Buchanan, a parish in the extreme W of Stirlingshire, bounded NW by Arrochar in Dumbartonshire, NE by Callander in Perthshire and by 2¼ miles of the upper waters of Loch Katrine, E by Aberfoyle in Perthshire and by Drymen, S by the 4½ last miles of the winding, impetuous Endrick, dividing it from Kilmaronock in Dumbartonshire, and W by an imaginary line drawn up the middle of Loch Lomond from Endrick Mouth to Island Vow Castle. It thus includes the islands of Clairinch, Inchcailloch, Inchfad, and Inchcruin, with two or three tinier islets, and contains the steamboat piers of Balmaha, Rowerdennan, and Inversnaid; while its church, in the S, is 2½ miles WNW of the post-village, and 41/8 miles NW of the station, of Drymen. From NNW to SSE its greatest length is 183/8 miles; its width from E to W varies between 2¼ and 6 miles; and its area is 47,804½ acres, of which 6206 are water. Some forty burns, the largest of them Arklet Water, run to Loch Lomond from Buchanan, whose Callander boundary is traversed by Glengyle Water, and which contains the southern head-streams of the Forth, as well as Lochs Arklet (9 ½ x 3 furl.), Cruachain, and Dubh. Loch Katrine lies 364, Loch Lomond 23, feet above sea-level; and from the wooded shore of the latter the surface rises, from N to S, into the following summits, of which those marked with an asterisk culminate on the borders of the parish:-*Stob nan Eighrach (2011 feet), *Beinn a' Choin (2524), Creag an Fhithich (1143), Stob an Fhainne (2144), Maol Mor (2249), Cruachan (1762) *Beinn Uaimhe (1962), Cruinn a' Bheinn (2077), Creag a' Bhocain (1613), *Beinn Dubh (1675), *Mulan an't-Sagairt (1398), Ben Lomond (3192), Ptarmigan (2398), Beinn a Bhan (1854), Sron Aonaich (1893), Coille Mhor Hill (763), Beinn Uird (1957), Dun Dhamh (996), *Beinn Bhreac (1922), Tom Soilleir (1375), *Gualann (1514), Bhreac Leac (1059), Conic Hill (1175), and Bad Ochainaich (852). Of the whole area 4250 acres are under wood, and but 2800 in tillage, these chiefly in the SW corner of the parish, a strip of Strathendrick, and the one part that is not mountainous. Here stand the church at 127, and Buchanan Castle at 50, feet above the sea, this latter being 1¼ mile W of Drymen, 1¾ mile E of Loch Lomond, and 3 furlongs from the right bank of the Endrick. Successor to an earlier mansion, destroyed by fire in January 1850, it commands from its finely-wooded park and grounds magnificent views of the lovely surrounding landscape, and is the seat of Douglas Beresford-Graham, fifth Duke of Montrose (b. 1852; suc. 1874), who owns 103,760 acres (including all this parish) in Stirling, Perth, and Dumbarton shires, valued at £23,100 per annum. From 1231 and earlier Buchanan was held by Buchanans of that ilk, part of whose ancient Peel yet stands 200 paces from the Castle, and upon whose extinction in 1 682 the estate was purchased by the third Marquis of Montrose, in 1707 created first Duke, and also Marquis of Graham and Buchanan. Apart from these families, the parish has memories of Rob Roy and Rob Roy's sons, of General Wolfe and Wordsworth; but these are noticed under separate headings, where, too, its special features are described. Formed in 1621 by the union of the ancient parish of Inchcailloch and an outlying portion of Luss, it is in the presbytery of Dumbarton and synod of Glasgow and Ayr, its minister's income amounting to £272. The church, repaired in 1828, contains 300 sittings; and two public schools, Buchanan and Inversnaid, with respective accommodation for 52 and 43 children, had (1879) an average attendance of 29 and 8, and grants of £36,8s. and £22,7s. Valuation (1881) £8435,13s. Pop. (1801) 748, (1851) 632, (1871) 591, (1881) 550.—Ord. Sur., sh. 38,1871.
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errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from
the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be
different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original
text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity.
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