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Columbia  S^nittem'tp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


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HANDBOOK  FOE  TRAVELLERS 


SCOTLAND 


FOURTH  EDITION,  REVISED 


WITH    TRAVELLING    MAPS   AND    PLANS 


■  -EGND-a^'^'.':  ^ 

JOHN   MUEEAY,  ALP.EMABLE  STEEET 

EDINBURGH:  OLIVER  &  B0YD7   'I^TJT3LTN:  W  H.  SMITH  &  SON 

1875 


'\'\-^Z'\^% 


PEEFACE, 


Notwithstanding  the  existence  of  other  Guides  for  Scotland,  the 
constant  demand  for  a  Handbook  for  Travellers  in  that  country, 
and  reiterated  assurances  that  such  a  work  is  reallv  needed,  have 
induced  the  publisher  to  offer  this  volume  to  the  public  as  part  of 
his  series. 

If  it  possess  any  superiority  above  its  predecessors,  it  will  be 
found  to  depend  on  its  being  compiled  from  bona  fide  personal 
knowledge  of  the  country,  on  the  clearness  of  its  arrangement,  and 
the  facilities  of  reference  ;  and,  above  all,  it  is  hoped  on  its  accu- 
racy and  completeness.  But  as  perfect  correctness  is  scarcely  to  be 
attained  in  a  work  of  this  class,  crammed  so  full  of  names,  dates, 
and  facts,  man}^  of  them  constantly  changing  from  year  to  year,  but 
capable  of  verification  on  the  spot,  those  who  make  use  of  it  are 
earnestly  invited  kindly  to  point  out  any  errors  or  omissions  which 
may  be  detected,  and  communicate  them  to  the  publisher. 

The  Editor  of  the  Handbooks  to  North  and  South  Germany, 
France,  etc,  having  of  late  years  travelled  much  in  Scotland,  with 
never  ceasing  admiration  of  the  country,  has  undertaken  the  re- 
vision of  the  Third  and  Fourth  Editions  of  the  "  Handbook  of 
Scotland."  He  has  revised  great  part  of  it  on  the  spot,  and  has  re- 
written nearly  one-half.  He  would  fain  hope  that  he  has  rendered 
the  book  more  correct,  complete,  methodical,  and  practically  useful 
to  travellers  in  general.  The  division  of  the  Routes  into  sections 
enables  him  to  offer  a  few  general  observations  under  each,  with 
the  design  of  directing  the  stranger  at  once  to  the  most  interesting 
objects,  and  hence  aid  him  in  planning  his  own  Route. 

a  1 


LIST  OF  MAPS  AND  PLANS. 


Index  or  Clue  Maps  of  Scotland  at  beginning  and  end  of  the  volume. 

Basin  of  the  Dee  .... 

Plan  of  Edinburgh       .... 
Edinburgh  to  Perth,  Stirling,  Melrose,  Moffat,  etc. 
Glasgow  and  Stirling  to  the  Trossachs  and  Loch  Lomond 
Plan  of  Glasgow  ..... 

Firth  of  Clyde,  AiTan,  Loch  Fyne,  and  Loch  Long    . 
Oban  to  Glencoe,  Mull,  lona,  Staffa,  and  Loch  Awe 
Caledonian  Canal         ..... 
Perth  to  Killin  and  Blair- Athole 

Sketch  Map  of  Loch  Coruisk,  Quiraing,  and  Storr  Pvock 
Skye,  Gairloch,  and  Loch  Maree 
Sutherland,  Caithness,  and  part  of  Ross 
Sketch  outline  of  Glen  Clova 
,,  ,,  Larig  Pass 

Travelling  Map  of  Scotland    .... 


to  face  title-page 

tofacf 

I  page 

42 
66 
126 
141 
180 
225 
243 
286 
381 
394 
400 
322 
295 

at  ena 

of  volume 

*  N.B.— The  figures  on  the  Clue  Maps  refer  to  the  numbers  of  the  Routes. 


Abbiieviatio>'s — 

m. — Mile.     Ely. — Railway  ;  Stat. — Station. 
1:^.  S.  E."W. — Points  of  compass. 

P.  H. — Attached  to  names  of  Inns,  Post  Horses  and  Carriages. 
C. — Commercial. 

+  Indicates  a  Pier,  or  Landing-place  of  Steamers. 
*  Calls  attention  to  objects  worth  notice ;  and,  in  the  case  of  Inns,  is 
a  mark  of  recommendation. 


CONTENTS. 


Preface 

General  Introdfctiox 


111 

[9] 


SECTION   I. 


The  South  of  Scotland— Lowlands — Land  of  Scott  and  Burns- 
The  Border — Tweedside — Yales  of  Tweed,  Xith,  Upper  Clyde. 

EOUTES. 

*^*  The  names  of  places  are  printed  in  italics  only  in  those  routes  where 
the  places  are  described. 


ROUTE  p.- 

A  London  to  Edinburgh  (Leitli), 
by  Sea       .... 

1  Carlisle    to    Edinburgh,    by 

LiddesdaU,  Haioick  {Dry- 
burgh),  Melrose,  Ahhotsford, 
and  Galashiels — Eailway 

2  Newtown  St.  Boswells  Junc- 

tion to  Berwick-ou-Tweed, 
by  Jedburgh,  Kelso  {Flod- 
den),  and  Coldstream 

3  Newtown    St.    Boswells    to 

Reston  Junction,  by  Green- 
law and  DuHsc— Railway 

4  BerwicTc  to  Edinburgh,  by 

Coldingham,D  unbar  {Sovih. 
Ber\vick],  Haddington,  Pres- 
tonpans,  and  Musselburgh, 
North  British  Railway 
(Coast  Line) 

5  Carlisle  to  Edinburgh  (Glas- 

gow, or  Stirling),  by  ioc^'cr- 
bie  [Lochnuibcn],  BeaUock 
\_Moffat\  and  Carstairs 
Junction — Caledonian  Ry. 
5a  Symington  Junction  to 
Peebles,  by  Biggar  and 
Broughton 

6  Galashiels  to  Moffat,  by  Sel- 

kirk (Rail),  Vale  of  Yar- 
row, St.  Mary's  Loch,  and 
Grey  Mare's  Tail 


29 


31 


68 


ROUTE  PAGE 

7  Selkirk   to   Moffat,   bv    the 

Ettrick  Valley   .         "         .     80 

8  Carstairs  Junction  to  Glas- 

gow. [Branch  to  Lanark, 
Falls  of  the  Clyde,  and 
Douglas']   .         .         .         .81 

8  a  Qf\.2iiigo^\  io  Bothwcll,  Ham- 

ilton, Lanark,  and  Falls 
ofChjde     ....     S3 

9  Carlisle  to  Glasgow,  by  An- 

nan, Dumfries,  Sanquho/r, 
Kilmarnock,  and  Dairy 
Junction   .         .         .         ,90 

10  Dumfries  to  Fortimtrick,  by 

Castle  -  Douglas,  Neioton- 
Stewart,  Wigtown,  &  Stran- 
raer— Caledonian  Rail.  101 
10a  Castle-Douglas  to  Kirkcud- 
bright, Dundrennan  Abbey, 
Gatehouse-of-Fleet,  Antcoth  109 

11  Stranraer  to  Ayr,  hj  Ballan- 

trae,  Girvan,  and  Maybole     112 

12  At/t  to  Glasgow,  by  Troon, 

Kilivinning,  A  rdrossan. 
Paisley  [Dalmellington,  and 
Loch  Doon]    .      .         .  116 

13  Edinburgh  to  Galashiels,  by 

Dalkeith,  Hawth  ornden, 
Roslin,  Penicuik,  Peebles, 
and  Innerleithen        .         ,125 


VI 


Contents. 


SECTION  II. 

Central  Scotland  —  Glasgow  —  Stirling  —  Dumbarton  —  Part  of 
Lanark  and  Perthshire — Loch  Lomond — Loch  Katrine — The 
Trossachs. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

14  Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline, 

by  Dalmeny,    Queensferry, 
and  InverTceithing      .         .137 

15  Edinburgh    to   Stirling,    by 

the  Forth,  Alloa,  and  Cam- 
buskemieth         .         .         .140 

16  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  by 

Linlithgoto  and  Falkirk      .   144 

17  Glasgow   to   Edinburgh,   by 

Airdrie  and  Bathgate         .   158 
17a  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  by 
Mid-Calder,  Holj^town,  and 
Gartsherrie  Ironworks        ,   160 

18  Edinburgh  or  Carstairs  Junc- 

tion to  Stirling,  by  Larhert 
and  Bannockburn       .         .161 


ROUTE  PAGE 

19  Glasgow  to  Loch  Lomond  and 

Tarhet,  by  Dumbarton  and 
Balloch  [Helensburgh,  Gare- 
loch]— Rail.      .        .        .165 

20  Stirling  to    Inversnaid,    by 

Loch  Mcnteith,  Aherfoyle, 
and  Loch  Chon  .         .         .   172 

21  Stirling  to  Loch  Lomond,  by 

Dunblane,  Callander,  Loch 
Katrine,  and  The  Tros- 
sachs      ....  174 

22  Stirling   to    Loch    Lomond 

(Balloch),  by  Drymen 
[Forth  and  Clyde  Rail.]      .182 


SECTION   III. 

ESTUART    OF    THE    ClTDE — BuTE— ArRAN— LOCHS    LoNG,    GoiL,    FtNE, 

Awe— Etive  — Linnhe—  Inveraray — Oban— Mull — Iona — Staffa 
— Glencoe — Ben  Nevis — Caledonian  Canal. 


23  Descent  of  the  Chjde.     Glas- 

gow to  Arran,  by  Greenock 
and  Wemyss  Bay       .         .188 
23a  Glasgow  to  Greenock   and 
Wemyss    Bay,    by   Paisley 
an^L  Bridge  of  TFciV— Rail.  199 

24  Glasgow  to  Campheltown  and 

M^dl  of  Cantyre  (by  sea)    .   199 

25  Campbeltown  to  Tarhert,  by 

Barr,  and  WestTarhert  Loch  202 

26  Glasgow  to  Islay  and  Jura     204 

27  Glasgow   to    Ohan,    by    the 

Clyde,  Dunoon,  Bothcsay, 
Kyles  of  Bute,  Loch  Fyne, 
Ardrishaig,  and  Crinan 
Canal       .'        .         .  .     209 

28  Ardrishaig  to  Oban,  by  Loch 

Awe  and  Gorge  of  the 
Brander     .         .         .         .213 

29  Glasgow   to    Inveraray,    by 

Dunoon,  Kihnun,  Holy  Loch, 
Loch  Eck,  and  Loch  Fyne  .  216 

30  Glasgow   to    Inveraray,    by 

Loch  Goil,  or  by  Loch  Long, 
and  Arrochar     .         .         .217 

31  Loch    Lomond   (Tarbet)    to 


Oban,  by  the  Pass  of  Glen- 
croe,  Inveraray,  Loch  Aice, 
and  Dahnalhj    .         .         .218 

34  Loch  Lomond  to  Fort- Wil- 

liam, by  Tyndrum,  Glencoe, 
and  Ballachulish        .         .   225 

35  Oban  to  Staffa  and  Io7ia, — a 

Cruise  round  the  /.  of  Mull  229 

36  Oban  to  Bannavie,  by  Loch 

Linnhe,  Appin,  Ballachu- 
lish (Glencoe),  and  Fort-  JFil- 
liam — Ben  Nevis  .  .  238 
36a  Ardgour  to  Lochs  Sunart 
and  Moidart  by  Strontian 
and  Salen  .         .         .242 

37  Fort-William  (Bannavie)  to 

Arisaig,  bv  Glenfinnan  and 
Loch  Shiel         .         .         .242 

38  Fort- William  to  Kingussie, 

by  Glen  Spcan,  Glen  Roy 
{the  Parallel  Roads),  and 
Loch  Laggan      .         .         .245 

39  Bannavie  to    Inverness,    by 

the  Caledonian  Canal,  Fort- 
Augustus,  Loch  Oich,  Loch 
Ness,  and  Falls  of  Foyers   .  247 


Contents. 


vu 


SECTION   lY. 

Fife — St.  Andrews — Kinross — Clackmannan — Part  of  Perth- 
shire— Perth— DuNKELD — Dundee — Forfar,  etc. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

40  Edinburgh   to    Dundee,    by 

Burntisland,  Ciqmr,  and  St. 
Andrev)s  ....  256 
40a  Edinburgh  to  Perth,  by 
Burntisland  Ferry,  Mark- 
inch,  Ladyhank,  A  hernethy, 
and  Bridge  of  Earn   .         .  265 

41  Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline, 

Kinross,  and  Stirling,  by 
Thornton  Junction    .         .   267 

42  Stirling  to  Kinross  and  Perth, 

by  [Alva]  Alloa,  Dollar, 
Cattle  Cam2)bell,  Bumbling 
Bridge,  Kinross  (Rail),  and 
Cauldron  Linn  [Glenfarg]     269 

43  Stirling  to  Perth,  by  Criejf 

Junct.  and  Auchterarder    .   274 

44  Callander    to    Dunkeld,    by 

Lochearnhead,  KilUn 


(Eail),  'Kenmore,  Tay- 
mouth,  and  Abcrfcldy         .   278 

45  Stirling  or  Perth  to  Loch- 

earnhead, by  Crieff  (Rail), 
Comrie,  and  St.  Fillans     .  284 
45a  Crieff  to  Aberfeldy  or  Dun- 
keld, by  Amulree  and  the 
Small  Glen        .         .         .  288 

46  Taymouth  (Kenmore)  to  In- 

veroran,  by  Fortingal  and 
Glcnhjon   .         .         .         .289 

47  Kenmore   to    King's   House 

(Glencoe),  by  Kinloch-Ran- 
noch.     (For  Pedestrians)     .   290 

48  Perth  to  Forres  and  Inverness, 

by  Dunkeld,  Killiccrankic, 
Blair  -  A  thole,  Kingussie, 
and  Grantoivn  (Rail)  .   292 

49  Perth  to  Dundee  and  A  rbroath 

(Rail)      .        .        .        .303 


SECTION   V. 

Aberdeen — Forfar — Deeside — Braemar — Strathspey — Elgin- 
Banff — Nairn — The  Cairngorm  Mountains. 


PAGE  I   ROUTE 


50  Perth  to  Aberdeen,  by  Ciq^r- 

Angus,    Forfar    {Brechin), 
Montrose  and  Stonehaven    .   315 

51  Kirriemuir   to   Ballater  and 

Braemar,  by  Glen  Clova     .  326 
51a  Brechin    to    Glenshee,    by 
West    Water,  Clova,  Glen- 
prosen,  and  Glen  Isla.    (For 
Pedestrians)        .         .         .329 
51b  Brechin  to  Ballater,  by  Fd- 

zell  and  Glcnmark      .         .   331 
51c  Brechin    to    Banchory,    by 
Ed^ell,  Fettercairn,  and  the 
Cairn  Mount      .         .         .   333 

52  Aberdeen    to    Braemar,    by 

Banchory,  Aboyne,  Ballater 
(Rail),  and  Balmoral  .  334 
52a  Braemar  to  Aviemore,  by 
Liiin  of  Dee,  Wells  of  Dee, 
and  the  Larig  Rue  Pass. 
[Ascents  of  Ben  Muich- 
Dhui  and  Loch  A' an  {Avon)]  342 


52b  Braemar  to  Dunkeld  [and 
Pitlochrie],  by  Sjjital  of 
Glenshee,  Bridge  of  Cally, 
and  Blairgowrie         .         .  347 

52c  Braemar  to  Blair- Athole,  by 

Bainoch  and  Glentilt  .  349 

53  Aberdeen  to  Fraserburgh  and 

Peterhead  .         .         .         .351 

54  Aberdeen     to     Alford     and 

Strathdon,  by  Kintore        .  354 

55  Aberdeen   to    Inverness,   by 

Huntly,  Keith,  Elgin,Forres, 
and  Nairn  (Great  ISTorth 
OF  Scotland  Railway)    .  358 

55a  Aberdeen  to  Banff,  hy  Inver- 

amsay,  Fyvie,  and  Turriff  .  370 

55b  Perth  to  Elgin,  by  Craigel- 
lachie  and  Rothes,  and  to 
Banff  by  Craigellachie, 
Dufftown,  and  Keith  Junc- 
tion (Rail)        .        .        .374 


VIU 


Contents. 


SECTION   VI. 

AVesterx  Highlands  axd  Islands  (Outer  Hebrides) — Skte — Lewis 
—  Loch  Maree — Loch  Torridon — Glen  Shiel — Loch  Alsh  and 
Loch  Duich. 


ROUTE  PAGE       ROUTE 

56  Oban  to  Portree  in  Skye,  by 

Arisaig,  Eigg,  Kyle  Akin, 
and  Broadford  (steam  voy.)  381 

57  Strome      Ferry     to      Skye, 

Broadford  and  Portree 
(steamer),  to  Quiraing,  Storr 
Rock,  and  Dunvegan  .   385 

58  Balmacarra  (Loch  Alsh)  to 

Portree  in  Skye,  by  Kyle 
Akin  Ferry,  Broadford,  and 
Sligachan  (Excursion  to 
Coruisk)     .         .         .         .389 

59  Portree  to  Stornoway  and  the 

Outer  Hebrides   .         .         .393 

60  Invergarry  or  Fort- Augustus 

(Locli   Oich)   to   Skye,    by 


Tomandoun,  ^  GleJi  Shiel, 
Loch  Duich  {Falls  of 
Glomach),  Loch  Alsh,  and 
Strome  Ferry     ,         ,         .  397 

61  Shiel  House  Inn  to  Skye,  by 
Mam  Rattachan,  Glcnclg, 
and  Kyle  PJica  Ferry         .   400 

62  Dingwall  to  Strome  Ferry 
and  Skye,  by  Strathjjeffer, 
Garve,Achnasheen,  and  Loch 
Carron  (Skye  Railway)    .  401 

63  Achnasheen  to  Loch  Maree 
and  Gairloch,  LochTorridon, 
Shieldag,  and  Applecross. 
— Shieldag  to  Loch  Carron    403 


SECTION  yii. 

Inverness — Sutherland— Caithness — Ross— Cromarty— Assynt- 
Lairg — Loch  Inter — Dunrobin — Cape  Wrath — 


ROUTE 

64  Inverness   to    Cromarty,    by 

Fortrose 

65  Inverness    to    Golspie    and 

Helmsdale,  by  Beauly, 
Dingioall,  Tain,  Bonar 
Bridge,  and  Lairg  (Rail)  . 

65a  Beauly  to  Shiel  House  Inn 
and  Loch  Duich,  by  the 
Valley  of  Beauly,  Kilmor- 
ack,  the  Druim,  Glen  Can- 
nich,  Chisholm's  Pass,  Glen 
Affrick,  and  the  Pass  of  the 
Bcallach  of  Kintail     . 

65b  Bonar  Bridge  to  Golspie,  by 
Dornoch     .... 

66  Dingwall,  by  Garve  to  Ulla- 

pool and  Poolewe 


.   412 


416 


421 


424 


425 


67  Lairg  to  Loch  Inver  and  Du7'- 

ness,  by  Oykel  Bridge,  Loch 
Assynt,  and  Scourie    . 

68  Lairg  to  Durness,  by  Loch 

Shin;  Scourie  to  Loch  In- 
ver     .         .  .         . 

69  Golspie  to  Thurso  and  Wick, 

by  Helmsdale     . 

70  Helmsdale  to  Wick,  by  the 

Orel  of  Caithness 

71  Wick  to  Thurso,   by  Huna 

and  John-o' -Groaf s  House 
71 A  Lairg  to  Tongue 

72  Thurso  to  Tmigue,hj  Melvich 

and  Bettyhill 

73  Tongue  to  Cajje   Wrath,  by 

Durness  and  Snioo 


SECTION   VIII. 

The  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

74  The  Orkneys, — Wick  to 
Kirkivall,  Maeshow,  Sten- 
niss,  Stromness,  and  Hoy   .   446 


76  The   Shetlands, — Lertoick, 
Mousa,  Fetlar,  etc.     . 


426 


429 

431 

436 

438 
439 

440 

442 


455 


Index 459 


GENEEAL   INTEODUCTION. 


-♦ — 

PAGE 


I.  Travelling  View  of  Scotland  —  Eailways,  Steamers, 
Coaches,  Inns  and  Cookery,  Posting  and  Hired  Con- 
veyances   [9] 

II.  Antiquities [17] 

III.  Geology [21] 

IV.  Comparative  Heights  of  Scotch  Mountains    .        .        .      [30] 
Y.  Hints  for  Yachtsmen  in  the  Hebrides  and  West  Coast 

OF  Scotland [31] 

YI.  Skeleton  Routes [38] 

YII.  Explanation  of  Gaelic  Words  and  Highland  Xames  of 

Places [48] 


I.  General  Information  for  Travellers  in  Scotland. 

Since  the  clays  when  Pennant  made  his  slow  but  comprehensive 
journey  to  the  west  coast  and  the  Hebrides — when  Dr.  Johnson 
travelled  with  ill-suppressed  sneers  and  disgust  to  the  Isle  of  Skye 
— or  when,  in  later  days,  the  persevering  Macculloch  examined 
every  little  inlet  on  that  dangerous  coast  in  the  very  frailest  of  con- 
veyances—  a  perfect  revolution  has  been  effected  in  Scotland  in 
favour  of  the  tourist,  whether  vehicular,  equestrian,  or  pedestrian. 
In  place  of  the  rugged  fastnesses  which  guarded  the  romantic  scenery 
of  the  Highlands,  we  have,  generally  speaking,  good  roads  and  swift 
conveyances  on  them.  Even  the  once  dreary  solitudes  of  Suther- 
land and  Caithness  are,  for  practical  purposes,  as  well  off  for  roads 
as  many  an  English  county.  At  every  point  good  Inns,  sometimes 
rising  to  the  magnitude  of  palaces,  have  been  erected  for  the  tired 
and  thirsty  tourist,  while,  where  possible,  railways  and  steamers 
convey  their  patrons  into  the  very  heart  of  the  mountains. 

a.  Railways  have  intersected  pretty  nigh  all  the  lowland  and  coast 
districts,  and  are  now  penetrating  into  the  recesses  of  the  Highlands 
wherever  there  is  the  remotest  chance  of  traffic,  present  or  future. 

Generally  speaking,  the  railway  service  of  Scotland  is  safely  and 

comfortably  carried  on,  although,  as  compared  with  England,  trains 

are  slower  in  speed  and  fewer  in  number.     But  on  the  main  lines 

from  England  there  are  at  least  one  or  two  expresses  daily,  which 

[Scotland.]  h  1 


[10]  I.   Travelling  View  :  Railimys.  Introd. 

leave  notliing  to  Le  desired  as  regards  rapidity  by  the  tourist.  The 
eastern  entry  into  the  kingdom  is  of  course  by  York,  Newcastle,  and 
Berwick,  via  the  Great  Northern  and  North-Eastern  lines.  Carlisle 
is  the  citadel  by  which  access  is  gained  on  the  west,  and  this  is  in 
possession  of  the  London  and  North-Western  and  Midland  Com- 
panies. All  these  companies  offer  great  facilities  for  tourists,  both 
in  price  and  accommodation,  and  these  facilities  are  amply  supple- 
mented across  the  Border  by  the  Scotch  railway  companies.  From 
Carlisle  we  have — 

1.  The  Caledonian  Pdy.,  which,  originally  a  trunk-line  between 
Carlisle,  Glasgow,  and  Edinburgh,  has  spread  its  nets  so  far  as  to 
monopolise  the  traffic  of  half  Scotland,  particularly  on  the  W.  It 
now  embraces 

a.  The  southern  section,  including  main  lines  to  Edinburgh  and 
Glasgow,  with  branches  to  Dumfries,  Stranraer,  and  Portpatrick, 
Peebles,  Lanark,  and  Douglas.  From  the  Motherwell  Junction  of 
the  Glasgow  branch,  a  fresh  access  to  that  city  is  gained  via  Clydes- 
dale, and  there  are  also  in  the  same  district  a  great  number  of  short 
railways  which  scarcely  affect  the  tomist,  inasmuch  as  they  are  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  ironworks  and  collieries.  This  same  sec- 
tion embraces  lines  from  Glasgow  to  Greenock,  Wemyss  Bay,  Lesma- 
hagow,  Hamilton,  StrathaA^on,  and  Crofthead  ;  nor  must  we  forget 
a  very  important  communication  between  Dumfries,  Castle-Douglas, 
Stranraer,  and  Portpatrick,  being  in  fact  one  of  the  great  routes 
between  Scotland  and  Ireland. 

6.  The  central  section  of  the  Caledonian  comprises  the  lines 
between  Greenhill  Junction,  Stirling,  and  Perth,  with  a  short  branch 
to  Denny,  and  another  to  Crieff ;  also  from  Perth  to  Dundee,  Dun- 
dee to  Newtyle,  and  Stirling  to  Callander. 

c.  In  the  northern  section  is  the  great  trunk-line  from  Perth  and 
Dundee  to  Forfar  and  Aberdeen,  with  branches  to  Meigle,  Arbroath, 
Blairgowrie,  Brechin,  Montrose,  and  Bervie  ;  also  a  direct  line 
between  Perth  and  Crieff. 

d.  The  western  section  contains  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Junction 
Eailway  (worked  by  the  Caledonian)  from  Stirling  to  Balloch  ;  and 
the  line  from  Stirling  to  Callander,  Lochearnhead,  Killin,  and 
Tyndrum,  which  it  is  intended  eventually  to  carry  through  to  Oban, 
by  Loch  Awe  and  Dalmally. 

2.  The  Glasgov)  and  South-Western  Rly.  serves  the  country 
between  Carlisle  and  Glasgow,  sending  off  branches  to  Castle-Douglas, 
Kirkcudbright,  Muirkirk,  Newmilns,  Ardrossan  (for  Arran),  Ayr, 
Dalmellington,  and  Girvan — in  fact,  it  embraces  all  the  district 
from  the  S.  to  the  W.  coast. 


Scotland.  I.  Travelling  Fieiv :  Railiccujs.  [11] 

3.  The  North  British  is  fortunate  in  having  two  points  d'appui, 
viz.  Carlisle  and  Newcastle.  The  first  is  known  as  the  Waverley 
Eoute,  and  connects  Carlisle  with  Edinburgh  via  Hawick,  sending  off 
branches  to  Gretna,  Langholm,  Kelso,  Jedburgh,  Selkirk.  The 
eastern  section  of  the  same  company  unites  Berwick  with  Edinburgh, 
with  branches  to  Dunse  and  St.  Buswells,  North  Berwick  and  Had- 
dington. A  line  running  up  the  Tweed  Valley  connects  Berwick 
with  Coldstream  and  Kelso.  The  North  British  owns  the  line  to 
Peebles,  Innerleithen,  and  Dolphinton,  and  has  also  become  pos- 
sessed of  other  railways,  such  as  the  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow,  the 
Stirling  and  Dunfermline,  the  Glasgow  and  Loch  Lomond,  the 
Edinburgh,  Perth,  and  Dundee,  together  with  a  number  of  shorter 
subsidiary  branches,  such  as  the  Leven  and  East  of  Fife,  and  those  to 
Dunfermline,  to  Kinross,  to  Leslie,  to  St.  Andrews,  and  by  Stirling, 
the  Devon  Valley,  to  Dollar  and  Rumbling  Bridge,  and  Campsie 
Valley,  together  with  the  lines  to  Milngavie,  Queensferry,  and  Grange- 
mouth. As  far  as  the  tourist  is  concerned  he  need  not  complain  of 
the  want  of  railway  accommodation  in  the  south  of  Scotland. 

4.  One  of  the  most  charming  and  picturesque  lines  in  the  king- 
dom is  the  Highland  Rly.,  which,  with  grand  energy  and  persever- 
ance, runs  through  defiles,  over  torrents,  and  across  mountains  from 
Perth  to  Dunkeld,  Blair-Athole,  and  Inverness,  thus  placing  the 
tourist  in  the  very  heart  of  the  scenery  he  wishes  to  explore.  The 
branches  on  this  line  are  to  Aberfeldy,  leading  to  Loch  Tay,  and  to 
Burghead,  Elgin,  and  Keith  ;  while  the  main  trunk  continues  north- 
ward from  Inverness  to  Dingwall,  Golspie,  Helmsdale,  Wick  and 
Thurso  ;  so  that  a  traveller  may  literally  journey  by  locomotives 
from  the  Land's  End  to  John-o'-Groat's  House, 

5.  The  wealthy  and  populous  district  to  the  N.E,  of  Scotland  is 
served  by  the  Great  North  of  Scotland  Rly.,  which  starts  from  Aber- 
deen and  runs  to  Forres,  there  joining  the  Highland  Rly.  to  Inver- 
ness. It  embraces  a  good  many  branches,  viz, ,  the  Deeside  (from 
Aberdeen  to  Ballater),  to  Fraserburgh,  to  Peterhead,  to  Alford,  to 
Old  Meldrum,  to  Turrifi'  and  Macdufi",  to  Banft'  and  Portsoy,  to 
Lossiemouth,  and  from  I^eith  to  Craigellachie,  whence  an  extension 
runs  up  the  Spey  vajlley  to  join  the  Highland  line  at  Boat  of  Garten. 

A  new  access  to  the  Isle  of  Skye  has  been  opened  by  the  Rail- 
ivay  from  Dingwall  on  the  E.  coast  to  Strathcarron  and  Strome 
Ferry,  whence  steamers  ply  to  Portree  in  Skye  daily. 

B.  Steamers  communicate  regularly  and  frequently  with  all  the 
principal  Scotch  ports.  On  the  E.  coast,  between  London,  Newcastle, 
Edinburgh  (Leith  and  Granton),  Dundee,  Aberdeen,  Invergordon,  and 
Wick  ;  on  the  W.  coast,  between  Bristol,  Swansea,  Liverpool,  and 


[12]  1.  Travelling  Flew :  Steamers.  Scotland. 

Glasgow.  But  these  are  seldom  adapted  for  tourists,  who  wish  to 
get  at  the  heart  of  their  work  at  once,  and  they  are  moreover  too 
much  devoted  to  traffic  to  be  always  comfortable.  They  are,  how- 
ever, well  suited  for  the  sportsman  who  has  a  large  staff  of  ser- 
vants, dogs,  and  indispensaVdes  to  forward  to  the  moors.  For  the 
metropolitan  tourist  who  wishes  to  get  to  Deeside  and  the  Gram- 
pians with  economy  and  fresh  air,  the  steamer  from  London  to 
Aberdeen  will  suit  very  well,  but  he  must  be  a  good  sailor  to  enjoy 
it  thoroughly,  as  the  North  Sea  and  the  E.  coast  present  very  dif- 
ferent conditions  of  water  from  the  landlocked  surface  of  the  Cl}de. 

The  tourist  on  the  W.  coast,  however,  is  obliged,  if  he  wishes  to 
see  it  thoroughly,  to  confide  himself  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  sea. 
Fortunately  for  him  the  Messrs.  Hutcheson  have  catered  for  his  com- 
fort in  the  most  complete  manner,  and  provided  a  fleet  of  steamers 
exclusively  for  tourists,  who  can  thus  navigate  the  fiords  and  inlets  of 
the  West  Highlands  with  perfect  ease  and  comfort.  The  lona  is  a 
floating  palace.  She  sails  daily  in  the  season  down  the  Clyde,  through 
the  Kyles  of  Bute,  and  up  Loch  Fyne  to  Ardrishaig.  The  passengers 
are  here  transferred  to  the  Crinan  Canal  boat,  and  after  a  short  pas- 
sage rejoin  the  steamer  which  takes  them  on  to  Oban.  Connecting 
steamers  run  daily  between  Oban,  Ballachulish,  Fort- William,  Loch 
Ness,  Inverness,  through  the  Caledonian  Canal  ;  also  excursion  steam- 
ers from  Oban  to  Ballachulish  (for  Glencoe),  and  to  Staft'a,  Mull, 
and  lona.  Twice  a  week,  at  least,  the  more  distant  islands  of  Lewis 
and  Harris  are  visited,  via  Skye  and  the  Hebrides,  calling  at  the 
various  little  ports  on  the  west  coast  ;  and  by  this  bi-weekly  method 
communication  is  regularly  kept  up  between  Glasgow,  the  Hebrides, 
and  the  N.W.  coast.  These  deep-Sea  steamers,  it  must  be  admitted, 
are  not  so  quick  or  so  comfortable  as  the  special  passenger  steamers 
to  Inverness,  as  they  are  partly  adapted  for  the  purposes  of 
trafiic,  particularly  in  wool  and  cattle.  Nevertheless,  the  com- 
parative slowness  of  the  vessels  is  amply  counterbalanced  by  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery,  the  bustle  at  the  difl'erent  landing-places,  and 
the  many  varieties  of  character  which  one  meets  with.  It  is  only 
justice  to  add  that  in  the  whole  of  the  Messrs.  Hutcheson's  fleet  the 
traveller  will  meet,  at  the  hands  of  the  captains  and  officers,  the  ut- 
most civility  and  attention  ;  the  commissariat  is  also  well  attended 
to.  Other  steamers  run  between  Glasgow  and  the  Western  Isles,  but 
are  more  specially  arranged  with  a  view  to  traffic. 

The  tourist  down  the  Clyde  may  pick  and  choose  at  the  Broomie- 
law  which  watering-place  he  will  patronise,  and  he  will  be  sure  to 
find  a  boat  waiting  fur  him.  Greenock,  Helensburgh,  Gareloch,  Loch- 
goilhead,  Arrochar,  Loch  Long,  Gourock,  Dunoon,  Kirn,  Kilcreggan, 


Scotland.  I.  Travelling  View:  Coaches.  [13] 

Kilmun,  Inellan,  Toward,  Rothesay,  Tighnabruich,  Colintraive,  In- 
veraray, Ardrisbaig,  Tarbert,  Campbeltown,  Largs,  Millport,  Weniyss 
Bay,  and  Arran,  are  all  daily  visited,  more  or  less  often,  the  last-named 
island  being  also  served  by  a  twice-a-day  steamer  from  Ardrossan. 

On  the  Forth,  Stirling  is  visited  daily  from  Leitli  or  Granton. 
Ferry  steamers  ply  several  times  a  day  between  Granton  and  Burnt- 
island, and  at  Queensferry.  The  inland  lakes,  such  as  Loch  Lomond, 
Loch  Katrine,  and  Loch  Awe,  are  also  made  accessible  by  steamers 
running  in  connection  with  the  railway  companies  and  the  coaches, 
for  which  circular  excursion  tickets  are  granted,  so  as  to  save  the 
trouble  of  re-booking. 

c.  Coaches  abound  in  the  tourist  districts,  fdling  up  the  gap  be- 
tween railways  and  steamers.  The  following  are  the  service  routes 
of  coaches  : — 

1.  Between  Campbeltown  and  Tarbert. 

2.  Stranraer  and  Girvan. 

3.  Ardrishaig  and  Oban,  with  a  branch  coach  to  Ford  for  Loch 

Awe  and  the  steamers. 

4.  Oban  to  Inveraray  and  Tarbert  (Loch  Lomond). 

5.  Oban  and  Pass  of  Brander,  there  to  meet  the  steamer  for 

Cladich,  and  the  coach  from  Cladich  to  Inveraray. 

6.  Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline,  by  Queensferry. 

7.  Oban. to  Tyndrum  and  head  of  Loch  Lomond. 

8.  Head  of  Loch  Lomond  to  Inverness,   Tyndrum,  Glencoe, 

Ballachulish,  and  Fort- William. 

9.  Killin  to  Kenmore  and  Aberfeldy. 

10.  Ballater  to  Braemar. 

11.  Callander  to  Trossachs,  Loch  Katrine,  and  Loch  Lomond. 

1 2.  Selkirk  to  St.  Mary's  Loch  on  the  way  to  Moffat. 

13.  Edinburgh  to  Roslin  and  Penicuik. 

14.  Dunkeld  to  Blairgowrie,  Spital  of  Glenshee,  and  Braemar. 

15.  Kingussie  to  Fort- William,  by  Loch  Laggan. 

16.  Garve  Station  to  Ullapool.     Mail  Cart. 

17.  Achnasheen  to  Loch  Maree  and  Gareloch, 

1 8.  Lairg  to  Loch  Assynt  (Inchnadamff),  Loch  Inver,  and  Scourie 

1 9.  Crieff  to  Comrie,  St.  Fillans,  and  Lochearnhead. 

20.  Beauly  up  Strathglass  to  Invercannich  and  Geusachan. 

Some  of  these  are  mail  carts,  or  open  waggonettes,  more  parti- 
cularly in  Ross  and  Caithness  shires, — very  suitable  excursion  con- 
veyances, which  win  be  welcomed  by  many  a  tourist  in  those  out- 
of-the-way  regions. 


[14]  I.  TraveUinfj  View:  Inns.  Introd. 

Generally  speaking,  tlie  coacli  service  is  fairly  performed  ;  but 
the  same  unqualified  x^raise  cannot  be  given  to  all  of  it  as  to  tbe 
steamers  ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  proprietors  of  these  ser- 
vices which  are  exclusively  tourist  arrangements,  will  use  their  best 
endeavours  to  bring  them  up  to  the  same  standard  by  land  as  Messrs. 
Hutcheson  have  done  by  sea. 

D.  I7ins  are  abundant  enough,  and  vary  from  the  lofty  and  splen- 
didly furnished  hotel  to  the  little  wayside  inn.  In  all  the  large 
towns  and  the  principal  "  trysting-places,"  particularly  on  the  west 
coast,  the  hotel  acconmiodation  is  admirable,  and  if  it  is  rather  ex- 
pensive, as  it  doubtless  is  in  some  places,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  for  eight  months  in  fche  year  the  hotel,  with  all  its  outlay,  is 
practically  tenantless  ;  and  even  the  success  during  the  other  four 
months  depends  on  the  good  graces  of  the  weather.  In  many  places, 
too,  the  cost  of  transit  for  necessaries  and.  provisions  is  a  large  item 
in  the  hotel-keeper's  expenses.  It  may  be  remarked  that  Scotch  inns 
though  in  the  centre  of  grand  scenery,  are  with  rare  exceptions 
placed  in  the  worst  situations,  just  where  no  view  is  to  be  had.  The 
windows  are  small,  and  the  walls  thi'ck  to  resist  the  weather,  but 
there  is  general  comfort. 

As  tourists  in  the  height  of  the  season  are  gregarious,  and  follow 
the  beaten  track,  the  traveller,  particularly  if  with  a  party,  is  recom- 
mended to  time  his  arrival  at  certain  places  as  early  as  possible,  and 
to  secure  beds  and  rooms  beforehand,  as  he  will  otherwise  find  that 
even  chairs  and  sofas  are  not  always  to  be  obtained. 

This  precaution  applies  still  more  to  some  of  the  more  solitary 
districts  of  Eoss  and  Sutherland  shires,  as  the  inns  are  limited  in 
size,  and  are  frequently  monopolised  by  sportsmen.  Especially  is 
it  necessary  to  look  ahead  to  secure  quarters  for  Sundmj,  when  tra- 
velling, by  whatsoever  conve3^ance,  is  almost  arrested  in  Scotland. 
Eooms  should  be  secured  two  or  three  days  beforehand  at  a  Sabbath 
resting-place.  The  Telegraph  wires  have  been  carried  everywhere 
into  the  remote  Highlands,  even  into  the  Island  of  Skye,  and  give 
every  facility  for  the  conveyance  of  messages. 

A  pedestrian  may  travel  and  live  cheaj^ly  enough  in  the  N.  and 
N.W.  It  is  true  he  may  frequently  have  to  put  up  with  a  bowl 
of  Scotch  broth,  a  fresh  herring,  and  a  jug  of  whiskey  toddy  to  wash 
it  down  with ;  but  if  that  is  not  a  dinner  fit  for  a  prince,  it  certainly 
is  for  a  pedestrian  tourist.  In  the  smaller  liostelries  you  are  often 
oppressed  by  a  stifling  odour  of  stale  whiskey  and  dried  haddocks. 
Without  enforcing  upon  Southerners  and  Cockneys  the  strictly  na- 
tional dishes  of  Haggis  (?  hachis)  and  singed  sheep's  head,  cold,  with 
which  Dr.  Johnson  was  so  disgusted  that  Sir  Walter  Scott  found  it 


Scotland.     I.  TravdUlng  View:  Inns;  Inn  Charges.  [15] 

necessary  to  write  in  its  defence,*  a  word  may  be  said  in  favour  of 
hotchpotch,  cock-a-leeky,  collops  of  beef  and  minced,  grouse  occa- 
sionally in  the  season,  scones  and  oat  cakes  ;  with  such  dishes  in  a 
bill  of  fare,  aided  by  fresh  herring  and  salmon,  no  one  ought  to 
complain.  Even  the  saturnine  Dr.  Johnson  "ate  several  platefuls 
of  broth,  with  barley  and  pease  in  it,  and  seemed  very  fond  of  the 
dish,  remarking,  '  I  don't  care  how  soon  I  eat  it  again.' " 

Although  the  chief  inns  in  the  Highlands  are  excellent,  there  is 
a  want  of  village  inns,  and  in  some  districts  on  the  skirts  of  the 
Grampians  and  in  Braemar  the  pedestrian  may  often  have  to  walk 
10  or  20  miles  without  reaching  one.  This  depends  on  the  will 
or  prejudice  of  the  landowners,  who  have  the  power  of  opening  and 
closing  an  inn  in  their  o\vn  hands,  and  one  would  think  that  the 
policy  of  encouraging  travellers,  as  the  Duke  of  Sutherland  has  done, 
would  be  more  profitable  than  that  of  exclusion. 

The  general  Inn  charges  are  on  the  whole  moderate.  In  the 
cities  and  mammoth  hotels,  the  handsome  sitting-rooms,  command- 
ing the  best  view,  cost  10s.  a  day,  and  the  lower  bedrooms  5s. 
Dinner  in  private  6s.  to  8s.  ;  but  in  the  country  districts  the  fol- 
lowing are  the  average  charges  : — 

Bed,  2s.  to  2s.  6d.  and  3s, 

Breakfast,  with  meat,  2s.  to  2s.  6d. 

Dinner : — Table  d'hote  4s.  to  5s.  ;  apart,  6s. 

Tea,  without  meat,  Is.  to  Is.  6d.  ;  with  meat,  2s.  to  2s.  6d. 

Attendance,  Is.  6d.  a-day  for  each  person. 

E.  Posting. — On  all  the  high  roads,  travellers  not  availing  them- 
selves of  public  coaches,  may  travel  as  comfortably  and  as  cheaply 
(or  dearly)  as  in  England,  with  post-horses. 

The  charges  are  Is.  a  mile  for  1  horse,  3d.  a  mile  for  driver. 
For  2  horses  Is.  6d.  a  mile,  4d.  a  mile  for  driver,  but  for  a  whole 
day's  work  the  driver  ought  not  to  get  more  than  5  s. 

In  some  parts  turnpikes  are  both  numerous  and  expensive,  seldom 
less  than  Is.  for  2  horses. 

The  carriages  for  hire  are  tolerable  ;  the  more  common,  a  car,  or 
waggonette,  is  called  a  machine  (only  a  bathing  machine  is  known  as 
a  "  coach  "  in  Scotland), — some  of  large  size,  holding  8  or  1 0  persons. 
On  by-roads  the  number  of  horses  kept  is  limited  ;  and  even  on  the 
more  frequented  lines,  during  "  the  tourist  season,"  there  is  such  a 
run  on  conveyances  that  the  supply  of  horses  often  falls  short.  It 
is  not  always  worth  the  innkeepers'  while  to  increase  the  number  for 
the   short   season  of  two  to  four  months,  when  this  large  demand 

*  See  Croker's  "  Boswell." 


[16]  J.  Travelling  Tiew :  Useful  EequisUes.         Introd. 

exists.  The  traveller,  therefore,  must  take  care  to  bespeak  horses  and 
vehicles  beforehand.  If  he  orders  by  telegram,  which  he  may  now 
do  in  all  parts  of  the  Highlands,  he  should  pay  for  an  answer.  Even 
with  this  precaution  he  must  be  prepared  for  detention  now  and  then. 

F.  Pedestrians. — Alpine  climbers  need  not  disdain  to  mount 
many  of  the  Scotch  mountains.  There  is  work  enough  in  many  of 
them,  together  with  a  spice  of  excitement,  although  rarely  any  danger, 
except  for  those  who  are  foolhardy.  The  greatest  risk  for  pedes- 
trians arises  not  so  much  from  inaccessible  scrambles,  as  the  mis- 
taking their  way,  and  being  overtaken  by  mist,  in  which  case  it  is 
as  perilous  to  fall  over  a  low  rock  as  a  tremendous  precipice.  The 
distances,  moreover,  across  the  moors  are  so  long,  and  the  straths 
are  so  similar  one  to  another,  that  it  has  happened  before  now  that 
a  party  have  had  unwillingly  to  bivouac  on  the  heather,  and  endure  the 
pangs  of  hunger,  thirst,  and  fatigue,  before  reaching  their  destination. 

The  usual  provision  for  hill  districts  are  specially  required 
in  Scotland,  viz.,  good  thick  boots,  a  reliable  stick,  a  flask  of  whiskey, 
a  light  waterproof,  or,  what  is  better  than  all,  a  good  Scotch  plaid, 
resjDecting  the  excellence  of  which  hear  an  enthusiast — of  course  a 
Scotchman  !  After  remarking  that  a  lady's  riding-habit  is  "  one 
of  the  many  uses  to  which  a  plaid  can  be  turned,  and  of  which  no 
other  garment  is  susceptible,"  he  continues — "  With  the  help  of  a 
belt  it  can  in  a  few  minutes  be  made  into  a  full  dress  for  a  man  ; 
it  is  the  best  and  lightest  of  wraps  by  day,  and  serves  for  bedclothes 
at  night  ;  it  can  be  used  as  a  bag  ;  it  will  serve  as  a  sail  for  a  boat  ; 
it  is  valuable  as  a  rope  in  rock  scrambling  ;  it  can  be  turned  into  a 
curtain,  an  awning,  a  carpet,  a  cushion,  a  hammock.  Its  uses,  in 
fact,  are  endless,  and  as  a  garment  it  has  this  superiority  over  every 
other,  that  there's  room  in't  for  twa  !" — N.  The  wanderer  should 
secure  a  correct  Majj ;  or,  failing  that,  the  fullest  directions  previous 
to  starting,  and  the  most  rigorous  observations  as  to  the  way  of  the 
wind,  the  direction  of  the  streams,  all  which  make  up  the  educa- 
tion of  an  experienced  traveller.  A  good  field-glass  adds  much 
enjoyment  to  the  excursion,  and  is  often  of  more  practical  value  in 
detecting  a  distant  path,  and  thus  saving  the  pedestrian  much  loss 
of  time.     A  compass  is  indispensable  for  the  pedestrian. 

Black's  large  J/a;;  of  Scotland,  in  12  sheets  (each  sheet  sold 
separately  for  2s.  6d.),  will  be  found  of  the  greatest  use  to  travellers, 
especially  pedestrians.  It  is  very  clear  and  very  accurate.  The  Ord- 
nance Ma})  is  admirable,  but  unfortunately  is  completed  only  for 
part  of  Scotland. 

G.  It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  the  less  luggage  the  tourist 


Scotla:nd.  II.  Antiquities.  [17] 

takes  with  him  the  more  independent  will  he  be,  but  a  moderate- 
sized  portmanteau  will  contain  ample  supplies  for  a  considerable 
tour.  Even  in  the  middle  of  summer  warm  clothing  should  not  be 
neglected,  the  nights  among  the  hills,  or  on  the  East  Coast,  when  an 
"  easterly  haar "  (as  a  damp  m'ist  and  east  wind  is  called  in  Scot- 
land) comes  driving  up  from  the  sea,  being  cold  enough  to  render 
additional  garments  by  no  means  unacceptable.  Take  a  dark  coat 
for  better  wear,  and  remember  that  it  is  not  quite  comme  il  faut  to 
walk  about  large  towns  like  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  in  a  costume 
w^hich  w^ould  be  suitable  enough  for  a  hillside  or  a  moor. 

A  couple  of  hints  more  perhaps  may  not  be  out  of  place  :  one  is 
to  remember  that  the  Scotch  Sabbath  is  excessively  rigorous,  and  that 
nothing  whatever  is  allowed  to  be  done  which  may  in  the  slightest 
degree  seem  to  contravene  the  laws  of  the  kirk.  It  is  not  always 
possible  to  get  a  conveyance,  except  in  Glasgow,  Edinburgh,  or  at 
the  seaside  watering-places.  The  other  hint  is  to  recollect  that 
the  Scotch  middle  and  lower  classes  are  not,  as  a  rule,  given  to 
joking,  except  with  their  own  dry,  sententious  humour,  and  that 
they  very  rarely  understand  w^hat  is  commonly  called  "  chaff."  It 
is  better  to  bear  this  in  mind,  as  it  may  account  for  many  an 
apparently  surly  manner  or  gruff  reply. 

