INVERNESS-SIIIRE, 



font employed exceeding 1200. Mr. Jolin Telford, the 

 brother of the engineer, refided and fuperintendcd the works 

 with great ability and integrity until his death, in June 

 J 804 ; fince wliich the works have been fuperiutended by 

 Mr. Matthew Davidfon. 



INVERNESS-SHIRE, one of the large ft counties of 

 Scotland, is lituated on the wellern fide of that part of the 

 kingdom, having numerous bays of the Atlantic ocean to 

 the weft, the counties of Pertli and Argyle on the fouth, 

 Rofsrtiire and part of Moray Frilh on t!ie north, and the 

 fliires of Moray, Elgin, and AbL-rdecn on the eaft. The 

 area thus inclofed comprizes a variety of diltrifts, refpeftively 

 named Eadenocii, Lochabar, Glenclg, Glengary, Glcn- 

 Morrifon, Glenfhiel, &c. Thcfe are again divided into :;i 

 parifhes, and compi-ehended, in the year 1801, a population 

 of 74,292 perfons. A confiderable proportion of the He- 

 brides or Weilern ifles is alfo annexed to it ; particularly the 

 ides of Sky, Harris, North and South Uift, Benbecula, 

 Barrft, and Eigg, and the fmaller ifiels which are fituated on 

 its coafts. The mainland, excluding the ides, extends in 

 length, from the point of Arifaig on the weft to that of 

 Arderfeer on the eait, where Fort George is built, about 

 ninety-two miles, and its greateit breadth is nearly fifty. 

 The county is divided into two almoft equal parts by a valley 

 running from fouth-weft to north-eaft, parallel to the Gram- 

 .pians. This valley is called Glen-more-na-h'Alabin, or the 

 " Great Glen of Albion ;" and appears to be a deep fiffurc 

 between the chains of enormous mountains which run in the 

 fame direction. The glen is, in the greater part of its 

 length, filled with water ; or is rather a long chain of lakes 

 fucceeding each other, and rifing but little above the level of 

 the fea ; a circumftance which has fuggelled the propriety of 

 taking advantage of this valley to form the canal which is 

 jiow executing acrofs the ifland, viz. the Caledonian canal. 

 The frefli water lakes which form the chain from Invcrnefs 

 on the Moray Frith to the Sound of Mnll below Fort Wil- 

 liam, are Loch Nefs, Loch Oicli, and Loch Lochie. The 

 <iiftance, in a direft line, is little more than fifty miles, of 

 which nearly thirty-fix are occupied liy thefe three lakes. 

 The falt-watcr lochs, or arms of the fea, which occupy the 

 two extremities of the valley, are the Linnhe Loch, which 

 iidvar.ces from the found of Mull, on tlie weft, to Fort 

 William at tlie mouth of the Lochie, and the Moray Frith 

 on the eart. The dimenlions of the canal are, in depth 20 feet, 

 in width, at the bottom, 50 feet, at the top 1 10 ; the locks 

 are 20 feet deep, 170 long, and 40 broad ; frigates of 32 

 guns may be admitted. 



Loch Lochie, the moft weftei-n of the fredi water lakes, 

 is a fine piece of water, in length about fourteen miles, and 

 from one to two in breadth. The mountains on each lide are 

 very ileep, and in fome parts covered with wood. The 

 waters of this loch are chiefly derived from another to the 

 •northward, called Loch Arciiaig, wliich runs in a northern 

 direftion, fixteen miles in len;jth, and one in breadth. From it 

 flows the river Archaig, wliich, al'ter running about a mile, falls 

 into the northern iide of Loch Lochie. Tiie river Lochie, 

 which takes its rife from thir, loch, rvms weihvard, and falls 

 into the lea at Fort ^Vii]iam ; its kngth being about ten 

 miles, and its medium breadth about two hundred feet. It 

 is navigable by fmall boats. Next to Loch Lochie, on the 

 eailward, is Loch Oich, in lengtli about three miles ; its 

 banks form a number of fmall bays, and include fome beau- 

 tiful little iiland*. It gives rife to the river Oich, which 

 flows eallvvard, and foon falls into Loch Nef?. This lake 

 is twenty-two miles long, and from one to two and a half 

 broad ; it; depth in the middle being from fixty to one hun- 

 di-ed and thirty five fathoms. It fomctime'f, efpecially after 



long-continued rains, rifes eight or ten feet perpendicular!; 

 above low-water mark. The water poflclfes a peculiar qua- 

 lity ; it never freezes in the feverefl winter, and in froil \ 

 weather is covered with a thick mift, which has the appearance 

 of fmoke. At the time of the great earthquake at Lilinjii. 

