MUTHILL, a parish, in the county of Perth; containing,
with the village of South Bridgend, and part of
the former quoad sacra district of Ardoch, 3067 inhabitants,
of whom 1089 are in the village of Muthill, 3
miles (S.) from Crieff. This place appears to be of considerable
antiquity; and its name, derived from two
Gaelic words signifying " a station or field for the dispensation
of justice", implies that it possessed a degree
of importance in the ancient feudal times. A society of
Culdees was established here in the earliest period of
Christianity in Britain. During the middle ages, Muthill
seems to have been the head of a deanery; and
after the Reformation, it was the seat of the presbytery
prior to its removal to Auchterarder. The parish is of
very great e.xtent, comprising more than 26,000 acres,
of which about 11,560 are arable, 2400 woodland and
plantations, and the remainder uncultivated and waste
land. Its surface rises gradually from the northern and
southern boundaries towards the centre, where the land
attains a considerable elevation, forming two nearly
parallel ridges from east to west, and dividing the parish
into what are called the Muthill and the Ardoch districts.
The highest point of these ridges is the hill of Torlum,
which is about 1400 feet above the level of the sea, and
beautifully planted with evergreens; it is a conspicuous
and interesting feature in the scenery, and commands
an extensive and richly-varied prospect over the different
portions of this large parish, which in some parts is
in the best state of cultivation, and in others comparatively
wild and barren. The scenery is enlivened by
several rivers that flow through the lands. Of these
the principal is the Earn, which issues from the lake of
that name, and in its winding course forms a boundary
between part of this parish and the lands of Innerpeffray,
the estate of David, Lord Madderty, of whose castle
there arc considerable remains: its course, though
generally vniiform and moderate, is occasionally disturbed
by torrents descending from the hills. Tlie river Machoiiy
has its source in the hills of Blair-in-roan, pursues
its way between the two ridges that divide the parish,
and, after receiving numerous tributary streams in its
progress, falls into the Earn near Kinkcll. On the Ardoch
side of the parish is the Kiiailc, which rises in
Glcnlich-horn, and, jjassing the camp at Ardoch, joins
the river Allan, which flows into the Forth near Stirling.
These rivers all abound with excellent trout, and in the
Earn are found also pike, whiting, and salmon. There
are several lakes, of which one called JSaUoch is situated
at the base of Torlum Ildl. Luc/i Driimmoiid, a heautiHul
sheet of water, of artificial formation, is about a mile in
length and half a mile broad: it is bounded on one side
by abrupt masses of rock rising to the height of nearly
seventy feet, and on the others by steep banks richly
wooded; it is the resort of various aquatic fowl, and
forms a picturesque feature in the landscape. There are
also numerous wells, affording an ample supply of water,
and which in ancient times appear to have been held in
veneration by the people for their supposed efficacy in
curing diseases.
The SOIL varies greatly. Near the Earn and the
Allan the lands are chiefly a rich and light loam, with
occasional intermixtures of marl; while in other parts is
a strong sandy soil, with a mixture of gravel, and in
others again an unproductive moorland. The hills afford
good pasture, and there is also a due proportion of excellent
grass land. On most of the lands are thriving
plantations, the largest of which is that round Torlum
Hill, comprising more than 600 acres of Scotch fir:
larch, birch, chesnut, and limes, with some oak, &c., are
the other kinds. The system of agriculture has been
much improved under the auspices of the heritors, most
of whom reside upon their estates; draining has been
practised extensively, and large portions of marshy land
have been reclaimed, and brought into a state of profitable
cultivation. The grain crops are barley and oats,
with some wheat, and the rotation plan of husbandry is
general; turnips have been lately much cultivated, and
by the use of bone-dust and guano for manure, they are
abundant. Considerable attention is also paid to the
breeding of cattle. The substrata are chiefly sandstone
of several varieties, and whinstone of a blackish colour;
the former is quarried for building, and the latter for the
roads. In the peat-mosses, and also embedded in the
marl, various fossil remains have been found. The annual
value of real property in the parish is returned at £15,000.
