PARISH OF PORTMOAK.

THIS PARISH, containing the villages, or rather hamlets, of Kinnesswood, Scotland Well, and Balgedie, is on the east side of the County. It is hounded on the west and north by Loch Leven and the parishes of Orwell and Strathmiglo, on the east by Strathmiglo, Falkland, and Leslie, and on the south by Anchterderran, Ballingry, and Cleish. Its extreme length from north-west to south-east is nearly six and a half miles, and its greatest breadth, which is on the south border, is three and a half miles. Its form is very irregular, being nearly cut into two portions by the indentation of Loch Leven on the west, and a detached section of Ballingry on the south-east. The total area is about 10,000 acres, nearly three-fourths of which is arable ; about 600 are under meadow and wood, and what remains is chiefly hill pasture. The soil of most of the arable land is light, early, and very fertile. The Bishop Hill is in the Parish, and occupies a large portion of the area in the north-east, rising in beautiful undulations on .the north-north-east, and breaking precipitously at the opposite end. It extends in a ridge whose summit-line is from one and a half mile to two and a fourth miles distant from the east side of Loch Leven, and it attains an extreme altitude of 1150 feet above the level of Loch Leven, or 1492 feet above the sea. A large portion of its fine braes is under cultivation. Benarty Hill, very similar in form, and attaining an elevation of 1167 feet, runs its summit-line along the southern boundary. Those portions of the Parish not occupied by these hills consists of narrow hanging plains at their base ; and the whole surface is a "rich landscape of braes, crags, meadows, fertile fields, and -thriving plantations, reflecting their beautiful surface from the mirror of Loch Leven." Limestone occurs in great abundance, and is wrought to the extent of several thousand tons a year. Wells of pure water are numerous on the west side of the Bishop Hill, and in one place near the village of Scotland Well there are three not far from each other, which emit as much as, with a suitable fall, would drive a mill.

The Parish is traversed by the road from Leslie to Milnathort, and by that from Scotland Well to Gairney Bridge. The Fife and Kinross Railway skirts the northern border, and the Kinross-shire Railway touches the south-western section of the Parish.

The hamlets of Scotland Well, Kinnesswood, and Balgedie, are all on the road leading front Leslie to Milnathort. Kinnesswood was the birthplace of Michael Bruce, the bard of Loch Leven. A neat monument was erected to his memory in Portmoak Parish Church, in 1842. Andrew Winton, the chronicler, was a native of the Parish ; and the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine, one of the founders of the Secession Church, was its minister during some of the years of his connection with the Established Church. Scotland Well may be styled the capital of the

Parish, as there the Parish Church and the Free Church are situated. Portmoak itself was, previous to the drainage, on the margin of the lake, and consists of nothing more than a farm steading, and a deserted burying-ground surrounded by a few trees. Here once stood a religious house of a very ancient order, according to Keith, taking its name from St Moak, and having the adjunct of Port, from the spot being the landing-place from the Priory of St Serf, which has been already noticed in the introduction to the County.

The Parish Church, which was built in 1840, contains 850 sittings. There are also a Free Church at Portmoak, and a U. P. Church at Balgedie. Besides the Parish School, which is at Scotland Well, there are a Free Church School at Wood-march, and a Subscription School at Kinnesswood.

For Postal Arrangements see Kinross.

BLACKSMITHS.

Finlay, William, Greenside

Reid, Thomas, Balgedie

BOOT & SHOEMAKERS.

Dunn, William, Kinnesswood

Malcolm, Nathaniel, do

CARRIERS.

McCathie, Alexander, from Kinnesswood to Kirkcaldy, every Monday and Friday 1

Wallace, Ebenezer, from Kinnesswood, to Kirkcaldy, every Thursday

Young, Robert, from Leslie, by Kinnesswood, to Milnathort, &c., every Monday and Friday, and to Glasgow, every Monday

CARTERS & LAND LABOURERS.

Low, William, Channel of Pittendreich

Rintoul, James, Kinnesswood

Ritchie, Thomas, Scotland Well

Thomson, Walter, Balgedie

Wallace, George, Kinnesswood

Wright, Andrew, Scotland Well

Young, David, Balgedie

CLERGY.

Mackelvie, William, D.D., U. P. Church, Balgedie

Steel, John, Parish Church, Portmoak

Swinton, James, Free Church, do 1

DRESSMAKERS.

