Hi A VIEW OF 



be inhabited by men of property, and knowledge irt 

 agriculture, the harvefts will be earlier, the autum- 

 nal rains partly avoided, and that valuable article 

 of life greatly increafed. The unexpected fuccefs 

 in the Low Countries, of late years, fbould at kaft 

 induce the people in the Highlands, to try the fame 

 *xperimeni;s. * 



Roots, vegetables, falads, and common fruits/ 

 being lefs hurt by the rains, can be raifed in any 

 quantity ; their potatoes, turnips, kale, and cab^ 

 bages, .are more delicate and pleafant to the tafte 

 than thofe of England, j Flax is railed in tolera- 

 ble 



* It is difficult to afcertain with precifion, what proportion the 

 fertile or improveable lands in the Highlands, bear to thole which 

 cannot be brought into any other uies than the railing plantations 

 'of pine and fir. 



We flia'll therefore only attempt fome general (ketches of thofe 

 -diitri'&s, where nature maybe affifted with fuccefs and profit, to the 

 refpeclive proprietors, and the itate. 



Such in general are the vallies, flraths, and glens of the interior 

 parts ; the banks of the lakes and bays, of the marine parts ; the 

 whole weftern fliores of Argylefhire ; thofe of the Pentland Firth j 

 the greate'ft part of Caithnei's ; both fides of the firth and r vef 

 of Dornoch, as far as Loch Shin , Cromarty, and the whole eaftern 

 coaft of Rofsfliire. 



Of the Hebride ifles, may be reckoned, Hay, Giga, Lifmore, 

 Colonlay, Tirey, South and North Uift, Harris ; with a number 

 of fmalliiles, from two to five miles in circumference. There are 

 alfo ibme fertile vallies and ihores in the great iiles of Jura, Mull, 

 'Sky, and Lewis. 



From which I conjecture, that the improveable parts of the He- 

 brides, may, collectively, amount to 700 fquare miles, or 470,000 

 fquare acres, liatute meafure ; being the diineniions of the .county 

 of Surry : and, if to this, we add the tracts of the mainland as- above 

 enumerated, the whole arable, or improveable portion of the High- 

 lands of Scotland, will amount, at a moderate computation, to 

 2,500 fquare miles, or 1,600,000 fquare acres ; being the dimen- 

 iions of Middlefex, Surry, and Kent, which compoie a twentieth 

 part of England and Wales. 



In this calculation are included not only the plains, and what if 

 called arable or meadow lands, but alfo, the rifing grounds, and 

 fides of the hills, which> by the prefent management, form valv*- 

 able flieep walks. 



f The people in" the Lowlands have of late years been at great 



