CARMICHAEL, a parish, in the Upper ward of the
county of Lanark, 5 miles (S. E.) from Lanark; containing
874 inhabitants. This place derives its name
from St. Michael, to whom its first church was dedicated.
The remains of antiquity of which historical use can be
made, are very few; in the south-west corner of the
parish are vestiges of a camp and military station, and
a few years ago a large coffin constructed of sandstone
was found, but destitute of any mark to guide opinion
as to its probable origin. On the summit of the lofty
mountain of Tinto is a cairn, or heap of stones; and in
some parts are stone crosses, all of which point out the
places of military occupation and engagement, concerning
the particular facts of which nothing determinate
is on record. The ancient and illustrious family of Carmichael
occupy the most prominent place in the civil
history of the parish: one of its members, John, second
Lord Carmichael, born in 167'2, was created Earl of
Hyndford in 1701, and filled a succession of honourable
and important offices to the time of his death, which
took place on his estate here.
The length of the parish, from south-west to northeast,
is six miles, and its extreme breadth nearly five
miles; containing about 1 1,630 acres. It is bounded on
the north by the Clyde river, from its confluence with
Douglas water to Mill-hill, and is intersected by the roads
from Carlisle to Stirling, and Edinburgh to Ayr. The
surface presents numerous irregularities, consisting of hill
and valley, breaks, and sweeping undulations, crowned
in the south-eastern part by the celebrated mountain of
Tinto, rising to an elevation of about 2400 feet. This
majestic hill, the name of which is said to signify " the
hill of fire ', from the fires formerly kindled upon it,
commands an interesting and extensive view of the lower
elevations of Carmichael, Drumalbin, Whitecastle, Crossridge,
and Stonehill hills, all in the parish, the ground
gradually sinking to the northern extremity. The
climate is cold; the surface is covered in many parts
with poor pasture, and only in the highly cultivated
grounds has an agreeable aspect. In the vicinity of the
Clyde the soil is thin and sandy; in other parts a good
deep loam; but in the arable districts generally, damp
and clayey, resting upon an impervious till or ferruginous
clay, with a considerable mixture of marine stones. The
number of acres under cultivation is, 5924 arable, and
4807 pasture; 926 acres are occupied by plantations,
which consist of oak, ash, elm, plane, beech, alder, poplar,
birch, and horse-chesnut. The crops generally raised
are oats, barley, bear, peas, potatoes, turnips, rj'e-grass,
and meadow hay, the first of which greatly predominates;
the cattle are of the Ayrshire breed, and the sheep are
the black-faced, with a few Cheviots. The system of
agriculture is excellent, numerous improvements having
been introduced of late years. The annual value of real
property in the parish is £5280.
The prevailing rock is the old red sandstone, which is
good for building houses or fences, and is abundant in
the hills of Carmichael, Whitecastle, and Drumalbin;
felspar porphyry, in some places, lies near the sandstone,
and in the Crossridge hill is a stratum of clay-slate,
passing into greywacke slate. Blocks of quartz are sometimes
to be seen, exposed by the action of the streams;
and blocks of gneiss have been found, deposited in alluvial
soil, whither it is supposed they were carried by the
violence of the rivers. There are quarries of limestone
and sandstone. Carmichael House, an ancient and
magnificent baronial residence, now deserted, for many
generations the seat of the family of the same name, is
encompassed by aged and lofty trees, and extensive
grounds and plantations, which were greatly improved
by John, Earl of Hyndford. The mansion of Eastend,
comparatively a modern structure, is elegant and commodious.
There is a tan-work in the parish, in a prosperous
state; also an establishment for the currying of
leather, which is carried on with considerable profit. At
Carmichael Mill is a foundry, which supplies most of
the iron-work for threshing-mills and other machinery
used in the parish; and there are thirty hands employed
as weavers. Ecclesiastically the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Lanark, synod of Glasgow
and Ayr; the patronage is exercised by Sir W. Carmichael
Anstruther, Bart., and the minister's stipend is
£225. Carmichael church, a cruciform building erected
in 1750, is in good repair, and accommodates between
400 and 500 persons; the manse was built at the same
time, and considerably enlarged some years ago. The
glebe is valued at £20 per annum. There is a parochial
school, in which the classics, French, and mathematics
are taught, with all the usual branches of education; the
salary is £32, with more than the legal accommodations,
and about £26. 8. fees. Another school, at Ponfeigh, is
supported partly by the heritors; and there is a savings'-
bank, established in 1814.