FOREST OF DIRRIE-MORE. 281 



Ben Ormin is 2,500 feet high, and between its lumpish 

 shoulders, called Craig-More and Craig-Dhu, lies what was 

 formerly one of the most celebrated deer passes in the north 

 of Scotland. From the Ravigil rocks, the boundary passed 

 into Ben Maedie, including the whole of Ben-Griam-More, 

 and, continuing along the summit of Ben-Griam-Beg, pro- 

 ceeded towards the Beallach-More, leading into Caithness 

 at the height of Knockfin. The hilly ridge that separates 

 Caithness from Sutherland is strongly defined, and forms 

 the eastern boundary of the Dirrie-Chatt, from the heights 

 of Knockfin to the bold headland of the Ord. 



From the head of the Ord, the southern line of march of 

 the Dirrie-Chatt followed the mountain belt that skirts the 

 low cultivated land along the coast as far as Craig-More, 

 near the mouth of the river Fleet ; and thence it proceeded 

 westward by the side of the valley of the Fleet, and along 

 the hilly ground north of Rhine, and of Lairg Church, as 

 far as Loch Shin ; passing still westward along the whole 

 extent of this lake to Corry-Kinloch, and thence to Ben- 

 Leod, where the description of the boundaries of Dirrie- 

 Chatt commenced. 



Such were the ancient boundaries of this extensive forest, 

 which stretched from Ben-Leod to the Ord of Caithness, a 

 distance of about fifty miles. Its breadth varied from ten 

 to thirty miles. It comprehended within its limits the 

 following five minor forests, which had their separate annals 

 and traditions : 1. The forest of Ben-Griam ; 2. the forest 

 of Sledale ; 3. the forest of Ben-Horn ; 4. the forest of Ben- 

 Ormin ; 5. the forest of Ben-Hee. 



The great forest of Dirrie-More differs essentially in its 

 scener}- from all the other forests in Scotland ; less in extent 

 than the Dirrie-Chatt which adjoins it, all its parts are 

 broken and disjointed in a singularly wild and abrupt 

 manner; and so uniform is this character, that any one 

 section of the interior solitudes of the Dirrie-More would 

 afford a correct counterpart of all the other features of this 

 wilderness of mountains. 



Rocky and precipitous masses, separated by ballochs or 

 narrow passes ; deep and desolate glens, with vast masses of 

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