COMRIE, a parish, in the county of Perth; including
the villages of Dalginross, St. Fillan's, and Ross,
and containing 2471 inhabitants, of whom 803 are in
the village of Comrie, 6^ miles (W.) from Crieff. The
name of this place is derived from a Gaelic term signifying
"confluence", used in reference to the junction of
the rivers Earn, Ruchill, and Lednock near the site of
the church of Comrie. The present parish consists of
the ancient parishes of Dundurn and Tullichetal, with
parts of Monivaird, Strowan, and Muthill. Several traces
of camps and fortifications, some of which have been
recently obliterated by the operations of husbandry,
connect the district with the military enterprises of the
Romans. One of these relics of antiquity was visible in
the last century at Dalginross; and from another which
still remains there, and the well-known Roman road that
formerly existed in the locality, it is supposed that the
battle described by Tacitus as fought between Agricola
and Galgacus, took place on the plain of Dalginross.
The PARISH is about thirteen miles long and ten
broad, and contains an area of 67,122 acres. It is
bounded on three sides by lofty mountains, the principal
range of which is the Grampians: the east opens on the
valley of Strathearn. The land is throughout diversified
with mountains and valleys; the mountain of Benhonzie
is 2900 feet above the level of the sea, and Ben-
Vorlich, -which is seen from Perth, from Edinburgh, and
Ayrshire, rises to the height of 3300 feet. Besides the
vale of the river Earn, there are Glenartney and Glen-
Lednock; they are considerably above the sea level,
and open on the village of Comrie. The dryness of the
soil, and the protection afforded from the winds by the
surrounding mountains, render the climate mild and salubrious;
and the scenery is little, if at all, inferior to
those parts most distinguished for the union of the picturesque
and the romantic with the majestic and sublime.
The loch and river of Earn, the banks of which are
dressed in luxuriant verdure, and crowned with wood,
afford some of the beautiful views in the district.
The fine scenery connected with Loch Earn may be
said to commence at the village of Comrie, near the
eastern boundary of the parish. Here, and even lower
down, the vale of the Earn is full of natural and acquired
beauty; and passing upwards towards the lake, the scenery
becomes more interesting at every step. At that
part of the valley which adjoins to the lower end of the
lake, its character is similar to that of the Trosachs, at
the corresponding extremity of Loch Katrine, though
less minutely rugged and picturesque. Loch Earn extends
nine miles in length, and generally about one mile
in breadth; it is remarkable for the beauty of its scenery,
and though small in its dimensions, compared with some
other lakes, yet it possesses a variety of character not
found in many of far greater magnitude and extent. The
liills that bound it are lofty, bold, and rugged. They
terminate in various and rocky outlines, and the surfaces
of the declivities are equally bold and striking,
being enriched with precipices and masses of protruding
rock, with deep hollows and ravines, and with the courses
of innumerable torrents which pour from above, and, as
they descend, become skirted with trees till they lose
themselves in the waters of the lake. Wild woods also
ascend along their surface, in all the irregularity of distribution
so peculiar to these rocky mountains. At the
upper extremity of this beautiful lake are the village and
inn of Lochearnhead, in the parish of Balquhidder.
The SOIL is for the most part somewhat gravelly, but
well cultivated and fertile; clay is sometimes found
mixed with sand, and in several of the glens the soil is
loamy. There are 7097 acres cultivated or occasionally
in tillage; 55,571 pasture or waste j in wood, 3139 acres;
and common or disputed, 1315. No wheat is grown;
but oats, barley, and potatoes are produced in very heavy
crops, especially if the land has been well manured. The
improvements in husbandry are considerable; a whole
farm has lately been reclaimed by the proprietor of Dalginross,
and yields a profitable return. The chief breed
of sheep is the black-faced, which has been greatly improved
by crossing it with that of Crawford-Muir in
Dumfries-shire: Cheviots and Leicesters are also common.
The cattle are partly of the Highland breed, and
Ayrshire cows have been generally introduced. There
are extensive natural woods of oak, ash, birch, alder, and
hazel, for the two first of which the soil is especially
adapted; fir and larch have been planted to a considerable
extent, and thrive well. The annual value of real
property in the parish is £11,700. The predominating
rock is mica-slate; in Glen-Lednock granite is found,
and in Glenartney a considerable quantity of clay-slate.
In the lower grounds, as well as in Glenartney, there is
old red sandstone; at Ardvorlich marble has been discovered,
and in some places lead has been seen in small
veins. Iron-ore is plentiful, and from the numerous remains
of furnaces for smelting, it appears to have been
wrought to some extent. There are three slate-quarries,
and several quarries of whinstone; also a liraestone-
(juarry, from which large supplies are obtained for burning
into lime for agricultural purposes. The chief mansions
are Dunira, Ardvorlich, Dalhonsie, Aberuchill, and
Comrie House.
The village of Comrie is a burgh of barony, under a
bailie, and there are several constables, one of whom has
the charge of a small lock-up house. The inhabitants
are employed to a very considerable extent in manufactures;
there is a woollen-mill, and many persons are
engaged in weaving cotton for firms in Glasgow and
Perth. A distillery for whisky has also been established.
Salmon, trout, and other fish are found in the rivers.
Five fairs are held annually in March, May, July, November,
and December; there is a post-office in the village,
and the turnpike-road from Perth to Lochearnhead
passes through the parish. Ecclesiastically the parish
is within the bounds of the presbytery of Auchterarder,
synod of Perth and Stirling; the patronage is exercised
by the Crown, and the minister's stipend is £250, with
a manse, and two glebes, valued together at £22 per
annum. Comrie church, erected in 1S04, principally at
the instance of Viscount Melville, is conveniently situated
in the village; it is a handsome and commodious
edifice with a spire, and contains 1250 sittings. At Dundurn
is an ancient chapel, in which the parish minister
occasionally, and his assistant regularlj', officiates; it
was nearly rebuilt in 1834, by subscription, and will
contain about 400 persons. The members of the Free
Church and the United Presbyterian Synod have places
of worship. There is also a parochial school; the master
receives the maximum salary, with about £45 fees,
a house and garden, and teaches Greek, French, mathematics,
and the usual branches of education. The village
contains a parochial library of about 500 volumes; there
is a small circulating library, and two friendly societies
have been established. Among the remains of antiquity
in the parish are the ruins of several Druidical temples;
and a highly venerated relic, also supposed to be Druidical,
is still preserved, which is said by antiquaries to be
one of those stones that were used as the official badge
of the Arch-Druids, On the hill by the village is a handsome
monument to the memory of the first Lord Melville,
who erected the beautiful mansion-house at Dunira,
and made it his favourite residence during the parliamentary
recess. The late Mr. Drummond, under-secretary,
was born in the parish, and was heir to the estate
of Comrie, which was sold to Lord Melville during his
minority. The estates both of Dunira and Comrie are
now the property of Sir David Dundas. Some severe
shocks of earthquake have been felt in the parish.