1886-87.] Jottings on a Ramble in Wester Ross. 25 



and is seen winding up between high and precipitous hills to 

 the BiuUoch pass, a height of about 2000 feet, said to be the 

 highest road in Scotland. The scenery now becomes very 

 grand, and soon tlie colossal and almost perpendicular precipices 

 of Beinn Bhan, 2936 feet high, tower up on our left. From 

 this on to Shieldaig the view of the surrounding mountains is 

 as grand as can be obtained in any part of Scotland. The 

 village of Shieldaig stretches in a straggling way along the 

 shore of Loch Shieldaig, which is an arm of Loch Torridon, and 

 divides the outer from the inner loch. There is a precipitous 

 hill behind the village called Ben Shieldaig, and an island in 

 the loch immediately in front of it well clothed with fir-trees. 

 On arriving at Shieldaig, we found two of our party who had 

 preceded us by a week ; and we embarked in the sailing-boat 

 by which they had come that evening from Arrin-a-chruinach. 

 The wind being against us, we had to take many a tack to get 

 round the peninsula of Ardheslaig, and it was quite dark before 

 we reached Camas-an-eilein, the residence of Lord Middleton's 

 gamekeeper, where we landed ; and we had great difficulty in 

 picking our way through the wood in the dark to Arrin-a- 

 chruinach. The track was most uneven ; and having our impedi- 

 menta to carry, we were very glad indeed to see the light which 

 shone from the window of the schoolmaster's house, which was 

 to be our home for the next fortnight. 



The situation of Arrin-a-chruinach is rather pretty. The few 

 houses, not more than a dozen, are situated almost in a row on 

 the western bank of a small stream which takes its rise in 

 Loch-na-Creige, a fresh-water loch about half a mile distant, 

 and flows into Loch Torridon at the top of a small sheltered 

 bay. Behind the houses is a desolate track of moorland 

 stretching away to the Atlantic, a distance of three or four 

 miles, while to the front rises a high rocky ridge clothed with 

 wood, chiefly birch and hazel. The view fiom the village 

 across the loch to Ben Alligin and the high picturesque range 

 of hills bordering upper Loch Torridon, was very grand. There 

 are no roads in the district, but only tracks, which are barely 

 distinguishable in many parts. This desolate moorland con- 

 sists chiefly of mosses, with occasional low hills and many 

 inland lochs, both large and small. From some of the heights 

 tine views are got of the Atlantic, with the island of Eona in 



