CHAPTER XI 



THE HALLADALE 



Supposed to take its name from a son of the first Earl of Orkney, 

 one Halladha, who was kihed in a battle in the strath, and buried 

 where he fell ; the field is still pointed out by the natives, a deep 

 circular trench with a stone in the centre marking the burial-place 

 of Halladha and his sword. 



Draining an area of one hundred and eight square miles, this 

 river rises in the Knockfin heights close to the Caithness border, 

 and the same slopes that send out the Berriedale from their south 

 sides discharge their waters as the Halladale on the northern ones. 

 The river is the boundary between Caithness and Sutherland, and 

 after a fairly rapid run of twenty-two miles it falls into the North Sea 

 at Melvich Bay. There are no pollutions or obstructions, while 

 the spawning grounds are good. In order to reclaim some lands 

 from the river, the grandfather of the present Duke of Sutherland 

 cut the lower part of it into a canal ; and though he gained his 

 object, he spoilt this part of the river for angling, for it is now 

 useless except with a strong breeze blowing up or do\vn it, but up 

 for choice. In those daj-s the land was worth more than angling, 

 nowadays the angling would be worth a great deal more than the 

 land. Heather-clad hills are on both banks of the water, which is 

 divided into six beats, the two upper ones of but little use, as the 

 river runs down so very quickly ; the four lower ones contain a 

 number of pretty pools, which will give fair sport in continuously 

 wet weather, especially after the nets come off. 



At present the beats are divided as follows from the top : 

 Forsinard Hotel has one rod ; Forsinard shooting, now rented by 

 Mr. W. H. Fox, has two ; Bighouse shooting has one ; ^Ir. Pilking- 

 ton, of Sandside, has one ; and Melvich Hotel one. They are 

 fished in rotation, No. 6 being nearest to the sea. During the 

 spring the rods of Forsinard, Bighouse, and Sandside are often let, 

 and application should be made to the hotels at Forsinard or Mel- 

 vich, As the top of beat No. 6 is fully fifteen miles from For- 

 sinard, and the bottom of No. i is the same distance from Melvich, 

 the angler will do well to come to an agreement about the cost of 

 conveyance per week. 



Each beat has a few good pools, the three best being " Foresel," 

 " Havich," and " Ashel." 



The best months for salmon are March and April, though the 



