312 ARRAN. GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



bounded by an irregular line drawn between White 

 farland and Brodick, and the remainder may be consi- 

 dered as the hilly division. The northern tract presents 

 an irregular group of mountains, connected by ridges 

 of a tolerably uniform height, and declining towards the 

 shores to which they are nearest, without any distinct 

 secondary set of elevations. They are intersected by 

 deep narrow glens, the declivities of which are such as in 

 most places to afford a constant drainage without suffering 

 lakes to accumulate ; no collections of water being found 

 among them, except Loch Tana, Loch lorsa, and Loch 

 Huish. The mountain Goatfell is 2865 feet high,* and the 

 principal summits in the vicinity are but little lower. 



The hilly district consists of an undulating irregular 

 land, which in various places descends into long declivities, 

 but is, generally speaking, formed of one continuous eleva- 

 tion, occasionally rising into higher eminences and pre- 

 senting but few valleys. The principal of these hills 

 occupy a somewhat central position between Brodick and 

 Kilmory, but their outline is tame and without character. 

 The greatest elevation of this tract may be assumed at 

 1200 feet. 



The characters of the mountains of Arran are grand, 

 and their outlines picturesque and serrated; yielding in 

 both respects, only to the superior magnificence of 

 the Cuchullin hills. The granite of which they are com- 

 posed rises into spiry forms, frequently bare of vegeta- 

 tion, and extending downwards in faces of naked rock 

 into the intricate sections that divide these complicated 

 ridges. The deep and rugged hollows thus formed, 

 afford passage to the almost perennial torrents which rush 

 with violence along them, forcing their way through the 

 enormous fragments that strew their sides and encumber 

 their surfaces. The sun seldom penetrates these deep 



* From a mean of angles sufficient to correct the errors arising 

 from horizontal refraction : barometrically measured by Professor Play- 

 fair 2945. 



