32 ON THE AGEICULTUKE OF 



seen that injustice was being done, and in 1856, the late Duke 

 of Hamilton erected a substantial wall between the low ground 

 and the high ground, about 7 or 8 miles in length, and put on a 

 stock of improved blackfaced sheep, and it is now let as a sheep- 

 farm. There are still several of these commons in the north end 

 of the island. 



Other improvements suggested by the statistical writers in 

 1840, were, a road from Lochranza to Sannox, a bridge over 

 Ashdale burn, and a good pier at Brodick, all ofVhich were com- 

 pleted several years ago, but bridges over the rivers of North and 

 South Sannox, and good piers at Lamlash, Blackwater, and Loch- 

 ranza are still awanting. There is a pier at Lamlash, but it is 

 only accessible at high water, and the Campbeltown and Glasgow 

 steamers touch at Lochranza, where a ferry-boat meets them every 

 day in summer, and four times a week in winter, but there 

 is no direct communication of any sort between the west side of the 

 island and the mainland. All the produce from that quarter 

 has to be carted over the hills to Brodick, where there is a splendid 

 new pier, from which there is direct communication daily with 

 Glasgow and the west coast during summer, and by the way 

 of Ardrossan four times a week during winter, in addition to a 

 goods steamer, which sails between Glasgow and Arran once 

 a- week all the year round. 



The roads throughout the island, although bearing little evidence 

 of thought being expended on their first formation, are kept in 

 excellent repair at the joint expense of landlord and tenants. 

 The smaller tenants are all bound to work six days of nine hours 

 each, annually, and the larger tenants have to pay a certain 

 amount in proportion to their rent, towards the upkeep of the 

 roads. No part of Arran is now without a good road ; but some 

 of these roads are very steep, especially those that cross the 

 island from side to side. Literally, almost, the traveller ascends the 

 hills on all-fours, and tumbles down the other side head-fore- 

 most. The makers of the roads seemingly followed the line of 

 the sheep-walks, and hence the peculiarly steep nature of many 

 of them. 



An old inhabitant may still be met with who remembers 

 when there were few or no roads, and no wheeled carts in Arran ; 

 when the ponies were a small diminutive breed — six or seven 

 of them being necessary to draw the wooden plough then in use ; 

 and the produce of the soil was carried in " creels " slung on the 

 ponies' backs. The old inhabitant of Arran can remember many 

 things, amongst others, the time when a man might be seen holding 

 the plough-handles, a woman led the ponies, and a boy or girl 

 drove them. He can also remember when there were no steamers 

 between Glasgow and Arran, and no Glasgow visitors to make a. 

 living off 1 



