278 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



the head of Loch Laxford, a typical ramifying sea loch, at 

 Laxford Bridge, some four miles south of Rhiconich. 



The valley of the Laxford is the western continuation of the 

 great transverse valley across the county, and midway between 

 the head of Loch More and the western end of Loch Merkland, 

 only a few hundred yards form the divide between water 

 coming to the west through the Laxford, and the water going 

 to the east to Loch Shin and the Kyle at Bonar Bridge. This 

 is the valley naturally selected for the road traffic from Lairg 

 to Rhiconich, Tongue, and Cape Wrath, and, turning south at 

 Laxford Bridge, to Scourie and Kylestrome. 



The Laxford and its loch are in the possession of the Duke 

 of Westminster, who has two lodges in the district, Loch More 

 Lodge at the western end of the loch of the same name, from 

 which the stalking is carried on, and Stack Lodge, where the 

 river Laxford flows out of Loch Stack, from which the fishing 

 is carried on. The channel between the two lochs is not much 

 more than half a mile long and is winding and rather flat, the 

 difference in level being a matter of about 9 feet. 



Loch More, including the small diverticulum at its western 

 end, is four and a half miles long, and of the very uniform 

 breadth of rather more than the third of a mile. The ordnance 

 maps mark it as 127 feet above sea-level. Like the upper loch 

 just described in the Inchard district, it is practically no use for 

 salmon fishing. M'Leod, the head stalker, once informed me 

 when I was passing through the glen, that in his thirty years' 

 experience he had only known of four salmon being captured. 

 If I recollect rightly, I had, the day previously, had a long 

 talk with Mr. Evander M'lver at Scourie House, a hale and 

 hearty old Highlander, then in his 90th year, who two years 

 afterwards was gathered to his fathers. He came to the 

 district in 1845, and with his clear memory and wide range of 

 experience was a man well worth listening to. He reviewed 

 the whole history of the west Sutherland salmon fishing, and 

 maintained that the existing regulations leave little to be 

 desired. I wandered through his garden afterwards, and saw 

 the New Zealand cabbage palms which flourish so well there 

 and at Inverewe. 



Loch Stack in superficial area is not very much less than 

 Loch More, but it is entirely different in shape and character. 



