LOSSIE. NAIRN WATER. 379 



feet in height. A little way above Elgin it is joined by 

 a rivulet from the valley of Pluscarden, and further 

 down by the Lochty and Lenoch burns. Its course 

 extends about twenty-five miles, exclusive of the wind- 

 ings. It is of sluggish character, especially below Elgin. 



The sources of the NAIRN river are at Cairn Gregor, 

 in Inverness-shire, and its length, including the wind- 

 ings, exceeds thirty-six miles. Not far from its rise, it 

 receives a trifling accession to its waters from Loch 

 Duntelchaig. It is connected also, with a small expanse 

 of water near Loch Moy ; but its tributaries, with the 

 exception of Cawdor Burn, which attracts more by the 

 romantic nature of its scenery than on account of its 

 size or angling qualifications, are not deserving of 

 notice. The Nairn, or water of Alders, abounds in 

 small trout, and is frequented by salmon, sea-trout, and 

 finnocks. Of the latter, I have frequently killed near 

 its mouth from one to two dozen. A small black 

 hackle, (No. 5 Adlington) proved, in clear water, the 

 favourite fly j but, on the occasion of a flood, larger 

 hooks did more execution. Both the gray and white 

 species of sea-trout frequent this stream : these, in 

 point of weight, range from one up to three pounds. 



A few miles from Nairn, on the property of Mr. 

 Brodie of Lethen, there is a small lake, having no per- 

 ceptible outlet, called the Loch of Belivat. It abounds 

 in fine red trout of three distinct varieties : the average 

 weight is two pounds. This loch is remarkable for the 

 immense flocks of sea-birds with which it is visited 

 during the breeding season. On the occasion of an 

 excursion there, undertaken by me in 1836, during the 

 early part of May, there were assembled on a morass, at 

 one extremity of the lake, not fewer than ten thousand 

 of aquatic birds, gulls, kitty wakes, &c. 



