PHYSICAL FEATURES. 



103 



on the coast of the Moray Firth between Portknockie on the west 

 and Cullen on the east. 



We thus adopt a very natural drainage area between Deveron 

 and Spey, and include an extensive coast-line, along with the 

 minor valleys which bring down their streams from the Knock, 

 viz., the burns of Boyndie and Boyne, Dum and Deskford ; and, in 

 accordance with this, we have traced the area on the map which 

 accompanies this volume. 



The whole estimated drainage area of the Deveron, as defined 

 in the Map and Blue-Book attached to (or to accompany) the 

 Third Eeport (1885) of the Inspector of Salmon Fisheries for 

 Scotland, is given as 472 square miles for Isla, Bogie, and Deveron 

 (r. Third Report, p. 173, and Map). ^ 



The area of the Valley of Deveron may be said to be very 

 nearly equally divided by the sinuous course of the old boundary 

 of the counties of Banff and Aberdeen. The river itself runs 

 mainly through Banffshire, but at many points intersects the 

 political boundaries. In its upper reaches it rises and runs 

 through Aberdeenshire, and again between Invermarkie Mill and 

 Eothiemay. Thereafter its course is almost entirely through 

 Banffshire. Its principal feeder on the right bank, and the 

 minor streams of Forgue and Idoch, are almost entirely in 

 Aberdeenshire. 



The Deveron valley and watershed may therefore be said 

 to form a north-eastern sub-district of the Moray faunal area.- 



Now,as already said, the Allt Deveron, or Infant Deveron, rises 

 at an elevation of 1750 feet on the slope of the Little Buck, and 

 about 50 feet below its summit. After a course of several miles 

 it flows out from the Upper Cabrach at the bridge at the old 

 county march, still maintaining a level or altitude of 1000 feet 

 above the sea. The Buck of Cabrach from this point is, therefore, 



^ Also see Twelfth Report (1894), where the map is not reproduced, but 

 additional data are given. 



2 The Province of Moray is composed of three great parallel valleys : the 

 Deveron on the east ; the Spey, with the longest and largest drainage area, in 

 the centre ; and the Findhom on the west ; and numerous smaller valleys, the 

 waters of which run directly to the Moray Firth, such as the Lossie and Nairn 

 rivers. 



