Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland .. - National Library of Scotland

——;MOFFATMONAR, LOCHThe Annan, rising at an altitude of 1270 feet on thenorthern border, near the meeting-point of Peebles,Lanark, and Dumfries shires, and not far from sourcesof the Tweed and Clyde, flows 8§ miles south-southeastward—for3J miles through the north-western interior,and then along or close to the boundary withKirkpatrick-Juxta. It is fed by several small streams—Birnock Water, Frenchland Burn, etc., and is joined,2 miles below Moffat, by Moffat Water on the E andEvan Water on the W. Moflat AVater, rising at analtitude of 1800 feet in the nortli-eastern corner of theparish, close to the Selkirkshire boundary, flows 12Jmiles south-westward through the parish. It is fed bythe following streams :—on the right bank. Tail Burn,flowing from Loch Skene, and Carrifran, Blackhope,and Craigie Burns ; on the left bank, Bodesbeck, Sailfoot,Selcoth, Crofthead, and Cornal Burns. Evan Water,which rises in Lanarkshire, flows for 3J miles southsouth-eastwardthrough the western wing of Moffat, andthen passes off into Kirkpatrick-Juxta. Garpol Water,too, flows 2J miles eastward on the boundary with Kirkpatrick-Juxta.The only lake in the parish is ' darkLoch Skene' (6 x Ig furl. ; 1700 feet), 11 J miles NNEof Moff'at.Moffat parish is very mountainous. The chief mountainsare—on the Peeblesshire boundarv. Great Hill(1527 feet). Spout Craig (1842), Barry Grain Rig (2012),Habtfbll (2651), Hartfell Rig (2422), Raven Craig(2246), Lochcraig Head (2625); on the Selkirkshireboundary, Andrewhinney Hill (2220), Ben Craig (2046),Bodesbeck Law (2173), Capel Fell (2223), Wind Fell(2180) ; on the boundaries with Eskdalemuir, AVamphray,and Kirkpatrick-Juxta parishes. Loch Fell (2256),Crofthead (2085), Gateshaw Rig (1853) ; on the Lanarkshireboundary, Mosshope Fell (1567), Beld Knowe(1661), Campland Hill (1571), Black Fell (1528). Theparish of Moff'at is thus girdled with mountains ofhigher or lower elevation. The interior of the parish,especially in the N, is, however, almost as mountainousas are the parts bordering on other parishes. Carrifran(2452 feet), Saddle Yoke (2412), Arthur's Seat (2398),Swatte Fell (2388), and White Coomb (2695), may becited as among the loftiest. The Southern Alps, as themountains in jloffat parish and the surrounding districtare sometimes called, differ from the Highlandmountains in being, as a rule, covered with grass up tothe very summit. This naturallj' gives them theappearance of being less rugged and bare than theranges in the north of Scotland. The valleys throughwhich the Annan and Jloffat \aud Evan Waters floware very narrow, especially in their upper parts. Insome places there is barely room for the roads topass along the bottom of the valleys. As might beexpected, they are extremely picturesque. To quoteonce more from the Strange Adventures of a Phaeton,Mr William Black gives a fine description of the vale ofthe Annan above the town. 'That was a pretty driveup through Annandale. As you leave Moff'at the roadand downgradually ascends into the region of the hills ;below you lies a great vaUey, with the river Annanrunning through it, and the town of Moffat itselfgetting smaller in the distance. You catch a glimmerof the blue peaks of Westmoreland lying far away iu thesouth, half hid amid silver haze. The hills around youincrease in size, and you would not recognise the bulkof the great round slopes but for those minute dots thatyou can make out to be sheep, and for an occasionalwasp-Uke creature that you suppose to be a horse. Theevening draws in. The yellow light on the slopes ofgreen becomes warmer. You arrive at a great circularchasm which is called by the country-folks the Devil'sor Marquis of Annandale's Beef-tub—a mighty hollow,the western sides of which are steeped in a softpurple shadow, while the eastern slopes burn yellow inthe sunlight. There is no house, not even a farmhousenear ; and all traces of Moffat and