one of the counties of Scotland, supposed to have formed the principal part of the Caledonian kingdom, when the eastern provinces of Scotland submitted to the irresistible power of the Roman empire. It is bounded on the east by the shires of Perth and Dunbarton; on the north by Inverness; on the west and south by the Irish sea and the frith of Clyde, which enter into various bays, sounds, and inlets, round the coast, and form both in the main land and the islands, many spacious and commodious harbours. This county is subdivided into the districts of Kintyre, Knapdale, Argyll Proper, Cowal, and Lorn. Within the same division are also comprehended several Hebridian islands, of which two or three are of considerable extent. Its length from south to north, between the Mull of Kintyre and the point of Ardnamurchan, where it joins the shire of Inverness, is about 114 miles, and its breadth, in several places, including the isles, is 70. The inland part of the county is, in some measure, irregular, with an appendant triangle.
Similar to the other parts of the Highlands of Scotland, this county presents a very wild and horrid prospect of hills, rocks, and huge mountains, piled upon each other in a stupendous and dreadful disorder, bare, bleak, and barren to the view; or, at best covered with flaggy heath, which appears black and dismal to the eye, except in the summer, when it is variegated with an agreeable bloom of a purple colour. Hence lofty mountains, deep glens, inlets of the sea entering far into the land, form the most striking features in the general aspect of this country. Cruacha-Ben in this county is one of the loftiest mountains in Scotland; and where this county meets the confines of Perth and Dunbarton, the mountains contiguous to Ben-Lomond are but little inferior in height to that mountain. The Loch Fine, Loch Etive, Limhie Loch, are inlets of the sea. The district of Kintyre enters into the north channel, and is almost divided from the main land at the narrow isthmus of Tarbat. The district of Cowal is also nearly peninsulated by Loch Long on one side and Loch Fine on the other. The interior parts of the county are interpenetrated with a great number of small fresh-water lakes. A barrens of soil and scanty vegetation prevail chiefly on the summits of the great mountains, which exhibits great masses of stratified rocks or groups in a columnar form. Even a number of the glens are barren, and afford little pasturage, and are covered in several places with large fragments, which have been separated and precipitated from the impending rocks. On the declivities of the hills and the banks of the lakes there are, however, numerous woods interpenetrated, which unite with the lofty mountains to form a most romantic scene. In a run of several miles, fertility, verdure, and cultivation, reign through the valley of Glenorchy. Remains of ancient forests are still very extensive in various places; and these consist chiefly of oaks, ashes, pines, and birches. The level of the country, towards the southern parts, descends the nearest to an equality with that of the sea. The elevation of the country is highest towards the interior parts of the counties of Perth and Inverness.
The mountains and forests abound with fallow-deer, roes, flags, and all kinds of wild game; and all over the sea coast, the moors, the heaths, and on the lakes, the wild fowl are numerous. The mountains feed an innumerable quantity of black cattle, which run wild among the hills in winter as well as summer. The circumambient sea, with its lochs, bays, and harbours, pours forth myriads of fish; and in several places of the county iron, copper, lead, and other metals and minerals, have been dug out. Yet, notwithstanding these numerous local advantages, Argyllshire, as well as many other parts of the Highlands, struggles with many great obstructions in the way of improvement. The want of long leases is one of the most material. What inducement can a person have to manure or cultivate a piece of land which he may have taken, when his first work is to erect a hut for himself; and after all the disagreeable inconveniences attending it, he holds his farm year by year, dependant on the will of his landlord? When he also reflects, that by cultivating his ground in such a manner, the rent which he was this year scarcely able to pay, may be nearly doubled the next year, how can he be able to defray the expense necessarily attending such an improvement, when he is uncertain of a competent return for his labour? It is hoped that proprietors will at length see the manifest advantage that will arise from granting long leases, both to themselves and their tenants; and, by so doing, either to encourage the tenants to build houses, by paying any expense that may remain unpaid at the end of the lease, or build houses for the tenants themselves; and, by these means, they would have surer payment of their rents, which would be augmented; their grounds would be greatly improved, and their vassals would enjoy comfort and ease. Another great obstacle to the general improvement is the rugged face of this county, which renders the great roads few in number, and the intersected roads for the purpose of conveying manure to the grounds being still in their natural rudeness. The chief branch of husbandry followed over the greatest part of this county is the management of sheep, black cattle, and goats. In former times, the ordinary animal stock consisted mostly of black cattle; but within these last 20 years a more skilful method of managing flocks of sheep than was formerly practised, having been introduced by the farmers of the low country; these have been multiplied with great attention and affluency. Cows and oxen now form only the second considerable branch of the animal flock.
