and drive by way of Poolewe, round Gruinard Bay [123] and the head of Little Loch Broom to the Ullapool Ferry-a charming route, now happily once more practicable for carriages. From Auchnasheen the railway crosses the watershed of the country [181, 269], and descends the short and rapid slope to the head of Loch Carron. The glaciation in this valley is exceedingly striking. Some of the corries on either side are full of large moraines, with abundant roches moutonnées and perched blocks. One of the most remarkable of these glens lies immediately to the north of Auchnashellach Station.

Loch Carron is another example of a fjord being filled up at its upper end by the detritus carried into it by tributary streams. Strips of raised beach are to be seen along its side. Strome Ferry, the terminus of the railway, may be made the centre for visiting Lochs Keeshorn, Torridon, Alsh, and Duich, Glen Shiel, and the Falls of the Glomak. The steamboat journey to Skye has already been noticed, p. 465.

18. INVERNESS TO WESTERN ROSS AND SUTHERLAND.

The branching of the railway at Dingwall affords a choice of routes to the remarkable scenery of Western Ross-shire and Sutherland. Allusion has been made to two ways of reaching Ullapool-one from Garve Station, which is the shortest and least interesting, and one by Auchnasheen, Poolewe, Gruinard Bay, and Little Loch Broom (see above). From Ullapool, a carriage may be hired to Loch Inver, or to Inchnadamph. The routes to these two places follow the same road as far as Drumrunie, and afford magnificent views of the great Cambrian escarpments of Coygach [Fig. 43]. The Loch Inver road turns to the north-west, under the cliffs of Coul Beg, and in sight of the strange peaks of Stac Polly. As it approaches Loch Inver it brings the traveller to one of the best points of view for Suilven. The Assynt road continues beyond Drumrunie across a series of moors at the base of the great masses of Coul Beg and Coul More. Suilven comes in sight as the road descends to Loch Veyatie. To the right of it is Canisp, and by degrees the heights of Ben More, Assynt, and Queenaig, bound the view to the north and east. Skirting the foot of the Stronchrubie cliffs-the greatest limestone escarpment in Scotland,

-the road soon leads to the Inchnadamph Inn, at the head of Loch Assynt.

But the more usual way of reaching the west of Sutherland is from Lairg. From Dingwall the railway runs down the western side of the Cromarty Firth, and allows good views to be had of the great alluvial accumulation at the head of that estuary [187], also of three raised beaches (25, 50, and 85 feet), which are well seen about Dingwall and Invergordon. The railway runs on a platform of raised beach between Invergordon and Delny stations. At Novar is the deep ravine of the Alt Graat [174]. Passing Invergordon the traveller can look out to sea between the two Sutors that guard the entrance to the Firth [187]. The 85-feet raised beach runs through the hollow between Nigg Bay and the Dornoch Firth. The latter estuary is nearly cut into two by the sand spit at Meikle Ferry [187]. Raised beaches continue up the Kyle of Sutherland. Crossing the river the railway runs up the steep ascent of the Shin to Lairg, whence views are obtained of Ben More, Assynt, and the mountains round the head of Loch Shin.

Lairg is the starting-place for three of the mail-gigs which cross Sutherland, viz. —

(1.) To Inchnadamph and Loch Inver.-Nearly the whole of the journey is in the valley of Strath Oykil, which becomes somewhat monotonous before the traveller reaches the watershed and sees the strange pyramid of Suilven towering in front, and the mass of Coul More to the left [Fig. 43]. The drive from Inchnadamph to Loch Inver is one of the few in Sutherland where considerable masses of natural wood enter as a marked feature into the landscape. The imposing mass of Queenaig rises in front and shows with striking clearness its threefold grouping of rocks-Archæan gneiss, with overlying horizontal red sandstones and white quartzite stealing up the eastern slopes to the summit of the mountain [116]. The actual junction of the sandstone and gneiss may be noticed by the side of the road.

(2.) To Scourie and Durness.-This is a long and somewhat tedious drive until the watershed of the country is reached. Thence amid abundant glacier moraines, the descent is rapid down to Loch More, from either side of which the younger wellbanded gneisses rise steeply against the sky-line. Ben Stack, [201] a huge mass of the old gneiss, at length comes into view,

and the traveller enters upon a typical district of the most ancient rock of the British Islands [111]. From Scourie the red sandstone cliffs [113] of Handa Island should be visited. In the drive from Loch Laxford to Durness fine views are obtained of the great line of quartzite escarpments from Arkle northwards. The traveller who reaches Durness should not leave without taking boat to Cape Wrath, under the great sandstone cliffs [74], and seeing the western sea-wall of Archæan gneiss south of the lighthouse [Fig. 15]. He can arrange to drive back from Cape Wrath. If the weather is suitable he should also view by boat the great quartzite cliffs of the Whiten Head. The moraines at the head of Loch Eribol [272] can be seen if he drives round that inlet.

(3.) To Tongue.—This traverse is chiefly interesting from the views it affords of Ben Klibrick, one of the most imposing schist mountains of the north-west of Scotland, and of Ben Loyal, the most picturesque mass of granite in the same region [213]. From Tongue a good coast-road leads eastwards into Caithness.

19. INVERNESS TO THURSO, WICK, AND THE ORKNEY AND SHETLAND ISLANDS

The line of railway to Lairg has been already described. Quitting the valley of the Shin the line turns eastward down Strath Fleet, and running on the platform of raised beach at the base of the old Red Sandstone hills [139, 216] turns northward along the flat selvage of ground made here by the Jurassic rocks. At Brora conspicuous glacier-moraines come down to the sea [271]. At Helmsdale the railway leaves the coast and strikes into the interior. The quartzite mass of the Scarabin Hills forms the highest ground to the right. To the left, as the train moves onward, Ben Griam [140] comes into sight, and as the line turns eastward across the wide dreary moor of Caithness the giant cones of Morven [139] and the Maiden Pap close in the southern distance.

The county of Caithness offers little attraction to the geologist or the lover of scenery, except along its coast, which is eminently picturesque. The coast to the south of Wick [62] abounds in striking cliffs and stacks. Those to the west of

Thurso consist of similar rocks, and are equally impressive, particularly at the Clett and Holburn Head [Fig. 7]. The stacks of Duncansby, consisting of red sandstone [Fig. 12], may be contrasted with those masses composed of hard-jointed flagstone.

From Thurso a steamer crosses to Orkney, where the Caithness coast scenery is repeated. The cliffs of the west of Hoy, however, with the solitary Old Man' [Fig. 13], are much more imposing than any on the opposite mainland. From Wick a steamboat sails to Kirkwall and Lerwick. Shetland, though destitute of fine inland scenery, abounds in picturesque coast cliffs cut by the waves into the most fantastic forms [68].

INDEX

Aberdeenshire, 23, 46, 58, 103, 125, Ayrshire, 23, 76, 246, 282, 299, 313,
330, 333, 335, 338, 358, 361, 373,
377, 383.

Agassiz, L., on Scottish glaciers, BADENOCH, Boar of, 27.