^6 GEOLOGY OF THfi CAMPSIE HILLS, 



become abrupt and broken, and continue to be 

 precipitous for a considerable depth under the lip 

 of the hill ; but these broken and abrupt faces 

 seldom shew more of the stratification than that 

 of the trap, which in such situations evidently 

 points out its strong tendency towards columnar 

 form. At the bases of these precipices, a long 

 and rapid slope of debris succeeds, which ^re fre- 

 quently covered by vegetation. The troughs or 

 hollows between the undulations, generally form 

 narrow dales or glens, but some few of them have 

 a sufficient breadth to entitle them to the denomi- 

 nation of valleys. The most extended of these, 

 are the vales of Campsie, and of Fintry. 



Such is the general contour or outline of the 

 surface of this district, with only one or two ex- 

 ceptions ; the most prominent of which, is a hill 

 of somewhat conic appearance, called Meikle 

 Ben, This hill is situated a little to the south of 

 ?:he road which leads from Fintry to the vale of 

 Campsie. It towers above all the other heights of 

 the district, and rises superior to them at least 

 300 feet. As far as the interior of this hill cai^ 

 be examined, it is found to be composed of the 

 same species of trap which is so generally the in- 

 cumbent stratum of the Campsie district. From 

 the base of this hill, issue the rivers of Carron, and 

 of Endrick ; the first of these takes an eastern 

 direction, and empties itself into the Frith of 

 Forth ; the second takes a western direction, and 

 flows into Lochlomondo This circumstance of the 



