Thus also it is the entrance to Loch Leven and to Loch Creran. By means of the former there is access to the extensive slate quarries of Glenco; and thus A also it would be easy to establish a communication be tween the eastern and western seas, by means of a road which nature has hitherto in vain pointed out. From the king's house at the head of Glenco, there is a near ly level surface of sixteen miles to the head of Loch Rannoch, affording the greatest facility for a road; while the navigation of that lake might, if required, supersede the road hence to Blair, and thus through Glen Tilt as far as the Tarff. A further piece of nine or ten miles would fall into the road already made to the westward of Braemar, and thus the communication with Aberdeen is completed. When so many difficult, and some superfluous communications have been made, it is rather surprising that this cheap and obvious one should have been overlooked. The interesting scenery of Loch Leven is generally known, as is that of Loch Creran, but the latter is useless in every sense.
The length of Loch Etive is twenty miles; the upper half having the characters of a fresh water lake, and the lower being navigated as far as the iron works of Bunawe. The higher portion is not very salt, and often quite fresh; and here also are the perishing re mains of an ancient oak forest, similar to that of Loch Sunart. These two, we believe, are the only remains yet living of the ancient oak forests of Scotland; though there can be no kloubt that the greater number of the present coppices are, like these, the progeny of the ancient Sylva Caledonia. The trees of Loch Etive are of similar dimensions to those of Loch Sunart, and though only pollards. are flourishing at the branches which shoot from their knotted and hollow trunks. The whole is a scene of great wildness and grandeur, but without variety. Below Buha've, the strait of the Connel is noted for the turbulence and fall of the tides at ebb and flow, as it also is for the celebrated ruins of Dunstaffnage castle.
We may pass over Loch Feochan and Loch Melfort, as of no peculiar interest, to notice Loch Craignish, rivalling Loch Lomond in the beauty of its islands, and the picturesque effects of its singular scenery. Here also the shallower indentation of Loch Crinan forms the western avenue to the canal of that name, communicating with Loch Fyne, and cutting off the long navigation round the Mull of Cantyre. Loch Swin, which is ten miles deep, is a narrow and paral lel inlet, remarkable chiefly for the extremely singular and beautiful scenery of its upper extremity; and Loch Killisport, parallel to it, but of less depth, is a good harbour, without being a necessary or useful one.
By means of Loch Tarbet, nearly meeting Loch Fyne, the peninsula of Cantyre is rendered almost an island; and here a communication between the two is practicableby the expedient of carting the boats across the narrow isthmus which separates the east and west Loch Tarbets. Hence was invented the fictitious tale respecting Magnus Barefoot and Donald Bane; a tale which betrays itself, when it is recollected that Mag nus was the proprietor of all the islands already, and that Donald was a refugee and a supplicant, and had never been the possessor of the lands which he is asserted to have thus ceded. As an anchorage Loch Tarbet is not used, but it is the station of the packet for Isla.
Passing now the Mull of Cantyre, we arrive at the excellent harbour of Campbelltown, a small but an important inlet from its position, as well as for its commercial uses. Beyond this we enter Loch Fyne, the largest indentation which Scotland possesses. The total length of this great sinuosity is forty miles, and, as far as Loch Gilp, it is four miles in breadth. Hav ing been the most steady resort of the herring, it is a most important fishing station, while it also forms an extensive water communication for a large tract of the western Highlands, peculiarly valuable as connected with Glasgow and the low country. It offers little picturesque beauty to the mere traveller. Loch Stra ven and Loch Ridan, branching from the Kyles of Bute, are nearly uninteresting in every sense.
The length of Loch Long is sixteen miles, and to gether with Loch Goyl, it forms an extensive indenta tion, while it also affords a ready avenue to Loch Lo mond. Hence it is now well known, nor need we do more than barely mention the neighbouring opening of the Care Loch. The estuary of the Clyde itself may however be looked on as a similar sea loch to Loch Fyne, and its total depth from the Garroch head is about thirty-two miles.
The western coast presents but one more inlet, in Loch Ryan; and, in the Solway firth, it is sufficient to mention the wide bay of Luce, that of Wigton, and the much smaller harbour of Kirkcudbright.
On the eastern coast, we find comparatively few in dentations, a misfortune which is even more severely felt by England, in the want of harbours on those shores where commerce and industry have found their most tempting seats. There is scarcely indeed more than one good harbour on the whole eastern side of Scotland; all except Cromarty being bad and unshel tered roadsteads, or shallow and inconvenient firths and tide rivers.