LINLITHGOWSHIRE. 



land. It is fcparated from EdinVurgliniire on the eaft and 

 ♦• iouih-eall by the rivulets Briecii and Aniow, except at Mid- 

 calder, where the latter county intrudes fomewhat more 

 than a mile into Liiihthgowdiire. On tlie well it is divided 

 from Stirlingdiirc, firll by the Linn-burn, and after its 

 jundion witli the Avon, by that river, till it dilcharges it- 

 felf into the Torth. A part of I.anarklhire foinis the 

 boundary on the Ibuth-well, while the waters of the Forth 

 wa(h its coaft for the extent of fourteen miles on the north. 

 The form of this county is that of an irregular triangle. 

 Its medium breadth from north to fouth is little more than 

 fcvcn miles, and its medium length about fixtecn. It con- 

 tains nearly 112 fquare miles, or 57,008 Scottlfli acres. The 

 parilhcs amount to 13 in number, compriftng, according to 

 the parliamentary ref.-.rns of 1800, a population of 17,844 

 pcrfons. 



The afpeft of this county, except towards the fouth, 

 vhere it confifts chiefly of moor-mol's afid morafs, is that 

 •of a level and well cultivated diftrift, divcrfifi-'d by a variety 

 of fmall hills : thcfe are moft numerous in the middle and 

 wcfl.ern parts of the county. Beginning at Bowdcn, the' 

 more remarkable of them form a range wliich runs through 

 the centre of the county in an oblique diredion from north- 

 weft to fouth-call. In the northern dillrift they are lefs ele- 

 vated than towards the i:,idd'c and wellern parts, and are 

 more varioully dillribntcd. In general they are both ufeful 

 and ornamental, nearly the whole of them affording abundant 

 paftiire ; many of tliem being cbthed with woods ; and 

 .not a few of them containing "aluable minerals. 



Soj/fl/^/Cy/mn/f.—Tliis county exhibits a great diverfity 

 of foils, as well as variablenefs of climate.' Almoil every 

 ivind of clayey foil is to be found in different parts of it. 

 About 7000 acres are compofed of light gravel and fnnd, 

 :and nearly the fame extent of that fpecies which is lifually 

 trailed loam. The higli rocky land extends to about 10,000 

 nacres, and the rtolTes to fomewhat better than loco. Such 

 parts of this county astonler on the Forth, have a tempe- 

 rate and an excellent climate. The upper or fouth-weftern 

 part, however, is not fo much favoured. Its elevated iitua- 

 tioD with the proximity of the moors and moffes, Either in 

 this county or the neighbouring one of Lanark, render it 

 ileak and damp during the greater part of the year. 



The lands of this county are poffeiTed by between thirty 

 and forty landholders whofe eftiites vary from 200/. to 60C0/. 

 per annum, befides a few of inferior rental. About a third 

 part of the county confifls of wood and pafture lands, or 

 is laid down with artificial grafTes. The caufe of this 

 great proportion of patlure grafs feems to be the vicinity of 

 Edinburgh. The agriculture of this county is fimilar to 

 that of the other Lothians. The upper portions are the 

 pooreil, but even in the highcit moors of that dittrid, art 

 -and indidlry are making rapid changes and improvements. 

