212 THE SALMON RIVERS OF SCOTLAND 



defile, with birch-clad slopes much admired by the late William 

 Black, who used to rent the neighbouring Langwell Lodge, and who 

 describes it characteristically in one of his novels. About 3J 

 miles up the Einig the inevitable fall occurs. It is a beautiful fall 

 when there is an extra drop of water in the river. The height is 

 about 14 or 15 feet, but a break occurs towards the left bank, causing 

 the greatest flow to keep this side. Breaking against a projecting 

 barrier the water is thrown across towards the centre of the stream. 

 This, when the river is at a fairly low level and when practically no 

 water descends the abrupt section of the fall, is passable to fish. It 

 would not be difficult to greatly increase the ease of this ascent by 

 further lowering the cross current and carrying a cut round the rocks 

 of the left bank, where the fall breaks, to a quiet little rest just above. 

 In July great numbers of fish are to be seen below this fall. 



From the junction of the Einig, the Oykell has a distance of nine 

 miles till Loch Ailsh is reached, yet Loch Ailsh is barely 500 feet 

 above sea-level. With Oykell Bridge 125 feet and 90 feet of a rise 

 in the comparatively short rocky section where the river passes over 

 its barrier, the ascent to the loch is seen to be fairly gradual. The 

 main fall, a short distance above Oykell Bridge, is singularly like 

 the upper section of the lower Cassley falls. The height does not 

 exceed 12 feet, and the fall is broken to some extent by the action 

 of the water, so that, although the obstacle is serious, and, of course, 

 completely checks all spring fish, it is negotiable to the active when 

 the water temperature has reached a point which makes salmon 

 inclined ,to leap at such obstructions. 



The water above the fall is of an interesting character, there 

 being a fine succession of streamy pools, and plenty of good gravel 

 for spawning purposes. The Cassley has a very similar character, 

 running as it does in a very similar glen on the other side of Carn 

 na Ceardaich. The Oykell has a course of about five miles above 

 Loch Ailsh, and rises from the high slopes of Ben More, Assynt, and 

 Coniveall. The Cassley flows down from the northern side of the 

 same great hills. 



THE CASSLEY. 



This river deserves, in my opinion, a rather higher relative place 

 among the Kyle rivers than it generally seems to get. Its full 

 value to the district is perhaps not yet attained. It enters the 

 tidal section of the Oykell below Eosehall, and it has a grand 

 mouth, but, as already indicated, it has two most serious falls. Ten 



