I N V 



covered with wcocl. The loch from this placf appears Kkc 

 a large bay, round which are ranged plantations, covering 

 the ground to a vaft extent, from the lake to the fummit 

 of the highell mountains. Tlie caftle, rearing its towers 

 aSove the woods, has a very jiiflurefijue cffeCl ; to the 

 fouth-ealt of which, clofc to'th.- bay, appears the town of 

 Ir.verary in its luiifonn tine of handfonie buildings. On, the 

 flight is a fine view of Dunicoich., a llecp hill, 700 feet in 

 height, covered with wood alnioft to the fummit. Inveravy 

 Houfe, though by no means an old ftrudure, is built in the 

 form n[ a calUe, upon the plan of the manfions of fome of 

 the Geriiiiin nobility. The hall, which is very fpacious, 

 is hung round with arms and other ornaments adapted to the 

 ftylc of a Highland caille. In the eleftion of a reprefen- 

 tative to parliament, Invtniry is clafTcd with Ayr, Irvine, 

 Ro- hfav, and Campbeltown.' Sinclair's Statillical Account 

 of Scotland, vol. v, 



INVERlvEITlIING, a royal borough and fea-port 

 town in Fifelhire, Scotland, is fituatcd on an eminence at the 

 head of the bay which bears its name on the north coaft of 

 the Frith of Forth. It confifts of one principal llreet of 

 confiderable length, with a fmaller one branching from the 

 middle of the former, and a few lanes. The houfes have an 

 ancient appearance, and almoft every one has a piece of gar- 

 den ground annexed to it. The return to parliament in the 

 year i8oi, ftated the number of houfes to be 3 jo ; of inha- 

 bitants 222S. The borough received its firit charter from 

 king William, furnamed the Lion ; fmcc whofe time feveral 

 kings of Scotland have granted other charters, all which 

 were ratified and confirmed by king James \T. in a writ 

 bearing date May 4th 1598. The civil government is 

 veiled in a provoll, two bailiff's, a dean of guild, and a 

 treafurer, all of whom are annually elected by the counfellors 

 and deacons of trades. The latter, five in number, are alfo 

 elecled yearly : but the counfellors hold their office during 

 life and refidence ; thefe mull not be fewer than twenty, but 

 are not limited to any number. The town-houfe, a neat 

 ftruAure, built in 1770, contains a prifon, and rooms for 

 the town-clerk, and forpubhc meetings and entertainments. 

 The bay of Inverkcithing is large and fafe, and affords an- 

 chorage to veffels of any burthen in all winds. Here fliips 

 of war fro!n the Leith roads feek (helter from tlie winter 

 ftorms, a]id merchant fnips from the Mediterranean ufed to 

 perform quarantine. The harbour itfelf is a fmall bay ; at 

 the mouth of which, on the well fide, lies a large Dutch 

 built vcflel as a lazaretto ; where, inftead of detaining (hips 

 from, foreign parts, the particular goods fuppofed to be in- 

 fecfed are immediately received, aired under the infpeftion 

 of a proper officer, and dehvered within a limited time to the 

 owners. At the head of the bay is the quay, the place for 

 landing and receiving goods ; the depth of water at fpring- 

 tides is tliirteen and fometimes fifteen feet. The chief em- 

 ployment of the veifels arifes from the exportation of coal 

 and fait. The coal is brought to the fhore by a waggon 

 r*)ad three miles in length; and 25,000 tons are anraially 

 Ihipped on an average : the dem.and is greater than can be 

 anfwercd; aad vefiTeis, to the number of forty or fifty, are 

 fometimes obliged to wait feveral weeks for their cargo. 

 The quantity of fait annually made is from twelve to fifteen 

 thoufand bufiiels. Inverkcithing was a royal refidence in the 

 time of king David I. ; velHges of his houfe were vifiblc 

 within the !a(l fifty years. This borough joins with thofe 

 of Culrofs, Queensferr^', Stirhng, and Dumfcrlinc, in fend- 

 ing a member to parliament. 



