president’s address. 
506 
standing like sentinels on the sky-line of the surrounding 
hills, came down and congratulated this young adventurer 
upon his fortunate escape. 
To resume. On first seeing Scourie, one is impressed by 
the absence of all trees and by the bareness of the hills ; but 
one soon learns to find in this a charm. Even at a later time 
of the year, when the Heather is in bloom, the effect can hardly 
be more impressive than that produced by the masses of 
flowering Gorse and Broom, far more vivid in colour than 
one ever sees in England, and falling in places on the banks 
of the lochs like a golden cascade down to the water’s level. 
And how numerous these lochs are ! Lochs of all sizes, from 
the huge Loch Shin some 16 miles in length, to the little 
tarn on the neighbouring hill-side. From the tops of the 
hills one can see them in every direction, and also the many 
inlets from the sea, scarcely to be distinguished from the 
lochs. Most of them are well stocked with Trout, and on 
twenty or so a boat has been placed — free fishing rights being 
extended to all who stay at the hotel. 
To (he ornithologist the chief attraction of Scourie is, of 
course, Handa, which is an island about one mile two furlongs 
in length by one mile in breadth, and distant about three 
miles from Scourie. Only on a fine day can the island be 
visited, as the trip across the intervening bay has to be made 
in an open boat, and at one place only on the island can 
a landing be effected, which if the sea be at all rough, becomes 
both difficult and dangerous. A very good description of the 
island has already been published by Mr. Harvie-Brown in 
his ‘ Fauna of the North-West Highlands and Skye,’ so 
that I will merely say that it may be looked upon as a huge 
mass of rock that has been separated from the mainland on 
its eastern side. On its northern and western sides the face 
of the rock is a vertical cliff, about 300 feet in height, and 
intersected by a number of horizontal and parallel ledges. 
On its southern side it gradually inclines towards the sea- 
