AN ANGLER'S PARADISE 93 



right on to Perth, for we are on our way to Tom- 

 down in Glengarry, and must catch the afternoon 

 boat from Inverness to Fort Augustus. 



The Highland line from Perth to Inverness 

 passes through many a fine scene as it winds its 

 way up the Tay valley to Pitlochry, and on by 

 the famous densely-wooded Pass of Killiecrankie, 

 through which the Perthshire Garry flows. Here 

 and there a glimpse may be had of a fine dark 

 salmon pool, deeply imbedded amongst fantastic 

 rocks, until the valley widens out from glen to 

 strath, wherein lies Blair Atholl. After this the 

 scenery rapidly changes as we leave behind the 

 smiling and fertile valley and steadily mount 

 upwards, traversing wild, bleak moorlands — wild 

 indeed in winter when the snowstorms sweep the 

 hill-sides, and the line is only kept open with great 

 difficulty — through the fastnesses of the Highlands 

 by the head of Loch Ericht, until, Dalwhinnie 

 passed, the highest point of the line is reached. 

 From here we follow the Spey valley in a north- 

 easterly direction to Aviemore, where nowadays 

 the line makes a short-cut to Inverness by Tomatin 

 on the Findhorn ; but in the early days the angler 

 proceeding north had to make a ddtour by Forres, 



