THE BEAULY DISTRICT 193 



Glen Affric Forest and Glencannich Forest march, and are 

 very similar in character. Each has two considerable lochs at 

 practically the same level above the sea, and each is scooped 

 out of splendid hills 3,000 to 3,700 feet high. 



The river Cannich is also a rocky stream with falls and 

 rapids ; like the Affric, a stream which is still at an early stage 

 in the formation of its valley. The lowest part of the channel, 

 below little Loch Crash, is cut down in the form of a gorge, 

 but the upper waters are hill torrents and rock basins. Loch 

 Lungard is the highest ; then after about two miles Loch 

 Mullardoch, 4| miles long, occurs. This gives place to Loch 

 Sealbhag, which, after a long canal-like prolongation, opens 

 into Loch Car. These glens are 700 to 760 feet above sea-level, 

 and along with the Farrar, to which greater reference must be 

 made, form the mountain valley section of the river system. 



Mr. Hinxman 1 of the Geological Survey has well described 

 the Beauly basin as divisible into four well-defined sections 

 the mountain valley section ; the flat valley track ; the gorges 

 of Eilean Aigas and Druim ; and the low course of the river 

 between Kilmorack and the sea. The Glass throughout its 

 whole course, and the upper part of the Beauly, form Mr. 

 Hinxman's " flat valley tract." The river winds a great deal 

 in the sandy bed of this old valley bottom, the site no doubt 

 of an early lake about 13 miles in length, which was only 

 drained by the erosion of the conglomerate rocks at Eilean 

 Aigas. Before this erosion took place, it is likely there was a 

 waterfall such as is nowhere now to be seen in Scotland. A 

 mile or two from the top of the valley, the scenery of which is 

 very fine, there are some pools of a very inviting character, and 

 a good many fish are taken even in the stiller reaches lower 

 down, which go with the Struy fishings. The banks are, how- 

 ever, inclined to be sandy and steep. 



In the neighbourhood of the junction with the Farrar some 

 interesting water occurs, and the junction pool itself is a beauty. 

 Lower down again, near Erchless Castle, some excellent running 

 pools with gravelly banks occur which yield 70 to 80 fish to the 

 rod. They are pools which might well be converted into good 

 spring fishing water if it was possible at some future time, by 

 the easier passing of the Kilmorack Falls, to enable spring fish 

 1 The Scottish Geographical Magazine, April, 1907. 



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