing the higher end with the finger, it
acquires a perceptible motion, vibrating in an arch
of between one and two inches, and the vibration
continues for some timo after the pressuro is re-
moved. " In that part of tho Ochils which fronts
the house of Ecclesiamagirdle," says the writer of
the Old Statistical Account, "a very singular phe-
nomenon took place about 7 years ago. After a
long series of rainy weather, the bill, about 100
paces from the summit, burst open with a loud ex-
plosion like thunder, which was heard at the dis-
tance of two miles across the valley. A violent and
rapid torrent, mixed with earth and stone and
broken rock, issued from the opening, and rushed
down with an impetuosity which swept all before it.
The inhabitants of some bouses which stood im-
mediately below, alarmed at once with the noise
and torrent, which directed its course full towards
them, were preparing to flee for their safety, when
happily the torrent deviated into a different tract,
and after continuing to flow for 10 or 12 hours, it
ceased, without having done any material injury,
and has remained quiet ever since." The parish is
traversed by the road from Perth to Edinburgh,
and lies within easy distance of both the Scottish
Central railway and the Perth fork of the North
British railway. Population in 1831, 464; in 1861,
376. Houses, 80.
This parish is in the presbytery of Perth, and
synod of Perth and Stirling. Patron, the Crown.
Stipend, £166 19s. 6d.; glebe, £9, with £4 10s. per
annum in lieu of coals. Schoolmaster's salary, £50,
with about £21 fees, and £14 other emoluments.
The church was built about the year 1826, and con-
tains 350 sittings. The schoolhouse is a handsome
modern building.
DRON. See Longforgan.
DRONACH. See Almond (The) and Methven.
DRONGAN, an estate, a collier village, and coal-
works in the parish of Stair, Ayrshire.
DRONGS, a stupendous rock near Hillswick in
Nortbmavcn. It is cleft in three places nearly to
tlie bottom, and when seen obscurely through a fog,
conveys the idea of a huge ship under sail.
DRONLY, a village in the parish of Auchter-
bonse, Forfarshire. It stands at the place where
Dronly and Aucbterhouse burns form Dighty water;
and it has a station on the Dundee and Newtyle
railway, 1 mile south-east of Aucbterhouse. Dronly
burn has a course of about 5 miles to this place,
chiefly fromwest to east ; and it drives a yarn wash-
ing mill a little above its confluence with the other
burn. Population of the village, 103. Houses, 21.
DROOPING CAVE. See Slaixs.
DRUIDHM (The). See Drhuim (The).
DRUIDIBEG (Loch), a lake of considerable size,
in the island of South Uist. It is situated a little
to the north of Heackle. Its effluence is a copious
stream, driving the principal mill on the island.
There are in the lake several islets, which are a
crowded resort of water-fowl, and were formerly
frequented bv deer.
DRUIE (The), a small affluent of the Spey, in
the parish of Duthill, Morayshire.
DRUM, or Dkom, a Celtic word signifying a
knoll, a ridge, or a small bill. It occurs frequently
by itself as a name of farms, estates, and other rural
places ; and is also a prefix in many names of seats
of population, or other prominent localities, which
were originally designated from some central or re-
markable knoll.
DRUM. See Kixeli.ar, Drumoak, Liberton,
and Kilsyth.
DRUM (Loch). See Banchory-Teexan.
DRUMACIIARGAN, ono of the picturesque,
eopse-clad, conical hills of the parish of Monivaird
and Strowan, Perthshire.
DRUMALBIN, the ancient name of the central
ranges of the Grampians, which seem to have been
erroneously regarded as one continuous backbone ol
Scotland.
DRUMALBIN, a hill in the parish of Carmichael,
Lanarkshire.
DRUMASHI. See Dores.
DRUMBEG. See Deymen.
DRUMBLADE, a parish, containing a post-office
station of its own name, in the north-west of Aber-
deenshire. It is bounded by Huntly, Forgue, Insch,
and Gartly; and is principally divided from these
parishes hy rivulets. Its length, from north to
south, is from 5 to 6, and its breadth, from east to
west, 4 to 5 miles. Its circumference is about 18
miles. Superficial area about 6,400 Scotch acres.
Its outline is triangular. Its ancient name was
Drumbla.it, which signifies ' Hills covered with
corn.' The surface is composed of small hills and
valleys. The soil of the latter is deep loam ; and
that of the higher ground is thin and gravelly, but
fertile. Some of the hills are covered with firs, but
most are arable. The valleys produce excellent
crops. About 5,000 acres are arable, about 400
under wood, and about 1,000 pastoral or waste.
The rental is about £6,730; half of which belongs
to the Duke of Richmond, while the rest is distri-
buted among four proprietors. There is abundance
of a very fine yellow-brown clay, called clay-marl,
and used as a manure : very little sand appears in
it. The district possesses large quantities of coarse
limestone, freestone — here called paisy-whin — and
moor-stone, with some slate. The fuel commonly
used is peat, turf, heath, &c. English coal is pro-
cured from Banff or Portsoy. The principal resi-
dence is Lessendrum. There are three tumuli; at
the largest of which, called Meet-hillock, near
Slioch, Bruce encamped, after having defeated Cum-
myn at Inverury. A small hill above this tumulus
is called Robin's height, and had on the top large
stones with inscriptions on them. The chief facili-
ties of marketing and communication are through
Huntly, which is 4 miles west of the parish church.
Population in 1831, 978; in 1861, 926. Houses,
158. Assessed property in 1860, £6,804.
This parish is in the presbytery of Turriff, and
synod of Aberdeen. Patron, the Earl of Kintore.
Stipend, £159 9s. 7d.; glebe, £16. Schoolmaster's
salary, £45, with about £26 10s. fees, and a share in
the Dick bequest. The parish church was built in
1778, and repaired in 1829, and contains about 550
sittings. There is a Free church: and the sum
raised in connexion with it in 1865 was £125 0s. lOd.
There is a parochial library. Two annual fairs were
formerly held in the parish ; but they have recently
fallen into almost total disuse.
DRUMBURN, a hamlet in the parish of New-
abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire.
DRUMCARRO. See Cameron.
DRUMCLOG. See Avondale.
DRUMCULTRAN. See Kirkgunzeon.
DRUMDERG, an abrupt prominent hill in the
parish of Loth, Sutherlandshire. At the foot of this
hill, in the glen of Loth, in the 16th century, oc-
curred a bloody conflict between the inhabitants of
Loth and the men of Strathnaver.
DRUMELLIE (Loch). See Lethendy.
DRUMGLOW. See Cleish.
DRUMGLYE. A village in the parish of Glam-
mis, Forfarshire. Population, about 120.
DRUMIN. See Inveravex.
DRUMLANRIG CASTLE, a magnificent seat