Gazetteer of Scotland

HIG
H I G
generally fubdivided into two parts ;
the Weft Higblands,nnd the North High-
lands ; the former of which contains
the (hires of Dumbarton, Bute, part of
Perth and Argyll, with the illands be-
longing to them ; and the latter com-
prehending the counties of Invernefs,
Rofs, Sutherland, the diftricts of At hoi,
Rarmoch, and the ifles of She, Lewis,
and others, belonging to Jn-vernefs and
Rofs : Braidalbin, Marr, and Monteith,
forming a third or central divifion.
The extent of this great diftrict, from
Dumbarton to the borders of Caitbnefs,
is npwardsof 200 miles, and its breadth
varies from 80 to 100. The whole of
this diftrict is wild, rugged, and moun-
tainous in the higheft degree : many
of the mountains are elevated to a
great height, while the vales at their
bafe, for many months, never have
the light of the fun. Thefe vales are
generally occupied by lakes, or the
precipitous rivers which pour in tor-
rents from them. The great rivers of
the country have their rife amongft
thefe wilds, defcending to the ocean
with great rapidity : the Toy, the Spey,
and the Forth, the three great rivers,
are formed from the junction of the
numerous ftreams from the hills. Un-
til the beginning of the laft century,
no regular roads and bridges had been
made in the Highlands ; and the entries
from the Lowlands were often impafT-
able for the greater part of the year :
hence, the inhabitants being prevented
from commerce, and acquaintance
with the more cultivated part of the
country, were likely to continue for
ever attached to the ancient cuftoms
and manners, unlefs fome expedients
were found to introduce trade and in-
duftry amongft them. To produce
this dehrable effect, General Wade, in
1724, being ordered by a commiffidn
from George I. travelled over the moft
difficult and dangerous paffes of the
mountains, and, in his progrefs, pro-
jected the bold undertaking of making
Smooth and fpacious roads in that
confufed and rugged diftrict. In 1726,
he began the work, which he com-
pleted in 1737; employing therein
only 500 foldiers in the fummer fea-
fon, under proper officers. Thefe
roads, as constructed by Gen. Wade,
were 250 miles in length, and from
20 to 25 yards in breadth, fit for wheel
carriages, or a train of artillery: along
each fide are aqueducts andfide drains,
that preferve them from the injuries
of violent rains, fo frequent among
the mountains. Wherever the hills
permit, they run in ftraight lines, not-
withstanding the rocks and bogs which
often interpofed. The huge ftones,
which were raifed out of the ground
by means of engines, are Set up by the
road tide, to ferve as guides in deep
fnows ; and, at every 5 meafured miles,
are pillars, to inform the traveller how
far he has proceeded. The roads en-
ter the mountains at 3 different parts
of the low country ; one at Crieff,
24 miles N. of Stirling ; another at
Dunkeld, 12 miles N. of Perth ; and
the laft goes along the fide of Loch
Lomond in Dumbartonfhire, by Lufs.
The General met with almoft iniur-
mour.table difficulties in the profecu-
tion of the work, but, at length, had
the fatisfaction to fee them completed.
Since that period, the military roads
have been farther extending, opening
a ready communication with every
part of the country. In this diftrict
the feudal fyftem long continued, and,
until the year 1748, when heritable
jurisdictions were finally aboliihed, e-
very baron might be faid to have the
power of life and death over his vaf-
fals ; ( vide Ar.gyllship.e.) The in-
habitants of the Highlands, as well as
of the Weftern Ifles, are a branch of
the ancient CELT^:,and are undoubt-
edly the defcendents of the firft inha-
bitants of Britain, as appears from the
remains of the language ftill retained
in the moft ancient names of places in
every part of the if! and. The High-
landers, or, as they are generally term-
ed by their ancient authors, the Ca-
ledonians, were always a brave, war-
like, and hardy race of people, and,
in the remoteft times, feem to have
poffeffed a degree of refinement on
Sentiments and manners, then unknown
to the furrounding nations. This ap-
pears not only from their own tradi-
tions and poems, but alfo from the
teftimony of many ancient authors.
This civilization was probably owing
to the religious order of the Bards or
Druids ; of the temples of which or-
der there are remains in every part of
the diftrict. Before the reign of Fin-
gal, one of their kings, who lived a-
bout the middle of the fecond century,
the inhabitants feem to have livecj