Manners and Morals.-The people are generally fober. There are no villages in the parish, nor even what deferves the name of a clachan at the church. There are only 3 licensed public houfes: It is an advantage to the morals of the people that there are fo few. The people are hofpitable, and very charitably difpofed towards the poor. They live in peace and harmony among themfelves, and are very ready to oblige and affift one another when need requires. I cannot now recollect one law procefs between the inhabi tants before the fheriff or commiffary, fince I came to the parish; any difference among them used to be made up at the barony court, and there have been very few differences even before the barony court for many years paft. There has no murder been committed time immemorial; no perfons have been committed to prifon, or banished for any crime, except one family who came to refide here, finding it inconvenient to live any where elfe, and one individual who came from the fouth, when purfued in his own country, took fhelter here for a few days, and afterwards fuffered at Edinburgh.

Advantages. One great convenience which this parish has, is, that almost every farm has mofs in the moors belonging to itself or contiguous to it; fo that in moderately dry fummers the people may have plenty of good peats. But after all, confidering the time that is fpent in cutting the peats, fetting and keeping them to the drought, and carrying them home, which is a great part of the fummer's work, befides the danger of lofing them all, or most of them in rainy seasons, I leave it to my neighbours to judge whether it would not be better to caft fewer peats, and ferve themfelves partly in coals, especially fince they have now got a turnpike road to the coals. One great advan

tage

1

years,

tage which the lower end of this parish has received of late is a new line of road from Drumen to Rowerdennan, which (the ferry intervening) joins the great road from Dunbarton to Inverary on the fouth fide of Lochlomond. There is always a ferry-boat kept by the family of Montrofe at Rowerdennan, and another by the family of Arrochar on the oppofite fide. The ferrying place on this fide has, of late years, been made pretty convenient for paffengers; a quay has been built both for the fafety of the boats, and for the conveniency of horfes getting into and out of the boats; as alfo a convenient public houfe. The line of road from Drumen to Rowerdennan was begun and formed by the statute work; bridges were built on the burns, partly by the vacant ftipend, partly by the bridge-money got from the county, and partly by the Duke's money' This road while carried on by the ftatute work, went on very flowly; though begun above 30 years ago, it could not be faid to be finished till last year; but now that it is finished, it must greatly attract the attention of travellers, being for feveral miles up the fide of the loch, highly beautiful and picturesque; interfperfed with woods and beautiful fields of grafs and arable grounds; commanding at the fame time an extenfive and delightful profpect of Lochlomond, and of the principal iflands in it, as also of the many fine feats around the loch.

Mifcellaneous Obfervations.—In the lower end of the parish is the houfe of Buchanan, the prefent feat of the family of Montrofe. This place for near 70 years belonged to Buchanan of that ilk, and was the feat of that ancient family, but has been now for fome time in the poffeffion of the family of Montrofe.-At Inverfnaid in the upper end of the parish, there was, about 80 years ago, a fort

built near mid-way between Lochlomond and Lochcatrine; the defign of which was to guard the pass between the two lochs, and prevent the cattle and goods of the people in the lower parts of the country being ftolen and carried away northward, as also to be a check upon the country around it; the people thereabout being as ready as any others to take away their neighbour's goods. This fort was burnt in 1745, but was afterward repaired. There used to be a company of men stationed there some time ago; but, for several years paft, it has been fupplied with a few men from the caftle of Dunbarton.

The people on the fouth fide of the Grampian Hills, speak nothing but English; on the north fide, fuch as have been born and brought up there, speak the English and Gaelic. Of late years, feveral tenants from the south fide, have removed to farms on the north fide; these speak English only. All the names of places within the parish are Gaelic as, Coldrach, The Back of the Oaks;' Blarvokie, or Plain of the He-Goat;' Stronmacnair, The 'Point of the Hill, belonging to the Son of the Heir;' Benlomond, The bare green Hill.'

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Vol. IX.

D

NUM

NUMBER III.

PARISH OF GOLSPY,

(COUNTY OF SUTHERLAND, SYNOD OF SUTHERLAND AND CAITHNESS, PRESBYTERY OF DORNOCH.)

By the Rev. Mr WILLIAM KEITH.

Name, Situation, Surface, Soil, &c.

ULMALIE was the ancient name of this parish. Golfpy is probably derived from goul Spaut ;-goul fignifying, a figure resembling a branch of a tree,' and Spaut

a fpeat.' Probably the burn of Golfpy ran in that form, and had often a fpeat or flood; which is ftill the cafe, altho❞ the form is much changed by reafon of frequent inundations. The place perhaps got its name from the figure of the burn, and the circumftance of its fpeats.-This parish extends from Strathfteven, the N. E. end, to the Little Ferry, S. W. along the sea, nearly in a straight line; and meafures about 8 miles. From the boat of the Little Ferry, it runs along that arm of the sea from S. E. to N. W. for 3 miles, and thus forms nearly a right angle at the west end.

By

It is flat and from a The foil in

By the most direct road from one end to another, it is 10 measured miles in length, and from fea to hill in the broadest part, about a mile and an half, and about a mile in the narroweft part, exclufive of a good deal of barren hilly ground. There is a bank which runs along the burn of Golfpy due weft from the sea for 5 miles, where there are feveral inhabitants. for 10 miles in length from the coaft, mile to a mile and a half in breadth. general light, but of a good quality and fertile. In fome parts it is deep, and mixed with clay, and very fertile. The S. W. end is fandy; the N. E. end ftony. No part is high, or having high rocks. The hills on the fide facing the sea are covered with short black heath, and fomewhat rocky. On the oppofite fide the heath is long, with a mixture of grafs, and the ground for moft part moffy. The air is dry and healthy. There are haddocks, whitings, cod, fmall rock red cod, cuddies, skate, fine turbot and flounders, taken with lines. On the Little Ferry branch, muffels, cockles, are gathered in plenty; flounders, trouts of various kinds, and a few salmon are taken with nets. All those are in season as in other places: The country around purchase all. Seals and porpoises are on the coaft; fometimes fmall whales are feen near it; and there are inftances of fome being driven on fhore. About 5 or 6 years ago, haddocks were a penny the score; now they are a penny each. There is a good deal both of tangle and bell-weed on the coast, and used for manuring the lands to great advantage. About 30 ton of kelp is made every third year. The tides run from east to west, and from west to eaft. There is a pretty strong current in the Little Ferry, but not remarkable.