H E B R I D E S .
I carried by the point and caftle o f Towart, the flat Southern
Lremity of Cowal, leaving on the Eaft the ihire of Air. Towart is
lie property of the Lamonds, who, during the civil wars, Tiding with
I f j f l jw e r e befieged in it, and on the furrender, put to the fword*.
C t a diftanceis pointed out to me, in that county, the fite of Largs,
feiftinguiihed in the Scottijh annals for the final defeat of the Norwegians,
in 1263, which put an end to their invafions, and reftored to
Ww/tai the pofleflion of the Hebrides.
I Steer towards the- coaft of B u t e and in the evening land at the
Slittle point of Squolog, and walk up to Mount-Stewart, the feat o f the
¡Earl oi Bute ; a modern houfe, with ahandfome front and wings .:
¡thefituation very fine, on an eminence in the midft of a wood, where
■trees grow with as much vigor as in the more Southern parts, and
Extend far beneath on each fide ;. and Throftles,.and other birds of
■long, fill the groves with their melody.
I The ifle of Bute is about twenty meafured miles long:; the
¡breadth unequal,, perhaps the greatefl: is five miles ;, the. number
■of acres about twenty thoufand ; of inhabitants ^about four thou-
|fand : here are two pariihes, Kingarth and Rothefay; at the lait
[only the Krfe language is ufed. It mult be obferved alfo, that
tin. the lait church were buried two o f the bijhop of the ijles +,
[but whether it was at times the refidence.of- the prelates does not
[ appear.
The country nies" into itnsill hills5 is in no part mountanous,
[but i? higheft at the South end. The ftrata o f ftone along the
I ihore from Rothefay buy to Cil-chattan, is a red grit, mixed with.
* Buchanan's Clans, parti. 152. 1* Rcitht 180.
B a t t l e of L a r g s *
I s l e of B u t e .»
pebble s;