"The necessity of a direct line of Railway communication
through the fertile and populous district known as the
VALLEY of GLENMUTCHKIN, has been long felt and universally
acknowledged. Independently of the surpassing grandeur of
its mountain scenery, which shall immediately be referred
to, and other considerations of even greater importance,
GLENMUTCHKIN is known to the capitalist as the most
important BREEDING STATION in the Highlands of Scotland, and
indeed as the great emporium from which the southern markets
are supplied. It has been calculated by a most eminent
authority, that every acre in the strath is capable of
rearing twenty head of cattle; and, as has been ascertained
after a careful admeasurement, that there are not less than
TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND improvable acres immediately contiguous
to the proposed line of Railway, it may confidently be
assumed that the number of cattle to be conveyed along the
line will amount to FOUR MILLIONS annually, which, at the
lowest estimate, would yield a revenue larger, in proportion
to the capital subscribed, than that of any Railway as yet
completed within the United Kingdom. From this estimate the
traffic in Sheep and Goats, with which the mountains are
literally covered, has been carefully excluded, it having
been found quite impossible (from its extent) to compute the
actual revenue to be drawn from that most important branch.
It may, however, be roughly assumed as from seventeen to
nineteen per cent upon the whole, after deduction of the
working expenses.
"The population of Glenmutchkin is extremely dense. Its
situation on the west coast has afforded it the means of
direct communication with America, of which for many years
the inhabitants have actively availed themselves. Indeed,
the amount of exportation of live stock from this part of
the Highlands to the Western continent, has more than once
attracted the attention of Parliament. The Manufactures
are large and comprehensive, and include the most famous
distilleries in the world. The Minerals are most abundant,
and amongst these may be reckoned quartz, porphyry, felspar,
malachite, manganese, and basalt.
"At the foot of the valley, and close to the sea, lies the
important village known as the CLACHAN of INVERSTARVE. It is
supposed by various eminent antiquaries to have been the
capital of the Picts, and, amongst the busy inroads of
commercial prosperity, it still retains some interesting
traces of its former grandeur. There is a large fishing
station here, to which vessels from every nation resort, and
the demand for foreign produce is daily and steadily
increasing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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