of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



387 



peaty, and the trout in it, though numerous, are inferior both in size and 

 quality to those of Spiggie. 



It is remarkable how many streams and voes there are along the coasts 

 of the mainland of Shetland distinguished by the word 'lax,' the Nor- 

 wegian for salmon ; the Norwegians probably deeming the large sea- trout 

 — which, as already mentioned, have been caught in Shetland 25 lbs. in 

 weight — to be salmon. To take the east coast alone, beginning at the 

 southmost extremity, we have the Laxdale Burn, about half-way between 

 Boddam and Lerwick; then we have Lax Firth, Laxo Voe and Laxo 

 Burn, also a loch called Laxo Water. On Garths Voe there is a stream 

 called Loxobigging ; and on the east of Yell there is Laxo Burn running 

 into Mid Yell Voe. 



Skelberry, where I stayed whilst inspecting Loch Spiggie, is only 4 

 miles distant from Fitful Head and 6 from Sumburgh Head, which figure 

 so prominently in Sir Walter Scott's Pirate. These two headlands, the 

 southernmost buttresses of the mainland, are only 3 miles distant from each 

 other. Viewed from the sea, Fitful Head presents a somewhat rounded 

 and bluff outline, terminating in an almost perpendicular cliff, from which 

 there is a gradual slope inland to the low ground that surrounds Quendale 

 Bay. Beyond this the land rises again till it culminates in Sumburgh 

 Head, which presents to the sea a sheer wall of rock, on the highest point 

 of which gleam the white walls and tower of a lighthouse to warn the 

 mariner against the dangers of the stormy Boost. Roost or Roust, a word 

 of frequent occurrence among the Orkney and Shetland islands, is a term 

 of Scandinavian origin, meaning a strong tumultuous current caused by the 

 meeting of rapid tides. Sumburgh Roost, even in calm weather, has the 

 appearance of a turbulent tide stream, 2 or 3 miles wide, extending 

 a short distance from the headland which gives it its name, and then 

 gradually diminishing to a long dark line stretching away towards Fair 

 Isle. At the commencement of the flood in the Roost, the tide flows to 

 the eastward until it passes the head ; it there meets a southern tide, 

 which causes a divergence first to the south-east and then to the south. 

 At high water there is a short cessation called the ' still,' after which the 

 ebb begins, setting first north-west and then north until the recommence- 

 ment of the flood. 



After returning to Lerwick, I inspected the lochs of Tingwall and 

 Asta. A short stream connects Tingwall Loch with the Loch of Asta ; 

 and when it is full there does not seem any reason why sea-trout should 

 not ascend it. The stream which connects the Loch of Asta with the sea 

 is much longer — about J of a mile. It is narrow and straight for the 

 greater part of the distance, and in many places has scarcely any current. 

 It might, perhaps, be advisable to pool this part of it, with the view of 

 creating a stronger current. The lower portion of the burn, down to 

 where it joins the sea, has a swifter flow and a more winding course. 

 A turf dam, with a sluice, at the exit from Loch Asta, which would 

 enable au artificial flood to be sent down when the sea-trout were in the 

 bay waiting to ascend, might greatly facilitate their entrance into the 

 lochs. I think too that it might be an experiment worth trying, in the 

 end of autumn, to make some hauls with the sweep-net in Scalloway 

 Bay, with the view of obtaining some pairs of sea-trout ready to spawn, 

 and when these were got to carry them up and place them in the burn be- 

 tween Asta and Tingwall. If they spawned there, the smolts that went 

 down to the sea would probably try to find their way back again to the 

 lochs. There is good yellow trout fishing both in Tingwall and Asta. The 

 fishing in the former is free ; but leave must be obtained from the pro- 

 prietor, Mr Hay, to fish in the latter. 



