Topographical, statistical, and historical gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

ARC
53
ARD
his peace with the government, sent his son to Fort-
William with his arms, to be delivered up. The
young man when coming down Loch-Archaig was met
by an officer of the name of Grant, who was conduct-
ing a party of military into Knoidart. This monster
immediately seized the young man, and notwith-
standing his statement as to the object of his going
to Fort- William, ordered him to be shot on the spot.
His father, fired at this savage deed, swore to be
revenged, and learning that the officer rode a white
horse, watched his return behind a rock, on a height
above Loch-Archaig. Major Munro had unfortunate-
ly borrowed the white horse on which Grant rode,
and he met the fate which was intended for another.
Dugald Roy escaped at the time, and afterwards be-
came a soldier in the British service.
ARCLET (Loch), a small gloomy-looking sheet
of water in the north-west corner of the parish of
Buchanan in Stirlingshire, and bordering on Aberfoyle
parish. A stream flows out of its western side into
Loch Lomond at Inversnaid; while the sources of
the Forth are within half-a-mile of it on the south ;
so that it appears to lie on the dividing ridge betwixt
the waters of the two friths. The road from Inver-
snaid to Loch Katerine passes on the southern side
of the loch, which is wholly destitute of picturesque
features.
ARD (Loch), a beautiful sheet of water in the
parish of Aberfoyle, at the eastern base of Ben-
Lomond. By a mountain-road, which is often tra-
velled, it is about 7 miles distant from the Trosachs.
The distance from Glasgow to Aberfoyle is about 30
miles, and from the parish-church to the entrance of
the lake, a mile. There are in fact two lakes, which
are separated from each other by a stream about 200
yards in length ; but the lower lake is of small ex-
tent, its length being scarcely a mile, and its breadth
about half-a-mile. The upper lake is 5 miles in
length, and 2 miles broad. The valley of Aberfoyle,
with its varied rocks and precipices, and its river
winding amid pleasant meadows and richly wooded
hills, is very beautiful ; but Loch-Ard, with its ad-
joining scenery, is the object of greatest interest in
the district, and yields to none of the Scottish lakes
in picturesque beauty and effect. The traveller,
leaving Aberfoyle, after a walk of about a mile,
arrives at the opening of the lower lake, the view of
which is uncommonly grand. Far in the west Ben-
Lomond raises his huge and lofty form amid the
clouds ; while in nearer prospect are beheld gentle
rising grounds covered to their summits with oak
trees and waving birch. In front, are the smooth
« aters of the lower lake ; its right banks skirted
with extensive woods which cover the adjoining
mountains up to half their height. This, with the
nearly inaccessible tract which lies to the westward,
is what is called the Pass of Aberfoyle, and ancient-
ly formed one of the barriers between the Highlands
and the Lowlands. This pass has been the scene of
many tierce encounters in former times ; in particu-
lar, one took place here between the Highlanders and
the troops of Cromwell, in which the English sol-
diers were defeated. Advancing up the pass, the
traveller arrives at the upper portion of the lake.
A fine view of it is obtained from a rising ground
near its lower end, where a footpath strikes off the
road into the wood that overhangs the stream, con-
necting the upper with the lower lake; or a still
finer, perhaps, from a height about 2 miles up the
eastern side of the lake, a little way below what
is called the Priest's point, or craig. Here the
lake is seen almost in its whole expanse, — its
shores beautifully skirted with woods, and its
northern and western extremities finely diversified
with meadows, corn fields, and farm-houses. On
the opposite shore, Ben-Lomond towers aloft in
form like a cone, its sides presenting gentle slopes
towards the north-west and south-east. A cluster
of rocky islets, near the opposite shore, lend their aid
in ornamenting the surface of the waters of the lake :
and numerous rocky promontories and sheltered bays
with their waving woods increase the effect of the
scene. A small wooded island, seen near the oppo-
site shore, on the right side, is Duke Murdoch's isle.
On this islet Murdoch, Duke of Albany, Regent of
Scotland during the captivity of James I. in England,
erected a tower or castle, the ruins of which still re-
main; and tradition reports, that it was from hence
he was taken previous to his execution at Stirling.
On the shores of Loch-Ard, near a ledge, or rather
wall of rock, about 30 feet in height, there is a sin-
gular echo which repeats a few words twice over.
ARDARGIE, a small village in the shire ot Perth,
and parish of Forgandenny, situate upon an eminence
above the river May, among the Ochilis.
ARDAVASAR'BAY. See Sleat.
ARDBLAIR, an ancient mansion in the parish of
Blair-Gowrie. It is one of those ancient massive-
looking structures which partake, in a nearly equal
degree, of the gloomy, Irowning, suspicious-looking
style of the olden time, and the more open and com-
modious fashion of our own da\s. The castle
is one of the family-seats of Mr. Blair Oliphant of
Gask and Ardblair, but it is now occupied by the
tenant of the adjoining farm. On the south side of
the house lies the moss of Ardblair, a tract of some
20 or 30 acres, covered with reeds and pools.
ARDCHATTAN, a district of Argyle, consisting
quoad civilia of the two united parishes of Ardchattan
and Muckairn, anciently called Ballebhodan and
Kilespickarrol,— the latter denoting the burial-place
of Bishop Cerylus or Cerullus, and the former sig-
nifying St. Bede's town or place of residence. The
walls of a small church, supposed to have been built
by St. Bede, still remain entire, having withstood
the storms and tempests "of several centuries. The
united parish is an immense district extending aboce
30 miles in length, and being from 15 to 20 in
breadth at an average. It stretches along the southern
shore of Loch Creran, and on both sides of Loch
Etive ; but the parish of Muckairn, on the southern
side of Loch Etive, was again disjoined from it quoad
sacra in 1829. See Muckairn. The surface is for
the most part mountainous, intersected with streams
of water, and highly diversified with heights and
hollows. There are several rivers abounding with
excellent trout in the district ; the most considerable
are the Awe, the Kinloss, and the Etive. Near the
mouth of the former is a valuable salmon-fishing.
The most remarkable hill is Ben-Cruachan, which
is in the centre of the parish, and 13 or 14 miles in
circuit at the base. See article Ben-Cruachan. The
district abounds with natural wood ; and there are a
few plantations of pines and Scotch firs. Every
cutting of the woods is supposed to yield the pro.
prietors no less than £15,000 or £16,000 sterling.
They consist of ash, birch, hazel, and alder, but
chiefly oak. Roes and fallow-deer run wild in the
woods ; and there is a forest in Glenetive pretty
well-stocked with red deer. Foxes, hares, wild-cats,
pole-cats, martins, weazels, otters, badgers, black-
cocks, moorfoul, ptarmigans, partridges, plovers,
eagles, and hawks, are found here. The soil is
generally light and dry, and when properly culti-
vated, and allowed time to rest, produces excellent
crops of oats, barley, and potatoes. About 1753, a
companv from Lancashire erected a furnace for cast-
ing pig-iron at Lorn-Quarnan in Muckairn, and ob-
tained a long lease of several farms for rearing wood
and grazing their \\ oik-horses. In 1831, thij cors-