THE WILDS OF SUTHERLAND. 243 



well as the names of most of the hill-lochs or 

 mountain-streams. From constant yearly report 

 of the different shooting and fishing bags, he had 

 also formed a pretty shrewd guess of the sporting 

 capabilities of the land and water we skirted, as 

 well as of the sporting skill of those who rented 

 it. This forenoon he was more than usually 

 demonstrative at a fox's cairn close to the road. 

 A few years since he had been a hind on this 

 farm, and assisted at the night-watches for rey- 

 nard among these rocks, which, he assured us, 

 were catacombed for a hundred yards along the 

 mountain face. A short distance before, he 

 pointed out a precipice where his master the 

 farmer (" who had ower muckle whusky ") had 

 been pitched over with his gig. The horse and 

 gig were dashed to pieces, but the farmer was 

 miraculously thrown forward on a green mound, 

 and escaped with a slight bruise. 



The bold rocks about half-way between Durness 

 and " the Cape" (Wrath) had attracted us to this 

 wild coast. They are the favoured resort of myr- 

 iads of sea-birds, including the white-tailed eagle. 

 " If ye had been here last week it wad hae been 



