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State of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THERMOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning before fun-rife, and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from January ift to 31ft, within one mile of the Castle of Edinburgh.

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THE

EDINBURGH MAGAZINE,

O R

LITERARY MISCELLANY,
FOR JANUARY 1796.

DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEW.

LORD OLIPHANT's Caftle is fituated in the parish of Morlach, and upper diftrict of Banff-fhire. On the north there is a circular fweep of kills, whofe declivities fall down into a deep bottom, in the midst of which there is a fmall lake formed by the streams that trickle down the fides of the hills; the borders of the lake are enriched with extensive plantations, which make a pleafing inclofure to the piece of water called Loch Park. The rivulet running from this loch gives the name of Strath-Ina to a very fertile and valuable diftrict of the country; in which, increafing its waters as it winds' along, and gliding through the barony of Keith, it is at length poured over the rocks near to the most precipitous parts of which the remains of Lord Oliphant's Caftle ftands, and forms the picturefque cascade, of which some idea is given in the annexed plate. The fituation of Milltown, on the adjacent banks of the rivulet, is altogether romantic, and forms a pleafing village; the advantages of level fields, and command of water for mills, bleaching, &c. has raifed the neighbouring town of Keith into fome confiderable importance, as a place where the thread and linen manufactures are carried on with fuccefs. When admiring the fituation of the tower and its demelues, Lord Oliphant feems

to demand great credit as a man of tafte, for placing his refidence in fo wildly rural a fcene: but on perceiving that it is not the flight fimple edifice of a country feat, open around, and eafy of accefs; but a fpecies of fortrefs walled about with jealous care, placed on peninfulated precipices, constructed with these small embrazures, from which they might fearless annoy approaching enemies, and prevent the affailants attack, the illusion of the fancied choice vanifhes, and lefs pleafing motives are feen to have determined the place of abode.

In the reign of Alexander the Second, most of the lands in the barony of Keith were devoted, at the inftance of that monarch, to fupport and add fplendor to the establishments of the See of Moray; and Bricius, the then celebrated bishop, employed the revenue arifing from them accordingly; chapels were endowed, to accommodate the feveral parts of the district with the evangelical inftitutions. The prefent kick of Keith occupies the walls of a Catholic building. When adding, fome years ago, to the altar end of it, they dug up many tombftones, which had lain for centuries buried in the ground; on one was fculptured a mitred abbot, unknown; for either no infcription had been added to the effigy, or is now irrecoverA 2

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