Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/100

Rh Al-'.M.I-:. 90 AKGYI.K. It lie* between 55 15' and 66 65' north latitude ; and between ** 32' and 6 6' west longitude. Its greatest li, measured from Lochiel in toe north, to the Mull .is ll.i miles; iU greatest breadth, from Ardnamurchun Point to tho border of Perthshire, 66 miles. It is estimated to contain an area of 3,2 IU square miles. It has a coast In,, of MO miles, remark - ably broken and irr> -:rulnr. It is said tUiit there is no in tho wholo county inure than twelve miles from the coast, cither of sea, bay, or loch, nor any gentle- man's seat more than ten minutes' walk from Uio sea, with the exception of the mansions on the bonks of Loch A county is subdivided into tho six following districts Mull, occupying tho north- western part ; Islay, the south-western ; Lorn, tho western; Argyl, ral; Kintyro and Knapdale, tho southern; and i ',,w.il, tho south-eastern part. Itcon- tains 51 pars., of which three are burghs Inverary, which is the county town, Cnmpbelltown, and Oban. It is under the government of a heritable lord-lieu (tho Duke of Argyle), a lord-lieutenant, a high M above 60 deputy-lieutenants, sheriffs, and sul >.;, Tho county returns one representative to parli and its three burghs are contributory to Ayr. A large part of tho county is the estate of the Duke of Argyle, tin- head of the Campbells, a family which has long been supreme there. The name Campbell, now so widely spread over that district of Scotland, first became of note in the time of Bruce. Tho earldom of Argyle was created by James III. in 1137; the marquisat,-, by Charles I., and the dukedom, by YilIi, ,m 111., in 1701. Argyle is a land of mountain and waters. Full of ,r the lover of nature, poet, or naturalist, it is for the most part barren to the utilitarian. Following the line of coast from tho north, we observe tho bold headland called Ardnamuivli an I'oiitt, distinguished as the westernmost point of the mainland of Great Britain. To the south of Ardnnmurchan, and pcpuruting it from the Islu of Mull, is Loch Sunart, connected by tho narrow Bound of Mull, with the larger Loch Linnhe. Loch Eil is a narrow arm of Loch I .ini.h.-, running up to the north-east as far as Fort William, and thenro about an equal distance to the westward. A still narrower ; "ing eastward is Loch Loch Linnhe is Lismoro Island, with smaller ones near it, on one of which is a lofty lighthouse. Lock Ktr. is tension of Loch Linnhe. On a promontory ruble castle of Dunstafmage. Southward from I .", h Sunart, stretches tho Isle of Mull, in form approaching a semicircle, : number of small islands on its western side. Inna lies it* south- western .ti,mity. Along the coast, soutli tho islands Seil, Lunga, and Scarha, with numerous islets. 1 and nppo- ninsula of Cantire, are tho large islands of Jui ,nd Colonsay. At the southernmost f Cantiro is the he called thi- Mull of i ; .h its " light" at nn itiim of m 11 uteru coast is the harboar of QampbaDtowlL I,- mining nearly north about twenty miles, strikes off inland to tin- north-east. I The remainder of tin coast is washed and Loch Long; the latter lake,, t,'ii,lin as far as Ben I>'in,'inl. Alin,,-.t all these i good harbourage. The large-' t 1. .intitnl in l.i and having a direction parallel to I oth, .kes are Arick, clo^ loner one*. Argyle has no :, l>ut many shr ;<j are V .il.l tlr tli. . through <;!' n- K int. ' I that Ink- : ', The predominating i the county is mica slat.', wlii.-h gnator pint of '. Awe, ai iho southern part of the Isle of Mull. The mountains to the north of the A, hi, lly oi which occurs also on tho opposi: In the Isle of Mull, and .of Ardour and Morrcu, basalt is found. The Isle of Staflii and the Colonnade of I"!-,, -iples of columnar basalt. In tho peninsula of iltown, snu m-n with truci-s Tho Grampian range bordex'S tin conniy on tli" cant, and th. 1 ground occur )/ near tho coast. Tho principal mountains arc lowing Ben Cruachon, a double-headed hill between Loch Dtiu: .'md Loch Aw,, which is the in Argylo, and rises to the h. the centre of the Isle . . locliin, in tho parish il>8 of Jura, a triple mountain in tho southern half of tho Isle of Jura, 2,580 feet; BuachaolU-i the head of the loch, 2.637 -Ima, or the Cobbler, near tho head 01 2,889 feet; Benmoro and Orcwal, in the Isle of 11 Vs
 * ho Peak of Scurba. Tho b:n

surlaco of the country is to some e.' tho mineral treasures whirl i h greater or smaller quantities lead, marble, granite, and limestone. There are lead at Strontian in tho district of Ardnui. and at Tjnidnun, to tho east of (ilcnon 1 borders of Perthshire. At sin ntian was first disco the earth whirl ! obtained in Islay, and was form, ; on the eo.i slate is pr tho quarries in Kasdale Island, a very * 10 miles to the S.V. ,1 (i : ,:,n. Th- M- qn < 1, .n worked above 1 productive slate quarries at liallahuli.sh on i of Inv miles to t! I ' u N At the same pla, but the best marble is procured in the Isltind It is hard and of green and pink <,!,!. A beaut kind of granite is found in tl id limestone aboi county. Cobalt has been discover!, 1 it, in Glenorohy. The climate of AI damp and changeable. 1 thi- sea to every part of the county. is seldom .- tin- tainous districts of the north and c;i t. lint tin is glens and hh.li, Only a small part of the surface is under tiling,'. nally liaiTcn in their I.OWCT down i-- In ath ai i soils. Thew i great variety in tho quality ol : Many liai-ts in ;h, n:ountain vail, roast. Tho soil the low ' is mossy nnd marshy. Tl I holly lot, I. It i-, Call lllatrd til ' ' 1 woods, nti' the to ill. 'I h> ] 1 111,'ipal 1'l.iln'h -all and 1 . and are sold to the i-outh, wl in lnr;;i! numbers on Butter and chccne. making are carried on in < he ],)!. ]'li- live chictly on ,- impa tiolitintl ot til,' 1, lld.'l 1 '.as iln|,ssiblr in I in W i-til.: ' ol military load-, mid, r tin tion of th, Parliamentary commission ; tin- ^upi-i- .--i,.n itioii of tl, ii and, ntirely changed the face of the
 * ot cattle, which .',,-