an island of Scotland, in the frith of Clyde, between Kintyre and Cunningham. Of this island the best description we have is that given by Mr Pennant in his Tour through Scotland, vol. ii. 172—184.

"Arran, or properly Arr-unn, or, 'the island of mountains,' seems not to have been noticed by the ancients, notwithstanding it must have been known to the Romans, whose navy, from the time of Agricola, had its station in the Glottae Fluvium, or the Frith of Clyde. Camden, indeed, makes this island the Glotta of Antonine, but no such name occurs in his Itinerary: it therefore was bestowed on Arran by some of his commentators. By the immense cairns, the vast monumental stones, and many relics of Druidism, this island must have been considerable in very ancient times. Here are still traditions of the hero Fingal, or Fin Mac Coul, who is supposed here to have enjoyed the pleasures of the chase; and many places retain his name: but I can discover nothing but oral history that relates to the island till the time of Magnus the Barefooted, the Norwegian victor, who probably included Arran in his conquests of Kintyre. If he did not conquer that island, it was certainly included among those that Donald Bane was to cede; for it appears that Acho, one of the successors of Magnus, in 1263, laid claim to Arran, Bute, and the Cumbres, in consequence of that promise: the two first he subdued, but the defeat he met with at Largs soon obliged him to give up his conquests. Arran was the property of the crown. Robert Bruce retired thither during his distresses, and met with protection from his faithful vassals. Numbers of them followed his fortunes; and after the battle of Bannockburn he rewarded several, such as the Maccocks, Mackimons, Macbrides, and Maclois, or Fullertons, with different charters of lands in their native country. All these are now absorbed by this great family, except the Fullertons, and a Stewart, descended from a son of Robert III., who gave him a settlement here. In the time of the Dean of the Isles, his descendant possessed Cattle Douan; and he and his blood, says the Dean, are the best men in that country. About the year 1334, this island appears to have formed part of the estate of Robert Stewart, great steward of Scotland, afterwards Robert II. At that time they took arms to support the cause of their master; who afterwards, in reward, not only granted at their request an immunity from their annual tribute of corn, but added several new privileges, and a donative to all the inhabitants that were present. In 1456, the whole island was ravaged by Donald earl of Ross and lord of the Isles. At that period, it was still the property of James II.; but in the reign of his successor James III., when that monarch matched his sister to Thomas lord Boyd, he created him earl of Arran, and gave him the island as a portion. Soon after, on the disgrace of that family, he caused the countess to be divorced from her unfortunate husband; and bestowed both the lady and island on Sir James Hamilton, in whose family it continues to this time, a very few farms excepted.

"Arran is of great extent, being 23 miles from Sgreadan Point north to Beinn-an-south; and the number of inhabitants are about 7000, who chiefly inhabit the coasts; the far greater part of the country being uninhabited by reason of the vast and barren mountains. Here are only two parishes, Kilbride and Kilmore; with a fort of chapel of ease to each, founded in the last century, in the golden age of this island, when it was blessed with Anne duchess of Hamilton, whose amiable disposition and humane attention to the welfare of Arran render at this distant time her memory dear to every inhabitant. The principal mountains of Arran are, Goatfield, or Gaoilbeinn, or "the mountain of the winds," of a height equal to most of the Scottish Alps, composed of immense piles of moorstone, in form of wool packs, clothed only with lichens and mosses, inhabited by eagles and ptarmigans; Beinn-bharrain, or "the sharp-pointed;" Ceum-na-caillich, "the step of the carline or old hag;" and Grianan-Athol, that yields to none in ruggedness. The lakes are, Loch-jorsa, where salmon come to spawn; Loch-tana; Loch-nah-jura, on the top of a high hill; Loch-mhachrai; and Loch-knoc-a-charbel, full of large eels. The chief rivers are, Abhan-mhor, Moima-mhor, Slon-drai-machrei, and Jorsa; the two last remarkable for the abundance of salmon.

"The quadrupeds are very few; only otters, wild cats, shrew mice, rabbits, and bats: the flags, which used to abound, are now reduced to about a dozen. The birds are, eagles, hooded crows, wild pigeons, stags, black game, grouse, ptarmigans, daws, green plovers, and curlews. It may be remarked, that the partridge at present inhabits this island, a proof of the advancement of agriculture.

"The climate is very severe: for besides the violence of wind, the cold is very rigorous; and snow lay here in the valleys for 13 weeks of the last winter. In summer, the air is remarkably salubrious; and many invalids resort here on that account, and to drink the whey of goats milk.