Drummond Castle, the occasional residence of the
Drummond family, is situated near the site of a former
castle, which is said to have been besieged by Cromwell,
and, with the exception of what still remains, to have
been demolished at the Revolution: the present seat is
a substantial and handsome modern mansion. The
grounds, which are well laid out, contain some fine specimens
of well-grown timber, and the gardens almost
every variety of the choicest flowers and plants. Drummond
Castle was visited by Her Majesty, during her
first tour in Scotland, in September 1842; she arrived
here on the evening of Saturday, the 10th, and remained
until Tuesday, the 13th, when she departed for Stirling.
The village of Muthill stands on the great southern
road, which passes through the parish; it is neatly
built, and the surrounding hills add much to the beauty
of its scenery. There was formerly a market, which,
from the proximity of the market-town of Crieff, has
been for some time discontinued. The inhabitants are
chiefly occupied in agricultural pursuits, and in weaving
cotton for the manufacturers of Glasgow. Two or three
cattle-markets are held annually at the village of Braco,
in the district of Ardoch. A subscription library, comprising
a good collection, is maintained in the parish;
and there is also a reading-room, in which are several
valuable publications on agriculture. Great facilities of
intercourse are afforded by the line of the Scottish Central railway.
Muthill is ecclesiastically within the presbytery of
Auchterarder, synod of Perth and Stirling, and in the
patronage of the Crown: the minister's stipend is £240.
17- 5., with a manse, and a glebe valued at £30 per annum.
The church, erected in 1828, at an expense of
nearly £7000, is a handsome and spacious edifice in the
later English style, adapted for a congregation of 1600
persons. In the new and thriving village of Braco, in
the district of Ardoch, are a chapel of ease and a Free
church, the former built in 1780; and in the village of
Muthill are a Free church and an Episcopalian chapel.
The parochial school affords a liberal education; the
master has a salary of £34. 4., with £16. 10. fees, and a
good house and garden: a schoolroom on a more enlarged
scale has been built. There are also three schools
in the parish partly endowed by Lady Willoughby de
Eresby, and a school at Ardoch that is not connected
with any particular denomination. At Innerpeffray is a
library for the use of ministers and students, founded by
Lord Madderty, and also endowed by him with a small
salary for the librarian, who is further supported by the
fees of a school which he keeps in part of the building.
More than sixty of the poor are regularly supplied with
meal, clothing, and fuel by Lady Willoughby de Eresby,
who also pays their rent.
In the lands of Innerpeffray are the remains of an old
church, now the burial-place of the families of Perth
and Strathallan; and near the river are the ruins of the
ancient castle of Madderty. The ruins of the castle of
Drummond are romantically situated at the base of Torlum
Hill, and on an elevated and rocky site; the south
wing, the principal portion, is now converted into an
armoury. The camps at Ardoch, the most entire in the
country, and evidently of Roman origin, are supposed to
have been the chief post of that people in this part of
Britain. The intrenchments of the main station inclose
an area 420 feet in length and 375 in breadth; and three
of its principal entrances are still to be distinctly traced.
Adjoining this station are three camps of mure extensive
dimensions, the largest of which, 2S00 feet long and
1950 wide, is supposed to have been that where Agricola
concentrated his army previously to his decisive battle
with Galgacus, which is said to have taken place at
Blair-in-roan. Another of these camps, styled the procestrium,
and of later construction than the great camp,
was of oblong shape, 1060 feet by 900, and capable of
containing 4000 men. Tlie remaining camp, to the
west of the great one, is likewise of oblong form, measuring
1910 by 1340 feet, and would afford accommodation
to 12,000 men; it is* very entire, higher in position
than the other camps, and, from its prominently
marked features, is well worth the examination of the
antiquary. The Rev. John Barclay, founder of the sect
of the Bereans, was born at Muthill.