56 DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES 
of the covinty, and it seems as if the march here had been laid 
down somewhat on the lines and on the same principle as that 
of the sister county at Aultnagealgach (vide St. John's Tour in 
Sutherland) than on more equitable grounds. This part con- 
tains nearly all the higher hills in Caithness, varying in height 
from 1300 to 2000 feet, Scarabhen being 2054 feet. Other hills 
are Morven and the Maiden Pap. 
All these hills lie in the deer-forest of the Duke of Portland, and 
give birth to two rivers — the Langwell in the south, and the Berrie- 
dale in the north — which unite within two hundred yards or so of the 
sea, and enter the area of the village of Berriedale. Both these rivers 
contain salmon, yet although they unite and even flow together for a 
short distance, each stream keeps its own fish distinct. The straths 
through which these rivers flow are the best wooded areas in the 
county, containing, besides natural birch, the extensive fir planta- 
tions laid out by the late Duke of Portland. Game of all kinds is 
abundant here, including pheasants ; and this is probably the only 
part of the county where woodcocks breed in any numbers. Eising 
near the county march between Sutherland and Caithness, and 
north-west of the Duke of Portland's forest,runs the wide open valley 
of Strathmore, through which flow the head-waters of the Thurso, 
so well known to all salmon anglers. Punning through Loch More, 
which gives such excellent sport in April, it is joined by the river 
which runs down Strath Beg, and after another twenty-mile run 
falls into the sea at Thurso. Numbers of geese visit Strathmore 
in spring, and the small lochs and flows in this part of the county 
are the breeding-grounds of numbers of ducks, including the com- 
mon scoter, and also of waders, such as greenshanks, etc. 
Coming back to the county march at the seaside, we find a 
small place called Ousdale. It possesses nothing remarkable in 
itself, but it is from this locality that, as will be seen further on 
in our list, the greater number of the larger raptors have been 
procured, these birds apparently landing here on their autumn 
migrations. About the Ord, too, is a colony of herons, and some 
guillemots and other sea-birds build; and all along the coast 
northwards, the rocks, which are of a less height than at the 
