Waters with bays or arms of the sea, here called lochs.

Loch

Broom.

Loch

Mari.

They advance to an immense distance inland, amidst a country that is astonishingly wild and mountainous. One of the chief of these is Loch Broom. It consists of a sort of double bay. The first, or nearest the sea, is called Loch More, which terminates in a narrow strait; after which the sea again widens, forming Loch Broom, and extending to a great distance inland. As Loch Broom is one of the greatest retreats of the shoal of herrings, the banks of it have been made the seats of some fishing stations, established by the British Society; particularly Ulla Pool. There are two other fishing stations in the same bay; one at Isle Martin, five miles north of Ulla Pool, and another at Isle Tanera, a mile north of Isle Martin. Besides these two stations, the coast is indented with numerous safe bays. A small stream rises in the mountains, on the borders of Sutherlandshire, and gives name to the station of Ulla Pool. To the southward of Loch Broom is another extensive bay, called Little Loch Broom, which is long and narrow, but not of such extent as the former. Along the whole west coast are numberless mountain torrents, which it would be in vain to specify, because they are of no importance, being intercepted, before they have run to any distance, by the numerous arms of the sea which advance to so great a distance inland. To the southward of Loch Broom is a fresh-water lake of great extent, Loch Mari, in the parish of Gairloch. It is about sixteen miles in length, and of various breadth, generally about one or two miles. It contains twenty-four small islands, beautified with fir trees, and a variety of other kinds of wood. On the largest island, called Islan Mari, there are the remains of an ancient Druidical edifice, and around it a burial place, where the inhabitants on the north side of the loch inter

heir dead. It discharges itself into an arm of the sea Waters; called Loch Ew.

Gairloch, in the same neighbourhood, has been for many Gairloch. ages famous for the cod-fishing. One proprietor sends to market annually, upon an average, betwixt 30,000 and 40,000 cod, exclusive of the number with which the country people serve themselves. Gairloch hath also, from time immemorial, been remarkable for the herring fishing. To the southward, the district of Kintail is peninsulated by the narrow arms of the sea called Loch Gairon, on the north, and Loch Duich and Loch Long on the south. These, like most of the other salt-water lochs or arms of the sea on the west coast, afford excellent fishing stations, and a safe retreat for ships.

It may be observed, that in the parish of Loch Alsh, off the west coast, there are large banks of corals; these are beat by the sea into the size and colour of confected caraways, and are found valuable as manure, forming a sort of shelly sand, which will be afterwards mentioned. Some enterprising proprietors on the east coast have even carried it round by the Pentland Frith in barrels.

Besides the lochs which are connected with the sea, and Loch Mari, already mentioned, there are to be met with, in the valleys among the mountains of Ross-shire, considerable numbers of lakes of one, two, or three miles in length, some of which afford beautiful scenery. They have the general character of Highland lakes, consisting of a stream flowing in the valley between adjacent chains of mountains; and where the valley happens to be universally hollow or flat, the water spreads out to a considerable distance into a lake. They are too seldom approached to by travellers, and are of too difficult access to require particular description.

It would be in vain to attempt to specify the remark

Ard.

Mountains. able mountains, or even chains of mountains, in a country that is all mountainous, excepting the narrow tract on the east coast and the friths, which there advance from the Tullech German Ocean. We ought not, however, to pass without notice Tulloch Ard, a lofty mountain in Ross-shire, in the district of Kintail, which claims particular attention, on account of its importance in ancient times. Like the temple of Janus of ancient Rome, it indicated peace or war; for, when war commenced, a barrel of burning tar on the highest peak was the signal, and in twenty-four hours all the tenants and vassals of Seaforth appeared at the Castle of St Donan, armed pro aris et focis. This mountain is the crest of Seaforth's arms.

Ben-Uaish.

Size of

estates.

Ben-Uaish, in the parish of Kiltearn, on the east coast, towers above the rest of the mountains. It is seen across the Moray Frith, in the counties of Moray and Elgin, or of Banff. It is perpetually covered with snow; and the reddendo or quit-rent from the family of Foulis, for the tenure of the forest of Uaish, is the payment of a snow-ball to his Majesty, on any day of the year, if required. And we are assured that a quantity of snow was actually sent hence to the Duke of Cumberland, when at Inverness, in summer 1746, to cool his wine. There is a great deal of heath and coarse grass, which is excellent pasture for cattle, all around the hill; and this forest is well stocked with deer and a variety of moor-game.

In the parish of Kincardine, also, which is on the east coast, it may be observed, that on the top of the highest mountain in Balnagoun's forest, called Scuilm-a-bbarra, which is distant many miles from the sea, shells of different sorts of fish are found, some of them in beds well covered with earth,

The territory of this county is better divided than that of Sutherland; at the same time it contains some very

Estates.

large estates. Its valuation in the cess-books, according to Size of the estimate made in the time of Charles the First, and by which public burdens are imposed, amounts to L.75,040, 10s. 3d. Scottish money. The valuation of one estate amounts to no less than L.12,928: 10s. being upwards of one-sixth of the whole county. The county contains seven proprietors whose valuation is above L.3000 Scots; three whose valuation is above L. 2000, but below L.3000; twelve proprietors whose valuation is above L.1000, and below L.2000; a fourth class of proprietors, amounting to sixteen in number, hold lands valued from L.400 to L.1000; and, lastly, forty-four proprietors hold estates valued at less than L.400 Scots. This last class, of course, have no vote in the election of the member of parliament. The whole state of property is summed up thus, in his "View of the Agriculture of the Northern Counties and Islands," by Sir John Sinclair.

Of the whole, L.20,885 8: 4 Scots is entailed; the remainder is exempted from any restriction of that nature. The chief clans which inhabit this county are the M'Kenzies, the Rosses, the Frazers, the M'Kays, the McRaeys, and Monros.

With regard to its soil, and the mode in which it is soil. Three occupied, the county may be considered as consisting of districts, three districts of very unequal extent; the eastern, the western, and middle. There are few districts in the

trict.

ture.

Agricul- northern parts of Scotland where the climate is more fa vourable to agricultural pursuits than the eastern coast of Eastern dis-Ross-shire, or where the pleasures and advantages of a country residence may be enjoyed in greater perfection. From Contin to the promontory of Tarbetness, in particular, there is a stretch of country, about sixty miles in length, possessed of many natural and artificial beauties, being situated on the borders of the beautiful Bay or Frith of Cromarty, adorned by the seats of many opulent and respectable proprietors, by whose exertions the lower parts of the district have been considerably improved, and the upper covered with plantations. Indeed, such are the natural advantages which this tract can boast of, that it has been counted little inferior, in point either of soil or climate, to Fife, though that county is situated so far to the south of it. Unfortunately, however, the part of it capable of cultivation rarely exceeds in breadth from one to two English miles, except towards the parishes of Nigg and Tarbet. The soil of this district, as may be easily conjectured from its extent, is extremely various. About Contin it is light and friable, calculated for turnips, barley, clover, and oats. In the parishes of Fodderty, Dingwall, and Kiltearn, there is a deep loam, fit to yeild weighty crops of wheat. On some fields on the estate of Tulloch, indeed, fifteen bolls of that grain have been produced per Scots acre after the first fallow. The soil in the parishes of Alness, Rosekeen, and Kilmuir, is light. In the parishes of Nigg and Easter Fearn, it is very rich and friable, and will carry any crops produced in the Lothians. Thence, to the eastern point of Tarbetness, there is a kindly but light soil. The lands in this county are occupied, partly by gentlemen who have considerable farms in their own hands, here called mains (either because situated near the mansion-house of the pro