The New Statistical Account of Scotland: Sutherland, Caithness, Orkney, Shetland, General indexW. Blackwood and Sons, 1845 - Scotland |
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abundance acres agriculture amount ancient annually appearance arable Assynt attended average number Birsay boats bolls breadth breed Bressay built burgh Caithness called Castle cattle chapel church coast considerable crops cultivated district Dornoch Earl Earl of Caithness Earl of Sutherland east Eday erected extent families farms feet Fetlar fish fisheries former formerly Frith Gaelic glebe Golspie ground Halkirk harbour Helmsdale heritors hills houses improvement inhabitants island Keiss kelp Kirk Kirkwall labour land late Latheron Lerwick Loch manse miles minister moss nearly North Yell oats Orkney parish of Wick parochial pasture peat poor population potatoes PRESBYTERY present proprietors Pulteneytown quantity rent rish river rock sandstone Scotland season sheep Shetland shore side situated soil Staxigoe stipend stone strata Stromness Stronsay Sutherland tenants Thurso Tingwall tion town tumuli Ulbster V.-PAROCHIAL ECONOMY vessels whole winter Zetland
Popular passages
Page 124 - Here come I to cure a burnt sore ; If the dead knew what the living endure, The burnt sore would burn no more.
Page 124 - ... the lord rade, and the foal slade; he lighted, and he righted, set joint to joint, bone to bone, and sinew to sinew, heal in the holy ghost's name!
Page 186 - Halcro, lawful daughter to the deceased Hugh Halcro, in the isle of Weir, and Margaret Stewart his spouse, hath lived in the parish of Evie from her infancy, in good fame and report; is a discreet, godly young woman, and, to our certain knowledge, free of all scandal, reproach, or blame. As, also, that she is descended...
Page 92 - Skeld] . . . These two stones are said to be the metamorphosis of two wizards or giants, who were on their way to plunder and murder the inhabitants of West Skeld; but not having calculated their time with sufficient accuracy, before they could accomplish their purpose, or retrace their steps to their dark abodes, the first rays of the morning sun appeared, and they were immediately transformed, and remain to the present time in the shape of two tall moss-grown stones of ten feet in height.
Page 31 - sea,' as it is here called, generally indicates a storm in a distant part of the ocean, which may reach Orkney a day or two afterwards ; hence, on the west coast, this great swell is considered a prognostic of west wind. From this we infer, 1st, that the agitation caused by the wind on the surface of the ocean travels faster than the wind itself; and, 2d, that the breeze begins to windward, and takes some time to reach the point towards which it proceeds to leaward, which tends to overturn the usually...
Page 68 - Charles, carefully handed down from father to son, have been effectual, both here and in every other pansh in Shetland, towards removing this disease, and that to an extent which may appear somewhat incredible to many whose minds, in reference to the healing virtue still inherent in royalty, may be in a more sophisticated state than those of her Majesty's subjects in this latitude. Be this as it may, there are few localities in Shetland in which a living evidence is not to be found of one said to...
Page 108 - is in his winter or spring garb it is difficult to suppose that his progenitors were the same animals which travellers have described as prancing over the arid tracks of Arabia. The long shaggy hair with which he is clothed has more the appearance of a polar dress, or of some arctic livery specially dispensed to the quadruped retainers of the genius of Hialtland.
Page 95 - Not unfreqnently, several of them are discovered buried together, thus indicating a tittle armoury, from which a number of weapons might be distributed on an emergency, by the hand of some chief to a small band of natives met together, on the alarm of common danger. Assemblages of these weapons have been found in the parishes of Walls, of Delting, and in the Island of Unst. In Northmavine, says Mr Low of Orkney, seven were discovered...
Page 124 - This is a thread spun from black wool, on which are cast nine knots, and tied round a sprained leg or arm. During the time the operator is putting the thread round the affected limb,' he says, but in such a tone of voice...
Page 146 - ... to decide their quarrel by combat between twelve sons or relatives of each chieftain. This compact was concluded by mutual vows and religious rites within the Chapel, and the meeting was appointed to take place in a solitary spot known to both, and to which the armed escort of each chief should be twelve armed horsemen. The Crowner had been twice married and had a numerous family of sons, but some of them resided in Sutherland, and it was also agreed that he should form his party there and proceed...