Gazetteer of Scotland

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jmd harbours, which are safe landing-
places for small vessels ; and at Loch-
indale is a harbour for ships of con-
siderable burden, with a quay, oppo-
site to the large village of Bowmore.
There are several lakes, and the island
is well watered by numerous streams
and rivers, which abound with trout
and salmon. In the centre of the isl-
and is Loch Finlagan, about 3 miles
in circuit, with the islet of the same
name in the middle. There the Mac-
donalds, the great lords of the isles,
resided in all the pomp of royalty,
but the palace and offices are now in
ruins. Instead of a throne, the chief-
tains stood on a stone 7 feet square,
in which there was a hollow cut to
receive their feet. Here the chief was
crowned and anointed by the bishop
of Argyll, and 7 inferior priests, in
presence of his chieftains. The cere-
mony (after the new lord had collec-
ted his kindred and vassals) was truly
patriarchal. After putting on his ar-
mour, helmet, and sword, he took an
oath to rule as his ancestors had done ;
that was, to govern as a father would
his children : his people, in return,
swore that they would obey him as
children pay obedience to the com-
mands of a parent. In former times,
the dominions of this potentate con-
sisted of Isla, Jura, Colonsay, Mull,
Arran, &c, and the peninsula of Kin-
tyre usually shared the fate of the
isles ; for we find, that in 1093, after
one of the grants of the kings of Scot-
land, the then lord of the isles, to
bring Kintyre within the compass of
the grant, had his barge drawn under
sail over the isthmus of Tarbert, after
which, considering his power, not
even the Scotish monarch was so
hardy as to deny that Kintyre was an
island. About 1586, his dominions
consisted only of Isla, Jura, Kintyre,
and Knapdale ; so reduced were they
from their former power during the
reign of James III. Near the island
of Finlagan is another little isle, called
J/an-na-corJIe, " the island of Coun-
cil," where 13 judges constantly sat
to decide differences between the sub-
jects of the Macdonalds, and received
Vor their trouble the eleventh part of
the value of the contested affair. In
the first island were buried the wives
and children of the lords of the isles,
£>^t their own persons were deposited
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in the more sacred ground of lona,
(Fide I-colm-kill.) On the shores
of Loch Finlagan are some marks of
the quarters of his Carnauch and Gih'i-
glasses, the military of the isles : the
first, signifying a strong man, were
light armed, and fought with swords^
or sometimes were armed as archers ;
the latter, which signifies a black
grim-looking fellow, fought with sharp
hatchets or Lochaber axes. These are
the troops alluded to by Shakspeare,
when he speaks of a Donald, who
" From the Western Isles,
Of Kernes and Gallow-glasseswzs supplied."
Besides the castle on the island, these
powerful lords had a house and cha-
pel at Lagannon, on the side of Loch-
indale ; a strong fortress, on a rock in
the sea, at Dunowaick, on the S. E.
end of the island : for, after their ex-
pulsion from the isle of Mann, in 1304,
they made this island their place of
residence, sometimes living at Dal-
reudhain in Kintyre, where the mo-
dern borough of Campbelltown is si-
tuated. There is a tradition, that
even while the isle of Mann was part
of the kingdom of the Isles, the rents
and feus were paid in Isla ; and this
tradition is rendered more probable
from the names of two rocks which
lie opposite to each other, at the bot-
tom of a harbour on the S. side of the
island : one rock is still called Craig'
a-7ieone, or ** the rock of the silver
rent;" the other Craig-a-v.airgid, " the
rock of the rent in kind." In every
part of the island are small fresh wa-
ter lakes, with fortified islets, and se r
veral caverns, which have occasionally
been used as places of strength and
defence. The island was formerly di-
vided into four parishes, viz. Kilcho-
choman, Kildalton, Kilarrow,and Kil-
meny ; but the two last are now unit-
ed. (See the accounts of these pa-
rishes.) The crops are principally
bear and oats ; but, though these are
uncommonly abundant, grain to the
amount of nearly lOOOl. is annually
imported. This want is chiefly owing
to the distillation of whisky, which is
much practised here, this district hav*
ing the privilege of distilling without
being subject to the Excise laws.
Much flax is raised here, for which
the moist soil seems peculiarly adap-
ted, Coarse yarn to the value of