|
PREFACE
IN the History of Culross and
Tulliallan the author endeavoured to present a monograph of two Scottish
parishes occupying a somewhat secluded situation on the northern shore of
the Firth of Forth. He also sought to exhibit a picture of the domestic life
of a bygone day, as elucidated from the kirk-session records of the two
parishes, and the minutes of town council of the ancient burgh of Culross.
The present undertaking may be characterised as having to a considerable
extent a similar object in view, though the illustration of the theme by
extracts from the municipal and ecclesiastical archives has not been
attempted. A much wider field, however, is included, and at the same time a
minute and careful description has been furnished as far as possible of
every locality and event of interest belonging to the district under notice.
It is a region which, though neither inaccessible nor remote, is still
comparatively unknown to, and unvisited by, the majority of Scottish
tourists. Yet it is connected with some of the most important events in
Scottish history, and as regards natural beauty, it will in many places vie
in richness with the finest specimens of English rural scenery.
Whilst the work in question
aims rather at a picturesque and historical delineation of that portion of
the upper shores of the Forth lying between Stirling Bridge and Aberdour,
than at the formal and business-like character of a guide-book, it is
nevertheless hoped that in the latter capacity it may not be found wanting
in attraction or devoid of practical utility. The distances between the
different places have all been set down with special care, as ascertained
both by personal investigation and a careful comparison with the maps of the
Ordnance Survey. The line and direction also of the varous pub1ic roads, as
well as the principal inns in the different towns and villages, have all
been indicated. The author has trodden himself almost every foot of the
district, with the most of which he has been familiar from childhood, and he
has, moreover, quite recently made a pilgrimage through and investigated the
particular localities with great care and minuteness. He would thus fain
hope that the completed work, the outcome in great measure of these
wanderings, may prove interesting and useful both to travellers and general
readers.
Of late years locomotion by
means of bicycles and tricycles has come greatly into vogue, and one of the
results has been that the old coach-roads, long deserted, have again been
largely utilised. For travellers on such vehicles it is also hoped that this
work may be found to contain some useful information and directions both as
to the line of route and the objects of interest by the way.
Rosehill, Torryburn, May
1888.
CONTENTS
Introductory
General view of the district—Its early history and inhabitants.
ALONG THE GREAT NORTH ROAD
Chapter I - North Queensferry
and Inverkeithing
The Forth Bridge and its vicinity—Island of Inchgarvie— North Queensferry
and its peninsula—Rosyth Castle— The town of Inverkeithing—Its history and
objects of interest.
Chapter II. - From
Inverkeithing to Aberdour
Victory of Cromwell's army near Inverkeithing—Road to Aberdour—The Moray
family and estate—Inchcolm, Donibristle, and Dalgety—Village of Aberdour—Otterstone.
Chapter III. - From
Inverkeithing to Crossgates, Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly
The Great North Road—House and grounds of Fordel— Village of Crossgates—The
Hill of Beath—Great conventicle held there—Mess Murran ami Lochgelly,
Chapter IV. - From
Cowdenbeath to Blairadam and Cleish
The drained site of Loch Ore—Its ancient island castle— Ancient Roman
station—Interest attaching to Loch Ore in connection with Sir Walter
Scott—Approach to Blairadam—Its classic associations—Benarty Hill and
Paranwell—Ballingry church—First view of Loch Leven— Village and barony of
Cleish—History of its ancient lords, the Colvilles of Ochiltree—Ruined
castle of Dow hill —Gairney Bridge and its associations—The first Secession
Synod—Michael Bruce,
Chapter V. - Kinross and Loch
Leven
Town of Kinross and its environs—Kinross House—Loch Leven and its
history—The Castle Island and its memorials of Queen Mary— The Isle of St
Serf and its priory,
Chapter VI. - Round Loch
Leven
The loch and its surrounding scencry—Levenmouth and the sluices—Scotlandwell
and the Bishop Hill—Portmeak church and village of Kinnesswood—Michael Bruce
and his poetry—Hamlets of Easter and Wester Balgedie— The old church of
Orwell,
Chapter VII. - From Kinross
and Glen Farg
Further progress on Great North Road— Village of Milnathort— Parish of
Orwell—Castle of Burleigh and its proprietors—History of the Balfour
family—Road from Milnathort to Damhead—Church of Arngask—Glen Farg and the
Bein Bin—Old road from Damhead to Perth—The Wicks of Baiglie—Sir Walter
Scott's account of distant view of Perth from that neighbourhood—Old
drove-road to the Kirk of Dron— The Rocking-stone— Mill and hamlet of Dron,
BETWEEN DUNFERMLINE AND ALLOA
Chapter I - The City of
Dunfermline
Leading features of the "city"—Its ancient history—Malcolm Canmore and Queen
Margaret—The monastery and its church— Dunfermline as a. royal residence—
Remains of the Abbey and Palace—Relations of Edward I. with Dunfermline—King
Robert Bruce interred there —Its first Protestant minister, David
Ferguson—The Earls of Dunfermline—Visits of Charles I. and II.— Events
during insurrection of 1715—Introduction of the damask manufacture —
Dunfermline the cradle of the Secession movement—History of the Erskine
family— Churches and public buildings.
