[38.3

he ſummit of one or two of them. On the north üde of the bills, there is fome moſs, and ground covered with heath; benty, and coarſe graſs, which are of late vifibly de- creaſing, and better grafſes are coming up in their places. Vpon the whole, the hills afford moſt excellent paſture,-elpe- cially for ſheep.

The quantity of ground, in this diſtri&t of the Ochills, is probabiy about 26,000 Engliſh acres*; and of theſe, there maybe 10c0 Engliſh acres+ that are ploughed. The north- weſt end of the hills have, in general, a tolerable gentle de- ſcent towards the water or river of Allan, and burn oy rivu- Jet of Old Wharry. This declivity, as well as between 2 and 300 Scotch acres| that lie in the centre of the hills, and about 200 Scotch acres|| Iying along the banks of the Dovan, in the pariſh of Glen Dovan, are tolerably fertile, and are generally under the plough; although it is the opinion of good judges, that almoſt the whole of the lands would turn to moſt account, if they were appropriated ſolely to paſture.

The rocks in the Ochills, are compoſed of granite, red and grey, black ſchiſt, whinſtones, and baſalties.

Kings-ſeat-hill, in the pariſh of Tillycoultry, conſiſts of argillaceous ſchiſt: and very lately, in a hill near Menſtry, in the pariſh of Logie, ſome good lime-ſtone has beemfound, which is now begun to be wrought for ſale. It is imagined, that the Ochills contain many rich minerals, fuch as copper, cobalt, EFc. We.&. Some of them have been wrought; but all that has hitherto been done, may be conſidered r2- ther as trials than as regular workings. It is ſaid, that, about the beginning of this century, Sir John Erſkine of Alva (who was then proprietor of that eſtate) got L. 20,000 of Glver out of the mines there: but that the-metals diſappeared ſuddenly, and the mines were given up. About 509 years

* Correſponds nearly to 20,460 Scotch acres.+ Nearly 787 S. acr. 3 Nearly 254 or 381 Evgliſh ſlatute-acres,|) Nearly 254 E. acr.

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