SCOTLAND. 



Banfflliire, the Nefs and Beauly, which form the Moray 

 Frith, and the Grady and Conan, whish form the Frith of 

 Cromarty. 



Lakes and Lochs.— T^e numerous and beautiful lakes 

 iiiterfpcrfed throughout Scotland, and efpt-cially through- 

 out its mountainous trafts, coiilbtute a very ftrikiiig and 

 intereftiiig feature in its fcenerv. The chief in extent and 

 beauty is that of Lomond, Itiidded with iflcts, and adorned 

 with (hores of the greateft diverfitv. Ea!l\vard< from this 

 lake are thofe of Kettering, Chroin, Achray, Vanachoir, 

 and Lubnaig ; all of them ditt inguifhed by fingular and 

 pifturelque fcenes. The lake of Menteith is alfo in tliis 

 vicinity. In Galloway are many fine lakes, on the banks 

 of one of which itands the village of New Galloway. 

 Lochleven, in Fifefhire, derives fame at once from its 

 beauty, and from its hittorical intereft, as the ralidence of 

 queen Mary, when a prifoner m the hands of the confederate 

 nobles. The likes formed by the Tay are both numerous 

 and extenfive : the principal of them are Rannock, Lyd- 

 dock, Erricht, and Loch Tay. The laft, in particular, is 

 a grand and beautiful expanfe of water, of fuch length as 

 rather to refemble a noble river. Loch Nefs, in Invernefs- 

 (hire, is equally noted for its extent and the charms of its 

 fcenery. Its nfual depth is from 60 to 135 fathoms ; and 

 hence is to be explained the phenomenon of its never freezing, 

 even in the coldell winters. This lake forms part of the 

 chain of lakes which interfeft the kingdom, from the Moray 

 Frith to the AtUntic ocean, which, we trult, are deftined 

 (hortly to become of high importance in forwarding the 

 commercial profperity of the kingdom. The other chief 

 lakes of Scotland are Loch Loil, Loch Naver, and Loch 

 Shin, in Sutherland and Caithnefs ; Loch Fainiih, in Rofs- 

 {hire ; the Lochy and Laggen, in Invernefsfhire ; and Loch 

 Awe, in Argylefhire. 



Friths arid Inlets of the Sea. — Scotland is much indented 

 with arms of the fea, which enter deep into the land. This 

 indentation is highly beneficial : it facihtates commerce, as 

 each of thtfe branches fo far ferves the purpofes of a canal ; 

 it promotes the filheries, as it brings them more within 

 reach ; and it renders the cHmate more temperate, from the 

 influence of fea-breezes. As even the (hortell defcription 

 of thefe friths and inlets feparately would extend this article 

 much beyond its prelcribed limits, we fhall content our- 

 felves witli the bare mention of their names. Thofe on the 

 eadern coaft, beginniiig from the fouth, are the Frith of 

 Forth, the Frith of Tay, the Moray Frith, the Frith of 

 Beauly, Cromarty Frith, the Frith of Dornnch, Thurfo and 

 Dunnct bays, Kyle of Tongue, Loch Eribol, and the bay 

 of Diirnels. Thofe on the wefl coalt, beginning from the 

 north, are Loch Inchard, Loch Laxford, Loch Aflint, 

 Loch Enard, Loth Broom, Loch Ew, Gairloch, Loch 

 Torridon, Loch Carron, Lochalfh, Loch Duich, Loch 

 Hourn, I.,och Nevifh, Loch Aylort, Loch Moydart, Loch 

 Sun;irt, Linnhe Loch, Lochiel, Loch Lcven, Loch Creraii, 

 Loch Etive, Loch Melfort, Craifrnilh, Loch Swam, Loch 

 Killifport, Loili Tarbat, the Frith of Clyde, Loch Fyne, 

 Loch I^ong, Locli Gair, Loch Streven, Loch Ryan, the 

 bay of Glenhice, Wigton bay, Kirkcudbright bay, bay of 

 Nith, and the SoKvay Frith. Moll of the above rivers, 

 lakes, friths, and inlets of the fea, are noticed under their 

 rcfpeAive nami;s, or under thofe of the counties to which 

 they more immediately belong. 



