Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland

BENVIE
Benvie, a village and an ancient parish on the SW
border of Forfarshire. The village stands on Invergowrie
Burn, 4£ miles W by N of Dundee. Here, at the manse,
was born John Playfair (1748-1819), the eminent mathe-
matician and natural philosopher. A chalybeate spring
near, once held in great repute, is now entirely neglected.
The parish, since 1758, has been incorporated with T.iff.
Benvigory, a lofty hill in Kildalton parish, E side of
Islay island, Argyllshire. Here about 1600 the Mac-
donalds were severely defeated by the invader Hector
Maclean, who afterwards ravaged the island.
Ben Vore. See Benmoke.
Ben Vorlich, a mountain on the W border of Comrie
parish, Perthshire, culminating 1J mile NE of Stuc-a-
Chroin, and 4J miles SE of Lochearnhead, at an altitude
of 3224 feet above sea-leveL It is seen from Perth,
Edinburgh, and Ayrshire ; and it commands a view over
much of central Scotland from sea to sea.
Ben Vorlich, a mountain in Arrochar parish, Dumbar-
tonshire, flanking the NE shore of Loch Sloy, and
culminating 2J miles SW of the head of Loch Lomond.
It has two summits, N and S, about 3 furlongs asunder,
with altitudes of respectively 3055 and 3092 feet above
sea-level ; and it is notable for the excellence of its
pasture, the richness of its flora, and the occurrence on
it of white hares and ptarmigan.
Ben Vrackie, a mountain in Mo ulin parish, Perthshire,
flanking the E side of the Pass of Killiecrankie, and
culminating 24 miles N of Moulin village. Rising to
an altitude of 2757 feet above sea-level, it presents an
appearance somewhat answering to its Gaelic name,
Beinn-bhreac, which signifies ' the speckled mountain,'
its purple heather contrasting with the grey rocks and
stones ; it forms a prominent feature in the scenery of
a large extent of country ; and it commands a view
from the Central Grampians to Arthur's Seat, and
from Ben Macdhui to Ben Nevis.
Benvraick, a mountain on the Nff border of Drymen
parish, Stirlingshire, culminating 2§ miles NE of Loch
Lomond opposite Luss, and 6J miles NW of Drymen
village. It has an altitude of 1922 feet above sea-level ;
and it adjoins the watershed toward Loch Lomond, but
sends off its own drainage to the Duchray head-stream of
the river Forth.
Ben Vriac or Ben Bhreac, a mountain in Arrochar
parish, Dumbartonshire, situated on the N side of Glen
Douglas, and culminating 1J mile SW by W of Firkin
Point on Loch Lomond. It has an altitude of 2233
feet above sea-leveL
Benvue, the north-eastern one of the two eminences
of Eigg island, Inverness-shire.
Benwhat, a summit in Dalmellington parish, Ayrshire,
culminating 2| miles NNW of the village at 1426 feet
above sea-level. Pop. of village (1891) 523.
Ben Wyvis (GaeL bcinn-uaihais, 'stupendous moun-
tain '), a mountain in Kiltearn and Fodderty parishes,
Ross-shire, culminating 8 miles NW of Dingwall. Rising
from a very wide base, with broad shoulders, to a spread-
ing lumpish outline, it presents a profile, in some points
of view, like that of a haystack ; it has an altitude of
3429 feet above sea-level ; and it commands a very ex-
tensive and most gorgeous view. The ascent of it is
very tedious and fatiguing, and is much impeded by
tracts of spongy moor, but can be facilitated over most
of the distance by the use of Highland ponies. Its
predominant rock is slaty gneiss, much intersected with
veins of hornblende and granite ; its top is covered with
a soft green sward ; and its upper parts, even in the
height of the warmest summers, are almost constantly
sheeted or flecked with snow.— Ord. Sur., sh. 93, 1881.
Ben Yattan or Yadain. See Beneaddan.
Ben-y-Gloe. See Benglo.
Ben-y-Hone. See Ben Chonzie.
Beoch, an ancient baronial castle, now represented by
scanty ruins, in Maybole parish, Ayrshire.
Beoraig, a. lake in Glenmeoble, Ardnamurchan parish,
Argyllshire. It k about 2£ miles long.
