194 



MAMMALS. 



The principal deer-forests of the southern portion of our area 

 are Ben Alder in the south-west, Gaick by the headwaters of 

 Tromie, Glen Feshie, Rothiemurchus, and Glen Fiddich and 

 Blackwater ; and on the north side of Spey, Kinveachy or 

 Monadhliath, 



Passing up over the hill by the site of Prince Charlie's Cave, 

 near the forester's house on Loch Errochd side, and crossing the 

 low col, the pedestrian descends by the bhalloch' into the great 

 circular hollow formed by the summits and steep amphitheatre of 

 the rocks of Ben Alder. In the hollow lies the lovely Loch an 

 Bhealloch Bhuie — the loch of the yellow pass. So deeply lies this 

 sheet of crystal water — almost with a greenish tinge, — that it is 

 comparatively late in the day that it feels the sun-rays on its 

 breast. It is about a mile long, and is composed almost entirely 

 of ice-cold spring water. Hundreds of little springs run in on all 

 sides, and rise from its margins all round, both on the north and 

 south shores. Ten feet of its depth was taken off by the late Lord 

 Henry Bentinck, and this was effected by a cutting at the lower 

 end, where the water runs east into Loch Pattack, and thence to 

 Loch Laggan, and by the Spean to Banavie. But the whole drain- 

 age of Ben Alder Forest does not flow down the Pattack, the 

 Mashie contributing its quota to the Spey. Therefore we have 

 thought it better to speak of it here, as it has not been included 

 in Argyll. 



This cutting was made in order to give the deer a passage 

 across the narrow part of the loch when disturbed on one side and 

 when making for the sanctuary, which lies on the other, or the north 

 side of the loch, — a huge and high corrie just under the highest 

 peaks of the mountain; but the loch itself is reckoned in the 

 sanctuary, and a shot is never fired near to it, nor is it in any way 

 disturbed. The loch contains lovely trout, averaging nearly half 

 a pound towards the top end of the loch, but smaller in size towards 

 the east end. Enormous baskets have been killed on it, but only 

 very occasionally, as it is seldom fished. 



There are said to be about three thousand head of Red Deer, 

 and of this number there are some eight hundred stags upon this 

 western half of Ben Alder deer-forest next to Loch Errochd, and 



should imagine, is extreme). In Lapland it is said to grow at least 1 foot high. 

 There are one or more closely allied species in Britain ' {in lit. February 1893). 