 The grub-worm is perhaps more dellruclive in this than in 

 moft other counties. Tliis infeft geyerally begins its depre- 

 dattons in May or June, efpeciallj if the lands have been 

 formerly in grafs, or over-run with mofs,' and the crops are 

 ftunted, whxh is apt to be the cafe, from the dry eall winds 

 ■which prevail during thefe months. Not above one-lixth of 

 the vvhol-- county remains uninclofed. Great attention is pa;«l 

 to the forming of plantations, particularly in the neighbour- 

 hood of gentlem.n's feats, which tend m no fmall degree to 

 enrich the fcenery of this cultivated diftritl. The fliores of 

 the Forth are peculiarly ornamented both by nature and 

 art. Barnhougle p^rk, the feat of the earl of Rofeberry, 

 is laid out v.ith plantations, formed in the very bell; tafte, and 

 in a manner ivcU calculated to flielter the foil, and exhibit 

 tlic aipcd of the country around to great advantage. On 



the coaft, Linlithgowfliire rifes fudJenly into a ridge adornej 

 by culture and well wooded. From liencc wellward by the 

 ancient feat of the Dundas family, and by Hopetoun-houle, 

 a fcries of views are to be met with not inferior to any in the 

 kingdom. The fcenery in the immediate neighbonrliood of 

 Queensferry is peculiarly fine, the Forth here forming a nar- 

 row tlrait, which expands fuddeitly on both fides into an ex- 

 tenfive bay, with richly on* nented banks. At various 

 points of the coall the views are different, the water af- 

 fuming the appearance of a lake, a noble river or broad fea, 

 according to the fituation from which it is feen. In one fpot, 

 a httle dillance from the fliore. Hands Hopetoun-houfe, one 

 of the moll fuperb and magnificent feats in this kingdom. 

 It is fituated on a noble and extenfive lawn, flretching to the 

 diftance of more than a mile from the front of the lioufe, 

 and foniiing a foit of terrace along the banks of the Forth, 

 which winds round it, and prefeuts the view of a wide ex-. 

 teniive lake, interfperfed with iflaiids, and enlivened by a va- 

 riety of {hipping. Behind the lioufe the ground is more 

 various, breaking into hills, vallies, and promontories, 

 which (hoot into the Forth. To a confiderable dillance the 

 grounds fcem well wooded and enclofed ; the lioule itfelf is 

 flanked with a noble plantation, which ferves to flielter it 

 from the northern blalls. At the extremities of this vail 

 and magnificent iceuery a variety of mountains arife of dif- 

 ferent form^ and at different diftances. In Ihort, every thing 

 the eye can contemplate in the whole Icene, or its appendages, 

 is gre.it and noble. The fituation of the houie, and its ar- 

 chitedtiire, are alfo equally objects of admiration. It was 

 planned and begun by the celebrated architect fir William 

 Bruce, and finiflted by Mr. Adams. Some of the apart- 

 ments are grand and fpacious, but they are in general of 

 moderate fize, which is perhaps the only defeft of its con- 

 trivance. It abounds with paintings. 



With the exception of free-ftone and coals, there are n» 

 minerals of any importance in the county. In the Balli- 

 gate-hills there ivas formerly a valuable lead mine, but 

 being now fought in vain is fuppofed to be cxhauiled. A 

 free-llone quarry, in the neighbourhood of Queensferry, 

 is one of the finell in the kingdom. More than three acres 

 have been already excavated. This flone is exported in 

 great quantity, both as materials for building, and m the 

 fhape of grinding.flones. Coal abounds in different pans 

 of the county ; but is chiefly wrought in the neighbonrliood 

 of Borrowflownefs. Here is one of the moil extraordinary 

 coal mines in the world : it extends under the Forth half 

 way acrofs. Formerly there was a building, or moat, about 

 half a mile from the fhore, where there was an entry down 

 into the pit formed under the fea. This building being in 

 the fliapa of a quay, vefl'els were brought along fide or" it, 

 and loaded with the coals raifed trom the pit and depolittd 

 lierc. This mine was extremely profitable, but at lall an 

 unexampled high tide overwhelmed the whole, before the 

 colliers could effeft their efcape. This did not dift;ourage 

 the dai'ing adventurers. A new mine was opened, and con- 

 tinues to be wrought at this day to a great extent. For 

 the purpofc of rendering the coal in the upper parts of this 

 county more extenfively ufeful, it has been propofed to cut 

 a canal from Glafgow to Edinburgh, which might like- 

 wife bring to the eailward, at a cheap rate, a portion of 

 the treafures contained in the hills of Lanarklhire. To 

 thefe ufeful productions \)f the mineral defcription in this 

 county, may be added iron-ftone, whin-fione, grey granite, 

 and fliell marie. On the fouth fide of Dundas-hill is a ba- 

 fsltic rock, 250 yards iu length, and 60 or 70 feet high. 

 The maffes are in an irregular ftate, formed like pilfers, 

 feparatcd by channels ; but not a few of them exhibit regu- 

 lar 



