MOUNTAINS. These are the Cheviot Hills between England and Scotland, and the Grampian Hills south of Inverness, which extend from Stonehaven to Ben Lomond, and form the southern boundary of the Highlands. Ben Lomond is 3,240 feet high. Ben Nevis, in Inverness-shire, is generally reputed the highest mountain in Great Britain; it is 4,380 feet above the sea, but it has been recently ascertained that Ben Macdhu, in Aberdeenshire, is twenty feet higher. The Ochil Hills, in the south of Perthshire, rise to a considerable elevation. The Pentland Hills are to the south of the Firth of Forth; the Lead Hills are in Lanarkshire. LAKES AND FIRTHS. Loch Ness and Loch Lochy are in Inverness; Loch Lomond, in Dumbartonshire, is twenty-three miles long, the largest lake in Britain; Loch Awe, of nearly equal dimensions, is in Argyleshire; Loch Katrine, remarkable for its scenery, is situated in that rugged district of Perthshire named from the circumstance the Trosacks; Loch Tay is in the centre of Perthshire. The principal firths or arms of the sea, are the Firth of Dornoch, Murray Firth, the Firth of Tay, and of the Forth on the east; the Solway, the Firth of Clyde, Loch Fyne, Loch Lynnhe (pro. Leen) and several more inlets on the west. The Scottish term Loch and the Irish Lough are applied indiscriminately to fresh water lakes and to land-locked or deep inlets of the sea. RIVERS. The Spey, in Inverness-shire, forms for a considerable way the boundary between Murray and Banff, and falls into the sea at Speymouth. The Deveron, dividing the county of Banff from that of Aberdeen, falls into the sea at Banff. The Dee and the Don, crossing Aberdeenshire from west to east, fall into the sea at Aberdeen. The South Esk passes by Brechin and Montrose. The Tay is the largest of the Scotch rivers; it derives its waters from the southern side of the Grampians as they encircle Perthshire. Its principal branch is that which expands into a loch which takes the name of the river. It runs by Dunkeld and Perth, and spreading into a wide estuary falls into the sea below Dundee for a considerable space it forms the boundary between Angus and Fife. The Forth rises from the eastern declivity of Ben Lomond, and being joined near Stirling by the Teith and Allan, it pursues a tortuous course to Alloa, where it gradually widens into that large arm of the sea called the Firth of Forth. The Tweed rises in Peebles, runs by Peebles, Melrose, Kelso, and Coldstream, and falls into the sea at Berwick. The Annan, a small river, runs into the Solway Firth at the town of Annan. The Nith runs by Dumfries into the Solway Firth. Another Dee runs by Kirkcudbright into the Irish Sea. The Clyde rises near the source of the Tweed, in the mountainous district at the south of Lanarkshire. Near Lanark it falls over several precipices, one of them 80 feet in height, and passing Glasgow and Dumbarton, it joins the Firth of Clyde at Greenock. CANALS. A canal connects the firths of Forth and Clyde. Its length is 35 miles, beginning at the mouth of the Carron and ending at Bowling Bay, on the Clyde, ten miles below Glasgow. There are 39 locks and several aqueduct bridges in the course of this canal; the Kelvin aqueduct consists of four arches, and carries the canal over a valley of 65 feet deep and 420 long. The Union Canal joins the Forth and Clyde Canal near Falkirk, and proceeds direct to Edinburgh. The Caledonian Canal, con structed at the expense of government, opens a communication between the Murray Firth and the western sea. It proceeds along a line of lakes from Inverness by Fort Augustus and Fort William. It is 20 feet deep, and 90 miles long, yet there are only 28 locks upon it. A short canal between Loch Gilp and Loch Crinan greatly facilitates intercourse with the western Highlands. RAILWAYS. The principal railways in Scotland already in operation are the Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Glasgow and Greenock, and the Glasgow and Ayr railways. The North British railway between