EXCURSION II. 75 



hidden from us, but the picturesque ridge of Dun-fion sweeps 

 finely round, abutting on the sea in a lofty cliff. The farm- 

 houses nestle cozily in against the hill sides, sheltered from 

 winter storms, and forming a delightful summer retreat for 

 those who love retirement and quiet simple beauty. The 

 grander features of Arran can be seen in the distance of an 

 easy walk. 



38. South of the boat station, under the farm-house, the 

 dikes traverse the sandstone in every possible way ; inter- 

 secting one another at various angles, bifurcating, lesser ones 

 lost in larger, &c. One of them is exposed tln-ough a longer 

 course than any other dike on the coast. It runs a long way 

 parallel to the line of the shore, or almost due north and 

 south, till lost under the sea near Clackland Point. It is 

 fourteen feet wide, sunk under the sandstone in the tideway, 

 and sends off a branch towards the north-west, a tongue of 

 altered sandstone being at the bifurcation. 



Two pitchstone veins, one of claystone and one of quartz- 

 iferous porphyry, are found on this part of the shore. The 

 lesser pitchstone vein traverses the level shore obliquely about 

 half-way between the boat station and the base of Dun-fion. 

 Within the tideway it ranges about 72 "W. of N. ; then bends 

 about 28 towards the south, i.e. runs about due west, and 

 bends again into the former course before it enters the sand- 

 stone cliff. Under high-water mark it is about three feet 

 wide, in other parts five or six feet. Seaward it is placed 

 conformably among the sandstone strata, and is irregular in 

 direction and breadth. A dike of diorite here cuts it nearly 

 at right angles, but the appearances are in no way remarkable. 

 The greater pitchstone vein is conspicuoxis, forming a broad 

 band in the front of the sandstone cliff farther south. It 

 occupies at first a slanting position in the cliff, parallel to 

 the sandstone strata, dipping with them towards the 

 S.S.W. at nearly 30, and rising towards the north- 

 west. In the opposite direction, or towards the south- 

 east it seems to plunge beneath the sea ; but the debris 



