Identifier: imperialgazettscv2wils (find matches)
Title: The imperial gazetteer of Scotland; or, Dictionary of Scottish topography, compiled from the most recent authorities, and forming a complete body of Scottish geography, physical, statistical, and historical
Year: 1868 (1860s)
Authors: Wilson, John Marius
Subjects:
Publisher: London A. Fullarton
Contributing Library: National Library of Scotland
Digitizing Sponsor: National Library of Scotland

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
1861,2,723. Houses, 448. LEVEN-BANK. See Bonhili,.LEVEN-CASTLE.- See Innerkip.LEVENFIELD. See Bonhill.LEVEN (Loch), a beautiful sheet of water inKinross- shire. It lies in the south-eastern part ofthat small county, receiving all its drainage on thenorth, the west, and the south, and discharging itssuperfluence by the river Leven on the east. It hasan elevation of about 360 feet above the levelof thesea; and its annual average fluctuation in height isabout 3 feet. Its outline is somewhat oval, withthe longer axis extending east-south-eastward; itscircumference is between 8 and 9 miles; and itsarea is about 4,000 acres. A partial drainage of itwas effected about 20 years ago, under an act ofparliament, at the cost of about £40,000; and thisreduced its area to the amount of about 1,000 acres.,chiefly on the eastern side, yielding up land whichwas mostly all of a whitish, arenaceous kind, andof small value. The surrounding scenery is pre-dominantly soft and gentle, yet has bold features
Text Appearing After Image:
w< -. \ . LEVEN. 329 LEVEN. on the east and south, and is altogether a piece ofline landscape. See Kinross-shire. The mediumdepth of the lake, since the draining took place, isabout 14 feet. Its trout have always been famedfor fine flavour and a peculiar high colour; but theyhave decreased both in number and in quality sincethe draining. There are several islets in the lake; but only twoof them challenge notice,—the one called St. Serfsisland, in the south-east, belonging to the parish ofPortmoak ; and the other called Castle island, con-taining the famous castle of Loch-Leven, once theprison of Queen Mary, within a short distance ofthe town of Kinross on the west. The island of St.Serf lias an area of about 80 acres, and lies 5 fur-longs from Portmoak-proper on the eastern shore.On this island anciently stood a priory, dedicated toSt. Serf or St. Servanus; and at Portmoak were thesite of its church, and the landing-place of itsmonks. The first superior of the priory, or of aCuld

Note About Images