6 TOUR IN SUTHERLAND. CH. I. 



me a bore for a few miles, as I pointed out, with 

 an interest which they could scarcely feel, rock and 

 glen, the scenes of former chaces of deer, or even 

 of the death of otter or wild cat. 



At Oykel Inn, some twenty miles from our start- 

 ing-place, we stopped for an hour or two to rest 

 our horse, and to try a cast in the river ; but 

 bright and clear as it was, with very little water 

 in the stream, we had no success. At certain times 

 of the fishing season there is no better river 

 than the Oykel. May, however, is rather too 

 early. 



Eleven miles farther on we came to a small inn, 

 at a place called Altnagalcanach, — a most difficult 

 and unpronounceable Gaelic name, and one which 

 I cannot be sure of spelling right. The meaning 

 of it is the " Burn of the Deceiver." The origin 

 of the name, as it was told me, is amusing and 

 characteristic enough. The place is situated in a 

 part of Ross-shire which intrudes into the adjoin- 

 ing comity of Sutherland in a very unceremonious 

 manner, the cause of which was as follows : — In 

 a dispute between the respective proprietors of 

 that part of Ross-shire and Sutherlandshire, the 

 marches were to be determined by reference to an 

 old inhabitant, who, being either by clanship or 

 bribery in the interest of the Ross-shire laird, came 



