SCOTLAND 241 



streams. This river springs out of a wilderness that 

 seems like chaos itself. There is a good turnpike road 

 by its side for full twenty miles, and in this part of 

 Scotland this is by no means a very common sight. In 

 the vicinity of Ben More, the Casley falls into the 

 Oikel, and augments its size considerably. 



In the locality we are now treating of, there is a 

 group of lochs amounting to upwards of two hundred, 

 varying in extent from one to fourteen miles each. 

 These are all comprehended within a comparatively 

 small distance, say, perhaps, of forty miles in circum- 

 ference. It is an exceedingly delightful ramble to 

 worm one's way throughout this mighty maze of still 

 sheets of water, and to dip a line in here and another 

 there, in such secluded and picturesque lakes. This is 

 a favourite trolling district for many of the noted 

 Scottish anglers ; and very large-sized trout are captured, 

 weighing sometimes fourteen or fifteen pounds. 



The river Carron, which enters the Dornoch Firth at 

 Bonar Bridge, is a good angling spot. There are good 

 fishing lochs in the neighbourhood, and there is likewise 

 a good and comfortable inn for lodging and refreshments 

 — matters of some vital importance in this wild and 

 rugged country. 



The river Sliin, which flows out of Loch Shin, and 

 has only a run of about seven miles as a mere river, is 

 a place very much frequented by angling tourists. It 

 contains trout of a large size, sahnon, the salmo-ferox, 

 and char. There are two falls in the river, and it is 

 below these that the angling is the most fruitful of 

 sport. The loch is twenty-four miles in extent, and is 

 connected with a considerable number of other smaller 

 sheets of water, all of which are worthy of the notice 

 of the tourist. A boat is requisite to fish them 

 properly. 



The river Helmsdale is twenty miles in extent, and is 

 connected with several sheets of still water. It is full 

 of large trout and splendid pike. Some of these lochs 

 have an abundance of fine char. This is an excellent 

 spot for rod-fishing. 

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