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Miscellaneous Places, Angus

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"ANGUS, a district in Scotland, now called Forfarshire. At a remote period it gave the title of earl to two families. Towards the close of the 15th century, the title was settled in the Douglas family. It subsequently passed to the Hamiltons, who bear it still. See Forfarshire."

"AUCHENDORY, a village in the county of Forfar, Scotland, not far from Kirriemuir."

"AUCHTERTYRE, a village in the county of Forfar, Scotland, not far from Newtyle. Montrose had a camp here, of which some traces remain."

"BELL, (or Inchcape, Rock), a dangerous reef or sunken rock off the east coast of the counties of Fifeshire and Forfarshire, Scotland. It lies nearly opposite the mouth of the river Tay, distant about 11 miles to the N.E. of Fifeness, in Fifeshire, and nearly the same distance to the S.E. of Arbroath, in Forfarshire, and 30 N.W. of St. Abb's Head, in the track of vessels entering the friths of Forth and Tay. It is about 2,000 feet in length, and 110 yards in breadth, and has 12 feet of water on it at high water. It long formed a serious obstruction to the navigation of the Frith of Tay, and was the occasion of many shipwrecks. The tradition of the bell suspended from the rock by the benevolent abbot of Arbroath (Aberbrothick), and rung by the movement of the waters, of its severance by the malicious practical jest of the Dutch sea rover, and of the retribution which at last came down on his own head, is graphically embodied in the well-known ballad of the poet Southey. Between the years 1807 and 1811 a lighthouse, similar in principle to the Eddystone, was erected on this rock. It is a circular building 115 feet in height, 42 feet in diameter at the base, and 13 feet at the top. The base is a solid mass of masonry for about 30 feet from the rock upwards, half of which is below high-water mark. The light is alternately bright and red, with intervals of darkness, and is visible at a distance of 14 miles. The machinery by which the revolution of the light is effected is also employed in tolling two bells during foggy weather. These bells weigh above half a ton each, and their warning tones are audible to a great distance. The Bell Rock lighthouse stands in 56° 26' N. lat., and 2° 23' W. long."

"BEN CHINNIN MOUNTAINS, those of the Grampians that lie in Forfarshire. They extend over a district of about 20 miles from W. to E., and 9 or 15 from N. to S."

"CLOVA, formerly a parish, but now united with Cortachy, in the district and county of Forfar, Scotland. It is situated in a beautiful valley, only one mile broad, and is almost shut in by lofty hills branching off from the Grampians. Near the church are the ruins of an ancient castle."

"CRUICK WATER, a river rising in the county of Forfar, Scotland, and falling into the Upper Esk, at Strickathrow."

"CULLOW, a locality near Kirriemuir, in the county of Forfar, Scotland, where fairs are held on the last Friday of April, and on the Monday of October before the fair of Kirriemuir."

"DENFIELD, a village in the barony of Arbirlot, in the county of Forfar, Scotland, 2 miles W. of Arbroath."

"DICHTY, (or Dighty), a river in the county of Forfar, Scotland. It rises in Lundie and runs 11 miles E. into the Firth of Tay, some 4 miles from Dundee. Numbers of corn, spinning, snuff, and other mills are worked by it."

