137 



PERTH. 



PERTHSHIRE. 



133 



Academy is an endowed institution, comprehending mathematical, 

 scientific, and grammar schools, with classes for modern languages, 

 English, writing, and drawing. The income (from the burgh funds) 

 is 300/. a year. The number of scholars is about 550. There are six 

 other endowed schools, a public library, an infirmary, a dispensary, 

 and a savings bank. 



PERTH. [CANADA; VAN DIEMEN'S LAND; WESTERN AUSTRALIA.] 



PKRTH AM BOY. [NEW JERSEY.] 



PERTHSHIRE, a central county in Scotland, bounded N. by the 

 counties of Inverness and Aberdeen ; E. by Forfarshire ; S.E. by Fifrf- 

 shire, the Frith of Tay, and Kinross-shire ; S. by Clackmannan and 

 Stirling shires ; S.W. by Stirling and Dumbarton shires ; W. by Argyle- 

 shire ; and N.W. by Inverness-shire. The form of the county is 

 compact; but a small detached portion of it lies on the northern shore 

 of the Frith of Forth, between the ehires of Fife and Clackmannan, 

 and another small detached part is surrounded by Stirlingshire ; 

 while a small detached portion of Forfarshire is included in the boun- 

 daries of Perthshire. It extend* from east to west 70 miles, from 

 north to south 66 miles ; and its area is 2S35 square miles, or 1,814,063 

 acres, of which about 50 square miles are covered with water. The 

 county lies between 56 2' and 56 57' N. lat, 3 2' and 4 50' W. long. 

 The population of the county in 1841 was 137,457 ; in 1351 it was 

 c i. For parliamentary purposes part of the county is annexed 

 to Clackmannan and Kinross. Perthshire returns one member to the 

 Imperial 1'arliament. 



Surface, Hydrography, and Communication*. The whole of the 

 county, except in the immediate vicinity of Perth, is hilly, if not 

 mountainous. The Ochill Hills traverse the south-eastern part 

 between the Forth and the Tay. The Grampians form the northern 

 and north-western boundary of the county, separating it from 

 Aberdeen and Inverness-shires. Scarcsoch (3390 feet), and Bruoch- 

 C.irruvnn are in this part of the range. The western half of the county 

 is overspread by the mountains of the Western Highlands, among 

 which are Ben Venn, Ben Ledi (2563 feet), Ben Vorlich (3300 feet), 

 More (3900 feet), Ben Lawers (3948 feet), and Schihallien or 

 Schiehallion (3513 feet). Cairn Gower in the Ben y Gloe Mountains 

 in Athol Forest, south of the Grampians, has an elevation of 3690 feet. 

 The Sidlaw Hills are on the east side of the county near Forfambire ; 

 Dun-innne Hill is 1084 feet above the level of the sea. Upon its oval 

 and conical summit Macbeth is said to have erected his castle. Birnaui 

 Hill, near Dnnkel I. is 1300 feet high. 



These mountainous districts are intersected by long winding narrow 

 Tales, or 'gleni,' through which the streams flow, or by ' straths.' or 

 i'!- r valley*. Strathallen, in the south, separates the Ochills from 

 the Western Highlands ; Strathcarn extend* across the centre of the 

 county from west to east ; Strath Tay, and lower down Stratbmore 

 (which extends through Forfanbire), form the valley of the Tay ; and 

 Strath Airdle is in the north-east of the county. In the north are 

 -i.ee and Glen Beg, Glen Fernal, Glen Tilt [ATROL], Glen Bniar, 

 and Glen Krochkie. In the wv-t are Glen Lyon, Qlen Lochy, Glen 

 Dochart, Glen Kalloch, and Glen Artney. 



This county is almost entirely comprehended in the basin of the 

 Tay. A small portion on the south-west side is drained by the streams 

 which flow into Loch Lomond ; the district of Menteitli in the south 

 is included in the basin of the Forth. 



