Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland

BEN DAMHAIN
tain in Lorn, Argyllshire. It fills all the space Detween
Loch Awe and the upper reach of Loch Etive ; measures
fully 20 miles in circuit round the base, and rises to an
altitude of 3689 feet above sea-level. It flanks the
entire extent of the lower or outspread part of Loch
Awe ; soars, in magnificent mass, to the sky-line of all
the view down Loch Awe basin ; and is subtended on
the NE by vast mountain ranges extending to Glencoe.
It ascends steeply on the N, so as to be fully seen at
near points from base to summit ; but it ascends gradu-
ally, or somewhat gently, on the S and the W, and can
be climbed, on these sides, with considerable ease. Its
lower parts are extensively covered with natural wood,
its upper parts are bare and tumulated ; and its summit
is split into two steep or spire-like cones. The view
from it is wide, diversified, and very gorgeous, little if
at all inferior to that from Ben Lawers, and excelled in
Scotland by no other unless it be from Ben Lomond.
Reddish granite, of porphyritic appearance, forms its
main rock ; clay slate, with veins of quartz, occurs near
its base ; and sea-shells have been found on its very
summit. — Ord. Sur., sh. 45, 1876.
Ben Damhain, a mountain in the NW corner of Ar-
rochar parish, Dumbartonshire, contiguous to the meet-
ing-point with Perthshire and Argyllshire. It has an
altitude of 2242 feet above sea-level.
Bendeanavaig (Gael. ' hill of defence '), a mountain
in Portree parish, Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire, to the
S of Portree harbour. It rises to a height of 1348 feet ;
like the neighbouring monarch-mountain of Ait-Suidhe-
Thuin, is capped with a green hillock ; and has so re-
markable a form as to be a sure landmark to mariners.
In its seaward bases are tide -washed caverns, where sea-
fowl and wild pigeons build ; and, athwart steep decli-
vities overhanging the sea, are numerous conical rocks,
green or heathy on their tops, and interspersed with
ravines and pastoral hollows.
Ben Dearg or Dearig (Gael. ' red mountain '), a moun-
tain in the E of Lochbroom parish, Ross-shire, 5J miles
ESE of the head of Loch Broom. It overhangs the N
side of a fine wooded glen, leading down to the head of
Loch Broom, and it rises to an altitude of 3547 feet
above sea-level. Its chief rock is gneiss, with veins of
granite and beds of quartz rock.
Ben Bearg, a Grampian summit in the N of Blair
Athole parish, Perthshire, culminating 8J miles N by W
of Blair Athole village, and 3J S of the Inverness-shire
border, at 3304 feet above sea-level. It flanks the E
side of the upper part of Glenbruar, and is the most
remarkable of the numerous mountains of Blair Athole,
taking its name from a vein of red stone, said to be a
kind of granite.
Ben-derg-veg and Ben-derg-vore, two summits on or
near the NE border of Eddrachillis parish, NW Suther-
land, respectively 5f and 8| mile S by E of Cape
Wrath, and 1391 and 1528 feet high.
Bendhu or Eendubh, a mountain 2108 feet high, in
Luss parish, Dumbartonshire, culminating 2J miles NW
of Luss village.