Fingies, Miss Jean, Kinnesswood

Law, Miss Margaret, Balgedie

Stewart, Miss Maria, Kinnesswood

FARMERS.

Arnott, David, Portmoak

Arnott, John, East Bowhouse

Arnott, John, Newlands

Arnott, Robert, Kinnesswood

Arthur, James, Kinnesswood Muirs

Barclay, David, Pittendreich

Beath, Alexander, Arnot Mill, by Leslie

Beath, James, Kinnesswood Muirs

Beveridge, John, Esq., Kinniston

Beveridge, Thos., East Brackly, by Kinross

Cuthbert, Francis, Arnot Mill, by Leslie

Dickie, Alexander, Grahamston

Dickie, John, Levenmouth

Forrest, George, Greenhead

Greig, David, Manorlees

Heggie, George, Scotland Well

Heggie, James, Kilmagadwood

Henderson, Robert, Wellburn

Kempie, James, West Bowhouse

Paterson, James, Finnity

Reid, John, Kirkness Scott, Walter, Peal

Skinner, James, Balgedie

Stobie, Thomas, Esq., Balnethil

Tod, Wm., Esq., West Brackly, by Kinross

Wallace, Peter, Balgedie Muirs

Wilson, Andrew, Butterwells

Wilson, David, Scotland Well

Wilson, James, Lochend Young, David, Balgedie

GENTRY & PEOPLE OF INDEPENDENT MEANS.

Arnott, Mr David, Scotland Well

Arnott, Mr Robert, Kinnesswood

Beveridge, John, Esq., Kinniston

Miller, Mr David, Kinnesswood

Scarlett, Mrs Robert, Scotland Well

Stobie, Thomas, Esq., Balnethil

Tod, Wm., Esq., West Brackly, by Kinross

Wilson, Mr Andrew, Lochend

Young, Mr David, Balgedie

GROCERS.

Beath, William, (& Temperance Refreshment Rooms) Kinnesswood

Drummond, John, do

Patterson, Robert, do

Ritchie, Thomas, Scotland Well

Scott, Mrs, do

Scott, John, Balgedie

Scott, Thomas, Kinnesswood

Semple, Haggart, (& Druggist) do

Wilson, Thomas, Scotland Well

JOINERS & WRIGHTS.

Finlay, James, Greenside

Law, Henry, Balgedie

Malcolm, Andrew, Scotland Well

Normand, Andrew, Blacknowes, by Kinross

Scott, Thomas, Kinnesswood

LIBRARY.

Portmoak Library, open daily, Mr Thomas Malcolm, Scotland Well, Librarian

SOCIETY.

Portmoak Total Abstinence Society, David Sime, Sec.

TAILORS.

Howie, John, Kinnesswood

Young, Thomas, do

TEACHERS Si; SCHOOLS.

Clark, Duncan, (& Collector of Poors' Rates) Free Church School, Woodmarch

Forrest, Simon, (& Registrar) Parish School, Scotland Well

Law, Miss Margaret, Female Industrial Department, Free Church School, Woodmarch

Small, John, (& Inspector of Poor) Sub scription School, Kinnesswood

VINTNERS.

Horne, William, Balgedie Toll

Low, Andrew, Scotland Well

Miller, Stewart, Kinnesswood

Rintoul, James, do

Ritchie, Thomas, Scotland Well

WEAVERS' AGENTS.

Drummond, John, Kinnesswood

Malcolm, Thomas, Scotland Well

Paterson, James, Kinnesswood

Paterson, Robert, do

MISCELLANEOUS.

Beath, David, Auctioneer, Arnot Mill, by Leslie

Cochrane, James, Manager of Gas Works, Kinnesswood

Cuthbert, Francis, Corn, Flour, & Barley

Miller, Arnot Mill, by Leslie

Fernie, Peter, Keeper of Sluices, Sluicehouse

Greig, William, Rabbit Catcher, Blacknowes, by Kinross

Hay, Thomas, Builder, Scotland Well

Miller, Stewart, Draper, Kinnesswood

Paterson, Hugh, Tea Dealer, do

Reid, David, Jun., Wire Fencer, Scotland Well

Syme, John, Grazier, West Balgedie

Wishart, John, Temperance Refreshment House, Auchmoor Bridge, by Leslie

Wright, Andrew, Sexton, Scotland Well

Young, James, Church Officer, Portmoak

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