The Tay rises in a small loch on the border of Argyleshire, and 

 flows east and east-by-north 20 miles, through Loch Dochart into 

 Loch Tay. In this part of its course it is known as the Dochart. Just 

 before it enters Loch Tay it is joined by the Lochie, which rises a 

 little to the north of Loch Dochart, and has circuitous course of 

 about 16 miles. Loch Tay is a long narrow lake embosomed in moun- 

 tains, having Ben Lawers near its north- western shore; its length from 

 south-west to north-east is about 14 miles; its average breadth is 

 about one mile. The banks of the lake are steep and shelving, and 

 the depth of water is supposed to be in some parts not less than 600 

 feet. It is fed by several mountain streams, and abounds with fish ; 

 its surface is at time* agitated in a violent and nncommon manner. 

 From the north-eastern or lower end of Loch Tay, the river Tay 

 issues, and flows through Strath Tay. It receives several tributaries, 

 and hasa very winding course, extending in all to about 105 miles. Just 

 above Perth, the Tay receives the Almond, and several miles below it 

 the Earn, both on the right bank. The Tay is computed to send to 

 the sea a greater volume of water than any other river of Great 

 Britain. It u navigable to Perth for vessels of 100 tons. [DuiiDEK.] 

 There is a bar at the month, and the navigation is rather difficult, 

 partly from the sand-banks in its channel, and partly from the strength 

 of the tides. 



' The Turn roe 1 issues) from the north-eastern end of Loch Lydoch, a 

 large sheet of water on the border of Argyleshire, and flows eastward 

 bout six miles into Loch Kannoch, passing in its way through one or 

 two smaller lochs. Loch Kannoch is a long narrow sheet of water, ex- 

 tending nine mile* from west to east, and rarely if ever exceeding a mile 

 in breadth. It abound* with trout of the largest size. Two stream", 

 one flowing into the Tumtnel, between Lochs Lydoch and Rannoch, 

 and the other into Loch Kannoch itself, serve to convey to the Tumnicl 

 toe superfluous waters of Loch Kricht, another long narrow sheet of 

 water, extending in length 14 miles from north to south by ono mile 

 in breadth, partly in Inverness-shire and partly in Perthshire. From the 



eastern extremity of Loch Rannoch, the Tummel flows eastward 10 

 miles into Loch Tummel, and thence 12 miles farther east and south 

 into the Tay. Its whole course is nearly 40 miles. Between Loch 

 Tummel and the Tay it receives on its left bank the Garry, which has 

 a course of about 30 miles, flows through Loch Garry, a narrow lake 

 3 miles long, and receives on its left bank the streams which water 

 Glen Bruar and Glen Tilt, and on its right bank the Feachorie, which 

 waters Glen Erochkie. 



The Braan or Brand, 20 miles long, waters Strath Braan, and serves 

 as au outlet to Lochs Freuchie, Kennard, Skiach, and some others, all 

 small. The Isla, one of the most important feeders of the Tay, belongs 

 chiefly to Forfarshire ; only about 14 miles of its course are upon or 

 within the border of Perthshire. Of its tributaries, the Shee or Ericht, 

 belonging to Perthshire, is nearly 30 miles long, and waters Glen Shee ; 

 it receives the Airdle, 20 miles long, which rises at the foot of Cairn 

 Gower, in the B n y Gloe Mountains, and waters Strath Airdle. Tho 

 Almond rises not far from the south-east shore of Loch Tay, and 

 flows about 21 miles east into the Tay. 



The district of Menteith in the south belongs to the basin of the 

 Forth, and is watered by the Teith, which rises just within Argyle- 

 shire, and flows 4 or 5 miles into Loch Katrine, H winding and pic- 

 turesque sheet of water, 8 miles long from west-north-west to east- 

 southeast, which has become celebrated as the scene of the ' Lady of 

 the Lake.' From the south-east corner of Loch Katrine the Teith 

 flows 9 miles through the Trosachs, and at the foot of Ben Venu it 

 passes through the small lochs Achray and Venacher to Callauder, 

 where it is joined by a stream from Loch Voil and Loch Lulmaig, 

 which lie north and north-east of Loch Katrine, and are each about 

 5 miles long. From Callander the Teith flows south-east 12 miles 

 into the Forth above Stirling ; its whole length is about 34 miles. 