"DUNDEE, a royal burgh in the county of Forfar, Scotland. This town is an extensive seaport and seat of manufacture, and is the third largest town in Scotland. It is situated for the most part in the parish of Dundee, but also partly in the parish of Liff and Benvie, in 56° 27' 33" N. lat., and 3° 2' 55" W. long., on the N. side of the Firth of Tay, 4 miles W. of Broughty Ferry, and 14 S. by W. of Forfar. The ground which Dundee occupies may be described as a strip extending along the Tay, and rising gently to the northward towards Dundee Law and Balgay Hill. The town is irregularly built, and the chief streets extend W. and E. nearly 2 miles, and are named Perth-road, Nethergate, High-street, Seagate, and the Croft. Nearly parallel to these streets there is another line to the northward of the former, and composed of the streets named Hawk-hill and Overgate, which last, after joining the High-street, passes eastward under the name of Cowgate. There is also a third line with a general north-westerly direction, extending three-quarters of a mile from the shore, and consisting of Castle-street, Murraygate, Wellgate, and Bormet-hill. The town is gradually extending northwards towards the acclivities in its rear. Many of the old streets are picturesque from their narrowness, and the absence of straight lines in their construction. The bustle and life also exhibited on, the, crowded quays, and the general opulence everywhere visible, add greatly to the interest which the surrounding beautiful landscape confers upon it. The High-street is the most important part of the town, and is a square 360 feet long by 100 broad. The houses are of freestone and lofty; and the townhall, with its spire 140 feet in height, ornaments the S. side of the square, while the trades'-hall is situated at the E. end, and the Luckenbooths closes up the W. end. The Cowgate, in which a large portion of the business of the town is carried on, and which served formerly as an exchange, has at its E. end the gate from which George Wishart preached during the plague in 1544. Some of the streets, such as Reform-street, are not inferior to some of the most admired in Edinburgh. Among the more remarkable of the public buildings may be mentioned the Exchange Coffee-room, at the S.E. corner of Castle-street; the public seminaries, at the N. of Reform-street; the barracks, enclosing the remains of Dudhope Castle, on an elevation at the foot of Dundee Law; the old custom house, in Green Market-square, with the adjacent Victoria Arch, erected to commemorate the landing of Queen Victoria at Dundee, in September, 1844; the royal exchange, at the N. end of Panmure-street; the county prison and police buildings, at the S.W. angle of the public gardens; the new infirmary, founded in 1852, and stretching its magnificent frontage of 350 feet along the southern side of the heights of Tudhope; the lunatic asylum, about half a mile N. of the town; and the now custom-house, including also the excise-office, at the E. end of Dock-street. In 1863 it was resolved to erect the Albert Institute in Dundee, on ground opposite the Royal Exchange. The institution is intended to comprise a lecture-room, reading-rooms, library, museum, and a free library and museum for the working-classes should the Free Libraries Act be adopted. The cost was estimated at £20,000. The ecclesiastical edifices, however, here as elsewhere, constitute the most prominent architectural features of the town. Foremost among these is the tower, 156 feet in height, which stands at the W. end of the cruciform cathedral-like structure composing the East, South, and Steeple churches, which were built in their present restored state after the fire which, in January; 1841, consumed the whole more ancient group. The churches are situated W. of the Luckenbooths, between the Overgate and the Nethergate. The original buildings included four churches, and had been subject to many additions and alterations in the course of ages. A magnificent view of the town and harbour is obtained from the top of the tower. All the other ancient ecclesiastical buildings have disappeared, and their successors, the modern edifices, as worthily supply their places as do the churches of any other town in Scotland. Among them may be mentioned St. Andrew's, on the N. side of the Cowgate; St. David's, in North Tay-street; Free St. Peter's, in Hawkhill; Free St. Paul's in the Nethergate; the United Presbyterian churches in Bell-street; Ward Chapel, belonging to the Independents; the Episcopal churches of St. Paul's, at the head of the Seagate, and St. Mary Magdalene, in Blinshall-street; and the Roman Catholic church in Nethergate. Much of the commercial prosperity of Dundee is owing to its magnificent docks, which stretch from Craig Pier on the W. to the shipbuilding yards on the E. They have all been formed, at an expense of more than £500,000, since 1815, when commissioners were first appointed by Act of Parliament for the improvement of the harbour. These improvements have been effected chiefly by deepening and widening the tide harbour, and by the construction of sea-walls and quays. There