ly exceeded others in the quantity. It is obferved, that the herrings caught here, and in the Lochs Fine, Long, &c. are of a richer and more delicate tate, than thofe caught either in the Western fles, or the coaft of Ireland. Though the latter are much larger, they have a strong tafte, and anfwer best for exportation to hot climates. It is to be regretted, that Government, and the focieties eftablished for fuch beneficial purpofés, have not paid more attention to this branch of trade, in which, exclufive of buffes, who have a bounty, fo many useful hands are yearly employed, and from which fo much advantage might be derived. The chief thing wanted for this purpofe is, to have harbours difpofed in proper places, and at convenient diftances along the coaft. There are several finall bays and creeks, half formed by nature, where harbours, fufficient for the fleet, might be made without any enormous expenfe. There are three places on this coast, I mean the points of Carradell, Skipness, and Sunadale, the two former near the extremities of the ufual fishing ground, and the last near the centre, which, on the fighteft furvey, would occur to any perfon as exceedingly well adapted for principal harbours, to accommodate veffels from 15 to 30 tons; feveral fuch attend every feafon, for the purpose of falting herrings, or carrying them fresh to the red-herring houfes in Liverpool, Ifle of Man, &c. and to other markets. Veffels of this defcription, are of very great advantage to the fishery, in keeping up the prices, and deserve to have some attention paid to their fecurity. Yet, the small fishing-boats being of ftill greater confequence, ought to be encouraged, and accommodated with places of fafety. There is a great variety of fmall creeks, which a moderate fum would clear and fit for their reception. From 200 to 300 boats have been frequently feen here of an evening, and all of them difperfed before morning, for want of thefe accomVOL. XII. modations, 3 P 1 modations, and obliged to run from the fishing grounds t☛ Tarbert, Lochfine, the Kyles of Bute, Lochranfay, Campble town, and under the lee of head-lands and points, being their only shift to fave their lives. Though there are fome natural harbours formed by the mouths of the rivers, yet these are often dangerous, from fhifting or filling with fand, fome times inacceffible to veffels of 15 or 20 tons; and, exclufive of thefe difadvantages, have not capacity to receive any confiderable number *. State of Improvement.-From the general defcription given of the face of the parish, it appears, that though it is better calculated for grazing than agriculture, yet, that a confiderable part of the low grounds is capable of cultivation, and fit to produce the most valuable crops. On the estates of Saddel, *It is here to be observed, that befides the advantages of these three places above mentioned, for principal harbours, from their local situation with respect to one another, and the fishing grounds, there are others peculiar to them, a bove any other stations along the coaft. The country near them is better adapted for crops, and confequently more populous. And the proprietors have of late divided fome large farms into fmall plots, and built houses on them for the accommodation of ithers and tradefmen; fo that if a few harbours were once made, and the above accommodations of land, houses, &c. fomewhat more eztended (which the proprietors will find it their intereft to do), the herring fishery on this coaft would flourish, to the great advantage of individuals, the publick, and Government. More praife is due to thofe, who lay out their time, their talents, their money, or their influence, for promoting these and fuch other plans of real utility, than to all the race of politicians put together. It is but juftice, therefore, here to add, that, with the laudable view of promoting the improvement of this valuable branch of our trade, his Grace the Duke of Argyll, and another gentleman (Mr. Campbell of Carradell), who has paid great attention to the herring fishery for a feries of years, and is fuppofed to have fu 'perior skill in every thing which concerns it, have got red-herring houses built on their estates here, in which a very confiderable quantity of red-herrings have been manufactured, and for which there has been a great demand both at home and abroad. del, Carradell, and Skipness, every fpecies of improvement has been carried on to a high degree of melioration. From the manfion-houses, the eye is entertained with an extenfive prospect of regular enclosures, sheets of verdant pasture, natural woods and clumps of planted trees, with all the variety of crops, which fyftematical cultivation, carried on with a liberal hand and persevering attention, may be fupposed to produce, in a foil naturally adapted for fuch valuable productions. But with these, and a few other exceptions, the rest of the arable land in the parish, is in the same state of non-improvement with every country under fimilar difadvantages. The chief obstructions to improvement in agriculture, hitherto, have been the want of manure, and fuel; or, at least, the too high expense of money and time neceffary for procuring them. There is no kind of manure in this parish, except dung and fea-weed, no limestone nor marl being yet difcovered in it; and the inhabitants have been long fubjected to many inconveniencies as to their fuel. Turf or peats were their only fuel they are found in the hills; but the cutting, with the whole expenfive procefs of drying and carrying them home, ufed to occupy the farmer and his whole family for a great part of the fummer feason; and in a wet season, he ran