60 ON THE AGEICULTUKE OF 



Loch, enlarged Ly the Melgarn l3eing diverted into it for the 

 purpose of forming a larger reservoir for the Dundee Water 

 Works, It now extends to about 1^ square mile. The loch of 

 Forfar, which was partially drained for its marl, and for the 

 improvement of the surrounding land, lies on the west of the 

 town, and extends to about 1 mile by J mile. The Fithie, 

 Eescobie, and Balgavies Lochs are in this neighbourhood, while 

 in Lundi there are four lochlets, the largest being Longloch, 

 h mile by ^ mile. Several small lochs, including those of 

 Kinnordy and Logic in Kirriemuir, and Ptestenet in Forfar, 

 were drained for their skell marl, which was used for agricultural 

 purposes. In Kincardineshire, the lochs are both few and 

 small. The loch of Drum once covered about 300 acres, but 

 has been reduced to less than one-third. The loch of Leys, 

 at one time more than 2 miles in circuit, lias been drained. 

 Loirston Loch, 27 acres in extent, lies in the parish of Nigg ; 

 and at Fasque tliere is a beautiful artificial loch, covering about 

 20 acres. 



The chief rivers in Forfarshire are the Tsla, the South Esk, 

 and the North Esk. The Isla, rising in the extreme north-west, 

 drains the western districts of the county, and passing into 

 Perthshire near Puthven, and, after a course of 42 miles, 

 empties itself into the Tay at CargilL The South Esk has its 

 source in Clova, and Hows south-east for the first half of its 

 course, which is about 50 miles in length, and due east the 

 latter. It drains the main portion o*^ the centre of the county, 

 and falls into the sea at Montrose, its mouth forming a large 

 and beautiful basin. Its chief tributaries are the Prosen, the 

 Carity, the Noran, and the Lemno. The Prosen has a course 

 of about 16 miles, and after receiving the burns of Glenlogie, 

 Glenoig, and Lednathy, joins the South Esk below Cortachy 

 Castle. The North Esk or East Water has a course of about 

 40 miles. It drains the north-eastern division of the county, 

 forms for a lono; distance the bound arv line between Forfar and 

 Kincardine, and falls into the sea about 3^ miles north of 

 !Montrose. On the right, it receives the waters of the Effock, 

 the Keeny, and the Mooran, from which, at a cost of £15,000, 

 a daily supply of 500,000 gallons of water was diverted for the 

 town of Brechin. The Tarf, the Turret, the Meallie, and Auch- 

 mull and other streams join the North Esk from the left. The 

 water of Lunan, issuing from Lunan AYell, Pestenet, and Bal- 

 gavies, flows in a north-easterly direction for about 17 miles, 

 and empties itself into the beautiful bay of Lunan. The Dighty 

 has a course almost as long, and drains a portion of the eastern 

 slope of the Sidlaws, and falls into the Firth of Tay at Milton. 

 The North and South Esk are excellent salmon streams, while 

 in the smaller waters there is a good supply of trout. In most 



