WATERSHEDS. 



3 



runs. Indeed, in all this district the hills present no marked 

 features, being mostly rounded and covered with vegetation. The 

 view looking from Badenloch westwards is very fine and charac- 

 teristic, and from here the western hills of Sutherland show out 

 well. At Halmadrie there is a great extent of green ground, well 

 drained by a canal made many years ago by one of the earlier 

 sheep farmers. 



Ben Arniine is a hill of considerable importance. In height 

 it rises in Creag Mhor to 2338 feet; it is one of the principal 

 forests in the county of Sutherland, and is frequented by 

 Ptarmigan. 



After passing the headwaters of the Brora, our course leads 

 north and west to include the watershed of the Shin. The Tirry 

 is the first tributary of any importance, its ramifications heading 

 up nearly to Loch a Bhealaich and the Crask, the latter a point on 

 the high road between Tongue and Lairg, only too well known to 

 those whose business takes them that way in stormy and especially 

 snowy weather, being situated at the highest point on that road, 

 just on the watershed between the Tirry and the Bagaisteach, which 

 latter runs north into Loch Naver. 



Passing the Crask, the watershed runs up to Ben Hee (2864 feet) 

 and Glashah. These hills partake much more of the rugged nature 

 of those of the West Coast, being less rounded, more broken and 

 rocky, steeper, and altogether of a wilder character. The water 

 from the south side of Ben Hee drains into the Fiack, a small river 

 running through Loch Fiack, and thence into Loch Shin, the Glashah 

 sending its southern waters into the head of Loch Merkland. 

 From Glashah the watershed runs south between Loch More and 

 Loch Merkland until Mealan-a-Chuail is reached. At this point 

 the watershed is almost level, and it runs over the coach-road from 

 Lairg to Scourie. Mealan-a-Chuail lies at the head-waters of the 

 Shin and the Cassley ; the former river from this point having a 

 very narrow watershed along the south-west side of Loch Shin. 



The boundary now runs over a good deal of low and unin- 

 teresting country, still about due south, until it rises almost 

 suddenly to Coinne-mheall, the highest point in mighty Ben More 

 (3273 feet). Ben More is the feeder of the two last rivers iu 



