The Land of the Hills and the Glens 



hiding the site of their delicate eggs of pale unspotted blue 

 or their large family of sober-coloured young. In the wood 

 of stunted oaks the young of the barn or white owl are already 

 full-fledged in the hollow of the tree where they have been 

 reared, and the plaintive alarm note of the wood warbler may 

 be heard as she flutters anxiously from bough to bough in 

 the neighbourhood of that small domed nest containing her 

 large family of half-fledged young. 



There are no hours of darkness at this time. For an 

 hour either side of midnight twilight covers the land, but 

 as early as one o'clock I have watched the sunrise firing the 

 high cirri clouds in the north-eastern sky and tinging them 

 with crimson. 



For weeks, maybe, the sea trout must remain in the salt 

 water, for even the biggest flood of midsummer runs down 

 in a few hours, and for many days scarce a trickle of water 

 finds its way to the sea pool. When at length the long- 

 awaited rain comes and the river quickly rises, grand sport 

 may be had by the fisherman who is on the spot. One such 

 July day I recall when the mist was low, and when from out 

 the mist-cap every hill burn rushed, full to the brim. Many 

 sea trout were in the pool that day, and they were not above 

 taking a nicely thrown teal and green or brown hackle, 

 so that by evening one's basket was well filled and one heeded 

 not the west wind that blew the rain across from the hills with 

 gale force and soaked one to the skin. 



The next day brought sunshine and showers, so that 

 when the sun shone, hot and clear, the scent of the bell 

 heather came across the glen from the hillside beyond the 

 river, and mingled with it was the aroma from many bog 

 myrtle plants. 



In August the main run of fish is past, but with each 

 "freshlet" belated sea trout enter the river and quickly 

 ascend to the lochs. At this season the banks of the river 

 are breast-high with the deep green bracken, and the ling 

 under the birches is heavy with blossom, so that as one 



56 



