Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

BEN A'AN
Scotland, ' so truly beautiful as to be beyond descrip-
tion. ' On the estate is a mighty Spanish chestnut, only
50 feet high, but girthing 27 J feet at the base. See Jn.
Russell's Saigs of Bemersyde (Edinb. 1881).
Ben A'an. See Ben Avon and Trossachs.
Ben-a-Bhragie, a mountain in Golspie parish, SW
Sutherland, li mile WNW of Golspie church. It con
sists of Old Red sandstone and breccia, and rises 1256
feet above sea-level. It is crowned by a colossal statue,
designed by Chantrey, of the first Duke of Sutherland
(d. 1833).
Ben-a-Bhuiridh (Gael, 'mountain of roaring'), a sum-
mit in the SE of Ardchattan parish, Argyllshire, 2936
feet high, and 2| miles ESE of the top of Ben Cruachan,
of which huge mountain it is virtually a shoulder.
Benabourd (Gael beinn-a-Nmird, ' flat or table moun-
tain '), one of the Cairngorms, in Crathie and Braemar
parish, SW Aberdeenshire, to the N of the upper glen
of Quoich Water, and 7 miles NW of Castleton of Brae-
mar. A broad-backed granite ridge, abounding in
beautiful rock crystals, it has two summits 1 J mile apart,
the southern being 3860, and the northern (upon the
Banffshire boundary) 3924, feet above the level of the
sea. The latter, from a perfectly flat top, commands a
magnificent view , and was ascended by the Queen and
the Prince Consort, 6 Sept. 1850. See pp. 87, 88, of the
Queen's Journal (ed. 1877).
Ben-a-Chaisteil, a mountain (2897 feet) on the mutual
border of Perth and Argyll shires, 4J miles NNE of
Tyndrum station.
Ben Achallader, a mountain (3399 feet) on the mutual
border of Perth and Argyll shires, 2} miles E of Loch
Tulla.
Benachally, a mountain on the mutual border of
Climie and Caputh parishes, Perthshire, 7J miles WNW
of Blairgowrie. It rises to a height of 1594 feet above
sea-level, and commands a splendid view of Stormont,
Strathmore, the inland side of the Sidlaws and the
Ochils, and a vast extent of the Grampians, together
with dim glimpses of the Pentlands and the Lammermuirs.
On its north-eastern side, at an elevation of some 950
feet, is a triangular loch, 7 furlongs long and 3J wide ;
and in its eastern face is a large cavern, 'The Drop,'
so called from the continual dropping of water from the
roof.
Benaehaolis. See Jura.
Benachie. See Bbnnochie.
Ben-a-Chleibh, a summit on the mutual border of
Perth and Argyll shires, 3008 feet high, and 1 mile WSW
of Benlot, of which it forms a shoulder.
Ben a' Choin, a mountain (2524 feet) on the mutual
border of Dumbarton and Perth shires, 1J mile E of
Loch Lomond, and 2| NNE of Inversnaid.
Ben-a-Chroin, a mountain (3101 feet) on the mutual
border of Killin and Balquhidder parishes, W Perthshire,
5J miles W by S of the head of Loch Voil.
Ben Aigan, a mountain in the SW of Boharm parish,
Banffshire, 1544 feet high, and 2£ miles E by S of
Bothes village on the left and opposite side of the Spey.
Ben Alder or Ben Auler, a broad wild range of the central
Grampians, on the southern border of Laggan parish,
S Inverness-shire, extending between Loch Laggan and
Loch Ericht. It presents grandly picturesque features,
and culminates at an altitude of 3757 feet above sea-
level, 2J miles W of Loch Ericht. Near Benalder Lodge,
at its southern base, is a remarkable cave, in which Prince
Charles Edward lay concealed in September 1746. Ben-
alder deer-forest (Sir Jn. Eamsden's, of Ardverikie)
is rented in 1881 for £2560.
Ben Alisky, a mountain (1142 feet) in the S of Halkirk
parish, Caithness, 12 miles NNW of Berriedale.
Benalligin, a mountain in Gairloch parish, Ross-shire,
flanking the north-eastern shore of Loch Torridon, 6
miles N by E of Shieldag, and rising 3015 feet above the
sea.
Benan (Gael, beinn-n'an, ' mountain of the river '),
a hill in Straiton parish, Ayrshire, 1 mile S of Straiton
village. Its altitude is 929 feet.
