116 



Church. The road in itself has no object of interest ; but there is 

 much to beguile the way. The evening tints of rich purple-gray on 

 the northern mountains, beyond which the sun is now going down, 

 and the profile of the rugged peaks against the golden sky behind, 

 are glorious to look upon the light is strong yet on the peaks of 

 Ben-Yim and the Cobbler, on Benlomond and the mountains of 

 Aberfoyle ; the broad shadow of Maoldon falls dark athwart the sea ; 

 but beyond this a flood of light comes streaming down the northern 

 channel, and brings out strongly the gray rocks of Garroch head and 

 the Cumbrays, and the lovely glades amid the woods of Fairlie. 

 The turrets of Brodick Castle are yet gilded by the sunlight which 

 falls in broad sheets across the lovely bay, whose glassy expanse is 

 crowded with fishing parties. Before we can reach our stately but 

 pleasant inn, the steamer has rounded Merkland point, disappeared 

 in the shadow of the hills, emerged again into the " lanes of light," 

 and threaded her way through the fleet of boats. Already the fair 

 throng has left the landing-place, scattered now in gleeful groups 

 along the various roads. 



EXCURSION III. 

 To THE SUMMIT or GOATFELL. 



78. GOATFELL is an unmeaning corruption of the native name of 

 this mountain. Gaoth (ga5) is the Gaelic word for wind ; this may 

 be the origin of the first part of the name ; with the animal indi- 

 cated the mountain has no sort of connection. Then, Fell is not a 

 Scottish word ; it belongs to the North of England, and to Scandi- 

 navia in its form of fjeld or field, applied appropriately to the wide 

 flat mountain plateaus of South Norway. Bein, or with the aspirate 

 Bhein (ban, or ben, ven), is a mountain. Pen is the English form, 

 as in Penyghent, Pendle hill, and hence the Latin term Pennine for 

 a principal range. Thus the name would be Gaoth-bhein, or Bein- 

 gaoth the hill of the winds not very expressive or special as 

 regards this hill more than others standing prominent. But those 

 who gave the name perhaps knew no higher hill; and there is a 

 peculiar effect often seen here to which the name may perhaps have 

 reference. The Ben-Ghnuis or western ridge first arrests the vapours 

 ascending from the western sea, and condenses them into a dark 



