This is the highest mountain of the western coast, and it may compete even with Ben Nevis, terminat ing in serrated peaks resembling those of granite, but formed of the same sandstone. Though rising imme diately out of the sea on both sides, it bears all the year round a mass of snow as large as that which re mains on Ben Nevis or on the hills of the Dee; a suf ficient proof of its hitherto neglected height. If we proceed eastward from this point, the same endless mountains are repeated, but without any elevations peculiarly requiring mention, till we arrive at Ben Wyvis, where the mountain land begins to terminate.
At Loch Broom, the character of the country begins to change, and the mountains, which were formerly grouped and crowded on each other, are shortly found separated by wide intervals, and scattered indepen dently on the surface of a high rocky unevi it land, attaining an average elevation of 1000 feet. These mountains also are formed of sandstone, or of that substance and quartz rock; and the most striking of them are Ben Nlore, forming a long ridge, Coul Beg, and Coul More, Suit Veinn, Canasp. and Coy Craig, after which the coast line at last becomes compara tively low, and little characterized by distinct hills, even to Cape Wrath. Sail Veinn, in particular, is noted for its singular form ; resembling a sugar loaf when seen on its extremity, and, laterally, presenting a ridge which is precipitous on all sides, and extreme ly difficult of access. Rising to the height of 1000 feet from the irregular table laud of 1500, on which it suddenly starts up, it forms a conspicuous object to vessels navigating this coast.
Interiorly, the loftiest elevation of this part of the country is Ben More Assynt, connected kith the ridge which confines Loch Shin, and with the group of mountains at its head, among which the Stack is re markable for its pure conical form. The singular and naked ridge of Balloch Ilan fey is the last re markable mountain on the western shore, formed of bright quartz, which Mr. Pennant mistook for mar ble, and shining in the sun as if it were covered with snow.
The northern parts of Sutherland constitute, with little exception, an irregular hilly moorland, rather than a mountainous tract; and the only conspicuous mountains are Ben Ay, Ben Klibrigg, Ben Laighal, and Ben Hope, separated widely a sunder and thence the more conspicuous. These hills attain an average elevation of 3000 feet above the sea, and one of 2000 above the general level of the moorland from which they rise. On the east side of Sutherland, the ridge
which terminates at the Ord of Caithness, separating the two counties, is conspicuous for want of rivals, as are those which accompany the Brora and the Helms dale rivers; but it is unnecessary to name the other elevations of no great note which remain here, or southward as far as the Murray Frith. Meal Four vony, rendered as formidable in Arrowsmith's map as Ben Nevis itself, is a mere summit of no great height rising above the general ridge. On this par ticular subject we shall only further remark, that no truth whatever exists in that map as far as relates to the characters of the ground, or to the general and comparative sizes of the mountains. Many of the loftiest and best marked mountains are utterly unno ticed, while others of no note are represented as emu lating the most noted and most elevated. If the ap parent directions of ridges on it deserve only neglect, so do the characters and represented altitudes of the mountains.
If from the Highlands we now turn to the south ward, there are but few hills which will be found to deserve the name of mountains, and few elevations sufficiently conspicuous above the rest to merit any notice.
In the middle district, the Sidlaw and the Ochils are the most conspicuous, as well for their altitude as their continuity; but there is in these no elevation re markably towering above the rest. The Lomond hills in Fife, Arthur's Seat near Edinburgh, and North Berwick Law, produce a greater effect to the eye than most of the mountainous elevations of the south, from their unattended rise. Thus also the ridge of the Pentland, though not exceeding 1500 feet, is more conspicuous than the far higher hills which but barely overtop the general mountain land to the south ward.
Among these, Tinto, to the west, is distinguished, as is Lother hill, Queensberry hill, \Vardlaw, Whisp hill, Ruber's Law, and the conspicuous triple sum mit of the Eildon hills, which forms such a beautiful object throughout the whole of Roxburghshire. Crif fel forms a mountain singularly remarkable for its insulation, though not lofty ; and southwards, the granite ridges of Cairn's Muir complete the only enumeration of these mountains which it is necessary to give.