Sutherlandshire

SUTHERLANDSHIRE, county, northern Scotland, bound ed north and west by the Atlantic, east by Caithness, south east by the North Sea and south by the shire of Ross and Cro marty. Area, 1,297,914 acres (excluding water). The western and northern shores are indented with beautiful bays and sea lochs, and terminate at many points in precipices and rugged headlands. Almost the whole county is mountainous ; the summits are often of finer outline than those of the Grampian heights to the south, and the surface generally consists of wild desolate moorland. The highest point is Ben More in Assynt (3,273 ft.).

An irregular line from Loch Eriboll ,on the north coast to the neighbourhood of Cromalt near the southern boundary separates the two rock groups that form the foundation of the major portion of the county. On the western side of this line are ancient gneisses and schists (the Lewisian gneiss) ; these are penetrated by innumerable basic and acid dikes which generally have a north-west to south-east trend. On the eastern side of the line, occupying the whole of the remaining area except the eastern fringe of the county, is a younger series of metamorphic rocks, the Moine schists. In the north-west Torridonian breccias and sandstones rest unconformably on this gneiss, and Cambrian rocks upon the Torridonian ; the white Cambrian quartzite capping the dark Torridonian rocks on some of the hills forms a striking scenic feature. Granite masses appear in the eastern schists, and patches of Old Red Sandstone form high land near the south east coast. Evidence of glacial action is widespread.

The chief river is the Oykell, which, rising in Coniveall a peak of Ben More, flows south and then south-east for 33 m. to Dornoch Firth. Other rivers flowing to Dornoch Firth are the Helmsdale (22 m.), the Brora (28 m.), preserving in its name (bridge river) the fact that its bridge was once the only important one in the county; and the Fleet (i7), the estuary of which was embanked for i,000 yd. in 1813 by Thomas Telford, whereby rich

alluvial land was reclaimed. The Halladale (22), rising in Knock fin on the borders of Caithness enters the sea to the east of Port skerry. The district of Assynt is honeycombed with lakes and tarns, but the only large lake is Loch Assynt, 63 m. long, ft. above the sea. The ratio of the area of islands to the total area of the lake is greater than in any other British lake. There are many waterfalls; those of Escuallin, near the head of Glencoul, are among the finest in Great Britain.

Agriculture and Industry.

Only one-fortieth of the total area is under cultivation, the shire ranking lowest in Scotland in this respect. The great mass of the surface is grazing ground and deer forest. The best land adjoins Dornoch Firth, where farming is in an advanced condition, but there are fertile patches along the river valleys. At the beginning of the 19th century the first duke of Sutherland (then marquis of Stafford) adopted a policy of wholesale clearance of the crowded crofters of the interior to the coast. The duke incurred great obloquy, but persisted in his policy, which included reduction of rent, reclamation of land, and abolition of the tacksman or middleman. He also did much to open up the shire generally by the construction of roads and bridges. Attempts have been made to repeople some of the glens (Strathnaver, for example) depopulated by the clearances. Crofters still largely predominate, nearly half the holdings being under 5 acres. The average size of the holdings, 121 acres, is the smallest in Scotland with the exception of the Shetland islands. Oats, barley and potatoes are grown. The raising of sheep, mostly Cheviot, is the staple business of the county, and cattle are also kept. Horses—principally ponies, though Clydesdales are used on the bigger farms—are kept almost wholly for agricultural purposes, and pigs are also reared. Deer forests belonging to the duke of Sutherland cover a large area.