MUCKAIRN, a quoad sacra parish (for a time), in
the parish of Ardchattan, district of Lorn, county of
Argyll, 12 miles (E. by N.) from Oban; containing,
with the villages of Stonefield and Calnadaluck, 960 inhabitants.
This parish, the name of which signifies
"the den of wild boars", from the number of those
ferocious animals that anciently infested this part of the
country, is bounded on the north by Loch Etive, and on
the east by the river Naunt and the loch of that name.
It is about nine miles in length from east to west, and
from five to six miles in average breadth. The quantity
of arable land does not exceed 400 acres; about 100
are meadow, nearly 2000 coppice wood let on lease to
the Bunawe iron-tompany, and the remainder hill pasture
and waste. The surface is divided by the Mallore
range of hills, extending from the north-east to the
south-west, but of which the highest has not an elevation
of more than 1100 feet above the level of the sea:
there are also some detached eminences, the loftiest of
which is Deechoid. From the Mallore range the ground
slopes gradually towards the north, with occasional undulations
forming sequestered valleys between the higher
lands, which arc crowned with wood. The coast is generally
low, and in several places rocky. It is indented
with the fine bays of Stonefield and Airds bay, and
with numerous creeks; and in some parts the shore is
marked with boldly-projecting headlands. The bay of
Stonefield, and that of Salenrua, a little beyond it, afford
good anchorage; and in the former is the beautiful island
called Abbot's Isle, clothed with verdure, and embellished
with a few aged sycamores. In this district
the rivers arc, the Naunt, which flows between richlywooded
banks, forming in its course some picturesque
cascades; the Lonan, which, after a rapid course for a
few mi'.es from east to west, runs into Loch Nell, in the
parish of Kilmore; the Luacragan, intersecting the district
from south to north for a few miles, and falling
into Airds bay; and the Lusragan, which, flowing for a
few miles in a parallel direction, joins Loch Etive a little
above Connel ferry. The chief lakes are. Loch Andow,
on the west, nearly two miles in length; and Loch
Naunt, on the east, of about half that extent; both
abounding in trout. The soil of the arable land, .and
the system of agriculture, are similar to those of Ardchattan;
and the cattle and sheep on the pastures, of
the same breeds. About 280 cows and their followers,
with 220 head of cattle besides, and upwards of 3000 sheep
are kept. Most of the inhabitants are employed in connexion
with the iron-works at Bunawe in the parish of
Glenorchy and Inishail. The nearest market-town is
Oban: there is a post-office at Bunawe, and facility of
communication is afforded by the country-road from
Oban and the Western Isles to Inverary, which passes
for eight miles through the district.
The church, built in 1829, under the provisions of the
act of parliament for the erection and endowment of
additional churches in the Highlands, is a plain neat
structure, situated at the south-eastern extremity of
Muckairn, and containing 350 sittings. The minister
has a stipend of £120 from government, with a manse
and offices, and an allotment of land for a garden: patron,
the Crown. The parochial school, for which a
handsome school-house, capable of receiving 130 scholars,
with superior accommodations, was erected in 1836, by
the lady of General Campbell of Lochnell, is well conducted;
the master has a salary of £25. 13. 3., with a
house and garden, and the fees average about £15 per
annum. There is also a school at Auchlevan, to the
master of which the Society for the Propagation of
Christian Knowledge till of late paid a salary of £1* per
annum. A good school-house was built by General
Campbell, who also gave the master a dwelling-house
and a portion of land; and since the discontinuance of
the salary by the society, the present proprietor of Lochnell
has made the master an annual donation of £12.
In the district are numerous remains of old ecclesiastical
establishments, and several Druidical circles in a more or
less perfect state. On a plain near the site of the present
church, was an ancient obelisk, which, on the arrival
of the news of the victory of Abonkir, the workmen
of Lorn furnace at Bunawe removed to the neighbouring
hill, and erected to the honour of Lord Nelson.