EDINBURGHSHIRE. 



EDINBTTRGHSHIRE. 



870 



and the localities through which they pass offer many spots of great 

 interest to the tourist. The Water of Leith takes its rise in the 

 parish of Mid Calder, on the south-western border of the county. 

 It receives several unimportant streams from the western sides of the 

 Pentlands, and after a winding north-eastern course, in which it 

 traverses the county for about 20 miles, passing by the north-west 

 and north of Edinburgh, it falls into the Frith of Forth through the 

 harbour of Leith. The Almond Water separates Mid-Lothian from 

 Linlithgowshire, except as regards the parish of Mid Calder, the 

 extreme oouth-western part of Edinburghshire, which is separated 

 from the adjoining county by the Breich Water, a tributary of the 

 Almond. The Almond receives in its comparatively straight north- 

 eastern course the Harwood, Muirhouseton, and Linhouse Waters 

 from the hills on the south-west of the shire ; and, near the Corstor- 

 phine Hills, the small stream called the Gogar Burn. It falls into the 

 Frith of Forth at the village of Cramond after a course (including 

 that of its tributary the Breich) of about 20 miles. The Union Canal 

 enters Edinburghshire about 9 miles west of the capital. A small 

 lake at the base of Arthur's Seat, called Duddingston Loch, is a 

 favourite winter resort of the skaters of Edinburgh. 



Mid-Lothian possesses many excellent roads and bridges, and ample 

 canal and railway communications. The chief highways are the 

 high-road to London by the eastern coast, through Berwick, and that 

 through Dalkeith by Lauderdale, across the Tweed at Coldstream ; 

 the hif;h-road to Queensferry and the north-east of Scotland; and 

 the high-roads to Glasgow through Linlithgow, Bathgate, and Mid 

 Calder. There are also excellent roads to Lanark, Dumfries, Peebles, 

 Selkirk; and other turnpike-roads to the whole south and south- 

 west of Scotland. The parish roads are also kept in good order. 

 The railways in the county are, the North British, extending along 

 the east coast to Berwick ; the Edinburgh and Hawick, a branch of 

 the North British, to the south of Scotland ; the Caledonian to the 

 south-west and to Carlisle ; the Glasgow and the Granton lines. 



Geology, Mineralogy. Mid-Lothian rests on a series of strata, 

 connected with the coal formation, which in this district furms 

 altogether a deposit, the depth of which is calculated to be in some 

 places 3000 feet. The depth and character of the strata vary much 

 however in different parts of the county. In the hilly south-eastern 

 districts, the rocks are of grauwacke and clay-slate ; quartz, spar, and 

 steatite being found only in small quantities. The Moorfoot Hills 

 are of grauwacke, no granite or other primitive rocks being found 

 there. The rock of the Pentlands again is chiefly porphyry, of 

 which the prevalent kinds are the clay-stone and felspar porphyries. 

 Extending northward from the Moorfoot range and the Pentlands, 

 in the wide valley of the Esk between these ranges, is the extensive 

 mineral field of Mid-Lothian, which, when it arrives at the northern 

 part of the county, rests on the old red-sandstone of the Craigmillar 

 Hills, that again resting on the secondary rocks of Salisbury Crag. 

 Coal, limestone, and sandstone, are extensively wrought throughout 

 the whole of this district, the limestone chiefly in the neighbourhood 

 of Dalkeith; though dislocations are of such frequent occurrence 

 that the strata are thrown up or down sometimes from 5 to 40 

 fathoms. On the shore of the Frith, between Portobello and Mussel- 

 burgh, the seams of shale, sandstone, and coal, can be easily traced. 

 The stratum here exposed stretches along for a considerable distance, 

 and lies almost vertically; yet it is said to shew but little of the 

 depth of this extensive mineral field, in which not less than 25 

 earns of coal, varying in thickness from 2 to 25 feet, are found. The 

 sandttone beds differ much in character. Freestone is wrought in 

 the neighbourhood of Portobello, and both limestone and ironstone 

 have been found in Duddingston parish, close to the shore of the Frith. 



In the parish of West Calder, which with Mid Calder forms the 

 south-western extremity of the county, coal, ironstone, and limestone 

 have been wrought to some extent, though the coal is inferior, and 

 the supply is not abundant. Ironstone is not largely produced, 

 though both the Wilsontown and Shotts iron companies derive part 

 of their supplies from this locality. Sandstone, whiustone, and lime- 

 stone have all been wrought in Mid Calder pansh. 



