ROSS, 
long, and from 5 to 12 broad, between Loch Maree and 
Loch Torridon, on the west coast. Applecross, between 
’ Loch Torridon and Loch Carron, has a triangular form of 
about 12 miles on every side. It is bleak, dreary, and moun¬ 
tainous, with a small proportion of arable land and pasture. 
Loch Carron, traversed by the river Carron, is a pleasant 
highland country, 20 miles from south-west to north-east, 
and 4 or 5 in breadth. Loch Alsh, between Loch Carron 
and Loch Luing, is a district about 18 miles long, and 4 
broad, abounding in good pastures. Kintail is a mountain¬ 
ous district, 16 miles long, and from 5 to 8 broad, between 
Loch Dutch'and Loch Luing, opposite nearly to the east 
corner of Skye, and almost inaccessible by land, Glenshiel 
is a recluse glen, about 16 miles long, and from 2 to 6 broad, 
on the military road from Fort Augustus to Bernera, in Glen- 
elg. The proprietors of Ross-shire have of late been atten¬ 
tive to lh j improvement of the country, by forming good 
roads, building bridges over every rivulet, and covering 
barren moors with plantations of fir, larch, oak, elm, and 
beech; and large tracks of waste ground have been brought 
under cultivation with the greatest success. It is said that 
the crops on many lands equal some of the finest of England; 
that a spirit of improvement is fast arising amongst the 
peasantry, and that in a short time the language, dress, and 
idle habits of the highlanders will be entirely superseded. 
At present, a few of the Mackenzies, Rosses, Frazers, Mac- 
kays, Macraes, and Munroes, speak Gaelic and wear the 
highland garb. They count the Earl of Seaforth their head, 
as being the lineal descendant of Mackenzie, Lord Seaforth, 
■who was attainted in 1719, for his concern in the rebellion. 
Ross-shire sends one member to parliament, and gives the 
Irish title of earl to the family of Gore. The minerals 
hitherto discovered are free-stone and lime-stone, often of the 
nature of marble and marie. Iron-stone is also abundant; 
and there is a tradition that it was smelted some hundred 
years ago on the banks of Loch Eu. A rich vein of silver 
and lead ore was lately discovered in the parish of Alness, on 
the estate of Munro and Lealdie. Attempts have been made 
for the discovery of coal, but the only stratum found is not 
more than 4 inches thick. This county contains three royal 
burghs, viz. Dingwall, Tain, and Fortrose. It is divided 
into 30 parochial districts, including the island of Lewis, 
which contain 60,853 inhabitants. The valued rent of Ross- 
shire, exclusive of Cromarty, is £75,043 ; and in 1811, the 
real land rent was estimated at £91,089 sterling: it is now 
■ With Cromarty about £80,000. 
Ross-shire contains a considerable number of remains of 
antiquity, which are not unworthy of notice. These consist 
chiefly of Druidical temples, and Pictish or Danish forts, 
called Duns, and of the castles of the ancient chieftains. In • 
the parish of Kiltearn, in the eastern district, is a Druidical 
temple, consisting of a row of twelve large stones, so dis¬ 
posed as to form two conjoined ovals. The area of each oval 
is 13 feet long and 10 feet broad in the centre. At the 
western extremity of one of them is a stone, which rises 8 
feet above the surface of the ground; but the other stones do 
not exceed 6 feet in length. In the middle of the western 
oval is a flat stone, which was probably the altar; and at 
the distance of three paces from the eastern oval is a circular 
hollow, said to have been a well of considerable depth, but 
it is now filled up. These ovals occupy the summit of an 
eminence, round which are drawn three concentric circular 
ditches; and at the-distance of half a mile lo the westward 
is a cairn, 30 paces in diameter, containing in the centre a 
grave of 3f feet long, 18 inches broad, and 14 deep, lined 
by four flat stones, and covered by another. Cairns are 
also numerous on the adjoining hill. In the parish of Nigg, 
on the same coast, stands a large obelisk, on one side of which 
are cut the figures of different animals, and on the other a 
cross. The former is supposed to be a much older work 
than the latter; and the tradition is, that the stone was 
erected in memory of a shipwreck, by which three sons of 
one of the Danish monarchs are said to .have lost their lives, 
and their bodies are buried under the obelisk. The rock oppo¬ 
site, where the vessel struck, is from this circumstance still 
Vol. XXII. Nc. 1510. 