Finally,  every  tourist  should  visit  Scotch  scenery  prepared  for 
every  kind  of  weather,  and  gifted  with  a  considerable  stock  of 
patience.  The  very  day,  the  very  hour,  on  which  he  may  turn 
back,  disheartened  at  the  w^eather,  it  clears  up,  and  reveals  views 
unparalleled  for  atmospheric  effects. 

The  traveller  in  the  west  of  Scotland,  among  the  lochs  and 
rivers,  is  subjected  to  an  intolerable  insect  plague  of  "  midges," — small 
gnats,  scarcely  A^isible,  but  covering  the  face  with  painful  and  endur- 
ing punctures.  Prince  Charles,  in  his  year  of  hiding,  1746,  was 
nearly  driven  distracted  by  them.  Turpentine  is  said  to  be  an 
antidote,  but  the  cure  is  almost  as  bad  as  the  disease. 

II.  Antiquities. 

Scotland  has  a  large  field  open  to  antiquarian  exploration,  and 
the  wonder  is  how  few  attempts  have  been  made  to  examine  and 
describe  it  systematically.  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  a  short  list 
of  the  principal  works  in  this  branch,  so  that  the  tourist  who  is 
interested  in  the  subject  may  consult  them.  They  include  Pennant's 
"  Tour  in  Scotland  ; "  the  publications  of  the  Bannatyne  and  Spald- 
ing Clubs  (the  latter  of  which  is  particularly  full  on  inscribed  stones)  ; 
Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Scotland  ; 
the  "  Cambridge  Camden  Society's  Papers/'  which  contain  a  learned 


[18]  11.  Antiquities.  Introd. 

series  on  the  Argyllshire  Ecclesiastical  Antiquities  bv  Mr,  Howson  ; 
Grose's  "  Antiquities  ; "  Billings'  "  Baronial  and  Ecclesiastical  Anti- 
quities," a  magnificent  and  exhaustive  work  ;  "  Pre-Historic  Annals 
of  Scotland,"  b}^  Daniel  Wilson  ;  "  The  Sculptured  Stones  of  Scot- 
land," b}^  John  Stuart,  2  vols.  4to  (Spalding  Club),  1856  and  1867. 
The  works  of  the  late  Cosmo  Innes  —  "Scotland  in  the  Middle 
Ages  :  its  History  and  Social  Progress  (I860),"  and  "  History  of 
the  Northern  Parts  of  Britain," — abound  in  valuable  and  trustworthy 
information.  P^eeves'  "  Life  of  Adamnan  "  contains  the  best  account 
of  lona  and  St.  Columba.  These,  together  with  Burton's  valuable 
"  History  of  Scotland,"  are  perhaps  the  most  important  and  the 
most  accessible  sources  of  information. 

Of  late  years  much  attention  has  been  directed  to  1.  The  Earkj  or 
Pre-historic  Remains,  which,  in  the  districts  on  the  coast,  and  more 
especially  towards  the  north,  appear  to  be  unusually  abundant. 
Operations  for  draining  revealed  in  the  bed  of  the  Loch  of  Dowalton 
(Wigtownshire)  traces  of  the  lake  dwellings  so  common  in  Switzer- 
land ;  and  researches  in  Caithness  have  discovered  large  numbers 
of  mounds  containing  kists  and  relics  of  inhumation.  Of  these  Mr. 
Laing  says — "  The  rocky  coasts  and  commanding  heights  are  not 
more  thickly  studded  with  the  strongholds  of  Scandinavian  pirates 
and  mediaeval  barons,  than  are  the  shores  and  straths  with  large 
conical  mounds,  showing  traces  of  concentric  walls,  which  are  in  all 
probability  the  ruins  of  burghs  or  circular  towers.  In  addition 
there  are  numerous  chambered  cairns  and  Picts'  houses,  and  barrows 
or  sej)ulchral  tumuli  of  various  forms  and  dimensions.  There  are 
also  many  traces  of  hut-circles,  and  other  pre-historic  dwellings,  of  a 
humbler  class  than  the  circular  burgh  ;  and  numerous  shell-middens, 
or  refuse-heaps  of  the  food  of  the  ancient  inhabitants,  are  found  in 
connection  with  their  dwellings." 

2.  The  Burghs,  or  Picts^  Houses,  as  some  call  them,  are  involved 
in  very  much  the  same  obscurity  as  to  date  as  the  last-named  antiqui- 
ties, some  archpeologists  attributing  them  to  Celts,  others  to  Scandi- 
navians. The  probability  is  that  they  were  anterior  to  either 
of  them,  although  used  by  the  different  races  of  inhabitants,  who 
found  them  ready  to  hand,  for  dwelling,  storing,  or  burying  pur- 
poses. But  it  appears  more  likely  that  they  were  of  earlier  date,  not- 
withstanding the  smoothness  and  regularity  of  the  buildings  them- 
selves, which  would  seem  to  point  to  the  work  of  a  more  civilised  people. 
Scandinavian  authorities  declare  that  nothing  like  them  was  ever 
found  in  those  countries.  Wilson,  in  his  "Pre-historic  Scotland," 
considers  them  to  be  long  prior  to  the  earliest  recorded  Scandinavian 
invasion  ;  and  ]\Ir.  Geo.  Petre  discovered  in  a  burgh  in  the  parish  of 


Scotland.  II.  Antiquities.  [19] 

Birsay,  in  Orkney,  contents  of  a  similar  character  to  those  in  the 
mounds.     To  the  same  date  we  may  assign — • 

3.  Circles,  which,  altliough  not  very  abundant,  show  more  or  less 
evidences  of  size  and  importance,  and  were  most  likely  the  great 
centres  of  religious  and  (probably)  legislative  ceremonies.  A  curious 
feature  in  connection  witli  these  remains  is,  that  the  largest  circles 
are  usually  found  in  the  islands,  such  as  Stennis  in  Orkney,  and 
Tormore  in  Arran,  which  seems  to  point  to  the  conclusion  that  these 
"  trysting-places  "  were  generally  established  where  they  could  over- 
look large  bodies  of  water.  It  is  worth  noticing  that  the  cromlech 
in  Wales  and  Ireland  is  almost  always  placed  in  a  similar  position. 

II.  Early  Historic  Remains. — 1.  Amongst  the  very  earliest  of  these 
we  should  be  disj)osed  to  class  the  Round  Totvers,  which,  though 
common  enough  in  Ireland,  are  represented  by  two  examples  only 
in  Scotland — Brechin  and  Abernethy.  Their  uses,  as  described  by 
the  late  Dr.  Petrie  in  his  erudite  work  on  "  Irish  Round  Towers," 
seem  to  have  been  those  of  providing  places  of  safety  and  defence 
for  the  ecclesiastical  buildings  and  treasures  in  their  neighbourhood, 
as  well  as  of  the  population  gathered  around.  Their  date  varies 
from  the  8th  to  the  12th  centuries,  and  it  seems  probable  that 
those  of  Scotland  are  of  the  later  class. 

2.  Memorial  Stones  are  of  two  sorts — the  plain  slab  used  to 
commemorate  some  interment  or  some  event,  and  generally  known 
as  a  "  stele."  Sometimes,  however,  they  are  used  for  purposes  of 
demarcation,  as  in  the  AVelsh  "  maenhir."  The  inscribed  stone  varies 
very  much  in  its  character,  from  the  simple  name  which  it  was 
intended  to  commemorate,  to  the  most  elaborate  ornamentation  and 
device  of  sculpture.  Of  the  latter,  Sweno's  Stone,  near  Forres,  is  a 
good  example. 

3.  Crosses  likewise  exhibit  a  great  diversity  of  character,  from 
the  plain  cross  to  the  sculptured.  But  very  few  are  now  left  in 
Scotland,  and  these  cannot  vie  in  comparison  with  those  of  Ireland. 
The  most  perfect  are  those  of  lona,  Campbeltown,  and  Inveraray. 

4.  Of  Dykes  and  Roads  there  are  likewise  very  few  remains,  what 
there  are  being,  limited  to  the  south.  They  include  the  Catrail  or 
Picts'  Dyke  across  the  Cheviots,  and  the  Devil's  Dyke  in  Dumfries- 
shire, both  early  British  works.  Of  a  later  date  is  the  Roman  wall 
of  Antoninus,  extending  from  the  Forth  to  the  Clyde,  also  the  Roman 
road  from  Nithsdale  to  Elvanfoot. 

5.  The  Cami^s  are  nearly  all  Roman.  The  number  of  Roman 
camps  is  very  great,  greater  it  is  said  than  in  all  the  rest  of  Europe, 
and  denotes  the  arduous  nature  of  the  struggle  with  the  natives,  and 
its  long  duration.     They  stretch  as  far  N.  as  Aberdeen  and  Inver- 


[20]  11.  AntiqidUes.  Inteod. 

ness-sliire,  but  are  most  numerous  in  the  comparatively  flat  districts, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Grampians,  Strathearn,  Strathmore,  and  Strathallan, 
The  arrangements  of  most  of  them  are  decidedly  Koman,  as  are  also 
their  names,  such  as  Caerlee,  Chesters,  etc.  Ardoch  camp  is  the 
most  perfect,  not  only  in  Scotland  but  in  the  British  isles. 

While  on  the  subject  of  defences  we  must  not  omit  mention  of 
those  singular  vitrified  forts  which  are  ascribed  to  the  Danes.  Dun- 
jardil,  in  Glen  Nevis  (easily  accessible)  ;  Ivnockfarril,  near  Dingwall ; 
Craig  Phadrick,  near  Inverness  ;  and  Dmiskeig,  in  Cantyre,  are  the 
best  preserved  and  most  interesting  examples.  It  will  not  escape 
notice  that  they  generally  occupy  projecting  and  isolated  heights, 
suited  for  beacons  or  bale-fires,  which  in  ancient  times  served  the 
purpose  of  telegrams  to  give  notice  of  foreign  invasion.  The  action 
of  fire  on  the  stone  heaps  upon  which  the  fires  were  lighted  may  in 
course  of  ages  have  caused  the  vitrification  of  these  stone  heaps. 
Some  antiquaries  believe  these  so-called  forts  to  have  been  merely 
enclosures  for  cattle. 

III.  Ecclesiastical  Remains  in  Scotland  cannot  well  be  judged  by 
the  same  rules  that  apj^ly  to  similar  remains  in  England.  "  Though 
so  near  a  neighbour,  and  so  mixed  up  with  England  in  all  the 
relations  of  war  and  peace,  the  Scotch  never  borrowed  willingly 
from  the  English,  but,  owing  probably  to  the  Celtic  element  in  the 
population,  all  their  affinities  and  predilections  were  for  continental 
nations,  and  especially  for  France.  So  completely  is  this  the  case, 
that  there  is  scarcely  a  single  building  in  the  country  that  would 
not  look  anomalous  and  out  of  place  in  England  ;  and  though  it  is 
true  that  the  edifices  are  not  entirely  French  in  design,  the  whole 
taste  and  character  of  them  is  continental,  though  wrought  out  in  a 
bolder  and  generally  in  a  simpler  and  ruder  fashion  than  the  corre- 
sponding examples  in  other  countries." — Fergusson.  The  consequence 
is,  that,  in  addition  to  the  foreign  admixture  of  style,  the  very  date 
of  the  various  styles  in  Scotland  is  long  subsequent  to  the  pre- 
valence of  the  same  style  farther  south. 

Thus,  in  the  12th  century  (reign  of  David  I.),  when  the  pointed 
arch  was  in  use  in  the  South,  we  find  the  round  arch  in  full  vigour 
in  the  North  ;  and  when  the  Scotch  adopted  the  E.  E.  lanc&t  window, 
they  were  so  pleased  with  it  that  they  did  not  give  it  up,  but 
continued  to  use  it  long  after  tlie  Dec.  and  even  the  Perp.  styles 
prevailed  in  England.  Of  all  the  architectural  styles  the  one  most 
prevalent  is  that  of  the  Eomanesque,  sometimes  of  the  simple  round- 
arched  character,  but  more  frequently  combined  with  the  richest 
and  most  extravagant  ornamentation.  The  styles  of  the  several 
periods  are  not  so  definitely  marked  off  from  each  other  in  Scotland 


Scotland.  ^  III.  Geology.  [21] 

as  in  England,  a  great  mixture  of  styles  being  often  observable,  e.g. 
the  round-headed  arch  is  often  found  in  early  pointed  buildings  with 
mouldings  of  that  date. 

The  real  Decorated  features  are  very  scarce,  and  what  does 
remain  of  it  is  associated  with  the  Flamboyant  character  prevalent 
on  the  Continent. 

Of  Perp.  churches,  Melrose  is  almost  the  only  example  ;  and 
even  this,  Mr.  Fergusson  observes,  is  more  of  a  foreign  than  of 
English  type.  Eoslin,  which  is  of  the  date  of  the  15th  century,  is 
apparently  foreign  in  conception  and  execution,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  that  the  architects  and  builders  came  from  Portugal  or  Spain. 
Remarkable  features  in  many  of  the  ecclesiastical  buildings  in  Scotland 
are  the  bold  and  perfect  vaults  or  crypts,  which  often  retain  beauti- 
ful specimens  of  moulding,  although  the  vaulting  itself,  as  comj)ared 
with  those  in  England,  is  poor  and  weak. 

IV.  Castles  and  Towers. — Of  the  latter  there  are  numerous 
examples,  almost  all  of  the  same  rude  and  simple  type  of  Border  or 
Peel  towers,  in  which  strength,  and  the  greatest  capability  of  defence, 
with  a  small  number  in  garrison,  seem  to  have  been  the  desideratum. 
A  chain  of  these  towers  runs  along  the  Borders.  Of  the  former 
many  are  very  fine  and  extensive,  and  show  that  they  were  not 
merely  limited  to  purposes  of  warfare  but  served  also  as  places  of 
residence.  "  Scotland  is,  generally  speaking,  very  deficient  in  objects 
of  civil  or  domestic  architecture  belonging  to  the  middle  ages.  Of 
her  palaces,  Holyrood  has  been  almost  rebuilt  in  the  reign  of 
Charles  I.,  and  Edinburgh  Castle  entirely  remodelled.  Stirling  still 
retains  some  fragments  of  ancient  art,  and  Falkland  passes  into  rich 
and  fantastic  Renaissance."     But  of 

Mansions,  many  of  them  still  inhabited,  there  are  many  noble 
examples,  presenting  a  singular  style  which  is  very  peculiar  to 
Scotland,  and  strongly  indicates  the  French  tendency.  As  the 
architectural  features  are  described  under  each  example,  it  will  not 
be  necessary  to  enter  here  into  greater  detail. 

III.  Geology. 

On  a  subject,  such  as  the  Geology  of  Scotland,  on  which  volumes 
have  been  written,  it  is  obvious  that  only  the  merest  outline  can  be 
furnished  in  a  handbook,  but  as  there  is  a  growing  tendency  amongst 
tourists  to  combine  the  picturesque  and  the  scientific,  we  cannot  do 
better  than  recommend  Geikie's  "  Scenery  of  Scotland  "  as  a  travel- 
ling companion,  together  with  the  geological  sketch  map  compiled  by 
him  and  Sir  R.  Murchison. 

Commencing  at  the  most  superficial  and  modern  deposits,  are 


[22]  III.  Geology.  Introd. 

A.  Recent,  in  which  we  may  include — 1.  Peat  mosses  and  Pre-lustorlc 
Forests. — Peat  mosses  are  generally  thonght  to  have  been  of  compara- 
tively modern  date,  on  account  of  the  frequent  discovery  of  remains 
proved  to  be  Roman,  though  they  are  believed  with  some  probability 
to  belong  to  the  earlier  period  known  as  the  Bronze.  The  mosses, 
physically  speaking,  are  interesting  from  their  rapid  formation  and 
the  consequent  alteration  of  the  face  of  the  country,  and  because 
they  mark  the  site  of  lochs  and  tarns,  as  w^ell  as  of  ancient  and 
pre-historic  forests.  Many  of  the  mosses,  which  were  so  dreary,  and 
characteristic  of  the  district,  have  been  drained  and  recovered  by  the 
husbandman,  while  others  have  died  out,  so  to  speak,  and  finished 
growing,  covering  the  rugged  and  treacherous-looking  surface  with 
the  appearances  known  as  "  moss-hags."  2.  Post-Glacial  Traces,  by 
which  we  mean  those  evidences  of  upheaval  which  took  place  subse- 
Cjuent  to  the  submergence  of  the  glacial  epoch.  Eaised  beaches  are 
the  practical  result  of  this  upheaval,  and  the  observer  may  find  ample 
proofs  of  tliis  all  round  the  E.  and  W.  coast  of  Scotland,  at  a  height 
of  20  to  25  feet  above  the  present  sea  margin,  and  varying  in  breadth 
from  a  few  feet  to  several  miles.  "  This  old  or  upraised  beach  runs 
as  a  terrace  along  the  margin  of  the  Firth  of  Forth  ;  it  forms  the 
broad  carse  of  Falkirk  and  of  Gowrie,  it  is  visible  in  sheltered  bays 
along  the  exposed  coasts  of  Forfar,  Perth,  Kincardine,  Aberdeen,  and 
westwards  along  the  Moray  Firth.  On  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  island 
its  low  green  platform  borders  both  sides  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde, 
fringes  the  islands,  runs  up  the  river  beyond  Glasgow,  and  wdnds 
southwards  along  the  coast  of  Ayrshire  and  Wigtown  into  the  Irish 
Channel." — Geilde. 

Glasgow  itself  is  built  upon  just  such  a  terrace,  and  from  the  silt 
and  sand  of  which  it  consists  there  have  been  taken  out  at  different 
times  as  many  as  18  canoes,  the  details  of  which  prove  that  even 
those  early  inhabitants  understood  the  use  of  iron. 

B.  Glacial. — The  effects  of  the  great  glacial  epoch  are  found 
both  amidst  the  rugged  mountains  of  the  north  and  the  Lowlands 
of  the  south,  though  with  different  results. 

In  the  Highlands  we  find  in  every  lofty  chain  of  hills  the 
striations  and  groovings  w^hich  mark  the  passage  of  the  glacier  into 
more  open  regions,  w^hile  many  a  tarn  and  mountain  lake  shows  the 
artificial-looking  embankment  or  massive  heap  which  the  glacier  has 
left  in  its  downward  course.  Mr.  Geikie  proves  that  the  great 
glaciers  of  the  north  descended  into  Strath  more  with  such  irresist- 
ible pressure  as  to  have  mounted  over  the  Ochils  and  Sidlaws  and 
to  settle  in  the  basin  of  the  Forth,  while  the  southern  uplands  also 


Scotland.  III.  Geology.  [23] 

contributed  their  quota  to  the  general  glaciation.  The  result  has 
been  the  covering  of  the  Lowlands  with  a  thick  layer  of  "  till "  or 
boulder  clay,  which  is  divided  into  two  portions,  indicating  different 
periods  of  the  glacial  era. 

Among  deposits  of  this  epoch  we  may  place  tlie  brick-earth  beds 
w^hich  are  found  on  the  shores  of  the  Clyde,  and  which  contain  shells 
of  an  arctic  type. 

C.  Tertiary. — The  Volcanic  Islands  of  the  Inner  Hebrides  (Mull, 
Skye,  Eigg),  etc.,  consist  chiefly  of  sheets  of  basalt  with  intercalated 
seams  of  coal  and  leaf-beds.  These  rocks,  as  well  as  the  correspond- 
ing plateau  of  Antrim,  have  been  ascertained  to  belong  to  the 
Miocene  period.  "Among  the  leaf-beds  of  Mull  occur  well-preserved 
leaves  of  various  dicotyledonous  plants,  similar  to  those  found  among 
the  Miocene  rocks  of  Switzerland." — A.  G. 

D.  The  next  highest  formation  in  Scotland  is  that  of  the  Oolitic 
series,  which  presents  unusual  interest  from  its  proximity  to  older  re- 
mains, and  from  its  being  itself  so  much  traversed  by  volcanic  rocks 
of  the  Tertiary  age.  It  is  found  in  very  few  and  detached  spots,  in- 
variably on  the  coast,  where,  from  the  comparative  richness  of  the 
soil,  it  presents  a  marked  contrast  w^ith  the  rugged  barriers  of  con- 
glomerate and  Cambrian  mountains  that  bound  it  inland.  The 
oolitic  localities  are  on  the  E.  coast  of  Sutherlandshire,  from  Dun- 
robin  to  Helmsdale.  At  Brora,  about  midway  between  these  two 
places,  these  measures  are  peculiarly  interesting  from  including  a 
bed  of  coal  of  the  age  of  the  inferior  oolite,  and  considered  to  be  the 
equivalent  of  the  Yorkshire  oolitic  coal.  The  principal  seam  is  3  ft. 
8  in.  thick,  and  of  very  large  productive  powers. 

On  the  W.  coast  we  find  the  Isle  of  Skye  almost  entirely  com- 
posed of  rocks  of  the  oolitic  age,  although  nine-tenths  of  it  is  oolitic 
greenstone,  with  occasional  thin  beds  of  oolitic  and  Oxford  clay,  run- 
ning the  length  of  the  island  from  N.  to  S,  In  the  narrowest  portion 
of  Skye,  between  Broadford  and  Loch  Eishart,  the  oolite  and  lias  are 
well  developed  and  rich  in  fossils.  The  rocks  and  precipices  on  the 
W.  coast  of  Loch  Slapin  consist  of  oolitic  sandstone,  w^orn  into  caves 
and  capped  by  greenstone.  To  the  N.  of  Broadford,  part  of  the 
island  of  Eaasay  and  the  whole  of  Pabbay  are  oolitic,  and  are  extra- 
ordinarily rich  in  fossils. 

To  the  S.  of  Skye  is  the  island  of  Eigg,  the  most  striking 
example  of  denudation  in  the  British  Isles,  whose  oolite  strata  are 
overlaid  by  volcanic  rocks  of  the  Tertiary  age.  The  coasts  of  Mull 
and  Morven,  too,  exhibit  patches  of  measures  of  the  same  date. 
At  Loch  Aline,  just  above  the  sea-level,  are  lias   rocks  containing 


24]  III.  Geology.  Introd. 

Gry^yhcEa  incurva,  and  covered  by  thick  masses  of  tabular  basalt,  as 
is  also  the  case  on  the  E.  coast  of  Mull,  and  on  the  W.  coast,  near 
Loch-na-Keal. 

E.  Triassic,  or  Nm  Red  Sandstone. — A  band  of  rocks  some  6 
miles  in  width  extends  over  the  Moray  coast  from  Buckie  to  Burg- 
head.  Sir  Chas.  Lyell  and  Kev.  W.  Symond  believe  them  to  be  of 
Triassic  date,  while  others  class  them  as  upper  Old  Bed  beds. 
There  is,  however,  no  doubt  but  that  they  are  reptiliferous,  and  at 
Elgin  and  Lossiemouth  have  yielded  the  remains  of  that  singular 
reptile  the  Hyperodapedon  (Telerpeton)  Elginense. 

F.  The  Permian  Rocks  also  are  very  scanty,  and  are  confined  to 
a  few  patches  in  the  south,  which  are  found  occupying  the  valleys 
of  the  Annan  as  far  as  Moffat,  and  the  Nith  above  Thornhill.  They 
are  again  seen  to  the  W.,  lining  the  W.  coast  of  Loch  Byan,  and 
forming  the  central  part  of  the  Ayrshire  coal-field.  In  all  cases 
they  are  found  mottling  the  surface  of  the  Silurian  deposits,  show- 
ing that  the  Old  Bed  and  Carboniferous  beds  must  have  been 
denuded  before  the  Bermian  era.  In  Nithsdale  and  Ayrshire  Mr. 
Geikie  has  found  that  the  Bermian  rocks  contain  contemporaneous 
volcanic  masses,  and  thus  that  active  volcanoes  were  scattered  over 
the  S.W.  of  Scotland  during  the  Bermian  period. 

The  geologist  may  study  them  best  above  Dumfries,  and  in  the 
valley  of  the  Annan  at  Corncockle  Quarry,  where  the  late  Dr. 
Duncan  of  Buthwell  and  Sir  W.  Jardine  found  footmarks  of  gigantic 
crustaceans  ;  also  overlying  the  Carboniferous  beds  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  Liddel,  near  Biddings  Junction  and  Canonbie,  although 
Mr.  Binney  believes  that  these  Bed  rocks,  as  they  are  called,  belong 
to  the  upper  carboniferous  series  rather  than  to  the  Bermian. 

G.  Carboniferous. — We  come  now  to  what  we  may  call  the 
principal  formations  of  which  Scotland  is  composed,  and  which  the 
student  of  a  geological  map  will  observe  follow  each  other  in  a 
certain  parallel  sequence. 

The  Carboniferous  system  of  Scotland  is  very  extensive,  and 
has  this  singular  difference  from  those  of  England  and  Wales,  viz , 
that  most  of  the  coal-beds  are  referable  to  the  age  of  carboniferous 
limestone,  and  not  (although  there  are  a  few)  to  the  true  coal-bear- 
ing strata.  Instead  of  the  solid  beds  of  limestone,  characteristic  of 
the  centre  of  England,  we  find  in  Scotland  a  thick  series  of  sand- 
stone, shales,  blackband  ironstones,  and  coal  seams,  with  occasional 
beds  of  marine  limestone  containing  fossils  of  the  Carboniferous 
Limestone  period. 


Scotland.  III.  Geology.  [25] 

The  true  coal-bearing  beds  lie  in  4  or  5  basins,  and  consist  of — 

1.  Basin  of  the  Clyde,  which  extends  from  Renfrewshire  to 
Linlithgow,  and  is  prolonged  northwards  into  Clackmannan,  the 
beds  of  which  are  separated  by  an  uprising  of  lower  Carlioniferous 
rocks.  It  is  about  4000  feet  in  depth,  and  contains  12  seams  of 
workable  coal  and  9  of  ironstone,  which  sufficiently  accounts  for  the 
fiery  atmosphere  of  Lanarkshire.  Amongst  these  beds  of  coal  is  the 
celebrated  Boghead  or  Torbane  Hill  mine,  which  gave  rise  to  so  much 
litigation,  and  which  has  proved  such  a  fortune  to  the  lessee  (Rte.  14). 

2.  The  Midlothian  basin  lies  in  a  double  triangle,  part  of  which 
is  in  the  county  of  Edinburgh  and  part  in  Haddington.  It  is  about 
64  square  miles  in  area,  and  contains  upwards  of  60  beds  of  coal 
of  more  or  less  thickness. 

3.  The  Ayrshire  field  stretches  from  Ardrossan  to  Ayr,  and  is 
only  divided  from  the  Lanarkshire  field  by  a  ridge  of  trap  rocks  of 
Lower  Carboniferous  age. 

4.  The  Fifeshire  basin  is  excessively  disturbed  by  faults  and 
igneous  rocks,  although  at  the  same  time  it  is  very  productive,  and 
contains  29  beds  of  workable  coal  of  120  ft.  in  thickness.  Indeed 
the  Avhole  of  the  Carboniferous  measures  are  intimately  associated 
with  igneous  rocks,  both  contemporaneous  and  intrusive,  but  we 
will  say  more  of  these  at  the  end  of  this  section. 

Taken  as  a  whole,  this  group  may  be  divided  in  the  following 
manner  : — 

"  Upper  or  flat  coal  =   English  coal  measures. 

Moor  rock  or  Roslyn  ]  =   Millstone  grit  and  upper  lime- 

sandstone  j  stone  shale. 

Lower  or  edge  coal  |^ 

Carboniferous  limestone  J 
Calciferous  sandstone.  =   Lower  limestone  shale. 

The  latter  occur  in  their  greatest  development  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  great  central  basin  of  the  country,  and  thin  out  rapidly  to  the 
S.W.,  so  that  in  Lanarkshire  and  Ayrshire  they  are  in  many  places 
wholly  wanting,  and  the  carboniferous  limestones  rest  directly  on  the 
felstones  and  sandstones  of  the  Old  Red  group." — Sir  R.  Murchison.' 
The  fossil  collector  will  find  much  to  interest  him  in  the  ferns, 
shells,  and  fish  remains  of  the  Lanarkshire  basin,  and  in  the  Burdie- 
house  freshwater  limestone  fishes  of  the  Lothian  field  (Rte.  1 6). 

H.  The  Old  Red  Sandstone  forms  one  of  the  most  important  and 
interesting  geological  divisions  in  the  country,  principally  from  the 
extraordinary  number  of  typical  fossils,  such  as  fishes  and  crustaceans. 

[Scotia, id. ^  b  2 


Carboniferous  limestone. 


[2G]  III.  Geology.  -        Introd. 

The  genius  of  Hugli  Miller  has  made  the  Old  Red  of  Scotland 
classic  ground,  and  it  is  impossible  to  read  his  works  without  feeling 
a  strong  interest,  almost  amounting  to  fascination. 

This  group  is  divided  into  3  great  series — 

1.  The  Upper  Old  Red  (yellow  and  red  sandstones), 

2.  Middle,  or  Caithness  flags. 

3.  Lower,  or  Forfarshire  flagstones. 

Of  these  the  middle  are  found  only  in  the  north  of  Scotland,  there 
heing  "  in  the  south  a  great  hiatus  below  the  upper  member  of  the 
formation,  which  shades  up  into  the  Carboniferous,  and  rests  quite 
nnconformably  npon  the  Lower  Old  Red  Sandstone,  the  middle 
portion  not  having  been  satisfactorily  established  to  the  south  of 
the  Grampians." 

1.  The  UiiiJer  Old  Bed  deposits  are  found  in  a  narrow  strip  on 
the  southern  flanks  of  the  Ochils,  running  from  Loch  Leven  to 
Cupar  and  St.  Andrews.  To  the  south  they  disappear  under  the 
lower  Carboniferous  rocks,  but  reappear  again  in  Haddingtonshire 
and  Berwickshire,  graduating  by  imperceptible  stages  into  the  lower 
Carboniferous  sandstones,  and  "lying  in  bays  along  the  northern 
edge  of  the  Lammermuirs,  capping  their  summit  south  of  Fala,  and 
ascending  from  the  low  grounds  of  the  Tweed  up  the  valley  of  the 
Leader."  It  is  evident  from  their  fragmentary  condition  that 
denudation  has  been  very  active  here,  and  that  the  Upper  Old  Red 
formerly  covered  the  whole  of  the  district.  The  geologist  will  find 
it  to  liis  account  to  visit  the  neighbourhood  of  Cupar  and  Dura  Den. 

In  the  north  we  find  the  interval  between  Lossiemouth,  Elgin, 
and  Burghead  occupied  by  reptiliferous  rocks  {Telerpeton  Elginense), 
which  most  geologists  have  ascribed  to  Upper  Old  Red  date, 
though  others  consider  them  as  Triassic  (p.  24.)  A  small  patch, 
also  containing  impressions  of  tracks,  is  found  on  the  opposite  coast, 
at  Tarbet  Ness. 

2.  The  middle  division,  or  Caithness  flags,  is  absent  in  the  S., 
and  in  fact,  as  far  as  we  know,  is  limited  to  two-thirds  of  the  county 
of  Caithness,  and  a  long  narrow  strip  on  the  S.  coast  of  the  Moray 
Firth  from  Inverness  to  Burghead.  The  Caithness  flags  are 
particularly  full  of  bitumen,  and  are  moreover  highly  charged  with 
fossil  fish,  principally  of  the  genus  Coccosteus,  and  in  some  places 
with  land  plants. 

3.  The  Loive?'  Old  Red  is  the  most  extensive  in  the  series,  and 
is  found  principally  in  an  area  forming  a  broad  line  of  demarcation 
between   the   gneiss   of  the    Highlands  and  the   trap   and   igneous 


Scotland.  III.  Geology.  [27] 

district  of  tlie  Lowland  valley.  If  we  draw  a  line  from  the  coast 
of  Kincardine  to  Cantyre  on  tlie  N.,  and  from  Dumbarton  to  a 
little  above  Cupar  on  the  S.,  we  find  that  it  will  mark  out  tins 
Lower  Old  Red  area.  The  following  general  section  is  of  the  Old 
Red  in  the  Forfarshire  district,  where  it  is  upwards  of  3000  feet 
thick. 

a.  Dark  red  grits  =  English  tilestones. 

h.  Thick  conglomerates  and  Arbroath  paving  flags,  containing 
Pterignotus,  etc. 

c.  Thick  bedded  red  sandstone. 

d.  Soft  deep  red  sandstone. 

e.  Spotted  marles  and  shales. 

In  the  N.  we  find  the  Lower  Old  Red  skirting  in  a  broken  and 
interrupted  manner  the  E.  coast  of  Ross  and  Sutherland,  and 
occupying  one-third  of  the  western  portion  of  Caithness.  Thence  a 
narrow  strip  occupies  the  northern  shores  of  the  Moray  Firth,  and 
runs  down  to  accompany  the  Caledonian  Canal,  where  it  terminates 
in  the  bold  dome  of  Mealfourvournie.  "Again,  along  the  northern 
shores  patches  of  the  same  kind  are  found  from  the  borders  of 
Caithness  to  Roan  Island,  sometimes  in  little  outliers  standing 
high  among  the  inland  hills.  Hence  it  must  be  inferred  that  a 
large  part,  if  not  the  whole  of  the  county  of  Sutherland,  was  once 
covered  with  a  sheet  of  Old  Red  conglomerate." — GeiJcie. 

In  the  S.  there  is  a  patch  of  Lower  Old  Red  between  Kilmarnock 
and  Lanark.  Here,  and  particularly  at  Lesmahagow,  it  is  intimately 
associated  with. 

I.  The  Upper  Silurian,  both  series  being  traversed  by  numbers 
of  felstone  dykes.  They  are  disposed  in  long  rolling  folds,  the 
Silurian  strata  forming  the  axis  of  each  anticlinal.  The  upper 
Silurian  rocks  are  absent  in  the  North  Highlands,  and  are  found  in 
the  S.  only  at  Lesmahagow,  in  the  Pentland  Hills,  and  occupying  a 
small  area  in  Kirkcudbright,  extending  from  "Wigtown  Bay  across 
the  Dee  to  the  mouth  of  the  IJrr. 

J.  The  Loiver  Silurian  of  south  Scotland,  with  its  slates  and 
limestones,  occupies  the  greater  portion  of  the  Southern  Highlands, 
being  bounded  on  the  N.  by  a  tolerably  regular  line  from  Dunbar 
to  Girvan.  Sir  R.  Murchison  remarks  that  it  may  be  regarded  as 
bent  into  a  great  arch,  the  centre  of  which  runs  from  S.W.  to  N.E., 
passing  to  the  S.  of  the  town  of  Moffat.  South  of  this  line  the 
strata  dip  to  the  S.E.,  while  on  the  N.E.  they  are  flanked  uncon- 
formably  by  the  Old  Red  and  carboniferous  rocks.     Although  the 


[28]  III.  Geology.  Introd. 

lower  Silurian  strata  of  the  S.  have  not  suffered  metamorphosis  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  have  in  the  N.,  they  have  yet  undergone 
much  folding  and  squeezing.  The  geologist  will  see  in  AVigtowTi,  or 
the  cliffs  of  Berwick,  "the  hard  greywacke  and  shales  bent  into 
great  arclies  and  troughs,  or  squeezed  into  little  puckerings,  and  will 
be  able  to  trace  these  plications  following  each  other  from  top  to 
bottom  mile  after  mile  along  the  coast.'' — Geilde. 

In  the  North  Highlands  eight-tenths  of  the  rocks  consist  of  lower 
Silurian  strata,  metamorphosed  into  clay,  chlorite  and  mica  slate,  and 
gneissose  rocks,  based  on  qnartzose,  flagstones,  and  associated  lime- 
stones. From  the  Cambrians  of  the  W.  coast  to  the  great  Glen  is  a 
great  series  of  anticlinal  and  synclinal  curves,  whereby  the  same 
system  of  altered  rocks  which  occur  on  the  N.W.  is  repeated  on  itself. 

"  The  chain  of  lakes  that  stretches  from  Inverness  to  Oban  is 
therefore  an  anticlinal  axis,  broken  through  by  a  coincident  line  of 
fault."  From  here  the  limestones  and  cjuartz  rocks  are  thrown  off 
to  the  E.,  and  are  surmounted  by  a  conformable  mass  of  quartzose  and 
gneissose  strata.  An  anticlinal  of  quartzose  rocks  rises  from  under 
Loch  Leven  to  the  S.E.,  and  runs  through  the  Breadalbane  Forest 
into  Glen  Lyon,  where  it  sinks  below  the  upper  gneissose  strata  with 
their  associated  limestones.  Ben  Lawers  occupies  the  synclinal 
formed  by  these  upper  strata.  Professor  Jameson  shows  that  the 
Silurians  of  the  S.W.  Highlands  have  also  been  thrown  into  great 
undulations  with  an  anticlinal  axis  extending  from  the  N.  of  Cantyre 
through  Cowal,  and]  by  the  bend  of  Loch  Riden  to  Loch  Eck  and 
Loch  Lomond.  The  E.  coast  from  Stonehaven  to  Aberdeen  affords 
an  interesting  illustration  of  the  structure  of  the  Grampians.  The 
Old  Red  of  Stonehaven  is  succeeded  by  the  clay  slates  of  Carron 
Point,  and  then  by  mica  slate  and  gneiss,  aU  of  them  frequently 
traversed  by  dykes  of  trap,  porphyry,  quartz,  and  granite. 

The  limestones  of  Sutherlandshire,  which  lie  at  the  base  of  the 
lower  Silurian,  prove  from  the  nature  of  their  fossils  the  identity  of 
these  rocks  with  the  calciferous  sand  rocks  of  N.  America. 

These  limestones,  with  their  associated  quartz  rocks,  rest  uncon- 
formably  on 

K.  The  Cambrian  strata,  which  consist  of  brownish  red  sand- 
stones and  conglomerates,  resting  on  the  convoluted  edges  of  the 
older  gneiss.  The  W.  coast  of  Ross,  extending  from  the  Applecross 
district  to  Torridon,  Poolewe,  Loch  Maree,  and  thence  into  Suther- 
land as  far  as  Loch  Enard,  are  the  localities  where  the  Cambrian 
rocks  are  principally  developed,  in  addition  to  a  patch  on  the  island 
of  Rum.      Underneath  these  strata  lies 


Scotland.  III.  Geology.  [29] 

L,  Thid  fundamental  gneiss,  also  called  Laurentian  gneiss,  as  being 
tlie  equivalent  of  that  system  in  Nortli  America  and  the  oldest 
known  rocks.  It  has  a  strike  from  S.E.  to  N.W.,  beiug  at  right 
angles  to  all  the  other  superjacent  deposits.  These  rocks  are  found 
occupying  a  small  space  on  either  side  Loch  ]\Iaree,  on  the  N,  shores 
of  which  they  contain  a  band  of  limestone,  and  farther  N.  occupying 
the  W.  coast  of  Sutherland,  occasionally  capped  by  the  Cambrian,  as 
at  Queenaig  near  Inchnadamff.  *  Lewis,  the  Outer  Hebrides,  Coll,  and 
Tiree  are  also  composed  of  the  Laurentian  gneiss. 

M.  In  closing  this  brief  notice  of  the  Geology  of  Scotland,  a  few 
words  must  be  said  of  the  igneous  and  intrusive  rocks  which  go  so 
far  in  making  up  the  accessories  of  Scotch  scenery.  Granite  (unless 
indeed  Mr.  Geikie  is  right  in  believing  that  it  is  not  an  igneous 
rock  at  all,  but  only  a  farther  development  of  metamorphosis)  is  found 
rising  up  amongst  the  highest  mountain  groups,  such  as  Ben  Nevis, 
where  it  is  pierced  by  porphyry,  the  Cairngorms,  Ben  Alder,  Ben 
Dearig,  Ben  Laoghal,  the  Hill  of  Ord,  Ben  Cruachan,  Goatfell,  etc. 
But  it  is  not  only  in  the  very  lofty  hills  that  granite  is  observed, 
but  sometimes  in  comparatively  low  grounds,  such  as  are  seen  in  the 
N.  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  in  the  lonely  moor  of  Rannoch,  The  Old 
Eed  igneous  rocks  consist  of  Felspathic  rocks,  porphyries,  and  inter- 
stratified  ashes,  such  as  form  the  Sidlaw,  Ochil,  and  Pentland  Hills. 

The  Carboniferous  igneous  rocks  of  contemporaneous  date  are 
principally  found  in  the  Lothians,  such  as  Arthur's  Seat  and  the 
Bathgate  Hills  ;  while  for  intrusive  rocks  we  may  specify  Stirling 
Rock,  Castle  Rock  of  Edinburgh,  etc. 

Permian  Rochs  occur,  as  already  stated,  in  Xithsdale  and  Ayr- 
sliire.  The  Tertiary  volcanic  Rocks  of  Scotland  are  seen  along  the 
line  of  the  Inner  Hebrides,  and  from  Antrim  northwards.  They 
reappear  in  the  Faroe  Islands  and  even  in  Iceland. 

Appended  is  a  list  of  some  of  the  most  interesting  spots  to  the 
geologist  and  fossil  collector  : — 

Post- Tertiary. — Bute,  Paisley,  Dalniuir,  Tignabruaich. — Arctic  shells. 

Tertiary. — Ardtun,  Mull  :  Leaf -heels. 

Oolitic. — Skye,  Pabba  :  Liassic  fossils.     Helmsdale  and  Brora  :  Plants. 

Trias  1 — Elgin  :  Hyperodapedon  {Telerp)eton),  Elginense. 

Permian. — Valley  of  Nith,  Corncockle  Muir  Quarry,  Annandale  :  Foot- 
marks of  Reptiles. 

Carboniferous. — Boghead,  Torbane  Hill  mineral.  Lanarkshire  basin  ; 
Coal-plants,  shells,  brachiopoda  of  the  limestone.  Lothian  basin  :  Fishes 
of  Burdiehouse  limestone. 

CarhoniferoiLs.—Axvax\.  :   Trees  preserved  in  trap. 

Upper  Old  Pi.ed.  —  Dura  Den  :  Fishes. — Phaneropleuron  Andersoni, 
Glyptoloenius  Kinnairdii,  Holoptychius  Andersoni.     Cromarty  :  Diplacan- 


30 


Route  3. — St.  Bosicells  to  Beston — Dunse.       Sect.  I. 


4|  m.  Earlston  Stat.,  celebrated  as 
the  residence  of  Thomas  of  Ercil- 
doun,  otherwise  known  as  Thomas 
the  Rhymer,  in  whose  prophecies  the 
whole  country  side  once  put  implicit 
faith.  He  was  born  in  the  reign  of 
Alexander  II.,  and  was  contemporary 
with  Wallace.  It  was  the  general 
belief  that  he  was  carried  away  by 
the  Queen  of  the  Elfins,  into  the 
interior  of  the  Eiltlon  Hills  (Rte.  1.). 

The  Rhymer's  Tower  is  to  be  seen 
at  the  W.  end  of  the  village,  close 
to  the  river. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Earlston 
are  Coicdenknovjcs  (R.  Cotesworth, 
Esq.),  the  scene  of  Robert  Craw- 
ford's ballad,  "The  Bonnie  Broom," 
and  Carolside  (A.  Mitchell,  Esq.). 

lOg  m.  Gordon  Stat,  5  m.  to  the 
N.  of  which,  near  the  village  of 
Westruther,  is  Spottiswood,  the  seat 
of  Lady  John  Scott.  The  parish 
contains  the  old  border  tower  of 
Evelaw  and  some  earthworks. 

14|  m.  Greenlaiv  Stat.,  though 
the  county  town  of  Berwick,  does 
not  possess  the  slightest  interest  for 
the  tourist.  It  is  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Blackadder.  The  geo- 
logist will  find  at  JBedshicI,  2  m.  to 
the  N.  of  Greenlaw,  an  example  of 
"kaim,"  which  Mr  Milne-Home 
believes  to  have  been  formed  of 
marine  shingle  when  the  land  was 
at  a  lower  level  than  at  present.  It 
consists  of  elongated  ridges  of  sand 
and  gravel,  distinctly  stratified,  from 
30  to  60  ft,  high,  and  extending  for 
about  3  m.,  and  appears  more  like 
defensive  works  than  natural  results. 

The  ruins  of  Hume  Castle,  the 
former  stronghold  of  the  Earls  of 
Home,  are  3  m.  to  the  S.,  and  are 
worth  visiting  for  the  magnificent 
view  over  the  Merse  district  (see 
above). 

18,  m.  Marclimont  Stat.,  near  which 
is  Marchmont  House,  the  seat  of  Sir 
Hugh  Hume-Campbell,    Bart.,  con- 


taining a  fine  collection  of  paintings. 
Those  best  worth  attention  are — 
Philip  baptizing  the  Eunuch,  Cuyp  : 
Forest  Scene,  Euysdael,  "fine  and 
very  uncommon  in  composition  ;  " 
Corps  de  Garde,  Tenters ;  portrait 
of  Don  Livio  Odescalchi,  Vondyck ; 
Forest  Scene,  Wynants ;  Ships  in 
distress,  Vandervelde.  In  the  family 
burial  vault  under  Polwarth  Ch., 
within  the  Park,  Sir  Patrick  Hume, 
an  adherent  of  Argyle  in  1685,  was 
concealed  for  a  month  in  the  dark, 
sleeping  on  a  mattress  stealthily 
conveyed  from  the  house,  and  fed  by 
his  daughter  Grisel,  who  repaired  to 
him  at  midnight  with  supplies, 
unknown  to  any  one  but  her  mother. 
The  house  meanwhile  was  frequently 
searched  by  the  soldiers  of  James  II. 
Sir  Pati'ick  eventually  escaped  to 
Holland. 

21 1  m.  DiTNSE  Stat,  after  Berwick 
the  largest  town  in  Berwickshire 
{Inn :  White  Swan),  claims  the 
honour  of  being  the  birthplace  of 
Duns  Scotus,  the  schoolman.  It 
is  certain  that  Dr  Thos.  M'Crie,  bio- 
grapher of  John  Knox,  and  Thos. 
Boston  ("Fourfold  State"),  were 
natives.  It  is  of  some  importance  as 
a  cattle,  horse,  and  sheep  market, 
standing  at  the  foot  of  the  Lammer- 
muir  Hills,  and  at  the  base  of  Dunse 
Law,  on  the  summit  of  which  there 
is  a  camp  :  from  this  hill  or  Dun  no 
doubt  it  gets  its  name.  There  is  a 
neat  E'piscojyal  Cliapel  at  Dunse. 

1  m.  from  Dunse  is  Rodes  Castle, 
said  by  some  to  be  the  scene  of  the 
ballad  "Adam  o'  Gordon." 

Dunse  Castle  (Col.  Hay)  is  a 
spacious  and  handsome  building, 
overlooking  the  town  on  the  AV. ,  and 
includes  the  old  tower  built  by  Ran- 
dolph Earl  of  Mora3\  On  the  S.  is 
Wedderhurn  Castle  (D.  Milne-Home, 
Esq.),  a  stately  mansion  of  Grecian 
architecture.  Also  Nishet  House 
(Lord  Sinclair),  Rimmerghame  House 
(A.  Campbell  Swinton,  Esq.),  a 
handsome   modern  mansion  (Bryce, 


J 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Berwick  to  Edinburgh. 


31 


archt.),  and  Langton  House  (Lady 
Elizabeth  Pringle)  (also  by  Bryce), 
begun  by  the  late  Marquis  of  Breadal- 
bane,  contains  a  collection  of  family 
pictures,  some  of  them  portraits  by 
Jameson. 

' '  On  the  N".  side  of  Cockburn  Law, 
about  3  m.  X.  fromDunse,  and  about 
a  mile  E.  from  Abbey  St.  Bathans, 
are  the  interesting  remains  of  an 
ancient  building  of  unhewn  and  un- 
cemented  stones  called  Ediiishall. 
It  is  circular  in  shape,  and  about 
90  ft.  in  diameter  :  the  wall  varies 
in  thickness  from  15  to  20  ft.  It  is 
surrounded  by  ditches  and  ramparts 
of  earth  and  stone,  and  there  are 
trenches  round  the  top  of  the  hill 
on  Avhich  it  stands." — Oliver. 

On  the  other  side  of  Cockburn  Law 
is  Priestlaiv,  where  a  convent  once 
stood.  The  Fassiiey  Water  here 
flows  over  some  rock  sections  of  great 
interest  to  the  geologist,  as  they 
show  the  manner  in  which  the  gra- 
nite and  greywacke  shale  of  the 
Lammermuirs  are  related  to  each 
other. 

Distances. — To  Greenlaw,  7\  m.  ; 
Coldstream,  I04  ;  Berwick,  I84. 

