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in procuring this neceffary article of life. However, the advantages refulting from the excellent roads, that are nearly finished, will foon be felt by the country at large. Some attempts have been made in this country to difcover coal, but they have all been abandoned without hope of fucceeding. Indeed, from the conftant appearances in the most favourable fituations, there is reafon to conclude, that, if coals are to be found, they muft lie at a very great depth. Without adding to what has been faid of the practicability of a canal, in the Statistical Account of Meigle, it may juft be obferved, that, by leading a canal round the Linn of Campfey, and narrowing the Tay in fome places, that river might be made navigable a great way up. by means of horses, and boats conftructed on purpose, at a finall expence.

Antiquities, &c-There are still visible at Coupar the veftiges of a Roman camp †, laid to have been formed by the ar

my

See VOL. I. No. LIII.

On the center of this camp, MALCOLM IV. founded an ABBEY for Ciftertian Monks, A. D. 1104, and endowed it with large revenues. This houfe was founded by advice of the Abbot of Melrofs, who was of the fame order; and it is faid the Monks were long remarkable for their piety and exemplary lives. From the pavement, and bases of pillars, and fubterraneous paffages that have been discovered, this Abbey appears to have been a houfe of confiderable magnitude. Next to the Scottish Kings, the HAYS of ERROL were the principal benefactors to the Abbey of Coupar. The latter granted it the lands of Lidderpole, feveral acres of arable land on the banks of the Tay, and liberty of fishing on that river. The Monks were allowed free paffage with their cattle over all the lands belonging to the house of Errol. GILBERT HAY, Conkable of Scotland, granted them the patronage of the Church of Errol, and Chapel of Inchmartin, with all their pertinents and rights. In return for these immunities, the house of Errol claimed the privilege of burial in the Abbey. The laft Abbot of Coupar was Do

NALD

my of AGRICOLA in his 7th expedition. It is nearly a regular fquare of 24 acres. Here the half of the Roman army are fuppofed to have encamped, while the other remained at Campmuir, a village near two miles S. W. from this place. There are no veftiges of a Roman way, nor any Druidical circle or cairn in the parifh *. The Beach Hill opposite to Coupar, Stob-crofs oppofite to Balbrogie, and the Witch Know oppofite to Cronan, are evidently raised by art, though tradition is filent refpecting the caufe. On the first of these a Roman urn was found; and it is faid, that juftice used to be adminif tered here, in ancient times, in the open air. The following names of places, in the vicinity of Coupar, are faid to be de

fcriptive

NALD CAMPBELL of the family of ARGYLL. At the Reformation, this man is faid to have divided, among 5 natural fons, all of the parifh that belonged to the Abbey, viz. Balgeirfho, Kethock, Denhead, Cronan, and Arthurftone. Some time before the Reformation, this house began to fall into decay; and, at laft, a number of furious reformers from Perth completed its ruin.

Lately, in digging at the weft end of the church, there were found upwards of a dozen of ftone coffins. Some were formed of one entire ftone; others were made up of two pieces brought together in the middle. The infide imitated the shape of the human body, being wideft at the fhoulders, narrowelt at the neck, and having the place for the head rounded. In fome there were found several skeletons in the natural pofitions, with layers of earth placed between them. The covers of most of thefe coffins confifted of several flat ftones; but no date, or character of any kind, was obferved, whereby a conjecture might have been formed of their age, or the perfons therein depofited. The cover of one was of an entire ftone, at the foot of which there was faintly vitible fome rude kind of ornament, and on the right fide a capital English D was obfervable. One, being mea. fured, was found to be 6 feet long within, 18 inches broad at the fhoulders, 113 inches wide at the feet, and 15 inches deep. One appeared to have been, originally, too narrow, as the fides thereof were widened, feemingly to let down the arms of the corpfe. Several fmall figures, cut out of ftone, and reprefenting warriors, have been alfo dug out from among the rubbish.

fcriptive of fome relation they bore to the Abbey of this place; Cowbyre, Balgeirfbo, Cottward, Cadam, Soutar-houses, Drink-fill, Market-hill, and Balbrogie.

