Page images
PDF
EPUB

below the town of Kirkcudbright. This river has some fine features; the afore-mentioned towns make a handsome appearance on its banks; its Lake also, with its Estuary, are fine Expanses of water, and it produces Salmon, Pike, Perch, and Trout, in great abundance.

The ORR is a small stream which descends among the hills that divide Kirkcudbright from Dumfriesshire, from a Lake of that name, which is about three miles in circuit: there are three bridges over the Orr, to the lowest (of one lofty arch lately erected) the tide flows, and the river forms a small Bay at its exit. The FLEET, which takes its rise from a lake so called, in the mountainous part of the county, winds through a beautiful valley, skreened by woody hills, which open towards the south; near its mouth the village of Gatehouse is situated, which has been built, and risen into notice for its manufactures and cattle markets, within forty years; small sloops come up the river to within a short distance of the town. The Lakes are very numerous in this county, and, as well as the rivers, present to the Angler all the amusement a variety of fine fish can afford him.

Lanerkshire, or Clydesdale.

THE principal rivers are the CLYDE, which almost divides this county into two equal parts, the ANNAN, and the TWEED; the two former rising from a mountain called Errick Hill, and the latter discharging itself into the German Ocean, near the mouth of the

[ocr errors]

Firth. These rivers have been already described. There is also the river DOUGLAS, which falls into the Clyde a little below the town of Lanerk. South-west from Lanerk the small river NETHAN descends from the borders of Ayrshire, and holds its course northeast to join the Clyde.

The Avon is another tributary stream, which, nearly parallel to the Nethan, flows from Ayrshire to swell the waters of the Clyde, into which it runs a little above Hamilton. Besides Salmon and Trout, this river abounds with Parr; and all the others produce fish of various kinds in great perfection and plenty.

Mairnshire.

THE NAIRN rises a little to the north-west of the course of the river Findhorn, (noticed in Elginshire,) in the same pile of mountains of Inverness-shire, and pursues a parallel line towards the north-east, murmuring through a wild country from Straith Nairn; it crosses the two military roads, and passes near the Castle of Calder, celebrated for the murder of DUNCAN, King of Scotland, by Macbeth; the bed is here shown on which, tradition says, the murder was committed; the drawbridge too, which is entire, exhibits a curious specimen of antique architecture. This river, over a marsh, approaches the Port of Nairn; from whence a noble view extends across the northeast bay of Scotland, to the bold rocks called the Sutters of Cromartie, the level point of Tarbet Ness, in Ross-shire, the rude coast of Sutherland, and the

promontory of the Ord of Caithness. There are in this Shire many Lakes and small rivers, all abundantly productive of Salmon, Trout, and other fish ; the Angler who is drawn to them by the hope of sport will at no time be disappointed.

Peebleshire, or Tweedale.

THE TWEED derives its source from innumerable springs amid the sterile mountains of Tweedsmuir, in the southern part of this county, and passes from west to east, almost dividing it into two equal portions. In the northern corner of this shire is the LYNE, which rises on the south side of the Pentland hills, and runs into the Tweed, which also receives from the opposite mountains the river Manor. From the north descends the water of Eddlestone, which flows into the Tweed at Peebles. Upon the top of Genen-hill is Loch-genen Lake, from which a river rises that falls into Annandale, from a precipice computed to be two hundred and fifty feet high, and where many of the fish are killed by the fall of the water. Salmon and Trout in plenty are found in all these waters.

Perthshire.

THE TAY is one of the most beautiful and considerable rivers in the Island, traversing this whole county, amidst the richest districts of the middle range of Scotland, and forming of itself the principal ornament to some of the most romantic tracts

in nature its source, where it has the name of Fillan, is in one of the highest and widest eminences in the western highlands, where the extremity of Perthshire borders on Argyleshire; from whence it rushes with singular velocity through the gloomy hollow of Glendochart: pursuing a north-east direction, it passes Killin, pleasantly situated on a neck of land between the two points, where the placid Lochy and the turbulent Tay, strongly contrasting each other in character, form the great expanse of water called LOCH TAY, which is fifteen miles long, and more than one broad: lofty mountains surround this charming lake, encircling a wooded, populous, and well-cultivated district; two good roads pervade the whole, on eminences over-hanging each side of the water, and command every species of the sublime and beautiful in landscape: these scenes are varied happily by the three great bends of Loch Tay; the last of which discloses all the ornamented demesne of Tay-mouth, the Earl of BREADALBANE'S. Loch Tay is in many places a hundred fathoms deep, and within as many yards of the shore, fifty-four: until of late this Lake was supposed to be as incapable of freezing as LOCH NESS; but, about the twentieth of March, 1771, so uncommon was the cold, that this vast body of water was frozen over, in one part, from side to side in a single night, and so strong was the Ice as greatly to damage a boat which was caught in it. In the morning of September 12, 1784, an unusual agitation of the Loch was observed near the village of KENMORE, ebbing and flowing in a most extraordinary way, and this for the space of two hours. On

the next and four succeeding days, the same Phæ nomenon took place at the same hour, and continued, but with less violence, for the same time. On the 13th of July, 1794, the Loch was affected in a similar manner, though not so violently, and yet upon inquiry no motion of the Earth was felt in the neighbourhood at either period, or was the water disturbed any where but near the above village. LOCH TAY abounds with Pike, Perch, Eels, Salmon, Charr, and Trout; of the last some have been taken that weighed above thirty pounds. The exclusive privilege of Fishing belongs to Lord BREADALBAne. The Tay makes its exit from the Lake through an elegant stone bridge of five arches at Kenmore, a village beautifully situated, and overlooking the Lake, and the river issuing from it. BURNS gives the following poetical account of the scene:

Th' outstretching Lake, imbosom'd 'mong the hills,
The Eye with wonder and amazement fills:
The TAY, meand'ring sweet in infant pride;
The Palace rising on its verdant side;

The Lawns Wood-fring'd in Nature's native Taste;
The Hillocks dropt in Nature's careless haste;
The Arches striding o'er the new-born Stream;
The Village glitt'ring in the noon-tide beam.

The LYON, descending from Loch Lyon, in that division of Perthshire called Breadalbane, falls into the Tay below Fortingal. The TUMEL issues from Loch Rannoch, (which is about eleven miles in length, and one in breadth, and in which are no other fish than Trouts, small Charr, and Bull Trouts; which last, according to Mr. PENNANT, are some

« PreviousContinue »