Dunse  is  a  good  fishing  station  for 
the  upper  waters  of  the  Whitadder, 
whicli  flows  about  3  m.  to  the  N. 
The  angler  should  go  up  to  Abbey 
St,  Bathans  and  the  Cottage,  where 
he  will  get  sport.  Trout  run  from 
4  lb.  to  14.  Passing  left,  Mander- 
ston  House  ("W.  Miller,  Esq.),  the 
train  reaches 

25  m.  Edrom  Stat.,  which  is  pro- 
bably a  corruption  of  Adderham, 
from  adder  or  didi&x = awedur  (Cam. 
Brit.)  =  running  water,  and  ham 
(Ang.-Sax. )  =  a  home  or  village,  ^ot 
far  from  Edrom  is  Broom  House  (G. 
Logan  Home,  Esq.),  a  modern  cas- 
tellated building,  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  fortress,  burnt  by  the  Eng- 
lish under  Lord  Evers.  The  river  is 
crossed  at 


26^  m.  Chirnside'  Stat.  The 
village  is  1  m.  to  the  right,  and  con- 
tains a  tine  old  ch.  of  the  15th  centy. 
in  good  repair.  Nincioells  House,  was 
the  family  residence  of  Hume  the 
historian. 

29  m.  Eestox  Junction  (Rta  4.). 


ROUTE  4. 

Berwick  to  Edinburgh,  by  Cold- 
ingham,  Dunbar  [North  Ber- 
wick], Haddington,  Preston- 
pans,  and  Musselburgh.,— North 
British  Rly.  (coast  line). 

574  m.  10  trains  daily,  in  Ij  to 
21  hrs. 

The  traveller  from  the  S.  cannot 
fail  to  be  struck  with  the  first  view 
of  Scotland  after  passing  Tweed- 
mouth.  The  rly.  is  carried  high  up 
on  the  hills  bounding  the  valley  of 
the  Tweed,  so  that  you  look  down 
upon  the  river,  its  junction  with  the 
sea,  and  the  town  on  its  N.  bank. 
The  rly.  clears  the  valley,  still  main- 
taining its  elevation,  by  Robert 
Stephenson's  noble  viaduct  of  28 
arches  in  a  curve,  126  ft.  high,  and 
nearly  \  mile  long  (cost  £120,000), 
leading  into 

Berivick  Junct.  Station,  occupy- 
ing the  site  of  the  ancient  historic 
Castle,  which  it  has  nearly  erased, 
only  a  few  fragments  of  walls  and 
towers  remaining  on  the  steep  slope 
running  down  towards  the  Tweed. 
The  view  from  the  edge  of  the  river 
and  viaduct  is  striking. 

Berwick-on-Tioeed  {Inns:  Red 
Lion,  King's  Arms.) 

Berwick,  from  its  position  on  the 
frontier  of  England  and  Scotland, 
was  for  ages  the  most  important  for- 
tress in  the  N.,  the  object  of  con.stant 
struggles  between  the  two  nations, 
and  the  scene  of  great  events.  The 
most  remarkable  of  these  were  the 
sieges  by  Edward  I.,  1296,  when  the 


[32]  V.  Hints  for  Yachtsmen  in  the  Hebrides.        Introd. 

There  is  good  anchorage  not  far  from  Millport,  on  the  E.  side  of  the 
Cumbrae,  at  the  ferry-house.     A  new  pier  has  been  built  here. 

GourocL  On  the  E,  shore  of  the  Clyde  going  N.,  the  best  place 
for  anchorage  is  Gourock  Bay.  This  place  is  more  frequented  by 
yachts  than  any  other  ;  but  strangers  visiting  the  Clyde  will  find 
Eow  more  convenient  and  less  disagreeable, — less  crowded  at  the  end 
of  the  week. 

RouK  Row,  on  the  Gairloch,  is  well  sheltered  and  quiet.  The 
scene  is  enlivened  by  the  villas  on  the  N.  shore,  and  beautified  by 
the  woods  of  Roseneath  Castle,  which  come  down  to  the  water's  edge. 
Row  is  close  to  Helensburgh,  wdiere  there  is  a  station  of  the  N. 
British  Railway,  and  from  which  numerous  excursions  can  be  made, 
as  the  railway  is  worked  in  connection  with  the  trains  to  Edinburgh 
and  Perth,  and  with  the  steamers  on  Loch  Lomond.  A  steamer 
sails  from  Helensburgh  to  meet  the  "  lona,"  and  there  is  constant 
communication  with  Greenock.  Yachts  can  be  headed  alongside 
Row  Quay,  or  Clynder  Pier  on  the  Roseneath  side. 

Lochs  Goil  and  Lovg.  These  lochs  are  rather  tedious  for  yachts 
to  ascend,  the  wind  generally  blowing  either  up  or  down,  and  the 
water  being  so  deep  that  an  anchorage  can  only  be  got  at  the  top  of 
each. 

Kyles  of  Bute.  This  passage  is  of  eas}^  navigation,  except  at  the 
Burnt  Islands.  There  the  passage  that  should  be  taken  is  the  S. 
one,  as  it  alone  is  buoyed.  It  can  easily  be  taken,  with  the  help  of 
the  chart  No.  2174,  price  Is.  6d.  It  is  not  advisable  for  a  stranger 
to  attempt  to  go  through  against  wdnd  and  tide.  . 

Rothesay  and  Port  Bannatyne  are  good  anchorages,  but  for  a 
yacht  the  pleasantest  place  is  to  the  W.  of  Colintraive  Pier. 

Loch  Fyne.  On  the  W.  we  have  E.  Tarbert.  The  loch  is  a  small 
Imsin,  generally  full  of  herring  boats,  and  should  not  be  entered.  If 
the  weather  is  good,  an  anchorage  may  be  taken  to  the  S.  of  the 
pier  off  a  small  pebble  bay. 

Ardrishaiy.  The  anchorage  is  good,  though  there  are  rocks  in 
the  bay.  Boats  are  charged  Is.  as  dues  for  landing  at  the  pier,  but 
this  covers  the  whole  stay  of  the  yacht.  Yachts  of  small  tonnage 
can  be  taken  through  the  Crinan  Canal.  Inquiry  should  be  made 
as  to  the  state  of  the  water  in  the  canal,  as  in  a  dry  summer  it 
becomes  very  low.  One  of  the  best  anchorages  in  the  loch  is  the 
N.  side  of  the  Otter  Spit.  There  are  anchorages  almost  anywhere 
along  the  sides  above  the  Otter  Spit.  At  Inveraray  beware  of  anchor- 
ing where  the  bottom  consists  of  sand  run  down  by  the  river  ;  also 
beware  of  a  spit  further  down  the  loch  than  the  qua}^ 

Mull  of  Kintyre  to  Caioe  Wrath.     The  first  places  to  rest  at  going 


Scotland.       Y.   Yachts  on  West  Coast  of  Scotland.  [33] 

N.  are  Lowlandman's  Bay  in  Jura  or  Gigha.  Giglia  is  not  easy  for 
a  stranger  to  take.  It  is  unsafe  to  go  between  Gigha  and  the  main- 
land. The  flood  tide  runs  to  the  westward  through  Corryvrechan,  so 
when  sailing  past  with  light  winds  care  must  be  taken  to  keep  well 
to  the  E. 

Crinan  is  not  a  good  anchorage,  except  in-  settled  weather. 

In  going  through  the  narrows  at  the  Slate  Islands,  called  also 
Scarha  Sound,  it  is  necessary  to  watch  the  tide.  Should  a  vessel 
not  have  a  commanding  breeze,  a  tide  can  be  waited  for  at  Blach 
Mill  Bay  in  going  N.,  but  coming  S.  there  is  no  good  anchorage  out- 
side the  Sound  nearer  than  Kerrera. 

Vessels  going  N.  have  all  along  the  coast  a  great  advantage  over 
vessels  going  S.,  as  the  tide  is  always  later  the  farther  N.  you  go. 

Ohan.  The  water  is  very  deep.  Fresh  butcher's  meat  and  sup- 
plies of  all  kinds  can  be  procured  here. 

Loch  Leven.  A  few  pleasant  days  can  be  spent  here,  visiting 
Glencoe  and  Loch  Leven.  Vessels  of  any  size  cannot  go  through 
the  second  narrows,  but  a  boat  excursion  can  be  made  to  the  Smoudie 
Falls  and  the  Serpent  Water. 

Sound  of  Mull.  Loch  Aline  is  a  pleasant  wooded  loch. 
The  entrance  is  narrow,  and  the  tide  runs  strongly.  The  whole  loch 
is  seen  from  the  entrance,  at  least  as  much  as  can  be  seen  of  it  from 
a  yacht's  deck. 

Tobermory.  A  dull  place — trout-fishing  in  Loch  Risca.  This 
harbour  is  much  frequented  by  yachts  and  coasters,  as  in  summer  ; 
the  wind  often  falls  light  at  sun  set,,  and  if  it  be  near  evening,  vessels 
require  to  give  Ardnamurchan  a  wide  berth,  on  account  of  the  con- 
stant swell  coming  in.  Provisions  can  be  got  here.  There  is  a 
postal  telegraph  office. 

Loch  Sunart.     A  very  long  loch,  but  worth  going  up  to  Strontian. 

Staffa.  The  tourists  by  the  steamer  see  almost  all  that  is  worth 
seeing,  and  a  little  is  to  be  gained  by  going  by  boat.  The  view  from 
the  summit  of  Staffa  is  hardly  equal  to  the  view  from  Dun  Eg,  in 
lona.  The  only  objects  missed  by  steamboat  tourists  are  a  fine  group 
of  pillars  at  the  N.  end,  and  the  two  caves  west  of  Fingal's  cave. 

Jona.  The  tide  runs  very  strongly  between  lona  and  Mull. 
The  sea  fishing  at  lona  is  very  good.  All  sailing  yachts  should  come 
to  lona  from  the  N.,  and  if  of  large  tonnage  should  lie-to  off  the  sandy 
beach  at  the  N.E.  end  of  the  island,  taking  care  always  to  keep  to 
the  N.  of  and  clear  of  the  sandbank  which  lies  off  the  Cathedral. 
There  is  less  swell  off  the  N.E.  end  of  the  island  than  anywhere  else, 
so  a  vessel  can  lie-to  here,  and  at  night  go  for  shelter  to  Loch  Laich, 
or  to  Seribly  Bay  on  the  N.  side  of  Ulva  Isle  in  Loch  Tuadh. 

[Scotland.]  C  1 


[34]  Y.  Hints  for  Yachtsmen  in  the  Hehides.       Introd. 

The  chart  of  the  Sound  of  Mull  (2155)  contains  Loch  Tuadh, 
and  with  it  and  No.  2617  it  is  quite  safe  to  visit  lona  ;  in  fact,  the 
chart  of  lona  is  the  best  guide  to  the  island,  as  it  gives  an  accurate 
plan  of  the  whole  of  it. 

There  are  so  many  rocks  to  the  S.W.  of  Mull  that  it  is  rash  for 
a  yacht  to  go  to  lona  by  the  S.  coast  of  Mull. 

For  yachts  under  fifty  tons  a  good  and  safe  but  confined  anchor- 
age can  be  got  in  a  narrow  arm  of  the  sea  on  the  Mull  shore  opposite 
the  Cathedral.  It  is  called  Bull's  Hole  or  Port  Dearg.  The  shelter 
is  complete,  but  difficulty  might  be  experienced  in  getting  out 
should  the  wind  come  in  from  the  S.W.  From  Port  Dearg  there  is 
a  passage  out  by  the  N.  ;  to  go  this  way  it  would  be  necessary  to 
mark  very  carefully  the  rocks  at  low  tide.  The  tide  runs  strong  in 
the  Bull's  Hole.  The  bottom  is  beautiful  sand.  The  rocks  around 
are  of  the  warm  red  granite  of  the  Ross  of  Mull. 

Eiqg.     Not  easy  to  land,  and  no  anchorage. 

Rum.  The  anchorage  is  in  Loch  Scresort,  which  is  sheltered 
from  the  prevailing  winds,  and  though  open  to  the  N.E.,  the  swell 
is  broken  by  a  spit  which  runs  out  from  the  S.  head  of  the  loch. 
This  is  a  good  j)lace  to  lie  in  all  night,  if  you  wish  to  run  down  to 
Loch  Scavaig,  so  as  to  be  there  early  in  the  day,  and  if  you  do  not 
wish  to  sail  all  night. 

Rum  is  very  wet  and  squally,  and  the  weather  is  often  much 
better  outside  than  you  would  imagine  it  to  be  from  what  you  ex- 
perience at  the  anchorage. 

Loch  Nevis.  The  best  anchorage  is  Tarbet,  a  creek  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  narrows.     The  tide  runs  very  rapidly  through  the  narrows. 

Loch  Iloimi.  This  loch  is  quite  worth  going  up,  as  it  is  not  by 
any  means  at  all  well  seen  from  the  entrance.  From  its  tortuous- 
ness  this  loch  never  has  a  tame  view  looking  out  to  sea,  and  even  if 
it  were,  as  far  as  its  own  sides  are  concerned,  it  never  could  be  en- 
tirely so,  as  its  mouth  is  crossed  by  the  Coollin  ranges,  when  looking 
out  to  sea.  It  is  subject  to  sudden  squalls,  and  is  a  narrow  dark 
loch.  The  best  way  to  see  it  is  to  take  the  vessel  to  Barrisdale  Bay, 
and  from  thence  to  make  an  excursion  by  boat  to  the  top,  or  else  to 
■vvalk  to  the  top  by  the  road  which  runs  along  the  southern  shore. 
It  is  worth  while  to  go  quite  to  the  top  of  Little  Loch  Hourn.  There 
are  four  narrows  in  this  Loch  above  the  Coir  Islands,  and  although 
large  yachts  go  through  them,  all  except  the  last,  into  Little  Loch 
Hourn,  yet  it  is  very  unadvisable  in  case  of  delay,  as  no  vessel  could 
safely  beat  through  the  narrows  against  wind  and  tide. 

,    Isle  Oransay.     Isle  Oransay,  on  the  Skye  side  of  the  Sound  of 
Sleat,  is  the  usual  anchorage  for  traders  and  yachts,  being  very  safe 


Scotland.     V.  Yachts  on  West  Coast  of  Scotland.  [35] 

and  having  a  lighthouse  at  its  entrance.  It  is,  however,  uninterest- 
ing, being  too  much  under  the  land  to  afford  a  view  of  the  Coollin 
range,  and  yachts  should  rather  cross  over  to  Loch  Hourn,  if  the 
weather  be  fine  enough  to  see  the  hills.  The  delay  will  be  amply 
recompensed  by  the  scenery. 

SJcye.  Lock  Alsh.  No  vessels  should  attempt  to  go  against  the 
tide  through  Kyle  Rhea  ;  but  anchor  for  the  tide  at  the  Callerch 
Beacon,  on  the  N.  side  or  off  the  mouth  of  the  Kyle  Rhea  river,  on 
the  S.  side  of  the  narrows. 

At  Castle  ]\Ioyle,  or  Kyle  Akin,  the  tide  runs  very  irregularly. 
This  is  a  good  place  to  have  letters  addressed  to. 

Loch  Duich.  Loch  Duich  branches  off  Loch  Alsh,  and  can  be 
ascended.  The  scenery  is  very  fine.  There  is  a  beautiful  little  bay 
on  the  right-hand  side,  going  up,  opposite  Eilean  Donan  Castle.  The 
loch  is  easily  navigated.  {See  Chart  2676,  price  3s.)  Loch  Long 
cannot  be  navigated. 

Loch  Scavaig,  Skye.  No  yachts  should  rashly  go  in  to  the  in- 
ner bay.  There  are  iron  rings  fastened  into  the  rocks.  Yachts  can 
anchor  farther  out,  or  under  the  shelter  of  Eilean  Sea.  The  bottom 
of  Loch  Scavaig  is  of  boulder  clay,  with  Arctic  shells.  A  yacht  boat 
can  easily  be  carried  up  to  Loch  Coruisk.  Should  tliis  way  of  see- 
ing Coruisk  not  be  desired,  a  yacht  can  anchor  off  the  mouth  of  Loch 
Sligachan  on  the  E.  side  of  Skye,  in  Balemenah  Bay.  It  would  not 
be  safe  to  enter  Loch  Sligachan,  and  little  distance  would  be  saved 
from  Sligachan  Inn,  as  the  head  of  Loch  Sligachan  is  very  shallow. 
A  carriage-road  runs  along  the  E.  side  of  Loch  Sligachan,  and  a  car- 
riage can  be  got  from  Sligachan  Inn  to  take  up  a  party.  The  car- 
riage should  either  be  ordered  to  Sconcer,  and  the  party  land  there 
from  the  boat,  or  else  to  the  ferry,  which  crosses  the  mouth  of  Loch 
Sligachan.  From  Sligachan  Inn  ponies  can  be  got  to  Coruisk.  The 
sail  from  Sligachan  to  the  N.  of  Skye  is  very  enjoyable.  Observe 
the  basaltic  columns  at  Loch  Staffin,  and  a  curious  perforated  rock 
at  high-water  mark,  S.  of  Loch  Staffin.  The  sound  between  Raasay 
and  Skye  is  more  interesting  than  the  sound  between  Raasay  and 
Applecross,  which  is  called  the  Inner  Sound.  The  sound  between 
Raasay  and  Rona  is  good.  Observe  at  the  N.  end  of  Raasay,  on  the 
E.  side  of  the  island,  a  curious  cluster  of  huts  amidst  the  rocks. 

Loch  Carron.  There  are  rocks  in  the  entrance,  but  the  channel 
is  now  buoyed  since  the  railway  has  been  opened.  After  the 
entrance  is  passed  the  navigation  is  perfectly  safe.  {See  Chart 
No.  3639,  price  3s.)     There  is  a  good  hotel  near  the  railway  station. 

Loch  Torridon.  This  loch  should  be  visited.  Yachts  can  either 
anchor  at  Shieldag,  or  go  through  the  second  narrow,  if  there  is  a 


[3G]  V.  Hints  for  Yachtsmen  in  the  Hehr ides.       Introd. 

breeze.  There  are  no  dangers.  Ben  Alligin  is  best  seen  from 
Upper  Locli  Torridon.  The  best  anchorage  is  on  the  S.  side,  in  a 
quiet  bay  called  01  Gorra  More.  {See  Chart  3632,  price  3s.)  Be 
careful,  as  there  are  two  other  bays  on  the  same  side,  one  of  which 
is  narrow,  the  other  shallow. 

The  anchorage  at  Shieldag  is  off  the  inn,  under  shelter  of  the 
island.  Beware  of  a  spit  which  joins  the  island  and  the  shore,  and 
anchor  S.  of  it.  The  scenery  of  Upper  Loch  Torridon  will  quite 
repay  the  time  spent  in  going  up. 

Gairloch.  The  anchorage  is  usually  off  the  pier,  or  on  the 
S.  side  of  the  loch.  The  sea  fishing  is  good  round  the  bays.  Sea 
trout  may  be  got  with  the  artificial  minnow.  This  loch  is  hardly 
praised  enough  in  guide-books,  and  to  a  person  coming  from  sea,  or 
to  one  who  has  sailed  along  the  comparatively  uninteresting  shores 
which  stretch  N.  and  S.,  it  has  a  peculiar  charm. 

The  Inn  is  very  comfortable.  A  new  and  capacious  Inn  was 
erected  1872  at  Talladale,  on  Loch  Maree.  The  distance  is  only  6 
m.  to  Poolewe,  so  the  yacht  can  be  sent  round,  and  the  party  cross 
by  carriage  or  on  foot.  The  view  of  Maree  from  this  road,  and  the 
views  of  the  Gairloch,  are  very  fine. 

Poolewe.  Lochewe  is  free  from  danger.  Anchor  well  off  the 
inn,  as  the  loch  is  shallow.  6  m.  from  Poolewe  is  Loch  Fruin, 
celebrated  for  its  Salmo  ferox. 

Loch  Broom.  Ullapool  is  a  dull  small  village.  There  is  a  daily 
steamer  from  this  to  Stornoway,  and  land  conveyance  to  the  Garve, 
on  the  Skye  Railway.  There  is  good  anchorage  at  Tannera,  out- 
side Loch  Broom. 

Lock  Inver.  Trout-fishing  can  be  got  in  Lochs  Fuin  or  Beanoch, 
also  in  the  rivers  Inver  and  Kirkaig.  Apply  at  the  inn.  The  river 
fishing  is  generally  let.  The  boat  of  Loch  Fuin  is  a  Norwegian 
skiff,  and  is  very  difficult  to  row  against  the  mnd.  The  charge  is  at 
present  2s.  6d.  a  day  for  the  boat,  10s.  a  day  for  the  river,  gillie 
extra.  The  fishing  is  best  in  autumn.  The  sea  fishing  is  good. 
Lobsters  can  be  purchased  here. 

Badcoll.  Great  care  must  be  used  in  going  in.  Use  the 
chart  of  Edrachilles  Bay  (2502),  which  chart  also  contains  Loch 
Glen  Dhu,  and  Loch  Glen  Coul,  commonly  called  the  Glens.  Glen 
Coul  is  the  best  to  go  up. 

In  Kyle  Skou  the  tide  runs  very  strongly.  There  is  good 
anchorage  on  the  S.  side  of  the  loch,  inside  the  Kyle  under  the  inn. 
A  hurried  vis'it  to  these  lochs,  in  case  of  detention,  is  advisable.  A 
yacht  might  anchor  outside  the  Kyle,  in  "  the  small  circular  basin 
inside  the  island,"  mentioned  in  Wilson's  "  Yacht  Voyage,"  and  the 


Scotland.     V.    Yachts  on  West  dast  of  Scotland.  [37] 

loclis  be  visited  by  small  boats.  Yachters  should  not  miss  these 
lochs.  The  northern  slope  of  the  Assynt  Hills  is  rugged  and  over- 
hanging. There  is  a  clean  little  inn  at  the  Kyle,  and  a  ferry.  The 
road  from  Loch  Inver  to  Scourie  crosses  the  locli  at  this  ferry. 

The  hills  which  rise  immediately  beside  the  Kyle  are  not  high, 
and  the  Kyle  is  not  parellel  with  the  line  of  the  glen  between  the 
high  hills,  but  is  diagonal.  These  circumstances  enable  yachts  to 
get  in  general  a  start  of  wind  through  the  Kyle.  In  the  highland 
lochs  the  wind  generally  blows  up  and  down. 

Handa  Island.  Very  curious,  and  worth  visiting.  Considered 
by  many  to  be  as  much  bird-peopled  as  St.  Kilda.  The  cliffs  are 
very  impressive,  as  seen  from  a  small  boat.  The  emerald  water  in 
the  caves  contrasts  beautifully  with  the  warm  red  cliffs.  A  row 
boat  can  be  taken  close  in  when  the  weather  is  fine.  There  are  no 
dangers  off  the  cliffs,  though  there  are  rocks  off  the  S.  end  of  the 
island.  The  report  of  a  gun  brings  thousands  of  gulls  and  divers 
off  the  ledge  of  the  rock,  and  cormorants  out  of  the  dark  caves. 

The  chart  of  Loch  Laxford  (2503)  includes  Handa,  on  a  large 
scale.     Tlie  island  is  circular,  and  about  1^  m.  in  diameter. 

Herd  Point.  At  this,  the  point  next  to  Cape  Wrath,  there  is  a 
detached  stack,  nearly  as  good  as  the  one  at  the  Storr  Head. 

Loch  Laxford.  The  nearest  good  harbour  to  Cape  "Wrath,  and 
one  of  the  most  individual  lochs  in  the  Highlands.  Shallow  at  the 
top,  numerous  creeks  all  the  way  up,  granite  islands  and  peninsulas, 
with  good  anchorages.  The  scenery  somewhat  similar  to  the  Eoss 
of  Mull,  only  on  a  larger  scale.  The  echoes  are  extraordinary.  The 
best  anchorage  is  in  the  bay  behind  the  Crow  Island,  going  in  by 
the  E,  end  of  the  Crow  Island.  In  June  1871  there  were  twenty 
vessels  lying  there. 

Loch  Eriholl.  There  is  good  anchorage  to  be  got  on  the  E.  side 
of  the  loch  at  the  ferry  house.  A  Pict's  house  has  l^een  partly 
excavated  here  by  Mr.  Clark,  the  tenant  of  the  sheep  farm. 

Whiten  Head.  As  seen  from  the  sea  this  cliff  presents  a  fine 
series  of  caves.  It  may  easily  be  recognised  by  its  white  colour,  and 
is  an  excellent  landmark  by  which  to  fix  Loch  Eriboll.  Loch  Eri- 
boll  is  the  only  first-rate  anchorage  in  going  to  Orkney  after  leaving 
Loch  Laxford. 

Orkney.    Great  caution  must  be  used  in  going  through  Hoy  Sound. 

A  short  visit  may  be  paid  in  a  yacht  to  Orkney  and  much  seen 
by  the  following  route.  Enter  Scalpa  Flow  from  the  Pentland  Firth, 
by  Hoza  Sound.  There  is  a  lighthouse.  A  pilot  may  be  obtained 
at  WidewaU  or  Long  Hope.  From  either  of  these  harbours  sail  to 
Scalpa  Bay,  which  forms  the  S.  harbour  of  KirkwaU.     Thence  sail  to 


[38]  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  Introd. 

Stromness,  and  return  S.  again  either  througli  Hoy  Sound,  or  go 
back  again  by  Long  Hope. 

A  boat  can  be  got  on  Loch  Stennis.  If  the  water  is  not  too 
muddy  the  fishing  is  good.  Along  with  the  fishing  excursion  the 
Standing  Stones  may  be  visited. 

The  telegraph  is  connected  with  Orkney  and  Shetland,  but  not 
being  postal,  the  charge  is  6s.  to  England  or  Scotland  for  twenty 
words,  and  Is.  6d.  for  every  additional  five  words  ;  excej)t  to  Moss 
Bank,  CuUa  Voe,  Uya  Sound,  and  Balta  Sound  in  Shetland,  the 
rates  to  which  are  7s.  for  the  first  twenty  words,  and  Is.  9d.  for 
every  additional  five  words.  A  telegram  can  be  forwarded  to  Thurso 
by  post. 

Salmon.  Salmon  and  grilse  can  be  purchased  at  the  fishing 
stations  at  Gairloch  (in  Eoss-shire),  Poolewe,  Portree,  Sandwdck  near 
Stornoway,  on  the  N.  side  of  the  loch,  and  sometimes  at  lona,  where 
they  are  brought  to  be  shipped  by  the  steamer. 


VI.  —Skeleton  Routes,  which  can  be  transposed  or  extended 
AT  pleasure. 

A.  A  Tour  of  Tico  Months,  halting  on  Sundays. 

1.  Carlisle  to  Dumfries ;  see  Dumfries  Lincluden,  and  Caerlaverock. 

2.  New  Abbey  ;  rail  to  Kirkcudbright  ;  drive  to  Dundrennan. 

3.  Rail  to  Castle-Douglas  and  Stranraer,  sto23ping  at  Glenluce. 

4.  Stranraer  by  coach  to  Girvan  ;  rail  to  Ayr,  and  see  Ayr  and 

Burns's  Monument. 

5.  Rail  to  Dalmellington  ;  see  Loch  Doon  ;  back  to  Ayr. 

6.  Kilwinning  ;  Paisley  ;  Ardrossan  ;  and  by  steamer  to  Arran. 

7.  Sunday  in  Arran. 

8.  Ascend  Goatfell  ;  evening  by  steamer  to  Glasgow. 

9.  See  Glasgow,  Bothwell,  and  Hamilton. 

10.  To  Balloch,  Loch  Lomond,  Rowardennan  ;  ascend  Ben  Lomond, 

and  sleep  at  Tarbet. 

11.  Loch  Katrine,  Trossachs. 

12.  Trossachs  to  Callander  ;  rail  to   Loch  Lubnaig  and  Lochearn- 

head  ;  drive  to  St.  Fillans. 

13.  By  coach  to   Crieff  ;    by  rail   to  Stirling  [Lake  of  Menteith, 

Aberfoyle]  and  Glasgow. 

14.  Stay  at  Glasgow. 

1 5.  By  lona  to  Oban. 

16.  Excursion  to  Loch  Awe  and  Inveraray. 

17.  Glencroe  ;  Tarbert  ;  Ardlui  ;  coach  to  Glencoe  and  Ballachulish. 


Scotland.  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  [39] 

18.  Steamer  to  Oban  ;  Excursion  to  Mull,  Staflfa,  lona. 

1 9.  Oban  to  Skye. 

20.  Portree  to  Quiraing. 

21.  Portree  to  Storr  Rock. 

22.  Portree  to  Sligachan  and  L.  Coruisk,  and  sleep  at  Broadford. 

23.  Catch  steamer  at  Broadford  or  Kyle  Akin  ;  cross  to  Balmacarra  ; 

Falls  of  Glomach  ;  sleep  at  Sliiel  House  Inn. 

24.  Sliiel   Inn   to   Invergarry  or  Invermoriston  ;  catch  steamer  to 

Banna  vie. 

25.  Ascend  Ben  Nevis  ;  excursion  to  Glenfinniin. 

26.  Glen  Spean  ;  Glen  Roy  ;  Loch  Treig. 

27.  Bannavie  to  Inverness. 

28.  Stay  at  Inverness. 

29.  Dingwall ;  Loch  Acheltie  ;  Falls  of  Rogie  ;  Jeantown. 

30.  Excursion  to  Applecross  and  Kishorn. 

31.  Loch  Torridon  ;  Loch  Maree  ;  Talladale. 

1.  To  Poolewe  ;  Loch  Broom  ;  and  Ullapool. 

2.  To  Loch  Inver. 

3.  Loch  Inver  to  Assynt,  Loch  Shin,  and  Golspie. 

4.  See  Dunrobin ;  excursion  to  Helmsdale. 

5.  Stay  at  Golspie. 

6.  Evanton  Gorge  ;  Dornoch  ;  Tain  ;  Beauly ;  Kilmorack  ;  Druim  ; 

Chisholm's  Pass  ;  Loch  Affrick,  Beauly. 

7.  Inverness  ;  Forres  ;  Banks  of  the  Findhorn  ;  Elgin. 

8.  Grantovvn  ;  Strathspey  ;  Tomantoul ;  Braemar. 

9.  Excursion  to  Ben  Muich-Dliui  or  Lochnagar. 

1 0.  Balmoral ;  Ballater ;  Aboyne  ;  Aberdeen. 

11.  Stay  at  Aberdeen. 

1 2.  Old  and  New  Aberdeen  ;  Brechin,  Edzell  Castle  and  the  Burn. 

13.  Forfar  ;    Glamis    Castle  ;    Cupar- Angus  ;    Glen  Isla  ;     Den    of 

Airlie  ;  Dunkeld. 

14.  Dunkeld  ;  Birnam  ;  Murthly. 

15.  Pitlochrie  ;  Killiecrankie  ;  Blair- Athole  ;  Glen  Tilt. 

1 6.  Tumniel  Bridge  ;  Kenmore  ;  Loch  Tay  ;  Aberfeldy. 

1 7.  Amulree  ;  Crieff  ;  Comrie  ;  St.  Fillans  ;  Perth. 

18.  Stay  at  Perth  ;  Kinnoul  Hill. 

19.  Dmidee  ;  St.  Andrews. 

20.  Kinross  ;  Lochleven  ;  Rumbling  Bridge. 

21.  Dollar  ;  Castle  Campbell  ;  Stirling,  by  w^ater  to  Edinburgh. 

22.  Stirling  ;  Edinburgh,  by  rail  ;  see  Linlithgow. 

23.  Edinburgh. 

24.  Excursion  to  Haddington  and  Tantallon. 


[^0]  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  Introd. 

25.  Stay  at  Edinburgh. 

26.  Hawthornden  ;  Eoslin. 

27.  Melrose  ;  Dry  burgh  ;  Abbotsford. 

28.  Kelso  ;  Jedburgh  ;  Selkirk. 

29.  Selkirk  ;  St.  Mary's  Loch  ;  Moffat. 

30.  Beattock  ;  back  to  Carlisle. 


B.   Tour  of  Three  Months. 

1.  Berwick  ;  Norham  ;  and  Flodden  Field. 

2.  Coldingham ;    Fast    Castle  ;    by    rail    from    Cockburnspath  to 

Dunbar. 

3.  North  Berwick  ;  Tantallon  ;  Dirleton. 

4.  Prestonpans  ;  Edinburgh. 

5.  Edinburgh. 

6.  Dalkeith  ;  Borthwick  ;  Crichton. 

7.  Rest  at  Edinburgh. 

8.  Hawthornden  ;  Roslin  ;  Edinburgh. 

9.  Linlithgow  ;  Queensferry  ;  Dunfermline  ;  Kinross. 

10.  Lochleven  ;  rail  to  Rumbling  Bridge  ;  Dollar. 

11.  Castle  Campbell ;  Stirling. 

1 2.  Bannockburn  ;  Stirling  ;  Dunblane  ;  Doune  ;  Callander. 

13.  Trossachs  ;  Loch  Katrine  ;  Liversnaid  ;  Loch  Lomond  ;  BaUoch. 

14.  Rest  at  Tarbet. 

1 5.  Loch  Lomond  ;  Ben  Lomond  ;  sleep  at  Tarbet. 

1 6.  Early  walk  to  Arrochar  ;  by  steamer  to  Ardlui  :  coach  and  rail 

to  Killin  ;  Lochearnhead  or  St.  Fillans. 

17.  To  Comrie,  Crieff,  and  Perth;  see  Perth. 

18.  Rail  to  Dunkeld  ;  Birnam  Hill. 

19.  Excursions  in  neighbourhood  of  Dunkeld  ;  rail  to  Pitlochrie. 

20.  Explore  Vale  of  Tummel  and  Killiecrankie ;  sleep  at  Blair- Athole. 

21.  Rest  ;  walk  up  Glen  Tilt  ;  Falls  of  Bruar. 

22.  Return  by  Rail  to  Dunkeld  ;   Loch  of  the  Low^es  and   Blair- 

gowrie ;  catch  the  coach  to  Casleton  Braemar. 

23.  Balmoral  ;  Ascent  of  Lochnagar. 

24.  Excursion  to  Ben  Muich-Dhui  and  Wells  of  Dee. 

25.  By  Tomintoul  to  Grantown. 

26.  Rail  down  Strathspey  ;  Grantown  ;  Forres. 

27.  Elgin  ;  Pluscardine. 

28.  Rest  at  Forres. 

29.  Forres  ;  Excursion  up  the  Findhorn  ;  Altyre  ;  Relugas. 

30.  Darnaway  ;  Nairn  ;  Culloden  ;  Liverness. 


Scotland.  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  [41] 

1.  Beauly  ;  Kilmorack  ;  Druim  ;  Chisliolin's  Pass  ;  Loch  Afirick  ; 

sleep  at  Invercannich. 

2.  Strathpeflfer  ;  ascend  Ben  Wyvis. 

3.  Loch  Acheltie  ;  Falls  of  Eogie  ;  return  to  Dingwall. 

4.  Ault  Graat  of  Evanton  ;  Tain  ;  Fearn  ;  Lairg. 

5.  Rest  at  Lairg  or  Golspie. 

6.  Golspie  ;  Dunrobin. 

7.  Rail  to  Wick. 

8.  Excursion  to  Duncansbay  Head  and  John-o'-Groat's  House  ;  rail 

to  Thurso. 

9.  Thurso  to  Tongue  ;  sleep  there. 

10.  Tongue  to  Durness  ;  see  Smoo  Cave. 

1 1 .  Excursion  to  Cape  Wrath  ;  or  else  get  south  to  Scourie. 

1 2.  Rest  at  Scourie. 

13.  Loch  Liver. 

14.  To  Assynt  ;  Inchnadamff ;  thence  to  Ullapool. 

15.  Ullapool  to  Gairloch. 

1 6.  Loch  Maree  ;  Auchnasheen  ;  Strome  Ferry. 

17.  To  Applecross. 

18.  To  Shieldaig  and  Torridon  ;  Strome  Ferry. 

1 9.  Rest  at  Jeantown  or  Balmacarra. 

20.  Steamer  to  Skye  ;  land  at  Broadford. 

21.  To  Torrin  ;  get  boat  down  Loch  Slapin  ;   and  row  round   to 

Loch  Coruisk,   having  arranged   for  ponies  to  be  sent  from 
Sligachan  to  Camasunary  ;  sleep  at  Sligachan. 

22.  Sligachan  to  Portree  ;  Storr  Rock. 

23.  Uig  ;  Quiraing. 

24.  To  Dun  vegan. 

25.  Dunvegan  to  Balmacarra  and  Shiel  House  Inn. 

26.  Rest  at  Shiel  House  Inn. 

27.  Excursion  to  Falls  of  Glomach. 

28.  Shiel  Inn  to  Invergarry  or  Invermoriston  ;  cross  over  to  Foyers. 

29.  Steamer  to  Bannavie  ;  ascend  Ben  Nevis. 

30.  Excursion  to  Loch  Arkaig  or  Glenfinnan. 

1.  Glen  Roy  ;  Fort-William  ;  in  evening  steamer  to  Ballachulish. 

2.  Rest  at  Ballachulish  ;  Loch  Leven. 

3.  Glencoe  and  Loch  Etive. 

4.  Steamer  to  Oban  ;  excursion  round  Mull  to  StafFa. 

5.  Oban  to  Loch  Etive,  Ardchattan,  and  Dunstaffnage. 

6.  To  DalmaUy  ;  ascend  Ben  Cruachan. 

7.  Excursion  to  Loch  Awe  ;  visit  Blairgour  Fall. 

8.  To  Inveraray  ;  Excursion  to  Loch  Long. 


[42]  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  Introd. 

9.   Rest  at  Inveraray. ' 

10.  Inveraray  to  Tarbert  ;  if  the  day  suits  catcli  steamer  at  West 

Tarbert  for  Islay. 

11.  Islay. 

1 2.  Return  to  East  Tarbert  ;  by  coach  to  Campbeltown. 

13.  Campbeltown  by  steamer  to  Glasgow. 

14.  Glasgow. 

15.  Glasgow  ;  Bothwell  ;  Falls  of  Clyde  ;  evening  by  steamer  to 

16.  Gareloch  or  Loch  Goil  or  Loch  Long. 

17.  Greenock  ;  Rothesay  ;  (Bute)  to  Arran. 

1 8.  Arran  ;  ascend  Goatfell ;  Corrie. 

19.  Loch  Ranza  ;  Tormore  ;  Corrie-an-lachan. 

20.  Steamer  to  Ardrossan  ;  Ayr  ;  Burns's  Monument ;  Brig  o'  Doon. 

21.  Dalmellington  and  Loch  Ness. 

22.  Maybole;   Girvan  ;  Stranraer;  Castle  Kennedy. 

23.  Rest  at  Stranraer. 

24.  Rail  to  Kircudbright ;  Dundrennan  Abbey  ;  evening  to  Dumfries. 

25.  Dumfries  ;  Lincluden  ;  New  Abbey. 

26.  Caerlaverock  ;  afternoon  rail  to  Lockerbie,  Beattock  and  Moffat. 

27.  Moffat  ;  St  Mary's  Loch  ;  Selkirk. 

28.  By  rail  to  Abbotsford  and  Melrose. 

29.  Dryburgli  ;  drive  to  Kelso. 

30.  Roxburgh  ;  Jedburgh  ;  proceed  by  rail  to  Hawick  ;  see  Branx- 

holm. 


c.  A  Months  Pedestrian  Tour  on  the  West  Coast. 

1 .  Rail  to  Balloch  ;  steamer  to  Rowardennan  ;  ascend  Ben  Lomond  ; 

afternoon  by  short  track  to  Loch  Ard  and  Aberfoyle. 

2.  By  Loch  Drunkie  to  Trossachs  ;  by  Glenfinlas  to  King's  House. 

3.  Rail  to  L.  Earn  ;  Killin  and  Tyndrum  ;  catch  coach  to  Dalmally. 

4.  Ascend  Cruachan  ;  excursion  on  Loch  Awe  ;  coach  to  Oban. 

5.  By  Appin  to  Ballachulish. 

6.  Glencoe  nearly  to  King's  House. 

7.  Walk  to  Fort- William  by  Devil's  Staircase. 

8.  Rest  at  Fort- William  (Caledonian). 

9.  Ascend  Ben  Nevis  ;  sleep  at  Bannavie, 

10.  Walk  to  Kinloch-Aylort ;  (Mail  car)  walk  to  Arisaig. 

11.  Arisaig  (it  would  be  well  if  this  could  be  timed  to  catch  the 

steamer  on  one  of  its  visits  to  Skye). 

12.  Broadford  ;  either  walk  to  Torriii,  get  a  boat  to  Kilmaree,  and 

walk  to  Camasunar}^ ;   or  else  go  from  Broadford  to  Sligachan 


Scotland.  VL  Skeleton  Routes.  [4:3] 

by  car,  and  start  for  tlie  Coollins  from  there, — in  any  case,  a 
long  and  arduous  day. 

13.  A  second  day  ought  to  be  devoted  to  Glen  Sligachan  and  Hart 

o'  Corrie  ;  evening  drive  from  Sligachan  to  Portree. 

14.  Rest  at  Portree. 

15.  Quiraing  ;  better  drive  there,  for  the  road  is  long  and  dull. 

1 6.  Storr  Rock  ;  back  to  Portree,  evening  by  steamer  to  Balniacarra. 

1 7.  Balmacarra  to  Shiel  House  Inn  ;  by  Loch  Alsh  and  Duich. 

18.  Mountain  road  by  Kintail  ;  Fall  of  Glomar  to  Loch  Carron. 

19.  To  Applecross. 

20.  To   Shieldag  and  Loch  Torridon  ;   either  rest  at  Shieldag,  or 

push  on  to  Kinlochewe. 

21.  Rest  at  Kinlochewe  (good  inn) ;  Loch  Maree. 

22.  23,  24,  Loch  Maree  and  Gairloch  ;  if  possible,  from  Gairloch 

catch  a  steamer  going  north  to  Loch  Inver,  as  the  road,  though 
a  fine  coast  road,  will  scarce  repay,  where  time  is  an  object ; 
if  there  is  no  steamer  take  the  mail-car. 

25.  Loch  Inver  to  Assynt  and  Inchnadamff. 

26.  Car  to  Lairg  ;  rail  to  Dingwall  ;  'bus  to  Strathpefi'er. 

27.  Ascend  Ben  Wyvis  ;  evening  to  Inverness. 

28.  Down  the  Caledonian  Canal  to  Foyers  ;  walk  to  Fort- Augustus. 

29.  By  Corryarrick  Pass  to  Loch  Laggan  ;  catch  Qoach  to  Bridge  of 

Roy. 

30.  Glen  Roy  ;    ascend  the   hills,   and  descend  to  Loch   Oich  at 

Laggan  ;  catch  steamer  to  Oban. 

D.  An  Antiquarian  Tour  of  One  Month  in  the  Lowlands. 

1.  Steele  Road  Station  ;  visit  Hermitage  and  Nine  Stane  Rig,  or 

else  the  Catrail  from  Riccarton  ;  Hawick  ;  Goldielands  and 
Branksome  Towers. 

2.  Camps  on  the  Eildon  Hills  ;  Melrose  Abbey. 

3.  Abbotsford  ;  Lessudden  ;  Dryburgh. 

4.  Eckford  Church  ;  Jedburgh  ;  Roman  Road  ;  Kelso. 

5.  Linton  Church  ;  excursion  to  Yetholm. 

6.  Hume  Castle  ;  Coldstream  ;  Flodden  Field, 

7.  Berwick  ;  Norham  ;  Lady  kirk. 

8.  Coldingham  ;  Cockbumspath  Stat ;  Innerwick  Castle  ;  Dunbar, 

9.  Tantallon  and  Dirleton  Castles. 

1 0.  Haddington  Church  ;  Pinkie  House  ;  Holyrood. 

11.  Edinburgh. 

1 2.  Edinburgh  ;  Craigmillar  ;  Hawthornden  ;  Roslin. 

1 3.  Crichton  and  Borthwick  Castles  ;  sleep  at  Peebles. 


[44]  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  Introd. 

14.  Peebles  ;  Traquair  ;  Neidpath  ;  camps  on  the  Lyne  ;  terraces  at 

Eomauno. 

15.  Driunmelzier  ;  Drocliil ;  return  to  Edinburgh  by  the  Caledonian 

Railway. 

16.  Corstorphine  ;  Kirkliston  ;  Linlithgow. 

17.  Torphichen  ;  the  Kipps  ;  Bannockburn  ;  Stirling. 

18.  Stirling  ;  Cambuskenneth  ;  sleep  at  Glasgow. 

19.  Glasgow  to  Dumbarton. 

20.  Blantyre  ;  Both  well ;  Hamilton  ;  Cadzow. 

21.  Paisley  Abbey  ;  Castle  Semple  ;  Kilwinning  ;  Ardrossan. 

22.  Dundonald  Castle ;  Ayr  ;  Burns's  Monument. 

23.  Maybole  ;  Crossraguel  Abbey  ;  Greenan  Castle  ;  Girvan  ;  Stran- 

raer^ by  evening  coach. 

24.  Castle  Kennedy;  Wigtown;   excursion  to  Whithorn  ;   sleep  at 

Wigtown. 

25.  Examine  Stone  Circle  ;  rail  from  Newton-Stewart  to  Kircud- 

bright ;  Dundrennan  Abbey. 

26.  Moat  of  Urr  ;  New  Abbey  ;  Dumfries. 

2  7.  Dumfries  ;  Caerlaverock  Castle  ;  Lincluden. 

28.  Lochmaben  Castle  ;  Burrenswark  Hill  ;  Carlisle. 


E.   Antiquarian  Tour  of  One  Month  on  the  East  Coast, 
commencing  at  Edinhurgh. 

1.  Edinburgh. 

2.  Corstorphine ;  Linlithgow  ;  Dalmeny. 

3.  Craigmillar  ;  Crichton  ;  Borthwdck  ;  Pinkie  House. 

4.  Donibristle  ;  Aberdour  ;  Rossyth  ;  Dunfermline. 

5.  To  Stirling  ;  Cambuskenneth. 

6.  Rail  to  Tillicoultry  ;  Castle  Campbell  ;  Kinross. 

7.  Rail  to  Kirkcaldy  ;  Dysart ;  St.  Monance  Church  ;  Falkland. 

8.  Dairsie  Church  ;  Leuchars  ;  St.  Andrews. 

9.  Dundee  ;  Arbroath. 

1 0.  Montrose  ;  Red  Castle  ;  Brechin  ;  Edzell  Castle  ;  Dunnottar. 

11.  Old  and  New  Aberdeen. 

12.  Insch  ;  Hill  of  Noth  ;  Huntly. 

13.  Keith  ;  Balvenie  Castle  ;  Rothes  ;  Elgin. 

14.  Elgin  ;  Spynie. 

15.  Pluscardine  ;  Birnie  Kirk. 

1 6.  Burghead  ;  Forres  ;  Culloden  ;  Inverness. 

17.  Craigphadrick  ;  Beauly. 

18.  Dingwall  ;  Knockfarril  ;  Fortrose  ;  Cromarty. 

19.  Nigg  ;  Shandwick  ;  Fearn  ;  Tain. 


Scotland.  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  [45] 

20.  Dornoch  ;  Skibo  ;  return  to  Inverness. 

21.  Highland  Railway  to  Dunkeld. 

22.  Excursion  to  Blairgowrie  and  Kirkmichael  Circles. 

23.  Perth  ;  Abernethy  Round  Tower  ;  Mugdrum  Cross  ;   Lindores 

Abbey. 

24.  Ardoch  Camp  ;  Crieff ;  Inchaffray  Abbey. 

25.  Dunblane  ;  Doune  ;  Sheriffmuir. 

The  rest  of  this  month  may  be  devoted  to  coast  below  Edinburgh, 
as  in  last  route. 

F.  Pedestrian  Tour  of  One  Month  through  Ross,  Sutherland,  and  Caith- 
ness arriving  by  Steamer  from  Oban  to  Glenelg. 

1.  Excursion  to  Glen  Beg  ;  Cross  Mam  Rattachan  to  Shiel  House 

Inn. 

2.  Excursion  to  Falls  of  Glomach  and  Pass  of  Kintail. 
,  3.   To  Strome  Ferry  by  Lochalsh  and  Balmacarra. 

4.  Jeantown  to  Applecross. 

5.  Applecross  over  the  hills  to  Shieldag. 

6.  By  Torridon  to  Kinlochewe. 

7.  Rest  at  Kinlochewe  (good  inn). 

8.  To  Gairloch. 

9.  Gairloch  to  Poole  we  and  Aultbea. 

10.  To  Ullapool. 

11.  Excursion  to  Strome  Falls  and  Loch  Broom.  ■• 

1 2.  Ullapool  to  Inchnadamff. 

