PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



99 



blue, wind-ruffled waters of the firth is a pretty picture, and the 

 sight and calls of the many birds that inhabit both it and the 

 flats never allow any one to feel dull. Westward, the bright, firm 

 sands form an easy road to the town of Xairn ; across the firth the 

 Cromarty cliffs form a good background ; while to the east, if the 

 mirage is not too strong, appear the sandhills which form the 

 entrance to the Bay of Findhorn, so often mentioned in St. John's 

 books. 



Between the Culbin Sands and Nairn, and nearly adjoining 

 and parallel with the shore, lies a very curious and interesting 

 stripe of ground. It is utterly wild and uncultivated, covered, for 

 the most part, with long heather and Scots firs of no great height; 

 most of them are stunted, but some which are situated in hollows 

 rise to the dignity of trees. At the Nairn end the ground is more 

 open, the heather short and mixed w^th grass, and is the abode of 

 many Eabbits ; Stock Doves, too, frequent this part. Beyond this 

 is Loch Loy, so often mentioned by St. John in connection with his 

 wild-fowl shooting ; and down this valley, which runs parallel with 

 the shore, the ground is more or less marshy, and has many open 

 spaces. It seemed to be quite a paradise for birds. In the long 

 heather ducks were breeding, and a pair or two of Curlews on the 

 bare tussocks ; Common Gulls were numerous, and in the marshy, 

 open spaces were numbers of Snipe, Redshanks, Dunlins, the drier 

 grounds being occupied by Peewits and Oyster-catchers. Grey 

 Crows were not absent — indeed, had we not seen the birds them- 

 selves, their presence would have been betrayed by the number of 

 empty egg-shells, which had been destroyed by these inveterate 

 nest-hunters. 



These wet, open marshes, though at the time of our visit 

 containing little or no water, must in the winter be converted into 

 lochs, and be much frequented by wild-fowl, judging from the 'hides* 

 put up in them for concealment of gunners. Nearer the Culbin 

 Sands the ground becomes drier and more sandy, and is much 

 broken up into hollows and steep hillocks covered with firs, whins, 

 and some hard wood. At this point a Woodcock or two was 

 seen. 