"The principal disease here is the pleurisy: smallpox, measles, and chincough, visit the island once in seven or eight years. The practice of bleeding twice every year seems to have been intended as a preventive against the pleurisy: but it is now performed with the utmost regularity at spring and fall. The duke of Hamilton keeps a surgeon in pay; who at those seasons makes a tour of the island. On notice of his approach, the inhabitants of each farm assemble in the open air; extend their arms; and are bled into a hole made in the ground, the common receptacle of the vital fluid. In burning fevers, a tea of wood forrel is used with success, to allay the heat. An infusion of ramsons, or allium urfaeum, in brandy, is esteemed here a good remedy for the gravel.

"The men are strong, tall, and well made; all speak the Erse language, but the ancient habit is entirely laid aside. Their diet is chiefly potatoes and meal; and during winter, some dried mutton or goat is added to their hard fare. A deep dejection appears in general through the countenances of all; no time can be spared for amusement of any kind; the whole being given for procuring the means of paying their rent, of laying in their fuel, or getting a scanty pittance of meat and clothing." "The leafes of farms are 19 years. The succeeding tenants generally find the ground little better than a caput mortuum; and for this reason: Should they at the expiration of the lease leave the lands in a good state, some avaricious neighbours would have the preference in the next setting, by offering a price more than the person who had expended part of his substance in enriching the farm could possibly do. This induces them to leave it in the original state. The method of setting a farm is very singular; each is commonly possessed by a number of small tenants; thus a farm of 40l. a year is occupied by 18 different people, who by their leases are bound, conjunctly and severally, for the payment of the rent to the proprietor. These live in the farm in houses cluttered together, so that each farm appears like a little village. The tenants annually divide the arable land by lot; each has his ridge of land, to which he puts his mark, such as he would do to any writing; and this species of farm is called run-rig, (i.e.) ridge. They join in ploughing; every one keeps a horse or more; and the number of those animals consumes so much corn, as often to occasion a scarcity; the corn and peas raised being (much of it) designed for their subsistence, and that of the cattle, during the long winter. The pasture and moor land annexed to the farm is common to all the possessors. All the farms are open. Enclosures of any form, except in two or three places, are quite unknown: so that there must be a great loss of time in preserving their corn, &c., from trespassers. The usual manure is sea plants, coral and shells. The run-rig farms are now discouraged; but since the tenements are let by roup or auction, and advanced by an unnatural force to above double the old rent, without any allowance for enclosing, any example set in agriculture, any security of tenure by lengthening the leases, affairs will turn retrograde, and the farms relapse into their old state of rudeness; migration will increase (for it has begun), and the rents be reduced even below their former value: the late rents were scarce 1200l. a-year; the expected rents 3000l.

"The produce of the island is oats; of which about 5000 bolls, each equal to nine Winchester bushels, are sown, 500 of beans, a few peas; and above 1000 bolls of potatoes are annually let: notwithstanding this, 500 bolls of oat meal are annually imported, to subside the natives.

"The live stock of the island is 3183 milch cows; 2000 cattle, from one to three years old; 1058 horses; 1500 sheep; and 500 goats: many of the two last are killed at Michaelmas and dried for winter-provision, or sold at Greenock. The cattle are sold from 40 to 50s. per head, which brings into the island about 1200l. per annum: I think that the sale of horses also brings in about 300l. Hogs were introduced here only two years ago. The herring-fishery round the island brings in 300l. the sale of herring-nets 100l. and that of thread about 300l. for a good deal of flax is sown here. These are the exports of the island; but the money that goes out for mere necessaries is a melancholy drawback.

"The women manufacture the wool for the clothing of their families; they set the potatoes, and dress and spin the flax. They make butter for exportation, and cheese for their own use.

"The inhabitants in general are sober, religious, industrious; great part of the summer is employed in getting peat for fuel, the only kind in use here; or in building or repairing their houses, for the badness of the materials requires annual repairs: before and after harvest, they are busied in the herring fishery; and during winter the men make their herring nets; while the women are employed in spinning their linen and woollen yarn. The light they often use is that of lamps. From the beginning of February to the end of May, if the weather permits, they are engaged in labouring their ground: in autumn they burn a great quantity of fern, to make kelp. So that, excepting at new-year's day, at marriages, or at the two or three fairs in that island, they have no leisure for any amusements: no wonder then at their deprivation of spirits.

"Arran forms part of the county of Bute, and is subject to the same sort of government: but, besides, justice is administered by the baron's bailie-court, who has power to fine as high as 20s.; can decide in matters of property not exceeding 40s.; can imprison for a month; and put delinquents into the stocks for three hours, but that only during day-time."

In this island there are many of those rude antiquities or monuments called cairns, druidical circles, &c. See Cairns.