334 LECKAfELTN 



where there is seal and wild-fowl shooting and good 

 anchorage, being within half an hour's drive. The 

 grouse-ground extends to that loveliest of all lochs, 

 Loch Broom. There is excellent fishing in the river 

 Enard, which runs through Strathkenard, over which 

 there are four miles of good salmon-fishing, and no 

 end of loch-fishing, for, as I expected when there 

 in 1878, there are several lakes in the forest, where 

 there are some magnificent trout. How my fingers 

 itched to possess that ^700 ; and what a forest it is 

 now ! 



About the same time that I was at Rhidoroch, Mr. 

 A, G. Pirie bought the forest of Leckmelin, which I 

 wanted the late Duchess of Sutherland to purchase. 

 It is but a narrow strip, and one shot would suffice to 

 frighten all the deer off it, and it was only fit to form 

 an addition to Rhidoroch. Mr. Pirie got himself into 

 hot water by reason of having to clear off the crofters 

 and sheep, and even as it is, the forest was most 

 decidedly not worth the harm it did in the way of 

 fomenting the agitation existing in the Higfhlands, 

 although the proprietor well housed the crofters on the 

 road close to Ullapool. 



Deer were plentiful in all the forests round Rhidor- 

 och and Inverlael, and Glenbeg, belonging to Sir 

 Arthur Mackenzie. I therefore lost the chance of a 

 cheap forest in the very best county for deer, and I 

 knew full well what a valuable acquisition a forest in. 

 such a neighbourhood would be. 



Mr. Pirie behaved so handsomely to the crofters in 

 housing them so well, that the agitation there is long 

 since ended. 



As a sportsman, one cannot be too careful, nowadays,. 



