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National Gazetteer, 1868

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Kilsyth - Extract from National Gazetteer, 1868

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"KILSYTH, a parish in the county Stirling, Scotland. It is bounded by the county Dumbarton on the S., and on the other sides by the parishes of Fintry, Denny, Campsie, and St. Ninian's. It is traversed along its southern border by the N. road from Stirling to Glasgow. Croy and Castlecary, on the Edinburgh and Glasgow line, are its nearest railway stations. The parish is in the presbytery of Glasgow, and synod of Glasgow and Ayr. The minister's stipend is £271, in the patronage of the crown. The church is a commodious structure, containing tombs of the Livingstone family, who forfeited the title of Viscount Kilsyth in 1715. The United Presbyterians, Free Church, Wesleyan Methodists, and Independents, have each a place of worship. There are several schools. The surface is hilly, the Kilsyth hills rising from 1,000 to 1,368 feet above sea level. From the loftiest peak is a view over sixteen counties, from sea to sea. Several springs rise in different parts of the district, which form numerous streamlets, and drive a vast amount of machinery. Here the Forth and Clyde canal has a reservoir, which occupies the site of the battle fought in 1645 between the Covenanters and Montrose, which ended in the defeat of the former. There are many circular forts, termed cheaters, two Roman camps, and two Pictish forts. Of the latter, that at Balcastle is considered the most entire work of the kind in Scotland. Here are mines, from which the Carron Company extract many thousand tons of iron yearly, several extensive collieries, and quarries of freestone and whinstone. In the mountains porphyry, agates, and yellow jasper are found. Weaving and paper-making are carried on here. This parish claims to have introduced into Scotland the cultivation of the potato. The town of Kilsyth was erected into a burgh of barony in 1826. It is situated 12; miles N.E. of Glasgow, and 15 S. of Stirling. It is chiefly occupied by weavers. It is well built, and lighted with gas. The Western Bank of Scotland has a branch' here, and there is a savings-bank. Fairs are held on the second Friday in April, and the third Friday in 5 November. There is also a cattle show in June."

"AUCHINMULLY, (or Lower Banton), a village in the parish of Kilsyth, in the county of Stirling, Scotland, not far from Kilsyth."

"BANTON, a village and quoad sacra parish, in the parish of Kilsyth, in the county of Stirling, Scotland, 2 miles from Kilsyth."

"DULLATER, a bog in the parish of Kilsyth, in the county of Stirling, Scotland. In it General Baillie lost many of his cavalry after the victory gained by Montrose in 1645."

"GATESIDE, a village in the parish of Kilsyth, county Stirling, Scotland, near Kilsyth."

Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)