Bendochy, a parish of E Perthshire, that, with a total
area of 9529| acres, formerly consisted of three separate
sections, parted from one another by intervals 2 miles
and \ mile wide — Bendochy proper, or the south-eastern
section, the Drimmie or middle section, and the Persie
or north-western section. The Boundary Commissioners
in 1891 transferred the Persie section (containing 2999
acres) to the parish of Kirkmichael, and the Drimmie
section (containing 904 acres) to the parish of Blair-
gowrie, but took from Blairgowrie parish one of its
detached portions (1742 acres) and Parkhead estate, and
placed them in Bendochy parish. The reconstituted
parish of Bendochy is bounded NE by Alyth, SE and S
by Coupar- Angus, W. by Blairgowrie and Rattray, with
the added or Creuchies portion of Blairgowrie parish on
the NW. It has an extreme length from N by E to S
by W of 6J miles, and a breadth from E to W of from
f to 2£ miles. The Isla, here a deep and sluggish river,
75 yards wide below the church, where it is spanned by
a five-arched bridge (1766), winds 7 miles south-west-
BENEVACHART
ward, roughly tracing all the Meigle and Coupar-Angus
boundary; and its affluent, the Burn of Alyth, for lg
mile marks the north-eastern border. The Ardle and
the Black Water (for 8 miles of its upper reaches known
as the Shee) unite near Strone House to form the
' ireful ' Ericht, a stream that runs If mile through
Bendochy, falling there into the Isla, a river which
abounds with small trout. Here Bendochy, belong-
ing to Strathmore, is low and relatively level, de-
clining to 100 and nowhere exceeding 229 feet above
sea-level; but it rises gradually northwards to 397 feet
near Pictfield, and to 918 feet in the Hill of St Fink,
thence again sinking north-eastwards to 500 feet along
the Burn of Alyth. Devonian rocks predominate in
Bendochy, where are several sandstone quarries; the soil
is alluvial on the best arable lands, and elsewhere ranges
from strong loam to thin moorish earth. Principal
Playfair of St Andrews was a native. Mansions are
Hill of Couttie, Isla Bank, Wester Bendochy, Mudhall,
and St Fink. The Drimmie or middle section, that
transferred to the parish of Blairgowrie, is about 2 miles
long from N to S by 1J broad, has a northward ascent
from less than 500 feet to over 900, and contains the
mansion of Rannagulzeon House. The Persie or north-
western section, that transferred to the parish of Kirk-
michael, is 3J miles long from N to S, by from 1J to
about 2 miles broad, has an ascent from 595 feet at
Strone House to 1131 at Monks Cally, 1097 near Pater-
lach, 1000 at Craighead, and 1458 at Knock of Balmyle,
culminating just beyond the NW angle, and for mansions
has Strone House and Cally. Plutonic rocks predomi-
nate in the Persie section, where fuller's earth and clay-
slate have been worked. For church, school, and regis-
tration purposes, the two north-western sections are
included in the quoad sacra parish of Persie; and Ben-
dochy proper constitutes another quoad sacra parish in
the presbytery of Meigle and synod of Angus and Mearns,
its minister's income being £257. The ancient church
(repaired 1803; 3S0 sittings) stands 2 miles N of the
post-town, Coupar- Augus ; and 1 mile further N is a
public school, which, with accommodation for 75 chil-
dren, had (1891) an average attendance of 29 and a
grant of £39, 9s. 6d. Valuation (1892) £8919, lis.
Pop. of quoad sacra parish (1881) 499, (1891) 478; of
civil parish (1881) 715, (1891) 668.— Ord. Sur., shs.
48, 56, 1868-70.
Ben Donich, a mountain in Lochgoilhead parish, Cowal,
Argyllshire, culminating 2J miles NNE of the head of
Loch Goil, at 2774 feet above sea-level.
Ben Doran or Doireann (Gael, 'stormy mountain'),
a mountain in Glenorchy parish, Argyllshire, near the
eastern border of the county, 3 miles SE of the efflux of
the Orchy river from Loch Tulla. It rises to an altitude
of 3523 feet above sea-level ; and it has been rendered
famous among Highlanders by the Gaelic muse of Duncan
Ban M'Intyre.
Bendubh. See Bendhtj.
Ben Ducteach, a mountain (1750 feet) at the meeting-
point of Dumbarton, Perth, and Stirling shires, If mile
E by S of the head of Loch Lomond.
Beneaddan or Ben Tadain, a mountain in Morvern
parish, Argyllshire. « Flanking the southern shore of
Loch Sunart, it rises to an altitude of 1873 feet above
sea-level ; toward the summit is an excavated flight of
steps, called Cenmanan Fhin or Fingal's Stair.
Beneagen. See Ben Aigan.
Ben Eay, a mountain (3309 feet) in Gairloch parish,
W Ross-shire, 5 miles S of Loch Maree.
Ben Eich, a mountain in Luss parish, Dumbartonshire,
on the N side of Luss Water, 4 miles W by N of Luss
village. It has an altitude of 2302 feet above sea-level.
Benein or Am Binneiu (Gael. ' mountain of birds'),
a mountain on the mutual border of Balquhidder and
Killin parishes, Perthshire, culminating 1J mile S of
Benmore, at 3827 feet above sea-level.
Ben Eoin, a mountain in the S of Sutherland, over-
hanging the N side of Strath Oykel, 17 miles WNW of
Bonar-Bridge.
Benevachart, a mountain (3000 feet) on the mutual
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