of families attending the Established Church amounts to 330, and the number of persons of all ages attached to the Established Church may amount to nearly 1500. The number of families connected with the Dissenting meeting-house in this parish, and two other Dissenting meeting-houses in a neighbouring parish, is about 111; and the number of persons of all ages attached to them, nearly 600. The average number of communicants at the Established Church is about 600.

Education. There are five schools in this parish,—of which three are parochial and two unendowed. Latin and Greek are taught at the parochial schools. The joint salaries of the parochial schoolmasters amount to L. 51, 6s. 8d. The first and second may receive each L. 20 a-year of fees; and the third L. 14. This sum is unequally divided amongst the teachers;-the first having L. 25, 13s. 4d.; the second, L. 17, 2s. 24d., and the third, L. 8, 11s. 1d. As the heritors pay the maximum salary none of the teachers can claim a dwelling-house.

Libraries.-There are two subscription libraries in the village of Minnyhive, and a congregational one belonging to the Dissenters.

Poor. The yearly amount of collections at the Established Church is L. 45; but besides this, the heritors have for a number of years past raised a voluntary contribution of L. 50 per annum. These sums, together with the interest of L. 300 of mortified money, are found requisite for the support of the poor, who are very numerous. There are upwards of 30 paupers, who receive from 1s. 6d. to 2s. per week.

Fairs, &c.-There are three fairs held yearly at Minnyhive, in the months of March, July, and October, for the purpose of hiring servants for the half year, and for the hay and harvest seasons. A new market for lambs was established this year. Fro the quantity of stock exhibited, and the concourse of people who attended, it promises to succeed.

Inns. There are five inns in this parish, and several alehouses, but their effects upon the morals of the people have not been considered hurtful.

coal.

Fuel. The fuel used in this parish consists mostly of peat and The former is distant about four miles, and the latter sixteen miles; the expense of peat is about 5s. per cart load, and of coal about 10s.

MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS.

The most striking alterations which have taken place, in this

parish, since the former Statistical Account was written, consist principally in the improvement of the houses belonging to the proprietors, the superior accommodation afforded to the tenants,-the improved mode of cultivation,-and the excellent state of the roads. The villages of Minnyhive and Dunreggan have also been greatly enlarged, and the houses which have been built are of a superior description. The distance from coal and water carriage will for ever prevent the possibility of this parish becoming a manufacturing district of any importance.

October 1835.

PARISH OF DUNSCORE.

PRESBYTERY OF DUMFRIES, SYNOD OF DUMFRIES.

THE REV. ROBERT BRYDEN, MINISTER.

I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY. Extent and Boundaries.-THE parish is 12 miles in length, but of a very irregular breadth, varying from 3 miles to less than half a mile. It is narrowest near the centre, being straitly confined betwixt the parishes of Glencairn on the north, and Holywood on the south; and has been said, with some propriety, to resemble the shape of a sand-glass. It lies in a direction nearly east and west. The mean breadth is about 2 miles, and consequently the whole surface extends to about 24 square miles, or perhaps 23. It is bounded, on the west, by the loch and water of Urr and parish of Kirkpatrick Durham; on the south, by the parish of Holywood; on the east, by the river Nith, dividing it from Kirkmahoe; and on the north, by the parishes of Glencairn and Keir.

Topographical Appearances. The parish of Dunscore consists chiefly of three valleys or glens with their enclosing hills, all diverging from the village of Cottack, in the various directions of west, east, and north. This village itself, which contains the parish church, stands upon elevated ground, and the church is seen at a considerable distance in all directions. The country is more open on the east, being beautified by the river Nith and its fertile holms. The most extensive of the glens is that towards the west, called Glen

eslin, which is 4 miles long, and becomes very rocky and barren in the upper extremity. The hills enclosing this glen rise to a considerable height, and that called "Bogrie-hill," which is the most elevated in the whole neighbourhood, is at least 1200 feet above the level of the Solway Frith, from which it is about fifteen miles distant. Meteorology-Climate, &c.-There is a considerable difference of temperature betwixt the eastern or lower, and the western or upper district of the parish. In the former, harvest is earlier by a week or ten days, and the cold in winter is not nearly so intense, which may be accounted for by the land being not only less elevated, but better sheltered by intervening hills, from exposure to the prevailing westerly winds. The climate is very variable, from alternations both of heat and moisture; but no register of the state of the atmosphere has been kept in the district. The weather, however, is very seldom foggy. The most prevailing wind is from the west, which is frequently attended with rain. Sea fowl are often seen previous to a severe storm, and are regarded as a sure indication of it. In the winter of 1823, during a heavy fall of snow, a flock of Norwegian swans were seen in this parish, and one of them was caught in a drain on the estate of Allanton.

The most common diseases of this district are affections of the lungs, stomach, and liver. Rheumatism is also a very general complaint among the poor and the aged, but fevers and agues, which prevailed forty years ago, are now very rare. Inflammations, however, are frequent.

Hydrography.-The river Nith passes along the eastern extremity of the parish for two miles. The Cairn, which is tributary to the Nith, crosses the parish near its centre, running in a direction south by west. This is a faster flowing stream than the Nith, and after heavy rains, or the dissolving of upland snows, comes down with great rapidity, affecting its lowest fords in the course of a few hours. Dalgoner Bridge erected over the Cairn is 80 feet in span, which is about the greatest breadth of the river. The Cairn rises among the hills of Balmaclellan or Dalry,* in the stewartry of Kirkcudbright, and runs through the parishes of Glencairn, Dunscore, Holywood, and Irongray, in which last it is joined by another stream called the Clouden, which, although much smaller, communicates its name to the united waters of the Cairn and itself, from the point of junction, till they fall into the Nith, a few miles below.