Benan, a headland in the S of Arran, Buteshire, 2J
BENBECULA
miles W of Pladda island. It terminates the lofty
basaltic range of the Struey Rocks ; is a massive cuneiform
protrusion, narrowing downward ; and consists of various
kinds of trap rock, irregularly intermingled.
Ben-an-Armuinn, a mountain in the NW angle of
Clyne parish, Sutherland, overhanging the SE shore of
Loch Coir 'an Fhearna, 21 miles WNW of Helmsdale.
Its highest summits are Craig Mhor (2338 feet above sea.
level) and, 34 miles to the NW, Craig nah-Iolaire
(2278 feet).
Ben-an-Lochain, a mountain in Lochgoilhead parish,
Cowal, Argyllshire, overhanging Glen Kinglas, and
culminating 4§ miles N by E of the head of Loch Goil,
at 2955 feet above sea-level. It takes its name from
Loch Restil, a tarn on its eastern slope, 4 furlongs long
by 1 wide, and abounding in small trout.
Benanoir. See Juka.
Ben-an-Tuirc (Gael. ' mountain of the wild boar '), a
mountain on the mutual border of Saddel and Killean
parishes, Kintyre, Argyllshire, 10 miles N by E of Camp-
beltown. It rises to an altitude of 1491 feet above sea-
level.
Benarmin. See Ben-an-Armuinn.
Ben Arthur or The Cobbler, a mountain on the NE
border of Cowal, Argyllshire, 2| miles WNW of Arrochar
village. Flanking the northern side of the mouth of
Glencroe, it overhangs the head of Loch Long, and figures
grandly through vistas and gaps of the neighbouring
mountains. With an altitude of 2891 feet above sea-lerel,
it presents a shattered peaky crest, rising in bold relief
against the sky ; and, as seen from the E, shows a sharp
fantastic outline, fancied to resemble that of a shoe-
maker at work. It is both difficult and dangerous of
ascent, being often enveloped in mists or clouds ; but
when scaled by a daring mountaineer on a clear day, it
rewards him for his toil by one of the most extraordinary
prospects to be anywhere seen in Britain, over a vast
bewildering expanse of mountains, glens, and lakes.
Benarty, a flat-topped hill on the mutual border of
Ballingry parish, Fife, and Cleish and Kinross parishes,
Kinross-shire. It culminates 1 mile S of the southern
shore of Loch Leven, at 1167 feet above sea-level. An
ancient camp crowns its south-western shoulder ; and
Benarty House, within Balliugry parish, stands at its
southern base.
Ben Attow (Gael, bcinn fJiada), a mountain on the
mutual border of Ross and Inverness shires, separating
the head of Strathaffric from Glenshiel, 5J miles E of
salt-water Loch Duieh. Forming part of the backbone
of Scotland, it rises 3383 feet above sea-level (not 4000
as hitherto everywhere given), and by Bealaoh Pass is
parted from Scuir na Cairan (3771 feet).
Ben Auler. See Ben Alder.
Benaveallich, a mountain on the mutual border of
Loth and Kildonan parishes, E Sutherland, 5J miles W
of Helmsdale, and 1940 feet high above sea-level.
Benavere or Beinn-a-Bheitnir, a mountain on the
Ardshiel estate in the N of Appin, Argyllshire, cul-
minating in Sgorr Dhearg, 2 miles SW of Ballachulish
village, and 3362 feet above the level of the neighbour-
ing Lochs Leven and Linnhe.
Ben Avon, a mountain on the mutual border of
Crathie parish, Aberdeenshire, and Kirkmichael parish,
Banffshire, 7 miles N by W of Castleton of Braemar.
It flanks the upper part of Glenavon ; adjoins Benabourd,
one of the Cairngorm group of the Grampians ; and has
an altitude of 3843 feet above sea-level.
Ben Ban, a lofty hill in the N of Kilmartin parish,
Argyllshire, near the head or south-western extremity
of Loch Awe. It commands a splendid view of the
basin and screens of Loch Awe, and of the basin of
Loch Fyne and the Firth of Clyde to Cowal, Arran,
Kintyre, and Ayrshire.
Benbeeula (Gael, beinn-na-faoghail, ' mountain of the
fords '), an island of South Uist parish, Outer Hebrides,
Inverness-shire. It lies between the islands of North and
South Uist, being separated from the former by a sound
3 J miles broad, containing a number of small islands and
islets, from the latter by a channel i mile broad in the
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