Beoster, a village in Bressay island, Shetland.
Bexboth, an estate in Straiton and Dalmellington
BERNARDS, ST
parishes, Ayrshire. Its mansion, on the left bank of the
river Doon, 2J miles S by W of Dalmellington village,
is a plain edifice, but has extensive grounds of great
beauty, both natural and artificial. A waterfall, Dal-
cairnie Linn, on a neighbouring streamlet, makes a leap
of more than 60 feet, and opens into a deep wooded
dell. Berbeth is the property of Alex. Fred. M'Adam,
Esq. (b. 1864 ; sue. 1878).
Beregonium, a misprint in the Ulm edition (1486) of
Ptolemy's Geography for ' Rerigonium, ' a town of the
Novantae, now generally identified with the Mote of
Innermessan, on the E shore of Loch Ryan, Wigtown-
shire. Hector Boece, however, applied the name ' Bere.
gonium' to a very large vitrified fort in Ardchattan
parish, Argyllshire, on the E side of Ardmucknish
Bay, 24 miles NNW of Connel Ferry, and 5£ NNE by
boat of Oban. That fort's correct name was Dunmhic-
uisneachan ('fort of the sons of Ulsneach'), now cor-
rupted into Dunmacsniochan (vol. i., p. 72, of Skene's
Celtic Scotland). Neither Beregonium, nor any name
of similar sound, seems ever to have belonged to it ; but
as Beregonium it figures in sheet 45 of the Ordnance
Survey (1876), where also we find, close by, ' Port
Selma ' and ' New Selma. • Not that any name ever
belonged to it which can, in any way, connect it with
the Selma of Ossian or the place of the residence of
the Fingalian kings. Nothing better can be said for it
in relation to Selma than is said by the writer of the New
Statistical Account of Ardchattan : — ' One may be per-
mitted to say that this locality may advance claims to
the honour in question quite as powerful as those of any
other in the Highlands. Selma signifies in Gaelic "the
fine view," and certainly a nobler and more magnificent
prospect than that from the top of this hill cannot easily
be obtained in any country. ' It is true the name Bal-
anree, or more properly Dun-Bhail-an-Righ, signifying
' the hill of the king's town,' is borne by a fine range of
adjacent cliff — a name that might seem to favour the
notion of kings having had their seat here, either kings
Fingalian or kings Dalriadan. As a matter of fact,
however, it probably implies no more than that the cliff
commands a splendid view. Localities bearing names
associated with kingly residence or kingly power are
almost as numerous in the Highlands as are places com-
manding prospects of similar splendour to that from
Dunmacsniochan ; so that each and all, on the score of
the names they bear, might as forcibly as this claim to
have been the site of the capital of either the Fingalian
or the Dalriadan kings. Dunstaffnage Castle, too, which
undoubtedly succeeded a Dalriadan royal residence, and
is only 2| miles distant, has been supposed to counte-
nance the theory that a metropolitan city was here ;
but as that castle is on the opposite side of the entrance
to Loch Etive, and can only be reached circuitously by
Connel Ferry, the argument based on it, if allowed to
point at all to any site of a royal city, would indicate one
on the southern side of Loch Etive, and therefore tells
against Dunmacsniochan. Nor are the vestiges which
exist, or the relics which have been found, of anything
like specific or sufficient character to warrant any of the
theories which have been hazarded respecting it. The
hill is a small, double-topped, rocky eminence, adjoining
a strip of plain. A well-defined vitrified fort, in some
parts 8 feet high, is on the top ; a defensive wall, still
partly extant, was at the base. Traces of a Caledonian
circle are said to have been on its shoulders ; a small
burying-ground and an ancient chapel are adjacent to the
base ; faint traces of a straight raised way, bearing a
name which signifies ' the market street,' are on the
neighbouring plain ; and on the plain have been found
a stone coffin, an urn, a sandal, and a hollow log of
wood. Theee are all the real materials out of which
have been manufactured the ancient capital of Dalriada,
the seat of a monarchy far earlier than the Christian
era, the Selma of Ossian, the place of the residence of
Fingalian kings !
Benness, a village in the Isle of Skye, Inverness-shire.
Its post-town is Porti'ee.
Bernards, St. See Edinburgh.
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