SPEY. AVEN. 371 



about fifty yards, and its depth ranges from one to 

 twelve feet. It contains, along with the neighbouring 

 lakes, trout and pike in abundance. Salmon are by no 

 means so plentiful, except during the spawning season. 

 Charr also appear in the river for about a fortnight, in 

 the month of October. The pearl-mussel is fished up 

 in considerable quantities. The best stations for the 

 angler in this district are Kingussie and Aviemore 

 Inns. 



Above Grantown, Spey is joined by the DULNAIN 

 water, and afterwards, on entering the counties of 

 Banff and Moray, by the AVEN, its largest tributary. 

 The Aven takes its rise from a loch of the same name, 

 situated at the foot of Ben Macdui. Its course exceeds 

 forty miles, and it is increased, as it proceeds, by nume- 

 rous streams. Of these the principal is the Livet water, 

 augmented by the Crombie and Tervie. Loch Aven is 

 three miles long and a mile broad. It abounds in trout 

 of a black colour and slender shape. In its neighbour- 

 hood are a number of small lakes, termed the Black- 

 lochies, containing trout. Loch Bulg also is inviting 

 to the angler, and discharges its over-flows into the 

 river Aven. There is perhaps no stream in Great 

 Britain so remarkable for the limpid purity of its 

 waters as the one in question. Such, in fact, is its un- 

 common transparency, that it is reckoned dangerous 

 for strangers to attempt fording it ; what appears to be 

 only knee-deep being sufficient to take a man over 

 head. Aven abounds in nice trout, and is frequented, 

 although not in such great abundance as formerly, by 

 salmon. 



The FIDDICH is the only other water of note which 

 enters Spey. Its principal tributary is the Dullen. 

 Both contain trout, and are occasionally visited by 



