ROUTE 17. GLASGOW TO OBAN. 129 miles. Fare 13s. Time 12 hours. Y steamer to Ardrishaig, thence by Crinan Canal to Crinan, thence by steamer to OBAN. Daily during the season, leaving GLASGow at 7 a.m. and Greenock at 9 a.m. That portion of the route between Glasgow and Greenock is described in Route 12 above. After embarking at Greenock the passengers who have preferred to come by railway to join the steamer there, the steamer touches at Dunoon, a favourite bathingplace. (Hotels: Argyll, Crown, Royal). (Coaches leave Dunoon ou the arrival of the steamer, for Inverary, following the shores of the Frith of Clyde, Loch Eck, and the valley of the Cur, a beautiful route. At Strachur, passengers embark on board a little steamer, which conveys them across Loch Fyne to Inverary). Overlooking the landing we see the ruins of Dunoon Castle, some miles farther on we round Toward Point, with its lighthouse, and ruined castle, and enter the bay of Rothesay. On the east side of the Isle of Bute we see, at a distance, Mount Stuart, the seat of the Marquis of Bute, surrounded by a fine park; beyond, when the day is clear, we can make out Ailsa Craig, and the mountains of Arrun. The next place of interest is Rothesay (Bute Arms Hotel), a watering-place of 4000 inhabitants. Its agreeable situation and fine climate commend it as a favourite place of resort to numerous visitors. Its castle is one of the most beautiful ruins in Scotland, and was once a residence of the Kings of that country. Leaving Rothsay we direct our course toward the Kyles of Bute, a channel passing around the northern extremity of the Isle of Bute, forming a passage from the Clyde to the mouth of Loch Tyne. The finest scenery is near Loch Ridden, the mouth of which is passed, where are four small islands, on one of which called Eilan-Gerig, are the ruins of a fort once held by the Earl of Argyll, while conspiring with Monmouth in 1685. Passing Tignabruich and rounding Ardlamont Point, we enter Loch Fyne-one of the largest of the Scotch lochs. At Tarbert, where the steamer touches, passengers disembark who wish to visit Knapdale or Cantyre or to take at West Tarbert on the other side of the isthmus, the steamer to the island of Islay. Pursuing our course up Loch Fyne we soon reach Ardrishaig (Hotel: Royal), the entrance to the Crinan Canal. (Coaches run from this place to Oban and Loch Awe). Here passengers are transferred to a canal barge, in which the passage of the canal is made. The canal is cut nine miles across the neck of the Mull of Cantyre. But for it, steamers would be compelled to double the Mull, a journey of more than sixty miles. At Crinan, the terminus of the canal, a steamer awaits the arrival of the passengers for Oban. It is less spacious and comfortable than the boat at the Glasgow end of the route, and our course being more open, passengers are likely to be made uncomfortable by the swell. About 24 hours are occupied in reaching Oban. Entering Loch Crinan, we see, on the north side, Duntroon Castle, and pass, on the right, Loch Craignish, with its many islands crowned with woods, and, on the left, are seen the islands of Jura and Scarba with their lofty peaks. Between Jura and Scarba is the famous whirlpool of Corryvrekan, in which many a vessel has been engulphed, and the sound of whose tumultuous waters can be heard at a considerable distance. Its name is derived from that of a Norwegian prince, Vrekan, who was lost in it many ages ago. The steamer now passes on the right the islands of Shuna and Luing, or through the strait between them. Beyond the promontory of Ardincaple, Ben cruachan is seen on the north-east, and sometimes in clear weather, Ben More in the Isle of Mull is visible. We now enter the strait between Kerrara and the main land, and see, on the left, the ruins of Gaylen or Gulen Castle; and soon afterwards we arrive at OBAN (129 miles.) (Hotels: Great Western, Craig-ard, Caledonian, King's Arms), a familiar place of resort to tourists from the facility which it affords of visiting all parts of the Highlands, and also for its excellent seabathing. It is, moreover, considered remarkably healthy, and is greatly frequented by invalids seeking benefit from change of air and scene. On the summit of a steep rock half a mile from the town, are the ruins of Dunolly Castle. Farther northward, and three miles from Oban, those of Dunstafnage Cantle, the residence, in ancient times, of the chieftains of the Picts. Here, for a long time, was preserved the stone on which the kings of Scotland sat at their coronation. It was afterwards removed to Scone, where it remained until, in the thirteenth century, Edward I. carried it with him to England, and deposited it in Westminster Abbey, where it still forms part of the coronation chair on which the English sovereigns are seated at the time of their coronation. ROUTE 18. OBAN TO STAFFA AND (By steamer four times a week -fare 1., which includes the landing charges. HIS trip should only be undertaken in fine weather. When the sea is rough the landing at Staffa cannot be made. The usual