262 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



THE NAVER 



The Naver, the largest river of North Sutherland, flows 

 from Loch Naver to the Pentland Firth at Torrisdale Bay, a 

 distance of 18 miles. Loch Naver is six miles long, and into 

 the head of this loch flows the Mudale, a small river which is 

 the head water of the Naver. The Mudale has several sources, 

 one from Loch Coire-na-Sich, a lakelet lying at the foot of the 

 north-east slopes of Ben Hee, and 8| miles from Loch Naver at 

 Altnaharra, is perhaps the chief source, as it is the longest 

 course. On the other side of Ben Hee lies Loch Merkland at 

 the head waters of the Shin, so that the mountain forms the 

 most westerly dividing point for the largest waterways flowing 

 east and flowing north. The Amhainn Fhinn, as this head 

 stream is called, is joined by the Amhainn Bheag from Loch-na- 

 Meide, which lies further north, and these, uniting also with 

 smaller streams, form the Mudale. In this way the total length 

 of the Naver and its head waters is fully 32 miles. 



The Naver, as it flows from the loch in a shallow and rock- 

 studded continuation, presently passes the site of a dyke 

 which with wooden hecks was built across the river here in 

 1900 for the purpose of checking the ascent of salmon from the 

 river to the loch. The hecks were removed each weekly close 

 time, I understand, till the structure was wrecked by a flood. 

 In 1902 it was renewed, but in 1903 was again washed away. A 

 short distance below this the river Mallart, the one tributary 

 of any moment, enters on the right bank. 



The course of the Naver is at first stony and rough with 

 occasional rock ledges. As the neighbourhood of the loch is 

 left behind, however, the river settles down to a steadier 

 running character, the large boulders and rocks give place to 

 coarse gravel, and this to finer gravel ; some miles further 

 down the gravel is mixed with sand, and presently the river is 

 seen to be flowing through great banks of sand, and winding 

 about in the rather flat river bed of the prehistoric Naver, 

 which cut the valley and piled up the sand-banks. As the 

 sea is approached near Bettyhill, Torrisdale Bay opens out in a 

 wide sweep of the purest sand, the rocky escarpment which 

 separates the mouth of the Naver from the mouth of the Borgie 

 being as it were stripped of its natural covering of vegeta- 



