of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



375 



The Sourin Burn drains these two lochs, and has a course of 3 miles from 

 the foot of the Meikle Water to whore it falls into the sea opposite the 

 Holm of Scockness. There are several lochs in Rousay, covering altogether 

 242*8 acres, divided as follows 







Acres. 



Meikle Water, 





124-8 



Peerie „ 





42-1 



Saviskail, 





52-6 



Scockness (fresh), . 

 „ (salt), . 





12-2 





4-3 



Limingen, 





4-5 



Knitchen, 





2*3 





Total, 



242-8 



The lochs in Eousay all belong to General Burroughs, the proprietor of 

 nearly the whole of the island, and are strictly preserved, none of the 

 destructive modes of fishing, that have proved so detrimental to the 

 fishings in Stenness, being allowed. There is nothing but fair fishing with 

 rod and line. The consequence is that the yellow trout fishing is as good 

 as it ever was ; and if the mills at Saviskail and at the mouth of the Sourin 

 Burn were properly regulated and obliged to observe the provisions of the 

 bye-law (Schedule G), sea-trout also would have access to both lochs. As 

 I shall presently show, they had, at one time, free access to the Loch of 

 Saviskail, and were caught there in considerable numbers and of large size. 

 I walked along the whole course of the Sourin Burn from the Meikle 

 Water to the sea. Good hauls of sea-trout are sometimes got with the net 

 in the bay into which the burn falls ; and they occasionally, but rarely, 

 take the worm or the fly. There is a mill close to the mouth of the 

 Sourin Burn, and, as usual, in Orkney, that mill acts as an obstruction to 

 the ascent of migratory fish from the sea ; although a capital salmon-ladder 

 has been made by General Burroughs, just above the junction of the burn 

 with the sea, which has an easy gradient and pools of ample depth. At 

 low water, there is a fine pool at the bottom of this ladder. Yet, though the 

 burn is of sufficient size after a flood to allow of the ascent of sea-trout, 

 or even of salmon, none of these fish seem ever to reach either the Meikle 

 or the Peerie Water. One disadvantage of this ladder is, that it is very 

 easily poached, when fish are running, by putting a net above and across the 

 highest pool. It is quite close to the mill and the public road. The ladder 

 is a pretty long one, and it might possibly be improved by having the 

 central pool enlarged, so as to form a resting place for ascending fish. 



The Free Church and manse are situated a little way above the mill ; 

 and almost opposite the manse there is an impassable fall on the burn, 

 round which General Burroughs has made a very ingenious salmon-ladder. 

 He also had several sea-trout put into the Meikle Water. But none of 

 them have since been caught or seen by anglers on the loch. Yet a friend 

 of mine, an excellent and experienced angler, assures me that about 

 twelve years ago, nearly opposite the Free Church manse, he landed a sea- 

 trout from the Sourin Burn 3 lbs. weight, and also hooked and lost another 

 heavy fish. The yellow trout, both in the Meikle and Peerie Waters, are 

 very handsome and game fish, running about two to the pound. 



Another day, whilst in Rousay, I visited the Loch of Saviskail and 

 inspected the burn which connects it with the sea and the mill and mill- 

 lade close to where the burn joins the sea. The trout in Saviskail are of 

 first-rate quality, and take freely on a good fishing day. They average 

 three-quarteps of a pound each, and are equal as edible fish to those of 

 Stenness or Harray. In fact, I know no yellow trout, either in Orkney 

 or Shetland, that surpass them either for sport or food, The stream 

 3 B 



