52 A VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE MORAY BASIN. 



Loch Monar forms the collecting-ground for the head-waters of 

 the Farrar. The principal of these are the Strath Monar burn and 

 the waters that come from Loch Calavie and the Gead Loch. 



Strath Monar is a wonderfully wild spot. The strath itself is 

 very narrow, with grassy slopes below, from which the hills rise 

 almost perpendicularly to a height of over 3000 feet ; they are higher 

 on the north side than on the south, and more broken up into peaks, 

 the hill on the south consisting of one long ridge, the Gaelic name 

 of which, sounding something like * Luri-ki-vore,' really is Lurg 

 Mhor (3234 feet), was translated to us as meaning the 'Long Leg.' 

 Like so many of these fine upper glens, there is little heather, and 

 continued reckless burning in the sheep-farming interests of a former 

 day has almost entirely done away with what there was, and now 

 it is mostly green ground. Tumbled masses of rock occupy most 

 of the upper parts of the corries, the haunt (at least a few years ago) 

 of many foxes, and a favourite resort for deer ; not a tree is to 

 be seen, — a grandly desolate place. The south side of the ' Long 

 Leg' (3234 feet) is more gently sloping and of a smoother 

 character. Loose flat stones compose its upper part, and it is 

 a favourite haunt of Ptarmigan, — indeed, the whole range contains 

 these birds. In its whole length there are only two corries of any 

 size, wild in character, like those on the other side of the hill, 

 which gradually slope down to the foot of Strath Monar. 



From Loch Calavie the water runs between Ben Dronnaig 

 and the Long Leg, into the Gead Lochs, and from thence into 

 Loch Monar. Ben Dronnaig itself is a massive-looking hill, more 

 rounded than rugged, dark and dreary-looking on the north side, 

 where it overhangs the loch, a contrast to the bright sunny slopes 

 of its opposite neighbour. Between these two the valley opens 

 out on to the valley of the Gead Lochs and Loch Monar, the water- 

 shed here being low and flat. In these flats and the lower slopes 

 of the hills the heather is better, and consequently the grouse are 

 more abundant. Eound the Gead Lochs (so called from the pike 

 they contain, as well as some excellent trout) and the burn that 

 runs into Loch Monar from them, there is a good deal of grass and 

 marshy ground, generally frequented by ducks. A pair of Black- 

 throated Divers were often seen on the lochs themselves, and on 