Judging from this, and from the appearance of the strata in the 

 different rivulets which intersect this part of the county, sandstone, 

 shale, and limestone may be specified as the rocks which form the 

 basis of the district. Near East Calder village, the limestone is 40 

 feet thick ; it rests on sandstone, and is surmounted by beds of 

 hale, and thin beds of clay-ironstone alternately. The limestone 

 consists almost entirely of shells ; the shale shews innumerable 

 impressions of plants, and the freestone affords numerous specimens 

 of ferns. In the strata exposed in the Almond Water, sandstone, 

 limestone, shale, clay, ironstone, and coal are all found, the seams 

 being occasionally traversed by trap. The clay-ironstone is found 

 only in these beds, and parts of the shale are exclusively composed 

 of vegetable remains. Around Edinburgh, shale, sandstone, and 

 limestone are still the prevailing strata, the limestone having been 

 seemingly the earliest deposit of all. Through this stratum which 

 is about 30 feet thick, and is the lowest seam of the great mineral 

 field of the county, the igneous trap rocks, on which Edinburgh is 

 built, and those also which lie to the west and south of the city, 

 seem to have been forced up. These rocks consist of greenstones, 

 porphyries basalts, and some others. The Castle Rock is composed 



of basalt and greenstone, and, on the south and east sides of it, the 

 trap may be seen in curious contrast with the rent and shattered 

 sandstone. At one portion of the Calton Hill, trap and greenstone 

 are interposed with the limestone and shale, so as to induce the 

 supposition that there have been two eruptions of igneous rocks, the 

 second having had the effect of raising all the strata together. This 

 supposition is borne out by the appearance of the hills in the neigh- 

 bourhood. The Calton Hill is composed of claystone and porphyry, 

 with greenstone occasionally intervening. The same greenstone forms 

 the rock on which the New Town of Edinburgh is built, and resembles 

 closely that of Salisbury Crag. The base of Salisbury Crag is sand- 

 stone and shale, above which is a thick seam of greenstone. The 

 centre and upper part of Arthur's Seat ia basalt, columns of which 

 form what are called Samson's Ribs : the precipice on the southern 

 side shewing the different strata (sandstone and limestone chiefly), 

 through which the trap has been forced. In the trap of the Corator- 

 phine Hills, the greenstone again appears, the same greenstone forming 

 the Cramond Island. Along the shore, trap of different kinds appears, 

 interposed with the sandstone, while immense masses of greenstone 

 are found in the sand and gravel on the side of the Frith. Free- 

 stone is wrought in the extensive quarries of Craigleith, and also at 

 Granton. 



Climate, Soil, and Agriculture. The eastern coast of Scotland 

 generally is visited during the months of March, April, and May, 

 with a cold and dry easterly or north-easterly wind ; and the climate 

 of Mid-Lothian resembles that of the adjoining coast. During the 

 rest of the year the prevailing winds are from the west and south- 

 west. These blow principally in August and September, and bring 

 with them a great deal of rain. About 24 inches of rain fall annually. 

 The temperature varies much in the different parts of the county. 

 In the hilly south-eastern district the climate is cold, but healthy. 

 This district is chiefly devoted to grazing ; the black-faced sheep and 

 the cattle reared here being much esteemed. The climate westward 

 of this, and nearer the Pentlands, is cold and damp, owing partly to 

 the proximity of extensive moorlands. In the rich and fertile valley 

 watered by the North and South Esks and their tributaries, the 

 climate necessarily varies, being milder in the low grounds than in the 

 more elevated and exposed districts. The soil in the valley is light, 

 the subsoil porous, and the ground being very undulating, the land 

 enjoys a natural drainage. In the higher districts the soil is a thin 

 clay, with a retentive subsoil, but draining converts this rapidly into 

 good arable land. Towards the Frith of Forth the lower district of * 

 the county is in general warmer than farther inland, reaping being 

 usually commenced a fortnight earlier. Along the west side of the 

 Pentlands the climate is, though cold, very salubrious. The soil 

 throughout the western district is of good quality. It is in the 

 highest state of cultivation, and grows all kinds of crops. 



One-third nearly of the land in the county is devoted to pasturage. 

 The county is generally well wooded, watered, and inclosed. The 

 agricultural farms are of considerable size, the farm-houses are sub- 

 stantial and commodious, and the implements of husbandry of the 

 best description. In the neighbourhood of Edinburgh are many 

 nurseries and market gardens, the arable lands beyond these being 

 principally devoted to the culture of potatoes, turnips, and other 

 vegetables. The land where these vegetables are raised is divided 

 into small holdings, and is amply supplied with the manure of the 

 capital. In the more landward parts of the county, wheat, oats, and 

 barley, beans or peaa, potatoes, turnips, and clover, are the crops 

 usually raised, the succession varying in different districts, according 

 to the different rotations, which are sometimes a four, sometimes a 

 five years' shift, according to the nature of the soil. The cattle 

 throughout the county are of the best breeds. For all kinds of 

 agricultural produce ready markets are found in the city of Edinburgh, 

 jn other places in the county, or in the immediate neighbourhood. 



Divisions, Towns, <kc. Mid Lothian is divided into 33 parishes, and 

 is within the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. According to. the 

 ' Census of Religious Worship and Education,' taken in 1851, there were 

 230 places of worship in the county, of which 66 belonged to the 

 Established Church, 49 to the Free Church, 40 to the United Presby- 

 terian Church, 16 to the Episcopal Church, 14 to the Independents, 

 9 to Baptists, and 36 to minor bodies. The number of sittings 

 in 205 of the 230 places of worship is stated at 115,514. There 

 were in the county 399 day schools, of which 232 were public schools, 

 with 29,258 scholars; and 167 private schools, with 8016 scholars. 

 The Sabbath schools in the county for which returns were received 

 were 321, of which 80 were in connection with the Free Church, 

 69 with the Established Church, 60 with the United Presbyterian 

 Church, and 112 with other bodies. The total number of scholars 

 returned was 27,196. 



The chief town of the county is EDIUBURGH, and the towns next in 

 importance to it are LEITII, the seaport of the capital, and DALKEITH, 

 where is held an important market for grain. These will be found 

 described under their respective titles : of the other towns we give a 

 short notice here. 



Mwsdbm-gh, about 5A miles E. from Edinburgh, is a small sea-port, 

 an ancient burgh of regality, and since the 1 & 2 Will. IV. c. 65 a 

 parliamentary burgh, uniting with Leith and Portobello in the 

 return of one member to Parliament : the population of the burgh in 



