Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/371

Rh Oban, I certainly should have gone thither from Dalmally. I would advise whatever traveller may reach the length of Dalmally, by no means to miss the drive to Oban, about twenty-four miles. The road to Bun Awe, thirteen miles, crosses the beautiful river Orchy, by a bridge opposite to Dalmally inn, and soon climbs the side of Cruchan Ben, encountering innumerable torrents issuing from that gigantic mountain; which on that and the south-side is chiefly covered with wood, at least round its base, and high up its sides. After two miles the road crosses two powerful torrents, high above the Orchy river, and then descends by a precipice to the edge of Loch Awe on the left, having Cruchan still towering to the sky on the right, with numberless torrents rolling down its sides dashing to the lake.

From the eastern side, from where I saw it, the surface of the water near the river Awe appeared to me perfectly smooth; but it falls over a broad bed of rocks with peculiar force and astonishing rapidity, and then roars through a channel of rocks and loose stones until it is lost in Loch Etive. A few short periods of fair weather between the violent storms of rain, gave me an opportunity of seeing perfectly that part of Loch