THE SPEY 145 



find it worth their while to throw an experimental fly over the water 

 now and again. After mild winters I should especially expect fish 

 here earlier than they have been known in the memory of the very 

 oldest and most authoritative ghillie. 



Below Aviemore there are two or three nice pools belonging to 

 Kinveachy, which is the furthest up possession of the Seafield 

 estates. These often hold a lot of fish at " the back-end," but have 

 not, so far, yielded anything to the rod in spring. Between Boat of 

 Garten and Broomhill the last stretch of slack and uninteresting 

 water exists, and with it ends the upper section of the river as I 

 have ventured to divide it. 



So far the whole of the course has been in the county of Inverness. 

 Between Broomhill and Grantown, the Dulnain tributary enters on 

 the left bank. This river is second only to the Avon in size and 

 importance as a tributary of the Spey. It rises about 28 miles to 

 the west, far back in the solitary slopes of the Monadliath mountains, 

 not far from the source of the Findhorn. It holds a few fish in 

 summer, and used to be known as a sea trout stream. A few sea 

 trout may still be taken from it, but the real value of the Dulnain is 

 as a spawning stream. After a little fall near old Muckrach Castle, 

 the former seat of the Grants of Eothiemurchus, there is no obstruc- 

 tion of any moment for about fifteen miles, and in spite of a distinct 

 peatiness of water, the spawning ground is excellent almost the 

 whole way. Many fish surmount the upper falls also as I have 

 seen more than once and spawn in the most lonely part of the 

 stream in the outlying section of Kinrara property. 



From Grantown to the mouth of the river is a distance of about 

 forty miles, the left bank being chiefly in the county of Elgin, while 

 the right bank is for the most part in the county of Banff. This is 

 the important part of the river from a salmon-angling point of view, 

 and the splendid character of the water cannot be more easily and 

 speedily viewed than from " The Speyside Line " of the Great North 

 of Scotland Eailway between Grantown and Craigellachie. From 

 the latter point to the sea the same fine character continues, one 

 might almost say an even finer character is found. 



The particular fishings are Castle Grant, Revack, Tulchan, Ballin- 

 dalloch, Pitcroy, Knockando, Laggan, Carron, Western Elchies, Aber- 

 lour, Easter Elchies, Arndilly, Rothes, Aikenway, Delfur, Orton, and 

 Gordon Castle. Their relative positions will be seen on the map. 



As fine salmon fishing water as can be found in all Scotland is 

 included here, but one has to lament that for a considerable number 



K 



