The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

The situation of Renfrew, Cliddisdall, Lennox, Lowmund, Argile, Louchquhaber, Lorne, and Kentyre, with all the notable things contay∣ned in the same. Chap. 4.

THe water of Clide, deuideth Lennox on the [ 40] Northside from the Barrony of Renfrew, & it riseth out of the same hill in Calidon wood, from whence the Annand falleth, and goeth with a long course into the Irish sea: some cal this riuer Gluda, & Cluda, but Tacitus nameth it Glota. Not far also from the fountaines of Clide, ariseth the water of Forth, that runneth on the contrary side into the Germaine Ocean. In like sorte after the water of Clude hath run for a season towarde the North, it gathereth somwhat inward til it come to the moū∣taine [ 50] of Granzeben, & from thence holdeth on with a swift course, til it fall as I sayd into y^e Irish seas. The coūtrey where it rūneth is named Clidesdale. Betwixt Clide & Lennox lieth y^e Barony of Ren∣frew, wherin are two pooles named Quhinsouth & Leboth, of which the first is xij. miles in compasse, the other xx. and both very riche & plentifull of fish. But in Lennox that lieth next aboue Renfrew to∣ward the Ocean (called by Ptolomy Lelgouia is a great mere or lake that hight Lochmond, of 〈◊〉〈◊〉. miles in length, & •…•…ight in breadth, and within the Lhin or poole, are •…•…0. Ilandes wel replenished with Churches & dwelling houses, & in the same also •…•…re three things worthy consideration, whereof the first is, that the pleasant & very delicate fishe there bredde doth want finnes. The secōd is, that the water will often swell with huge waues though no winde be sturring, and that in such wise that the best Mari∣ners in the countrey dare not aduenture to sayle thereon. There is also a very fruiteful and commo∣dious Ile therein, very necessary for the pasturage of cattel, whiche fleet•…•…th hither and thither as the winde bloweth. This lake is situate at the foote of the hill called Granzeben, whiche were sometime the marches or limites betwixt the Scots & Pictes, & are extended frō Lochlowmund to the mouth of Dee. Certes the Pictes had no parte of the country beyond the Granzeben, nor toward the Irish seas, for this region was inhabited by the Scots. Eight miles frō Lochlowmund is the castel of Dumbrit∣taine named sometime Alcluid, and here the water of Leuen falleth into the Clide.

Beyond Lochlowmūd is Argile, an hilly coūtry and full of •…•…ragges and mountaines, therin also are two lakes Lochfine and Lochquho, that diuide the region into three partes, that in the middest beyng called Knapdale. In Lochfine likewise is more plenty of herring than in any parte of the coast that compasseth the Iland, but in Lochquho are suche kindes of fishe to be vsually had as are commonly bredde in fresh waters. There are moreouer in Ar∣gile two castels Glenunquhart and Encouell, and in it are 12. Iles, whose chiefe commoditie resteth rather in pasturage for cattell, than aboundance of grayne. In Argile furthermore are many ritche mynes full of mettall, but the people there haue no skill to find and trie out the same. The constant re∣port also goeth there, how there is a stone of suche nature, that if it be hiddē in straw for a certaine sea∣son, it will kindle of it selfe & consume the straw to ashes. There are seuen other lakes in Argile, wher∣of some are thirty miles in length and breadth, and other lesse. It was told me once by Doncan Camp∣bell a noble Knight, that out of Garloll one of the pooles of Argile, there came a terrible beast in the yeare of grace, 1510. which was of the bignesse of a Greyhound, and footed like a gander, and issuing out of the water early in the mornyng about Mid∣somer time, did very easily and without any visible force or streyning of himselfe ouerthrow huge okes with his tayle, and therevnto killed three men out right that hunted him with three strokes of his sayd tayle, the reste of them sauing themselues in trees there aboutes, whylest the aforesayde Monster re∣turned to the water. Those that are giuen to the obseruations of rare and vncouth sightes, beleeue

that this beast is neuer seene but agaynst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 great trouble & mischief to come vpō the realme of Scotland. For it hath ben discried also bef•••••• that time, although not very often. Lorne ab•…•…t∣teth vpon Argile, which was once a part of Ar∣gile, and reacheth out into the Irishe sea, in ma∣ner of a cape or toūg, full 60. miles. This poynt also was called Nouantia, but now it is named Kyntyre, that is to say, the head of Lorne, whose vttermost part is not full 26. miles frō Ireland. [ 10] Some Authors affirme, that both Argile and Cantyre, were called Nouantia in old time, sith Ptolomy maketh no mention of Argile in his Cosmography. In this Lorne is great abun∣dance of Barley whiche the Scottes call Beir. Beyond Lorne is Lochquhaber, heretofore a portion of Murrayland, very riche in mines of Iron & Lead, & no lesse beneficial to the country in all kindes of cattel. There are likewise many woodes, many lakes, & many riuers, but two of [ 20] them are mosle notable for the plenty of Sal∣mons, & other delicate fishe, aswell of the salt as fresh water, which is there taken & almost with∣out any trauaile: neyther is there any where els in all the Ile such store. The one of these is na∣med Lochty, and the other Spanʒe, but vpon what occasiō these names were giuen vnto thē I finde as yet no certainty. The Lochty riseth not aboue eight miles from Lochnes, & falleth beneath the same into the Germaine Ocean, & [ 30] beside it, there is a rocky cragge, running out at length into the sea, named Hardnomorth. In y^e mouth of Lochty likewise was somtime a riche towne named Inuerlochty, whether the mar∣chaunts of Fraunce and Spaine did make their dayly resort, till at the last it was so defaced by the warres of the Danes, that it neuer was able sithence the sayde time to recouer hir pristinate renowne. But whether the negligēce of the due repayre of this towne, procedeth of the slouth of [ 40] our people, or hatred that some enuious persons do beare to cities & walled townes in our coun∣trey, as yet it is vncertayne. Beyond Lochty is the castell of Dunsta•…•…age, in time past named Euonium: beyōd Dunstafage also is the mouth of the water of Spanʒe, where it falleth as I heare into the Germaine Ocean.