60 PERIODICAL VISITS OF THE HERRING. 



several years back and until lately, has been very incon- 

 siderable, although formerly in this loch, which is not 

 much more than seven miles in length and half a mile in 

 breadth, several hundred vessels have, in a course of suc- 

 cessive years, got full cargoes of excellent herrings. In 

 the latter part of the year 1857 and the beginning of 

 1858, there were large shoals of herrings in this loch, 

 sufficient to supply cargoes of full-sized herrings to a 

 great number of sloops from various parts of Scotland. 

 Three hundred boats were occupied in the fishing from 

 about the middle of October until the middle of January ; 

 and on the 11th of February upwards of twenty crans or 

 barrels were taken in the yair at the upper part of the 

 loch, although the gateway of the yair was open, and 

 allowed egress to the fish. 



Loch Torridon. — Here they have often been very abun- 

 dant. One year the boats of twenty-five vessels, each 

 vessel having two or three boats, besides a great many 

 country boats, wore often twice loaded in a night. When 

 they do appear, the herrings generally continue two 

 months, and give employment to 5000 or 6000 persons. 



Loch Carron is about a league in length, in some 

 places above a mile in breadth, and from four to sixty 

 fathoms in depth. The herrings here one year were so 

 plentiful that the boats were for five weeks fully laden 

 every night ; and " it was indifferent to the fishers in 

 what part of it to shoot their nets, or what length to give 

 their buoy-strings." 



Caroy Loch, in the Isle of Skye. — They were one year 

 here so abundant, that, shooting night or day, the nets 

 were always filled ; and similar shoals of herrings con- 

 tinued to visit the coast many years in succession. 



Loch Slapan is also in the Isle of Skye ; and here one 