are four wet docks, one of them, made between 1815 and 1830, being named William IV.'s Dock, occupying a space of 8 acres, and having a graving dock annexed to it; the other, called Earl Grey's Dock, formed 1830 by enclosing a large part of the tide harbour. On the land immediately beside these works, space has also been gained for the erection of ware-houses and for ship-building. The Firth of Tay is here about 2 miles broad, and the aforesaid docks, besides their commodiousness, have the additional advantage of being easily accessible from the depth of water at very reduced states of the tide; while the natural obstructions arising from sandbanks have been practically removed by being marked out by buoys. Dundee has numerous public literary and charitable institutions, and two local banks, named the Dundee Banking Company and the Eastern Banking Company, besides branches of other Scottish banks. The following newspapers are published: the Dundee Advertiser and the Dundee Courier daily; the Northern Warder on Tuesday and Friday; also the People's Journal and Weekly News weekly. The chief manufactures are the working of iron and the construction of machinery; the refining of sugar, the making of kid gloves, hand cards and cards for wool, silk, cotton, and tow; ship-building, and lastly and principally the manufacture of flax-yarns and linen fabrics. The fabrics consist of Osnaburgs, duck, sheeting, and coarse linens. Besides these linen-yarn, canvas, and cordage are largely made. This manufacture, which has sprung up since 1815, has increased in an unprecedented manner, there being about fifty steam spinning-mills and some ton power-loom factories, besides many establishments in which weaving is performed by hand labour: Linen goods to the value of nearly £2,000,000 are made yearly in Dundee. The foreign trade of the port of Dundee in 1853, inwards, comprised 658 vessels of about 130,000 tons, and outwards, of 407 vessels of 70,646 tons. The customs' duties in 1851 amounted to 63,342. The chief imports are flax hemp, timber, iron, tar, lime, coals, ashes, tallow, and whale blubber; and the principal exports are linen fabrics, linen-yarn, machinery, iron and steel, cotton and woollen goods, spirits, coals, fish, &c. By means of the Dundee, Perth, and London Shipping Company, the Tay and Tyne Shipping Company, the Dundee and Perth Steam Packet Company, besides regular traders to Liverpool, Stockton, and Glasgow, abundant communication is had with the S. and W. Steamers ply at frequent intervals daily to Newport, once a day to Newburgh and Perth, and once a week to London. By rail Broughty Ferry, Arbroath, Newtyle, and Perth, and other places beyond, are easily accessible. Dundee is governed by a provost and 4 bailies, a dean of guild, and a town council of 20 members. The magistrates exercise jurisdiction over the whole of the royalty, and take cognizance of all criminal cases within the burgh, and of debts to any amount. The jurisdiction of the sheriff substitute is co-extensive with that of the magistrates within the royalty, and also extends over the landward part of the parishes. The magistrates and town council are the police commissioners under the General Police Act for Scotland passed in 1850. There are nine incorporated trades and three united trades, which possess funds chiefly employed in assisting decayed members. The town has endowments amounting to about £60,000 for charitable and educational purposes. The property of the town was estimated in 1853 at about £50,000, and consists of lands, churches, houses, and salmon fishings. The revenue in 1851 was about £5,600. Dundee, together with its suburb, sends one member to parliament. The population of the parliamentary burgh in 1851 was 78,931, and in 1861 90,424. Children at school in 1861, between the ages of 5 and 15, 11,698. Dundee was anciently surrounded by walls, the names of the gates being still retained in the names of some of the streets. It was twice burned by Edward I., and again by the Duke of Lancaster in 1385. In the 16th century Dundee was the first of all the Scottish towns to renounce Popery, chiefly through the influence of James Haliburton, the Reformer. In the 17th century it was pillaged by General Monk. Dundee claims many ancient sons and citizens, among whom may be mentioned Alexander Scrymgeour, the first of the hereditary constables of Dundee, and the friend of Wallace; Hector Boethius, the Scottish historian, Robert Pittilock, or Patullo, the first captain of the Scottish Guard under Charles VII. of France; James Halliburton, the Reformer; Sir John Scrymgeour, slain in the battle of Marston Moor on the side of Charles I.; George Mackenzie, Lord Advocate, and founder of the Advocate's Library, in Edinburgh; George Yeaman, of Murie, who represented Dundee in the last of the Scottish parliaments; Robert Fergusson, the poet; and Admiral Duncan. The title of Viscount Dundee has been conferred on two different occasions, the first by Charles I. in 1641 on Sir John Scrymgeour, hereditary constable of the town and standard-bearer to the king; and the second in 1688 on Graham of Claverhouse."