Barley, oats, and potatoes, are the principal articles of crop; and, in some places, the proper manner of tillage has been made use of, excellent manures have been laid upon the ground, and the most suitable rotation of crops has been adopted. In years of ordinary plenty it would appear, that besides affording a considerable surplus to the breweries and distilleries, the grain commonly produced in this county is a sufficient sustenance for its inhabitants. Besides the great profits arising from the iron works and the salmon fisheries, the cutting down of woods has brought much money into Argyll, and still continues to be equally beneficial to the labourer and the landlord.
When the projected canal * shall be completed, and some villages and harbours erected, the populous county of Argyll (Mr Knox affirms) will become one of the most valuable provinces of the British empire. Washed on both sides by the sea; deeply indented by navigable lakes and bays; having an easy communication with the fishing grounds on the north Highlands, with Glasgow and the trading towns on the Clyde, with Ireland, Wales, Whitehaven, Liverpool, Bristol, and other marts on the west coast of England; we may easily conceive, that the period is at no great distance when Argyllshire will become a great commercial county. To corroborate this opinion, he observes, that after a vessel gets under sail from this coast, she enters at once into the Atlantic, where she meets with no interruption till she makes the coast of America or the West Indies. The line, therefore, which nature points out for the inhabitants is that of salt-making, fishing, ship-building, freight or the carrying trade, soap and glass-making, by means of the kelp upon their shores, and sand found upon the islands of Jura and Gigha, which is adapted for the latter.
In this district the deeds of the celebrated Fingal, whose invincible arm gave a check to the progress of the conquerors of the world, were mostly achieved. Many of the scenes of the battles of that illustrious hero and his gallant followers, which are so beautifully described by Ossian, are still pointed out, and many very ancient monuments still display the warlike spirit of its former inhabitants. In the course of the eighth and ninth centuries, Argyll, along with the neighbouring isles, was conquered by the Danes and Norwegians. For five or six centuries it continued under the dominion of Norway, and during that period was under the direct administration of feudal chieftains, generally of Norwegian extraction, who each maintained an almost independent government. Along with the Hebridean isles, all the western parts of Argyll became the conquest of the Scottish monarchs in the 14th century. Some time after, Macdonald, the representative of this region, obtained leave from the Scottish crown to hold his possessions as a feudatory to that kingdom; but the turbulent spirit of him and his family could not remain in quietude, and therefore their rebellions were punished with forfeiture. Their estates and titles were bestowed on the Campbells; and these have ever since retained them in peace and loyalty, beloved and honoured by their country. The county of Argyll gives the title of duke and earl to the chief of this family. He likewise enjoys several other important posts under the crown, and is the chief of the Scottish nobility. His vassals are so numerous, that in former times he could on occasion bring 3000 or 4000 fighting men into the field. Argyllshire is generally peopled by this clan, and affords a great number of cottages and seats belonging to gentlemen who hold of the duke, and boast themselves descended from his family. Argyllshire sends one member to parliament; it is also the seat of a provincial synod. It contains two royal boroughs and 49 parishes; the population of which is as follows.
| Parish | Population in 1755 | Population in 1790—1798 | |------------|-------------------|------------------------| | Ardchattan | 2195 | 2400 | | Ardnamurchan | 5000 | 4542 | | Campbelltown | 4597 | 8700 | | Craignish | 769 | 770 | | Dunoon | 1757 | 1683 | | Glaffary | 2751 | 2668 | | Glenorchy | 1634 | 1869 | | Inverary | 2751 | 1832 | | Inverchaolin | 944 | 504 | | Kilbrandon | 1492 | 2060 | | Kilcalmonell | 1925 | 2448 | | Kilchrenan | 1030 | 1124 | | Kilfinan | 1793 | 1417 | | Killean | 2391 | 1911 | | Kilmadan | 806 | 351 | | Kilmartin | 1150 | 1537 | | Kilmore | 1200 | 1886 | | Kilninver | 1045 | 1178 | | Knapdale, North | 1369 | 1099 | | Knapdale, South | 1292 | 1524 | | Lifmore | 2812 | 3526 | | Lochgoylehead | 1505 | 1012 | | Morven | 1223 | 1764 | | Saddel | 1369 | 1341 | | Southend | 1391 | 1300 | | Strachur | 1193 | 1061 |
| Islands | Population | |-------------|------------------| | Torofay | 1012 | | Mull | 1685 | | Kilninian | 2590 | | Kilninchen | | | Islay | | ARI
Parishes.
Population in 1755.
Population in 1790—1798.
30 Iflay Kilchoman Kildalton Jura and Colonsay, &c. Coll and Tiry Gigha and Cara Small isles
5344 1097 2702 514 943
9500 1858 3457 614 1339
Total, 63,291
Increase, 12,810