BALQUHIDDER, a parish, in the county of Perth, 9 miles (S. by W.) from Killin; containing, with the villages of Strathyre and Lochearnhead, 87 1 inhabitants. This parish, whose name, descriptive of its situation in the county, is derived from the Gaelic, is about eighteen miles in length, and rather more than six miles in breadth. The surface is very irregular, and comprehends a rich variety of valleys and hills, of level lands and deep glens, and of lofty rocks rising abruptly from the plains. The principal hills are Benvorlich, Benchroin, Benvane, Binean, Benchoin, and Bentallachan. In the hill of Craigruigh, Robert Bruce is said to have concealed himself after the defeat of his forces in the battle of Dalrey. The river Balvag, over which are two bridges in good repair, rises in Loch Voil, winds for several miles through the parish, and falls into Loch Lubnaig; and the small river Calair, which issues from Glenbuckie, though generally a peaceful stream, at times overflows its banks, and acquires the rapidity of a torrent. There are numerous lakes in the parish, the principal of which are Loch Voil, Loch Doine, and parts of Loch Lubnaig and Loch Earn. The scenery is also richly embellished with woods, consisting mostly of oak, birch, alder, and common and mountain ash; and with thriving plantations, chiefly of Scotch and spruce firs, and larch-trees, for all of which the ground is well adapted. At Edinample is an ancient castle belonging to the Marquess of Breadalbane, embosomed in a wood of lofty plane-trees, near which is a beautiful cascade. The soil in the lower lands is fertile; the hills alford pasture, and there are considerable tracts of good meadow. The system of agriculture is improved, and great attention is paid to the improvement of the breeds of cattle and sheep; the former are chiefly of the 'West Highland breed, and the latter, which are of the blackfaced kind, command a ready sale in the neighbouring markets. The annual value of real property in the parish is £6100. The rocks are mainly mica and clay slate, with quartz, porphyry, and primitive greenstone. Edinample Castle, an ancient mansion romantically situated, and Glenbuckie House, a handsome modern residence, are the only houses of distinction. Ecclesiastically the parish is within the bounds of the presbytery of Dunblane and synod of Perth and Stirling: the stipend of the incumbent is £275. 15. 11.; the manse is a comfortable residence, and the glebe is of the annual value of £20. The church, situated nearly in the centre of the parish, is an ancient edifice, adapted for a congregation of 4'25 persons. The parochial school affords a liberal course of instruction; the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4^., with £8 fees, a house, and two bolls of meal in lieu of a garden. In a field near the manse is an upright stone, about five feet in height, called Puidrac; but nothing of its history is known: to the east of it is a spot celebrated as the scene of a desperate battle between the families of McLaren and Leney. The late Sir John Mac Gregor Murray, Bart., an eminent Gaelic scholar, and an indefatigable collector of the writings of the ancient Gaelic bards, and who, holding the rank of colonel in the British army, raised at his own expense a regiment of infantry for the service of his country, which was commanded by his brother Colonel Alexander Mac Gregor Murray, was, together with his brother, buried in the family vault in this parish.