its neighbourhoodhave long been left out of sight. But what is thesolitude of this place to the wild and lofty region youenter, when you reach the summits of the hills ? ' etc.In MoflTat parish the soil in the valleys is mainlyalluvial ; on the lower slopes of the hills it is light, drygravel. A considerable part of the land is in tillagebut the main part is pasture land. There are a fewwoods of some extent— the Craigieburn, Bellcraig, andDumcrieff' woods may he mentioned. In the uplands therocks are Silurian ;greywacke, containing quartz, sandstone,and gypsum are found ; but coal, copper, andlimestone, though sought for, have not been discovered.The parish contains several objects of antiquarianinterest. There is an old British fort, 2J miles I'romMoffat, on the top of Beattock Hill, and two otherforts, not far distant from the town. Cornal Tower,the keep ' ' of the Pocornal estate, is a small ruin.Blacklaw Tower is a good example of a border peelhouse.Portions of the walls remain, and attest to thestrength of the building. In addition to these, theparish also contains other border towers of a likecharacter. Places, noted for their beauty or wildness,are the glen of Bell Craig, in which many rare fernsgrow ; the Basin of Blackshope, the Deil's Beef-tub, or,as it is sometimes called, the Marquis of Aunandale'sBeef-Stand ; the famous waterfall, called the GreyMare's Tail ; Loch Skene, Erickstane, etc.Mansions, noticed separately, are Ckaigiebuen andDuMCBiEFF ; and Mr Hope Johnstone is chief proprietor.Moffat is in the presbytery of Lochmabenand synod of Dumfries ; the living is worth £460.Tlie ancient church of Moffat was transferred in 1174by Robert de Bruce to the bishop of Glasgow, andwas afterwards constituted one of the prebends of thesee. A chapel once existed between the Annan and theEvan, at the place still called Chapel. Valuation (1860)£13,251, (1884) £30,071, 5s. lOd. Pop. (1801) 1610,(1831) 2221, (1861) 2232, (1871) 2543, (1881) 2930, ofwhom 21 were in Lanarkshire. Orel. Sur.,s\i. 16, 1864.SeeW. R. TurnbuU's HiMory of Moffat (Edinb. 1871);Black's GuiAe to Moffeit (4th ed. 1882) ; and Fairfoul'sGtiide to Moffed (Moffat, 1877).Moll. See Mobebattle.MoUance, an estate, with a mansion, in Crossmichaelparish, Kirkcudbrightshire, 2J miles NNE of Castle-Douglas.Mollart. See Navee.Mollinbum, a village in the NE corner of Cadderparish, Lanarkshire, 6 miles NNW of Airdrie.Molmont. See Galston.Monach, a group of islets in North Uist parish,Outer Hebrides, Inverness-shire, 6 miles SSW of thewestern extremityof North Uist island, and 9i WNWof the north-western extremity of Benbecula. Alighthouse on Shillay, the most western islet of thegroup, shows a white light, flashing every ten seconds,and visible all round the horizon at a distance of 18nautical miles. Pop. (1871) 11, (1881) 13.Monadhliath (Gael, 'grey hills'), a c'hain of mountainsin Inverness-shii'e, extending north-eastward betweenGlenmore and Strathspey, and culminating in CamMairg (3087 feet), 16^- miles E by S of Fort Augustus.Heavy, rounded, and barren, its mountains exhibit nograndeur of form. They chiefly consist of granite andquartzite, and rest on an elevated base or plateau ofdesolate heathy moor. Great herds of black cattle feedamongst their glens, and large flocks of sheep arepastured on their slopes ; but their irksome solitudes,their vast and dreary wastes, are abandoned to thegrouse, the ptarmigan, the roe, and the red deer. Ord,Sur., shs. 73, 74, f878-77.Monaeburgh. See Kilsyth.Monaltrie House, a commodious mansion in Glenmuickparish, Aberdeenshire, 1 mile N by E of Ballater.It was formerly called Ballater House, and belongs toMr Farquharson of Inveecauld.Monar, Loch, an alpine lake on the mutual border ofInverness and Ross shires, 25 miles WSW of Beauly.Lying at an altitude of 663 feet above sea-level, itextends 4J miles east-by-northward, has an utmostbreadth of 3J furlongs, and from its foot sends off theriver Faeeee. It occupies a wild hollow, overhung to41