Character, &c.-The inhabitants of this district are sober, frugal, and industrious. They are hospitable and obliging to strangers, and charitable to the poor. In their dealings they are open, unfufpecting, and fincere. Their ftature is of the middle fize, few exceeding 6 feet high; and their general appearance indicates ftrength and vigour. Their hair is generally of a darkish hue, though fome are to be feen with yellow or flaxen locks. In the article of drefs, expence and finery are much more ftudied than formerly. Not above 40 years ago, the broad blue bonnet, with a coat of home manufacture, was univerfally worn by the men. The tartan plaid, applied clofely over a head drefs of linen, the women. At prefent, few fervant lads church without their coats of English cloth, hats on their heads, and watches in their pockets. At the period just referred to, a watch, an eight day clock, or a tea kettle, were fcarcely to be met with. Ar prefent, there are few houses without one or other of these articles; perhaps one half of the families in the parish are poffeffed of all of them.

was in use among are to be seen at

NUM

NUMBER II.

PARISH OF KETTINS.

(COUNTY OF FORFAR-SYNOD OF ANGUS AND MEARNS. -PRESBYTERY OF MEIGLE.)

By Mr JOHN RITCHIE, Student in Divinity at Markinch.

Extent, Situation, and Roads.

HE length of the parish of KETTINS, from E. to W.

TH

is 4 miles; the breadth, from S. to N. is 3. The village of Kettins is distant from Perth about 12 miles E. by N. and about 14 N. W. from Dundee. The church is t mile S. E. of Coupar. The turnpike road, from the latter to Dundee, paffes through the parish. It is not yet finished. A road extends to Perth along the foot of the Sidla hills, but is not frequented.

Gentlemens Seats, Surface, &c.-Lintrofe, the feat of MUNGO MURRAY, Efq; was formerly called Todderance, and be longed to HALIBURTON, Efq; whofe grand-father, Lord TODDERANCE, was a Senator of the College of Juftice, and a nephew of the house of Pitcur. Lintrofe is a mile weftward of the church, and is environed by fertile fields and thriving plantations. Haliburton House, a modern manfion, upwards of half a mile S. E. of Kettins, formerly the ordinary refidence of the family of that name, is now the

property

property of Lord Aboyne*. It stands in a plain, and is surrounded by stately plantations. A detached part of the parish, called Bandirran, lies about 6 miles S. W. and contains a gentleman's feat. The greatest part of the parish is level, and inclofed with edges of thorn, or fenced with stone dykes. The fouth part gradually rises to the fummit of the Sidla hills, and is partly covered with heath and pas

ture.

Villages, Rivulets, and Mills.-Kettins has 7 villages belonging to it, and is itself the largeft. The village of that name, where the church stands, is pleasantly situated on a rivulet, which defcends from the Sidla hills, and paffing through Coupar, lofes itfelf in the Ifla, near 5 miles W. of the latter town, after having turned 5 mills in its courfe. The number of rivulets within the parifh is 2, and they ferve 10 mills.

Soil. The foil is various. A great part of the low parish, the higher grounds chiefly, and the hill ground, have a light thin foil, and are partly covered with heath and pasture. In many places a ftrong red clay or mortar prevails, and in fome it is wet and fpungy. The greater part of the parish, however, is tolerably fertile. finall tenants, who, befides farming, follow fome trades, chiefly that of weaving coarfe linen.

Much of this diftrict is let to

Agriculture, Produce, Cattle, &c.-The fame manner of cropping

The family of HALIBURTON were very active in bringing about the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, and in the laft century had an extenfive property in this country. The Caftle of PITCUR, a mile fouth of the church, and now in ruins, gave title to the ancient and honourable family of HALIBUR TON, the chief of that name.

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