306 APPENDIX. 



The panorama of mountains opening up to view as the 

 traveller approaches from the east by the mail road 

 between Lairg and Assynt is not perhaps equalled in 

 peculiarity of outline by any other in Scotland, although 

 it may be excelled in grandeur by the almost Norwegian 

 vastness of Coruisk in Skye, or the Komsdal-Horn simi- 

 larity of the great mountains at the head of the narrow 

 Loch Duich in Ross-shire. 



Beginning in the south, we will mention the strange 

 isolated mountains of W. Cromarty and Assynt, which 

 meet the astonished gaze of the westward-bound traveller 

 who for the first time penetrates among these further 

 Highlands of Scotland. First, far to the southwards, from 

 certain points of view is seen Ben Mohr Coigach (2438), 

 with its peculiar hog's back or sierra -like ridge ; Stack 

 Polly (2009), with its splintered pinnacles of conglomerate ; 

 the rounded lumps and cones of Bens Coul Beg (2523) and 

 Coul More (2786) ; the extraordinary terraced cliffs and 

 sugar-loaf peaks of Sulbhein (2399) ; and the massive, far- 

 receding slope and summit of Canisp (2779); with, lastly, 

 the magnificent yet isolated range of Quinaig, whose 

 numerous peaks reach elevations of from 2508 feet to 

 2653 feet. 



Then, again, we find the attention attracted by the 

 more continuous nature of the real backbone of hills ; 

 commencing in the south with Braebag (2044), rising 

 rapidly upwards into the scarred and fretted face and 

 summits of the huge Ben More, and its still bigger brother 

 Coinneveal (Coinnemheall), 3273 and 3234 respectively, 

 the highest peaks in Sutherland, — then follow, in a bold 

 amphitheatric curve, Ben Chaoran (2500), Ben Uidh 

 (2384), and Glashbhein (2541). 



Away to the north and north-west extends a perfect 

 multitude of mountains, chief amongst which are those of 

 the Reay Forest, stretching from Ben Stack in the west 

 (2364) and Ben Hee (2864) in the east, north-east to Ben 

 Hope (3040), and including the isolated Ben Laoghal in 

 the Tongue district (2504). To the north-west, and 

 towards Cape Wrath, are Ben Arkle (2578), Foinnebhein 



