194 ON THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



decreased. Fifteen or twenty years ago Cheviots and half-breds 

 were largely in the majority, and are so still, but during the past 

 eight or ten years the Black-faced breed has been gradually 

 making up upon them. But before summing up the general 

 system of management, we shall offer some details regarding the 

 operations of a few of the larger sheep -farmers, and a very brief 

 sketch of the hills and pasture-lands of both counties. 



Sheep-grazing s and different Systems of Management. 



To make a complete tour throughout the hills of Eoss and 

 Cromarty would be no easy matter, for they are very extensive 

 and wild. But imagination is a speedy pedestrian, and our 

 wanderings shall not last long. Starting from the Muir of Ord, 

 on the borders of Inverness-shire, we proceed westward along 

 the course of the Orrin, passing through the highly cultivated 

 and beautifully wooded estates of Highfield, Fairburn, and 

 Muirton ; and the first traces of sheep-farming are found in the 

 lower end of Glen Orrin, where there are one or two small stocks 

 of Black-faced sheep. Along the upper reaches of the glen for 

 about twenty miles the land is flattish, black, and heathy, and 

 occuj)ied by red-deer. Passing through the forest we come upon 

 better land, moderately even surface with green pasture and very 

 steep hills, rising on the borders of Inverness-shire to a height of 

 about 3000 feet. On the northern part of this glen the land is 

 blacker and more scant of pasture, and is occupied by Black- 

 faced sheep, while the land on the other side carries deer 

 principally. Continuing our rapid flight, we enter the extensive 

 property of Mr Balfour of Strathconan, which is taken uj) by a 

 deer forest, several very fine sheep-farms, and a few crofts. It 

 extends from Glen Orrin to the Dingwall and Skye Eailway at 

 Strathbran, and runs in three parallel glens, bound in by steep, 

 irregular, rocky hills, partly green and partly black and heath- 

 clad. Adjoining Mr Balfour's estate on the south is Mr Holm's 

 portion of Monar, partly occupied by deer and partly by Black- 

 faced breeding ewes, lambs being reared from these and Leicester 

 tups. The western portion of Monar, called Strathanmore, is 

 one of the finest grazing glensj in the county, and contains 

 hundreds of the finest red deer to be seen anywhere. The 

 Cheviot wethers, formerly reared on Strathanmore, invariably 

 topped the market. Continuing about five miles up this glen 

 we come to the water-shed of Loch Alsh, w^hile on the north we 

 have the sources of the Carron and the Meag, this height being 

 also the water-shed between these two rivers. Turning down the 

 Meag we enter Glennaig, where the hills are steep and wild, 

 green on the tops with month (mountain grass), which affords 

 very fine pasture for three months of the year. Near to the base 

 of the hills the surface is very rough, and mostly covered with 



