EXCURSION III. 85 



But such a day as this will not suit for our walk; we must 

 wait for bright skies and still air few walks in Arran will 

 then please us more. Every lover of mountains has a keen 

 desire to climb the highest summit within his reach, and 

 many will choose this walk for their first excursion. 



The woods which stretch westwards from the castle are 

 crossed by two paths, by either of which we may pass upwards 

 into the moors. The readiest way is by the new approach 

 to the castle, which we enter by the gate near the bridge 

 over the Rosa burn. We keep on the avenue as far as the 

 west end of the stone bridge, then turn to the left through 

 an iron gate; and following the path a little past the 

 wooden bridge, again turn to the left, and soon emerge 

 upon the moor. The entrance to the other path, is by 

 the castle stables and old hotel, more than half-a-mile north- 

 east of the Rosa bum bridge. This meets the other path 

 before it opens on the moor. Or from the mouth of Glen 

 Rosa, reached as on our first excursion by Glen Shirag, we 

 can easily climb up the eastern flank of Glen Shant Rock. 

 A path lies near the east bank of the Cnocan burn, as far as 

 the mill-dam, where this stream is gathered from many 

 heads. Beyond this a track is marked out among the granite 

 blocks to the east shoulder of the mountain; thence, along 

 the edge of the ridge, a rugged path conducts us to the 

 summit, over huge masses of rock, and along the edge of 

 Cyclopean walls. But the geologist has much to see on the 

 ascent which this route will not shew him, and we must 

 conduct him by another way. 



44. The strata which are exhibited in a longitudinal section 

 on this side the island northwards from Brodick Bay, are 

 shewn in the annexed figure (fig. 1 8). Here a a is the coarse 

 granite of the nucleus, extending from the mill-dam to Glen 

 Sannox ; b b, the slate penetrated by granite veins ; c c, old red 

 sandstone; d d d, carboniferous sandstone enclosing beds of 

 limestone e, seen at the church and in the woods N.W. of the 

 Castle. The sandstone with limestone beds is succeeded by the 



