485 



ARGYLE. 



ARGYLE. 



438 



and rugged of all the Hebrides ; 57 3' N. lat., 6 20' W. long. The 

 population was 102 in 1851. The above islands, with the Isle of Eig 

 or Egg, belonging to Inverness-shire and lying between Hum and 

 Muck, make up the parish of Small Isles, one of the most laborious 

 ministerial charges in Scotland ; the parish is under the superintend- 

 ence of the synod of Glenelg. The population of the parish, including 

 the part of it which is in Inverness-shire, in 1851 was 916. There 

 is a Free Church congregation. 



Coll: greatest length, 12 miles N.E. to S.W. ; greatest breadth, 

 3J miles; land cultivated, about one third; 56 40' N. lat., 6 34' 

 W. long. ; population, 1109. 



Tiree or Tyret: greatest length, 13 miles, N.E. to S.W.; greatest 

 breadth, 6 or 7 miles; proportion of land cultivated, 30 parts in 100; 

 56 33' N. lat., 6 55' W. long. The population in 1851 was 3709. 



Mull: greatest length, 29 miles, from Duart Castle, N.E., to the 

 point opposite to Holmin Island, S.W. ; greatest breadth, 28 miles ; 

 land cultivated, 8 parts in 100 ; 56 30' N. lat., 6 W. long. ; population, 

 7485. The following islands are dependencies of Mull : Gometra : 

 greatest length, 2 miles E. to W. ; greatest breadth, 1 4 miles. Staffa : 

 dimensions under a mile ; population with Gometra, 31. Ulva : 

 greatest, length, 5 miles E. to W. ; greatest breadth, 1 4 miles ; popula- 

 tion, 204. I-colm-kill, or lona : greatest length, 34 miles, N.E. to S.W. ; 

 greatest breadth, 1 mile ; population, 604. 



The inlands of Lorn : 35 parts in 100 cultivated. 



Liamore: greatest length, 104 miles, N.E. to S.W. ; greatest 

 breadth, 1 J miles ; one half cultivated, very fertile; 56 38' N. lat, 

 5" 80' W. long. ; population, 1250. 



Kerera : greatest length, 4J miles, N. by E. to S. by W. ; greatest 

 breadth, 2 miles ; 56 25' N. lat., 5 32. W. long. ; population, 164. 



Eatdale or Eyidill : dimensions under a mile. Famous for its 

 slate quarries; 56" 19' N. lat., 5 39' W. long. ; population, 571. 



Luiny : greatest length, 7 miles, N. to S. ; greatest breadth, 1 4 miles ; 

 58 15' N. lat., 5 39' W. long. ; no' population returned in census. 



Seil : greatest length, 4 miles, N. by E. to S. by W. ; greatest 

 breadth, 2 miles ; 56 20' N. lat., 5 36' W. long. ; no population. 



a: greatest length, 2J miles, N. to S. ; greatest breadth, 



1 mile ; 56 13' N. lat, 5 35' W. long. ; population, 39. There is 

 another Shuna off this coast, N.E. of Lismore, and a Shona in Loch 

 Moidart, between Argyleshire and Inverness-ghire. 



Lunga : dimensions about or under a mile ; 50" 13' N. lat, 6 43' 

 W, long. ; no population. 



Scarba : greatest length, 3 miles, N.E. to S.W. ; greatest breadth, 

 24 miles; 66 12' N. lat, 5" 43' W. long. ; no population. 



Jura : greatest length, 25 miles, N.N.E. to S.S.W. ; greatest breadth, 

 8 miles ; proportion of land cultivated, 7 parts in 100; population, 1064. 



(tolonta and Oronaa : greatest length 10 miles, N.N.E. to S.S.W ; 

 greatest breadth, 3 miles ; proportion of land cultivated, two-fifths ; 

 these are counted as one island, and their united dimensions given, as 

 the channel between them ifl dry at low water; 56 8' N. lat, 6 12' 

 W. long. ; population, 837. 



Iilay or Hay : greatest length, 26 miles, N. by E. to S. by W. ; 

 greatest breadth, 21 miles ; one-fourth cultivated or in woods or 

 pastures ; population, 12,334. 