13.  To  Loch  Assynt  and  Loch  Inver. 

14.  Rest  at  Loch  Inver. 

15.  To  Culkein  ;  get  a  boat  to  Badcoul  ;  then  on  to  Scourie. 

16.  Visit  Handa  ;  on  to  Rhiconich. 

17.  Rhiconich  to  Durness  ;  see  Smoo. 

18.  Excursion  to  Cape  Wrath. 

19.  Drive  to  Loch  EriboU  ;  walk  from  Heilim  Inn  to  Altnaharra. 

20.  Altnaharra  to  Tongue. 

21.  Rest  at  Tongue. 

22.  Tongue  to  Melvich. 

23.  Melvich  to  Thurso. 

24.  Thurso  to  Houna. 

25.  Duncansbay  Head  and  Wick. 

The  remainder  of  the  month  may  be  devoted  to  the  Orkney  and 
Shetland  Islands,  catching  the  steamer  from  Lerwick  or  Kirk- 
wall to  Aberdeen.  If  the  tourist  prefers  he  can  take  the 
coach  from  Wick  to  Helmsdale. 


[46]  VI.  Skeleton  Routes.  Introd. 

27.  Helmsdale  to  Golspie. 

28.  Eest  at  Golspie. 

29.  Golspie  to  Lairg  and  Locli  Shin. 

30.  To  Dornocli  and  Tain.      Take  train  to  Inverness. 

G.   Pedestrian  Tour  up  the  West  Coast,  commencing  at 
Callander. 

1 .  Walk    to    Loch    Katrine  ;  steam   to   Stronachlachar  ;  walk   to 

Inversnaid  ;  steamer  to  Tarbet  or  Rowardennan. 

2.  Ben  Lomond  ;  evening  to  Tarbet  or  Arrochar. 

3.  To  Inveraray. 

4.  To  Dalmally. 

5.  Ascend  Ben  Cruachan. 

6.  To  Oban. 

7.  Rest  at  Oban  (Great  Western  or  Caledonian). 

8.  To  Appin  and  Ballachulish,  or  to  Ballachulish  by  steamer. 

9.  Glencoe  and  King's  House. 

10.  By  Devil's  Staircase  to  Fort- William  and  Bannavie. 

11.  To  Kinloch-Aylort. 

12.  To  Arisaig.     This   should  be   timed  if  possible  to  catch  the 

steamer  going  north  to  Broadford. 

14.  Rest  at  Broadford. 

15.  Walk  to  Sligachan. 

16.  Coollins. 

17.  To  Portree. 

18.  Storr  Rock  and  Steinscholl. 

19.  Quiraing  ;  back  to  Portree. 

20.  Steamer  to  Balmacarra  ;  to  Shiel  House  Inn. 

21.  Rest  at  Shiel  House  Inn. 

22.  Falls  of  Glomach. 

23.  To  Jeantown. 

24.  Applecross. 

25.  To  Shieldag. 

26.  To  Kinlochewe. 

27.  To  Gairloch. 

28.  Rest  at  Gairloch,  (good  inn). 

29.  To  Poolewe  and  UUapool. 

30.  Ullapool  by  mail  car  to  Dingwall. 

H.   Pedestrian  Tour  of  Three   Weeks  in  the  District  of  the  Braes  of 
Angus  and  the  Grampians. 

1.  From  Arbroath  to  Auchmithie,  and  along  the  coast  to  Montrose. 


Scotland.  YI.  Skeleton  Routes.  [47] 

2.  Eail  to  Brecliiii ;  see  neighbourliood  of  Edzell. 

3.  Edzell  to  Glen  Clova,  by  Lethnot  and  West  Water. 

4.  Loch  Brandy  ;  Glen  Dole. 

5.  Glenprosen  ;  Glenisla. 

6.  Glenshee  ;  Glen  Clunie  ;  Braemar.     (The  coach  may  be  caught.) 

7.  Rest. 

8.  Glen  Tilt  ;  Blair- Athole. 

9.  Glen  Bruar  ;  Glen  Tromie  ;  Kingussie. 

10.  Rail  to  Aviemore  ;  Larig  Pass ;  Glen  Derrie.     If  no  conveyance  has 

been  ordered  from  Braemar,  a  night's  lodging  (primitive)  may  be 
had  at  Macdonald's,  the  forester  at  Glen  Derrie. 

11.  Ascend  Ben  Muich-Dhui  ;  Cairngorm. 

12.  By  the  E.  Larig  Pass  to  Abernethy  ;  rail  to  Grantown. 

13.  May  be  spent  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Grantown  or  Dufftown. 

14.  Rest. 

15.  Grantown  to  Tomintoul. 

16.  Tomintoul  by  Inchrory  to  Braemar. 

17.  Ascend  Lochnagar,  and  by  Bachnagairn  to  Clova. 

18.  Clova  by  the  Capel  to  Ballater. 

1 9.  Ascend  Morven  ;  see  Burn  of  the  Vat. 

20.  Ballater  to  Edzell,  over  Mount  Keen  and  Glen  Mark. 

2 1 .  Edzell  to  Fettercairn  (drive)  ;  then  over  Cairn  Mount  to  White- 

stones  Inn 

22.  By  Birse  to  Aboyne  ;  or  by  Strachan  to  Banchory,  and  rail  to 
♦     Aberdeen. 

This  tour  may  be  indefinitely  extended  or  altered,  but  it  will  give 
the  visitor  a  good  idea  of  the  most  mountainous  district  in 
Scotland.  Should  he  prefer  going  westward,  he  can  proceed 
by  rail  from  Grantown  to  Dalwhinnie  on  the  1 5th  day,  and 


1 6.  Laggan  Inn  ;  Glentreig ;  Glen  Roy. 

17.  Ben  Nevis,  Glen  Nevis,  etc. 


[48]  VII.  ExplaTiation  of  Gaelic  Names.  Introd. 

VIL— EXPLANATION  OF  GAELIC  NAMES  AND  PLACES 
IN  THE  HIGHLANDS. 

The  following  list  of  Gaelic  roots,  in  current  use  for  the  naming  of 
places  in  the  Highlands,  is  only  a  very  small  fraction  of  what  might 
readily  be  given.  Persons  who  wish  to  pursue  the  subject  will 
find  excellent  aids  in  Robertson's  "  Gaelic  Topography  of  Scotland," 
Edinburgh,  1869  ;  Joyce's  "Orig.  and  Hist,  of  Irish  Names  of  Places," 
Dublin,  1871-2  ;  and  Taylor's  "Names  and  Places."  In  order  to 
understand  certain  changes  to  which  the  root  is  subject  in  flexion, 
and  in  the  formation  of  compound  w^ords,  some  peculiarities  of  the 
Gaelic  language  require  to  be  known,  which  may  succinctly  be  set 
down  here. 

The  language  spoken  by  the  Scottish  Highlanders,  and  by  the 
Celtic  race  in  Ireland — for  the  Scottish  and  Irish  Gaelic  are  one 
language,  and  not  two — is  a  branch  of  the  great  Aryan  family,  of  which 
Latin,  Greek,  and  Sanscrit  are  the  most  notable  members.  The  fact  of 
this  affinity — for  a  long  time  ignored — was  first  established  to  the 
satisfaction  of  the  learned  world  by  Prichard  in  his  book,  "  The  East- 
ern Origin  of  the  Celtic  Nations  proved."  Quaritch,  London,  1831. 
The  exact  position  of  Gaelic  in  reference  to  its  sister  languages  is  only 
now  in  the  process  of  being  scientifically  ascertained  ;  but,  so  far  as 
exact  analysis  has  hitherto  gone,  it  would  appear  that  Latin  and 
Teutonic  have  almost  equal  claims  to  a  close  relationship  with  the 
Gaelic  ;  Greek  analogies  are  more  sparse  ;  and  its  supposed  connection 
with  Hebrew  may  be  left  out  of  view  altogether  till  the  general  rela- 
tion of  the  Semitic  languages  to  the  Aryan  shall  have  been  more 
clearly  defined.  The  relation  to  Latin  is  at  first  blush  certainly  the 
most  obvious  ;  of  this  the  numerals  alone  are  a  most  striking 
instance  ;  and  some  Latin  roots  of  frequent  occurrence  will  strike  a 
very  superficial  scholar  in  the  subjoined  list,  as  ach  =  age?',  tigh= 
tignum,  heann=pinna,  uisge=aqua,  loch=lacus,  tir=  terra,  and  a  few 
others,  the  majority  of  these  words  being,  as  it  happens,  also  Greek. 

The  method  of  varying  the  roots  by  flexional  syllables  added 
to  the  termination,  so  familiar  to  the  classical  scholar,  is  used  also 
in  Gaelic,  but  to  a  limited  extent  ;  and  the  terminations,  where  they 
exist,  are  so  much  curtailed,  and  in  practice  slurred  over  and 
cheated  of  their  proper  value  in  such  a  fashion,  that  for  the  common 
purposes  of  social  communication  they  scarcely  seem  to  exist.  On 
the  other  hand  the  Hebrew  method  of  varying  the  quality  of  the 
root  by  modifications  of  the  radical  vowel  is  in  constant  use,  as  in 
the  case  of  Tay-^iuilt,  a  well-known  station  between  Oban  and  Loch 
Awe,  where  uilt  is  the  genitive  case  of  alt,  a  brook,  wdth  the  defi 


Scotland.       YII.  Explanation  of  Gaelic  Names.  [49] 

nite  article  n  interposed  between  the  two  elements  of  tlie  compoimd. 
On  such  changes  the  reader  will  of  course  keep  an  eye,  where  they 
may  appear  in  the  subjoined  list,  or  in  the  works  above  referred  to  ; 
but  what  requires  much  more  attention  from  every  person  who  is 
anxious  to  understand  the  significance  of  Gaelic  names,  is  the  remark- 
able change  in  the  form  of  w^ords  which  habitually  takes  place  by 
w^hat  is   technically   called   asjnration ;    that  is   by  a  soft   breath- 
ing,   with    which    the    initial    or    middle    consonant    of    a    word 
is    affected    in   such    a  manner  as   to   polish    away   the  sharpness 
of  its  emphasis,    and   sometimes   to  efface  it  altogether.     Thus   h 
with  the  aspirate  It  becomes  v.  and  is  written  bh ;  and  /,  which  is 
already  asjjirated,  being  equal  to  jj/j,  on  receiving  a  double  dose  of 
aspiration  is  obliterated  altogether.      To  know  the  cases  in  which 
this  aspiration  takes  place,  to  a  Saxon  ear  forms  one  of  the  great 
practical    difficulties    of   the    language  ;    the    general    principle   on 
which  it  proceeds  is  no  doubt  a  combination  of  euphony ;  but  it 
will  be  enough  here  to  state  that  the  initial  consonant  of  an  adjec- 
tive is  aspirated  when  it  is  in  concord  with  a  feminine  substantive, 
while  the  masculine  substantive  claims  the  full  value  of  the  letter. 
Thus  we  say  Slcerry-vore,  a  big  reef,  because  Sgeir,  a  reef,  is  feminine  ; 
but  Lismore,  a  great  garden,  because  lios,  which  signifies  a  garden,  in 
Gaelic,  and  a  fort  in  Irish,  is  masculine.     In   the   same  way  the 
familiar  adjective  breac,  spotted  or  brindled,  becomes  vracMe  when 
used  as  an  epithet  to  designate  a  well-known  hill  near  Pitlochrie  in 
Perthshire  ;  and  when  fal,  long,  is  affixed  to  beann  the  f  disappears, 
as  in  Ben  Ad,  the  northniost  peak  of  Ben  More  in  Mull.     By  another 
singular    phonetic    habit   in    certain  words    beginning  with  s,  the 
sibilant  becomes  a  dental  in  the  course  of  flexion,  as  saor,  a  car- 
penter, but  Mac-an-taor,  Macintyre,  the  son  of  the  carpenter  ;  so 
sail,  the  salt-water  joined  with  cea7in,  head  or  end,  becomes  Kintail, 
as  the  country  of  the  Macras  is  called  in  Eoss-shire,  which  is  identical 
etymologically  with  the  town  of  Kinsale  in  the   south  of  Ireland, 
%vhere  the  s  of  the  root  remains  unchanged.     Another  element  of 
perplexity  to  the  English  student  of  Gaelic  topography  arises  from 
the  absorption  of  the  definite  article  into  the  following  word,  as  in 
Dalness,  i.e.  Dal-an-eas,  Vale  of  tJie  Waterfall. 

Those  who  wish  to  pursue  the  study  of  Gaelic — a  language  full 
of  interest  not  only  to  the  philologer  but  to  the  historical  student 
and  the  lover  of  popular  poetry — should  not  allow  themselves  to  be 
deterred  by  any  considerations  of  extraordinary  difficulty  generally 
imagined  to  belong  to  that  language.  No  doubt  two-thirds  of  the 
vocabulary  may  prove  altogether  new  even  to  a  good  linguist  ;  but 
in  other  respects  Gaelic  is  no  more  difficult  than  any  other  language. 
[Scotland.']  c  2 


50]         yil.  Explanation  of  Gaelic  Words,  and 


Introd. 


Its  peculiar  liquid  and  nasal  sounds,  which  contribute  so  much  to  its 
euphony,  will  be  found  mostly  in  French,  German,  Italian,  or 
Spanish  ;  its  ch,  equivalent  to  the  Greek  y^,  is  easily  learned,  and  the 
frequent  mute  consonantal  combinations  in  which  it  delights  (as  in 
the  English  might,  sigh),  fall  under  a  common  rubric  which  the  ear 
will  learn  easily  to  acknowledge.  In  the  pronunciation  Macalpine's 
pocket  dictionary  will  be  found  useful  for  acquiring  a  certain 
limited  vocabulary  to  start  with.  No  expedient  will  be  found  more 
profitable  than  the  study  of  topographical  etymology,  to  which  the 
subjoined  list  may  be  looked  on  as  giving  an  introduction.  Many 
hundreds  of  descriptive  Celtic  roots  are  photographed  in  the  local 
designations  of  Scotland  and  Ireland  ;  and  the  amount  of  curious 
and  interesting  information  that  naturally  springs  out  of  this  topo- 
graphical study  will  surprise  and  delight  those  who  have  not  been 
accustomed  to  connect  philology  with  any  special  associations  of 
intellectual  enjoyment. 


Aber 

.    At  the  mouth  of  . 

Abertarf . 

At  the  mouth  of  the  Tarff. 

Achadh 

.    A  field  .        .        .        . 

Achallader      . 

Field  of  the  wooded  stream. 

Aird — ard        .     A  height— high     . 

Ardnamui-chan 

The  bluff  of  the  Great  head- 
land. 
The  dwellmg  in  the  corner. 

Aig.        . 

.     A  small  nook  or  creek . 

Arisaig    . 

Alt.        . 

.     A  brook 

Taynuilt . 

The  house  of  the  brook. 

Abhuinn 

..     A  river .... 

Benavon . 

The  Ben  of  the  river. 

An  . 

,     Diminutive  at  the  end 
of  words    . 

Ben  Lochan    . 

Mountain  of  the  little  loch. 

Aluinn 

..     Beautiful      . 

Loch  Aluin     . 

Fair  Lake. 

Aros 

,     A  habitation 

Aros 

A  dwelling. 

Araidh    . 

.     A  sheaUng    . 

Inveraraidh     . 

At  the  mouth  of  the  river  of 
the  shealing. 

Ba  . 

.    A  cow  .... 

Loch  Baa 

Cow-lake. 

Baile 

,     A  village  or  town 

Balnakiel 

The  town  of  the  church  or 
churchyard. 

Ban 

.     White,  fair    . 

Banchory 

The  fair  hollow  or  valley. 

Ban- 

.     A  projecting  top  . 

Dunbar   . 

Fortress  on  the  projecting 
height. 

Beath 

.    A  birch  tree 

Dalbeath 

Birch  field. 

Bealach 

.     A  mountain  pass  . 

Ballochbuie    . 

The  yellow-pass,  or  the  pass 
of  victory. 

Beag 

.     Little    .        .        .        . 

Glenbeg  . 

Little  valley. 

Benn 

.     A  mountain . 

Benmore 

Big  mount. 

Blar 

.     A  plain 

Blair-Athole   . 

Plain  of  Athole. 

Cruach 

.    A  bank,  slope,  brae      . 

Tighnabruach 

House  of  the  brae. 

Burn 

.     Spring  water 

Glenburnie      . 

Brook  dale. 

Bun 

.    Bottom,  root 

Bunawe  . 

Bottom  of  the  river  Awe. 

Breac 

.     Spotted,  brindled 

Benvracky 

Spotted  or  striped  mount. 

Buidh 

.     Yellow. 

Loch  Buie 

Yellow  Lake. 

Cam,  CAi 

iBUs .    Crooked,  a  creek  . 

Cambusmore  . 

Great  bend. 

Cam 

.    A  heap  of  stones  . 

Cairngorm 

Dark  blue  heap  or  mount. 

Car. 

.    A  turn,  a  winding 

Carron     . 

The  winding  stream. 

Cathaii- 

.    A  fortress  or  town 

Keir 

The  fortress. 

Caol 

A  strait,  firth 

Ballachulish, 
KylesofBute 

The  dwelling  of  the  strait. 

Ceann 

.    Head,  end    . 

Kintail    . 

Head  of  the  salt  water. 

Cill. 

.     A  church 

Kilmallie 

Church  of  the  Virgin  Maiy. 

Cro  . 

.    A  sheepfold . 

Glencroe 

Valley  of  the  sheepfold. 

Scotland. 


Names  of  Places  in  the  Highlands. 


[51] 


Clach      . 

.    A  stoue 

Clachnacu- 
dainn 

Stone  of  the  tub  (Inverness) 

Cluain     . 

.     A  meadow    . 

Cluny      . 

The  meadow. 

Cnoc 

.    A  hill,  a  knoll      . 

Knock  in  Mull    A  little  hill. 

Coire 

.    A  cauldron,  a  hollow 

CorriebuiCv 

The  yellow  hollow. 

Coille      . 

.     Wood    ...    V 

Kellyburn 

The  woody  water 

Creag      . 

.    A  rock,  a  clift' 

Craigentinny 

The  rock  of  the  fire. 

Cruach    . 

.    A  rick  or  stack'    . 

Ben  Cruachan 

The  stack-shaped  mountain. 

Cul 

.    The  back,  behind 

Culloden    for 

A    plain    behind    the     sea- 

Cul-oiter 

shore  (oitir. ) 

Cumhann 

.     Xarrow 

Glencoe  or 
Cona 

The  narrow  glen. 

Datl 

.    A  dale,  a  field       . 

Dalnaspidail 

Field  of  the  hospital. 

Daraeh    . 

.     An  oak . 

Craigendarach 

Rock  of  the  oaks. 

Dearg      . 

.    Red       . 

Bendearg 

The  red  mountain 

Dour 

.    Water    . 

Aberdour 

At  the  mouth  of  the  water. 

Drochaid 

.    Abridge       . 

Drumn'drcchit    The  bridge  of  the  ridge. 

Drum 

.    A  ridge 

Drum  (Ir^'^ines 
of  Drum 

A  ridge. 

Dubh       . 

.     Black,  dark  . 

Benmuicdhui 

Mount  of  the  black  sow. 

Dun 

.     A  fortress     . 

Dunfermline 

Fort  of  the  alder  pool. 

Eadar    . 

.    Between 

Bendirloch 

Hill  between  two  lakes. 

Eaglais    . 

.    A  church 

Ecclefeohan 

Church  of  St.  Feochan. 

Eas 

.    A  waterfall   . 

Inver-n-ess 

At  the   mouth   of  the  river 
which  flows  from  the  loch 
of  the  Fall  of  Foyers. 

Eilean     . 

.    An  island     . 

Eilean     Sgiat 
hack  or  Skye 

-    Winged  island. 

Fad 

.     Long     . 

Loch  Fad 

Long  loch. 

Falach     . 

.     Cover,  shelter 

Glenfalloch 

Vale  of  shelter. 

Fas. 

.     Growth 

Fassifeam 

Growth  of  alders. 

read 

.     A  whistle      . 

Tighnafead 

Whistle-house. 

Fearn 

.     An  alder       . 

Fearn 

A  place  full  of  alders. 

Fionn      . 

.     White,  shining     . 

Lochfyne 

Shining  lake. 

Garbh    . 

.     Rough  . 

Garavalt . 

Rough  stream. 

Gart 

.     An  enclosed  field 

Gartmore 

Great  field. 

Gearr 

.     Short    . 

Gairloch . 

The  short  lake. 

Glas 

.     Grey      . 

Dunj;lass 

Grey  fort. 

Gleann    . 

.     A  uaiTOw  valley  . 

Gleuure 

The  valley  of  the  yew  tree. 

Gobhainn 

.    A  blacksmith 

Balgownie 

Smith's  dwelling. 

Gorm    -  . 

.     Dark  blue     . 

TuUigoium 

Tlie  blue  hill. 

Grian 

.     The  sun 

Greenock 

Sunny  hill  or  nook  (aig) 

Innis  or  I> 

OH     An  enclosed  place  o] 
island 

'    Inchgarvie 

Rough  Island. 

Inbher     . 

.    An  outlet,  a  confluence 

;    Inveresk 

The  outlet  of  the  river  Esk. 

Lag 

.     A  hollow 

Laggan    . 

A  hollow. 

Larach    . 

.     Site  of  an  old  ruin 

Crianlarach 

Little  old  ruin. 

Leac 

.     A  flagstone   . 

Auchinleck 

Field  of  flags. 

Leana 

.     A  plain 

Lenny     . 

A  plain. 

Lus 

.     An  herb 

Glenluce 

Valley  of  herbs. 

Lon 

.     A  meadow    . 

Tighanlone 

House  of  the  meadow. 

Leamhan 

.     An  elm-tree  . 

Lochleven 

Lake  of  elm-trees. 

Learg 

.     The  slope  of  a  hill 

Largs       . 

Slope. 

Leum 

.     A  leap  . 

Aberlemno 

Outlet  of  the  leaping  water. 

Linne 

.     A  pool  . 

Corra  linn 

The  pool  of  the  cauldron. 

Loch 

.     A  lake  .        .        . 

Inverlochy 

At  the  mouth  of  the  little  lake. 

Lub 

.     A  bend,  a  loop     . 

Loch  Lubnaig 

Lake  of  the  bending  comer. 

[52]      VII.  Explanation  of  Gaelic  IVords  and  Names.    Introd. 


Machar  . 

.     A  plain  by  the  sea 

The  Machar  in 
lona  and  S. 

Uist     . 

Jlagh       . 

.    A  field  . 

Moy 

A  field. 

Maise      . 

.     Beauty . 

Strathmashie  . 

Beautiful  vale. 

Maol       . 

.     Bald  lieadland     . 

MullofCantire 

The  broad  headland  of  Can- 
tire. 

Monadh  . 

.     An  upland  moor  . 

M on ess    . 

Moor  of  the  waterfall. 

Mor 

.     Great    . 

Morven    . 

Great  mountain. 

Mue 

.     A  sow   . 

Glenmuic 

Glen  of  the  swine. 

Oban 

.     A  small  creek  or  bay 

.     Oban 

A  little  bay. 

Ptt. 
Poll 
Port 


A  hollow 
A  pool . 
A  harbour 


Pittenweem         Hollow  of  the  caves. 
Polbeath         .    The  pool  of  the  birches. 
Portree    .        .     King's  harbour. 


Raineach 

Rath 

Reidh      . 

Righ 

Ros 

Riabhach 


A  fern   . 

A  fort  . 

Smooth,  clear,  a  plain 

A  king  . 

A  projecting  point 

Brindled,  spotted 


Rannoeh 
Rathveu . 


Moor  of  ferns. 
The  hill  fort. 


Dairy      .        .    Vale  of  the  king. 

Ross  of  Mull  .     Projecting  point  of  Mull. 

Brae  Riach     .    Spotted  mount. 


Snathad 
Sgeir 

Sitheach 
Sgor 
Sron 
Srath      . 


A  needle 

A  rock  in  the  sea 

A  fairy  .         .        .        . 
A  sliarp  rock 
A  nose,  a  promontory  , 
A  strath,  broad  valley  . 


Inversnaid 
Skerrj'vore 

Glenshee 
Scuirnagillean 
Stronfearu 
Strathmore 


Thin  needle-like  confluence. 
At  the  mouth  of  the  great 

reef. 
The  valley  of  fairies. 
Sharp  ridge  of  the  young  men. 
The  promontory  of  the  alders. 
Broad  vale. 


Tarbh 

Tigh 

Tir  . 

Tobar 

Tom 

Torr 

Tidloch 


A  bull  . 
A  house 
Land  . 
A  well  . 
A  hillock 
A  hill  . 
A  little  hill 


The  Tarfif  river 
Taynuilt . 
Cantire    . 
Tobermory 
Tomintoul 
Torloisk  . 
Tullibardine    . 


Bull  or  fierce  stream. 

House  of  the  brook. 

End  of  the  land. 

Well  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

The  hill  of  the  barn,  sabhail. 

Hill  of  the  watch-fire. 

The  bard's  knoll. 


Uachdar 
Uamh 


Upper,  high . 
A  cave  . 


Ochtertyre 
Wemyss  . 


Upper  district. 
The  caves. 


HANDBOOK  FOE  SCOTLAND. 

SECTION  I. 

The  South  of  Scotland— Lowlands — Land  of  Scott  and  Burns — 
Vales  of  Tweed,  ISTith,  Upper  Clyde— Edinburgh — Falls  of 
Clyde,  etc, 

INTRODUCTION. 

§  1.  Traveller's  View.     §  2.  Gothic  Architecture  of  Scotland — Churches, 
Abbeys,  and  Castles.      §  3.  List  of  Objects  of  Interest. 

ROUTES. 

*,(.*  The  names  of  places  are  printed  in  italics  only  in  those  Routes  where  the  2^laces 
are  described. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

a  London  to  Edinburgh  (Leith), 

by  Sea    ....       7 

1  Carlisle    to   Edinburgh,    by 

LiddesdaJe,  Haicick  {Dnj- 
hurgh),  Melrose,  Ahhotsford, 
and  Galashiels — Railway      7 

2  Newtown  St.  Boswells  Junc- 

tion to  Berwick-on-Tweed, 
by  Jedburgh,  Kelso  {Flod- 
den),  and  Coldstream        .     22 

3  Newtown  St.  Boswells  to  Ees- 

ton  Junction,  hy  Greenlaiv 
and  Dunse — Railway     .     29 

4  Berwick     to      Edinburgh, 

by  Coldingham,  Dunbar 
[North  Berwick],  Hadding- 
ton, Prestonpans,  and  Mus- 
selburgh, North  British 
Railway  (Coast  Line)      .     31 

5  Carlisle  to  Edinburgh  (Glas- 

gow or  Stirling),  by  Lock- 
erbie, Lochmaben,  Bcattock 
[Moffat],  and  Carstairs 
Junction  —  Caledonian 
Railway  ...  68 
5a  Symington  Junction  to 
Peebles,  by  Biggar  and 
Brouqhton        .         .         .74 

6  Galashiels  to  Moffat,  by  Sel- 

kirk (Rail),  Vale  of  Yar- 
row, St.  Mary's  Loch,  and 
Grey  Mare's  Tail     .         .76 
[Scotland.  ] 


ROUTE  PAGE 

7  Selkirk   to    Moffat,    by   the 

Lttrick  Valley  .         .     80 

8  Carlisle  to  Glasgow,  by  Car- 

stairs  Junction,  Mother- 
u-cll,  Coatbridge,  Gart- 
sherrie,  and  the  L^on 
District  .  .  .  .81 
8AGlasgow  to  BotlivxU,  Hamil- 
ton, Lanark,  and  Falls  of 
Clyde       .         .         .         .83 

9  Carlisle     to     Glasgow,     by 

Annan,  Dumfries,  San- 
quhar, Kilmarnock,  and 
Dairy  Junction         .  .     90 

10  Dumfries  to  Fortpatrick,  by 
Castle  -  Douglas,  Newton- 
Stewart,  Wigtoion,  and 
Stranraer — Cal.  Rly.    .   101 

10a  Castle  -  Douglas  to  Kirk- 
cudbright, Dundrennan 
Abbey,  Gatehousc-of -Fleet, 
Amcoth  .         .         .         .109 

If  Stranraer  to  Ayr,  by  Ballan- 

trae,  Girvan,  and  Maybole   112 

12  Ayr  to  Glasgow,  by  Troon, 

Kilwinning,  Ardrossan, 
Paisley,  Dalmellington, 
and  Loch  Doon         .         .116 

13  Edinburgh  to  Galashiels,  by 

Da  Ikeith,  Hawthorndcn , 
Roslin,  Pen7iicuik,  Peebles, 
and  Innerleithen       .         .125 

B 


§  1.   Traveller's  View  of  South  Scotland.       Sect.  I. 


§  1.  Traveller's  View  of  South   Scotland. 

The  Highlands  of  Scotland  ongbt  by  no  means  to  engross  the  exclu- 
sive attention  and  admiration  of  travellers.  The  south  of  Scotland, 
miscalled  tlie  Lowlands,  since  it  is  for  the  most  part  a  mass  of  moun- 
tains or  round-backed  hills,  intersected  by  valleys  and  plains,  is  full 
of  picturesque  beauty  and  "  wildness,  which  just  stops  short  of  sub- 
limity," Though  inferior  to  the  Grampian  ranges  in  elevation  and 
romantic  outline,  it  surpasses  the  north  of  Scotland  in  historic  associ- 
ation, in  legends,  local  poetry,  and  in  the  romance  which  the  works 
of  Scott  and  the  pathos  of  the  songs  and  poems  of  Burns  have  thrown, 
over  many  of  the  scenes,  causing  it  to  be  called  the  land  of  Scott 
and  Burns.  It  also  excels  the  Highlands  in  the  number  and 
picturesqueness  of  its  ancient  buildings,  its  ruined  abbeys  and  castles, 
and  es[)ecially  in  that  long  chain  of  fort-like  tov/ers — Peels  or  Bastels 
— which  the  insecure  state  of  the  Borders  from  the  earliest  times  to 
the  1 6th  century  made  to  be  the  necessary  form  of  a  country  gentle- 
man's house. 

The  traveller  imbued  with  the  recollection  of  the  "  Lay  of  the  Last 
Minstrel,"  "  The  Abbot,"  €tc.,  may  repair  to  Melrose  or  Kelso,  either 
directly  from  England,  or  making  the  excursion  from  Edinburgh.  He 
will  there  find  himself  in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  valley  of  the 
Tweed,  under  the  shadow  of  that  picturesque  and  eerie  knot  of  hills, 
"  The  Eildons."  He  may  spend  hours  among  the  exquisite  ruins  of 
Melrose,  Kelso,  and  Jedburgh.  He  will  go  as  a  pilgrim  to  the 
shrines  of  Dryburgli  (where  rest  the  remains  of  Sir  AValter  and  his 
family),  and  to  Abbotsford,  not  forgetting  the  Peel  Tower  of  Smail- 
holm,  where  Sir  Walter  spent  his  childhood.  The  view  from  Kelso 
bridge  over  the  Tweed  and  Teviot,  and  the  park  of  Floors,  may 
tempt  the  traveller  to  tarry  and  explore  the  valleys  of  Teviot, 
Ettrick,  Yarrow,  and  many  others. 

If  he  enter  Scotland  by  Berwick,  there  is  the  grand  coast  scenery 
of  St.  Abb's  Head  and  Fast  Castle,  where  the  Lammermuirs  drop 
down  into  the  sea  in  strangely  Contorted  cliffs  (dear  to  the  geologist), 
or  he  may  thread  the  defiles  of  Cockburnspath  and  the  Pease  Burn, 
on  the  battlefield  of  Dunbar,  the  turning-point  of  Cromwell's  career. 
Diverging  to  North  Berwick — resorted  to  for  bathing  and  golf — he 
will  have  before  him  the  sparkling  shores  of  the  Firth  of  Forth, 
with  its  rocky  islets,  the  mysterious  Bass  Rock,  and  the  Conical  Law, 
and  he  may  admire  the  golden  crops  of  the  Lothians,  where  agricul- 
ture, aided  by  coal  and  steam,  asserts  her  just  claims  to  be  esteemed 


Introd.        §1.   Traveller's  View  of  South  Scotland.  3 

a  science.  The  attractions  of  Edinburgh  and  its  environs  are  fully 
described  in  Route  4. 

Nor  need  the  stranger  be  at  a  loss  if  he  enter  Scotland  by  the  S.W., 
at  the  head  of  the  Solway,  or  crossing  its  treacherous  sands  on  a  high 
railway  bridge,  as  he  may  now  do,  to  Annan.  Here  he  is  amid  the 
scenery  of  "  Redgauntlet "  and  "  Guy  Mannering."  If  he  halt  at 
Dumfries  he  will  be  in  the  country  of  Burns,  he  wdll  visit  the  poet's 
grave  ;  and  if  he  ascend  the  lovely  Nithsdale,  6  or  8  m.,  he  will  see 
the  very  picturesque  ruined  abbeys  of  Sweetheart  and  Lincluden,  or, 
9  m.  S.  of  Dumfries,  may  visit  the  triangular  castle  of  Caerlaverock, 
on  the  margin  of  the  Solway,  under  the  shadow  of  Criffel. 

Proceeding  AV.  by  Castle-Douglas,  he  may  turn  S.  to  explore  the 
scenery  of  the  three  bays  which  indent  the  shores  of  Galloway,  at 
Gatehouse-of-Fleet,  and  at  Whithorn,  near  which  the  cliffs  rise  to 
great  grandeur  and  elevation,  which  is  continued  round  by  the  Mull 
of  Galloway,  and  N.  from  Loch  Ryan,  to  Girvan — a  charming  coast 
drive,  for  the  railway  has  not  yet  extended  so  far.  At  Stranraer  a 
halt  should  be  made,  to  visit  the  noble  woods  and  Pine-tree  groves 
of  Castle  Kennedy  (see  Route  1 0). 

The  chief  associations  with  Burns  centre  round  the  town  of  Ayr. 
Half  a  day  may  well  be  spent  in  and  near  it,  at  Alloway  Kii'k  and 
Brig  o'  Doon,  etc. 

Arrived  at  this  point,  the  Alpine  peaks  and  serrated  ridges  of 
Arran  will  tempt  the  traveller  to  cross  to  it  from  Ardrossan,  and  if 
he  love  fine  scenery  he  will  be  rew^arded.  But  this  and  the  Firth 
of  Clyde  belong  to  another  section. 

In  approaching  Glasgow — either  from  S.  or  E. — the  upper  valley 
of  the  Clyde  has  claims  to  arrest  the  traveller's  steps.  Near  Lanark 
are  the  Falls  of  the  Clyde,  the  nearest  approach  in  Britain  to  those 
of  the  Rhine  {longo  intervallo).  Near  Lanark  occur  the  very  pic- 
turesque dene  of  the  river  Mouse,  and  the  Cartland  Crags  ;  lower 
down,  in  a  side  valley,  the  castle  of  Craignethan,  better  known  as 
Tillietudlem,  both  interesting  and  suited  for  the  pencil,  demand  a 
slight  detour.  A  few  miles  farther  is  "  Bothwell  Brig,"  an  historic 
site,  Hamilton  Palace,  with  its  art  treasures  and  noble  park,  and 
Bothwell  Castle,  a  grand  ruin,  next  door  to  which  are  preserved 
some  of  Lord  Chancellor  Clarendon's  finest  Vandyks. 

The  Black  Country  of  Scotland,  extending  for  miles  round  Glas- 
gow, is  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  scenes  of  industry  in  the  world, 
where  the  "  black  diamond  "  has  produced  more  genuine  wealth  than 
the  brilliant  of  Golconda,  and  the  "  Black  Band  "  may  vie  in  rich 
results  with  the  silver  veins  of  Potosi.  The  principal  ironworks  are 
at  Gartsherrie,  Coatbridge,  Dundy  van,  and  Langloan,  etc. 


4  §  2.  Architecture  of  Scotland.  Sect.  I. 

§  2.  Gothic  Architecture  of  Scotland — Churches,  Abbeys, 
AND  Castles. 

Scotland  possesses  glorious  exauiples  of  Gothic  art.  Besides  the 
Cathedral  of  Glasgow,  a  national  monument  which  alone  will  repay 
a  pilgrimage,  and  Roslin  Chapel, — an  anomalous  curiosity,  so  unlike 
other  contemporary  buildings,  that  a  Spanish  or  Portuguese  origin  has 
been  attributed  to  it,  though,  after  all,  it  may  owe  its  peculiarities 
to  the  freaks  of  a  native  genius — there  are  the  four  abbeys  of  Tweed- 
side,  Melrose,  Dryburgh,  Kelso,  and  Jedburgh.  In  the  secluded  dales 
of  the  Nith  and  of  Galloway  are  the  three  less  known  but  always 
charming  ruined  abbeys  of  Lincluden,  Sweetheart,  and  Dundrennan  ; 
the  artistic  ruins  of  Crossraguel  in  Ayrshire,  and  on  the  remote 
N.E.  sea-coast,  St.  Andrews,  Arbroath,  and  Elgin,  are  all  highly 
interesting  to  English  architects  and  antiquaries,  and  all  furnish 
admirable  subjects  for  the  artist's  pencil.  It  may  be  useful,  there- 
fore, to  premise  that  the  ecclesiastical  remains  of  Scotland,  as  regards 
age  and  style,  are  not  to  be  judged  by  the  rules  applicable  to  those 
of  England. 

The  peculiarity  of  Scottish  Gothic  is  the  preservation  of  old  forms. 
The  round  arch  is  of  all  ages  ;  both  it  and  early  mouldings,  billet 
and  dog-tooth,  survived  even  to  the  1 6th  cent.,  long  after  they  were 
abandoned  in  the  South.  In  this  respect  they  resemble  some  foreign 
examples,  and  may  owe  their  peculiarity,  perhaps,  to  the  influence 
of  French  architects.  To  these  there  are  some  exceptions,  for  Dun- 
fermline reminds  one  of  Durham,  and  features  of  Arbroath  may  be 
traced  to  Canterbury  ;  while  Melrose,  an  almost  solitary  example  of 
Perpendicular,  can  be  directly  referred  to  English  influence. 

It  has  been  too  readily  assumed  that  these  fine  buildings  owe 
their  present  state  of  ruin  to  John  Knox  and  the  fanatic  hammer  of 
his  followers.  In  the  instances  of  Perth  and  St.  Andrews  he  must 
indeed  bear  the  blame  ;  but  in  the  case  of  the  Border  abbeys,  the 
injury  was  inflicted  by  the  English  soldiery  of  Henry  VIII.  and 
Elizabeth,  during  those  savage  invasions  or  forays  led  by  Hertford, 
Bowes,  Sussex,  and  others. 

There  are  no  Norman  castles  in  Scotland.  The  earliest  and 
largest  feudal  fortresses  seem  to  date  from  the  Edwardian  era,  and 
many  of  them  were  actually  built  by  the  English,  Such  may  have 
been  the  origin  of  Dirleton,  Doune,  and  Castle  Urquhart.  The  royal 
castles  of  Edinburgh  and  Stirling  retain  but  little  of  their  original 
fabric  ;  the  palaces  of  Linlithgow  and  Falkland  are  of  later  date. 

In  the  South,  especially  all  through  the  Border  lands,  every 
gentleman's  house  who  had  farm  produce  or  live-stock  to  protect 


Introd.  §  3.  Places  of  Interest.  5 

was  a  Peel  Toioer  or  Bastel.  The  terrific  invasions  of  borderers  and 
mosstroopers,  lifting  cattle,  spoiling  crops,  burning  barns  and 
homesteads,  compelled  the  landowner  to  construct  a  refuge  for  his 
family  and  retainers.  On  the  ground  floor  was  a  byre  or  dungeon  ; 
above,  a  room  for  servants  ;  and  still  higher,  the  dwelling-room  of 
the  family  ;  a  corkscrew  stair  led  to  the  top,  and  the  bottom  was 
closed  by  an  iron  door  or  gate. 

The  wealthier  nobles  lived  in  castles  consisting  of  a  tower  broader  and 
loftier,  surrounded  by  an  enclosing  wall  for  defending  the  out-build- 
ings, forming  a  court  or  barm-kyne,  into  which  cattle  could  be  driven. 

Such  castles  are  Borthwick,  Crichton,  Hermitage  (stronghold  of 
the  Douglases),  Craigmillar,  Doune,  Castle  Campbell,  and  Caer- 
laverock,  etc. 

§  3.  Places  of  Interest. 

Langholm. — Scenery  of  the  Esk  ;  Penton  Linns. 

Steele  Road. — Hermitage  Castle. 

Riccarton  Junct. — Pictish  ditch  or  Catrail. 

Hawick. — Moothill ;  Branksome  Tower  ;  Harden  Castle  ;  Minto 
House  and  Crags  ;  Euberslaw. 

Nezvton  St.  BoswelVs. — Eildon  Hills  ;  Dryburgh  Abbey. 

Melrose. — Abbey  ;  Abbotsford  ;  Eildon  Hills  ;  SmaUholm  Tower. 

Tijne  Head. — Crichton  Castle  ;  Borthwick  Castle. 

Dalhousie. — Newbattle  Abbey. 

Jedburgh. — Abbey  ;  Ferniehirst  ;  scenery  of  the  Tweed  and  Jed. 

Kelso. — Abbey  ;  Bridge  ;  Floors  Castle  ;  Ednam  ;  Stichell  Linn  ; 
Hume  Castle. 

Coldstream. — Flodden  Field  ;  Tw^izell  Castle  ;  Ladykirk  Church  ; 
Norham  Castle. 

Berivick. — View  of  Tweed  valley,  from  the  Ely.  Stat. ;  Railway 
Bridge  ;  Castle  Walls  ;  Halidon  Hill. 

Reston-Coldingham. — Abbey  Ruins  ;  St.  Abb's  Head  ;  Fast  Castle. 

Cockburnspath. — Tower  ;  Pease  Burn  and  Bridge. 

North  Berwick. — Law  ;  Dirleton  and  Tantallon  Castles  ;  Bass  Rock. 

Tyninghame. — Park  ;  Church. 

Haddington. — Church  ;  Gilford  Castle  ;  grounds  of  Lennoxlove. 

Longniddry.- — Seton  House  ;  Chapel. 

Musselburgh. — Pinkie  House. 

Ecclefechan. — Burnswark  ;  Repentance  Tower. 

Lochmaben. — Castle  ;  Lake  ;  Jardine  Hall  (fossil  footprints). 

Mo/a^.— Gallows  Hill  ;  Devil's  Beef  Tub  ;  Grey  Mare's  Tail ;  St. 
Mary's  Loch  ;  Loch  of  the  Lowes  ;  Hogg's  Monument. 

Sijmiwjton. — Tinto  ;  Fatlips  Castle.  ^ 


6  §  3.  Places  of  Interest.  Sect.  I. 

Midcalder. — Calder  House  ;  Dalmahoy  Rocks. 

Selkirk. — Town-hall  ;  Newark  Castle. 

Ettrick. — Tushielaw  Castle  ;  Thirlestane  Castle  ;  Faiiy  Stack. 

Lanark. — Falls  of  Clyde ;  St.  Kentigern's  ;  Cartland  Crags. 

Douglas. — Clmrcli  and  Monuments  of  Douglases  ;  Castle. 

Braidwood. — Craignethen  Castle. 

EutJmvell. — Cross  in  Manse  Garden  ;  Comlangan  Castle  and  Stone. 

Dumfries. — Burns'  House  ;  his  Grave  and  Mausoleum  ;  Lincluden 
Abbey  ;  Caerlaverock  Castle  ;  Maiden  Bower  Crags  ;  Ellisland  Farm  ; 
scenery  of  the  Nith  ;  Criffel  ;  New  Abbey. 

ThornhiU. — Drumlanrig  ;  Tibber's  Castle. 

Mauchline  and  Kilmarnock.- — Both  associated  with  Burns. 

Dalbeattie. — Granite  quarries  ;  Moot  of  Urr  ;  Munches. 

Castle-Douglas. — Carlingwark  Loch  ;  Threave  Castle. 

Kirkcudbright. — St.  Mary's  Isle  ;  scenery  of  the  Dee  ;  Church  ; 
Gatehouse-of-Fleet ;  Dundrennan  Abbey. 

NeiDton-Stewart. — Loch  Trool.  Wigtown. — Torhouse  Circles. 

Garlieston. — Galloway  House  ;  Cruggleton  Castle. 

TVhithorn. — St.  Ninian's  Chapel.  Glenluce. — Abbey. 

Castle  Kennedy  and  Loch  Inch. — Lord  Stair's  Gardens  and  Pinetum. 

Stranraer. — Mull  of  Galloway  ;  Craigcaffie  Castle. 

Ballantrae. — Glen  App  ;  coast  scenery  to  Girvan. 

Girvan. — Ailsa  Craig  ;  Turnberry  Castle  ;  Shanter  Farm. 

Maybole. — Tolbooth  ;  the  Tower  ;  Crossraguel  Abbey  ;  Dunure 
Castle  ;  Culzean  Castle. 

Ayr. — ''  Twa  Brigs ;"  Alio  way  Kirk  ;  Burns'  House  ;  Brig  o'  Doon. 

Dalmellington. — Defile  of  the  Ness  leading  to  Loch  Doon. 

Kilwinning. — Priory  ;  Eglinton  Castle. 

Paisley. — Abbey  ;  Museum  ;  Shawl- weaving  ;  Stanley  Castle  ; 
Mearns  Castle. 

Edinburgh. — Princes  St.  and  Gardens  ;  Scott's  Monument ;  Museum 
of  Antiquities  and  National  Gallery  of  Paintings  ;  Calton  Hill  ; 
Castle  ;  Assembly  Hall ;  Grassmarket  ;  St.  Giles's ;  Parliament 
House  ;  Canongate  ;  Cowgate  ;  Holyrood  Abbey  and  Palace  ;  Salis- 
bury Crags  ;  Heriot's  Hospital ;  Greyfriars'  Churchyard  ;  University  ; 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art ;  High  School ;  Botanic  Gardens ;  Donald- 
son's Hospital  ;  Leith  Harbour  ;  Granton  Pier  ;  Craigmillar  Castle. 

Dalkeith. — Palace  ;  Gardens  and  Park  ;  LassM^ade  ;  Hawthornden ; 
Boslin  Chapel  ;  Castle. 

Peebles. — Neidpath  Castle  ;  Horsburgh  Castle. 

Innerleithen. — Caerlee  Fort  ;  Purvis  Hill  terraces  ;  Traquair 
House  ;  Elibank  Tower. 

Pennicuik. — House  ;  Pentland  Hills  ;  Habbie's  How. 


S.  Scotland.       Boutes  a,  1. — London  to  Edinhicrgk 


E  0  U  T  E  S. 


ROUTE  A. 

London  to  Edinburgli  (Leith), 
By  Sea. 

Swift  and  comfortable  steamers 
sail  twice  a  week,  Wednesday  and 
Saturday  morning,  from  Irongate 
AVharf  to  Leith,  and  from  St.  Kathe- 
rine's  Steam  "Wharf  to  Granton, 
average  passage  36  hours.  Fares : — 
1st  cabin,  15s.  ;  2d  cabin,  12s.  The 
traveller  by  this  route  (and  if  the  sea 
is  tolerably  calm  no  route  is  plea- 
santer)  will  obtain  a  good  view  of 
the  eastern  coast  of  England.  The 
steamer  gives  the  flat  shores  of  Essex 
a  tolerably  wide  berth,  but  approaches 
land  more  closely  when  off  Suffolk 
and  Norfolk.  In  succession  the  fol- 
lowing distant  views  present  them- 
selves ; — 

Lowestoft. 

Yarmouth  town. 

Cromer  Cliffs. 

Flamborough  Head. 

Filey  Bay. 

Scarborough  and  its  Castle. 

Eobin  Hood's  Bay. 

Whitby. 

Tynemouth. 

Coquet  Island. 

Bamborough  Castle. 

Feme  Island  and  Grace  Darling's 
Lighthouse. 

Holy  Island  (Lindisfarne). 

St.  Abb's  Head  (Ete.  4). 

Tantallon  Castle  aod  Bass  Eock. 

J^orth  Berwick  Law  (Ete.  4). 

Isle  of  May  and  Inchkeith  (on 
right).     Granton  Pier  or 

Leith,  by  rail  to  Edinburgh. 

The  distance  by  land  from  London 
to  Edinburgh  is  performed  hij  Train 
— London  and  IST.  AVestern  (401  m.) 
or  Great  Northern  (397  m.)  Lines — 


in  lOi  hrs.,  leaving  London  at  10 
A.M.,  reaching  Edinburgh  at  S.25, 
Glasgow  at  8. 30. 


ROUTE    1. 

Carlisle  to  Edinburgh,  by  Liddes- 
dale,  Hawick  (Dryburgh),  Mel- 
rose, Abbotsford,  and  Gala- 
shiels—Rail. 

9Sj  m.  7  trains  daily,  in  3  to  4| 
hrs. 

This  line  of  rly.,  belonging  to  the 
X.  British  Company,  is  usually  known 
as  the  Waverleij  Route,  from  its  pass- 
ing through  the  district  associated 
with  Sir  Walter  Scott  and  his  writ- 
ings. The  portion  of  the  rly.  be- 
tween Carlisle  and  Hawick  is  essen- 
tially a  border  line,  and  was  made  in 
1854. 

