THE SCOTS MAGAZINE, AND Edinburgh Literary Miscellany, FOR OCTOBER 1815: With a View of HARTREE, with the Village of BIGGAR, and the Ruins of the Castle of BOGHALL at a distance. CONTENTS: Page ib. By 724 ..... 728 Register of the Weather for October,... 722 732 737 739 Proceedings of the Caledonian Horti- 746 ments now carrying on in Edinburgh, 742 Narrative of the Destruction of the Ship Perseverance; related by the Supercargo, Seventh Keport of the Commissioners appointed for superintending the making of Roads, and Building of Bridges, in the Highlands of Scotland, (concluded from page 664,).... 748 On the Causes of our Domestic Embarrassments, and of the Depreciation of Property, Extracts from the Caledonian Mercury of 1660-61, (continued from p. 674), 758 -Honours paid to the Body of the Marquis of Montrose,........ -Punishment of Delinquents,.......... 760 -Advertisements,. 754 ib. 761 THE Scots Magazine, AND EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY, For OCTOBER 1815. Description of the annexed View. WE have this month given a view of Hartree, the seat of Col. Alexander Dickson-with the village of Biggar, and the ruins of the castle of Boghall, seen in the distance. Hartree is a handsome, modern house, built by the present proprietor, who, most usefully to the neighbour hood, has spent much of his life there. It lies close to the site of the old mansion-house of Hartree, which was one of the fortified stations running along the line of mountains that divide the middle country from the borders. We somewhat regret the removal of this old place for though aware that it. was by no means beautiful, we know that a fine effect must always be produced by a ruin seen among trees; and besides, we have an instinctive veneration for walls that are eight feet thick, not to mention towers, which always with us are inter sacra. These remarks we make with much submission to the worthy Colonel, whose public spirit and urbanity of manners have secured for him a very general respect and regard. There are, in this neighbourhood, the remains of several encampments, which, if history supported our conjecture, we should imagine to be Danish, from their circular form. The high land above Biggar is the traditionary ground on which the English army lay, the night before its defeat by Wallace, in the battle which bears the name of this place. The castle of Boghall, once situated in a marsh, and defended by a moat, though now approached on all hands by corn-fields, was anciently the seat of the noble family of Wigton, and now belongs to that of Elphinstone. It is in a state of rapid decay, which, we are ashamed to understand, was accelerated some years ago by the appropriation of a part of its materials to the erection of a dog-kennel! It is still, however, a ruin of considerable interest; and we would entreat the proprietor to save it, and adorn the spot, by surrounding it with planting. It appears to have been one of the strongest and most extensive fortresses in the south of Scotland. The town of Biggar, which lies very prettily, has the aspect, at a distance, of an English village. But its connexion with the parent country is fully vindicated on a nearer approach, by numerous objects both of sight and smell, which leave no room to doubt of its true geography. It enjoys every facility, however, for cleanliness; and the people alone are to blame, if it possess a different charac ter. The church, which was collegiate, and richly endowed, was dedicated to "the blessed Mary of Biggar," and is by no means a contemptible building. Its appearance is considerably injured by the whitewashing of one |