LIFF-AND-BENVIE, a parish, chiefly in the county
of Forfar, and partly in the county of Perth; containing,
with the villages of Backmuir, Benvie, Birkhill-
Feus, Dargie, Invergowrie, Liff, Muirhead, and part of
Lochee, 3980 inhabitants, of whom 136 are in the village
of Liff, 5 miles (W. N. W.) from Dundee. The word
Liff is a North-British or Pictish term signifying " a
flood" or" an inundation," but the reason of its application
to the first-named of these two ancient parishes is
not now known. The name of Benvie is supposed to be
derived from the Celtic term beiiin huidlie, " the yellow
hill or mount". The parishes were united in November
1758. That of Liff, long before this, had received
considerable augmentations. The parish of Invergowrie
had been annexed to it before the middle of the seventeenth
century; and the parish of Logic, including the
lands of Balgay and Blackness, bad been united to it
quoad civilia a short time after that period. The lands
of Logic, Balgay, and Blackness, however, containing a
large portion of the suburbs of Dundee, have been from
time immemorial, and are still, connected quoad spiritualia
with Dundee.
The PARISH is situated at the south-western corner of
the county of Forfar, and is bounded on the east partly
by Dundee, and on the west and south-west by Fowlis
Easter and Longforgan, both in Perthshire. The river
Tay forms its southern limit; and the Dighty, a small
stream, divides the parish from Auchterhouse and Lundie
on the north. It measures six miles from east to west,
and four from north to south, comprising about 6000
acres, of which nearly 5000 are under cultivation, fifty
or sixty acres in pasture, and the remainder in plantations.
The surface rises gently from the Tay for nearly
three miles, and attains an elevation of 400 feet, but
afterwards declines towards the north. Several rivulets
flowing from the west water the different lands, and
being joined, at the distance of a mile from the Tay, by
a stream running from the east through Lochee, form
together the burn of Invergowrie, and after impelling
the Invergowrie flour-mills, fall into the bay of the same name.
The SOIL in the lower grounds is either a black loamy
earth, or clay, and is much enriched by the facilities
afforded to the industrious tenants of obtaining manure
from the town of Dundee: on the higher grounds the
earth is generally light and sandy, resting upon rock
or lime. All kinds of grain are raised, and great attention
is also given to green crops, especially turnips and
potatoes, of which latter large quantities are usually
grown, many of the farmers letting out fields in small
allotments for the purpose. The ground is mostly cultivated
under the five-shift course; the tenants are skilful
and indefatigable, and farm their lands to the best
advantage. Dairy husbandry is much on the increase,
and numerous cows are kept, of the Ayrshire breed:
the rest of the cattle are the Angus, and the sheep the
North Highland, but little attention is paid to the improvement
of these. The farm-buildings are in general
convenient. The substrata of the parish comprise many
varieties: the stratified rocks are red and grey sandstone.
Great interest has recently been excited among
geologists by the discovery of fossil organic remains in
the denes of Balruddery, most of which have been determined,
by competent authority, to belong to entirely
new species; and in consequence also of various doubts
with respect to the precise formation of their beds, a
minute investigation is expected to take place. Several
quarries of excellent freestone are in operation, particularly
at Lochee, where they have long been wrought:
from one of these a large portion of the material was
taken for the construction of Dundee harbour. The
yearly value of the whole of the stone raised is estimated
at £1800. The plantations are extensive and interesting,
adding much to the general beauty of the scenery: they
comprise a great variety of trees, some of them, especially
about the mansiinis, of very fine growth; the
whole are in a thriving condition, and produce by the
sale of cuttings £800 a year. The annual value of real
property in the parish is £10,.'>03.
Tlie House of (iraij, belonging to the representative of
the ancient family from which it is named, is a noble
and commanding turrctcd edifice in the manor-house
style, built in the year 1/16, and the whole in very
good condition. It is surrounded by a beautiful park
of '200 acres, finely ornamented with choice and venerable
old trees; and on the estate are valuable plantations.
CampcrilowH, formerly Luiiilic, llaiisc is an elegant modern
Grecian structure, embellished on the east with a
portico supported by eight massive Ionic columns; it is
built of white Killala sandstone. The interior contains
a beautiful saloon, lighted by a cupola: and among the
ornaments of this splendid mansion is a striking and
much-admired [)aintiiig by Sir John Copley, representing
the scene on board tiie Iciicnibli- inniiediately after the
battle of Camperdowii, in which De Winter appears as
one of the principal characters, delivering up his sword
to the British admiral. Adjoining the house is preserved
a large mass of wood exhibiting the effigy of a lion, which
was the bulkhead of De Winter's ship, Vryheid. About
a quarter of a mile from the house are extensive shrubberries
and gardens. The mansion of Invergnwrie, lately
much enlarged, is delightfully situated on a slope near
the Tay, and commands a view of the bay of Invergowrie,
of the course of the river, and of the Carse of Gowrie.
