Читать книгу Our Western Hills: How to reach them; And the Views from their Summits. By a Glasgow Pedestrian онлайн

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While to the north, south, and east there is nothing but moor, with an occasional hill to relieve the monotony; to the west there is a landscape of unrivalled beauty. In the foreground there is the fertile valley of the Irvine, dividing Galston on the south from Loudon on the north, and Kyle from Cunningham, a vista of little less than 20 miles in length.

This picture includes such details as these:—First, there is the hamlet of Priestland; beyond which, close to Darvel, the Irvine is joined by the Glen Water, supposed to be the scene of Pollock’s popular tale of “Helen of the Glen,” up which also there are the remains of a British fort, one of those round forts which are always to be found in the track of the Roman invaders, which had been surrounded by a ditch, and had a bridge and a gate. Then there are Darvel and Newmilns, with their prosperous lace factories and their looms. On the south side there are the beautiful plantations on the Lanfine Estate, almost rivalling “Loudon’s bonnie woods and braes” on the north side, both contributing to give a rich appearance to the landscape, and taking away the barrenness which once characterized this now lovely valley. Still farther off there are to be seen Hurlford and its smoke, Kilmarnock and its Burns memorial, Dundonald Hill, the Firth of Clyde, and the rugged heights of Arran. In the north-west there are the hills above Dalry, Kilbirnie, and Lochwinnoch, hiding the heights of Cowal; in the north there is the lion-like Ben Lomond, to the right of which there is a view of Ben Venue, Ben Ledi being shut out by the high ground at Avonmuir, 5 or 6 miles in front of us. Farther east there is an occasional peep of the eastern part of the Campsie range, and a full view of the Ochils. Due east Strathaven, 9 miles off, is plainly seen, and the high ground near Carluke still farther away. In the near south-east we have the Avon flowing away from us to the Clyde, and the hills in which it takes its rise, and behind which Cairntable rises, some 12 or 13 miles away. Due south there is Distinkhorn, only some 6 miles distant, and behind it in the dim distance are the hills of Galloway. This is not by any means a bad view for a hill only 600 feet above the level of the surrounding country; according to an old saying, “One may go farther and fare worse.”