Quitting  the  Citadel  Stat,  at  Car- 
lisle {Hotel,  County,  very  comfort- 
able), we  pass  in  succession  (on  right) 
the  Cathedral,  Castle,  and  the  river 
Eden  ;  then,  crossing  at  a  high  level 
the  Caledonian  Ely.,  stretch  over  the 
plain  between  the  Esk  and  Eden, 
and  pass  Harker  and  Lineside  sta- 
,  tions  to 

I      10  m.  LoNGTO^^'^^  Junct.  with  the 
j  Gretna  and  Annan  branch  (Ete.  9). 
Eail  to  Glasgow  and  Stirling  (Ete. 
5). 

From  the  nature  of  the  alluvial 
flats  that  bound  the  Solway  Firth  and 
its  tributaries,  a  fine  distant  view  is 
obtained  of  the  hills  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Langholm  and  Eskdale. 
Longtoicn  is  an  ancient  border  town 
in  Cumberland,  placed  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  Esk,  which  is  there  a  con- 
siderable stream.  A  market  has  been 


Route  1. — Carlisle  to  Edinburgh — Langholm.       Sect.  I. 


held  here  since  Henry  III.'s  time, 
and  it  is  somewhat  celebrated  for 
its  supply  of  cranberries,  which  are 
sent  to  London  during  the  season  in 
large  quantities.  There  is  not  much 
to  be  seen  except  the  old  parish  ch. 
of  Arthurct,  of  the  early  part  of  the 
17th  cent,  which  is  outside  the 
town. 

12  m.  Scotch  D]]ke  Stat.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Esk  are  the  Avoods 
and  mansion  of  Nethcrhy,  the  seat  of 
Sir  r.  U.  Graham,  Bart.  The  scenery 
improves  rapidly,  and  becomes  very 
j)icturesque  at 

14m.  Pvidclmgs  Junct.  Stat.,  Avhere 
a  branch  line  is  given  ofi'  to  Lang- 
holm and  Eskdale.  The  view  of  the 
village  and  church  of  Canobic  on  the 
left  is  charming.  The  main  line 
runs  up  the  valley  of  the  Liddel, 
which  at  this  point  joins  with  the 
Esk.  Here  the  valley  of  the  Esk 
opens  out,  and  a  branch  rly.  runs  up 
it  to  (7  m.)  Langholm. 

Bail  (7  m.)  to  Langlwhn. 

[The  drive  by  the  banks  of  the 
Esk  to  LangJioIm  (7  m.)  and  thence 
down  the  Teviot  to  Hawick,  is  far 
prettier  than  the  journey  by  the  r\j., 
which  keeps  the  high  ground  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  river,  so  as  to  accom- 
modate the  collieries  in  Canobie  par- 
ish. These  collieries  are  situated 
upon  the  middle  series  of  coal-mea- 
sures, overlaid  by  Permian  strata, 
sections  of  which  may  be  seen  at 
Eiddings  Junct.,  Penton,  Carwinlay 
Burn,  and  Canobie  Stat.  The  banks 
of  the  Esk  in  this  neighbourhood  are 
steep  and  precipitous  ;  one  rock  in 
particular  is  named  GilnocMes  Gar- 
den, and  is  said  to  have  been  a  fa- 
vourite haunt  of  Johnnie  Armstrong, 
the  famous  Border  riever,  and  cap- 
tain of  Mosstroopers,  whose  sti'ong- 
hold,  the  Tower  of  HoUoics,  a  square 
Peel,  70  ft.  high,  is  about  2  m.  from 
Canobie. 

Laivjholm    Terminus.      This  is  a 


thriving  border  town,  with  a  suburb 
called  New  Langholm,  on  the  old 
high  rd.  between  Carlisle  and  Ber- 
wick, Avhere  the  Ewes  Water  falls  into 
the  Esk.  It  is  an  industrious  place, 
and  a  good  deal  of  woollen  plaiding  is 
woven  here.  It  possesses  a  library, 
to  which  Telford,  the  engineer,  be- 
queathed £1000.  The  scenery  of  the 
hills  around  is  picturesque,  although 
they  have  the  rounded  monotonous 
form  characteristic  of  S.  Scotland. 
On  White  Hill  to  the  E.  of  the  town 
is  a  Monument  in  memory  of  Sir  John 
Malcolm,  Governor  of  Bombay,  vis- 
ible even  from  the  Waverley  line. 
He  was  one  of  ten  sons  of  an  Eskdale 
farmer,  born  at  Burnfoot,  a  little  way 
from  Langholm.  To  his  brother. 
Admiral  Sir  Pulteney  Malcolm,  there 
is  a  statue  in  the  ]\Iarket-place.  Two 
other  brothers  contributed  to  render 
the  name  illustrious  and  to  do  honour 
to  their  native  valley.  In  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  are  Langholm 
Lodge,  a  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Buc- 
cleuch,  the  border  tower  of  Lang- 
holm, and  slight  remains  of  Waiich- 
ope  Castle,  situated  on  the  water  of 
the  same  name.  Langholm  is  cele- 
brated for  its  sheep  fairs,  an  enor- 
mous number  of  sheep  being  annually 
sent  from  it  into  England  ;  and  it  is 
also  the  seat  of  a  considerable  woollen 
trade. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Langholm 
is  intimately  associated  with  the 
memory  of  Johnnie  Armstrong,  the 
Border  hero,  who  in  the  days  of 
James  V.  levied  black  mail  as  far  as 
Newcastle.  As  old  Lindsay  of  Pit- 
scottie  tells  us,  "  He  rode  ever  with 
24  able  gentlemen  well  horsed  ;  yet 
he  never  molested  any  Scottisliman. " 
The  king,  under  the  pretext  of  a 
hunting  party,  made  an  expedition 
against  Armstrong,  enticed  him  over 
to  Caerlanrig,  and  hanged  him  and 
36  of  his  accomplices  there,  notwith- 
standing many  tempting  offers  made 
by  the  culprits  to  procure  a  respite. 

A  few  miles  above   Langholm  is 


S.  Scotland.     Route  1. — Mangerton  Toiver — Hermitage. 


the  solitary  liamlet  of  Westerkirk, 
the  birthplace  of  Telford,  whose 
father  was  a  shex^herd  on  the  banks 
of  the  Meggat.  ] 

From  Eiddings  the  main  line 
keeps  high  ground,  overlooking  the 
Licklel,  which  for  7  m.  above  this 
divides  England  from  Scotland.  Its 
serpentine  reaches  are  embowered  in 
woods,  Avhile  an  occasional  homestead 
on  the  banks  above  gives  relief  to 
the  otherwise  bleak-looking  country 
at  the  foot  of  the  moorland  ranges. 

At  Penton  Stat.,  17  m.,  and  Kers- 
Jiope,  21  m.,  where  we  enter  Scot- 
land, the  scenery  on  the  right  closes 
in,  and  the  grey  table-lands  that 
skirt  the  Cheviots  begin  to  show 
themselves,  varied  by  an  occasional 
"  burn"  that  joins  the  Liddel  through 
a  tangled  ravine.  At  Penton  Linns 
is  a  wild  and  rapid  reach  of  the  river, 
which  flows  through  a  narrow  chan- 
nel between  the  rocks. 

24  m.  Neivcastlcton  Stat,  is  a  Lid- 
desdale  town  of  two  streets,  founded, 
1793,  in  a  more  convenient  spot  than 
Old  Castleton,  of  which  only  the 
church  remains,  2  ni.  off. 

Liddesdale,  it  will  be  remembered, 
was  the  country  of  Dandie  Dinmont, 
and  its  scenery  is  admirably  portrayed 
in  "Guy  J\Iannering:"  "  Hills  as  steep 
as  they  well  can  be  without  being 
precipitous.  Their  sides  often  pre- 
sent gullies,  down  which  after  heavy 
rains  tlie  torrents  descend  with  great 
fury.  Some  dappled  mists  float 
along  the  peaks  of  the  hills  ;  through 
these  fleecy  streams  a  hundred  little 
rills  descend  the  mountain  sides,  like 
silver  threads." 

1|  m.  S.  of  Kewcastleton  is  Man- 
gerton  Toicer,  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Liddel,  another  of  the  Arm- 
strong border  residences  ;  and  on  the 
opposite  hill  once  dwelt  Jock  o'  the 
Side,  a  nephew  of  the  Laird  of  Man- 
gerton, and,  according  to  Sir  Richard 


Maitland,  of  very  doubtful  reputa- 
tion : — 

"  He  is  well  kenn'd,  Johne  of  the  Syde, 
A  greater  thief  did  never  ryde  ; 
He  never  tires 
For  to  break  bj'res, 
O'er  mure  and  mires 
Ower  glide  ane  guide." 

In  a  raid  by  the  liiddesdale  men 
Jock  o'  the  Side  was  taken  prisoner  ; 
but  was  rescued  by  his  cousins  of 
Mangerton,  knoAvn  as  the  Laird's 
Jock  and  the  Laird's  Wat. 

Near  the  roadside,  at  Milnholm,  is 
a  stone  cross,  with  a  sword  and  some 
letters  inscribed  on  it.  The  cross 
marks  the  spot  where  the  body  of 
one  of  the  owners  of  Mangerton,  who 
was  barbarously  murdered  by  Lord 
Soulis,  was  rested  on  its  way  to  in- 
terment. 

2  m.  to  the  N.  of  Newcastleton  the 
Hermitage  Avater  joins  the  Liddel. 
The  railway  crosses  the  valley  by  a 
bridge,  and  keeps  the  high  ground  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Liddel. 

27  m.  at  Old  Castleton,  is  the  site 
of  Liddel  Castle,  built  by  IJanulph  de 
Soulis  in  the  12th  cent. 

29  m.  Steele  Road  Stat,  [is  about 
4  m.  from  the  *Castle  of  Hermitage, 
one  of  the  most  interesting  historic 
edifices  on  the  Border,  on  Hermitage 
Water,  the  grand  stronghold  of  the 
Douglases,  and  called  by  Burton  the 
oldest  baronial  building  in  Scotland. 
Descending  to  the  valley  through 
which  the  Hermitage  AVater  passes, 
the  tourist  can  get  the  key  at  the 
gamekeeper's  house.  Cross  the  bridge, 
and  take  the  road  to  the  right.  At 
the  next  bridge  take  the  road  to  the 
left.  Hermitage  stands  in  a  dreary 
open  plain,  and  was  protected  on  one 
side  by  the  stream  and  on  the  other 
by  a  fosse.  The  exterior,  which  is 
perfect,  consists  of  4  rectangular 
towers,  one  of  which,  on  the  S.W., 
is  much  larger  than  the  others.  These 
towers  are  connected  on  the  N.  and 


10 


Route  1. — Carlisle  to  Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


S.  sides  by  a  lofty  curtain  at  their 
interior  angles,  on  the  E.  and  W.  by 
a  lower  curtain  in  the  same  position, 
while  the  exterior  angles  are  also 
connected  by  an  arch  which  serves  to 
support  the  lofty  corbelled  parapet 
that  crowns  the  whole  building.  It 
is  believed  to  have  been  built,  1244, 
by  Walter  Comyn,  Earl  of  Monteith, 
and  became  the  gi'eat  stronghold  of 
the  powerful  Comyns.  One  of  this 
family,  "the  Wizard"  (Lord  Soulis), 
so  irritated  his  vassals  by  his 
cruelty,  that  they  rebelled  against 
him,  and  actually  boiled  him  to 
death — the  idea  of  this  punishment 
having  been  put  into  their  heads  by 
the  king,  Avho  peevishly  said,  when 
complained  to,  "  Boil  him  if  you 
please,  but  let  me  hear  no  more  of 
him."  The  building  of  such  a  men- 
acing stronghold  so  near  the  English 
frontier  was  one  of  the  grievances  of 
King  Henry  III.,  which  served  as  a 
pretext  for  invading  Scotland,  1244. 
Having  been  taken  by  the  English  in 
the  reign  of  David  II.,  it  Avas  re- 
covered from  them  by  the  prowess  of 
William  Douglas,  called  the  Black 
Knight  of  Liddesdale,  the  natural 
son  of  the  good  Sir  James.  It  was 
to  this  place  that  he  carried  oflf  Sir 
Alexander  Kanisay,  and  left  him  to 
die  of  starvation,  the  unfortunate 
man  supporting  life  for  seventeen 
days  by  some  corn  Avhich  fell  from  a 
granary  above,  through  chinks  in  the 
floor,  into  his  dungeon.  The  Douglas 
family  was  so  powerful  that  no  notice 
was  taken  of  this  atrocious  act. 
Queen  Marj^  accompanied  by  Mur- 
ray, visited  Bothwell  here,  while  he 
was  suffering  from  a  wound,  soon 
after  Rizzio's  murder.  (See  Jed- 
burgh. ) 

Nine  Stane  Fdg,  on  which  it  is  said 
that  Lord  Soulis  was  boiled,  is  a  de- 
clivity 1  m.  long  and  4  broad,  de- 
scending to  the  water  of  Hermitage. 
There  is  an  Old  Stone  Circle  on  it, 
once  of  9  stones,  now  of  5,  2  of  which 
are  pointed  out  as  having  supported 


the  caldron.  Lord  Soulis  was  sus- 
pected of  witchcraft  (see  Scott's 
"Minstrelsy") — 

"  Lord  Soulis  he  sat  in  Hermitage  Castle, 
And  beside  him  Old  Redcap  sly." 

The  pedestrian  may  make  his  way 
from  Hermitage  across  the  hills  to 
Hawick,  about  15  m.] 

After  leaving  Liddesdale  the  coun- 
try becomes  very  desolate  as  the  rly. 
ascends  to 

32  m.  EiccARTON  Junct.,  where 
the  Border  Union  Line  from  New- 
castle and  Hexham  joins  the  North 
British.  The  summit  level  is  gained 
by  a  tunnel  under  the  ridge  of  hills 
where  the  Pictish  Ditch  or  Catrail 
was  carried  from  Peel  Fell  on  the 
Border  to  Borthwick  Water  on  the 
N.W.,  and  from  thence  into  the 
neighbourhood  of  Galashiels,  It  con- 
sisted of  a  double  fosse  and  vallum, 
supported  by  a  number  of  interme- 
diate forts,  and  was  constructed  by 
the  Romanised  Britons  dwelling  on 
the  Tweed,  as  a  protection  against 
the  Anglian  invasions.  The  Catrail 
is  well  seen  beyond  Eiccarton,  under 
the  curiously  shaped  hill  called 
Maiden's  Paps.  With  a  rapid  de- 
scent down  the  Hawick  side  of  the 
Fells,  the  rly.  enters  the  valley  of 
the  Slitrig,  passing  41  m.  Stobbs,  the 
picturesque  seat  of  Sir  Wm.  Elliot, 
Bart.,  whose  ancestor,  Sir  Gilbert, 
was  created  a  knight  by  the  king, 
1643. 

45  m.  Hawick  Stat.  At  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Slitrig  with  the  Te^iot  is 
the  thriving  town  and  Pari,  burgh  of 
Haifick  (Inns  :  Tower,  Crown), 
which,  if  jiopulation  decided  its  rank, 
would  be  capital  of  Roxburghshire, 
having  11,355  inhab.,  while  Jedburgh 
has  4000.  It  is  an  uninteresting  town. 
The  manufactures  principally  con- 
sist of  woollens,  yarns,  stockings,  etc. 
The  manners  and  customs  of  the  in- 
habitants are  somewhat  savage.     At 


S.  Scotland.     Boute  1. — EatvkJc — Branksome  Tower. 


11 


an  election  they  show  their  contempt 
for  an  unpopular  candidate  by  sint- 
ting  upon  him  !  They  assisted  in 
stoning  and  hooting  Sir  Walter  Scott 
in  his  old  age  at  Jedburgh,  1831. 

The  streets  are  regular,  but  not 
cleanly.  Down  to  1872  no  proper 
sewers  existed  in  the  place.  The 
Einscopal  Ch. ,  from  designs  by  G.  G. 
Scott,  is  a  fine  Gothic  building.  The 
parish  ch.,  surmounted  by  a  tall 
square  tower,  was  the  scene  of  the  cap- 
ture of  Sir  Alexander  Ramsay  by 
Sir  Wm.  Douglas,  who  confined  him 
in  Hermitage  Castle,  and  there 
starved  him  (ante). 

The  only  objects  of  antiquity  in 
the  town  are  the  Moot  Hill,  a  tumu- 
lus about  300  ft.  in  circumference 
and  30  ft.  in  height,  the  old  place 
of  meeting  of  the  Court  of  the  Manor, 
and  the  Tower  inn,  once  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Barons  of  Drumlanrig, 
which  still  shows  traces  of  its  former 
strength.  It  was  the  only  house  not 
burned  down  by  Sussex  in  1570. 

Rail  to  Edinburgh,  53  m.  ;  Car- 
lisle, 45  ;  Melrose,  lo^. 

Excursions — a.  Up  the  Te\^ot 
to  Branksome,  3  m.,  and  Harden  ;  h. 
Minto  Crags,  54  m.  ;  c.  Jedburgh, 
11  m.  (Route  2). 

Ig  m.  on  the  Langholm  road  is 
Goldielands,  a  well-preserved  border 
fortress  of  the  clan  of  Scott,  the  last 
of  whom  was,  for  "  March  treason," 
hanged  over  his  own  gateway.  At 
this  point  the  Teviot  is  joined  by 
the  Borthwick  Water. 


3  m.  from  Hawick  is  a,  Branksome 
Tower,  an  ancient  possession,  from 
the  middle  of  the  15th  cent.,  of  the 
Scotts,  Barons  of  Buccleuch,  but 
chiefly  known  as  the  principal  scene 
of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  "  Lay  of  the  Last 
Minstrel"  : — 

"  Nine-and-twenty  knights  of  fame 

Hung  their  shields  in  Branksome  Hall ; 


Nine-and-twenty  squires  of  name 
Brought  them  their  steeds  to  bower 
from  stall ; 
Nine-and-twenty  yeomen  tall 
Waited  duteous  on  them  all ; 
They  were  all  knights  of  mettle  true, 
Kinsmen  to  the  bold  Buccleuch." 

Its  present  aspect  is  that  of  a 
modern  house,  and  it  is  the  residence 
of  the  Duke's  chamberlain  (W.  Ogil- 
vie,  Esq.)  Some  years  ago,  on  the 
return  of  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch 
from  Malta,  whither  he  had  gone  for 
restoration  of  his  health,  a  dinner 
was  givf'n  him  in  a  pavilion  erected 
at  Branksome  by  lOOU  of  his  tenantry, 
of  whom  about  300  were  hereditary  ; 
i.e.,  who  from  father  to  son  had  pos- 
sessed their  farms  since  the  days  of 
the  first  Buccleuch. 

The  older  part  of  the  building  con- 
sists of  a  square  tower,  ending  in 
an  overhanging  storey  with  a  billet 
moulding.  The  rest  of  it  seems  to 
have  been  begun  by  Sir  Walter 
Scott  in  1571,  and  completed  by  his 
wife,  Margaret  Douglas. 

On  returning  from  Branksome  the 
tourist  should  keep  the  left  bank  of 
the  Teviot,  and  cross  the  Borthwick 
Water  by  a  wooden  bridge.  2  m. 
farther  on  cross  a  burn,  and  take  a 
road  on  right  up  the  course  of  the 
stream  to  Harden  Castle,  the  ancient 
seat  of  the  Scotts  of  Harden,  now 
represented  by  Lord  Polwarth.  A 
curious  story  exists  of  a  child  said  to 
have  been  carried  off"  by  the  Scotts 
in  one  of  their  raids,  who  was 
christened  by  them  "The  Flower  of 
Yarrow,"  and  afterwards  married  the 
notorious  AYat  of  Harden.  His  cus- 
tom was  to  subsist  on  the  spoils  of 
his  freebooting  until  the  serving  up 
Qf  a  clean  pair  of  spurs  on  a  dish  sig- 
nified the  emptiness  of  the  larder 
and  the  necessit}^  of  a  fresh  adventure. 
The  house  is  devoid  of  all  architec- 
tural interest,  but  the  situation  is 
ver}^  romantic,  on  the  brink  of  a  deep 
glen  overlooking  the  Borthwick,  and 
resembling  on  a  small  scale  Castle 
Campbell  near  Dollar.    From  Harden 


12        Route  1. — CarUsh  to  Edinburgh — St.  Boswells.     Sect.  I. 


a  road  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Borth- 
Avick  leads  direct  to  Hawick 

b.  Minto  Crags  (see  below). 

c.  Jedburgh  (Kte.  2). 

The  ^'Silver  Tcviot"  rises  from 
the  slopes  of  the  ridge  of  hills  that 
form  the  northern  boundary  of  Esk- 
dale,  and  receives  in  its  course  to 
Hawick  the  Allan  and  Borthwick 
Waters,  besides  some  minor  streams. 

Quitting  the  valley  of  the  Teviot 
at  Teviot  Bank  (E.  Heron-Maxwell, 
Esq.)  the  rly.  reaches 

494  m.  HassancUan  Stat,  a,  corrup- 
tion of  Hazeldean,  once  belonging 
to  a  family  of  Scotts.  On  right  is 
Minto  House  (Earl  of  Minto).  The 
grounds  are  open  every  week-day. 
The  old  ch.  of  Hassendean  was  de- 
molished in  1690.  The  scenery  is 
very  picturesque  at  Minto  Crags,  a 
precipitous  escarpment  overlooking 
the  Teviot. 

A  little  to  the  S.  is  Denliolm,  the 
'birthplace  of  John  Leyden,  who  was 
successively  a  clergyman,  a  doctor, 
and  a  professor  of  Eastern  languages. 
He  was  a  great  friend  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott's,  and  contributed  to  the  "  Min- 
strelsy of  the  Scottish  Border;"  an 
obelisk  has  been  erected  to  his  me- 
mory. Conspicuous  from  Denliolm 
is  the  eminence  of  Euhcrslaiv — 

"  That  lifts  its  head  sublime, 
Rugged  and  hoaiy  with  the  wrecks  of 
time."  Leyden. 

Some  crags  on  the  summit  are 
called  "Peden's  Pulpit,"  from  the 
fact  that  Alexander  Peden,  the  cove- 
nanter, used  to  preach  from  them. 
Cavers  House  (J.  Douglas,  Esq.) 
is  a  large  square  building,  erected 
about  1400,  by  Sir  A.  Douglas,  and 
contains  the  banner  carried  before 
Douglas  at  the  battle  of  Otterburn. 

53.  m.  Soon  after  leaving  Bclses 
Stat,  the  traveller  gains  a  distant 
view  of  the  triple  heads  of  the  Eildon 


Hills,  which  form  the  leading  feature 
in  the  scenery  of  the  district,  and 
crosses  the  Ale  Water,  a  picturesque- 
ly-wooded trout-stream  which  joins 
the  Teviot  near  Ancrum. 

At  58  m. , Newtown  St.  Boswells 
Junction,  two  lines  branch  off — 1. 
through  Earlston  and  Dunse,  to  join 
the  N.  British  at  Keston  (Rte.  4)  ; 
and  2.  to  Jedburgh  and  Kelso,  where 
it  forms  a  connection  with  the  N. 
Eastern  Rly.  to   Berwick   (Rte.   2). 

The  situation  of  Newtoivn  St. 
Bosivells  {Inns:  Buccleuch  Arms, — 
Railway)  at  the  foot  of  the  Eildon 
Hills,  is  very  pretty.  In  feudal 
times  this  village  contained  ISBastel 
houses,  which  were  destroyed  by  the 
English  in  the  16th  cent.  E.  of 
the  village  are  the  hunting  stables 
of  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch.  On  St. 
Boswells  Green  a  great  Sheep  Fair 
is  held  in  July.  Overlooking  the 
village,  at  a  considerable  height,  is 
Eildon  Hall  (Lord  Henry  Scott),  a 
seat  of  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch. 
From  the  singular  isolation  and  triple 
cone  of  these  hills  (respectively  1216, 
1385,  and  1327  ft.  in  height),  they 
at  once  strike  the  attention  of  the 
traveller  ;  in  addition  to  which,  great 
interest  has  always  attached  to  them 
from  the  tradition  of  the  magic 
charm  of  ' '  the  words  which  cleft 
Eildon  Hills  in  three."  "Michael 
Scott  was  once  on  a  time  much  em- 
barrassed by  an  evil  spirit,  for  whom 
he  was  under  the  necessity  of  finding 
constant  employment.  He  com- 
manded him  to  build  a  ca^lld,  or 
damhead,  over  the  Tweed  at  Kelso  ; 
it  was  accomplished  in  one  night, 
and  still  does  honour  to  the  infernal 
architect's  engineering  skill.  Michael 
next  ordered  that  Eildon  Hill,  which 
was  then  a  uniform  cone,  should  be 
divided  into  three.  Another  night 
Avas  sufficient  to  part  its  summit,  as 
we  now  see  it.  At  length  the  en- 
chanter conquered  the  indefatigable 
demon  by  employing  him  to  make 
ropes  out  of  sand." — W.S.     These 


S.Scotland.     Boide  1. — Eildon  Hills — Dnjlmrgh  Ahhey.      13 


hills  are  also  connected  with  the 
prophecies  and  sayings  of  Thomas 
of  Ercildoune,  usually  known  as 
"Thomas  the  Rhymer,"  who  was 
supposed  to  have  been  carried  cap- 
tive by  the  Queen  of  Elfland  and 
detained  for  more  than  3  years  in  the 
enchanted  country  within  the  hills. 

From  the  summit  is  a  beautiful 
view  extending  over  the  counties  of 
Eoxburgh  and  Selkirk. 

The  antiquary  will  find  on  the 
northern  cone  a  Camp  defended  by 
earthen  ramparts. 

As  a  Eoman  station  it  was  known 
by  the  name  of  Trimou  tium.  Much  of 
the  interpretation  of  the  Roman  mili- 
tary movements  depended  on  the 
identification  of  "  Trimontium,"  usu- 
ally placed  on  the  X,  side  of  the 
Solway.  Gen.  V\.oj  remarked  that 
everything  harmonised  Avith  the 
supposition  that  Trimontium  was 
Old  Melrose,  under  the  Eildon  Hills, 
and  he  gives  in  his  Military  Anti- 
quities a  view  of  the  hills  from  the 
place  where  the  Roman  road  crosses 
the  Cheviots  on  the  way  to  the 
fortress. 

[Xewtown  St.  Boswells  is  distant 
about  2  m.  from  the  ruins  of  Dry- 
hurgh  Ahhey. '\  Follow  the  high 
road  to  St.  Boswell's,  and  take  the 
first  turning  to  the  left  when  past 
the  turnpike.  This  lane  leads  down 
to  the  Tweed,  which  is  crossed  by  a 
suspension  bridge. 

Dryburgh  {Inii :  Melrose  Abbey 
H. )  Adjoining  the  modern  mansion 
of  the  Erskines,  the  ancient  Ahhey  of 
Dryburgh,  of  which  there  are  still 
considerable  remains,  surrounded  by 
yew-trees  nearly  as  ancient,  is  charm- 
ingly situated  on  a  semicircular  piece 
of  land,  round  which  the  Tweed 
sweeps  broad  and  swift.  It  never  was 
of  great  size  or  wealth,  but  almost 
every  part  of  the  monastic  buildings 
is  still  represented  by  a  fragment.  It 
was  founded  in  1]44  by  Hugh  de 
Morville,  Lord  of  Lauderdale  (or,  as 
some  say,  by  his  master,  David  I.), 


In  1-322  the  abbey  was  burnt  by 
Edward  II.,  but  was  rebuilt  soon 
after.  In  1544  the  English,  under 
Sir  Geo.  Bowes  and  Sir  Brian  Latoun, 
again  burnt  it,  and  in  all  probability 
it  was  never  rebuilt. 

Of  the  Church,  which  was  ori- 
ginally 190  ft.  long  by  75  broad, 
there  is  left  only  part  of  the  outer 
walls  and  the  bases  of  the  piers,  the 
N".  transept,  with  its  E.  aisle,  the 
western  entrance,  and  the  original 
chapel  of  St.  Moden.  The  IST.  tran- 
sept aisle,  known  as  St.  Mary's,  is 
the  burying-place  of  the  Erskines  ; 
and  here,  too,  are  buried  Sir  Walter 
Scott  and  his  wife  (under  one  monu- 
ment), his  son,  and  his  son-in-law, 
John  Lockhart,  as  also  his  ancestors, 
the  Haliburtons  of  Xewmains.  This 
chapel  opens  into  the  choir  by  2 
pointed  arches,  above  which  are 
quatrefoil  openings,  and  a  triforium 
gallery. 

The  Chax)tcr -house,  which  is  on  a 
lower  level  than  the  rest  of  the  ch. ,  is 
still  entire.  It  is  a  very  plain  long 
building,  with  a  simple  vaulted  roof, 
and  the  sedilia,  on  the  E.  side,  are 
formed  of  Romanesque  arches,  inter- 
laced. St.  Moden's  chapel  inter- 
venes between  the  chapter-hoiise  and 
transept.  Part  of  the  walls  of  the 
refectory  are  left,  and  its  gable  end  is 
still  decorated  with  a  rose  window. 
Next  to  the  refectory  is  the  abbot's 
parlour.  The  arms  of  the  last  abbot, 
James  Stewart,  are  carved  over  the 
staircase  leading  to  the  dungeon, 
where  refractory  brethren  were  shut 
up.  At  the  dissolution  of  religious 
houses  the  Dryburgh  estates  were 
granted  to  John,  Earl  of  Mar.  He 
gave  it  to  his  8rd  son,  from  whom  it 
descended,  after  being  sold  and  re- 
purchased, to  the  family  of  the  Earl 
of  Buchan.  Dryburgh  House,  in 
whose  grounds  the  ruins  stand,  be- 
longs to  the  Hon.  Mr.  Erskine.  A 
fixed  charge  is  made  for  admission 
to  them — apply  at  the  Lodge. 

On  a  neighbouring  hill,  overlook- 
ing the  Tweed,  is  an  atrocious  red 


14 


Route  1. — Carlisle  to  Ediiiburgh — Melrose. 


Sect.  I. 


sandstone  effigy,  put  up  by  a  former 
Earl  of  Buchan  as  an  effigy  of 
Wallace.  That  hero  suffers  much 
from  the  clumsy  worship  of  his 
Scotch  adorers. 

The  tourist,  instead  of  returning 
across  the  ferry  to  N  ewtown  St.  Bos- 
wells,  may  keep  along  the  N.  bank 
of  the  Tweed  to  Melrose  ;  but  as  this 
road  is  generally  the  subject  of  an 
excursion  from  Melrose,  it  is  given 
under  that  place.     (See  below. ) 

[A  third  excursion  may  be  made 
from  Newtown  St.  Boswells  to  An- 
crum  Moor,  which  lies  about  4  m. 
on  the  road  to  Jedburgh,  passing 
St.  Boswells  Green,  celebrated  for  its 
July  fair,  which  attracts  flock-masters 
and  wool-merchants  from  all  parts. 
The  name  of  St.  Boswell  was  derived 
from  St.  Boisil,  once  a  prior  of  Mel- 
rose. 

Between  it  and  the  Tweed  is  Les- 
sudden,  an  old  border  house,  "the 
small  but  stately  and  venerable 
abode  of  the  Lairds  of  Eaeburn  "  (E. 
Scott,  Esq.)  From  behind  the  village, 
at  the  Braeheads,  the  tourist  obtains 
a  lovely  view  of  Dryburgh  Abbey. 

The  Waterloo  inllar  will  be  ob- 
served to  the  left  on  the  top  of  Peniel 
Heugh,  on  which  there  are  a  couple 
of  camps. 

4  m.  Ancrum  Moor,  where  in  154.5 
the  Earl  of  Angus  and  Norman 
Leslie  defeated  3000  English  under 
Lord  Evers  and  Sir  Brian  Latoun, 
as  they  were  returning  laden  with 
plunder  from  a  devastating  inroad. 
The  timely  appearance  on  the  field 
of  Sir  Walter  Scott  of  Buccleuch,  with 
a  chosen  body  of  retainers,  decided 
the  fortune  of  the  day.  Both  Evers 
and  Latoun  being  killed,  the  English 
were  routed  with  great  slaughter  and 
loss  of  booty. 

1.  6  m.  from  St.  Boswells,  nearly 
on  the  battlefield,  on  the  N.  bank 
of  the  Ale,  is  Ancrum  House  (Sir 
Wni.  Scott,  Bart.),  destroyed  by  fire 
1873,  rebuilt  in  Scotch  baronial 
style  1875,  beyond  which  a  road  on 


1.  crosses  the  Ale  Water  to  Hawick. 
In  the  neighbourhood  are  Chesters 
(W.  Ogilvie,  Esq.)  and  Kirklands 
(The  Misses  Richardson).  The  rocky 
banks  of  the  Ale  above  AnciTim 
are  excavated  with  caves,  used  as  re- 
treats in  time  of  war  or  invasion. 
One  of  them  was  the  favourite  retreat 
of  Thomson  the  poet. 

Passing  rt.  Mount  Teviot,  the  seat 
of  the  Marquis  of  Lothian,  and  cross- 
ing the  Teviot,  the  tourist  enters  8  m. 
Jedburgh  (Rte.  2).] 

Distances  of  Neivtoivn  St.  Boswells 
from— Melrose,  3  m.;  Dryburgh,  2 
m.  ;  Jedburgh,  154  ;  Hawick,  12  ; 
Lillyard's  Edge,  4  ;  Eildon  Hills,  2. 


From  Newtown  St.  Boswells  the 
line  takes  a  curve,  following  the 
contour  of  the  valley  of  the  Tweed, 
and  leaves  on  right  Old  Melrose,  the 
site  of  the  original  abbey  of  St. 
Aidan  of  Lindisfarn.  The  situation 
is  peculiar,  the  river  surrounding  it 
as  at  Dryburgh. 

61  m.  Melrose  Stat.  {Inns  :  George, 
King's  Arms)  is  a  small  town  of 
1141  inhab.,  having  nothing  at- 
tractive in  its  streets  or  buildings, 
but  it  is  surrounded  by  neat  villas, 
charmingly  situated  at  the  foot  of 
the  Eildon  Hills,  and  overlooks  the 
Tweed.  There  are  Established,  Free, 
and  Episcopal  churches.  In  the 
]\larket-place  is  a  stone  cross  bearing 
the  arms  of  Scotland.  Melrose  is 
celebrated  for  "the  most  beautiful  not 
only  of  the  Scottish  Second  Pointed 
churches,  but  of  all  the  northern 
fanes  of  whatever  age.  The  splen- 
dour of  middle-age  romance  which 
Scott  has  thrown  around  the  place 
has  almost  obliterated  its  older  and 
holier  renown,  when  it  was  described 
by  Bede  as  the  home  of  the  meek 
Eata,  the  prophetic  Boisil,  the  aus- 
tere Cuthbert ;  when,  with  Colding- 
ham,  and  Abercorn,  and  Tyninghame, 
it  was  the  lamp  of  that  Anglo- 
Saxon  Lothian,  which,  deriving  its 
own  faith  from  lona,  sped  the  glad 


S.  Scotland. 


Boute  1. — Melrose. 


15 


gift  to  many  an  English  province, 
and  even  sent  a  missionary  across 
tlie  seas  to  become  the  apostle  of  the 
Austrasian  tribes  on  the  Meuse,  the 
Waal,  and  the  Rhine." — Quarterhj 
Review. 

5  minutes'  walk  from  the  station 
through  the  town,  descending  the 
hill,  brings  yon  to  the  entrance  of 
the  Abbey,  at  its  AY.  end.  The  W. 
front  is  entirely  gone. 

The  building  which  we  now  see 
standing  in  such  venerable  ruin  is 
the  third  abbey — the  iirst  having 
been  founded  at  Old  Melrose  (see 
ante),  on  the  decay  of  which  King 
David  I.  built  a  second  in  1136,  and 
filled  it  with  Cistercian  monks  from 
Rievaulx.  Melrose  lay  on  the  high- 
way of  English  invasion,  and  in  con- 
sequence the  Abbey  was  destroyed 
over  and  over  again,  notably  in  1322, 
by  the  troops  of  Edward  II. 

King  Eobert  the  Bruce  at  once 
set  to  work  to  repair  the  damage, 
and  devoted  £2000  (a  large  sum  in 
those  days)  to  this  purpose.  It  was 
again  destroyed  at  the  fruitless  inva- 
sion of  Scotland  by  Richard  II.  1385, 
when  the  English  entered  Scotland 
on  the  eastern  side  and  the  Scots 
entered  England  on  the  west,  each 
army  afraid  of  the  other,  and  intent 
only  on  plunder  and  destruction. 
In  the  existing  ch.  there  is  scarcely 
anything  older  than  the  15th  cent, 
say  about  1400.  It  is  interesting  to 
find  in  the  S.  transept  a  monumental 
tablet  recording  the  name  of  the 
architect  or  master-mason,  one  John 
Morro  or  Murray  by  name,  by  whom 
probably  it  was  rebuilt.  This  is  the 
work  now  standing,  though  much 
altered  by  the  restorations  which 
subsequent  injuries  rendered  neces- 
sary. In  1545  it  was  plundered  by 
the  English  under  Evers  and  Latoun, 
and  soon  afterwards  it  received  more 
serious  damage  from  the  Earl  of 
Hertford.  Its  next  enemies  were 
the  Reformers,  and  since  then  it  has 
been  plundered  considerably  for  the 


sake  of  the  materials.  At  the  disso- 
lution of  the  religious  houses  Mary 
bestowed  the  abbey  and  its  property 
upon  Bothwell.  At  his  proscription 
it  reverted  to  the  Crown,  and,  after 
passing  through  many  different 
hands,  is  now  the  property  of  the 
Duke  of  Buccleuch. 


WEST  END  ENTRANCE  FROM  THE  TOWN 
PLAN   OF   MELROSE   ABBEY. 

a  E.  Window,  Bruce's  heart. 

6  Douglas  Burial  Chapel. 

c  Michael  Scott,  the  Wizard. 

d  Lord  Evei-s. 

e  King  Alexander  II. 

/Morro's  (the  architect)  Monument. 

N.  Chapter-House. 

The  ch.,  about  250  ft.  long,  con- 
sists in  plan  of  a  presbytery  at  the 
E.  end,  the  width  of  the  central 
aisle,  of  a  choir  with  aisles  of  6  bays, 
extending  3  bays  beyond  the  tower 
W.  as  far  as  the  low  stone  rood- 
screen  of  late  date,  which  divided  it 
from  the  nave.  The  nave  extended 
over  5  bays.     The  transepts  had  E. 


16 


Boute  1. — Carlisle  to  Edinlurgh — Melrose.      Sect.  I. 


aisles.  From  tlie  tower  to  the  W. 
end  along  the  S.  side  of  the  nave 
extended  a  row  of  8  side  chapels 
separated  by  buttress  Avails,  and  be- 
tween these  chapels  and  the  central 
aisle  ran  a  peculiar  narrow  S.  aisle, 
richly  gi-oined,  of  wliich  3  bays  re- 
main. The  IST.  aisle  was  much 
wider,  but  has  no  chapels.  Every 
part  of  the  ch.  will  rei)ay  careful 
study.  The  remains  of  stone  vault- 
ing over  the  E.  end  side  aisjes  and 
chapels  is  very  elaborate,  and  the 
bosses  and  capitals  of  columns  dis- 
play in  their  intricate  and  delicate 
foliage,  especially  in  the  leaves  of 
curly  kale,  the  proverbial  skill  and 
fancy  of  the  Scotch  masons. 

The  nave  is  completely  spoilt  by 
some  heavy  piers  and  circular  arches 
which  were  put  up  in  1618,  when  the 
abbey  was  fitted  up  as  a  Presbyterian 
eh.,  and  which  obscure  the  elegant 
Pointed  arches  of  the  original  struc- 
ture. The  S.  aisle  is  divided  into  a 
series  of  chapels,  each  serving  as  the 
burial-place  of  some  family. 

In  the  .S*.  transept  is  one  of  the 
finest  loindows.  It  is  24  ft.  high 
and  16  broad,  divided  into  5  lights, 
and  ornamented  at  the  top  with 
flowing  tracery  of  much  elegance.  It 
ought  to  be  viewed  from  the  outside, 
in  combination  with  the  door  and 
panelled  Avails 'and  buttresses. 

In  the  churchyard  oiitside  is  the 
grave  of  Sir  David  Brewster. 

We  turn  next  now  to  the  East  end. 

"  By  a  steel-clenched  postern  door, 
They  enter'd  now  the  chancel  tall, 
The  darken'd  roof  rose  high  aloof, 
On  pillars  lofty,  light,  and  small  : 

The  key-stone  thatlock'd  each  ribbed  aisle. 

Was  a  fleur-de-lys,  or  a  quatre-feuille  : 

And    corbels  were  carved  grotesque  and 
grim  ; 

And  the  pillars,  with  cluster'd  shafts  so 
trim. 

With    base    and   with    capital    flourish'd 
around, 

Seem'd  bundles  of  lances  which  garlands 
had  boimd." 

The  principal  beauty  of  the  chancel 
is  the  E.  windozv  of  5  lights,  with  its 


exquisite  tracery.  This  approaches 
the  Perp.  style  more  closely  than 
anything  in  the  abbey,  and  is  almost 
the  only  example  of  the  style  in 
Scotland.  This  windoAV,  and  the  E. 
end  adjoining,  date  probably  from 
the  reign  of  James  IV.,  who  married 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Henry  VII. 
Sir  Walter  Scott's  description  of  this 
window  is  very  poetical  and  accu- 
rate, except  in  the  doubtful  use  of 
the  word  "  oriel." 


"The  moon  on  the  east  oriel  shone 
Through  slender  shafts  of  shapely  stone 

By  foliaged  tracery  combined  ; 
Thou  wouldst  have  thought  some  fairy's 

hand 
'Twixt  poplars  straight  the  osier  wand, 
In  many  a  freakish  knot  had  twined  ; 
Tlien  framed  a  spell,  when  the  work  was 

done, 
And    changed   the  willow    wreaths    to 
stone." 

Lay  of  Last  Minstrel. 

Directly  in  front  of  it  lies  (it  is 
said)  the  heart  of  Robert  Bruce, 
which  Douglas  attempted  in  vain  to 
carry  to  the  Holy  Land.  A  slab  of 
dark  marble,  spotted  with  mountain- 
limestone  corals,  is  pointed  out  as 
covering  the  graA'c  of  Alexander  II. 
Against  the  opposite  wall  is  the 
grave  of  James,  2nd  Earl  of  Douglas, 
slain  at  Otterburn,  1388,  also  of 
Sir  William  Douglas,  the  knight  of 
Liddesdale.  There  is  also  the  tomb 
of  Lord  Evers,  who  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  Ancrum  Moor,  1445,  after 
plundering  the  abbey  ;  and  close  to 
it  the  supposed  tomb  of  Michael 
Scott  the  Wizard. 

"  Before  their  eyes  the  Wizard  lay, 
As  if  he  had  not  been  dead  a  day." 

But  others  assert  it  to  be  the  tomb 
of  Sir  Pirian  Latoun,  colleague  of 
Evers,  and  slain  along  with  him. 

On  the  N.  of  the  nave  is  all  that 
is  left  of  the  Cloisters,  including  a 
very  rich  circular-headed  doorwa)^  of 
late  date,  the  one  through  which 
William  of  Deloraine  passed  into  the 
ch.     This  and  an  elecjant  arcading 


S.  Scotland.     Route  1. — Smailholm — Abhotsford. 


17 


attached  to  the  transept  wall  con- 
stitute one  of  the  beauties  of  the 
Abbey. 

"  He  led  the  way 
Where,  cloistered  round,  the  garden  lay. 
Spreading  herb^,  and  flowerets  bright, 
Glistened  with  the  dew  of  night  ; 
Nor  herb,  nor  floweret,  glistened  there. 
But  was  carved  in  the  cloister-arllhes  as 
fair."—Scott's  Lay. 

Excursions  : — a.  To  Dry  burgh,  6 
m.  ;  b.  Smailholm,  8  m.  ;  Kelso,  14 
m.  ;  c.  Abbotsford,  3  m. 

Distances. — Hawick,  16  m.  ;  New- 
town St.  Boswells,  3  ;  Earlston,  4^  ; 
Lauder,  10  ;  Galashiels,  4  ;  Selkirk, 
lOi 

[a.  The  road  to  Dryburgh  and 
Kelso  crosses  the  Tweed  by  a  chain 
bridge  to  the  hamlet  of  Gattonside, 
1  m. ,  and  then  turns  to  the  right  to 
Leader  Foot,  where  the  Leader,  a 
river  rising  in  the  Lammermuir  Hills 
and  flowing  past  the  towns  of  Lauder 
and  Earlston  (Ete.  3),  joins  the 
Tweed.  Allerly,  near  Gattonside, 
was  the  seat  of  the  late  Sir  David 
Brewster.  On  the  other  side  the 
road  to  Dryburgh  turns  off  to  right, 
passing  Gladswood.  From  the  top 
of  the  hill  there  is  an  exquisite  view 
of  the  Tweed  winding  round  a  small 
peninsula  just  below,  emerging  here 
from  a  patch  of  wood,  there  dis- 
appearing into  another,  while  at 
some  distance,  forming  the  opposite 
side  of  the  valley,  rise  the  Eildon 
Hills.  Bemerside  (now  occupied  by 
Lord  Jerviswoode)  is  the  seat  of  the 
family  of  Haig,  who  have  held  it  for 
more  than  700  years,  according  to  a 
prophecy  of  Thomas  the  Ehymer  : — 

"  Betide,  betide,  whate'er  betide, 
Haig  shall  be  Haig  of  Bemerside." 

On  right,  overlooking  the  Tweed,  is 
a  rude  statue  of  Wallace. 

6  m.  Dryburgh  Abbey,  described 
p.  13.] 

h.  The  road  to  Kelso  turns  off  at 

Leader  Bridge,  the  road  speedily 
ascends  high  ground  to  the  village  of 

8  m.  Smailholm,  1  m.  to  the  S.  of 
which,  overlooking  a  very  extensive 
{ScotJand\ 


tract  of  country,  stands  Smailholm 
Tower,  the  scene  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's 
balled  "The  Eve  of  St.  John."  It 
belonged  formerly,  like  all  this  dis- 
trict, to  the  Pringles  ;  but  is  now 
the  property  of  Lord  Polwarth.  Sir 
Walter's  grandfather — "the  thatched 
mansion's  grey-hair'd  sire  " — lived 
at  Sandyknowe,  a  farmhouse  close 
by,  where  the  poet  spent  part  of  his 
childhood.  The  Tower  is  a  lofty  but 
plain  building,  in  a  ver}^  ruinous 
state  : — 

"  Then  rise  those  crags,   that   mountain 

tower, 
"Which    charm'd    my  fancy's    wakening 

hour 

It  was  a  barren  scene,  and  wild, 

Where  naked  cliffs  were  rudely  piled  ; 

But  ever  and  anon  between 

Lay  velvet  tufts  of  loveliest  green  ; 

And  well  the  lonely  infnnt  knew 

Recesses  where  the  wallflower  grew.    .    . 

And  still  I  thought  tliat  shatter'd  tower 

The  mightiest  work  ot  human  power  ; 

And  marvell'd  as  the  aged  hind 

With  some  strange  tale  bewitch'd  my 

mind." — Marmion,  Introd.  to  Canto  iii. 

Even  were  the  associations  not  so 
interesting,  the  view  from  Smailholm 
would  be  a  sufhcient  inducement  to 
visit  it,  as  "  it  takes  in  a  district  in 
which  every  field  has  its  battle  and 
every  rivulet  its  song. " 

From  Smailholm  the  road  gra- 
dually falls  to 

14  m.  Kelso  (Rte.  2). 

c.  To  Abbotsford,  3  m.,  the  best 
way  for  pedestrians  is  to  pass  down 
the  main  street  of  Melrose,  and  then 
take  a  path  between  the  two  kirks. 
This  path  runs  along  the  high  bank 
overhanging  the  river,  and  is  at  once 
the  shortest  and  most  picturesque. 
The  distance  can  easily  be  walked 
in  I  of  an  hour.  The  village  of 
Darnick  is  passed  on  the  left,  as  also 
Chief swood,  a  pleasant  little  cottage, 
in  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lockhart 
lived  during  the  lifetime  of  Sir 
Walter,  and  where  he  himself  was 
accustomed  to  spend  many  a  holi- 
day after  the  fatigues  of  authorship. 
Darnick  Toioer,  a  Border  Peel  or 
b2 


L 


Route  1. — Ahhotsford. 


Sect.  I. 


