THE OYKELL 221 



raining hard, or on the other has been freezing or otherwise 

 drying up at the sources. This condition in any district can 

 only be brought under control by damming up head waters in 

 an artificial loch. This course has already been suggested for 

 the Carron, and I understand that a very suitable site seems 

 available, subject to the proper examination of the subsoil. 

 Some good grazing ground for deer might possibly have to be 

 sacrificed, and the question touches more than one interest. It 

 is certain, however, that there must be plenty of waste water 

 which could be stored up. 



The falls are perhaps the most serious in the whole Kyle 

 district. Fish do ascend them when the water is low, but the 

 ascent is difficult and, to all gravid fish, quite impossible. 

 Without taking actual levels I estimate the height of the total 

 obstruction as not less than 21 feet. The rock is tilted at a 

 high angle, the dip being upstream, and the direction of the 

 bedding an oblique downstream slant from the left bank. A 

 deep chasm has been washed out along the line of bedding, and 

 is so narrow at its upper end, close to the left bank, that one may 

 jump across it. As the chasm passes obliquely downwards it 

 becomes deeper, and water pours into it at right angles from the 

 ridge above. Yet fish lie in the lower part of the chasm when 

 the water is small. From the chasm to the fall pool is a further 

 descent. This takes the form of a sloping chute, and, if the 

 water is not too high, only requires a short leap from the 

 immensely deep fall pool, followed by a vigorous swim. Once 

 in what I have called the chasm, fish can only ascend further 

 when the river is dead low. Anything approaching a flooded 

 condition will at once wash fish back into the fall pool. 



This is not an easy fall to alter for the advantage of the fish. 

 Owing to the lie of the rock and the shallow nature of the river 

 immediately above, a very considerable amount of blasting 

 would be necessary to make the obstruction less serious. To 

 blow out the head of the chasm, and to continue an easy 

 gradient by 'blasting some distance upstream, seems the most 

 convenient plan. 



THE OYKELL 



We have already seen that from Bonar Bridge the tidal Kyle 

 extends inland about 1 1 miles, seven of which are to be regarded 



