266 



Appendices to Fourth Annual Report 



SK YE. 



The island of Skye is the most northern of the Inner Hebrides, and is, 

 next to the Lews, the largest of the whole western group ; being 48 

 miles in extreme lengthy with an average breadth of 1 2 miles, though, at 

 one point — from the head of Loch Eishort to the head of Loch-na-Dal — 

 it is only a mile and a half in width ; and so deeply are its shores pene- 

 trated by bays and sea-lochs that there is no place more than 4J miles 

 distant from the sea. It has an area of 457 square miles, and a popula- 

 tion of 16,889. The name (Skye) has been by some derived from 

 * Skianach,' that is winged, because of the two opposite promontories — 

 Yaternish lying north-west, and Trotternish north-east — which resemble 

 wings ; and Dean Monro, writing, in the end of the 16th century, says : 

 — ' This ile is called by the Erishe Elian Skyane, that is to say, in 

 ' Englishe, the Wingitt ile, be reason it has many wyngs and points 

 ' lyand furth frae it, through the devyding of thir loches.' 



At Portree, the capital of Skye, I had the advantage of meeting IVIr 

 Lawson, manager to the Messrs Johnston of Montrose, who are the lessees 

 of the net fishings round the coasts of Skye. Mr Lawson has had 

 forty years' acquaintance with these fishings, and is consequently well 

 qualified to give reliable information regarding them. He admitted 

 that the law regarding estuary lines is somewhat loosely observed, as no 

 one objects to its occasional infringement. And here it should be pointed 

 out that, though there are two Fishery Districts in Skye, there is no Dis- 

 trict Board ; so that, in the absence of any official body to enforce the 

 provisions of the Salmon Fishery Acts, it is by no means surprising that, 

 those who have an interest to infringe or evade them should be tempted 

 to do so. There should be only one Fishery District for the whole of 

 Skye, and the District Board should meet at Portree. The best salmon 

 fishing in Skye is along that part of the coast which stretches from 

 Portree to Rudha Hunish, the farthest north point of the island. The 

 earliest good fishing commences in the extreme north, both for salmon 

 and grilse. Along the east coast, the fish are beautiful in shape and 

 excellent in quality ; while those in Loch Snizort and along the west 

 coast are inferior to them in both respects. Mr Lawson states that the 

 Skye rivers are decidedly late. He does not put on his full comple- 

 ment of men until the middle or end of May, and he is of opinion that 

 the present close-time, from 27th August to 10th February, should be 

 altered, so as to be from 10th September till 24th February. The heaviest 

 salmon of the season would be captured in this additional fortnight. If 

 this alteration were made, he sees no objection to giving an extension of 

 time for rod-fishing up to 1 5th November. Skye rivers he says are too small. 

 Fish do not enter them except for spawning purposes. He thinks that 

 many of the fish caught in the bag-nets do not belong to the Skye rivers. 

 He mentioned that a very fine fish of the salmon kind, from 8 to 10 lbs. 

 weight, and occasionally heavier, makes its ai3j)earance in the month of July. 

 He is unable, with all his experience, to say whether this fish is a grilse or 

 a salmon. He has tried net-fishing in Loch Snizort into which the largest 

 river in Skye falls, and where one would naturally expect to find a 

 productive fishing-ground ; but he soon withdrew the nets as they did 

 not pay. The bag-net fishing round the island of Skye seems to be of 

 considerable value, as Mr Lawson informed me that he has sent off in two 



