WATERSHEDS. 



13 



loftier ridges of the west, which rise on the north shore of Monar. 

 The first mountain of importance from the east is Maoile Lunn- 

 daidh (3295 feet), a tabular mountain from which the head waters of 

 the Couan flow, here called the Meig. Being near the centre of 

 the country, it is a very cold hill, and keeps the snow far into the 

 spring. West of it rises the beautiful sharp-peaked Bidean an Eoin 

 Deirg(3430 feet), the most picturesque mountain in this part; it is 

 surpassed in height by Sgurr a' Chaoruinn (3452 feet), a massive 

 hill to the west of it. 



At the head of Loch Monar is a ridge running due west, of 

 which Lurg Mhor (3234 feet) and Bidein a' Choire-Sheasgaich 

 (3102 feet) are the two peaks. The latter is one of the most 

 curious-looking peaks in the Highlands. It rises from a main 

 ridge of considerable height in a very sharp cone, and from the 

 south side especially its summit appears as sharp as a lancet 

 Seen from Loch Dnich, over the summit of Beinn Dronnaig, it 

 grandly and picturesquely dominates over everything. 



Ben Dronnaig is here worthy of a passing notice, more from its 

 size and the way in which it stands quite apart from the other 

 hills, than from its height (2612 feet). It is mostly green, with 

 two fine corries on the south side ; some of the boulders on the top 

 being literally studded with small garnets. 



Between the Orran valley and Glen Strath Farrar, is a well- 

 marked and very high range of mountains. The most familiar is 

 Beinn a' Bha'ach Ard (2826 feet), the prettily peaked mountain 

 seen from near Beauly. It is, however, far surpassed in height 

 and abruptness of form by Sgurr a' Choir Ghlais (3554 feet), 

 Sgurr Fhuar-thuill (3439 feet), and others which form the northern 

 boundary of Glen Strath Farrar. 



These ridges herald the approach to some of the loftiest ranges 

 of Scotland. Both for number and size the mountains with which 

 we have now to deal (extending from Glen Strath Farrar on the 

 north to Glen Moriston and Glen Shiel on the south) are only 

 surpassed by the great ranges of Cairngorm at the head of the Dee, 

 and by the lofty ridge trending north-east from Ben Xevis. 



The first great mass rises between the great valleys of Glen 

 Strath Farrar and Glen Cannich. The range commences at Sgurr 



