united parish came by degrees to be called the parish of Buchanan. Inchcailloch fignifies "the island of the Old "Women;" fo called, because in former times there was a nunnery there. The parish of Buchanan has been reckoned 18 computed miles long, and 6 broad. The cultivated part of the fouth end lies east and weft between the moor of Buchanan and the river Endric. A long tract lies along the north fide of Lochlomond to the upper end of the parish, near which there are two glens croffing the parish from east to west, Glendow and Glenarclet, both of which are inhabited.

Rivers. The Forth has its fource in the upper end of this parish. From feveral fprings, and from rains in these high grounds frequently falling, there is collected a small burn or rivulet, which runs down Glenguoi into Glendow, and by the addition of feveral large burns in that glen it is confiderably increased: At the lower end of the glen it is called the water of Dow, and below that the water of Duchray, (as it paffes by the place of Duchray), and not till it paffes by the church of Aberfoil is it called the Forth. This river takes its courfe through Monteith by Stirling. The river Endric, which is the boundary of this parish in the fouth, has its fource in the weft end of Dundaff, or Fintry hills, and runs through the parishes of Fintry, Killcairn, and Drumen, till it reaches the parish of Buchanan, where it flows in beautiful curves through the fertile haughs (or flats) of Buchanan and Kilmaronock, and falls at last into Lochlomond. This river in the winter feason, when the loch is full, covers a great part of the lower grounds on both fides of the parishes of Buchanan and Kilmarnock, and when the water lies dead and goes off gradually it enriches the ground; but the floods have often proved hurtful

in

in the spring after the feed was fown, and oftener in harvest, both before the corns were cut down and afterward, carry-` ing fome away and greatly damaging the reft. In harvest 1782, in a flood, the haughs of Endric, in this parish, were covered with water, and immediately after, there came fnow and intense froft, fo that in fome places people walked on the ice above the ftanding corn.

Caves. In Craigroftan there are feveral caves in which lawless people used to skulk and hide themselves; those are known by the names of the most remarkable perfons who ufed to frequent them. There is one commonly known by the name of King Robert's cave. What gave it that name was, that King Robert Bruce, after his defeat at Dalrec, in the west end of Strathfillan, paffed that day, with very few with him, down the ftrath, croffed the water of Falloch, and came down the north fide of Lochlomond to Craigroftan. Night coming on, when he arrived at this cave, he slept there; next day he came to the laird of Buchanan, who conducted him to the Earl of Lenox, by whom he was preserved for fome time, till he got to a place of fafety. The report is, that the night in which King Robert flept in the cave, he was furrounded with goats that used to lie there in the night, and that when he arofe in the morning, and found himself so comfortable, he was fo well pleased with the goats as his bed-fellows, that, when he came to be king, he made a law that all goats should be grass-mail (or grass-rent) free.

Hills.-The Grampian hills run through this parish from S. W. to N. E. and divide the lower from the higher grounds. There is one pretty high hill in the midst of thefe called the Conic hill: But the highest hill, in this

part

part of the country, is in the upper end of the parish, called Benlomond, which is about 1080 yards above fea level. The ascent to the top of this hill directly weft is fteep, but from the fouth it is more gradual, till near the top, and then it is fomewhat steeper. From the top of this hill there is, in a clear day, a very extenfive view to the east as far as Edinburgh, to the fouth as far as Ayr, with the frith of Clyde, and the islands in it, Arran, Bute, &c. as alfo to the weft fea and the islands of Iflay, Jura, &c.

Locks or Lakes.-Though Lochlomond cannot be faid to be in any one parish, yet as the parish of Buchanan extends 14 or 15 miles up the fide of the loch, and feveral of the inhabited islands make a part of it, the greatest share of the loch may be faid to fall to the parish of Buchanan. This beautiful lake, lying from S. to N. has always been reckoned 24 computed or 36 measured miles in length. The breadth towards the fouth end is from 8 to 10 miles; towards the north end it is not near fo broad. The north end is confiderably deeper than towards the fouth end; the depth at the foot of Benlomond is about 120 fathoms; in the fouth end it is about 20, and in many places not above 14. All above Rowerdennan the loch never freezes, however intense the froft be; but what is fouth of Rowerdennen frezes, fo that men, and even horses with their loads, have travelled upon the ice, when covered with fnow. As there are feveral rivers which pour a great quantity of water into the loch, and as there is but one way by which it empties itself into the fea, the loch, in rainy feasons, rifes to a confiderable height, fo that from it lowest ebb it has been known to rife upwards of 5 feet. In this loch they reckon about 30 iflands, but there are only 13 or 14 that can be faid to be of any value, the reft being very small,

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and fome of them but the points of bare rocks. The most valuable islands are divided between the families of Montrofe and Lufs; 4 of them, belonging to the Duke of Montrose, are in the parish of Buchanan; 3 of these, namely, Inchailloch, already mentioned, Inchfael, which fignifies "the Long Island," and Incheruin," the Round Island," have a tenant in each of them with arable and pasture ground; but by far the largest and the best of all the islands, and which likewise belongs to the family of Montrofe, is Inchmurin; in this island the Duke of Montrose keeps his deer, and a forefter to take care of them. This island, it is faid, belongs to no parish, but the people in it get church privileges, when they apply for them, at Buchanan. In the fouth end of this island, the ancient family of Lenox had a castle, but it is now in ruins. There are alfo three small lakes or lochs within the parish, namely, Dulochan, Locharclet and Lochamnancairn. In Dulochan there are fome pike, in Locharclet there are pike and large trout, in Lochlomond there are falmon-trout, eel, perch, flounder, pike, and a fish peculiar to itself, called pollac. This fish is of the fize of a large herring, and at times is caught in great quantities on this fide of the loch with draught nets; they are beft in the months of July and Auguft. Salmon was more plentiful last year on this fide of the loch than for many years paft, owing to the stakes and nets upon the mouth of the Leven to prevent the fish from coming up, being pulled out; and yet salmon fold last year dearer than before, owing to the carriers attending more regularly than formerly, and carrying them off to Glasgow, &c. Salmon, which used to be fold at 2 d. and 3 d. the pound, fells now at 5 d. and 6 d.

Woods.

Woods.-Near the house of Buchanan there is an old oak wood; great additions have been made to which within these 40 years past. The prefent Duke of Montrofe is planting a great deal of different kinds of trees in the bottom of Buchanan, which in process of time, if properly taken care of, must turn out greatly to the advantage of the family, as well as to the beauty of the place. In the island of Inchcailloch there is a large oak wood. hills to the north end of the parish, loch, is one continued wood, confifting of fome ashes, alders, hazels, but mostly oaks. Woods are of late become very valuable on the fides of Lochlomond, as the timber and bark are eafily tranfported by water to Glafgow, PortGlafgow and Greenock, and fometimes are carried to Ireland and the welt of England.

From the Grampian along the fide of the

Climate and Difeafes.-This country in general is rather wet, not however unhealthy. Fevèrs are rare, and generally brought from other places, especially from the towns, and from the public works that are going on at no great distance from hence, as bleaching, printing cloth, and spinning cotton; the children or connections of people in this parish turning fickly in thofe places, are brought home, and fometimes the neighbours are infected by them. In that way alfo the fmall-pox was brought into this parish in winter laft. The difeafe fpreading faft, about 30 of the young people in the neighbourhood where it was, took it; 10 of whom died. All the parents whofe children had not taken it, (two or three excepted), as if it were with one confent, inoculated their children at one and the fame time; fo that there are just now under inoculation in this parish 128. Several of whom I have feen; many of them appeared to be pretty eafy; others had a good VOL. IX.

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deal