Chapter II. - From
Dunfermline to Torryburn
Old and new roads from Dunfermline to the west— Urquhart Cut—Berrylaw Top—
Villages of Crossford and Cairney-hill—Conscience Bridge—Village of
Torryburn — The Colville family and the estate of Crombie—Torrylurn witches,
Chapter III. - From Torryburn
to Culross and Kincardine
Village of Newmills— Newmill Bridge and its vicinity— Western limit of
Fife—Detached district of Perthshire— Approach to Culross—Valleyfield House
and the Preston family—Upper road to Kincardine—Tuliallan woods— Bordie and
the Standard Stone—Town of Culross—Its early history in connection -with St
Serf and St Mungo —Sir George Bruce and his descendants, the Earls of
Kincardine—Ancient monastery and church of Culross —Mansion of Culross
Abbey—The "Colonels Close" and Sir George Bruce's Moat—Lower road to
Kincardine—Dunimarle and Blair Castle—Blair and Longannet quarries and their
traditions—Phenomena of the "lakies"—Town of Kincardine-on-Forth.
Chapter IV. - From Kincardine
to Clackmanan and Alloa
The old castle and estate of Tulliallan— The Blackadder family—Kilbagie and
its distillery—Kennet village— Town of Clackmannan—Clackmannan Tower and the
Bruce family—Approach to Alloa—Alloa and the Earls of Mar.
Chapter V. - Another Way from
Dunfermline to Alloa
Road from Dunfermline to Carnock—Baldridge—Luscar— Village and church of
Carnock— Their associations with Scottish ecclesiastical history—John Row
and Thomas Gillespie—Sasramtntal occasions at Carnock—Roadfrom Carnock to
Clackmannan and Alloa.
Chapter VI. - Other
Excursions from Dunfermline
Road from Dunfermline to Rumbling Bridge—Village and parish of Saline—Road
from Dunfermline to Queensferry —St Leonards Hospital—Pitreavie and the
Wardlaw family—Broomhall and Pitliver.
THE VALE OF THE DEVON
Chapter I - From Logie Church
to Alva and Tillicoultry
The Ochil Hills—Road along their base from Bridge of Allan —Logie chureh and
Blair Logie—Ascent of Dunmyat— Menstrie and its glen—Alva and its
silver-mines—Ascent of Ben Clench—Tillicoultry and its glen,
Chapter II. - From
Tillicoultry to Dollar and Yetts of Muckhart
The Colville family as Lords of Tillicoultry—Harvieston and its associations
with Burns—Town of Dollar—Castle Campbell and its surroundings—Road from
Dollar to the Yetts of Muckhart.
Chapter III. - Glen Devon,
Crook of Devon and Rumbling Bridge
General account of the Devon and its vale—Glen Devon and Glen Eagles—Parish
of Fossoway—The Crook of Devon and Titllicbale—The Devil's Mill, Rumbling
Bridge, and Cauldron Linn,
Chapter IV. - Aldie Castle
and South Fossoway
Read from Powmill to Cleish—AIdie Castle and its traditions —Ancient
connection of the Athole family with Fossoway —Blairingone— The "Monk's
Grave".
Chapter V. - From the
Cauldron Linn to the Forth
The Vicar's Bridge—Lower course of the Devon—Sauchie Town—Tullibody—Its
church and other objects of interest—Farm of the "King of the Muirs,"
CONCLUSION.
Cambuskenneth, the Abbey
Craig, and the Bridge of Allan,
Google Map for the Area
View Larger Map
|
