Supplement to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Editions of the Encyclopædia Britannica/Argyleshire

by James Cleghorn

Mainland. ARGYLESHIRE, or Argyllshire, an extensive County in the west of Scotland, is usually described under two great divisions,—the mainland, and such of the Western Islands as are politically attached to it. It is of the former only, that we propose to give some account at present, referring to the article Hebrides for the Islands noted below,^[1] which form a part of this County.

Situation. The mainland of Argyleshire, situate between 55° 21′ and 57° north latitude, and between 1° 22′ and 3° 25′ of longitude west from Edinburgh, is bounded by Inverness-shire on the north, by the Shires of Perth and Dumbarton on the east, by the Irish Sea on the south, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the west; the Firth of Clyde, which separates it from the Shire of Renfrew, forming its boundary on the southeast. Extent.Its greatest length, from the Mull of Kintyre on the south, to the point of Ardnamurchan on the north, is 115 miles; its breadth above 68; and from the windings of the numerous bays and creeks with which the land is everywhere indented, it is supposed to have more than 600 miles of sea-coast. Of 27 parishes into which the mainland of Argyleshire is divided, two of which belong in part to Inverness-shire, only one is altogether inland. The extent of this part of the County, of which the land comprehends 2200 square miles, and the lakes 60, is equal to about one-thirteenth part of the whole af Scotland.—Having pointed out the principal divisions, and given a general view of the surface in the article in the body of the work, we shall here confine our notices to the industry and condition of its inhabitants.

Agriculture. The only crops cultivated to any extent on the mainland of Argyleshire, are bear or bigg, oats, and potatoes. A little wheat is raised near Campbelltown, and in other parts of Kintyre; and a few patches of turnips are occasionally seen, but chiefly on the farms of proprietors. Clovers also, though more frequent, have not yet come into extensive culture, notwithstanding these, and other green crops, are better adapted, both to the climate and the leading branches of the husbandry of the country, than grain. The principal object in the culture of bigg is the supply of the distilleries. The great body of the inhabitants live almost exclusively on oatmeal and potatoes; of the former of which they have been in the practice of importing about 20,000 bolls (of 140 lbs.) annually. Considerable progress, indeed, has been made of late in the improvement of agriculture, but this is necessarily limited by the small proportion of land fit for profitable cultivation; there being only 125,000 acres arable out of 1,408,000 which this part of Argyleshire contains; as well as by the mode in which, till very lately, farms were held—without leases—and for performance of many vexatious services. Even, at this time, we cam recognise in Argyleshire the prominent features of the feudal ages,—a few great proprietors, and a numerous tenantry, indolent and poor. Valued Rent.Of the valued rent, taken in 1751, of the mainland, with four small Islands, amounting to L. 9924, 8s. 1d., almost a fourth belongs to two proprietors. This valuation was considered to be equal to the half of the real rent at that period, after deducting all public burdens; but in 1798, when the agricultural survey of the County was published, the gross rental had risen to L. 89,000, collected from upwards of 2700 tenants; and in 1811 the rent of the whole County, of which the Islands might produce about a fifth, Real Rent.amounted to L. 192,073, 14s. 2d. for the lands, and for the houses to. L. 5208, 18s. 10d. The frequent transference of landed property, which has taken place in this County within the last fifty years, and the example and encouragement of the Duke of Argyle, the greatest landholder in it, cannot fail to extend a more beneficial system of rural economy.

Cattle. Cattle were long the principal source of the revenue of the landholders and tenantry of Argyleshire; and the native breed, which has been improved of late by more careful treatment, is well known to be equal, if not superior, to any other race of cattle in the kingdom. Their number in 1798 was computed at upwards of 50,000, and they are understood to have increased since; for though they are now excluded from the more elevated tracts, which are mare profitably occupied by sheep, the improved management of the lower grounds has, upon the whole, enlarged the means of their subsistence. These cattle are sent from the country in a store condition, commonly when about three years old, and fatted on the pastures of the south, the greater number for the consumption of England. The dairy begins to be an object of attention in the peninsula of Kintyre, where there is a large proportion of arable land, but cannot be extended to the inland and more mountainous districts of the county.

