FALKLAND, a parish and burgh (royal), in the district of Cupar, county of
Fife, 10 miles (W.) from; Cupar, and 24 (N. N. E.) from Edinburgh; containing,
with the villages of Balmblae, Freuchie, and Newton, 2886 inhabitants, of whom 1313
are in the burgh. This place, anciently called Kilgour, signifying
in the Gaelic language the "Hill of Goats", is situated
in a secluded spot at the northern base of the East
Lomond hill, and was one of the principal strongholds
of the Macduffs, thanes of Fife. In the castle here
David, Duke of Rothesay, eldest son of Robert HI., was
starved to death by order of his uncle, the Duke of
Albany, on whose attainder in the year 1424 it was forfeited
to the crown together with the lands attached to
it, and, from the forest in the vicinity, became a favourite
hunting-seat of the Scottish kings. The present
palace was erected on the site of the ancient castle by
James V., who made it his occasional residence, and
died here in 1542. The queen regent was staying at the
palace when she was informed of the destruction of the
cathedral of St. Andrew's; and with Mary, Queen of
Scots, it was also a place of favourite resort. James VI.
passed much of his time here while pursuing the diversion
of the chase; and it was from Falkland that the
Earl of Bothweil, in 1593, decoyed him to Perth, with
the daring attempt to obtain possession of his person.
Charles II., while in the power of the Covenanters, resided
at the palace for some days: subsequently to his
restoration to the throne, the building was considerably
damaged by an accidental fire. After the battle of
Sheriffmuir in 1715, the palace was seized by Rob Roy
Mc Gregor, who, with his party, kept possession of it
for a time, and laid the country around under contribution.
The buildings at present consist of one side,
and portions of some of the angles and other sides, of
a quadrangle which in its appearance is similar to those
of Holyrood House and Stirling; the original ceiling of
the hall, or grand audience-chamber, is still entire, and
displays some splendid specimens of elaborate carving
and exquisite paintings. Notwithstanding the injuries
to which it has been exposed, the palace has been partially
restored by the family of Bruce, who purchased
the estate, and it is now inhabited by their agent.
The TOWN consists principally of one spacious street,
in which are the market-place and town-hall, and from
which diverge several narrow and irregularly-formed
streets in various directions. In general the houses are
of antique appearance, with thatched roofs, intermixed
with several houses of modern erection, of white freestone,
which have greatly improved the aspect of the
place; and the inhabitants are amply supplied with
water. The only important trade carried on is handloom
weaving, in which most of the people are employed,
at their own houses. To the south-east of the town,
near the junction of the parishes of Falkland, Kettle,
and Markinch, is the Falkland Road station of the
Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee railway. The market is
well supplied with provisions of every kind; and fairs,
chiefly for cattle and horses, are held on the second
Thursday in January, the last in February and April,
the third in June, the first after the 12th of August, the
fourth in September, and on the Friday before the Edinburgh
Hallow fair in November. Falkland was erected
into a royal burgh by charter of James II., granted in
1458, and confirmed by James VI. in 1595: the government
is vested in three bailies, fifteen councillors, and a
clerk, chosen agreeably with the regulations of the Municipal
Reform act. The magistrates exercise civil and
criminal jurisdiction over the whole extent of the royalty;
but very few cases are brought under their decision,
except debts to a trifling amount, and petty offences
against the police. At one period the burgh enjoyed
the privilege of sending a member to the Scottish parliament;
but it ceased to exercise the right, before the
Union in 1*07. The town-hall, in the market-place, contains
the requisite courts and an assembly-room.
The PARISH is about four miles in length, and nearly
of equal breadth, comprising an area of 10,000 acres, of
which about 300 are woodland and plantations, and the
remainder arable, meadow, and pasture. Its surface is
partly flat, including an extensive tract formerly the
Park of Falkland, and partly diversified with hills, the
highest of which is the East Lomond, full 1200 feet in
height, and fertile to the very summit. The principal
river is the Eden, which flows through the parish; and
numerous springs of excellent water issue from the hills:
a lake eastward of the palace, in which were several
islets, has been drained, and the land brought into cultivation.
The soil is various, partly a light brown loam,
partly sand and gravel covered with heath and furze,
and partly a deep black moss: the whole length from
east to west between the plain and the Lomond hill is a
rich loam, producing abundant crops. The system of
husbandry has been greatly improved under the auspices
of Mr. Bruce and the other landed proprietors; a large
tract of common has been converted into fine arable
fields, and most of the other waste has been reclaimed
and made profitable. Draining and inclosing are extensively
practised, and the various farms under beneficial
leases have been carried to the highest state of productiveness.
The Lomond hill abounds with limestone, and
lead-ore has been discovered in it, but not wrought;
coal, marl, and fullers' earth are also found in various
parts. The annual value of real property in the parish
is £8606. Falkland House (recently erected at Nuthill),
the seat of the family of Bruce, is a very elegant mansion
beautifully situated, and embellished with thriving
plantations. Ecclesiastically the parish is within the
bounds of the presbytery of Cupar, synod of Fife: the
minister's stipend is £252. 8., with a manse, and a glebe
valued at £18 per annum; patrons, the Bruce family.
Falkland church, erected in 1620, and repaired in 1770,
is a plain structure containing 687 sittings. There are
places of worship for members of the Free Church, the
United Presbyterian Synod, and Baptists of Free Communion.
The parochial school is well attended; the
master has a salary of £34, with an annual allowance of
£10 for a house and garden, and the fees average about
£50. On the Lomond hill are vestiges of an ancient
camp supposed to be of Roman origin. The town gives
the title of Viscount to the Gary family, a dignity created
in the person of Sir Henry Cary, K. B., who was appointed
lord lieutenant of Ireland in 1622, and on his
death in 1633 was succeeded in the title by his son, Lucius,
one of the most learned and accomplished men of
his age, slain at the battle of Newbury in 1643.