4 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. I. 



out as many miles as we could, or in other words to 

 advance as far as possible into the mountainous part 

 of Sutherlandshire. Bonar Bridge is situated on 

 what is called the Kyle of Sutherland ; a narrow 

 estuary formed by the confluence of the Shin, 

 Oykel, Casselis, and Anak rivers, all of which 

 streams, a short distance above Bonar Bridge, meet 

 the salt water of the Dornoch Firth. In winter this 

 water abounds with wild fowl, but now (May 14) 

 all these birds had gone to their breeding-places 

 with the exception of a solitary godwit or two, who 

 seemed to have been left behind the rest of their 

 comrades, this bird not breeding in Scotland. The 

 woods about Rosehall, or rather that portion of them 

 which the axe has spared, used to abound in many 

 kinds of interesting hawks, and also in marten and 

 wild cats, but keepers and trapping combined seem 

 to have entirely swept all these animals away. I 

 looked in vain for buzzards on a high rock which 

 some few years back was invariably tenanted by them, 

 but it seemed that they had long since been destroyed. 

 As I passed through the remains of the woods too I 

 caught a glimpse here and there of passes where 

 different stags had fallen to my rifle, and many a 

 happy day spent in the greenwood was recalled to 

 my recollection, with all its accompanying incidents. 

 I called on the old Highland keeper who was then 