Sheep. Until the middle of last century, the only sheep in Argyleshire (and their number was inconsiderable), were of the small native race, the same that are still to be found in the Hebrides, and in most parts of the Highlands of Scotland and of Wales. About that period coarse woolled heath sheep were introduced into the higher and more barren districts; and as it was soon discovered that the scanty herbage of these gloomy mountains, could be converted into a much greater quantity of mutton than of beef, besides yielding a valuable article of manufacture,—these hardy animals soon spread over extensive regions, upon which cattle could barely subsist in the summer months: and the income of the landed proprietors, and of the public, was accordingly augmented in proportion. Notwithstanding the outcry of ignorance, and the more mischievous speculations of mistaken philanthropy, the introduction of this species of live stock, now increased to about 300,000, has not, as we shall see immediately, had the effect of diminishing the population of Argyleshire.

Woods and Plantations. In this division of the County, there is a considerable extent of natural coppice woods; probably near 40,000 acres, which are cut periodically, commonly every 19 or 20 years, and are understood to return about 20s. per acre annually. Very extensive plantations have been formed by the Duke of Argyle and other proprietors. About 20 years ago, those of his Grace were reckoned to contain 2,000,000 of trees, then worth 4s. each, amounting to the enormous sum of L. 400,000.

Fisheries. Next in importance to its agriculture, are the fisheries, which, from the great extent of sea coast, and the form of the district, penetrated in almost every direction by arms of the sea, and traversed by extensive lakes, ought to furnish food and employment to the inhabitants, to an extent, perhaps, still greater than their barren territory and ungenial climate can supply. Some notion of their great importance may be formed, when we are told that the herrings caught in Lochfine alone, in the years 1794 and 1795, were computed to be worth more than L. 80,000 (Smith’s Survey, 1798). But the regulations of the revenue laws in regard to salt are universally complained of, as an intolerable grievance; forming an insuperable obstruction to the industry of the lower classes, who have not the means, nor even the knowledge, which a strict compliance with these regulations requires. Whole cargoes of herrings have been thrown into the sea in a putrid state, and others used as manure, in consequence of the inability of the fishermen to find surety for the requisite supply of salt, according to law.

Mineralogy. The mainland of Argyleshire is principally composed of primitive rocks, which, in some quarters, are skirted and intermixed with those of the transition class; while flœtz rocks occur very sparingly. No volcanic rocks have hitherto been met with in the mainland of Argyleshire, but those of an alluvial nature abound everywhere. The primitive and transition rocks are stratified, and the general direction of the strata is from NE. to SW. The primitive rocks are granite, gneiss, mica slate, clay slate, limestone, porphyry, sienite, trap, and quartz rock. The transition rocks are greywacke, greywacke slate, clay slate, trap, and quartz; and the flœtz rocks are red sandstone, conglomerate, and rocks of the coal formation. The Islands off the coast of Argyleshire afford highly interesting examples of rocks of the different classes; Isla and Jura of the primitive and transition rocks; Mull of flœtz and primitive rocks; Staffa, Rum, and Cannay, of flœtz rocks; and Coll, Tyree, and Iona, of primitive rocks.

Coal has been wrought for many years near Campbelltown in Kintyre, and lead at Strontian in Sunart; and besides the slate quarries of Eisdale, an Island belonging to this County, others have been opened at Ballachelish in Appin.

Manufactures. Manufactures have made little progress in this district, and no attempts to establish them upon a large scale have yet been successful. Mr Dale endeavoured to extend to it some branches of the cotton manufacture, which failed, it is said, from want of water carriage; but a number of weavers in Campbelltown and its neighbourhood, have been employed for some time in working cottons from Glasgow. The late Duke of Argyle, almost 40 years ago, set on foot a woollen manufactory near Inverary, which, notwithstanding very uncommon encouragement given to it by his Grace and the other landed proprietors, has been long in rather a languishing state. There is a bleachfield in Kintyre; tanneries at Campbelltown and Oban; iron works in Upper Lorn and at Lochfine, below Inverary, belonging to English companies, who bring the ore thither, chiefly for the sake of the charcoal which the woods afford; and near Campbelltown, the formation of salt from sea water has been lately carried on to some extent. The manufacture of kelp from sea weed, to the extent of 600 tons annually, is none of the least profitable branches of industry; and that of their scanty crops of grain into ardent spirits, certainly the most pernicious.