the dreadful risk of wanting fire to dress his victuals, or warm him during the inclemency of winter. This was the deplorable fituation of the people here, and over all the Highlands, two years ago, and is in a great measure so, even this feafon (1793). It is very evident, that neither agriculture (that fureft and most permanent fource of national wealth), nor any manufactures, can ever be carried on to any purpose, a country without manure and without fuel *. in * But now that the duty on coals carried coaft ways is taken off, it will fave the farmer a great deal of time and labour, and enable him to pay proper at tention Difadvantages. But there are other obstructions to improvement, which ftill prevail too much, and which it would be the intereft of landlords and farmers to have removed: Thefe arife from too fhort leafes; having a great number of fmall tenants, and their houfes collected together in the centre of the farm; payment of many fmall items, and preftation of services to the proprietor, to mills, smithies, &c. which, as being prejudicial, are in moft places laid afide. Antiquities.-The abbey of Saddel, a monastery of the Ciftertian order, was begun by Somerled, Lord of Kintyre, and the Ifles (who died in 1163), and finished by his fon Reginald. It was built in the form of a crofs. The length from E. to W., is about 136 feet, by 24 over walls, and the transept from N. to S., about 78 feet, by 24. The S. end of the tranfept was extended 58 feet more, and made the fide of a square, which ferved for cloifters. There is very little of the church or cloisters now ftanding.-Near the point of Skipness, ftands the castle of that name. Its appearance is very noble. It can scarcely, even at this day, be called a ruin, though it must be a structure of great antiquity, being probably built by the Danes. It is fomewhat fingular, and much to be re gretted, tention to his farm. The time he formerly spent about his peats, he may now lay out in carrying home coal and limeflone. The great number of boats in the parish, with its vicinity to Clyde and Ayrshire, are circumftances in favour of the farmer, both for exporting what he can spare of his produce, and getting home coal and limestone in return, and this will open a new fource of employment for many hands, who, in the late ftate of non-improvement, were often idle, except in the herring-fishing feafon. What pity was it then to deprive the poor industrious people, for fo long a period, of fuch a refource for bettering their condition in fo many refpects, for the fake of a duty trifling to Government, but highly impolitic, when considered in all its train of calamitous con fequences, to the families of many useful and deferving fubje&s! gretted, that no mention is made in the hiftories of the times of fuch a magnificent building *. Schools, It is built with a cement, apparently made up of a compofition of lime fea-fhell, and earth of a dunnith colour, fo exceedingly firm, that it were easier to quarry a whin-rock. Some parts of the walls feem to be of a later date than others, being thinner and in a different ftyle of architecture. The outer wall is 7 feet thick, 33 feet in height, and 450 feet in length, in all, but none of the fides are exactly of the fame length. It has two projections of 13 feet square over walls, one at the S. E. corner, and the other at the N. W. corner, ftill called Tur-an-t'agairt, or the Prieft's Tower, close by which, there was a small chapel or oratory. At the N. E. corner, and within the outer wall, there is a large tower or citadel, confiderably higher than the outer wall, which is kept in good repair by the present proprietor, who roofed and floored it, so as to make exceeding good lodgings. Below, there are excellent vaulted cellars; the stairs to the several apartments above, run through the wall, and are far from being bad, though rather narrow, according to the taste of the times. The entry to it was fecured by a wall stretching across the area to the N. W. fide of the outer wall, with a large gate in the middle: This gate, now partly taken down, as well as the two outer or principal gates, were in the Gothic ftyle. The area within this cross wall, was probably used as barracks, now converted into a handsome court of offices with great propriety. These, with other improvements, both within and without the castle, have a very pleafing effect, exhibiting to the eye at one view, modern elegance and ancient grandeur happily combined together. Upon almost every point or projection along the coaft, there are to be feen fmall Danish forts; the most confiderable is, the castle of Aird at Carradell, it is fituated on a high rock close by the sea, on which fide it is inacceffible, and secured on the land fide by a deep broad ditch. Nothing remains but a part of the outer wall, built with mud, and above 6 feet thick, and 12 feet high, where entire. It is 240 feet long, and 72 broad. Near this, at the extremity of the point of land, which forms the fine bay of Carradell, there is a small island, in the centre of which is to be seen, the foundations of a vitrified wall of an elliptical form, furrounding about a rood of ground. The lava or cement is of a dark gray colour; but of what materials, and by what process it was made, is not eafily determined. There is no tradition to throw any light on this puzzling monument of antiquity. Its infular fequestered fituation, and particularly its form, which was peculiar to the ancient Druids, and a large opening on the E. toward the rifing fun, would tempt one to conjecture that it was built by that venerable order, as a place of retreat and fecurity, when they fell into disgrace, |