Carse
Encyclopedia
In Scottish geography
, a Carse (the modern form of older Scots
kerse) is an area of low-lying, typically alluvial and fertile land occupying certain Scottish river valleys, such as that of the River Forth
.
to the north, from which it is separated by the Ochil Fault
. The carse is generally so flat that, except in the case of alluvial fan
s, such as that on which the small town of Alva
is situated, it has only reached a height of about 9 metres above sea level at the Ochil Fault
, typically two or more miles from the river.
In the case of the River Forth
, the carse extends some considerable distance above and below Stirling
, where due to constraints such as the Abbey Craig
to the north and the castle rock, on which the town is based, to the south, it is very narrow.
The carse typically offers good agricultural land, however underlying the topsoil and alluvium is glacial boulder clay. In other places, especially in the west, the carse was overlain by peat bogs such as Flanders Moss
, much of which has been cleared to improve agriculture.
Geography of Scotland
The geography of Scotland is highly varied, from rural lowlands to barren uplands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. Located in north-west Europe, Scotland comprises the northern one third of the island of Great Britain...
, a Carse (the modern form of older Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
kerse) is an area of low-lying, typically alluvial and fertile land occupying certain Scottish river valleys, such as that of the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
.
Carse of Forth
The Carse of Forth contrasts with the Ochil HillsOchil Hills
The Ochil Hills is a range of hills in Scotland north of the Forth valley bordered by the towns of Stirling, Alloa, Kinross and Perth. The only major roads crossing the hills pass through Glen Devon/Glen Eagles and Glenfarg, the latter now largely replaced except for local traffic by the M90...
to the north, from which it is separated by the Ochil Fault
Ochil Fault
The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment, Scotland.North of the fault, Devonian lava flows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. These are in part overlain by Old Red Sandstone rocks formed later in the...
. The carse is generally so flat that, except in the case of alluvial fan
Alluvial fan
An alluvial fan is a fan-shaped deposit formed where a fast flowing stream flattens, slows, and spreads typically at the exit of a canyon onto a flatter plain. A convergence of neighboring alluvial fans into a single apron of deposits against a slope is called a bajada, or compound alluvial...
s, such as that on which the small town of Alva
Alva
- People :*A. Shanker Alva , Indian politician and lawyer*Bartolomé de Alva , Novohispanic mestizo secular priest and Nahuatl translator*Jeevaraj Alva , Indian politician...
is situated, it has only reached a height of about 9 metres above sea level at the Ochil Fault
Ochil Fault
The Ochil Fault is the geological feature which defines the southern edge of the Ochil Hills escarpment, Scotland.North of the fault, Devonian lava flows and pyroclastic deposits slope gently down, thinning towards the north. These are in part overlain by Old Red Sandstone rocks formed later in the...
, typically two or more miles from the river.
In the case of the River Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
, the carse extends some considerable distance above and below Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, where due to constraints such as the Abbey Craig
Abbey Craig
The Abbey Craig is the hill upon which the Wallace Monument stands, at Causewayhead, just to the north of Stirling, Scotland.The Abbey Craig is part of a complex quartz-dolerite intrusion or sill within carboniferous strata, at the western edge of the Central Coal Field, known as the Stirling Sill...
to the north and the castle rock, on which the town is based, to the south, it is very narrow.
The carse typically offers good agricultural land, however underlying the topsoil and alluvium is glacial boulder clay. In other places, especially in the west, the carse was overlain by peat bogs such as Flanders Moss
Flanders Moss
Flanders Moss is an area of bogland in the Carse of Stirling in central Scotland.It lies between the villages of Thornhill to the north and Kippen to the south....
, much of which has been cleared to improve agriculture.
Other carses
- Carse of GowrieGowrieGowrie may refer to several places:* Gowrie, a province in Scotland** Carse of Gowrie, the southern part of Gowrie noted for its farmlandGowrie may also refer to:* Gowrie, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, Australia...
, near BlairgowrieBlairgowrie and RattrayBlairgowrie and Rattray and Raitear is possibly from an English language cognate of Gaelic ràth, meaning fortress + a Pictish term cognate with Welsh tref, meaning settlement) is a twin burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Amongst locals, the town is colloquially known simply as "Blair"... - Carse of LecroptLecroptLecropt is a rural parish lying to the west of Bridge of Allan, Scotland.The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Estate owned by the landed Stirling family...
- Carse of Stirling
- Carse of Ae
- Carse of Falkirk
- Carse of Blair DrummondBlair DrummondBlair Drummond is a small rural community near Stirling in Scotland, predominantly located along the A84 road.-Description:...
- Friar's CarseFriar's CarseFriars' Carse is a mansion house and estate situated southeast of Auldgirth on the main road to Dumfries, Parish of Dunscore, Scotland. The property is located on the west bank of the River Nith and is known for its strong associations with Robert Burns who lived for a while at the nearby...