198 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



up the wooden shoot, but, again, it would not be difficult to 

 make the ascent easier. 



The barrier of rock which causes these lower falls is made 

 use of as a natural weir to supply water on each bank, on the 

 left to a small meal-mill, from which the water is immediately 

 returned to the river ; on the right to a saw-mill by means of a 

 lade of some length. This lade has also been made to serve a 

 small hatchery which Lord Lovat erected some years ago, 

 capable of dealing with about 300,000 ova. I understand 

 that this hatchery is now to be enlarged. 



The river below the lower fall soon becomes rather still and 

 broad, with a smooth bottom. This section fishes well when 

 the river is high, but under ordinary conditions is not of much 

 use. That the current must be heavy at times is sufficiently 

 shown by the torn state of the left bank where the river sweeps 

 to the right. The high wooded banks of the Beaufort Castle 

 policies again turn the river northwards, a wide and flat grass 

 land being formed on the left side. The stillness of this bend 

 is accentuated by the cruive dyke which is presently reached. 



The time of ascent of fish at Kilmorack is fixed by the thermal 

 conditions. As in many other places in Scotland, such as the 

 Garry Falls, Kildonan, Orchy, Dochart Falls, etc., fish do not 

 ascend owing to the combination of the otherwise passable 

 obstruction and the low-water temperature. Scottish fish will 

 not jump at a fall when the water is in a wintry state, as 

 Norwegian fish will do, but if the obstruction is removed they 

 will continue to ascend. In heavy and broken water such as 

 occurs in the gorge above Kilmorack they will not ascend 

 rapidly, and if floods of snow water come down upon them they 

 will be checked in their ascent, and may even be impelled to 

 drop back till such floods are over. In those early months of 

 the year the river temperature is constantly lower than the 

 temperature of the sea from whence the fish come ; these 

 fish leave a cold sea for a colder river. Not till April does the 

 river temperature become equalised with the sea temperature. 

 Those conditions have been well worked out, and comparisons 

 made between many rivers. 1 We require more information 

 as to how far clean spring fish which ascend fresh water drop 



1 19th, 20th, and 21st Annual Reports, Fishery Board for Scotland, 

 Part ii. Journal Scottish Meteorological Society, 3rd series, No. vi., p. 33G. 



