if04 A Purvey and 'Refnrt of the Cdajli 



the communications with Rofs-(hire, Sutherland, and Caith- 

 fiefs ; they are equally fo for the north-weft coaft of the main 

 land, and the northern parts of the Hebrides; thev are the 

 roots from which a great number of branches of roads are to 

 proceed, which are neceflary for the improvement of the 

 country and the extenfion of the fiflieries. 



Before entering upon the confideration of the roads to the 

 north of the line of the Caledonian canal, it is neceflary to 

 fpeak of the communications from Glafgow and Greenock 

 by Argylefhire to Fort William. From Glafgow there is al- 

 ready a road, which pafTe* through Dumbarton up the weft 

 fide of Loch Lomond, by ihe upper ends of Loch Long and 

 Loch Fyne to Inverary. From Greenock, by croffing the 

 frith of the Clyde, there is a road which pafles up the eaft 

 lide of Gare Loch and Loch Long, and joins the road to 

 Inverary at the top of Loch Long. From Inverary there is 

 one road which paftes the upper end of Loch Awe, and an- 

 other which croftes that loch by a ferry at Port Sonachan ; 

 and thefe roads unite at Bunawe, on the banks of Loch 

 Etive. From Bunawe the road is already made to Oban, 

 and a branch crofTcs Loch Etive and pafTes along the ibuth 

 fide of the Linnhe Loch and Loch Eil to Fort William. 

 Between Bunawe and Fort William there are three ferries, 

 over arm.<i of the Tea, which running many miles into the 

 land, cannot well be avoided : in other refpc£ts, the commu- 

 nication from Glafgow and Grenock, thus far, is tolerably 

 g(K)d. The Highland Society, in the excellent report to 

 which I ftiall frequently have occafion to refer, and which 

 may be found in the appendix*, have pointed out a new line 

 of road from the north fide of the Frith of Clyde, nearly 

 oppofue to Greenock, to be carried to the Bay of Slrachan 

 upon Loch Fvne : this would be a very dirci^ line from 

 Greenock to Inverary, but it would be Tiihjo6l to two fer- 

 ries, and it feems doubtful whether this inconvenience would 

 not overbalance the additional diftance round the upper end 

 of the lochs; at leaft, as there is already a very good com- 

 munication by this road, it feems moft prudent to attend to 

 the other more neceflary portions of road before this is un- 

 dertaken. 



From Fort William it will be very adviftabic to improve 

 and extend the road which pafles along the north fide of the 

 portion of Loch Eil which tunis from Fort Williain. to the 

 weft, and to carry it from thence acrofs the upper end of 

 Locli Shiel, through Arrafaig to Morer, as defcribed in the 



* Tliis Ihal! ap^ar in our nexr Number. 



report 