route is from Oban directly across the mouth of Loch Linnhe, passing to the left of the island of Lismore. Before reaching the mouth of Lock Aline are seen the ruins of Ardtornish Castle, on a chain of rocks overlooking the sea. It was once a principal stronghold of the "Lords of the Isles." We pass in succession Salen, near which we see Aros Castle, and, on the right, Killundine Castle, on the Morven coast, and reach TORBERMORY, (Hotel: Mull), the principal village of Mull. Quitting this, we pass the mouth of Loch Stuart, and on the right, before reaching Ardnamurchan Point, see Mingarry Castle, a considerable ruin nearly surrounded by water. Passing the point named, the steamer enters the Atlantic. Passing on the left the Island of Gometra, "And Ulva dark and Colonsay That guard famed Staffa round," we approach STAFFA. The island is nearly two miles in circumfer lar, and being frequently broken and grouped in a variety of ways, produce a picturesque effect. The roof in some places is formed of rock, in others of the ends of broken pillars from the interstices of which stalactites have exuded. The length of the cave is 227 feet, its breadth at the mouth 53 feet. The other caves are "Scollop-shell Cave," "The Cormorants'," or "McKinnon's," and "the Boat Cave." The first-named is so called from its supposed resemblance to a shell of that description. The inside is 30 feet high, its breadth 18 feet, and its depth 130 feet. The Cormorants' Cave is named ties of nature, was, until within the present century, nearly unnoticed. Leaving Staffa and proceeding southward, we soon see, in the distance, IONA, or Icolmkill," the Island of Columba's Cell." Writers usually call it by the more euphonious name of fona, the "Island of Waves." It is nine miles from Staffa. As we approach the island, the tower of the cathedral is a conspicuous object. This small island was once, as Dr. Johnson states, "the luminary of Caledonian regions, whence savage clans and roving barbarians derived the benefits of knowledge, and the blessings of religion. In 565 the famous St. Columba came here from Ireland, to preach Christianity to the Picts, who gave him a grant of the island. He died here, but the religious establishments founded by him flourished for 200 years. In 807 the Danes invaded the island, slew some of the monks, and compelled the others to flee. After the retreat of the Danes, the monastery was in possession of the monks of the order of Cluny until the dissolution of monastic institutions, when the revenues were united to the see of Argyll. Of the dates of the remains of antiquity on the island nothing is known. The Cathedral of St. Mary, the most prominent of these remains, is in the form of a cross, and is 160 ft. long, 24 ft. broad, and the length of the transept is 70 ft. Over the centre is a handsome square tower, 70 ft. high, divided in three stories, and supported by four arches. The architecture is of various styles. Contiguous to the cathedral are remains of cloisters. On the south is the small chapel "St. Oran's," unroofed, but still very entire, supposed to be of higher antiquity than the other edifices. Within it are many tombs of various dates. Iona was the cemetery of the Scottish Kings. So great was its repute as a burial-place, that, besides forty-eight kings of Scotland, four kings of Ireland, eight Norwegian monarchs, and one of France, repose here. This distinction it acquired partly from its peculiar sanctity, and partly from a belief in an ancient Gaelic prophecy, thus rendered into English: "Seven years before that awful day, The green-clad Isla, too, shall sink, While, with the great and good, Columba's happier isle shall rear Her towers above the flood." The chapel of the nunnery is in a tolerable state of preservation. Among other interesting objects on the island is a beautiful cross called "Maclean's Cross," one of a great number which were standing at the time of the Reformation, but which were then ordered to be demolished. There were formerly three hundred of these crosses. Iona is three miles long and one mile broad. Its surface is unequal, but on the east side it is level, and here is the village of Threld, containing about 400 inhabitants. It has fine pasturage, and parts of it are well cultivated. ROUTE 19. OBAN TO GLENCOE. URING the summer a steamer leaves OBAN on every week day for Ballachulish (26 miles), where conveyances are in waiting to carry passengers to GLENCOE and back in time to return by the steamer the same evening to Ŏban. This method of visiting Glencoe is preferable, as the excursion from Oban and back occupies less than 12 hours. There is a coach from Ballachulish to Loch Lomond, and passengers, by securing places at Oban may see Glencoe on the route, but the trip beyond Glencoe is comparatively uninteresting. On leaving Oban the steamer passes between the island of Kerrara and Dunolly Castle, and takes the passage between the island of Lismore and the coast, the route being through part of Loch Linnhe, north of Lismore, thence into Loch Leven, in which we land at Balla |