PETTINAIN, a parish, in the Upper ward of the
county of Lanark; containing 416 inhabitants, of whom
SO are in the village of Pettinain, 5 miles (E. by S.) from
Lanark. The name of this parish is supposed to have been
derived from the old British word Pe'ithynan, signifying
" a clear space of flat ground ", in reference to a level
tract stretching along the north side of the village. It
is stated in ancient records that the district was originally
covered with wood, and that David I. gave to " Nicolas
his clerk " a carucate of land in the forest here, with
the right of common-pasture. This portion is thought
to have been cleared of the wood after being thus assigned,
and to have in consequence fixed the name of
the place. No events of any interest are recorded in
connexion with Pettinain. In the southern vicinity of
the parish are the remains of a very extensive and wellfortified
camp, adjacent to which are a large number of
out-works, where urns and other relics of antiquity have
been found; and although no traces exist to identify this
camp with any particular people, it evidently indicates
the spot to have been the scene of important military
operations. The lands of Westraw, in the parish, were
awarded to Sir Adam Johnston in the time of James II.,
King of Scotland, for his vigorous efforts in suppressing
the rebellion of the Earl of Douglas. Tliese were afterwards
alienated, and came into the possession of the Earl
of Hyndford, at whose death they passed, for want of
male issue, into the family of Anstruther, an ancient
branch of which had married a sister of the carl.
Tiie I'Aiusii is about three miles long and two miles
and a half l)r()ad, containing 3060 acres. It is bounded
(m tlu" north by Carstairs and Carnwath parishes, on the
soutli by Covington, on the east l)y Lihberton, on the
west by Carniichael, and on the north- west by a small
part of Lanark. Tl\e figure of the parish, which stretches
along the banks of the river Clyde, is very irregular.
The climate is damp and variable: the pastures and the
blossoms suffer severely in the spring from east winds;
and the plantations of young wood generally take an inclination
north-eastward from the action of violent, and
sometimes long-continued, south-west winds. A hilly
ridge runs from Covington, in a north-westeru direction,
until it terminates in the western extremity of Pettinain,
where it rises 500 feet above the bed of the river; the
highest peak is Cairn-gryffe, and the other parts are
called Westraw and Swaites hills, from the names of the
respective places to which they are opposite. Pheasants
and hares are to be seen in great numbers in almost every
direction. The river Clyde, whose source is twenty-five
miles southward, in Crawford parish, flows with great
impetuosity, till it arrives within a few miles of this parish,
when it assumes a totally different character; becomes
deep and smooth; and, slowly approaching by
numerous meanderings, quietly enters at the south-east
boundary. Afterwards changing its course by a flexure
from east to west, it runs along the northern limit of the
parish, and, within about half a mile of its departure,
rushes with considerable force over a bed of rocks. It
is well stocked with trout, perch, and pike, the last of
which make great depredations on the two first, and attain
in some cases to the length of three feet, and the
weight of upwards of twenty pounds.
The SOIL varies considerably. In the vicinity of the
river it is a mixture of soft clayey mould, running to a
depth of several feet, and resting upon a gravelly subsoil;
while in the neighbourhood of the village, as well
as in several other parts, it is a rich loam; and in other
places, again, is mixed with large cjuantities of gravel
and sand. The haugh or holm land immediately close
to the river is very fertile, and frequently inundated by
the rising floods. On the high parts, which are covered
with heath and bent, the soil is a poor and thin earth
with a clayey or tilly subsoil. In this parish the number
of acres under tillage is nearly 2320; and about 580
are waste or in pasture. The crops consist of oats and
barley, potatoes, turnips, and hay; the high elevation
of the land above the sea renders it unfavourable to
wheat, little of which is grown. The manures used are
chiefly those obtained from the farm, many cattle being
kept, especially on the dairy-farms: in very few instances
is bone-dust employed. In general the character
of the husbandry is good: great care is taken in preparing
the ground by ploughing and harrowing, and in
the proper application of the manure; the result of which
is unusually heavy crops, especially of turnips, which are
grown in large quantities. Ayrshire cattle are preferred
on the dairy-farms, which are numerous, and managed
in the best possible manner. Within the last thirty
years, covered drains to the length of about twelve
miles, and from five to seven and a half feet deep, have
been constructed. In addition to these are nearly 5000
yards of open drains; and surface-drains to a great extent
have been formed, in order to prepare the ground
for plantations. Ninety acres of plantation on hilly
and waste land have been made within the last five-andtwenty
years by one proprietor, besides others in different
parts of the parish; amounting in the whole to about
160 acres. The farm-buildings are an exception to the
general improvements that have taken place, being
inferior in many respects to those of neighbouring dis-
tricts. In most cases the inclosures and stone fences
are excellent, and the latter have been recently augmented
by an addition of 4840 yards. The land is
the property of tliree families, one of whom, of Carniichael
House and Westraw, holds almost the whole.
The rocks in the parish are mainly felspar-porphyry and
sandstone, the former of which supplies an excellent
material for the construction and repair of roads: limestone
is wrought in two places, on a small scale, and
burnt into lime. The annual value of real property in
Pettinain is £3235.
The chief mansion-house is that on the estate of
Westraw, belonging to Sir Windham Carmichael Anstruther,
Bart., representative of the ancient family of
Carmichael: it has been at various times enlarged and
improved, and is now a commodious building; it has
plantations of almost all the trees common to the county,
and is encompassed with extensive grounds in the highest
state of cultivation. With the exception of a few
persons employed in hand-loom weaving, the population
of the parish is entirely agricultural. About one-fifth
reside in the village of Pettinain; the rest are scattered
throughout the parish. The intercourse is principally
with the town of Lanark, to which the inhabitants have
easy access by a bridge over the Clyde at Hyndford.
Carnwath, only three miles distant, was formerly the
chief place of resort; but the obstruction often raised
by the swelling of the Clyde turned the traffic to Lanark.
Since this change occurred, however, a large float has
been placed at the Carnwath ferry-station, which is impelled
by machinery, and safely conveys passengers and
carriages at a small toll levied to defray the expense,
£500. The turnpike-road from Carlisle to Stirling passes
along the western boundary of the parish. The Caledonian
railway intersects the parish for a mile at the
eastern boundary, and the point of divergence of the
respective forks to Edinburgh and Glasgow is precisely
at the place where, on crossing the Clyde by a timber
viaduct near the above-mentioned float, the line of railway
leaves the parish. Great facility of intercourse with
Carnwath, Lanark, &c., is afforded by the Caledonian
railway. For ecclesiastical purposes this place
is in the presbytery of Lanark, synod of Glasgow and
Ayr; and the patronage belongs to Sir W. C. Anstruther.
The stipend of the minister is £162, of which £4*. 6.
are received from the exchequer; with a comfortable
manse built in 1S20, and a glebe of ten acres valued at
from £25 to £30 per annum: the old manse serves as
offices to the present residence. Pettinain church, which
is a very plain building, is conveniently situated, and
seats about 234 persons: the belfry, which is supposed
to have belonged to an older church, bears the date
1696, and the inscription "Holiness becomes God's
House." There is a parochial school, in which Latin
and all the ordinary branches of education are taught;
the master's salary is £32, with the interest of 500
merks left in 1~08 by the Earl of Hyndford, fees
amounting to about £17, and a house and garden. The
only relic of antiquity of note is the camp already mentioned,
situated on a lofty moor; it covers about six
acres, and is nearly of circular form. Its walls appear
to have been lofty and massive, composed of large uncemented
stones; and adjoining is a deep moss, in which
is a fort, formerly connected with the camp. In the
parish are also a number of tumuli.