Villages.-There is no village in the parish, except a small portion of Carron Shore, the greater part of which is in the parish of Larbert.

Means Communication.-The roads are, in general, kept in good repair by the Statute Labour; and there is easy access to every part of the country.

Ecclesiastical State.- There have been only five Presbyterian ministers in this parish since Epicopacy was abolished, viz.

Mr Lindsay, settled here in 1721;

Mr Penman, in 1744;

Mr Nimmo, in 1765;

Mr Dickson, in 1783; a

nd the present incumbent, in 1796.

There is a circumstance worthy of notice, that, while in every other parish in Scotland there was a great aversion to Episcopacy, this parish was so much attached to it, that they kept their minister, Mr Skinner, a most worthy man, from 1688 till 1721; and had he not then resigned his situation, it is probable he would have died among them in the full exercise of his ministerial functions. While the law of patronage was established in every other part of Scotland, the inhabitants of Bothkennar have enjoyed the invaluable privilege, from the days of the Revolution to the present time, of choosing their own ministers, through the indulgence, in the first instance, of the Crown, and, latterly, the Grahams of Airth, into whose hands it came. The consequence of this indulgence is, that the people are much attached to the Established Church, and there are not above six or seven families of Dissenters in the parish, all of whom, except One, have come from other parishes. It is to be regretted that the family of Airth, a very few years ago, sold the patronage for L. 2420. It is at present again in the market, but not yet sold. A new church was built in 1789, and, though not distinguished for external ornaments, it is one of the most comfortable in the neighbourhood, and more than sufficient for the accommodation of the parish. A new manse was built in 1816, at an expense of L.1575, and is, to the honour of the heritors, the best in the county. The stipend is 17 chalders of victual; and the teinds are exhausted. The glebe consists of four Scotch acres of the best land. The Earl of Zetland has reclaimed from the Frith of Forth, by embankments, about 200 acres, which have not as yet been subjected to the payment of any part of the minister's stipend. There are still 800 acres which are left dry by the tides twice every twenty-four hours, and which will certainly, at no distant period, be recovered from the sea.

Education.-There is no other school than the parochial, the salary of which is the maximum. The heritors, with their accustomed liberality, built a school and schoolmaster's house in 1830, at an expense of L. 600, and they have allotted to the schoolmaster the fourth of a Scotch acre for garden ground. The number of scholars is, at an average, about 60. The branches taught are, English grammar, arithmetic, writing, geography, mathematics, Latin, and Greek.

Poor.-From the parish being almost altogether rural, the poor roll seldom contains more than six, who receive a weekly allowance of from 6d. to is., with an occasional supply of coals and clothing (luring the winter season. The collections at the church door amount to about L. is annually. The late John Ogilvie, Esq. of Gairdoch, bequeathed, about twenty years ago, to the native poor of the parish, L. 500, which is lodged in the public funds, and the interest of which is to be laid out in the purchase of meal, when the price exceeds the average of the last seven years by one-fourth part, according to the fiars of the county. James Watt, Esq. a native of the parish, and a merchant in London, bequeathed also L. 100 to the native poor, which is under the management of the heritors and kirk-session.

Fairs.-There are no fairs in the parish. The market-town is Falkirk, to which the produce is principally carried.

lnns.-There are six public-houses, five of which are in the village of Carron Shore.

Fuel -The inhabitants enjoy an abundant supply of the best coal, at the rate of 7s. per ton.