80 Prof. Forbes on (he Topography and Geology of the 



From this plan it will be perceived that the Cuchullin hills 

 consist of two principal ranges, at right angles to one an- 

 other, parallel to one of which lies Loch Coruisk in a valley 

 formed by a secondary chain parallel to that of Garsven, of 

 which one part is called Strona Strec, or the Hill of Strife, 

 owing to a jealous contest (it is said) between neighbouring 

 proprietors in ancient times, for this particularly worthless 

 piece of bare rock. To the NE. of Loch Coruisk lies another 

 valley called Hart-o-Corry, and these two valleys are the 

 only interior ones of the group ; the exterior being, how- 

 ever, fissured by numerous savage corries, which we shall 

 presently describe. The chief peaks of the CuchuUins are of 

 not very unequal elevation ; and having been unprovided 

 with any telescopic level, I am not prepared to affirm that 

 the Scuir-na-Gillean (or rock of the young men, named, it is 

 said, from the untimely fate met with by some who attempted 

 to climb it), which forms the bold and magnificent termina- 

 tion of the group towards Loch Sligachan, is, beyond doubt, 

 the highest of the chain. One very acute summit of the 

 western range, named on the map, Scuir-na-Panachtich 

 {smallpox rock), appears to be as high, and one or two others 

 (including Ben Blaven) not much lower. 



The ascent of Scuir-na-Gillean was deemed impossible at 

 the time of my first visit in 1836. Talking of it with an ac- 

 tive forester in the service of Lord Macdonaldj named Dun- 

 can Macintyre, whom I engaged to guide me to Coruisk from 

 Sligachan, he told me that he had attempted it repeatedly 

 without success, both by himself and also with diff'erent 

 strangers, who had engaged him for the purpose ; but he in» 

 dicated a way diff'erent from those which he had tried, which 

 he thought might be more successful. I engaged him to 

 accompany me, and the next day (July 7.) we succeeded in 

 gaining the top ; the extreme roughness of the rocks (all 

 Hypersthene) rendering the ascent safe, where, with any 

 other formation, it might have been considerably perilous. 

 Indeed, I have never seen a rock so adapted for clambering. 

 At that time I erected a cairn and temporary flag, which 

 stood, I was informed, a whole year ; but having no baro- 

 meter, I could not ascei-tain the height, which I estimated at 



