66 A VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE MORAY BASIN. 



side. As it uears Loch Ness, the river runs through a break in the 

 steep hills that rise from the loch, the rocky gorge being clothed 

 up to the summits with trees, mostly firs, but also with a great 

 deal of natural hardwood. On a kind of plateau on the east side 

 of the river stands Glenmoriston House, a castellated mansion 

 belonging to the Grants of Glenmoriston. 



At Glen Urquhart, two small rivers, the Coiltie and Enrick, 

 unite in a marsh just before entering Loch Ness. 



The Coiltie lies wholly in the forest of Balmacaan ; it rises at 

 the back of Meall Fuarvounie (2284 feet), being supplied with 

 water from a multitude of lochs of varying sizes, but mostly small. 

 It flows through the woods and down the glen in which stands 

 Balmacaan House, the property of the Countess of Seafield, and 

 has a steep and rapid course. 



The Enrick is the larger stream of the two, though even when 

 united they barely rise to the dignity of a river. 



The Enrick rises out of the same district as the Coiltie, but 

 takes a much longer round. Its sources are on the watershed 

 almost immediately opposite Guisachan. At first it trends in a 

 northerly direction, but sweeps round at Corrimony and bends 

 eastward, passing through Loch Meiklie near Lakefield. 



This little river, with the exception of the first few miles of its 

 early course, when it is collecting its tributaries, is almost wholly 

 wooded throughout its length. At Corrimony there are some natural 

 firs, besides a considerable area of plantations. Less than half-way 

 between Corrimony House and Loch Meiklie cultivation com- 

 mences, at first a few half-formed fields either being, or only lately, 

 reclaimed from the original heather, but as we come lower down 

 the valley the land is older, and the crofts — for a great part of the 

 arable land seems to belong to the crofter class — get more and 

 more numerous. The best and largest farms are those about 

 Balmacaan and Drumnadrochit, and the whole glen is pretty 

 thickly inhabited. 



The glen, narrower when it joins Loch Ness, opening out beyond 

 gradually into a wider and shallow strath, is, through the whole of 

 its course more or less wooded, the woods, especially on the south 

 side, extending to the top of the boundary hills. A great deal of 



