SKY. GEOLOGY. SECONDARY STRATA. 347 



on account of the foulness of the shore and a cross stream 

 of tide, which renders the approach of a boat difficult, 

 and, in this windy region, often impracticable. On one 

 side, the beds are seen to follow immediately after the 

 gryphite limestone already described : on the other, the 

 sequence is obscured by a mass of trap, superincumbent, 

 and sending large veins through the neighbouring strata. 

 The inclination of these beds is but slight, nor is it easily 

 ascertained; it may amount to 5 or 10, the dip being 

 towards the west. It is with some latitude that this rock 

 is classed with the white sandstone, as the prevailing 

 colour of all the beds is grey. Those in particular which 

 are most accessible, are of this colour, and contain much 

 clay : a calcareous variety is also found among them ; 

 but the character of the whole so exactly resembles that 

 of some of the varieties occurring on the eastern shore of 

 Trotternish, that it is superfluous to enter into any further 

 details respecting them. 



Between Swishnish and Strathaird all connexion is 

 destroyed by the intervening sea, nor does there occur 

 in the latter situation any portion of the gryphite lime- 

 stone from which to trace the order of the sandstone 

 of that district. Notwithstanding certain differences of 

 character however, such is its general resemblance to the 

 uppermost strata of the remainder of the island, such 

 its position and dip, and so near its place to that of 

 Swishnish, that there can be no hesitation in admitting 

 it as a member of the same series ; separated from all 

 its natural affinities either by the overlying trap or by the 

 surrounding sea. 



This rock extends from the termination of the trap on 

 the western side of the promontory, round the point of 

 Aird to nearly the upper end of Loch Slapin, preserv- 

 ing a great evenness of direction and consistency of cha- 

 racter throughout this space. It is called a sandstone 

 in a general sense only, as it will be seen that it also 

 contains beds of limestone, but in small number and 



