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Appendices to Fifth Annual Report 



good loch called the Loch of Spiggie, communicating with the sea by a 

 short stream, and connected with a smaller loch above called the Loch 

 of Brow. The road from Lerwick to these lochs is a very rough and hilly 

 one, and when you get to them the accommodation to be had is of the 

 very poorest description. On the road I passed a large burn, which falls 

 into East Quarff Voe. Both the voe and the burn are said to yield good 

 sea-trout fishing in autumn. 



Between the 10th and 12th milestones from Lerwick, going south, there 

 are two promising-looking streams. The northernmost and largest is 

 termed Laxdale Burn, and the southernmost Mail Burn, which falls into 

 the sea not far from Aiths Voe. It has a fine clean entrance from the sea. 

 There is good spawning ground on both burns, and many deep pools, 

 which must be well frequented by sea-trout in autumn after a flood. Both 

 of them are said to be dreadfully poached. Aiths Voe is a sheltered 

 winding arm of the sea, which forms a safe anchorage for fishing boats. 

 Both Aiths Voe and Mail Voe afford good sea-trout fishing in the season. 

 About 14 miles from Lerwick I came abreast of the island of Mousa and 

 its famous tower or brough. On the Mainland, opposite Mousa, are 

 abandoned works for copper mining, in which a good deal of money is 

 said to have been lost. Between the Sound of Mousa and Boddam are 

 two pretty sheltered fishing villages, called Sandwick and Levenwick. 

 Boddam is the nearest village to the Loch of Spiggie,. and it possesses a 

 schoolhouse, post office, telegraph office, &c. 



On my arrival I had much difficulty in finding any place where 

 I could put up ; but at last, after a great deal of inquiry, I got two 

 rooms at a place called Skelberry, about a mile from the Loch of 

 Spiggie. 



In the evening I walked down to the Loch of Spiggie, with the view of 

 ascertaining whether there is any obstruction to the ascent of sea-trout 

 into it from the narrow rock-bound bay into which its waters are dis- 

 charged. The stream connecting the loch and the bay has but a short 

 run, not exceeding 100 yards; and there is no obstruction in its course, 

 and a sufficient amount of water. But, just above where it issues from 

 the loch, there is a perfect forest of weeds — much like that which blocks 

 up the foot of Loch Guirm in Islay — which must most seriously impede 

 the free entrance of sea-trout into the loch ; and that it does so there is 

 but little doubt, as I could not hear of any instance of sea-trout having 

 been captured in Spiggie. Yet it would not be at all difficult or expensive 

 to cut these weeds down by means of a long-handled sickle, and so open 

 up the loch. In the bay into which the stream from Loch Spiggie flows 

 there are plenty of sea-trout; and an angler, fishing from the rocks 

 that hem it in, on the week previous to my visit took 2 on one day 

 and 5 on another. 



Next day I started to fish Loch Spiggie, as my living would very much 

 depend upon the fishing I got in the loch. From a point on the road 

 just before you commence the descent towards the Loch of Spiggie, there 

 is a splendid view of the foot of the loch ; the rock-bound bay into which 

 it falls ; the headland separating it from the Bay of Spiggie ; and, in the 

 far distance, divided from the mainland by 18 miles of blue sea, the dark 

 grey peaks of the lofty island of Foula. I made a careful inspection of 

 the loch in a boat, in the course of which I captured a dozen trout with 

 the fly, averaging three quarters of a pound each, quite equal in appear- 

 ance and delicacy of flavour to the trout in Loch Leven. Spiggie is a 

 shallow loch, scarcely anywhere exceeding 10 feet in depth. The bottom 

 is composed of sand and shingle. The bottom of the smaller Loch of 

 Brow, which is above Spiggie, and connected with it by a stream, is 



