ROW, a parish, in the county of Dumbarton, 12
miles (W. N. W.) from Dumbarton; containing, with
nearly the whole of the former quoad sacra parish of
Helensburgh, and with the villages of Gareloch-Head
and Row, 3717 inhabitants, of whom 226 are in the
village of Row. This place is said to have derived its
name, in the Gaelic spelt Rliue, and signifying " a point ",
from a narrow slip or tongue of land which projects
from its south-western coast nearly into the centre of
the Gareloch, and from the extremity of which is a ferry
to Roseneath, on the opposite shore. The lands at an
early period were included in the territories of the Earls
of Lennox, of whose baronial residence, Faslane Castle,
the foundations may still be ]>artly traced am(mg the
copse-wood with which the site has been long overgrown.
That portion of the parish extending from the shore of
the Gareloch to Glenfruin, together with the greater part
of that glen, was given by Alwyii, second Earl of Lennox,
to his younger son, Amelec, in the twelfth century, and
regularly descended to his great-grandson, Walter, who
became the representative of the family. According to
tradition, Sir William Wallace, after he had ravaged Dumbarton,
and set lire to the castle of Roseneath, being
chisely pursued by his enemies, leaped into the Gareloch,
and, swimming to the opposite shore, was hospitably
entertained in the castle of Faslane by I'larl Malcolm.
After the accession of the Faslane branch of the
family to the lordship of Lennox, little of the history of
the castle is known; it appears to have been suffered to
fall into decay, and the lands attached to it seem to
have been gradually granted on lease, in small portions,
to several of the vassals. These lands were subsequently
occupied by the chiefs of the clans of Macfarlane, Macaulay,
and Colquhoun; and during the greater part of
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the district was
the scene of continued conflicts between these and the
rival clans of the Macgregors, Campbells, Camerons, and
others. In 1603, a sanguinary battle took place in Glenfruin,
between Alister Macgregor, with 400 of his vassals,
and Alexander Colquhoun assisted by some of the neighbouring
lairds and the citizens of Dumbarton. It terminated
in the defeat of the latter, who with much difficulty
effected his escape, leaving 140 of his men dead on
the field. On this occasion the Macgregors carried off
600 head of cattle, 800 sheep and goats, and 280 horses.
The clan was, however, soon afterwards suppressed by
the arm of the law, and the whole race proscribed; their
children were driven into exile, and their very name extinguished.
Nor were these severe penalties relaxed till
towards the close of the eighteenth century. The clans
Macfarlane and Macaulay, also, gradually became less
powerful, and finally unable to levy contributions on the
neighbouring estates; while on the other hand, the Colquhouns
of Luss, increasing in influence, obtained possession
of all the lands in the parish, which, with the
exception only of the Ardincaple estate, are still the property
of Sir James Colquhoun, Bart.
The PARISH is bounded on the north-west by Loch
Long, on the south-west by the Gareloch, and on the
south by the Firth of Clyde; and is about sixteen miles
iu length, and nearly four miles in mean breadth, comprising
rather more than 40,000 acres, of which the
relative proportions of arable and pasture have not been
distinctly ascertained. Its surface is hilly and mountainous,
rising from the shore of the Firth in two continuous
ridges increasing in height towards the north,
and between which lies the beautiful vale of Glenfruin.
The western ridge, extending along the shores of the
Gareloch and Loch Long, is partly cultivated, but chiefly
covered with heath interspersed with plantations; and
attains at the highest point, the hill of Finnart, an elevation
of 2500 feet above the level of the sea. The eastern
ridge, which stretches along the border of the adjacent
parish of Luss for several miles, terminates in the western
range at the head of Glenfruin. Its mean elevation
is perhaps superior to that of the western ridge, but its
acclivities and summit are nevertheless clothed with
verdure, affording excellent pasture for sheep and cattle.
The strath of Glenfruin, the name of which is supposed
to signify " the cold glen " or the " glen of sorrow ", is
about five miles in length, and varies from one quarter
to three-quarters of a mile in breadth. With the exception
of a little copse-wood towards the south, and a
few spots of plantation, it is destitute of wood; and
though its soil in some parts is pretty fertile, it has been
but little cultivated. Still, in all its natural wildness, it
displays many features of romantic beauty. There are
no rivers in the parish, properly so called; a small
rivulet flows along Glenfruin, and, after a course of
about seven miles, falls into Loch Lomond, in the parish
of Luss. Some brooks descend from the higher
grounds, but they are generally dry in summer; and
there are numerous springs in the sides of the hills.
