THE GARRY 79 



obstruction has always been regarded as a serious obstacle to ascend- 

 ing fish, but in 1907 the Duke of Atholl, who owns almost all the 

 Garry, agreed to the modification of both falls, and operations were 

 commenced at the expense of the Tay District Board to facilitate 

 the ascent of fish. Owing to the scarcity of good spawning ground 

 above for beyond Loch Garry a comparatively short and small 

 stream exists no attempt was made to entirely open up the falls, 

 but rather, by gradual removal of certain pieces of rock to allow a 

 limited number of fish to ascend. At the spawning time now, as a 

 result of this careful alteration, from 90 to 100 fish may be seen, 

 a sufficient number to occupy all the available spawning ground. 

 The Errichdie, a small tributary which enters on the right bank a 

 short distance below the falls, offers several miles of spawning 

 ground to fish which are unable to make the ascent, but since the 

 blasting operations referred to, it is reported that fewer spawnings 

 are in the Errichdie than formerly. 



Passing out of the gorge at Struan, the Garry assumes again for 

 a time an open and rather uniform character, and passes round the 

 wide haugh now occupied in the summer by the training camp of 

 the Scottish Horse ; all this water is, however, not of very much 

 account to the anglers either for trout or salmon. At Blair Atholl, 

 the Tilt enters on the left bank. This river drains two of the 

 Duke's deer forests to the north, and until recently was much 

 obstructed. The worst fall was about two miles above Blair Castle, 

 but this has now been entirely removed by blasting, so that fish have 

 a long stretch of spawning ground open to them. In view of the 

 rocky nature of the Garry, the opening of the Tilt cannot fail to be 

 of great value, and from reports as to the result it appears that a 

 good number of fish are already taking advantage of the river during 

 the summer months of the angling season and have been caught by 

 rod. The Tilt enters the Garry with a brisk-running stream which 

 offers a good lead for fish. 



In the Garry below this point some attractive casts occur before 

 Killiecrankie is reached, then the channel narrows and has broken 

 rocky banks. " The Soldier's Leap " is a well-known object of local 

 interest, and the large and deep pool below, which can be well seen 

 from the passing train, forms the head of the Pass of Killiecrankie. 

 The famous battle was fought in 1689 in the immediate vicinity of 

 Urrard House, not far from where the railway station now stands. 

 It was perhaps the shortest battle on record, for, from all accounts, 

 the charge of the Highlanders was so impetuous, and the defence of 



