PERTHSHIRE. 



489 



whose summit, at the distance of a mile and a half, 

 can be agreeably ascended by Montague walk, 

 winding through a wood about one half of the dis- 

 tance. The precipice of Kinnoul is more than 600 

 feet perpendicular, and presents one of the most 

 delightful prospects imaginable. The noble river 

 which flows along the base of this stupendous 

 height, the hills and more immediate objects in the 

 foreground, and the grandeur of the mountainous 

 perspective, aftbrd a scene scarcely to be equalled. 

 On the eastern bank of the river stands Scone pa- 

 lace, a magnificent pile of building, surrounded by 

 extensive pleasure-grounds. This celebrated struc- 

 ture lias been re-erected. The chapel, also re- 

 erected, is at a short distance from the palace, and 

 is surrounded with majestic trees, which give it an 

 air of pleasing solemnity. To form a just idea of 

 the beauties with which the vicinity of Perth abounds, 

 they require to be visited. The town of Perth is 

 large and well built ; the two principal streets are 

 long and spacious, and kept remarkably clean, well 

 paved, and lighted with gas. The new town, which 

 was begun in 1798, contains a beautiful circus and 

 a terrace. The town-house, which forms the east- 

 ern termination of the High street, is a spacious 

 structure, as is likewise the guild-hall. The parish 

 church, which is famous as the place where John 

 Knox first preached the Reformation, is a large and 

 ancient edifice, at present separated into three divi- 

 sions, named the east, middle, and west kirks. There 

 is another parish church dedicated to St Paul, a chapel- 

 of-ease, and various meeting-houses belonging to the 

 dissenters. ^ The chief public institutions in this town 

 are a grammar-school, an academy, and a literary 

 and antiquarian society established in 1784, with a 

 valuable library of books and manuscripts. Popu- 

 lation of the town, by the government census of 

 1821, 19,068 ; of 1831, 20,016; of 1841, 19,293. 



PERTHSHIRE, an extensive county of Scotland, 

 distinguished by the extreme beauty and variety of 

 its scenery, is bounded on the west by Argyleshire, 

 on the north by the shires of Aberdeen and Inver- 

 ness, on the east by Forfarshire, on the south-east 

 by the frith of Tay and the counties of Fife and Kin- 

 ross, and on the south by the frith of Forth, and the 

 counties of Clackmannan, Stirling, and Dumbarton. 

 It measures from east to west about seventy-seven 

 miles, and from north to south about sixty-eight, 

 comprehending altogether 5000 square miles. It 

 comprises the districts of Athol, Breadalbane, Mon- 

 teith, Strathern, Stormont, Balquhidder, Gowrie, 

 Rannoch, and Perth Proper ; all of which, previ- 

 ous to the act for abolishing heritable jurisdictions 

 passed in 1748, were stewartries belonging to some 

 of the great proprietors; but these divisions are now 

 regarded as of little importance, and the county is 

 more naturally distinguished into highland and low- 

 land, the former comprehending eighteen entire pa- 

 rishes, and the latter fifty-eight. The line of separa- 

 tion is formed by the Grampian hills, and though 

 there are some considerable heights southward of 

 these mountains, as the Ochils and Sidlaws, yet still 

 they may be included in the lowland district, on ac- 

 count of the language and manners of the inhabi- 

 tants, which are different from those of the High- 

 landers. Some of the loftiest of the Scottish moun- 

 tains are in this county, among which may be speci- 

 fied Benlawers, Benmore, Shihallion, Benledi, 

 Beinglo, Benchonzie. Benvoirlich, and Torleum. 

 Strathern is one of its great valleys, so called 

 from the river Erne, which flows through it from 

 east to west in a direct line, extending about forty 

 miles. The Carse of Gowrie is another fertile 

 vale on the northern border of the river Tay, con- 

 sisting of a level tract of rich land cultivated like a 



garden, and particularly remarkable for the produce 

 of fruit. In many parts of the county are extensive 

 mosses, especially in the district of Monteith, in 

 which is situated the moss of Kincardine. The rivers 

 and lakes are numerous ; among the former, the Tay 

 and the Forth are the most important, and these 

 receive many tributary streams in their course 

 through this county. The most remarkable among 

 the lakes are loch Tay, loch Rannoch, loch Erne, 

 loch Dochart, loch Catherine, and loch Ericht. As 

 these lakes, though hemmed in by vast mountain 

 boundaries, do not present, generally, a desolate 

 aspect, but are varied with woods and verdure, they 

 exhibit, in many parts, scenes of almost magical 

 grandeur and beauty. 



In the lowlands of Perth, agriculture is car- 

 ried to great perfection ; and the rents in the 

 Carse of Gowrie are higher than in any other 

 merely rural district. The highland tracts, on 

 the contrary, are in general fit only for pasturage ; 

 and, of late years, a vast number of cattle are regu- 

 larly exported from this county, in steam-boats, to the 

 London market. In Breadalbane and Monteith 

 there are extensive forests, and within the last fifty 

 years there has been a vast deal of planting in 

 Perthshire ; the late duke of Athol, alone, having 

 planted on his estates to the amount of 24,756,000 

 trees, chiefly larch. The red-deer, or stag, the roe, 

 and a variety of other game, inhabit the forests and 

 other mountain glades of the county. From its 

 numerous lakes and rivers, this county is abundantly 

 supplied with fish. Trout, perch, pike, and eels, are 

 plentiful, and the char is found in some of the lesser 

 alpine lakes about Glengoe. Of the value of the 

 salmon-fisheries, some idea may be formed, when it 

 is stated, that the annual rent of the first eighteen 

 miles of the river Erne is about 10,000, and that 

 of the Tay is perhaps much more, independently of 

 its more remote streams. Linens and cottons of 

 various kinds, together with shoes, of which the seat 

 is at Perth, constitute the principal manufactures ot 

 the county. Among the mineral products are coal, 

 found in the southern parts, near Culross and Kin- 

 cardine ; limestone, of which there are many quar- 

 ries in the highland division, and that which is dug 

 at Monteith approaches the nature of marble, and 

 admits of being finely polished ; slate, procured, 

 especially in the parish of Aberfoyle; granite, in the 

 northern mountains; freestone, which is abundant, 

 and of excellent quality; steatites or soap-rock, 

 found in Monteith ; and clay of a valuable kind for 

 pottery, extensive strata of which have been dis- 

 covered near Culross. The most remarkable mineral 

 waters in the county are those of Pitcaithly. The 

 royal burghs in this county are Perth, the county- 

 town, and Culross ; and there are several towns 

 which were formerly privileged as royal burghs, as 

 Auchterarder, Abernethy, and Dunblane. Among 

 the burghs of barony are Dunkeld, Crieff, Longfor- 

 gan, Cupar of Angus, and Alyth ; and besides these 

 there are sixty other considerable towns and villages, 

 including Doune, Callander, Muthil, Blairgowrie, 

 and Inchture. Among the more considerable of 

 the numerous seats of the nobility and gentry in this 

 county are Blair castle in Athol, and Dunkeld house, 

 belonging to the duke of Athol ; Taymouth, the seat 

 of the marquis of Breadalbane; Duplin castle, be- 

 longing to the earl of Kinnoul; Drummond castle, Och- 

 tertyre, Duneira, Blair Drummond, Methven castle, 

 Castle-Huntley, Castle-Gray, Kinfauns, and Valley- 

 field. In the shire is a large association of landed gen- 

 tlemen for the protection of game, woods, and plan- 

 tations. The county gentlemen also form a hunt, 

 having races at Perth, in addition to which, there is 

 the Strathern coursing club, and the Doune club. Be- 



