The book Arran; - Cook Clan

THE FIRST OF THE IMPROVERS 183
for Arran. He contemplates such centres at Lamlash,
Loch Ranza, Torlin, and Shedag, but only at the two former,
where there was already a nucleus, does anything of the kind
take shape. At Lamlash, on the east and south of the
change-house or inn at Bay-head, were eleven houses forming
a hamlet known as Clamperton, and ten on the west
side were called ' the Bay of Lamblash,' as the name is always
written in the present Record. The local schoolmaster in
1770 supplied the information that ' the five houses lying
to the south of the T'VTiitehouse were built by Duchess Ann,
with the design to draw the people from that nasty hole
called Clamperton and the Bay to this dry and wholesome
situation, in order to form a village under the name of
Arrantoim.' Burrel continues the plan of clearing the
older settlements and providing a new street, doing the best
possible to meet some cases of hardship. At Lamlash, too,
there is the charity of the ' poor's asylum,' where a house
and kailyard are provided for such pensioners. Further,
there is elaborate provision for the formation, here and in
other quarters, of lots for mechanics and fishermen, and we
have note of half a dozen Montrose men, aged from fourteen
to twenty-five, who are settled at Lamlash and offer to
deliver, at Lamlash or Saltcoats, cod, ling, haddock, whiting,
flounder, sole, and thomback not exceeding four cwt. for
15d. per stone of 24 lbs. Dutch, to be paid them on delivery
(Nov. 1776). There is evidence throughout that the fishings,
except that of herring, were not developed, even that instruc-
tion in the art was necessary ; no doubt the speculative
distractions of smugghng were a good deal to blame.
Other zealous undertakings are the resumption of work
in the coal-seams at the Cock and the opening of various
limestone quarries,^ and the Commissioner, in default of any
-' ' There are extensive old limestone quarries at Corrie—they extend up the steep
hillside for a quarter of a mile, and the limestone has been much wrought in artificial
caves, besides having been worked at the outcrop towards the dip till in places there