m^^mmm^^ THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES TOPOGRAPHY OF <Swat IStitaiit, OR, BRITISH TRAVELLER'S POCKET DIRECTORY; BEING AN ACCURATE AND COJUFREHENSITE: TOPOGRAPHICAL AND STATISTICAL DESCRIPTION OP I ALL THE COUNTIES IN WITH THE ADJACENT ISLANDS: ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS OF THE COUNTIES, WHICH FORM A COMPLETE BRITISH ATLAS. BY G. A. COOKE, ESQ. Itontion: Printed, by Assignment from the Executors of the late C. Cooke, FOR SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES, PATERNOSTER-ROW; AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. Jf*^ DESCRZPTIOtT OF TH& SOUTHERN DIVISION OF SCOTLAND^ n^HE Southern Division, with which we shall com- *• raence our Topographical Description of Scotland, contains tlie counties of West Lothian, or Linlithgow; Mid Lothian, or Edinburgh ; East Lothian, or Had- dington; Berwick, or Merse; Roxburgh; Selkirk; Peebles; Dumfries; Kirkcudbright; Wigtoh ; Ayr; Lanark; and Renfrew. WEST LOTHIAN; or, LINLITHGOWSHIRE. This county is of an irregular form, approaching in some measure to a paraleilogram; it is bounded on the north by the Forth ; on the south-east by the county of Edinburgh ; on the south-west by Lanerk- shire ; and on the north-west by Stirlingshire. It measures nearly twenty miles in length, from east to west; and about twelve from north to south. This is one of the richest counties in Scotland ; being rinely diversified by lull and dale, by genrle swells and fertile plains : its appearance likewise being enriched by the number of gentlemen's seats, surrounded with woods, and adorned with extensive plantations. Indeed the country between Queensferry and Stirling, (says Mr. Pennant) is not to be paralelled for the elegance and Variety of its prospects. The whole is a compositioa 6f all that is great and beautiful : towns, villages, seats, ^ild ancient towers, decorate each bank of that fine expanse of water, the Frith of Forth ; while the busy scenes of commerce and rural econon\v, are no small additions to the still life. The lofty mountains of the Highlands form a distant but august boundary towards the north-west ; and the eastern view is enlivened with ships perpetually appearing or vanishing, amid the numerous islands. The southern angle of this county, next to Lanerk- shire, is the least fertile; there is, however, abundance 4 TOPOGRAPHICAL TJESCRirTION OF of limestone; coal, and iron-stone, is found in almost every parisli in the county, and a small vein of silver ore was discovered a c:)nsiderable time ago, hut too small to defray the expence of working; and many curious petrifactions are found in the lime-rock, near Bathgate. The small streams of Avon and Almond are the only waters worth noticing in this county; the former of which separates it from Stirlingshire, and runs into the Forth, four miles west from Burrowstowness. The Almond rises in the south-west part of Edin- burghshire, on the borders of Lanerkshire, and runs into the Forth, eight miles west from Leith ; for a great part of its course it separates this county from Edinburi^hshire. This county, according to the population act, passed in the year 1800, contained 2,936 houses, occupied by 17.844 inhabitants, viz. 8,139 males, and 9715 females, of whom 3,8'29 were returned as being employed in various trades and manufactures, and 4,166 in agricul- ture. It is divided into thirteen parochial districts, viz. Abercorn, Bathgate, Burrowstoness, Carriden, Dal- meny, Ecclesmachen, Kirkliston, Linlithgow, Living- ston, Queensferry, Torpliichen, Uphall, and Whit- burn; and contains two royal boroughs, Linlithgow, and Queensferry ; and the small towns of Borrowstow- ness, Bathgate, and Kirkliston. Tlie parish of Abercorn is in fonn rectangular, its length being about four miles, and its breadth three, and contains 184 houses, inhabited by 814 persons, viz. 399 males, and 415 females; 133 were returned, by the population act, as being employed in agriculture, and 48 in trades and manufacture. The surface of the ground in this county exhibits great variety from its numerous swellings; but none rises to what may be denominated a hill, except what is called Rinns hill, which is insulated and somewhat conical ; and had once a fortification on its summit. From LINLITHGOWSHIRE. B From the variety of surface, a variety of soil takes place, but it is in general all capable of cultivation. The natural beauty of this country is greatly heightened, by the quantity of growing wood, which covers about a sixth part of the parish. There is no coal wrought here, but on the coast there is iron-stone, excellent sand-stone, and lime-stone ; shell-marl has also been found in different places. The town of Abercorn, called by Bede Abercur" ringy