389 
called the King’s-Sons. Another obelisk, similar to the 
above, formerly stood in Nigg church-yard, but the base of 
it alone remains. Near Dunskeath, on the ledge of a rock 
over-hanging the Moray frith, are the remains of a castle, 
built in 1179, by William, surnamed the Lion, king of 
Scotland. In the parish of Kincardine is Craigchenican, 
•where the gallant marquis of Montrose fought his last battle. 
He swam to Kyle, and lay some time concealed in Assint; 
but being discovered and apprehended he was sent prisoner 
to Inverness. The ground where the battle took v place 
received its present name from the event of that menforable 
day. Near the church, in the same parish, is an alley walled 
in, and terminating in a large semicircle, appropriated to the 
military exercise and discipline, distinguished by the name 
of Weapou-shawing; and in the cemetery is a stone sculp¬ 
tured with an imperial crown, and a man on horseback, iii 
the act of darting a lance. Tradition reports it to be the 
upper part of a stone coffin, in which the remains of a prince 
of Loellin, who died of his wounds in the neighbourhood, 
were deposited. In the same neighbourhood are also several 
Druidical circles, and likewise some of the round buildings 
which were formerly mentioned under the denomination of 
Picts-houses. Near Avoch, the foundations still remain of a 
large old castle, or fortalice. To this ruin tradition gives the 
name of Douglas castle. It is about 350 feet long and 160 
feet broad, divided into numerous apartments, which appear 
to have been constructed of coarse red quarry-stone and 
lime, and was defended on one side by a deep fosse, and on 
another by bastions. Throughout every part of the eastern 
district are abundance of places where battles with the Danes 
and Norwegians, or between rival clans, are said to have 
been fought. Numbers of cairns point out the spots where 
the ashes of the dead have been deposited, though concerning 
most of them tradition is silent. In the parish of Edder- 
toun, however, on a plain to the west of the church, tradi¬ 
tion says a great battle was fought against the Danes, one of 
whose princes, who fell in action, lies buried in the centre of 
a large circular barrow in the immediate vicinity. In the 
parish of Fearn are several Druidical temples; but the most 
interesting monuments of antiquity here are the abbey and 
castle of Lochlin. The abbey-church was long used for 
divine service, but is now in a state of ruin. The castle 
occupies the. summit of a very lofty eminence, and is one of 
the most conspicuous objects in the country. It is built in 
the form of two squares, joined together at the corners. 
Another very ancient castle was situated at Cadboll, whence 
it derived its name. Few remains of it now exist, except the 
vaults under ground; but it deserves notice on account of a 
singular tradition concerning it, which is fully credited by 
the vulgar, viz. that though it was inhabited for many cen¬ 
turies, no person ever died in it; in short that it possessed a 
magical charm against death, though not against disease, or 
the evils attendant on extreme old age. Hence many of the 
inhabitants, it is said, when they became weary of life, 
requested to be carried out of the castle, that they might ob¬ 
tain relief. The castle of Craighouse, in the parish of Kirk- 
Michael, stands dose to the shore, inclosed on the land side 
by a ditch and high wall. All the apartments of that portion 
of the mansion now most entire are vaulted with stone. This 
castle was long the property of the family of Williamson, 
who emigrated to Germany ; it afterwards became the occa¬ 
sional residence of the bishops of Ross. . In this vicinity is a 
great number of ancient encampments, likewise various 
tumuli and cairns. In Killernan parish are two ancient 
structures, Killcoy and Redcastle, of considerable strength. 
The latter was anciently of some importance. It was annexed 
to the crown in 1455, and was constituted a borough of 
barony, and a free-port, with the right of holding weekly 
markets, and levying toll and anchorage dues. Rory Mac¬ 
kenzie, the proprietor of Redcastle in 1646, having'joined 
the rebellious standard of the gallant marquis of Montrose, 
was taken prisoner near Balveny, in Morayshire, and suffered 
the death of a traitor. During his absence the castle was 
garrisoned by his sons and dependants, but was soon after 
stormed and taken by a party of royalists, who put the gar- 
5 G rison 
