When fourteen sample parishes in Argyllshire are examined for the 1790s, no clear pattern of population loss emerges from those which had more sheep than the county average. However, when the same parishes are arranged in two geographical groups, a much more coherent picture can be traced. In those closest to the Clyde estuary, eleven out of twelve showed a decline in population. On the other hand, only two out of fourteen in the more remote northern parts of the county showed a decrease.
