FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



THE SUTHERLAND FORESTS. 



[Chiefly from the Communication of MR. TAYLOR.] 



THE bounds of the Sutherland forests have been much 

 limited of late years, as a necessary consequence of the 

 improved system of sheep-farming which has universally 

 taken place. 



Recurring to former days, the two largest and most 

 important of these forests were the Dirrie-Chatt and the 

 Dirrie-More. 



The Dirrie-Chatt, or the forest of Sutherland proper, 

 was, according to its ancient boundaries, a very extensive, 

 varied, and celebrated hunting forest ; it extended parallel 

 with the eastern coast of Sutherland, and at a short distance 

 from it, and it included the interior parts of the county 

 towards the west and north, until it joined the Dirrie-More, 

 and thence passed in an easterly direction to Caithness, 

 along the old boundary with Strathnaver. 



An elevated tract of ground from Ben-Leod, near the 

 confines of Assynt, runs eastward through the centre of the 

 county of Sutherland to Ben-Griam-Beg, and from thence 

 to the heights of Knockfin, at the march between Suther- 

 land and Caithness ; and this natural feature of the interior 

 of the country was, with some slight variations, the northern 

 boundary of the Dirrie-Chatt. This central ridge is marked 

 by mountains, with intervals of table land ; and the rains 

 that fall on these high and continuous summits, find their 

 way in streams or torrents in different directions to the 

 east, or to the north coasts of the county : part of these 

 waters form the sources of the rivers that pass into the 