 The Allan, a small feeder of the Forth, waters Strathallau on the 

 north-western and western side of the Ochills; the Devon, anoth r 

 small feeder, waters the valley on the south-eastern side of the same 

 hills; and the Forth flows just within the southern boundary of the 

 county. [FORTH ; ABD, LOCH.] The Falloch is near the south- 

 western border of the county. [DI'MBARTOXSHIRE.] There are several 

 falls in the rivers of Perthshire. Those of the Bruar and the Tummel 

 are very picturesque ; as arc also the falls and rapids of the Devon, 

 called th>! De'il's Mill, the Rumbling Bridge, and the Cauldron Linn. 



The road from Edinburgh by Queensferryand Dunfermliue to Perth 

 enters the county a few miles 8. from Perth. Roads from Dundee, 

 St Andrews, and from Glasgow, by Stirling, converge at Perth. From 

 Perth there is a road by Furfar, Brechin, and Stout-haven to Aberdeen ; 

 another road follows the valley of the Tay by Dunkeld, and afterwards 

 the valleys of the Tummel and the Garry, through the Pass of Killic- 

 crankie, to Fort Augustus, Inverness, and the Northern Highlands; 

 while a third follows the valley uf the Tay and the Dochart into 

 Argyleshire. Three roads lead from Stirling into the Western High- 

 lands through Menteith ; one through Aberfoyle to the banks of Loch 

 Lomond ; another to Glengyle at the head of Loch Cateran ; and 

 another, branching from this, joins the road through the valley of the 

 Tay into Argyleshire. 



The town of Perth communicates with the south by the Scottish 

 Central railway, which joins the Caledonian railway, and thence by 

 the Lnncaster and Carlisle and Midland lines to London. The portion 

 between Perth and Dunblane, 28 miles, belongs to this county. By 

 the Scottish Midland Junction railway and the Dundee and Perth line, 

 both of which run through a portion of the south-eastern corner of 

 the county, Perth has easy communication northward with Aberdeen 

 and the intermediate towns, and eastward with Dundee and the other 

 towns on the sea-coast. 



Gfuloyy, Ac. The north-western and northern parts of the county 

 belong to the great primitive district of the north of Scotland. 

 Granite is found underlying the pent of the extensive waste of 

 Kannoch Moor in the west portion of the county ; but the predomi- 

 nant rock in this district is mica-slate, skirted by clay-slate and chlorite- 

 slate, both of which pass insensibly into mica-slate. Schihallien, Beu 

 Lawers, the hills round Loch Tay, and many of the mountains in the 

 Grampian range, are composed of mica-slate, intermixed with horn- 

 blende slate and quartz-rock, and in some parts with a small portion of 

 crystalline limestone. Chlorite-slate, clay-slate, and others of similar cha- 

 racter are found in the south-western part of the county. Eaat of Loch 

 Lubuaig, true mica-slate occurs and occupies the whole district, as far 

 as Perth. A highly-elevated range of breccia may be traced in various 

 places, separating the primitive district from the secondary district in 

 the south-east ol the county. The district to the south and east of 

 the breccia is occupied by beds of sandstone. Basaltic rocks may be 

 traced in a north-east direction. The Ocbill Hills in the south-east 

 consist chiefly of porphyry and amygdaloid; and the Hill of Kiuuoul, 

 near Perth, is an amygdaloid containing numerous nodules of agate 

 and carnelian. Some portions of the county near the south-east are 

 comprehended in the coal-field of Fifeshire. 



Soil, Climate, Agriculture, tkc. Owing to its mountainous character 

 a large portion of this county is ill adapted for cultivation. There are 

 some extensive tracts of moor, bog, and moss. A large space is occu- 

 pied either by natural woodlands or by plantations. The larch is 

 generally planted in dry soils, and the spruce where there is moisture. 



The most valuable tract of cultivated land in the county is the 



