390 



Appendices to Fifth Annual Report 



inspect several lochs and voes, and to see Mr Anderson, a well-known and 

 experienced fish-curer, who resides at Hillswick. Shortly after passing the 

 Loch of Girlsta I came to Sand water Inn, placed in a capital position for 

 an angling resort, on the banks of the loch of the same name, and only a 

 short distance from the Loch of Girlsta and the Loch of Strom. Three 

 miles farther up the course of the Sandwater River, which here flows 

 through a very dreary, desolate, and swampy peat-moss, I passed Petta 

 Water, a small loch, which, I should think, must hold sea-trout late in 

 the season. But I did not hear of any one having made a successful fish- 

 ing in it. 



After getting out of the Sandwater Valley and crossing the watershed, 

 a burn runs down towards Olna Firth from a circular loch close to the 

 high road. But there are falls in its course that would effectually prevent 

 any sea-trout from ascending. At the head of Olna Firth there is a very 

 pretty village and curing station called Voe. After leaving Voe the road 

 passes along the north side of Olna Firth, and thence along the side of 

 Busta Voe to a place called Brae, 12 miles from Hillswick. Between 

 Brae and Hillswick the road is, in many places, very steep and hilly, and 

 at Mavis Grind the whole breadth of the neck of land separating the 

 eastern and the western seas does not exceed 150 yards. Between Mavis 

 Grind and Hillswick the road passes close to, or in sigbt of, a great number 

 of fresh-water lochs, the chief of which, as an angler's loch, is called 

 Pundswater, a favourite resort of the late Sheriff Aytoun, who christened 

 it ' Loch Sheriff's Delight.' It is a shallow loch, with very clear water and 

 a rocky bottom. The trout are of fine quality and rich colour, and average 

 nearly a pound weight each. The fishing is very variable, depending almost 

 entirely on the weather. But, under favourable circumstances, good 

 baskets may be obtained. 



Hillswick stands at the head of a little sheltered bay on the west side 

 of the main voe. There is a considerable fishing and curing station here 

 belonging to Mr Anderson, who has several vessels engaged in the herring 

 fishing and also in the cod and ling fishing. There are no fewer than ten 

 curers' stations in the parish of Northmaven, including Mr Anderson's, yet 

 there is no telegraph ; the nearest telegraph station to Hillswick being, at 

 Voe, 18 miles distant. For the sake of ascertaining prices and obtaining 

 salt, in the case of a sudden and heavy take of fish, Mr Anderson states 

 that it would be of great benefit to have a telegraph station established 

 at the head of the voe on which Hillswick stands. He also mentioned 

 that it would be most advantageous, both for fishing boats and passing 

 vessels, if a light were placed on the Ve Skerries, dangerous rocks which 

 lie outside and to the westward of St Magnus Bay, about half-way between 

 Stenness and the island of Foula. He likewise stated that the Boer 

 Water and the lochs connected with it and Colla Firth, into which the 

 Roer Water flows, afford excellent sea-trout fishing. Colla Firth is about 

 10 miles north-west from Hillswick, and the three lochs — Tonga Water, 

 Clubbie Shins, and Boer Water — through which the stream that runs 

 into Colla Firth flows, are about 3 miles farther off. At Ollaberry, 3 

 miles south of Colla Firth, there is a lodging-house where good accommo- 

 dation can be obtained; and about 2 miles west of Ollaberry there is a 

 large circular loch called Eela Water, where the fishing is said to be good. 

 The trout are smaller and not so rich in colour as those in Pundswater, 

 but a larger average basket can be depended on. Around Sandwick Bay, 

 near Hillswick, there are grand cliffs nearly 500 feet high, and splendid in 

 colour. There are also some remarkable upright rocks called the ' Drongs.' 

 Three miles north of Hillswick is Bona's Voe, a deep spacious inlet of the 

 sea, 7 miles long, above which rises Rona's Hill (1475 feet), the highest 



