50 A VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE MORAY BASIN. 



of the valley, and one of the highest of the Fannich hills, is not 

 quite so striking, at least when viewed from the same place, as it 

 does not stand so much alone, and the main hills detract some- 

 what from its grandeur. All down the Glascarnoch valley is a 

 scene of desolation and dreariness ; the green hills slope down to 

 the flats at the foot on either side, high enough to obstruct any 

 view that may be beyond, and adding nothing themselves to the 

 beauty of the place. This valley was, at one time, well wooded, 

 judging from the number of fir roots everywhere visible, and per- 

 haps these firs gave the name to Alguish, where there is now a 

 small inn, though what the use of it is there one can hardly 

 imagine: there seem to be no houses near. We were surprised 

 to find here a large and apparently old-established colony of House 

 Martins, judging from the number of nests, old and new, from 

 which latter the young birds were taking their first look-out 

 upon the world. Below Alguish, first Strath Vaich and then Strath 

 Eannoch discharge their waters into the river, and a fine view is 

 obtained up the first-named strath, where the hills of the Freewater 

 forest close up the background ; there is no view from the road 

 ■up Strath Eannoch. 



From here, looking north and south, the country is open, and 

 there are no hills of any elevation, but due east the view is entirely 

 shut in by the back of Ben Wyvis. The river now begins to 

 assume a look of greater consequence, as it meanders through the 

 green Strath Garve, clothed with birch on the west side, while 

 north and east, as we near Loch Garve, the familiar fir plantations 

 begin to assert themselves. 



Under Ben Wyvis, and stretching along and up Little Wyvis. the 

 heather is better- looking and more suitable to grouse; indeed, upon 

 Little Wyvis is some of the best grouse-shooting ground in the 

 district, and this is attached to Castle Leod. 



Except for its size, Ben Wyvis is not a fine-looking hill from 

 the east, and it is almost still more uninteresting from the west. 

 A great wall of green, with no corries visible, it rises almost at 

 once with a steep slope up to the summit ; where, separated from 

 Little Wyvis, rocks appear on either side of the divide. Other- 

 wise, nowhere along its length are even stones visible, except on 



