ISLAY is the name of one of the Hebrides, or Western Islands of Scotland. Its form is irregular. Its greatest length, from the Mull of Oe on the south, to Ruinhail on the north, is nearly thirty-one English miles ; and its breadth, from the point of Ardmore on the east, to the farm of Sanaig on the west, is about 24 miles. Its superficial extent is nearly 154 000 acres, of which one-seventh is in occasional or regular tillage ; two sevenths are rugged mountains, rocks, or hills ; three•sevenths hill pasture, coppice woods, plantations, and natural grassings imper vious to the plough, and one-seventh unimproved, but im proveable, moors, peat mosses, and unreclaimed wastes.
The island of Islay belongs to Argyllshire. is divided in to three parishes, Killarow, Kilchoman, and Kildalton. Kil larow, frequently called Bowmore, from the name of the village where the church is built, is about eighteen miles long and eight broad. It is watered by the river Luggan, which runs into a bay of the same name. Its population, including Kilmoy, was, in 1811, 4635. Kilchoman is about 20 miles long, and six broad, and is intersected by two arms of the sea, Lochgruinart and Lochindaal. Its population in 1811, was 3131. Kildalton is about 15 miles long and six broad. About two square miles of the parish are cover ed with natural wood, from which all the island is supplied. Its population in 1811, was 2269. Hence the population of Islay in 1811, was 10,035.
The coast of Islay is in general rugged, and is indented with numerous bays and harbours, the chief of which is at Lochindaal, where there is also a quay opposite the village of Bowmore. Lochgruinart and Lochindaal, two arms of the sea, seem to have been once united so as to divide Islay into two islands. The highest land between them is net more than 20 feet above high water mark, and the soil is a thin stratum of moss lying upon rounded schistus, mixed with great quantities of marine shells. Some of the moun tains in the east and north of the island, are nearly 1800 feet high. The fresh water lakes, amounting to about 80 or 90, cover nearly 3000 acres. Lochguirn occupies about 700 acres, and Lochfinlagan, which is about duce miles in cir cumference, has an islet of the same name in the middle, strongly fortified. Three or four streams, abounding in
salmon, water the island.
In this island there are nearly 48 square miles of primi tive limestone, without animal exuvix, but containing lead ore mixed with copper, which has been wrought with suc cess. Manganese and cobalt have been found, and speci mens of the finest iron ore were found in 1808. The cop per ore, when richest, yields 33 pounds per hundred, and 40 ounces of silver are obtained from a ton of the metal. Veins or emery, ham one to three feet thick, have been found on the top of a hill near Pot tascaig, and a small quan tity of quicksilver has been found in the moors, and at the bottom of wells. Inexhaustible pits of hard and soft marl occur in Killarow and Kildalton, and great quantities of sea weed are thrown ashore for the purposes of kelp and manure.
The principal crops in Islay are barley, oats, flax, po tatoes, beans, peas ; and even hemp, wheat and every spe cies of green crop are grown. The cultivation or wheat was introduced by the late Mr. Campbell of Shawfield, and considerable quantities arc now raised annually by several of the more opulent' tenants. Several thousand bolls of potatoes, and considerable quantities of barley are exported annually. Nearly 3034 acres arc occupied by the potatoe crops, upon which about 60,680 bolls are raised at an average. There arc no more sheep kept in Islay than what are necessary to supply the island with wool and mutton. It is necessary, indeed, to import considerable quantities of wool.
The principal wealth of the island consists of black cat tle, of which the following numbers were exported from 1801 to 1807.
which gives an annual average of 26401, the value of which at 71. per head, will be 18,484/. The best part of the saleable cattle are exported to Dumbarton, Falkirk, and the lowland markets. If we suppose the quantity of cattle exported to be only one-fourth, this will give 10.562 as the stock of Islay. The cattle exported are generally three-year old bullocks, and yield heifers and cows. The number of cattle in the possession of gentlemen farmers in Islay is about 6795, the remainder, viz. 3767, belonging to the tenants and cottars. In 1810, the number of milk cows was 1357.