Oppofite to this ifland, in Lorn, is the bay o f Oban, where are the
cuftom-houfe and poft-office.
On a great rock within land, precipitous on three fides, is the
caftle of Dunolly, once the refidence of the chieftains o f Lorn.
Continue our courfe; and paffing with difficulty through a very
narrow found, formed by the Ilan Beach, and the main-land, arrive
in a fine bay. Anchor under the antient caftle of D u n - s t a f fa g e ,"
or Stephen’s Mount; and inftantly receive, and accept, a moft polite
invitation from the owner, Mr* Campbel.
'' This caftle is fabled to have been founded by Ewin, a Piilijh Dun-itaffao*.
monarch, cotemporary with Julius Cafar, naming it after himfelf
Evonium. In faft, the founder is unknown •, but it is certainly o f
great antiquity,' and the firft feat o f the Piiltjh and Scottijh princes.
In this place was long preferved the famous ftone, the Palladium of
North-Britdn ; brought, fays Legend, out.of Spain, where it was firft .
ufed as a feat of juftice by Gethalus, coeval with Mofes. It continued
Jiere as the coronation-chair till the reign o f Kenneth the fecond, who
removed it to Scone, in order to fecure his reign; for, according to the
infcription,
jNi fallatfatum, Scoti, quocunque locatum
Invenient lapidem, regnare tenentur ibidem.
; Mr; Campbel ihewed to me a very pretty little ivory image, found
in a ruinous part of the caftle, that was certainly cut in memory of
this chair, and appears to have been an inauguration fculpture. A
crowned monarch is reprefented fitting in it, with a book in one hand,
as if going to take the coronation oath.
The caftle- is fquare ; the infide only eighty-feVen feet; partly
G g g ruinous,