APPIN

"Appin (Abthania or Apthane, i.e., 'abbatial lands' of Lismore), a village, a quoad sacra parish, and a territorial district, on the coast of Argyllshire. The village stands at the head of Appin Bay, on the SE side of Loch Linnhe, 15 miles NNE of Oban; and has a post office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments. The quoad sacra parish, constituted in 1868, is in the civil parish of Lismore, extends along the SE side of Loch Linnhe, measuring about 18 miles by 12, and abounds in interesting features. The shore is sandy, broken with islands and indentations; the coast behind is generally high, but not rocky, embellished with woods and mansions. The interior ranges from undulating meadow along the coast to high mountain on the farther watershed, or rises away in great variety of height and contour, and terminates in alpine masses, cleft by deep glens, and striped with torrents or cataracts. The scenery everywhere is richly diversified and strikingly picturesque. The Airds of Appin, lovely with lawn and wood, occupy the peninsula between Lochs Linnhe and Creran ; Port-Appin, with an inn, fronts the N end of Lismore ; Portnacroish village, with another inn, stands on the northern horn of Appin Bay; and opposite Shuna island is Appin House. This parish, forming part of Lismore and Appin civil parish, is in the presbytery of Lorn and synod of Argyll, the stipend being £200, with manse and glebe, A new parish Church was built in 1890. Glen-Creran mission church was opened in 1888. There is also a Free church for Appin and Lismore. Pop. of quoad sacra parish (1871) 1327, (1891) 669; of registration district (1871) 728, (1881) 762, (1891) 669. The territorial district comprehends likewise Glen-Creran, Glen-Duror, Kingairloch, and Glencoe, and is upwards of 5 miles long, and is from 10 to 15 broad. Appin abounds in legends of Caledonian times; possesses some interesting mediaeval antiquities; and was the country of the Stewarts, or Stuarts, long famed as 'the unconquered foes of the Campbell,' but ultimately overmastered. Their history may be read in The Stewarts of Appin, by John H. J. Stewart and Lieut.-Col. Duncan Stewart."