On the top of Lethen-hill, near the town, are feveral up- 

 right rtones, placed in a circular form, faid to have been a 

 sjruidica! temple : and in the northern part of the pari(h is a 



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flone ten feet high, called the Standing (lone, on which are 

 baffo relievos of feveral rude figures of men and horfes. 

 Within the parifli is alfo the calUe of Rofyth, a ruinous 

 edifice, built upon a rock, and at high water entirely fur- 

 rounded by the fea ; it was one of the feats of the Stuart 

 family, and is now the property of the carl of Hopetoun. 

 Tlie celebrated admiral Greig, commander in chief of the 

 Ruffian navy, was a native of tiiis parilh. Sinclair's Sta- 

 tillical Account of Scotland, vol. x. 



INVERNESS, a royal borough, and the county town 

 of Invernefsfhire, Scotland, is fituated on the fliore of 

 Moray-Frith, and is divided into tv.o unequal parts by the 

 river Nefs, over which is a Hone bridge of feven arches. It 

 is a borough of great antiquity ; and according to the bell 

 authority obtained its firil charter from king Malcolm Can- 

 more. In ancient times the townfmen maintained many 

 defperate conflicls with the neighbouring rebellious chief- 

 tains and their clans. Traces of this fta-te of hoftility are 

 fliU extant, on the well fide, where irruptions were com- 

 monly made. At a fmall diftance from the town, is a place 

 called Pallfaire, that is, " the Watch-Town ;'' alfo a hill, 

 ■n-dvned Tomniifaiie, " the Watcli-Hill;" and a large ftonc, 

 called ClachimjVire, " the Watch-Stone." The lail charter 

 in favour of the borough was granted by king James VI. 

 From that period to the revolution, the inhabitants were 

 an indullrious and thriving people ; carried on a confider- 

 able commerce in corn and Ikins ; and brought the malt- 

 ing trade to great extent ; a confiderable part of the town 

 confining of kilns and granaries. From the revolution to 

 the year 1746, the borough fuffered a gradual decline; fo 

 that, at that period, and for feveral years after, the town 

 appeared little better than the ruins of its former Hate. In 

 the rebellion in 1 74J, which commenced among the chiefs 

 in the weltern part of this county, Inverneis became the 

 centre of all the military operations, and other works carried 

 on by government. Hence it began to revive, and com- 

 merce was gradually reftored. The principal manufactures 

 now are thofe of hemp and flax; The firft has been 

 eftabliflied about forty years ; and at prefenc employs above 

 a thoufand perfons in fpinning, dreffing, and weaving. The 

 raw material is imported from the Baltic, and manufactured 

 into fail-cloth and facking ; which are fent to various parts 

 of Britain, and the Eaft and Weil Indies. A white thread 

 manufaftory has been eftablilhed nearly twenty years ; and 

 employs in its various branches of heckling, fpinning, twifl- 

 ing, bleaching, and dyeing, not lefs than ten tlioufand indi- 

 viduals in the town and furrounding country. The com- 

 pany have, in this and the neighbouring countries, feveral 

 agents for the management of the fpinning departments. 

 The flax is alfo chiefly imported from the Baltic, and the 

 greatcd part of tlie thread fent to London, whence it is 

 difperfed to different parts of the world. The cotton manu- 

 facture has been introduced here with fuccefs. Invernefs 

 pofi'eGes peculiar advantages for manufaclures ; the raw ma- 

 terial being eaiily imported, and the manufailured goods 

 readily exported. Dearncfs of fuel is the grcateft obllacle, 

 coal being imported from England. The fituation of the 

 town is highly favourable. Ships of four or five hundred 

 tons can ride at anchor within a mile of it ; and at fpring 

 tides vciTels of half that burthen can come up to the quay 

 clofe to the town. The principal part of the vefTels belong- 

 ing to iHveriiefs, is employed in conveying to London the 

 pri)duce of the manufadture, alfo the filli caught in the river 

 Nefs, and the iliins of otters, rabbits, hares, foxes, goats, 

 rocs, &c. In return, materials are brought back both for 

 ufe and luxury ; particularly hardware and habcrdafliery ; 

 with V, liich the traders of this town fupply the cxtenfive fur- 

 R r 2 rounding 



