THE MAINLAND. 31 



Maeshowe. Away to the north-west lies the long reach of the 

 Harray loch, looking yet longer than it really is when seen through 

 the haze, which, even on a fine summer day, is so often present in 

 Orkney. To the south-west the high hills of Hoy appear ; thus, 

 at one glance, the eye can take in the highest land and the greatest 

 extent of fresh water to be found in the whole of the islands. 



With the exception of two, all the lochs of any importance are 

 included in the area now under consideration. Most of these 

 are great resorts of wild-fowl, which in summer breed along 

 their margins; and in winter, when their numbers are largely 

 augmented by northern migrants, they collect in great flocks, which 

 are composed principally of Wild Duck and Widgeon. Along the 

 edges of one or two of these lochs are large flats covered with grass, 

 which run out into the water. These places attract numbers of 

 swans and grey geese, the greater number of these latter birds 

 being the White-fronted species. Most of these lochs, too, contain 

 trout, though others, even of some extent, such as the Loch of 

 Skaill, contain only eels and sticklebacks. 



The other two lochs just referred to are Kirbister, in the parish 

 of Orphir, and the loch of Tankerness, the former containing trout, 

 the latter none. 



Though now only a marsh, the loch of Aikerness, in the parish 

 of Evie, deserves a notice here, as it is often mentioned by earlier 

 writers as a breeding-place and haunt of several water-fowl ; even 

 yet Waterhens breed there. From Low's account it seems to have 

 been a shallow, grassy loch, and as early as 1804 was partially 

 drained. 



Eastward of the lochs of Stenness and Harray, just described, 

 runs a range of hills, rising towards the south-east, until, at Lyra- 

 dale, it divides off into two branches, one running south-west, and 

 the other almost due east. In the south-west range lies the 

 highest hill on the island, viz., the Ward Hill, 1 880 feet. The 



1 Ward Hill. Refer to the hill of the same name and meaning in Caithness, 

 the fires on which are visible across the Pentland Firth, as " Ward and Watch " 

 Hills-Signal Hills. There is a " Ward Hill " in every island that possesses hills 

 of any height. 