Balruddery House is a modern edifice, of considerable
elegance, and from its elevated site embraces fine prospects
of the surrounding scenery, including numerous
romantic dells of great beauty, and several rich and extensive
tracts in the distance.
The chief village is Lochee, situated partly in the
parish of Dundee, and w hich contains a large population,
closely connected in commercial matters and general
traffic with the town of Dundee. It is described under
its own head, as are the other principal villages enumerated
at the commencement of the article. The Kirktown
of Litf contains about twenty-six families, and
there are thirty-five in Birkhill-Feus: this latter place
has been recently let out in small allotments for houses,
and is likely to become a settlement for weavers and
others, on account of its situation on the turnpike-road
from Dundee to Meigle and Cupar-Angus, between four
and five miles distant from the first of these towns.
Household linen was formerly made in the parish to a
considerable extent; but the chief manufacture now
carried on is the weaving of coarse linen-cloth principally
for exportation, in which many young persons of both
sexes, as well as adults, are engaged, except during the
spring and in harvest time, when they obtain agricultural
work. It is supposed that, out of the population
of Lochee connected with this parish, amounting to
2439, two-thirds, both male and female, are occupied in
manufactures, and the remainder consist of mechanics,
handicraftsmen, and common labourers. Three spinning-
mills have been erected in the village since the year
IS'25; as also one at Denmiln; and at Bullion, near
Invergowrie, works of some extent have lately been established
for bleaching and dyeing yarn and cloth. The
railway and the turnpike-road from Dundee to Perth
pass near the southern limit of the parish, and the turnpike-
road from Dundee to Meigle and Cupar-Angus
through the eastern portion. The agricultural produce
is taken for sale to Dundee, only three miles distant
from the parish boundary; and from the same place,
coal and other necessary articles are procured.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the ])resbytery of Dundee,
synod of Angus and Miarns, and in the patronage
of Lord Gray: the minister's stipend is £26s, with a
manse, and a glebe of fen acres including the garden.
The church, rebuilt in 1831, is beautifully situated in
the park of Lord Gray, who liberally granted to the
heritors sufficient ground for the site and precincts:
seats are provided for 7'>0 persons. The cost of the
building was ni)wards of £'2'200, exclusive of the spire,
which rises from a bell-tower, at the east end of the
structure, to a height of 108 feet from the ground. A
church was erected at Lochee about the year 1830, at a
cost of £'2000; it contains nearly 1'200 sittings, of which
100 are free, and the income of the minister, who is appointed
by the male communiiauts, is derived from
seat-rents and collections. There are also places of
worship for members of the Free Church and the United
Presbyterian Cliurch. The parochial school affords instruction
in the usual branches; the master has a salary
of £34. 4., with a house and about £37 fees. A school
in connexion with the former quoad sacra parish of
Lochee was established, and premises erected, in 1837,
partly by subscription and partly by a government grant,
at an expense of nearly £300; the sum of £12. 10. is
annually allowed, as a kind of endowment, by the General
Assembly's Education committee. There is also a
school of industry, under the patronage of the Countess
of Camperdown. The remains are still to be seen here
of a castle or palace called Hurly-Hawkin, built by Alexander
I., who, having narrowly escaped assassination,
founded the church of Scone in gratitude for his deliverance,
and made over to it his lands of Liff and Invergowrie.
A subterraneous building, with several compartments,
was discovered some years since near Camperdown
House, and from the domestic utensils found,
and other circumstances, it appears to have been inhabited.
The walls of the church of Invergowrie, also,
are yet standing; it is supposed to be the most ancient
place of Christian worship north of the Tay. Among
other antiquities is a Druidical temple consisting of nine
large stones; and a place on the borders of the parish,
to the east, called Pitalpie, or "Pit of Alpine", is supposed
to have been the scene of an engagement in the
9th century between the Picts and the Scots, in which
the latter were vanquished, and Alpine their king, with
many nobles, slain. Not far distant is a stone designated
the King's Cross, where it is said the royal standard
was planted during the battle. Near the village of
Benvie is a strong chalybeate spring, formerly in great
repute. The late Professor Playfair, of Edinburgh, was
born at Benvie on March 10th, 1748; and Admiral
Viscount Duncan resided occasionally at Camperdown,
his family seat. The ingenious William Playfair, brother
of the professor, was also a native of the parish.