"Strength,"  in  tlie  liaralet  of  tlie 
same  name,  was  the  ancient  resi- 
dence of  the  Lairds  of  Darnick,  and 
contains  a  museum  of  Border  anti- 
quities. Sir  Walter  Scott  obtained 
the  nickname  of  the  "Duke  of  Dar- 
nick," from  his  excessive  fondness 
for  the  place.  At  Huntle}^  Burn 
(Lord  H.  Kerr)  the  path  joins  the 
main  road,  and  at  the  turnpike  the 
visitor  must  turn  to  the  left,  the  road 
on  right  leading  to  Melrose  Bridge 
and  Galashiels.     The  entrance  to 

Abbotsford  (Hon.  Mrs.  ]\Iaxwell 
Scott)  is  by  a  small  postern  in  the 
wall.  There  is  admittance  every 
day  but  Sunday,  Christmas,  and  New 
Year's  Day,  from  10  a.m.  to  6  p.m., 
or  in  winter  till  dusk.  Fee  Is. 
each.  The  house  and  grounds  are 
thoroughly  well  kept,  and  the  libe- 
rality of  the  owner  in  giving  the 
public  access  to  them  deserves  all 
praise.  The  many-turreted  house 
is  ill  placed,  close  under  the  road,  on 
a  slope  descending  to  the  Tweed.  It 
was  originally  a  farmliouse,  and  owes 
its  existence  entirely  to  the  poet, 
who  prided  himself  on  having  planted 
almost  every  tree  in  the  grounds. 
It  is  interesting  not  only  for  its 
founder's  sake,  but  as  an  historic 
museum  of  (chiefly)  national  relics. 
Visitors  enter  by  a  small  side  door, 
and,  having  inscribed  their  names, 
are  conducted  to  the  Library  of  about 
20,000  volumes.  This  was  preserved 
as  the  best  Memorial  by  the  friends 
who  wished  after  his  death  to  do  tlie 
poet  honour,  and  has  become  an  heir- 
loom in  the  family.  Sir  Walter  by 
his  will  charged  it  with  a  legacy  of 
£5000  to  his  younger  children, 
which  was  defrayed  by  the  subscrip- 
tion, thus  preventing  a  sale.  With 
this  room  is  connected  the  Study  in 
which  the  poet  wrote,  and  which  is 
little  changed  since  his  time.  Open- 
ing from  this  is  a  small  octagonal 
dressing-room,  in  wliicli  are  still 
preserved  the  stick  with  which  he 
walked,  the  chair  in  which  he  wrote, 
and  the  identical  clothes  Avorn  by 


him.  The  dining  and  drawing  room 
(in  which  he  died)  contain  many  in- 
teresting relics,  most  of  them  pre- 
sents from  those  who  admired  his 
genius  and  patriotism.  The  noble 
bust  by  Chantrey  is  the  finest  and 
most  exact  likeness  of  Scott. 

Ammig  the  portraits  are  those  of 
Oliver  Cromwell,  Claverhouse,  Duke 
of  Monmouth,  Dryden,  Prior,  and 
Gay  by  Lely,  Hogarth  by  himself, 
Sir  Walter's  son,  and  his  great- 
grandfather, called  "  Beardie  :" — 

"  My  great  grandsire  came  of  old, 
With  amber  beard  and  flaxen  hair, 
And  reverend  apostolic  air." — Marmion. 

He  was  a  partisan  of  the  Stuarts, 
and  refused  to  shave  till  their  resto- 
ration. The  most  interesting  picture 
of  the  collection  is  one  of  Queen 
i\[ary's  head,  taken  an  hour  after 
her  execution.  See  also  Napoleon's 
pen  and  Avriting-case,  Queen  Mary's 
seal.  Rob  Roy's  purse  and  gun, 
Prince  Charles's  suuft'-box,  Burns's 
toddy-tumbler,  miniature  of  Sir 
Walter  as  a  boy — his  knife  and  fork 
and  snuff-box  ;  the  swords  of  ]\Ion- 
trose  (given  him  by  Charles  I.)  and 
of  Prince  Charles  Steuart,  Hofer's 
rifle,  &c. 

The  Armoury  contains  weapons  of 
every  age  in  the  history  of  Scotland. 
Here,  too,  are  the  keys  of  the  old 
Tolbooth,  a  good  portrait  of  Prince 
Charlie,  the  pistols  of  Napoleon  and 
of  Claverhouse,  and  James  IV.'s 
armour,  swords  used  by  a  German 
executioner,  thumbikins,  and  scold's 
bridle,  claymores  of  the  '45.  The 
panelling  of  the  entrance-hall  Avas 
brought  from  the  old  palace  of  Dun- 
fermline. Round  the  cornice  are  the 
armorial  bearings  of  the  families  who 
kept  the  Scotch  Borders.  The  door- 
way is  embellished  with  fossil  stags'- 
horns,  and  on  the  outside  the  visitor 
should  observe  the  door  of  the  old 
Tolbooth  of  Edinburgh  built  up  into 
the  side  of  the  house. 

Of  late  two  starino;  residences,  the. 


S.  Scotland.     Route  1. — Ahhotsfmxl — Galashiels. 


19 


Castle  of  Glouroerem  and  another, 
have  planted  themselves  on  the 
banks  of  the  TAveed,  opposite  Ab- 
botsford,  thus  inhumanly  marring 
the  privacy  of  Sir  Walter's  house. 

The  Abbotsford  estate  comprises 
1237  acres. 

A  walk  of  a  mile  leads  to  Abbots- 
ford  Ferry,  stat.  of  the  Selkirk  Ely. 
(Rte.  6.) 

A  charming  ramble  may  be  made 
up  the  Huntley  Burn,  which  takes 
its  rise  in  Cauldshiels  haunted  Loch, 
on  the  hill  alcove,  and  flows  through 
the  Ehymer's  Glen,  so  called  because 
Thomas  of  Ercildoune  is  supposed  to 
have  met  the  Queen  of  the  Fays  in 
it.  It  abounds  in  examples  of  Sir 
Walter's  taste  as  a  planter.  Equally 
pretty  are  the  banks  of  the  Allan 
Water,  which  joins  the  Tweed  near 
the  Pavilion,  and  which  is  the  scenic 
type  of  "  Glendearg  "  of  the  "  Monas- 
tery. " 


Passing  on  right  the  Pavilion  (Hon. 
Mrs.  Henry),  the  Ely.  crosses  the 
Tweed  near  the  village  of  Bridgend, 
the  locale  of  the  scene  in  the 
"Monastery"  Avhere  Father  Philip 
met  the  White  Lady  of  Avenel  at 
the  Ford.  Lea^dng  Abbotsford  to 
the  left  (a  slight  glimpse  only  being 
obtainable),  the  rly.  soon  joins  the 
Selkirk  line,  and  reaches 

65  m.  Galashiels  Junct.  Stat. 

Galashiels  {Inns  :  Commercial ; 
Maxwell's  ;  Abbotsford  Arms),  cele- 
brated for  its  woollen  manufacture 
of  tweeds  and  tartans,  is  a  rapidly 
increasing  place  (Pop.  9678)  and  has 
drawn  to  itself  all  the  trade  of  the 
district.  There  are  now  20  large 
factories,  and  the  yearly  turnover  of 
manufactured  goods  at  Galashiels  is 
considered  to  be  worth  600,  OOOZ.  The 
town  is  prettily  situated  on  both 
sides  the  Gala  Water,  which  is  the 
boundary  between  the  counties  of 
Roxburgh  and  Selkirk.  Gala  House 
is  the  seat  of  Hugh  Scott,  Esq. 


About  1  m.  to  the  S.  the  anti- 
quary will  find  traces  of  the  Catrail 
or  Picts'  Work  Ditch,  which  runs 
from  Mossilee  S.  to  Rink  Hill 
(638  ft.)  and  the  Tweed.  On  this 
hill  is  a  fort,  strongly  defended,  and 
commanding  the  valley  of  the  Tweed 
to  its  junction  with  the  Gala.  There 
are  also  a  number  of  fortifications  on 
Cauldshiels  Hill  above  Abbotsford. 

Abbotsford  is  2  m.  distant. 

Rail  to  Selkirk,  6^  m.  (Rte.  6)  ; 
do.  to  Melrose,  4  m.  ;  to  Innerleithen, 
Peebles,  and  Symington  Stats,  of 
Caledonian  Rly.  (Glasgow  to  Car- 
lisle), Rte.  16. 

The  line  now  runs  up  the  valley  of 
the  Gala,  celebrated  in  an  old  ballad 
versified  by  Burns — 

"  Braw,  braw  lads  of  Gala  Water." 

The  hills  on  either  side  rise  to  the 
heights  of  1000  to  1400  ft. 

67  m.  left  Torwoodlee  (Jas.  Pringle, 
Esq.),  soon  after  which  the  tra- 
veller enters  the  county  of  Edin- 
burgh. The  family  of  Pringle  suf- 
fered for  their  adhesion  to  the  Cove- 
nant in  the  time  of  Charles  II. 

69  m.  Bowland'  Stat.,  near  to  which 
on  left  is  Bowland,  the  seat  of  W.  S. 
Walker,  Esq.  On  the  banks  of  the 
Lugate,  which  flows  into  the  Gala 
from  the  Moorfoot  Hills  on  the  left 
are  the  remains  of  two  border  towers. 

72  m.  Stow  Stat.,  [distant  from 
Lauder  6  m.,  to  which  there  is  a 
coach,  an  uninteresting  little  town. 
Lauder  was  the  scene  of  one  of  those 
deeds  of  ferocity  which  abound  in 
Scotch  history.  In  1482,  James  III. 
halted  here  with  his  army,  on  his 
way  to  the  Borders.  His  nobles, 
disgusted  w^ith  the  favour  shown  to 
Cochrane,  the  king's  architect  and 
minister,  seized  him,  and  without 
trial  or  process,  hung  him  over  the 
bridge  in  the  king's  sight.  Archibald 
Douglas,    who  was  the   first  to  lay 


20 


Route  1. — Carlisle  to  Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


hands  on  him,  was  called  from  this 
"Bell  the  Cat."  Adjoining  Lauder 
is  Thirlestane  Castle,  the  residence  of 
the  Earl  of  Lauderdale,  a  spacious 
house  of  the  date  of  Charles  IL 
1672,  including  a  tower  built  by 
Edward  L,  in  a  fine  park.  The  ch. 
was  removed  to  make  way  for  it. 
It  contains  family  portraits  of  Secre- 
tary Maitland,  of  the  Duke  of  L., 
Charles  II. 's  Minister,  etc.  1  m.  S. 
is  Torsonce  (H.  Inglis,  Esq.)] 

76  m.  Fountain  Rail  Stat.,  near 
are  Burnhouse  and  Crookston  (J. 
Borthwick,  Esq.) 

On  the  banks  of  the  Heriot  Water, 
which  flows  in  near  Heriot  Stat., 
79  m.  is  Borthwick  Hall,  and  a  camp, 
in  good  preservation,  overlooking 
Corsehope  Burn. 

82  m.  at  Tyne  Head  Stat,  the  rly. 
attains  the  summit-level  and  crosses 
the  westerly  flanks  of  the  Lammer- 
muir  Hills,  which  extend  hence  to 
the  E.  coast. 

About  1^  m.  from  the  stat.,  on 
right,  and  the  same  from 

Fushie  Bridge  Stat,  is  the  shell  of 
CricMon  Castle,  built  at  diff'erent 
times  :— 

"  That  castle  rises  on  the  steep 

Of  the  green  vale  of  Tyne  ; 
And  far  beneath,  where  slow  they  creep. 
From  pool  to  eddy,  dark  and  deep. 
Where  alders  moist,  and  willows  weep, 

You  hear  her  streams  repine." 

The  oldest  part  is  a  narrow  keep^  or 
tower,  such  as  formed  the  mansion 
of  a  lesser  Scotch  baron,  and  belongs 
to  the  14th  centy.  The  E.  Avail  of 
the  court  is  raised  upon  a  very 
peculiar  open  Venetian  arcade, 
decorated  with  entablatures  bear- 
ing anchors.  All  the  stones  of  this 
front  are  cut  into  diamond  facets, 
the  angular  projections  of  which 
have  an  uncommonly  rich  appear- 
ance. The  mouldings  of  the  win- 
dows and  other  parts  are  profusely 
decorated  with  a  variety  of  carvings. 
The  property  belonged  originally  to 
the  Chancellor  Sir  William  Crichton, 


' '  who  had  a  struggle  for  supremacy 
with  the  Douglases  in  the  reign  of 
James  IL,"  from  whom  it  was  taken 
and  dismantled  by  John  Forrester, 
of  Corstorphine.  The  ornamental 
part  of  the  castle  is  evidently  of  a 
date  subsequent  to  this.  In  1483 
it  was  garrisoned  by  Lord  Crich- 
ton against  King  James  III.,  whose 
displeasure  he  had  incurred  by 
seducing  his  sister  Margaret  (to 
whom  he  was  afterwards  married), 
in  revenge,  it  is  said,  for  the  monarch 
having  dishonoured  his  bed.  At  the 
forfeiture  of  the  last  and  worst  of 
that  family  it  fell  to  the  share  of  the 
Earl  of  Buccleuch.  Here  ]\Larmion 
is  supposed  to  have  been  detained 
by  Sir  David  Lindesay  before  he  was 
allowed  to  see  the  Scottish  host  en- 
camped on  the  Borough  Moor.  In 
the  4th  canto  of  "  Marmion  "  there  is 
a  good  description  of  the  castle  : — 

"  Crichton  !  though  now  thy  miry  court 
But  pens  the  lazy  steer  and  sheep, 
Thy  turrets  rude  and  totter'd  Keep 

Have  been  the  minstrel's  loved  resort. 

Oft  have  I  traced  within  thy  fort 
Of  mouldering  shields  the  mystic  sense, 
Scutcheons  of  honour  or  pretence, 

Quarter'd  in  old  armorial  sort. 
Remains  of  rude  magnificence. 

Nor  wholly  yet  had  time  defaced 
Thy  lordly  gallery  fair  ; 

Nor  yet  the  stony  cord  unbraced, 

"Whose  twisted  knots,  with  roses  laced. 
Adorn  thy  ruin'd  stair. 

Still  rises  unimpair'd  below. 

The  courtyard's  graceful  portico  ; 

Above  its  cornice,  row  and  row 

Of  fair-hewn  facets  richly  show 
Thy  pointed  diamond  form." 

On  the  other  side  of  the  line, 
14  m.  W.  of  Crichton,  equidistant 
between  Tyne  Head  and  Fushie 
Bridge  Stats.,  is  the  ruined  Castle 
of  Borthwick,  a  massive  gloomy 
double  tower,  90  ft.  high,  74  ft.  by 
68  ft.  broad,  and  encompassed  by  a 
strongly  fortified  court,  remarkable 
for  the  excellence  of  its  masonry 
and  the  thickness  of  its  walls.  Built 
in  the  15th  cent.,  in  form  it  is  no- 
thing more  than  the  old  border  keep, 
though  on  a  larger  scale  than  usual. 
' '  The  object  of  the  Lord  of  Borthwick 


S.  Scotland.     Route  1. — Carlisle  to  Edinhurgh. 


21 


seems  to  have  been  to  have  all  the 
space  and  accommodation  of  these 
cluster  of  edifices  within  the  4  walls 
of  his  simple  square  block,  and  thus 
this  building  is  believed  to  be  the 
largest  specimen  of  that  class  of 
architecture  in  Scotland." — ■Billings. 
The  great  hall  is  remarkable  for  some 
very  fine  carving,  particularly  over 
the  fireplace,  and  a  canopied  niche  in 
the  side  wall.  Hither  fled  Queen 
Mary  and  Bothwell,  June  7,  1567, 
about  a  month  after  their  marriage, 
on  the  alarm  of  the  Confederate 
Lords  gathering  their  force  against 
them.  But  they  were  scarce  safe 
within  the  walls  when  Lords  Morton 
and  Hume,  with  a  hostile  array,  ap- 
peared before  them.  Lender  these 
circumstances  Bothwell  first  got 
clear  away,  and  afterwards  Mary  (in 
the  disguise  of  a  page)  to  Dunbar. 
One  of  the  rooms  is  still  traditionally 
called  the  Queen's  Eoom,  In  No- 
vember 1650  Cromwell,  annoyed 
by  a  horde  of  moss -trooping  marau- 
ders, who  had  taken  post  in  Borth- 
wick,  sent  a  missive  to  Lord  Borth- 
wick,  that  if  he  did  not  "walk 
away,  and  deliver  his  house,"  he 
would  "  bend  his  cannon  against 
him,"  a  threat  which  proved  eff"ec- 
tual,  and  prevented  a  bombardment. 
The  parish  ch.,  which  was  rebuilt 
in  1865,  is  dedicated  to  St.  Kenti- 
gern,  and  has  an  apsidal  chancel. 
The  manse  of  Borthwick  was  the 
birthplace  of  Robertson  the  historian. 
85  m.  Fushie  Bridge  Stat.  The 
Hills  hereabout  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  view.  1  m.  beyond  is 
Gorebridge,  to  left  of  which,  at  2  m. , 
is  Arniston  (Robert  Dundas,  Esq.), 
ancestors  of  whom  were  highly  dis- 
tinguished in  the  17th  and  18th  cents. 
A  little  farther  S.,  on  the  banks  of 
the  South  Esk,  is  the  small  ruined 
ch.  of  Temple,  once  a  possession  of 
the  Knights  Templars.  About  the 
same  distance  to  the  right  of  the 
stat.  is  a  Roman  Camp,  and  close  to 
it  are  the  ruins  of  Netvhyres  Castle 
and  the  powder-mills  of  Stobbs. 


The  rly.,  which  has  for  some  little 
distance  been  traversing  the  lime- 
stone strata,  now  enters  the  Midlo- 
thian coalfield,  as  is  evident  by  the 
appearance  of  collieiies.  Following 
the  valley  of  the  South  Esk,  we  pass 
Dalhousie  Castle  (the  Earl  of  Dal- 
housie),  an  old  Scotch  castle,  changed 
into  a  mansion  of  no  great  beauty, 
but  situated  in  the  midst  of  lovely 
scenery  ;  and  Cockpen,  the  ownership 
of  which  conferred  on  the  possessor 
of  Dalhousie  the  title  of  "  The  Laird 
of  Cockpen, "  whose  wooing  has  been 
made  famous  by  the  song  of  that 
name. 

89  m.  Dalhousie  Stat.  On  left  2 
m.  are  the  villages  of  Bonnyrigg  and 
Lasswade  (Rte.  16),  and  on  right  is 
Newbattle  village,  from  whence  a 
fine  entrance,  called  King  David's 
Gate,  leads  into  Ncivbattle  Ahhey,  the 
beautiful  seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Lo- 
thian. The  drive  up  to  the  house 
passes  through  a  park  with  noble 
trees.  At  the  bottom  of  the  flower 
garden  is  a  Beech  tree,  the  finest  in 
Britain,  100  ft.  high,  120  yds.  round. 
The  bole  measures  33  ft.  The  N. 
Esk  runs  close  in  front  of  the  house. 
The  abbey  was  originally  founded  by 
David  L  for  a  colony  of  Cistercian 
monks,  the  abbot  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation  being  one  Mark  Kerr, 
who,  by  opportunely  changing  his 
religion,  secured  the  abbey  lands  to 
himself  and  his  famil3^  The  house 
has  a  very  choice  library,  a  collection 
of  MSS.  and  paintings,  including  a 
Murillo  and  some  Vandyks. 

90  m.  at  EsKBANK  a  Junction  is 
formed  with  a  short  branch  to  Dal- 
keith, and  another  with  the  Edin- 
burgh and  Peebles  line.  The  re- 
maining 8  miles  between  Eskbank 
and 

Edinbukgh  Terminus,  Rte.  4. 


22 


Route  2. — Neidown  St.  BosiveUs  to  Bemnck     Sect.  I. 


ROUTE  2. 

Newtown  St.  Boswells  Junction 
to  Berwick-on-Tweed,  by  Jed- 
burgli,  Kelso  (Flodden),  and 
Coldstream. 

114  m.  to  Kelso,  28  m.  thence  to 
Berwick  ;  5  trains  daily. 

A  branch  of  the  North  British 
Ely.  runs  to  Kelso,  where  it  meets 
one  of  the  North-Eastern  Company 
to  Berwick.  There  is  a  troublesome 
break  at  Kelso,  as  the  trains  thence 
do  not  agree. 

Although  the  line  follows  the 
course  of  the  Tweed  (right  bank) 
pretty  closely,  it  is  but  seldom  that 
any  of  its  beauties  are  visible,  the 
river  for  the  most  part  flowing  in  a 
deep  vale,  while  tlie  rly.  keeps  the 
high  ground.  The  Tweed,  which  in 
importance  is  the  fourth  river  in  Scot- 
land, is  generally  supposed  to  be  the 
boundary  between  the  two  kingdoms. 
It  only  does  duty,  however,  in  this 
respect  for  about  20  m.  The  country 
through  Avhich  the  Tweed  flows  is 
called  the  "  Merse, "  perhaps  a  cor- 
ruption of  "  The  Meres,"  in  allusion 
to  the  times  when,  like  the  Carses 
of  Gov 
water. 

Quitting  the  stat.  at  Newtown  St. 
Boswells  (Rte.  1),  the  rly.  makes 
a  considerable  curve,  leaving  the 
Jedburgh  Road,  through  Ancrum,  to 
the  right,  and  St.  Boswells  village, 
with  Lessuddeu  and  Dryburgh 
Abbey  to  the  left. 

3  m.  Maxton  Stat.  On  left  is  the 
village  overlooking  a  sweep  of  the 
Tweed.  On  the  opposite  bank, 
occupying  a  good  portion  of  the 
peninsula,  are  the  noble  groves  of 
Mertoun,  the  seat  of  Lord  Polwarth. 
On  left,  between  Maxton  and  Ruther- 
ford Stat.,  5  m.,  is  Littlcdean  Toiver, 
a  fortress  belonging  to  the  Keri-s  of 


Nenthorn  ;  and  in  the  far  distance, 
conspicuous  for  very  many  miles,  is 
Smailholm  Tower  (Rte.  1).  A  little 
beyond  Rutherford,  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Tweed,  is  Makerston 
House,  the  beautiful  seat  of  the  late 
Sir  Thomas  Macdougal  Brisbane, 
who  died  in  1861,  and  now  of  Miss 
Hay-Macdougal. 

The  scenery  hereabout  is  highly 
romantic,  especially  at  a  spot  called 
Troio  Crags,  where  the  trap  rocks 
bordering  each  side  of  the  river 
approach  so  closely  that  the  visitor 
might  jump  across.  In  consequence 
of  accidents,  however.  Sir  T.  Bris- 
bane caused  one  of  the  steps  to  be 
blown  up,  so  as  to  deter  any  but  the 
most  daring. 

As  the  train  approaches 

RoxBUKGH  JuNCT.  Stat.,  9  m., 
beautiful  glimpses  are  caught  of  the 
valley  below,  backed  in  the  dis- 
tance by  the  woods  and  grounds  of 
Floors  Castle  (Duke  of  Roxburghe). 
(See  below.) 

A  branch  is  here  given  oiT  to  Jed- 
burgh, while  the  main  line  crosses 
the  Teviot  by  a  viaduct  of  14  arches, 
and  proceeds  to 

12  m.  Kelso  Junct.  Stat.  (See 
below.) 

[To  Jedburgh  7  ni.,  the  line  run- 
ning on  the  left  bank  of  the  Teviot. 
The  village  of  Roxburgh,  though 
prettily  placed,  contains  no  me- 
morials of  its  ancient  importance, 
save  the  few  mouldering  shapeless 
walls  of  its  castle,  which  can  be 
visited  with  more  convenience  from 
Kelso. 

i  m.  left,  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  Teviot  is  Sunla^us,  the  Eliza- 
bethan residence  of  W.  Scott  Kerr, 
Esq. 

The  banks  of  the  river  here  are 
steep  and  rocky,  and  are  perforated 
with  caverns.  Others  are  to  be 
found  in  the  neighbourhood  at  Gra- 
hamslaw,  on  the  banks  of  the  Kale 
Water. 


S.  Scotland. 


Route  2. — Jedburgh. 


23 


2  m.  KirkhanTc  Stat,  near  which 
is  a  ruined  tower.  At  Kalemouth, 
near  this  point,  the  Teviot  is  crossed 
by  a  chain  bridge.  The  ch.  at  EcTc- 
ford  near  this,  contains  an  iron  collar 
known  as  the  "jougs,"  which  was 
fastened  round  the  neck  of  offenders, 
who  were  sentenced  to  stand  as  in  a 
sort  of  pillory.     (See  Index.) 

5  m.  Nishet  Stat.  To  the  right  is 
the  Waterloo  Monument  on  Peniel- 
heiujh,  erected  by  the  Marquis  of 
Lothian  in  1815.  In  the  course  of 
another  mile  the  line  quits  the  vale 
of  Teviot  to  ascend  the  tributary  one 
of  Jed. 

Very  prettily  situated,  in  a  glen 
suri'ounded  by  wooded  hills  lies, 
7  m.  Jedburgh  Stat.,  the  county  town 
of  Roxburghshire.  {Inns :  Harrow  ; 
Spread  Eagle.)  It  stands  in  a  well- 
sheltered  valley,  watered  by  the  Jed, 
and  has  an  air  of  antiquity.  The 
royal  castle  stood  upon  the  site  of  the 
present  jail.  It  was  surrendered  to 
England  as  security  for  the  ransom 
of  William  the  Lion,  and  after  its 
restoration  became  a  favourite  resi- 
dence of  the  Scottish  monarchs  till 
the  English  wars,  when  it  was  found 
to  be  too  close  to  the  border. 

In  an  old  bastel-house  still  stand- 
ing in  Queen  Street,  Queen  Mary 
lived  for  some  time,  but  not  of  her 
own  accord.  She  had  come  hither 
to  hold  the  assizes,  when  she  heard 
that  Eothwell  had  been  wounded 
iu  a  personal  encounter  with  John 
Elliott,  of  Park,  a  notorious  border 
freebooter,  and  that  he  was  lying  sick 
at  Hermitage  Castle,  20  m.  distant. 
She  immediately  set  off  on  horseback 
to  see  him,  and  returned  the  same 
day,  and  was,  in  consequence  of  the 
fatigue,  seized  with  a  fever.  A 
morass  is  still  called  "  The  Queen's 
Moss,"  into  which  her  horse  sank, 
and  from  which  she  was  with  diffi- 
culty extricated. 

The  Court  of  Justiciary  for  the 
Borders  Avas  held  here  from  early 
times.     Its  process  must  have  been 


summary:  hence  the  phrase  "Jed- 
dart  justice, "  equivalent  to  what  is 
now  called  "Lynch  law" — hanging 
a  man  fii'st  and  trjing  him  after. 

In  modern  times  the  most  memor- 
able achievement  of  its  inhabitants 
(the  scum  of  them,  it  is  to  be  hoped, 
aided  by  the  mob  from  Hawick)  was 
to  hoot,  stone,  and  spit  upon  Sir 
AValter  Scott  in  his  old  age,  1831. 
He  records  in  his  journal  that  he 
heard  the  cry,  "  Burk  Sir  Walter  !  " 
raised  against  him. 

The  giand  old  Abbey  was  founded 
by  David  I.,  for  Canons  Regular, 
brought  from  the  Abbey  of  St.  Quen- 
tin  at  Beauvais.  The  Abbey  C/uirch, 
in  general  character,  resembles  Kelso, 
especially  in  its  W.  front,  but  is  of 
rather  later  date.  In  plan  it  is 
different :  it  has  a  very  long  nave  of 
9  bays  with  aisles,  one  of  the  finest 
examples  of  the  Romanesque  in 
Scotland.  The  main  arches  are 
pointed,  supporting  a  semicircular 
triforium  arch  inclosing  2  pointed 
arches,  above  which,  in  each  bay, 
are  4  clerestory  arches  pointed,  the 
middle  ones  open.  The  tower,  100 
ft.  high,  is  supported  on  circular 
arches.  The  choir  consists  of  only 
2  bays  ;  its  massive  cylinder  piers 
are  carried  up  to  include  the  trifo- 
rium in  a  semicircular  arch,  em- 
bracing 2  pointed  arches. 

The  visitor  should  notice  the 
Norm,  mouldings  of  the  great  W. 
door,  and  also  the  doorway  forming 
the  S.  entrance  from  the  cloisters, 
which  is  elaborately  decorated.  Near 
this  door  is  the  grave  of  Lord  Chan- 
cellor Campbell,  and  his  amiable 
Lady,  Stratheden.  The  N.  tran- 
sept, which  is  the  burying-place  of 
the  Kerrs,  is  a  fine  specimen  of 
Dec,  and  the  window  contains  geo- 
metrical tracery. 

' '  The  Abbey  (diurches  of  Kelso 
and  Jedburgh,  as  we  now  find  them, 
belong  either  to  the  very  end  of  the 
12th,  or  beginning  of  the  13th  cent. 
They  display  all  the  rude  magni- 
ficence of  the  Norm .  joeriod,  used  in 


24         Route  2. — St.  Bosivells  to  Berwick. — Jedburgh.     Sect.  I. 


this  instance  not  experimentally,  as 
was  too  often  the  case  in  England, 
but  as  a  well-understood  style,  whose 
features  were  fully  perfected.  _  The 
whole  was  used  with  a  Doric  simpli- 
city and  boldness  which  is  very  re- 
markable. Sometimes,  it  must  be 
confessed,  this  independence  of  con- 
straint is  carried  a  little  too  far,  as 
in  the  pier  arches  at  Jedburgh,  where 
they  are  thrown  across  between  the 
circular  pillars  without  any  subordi- 
nate shaft  or  apparent  support.  Here 
the  excessive  strength  of  the  arch 
in  great  measure  redeems  it." — Fcr- 
gusson.  The  visitor  should  ascend 
the  tower  for  the  sake  of  the  view. 
A  Parish  CJmrch  was  built  1873-75 
by  the  Marq.  of  Lothian,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  £16,000  (Wyatt  archt.)  to 
free  the  Abbey  Ch.  from  all  incum- 
brances of  pews,  etc. 

The  other  buildings  in  the  town 
are  the  County  Hall,  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  the  School.  Sir  David 
Brewster  was  born  in  the  Canongate, 
and  Mrs.  Somerville,  the  learned 
elucidator  of  La  Place,  and  authoress 
of  various  celebrated  works,  was  also 
a  native  of  this  place.  The  Rev.  Dr. 
Somerville,  her  father-in-law,  author 
of  the  "  Hist,  of  Queen  Anne,"  was 
fifty  years  minister  of  Jedburgh. 
Thomson  the  poet  received  his  early 
education  here. 

Adjoining  Jedburgh  are  Hartrigge, 
the  seat  of  the  late  Lord  Chancellor 
Campbell,  approached  by  a  fine 
avenue  ;  Bonjedward  House,  Major 
Pringle  ;  Mount  Teviot,  seat  of 
the  Marquis  of  Lothian.  Bonjed- 
ward is  honourably  mentioned  in 
"The  Raid  of  the  Reidswire," 
a  Border  ballad,  relating  to  an 
affray  in  1575  betAveen  the  Scotch 
and  English  :— 

"  Bonieddart  bauldy  made  liim  boime 

Wi'  a'  the  Trumbills,  strong  and  stont ; 
The  Rutherfords,  with  grit  renowni, 

Convoy'd  the  town  of  Jedburgh  out." 

The  scenery  to  the  S.  of  the  town, 
following  up  the  Jed  Water,  is  very 


pretty,  rapidly  becoming  wild  and 
hilly.  The  river  rises  in  the  recesses 
of  the  Cheviots,  near  Peel  Fell. 

Near  the  town  is  the  hill  of 
Dunion,  concerning  which  there  is 
a  weather  rhyme — 

"  When  Ruberslaw  put  on  its  hat. 
And  Dunion  on  its  hood, 
All  the  old  wives  of  Rule  Wate? 
May  expect  a  flood." 

About  14  ru.  is  Fernihirst,  in  the 
15th  cent,  a  strong  fortress,  but  now 
a  farmhouse,  a  picturesque  specimen 
of  Border  architecture.  It  was  for 
centuries  a  stronghold  of  one  branch 
of  the  family  of  Kei-r,  and  its  history 
is  full  of  the  varying  incidents  of 
Border  warfare.  It  was  taken  by 
the  English  1549,  and  soon  after 
stood  a  siege  from  the  Scotch,  aided 
by  a  body  of  French  allies  under 
M.  Desse.  The  English  garrison 
had  committed  horrid  atrocities  upon 
men,  women,  and  children  in  the 
country  around,  and  when  the  walls 
were  scaled  and  they  were  driven 
into  the  keep  and  compelled  to  par- 
ley, a  Scotchman,  who  had  been  out- 
raged by  the  English,  crept  behind 
the  commander,  and  with  one  blow 
cut  off"  his  head,  which  flew  several 
yards  from  the  body.  Upon  this 
signal  the  garrison  was  massacred 
with  the  utmost  ferocity  in  retalia- 
tion for  wi'ongs  endured.  In  1570 
the  castle  was  once  more  ruined  by 
the  English  under  the  Earl  of  Sussex 
in  revenge  for  devastation  caused  in 
Durham  by  the  Scottish  moss- 
troopers. In  the  beautifully  wooded 
grounds  are  some  noble  trees. 

Between  this  and  Jedburgh  is  a 
famous  old  oak,  known  as  the  Capon 
Tree.  Linthaitghlee  Burn  is  a  ro- 
mantic little  dell,  where  the  Scotch, 
under  Sir  James  Douglas,  are  said 
to  have  gained  a  victory  over  the 
English  in  1317.  It  is,  at  all  events, 
worth  the  walk  from  its  beauty. 

6  m.  is  Edgerstone,  the  seat  of  W. 
Oliver  Rutherford,  Esq.  ;  soon  after 


S.  Scotland. 


Route  2. — Kelso. 


25 


which  the  road  enters  the  Border  at 
Carter  Fell. 

Distances  from.  Jedburgh. — Kelso, 
10  m. ;  ISTewtown  St.  Boswells,  154  ; 
Ancnim,  3g  ;  Hawick,  by  road,  11.] 

Roxburgh  Junction  Stat,  {see 
above). 

Cross  the  wooded  vale  of  the  Te-viot 
on  a  high  viaduct.  Left,  see  Floors 
Castle. 

Kelso  Station,  on  the  top  of  a  hill, 
10  niin.  from  the  town.  Omnibus 
thither.  In  crossing  the  Tweed,  a 
bright  and  beautiful  view  from  the 
bridge  ;  Floors  is  seen  to  the  left. 

Kelso  {Inns :  Cross  Keys,  very 
good  ;  Queen's  Head)  is  beautifully 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Tweed,  opposite  the  confluence  of 
the  Teviot.  It  is  a  busy  and  in- 
creasing town,  both  in  size  and  pro- 
sperity, and  has  a  fine  open  market- 
square,  in  which  a  Court-house  has 
been  erected,  from  whose  tower  ring 
the  chimes,  and  at  nightfall  the 
Curfew. 

*  The  Abbey  was  one  of  the  earliest 
completed  by  David  I.  It  was 
founded  in  1128,  and  in  it  he  buried 
his  eldest  son.  Prince  Henry,  who 
died  in  1152.  The  monks,  who  were 
of  the  Tironensian  order,  were  moved 
hither  from  Selkirk.  The  abbots  of 
Kelso  -at  one  time  claimed  the  pre- 
cedence in  the  Scottish  hierarchy, 
though  the  abbey  itself  was  never 
of  any  great  size.  The  ruined 
Church  is  a  fine  example  of  the 
Romanesque  style,  passing  into 
Pointed.  Of  the  W.  Front  only 
half  renaains,  with  half  of  its  grand, 
deeply  -'moulded  doorway.  The 
entrance  to  the  N.  transept,  sur- 
mounted by  a  reticulated  gable,  is 
also  fine.  The  choir  alone  has  aisles, 
and  the  main  circular  arches  are 
surmounted  by  2  tiers  of  triforium 
galleries.  An  elegant  intersecting 
arcade  runs  round  the  wall  at  the 
iScotland.'] 


ground  level.  The  nave  and  tran- 
septs are  aisleless,  and  }>roject  only  23 
ft.  from  the  central  tower.  The  main 
feature  is  the  central  tower.  It  was 
supported  by  4  magnificent  arches 
of  Early  pointed  character ;  2  of 
these  are  still  standing,  and  are  45 
ft.  high.  The  present  state  of  di- 
lapidation of  this  abbey  is  due  to  the 
ferocious  marauding  English  army 
under  the  Earl  of  Hertford,  1545, 
who  on  entering  the  town  found  the 
abbey  garrisoned  as  a  fortress,  and 
the  tower  held  by  100  men,  includ- 
ing 12  monks.  It  was  battered  with 
guns  and  the  breach  assaulted,  a 
party  of  Spanish  mercenaries  lead- 
ing the  way,  and  all  found  within  it 
were  put  to  the  sword.  After  this  it 
was  razed  and  defaced.  During  the 
18th  centy.  part  of  the  Ch.  was  roofed 
over  to  serve  for  divine  service,  the 
other  part  being  used  as  a  jail  ! 

The  property  of  the  abbey  was 
granted  shortly  after  the  Reformation 
to  the  Kerrs  of  Cessford,  and  still 
remains  in  that  family  (now  repre- 
sented by  the  Duke  of  Roxburghe). 
No  place  has  suffered  more  by  fire 
than  Kelso.  It  was  repeatedly  burnt 
by  the  English  during  the  Border 
wars,  once  by  accident  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  17th  centy.,  and  again  in 
the  middle  of  the  18th. 

The  Kelso  people  have  a  great 
reputation  for  business  habits,  but 
are  considered  slack  in  their  observ- 
ance of  the  duties  of  religion  and 
hospitality. 

"  The  Kelso  men  slank  all  away. 
They  liked  not  much  to  hymn  nor  pray, 
Nor  like  they 't  much  unto  this  day." 
Scott. 

And  a  "  Kelso  convoy"  implies  that 
the  host  accompanies  his  parting 
guest  no  farther  than  the  door.  It 
was  one  of  the  first  provincial  towns 
in  Scotland  to  adopt  the  printing- 
press,  and  Ballantyne  here  brought 
out  the  earliest  edition  of  Sir  W. 
Scott's  "  Border  Minstrelsy."  The 
town  possesses  a  good  library,  and  a 
museum  open  free  every  second  day. 
C 


26 


Route  2. — Newtown  St.  Bosicells  to  Berwick    Sect.  I. 


Near  the  abbey  the  Tweed  is 
crossed  by  a  very  handsome  Bridge 
(built  by  Eennie)  of  5  arches,  each  of 
72  ft.  span.  The  roadway  faces 
the  gateway  and  avenue  to  Spring- 
Avoocl,  the  seat  of  Sir  G.  H.  Douglas, 
Bart.  The  road  to  the  left  leads  to 
Maxwellheugh  and  the  Ely.  stat.,  4 
m.  S.,  and  that  to  the  right  soon 
brings  the  tourist  to  the  confluence 
of  the  Teviot  with  the  Tweed,  the 
former  river  being  crossed  a  little 
higher  up  by  a  jiretty  bridge.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Tweed,  with 
a  terraced  garden,  is  Ednam  House, 
the  residence  of  Mrs.  Robertson  ; 
while  higher  up  the  river  appears 
the  magnificent  fa9ade  of  Floors 
Castle,  as  the  most  striking  feature. 

The  lodge  of  Floors  Castle  (Duke 
of  Roxburghe)  is  at  the  top  of  Rox- 
burgh Street,  distant  about  1  m. 
from  the  Market-place.  Admission 
to  the  grounds  every  Wednesday  to 
be  obtained  by  application  to  the 
branch  Bank  of  Scotland  in  Kelso. 
The  castle,  placed  opposite  the 
junction  of  the  Teviot  with  the 
Tweed,  was  built  by  Sir  John 
Vanbrugh  in  1718,  but  was  trans- 
formed by  the  architect  Playfair  to 
its  present  shape.  In  the  park 
James  II.  was  killed  in  1460,  by  the 
bursting  of  a  cannon,  Avhen  besieging 
Roxburgh  Castle.  A  yew  is  said  to 
mark  the  spot  where  the  accident 
occurred.  The  Gardens  are  among 
the  most  beautiful  and  best  kept  in 
Scotland.  The  estate  comprises 
50,000  acres. 

For  views  of  the  vale  the  tourist 
should  go  to  Chalkheugh  Terrace, 
or  the  grounds  of  Pinnacle  Hill 
(H.  Kelsall,  Esq.),  which  overlook 
the  S.  bank  of  the  river. 

There  is  an  Episcopal  cJi.  at  Kelso. 

Piosebank,  a  small  house  on  the 
1.  bank  of  Tweed  just  below  the  town, 
was  a  favourite  sojourn  of  the  boy 
Walter  Scott.  It  belonged  to  his 
uncle,  at  whose  death  it  was  be- 
queathed to  him.     He  formed  a  seat 


out  of  the  bough  of  an  elm  overhang- 
ing the  river,  where  he  used  to  sit 
with  a  gun  at  his  side  to  shoot  gulls  or 
herons,  and  a  book  of  ballads  in  his 
hand.  At  Kelso  some  of  his  earliest 
productions  were  printed  by  Ballan- 
tyne. 

An  unusual  number  of  pleasant 
residences  are  to  be  found  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Kelso,  in  addition 
to  those  already  mentioned  :  —  as 
ISTewton  Don  (C.  Balfour,  Esq.),  in 
whose  grounds  the  pretty  fall  called 
Stichell  Linn  is  produced  by  the 
river  Eden  ;  Stichell  House,  built  by 
the  late  G.  Baird,  Esq.,  a  grand 
modern  house,  with  a  tower  100  ft. 
high  ;  Nenthorn  (F.  L.  Roy,  Esq. )  ; 
Hendersyde  (J.  Waldie  Griffith, 
Esq.)  ;  Woodend  House  (Admiral 
Scott),  etc. 

Distances. — IMelrose,  14  m.  ;  Dry- 
burgh,  13  ;  Newtown  St.  Boswells, 
lU  ;  Norham  Castle,  16  ;  Smail- 
holm,  6  ;  Stichell  Linn,  3  ;  Ednam, 
2  ;  Yetholm,  10,  and  Linton,  6  ; 
Hume  Castle,  5  ;  a.  Jedburgh,  10  m. 

a.  Across  Teviot  Bridge,  about  .lUi., 
are  the  scanty  remains  of  Boxburgh 
Castle,  about  1^  m.  from  Kelso,  on  a 
ridge  between  Teviot  and  Tweed.  It 
was,  down  to  1560,  a  royal  residence 
and  border  fortress,  but  so  often  in 
English  hands  that  it  was  finally  cap- 
tured and  razed  by  the  Scotch  after 
the  death  of  James  II.  before  its  walls. 
There  was  a  large  town  close  by  it, 
containing  a  mint  and  3  churches  ; 
but  this  has  long  since  disappeared. 
The  fragment  of  the  gateway  and 
of  the  S.  wall,  though  of  massive 
masonry,  scarce  deserve  a  visit : — 

"  Roxburgh !  how  fallen,  since  first  in  Gothic 
pride, 
Thy  frowning  battlements  the  war  defied ! " 
Leyden. 

The  present  village  of  Roxburgh 
is  about  24  m.  farther  on.  In  the 
churchyard  is  the  gravestone  of  Edie 
Ochiltree,  the  bedesman  of  the  "An- 
tiquary," whose  real  name  was  An- 
drew Gemmel. 


S.  Scotland.   Route  2. — IVark  Castle — Coldstn 


27 


h.  It  is  a  very  pretty  walk  to 
Ednatn,  a  village  lying  about  2  m.  to 
the  ]Sr.  beyond  the  race-course.  An 
obelisk  has  been  erected  to  the  me- 
mory of  the  poet  Thomson,  author 
of  the  "  Seasons,"  who  was  born 
here,  and  educated  at  the  Grammar 
School  at  Jedburgh. 

c.  Few  will  now  be  tempted  to 
make  an  excursion,  Cheviotways,  to 
Yethohn,  a  village  about  10  ra.  to 
the  S.E.,  once  celebrated  for  being 
the  headquarters  of  the  gipsy  tribe, 
and  the  residence  of  their  king. 
It  is  a  humble  village  on  the  banks 
of  the  Northumbrian  stream  of  the 
Bowmont,  which  divides  it  into  Kirk 
Yetholm,  the  gipsy  resort,  and  Town 
Yetholm,  shut  in  by  the  Cheviots, 
\\  m.  from  the  Border,  here  marked 
by  the  Shorton  Burn.  Modern  loco- 
motion and  supervision  of  highways 
have  done  much  to  diminish  the  im- 
portance of  the  Romany  tribes,  and 
they  exist  here  more  in  name  than 
fact.  The  regal  family  of  the  Faas 
is  extinct. 

Those  who  are  fond  of  romantic 
scenery  should  explore  the  Bow- 
mont to  its  source.  The  rocks  and 
cliffs  of  Colledge  Water,  which  falls 
into  the  Bowmont,  are  very  grand, 
and  overhang  the  glen  to  the  height 
of  about  300  ft.  The  return  may  be 
made  hj  Lintmi,  the  church  of  which 
is  on  an  eminence.  On  S.  wall  is  a 
carving  of  a  man  on  horseback, 
thrusting  a  long  spear  into  the  mouth 
of  a  dragon. 

d.  Hume  Castle,  now  in  picturesque 
ruins,  was  once  the  stronghold  of 
the  Earls  of  Home,  now  the  property 
of  their  descendant  Sir  H.  Hume 
Campbell,  Bart.  It  was  besieged 
by  Cromwell,  who  summoned  the 
governor,  one  Cockburn,  to  sur- 
render. The  governor  bravely  re- 
sponded in  the  child's  rhyme  : — 

"  I,  Willie  Wastle, 
Stand  fast  in  this  castle, 
And  all  the  dogs  in  the  town 
Shall  not  drive  Willie  Wastle  down." 


but  he  was  very  quickly  compelled 
to  submit,  notwithstanding. 

From  Kelso  to  Berwick  runs  a 
branch  of  the  ISTorth-Eastern  Rly., 
which  keeps  along  the  S.  side  of  the 
Tweed,  and  for  the  greater  portion  of 
the  distance  on  the  English  side  of 
the  border. 

A  view  of  Kelso  is  obtained  on  left, 
passing  Pinnacle  Hill,  and  on  the 
opposite  bank  the  Italian  mansion 
of  Heiulersyde  (J.  Waldie  Griffith, 
Esq. ),  which  contains  a  library,  some 
pictures,  antiquities,  etc.     At 

2  m.  Sproiiston  Stat,  the  rly. 
enters  England.  A  conspicuous 
object  in  the  distance  on  left,  be- 
tween Sprouston  and 

44  m.  Carham  Stat,  is  Hume 
Castle  {see  above). 

JVarlc  Stat,  between  the  rly.  at 
Carham  and  the  Tweed  is  tVark 
Castle  (Lady  Waterford),  one  of  the 
strongest  and  most  celebrated  of  the 
Border  fortresses.  It  was  given  by 
Edward  III.  as  a  marriage  present 
to  the  Earl  of  Salisbury,  and  defended 
by  his  handsome  and  virtuous  coun- 
tess against  King  David  II.  Edward 
arrived  to  relieve  it  after  the  Scots 
had  raised  the  siege,  and  fell  in 
love  with  its  beautiful  defender.  The 
story  is  told  at  some  length  by  Frois- 
sart.  The  Church  of  Wark  is  well 
restored  and  adorned  with  paintings 
by  Lady  Waterford. 

Before  arriving  at 

10  m.  Cornhill  Stat.,  the  ti'ain 
crosses  a  viaduct  at  Learmouth,  from 
whence  there  is  a  passing  view  of 
the  town  of 

Coldstream,  I4  m.  distant  from 
Cornhill  stat.  {Inn :  N'ewcastle 
Arms.)  Here  General  Monk  in  1660 
raised  a  regiment,  which  has  ever 
since  been  known  as  the  "  Coldstream 
Guards."  It  is  a  pleasant,  well-built 
town,  with  a  monument  in  memory 
of  Chas.  Marjoribanks,  a  former 
county  member,  but  with  very  little 
to  detain  the  visitor.  In  conse- 
quence of  Coldstream  being  just  upon 
the  border,    it   was  frequently   the 


28 


Route  2. — Newtown  St.  Bosivells  to  Berwick     Sect.  I. 


scene  of  runawa}^  matches.  No  less 
than  3  lord  chancellors  of  England, 
viz.  Eldon,  Erskine,  and  Brougham, 
resorted  hither  or  to  Gretna,  to  the 
blacksmith  or  schoolmaster  to  be 
married.  Close  to  the  town  is  the 
ford,  the  first  of  any  consequence  from 
Tweedmouth  upward,  constantly 
passed  by  English  and  Scottish  armies 
on  forays  and  invasions  of  their  neigh- 
bours' territory.  Here  Edward  I. 
passed  in  1296.  In  the  old  inn 
nobles  and  princes  stayed  for  days, 
waiting  the  subsidence  of  the  waters 
of  the  Tweed,  which  is  now  crossed 
by  a  handsome  Bridge  of  5  arches, 
built  by  Smeaton  1766. 

