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The River Garry and Loch
Garry, 1.—Loch Quoich. 2.—I,och Bourn and Pass to Shielhouse, 3.—The
Rhaebuie Road; Glen Luina, 4.
1. THE road through Glengarry
connects the Great Glen with the head of Loch Mourn, and leaves the former
at the comfortable inn of Invergarry. The river Garry is a rapid and
troubled stream, which discharges itself into Loch Oich, from Loch Garry
(about three miles distant), and which winds through a magnificent
amphitheatre of hills clad with birch and scattered firs. Loch Garry, though
comparatively but little known, is among the finest of our mountain lakes;
in length about seven miles: its banks, consisting of a series of low
swelling eminences, are clad with birch trees, of late years sorely
diminished of their fair proportions; but which still, though much thinned,
extend from the water's edge to the bases, and spread up the ravines and
corrics of the high receding mountains which form the glen. On advancing
beyond a bend, in which the loch terminates at the eastern extremity, the
whole extent of its waters and wooded banks comes suddenly into view. They
occupy the near portion of a long vista, which is lost in a noble range of
lofty but distant mountains, stretching across from Loch Quoich along the
head of Glen Luine to Glen Moriston.
2. The first public-house on
this road, called Tomandoun, now a tolerable small inn, is twelve miles from
Invergarry. Loch Quoich, which occupies a considerable portion of the
remaining distance to Loch Hournhead, is likewise a fine sheet of `eater,
but with little wood. It is now embellished at the west end by the mansion
of Mr. Edward Ellice, I.P., who has improved his Highland property with
judgment and taste. The road continues to ascend till within three miles of
Loch Bourn, where, after passing through a barrier of rugged rocks,
confusedly heaped together, it suddenly descends from its elevation, and
rapidly attains the sea level. The whole distance from Invergarry is
strikingly devoid of human habitations. At the end of Loch Mourn a single
farm-house appears; and on the further side of a small burn is the
public-house, or inn, close by the loch side.
3. Loch burn is a narrow arm
of the sea, extending inland about twenty-five miles, through a series of
high, rough, and steep hills, and towards its head it becomes almost
completely land-locked. It is an excellent herring-fishing station, the fish
being generally very plentiful and of superior quality. A road has been
opened along a small part of the coast of Knoidart, on the south side of the
strait ; but the remainder is barely passable on horseback, the rugged track
crossing very considerable elevations, while there is no access, save for
pedestrians, to Glen Shiel and the extensive district of Glenelg. The route
to the former lies across Corryvarligan, a pass about 2000 feet high, from
the top of which the bird's eye view of Glen Shiel and Glen Oundlan, lying
parallel to the lower portion of the former, is very remarkable, and
exceedingly picturesque. The glens diverge nearly at right angles from one
another ; both are straight, narrow, and precipitous ; their sides bald and
rocky, or scantily covered with heath, and the summits sharp and serrated.
We have been led to particularize this sequestered scene, because it occurs
on a route we would recommend to tourists, viz., to ascend Glen Garry to
Loch Hournhead, and thence strike across, as above pointed out, by the pass
of Corryvarligan, to the inn of ShieIhouse, at the head of Loch Duich; and
from thence to proceed back to the Great Glen by Glen Shiel and Glen
Moriston. In proceeding to Shielhouse, we direct our course along Glen
Oundlan, the whole distance from Loch Hournhead requiring about five hours'
smart walking.
4. The importance of the road
from Invergarry to Loch Bourn is enhanced by the Rhaebuie road from
Tomandoun in Glen Garry to Cluany in Glen Moriston, connecting the two
glens, and affording a more ready access for the large droves of cattle from
Skye and the west coast of the country on their way to the southern markets,
to the Loch Langan road, and thence to Dalwhinnie. But this road possesses
few attractions; for tediousness, it may fairly compete with any of equal
length in the Highlands; it is ten miles and a half long; and crossing from
Tomandoun into Glen Luine, (lying nearly parallel with Glens Moriston and
Garry, and falling into the former at Doe Bridge,) it makes a tiresome
ascent along the northern side of that valley. But the traveller's labour is
almost repaid by the magnificence of the upper and precipitous part of Dram
Cluany, passing at the base of which the Rhaebuie joins the Glen Moriston
road a little to the east of the inn of Cluany.
Glen Luine is a sequestered
pastoral valley, watered by a sluggish and tortuous stream, which
occasionally spreads out its waters into a small marshy loch. Glen Garry was
purchased, on the sale of the Glengarry estates, by Lord Ward, and Glen
Quoich by Edward Ellice junior, Esq., I.Y., the chief only retaining the
property of Knoidart. |
