THE MEIG 201 



of dislocation, which can be traced for a great distance through the 

 counties of Ross and western Inverness, with a trend parallel to 

 that of the faults which have determined the Great Glen and the 

 upper part of Strath Glass. This Strathconon fault has already 

 been mentioned as crossing the head of Loch Luichart. At Mill- 

 town the Meig leaves the fault-valley and resumes its normal 

 easterly course with a fairly even fall through Strathconon. For a 

 distance of half a mile above Little Scatwell the gradient is less 

 matured, and the stream struggles in a deep and narrow gorge 

 through the silicious flagstones of Torr and Bhealaich." 



It is unfortunate, since the Meig is the tributary which enters a 

 short distance below the falls, that it does not contain a greater 

 extent of spawning ground. Fish hang about the Little Scatwell 

 pools, just above the Meig junction, being barred in their further 

 ascent of the main river. On dropping back, these fish naturally 

 ascend the Meig, where much of the water is in rocky chasms not 

 easily fished and of no use for breeding. Where the river assumes 

 a direction east and west, however, some gravelly streams occur, as 

 below Strathconon Woods and at the outlet of Loch Beannachan. 

 Summer is well advanced before fish are to be found in any num- 

 bers, however, and late comers are not able to ascend the river 

 very far. 



RIVER BLACKWATER. 



This river is, in my opinion, the one which above all others in the 

 district must be looked to as likely to reap marked benefit from a 

 scheme for the improvement of the stock of fish. It rises in three 

 head streams, the furthest east from Glen Rannoch and the two others 

 converging from the sides of the Strath Vaich deer forest. The chief 

 line of waterflow is the Glascarnoch river, which springs from high 

 streams and hill loch on the western side of the forest, and pre- 

 sently accompanies the road from Loch Broom, from Ford to 

 Alguish Inn and on to the mouth of Strath Vaich and the mouth of 

 Strath Rannoch, and so southwards to Garve. The road and river are 

 in company for about 20 miles out of the total of 24, for the former 

 skirts Loch Garve, and, crossing the railway, passes down the defile, 

 where the Falls of Rogie are situated, and right on to the junction 

 with the Conon below Contin. 



It is only after the junction of the three head streams that the 

 river is called the Blackwater, and if the title represents the natural 

 character of the channel and the presence of deep pools where the 