Mountains. — The mountains of Scotland, as already men- 

 tioned, occupy a large proportion of its fiirface, and coii- 

 llitiite a prominent and dilHndive feature in its geographical 

 charader. The principal chains are the Grampian hills, 

 the Pentland hilk, and the Lammar Muir. The firll ex- 



tends almoft entirely acrofs the kingdom, from the vicinity 

 of Aberdeen to the Cowal in Argylefhire. In their weftern 

 range, they form the fouthcrn boundary of the Highlands ; 

 and are celebrated in hiftory for the Hand made upon their 

 acclivities, by the Caledonians under Galgacus, againfl the 

 Roman general Agricola. The fecond chain commerces 

 near Edinburgh, and running fouthwards through Lothian, 

 joins Tweedale hills ; and the third, beginning near the 

 eaftern coatt of Berwickfhire, llretches to the wetlward 

 through the Merfe. In the province of Galloway is a 

 fourth extenfive aflemblage of hills, wiiich do not, however, 

 form an uniform chain. With refpedt to tiie other moun- 

 tains of Scotland, they do not admit of arrangement into 

 diftinft groups ; and, tlierefore, it will be fuffieientto notice 

 fome of the more remarkable among them for fize and eleva- 

 tion. Ben Nevis is the highett mountain in Britain, its 

 fumrait being 4350 feet above the level of the fea. On its 

 north-ead fide it prefents a molt prodigious precipice, nearly 

 perpendicular, which is laid to be 1500 feet in height. 

 The profpeft from this hill is truly fublime, and extends on 

 all fides a dillance of 80 miles. Tlie next mountain in 

 point of elevation is Cairngorm, or the Blue mountain, 

 which is conftantly covered with fnow, and is remarkable 

 for quartz of different colours, well known to lapidaries 

 under the name of Cairngorms. The other chief mountains 

 in this diltrift are thofe of Braemaron, Scairfoch, and Ben 

 Awn. To the Grampian ridge belong Ben Lomond, 

 3262 feet high ; Ben Ledi, 3009 ; Ben More, 3903 ; Ben 

 Lawres, 4015 ; Shihallion, 3564; and Ben Verhch, 3300; 

 belides foaie fcarcely lefs important elevations on the ealt. 

 Mount Battock, in Kincardinefhire, is 3465 feet high ; and 

 Ben Cruachan, a folitary hill in Argylefliirc, 3300. In 

 the more northern divifion of the Highlands, the mountains 

 are yet more numerous, but not fo memorable. The chief 

 of them are Ben Nevis, Ben Ciiat, Ben Cliafker, Ben 

 Golich, Ben Fofltaig, Ben Nore, and the hills of Cuinak, 

 all in Rofsfhire ; and Ben Ormord, Ben Cliberg, Ben Grim, 

 the Paps of Caithnefs, Ben Hop, and Ben Lugal, in Caith- 

 nefs and Sutherland. Along the whole of the wellern coatt, 

 the fcenery is bold and precipitous in its chara6ter. One 

 part of it, extending from Loch Kichard 24 miles to the 

 fouth, prefents a moft fingular appearance, as if mountains 

 had been broken in pieces, and fmall lakes interfperfed 

 among the fragments. 



Mineral ProduSs. — The mineral produces of Scotland 

 are numerous, and arc, in many inflances, (uppliod in fuch 

 abundance, as to form important objefts of traffic. Gold 

 was formerly procured in the lands of Elvan, a rivulet which 

 joins the Clyde; and a place Hill exilic, called Gold-fcour, 

 where the Germans uled to wafh the lands : but Icarcely 

 any has been found recently. The filvcr difcovercd in 

 Scotland has hitherto been of little account ; the chief mine 

 was that at Alva, which has lattpriy only afforded cobalt. 

 Nor can Scotland boaft of copper, though a fmall quantity 

 was fiiund m the Ochils, near Alva; and it is faid that the 

 iflands of Zetland offer fome indications of that metal. It 

 has alfo been found at Colvend, m Galloway ; at Curry, in 

 Lothian; at Oldwich, in Caithnefs; and Kippcrn, in Rois- 

 fhire. The lead-mines in the fouth of Lanarkfliire have 

 been long known. Thofe of Wanlock head are in the 

 immediate neii^hbourhood, but in the county of Dum- 

 fries, and belong to another proprietor. Thele mines 

 yield yearly above 200O tons. The Sulannah vein, Lead- 

 iiills, has been worked for fixty years, and produced vail 

 wealth. Some flight veins of lead have alfo been found in 

 the weltern Highlands, particularly in Arran. Iron is 

 found ill various parts of Scotland ; the Carron ore is the 



molt 