 Nov. I, 1755, *^'^ water of Loch Nefs was agitated in an 1 

 extraordinary manner. It rofe rapidly, and flowed up the 

 lake from eall to well with amazing impetuofity ; the waves 

 being carried more than two hundred yards up the river 

 Oich, breaking on its banks five feet above the. level of the 

 river. It continued ebbing and flowing fur about an hour ; 

 when a wave, much greater th;m the preceding, ter.rinatcd 

 the commotion, overflowing the north hank ot the lake to 

 the extent of thirty feet. From the caftern extremity of 

 Loch NcTj. lir-. i'l'.e nver of that up.me, which, running in 

 an eaftf.-l- i-:: milrs. fil',- into the Moray Frith 



at the u> lit v.hi li i:^ ciluary forms the har- 



bour. T' ■ •■•■ . • iS vwd lal'.. ; uas made the track of 



a feries of I •.i.^ wh.n tlie Enghlh government was endea- 

 vouring to fubdue the ariftocrncy of the Highlands, and to 

 reduce this mountainous territory under the dominion of law. 

 The waters wliicli fdl into the eaftern part of the chain of 

 lakes, thar i~, b.!n;s thr head of L-ch Oieh, come chiefly 

 from the fuii'ili ; th. TailF, the Errick, and the Foyers, and 

 a variety of otiier lorrenta, v.hich dei'cend from the mour.- 

 tains, wliere great numbers of lakes are found. The Foyers 

 is remarkable for its celebrated falls This river takes its 

 rife among the lofty mountains of Pjolelkine and Abertarft", 

 and pouring through the vale of Floyers, falls into Loeli 

 Nefs nearly mid-way between the eaftern and wellern extre- 

 mities of that lake. The falls of Floyers are accurately 

 defcrlbcd by Dr. Garnet in his Tour through Scotland. 

 Rcfpecling tlic upper fall, he iktes that " from tlie arch of 

 the bridge to the lurface of tin- water, after the lovvell part 

 of the fall, is 200 feet. Height of the fall 70 feet." Of 

 the lower fall, dillant from the former nearly half a mile, he 

 fays, " its heiglit, in one continued llream, is 207 feet. 

 Down tliis precijjlce the river rulhes, v.Ith a noife like thun- 

 der, into tlic abyfs below, forming an utibroken ftream as 

 white as fnow. Lurns has given a beautiiul defcription of 

 this fall. It is undoubtedly our of tl ■ ir -I. '^ in the world, 

 and the quantity of water is fniVii ■ i; confequencc. 



The fcene is awfully grand ; ih'- 1 : 1 :.: ide of Nia- 



gara in North America is not inacli m.^ic thaii Lalf the height 

 of this." The waters which fall into the eaftern part of the 

 lakes from the north, are chiefly the Garry, the Morrifton, 

 the Enneric, and Coiltie. The lakes may be conhdered as 

 two rivers, which receive the waters of the greatell part of 

 Invernefsfhire, and convey them to the eallern and weilern 

 oceans. It is faid that pikes are' not found in tliofe lochs in 

 the Highlands whofe waters defcend into the Atlantic ; 

 whereas they are found in thofe lakes v.-hofe waters flow 

 eaftwardinto the German ocean. The other principal rivers 

 in this county are the Beaulie on the north, and the Spey 011 

 the fouth. The firft, which is chiefly eompofcd of three 

 lefler ilreanii, runs about eight miles before it enters the 

 Frith of Beaulie. The river Spey rifes towards the foutli- 

 weilern part of the county out of a fmall lake of the 

 fame name. It receives in its courfe a great variety of 

 mountain torrents ; and pafles through the great fir-woods 

 of Glenmorc and Strathfpey ; the trees of which are con- 

 veyed to the ocean by means of its waters. To the fouth 

 of Lech Spey is Loch Laggan, which is fifteen niile.s in 

 lengtli, and, with its environs, forms a large dillritl in Bade- 

 noch. On the fouth fide is the Coill More, or Great Wood, 

 the moft confiderable remnant of the great Caledonian forefl. 

 Several arms of the fea advance into the wcftern ftiore (,f In- 

 vcnicfsftiiie : 



