Lundie and Fowlis

   LUNDIE and FOWLIS, two districts, constituting a parish, the former in the county of Forfar, and the latter in the county of Perth; containing, with the hamlet of Kirk, 734 inhabitants, of whom 286 are in Fowlis, and 448 in Lundie, 6 miles (N. W. by W.) from Dundee. Of these two ancient parishes, united by a decree of the High Commissioners in 1618, Lundie derives its name, in the Gaelic Linn-De, signifying, "the pool of God," from a very extensive lake which formed its chief feature: the other district, of which no etymology is known, is often distinguished by the adjunct Easter from the parish of Fowlis Wester, in the same county. Lundie is bounded on the north by the Sidlaw hills; it is about three miles in length and two in breadth, and comprises 4000 acres, of which 2500 are arable, 140 water, and the remainder meadow and hill pasture. Fowlis district is bounded on the north by Lundie, and is about four miles in extreme length, and rather more than one mile in average breadth, comprising an area of 2400 acres, of which nearly 1500 are arable, 160 woodland and plantations, 260 meadow and pasture, and the remainder moor and waste. The surface of Lundie is gently undulating in the central parts, and bounded on the west, north, and east by hills of considerable elevation, of which the Sidlaws rise to the height of 800 feet above the level of the sea. At the base of these hills are four lakes, from which, though much diminished in their extent by draining, the river Dighty issues in two streams, flowing through the valley to which it gives name. Of these lakes, that of Lundie, formerly covering 100 acres, is now reduced to little more than eight; the Long loch is about half a mile in length and one quarter of a mile broad, but the Pitlyal and Balshandie lakes are only of small size. There was formerly a lake of some extent in Fowlis; but it was drained long since for the sake of the marl, and little more of it remains than a reedy marsh frequented by various kinds of aquatic fowl. The other lakes abound with perch, pike, and eels. The higher grounds command extensive and interesting views of the surrounding country; and from the summit of Blacklaw, the only hill of any eminence in Fowlis, is obtained a richly-diversified and beautiful prospect. The glen of this district, a thickly-wooded and deep ravine extending southward from the church, contains much romantic scenery.

   The soil is generally a deep black loam, well adapted for all sorts of grain; but is on the higher grounds thin and sharp; and in the lower parts are considerable tracts of marshy land, the greater portion of which has, however, been reclaimed by draining, and is now under profitable cultivation. The chief crops are oats and barley, with a moderate quantity of wheat, and the usual green crops; the system of agriculture is greatly improved. The lands are partly inclosed with fences of thorn; the farm buildings and offices are substantial and well arranged, and all the more recent improvements in the construction of implements have been adopted. The pastures are rich, and much attention is paid to the management of the dairy-farms, and to the breed of live stock; the cattle are of the Angus breed, occasionally crossed with the Teeswater, and the sheep of the Cheviot and Leicestershire breed, with a few of the black-faced kind. The produce of the dairies finds a ready sale in the market of Dundee. The substratum of the parish is chiefly common grey freestone, which prevails in the lower parts; the hills are mostly of trap. The rateable annual value of Lundie is £3261, and of Fowlis £3270. There is no regular village, the population being exclusively agricultural, with the exception of a small number who are employed in the several trades requisite for the supply of the parish. Facility of communication with the neighbouring towns is afforded by the Dundee and Cupar-Angus turnpike-road, which intersects the parish; and by the Carse of Gowrie road, from which Fowlis is not more than a mile distant. Fairs are held at Lundie in June and August, for the sale of cattle. The ecclesiastical affairs are under the superintendence of the presbytery of Dundee and synod of Angus and Mearns: the minister's stipend is £201, with a manse, and a glebe valued at £9 per annum; patron, the Earl of Camperdown. The church of Lundie is a plain neat structure in good repair, and contains 330 sittings. The church of Fowlis is a very ancient and beautiful structure, having been erected about the year 1142, traditionally in fulfilment of a vow for the safe return of her husband from the crusades, by a Lady Mortimer; it is a remarkably fine specimen of the richest style of Norman architecture, in the most perfect state of preservation, and abounding in interesting details: there are about 300 sittings. A parochial school is supported in each district; the masters have each a salary of £30, with a house and garden, and fees averaging about £25 per annum. A subscription library, of which the schoolmaster has the superintendence, has been established at Fowlis, and contains about 600 volumes. Admiral Duncan, who signalised himself by his intrepidity during the mutiny of the Nore, and by his brilliant victory over the Dutch fleet off Camperdown, was one of the chief proprietors of this parish; he died in 1804, and was interred in the churchyard of Lundie. In a handsome mausoleum adjoining the church are the remains of Sir William Duncan, Bart., M.D., and his lady, the daughter of Sackville, Earl of Thanet. The present Earl of Camperdown, son of the gallant admiral, and proprietor of Lundie, was promoted from a viscounty to an earldom by that title at the coronation of his late Majesty, William IV., and takes the inferior title of Baron Duncan of Lundie from this place. In the church of Fowlis are the remains of Lord Gray, of whose ancestors and family it has been the burial-place for many generations.