The  field  of  Flodden  is  about  4  m. 
to  the  S.E.  of  Cornhill,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  Till  :  the  New- 
castle road  passing  through  it.  The 
battle  was  fought  on  the  9th  Sept. 
1513.  The  English  army  consisted 
of  26,000  men,  and  the  Scottish  was 
nearly  double  that  number.  The 
Scotch  occupied  a  naturally  strong 
position  on  the  hill  of  Flodden,  a  low 
outlier  of  the  Cheviots,  inaccessible 
on  either  flank,  and  defended  in  front 
by  the  Till.  The  loss  of  this  battle 
was  mainly  due  to  the  infatuation  of 
James  IV.,  who,  as  a  point  of  hon- 
our, allowed  the  English  vanguard  to 
cross  the  Till  at  Ticizdl  Bridge,  near 
its  junction  with  the  Tweed,  un- 
molested, though  within  range  of 
his  guns,  and  to  marshal  their  whole 
line  between  him  and  his  own 
country.  The  right  wing  of  the 
English  was  commanded  by  the  2 
sons  of  Lord  Surrey  —  Thomas 
Howard,  the  High  Admiral  of  Eng- 
land, and  Sir  Edmund  the  Knight 
Ma,rshal ;  the  centre  by  Lord  Surrey 
himself ;  and  the  left  by  Sir  Edward 
Stanley,  at  the  head  of  the  men  of 
Lancashire  and  Cheshire.  The  left 
wing  of  the  Scots  was  commanded  by 
the  Earls  of  Home  and  Huntly,  the 
centre  by  the  King,  and  the  right  by 
Lennox  and  Arg)de.  The  left  wing 
of  each  side  was  victorious  at  first, 
but  the  Scots  made  use  of  their  suc- 


cess to  plunder  the  baggage,  while 
the  Admiral  took  the  opportunity  of 
rallying  his  troops.  The  two  centres 
were  desperately  engaged  in  a  con- 
flict, the  issue  of  which  was  still 
doubtful,  when  Stanley  returned 
from  chasing  the  right  wing  and 
charged  the  Scots  in  the  rear.  This 
Avas  the  moment  at  which  ]\Iarmion 
is  represented  as  expiring.  The  Scots 
formed  into  a  solid  mass,  and  fought 
on  till  night,  then  made  their  escape 
in  the  darkness,  leaving  10,000  dead 
on  the  field,  amongst  whom  were  the 
King,  his  illegitimate  son  the  Arch- 
bishop of  St.  Andrews,  2  bishops,  2 
abbots,  12  earls,  13  barons,  and  up- 
wards of  50  gentlemen  of  distinction. 
Scarcely  a  family  of  note  in  Scotland 
but  was  in  mourning  in  consequence. 
The  loss  of  the  English  was  about 
500  of  all  ranks. 

Adjoining  Coldstream  is  Lees  (Sir 
J.  Marjoribanks,  Bart.)  [A  road  on 
r.  leads  to  Dunse,  9.§  m.  (Kte.  3), 
passing  1.  the  Hirsel,  the  seat  of  the 
Earl  of  Home,  and  r.  4  m.  Stcinton 
Rouse,  the  property  of  the  family  of 
the  Swintons,  justly  celebrated  in 
the  military  annals  of  Scotland.  One 
of  them  in  the  French  service  un- 
horsed the  Duke  of  Clarence  at  the 
battle  of  Beauge  : — 

"  And  Swinton  laid  the  lance  in  rest. 
That  tamed  of  yore  the  sparkling  crest 
Of  Clarence's  Plantagenet. " 

On  left  is  Lennel  House  (Earl  of 
Wemyss).  Patrick  Brydone,  author 
of  "  Travels  in  Sicily  and  Malta," 
lived  here  for  many  years. 

12  m.  Ttcizell  *S'to^.,  right,  is  the 
large  unfinished  mansion  of  Twizell 
Castle,  built  by  the  late  Sir  Francis 
Blake,  and  magnificently  situated  on 
the  brow  of  a  steep  precipice,  over- 
looking the  deep  and  sluggish  river 
Till,  which  falls  into  the  Tweed 
close  by,  and  the  bridge  of  a  single 
arch  which  was  crossed  by  the  Earl 
of  Surrey  just  before  the  battle  of 
Flodden,  where  James  ought  to  have 
disputed    the     passage.       A     little 


S.  Scotland.     Route  3. — Neivtown  St.  Bosimlh  to  Re.ston.      29 


lower  down,  ou  the  Scotch  side  of 
the  Tweed,  is  the  village  of  Lady- 
kirk,  the  Church  of  which  was  built 
1500,  and  dedicated  to  the  Virgin 
by  James  IV.  in  gratitude  for  his 
rescue  from  peril  Avhile  crossing  the 
swollen  waters  of  the  Tweed,  at  the 
Ford  near  this — one  of  the  usual  pas- 
sages by  which  invasions  from  N.  and 
S.  were  made.  It  consists  of  nave, 
transepts,  and  chancel,  with  an  apse, 
in  the  Perp.  and  third  Pointed 
style,  with  a  simple  barrel  roof. 
Ladykirk  House,  the  seat  of  the  late 
David  Robertson,  who  for  2  days  pos- 
sessed the  title  of  Lord  Marjoribanks. 

16  m.  Norham  Stat,  left,  between 
the  rail  and  the  river  is  Norham 
Castle  (anciently  called  Abbanford), 
the  opening  scene  in  "Marmion." 

"  Day  set  on  Norham's  castled  steep, 
And  Tweed's  fair  river,  broad  and  deep. " 

The  extent  of  its  remains,  as  well 
as  its  historical  importance,  show  it 
to  have  been  a  place  of  magnificence 
as  well  as  strength.  The  castle 
stands  on  an  eminence  overhanging 
the  water,  and  is  built  of  a  soft  red 
freestone.  In  1121  there  was  a 
fortress  here.  It  was  repeatedly 
taken  and  retaken  during  the  wars 
between  England  and  Scotland.  In 
1154  it  was  almost  rebuilt  by  Hugh 
Pudsey,  Bishop  of  Durham,  who 
added  the  huge  keep  which  still 
stands.  Henry  II.,  in  1174,  took  the 
castle  from  the  bishop,  and  com- 
mitted it  to  the  keeping  of  William 
de  Neville,  after  which  it  was  gene- 
rally garrisoned  by  the  King,  and 
considered  a  royal  fortress.  It  was, 
with  Wark,  Etall,  and  Ford,  taken 
by  the  Scots  before  the  battle  of 
Flodden.  After  the  Reformation  it 
passed  through  various  hands,  in- 
cluding Sir  Robert  Carey  (afterwards 
Earl  of  Monmouth),  who  sold  it  to 
George  Home,  Earl  of  Dunbar.  The 
ruins  consist  now  of  a  large  shattered 
kee}),  with  vaults  beneath  and  frag- 
ments   of    other    edifices,    enclosed 


within  an  earthen  rampart  of  wide 
circuit,  and  deep  ditches. 

Norham  Ch.  is  a  very  interest- 
ing Norm,  edifice  well  restored.  In 
the  ch.-yard  is  the  grave  and  effigy 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Gilly,  who  devoted 
so  much  attention  to  the  Vaudois, 
and  was  rector  here.  From  Norham 
down  the  bank  of  the  river,  a  pleasant 
footpath  extends  to  the  village  of 
Horncliff,  near  which  a  glen  strikes 
off,  terminating  at  a  picturesque  mill 
and  encrusting  spring.  The  pedes- 
trian can  cross  the  river  near 

Velvet  Hall  Stat.,  close  to  the 
Union  Suspension  Bridge,  built  by 
Sir  Sam.  Brown  in  1820,  the  first  of 
the  sort  in  the  British  Ishinds.  A 
little  below  is  Paxton  House,  the 
seat  of  D.  Milne  Home,  Esq.,  which 
contains  a  gallery  of  good  paintings. 
Between  this  and  Tweedmouth  the 
volume  of  the  Tweed  is  increased  by 
the  tributary  waters  of  the  Whit- 
adder.     As  the  train  approaches 

22i  m.  Tweedmouth  Stat.,  the  tra- 
veller obtains  on  the  left  an  attractive 
view  of  Berwick,  with  the  lofty  via- 
duct, built  by  Stephenson,  connect- 
ing it  with  its  suburb,  and  reaching 
right  across  the  valley  of  the  Tweed. 
It  consists  of  28  arches,  126  ft.  in 
height,  and  is  2000  ft.  in  length. 

23^  m.  Berwick-upon-Tweed /w??o<. 
Stat.  (Rte.  4). 


EOUTE  3. 

Newtown  St.  Boswells  to  Reston 
Junction,  by  Greenlaw  and 
Dnnse.    Rail. 

26  m.     3  trains  daily. 

This  branch  line  connects  the  Coast 
and  Waverley  sections  of  the  North 
British  Rly.  between  Newtown  St, 
Boswells  Junct.  and  Reston 
JuNCT.  crossing  the  Tweed  near  Old 
Melrose  by  a  bridge  133  ft.  above 
the  level  of  the  river,  and  running 
up  the  valley  of  the  Leader  to 


30 


Route  3. — St.  Bosicells  to  Reston — Dunse.       Sect.  I. 


41  m,  Earlston  Stat.,  celebrated  as 
the  residence  of  Thomas  of  Ercil- 
doun,  otherwise  known  as  Thomas 
the  Rhymer,  in  whose  prophecies  the 
whole  country  side  once  put  implicit 
faith.  He  was  born  in  the  reign  of 
Alexander  II.,  and  was  contemporary 
with  Wallace.  It  was  the  general 
belief  that  he  was  carried  away  by 
the  Queen  of  the  Elfins,  into  the 
interior  of  the  Eildon  Hills  (Rte.  1,). 

The  Rhymer's  Tower  is  to  be  seen 
at  the  W.  end  of  the  village,  close 
to  the  river. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Earlston 
are  Coicdenhiou-cs  (R.  Cotesworth, 
Esq.),  the  scene  of  Robert  Craw- 
ford's ballad,  "The  Bonnie  Broom," 
and  Carolside  (A.  Mitchell,  Esq.). 

lOg  m.  Gordon  Stat,  5  m.  to  the 
N.  of  which,  near  the  village  of 
Westi'uther,  is  Spottiswood,  the  seat 
of  Lady  John  Scott.  The  parish 
contains  the  old  border  tower  of 
Evelaio  and  some  earthworks. 

HI  m.  Greenlaio  Stat.,  though 
the  county  town  of  Berwick,  does 
not  possess  the  slightest  interest  for 
the  tourist.  It  is  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Blackadder.  The  geo- 
logist will  find  at  Bcdshicl,  2  m.  to 
the  N.  of  Greenlaw,  an  example  of 
"kaim,"  which  Mr  Milne-Home 
believes  to  have  been  formed  of 
marine  shingle  when  the  land  was 
at  a  lower  level  than  at  present.  It 
consists  of  elongated  ridges  of  sand 
and  gravel,  distinctly  stratified,  from 
30  to  60  ft.  high,  and  extending  for 
about  3  m.,  and  appears  more  like 
defensive  works  than  natural  results. 

The  ruins  of  Hume  Castle,  the 
former  stronghold  of  the  Earls  of 
Home,  are  3  m.  to  the  S.,  and  are 
Avortli  visiting  for  the  magnificent 
view  over  the  Merse  district  (see 
above). 

18.  m.  MarcTimont  Stat,  near  which 
is  Marchmont  House,  the  seat  of  Sir 
Hugh  Hume-Campbell,    Bart.,  con- 


taining a  fine  collection  of  paintings. 
Those  best  worth  attention  are — 
Philip  baptizing  the  Eunuch,  Cuyp  : 
Forest  Scene,  Buysdael,  "fine  and 
very  uncommon  in  composition  ;  " 
Corps  de  Garde,  Teniers ;  portrait 
of  Don  Livio  Odescalchi,  VandycJc  ; 
Forest  Scene,  Wynants ;  Ships  in 
distress,  Vandervelde.  In  the  family 
burial  vault  under  Polwarth  Ch., 
within  the  Park,  Sir  Patrick  Hume, 
an  adherent  of  Argyle  in  1685,  was 
concealed  for  a  month  in  the  dark, 
sleeping  on  a  mattress  stealthily 
conveyed  from  the  house,  and  fed  by 
his  daughter  Grisel,  who  repaired  to 
him  at  midnight  with  supplies, 
unknown  to  any  one  but  her  mother. 
The  house  meanwhile  was  frequently 
searched  by  the  soldiers  of  James  11. 
Sir  Patrick  eventually  escaped  to 
Holland. 

21^  m.  Dunse  Stat,  after  Berwick 
the  largest  town  in  Berwickshire 
(Inn :  White  Swan),  claims  the 
honour  of  being  the  birthplace  of 
Duns  Scotus,  the  schoolman.  It 
is  certain  that  Dr  Thos.  M'Crie,  bio- 
grapher of  John  Knox,  and  Thos. 
Boston  ("Fourfold  State"),  were 
natives.  It  is  of  some  importance  as 
a  cattle,  horse,  and  sheep  market, 
standing  at  the  foot  of  the  Lammer- 
muir  Hills,  and  at  the  base  of  Dunse 
Law,  on  the  summit  of  which  there 
is  a  camp  :  from  this  hill  or  Dun  no 
doubt  it  gets  its  name.  There  is  a 
neat  E'piseoixd  Cliapel  at  Dunse. 

1  m.  from  Dunse  is  llodes  Castle, 
said  by  some  to  be  the  scene  of  the 
ballad  "Adam  o'  Gordon." 

Dunse  Castle  (Col.  Hay)  is  a 
spacious  and  handsome  building, 
overlooking  the  town  on  the  W.,  and 
includes  the  old  tower  built  by  Ran- 
dolph Earl  of  Moray.  On  the  S.  is 
Wedderhurn  Castle  (D.  Milne-Home, 
Esq.),  a  stately  mansion  of  Grecian 
architecture.  Also  Nishet  House 
(Lord  Sinclair),  Rimnurghame  House 
(A.  Campbell  Swinton,  Esq.),  a 
handsome  modern  mansion  (Bryce, 


S,  Scotland.     Route  4. — Berwick  to  Edinhurgh. 


31 


archt.),  and  Langton  House  (Lady 
Elizabeth  Pringle)  (also  by  Bryce), 
begun  by  the  late  Marquis  of  Breadal- 
bane,  contains  a  collection  of  family 
pictures,  some  of  them  portraits  by 
Jameson. 

' '  On  the  N".  side  of  Cockburn  Law, 
about  3  m.  X.  fromDunse,  and  about 
a  mile  E,  from  Abbey  St.  Bathans, 
are  the  interesting  remains  of  an 
ancient  building  of  unhewn  and  un- 
cemented  stones  called  Edinshall. 
It  is  circular  in  shape,  and  about 
90  ft.  in  diameter  :  the  wall  varies 
in  thickness  from  15  to  20  ft.  It  is 
surrounded  by  ditches  and  ramparts 
of  earth  and  stone,  and  there  are 
trenches  round  the  top  of  the  hill 
on  which  it  stands." — Oliver. 

On  the  other  side  of  Cockburn  Law 
is  Priestlaiv,  where  a  convent  once 
stood.  The  Fassney  Water  here 
flows  over  some  rock  sections  of  great 
interest  to  the  geologist,  as  they 
show  the  manner  in  which  the  gra- 
nite and  greywacke  shale  of  the 
Lammermuirs  are  related  to  each 
other. 

Distances. — To  Greenlaw,  74  m.  ; 
Coldstream,  104;  Berwick,  184- 

Dunse  is  a  good  fishing  station  for 
the  upper  Avaters  of  the  Whitadder, 
which  flows  about  3  m.  to  the  N. 
The  angler  should  go  up  to  Abbey 
St.  Bathans  and  the  Cottage,  where 
he  will  get  sport.  Trout  run  from 
4  lb.  to  14.  Passing  left,  Mander- 
ston  House  (W.  Miller,  Esq.),  the 
train  reaches 

25  m.  Edrom  Stat.,  which  is  pro- 
bably a  corruption  of  Adderham, 
from  adder  or  a,(}iQr  =  aivedur  (Cam. 
Brit.)  =  running  water,  and  ham 
(Ang.-Sax. )  =  a  home  or  village.  Not 
far  from  Edrom  is  Broom  House  (G. 
Logan  Home,  Esq.),  a  modern  cas- 
tellated building,  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  old  fortress,  burnt  by  the  Eng- 
lish under  Lord  Evers.  The  river  is 
crossed  at 


26^  m.  Chirnside"  Stat.  The 
village  is  1  m.  to  the  right,  and  con- 
tains a  tine  old  ch.  of  the  15th  centy. 
in  good  repair.  Kinewells  House  was 
the  family  residence  of  Hume  the 
historian. 

29  m.  Eestox  Junction  (Rte.  4.). 


ROUTE  4. 

Berwick  to  Edinburgh,  by  Cold- 
ingham,  Dunbar  [North  Ber- 
wick], Haddington,  Preston- 
pans,  and  Musselburgh.,— North. 
British.  Rly.  (coast  line). 

574  ra.  10  trains  daily,  in  \\  to 
21  hrs. 

The  traveller  from  the  S.  cannot 
fail  to  be  struck  with  the  first  view 
of  Scotland  after  passing  Tweed- 
mouth.  The  rly.  is  carried  high  up 
on  the  hills  bounding  the  valley  of 
the  Tweed,  so  that  you  look  down 
upon  the  river,  its  junction  with  the 
sea,  and  the  town  on  its  N.  bank. 
The  rly.  clears  the  valley,  still  main- 
taining its  elevation,  by  Robert 
Stephenson's  noble  viaduct  of  28 
arches  in  a  curve,  126  ft.  high,  and 
nearly  4  mile  long  (cost  £120,000), 
leading  into 

Berwick  Junct.  Station,  occupy- 
ing the  site  of  the  ancient  historic 
Castle,  which  it  has  nearly  erased, 
only  a  few  fragments  of  walls  and 
towers  remaining  on  the  steep  slope 
running  down  towards  the  Tweed. 
The  view  from  the  edge  of  the  river 
and  viaduct  is  striking. 

BerivicJc-on- Tweed  {Inns:  Red 
Lion,  King's  Arms.) 

Berwick,  from  its  position  on  the 
frontier  of  England  and  Scotland, 
was  for  ages  the  most  important  for- 
tress in  the  N".,  the  object  of  constant 
struggles  between  the  two  nations, 
and  the  scene  of  great  events.  The 
most  remarkable  of  these  were  the 
sieges  by  Edward  L,  1296,  when  the 


32 


Route  4. — Berwick  to  Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


slaughter  of  8000  citizens,  and  the 
burning  alive  in  the  To\Yn  Hall  of  a 
handful  of  Flemish  merchants  who 
held  it,  followed  the  surrender  of  the 
town  ;  a  nd  that  by  Edwrd  III.,  in 
1333,  when  the  battle  of  Halidon 
Hill  drove  it  to  capitulate.  A  strong 
garrison  was  maintained  at  all  times, 
and  the  Captain  of  Berwick  was 
always  a  man  of  mark  and  reputa- 
tion, A  Minstrel  Ballad  recounts  to 
the  praise  of  Harry  Hotspur  (Percy) 
that  he  "kept"  Berwick.  It  is  now 
only  a  dull  and  dirty  town,  with  a 
Pier  and  small  harbour,  a  consider- 
able salmon  fisher}',  and  2  M.  P. 's. 
It  is  still  suiTOunded  by  bastioned 
walls ;  which  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
pull  down,  and  which  serve  as  a 
public  walk,  and  it  has  five  gates — 
the  English,  Scotch,  Cow  Gates,  etc. 
It  is  disappointing  to  find  that  on 
this  historic  spot  nothing  remains  of 
antiquity  with  which  to  associate  so 
many  memories.  On  the  whole,  the 
town  is  best  seen  from  the  rly.,  and 
is  not  worth  entering.  Besides  the 
scanty  remains  of  the  Castle  in  the 
Stat.,  there  are,  a  little  to  the  E.  of  it, 
the  ruins  of  the  Bell  Tower,  on 
which  a  beacon  Avas  lighted  to  give 
notice  Avhen  maurauding  parties 
crossed  the  Border.  A  Bridge  was 
thrown  across  the  Tweed  here  as 
early  as  1271. 

There  is  nothing  very  striking  in 
the  town»  the  streets  of  which  are 
mostly  cramped  and  hilly.  In  the 
broad  main  street  is  tlie  Tow^n  Hall, 
with  a  belfry  that  serves  for  the  ad- 
joining ch.,  which  is  said  to  have 
been  built  by  Cromwell,  and  contains 
some  painted  glass,  and  an  oak  pulpit 
from  Avhich  John  Knox  preached. 

The  salmon  fisheries,  which  have 
always  been  a  fruitful  source  of 
trade,  are  still  worth  £4000  a  year. 

Railway  to  York,  151  m.  ;  to 
Edinburgh,  574  ;  ^nd  Kelso,  234 
(Route  2). 

Distances. — T^orham,  8  m.  ;  Union 
Bridge,  5  m.  ;  Dunse,  194  m. 


Excursions : — 

a.  To  Norham  Castle  and  Flodden 
(Rte.  2). 

b.  To  Coldingham  Priory  Euins, 
via  Peston  (Rte.  4). 

c.  Lindisfarne  or  Holy  Island  is 
10  m.  from  Berwick,  and  2  from  the 
coast  of  Xorthumberland.  It  may 
be  reached  on  foot  at  low  water  from 
Belford.  See  Handbook  for  North- 
umberland. 

2  m.  to  the  N.  of  Berwick  is  Hali- 
don Hill — where,  in  1333  the  Scotch 
army,  under  the  Regent  Archibald 
Douglas,  endeavouring  to  raise  the 
siege  of  Berwick,  attacked  the  Eng- 
lish posted  in  a  strong  position  W. 
of  the  town,  and  were  signally  de- 
feated, with  the  loss  of  14,000  men, 
including  the  Earls  of  Lennox,  Ross, 
Carrick,  Sutherland,  Strathearn,  and 
Athol.  Thus  did  the  English 
avenge  the  fatal  day  of  Bannockburn. 


The  rly.  to  Edinburgh  is  carried 
for  a  considerable  distance  close  to 
the  edge  of  the  cliffs,  affording  a 
magnificent  sea  view,  and  an  occa- 
sional peep  into  the  rugged  gullies  of 
the  rocks. 

4  m.  left  are  the  ruins  of  Lamber- 
ton  Kirk,  where,  in  1503  the  founda- 
tion of  the  union  of  the  two  kingdoms 
w^as  laid  by  the  marriage-contract  of 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Henry  VII., 
to  James  IV.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  at  Holyrood.  In  former 
days  the  man  at  the  toll-bar  of  Lam- 
berton  performed  the  same  good 
offices  to  runaway  couples  as  did  the 
smith  at  Gretna,  on  the  W. 

54  m.,  at  Bicrnmouth  Stat.,  the 
line  tends  inland.  In  the  old  ch., 
of  which  the  transept,  built  in  the 
12th  centy.,  is  still  standing,  a 
treaty  was  signed  between  England 
and  Scotland  in  1384  ;  and  another 
in  the  castle,  after  its  capture  by  the 
Earl  of  Surre}-,  in  1497.  The  r\j. 
traverses  the  E.  part  of  the  district 
of  Berwlckshii-e,  called  The  Merse. 


S.  Scotland. 


Route  4. — Coldingham. 


33 


74  HI.  Ay  ton  Stat.  On  right  is 
Ayton  Rouse  (A.  ]\[itchell  Innes,  Esq.), 
built  1851,  in  the  Scotch  style,  of  red 
sandstone,  in  a  commanding  position, 
and  occupying  the  site  of  an  old 
castle  mentioned  in  Ford's  drama  of 
"  Perkin  AVarbeck."  The  estate  ex- 
tends over  5780  acres. 

[3  m.  to  the  N.E.  of  Ayton  is  the 
fishing  town  of  Eyemouth  (formerly 
celebrated  for  its  contraband  trade), 
sweetly  placed  in  a  little  bay  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Eye  Water,  formed  by 
a  point  known  as  Cromwell's  Fort 
and  the  Nest  Ends  rocks.  Adjoining 
the  village  is  Netherhyres  (J.  E. 
L'Amy,  Esq.),  in  whose  grounds  is 
a  tension  bridge  built  by  Sir  Samuel 
Brown,  the  designer  of  the  Union 
Bridge. 

Gunsgreen  House  was  built  by  a 
smuggler,  and  adapted  to  the  exi- 
gencies of  his  profession.] 

lU  ni.  PiESTON  JuNCT.  Stat.,  from 
whence  a  branch  is  given  on  left  to 
Dunse,  Earlston,  and  Newtown  St. 
Boswell's  (Rte.  3). 

[From  hence  it  is  a  pleasant  walk 
of  3.2  m.  rt.  to  * Colclmgham,  cross- 
ing on  the  Avay  the  Ale  Water  and 
the  Abbey  Burn.  Notice  about 
1^  m.  from  the  village  on  left,  some 
gateposts  formed  of  whale's  jaws. 
Coldingham  (the  Urbs  Coludi  of 
Bede)  is  celebrated  for  its  priory.  It 
is  said  that  Edwin,  Saxon  Prince  of 
Northumbria,  wishing  to  marry 
Ebba,  a  nun,  she  fled  hither,  and 
was  miraculously  saved  by  the  rising 
of  the  waters.  To  show  her  grati- 
tude she  founded  the  nunnery  of 
Coldingham,  became  its  first  abbess, 
was  canonised,  and  gave  her  name 
to  St.  Abb's  Head.  In  886  the  nun- 
nery was  attacked  by  the  Danes,  and 
the  inmates,  to  avoid  the  ruthless 
attentions  of  the  barbarians,  cut  off 
their  noses  and  lips  in  self-defence, 
whereupon  the  intruders  burnt  the 
building,  the  abbess,  and  the  nuns. 
Upon  the  site  was  founded  a  Bene- 


dictine priory  by  King  Edgar  in 
1098,  which  eventually  became  so 
rich  as  to  be  the  cause  of  the  civil 
war  that  cost  James  III.  his  life. 
Its  ultimate  fate,  however,  was  to  be 
seized  and  blown  up  by  Cromwell. 
The  tower,  which  w^as  90  ft.  high, 
fell,  1775.  The  building  has  since 
been  partially  restored  and  fitted  up 
as  a  parish  cli.  During  some  repairs 
which  took  place  at  the  beginning  of 
the  centy.,  the  skeleton  of  a  woman 
was  found  built  up  in  the  wall  in  an 
upright  position,  supposed  to  be  that 
of  a  nun  who  had  broken  her  vows. 
This  discovery  has  been  turned  to 
much  account  in  the  2nd  canto  of 
"  Marmion  :" — 

"  And  now  that  blind  old  Abbot  rose 
To  speak  the  Chapter's  doom, 
On  those  the  wall  was  to  inclose, 
Alive,  within  the  tomb." 

' '  The  fragments  of  this  building  are 
of  an  extremely  interesting  character. 
Along  with  some  other  Scotch  edi- 
fices within  the  bounds  of  the  eccle- 
siastical influence  of  Lindisfarne, 
they  show  a  peculiarly  graceful  mix- 
ture of  the  later  and  less  stern  fea- 
tures of  the  Norm,  with  the  earlier 
indications  of  the  pointed  style." — 
Billings.  As  it  at  present  stands, 
Coldingham  is  simply  a  one-aisled 
ch.  The  visitor  should  notice  ex- 
ternally the  Romanesque  arcades  and 
string-courses  at  the  E.  end  of  the 
building,  and  internally  the  exqui- 
site series  of  E.  pointed  arches  with 
foliaged  columns  that  form  a  gal- 
leried  arcade  round  the  wall.  There 
are  also  traces  of  the  monastic 
offices,  together  with  a  ruined  gate- 
way (Eom.)  and  some  tombs  of 
former  priors. 

A  neat  cross  has  been  put  up  in 
the  village. 

24  m.  to  the  N.E.  of  Coldingham 
is  St.  Abb's  Read,  one  of  the  most 
noted  landmarks  on  the  E.  coast. 
The  E.  promontory  of  the  head  is 
called  Kirk  Hill,  and  supports  the 
walls  of  a  ch.  and  monastery.  "  The 
Head  is  separated  from  the  mainland 


34 


Route  4. — BeriDick  to  Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


by  a  quagmire,  and  consists  of  3 
hills.  On  the  middle  hill  (Hare 
Law)  a  lighthouse,  200  ft.  high,  is 
erected.  About  150  yds.  to  the  N. 
the  porphyry  rocks  have  been  ground 
down,  smoothed,  and  grooved  by  an- 
cient glaciers. 

"  The  coast  line  on  either  side  of 
St.  Abb's  head  is  remarkable  for  the 
numerous  complicated  folds  into 
which  the  Silurian  strata  have  been 
twisted  and  thrown.  These  may  be 
seen  passing  from  top  to  bottom  of 
cliffs  200  to  300  ft.  high.  This  dis- 
trict is  classic  in  the  eyes  of  geolo- 
gists from  the  early  descriptions 
given  of  it  by  Hutton,  Playfair,  and 
Sir  James  Hall," — and  recently  by 
Lyell. 

5^  m.  E.  is  Fast  Castle. 

Should  the  pedestrian  choose  to 
proceed  by  the  coast  to  Fast  Castle, 
which  is  4  m.  farther,  he  should 
keep  to  the  right  of  Coldingham 
Lake,  and  follow  the  high  ground  (a 
rough  and  fatiguing  walk)  to  Du- 
law  Bum,  a  deep  gully  in  the  rocks, 
which  can  only  be  crossed  by  a  little 
bridge  leading  to  DulaAv  Farm. 
Then  make  for  the  coast  again,  and 
follow  the  cliffs  until  the  path  is 
struck  to  Fast  Castle,  which,  from  its 
situation  is  very  easily  overlooked. 
"  On  3  sides  the  rock  is  precipitous  ; 
on  the  4th,  which  is  that  towards 
the  land,  it  had  been  originally 
fenced  by  an  artificial  ditch  and 
drawbridge,  but  the  latter  is  broken 
down  and  ruinous,  and  the  former 
has  in  part  been  filled  up. "  This  is 
the  description  of  Wolf's  Crag  in  the 
"Bride  of  Lammermoor,"  of  which 
Fast  Castle  was  supposed  to  be  the 
original,  but  the  author  declares 
that  he  never  saw  the  castle,  except 
from  the  sea.  It  was  once  a  fortress 
of  the  Home  family,  and  subse- 
quently belonged  to  Logan  of  Eest- 
alrig,  one  of  the  Gowrie  conspirators, 
who  intended  to  confine  James  VI. 
here,  Logan's  body  was  exhumed 
after  death,  tried  for  high  treason, 


and  found  guilty.  His  property  was 
forfeited,  and  his  family  declared  in- 
famous. From  Fast  Castle  to  Cock- 
burnspath  Stat,  it  is  at  least  7  m.  ; 
but  the  road  is  tolerable,  and  offers 
exquisite  sea-views  and  extensive 
landscape  northward,  embracing  the 
Bass  Rock,  Berwick  Law,  the  Isle  of 
May,  and  the  Fifeshire  coast.] 

From  Reston  the  line  enters  the 
defiles  and  broken  ground  to  the  E. 
of  the  Lammermuir  Hills.  Berwick- 
shire is  divided  into  3  districts — the 
Merse  to  the  S. ,  Lammermuir  to  the 
iST.,  and  Lauderdale  to  the  W.  Lam- 
mermuir, which  the  North  British 
Railway  traverses,  is  wild  and  hilly, 
and  devoted  almost  entirely  to  pas- 
turage. The  rly.  ascends  a  narrow 
valley,  which  it  surmounts  near 

ICI  m.  Grant's  House  Stat,  situ- 
ated among  wild  hills.  After  tra- 
versing a  short  tunnel,  the  Pease 
Deane,  or  dell,  is  crossed  by  the  rail- 
way, and  (rt.)  a  little  lowef  down 
by  the  old  London  Road,  by  the 
Pease  Bridge,  a  viaduct  of  4  arches, 
1 27  ft.  above  the  Pease  Burn.  It  was 
built  in  1786,  and  is  100  yards  across. 
The  railway  is  carried  through  much 
rock  cutting  to 

21  m.  Cockhurnspath  Stat,  in  the 
open,  not  far  from  the  sea  (a  small 
Inn),  the  village  being  prettily  situ- 
ated at  the  base  of  the  Lammermuirs. 
Fast  Castle  is  7  ro.  from  this  stat. 
To  the  left  is  an  old  tower,  a  fortress 
of  the  Homes,  overlooking  a  deep 
glen  of  rough  stone,  with  a  circular 
staircase  in  its  S.W.  angle.  The 
scenery  of  the  deep,  narrow,  wooded 
and  ferny  dingle  of  the  Pease  Burn, 
crossed  by  the  colossal  bridge,  is  ex- 
ti-emely  picturesque,  and  well  worth 
the  walk  of  I5  m.  from  Cockhurns- 
path to  see. 

This  defile  was  the  object  of  con- 
tention before  the  battle  of  Dunbar, 
Gen.  Leslie  gathering  toward  the 
hills,  labouring  to  make  a  perfect 
interposition  between  Cromwell  and 
Berwick.  "And  ha^dng  in  this  pos- 
ture a  great  advantage,  through  his 


E.  Lothian. 


Route  4. — Imienvick — Dunbar. 


35 


better  knowledge  of  the  country,  he 
effected  it  by  sending  a  considerable 
party  to  the  strait  pass  at  Coj)pers- 
path  (Cockburnspath),  where  one 
man  to  hinder  is  better  than  twelve 
to  make  way. " — Cromic ell's  Despatch. 

Between  Cockburnspath  and  In- 
nerwick  on  left,  is  Dunglass  (Sir 
James  Hall),  a  modern  building, 
erected  upon  the  site  of  an  old  castle 
of  the  same  name,  which  belonged 
to  the  Earls  of  Home,  arid  still  gives 
the  2nd  title  to  that  family.  The 
grounds  are  bordered  on  the  S.  by 
the  pretty  wooded  dell  of  Dunglass 
Burn,  which  the  rly.  crosses  by  a 
viaduct  connecting  Berwickshire 
with  East  Lothian. 

23|  m.  Innerwick,  situated  at  the 
foot  of  Cocklaw  Hill,  1046  ft.  On 
the  left  are  the  remains  of  Innerwick 
and  Thornton  Towers,  both  destroyed 
by  the  English  in  the  invasion  of 
1547.  1  m.  before  Dunbar  Stat,  the 
rly.  crosses  a  small  stream,  the  Brox- 
bourne,  hastening  to  join  the  sea. 
This  spot  is  historical  as  the  field 
of  the  Battle  of  Dunbar,  Sept.  3rd, 
1650.  Oliver  Cromwell  had  his  head- 
quarters in  the  pretty  park  of  Brox- 
bourne  Hoiise  (Duke  of  Roxburghe) 
right.  His  army  was  posted  between 
this  and  Belhaven,  with  its  back  to 
Dunbar  and  the  sea.  His  antagonist, 
David  Leslie,  with  the  Scotch  army, 
occupied  high  gi'ound  (Doon  Hill) 
along  the  right  bank  of  the  Brox- 
bourne,  which  flows  in  a  gully  like  a 
deep  ditch.  His  position  was  im- 
pregnable, and  he  effectually  barred 
with  his  army  Cromwell's  access  to 
Cockburnspath,  and  closed  the  road 
to  England.  He  was  hemmed  in, 
and  his  army  was  diminished  by 
famine  and  disease.  At  this  moment 
Leslie,  moved  it  is  said  by  the 
urgent  pressing  of  the  Covenanting 
clergy  at  headquarters,  came  down 
from  his  vantage  ground  and  pushed 
forward  his  riglit  wing  to  occupy  the 
flat  open  space  near  the  mouth  of 
Broxbourne  glen.  Cromwell  and 
Ireton  at  once  perceived  this,   and 


began  the  attack  :  sending  forward 
Generals  Monk,  Fleetwood,  Lambert, 
and  Whalley,  Avith  a  large  force  of 
cavalry,  they  charged  through  Les- 
lie's right  wing,  drove  it  in  disorder 
back  upon  the  infantry,  which,  not 
having  space  to  deploy  between  the 
gully  of  the  Broxbourne  and  the 
hills,  was  broken,  disordered,  and 
routed — 3000  of  the  Scotch  army 
were  slain,  10,000  made  prisoners, 
and  the  possession  of  Edinburgh  and 
Leith  soon  after  were  Cromwell's 
gains  from  this  astounding  victory. 

28 1  m.  Dunbar  Stat.  {Inns :  Ander- 
son's near  the  Stat.  ;  P.  horses  and 
traps  ;  St.  George)  ;  Pop.  3000.  "  A 
small  town,  standing  high  and  windy, 
looking  over  its  herring-boats,  over 
its  grim  old  castle,  now  much  honey- 
combed, on  one  of  those  projecting 
rock  promontories  with  which  the 
shore  and  the  Firth  of  Forth  is  nicked 
and  vandyked  ;  a  beautiful  sea  and 
grim  niched  barrier  of  whinstone 
sheltering  it  from  the  chafings  and 
tumblings  of  the  German  Ocean." — 
Carlyle,  Cromwell,  ii.  198.  It  is  a  life- 
less town  and  small  seaport,  and 
consists  of  one  long  street,  at  the 
end  of  which  is  Dunbar  House  (once 
the  residence  of  the  Earl  of  Lauder- 
dale), now  a  barrack.  Behind  it  are 
the  ruins  of  Dunbctr  Castle,  consist- 
ing now  merely  of  a  few  shapeless 
masses  of  masonry,  on  a  red  sand- 
stone rock,  hollowed  by  the  waves 
into  an  arch.  Close  under  the  castle, 
is  the  entrance  to  the  new  harbour, 
between  2  scarped  rocks.  In  the 
History  of  Scotland  Dunbar  was  an 
important  fortress  and  outlet  to  the 
sea.  Its  most  celebrated  defence 
was  by  Black  Agnes,  Countess  of 
March,  daughter  of  Randolph,  Earl 
of  Moray,  and  grandniece  of  Robert 
Bruce,  1337.  the  Earl  of  Salisbury, 
after  trying  every  means  to  reduce  it, 
was  compelled  to  raise  the  siege, 
upon  which  the  town  was  made  a 
royal  burgh  by  David  II.  Edward 
II.  fled  hither  after  Bannockburn, 
and   embarked    here    for    Berwick. 


36 


Route  4. — Berivkh  to  Edinburgh — Dunbar.      Sect.  I. 


The  governorship  was  conferred  on 
the  Earl  of  Bothwell  by  Q.  Mary, 
who  was  carried  off  from  Edinburgh 
by  him  and  an  armed  band  under 
his  orders,  to  this  castle,  1567,  April 
22,  after  the  murder  of  Darnley, 
and  only  3  weeks  before  her  mar- 
riage with  Bothwell.  Accompanied 
by  Darnley  she  had  taken  refuge 
here  after  the  murder  of  Kizzio  ;  and 
hither  again  she  fled,  in  the  disguise 
of  a  page,  with  Bothwell  after  the 
interruption  of  their  honeymoon  at 
Borthwick  Castle.  A  few  days  after- 
wards she  surrendered  at  Carbery 
Hill,  and  Dunbar  Castle  was  de- 
stroyed by  the  Eegent  Moray. 

Notwithstanding  its  antiquity 
there  are  no  buildings  of  any  age  or 
beauty  in  the  town.  The  Parish 
Church,  rebuilt  1821,  whose  tall  red 
tower  is  well  seen  from  the  Stat., 
contains  a  huge  marble  monument 
to  George  Home,  Earl  of  Dunbar, 
Treasurer  of  Scotland  under  James 
VI.,  1593.  His  effigy,  under  an  arch, 
is  supported  by  armed  knights  on 
either  side,  all  of  marble.  Great 
efforts  have  been  made  to  establish 
a  safe  and  commodious  harbour,  for 
Dunbar  is  an  important  rendezvous 
for  the  herring-fishers  of  this  district, 
and  the  coast  is  very  dangerous  from 
sunken  rocks.  For  this  purpose  the 
harbour  has  been  deepened  at  a  cost 
of  £35,000. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Dunbar 
were  fought  two  great  and  decisive 
Battles.  1st,  in  1296,  Edward  I. 
defeated  John  Balliol,  and  2dly,  in 
1650,  Cromwell  defeated  Gen.  Leslie. 
{See  above.) 

Adjoining  Dunbar,  Lochend,  a  seat 
of  Sir  George  Warrender,  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1860  ;  and  1^  ni. 
to  the  S.  is  the  village  of  Spoil,  at 
the  foot  of  Doon  Hill,  the  head- 
quarters of  Leslie's  forces.  In  the 
parish,  towards  the  Lammermuirs, 
is  the  Chesters  (Castra),  a  circular 
British  fort ;  and  close  to  the  village 
is  Spott  House  (J.  Sprott,  Esq). 
This  rly.    passes  through  one   of| 


the  finest  farming  districts  in  Britain. 
Every  farmyard  has  its  own  steam- 
engine,  Avhose  stalk  marks  its  site, 
rising  over  a  level  sea  of  yellow 
grain  in  summer.  Near  Dunbar 
appear  in  view  on  right  the  conic 
hill  of  N.  Berwick  Laiv,  and  the 
Bass  Rock,  remaining  in  sight  nearly 
to  Edinburgh. 

29  m.  right,  Belhaven,  a  small  fish- 
ing-village, from  which  Lord  Belha- 
ven takes  his  title.  The  rly.  now  turns 
inland,  and  soon  crosses  the  high 
road  at  the  Biel  Water,  having  to 
the  right  Belton  (J.  G.  Hay,  Esq.), 
the  grounds  of  which  are  celebrated 
for  their  firs  ;  and  higher  up  the 
stream,  Biel  House  (Rt.  Hon.  R.  A.  C. 
Nisbet- Hamilton),  surrounded  by 
charming  pleasure-grounds  in  a  large 
estate  of  the  finest  land.  Biel  is  tlie 
birthplace  of  the  poet  Dunbar.  On 
left  is  Whittinghame  (Arthur  J.  Bal- 
four, Esq. ),  under  Traprain  Law,  where 
the  Darnley  murder  was  planned. 

34  m.  Linton  Stat.,  on  the  river 
Tyne,  here  crossed  by  a  red  stone 
bridge.  On  right,  close  to  the  rly., 
is  Plmntassie,  where  Rennie  the  en- 
gineer was  born  ;  and  close  to  the 
village  of  Preston  is  Smeaton  House 
(Sir  T.  Buchan-Hepburn,  Bart).  [Be- 
yond it,  4  m. ,  beautifully  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  river,  and  sur- 
rounded by  plantations,  is  Tynning- 
hame  House,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Haddington.  Binning  woods  are  the 
finest  in  Scotland.  The  district  is 
celebrated  for  its  holly,  the  roads 
being  lined  with  holly  hedges,  in 
some  places  15  ft.  high.  Admittance 
to  the  gi'ounds  on  Saturday. 

Close  to  the  house  are  the  remains 
of  the  Romanesque  Church  of  Tyn- 
ninghame,  built  in  the  12th  cent,  on 
the  site  of  an  ancient  monastery]. 

To  left  of  the  stat.  1  m.  are  the 
ruins  of  Hailes  Castle,  where  Queen 
Mary  lived  for  some  time  during  her 
connection  with  Bothwell,  and  where 
George  Wishart  was  imprisoned. 
Near  it  is  the  dome-shaped  hill  of 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Dideton — North  Berivick 


37 


felstone,  called  Traprain  Law,  724 
ft. ,  which  is  a  conspicuous  feature  in 
the  landscape. 

364  m.  East  Fortune  Stat.  There 
are  several  seats  in  the  vicinity  :  on 
left  Gilmerton  (Sir  D.  Kinloch)  ; 
and  on  right  Xewbyth  (Sir  David 
Baird),  Eockville,  Sheriff  Hall,  and 
Balgone  (Sir  George  Suttie,  Bart.), 
in  a  beautiful  park. 

On  left  are  the  Kilduff  Hills, 
which  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Athelstaneford  are  celebrated  for 
their  fox-covers.  In  the  latter  vil- 
lage an  obelisk  has  been  erected  in 
memory  of  Blair,  the  author  of 
"  The  Grave,"  who  was  minister 
here,  and  was  succeeded  by  John 
Home,  who  himself  was  compelled 
to  retire  from  the  living  for  writing 
the  tragedy  of  "  Douglas." 

The  conic  hill,  N.  Berwick  Law, 
is  well  seen,  right,  near 

39|  m.  Drem  Junct.  Stat. 

[Drem  to  North  Berivick.  Branch 
^l5^,  nearly  5  m. 

Archerfield.  Right — Fenton  Tower 
is  passed. 

2i  m.  Dirleton  Stat.  1  m.  to  the 
N.W.  is  the  village  of  Dirleton,  with 
the  ruins  of  a  Castle  built  in  the  14th 
centy.,  and  once  the  property  of  the 
De  Vaux  family.  The  grounds  on 
which  it  stands  are  the  property  of 
the  Et.  Hon.  R.  A.  C.  Nisbet- 
Hamilton,  of  Archerfield,  and  are 
well  kept  up.  They  are  open  to  the 
public  on  Thursdays,  on  which 
day  an  omnibus  runs  from  North 
Berwick.  The  gardens  are  tastefully 
laid  out,  and  the  mixture  of  gay 
flower  parterres,  with  spruce,  yew, 
and  privet  hedges,  with  the  vener- 
able trees,  is  quite  in  keeping  with 
the  solemn  gi-andeur  of  the  ruins. 
The  original  plan  of  the  building, 
M^hich  stands  on  a  rocky  elevation, 
is  that  of  a  square.  The  side  towards 
the  S.E.  is  a  continuous  wall  of  great 
height,  with  scarcely  an  embrasure. 
At  the  S.  extremity  is  a  tower,  and 
a  second   towards  the  N.     Each  of 


these  springs  from  a  broad  base,  and 
becomes  narrower  as  it  rises.  The 
entrance  to  the  castle  was  under  a 
projecting  archwa}^,  in  front  of  which 
are  the  moat  and  the  vestiges  of  the 
masonry  upon  which  the  old  draw- 
bridge rested.  The  hall  in  the 
upper  storey  is  roofless,  and  the 
kitchen  is  at  one  end  of  it  on  the 
same  level.  The  oflices  and  store- 
rooms are  on  lower  storej^s,  whence 
supplies  were  raised  to  the  kitchen 
by  a  windlass.  In  1298  this  castle 
held  out  for  Wallace  against  Edward 
I.,  who  detached  Bishop  Beck  to 
besiege  it.  After  some  resistance  it 
surrendered.  It  subsequently  be- 
longed to  the  Euthven  family,  and 
was  the  promised  bribe  that  induced 
Logan  of  Eestalrig  to  join  their  con- 
spiracy. 

4^  m.  North  Berivick  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Royal,  close  to  the  st^t.,  very  well 
kept,  comfortable,  and  moderate ; 
Johnston's  Hotel  —  a  large  house 
fronting  the  sea.  Boarding  Houses  : 
White's,  good ;  and  Mrs.  Abel's ; 
Mr.  Brodie  will  give  information 
about  lodgings.)  This  is  a  station 
for  the  herring-fishery,  and  a  fa- 
vourite resort  for  sea-bathing,  not 
only  for  the  Edinburgh  people,  but 
also  visitors  from  the  south.  The 
sands  are  excellent  for  the  purpose, 
but  there  are  no  bathing-machines, 
only  cots  on  the  shore.  There  are 
extensive  green  Links  between  the 
sea  and  the  town,  constantly  covered 
by  golf-players.  It  is  a  very  pleasant 
summer  residence,  without  the  fuss 
of  a  fashionable  watering  -  place, 
healthy,  with  a  fine  sea-view  en- 
livened by  the  Bass  and  other  rocky 
islets,  the  constant  passage  of  ship- 
ping, and  the  Fife  coast  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

Episcopal  Chapel — a  neat  Gothic 
building  near  the  stat. 

On  S.  side  of  the  rly.  stat.  are 
scant  remains  of  a  Convent  for  Cis- 
tercian nuns,  founded  by  Duncan, 


38 


Route  4, — North  Berwick — Bass  Rock. 


Sect.  I. 


6th  Earl  of  Fife,  towards  the  end 
of  the  12th  cent.  They  consist 
of  part  of  the  refectory,  with  cellars 
underneath  the  kitchen,  with  its 
grand  old  fireplace,  and  at  the  E. 
end  a  fragment  of  the  chapel  is  still 
standing.  The  ruined  arcliAvay 
which  formed  the  entrance  is  at  a 
little  distance.  Here  it  was  that  the 
Abbess  of  St.  Hilda  stopped  while 
Clara  and  Marmion  went  on  to  Tan- 
tallon. 

"  And  now,  when  close  at  hand  they  saw 
North  Berwick's  town  and  lofty  Law, 
Fitz- Eustace  bade  them  pause  a  while. 
Before  a  venerable  pile. 

Whose  turrets  view'd,  afar, 

The  lofty  Bass,  the  Lambie  Isle, 

The  ocean's  peace  or  war." 

