22 



Appendices to Twenty-fourth Annual Report 



square miles, the mouth is extraordinarily poor and insignificant, 

 and that, in my opinion, this is probably the most important 

 factor to be considered in the present depleted condition of the 

 district fisheries. Mr. Francis George, the Town Clerk of Banff, 

 who is also the Clerk to the District Fishery Board, has kindly 

 sent me for perusal an old map of Banff prepared from a survey 

 made in 1823. From this, and from the Admiralty chart of Banff 

 and Macduff prepared in 1834, and the Ordnance Survey plan 

 showing what is practically the present condition, I have prepared 

 the accompanying illustration of three phases in the appearance of 

 the river mouth. From the 1834 chart it will be seen that a 

 straight mouth was open in the barrier some distance to the east 

 of the present mouth and that, apparently, a similar mouth had 

 previously been open still further to the east and more in a line 

 with the natural and direct outflow of the river. I understand, 

 also, that shortly after 1834 a severe storm so altered the bar 

 that the river found exit at the eastern or Macduff side of the 

 bay, by the rocks called Palmer's Cove. I am, however, unable 

 to represent this condition in the illustration. The Deveron at 

 Banff Bridge is approaching the sea in a direction opposite to the 

 centre of Banff Bay, and one has, I think, to consider this the 

 natural line of approach, since Banff Bay itself was in all probability 

 originally formed by the denuding action of the prehistoric Deveron. 

 If the river still entered the centre of the bay, or say at the more 

 easterly of the two old openings shown in the 1834 chart, it is 

 certain, I think, that not only would the unfortunate conditions 

 inseparable from the present tidal basin be non-existent, but 

 salmon would be much more likely to find the mouth and to freely 

 ascend the river. With an increased stock of fish it is equally 

 certain that the netting, which may at present be excessive for the 

 depleted river, would be vastly improved and be less likely to act 

 injuriously, and that with the satisfactory application of the weekly 

 close time the rod fishing would also be placed on a very much 

 more satisfactory footing. I see no reason why, given suitable 

 modification and attention, the Deveron should not hold a good 

 spring run as well as yield summer and autumn fishing. 



At the mouth of the Spey in 1897 a condition obtained exactly 

 similar to the present state of the Deveron mouth, except that no 

 definite limit to the westward extension existed as at Banff. The 

 Spey had then worked its way along behind the beach for about a 

 mile, and was entering the sea in a rather shallow and very slant- 

 ing manner. On the recommendation of the superintendent, the 

 Spey Board agreed to cut a new and direct mouth for the river. 

 As compared with the Deveron, the Spey is not only a larger river, 

 but, for the last few miles of its course, it is a more rapid river. 

 In spite of its volume and current, however, the sea had raised a 

 shingle barrier of more formidable proportions than that at Banff. 

 This was, however, cut through with complete success. Mr. Wink, 

 clerk to the Spey Board, has kindly given me particulars of the work 

 and shown me the plan. He informs me in his letter — " In the 

 " construction of the cutting the shingle was simply thrown out to 

 " each side and nothing was done to insure the constant flow of 

 " the river through the cutting, the current being found sufficient 



