Crofs a large arch over the Lochy, winding to the north weft, j
through a fmall but elegant glen, whofe fertile bottom is finely
bounded by woods on both fides. Turn ihort to the eaft, and
continue my journey on a fine road, at a confiderable height
above Loch-Lay. The land Hopes to the water edge, and both
above and below the highway, forms a continued trait of culti-i
vated ground, rich in corn, and varied with groves and plantations.
The abundance of inhabitants on this fide furpafies that
o f any place in Scotland of equal extent; for from Finlarig to
the forks of the Lion, about fifteen miles, there are- not fewer
than feventeen hundred and eighty fouls, happy under a humane
chieftain. Their habitations are prettily grouped along the fides
of the hill; are fmall and mean, often without windows or doors;
and are the only dilgrace to the magnificence of the fcenery.
The oppofite part of the lake is lefs populous, and lefs fertile;
yet, from the vaft patches of corn-land, and the frequent woods,
exhibits a moft beautiful view.
In going through Laurs obferve a Druidical circle3 lefs complete
indeed than one, that Ihould have been mentioned before, at
Kinnel, a little fouth weft of M E ; which confifts of fix vaft
ftones, placed equi-diftant from each other.
The windings of the lake in the courfe of the ride become
very confpicuous, appearing to form three great bendings, the
whole Ihewing the lhape of a capital S. Its length is about fifteen
miles, the breadth one : the depth in many places a hundred
fathoms; and, even within as many yards of the lhore, is fifty
fathoms deep. It abounds with fiih, fuch as pike, perch, falmon,
char,
char, trout, famlets, minnows, lampries, and eels. A fpecies of
trout is found here, that weighs thirty pounds.
[ All this country abounds with game, fuch as grous, ptarmi-
Igans, ftags, roes, &c.
Roes are in a manner confined to Glen Lion, where they are pro-
[tected by the principal proprietor. Foxes are numerous and
[deftruftive. Martins are rare, but the yellow-breafted was lately
[taken in the birch woods of Rannoch. The otter is common.
The vulgar have an opinion, that this animal has its king or
leader : they defcribe it as being of a larger fize, and varied with
i white. They believe that it is never killed, without the fudden
I death of a man, or fome other animal, at the fame inftant: that
I its ikin is endued with great virtues, is an antidote againft all in- I feftion, a prefervative to the warrior from wounds, and enfures the
I mariner from all difafters on the watery element.
The cock of the wood, or Capercaille, or Capercalze, a bird of
I this genus, once frequent in all parts of the highlands, is now 1 confined to the pine forefts north of Loehnefs,. From the fize it is
I called the horfe of the woods; the male fometimes weighing fifteen 1- pounds. The colour of the breaft is green, refembling that of
I the peacock : above each eye is a rich fcarlet ikin, common to the
1 grous genus : the feet of this and the black cock are naked, and ■ O P
1 the edges of the toes ferrated ; for thefe birds, fitting upon trees,
■ do not want the thick feathery covering with which Nature hath
I cloathed thofe of the red game and ptarmigan, who, during win-
I ter, are obliged to refide bedded in the fnows. Bilhop Lejly * de-
* Hiit. Scotia, p. 24. The female of the Capercalze is of the color of the
I common grous.
fcribes
R o e s .
C o c k or t h e
w o o d .