14 GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND IMPORTANCE OF 
Bridge, separates this county from Ross-sliire on the south. All 
along this boundary line, and upon the northern bank of the Kyle 
and river, runs the high road between Bonar Bridge on the Dornoch 
Firth, and Oykel Bridge on the river of that name. Between 
Oykel Bridge and Altnagealgach the high road crosses over a penin- 
sular portion of Ross-shire, which abuts upon the previous line of the 
county march, and here the boundary, following the Oykel river to 
Loch Ailsh, runs up to near Coinnebheal, turning southward along 
the top of Braebag and out at Altnagealgach, the high road again 
entering Sutherland at this point. At Altnagealgach the march 
commences on the south side of Loch Borrolan, and includes the 
whole of the watershed of that loch to the top of the Cromalt hills ; 
the chain of lochs of which Veyattie and Fewn are the chief, and 
the river Kirkaig, the latter continuing down to the sea, and 
separating Sutherland from the county of Cromarty, which here 
approaches it on the south. If, as we now intend to do, we include 
West Cromarty, we locate its importance by continuing the Faunal 
boundary between " Moray " and " West Eoss," to a point near to 
Ullapool, the whole being to the southward of the river Kirkaig, 
and northward of Loch Broom. 
The total area of Sutherland, excluding water-areas, is put down 
by the Ordnance Survey at 1,297,848 acres. In addition to this 
are the areas of fresh water contained within its boundaries, 
amounting to 47,631 acres or thereby; foreshore occupies 12,812 
acres, and tidal waters 1553 acres, or a total area of the whole 
districts under our consideration of 1,35-9,845 acres, or about 2124 
square miles. 
Of the land area 260,765 acres, or about 407 square miles, are 
occupied by waste or non-arable land, composed of mountain or 
moorland, sheep-farm and deer-forest, or " links " of sand, such as 
those between the Dornoch Firth and Dunrobin. Arable land 
1 This is more correct than the areas given in 1820 by Mr. Loch, the Duke's 
factor, as at that time the county of Sutherland had never been surveyed. (See 
An Account oj the Improvements, etc. etc., by James Loch, Esquire, 1820, p. 15.) 
And the same remark applies if we compare these figures with those given in the 
Agricultural Account of Caithness, the title of which we have quoted. 