The quantity of land cither in cultivation or capable
of being cultivated, exclusively of the valley of Glenfruin,
is comparatively small. Tlie soil is in several places
tolerably fertile, and, from the facility of obtaining lime,
the arable lands have been rendered productive; but
with the exception of a little barley which is sent to distant
markets, scarcely more grain is raised than what is
requisite for the consumption of the inhabitants. The
other crops are chiefly turnijis and potatoes, of which
latter considerable quantities are forwarded to Greenock
and Glasgow, to the value of £1000 annually, and also
hay to the average amount of £500. The system of
husbandry has been gradually advancing under the auspices
of an agricultural association, including the parishes
of Row, Luss, and Arrochar; the lands have been
partly drained and inclosed, and many of the farmhouses
have been rendered more substantial and commodious.
Great attention is paid to the management
of the dairy-lands, on which Ayrshire cows have been
introduced: of the produce, which is of excellent quality
and abundant, the greater portion is consumed within
the parish, and the remainder sent to the Greenock
and Glasgow markets. The cattle reared are generally
of the West Highland breed, and much care is bestowed
upon their improvement; the sheep are all of the blackfaced
breed, except a few of the Cheviot on some of the
farms. Considerable numbers of both cattle and sheep
are sent to distant markets. Within the last few years
the plantations have been very greatly extended, especially
on the lands of Ardincaple; they are regularly
thinned, and under carefully management. Freestone
of a coarse texture is sometimes quarried for ordinary
building purposes, and limestone is occasionally wrought;
but from the facility of procuring lime from Ireland at
a cheaper cost, the limestone quarries are not in constant
operation. Slate-quarries have been also opened;
though, from its inferior quality, the slate is not much
used. Coal is supposed to exist in the parish; but although
attempts have been made in two different places
by boring to the depth of fifty fathoms, none has been
yet discovered of sufficient thickness or quality to warrant
the sinking of a pit. The annual value of real property
in the parish is £15,439.
Ardenconnel, the property of Sir James Colquhoun,
of Luss, is a spacious mansion in the pavilion style, situated
on rising ground northward of the church, and
commanding a fine view of the Gareloch. Ardincaple
Castle, the property of the Duke of Argyll, is a handsome
castellated mansion beautifully situated to the
south-east of Ardenconnel, in a demesne richly embellished
with thriving plantations, and containing some
strikingly picturesque scenery. Along the shores of the
Gareloch are numerous pleasing villas and cottages of
modern erection, inhabited by families during the summer
months. The town of Helensburgh and the village
of Gareloch-Head are separately described. The village
of Row is situated on the shore of the Gareloch, about
two miles and a half from its entrance, and near the
tongue of land already mentioned: the scenery in the
immediate vicinity is almost unrivalled for beauty and
variety; and the views obtained from the village in
every direction are extensive, and diversified with features
of the most romantic character. A post-office,
under that at Helensburgh, has a tolerable delivery.
Facility of communication is maintained by the turnpike
road from Dumbartou to Arrochar, which passes for
nearly sixteen miles through the parish; by the road
from Helensburgh to Luss and Balloch ferry; by the
Row ferry, and by steanaers from the pier at Helensburgh to Glasgow.
For ECCLESIASTICAL purposes this parish, which was
detached from the parishes of Roseneath and Cardross
in 1648, is included within the bounds of the presbytery
of Dumbarton and synod of Glasgow and Ayr. The
minister's stipend averages £136, with a manse, and a
glebe valued at £20 per annum; patron, the Duke of
Argyll. The church, situated in the village of Row, was
built in 1763, and repaired in 1835; it is a neat plain
structure, and contains rather less than 7OO sittings.
Churches have been erected at Helensburgh and Gareloch-
Head: in the former place are also meeting-houses
for Independents, the Free Church, and Baptists; and
an episcopal chapel. The parochial school is in the village
of Row; the master has a salary of £34. 4. 4., with
a house, an allowance in lieu of garden, and the fees.
There are several other schools, two of which have an
endowment of £10 per annum each, arising from a bequest
of land in Glenfruin by Mr. Glen, of Portincaple.
Among the remains of antiquity are some faint vestiges
of the old castle of Faslane, and part of the walls of a
chapel said to have been dedicated to St. Michael, and
which is supposed to have been the domestic chapel of
the Lenno.x family, while resident at the castle: attached
to it is a burying-ground, which has almost ceased to be
used. Some few traces of a castle are also found on
the hill of Shandon: from its name, " the old dun," it
would appear to be of greater antiquity than the castle
of Faslane; but nothing of its history has been preserved.
There are likewise some relics of ancient chapels
in Glenfruin and on the lands of Kirkmichael and Millig.
Henry Bell, Esq., civil engineer, and the successful promoter
of steam navigation, was a resident of this parish;
and his remains are interred in the churchyard.