The name Cairn is only applied, from the village of Minnyhive downwards, to the river which is formed at that village, by the junction of the three separate streams of Dalquhat, Craigdarroch, and Castlefairn,-Dalquhat having its source in Glencairn, Craigdarroch in Carsephairn, and Castlefairn in Balmaclellan or Dalry.

There is a reason assigned, however, for the name of the larger stream having merged into that of the smaller. For according to tradition, the Cairn once pursued a different course, and did not mix its waters with the Clouden at all. Instead of passing through the parishes of Holywood and Irongray, it is supposed to have passed through Dunscore in an easterly direction down the glen of the Lag, and to have fallen into the Nith several miles higher up than the Clouden. And it is a presumption in favour of this tradition, that the Clouden is still called the "Auld water" of Clouden.

Mineralogy. The upper district of this parish consists of transition rocks, among which, in the higher grounds towards the western boundary, many large boulders, and occasionally blocks of granite, occur. The secondary strata, composed of red sandstone, commence in the lower division of the parish, about two miles from the eastern boundary, and continue to traverse the county in the direction of Dumfries, passing into Cumberland.

A considerable variety of soil exists.

In the lower district, a light gravel or sand prevails; but there is a small extent of what is called holm land, consisting of a rich alluvial soil, along the banks of the Nith, as well as in the centre of the parish, along the banks of the Cairn. In the higher district, the prevailing character is a species of loam on a till bottom, and abounding with small stones. Peat-moss also occurs in different places, and in considerable tracts. There are six or seven mosses in the parish, from which great quantities of fuel are obtained. Those in the upper district are the largest, and afford the hardest and best peat. But of late years a considerable portion of this kind of land has been drained and improved. Generally speaking, the soil is dry, although some parcels of wet spongy land occur, and some good meadows, besides the peatmosses just mentioned. Except on the holms and more fertile valleys, the soil is by no means deep. On part of the higher grounds, it is extremely thin and poor, and several of the hills are entirely covered with heath.

Zoology. Foxes are sometimes found in this parish, and otters have been recently hunted in the rivers. * Of domestic animals, all the common kinds are more or less reared. But the prevailing breed of cattle has hitherto been the Galloway or polled kind,—

About two years ago, a young otter was partially tamed and domesticated by an inhabitant of the parish. It frequently went a fishing with its owner, on which occasions it always retained the first fish for itself, and faithfully delivered up the rest. It was sometimes chained to a kennel, and sometimes went at large. If its master neglected to take it to the river to fish for any length of time, it went of its own accord, and after being satisfied returned to its owner. It has now passed into other hands, and its subsequent history is unknown.

but on several farms the Ayrshire has been recently introduced, and the prevailing breed of sheep is the heath or black-faced variety. Swine are reared in great numbers, chiefly of the smaller breeds, being fed to the weight of about nine to fifteen stones. Many of the farmers also rear their own horses, or breed young horses for sale. Salmon occur in the Nith, and sometimes also, although rarely, in the Cairn. They come up for the purpose of spawning in the month of September, and return to the sea in March. The Cairn abounds in excellent trout.

II. CIVIL HISTORY.

Antiquities.-On Springfield-hill, which is a very considerable eminence in the lower end of the parish, there are obvious traces of a military station, which seems hitherto to have escaped notice. It is of an oblong form, evidently adapted to the nature of the ground, and covers about two acres of land. It is now concealed by a plantation of larch, enclosed with a dry stone fence, but may be easily traced out. There is a double mound in front, forming two crescents, with a ditch between them. The outer crescent is smaller than the inner, which not only expands into a wider curve, but is considerably more elevated. The interior of the whole, forming the top of the hill, is flat; but the same regularity cannot be traced so distinctly in the rear as in front, although there is a steep descent all round. There is only one entrance apparent, which is on the east side, and just at the point of junction of the outer with the inner mound. This has evidently been a military station, and probably a Roman one ;-for it is situated very near the line of an old Roman road which passed through the parish of Kirkmahoe, on the opposite side of the Nith, and it commands a complete view of the country in the direction of Tinwald and of the hill of Burnswark, which is distinctly seen in the distance. It is admirably calculated, therefore, by natural situation, to have answered the purpose of a military station, and to have maintained a communication, by signal, through the Barhill of Tinwald, with the famous Roman at Burnswark. It is also reported, that a battle-axe was once found in this hill, but of this we have not been able to ascertain the certainty. Ancient Families.-The chief families in this parish, in ancient times, were the Griersons of Lag, of Chapel, and of Dalgoner, the Kirks or Kirkhoes of Bogrie and Sundaywell;* and the Kirkpatricks

camp

There is a very general tradition that some centuries ago, three brothers named Kirk, despatched one Culton, a notorious robber, who infested Gleneslin, which was then surrounded by a forest, and that, as a reward for this action, the reigning monarch granted to each of the brothers, respectively, the properties of Sundaywell, Bogrie, and Chapel. The spot where Culton was slain is still pointed out, and cal