Topographical dictionary of Scotland > Volume 1

E It S K
ERSK
within the last half century, the ministers of Errol used
to preach every alternate Sunday; the building is most
romantically situated, and interments were not long
since made in the cemetery surrounding it. In the
grounds of Murie is a circular mound, about twenty
feet in height, called the Law Knoll ; the diameter at
the base is about forty yards, and at the summit thirty
feet. The acclivities are planted with trees, and around
the top is a low wall of turf, on the outside of which is
a broad walk ; the base is inclosed in a triangular area
formed by three walls of turf. It is situated at one
extremity of an avenue of lofty oaks leaning in a right
line to a spot anciently called Gallow Knoll, but now
Gallow-flat ; the mound is supposed to be the spot
where the law was once administered, and Gallow-flat
was the place of execution.
ERSKINE, a parish, in the Upper ward of the
county of Renfrew, 10 miles (N. N. W.) from Glasgow ;
containing, with the village of Bishopton, 1407 inha-
bitants. This place, of which the name is of uncertain
origin, is of considerable antiquity : according to most
historians, the lands were conferred upon the founder
of the Erskine family by Malcolm II., in reward of his
valour at the battle of Murthill, in which he slew with
his own hand Enrique, one of the Danish generals,
whose head he presented to that sovereign after the
victory. The parish is beautifully situated on the river
Clyde, and extends along its south bank for nearly
eight and a half miles, increasing in breadth from the
western, where it is less than two miles, to the eastern,
extremity, where it is more than three miles broad. It
is bounded on the east by the parish of Inchinnan, on
the south by that of Houston and Killallan, and on
the west by the parish of Kilmalcolm. The surface,
though level near the shore, rises rapidly towards the
south ; and the higher grounds command diversified
prospects over the Frith of Clyde and the opposite
coast of Dumbartonshire, embracing the castle of Dum-
barton ; on the west of the parish, appear Port-Glasgow
and Greenock, and on the east, the park and pleasure-
grounds of Erskine House, the splendid seat of Lord
Blantyre. The more distant view of Dumbartonshire
abounds with objects of romantic beauty and inter-
esting character ; the vale of Leven is interspersed
with numerous elegant villas, and further off are
seen, in clear weather, the waters of Loch Lomond,
and the lofty mountain of Ben-Lomond. The river
Clyde, near Erskine House, retains its original character,
and its banks are conspicuous for picturesque scenery ;
it is crossed by two ferries within the limits of the
parish. Erskine ferry, which communicates with the
village of Old Kilpatrick, is under good management,
and has an excellent inn, much frequented by parties
of pleasure from Glasgow. The Western ferry, about
six miles from the former, connects the parish with
Dumbarton : it was lately proposed to place it under the
direction of the Glasgow and Greenock Railway Com-
pany, and to erect commodious quays, and establish a
communication by means of a steam-boat with the oppo-
site coast ; but these measures have not been carried
into effect, and the ferry still remains in the hands of
Lord Blantyre, the former proprietor.
The whole number of acres is 7109, of which 5123
are arable, 554 woodland and plantations, S00 meadow
and pasture, and the remainder moss and waste. The
405
soil is various, but in general light ; in the north-
eastern portion, a dark grey mould mixed with gravel ;
and in other places, clay alternated with sand. The
crops are, oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, and turnips,
with the usual grasses ; the rotation system of hus-
bandry is prevalent, and much improvement in agri-
culture has been effected under the auspices of Lord
Blantyre. Tile-draining has been extensively introduced,
and works for the making of tiles, for which clay of
excellent quality is found, have been established on
their respective lands by Lord Blantyre and Mr. Rodger ;
the farm-houses are generally substantial and commo-
dious, and most of the lands are inclosed either with
fences of hawthorn, or with walls of stone. The dairy-
farms are well managed : the cows are principally the
Ayrshire, with some few of a mixed breed between the
Ayrshire and Guernsey ; the average number on the
several farms is about 350, and 450 young cows and
black- cattle are pastured on the hills. Few horses are
kept except for agricultural use, and these are usually
of the Clydesdale breed. The rateable annual value of
the parish is £S18'2. The plantations are larch, and
Scotch, spruce, and silver firs ; and the prevailing woods,
oak, elm, beech, ash, walnut, sycamore, and horse-ches-
nut, of which there are some fine trees. The substratum
is partly gravel, mixed with clay, and interspersed with
large boulders of greywacke and granite ; in the south-
eastern part of the parish, carboniferous rock ; and
towards the western extremity, the hills are wholly of
trap rock of porphyritic quality, containing crystals of
felspar, with amygdaloids of calcareous spar. On the
West ferry hill, while cutting through it for the forma-
tion of the Glasgow and Greenock railway, the workmen
discovered some fine basaltic columns ; zeolites have
been found in the trap rocks ; and in the Bishopton
ridge is a new mineral, called " Greenockite" in honour
of Lord Greenock, who discovered it, and which has,
on analysis, proved to be a protosuhhate of cadmium.
There are two quarries of freestone on the lands of
Lord Blantyre, from which were taken materials for the
erection of the church, the mansion-house of Erskine,
and other buildings ; there is a similar quarry on the
lands of Mr. Rodger, and in several parts of the parish
whinstone is wrought for the roads.
Erskine House, beautifully situated on a terrace over-
looking the Clyde, was erected by the late Lord Blantyre
from a design by Sir Robert Smirke, of London ; it
is a fine structure in the Elizabethan style of archi-
tecture, ornamented with richly- crocketed pinnacles,
and forming an imposing and highly interesting feature
in the scenery of the coast. The principal building
is 1S5 feet in length, comprising a splendid suite of
state apartments, a picture gallery US feet in length,
and a stately vestibule and hall: the interior is adorned
with numerous oriel windows of elegant design, and
the internal decorations are costly and magnificent.
The demesne is richly wooded, and embellished with
flourishing plantations ; the pleasure-grounds are taste-
fully laid out, and contain an obelisk erected by the
gentry of Renfrewshire as a tribute of respect to the
memory of the late Lord Blantyre, lord lieutenant of
the county, and major-general in the British army, who
was accidentally shot during the revolution at Brussels
in 1830. Drums is a handsome residence, pleasantly
situated. Finlaystone is a modern mansion, built on