'<; greatest length, 5 miles, N.E. to S. W. ; greatest breadth, 



2 miles ; proportion of land in cultivation, 30 parts in 100; 55 43' 

 N. lat, 5 45' W. long. ; population, 540. 



"/a (a small island near the southern point, or Mull of Cantire) : 

 greatest length, nearly 2 miles N.E. to S.W. ; greatest breadth, about 

 a mile; 55 18' N. lat, 5 40' W. long. ; population, 23. 



The following islands had in 1851 the populations annexed : 

 Carna, 35; Calve, 2; Inchkenneth, 10; Collonsay, near Staffa, 33; 

 Eriska, 3 ; Sheep Isle, 4 ; Torsa, 16 ; and Cara, 7. The following arc 

 enumerated in the census of 1851, but no population is given : 

 Gunna, Treshinish Isles, Forsa or Orsa, Soay, Erraid, Balnagoran, 

 Balnahuaigh, Mare, Nave, More, Sauda, and Davar. 



Sereral of the islands deserve further notice for their magnitude, pro- 

 ductions, or other circumstances. [IONA; ISLAY; JURA; MULL; STAFFA.] 



The population of Argyleahire was 81,277 in 1801 ; 86,541 in 1811 ; 

 97,316 iu 1821; 100,973 in 1831; 97,371 in 1841 ; in 1851 it was 89,298. 

 face. Argyle is mountainous, and presents a surface more 

 pleasing to the lover of the picturesque than to the agriculturist 

 The barrenneas of the soil and tho want of culture are shown by the 

 scanty population. The northern and eastern parts, where it borders 

 on the Grampians, are the most rugged : along the coast the ground 

 is in general lower and more level, yet particular mountains near the 

 sea rise to a great height, and are indeed among the loftiest in the 

 shire. We subjoin a table of the principal mountains : 



Feet. 



Bn Craachan, between Loch Etive and Loch Awe . . . 8669 

 B*inn-an ncriodain, is Appin (according to the New Statistical 



Account) 8500 



Benmore, in the I>le of Mull 3168 



Croach Lua, to the nut of Loch Swln ... (S) 3000 

 Beden na bean, or Bedim ambran, north of the termination of 



Loch Etire (L) 2720 



Faun of Jura, on the lute of Jura 2580 



Buchacl Ktive, or L'uachaillv, north. cast of the extremity of 



Loch Etlve (L) 2537 



Feet. 



Ben na hua, on the north side of Linnhe Loch . . 2515 

 Ben Ima, Ben Arthur, or the Coblcr, at the extremity of 



Loch Long (S) 2389 



Ben More, in Hum 2310 



Ben ea Tan, south of Loch Sunart 2306 



Slia Gaoil, between Loch Killisport and Locli Fyne . (S) 2228 



Crock Moy, in Cantire (L) 2036 



Oreval, in the Isle of Rum 1800 



Ben Tuirck, in Cantire 1515 



Ben Yarn, in Islay ... ..... 1500 



Isle of Scarba 1500 



Ben KuiK.still, in Islay 1050 



The above are from the Map of Scotland published by the Society 

 for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge : except those marked (S), 

 which are from the Appendix to the ' General Report of Scotland ' ; 

 and those marked (L) from a table of heights given with Langlauds' 

 Map of Argyleshire. 



The extent of wooded land in Argyleshire has been very differently 

 estimated. About 30,000 acres are estimated for the natural woods : 

 and the plantations of the Duke of Argyll and others are reckoned at 

 about 4000 more; to which 2000 acres may be added for the woods of 

 the islands. The scarcity of wood is severely felt in many places. In 

 former ages a great part of the county was covered with it. 



J '/ //(/ i-ography. The chief rivers in the county are, the Urchay, 

 which rises in the Grampians and flows into Loch Awe, an inland lake 

 lying in a direction nearly parallel to Loch Fyne ; and the Awe, which 

 serves to connect Loch Awe with Loch Etive, and through it with the 

 sea. The basin of these streams is estimated at 250 square miles. 