Commerce. The commerce of Argyleshire is also very limited, its exports consisting chiefly of raw produce; sheep and cattle, and fish, form at least two thirds of the whole: The imports are almost confined to the supply of necessaries, including only such articles of luxury, as habit has rendered scarcely less indispensable.

But, though such is the present state of this extensive territory, there is reason to anticipate a great increase of its wealth, of its industry, and of its population, as soon as a revisal of the revenue laws shall have removed the present obstacles to the prosecution of the fisheries. It is upon this species of industry, that the prosperity of the County must be founded; and it is only after wealth has flowed in from this source, that the inhabitants can be expected to succeed in manufactures or in commerce. To its natural advantages, a very important addition has been made by the Crinan Canal, cut across the peninsula of Kintyre, at an expence of L. 140,000; which shortens Canals.the voyage from the West Highland and Hebridian ports, to the river Clyde, about 200 miles. The Caledonian Canal, from the access it will give the County to the German Ocean, and still more, from the frequent intercourse of which it will be the channel, must contribute, in an eminent degree, to the prosperity of Argyleshire.

Population. The population of the whole County, as taken under the Acts 1800 and 1811, will be seen from the following Tables:

1800.

DISTRICTS.	HOUSES.			OCCUPATIONS.			PERSONS.
	Inhabited.	By how many Families occupied.	Uninhabited.	Persons chiefly employed in Agriculture.	Persons chiefly employed in Trade, Manufactures, or Handicraft.	All other Persons not comprised in the two preceding classes.	Males.	Females.	Total of Persons.
Argyle	2578	2827	4	3494	671	9087	6764	7384	14,148
Cowal	1259	1380	13	901	415	5268	3064	3470	6534
Islay	2370	2393	1	3309	754	6253	6045	6727	12,772
Kintyre	2884	3496	8	4252	1079	11,105	7706	9007	16,713
Lorn	2439	2581	4	5254	808	7020	6146	6936	13,082
Mull	1579	1601	2	1868	468	5151	4042	4568	8610
✳
	13,109	14,278	32	19,078	4195	43,884	33,767	38,092	71,859

 

1811.

DISTRICTS.	HOUSES.			OCCUPATIONS.			PERSONS.
	Inhabited.	By how many Families occupied.	Building and uninhabited.	Families chiefly employed in Agriculture.	Families chiefly employed in Trade, Manufactures, or Handicraft.	All other Families not comprised in the two preceding classes.	Males.	Females.	Total of Persons.
Argyle	2702	3720	76	1568	545	1607	7729	7908	15,637
Cowal	1212	1276	44	789	329	158	3318	3569	6887
Islay	2636	2687	1162	1284	615	788	6814	7348	14,162
Kintyre	2959	3733	62	1074	924	1735	8404	9882	18,286
Lorn	2721	2845	353	1064	752	1029	6462	7317	13,779
Mull	3010	3107	24	2642	254	211	7948	8886	16,834
	15,240	17,368	1721	8421	3419	5528	40,675	44,910	85,585

 

✳ No returns for	Kilfinichen and Kilvicuen; population in 1791,	3002
	Tyree, population in 1792,	2416
	Rum, Cannay, and Muck, population in 1795,	940
		6358

The whole population in 1800 must therefore have amounted to 78,217.

(A.)

1. Those of the first rate are Islay, Mull, and Jura; of the second,—Gigha, and Cara, Colonsay, Lismore, Tyree, Coll, Ulva and Gometra, Kerreray, Luing, Seil or Saoil; and of the third,—Scarba, Lunga, Shuna, Icolmkill or Iona, Eisdale, Inch Kenneth, Staffa, Monk, Rum, and Cannay.