WATERSHEDS. 



9 



pices on the northern side ranging from 700 to IGOO feet in 

 depth. 



Much the same description applies to the smaller Meall 

 Mheannidh (2391 feet). The ridge terminates at the beautiful Beinn 

 Airidh Charr (2593 feet), a mountain of hornblende schist, which 

 descends to Loch Maree in the grand broken crag, Craig Tairbh. 

 On the north side a tremendous precipice faces the Fionn 

 Loch. 



Between Loch Maree and Torridon rise several large isolated 

 mountain groups. At the north-east corner the first is the strange 

 quartzite mountain of Beinn Eighe. This is the largest, but not 

 the highest of these groups, and is distinguished from the others 

 by being almost entirely formed of quartzite, while the others are 

 almost all formed of Torridon sandstone. It is a long narrow ridge 

 cut into several sharp-pointed summits, with buttresses and outliers 

 to the north and north-west. Of the main ridge the followinfj are 

 the names of the peaks in succession, commencing at Kinlochewe : 

 — Sgurr an Fhir Duibhe (3160 feet), — this peak has several sharp 

 black jags, like a saw-edge, as seen from Kinlochewe ; hence its 

 name, 'the Peak of the Black Men'; Sgurr Ban (3188 feet); the 

 next top has no name (3220 feet), — this is generally known as 

 Beinn Eighe. Seen from Loch Clare it presents a sharp black 

 buttress of sandstone called Stuc Coire nan Laoigh; Coinneach 

 Mhor (about 3200 feet); Sail Mhor (3217 feet). Of the outliers, 

 Kuadh Stac Mur (3309 feet) is the highest peak of the mass, and 

 very much separated from the main body. Between this and the 

 two just before mentioned lies the deep Coire Mhic Fhearchair, 

 with its tarn. Coinneach Mhor, at the head of the corrie, has a 

 splendid cliff, about 1000 feet high, composed of three perpen- 

 dicular stages of nearly equal height, two of quartzite, one of 

 sandstone. 



Sail Mhor is a sharp peak of sandstone, and its cliffs, towards 

 the corrie, have the terraced appearance peculiar to that formation 

 in a very marked manner. Circling round the mountain they give 

 it almost the appearance of some old Indian temple. Beyond 

 Euadh Stac Mor is Ruadh Stac Beag (2900 feet) a curious dome- 

 shaped outlier of quartzite, almost entirely isolated from the main 