Edinburgh and Berwick is in progress, and will, when completed and continued to Newcastle, give an unbroken line of railway between London and Edinburgh. ISLANDS. Bute and Arran are two beautiful islands which adorn the Firth of Clyde. West of the peninsula of Cantire begin the Hebrides, the principal of which are Islay, Jura, Mull, Tiree, Coll, Skye, Lewis, and Harris, North and South Uist, &c. Staffa and Icolmkill or Iona, are two small but very celebrated islands belonging to this Staffa group, remarkable for its basaltic columns; and Icolmkill venerable as the asylum of literature in the dark ages. The Orkney Isles are separated from the continent by a strait called Pentland Firth. The inhabited isles are about 26 in number: the chief is Mainland, frequently called Pomona. Kirkwall and Stromness are the principal towns. The Shetland Isles are to the north of the Orkneys: they are 46 in number, 26 of which are said to be inhabited. Mainland is the largest. The principal town is Lerwick. CLIMATE. The climate of Scotland is colder than that of England; an excess of moisture prevails in the Western Highlands and Islands. MINERALS. Coal is abundant in the south of Scotland, but is not found north of the Tay, where peat is much used as fuel. Iron is got in large quantities, especially in Lanarkshire and Stirlingshire. The lead mines of Lanarkshire and Dumfries are rich, and mixed with silver. Roofing slate abounds, particularly in the Isle of Easdale, one of the Hebrides. The granite of Aberdeen and other parts is much used in England for paving and building. TOWNS IN SCOTLAND, The Towns which send Members to Parliament are marked with an asterisk *; several towns combine to send one Member only. *Aberdeen, r. Dee; a university: woollen, linen and cotton manufactures: enters largely into the salmon fishery several new streets and public edifices, of white granite, have a beautiful appearance. Pop. 64,778. Aberdeen, Old, r. Don, a mile to the north of Aberdeen. Abernethy, Perthsh., near the Earn and Tay, the capital of the ancient Pictish kingdom. : Airdrie, Lanark; a rising town: extensive iron works and collieries in its vicinity. Pop. 12,418. Alloa, Clackman., r. Forth; coal trade, Baltic trade, ale. *Andrews, St., Fife, North Sea: St. Regulus, (or St. Rule,) who is said to have brought Christianity into Scotland, landed here, A.D. 370; before the Reformation the primacy of Scotland; several interesting ruins betoken the ancient importance of the city; a university; Wishart the reformer burnt in 1545, at the instigation of Cardinal Beaton, who was himself assassinated the following year; Archbishop Sharpe assassinated near here in 1679; Inch Cape or Bell Rock light is beautifully seen from St. Andrews. Annan, Dumfries, r. Annan; coasting trade. Arbroath, Angus, r. Brothwick; sail cloth: paving stones: remains of a splendid abbey. Ardrossan, Ayr, Firth of Clyde. Ayr, r. Doon and Ayr; Burns born in the vicinity. Blair Athole, Perth, r. Tilt and Garry. Bo'ness (Borrowstoness), Linlithgow, Firth of Forth; one Brechin, Angus, r. South Esk; manufactures, brown linen and sail cloth: salmon fishery: exports grain. Burntisland, Fife, Firth of Forth. Campbeltown, Argyle; herring fishery: whiskey: here the Scots are supposed to have first landed on emigrating from Ireland. Pop. 5,028. Clackmannan, Clackman., r. Devon and Forth. Coldstream, Berwick, r. Tweed; here Edward I. forded the Tweed with his overpowering host, in 1296: a regiment of guards raised here by General Monk to facilitate the restoration of Charles II. Crieff, Perth, r. Earne. Cromarty, Firth of Cromarty; the Firth is one of the finest bays in Britain: herring fishery. Culross, (pro. Coo-ross,) Perth, Firth of Forth; coal, iron, &c. Cumnock, Ayr, Lugar Water; wooden snuff-boxes. Cupar, Angus and Perth; linen; leather. Dalkeith, Edinburgh, r. North and South Esk; the greatest corn-market in Scotland: the palace of the Duke of Buccleugh, which has twice recently been the residence of royalty. |