48 A VERTEBKATE FAUNA OF THE MORAY BASIN. 



abruptly to the top of the watershed, from the Loch Maree side, 

 one is struck with the tame character of the upper part of Strath 

 Bran. The hills are low — only one apparently being a little 

 over 2000 feet — and their rounded, green appearance makes them 

 look even less. There is no sharp outline to relieve the eye, until 

 one looks beyond to the hills forming the watershed of the Conon ; 

 in the Achnashellach and Applecross forests all the outlines 

 viewed from here are smooth, and hill and valley a monotonous 

 green. Near the head of the strath are one or two small lochs, 

 the most important of which is Loch an Sur Leathaid, and these 

 send their waters into Loch a' Chroisg (Eosque). This loch is 

 long and narrow, some three miles long and about half a mile 

 broad ; a good deal of the hill on the north side of the lower end 

 has lately been planted by the present proprietor, Mr. Bignold, 

 whose magnificent shooting-lodge is a prominent feature in this 

 dreary country. Bird-life was conspicuous by its absence, a ' covey' 

 of Hooded Crows and a few Titlarks being all we saw in a journey 

 of some seven miles. 



At Achnasheen the Bran receives the water of Loch Gown, 

 where a good number of ducks are generally to be seen. On the 

 watershed along the roadside, when the coach used to run from 

 Dingwall to Strome, the driver pointed out to us a spring whose 

 waters ran either way, partly to the North Sea and partly to the 

 Atlantic. From Achnasheen to Achanalt there is a gentle slope 

 down along the river Bran, and the scenery between these two 

 places is, if possible, more uninteresting than the upper parts, the 

 only redeeming feature being the twin peaks of Scuir Vuillin and 

 Scuir a Ghlas Leathaid, the latter being some 2800 feet high. The 

 grouse-shooting here, too, is fairly good for the district, and there 

 are the two shootings of Camashie and Casachans at either end of 

 the strath. The bottom of this strath is all good green ground. 



Close to Achanalt Station the river enters Loch Achanalt. 

 The trout here are fine and large, but very scarce, owing to the 

 numerous pike it contains, and early in April is the best time to 

 fish it. From here the country becomes more interesting and the 

 river of quite a different character, being wild and rocky, and with 

 a rapid fall until near its entrance into Loch Luichart. Close by 



