28 
DESCEIPTION OF THE PHYSICAL FEATURES 
in the southern part of Farr parish, and Loch Migdale, in the 
parish of Creich, this latter remarkable as being the only loch 
containing pike in the county. 
WESTERN AND NORTHERN PORTIONS. 
Mountains. 
The great divide or backbone of Sutherland stretches north- 
ward from near the southern boundary, in the south-west of the 
county, to the limits in the north, of the Eeay Forest, and then 
turns eastward by Ben Hope and the head-waters of the rivers 
running northwards to the Pentland Firth, terminating about the 
centre of the Caithness march. 
The panorama of mountains opening up to view as the traveller 
approaches from the east by the mail road between Lairg and 
Assynt is not perhaps equalled in peculiarity of outline by any 
other in Scotland, although it may be excelled in grandeur by the 
almost Norwegian vastness of Coruisk in Skye, or the Eomsdal- 
horn similitude of the great mountains at the head of the narrow 
Loch Duich in Eoss-shire. 
Beginning in the south, we will mention the strange isolated 
mountains of West Cromarty and Assynt, which meet the astonished 
gaze of the westward-bound traveller who for the first time pene- 
trates among these further Highlands of Scotland. First, far to 
the southwards, from certain points of view is seen Ben Mohr 
Coigach (2438), with its peculiar hog's-back or sierra-like ridge; 
Stack Polly (2009), with its splintered pinnacles of conglomerate ; 
the rounded lumps and cones of Bens Coul Beg (2523) and Coul 
More (278C) ; the extraordinary terraced cliffs and sugar-loaf 
peaks of Sulbhein (2399) ; and the massive, far-receding slope 
and summit of Canisp (2779); with, lastly, the magnificent yet 
isolated range of Quinaig, whose numerous peaks reach elevations 
of from 2508 feet to 2653 feet. 
If we add, therefore, to our present account a consideration of 
the comparatively small area of West Cromarty we have only in 
this place very shortly to mention its chief peculiarities, and notice 
