PEEBLESSHIRE

PEEBLESSHIRE, or TWEEDDALE, a county in Scotland, situated between 55. 24. and 55. 50. north latitude, and between 2. 45. and 3. 23. west longitude from Greenwich. It is bounded on the north by Mid-Lothian or Edinburghshire, on the east by the county of Selkirk, on the south by Dumfriesshire, and on the west by Lanarkshire. Its greatest extent from north to south is about thirty miles, and its greatest breadth from east to west about twenty-two; the contents being 229,778 English acres, of which only about a tenth part is fit for cultivation. It is divided into sixteen parishes, twelve of which form the presbytery of Peebles, and four belong to that of Biggar, but all are under the synod of Lothian and Tweeddale.

The surface of this county is hilly, and towards the south

mountainous, several of the high grounds in that quarter, such as Hartfield, Harstane, Broadlaw, and Dollarlaw, being from 2800 to nearly 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The general elevation of the pasture lands is about 1200 feet; yet, with few exceptions, the hills are covered with green herbage, heath being almost confined to a few of the highest ridges on the south-east. On the banks of its streams are many pleasant and fertile spots; but, from the want of wood, the general appearance is naked and uninteresting; though of late great attention has been paid to planting, and it is estimated that there are now nearly 7000 acres under wood. The soil of the cultivated land, lying chiefly on the sides of the lower hills and the banks of the streams, is for the most part a light loam, with clay, moss, and moor on the high grounds. Coal, limestone, and freestone abound in the parishes of Linton and Newlands, on the north side of the county, and in the latter ironstone is also found. Limestone and freestone are worked profitably in the parish of Linton; but the coal formerly obtained from Newlands has been abandoned, as not repaying the cost of outlay. Lime, however, may still be purchased at Magbiehill, the coal for burning which is brought from Linton. At Stobo, slate of a good quality is quarried, and sold with advantage to the proprietor. In the parish of Traquair there is also a slate quarry in active operation. The river Tweed, from which this district is often called Tweeddale, rises from a well of the same name, in the parish of Tweedsmuir, in the south-western extremity of the county, about 1500 feet above the level of the sea, and, flowing first north-east and then east, dividing the county into two nearly equal parts, it passes into Selkirkshire at Gatechaup Burn, after a winding course of about thirty-six miles. The Annan and the Clyde have their source in the same hill. Of the other streams, here called waters, the most considerable are Biggar, Lyne, Peebles or Eddleston, Leithan, Mannor, and Quair, which fall into the Tweed; and the North and South Esks, which pursue their course into Mid-Lothian. The lakes or lochs are St Mary's, Waterloch, and Slipperfield. These, as well as the rivulets, abound in the common fresh-water fish, and most of the streams are occasionally frequented by salmon; but salmon are not found in such numbers, even in the Tweed, within the bounds of this county, as to afford a fishery that will pay rent.

The climate of Peeblesshire, owing to its elevation and want of shelter, is perhaps more rigorous than that of any other of the southern counties of Scotland. Cold easterly winds prevail in spring, and greatly retard vegetation; whilst in summer frosts often occur, which injure the potato and other crops; and the winters are frequently so severe as to destroy turnips, the snow lying so deep and so long as sometimes to occasion great loss amongst the flocks. As this is almost exclusively a pastoral country, the farms are in general large, most of them being from 1000 to 4000 acres. On the arable land they are small, the greater number being below 100 acres. These are in general held on leases for nineteen years, as in other parts of Scotland. Taking the extent and rental as before stated, the average would be nearly five shillings the English acre. This is chiefly derived from live stock, especially sheep, of which there may be about 120,000. These were formerly of the black-faced heath variety, sometimes called Tweeddale sheep, from the name of the county, or Linton sheep, from the name of a village on the northern side of the district, where great fairs are held for the sale of them; but of late years the Cheviot breed, which bears a much more valuable fleece, has been established on many of the lower hills, and the majority of those now fed in the county are of this variety. The crops are the same as in other parts of Scotland, excepting that wheat is cultivated only upon a very small scale. A variety of oats called the red oat, and sometimes the Mag-

Peeblesshire bickhill oat, from its being first cultivated here on that estate, is very well adapted to high and exposed situations, both because it ripens earlier than the common kind, and is less liable to be beaten out by wind, whilst on good land it is found to be highly productive.

Many of the proprietors have seats distinguished either for their antiquity or their beauty; but the Earl of Traquair is the only nobleman who now resides in the county. Peeblesshire, in 1811, was divided into about eighty estates, many of them large, but not valuable in proportion. The valuation of the whole is L.51,937. 13s. 10d. Scotch; and the real rent, as assessed for the property-tax that year, was, for the lands L.57,382 sterling, and for the houses L.2568. Two thirds of the estates are valued under L.500 Scotch, a sum which may indicate pretty nearly their present yearly value in sterling money; and little less than two thirds of the whole are entailed.

In the county there are several remains of Roman camps. Drochil Castle in the parish of Newlands, and Nedpath Castle in the parish of Peebles, are the only two which are in tolerable preservation; but vestiges of ancient castles or towers abound in the whole valley of the Tweed. The remains of the Castle of Tinnes or Thanes are six feet in thickness, and the mortar is as hard as the stone.

The inhabitants are generally educated, intelligent, and attentive to religious duties, though few of the labouring classes or shepherds consider poaching as in any degree criminal, and accordingly practise it to a considerable extent, both by land and water. To this they are tempted by the abundance of the game, which in some districts is most destructive to the poor. The principal towns or villages in Peeblesshire are, Peebles, Linton, Eddlestone, Skirling, Broughton, and Innerleithen. At this latter place, Lord Traquair, the proprietor of the village, has erected a neat building with corridor over a mineral well, which for some years past has attracted numerous visitors to the village during the summer.

The royal burgh of Peebles formerly joined with Selkirk, Lanark, and Linlithgow, in returning a member for the burghs; but since the passing of the reform act, the burgh is merged in the county, and both united return a member to serve in parliament; the qualification to vote for a candidate being the same in the burgh as in the county, viz. ten pounds property, or fifty pounds rental per annum. At the passing of the reform act there were, of old constituency forty-seven, new constituency 300; but, in consequence of the creation of votes for party purposes, there are now 760 electors on the poll-books.