Collace

   COLLACE, a parish, in the county of Perth; including the villages of Kinrossie and Saucher, and containing 702 inhabitants, of whom 191 are in the village of Collace, 7 miles (N. E.) from Perth. Collace is chiefly celebrated as having been the residence of the well-known Macbeth, Thane of Glammis, who erected his castle on the hill of Dunsinnan, a lofty and insulated eminence in the parish, rising 1024½ feet above the level of the sea, and the oval summit of which is 169 yards in length, and 89 in mean breadth. Here this usurper of the Scottish crown held his court; but on the approach of Malcolm, whose father Duncan he had murdered, with the English army commanded by Siwald, Duke of Northumberland, he fled northward, and was overtaken and slain at Lumphanan, in Aberdeenshire. His castle was immediately razed, and the remains of it destroyed by fire. The parish lies in the vale of Strathmore, on the north side of the Sidlaw ridge of hills; it is about two miles long, and of nearly the same breadth, and contains about 3000 acres. The surface in general is flat, except towards the hills, where it is too steep for the plough. From Dunsinnan hill fine prospects are commanded of the surrounding country in every direction, and the long stretched-out and lofty Grampians are seen to rear their heads in apparently endless succession. The soil mostly consists of a light dark-coloured loam, mixed in some places with clay, and resting upon a heavy red sand. The number of acres under tillage is 1747; 100 are in pasture, and 560 are under wood, consisting chiefly of Scotch fir and larch. Potatoes and oats are the chief produce, but all kinds of grain and green crops are cultivated, of good quality, improvements in husbandry having been commenced at a very early period, and carried on with great success. Much attention has been given to the breed of cattle and horses, many of which are kept, and the farm-houses and buildings especially vie with those of the best parishes. The prevailing rock is sandstone, from two quarries, of which an abundant supply is obtained for the whole parish. The rateable annual value of the parish is £2751.

   The chief mansion is Dunsinnan House, which has recently been much enlarged and improved; it formerly belonged to Lord Dunsinnan, a senator of the college of justice, and member of the high court of justiciary, who died in 1812. The manufacture of yarn into cloth is carried on to a considerable extent, upwards of a hundred looms being in full operation. The raw material is obtained from Dundee by persons whose business it is to purchase it in large quantities, and, when worked up into webs, is returned to the same place, where it meets with a ready market. The Perth turnpike-road traverses the parish for about two miles. The ecclesiastical affairs are subject to the presbytery of Perth and synod of Perth and Stirling; patron, the Crown. The manse and offices are commodious, and there is a glebe worth about £12 per annum; the stipend is £155. 15., of which £87 are received from the exchequer. The church, built in 1813, is a handsome structure, with a square tower, surmounted by minarets, and contains 400 sittings; it is situated on an elevated ground, surrounded with venerable trees, and is much admired for its commanding locality. A place of worship has been erected in connexion with the Free Church. There is a parochial school, in which every branch of instruction may be obtained; the master has excellent accommodations, with the maximum salary, and £27 fees. A parochial library, also, has been recently established.