128 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



It dates from about 1320, and was built, it is believed, either 

 by Bishop Cheyne or by Robert the Bruce. 



" Brig o' Balgownie, though wight be your wa', 

 Wi' a wife's ae son, and a nieer's ae foal, 

 Doun ye shall fa'." 



Byron was an only son, and is said to have crossed it with some 

 amused trepidation. 



The pool below the brig is netted, as also are two other pools 

 further up. The highest netting station is a short distance 

 below Mugiemoss Dam Dyke, 4| miles from the mouth of the 

 river. 



The first obstruction to the ascent of salmon is at Kettoch 

 Mill (a meal mill), above Old Aberdeen, but the obstacle is 

 reported to be not a very serious one, and the pass provided 

 in the dyke efficient. 



Not very far above Kettoch Mill come the cruives at Gordon 

 Mills. These cruives have been much complained of. The 

 dyke is not high, but is sufficient, at ordinary levels of water, 

 to stop fish. At high levels fish can without difficulty make 

 the ascent. There are four boxes of the minimum type i.e. 

 4 feet across and these are regularly fished. I believe, how- 

 ever, that the cruive boxes are not so remunerative as the net 

 and coble fishing just below the dyke. The cruive fishings 

 are divided amongst several owners with varying shares. 

 There is no gap or slop in the dyke, and therefore the structure 

 acts chiefly as a check to ascending fish, which may be taken 

 by the sweep net in great numbers. 



In the Statistical Account of 1797 * the chronicler, referring 

 to salmon fishing above, says the profit " is very trifling, owing 

 to the number and construction of the cruives and dykes 

 between this place and sea. The salmon fishing company, 

 who farm that part of the river which lies nearest the sea, have 

 built dykes for the security of the cruives, which rise consider- 

 ably above the surface of the water, and prevent any fish of 

 size from forcing their way up the river, unless when it is 

 extremely swelled with rain, and the Saturday's slap is said to 

 be but little attended to." The same complaint seems to have 

 continued from that day to this. 



Next obstruction, in the ascent of the river, is the Grandholm 

 1 Vol. iii.j p. 68. 



