of the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



17 



galmadale pass, near Kingairloch, in Argyll — the pools are excavated, so to 

 speak, in the floor of the pass. The former makes the ascent of a steep 

 gradient much more possible than would otherwise be the case. Both 

 arrangements give strong resistance to descending water. They are the 

 only passes of their kind in "Scotland, and in my opinion deserve much 

 more attention than they appear to have received from those who are 

 interested in this subject. 



The Torrbol Pass is the longest in Scotland, and has also the reputation 

 of being the first successful pass at a high waterfall. It was designed and 

 executed 45 years ago under the superintendence of the late Mr. Bateson, 

 who was then shooting tenant at Cambusmore. The stream is by no means 

 large, while the waterfall is about 55 feet high. There are rapids and 

 cascades for some distance above the fall ; and the pass, being carried 

 beyond these, enables fish to surmount almost 70 feet. Few people seem 

 to know that an obstruction of such great height has been successfully 

 opened up in Scotland. 



One of the leading features of the pass is that, when in use, practically 

 the whole water of the stream is sent down it. This has been secured by 

 the formation of a weir at a natural rocky cascade above the fall, where 

 the inlet is situated. This is a valuable factor, since fish are inevitably led 

 into the channel provided for them ; but it is only practicable in a stream 

 of moderate size. 



The pool at the foot of the fall is large and deep, and the water level has 

 been raised so as to secure a better entrance at the pass-mouth. From the 

 fall-pool the fish are now led up through a series of built pools situated in 

 what was previously a rocky defile and the course of a small burn. The 

 gradient of the lowest portion of the pass is very steep, having been 

 estimated as nearly 1 in 4, but the formation of the pools is such that a 

 wonderful check is secured on the descending water. 



This steep section is about 138 yards in length, and is in a direction 

 away from the stream. The pass then is turned to the right in a sharp 

 elbow towards the stream. Here the gradient soon becomes easy, so that 

 presently the course is simply that of a natural burn with water flow 

 unchecked by artificial means. The total length is about 378 yards, about 

 240 of which form the upper section of ea^y gradient. In the lower, or 

 steep section, there are 23 built pools ; other seven pools are formed in 

 the lower portion of the pass above the elbow, after which a gradually 

 diminishing series of irregular dykes and stones merge into the flat portion 

 of the pass above. The pools are not all of the same size, the natural 

 features of the defile having been seized upon to adapt the pass in the best 

 manner. The plan of the pools is, however, similar in every case, and will 

 be best understood from the accompanying sketch plan. 



The walls forming the pools are made in the manner of Scottish farm 

 dykes, or dry stone walls. In recent years a certain amount of cement has 

 been used to render them more water-tight, and in every case the floors of 

 the pools have been paved with stones grouted in cement. The pools are 

 roughly square, and commonly measure 1 2 feet to 1 5 feet. The walls are 

 about 6 feet high. 



In the lower part of the pass, the short runs which connect the pools are 

 distinctly steep, but when the pass is well supplied with water these do not 

 hold such rough water as would be supposed on viewing them when dry. 

 Sea trout run the Fleet in numbers, and such steep runs present no difficulty 

 to such expert climbers ; but salmon also ascend the pass satisfactorily, and 

 are reported to take well in the stream above. 



It will be noticed that the flow from each channel enters a blind section 

 of the pool below, and has here to circulate before it emerges by the next 

 channel. This is the secret of the great check to the water, and the reason 

 why so steep a gradient can be satisfactorily dealt with. 



