448 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



shooting-beats and their tenants, knew the different proprietors, 

 as well as the names of most of the hill-lochs or mountain- 

 streams. From constant yearly report of the different shoot- 

 ing and fishing bags, he had also formed a pretty shrewd guess 

 of the sporting capabilities of the land and water we skirted, 

 as well as of the sporting skill of those who rented it. This 

 forenoon he was more than usually demonstrative at a fox's 

 cairn close to the road. A few years back he had been a hind 

 on this farm, and had assisted at the night-watches for 

 reynard among these rocks, which, he assured us, were cata- 

 combed for a hundred yards along the mountain-face. A 

 short distance before, he pointed out a precipice where his 

 master the farmer ("who had ower muckle whusky") had 

 been pitched over with his gig. The horse and gig were 

 dashed to pieces, but the farmer was miraculously thrown 

 forward on a green mound, and escaped with a slight bruise. 



The bold rocks about half-way between Durness and " the 

 Cape " (Wrath) had attracted us to this wild coast. They are 

 the favoured resort of myriads of sea - birds, including the 

 white-tailed eagle. " If ye had been here last week it wad 

 hae been grand," said the weather-beaten coastman ; " but we 

 daurna ventur in this easterly swell." 



The cold dull " haar " seemed fairly set in, as there was 

 no change in the night, so we drove down a distance of twenty 

 miles to Scourie, where the island of Handa, with its beetling- 

 cliffs, attracts the same description of sea-fowl as the rocks 

 below Durness. 



Although the swell on the outward and exposed rocks of 

 Handa would prevent our skirting them unless the wind 

 changed, still the old fisherman, Macleod, assured us that the 

 sheltered creek and bays between Handa and the mainland 

 often attracted curious sea-birds. The old man was familiar 

 with the commoner sorts, had sometimes noticed stormy-petrels 

 there, and casually mentioned what he called "sea-pigeons." 

 We at first thought he meant rock-doves ; but the bird he 