 Streams of smaller importance- are numerous, as from the nature of 

 the country might be expected. There are no large inland lakes 

 except Loch Awe. [LOCH AWE.] 



Geology. Granite forms a principal constituent of the mountain 

 masses which stretch from the river Awe, north-east into Perthshire 

 and Inverness-shire ; it also extends along the north-west shore of the 

 Linnhe Loch in the districts of Morvcu and Suuart. Mica-slate pre- 

 dominates in nearly every other part of the mainland, as well as in the 

 islands of Islay, Jura, Colonsa, Oronsa, Coll, Tiree, and the south part 

 of MulL It constitutes the mass of the Grampians (which form the 

 eastern border of the county) and of the mountains of Cautire. 

 Floetz trap prevails in Canua, Rum, and the north side of Mull ; in 

 some districts, of no great extent, along the coast of Ardnamurchan 

 and Morven ; and in the neighbourhood of Campbeltown iu Cantire. 

 A small extent in the last-mentioned neighbourhood is occupied by 

 the coal formation and the rocks connected with it, being perhaps part 

 of the great coal-field of Scotland, and serving as a link between that 

 and the coal formation of the north of Ireland. The columnar basalt 

 will be noticed under the head of STAM A. 



The minerals which are turned to economiciil purposes ore 

 numerous. There are lead-mines in several places, as at Strontian, 

 near the extremity of Loch Sunart ; at Tyndrum on the borders of 

 Argyleshire and Perthshire; and in the islands of Islay and Coll. 

 Copper was at one time obtained from a mine in Kilmartiu, but the 

 mine is no longer worked ; a vein is however worked in the island of 

 Islay. Coal is obtained in the neighbourhood of Campbeltown, 

 There are seams of coal also in Mull, but not sufficient to defray the 

 expense of working them : peat is the common fuel, except at 

 Inverary and Campbeltown, and at gentlemen's houses on the coast. 

 The slate-quarries of Easdale Island have been among the most consi- 

 derable in Britain ; and there are extensive quarries at Ballahulish on 

 Loch Leven. Marble is procured in several places of various quality 

 and colour : among the most beautiful specimens is that of the 

 island of Tiree, which is very hard, and takes a good polish. Lime- 

 stone is abundant in most parts of the county. The granite quarried 

 near Inverary takes as fine a polish as marble ; and the lapis ottaris (a 

 kind of micaceous slate), with which the Duke of Argyll's castle at 

 that place is built, is one of the handsomest of the building-stones 

 found in Scotland. The earth strontian takes its name from the place 

 so called near Loch Sunart, where it was found, and first analysed. 

 In Glenorchy specimens of cobalt are found ; and the coasts of Cantire 

 towards the south end, and of the isle of Colonsa, abound with coral. 



Climate, Soil, <i-c. Argyleshire has a very variable and moist 

 climate, but from its situation on the coast, and from the numerous 

 inlets of the sea by which it is so deeply indented, the temperature is 

 mild. Frost seldom continues long on the sea-coast, and snow rarely 

 lies more than two or three days at a time. Mildew, blight, and hoar- 

 frost seldom do much injury to the husbandman. The north-eastern 

 parts, bordering "on the Grampians, have a colder climate ; though 

 even there the valleys, sheltered by the surrounding heights, arc 

 neither so cold nor so imcomfortable as might be expected. 



The farmers of this county direct their attention chiefly to tho 

 breeding of stock and the feeding of sheep, for which the rough and 

 mountainous character of the surface is better adapted than for 

 tillage. There is indeed a considerable quantity of arable and 

 improveable ground in the vales interspersed among the mountains, 

 and along the margin of the streams which wind through them, but 

 the chief proportion of arable land is on the coast. The soil varies 

 materially ; by the rivers and by the sea it is a light loam, mixed with 

 sand or gravel, on a clay or gravelly bottom, while on the sides of the 



