Mineralogy of Sky, 5 



over a high ridge to Sconser, where it ends at In Loch Sllgachan, 

 being bounded on Its western side by the terminations of the before- 

 mentioned group of mountains. The high hill forming the island 

 of Scalpa is but barely separated by a narrow arm of the sea from 

 this tract. An Imaginary boundary drawn from Strath to the head 

 of Loch Slapin on one side, and from Sconser to the western Loch 

 Eynort on the other, includes part of the district of MInginish, and 

 is still more remarkable as a physical division, since it contains the 

 lofty and formidable group of the Cuchullln hills, with other 

 mountains, of which the greater number are either nameless, or 

 only recorded in the traditional geography of shepherds. This Is 

 the only part of Sky which can properly be called mountainous, 

 and of which the aspect and character are perfectly distinct from 

 those of the remainder of the island. The small district of Strath- 

 aird, more remarkable for its physical structure than its extent. Is 

 interposed to the south of this tract, lying between Loch Slapin 

 and Loch Scavig. The northern and larger division of the Island 

 which exhibits a great uniformity of physical character considerably 

 distinct from those now enumerated, contains the extensive districts 

 of Trotternlsh, Vaternlsh and Bracadale, the former occupying the 

 eastern and the two latter the western side of the island. 



The whole of this tract is hilly and uneven, yet cannot be consi- 

 dered as mountainous, except perhaps on its eastern side, where one 

 irregularly elevated and continuous ridge extends from Portree to 

 Ruhunlsh. Some high ground also occurs about Dunvegan, but the 

 rest is an undulating tract of hill and moor country. 



The indentations which form the sea lochs are in some cases deter- 

 mined as on the continental land, by the vallles which are interposed 

 between ridges of hills, and in this case they are also the aestua- 

 ries of the rivers. But many of them are merely sinuosities of the 