is pleasantly situated near the Frith of Forth, across which it commands a fine view to the shire of Fife. Here was formerly a rich monastery, of which there are not at present any remains, The Roman Avail erected by Antoninus, was begun at this place, from whence it extended to Kirk. PatHck, on the Frith of Clyde. The Romans had several stations between Cramond and Antouinus's wall, on one of which Aber- corn Castle was built near the church, diihcult of ac- cess, except from the east. During the power of the Douglasses it became a place of great strength; and in the year 1454 that noble family rebelling against James ir. the castle was taken by the king, and dismantled, after wliich it was never repaired. At a small distance from Abercorn is Hopetouu House, the princely seat of the family of Hopetoun. It was begun by the celebrated architect Sir V/« Bruce, and finished by Mr. Adam, who planned the two wings. It is one of the most magnificent struc- tures in Scotland ; and ii\deed is thought to be the second or third, in point of elegance of architecture, in the island : it is built of fine tree-stone, and consists of a square front, with wings on each side, joined to it by colonnades. The front is curiously enriched with pilasters of the Corinthian order, and the gallery is adorned with many capital paintings. The gardens are very extensive,' and laid out in the most elegant manner. The honse is situated on an eminence, and commands a prospect scarcely to be equalled. From ihe front is an uninterrupted view of the Forth, from A 3 Stirlin"» 6 tof6gkaphical description of Stirling to the Bass, which is in length forty miles. On the other side the Forth is seen the shire o\' Fife, above twenty towns, several old castles now in ruins, Ochel IFills, and the whole is completed by the number of ressels that are constantly sailing up and down the Forth. A little below Abercorn Castle lies Blackness Cas- tle, situated on a neck of land which runs into the Forth. This, with the fortification on Inchgarvy, seems to have been intended to command the passage from Leith to Stirling. The garrison of Blackness is one of the four in Scotland, agreed by the articles of t.^nion, to be kept in repair; it has a governor, lieu- tenant-governor, two gunners, one seijeant, three cor- porals, and tifteen privates. The parish of Bathgate is in length about seven miles, and in breadth two, and contains according to the late population act in the year 1801, 373 houses, and 5313 inhabitants, viz. 1158 males, and 1355 fe- males, of which number 34G were returned as being employed in various trades, and 377 in agriculture. The hills in this parish are covered with grass, and aiTord good pasture ; on the flat ground the soil is in general a loamy clay, capable of much improvement. There is a very fine lime rock here, about thirty feet tliick, which abounds with marine relicts, particularly oyster shells. A large field of iron-stone was lately wrought at Barbacklaw in this parish, by the Carroii company: there are also great coal-works here; and from various specimens of lead ores fomid on the Bathgate hills, in all probability it would be worth working, the quantity of silver which it yields being coiisiaerable. The town of Bathgate, which stands on a steep slope of a hill, about tive miie.s from Linlithgow, and thirteen from Edinburgh, contains about liOO inha- bitants. Bat'ngate was part of the great possessions which King liobert Bruce, in the year 13 iG, gdve in dowry with his ; LINLITIIGOWSIIIRF. 7 liis daughter, Lady Margaret, to Walter, high steward of Scotland, who made it his principal residence ; and died here in the year 1328. Some traces of his man- sion are still visible in the middle of a morass near the town. Ttie parish of Burrowstowness, which extends along the Forth, is in length four miles, and in breadth two miles and a half; and contains 356 houses, occu- pied by 2790 inhabitants, viz. 1210 males, and 1580 females, of whom 346 were returned as being employ- ed in various trades and manufacture, and 377 in agri- culture. The surface of this parish rises from the sea, but de- clines again to the banks of the river Avon ; the soil is in general loam, having an over-proportion of cla}"^ on the north-west, however, it is very rich and fertile. Coal is a great article of exportation, and here was one of the most remarkable coal-works in the island : the strata of coal extending under the sea, the colliers Avrought it out nearly half-way across the Forth : a moat was built half a mile within the sea-mark, tv%elve feet in height, so as to exclude the sea, and to which a ship could lay her side, and take in a cargo of coals; an unexampled tide, however, broke in and drowned the work with the workmen.