104 A VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE MORAY BASIN. 



still a dominant feature in the landscape, towering some 1060 feet 

 above the valley, whilst the rim and its hills form quite a marked 

 sky-line.^ 



Having thus described the general position of the Deveron and 

 its drainage area, it will not be out of keeping to mention some of 

 the more remarkable districts through which it flows. 



Upper Cabrach.^ 



The summit of the Buck of Cabrach (2368 feet) superintends the 

 whole circular valley of the Upper Cabrach, and dominates the 

 encircling hills of lesser elevation, which form a rim round the 

 saucer- shaped hollow, and which are joined together by long, level- 

 topped ridges or low cols.^ 



The whole contours are easily traced on the Ordnance Survey 

 Sheet, No. 75. The principal peaks of this circle are Sandhill or 

 the Little Buck (1799 feet), Threestone Hill (2065 feet), Carnbrallan 

 (2029 feet), Eounumuck Hill, Eound Hill, and Meikle Firebeggs 

 or Firbriggs — these last three coming down to elevations of be- 

 tween 1700 and 1800 feet. The above are all on the south and 

 west and north-west, and on the east there are also continuous 

 ridges and hills, prominent amongst which are Leids Hill (1575 

 feet) and Mount of Bladdoch (1669 feet).* 



Of the other hills surrounding the head-waters of the Deveron 

 and its tributaries, the Hill of Noth, which culminates in the Tap 

 o' Noth (1851 feet), is drained on both slopes by the Bogie and its 



^ All these political boundaries have been altered by the County Council since 

 the above was written. 



^ The name Cabrach remains in evidence that the country now called by that 

 name was at one time clothed in forest. This seems to be perfectly demonstrated 

 by J ames Macdonald, F. S. A. , in his admirable book on Place-Names in Strathhogie 

 (Wyllie and Son, Aberdeen, 1891), and in that volume (p. 121 et seq.) nearly all the 

 names we have occasion to mention in the following detailed descriptions of 

 Deveron areas will be found ably explained. It is the popular belief that all this 

 ancient wood was destroyed by fire, and, indeed, this is still in evidence by the 

 charred roots of trees found in the central mosses of Upper Cabrach. 



^ Cook's Cairn is a higher hill (2478 feet), but, as it lies beyond the valley of 

 the Black water, it can hardly be said to compete with the Buck in dominating 

 the valley of the Deveron. 



* The Ordnance Survey has it * Mount of Haddoch. ' 



