66 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



river was utilised for the formation of a loch, and a new channel 

 was cut for the ascent of fish. The retaining wall of the loch 

 itself was a high perpendicular structure with no outlet except 

 for flood water. I never heard that the loch was of much use 

 for fishing, and I fear it sometimes held up a good many kelts. 

 The huge flood which took place on 16th and 17th January, 

 1909, owing to a rapid thaw after a heavy snowstorm, carried 

 away the retaining wall and flooded a considerable stretch of 

 country. Some unfortunate people in neighbouring cottages 

 had to make a hurried flitting in the middle of the night. The 

 Tay at Dunkeld had risen 15 feet, and the Inches at Perth 

 were already covered. The Almond was in very high flood, 

 and the sudden bursting of the dam carried the water over the 

 high banks which protect the fields on the right side, filled up 

 the fields, and poured along the Perth road till the dip at the 

 railway bridge had about 6 feet of water. Some anxiety was 

 felt for the railway embankment, but the water poured through 

 a narrow archway uniting fields on either side, and eventually 

 broke down the river banks to find its way back to the Almond 

 and Tay. Some 5 feet of water stood in one of the streets of 

 Perth. 



When the flood subsided the new river channel lay dry and 

 bare, and the proprietor decided not to rebuild the dam. The 

 perpendicular concrete wall across the old river channel was 

 therefore taken down entirely, so that the Almond has now 

 reverted to its old bed along the bottom of the erstwhile loch. 



The next dyke is also a comparatively recent addition. It 

 is not a very formidable structure, however, although it supplies 

 water to another fishing loch (trout). It is situated about half 

 a mile or so below Huntingtower, and is faced with cement, 

 but is provided with a serviceable fish pass at the left bank, so 

 constructed that the fish enter close to the foot of the weir, 

 are led in a downstream direction and then turned upstream 

 to the pool above. 



The two dykes above this are used by Almondbank and 

 Huntingtower bleach works. The dyke, usually termed Low's 

 Dyke, acts in conjunction with Perth Lade already referred 

 to. The dyke next above sends water to a large bleach work 

 on the left bank. The lade passing through this work re-enters 

 the Almond immediately above Low's Dyke, and so much at 



