Imperial gazeteer of Scotland, or, Dictionary of Scottish topography > Volume 2

HAERIS.
48
HARTFELL.
sected by two great valleys, one passing from the
sand of Loskentir to the east coast, the other from
the farm of Borg. The bottom of a great portion of
the latter is occupied by a lake about 3 miles long,
the largest in the i district. There are thus formed
three natural subdivisions ; that to the south of the
lake mentioned consists of six mountains, including
the peninsular one of Ben Capval, which are sepa-
rated by broadish valleys. The vegetation here is
tolerable, excepting on Eonaval, which is rocky
and bare, and exhibits on its eastern side a fine ex-
cavation, resembling the crater of a volcano. It is
chiefly heathy, however, excepting along the west
side, where the pasturage is rich and varied The
middle division, from Loch-Langavat to the north-
ern valley, is marked by a ridge of very rugged
mountains, running in the general direction of the
range, and situated nearer the western side. Along
the west coast of this subdivision, there is some
good pasture ; but on the eastern side, the only soil
being peat, and even that existing only in patches
among the rocks, the vegetation is extremely coarse
and scanty. From one of the summits of the ridge
mentioned, I have counted upwards of eighty small
lakes on its eastern side. The northern subdivision
consists of Benloskentir, which gradually lowers to
the eastward. The lakes in the low grounds on its
eastern part are also extremely numerous. The
water of all these lakes is brown. There are no
harbours on the west coast of this southern division
of the mainland of Harris, and it is even very diffi-
cult for boats to land on the beaches, owing to the
high surf. It possesses no sylvan vegetation, ex-
cepting a few bushes in ruts and on islets in the
lakes. The principal island is Taransay, on the
west coast, the greater part of which is rocky, al-
though it contains good pasture. This division has
no general name applied to it in the country ; but its
western part is called the Machar, i. e. ' the Sandy
district ; ' and its eastern, Na Baigh, ' the Bays,' or
more correctly ' the Voes.' "
Harris contains no minerals of great value, except
some iron and copper ore. Granite and freestone
abound in every part ; potstone, serpentine, and as-
bestos occur here and there ; but the predominating
rock is gneiss, which has undergone little decomposi-
tion. The kelp manufactory was formerly of great ex-
tent, rendering the rental of the parish about double
of what it is at present. Various attempts were
made by the former proprietor, Alexander Macleod,
Esq., to establish fishing colonies; but they all
proved unsuccessful. Some of the best farms have,
in recent times, been converted into sheep-walks.
The whole parish was purchased by Lord Dunmore,
about 20 years ago, for £60,000. The yearly value
of raw produce was estimated in 1841 at £11,900;
and the yearly value of real property, as assessed
in 1860, was £4,073. An annual cattle fair is
held in July ; but the amount of traffic of every
kind throughout the year is comparatively small.
On the mainland are many monuments of Druidism,
and several religious edifices erected about the time
of the introduction of Christianity. The churches,
together with the smaller chapels, all seem to have
depended immediately on the monastery at Eodil or
Eowadill, dedicated to St. Clement ; which, though
its foundation be attributed to David I., is generally
supposed to be of more ancient date. Population of
the parish in 1831, 3,900; in 1861, 4,183. Houses,
778.
This parish is in the presbytery of Uist and
svnod of Glenelg. Patron, the Earl of Dunmore.
Stipend, £158 6s. 7d ; glebe, £12. The parish
church was erected in 1840, and contains 400 sit-
tings. The islands in the Sound of Harris have
been constituted into the quoad sacra parish of
Berxeea : which see. There is a mission station
of the Royal bounty, with church and manse, at
Tarbert. There is a Free church of Harris, with
an attendance of about 900 ; and the sum raised in
connexion with it in 1865 was £27 19s. There is
also a Free church for Bernera and Trumisgarry.
The salary of the parochial schoolmaster is only
£35, with scarcely any fees. There are four other
schools, — three of them supported by public bodies.
" Till of late," says the Old Statistical Account,
" this parish has been designed Kilbride, from one
of the churches or cells in it so called. It is now
denominated, in English, Harris, and, in the ver-
nacular dialect, Na Heradh, that is, ' the Hemes,'—
a name which seems to be Gaelic, though we can
not pretend to trace its origin with precision. A
fanciful etymologist might derive it from na har-
dubli, signifying ' the Heights ; ' this parish being
in reality the highest and most mountainous part of
the Long-Island, in which it is situated ; and
another circumstance, which seems to give coun-
tenance to this derivation, is, that the highest part
of the island of Bum, another of the Hebrides, is also
called Na Heradh."
HAERIS (Soukd of), a navigable channel be-
tween the islands of Harris and North Uist; 9 miles
in length, and from 8 to 12 in breadth. It is the
only passage for vessels of burden passing from the
east to the west side of that long cluster of islands
called the Long Islaxd : which see. It is much
incumbered with rocks, shoals, and islets ; but, with
a skilful pilot, can be passed in safety. A few of
them may measure a mile in length, and about half-
a-mile in breadth. They are covered with heath
and moss, and afford pretty good summer-pasturage.
The people of the larger islands repair to them "with
their families and cattle in summer ; and here they
get peats for fuel, there being no moss in any of the
inhabited islands of this district, excepting Calli-
gray. The names of the largest isles are Hermi-
tray, Hulmitray, Saartay, Votersay, Neartay, Op-
say, Vaaksay, Haay, Suursay, Torogay, Scarvay,
Lingay, Groay, Gilisay, Sagay, Stromay, Skeilay,
and Copay. There are, besides these, a vast num-
ber of islets, holms, and high rocks, for all of which
the people have names. A remarkable variation of
the current happens in this sound, from the autum-
nal to the vernal equinox ; the current in neap-tides
passes all day from east to west, and all night in a
contrary direction. After the vernal equinox, it
changes this course, going all day from west to east,
and the contrary at night. At spring-tides the
current corresponds nearly to the common course.
HARROW (Loch), a small lake, abounding in
trout, in the north of the parish of Kells, Kirkcud-
brightshire.
HART BURN. See Ghange Bhkn, Kirkcud-
brightshire.
HAETFELL, a mountain on the mutual border
of the parish of Moffat in Dumfries-shire, and the
parish of Tweedsmuir in Peebles-shire. It has an
elevation of 2,635 feet above sea-level; but has
been very generally assigned a much loftier eleva-
tion, and erroneously regarded as the highest
mountain in the south of Scotland. It is broad
based and of gentle acclivity, insomuch that the
greater part of it may be ascended on horseback ;
and by a broad flat summit, carpeted with verdure,
spread out like a field among the clouds, and com-
manding a vast, a magnificent, and a varied land-
scape, it invites the approach of the tourist to the
survey of the far-spreading prospect which it com-
mands. To the north, over a wide and billowy sea
of mountains, the spectator sees, in certain states