"GRANGE ISLAND, a small island formed near the mouth of the Tay, county Forfar, Scotland, by the soil brought down by the river."

"HALLYBURTON, a seat in the county Forfar, Scotland, 2 miles S.E. of Cupar-Angus. It belongs to the Marquis of Huntly, who takes from this place the title of baron."

"HATTON CASTLE, in the county Forfar, Scotland, near Newtyle, built by Lord Oliphant in 1575. It is a station on the Dundee and Newtyle section of the Scottish Central railway"

"INVERBROTHOCK, a quoad sacra parish, in county Forfar, Scotland. It belongs to the political parish of St. Vigans. The church was built in 1828. There are two Free churches and a Methodist chapel."

"ISLA, a river rising among the Grampian Hills at Glass Mhiel, in the N.W. district of county Forfar, Scotland, and falls into the Tay opposite Kinclavin. Its length is about 41 miles. Its upper part gives name to a district called Glenisla. Its principal tributaries are the Back, Melgum, and Dean. It forms a cascade, called the Reekie, below Glenisla."

"KELLY CASTLE, in county Forfar, Scotland, near Arbirlot. It formerly belonged to the Ochterlonies, but is now a ruin on the bank of the river Eliot."

"KINNABAR, a barony belonging to the Duke of Montrose, in county Forfar, Scotland."

"KINNAIRD, a quondam parish in county Forfar, Scotland, now divided between the parishes of Brechin and Farnell. Here is Kinnaird Castle, the seat of the Carnegies of Southesk."

"KINNORDY, an ancient loch in the county Forfar, Scotland, near Kirriemuir, now drained, but gives name to the estate of Sir Charles Lyell."

"LADYLOAN, a quoad sacra parish in the parishes of Arbroath and St. Vigean's, county Forfar, Scotland, 2 miles from Arbroath. The living is in the presbytery of Arbroath, and in the patronage of the male communicants."

"LAWTON, a hamlet on the coast of county Forfar, Scotland, 4 miles N. of Arbroath."

"LEE, a loch in county Forfar, Scotland. See Lochlee."

"LEMNO WATER, a tributary of the river Esk, in county Forfar, Scotland, rises near Kerriemuir, and joins the Esk at Aberlemno."

"LETHEM, a small place near Arbroath, county Forfar, Scotland."

"LINTROSE, a demesne near Cupar-Angus, county Forfar, Scotland, 1 mile W. of Kettins. It formerly belonged to Lord Todderance."

"MARK, (or Mark Water), a feeder of the North Esk, county Forfar, Scotland. It rises in the Grampians, and joins the North Esk at Invermark Castle, near Lochlee."

"MELGUND CASTLE, near the parish of Aberlemno, county Forfar, Scotland. It formerly belonged to the Kynynmounds, and gives title of viscount to the Earl of Minto."

"MONRITHMONT, a moorland district in county Forfar, Scotland. It lies between Brechin and Kinnell."

"MOUNT BATTOCK, one of the Grampians, Scotland, rises to the height of 3,465 feet above the seas and is situated at the point where the counties of Aberdeen, Kincardine, and Forfar meet."

"NORTH ESK, a river in county Forfar, Scotland. The East and West waters becoming one, continue their course under the name of the North Esk. The three head-waters of the East water rise among the Grampian hills; selecting an easterly course, this river passes the parish of Edzell, and having run a few miles on the S.W. border of Kincardineshire, it meets the West water, or the Dye, which rises in the southern extremity of the parish of Lethnot, where it is also called the Saughs water; passing between Edzell and Strickathrow, it joins the East water. The united streams then become the North Esk, which continues easterly through the parishes of Strickathrow, Logiepert, Montrose, and Kincardine, and so falls into the ocean a little above Montrose. Its length is 22 miles."

"PROSEN, a river of the county of Forfar, Scotland, rises in the Braes of Angus, and flowing through Glenprosen joins the South Esk near Cortachie."

"REDHEAD, a promontory on the eastern coast of the county of Forfar, Scotland, 4 miles S.E. of Redcastle. It is situated opposite Lunan Bay, and attains an elevation of 270 feet."

"REEKY LINN, a cascade on the river Isla, in Glenisla, county Forfar, Scotland, near Airly Castle."

"ROSE HILL, a demesne in the county of Forfar, Scotland, 4½ miles N.E. of Brechin, belongs to the Earl of Northesk, who takes the title of baron from this place."

"SIDLAW-HILLS, a mountain chain lying between Perth and Brechin, county Forfar, Scotland. They consist of red sandstone, and attain an elevation of 1,406 feet, at the highest point at Dunsinane Hill 1,114 feet."

"SOUTH ESK, a river in county Forfar, Scotland. Its source is among the Grampians, in the N.W. of the county it passes through the parishes of Clova, Cortachie, and Strathmore. After receiving the tribute of the Prosen, it continues in an easterly direction, passing between the parishes of Kirriemuir and Tannadice, Oathlaw and Menmuir, and Aberlemno and Brechin. It then spreads out for the formation of Montrose Basin, a fine piece of water. Leaving this point by way of two branches, which again unite lower down the river, it falls into the ocean. The village of Ferrydon and the town of Brechin are among the principal places situated on its banks, besides the seats of Brechin Castle, Rossie, and Kinnaird, the last the residence of the Carnegies. The forking of the river so near its mouth stops all navigation beyond that point."

"STRATHMORE, (or The Great Valley), this valley extends through the counties of Perth and Forfar, Scotland, from Methven to Brechin."

[Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
Transcribed by Colin Hinson ©2003]