Marmion,  Canto  v. 

I  of  an  hour's  walk  to  the  S.  of 
the  town  is  North  Berwick  Law,  a 
conical  hill  of  trap,  612  ft.  high, 
from  Avhence  a  splendid  panorama, 
including  Fife  coast,  Arthur's  Seat, 
Pentlands,  Dunbar,  St.  Abb's,  Tan- 
tallon,  and  the  Bass  and  Isle  of  St. 
Mary,  is  obtained  on  a  clear  day. 
The  ground  to  the  N,  and  E.  is  com- 
paratively flat,  and  the  prospect 
reaches  from  the  Pentlands  to  Ben 
Lomond.  Upon  the  top  are  the  ruins 
of  a  watch-tower,  built  during  the 
war  with  France.  These  "Laws" 
were  probably  all  used  as  beacon- 
hills,  and  the  word  seems  to  be 
identical  with  the  Derbyshire  "  Low," 
derived  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  word 
"  Hltew,"  a  heap,  a  hill.  The  cliffs 
E.  of  North  Berwick  consist  of  vol- 
canic tuff's,  like  those  of  Dunbar. 
The  geologist  will  find  no  fijier  sec- 
tions in  the  kingdom  to  illustrate 
this  class  of  rocks. 

From  the  small  hamlet  in  Canty 
Bay,  1 4  m.  E.  of  N.  Berwick,  a  boat 
may  be  obtained  to  row  to  the  Bass 
Ptock,  2  m.  distant ;  the  charge  is  6s. 
there  and  back,  and  the  boats  will 
hold  4  or  5  people.  This  island  is  a 
mass  of  basalt,  with  precipitous 
sides  descending  to  the  sea.  The 
landing  is  slippery,  and  a  little  diffi- 


cult in  rough  weather.  The  castle 
was  from  early  times  one  of  the 
"strengths"  of  Scotland,  and  was 
used  as  a  prison  for  English  cap- 
tives in  the  wars  with  England,  and 
some  of  the  Scottish  Covenanters 
were  confined  there  in  1671.  Upon 
it  are  still  to  be  seen  traces  of  fortifi- 
cations and  of  an  old  chapel.  The 
island  is  farmed,  the  only  production 
being  solan  geese,  which  are  shot  for 
their  feathers.  There  is  a  penalty  of 
5s.  for  every  goose  shot  by  a  stranger. 
"  The  sloping  acclivity  of  the  Bass 
consists  of  3  great  steps  or  terraces, 
with  steep  belts  of  precipice  rising 
between  ;  of  these  the  lowest  is  occu- 
pied by  the  fortress,  and  furnishes, 
where  it  sinks  slopingly  to  the  sea, 
on  the  S.E,,  the  two  landing-places 
to  the  island.  The  middle  terrace, 
situated  exactly  over  a  great  cave 
perforated  by  the  sea,  has  furnished 
a  site  for  the  ancient  Chajyel,  while 
the  upper  and  largest  terraces,  lying 
but  a  single  step  below  the  summit 
of  the  rock,  we  find  laid  out  in  a 
levelled  enclosure,  once  a  garden." — 
Hugh  Millar. 

21  m.  E.  of  ISr.  Berwick,  I  m.  be- 
yond Canty  Bay  (from  which  there 
is  a  path  round  the  edge  of  the  cliff'), 
are  the  ruins  of  Tantallon  Castle. 

"  But  scant  three  miles  the  band  had  rode. 

When  o'er  a  height  they  pass'd  ; 
And,  sudden,  close  before  them  show'd 

His  towers,  Tantallon  vast ; 
Broad,  massive,  high,  and  stretching  far. 
And  held  impregnable  in  war. 
On  a  projecting  rock  they  rose. 
And  round  tlu'ee  sides  the  ocean  flows. 
The  fourth  did  battled  walls  enclose, 

And  double  mound  and  fosse. 
By  narrow  drawbridge,  outworks  strong. 
Through  studded  gates,  an  entrance  long. 

To  the  main  court  they  cross. 
It  was  a  wide  and  stately  square. 
Around  were  lodgings,  fit  and  fair. 

And  towers  of  various  form. 
Which  on  the  court  projected  far, 
And  broke  its  lines  quadrangular. 
Here  was  square  keep,  there  turret  high. 
Or  pinnacle  that  sought  the  sky. 
Whence  oft  the  warder  could  descry 

The  gathering  ocean-storm." 

This  description  will  be  found  very 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Tantallon — Haddington. 


39 


accurate.  AVithin  a  deep  natural  moat 
on  the  S.  side  was  the  outer  court- 
yard, one  tower  of  which  is  still 
standing.  A  passage  through  an 
archway,  now  in  a  ruinous  state,  led 
into  the  inner  court,  where  probably 
were  the  stables  and  offices.  On  the 
N.  side  of  these  was  the  artificial 
moat,  crossed  by  a  drawbridge,  the 
piers  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen  on 
each  side  of  the  entrance  to  the 
castle.  The  original  gateway  has 
been  bricked  up,  and  a  small  wicket 
now  leads  through  a  narrow  passage 
into  the  interior.  The  great  tower 
in  the  centre  is  quadrilateral  with 
rounded  corners.  From  it  extends 
to  the  edge  of  the  rock  on  each  side 
a  solid  curtain  about  50  ft.  high, 
terminated  by  lofty  towers,  each  of 
which  enclosed  a  staircase,  now 
fallen  down.  The  wall  on  the  N. 
side  has  several  rents  in  it,  which 
seem  to  presage  its  fall  at  no  very 
distant  period.  The  inside  of  the 
castle  appears  to  have  consisted  of 
three  sides  of  a  square.  Of  the  E. 
wing,  which  probably  contained  the 
chapel,  there  are  no  remains  except 
the  line  of  foundations,  but  of  that 
towards  the  W.  there  are  portions  of 
banqueting-hall  and  cellar  under- 
neath. The  great  strength  of  the 
place  gave  rise  to  the  saying,  "  Ding 
down  Tantallon,  and  build  a  brig  to 
the  Bass,"  as  feats  of  equal  difiiculty. 
It  is  not  known  at  what  time  Tan- 
tallon Castle  was  built.  It  first  be- 
longed to  the  Earls  of  Fife,  whence  it 
passed  to  the  Menteiths,  and  at  the 
death  of  Murdoch,  Duke  of  Albany, 
was  forfeited  to  the  crown,  and  con- 
ferred upon  the  Douglas  family. 
After  the  Earl  of  Angus  had  been 
banished  in  1527,  the  castle  stood  a 
regular  siege  by  James  V.  Sir  Ralph 
Sadler,  the  English  ambassador,  lived 
here,  under  the  Earl  of  Angus's  pro- 
tection, after  the  failure  of  his  nego- 
tiation for  mating  the  infant  Mary 
with  Edward  VI.  The  castle  was 
eventually  destroyed  by  Gen.  Monk, 
the    Douglas    of    the    day   being    a 


Royalist.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
last  centy.  the  whole  of  this  property 
was  sold  to  Sir  Hew  Dalrymple,  and 
is  still  in  possession  of  his  family. 
A  little  to  E.  of  Tantallon  is  a  dila- 
pidated ruin,  which  goes  by  the 
name  of  "  Aicldhame  Church,"  and  is 
said  to  have  been  St.  Baldred's  place 
of  abode  and  death.  It  was  ap- 
parently a  small  monastery,  of  which 
the  refectory  and  cellars  are  alone 
represented  in  the  ruins,  standing 
on  one  side  of  a  picturesque  little 
bay  ;  at  the  end  of  the  other  is  a 
beacon,  and  farther  inland  is  Sea- 
cliff  House  (J.  AV.  Laidlay,  Esq.) 

Tynninghame  grounds  may  be 
visited  on  Saturday  from  N.  Ber- 
wick, 4  m.  beyond  Tantallon]. 

Leaving  Drem  Junct.,  on  right 
are  ruins  of  Redhouse,  a  double 
tower  of  the  year  1500,  and  Gosford 
House,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Wemyss.  The  top  only  is  visible 
among  the  plantations.  A  new  house 
was  built  close  by,  but  has  not  yet 
been  inhabited,  and  the  old  one  has 
been  restored.  There  is  a  good  col- 
lection of  pictures  (not  open  to  the 
public),  by  Teniers,  Murillo,  N. 
Poussin,  Hogarth,  Hohhetna,  a 
landscape,  an  important  work  ; 
Ruysdacl,  4  fine  landscapes ;  J. 
Romano,  a  procession ;  Wm.  V. 
dcr  Velde,  Ships  at  Sea  in  a  Breeze  ; 
Lely,  Portrait  of  a  Lady  ;  Memling, 
Head  of  St.  Sebastian ;  S.  Rosa, 
Rocky  Landscape  :  Velasquez,  Por- 
trait of  a  Man. 

On  the  W.  side  of  the  grounds  is 
a  Gothic  lodge,  designed  by  Mr.  Bil- 
lings, from  whence  it  obtained  the 
sobriquet  of  "  Billingsgate."  On  left 
are  the  Garleton  Hills,  on  which  is 
a  British  fort  called  the  Chesters 
(Castra),  and  an  obelisk  raised  to  the 
memory  of  the  4th  Earl  of  Hopetoun. 

44^  m.  LoNGNiDDEY  Junct.  Stat. 
In  the  village  John  Knox  was  a 
private  tutor  from  1543-47,  and 
preached  in  the  ch. 


40 


Route  4. — Haddington — Tester. 


Sect.  I. 


[Longmddry  to  Haddington,  4^  m. 
(Pop.  4007  ;  Inn:  George),  a  Pari, 
burgh,  prettily  situated  on  the  W. 
bank  of  the  Tyne,  gives  its  name  to 
the  county  of  East  Lothian,  and  is 
one  of  the  best  grain  markets  in 
Scotland.  Its  early  history  is  lost, 
owing,  it  is  said,  to  the  destruction 
of  its  records  by  Edward  I.  The 
name  is  derived  from  Ada,  Countess 
of  aSTorthumberland,  mother  of  Mal- 
colm IV.  and  William  the  Lion,  who 
founded  a  nunnery  here  1178,  which 
latter  may  still  be  traced  in  ' '  Nim- 
gate,"  the  name  of  the  suburb  on 
the  E.  bank  of  the  river.  On  the  S. 
side  of  the  town  the  Parish  Church, 
originally  the  nave  of  a  Francis- 
can abbey,  of  which  the  choir 
and  transept,  reduced  to  ruin  and 
unroofed,  remain,  also  the  central 
tower.  Its  choir  was  once  called 
"  The  Lamp  of  the  Lothians."  Its 
architecture  is  that  of  the  transi- 
tion from  the  early  to  the  later 
period  of  the  Dec.  era.  The  W. 
doorway,  and  the  triple  arches  of 
the  tower  windows,  though  exhibit- 
ing the  semicircular  form  of  the 
Normans,  belong  to  a  much  later 
period.  The  chancel  is  the  most 
modern  portion,  and  contains  a 
chantry,  in  which  are  the  tombs  of 
the  Maitland  family  ;  one  of  marble 
to  the  Duke  of  Lauderdale,  1682. 

The  quarter  of  Haddington  be- 
yond the  Tyne,  called  Gifford  Gate, 
was  the  birthplace  of  John  Knox, 
1505.  John  Knox  was  educated  here, 
at  the  school.  Is'ear  the  stat.  is  a 
monumental  statue  of  the  late  Robt. 
Fergusson  of  Raith. 

Distance?,. — Edinburgh,  18  m.  ; 
Longniddry,  4|  ;  Dunbar,  11. 

Near  the  town  are  the  residences 
of  Alderston  (J.  Aitchison,  Esq.) 
and  Amisfield  (Earl  of  Wemyss)  ; 
Gilmerton  (Sir  David  Kinloch,  Bart.) 

The  most  interesting  place  near 
this  is  Lethington,  or  Lennoxlove 
(Lord  Blantyre),  so  called  from 
Frances,  Duchess  of  Lennox,  one  of 


the  beauties  of  King  Charles  II.'s 
Court,  There  is  a  portrait  of  her  in 
the  house  by  Lely.  The  tower  is 
old,  but  the  lower  parts  of  the  house 
are  a  modern  addition.  The  grounds 
and  walks  through  the  glen  are  very 
pleasing.  It  was  originally  a  seat  of 
the  Lethington  Maitlands.  One  of 
the  green  alleys  is  still  called  ' '  The 
Politician's  Walk,"  from  the  wily 
Secretary  L.  John,  Duke  of  Lau- 
derdale, was  born  here.  Coulston 
(Lady  Susan  Bourke),  on  a  pretty 
wooded  glen,  was  inherited  by  the 
Ramsays,  Lords  Dalhousie,  wdio  pos- 
sess the  jewel  called  "  The  Coulston 
Pear."  Gihiierton  is  seat  of  Sir  David 
Kinloch,  Bt. 

Just  beyond  Gifford  village  (5  m. 
S. )  is  Tester  House  (the  seat  of  the 
Marquis  of  Tweeddale),  an  old  name 
for  a  modern  house  in  an  estate  of 
20, 400  acres.  The  old  Castle  of  Gif- 
ford, or  Yester,  stands  upon  a  penin- 
sula, formed  by  the  Water  of  Hope 
on  the  E. ,  and  a  large  rivulet  on  the  W. 
Sir  D.  Dalrymple,  in  his  "  Annals," 
relates  that  Hugh  Gifford  de  Yester 
died  in  1267  ;  that  under  his  castle 
was  a  capacious  cavern,  formed 
by  magical  art,  and  called  in  the 
county  Bo  Hall  (  =  Bogy  Hall)  :  a 
stair  of  24  steps  led  down  to  it. 
The  real  object  of  the  cavern  was 
to  obtain  a  supply  of  water  from  the 
brook,  which  ran  at  a  considerably 
lower  level.  The  stor}^  of  its  build- 
ing is  told  at  length  in  the  3rd  canto 
of  Marmion. 

"  I  would,  Sir  Knight,  your  longer  stay 
Gave  you  that  cavern  to  survey. 
Of  lofty  roof,  and  ample  size, 
Beneath  the  castle  deep  it  lies  ; 
To  hew  the  living  rock  profound. 
The  floor  to  pave,  the  arch  to  round. 
There  never  toil'd  a  mortal  arm— 
It  all  was  -ivi-ought  by  word  and 
charm."] 

2  m.  left  of  Longniddry  is  the 
village  of  Gladsmuir,  at  which  place 
Dr.  Robertson  held  the  living,  and 
wrote  his  "History  of  Scotland." 
George  Heriot's  family  belonged  to 
this  place. 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Prestonpans — Pinkie  Burn. 


41 


46  m.  right  is  Setmi,  which  gave 
its  name  and  title  to  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  distinguished 
families  of  the  Scottish  nobilit3\ 
A  hideous  modern  house  replaces 
one  which  was  the  frequent  resort 
of  James  and  Charles  I.  Queen 
Mary  repaired  hither  after  the 
murder  of  Darnley.  The  party  in- 
cluded Bothwell  and  his  supporters. 
The  Queen  and  he  "spent  their 
time  merrily  ;  in  light  doings — 
shooting  at  the  butts  for  a  wager." 
Near  the  house  is  a  small  old  ch. 
in  ruins,  in  which  are  several  monu- 
ments to  past  members  of  the  family, 
The  last  Seton,  Earl  of  Winton,  was 
attainted  in  1715,  and  the  title  has 
since  become  merged  in  that  of 
Eglinton.  Of  the  Chapel,  never 
completed  beyond  the  chancel,  tran- 
septs, and  an  unfinished  spire,  there 
remains  the  fine  apse  of  3  pointed 
arches  at  the  end  of  the  chancel, 
which  contains  monumental  eflSgies 
of  one  of  the  Lords  of  Seton  (in 
armour)  and  his  wife.  The  roof  is 
pointed  and  ribbed.  The  archi- 
tecture is  mixed,  but  principally 
Dec. ,  and  the  tracery  of  the  windows 
(particularly  in  the  transept)  is  re- 
markably good. 

In  the  parish  of  Pencaitland  is 
TVmton  House  (Lady  Kuthven),  seat 
of  the  Earls  of  Winton  down  to  their 
attainder,  1716 — a  fine  old  mansion. 

Leaving  Seton  behind,  the  rly. 
passes,  rt.,  the  Battlefield  of  Pres- 
tonjmns,  fought  Sept.  21,  1745,  be- 
tween Prince  Charles  Stuart  and  the 
royal  forces  under  Sir  John  Cope, 
.who  occupied  a  strong  and  well 
chosen  position  facing  towards  Tra- 
nent, where  the  Highlanders  were 
posted.  It  was  flanked  by  an  impass- 
able morass,  along  which  the  rly. 
now  runs,  but,  on  the  night  before  the 
battle  a  local  laird,  friendly  to  the 
Prince,  led  the  Highlanders  from 
Tranent  by  a  path  across  the  morass, 
so  that  they  unexpectedly  appeared 
in  the  rear  of  Cope's  position.  He 
had  barely  time  to  change  front  to 
[Scotland.] 


the  E.  when  the  battle  began.  It 
was  decided  in  ten  minutes  by  the 
furious  charge  of  the  Highlanders. 
The  royal  army  lost  400  men  killed, 
the  Prince  about  30,  and  next  day 
he  marched  in  triumph  back  into 
Edinburgh. 

On  left  of  rly.,  near  the  Tranent 
Stat. ,  Bankton  Iloicse  is  passed,  occu- 
pying the  site  of  that  where  dwelt 
Col.  Gardiner,  who  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Prestonpans,  fighting  against  the 
Highlanders.  An  obelisk  to  his 
memory  stands  within  an  avenue 
close  by  the  railway,  1.  (See  Lo7-d 
Maho'iis  "  History  of  the  '45,"  and 
"  Waverley.") 

48  m.  Prestonpans  or  Tranent 
Stat,  "  a  smoky,  cindery,  collier  vil- 
lage, rife  Avith  whisky  shops,"  ill- 
drained  and  unhealthy  ;  the  village 
of  Preston,  or  Salt  Preston,  being  on 
the  shore  of  the  Firth  of  Forth,  1  m. 
to  the  N".  These  villages  depend 
on  the  collieries,  as  they  once  did  on 
the  salt  Pans,  which  supplied  the  E. 
of  Scotland  with  salt.  On  right  of 
the  station  is  Preston  Tower,  once 
the  residence  of  the  Hamiltons,  a 
square  keep  of  the  14th  centy.  ;  and 
beyond  this  is  Preston  Grange,  for- 
merly the  property  of  Grant,  Lord 
Prestongi-ange.  His  daughter  mar- 
ried Sir  George  Suttie,  in  whose 
family  the  place  still  remains.  Over 
the  entrance  is  their  motto  :  "  No- 
thing hazard,  nothing  have."  A  road 
on  right  leads  to  the  ruins  of  Dol- 
phinston  Castle. 

The  rly.  then  crosses  the  Pinkie 
Burn,  a  small  stream  upon  which  was 
fought,  Sept.  10,  1547,  the  Battle  of 
Pinkie,  when  the  English  were  com- 
manded by  the  Protector  Somerset. 
A  united  charge  of  the  English  took 
the  Scots  by  surprise,  and  produced 
a  helpless  flight,  followed  by  a  slaugh- 
ter almost  exterminating.  Their  vic- 
tory was  most  complete,  with  a  loss 
of  about  200,  while  that  of  the  Scots 
was  computed  at  10,000.  On  left, 
but  far  off,  is  Carherry  Hill,  where 
c2 


42 


Route  4. — Berimh  to  Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


Queen  Mary  surrendered  to  tlie  rebel 
lords,  1567.  She  was  sent  to  prison 
at  Lochleven  a  few  days  after. 

Pinkie  House  (Sir  A.  Hope,  Bart.), 
on  the  right,  and  close  to  Mussel- 
burgh, an  interesting  and  well-pre- 
served old  mansion,  was  at  one  time 
a  country  seat  of  the  Abbot  of  Dun- 
fermline. A  large  part  of  it  shows, 
unaltered,  the  architecture  of  the 
Jacobsean  era.  In  front  is  a  fountain 
of  two  crowned  arches.  The  original 
building  was  a  square  tower,  to  which 
it  seems  the  rest  was  added  in  1613, 
by  Alexander  Seton,  Earl  of  Dun- 
fermline and  Chancellor  of  Scotland, 
as  an  inscription  modestly  testifies  : 
"  ]S'on  ad  animi,  sed  fortunarum  et 
agelli  modum."  In  the  interior  are 
some  fine  apartments,  particularly 
the  painted  gallery,  which  is  an 
arched  room  120  ft.  in  length,  and 
lighted  b}^  an  oriel  window,  the  roof 
being  covered  Avith  paintings  and  in- 
scriptions. Prince  Charles  slept  here 
the  night  after  Prestonpans. 

51  m.  Inveresk  Stat.  On  right  is 
Ifusselbwgh,  a  favourite  resort  of 
the  Edinburgh  citizens,  whose  villas 
and  mansions  occupy  its  outskirts. 
On  the  W.,  beyond  the  Esk,  is  the 
village  of  Fishcrroiu,  inhabited  chiefly 
by  fishermen  and  their  families,  and 
connected  with  the  town  by  three 
bridges.  Of  these  one  was  built  by 
Rennie,  and  another  is  very  steep 
and  old,  believed  by  some  antiquaries 
to  be  of  Roman  origin.  Near  it  is  a 
monument  to  Dr.  Moir,  the  "  Delta" 
of  Blackwood,  who  was  born  here. 
The  town  is  named  from  a  bed  or 
"broch"  of  mussels,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Esk.  This  will  explain  the 
meaning  of  an  old  rhyme,  common 
in  this  place  : — 

"  Musselburgh  was  a  broch 
When  Edinbroch  was  nane, 
And  Musselbnfgh  sliall  be  a  broch, 
When  Edinbroch's  gane." — R.  C. 

Hard  by  are  the  Links,  a  sandy  waste 
covered  with  greensward,  resorted  to 
for  the  manly  game  of  Golf.     Here 


are  held  the  Edinburgh  races,  and 
here  Cromwell  had  his  camp  after 
the  battle  of  Dunbar,  1650. 

54|  m.  at  Poktobello  Jitnct.,  the 
rly.  is  joined  by  the  lines  from  Dal- 
keith, Melrose,  Hawick,  and  Peebles. 
This  is  a  pleasant  seaside  town 
{Hotel:  Commercial),  consisting  prin- 
cipally of  a  number  of  detached  villas. 
The  sands  are  very  extensive,  and 
well  adapted  for  bathing-ground ; 
they  were  a  favourite  haunt  of  Sir 
W.  Scott,  who  delighted  to  ride  his 
horse  into  the  surf.  Along  part  of 
the  beach  a  broad  terrace  or  espla- 
nade has  been  formed,  and  a  sub- 
stantial Pier  has  been  thrown  out,  at 
which,  in  summer,  steamers  touch. 
Portobello  obtained  its  somewhat 
eccentric  name  from  a  sailor  who 
built  the  first  house  there,  and  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  capture  of  the 
American  town. 

Quitting  Portobello  the  line  passes 
Piershill  cavalry  barracks,  right  the 
turreted  house  of  Restalrig,  near 
which  are  sewer-irrigated  meadows, 
left  Arthur's  Seat,  Parsons  Green, 
Salisbury  Crags.  At  their  foot  Holt/- 
rood  House  and  Chapel  are  seen  from 
the  train,  which,  creeping  under  Cal- 
ton  Hill  and  Jail — "  a  palace  and  a 
prison  on  either  hand" — enters 

57p  m.  Edinburgh  Terminus 
(Rte.  15),  at  Waverley  Bridge  Stat., 
at  the  bottom  of  what  was  formerly  the 
Nor'  Loch,  between  the  Old  and  New 
Town,  and  close  to  Princes  Street. 


Edinburgh. 


Index. 


a.  Inns  and  Miscellaneous  in- 

formation         .... 

43 

h.   Walk  round  the  city 

44 

(  General  Description  ) 
^'  \  Modern  Athens          \ 

44 

d.  Old  Town 

45 

e.   Castle       .... 

45 

/.   General  Assembly  Hall     . 

48 

g.  West  Bow,  Grassmarket   . 

48 

linhiioi'rih 


-1  ^i  \ 


S.  Scotland. 


Route  4. — Edinburgh. 


43 


h.   High  Street.   County  Hall. 
OldTolbooth    ....     48 

i.  St,   Giles's  Church.      Par- 
liament House.     Tron  Church       49 
j.  John  Knox's  House  .         .52 
k.  Jeffrey    Street.        Trinity 
Church.      Canongate.       Moray 
House       .....     52 

I.   Holyrood       Palace       and 
Chapel      .         .         .         .         .     54 

m.  Queen's  Drive  and  Salis- 
bury Crags  .  .  .  .55 
n.  Arthur's  Seat  .  .  .56 
0.  Cowgate  .  .  .  .56 
J).  Greyfriars'  Churchyard  .  56 
q.  Heriot's  Hospital  .  .  57 
r.  University  .  .  .58 
s.  Museum  of  Science  and  Art  58 
t.  New  Town  .  .  .59 
u.  Calton  Hill  ...  59 
V.  High  School  ...  59 
w.  Princei  Street  and  Scott's 
Monument        .         .         .         .60 

X,  The  Mound.    Antiquaries' 
Museum  .         .         .          .60 

y.    National  Gallery       .         .     61 
z.   Princes  Street  Gardens      .     62 
aa.  George  Street — its  Monu- 
ments       .....     62 

hb.  Dean   Bridge  and  Ceme- 
tery.    Fettes  College.     Botanic 

Gardens 63 

cc.   Eminent  Natives      .         .     63 
Environs  and  Excursions       64 

a.  Hotels :  Douglas  Hotel,  St.  An- 
drew-square, improved  under  a  new 
master,  a    first-class    family   hotel. 
Hotels  in   Princes  Street :  All  very 
good,    and   in    the    best    situation. 
Grieve's   Eoyal  British   Hotel,    22 
Edinburgh  H.,  36  ;  Eoyal  H.,  53 
Bedford  H.,   83  ;  Balmoral  H.,  91 
Dejay's   H.,   99  ;    Palace  H.,    109 
Alma    H.,    112  ;     Caledonian    H. 
Osborne  H.,  146. 

London  Hotel,  St.  Andrew-square 
Waterloo  Hotel,  Waterloo-place 
Imperial  Hotel,  near  Waverley  Sta 
tion  ;  Eoyal  Alexandra  Hotel,  Shand 
wick -place:  Eoxburghe,38  Charlotte- 
square.     Of  a  cheaper  class  are  the 


Albert  and  Hanover  Hotels,  Han- 
over-street. 

Temperance  Hotels:  New  Waver- 
ley, Waterloo-place  and  Princes-st.  ; 
Cockburn,  near  the  Waverley  Stat.  ; 
Crown,  West  Eegister-street. 

The  visitor  during  the  autumn  and 
travelling  season  will  do  well  to 
write  for  rooms  beforehand,  to  guard 
against  any  uncertainty. 

Post  Office  and  Telegraph,  E.  end 
of  Princes-street,  corner  of  N.  Bridge, 
opposite  Eegister  Office. 

Coach  and  Omnibus  Offi/:e,  4 
Princes-street,  whence  conveyances 
start  for  Corstorphine,  Queensferry, 
Lasswade,  Dalkeith,  Pathhead,  Por- 
tobello,  Musselburgh,  and  other 
places  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Railway  Stations — North  Bri- 
tish.— Waverley  Bridge  Stat,  to 
London  by  York,  400  m.  in  10  hrs.  ; 
to  Melrose  and  Abbotsford,  37  m.  ; 
to  Carlisle  (Waverley  Etc.),  100  m.  ; 
to  Glasgow,  47  m.  ;  to  Stirling,  36 
m.  ;  and  Callander,  Trossachs,  52 
m.  ;  to  Perth,  46  m.,  and  Dundee, 
50| ;  to  Eoslin,  12m.;  to  Leith  and 
Grantou  Pier — for  the  ferry  steamers 
to  Burntisland. 

Hay  market  Stat.,  of  N.  Brit. 
Ely. — Many  trains  stop  here  for  the 
convenience  of  persons  living  at  the 
W.  end  of  Edinburgh. 

Caledonian  Ely.  —  Tcrmimcs, 
W.  end  of  Princes-st,  near  Lothian- 
rd. ;  to  London  by  Carlisle,  402  ra. ;  to 
Glasgow,  474  m. ;  to  Carstairs  Junct, 
27i  m.  ;  Moffat,  63  ;  Dumfries,  89^ 
m.  ;  Stranraer,  150  m.  ;  Ayr,  66  m. 

Steamers  (from  Leith)  to  Hull, 
London,  Newcastle  ;  and  foreign  to 
Christiansand,  Copenhagen,  Dun- 
kirk, Hamburgh,  and  Stettin  (from 
Granton)  to  Bordeaux,  Stirling, 
Aberdeen,  Kirkwall,  London,  Ler- 
wick, and  Thurso. 

Cab  Fares. — By  distance.  Is.  for 
every  1:^  m.,  and  6d.  for  every  addi- 
tional 4  m.  By  time,  2s.  for  first 
hr.,  and  6d.  for  every  additional  |. 


44 


Route  4. — Edinburgh. 


Sect.  I. 


For  a  drive  into  the  country,  3s,  per 
hr.,  and  Is.  for  every  additional  20 
min. ,  and  driver  is  bound  to  go  6  m. 
per  hr.  6d.  for  luggage  over  100  lbs. 
From  11  P.M.  to  7  a.m.,  double  fare. 

Churches. — Episcopal :  St.  John's, 
"W.  end  of  Princes-street ;  St.  Paul's, 
York-place  ;  Trinity,  St.  Peter's,  St. 
James's,  St.  George's. 

The  best  shops  are  to  be  found  in 
Princes-street,  George-street,  and  ISI". 
Bridge.  Jewellers  and  Silversmitlis 
— Marshall  and  Coy.  ;  Mackay  and 
Cunningham  ;  Hamilton  and  Inches, 
Princes-st.,  under  Balmoral  Hotel. 

Confectioner. — R.  Blair,  37  George - 
street — for  luncheon. 

Booksellers.  —  Edmonston  and 
Douglas,  88  Princes-street. 

Chemist. — Duncan  and  Flockhart, 
Princes-street  and  North  Bridge. 
Medicines  and  chemicals  are  well 
made  up,  and  the  charges  moderate. 

Cooling  Drinks,  after  the  Ameri- 
can fashion,  in  great  variety — Bail- 
don,  73  Princes-street. 

h.  The  following  Walk  or  Drive 
through  Edinburgh  will  embrace  the 
principal  objects  of  interest,  and  will 
give  a  general  idea  of  what  may  after- 
wards be  seen  in  detail. 

Passing  E.  along  Princes-st. — be- 
tween the  Post  and  Register  offices, 
ascend  the  Calton  Hill  for  a  pano- 
ramic view  of  the  city. 

Descend  to  Holyrood.  Drive  round 
the  Queen's  Park,  or  walk  up  to  Ar- 
thur's Seat  by  St.  Anthony's  Chapel. 

Thence  up  Canongate  and  High-st., 
noticing  (left)  Moray  House  ;  (right) 
John  Knox's  house.  At  Tron  Church 
go  up  S.  Bridge-st.  to  the  University. 
See  Industrial  Museum  behind  it. 

Greyfriars'  Churchyard — with  the 
Martyrs'  Monument,  and  the  tombs 
of  George  Buchanan  and  Allan  Ram- 
say, etc. 

Heriot's  Hospital. 

Cross  George  IV. 's  Bridge  to 
Lawnmarket,  Parliament  House,  and 
St.  Giles's  Ch. 

Edinburgh  Castle. 


Descend  the  hill  to  the  Mound — 
upon  which  are  the  Royal  Institu- 
tion, National  Gallery,  and  National 
Museum  of  the  Society  of  Anti- 
quaries of  Scotland. 

Princes-st.,  with  its  glorious  view 
of  the  Castle,  Old  Town,  Arthur's 
Seat,  etc.,  and  gay  shops. 

Princes-street  Gardens. 

Sir  Walter  Scott's  Monument. 

From  Princes-st.  turn  up  into 
George-st.,  which  is  well  provided 
with  shops. 

Charlotte  Square ;  then  along 
Maitland-st.  to 

Donaldson's  Hospital. 

Return  by  JMaitland-st.  to  Queens- 
ferry-st.  ;  cross  Dean  Bridge  ;  and 
pursue  the  road  to  Dean  Cemetery, 
and  Fettes  College. 

Return  to  Randolph-crescent,  and 
thence  to  Ainslie-place,  Moray-place, 
and  Heriot-row  to  Dundas-street ; 
thence  N.  to  Royal  Botanic  Gardens, 
and  on  to  Granton  Pier,  and  return 
by  rly.  to  Waverley  Stat. 

c.  Edinburgh  (without  Leith)  con- 
tains a  population  of  208,353,  and 
has  been,  since  the  days  of  James  IV., 
the  capital  of  Scotland.  No  one  will 
deny  to  Edinburgh  the  praise  of  ex- 
treme natural  beauty  of  situation. 
In  this  she  is  surpassed,  perhaps,  by 
only  two  other  cities  in  Europe. 
The  grandeur  of  the  black  rocky 
pedestal  on  which  the  Castle  stands, 
the  majestic  bulk  and  picturesque 
outline  of  Arthur's  Seat  and  Salis- 
bury Crags,  and  other  hills  which 
overlook  it  on  the  S.,  and  the 
lovely  blue  of  the  Firth  of  Forth, 
backed  by  the  hills  of  Fife,  are 
features  of  romantic  beauty  hardly 
to  be  surpassed.  Its  appellation  of 
"the  Modern  Athens  "  is  not  merely 
a  general  comparison.  "  There  are 
several  points  of  view  on  the  elevated 
grounds  from  which  the  resemblance 
is  complete.  From  Torphin  in  par- 
ticular, one  of  the  low  heads  of  the 
Pentlands,  immediately  above  Colin- 
ton,  the  landscape  is  exactly  that  of 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  The  Castle. 


45 


the  vicinity  of  Athens,  as  viewed 
from  the  bottom  of  Mount  Anches- 
mus.  Close  upon  the  right,  Briles- 
sus  is  represented  by  the  hill  of 
Braid  ;  before  us,  in  the  dark  and 
abrupt  mass  of  the  Castle,  rises  the 
Acropolis  ;  the  hill  Lycabettus, 
joined  to  that  of  Areopagus,  appears 
in  the  Calton  ;  in  the  Firth  of  Forth 
we  behold  the  ^Egean  Sea  ;  in  Inch- 
keith,  iEgina  ;  in  Leith,  the  Pirreus, 
and  the  hills  of  the  Peloponnesus  are 
precisely  those  of  the  opposite  coast 
of  Fife." —  Williams.  The  city  is  built 
all  of  stone,  upon  a  series  of  hilly 
ridges,  rimning  parallel  like  waves, 
with  hollows  between,  also  occupied 
by  streets,  and  occasionally  crossed  by 
high  level  bridges.  On  the  highest 
of  these  hills  the  Old  Town  is  built, 
the  crest  of  the  hill  affording  room 
for  a  street  upwards  of  a  mile  long, 
ascending  in  nearly  a  straight  line 
ffoin  the  palace  of  Holyrood  on  the 
E.,  to  the  castle  which  stands  at  its 
W.  extremity,  about  380  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  To  the  E.  of 
the  city  rises  a  precipitous  cliff,  the 
front  of  which  is  called  Salisbury 
Crags,  behind  which  is  the  more 
lofty  summit  of  Arthur's  Seat,  822 
ft.  above  the  sea,  inaking  the  finest 
and  boldest  background  imaginable. 
To  the  IST.  of  these  is  the  Calton 
Hill,  studded  with  monuments,  the 
extremity  of  the  new  town  on  this 
side.  The  deep  gully  separating  the 
New  and  Old  Towns  now  serves  as  a 
common  terminus  for  various  rlys. 
This  ravine  was  formerly  occupied 
by  pools  of  water,  and,  at  the  time 
when  Edinburgh  consisted  of  the 
Old  Town  only,  was  called  the 
"North  Loch."  It  is  crossed  by 
the  North  and  Waverley  Bridges, 
and  by  the  embankment  known  as 
the  Mound. 

Generally  the  first  place  where  the 
sti'anger  looks  about  him  is  Princes- 
street,  properly  a  long  Terrace  or 
Eow  of  fine  buildings,  gay  shops,  and 
inviting  hotels,  unrivalled  in  Europe 
for   the   view   it  commands   of  the 


long  picturesque  range  of  buildings 
forming  the  Old  Town  and  the  Castle 
Rock,  a  mediaeval  acropolis.  The 
hollow  which  intervenes  is  occupied 
by  the  Waverley  Railway  Stat,  and 
by  Princes-street  Gardens,  whose 
trees  form  a  pleasing  foreground  to 
the  pictm-e.  These  gardens  are 
crossed  in  the  middle  by  the  i\Iound, 
an  artificial  causeway  leading  to  the 
Old  Town,  supporting  its  two  classic 
temples — the  Royal  Institution  and 
the  National  Gallery.  E. of  the  Mound 
is  the  graceful  Gothic  canopy — the 
Scott  Monument.  Princes-street  ter- 
minates E.  in  the  Calton  Hill,  and 
the  North-bridge,  over  which  appear 
the  hump  of  Arthur's  Seat  and  the 
cliffs  of  Salisbury  Crags. 

d.  Let  us  cross  the  Mound  to  enter 
The  Old  Toivn,  which  is  somewhat 

foreign  in  its  appearance.  The  two 
main  streets,  running  nearly  parallel 
with  one  another,  are  connected  by 
numerous  alleys  or  narrow  passages 
called  "  Wynds,"  which  consist  of 
very  high  houses,  each  storey  or 
"  Flat "  being  a  hive  of  population. 
On  fine  evenings,  after  working 
hours,  the  whole  population  of  these 
places  turns  out  into  the  main 
thoroughfares,  so  that  a  stranger 
would  wonder  where  all  the  people 
can  be  stowed  away.  One  principal 
avenue  extends  from  Holyrood  up  to 
the  Castle  ;  in  the  lower  portion  it 
is  called  Canongate,  then  Netherbow 
and  High-street ;  higher  up,  above 
St.  Giles'  Ch. ,  Lawnmarket,  and  the 
Castle  Hill  opens  on  the  Castle,  at 
the  top  of  the  hill.  Beginning  at 
this  end  the  first  point  is 

e.  The  CastUj  or  Edwin's  burgh, 
so  called  from  aTh  early  king  of  Nor- 
thumbria  [d.  633],  whose  dominion 
extended  thus  far,  was  only  the  occa- 
sional residence  in  time  of  danger  of 
Scottish  royalty  before  1100,  when 
Edinburgh  became  the  acknowledged 
capital  of  Scotland.  Here  Malcolm 
Canmore  left  Queen  Margaret  when  he 
and  his  sons  invaded  England,  and 


46 


Route  4. — Edinburgh  :   The  Castle. 


Sect.  I. 


here  it  was  that  she  received  the  news 
of  his  death,  on  which  she  lierself  fell 
sick  and  died  soon  after.  In  1291 
it  was  taken  by  Edward  L,  and  held 
by  the  English  17  years.  In  1312  it 
was  retaken  by  some  of  Bruce's  follow- 
ers, who  climbed  up  the  western  face, 
previously  deemed  inaccessible.  It 
was  dismantled  by  Bruce,  given  back 
to  the  English  by  Edward  Baliol,  and 
re-fortified  in  1337  by  Edward  III.  In 
1341  it  was  recovered  by  sti'atagem 
by  Sir  William  Douglas.  In  1572 
Kirkcaldy  of  Grange  held  the  fortress 
with  the  gi-eatest  difficulty  for  33 
days,  in  favour  of  ]\Iary  Queen  of 
Scots,  against  Sir  William  Drury  and 
an  English  force.  The  garrison  then 
insisted  on  a  capitulation,  in  spite  of 
Kirkcaldy,  who  would  have  persisted 
to  the  last  gasp,  knowing  that  death 
^^^  awaited  him  from  his  enemies,  which 
^,.\  was  accordinglyinflictedimmediately 
^J  they  got  him  into  their  power.  In 
"«^  1650,  after  the  battle  of  Dunbar, 
Cromwell  took  the  place  after  12 
days'  siege.  He  made  a  feint  of 
blowing  up  the  rock,  having  brought 
with  him  Derbyshire  miners  for  that 
purpose.  The  mere  threat  of  these 
extemporised  sappers  and  miners 
effected  his  object.  He  wrote  to  the 
Speaker  Lenthall,  "  I  need  not  speak 
of  the  strength  of  the  place,  which, 
if  it  had  not  come  in  as  it  did,  would 
have  cost  very  much  blood  to  have 
attained,  if  at  all  to  be  attained." 
In  1745  it  refused  to  open  its  gates 
to  the  Prince  Chas.  Edwd.  Stuart, 
who  was  unable  either  to  reduce  or 
blockade  it. 

On  the  parade-ground  in  front  of 
the  Castle,  from  which  a  good  view 
of  the  city  is  obtained,  is  a  statue  of 
the  Duke  of  York  ;  also  a  monu- 
mental Cross  to  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  78th  Highlanders  who  fell  in 
the  Indian  Mutiny.  Verj^  little  of  the 
original  fortifications  is  still  to  be 
seen,  though  there  are  some  fragments 
of  them  on  the  IS",  of  the  rock  within 
Princes-street  Gardens,  called  Wal- 


lace's Tower,  a  corruption  of  Well- 
house  Tower,  there  being  an  old  well 
on  this  side. 

The  entrance  now  is  through 
the  outer  and  inner  stockades,  across 
a  drawbridge,  and  through  a  long 
vaulted  archway  called  the  Port- 
cullis Gate,  over  which  is  the  old 
state  prison,  where  the  Marquis  of 
Argyle  was  confined  before  his  exe- 
cution ;  whence  his  son,  the  Earl  of 
Argyle,  escaped  in  the  disguise  of  a 
page,  and  to  which  he  was  br,£iught 
back  after  his  unsuccessful  invasion 
of  the  W.  coast. 

Ptight — Argyle  Battery.  Beyond 
this  are  the  Armoury  and  officers' 
quarters.  Winding  round  the  sum- 
mit, the  road  leads  through  an  inner 
gate  to  the  top,  upon  which  stands 
Mo-iis  Meg,  a  gigantic  piece  of  artil- 
lety  of  long  iron  bars  hooped  to- 
gether, said  to  have  been  made  at 
Mons,  in  Hainault,  in  1486  ;  another 
tradition  asserts  that  it  was  forged  at 
Castle  Douglas,  in  Galloway,  by  3 
brothers,  blacksmiths,  of  the  name 
of  M'LeUan,  and  presented  by  them 
to  James  II.  at  the  siege  of  Threave 
Castle  in  1455. 

"  Let  Mods  Meg  and  her  marrows  speak 
twa  words  or  three, 
For  the  love  of  the  bonnets  of  bonny- 
Dundee.  " 

It  was  employed  at  the  siege  of 
ISTorham  Castle  in  1497,  and  burst  in 
1682,  when  firing  a  salute  in  honour 
of  the  Duke  of  York.  In  1754  it  was 
removed  to  the  Tower  of  London,  but 
was  restored  to  Edinburgh  in  1829, 
at  the'Tequest  of  Sir  Walter  Scott. 

From  the  Half-Moon  Battery  a 
time-gun  is  fired  every  day  at  1  P.M. 
Greenwich  time,  by  means  of  a  wire 
stretched  across  the  town  from  the 
Observatory,  Calton  Hill. 

On  the  summit  of  the  rock,  close 
to  the  High  Battery,  stands  Queen 
Margaret's  Cliajwl,  certainly  the  old- 
est building  in  Edinburgh.  It  is  an 
eaTly  specimen  of  Eomanesque  archi- 
tecture, and,  if  not  built  by  Margaret 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Edinburgh :  The  Castle. 


47 


herself,  was  erected  in  her  honour  by 
her  son  David  I.,  about  1100. 

It  is  of  very  contracted  dimensions, 
16  ft.  6  in.  long  by  10  ft.  6  in.  wide. 
The  chancel  arch  separating  the  small 
nave  from  the  E.  semicircular  apse 
has  good  zigzag  mouldings,  and 
lozenge  patterns  on  it.  It  was  re- 
stored in  1853,  having  been  long 
neglected,  and  latterly  used  as  a 
powder  magazine.  It  now  serves 
only  for  the  baptism  of  children 
belonging  to  the  garrison. 

A  very  magnificent  Vievj  is  ob- 
tained from  the  High  Bomb  Battery, 
from  which  the  city  and  its  outskirts 
are  all  laid  open  as  in  a  map,  bounded 
by  the  Ochils,  the  hills  of  Fifeshire, 
and  the  sea,  with  a  peep  of  the 
mountains  around  the  Trossachs  in 
very  clear  weather. 

A  little  below  the  summit,  at  the 
S.E.  corner,  is  a  portion  of  the  Royal 
Palace,  and  seat  of  the  Scotch  Far- 
lia'ment  for  a  short  timfe.  It  was 
built  between  1565  and  1616,  and 
forms  an  irregular  square,  part  being 
used  as  the  hospital.  Its  outer  wall 
rises  up  flush  with  the  face  of  the 
precipice.  It  is  entered  by  a  pro- 
jecting turret  stair.  On  the  S.E. 
angle  of  the  square  are  Queen  Mary's 
Apartments,  in  the  smaller  room  of 
which  James  VI.  was  born,  on  the 
19th  June  1566.  Over  the  doorway 
are  the  initials  H.  and  M.,  those  of 
his  father  and  mother  ;  and  in  the 
ceiling  are  his  own  and  his  mother's, 
surmounted  by  a  crown.  On  the  E. 
side  of  this  square  is  the  Croivn 
Room,  a  bomb-proof  vault,  in 'which 
tTie  Kegalia  (shown  daily  till  3 
o'clock)  are  kept  within  an  iron  cage. 
They  were  deposited  here  in  an  old 
chest,  with  much  formality,  on  the 
7th  March  1707,  and  here  they  were 
found  on  the  4th  Feb.  1818.*  The 
fact  of  their  not  having  been  seen 
for  upwards  of  100  years  had  raised 

*  An  account  of  their  disinterment  is  to 
be  found  in  Lockhart's  "  Life  of  Scott,'' 
Sir  Walter  Scott  having  been  one  of  the 
Commissioners  appointed  for  the  purpose. 


suspicions  that  they  had  been  re- 
moved to  England,  or  perhaps  stolen. 
They  consist  of  a  crown,  sceptre, 
sword  of  state,  treasurer's  rod  of 
office,  the  badges  of  the  orders  of  the 
Garter  and  the  Thistle,  and  a  ring. 
The  crown,  at  least  the  double  cir- 
clet or  diadem,  is  supposed  to  be  as 
old  as  the  days  of  Robert  Bruce,  but 
was  ornamented  with  concentric 
arches  of  gold  in  the  reign  of  James 
Y.  The  last  time  it  was  used  was 
for  the  coronation  of  Charles  II., 
before  the  battle  of  Worcester.  The 
sceptre,  which  was  made  in  the  time 
of  James  V.,  is  surmounted  with 
figures  of  the  Virgin  ]\lary,  St.  James, 
and  St.  Andrew.  The  sword  was  a 
present  from  Pope  Jidius  II.  to 
James  IV.,  and  is  a  piece  of  rich 
Italian  work  ;  its  scabbard  is  orna- 
mented with  silver  gilt  oak-leaves 
and  acorns.  The  Golden  Collar  and 
George  of  tlie  Order  of  the  Garter 
was  presented  by  Queen  Elizabeth  to 
James  VI.  ;  to  whom  also  belonged 
that  of  the  Thistle,  inclosing  a  por- 
trait of  his  wife,  Anne  of  Denmark. 
The  ring  was  given  by  him  to 
Charles  I. 

Castle  Hill  contains  some  interest- 
trig  oTd lioiises,  but,  owing  to  constant 
fires  and  improvements,  the  material 
remains  of  "  Auld  Reekie  "  are  b}"  no 
means  numerous  even  in  the  High- 
street,  once  the  abode  of  the  noblest 
of  the  aristocracy  as  well  as  the 
wealthiest  of  the  citizens.  This  part 
of  the  thoroughfare  suff"ered  severely 
in  1745,  when  the  Castle  was  held 
by  Gen.  Guest  for  King  George,  and 
the  town  and  HoljTood  were  in  pos- 
session of  Prince  Charles.  The  latter 
attempted  to  blockade  the  Castle,  but 
was  obliged  to  desist  on  a  threat  from 
the  governor  that  he  would  bombard 
the  city.  On  right  a  cannon-ball  is 
still  to  be  seen  sticking  in  the  side 
of  the  end  house  facing  the  esplanade, 
which  originally  belonged  to  the  Mar- 
quis of  Huntly.  In  old  Gordon  House 
was  born  Sir  David  Baird,  the  dis- 


48 


Route  4. — Edinburgh :  Castle  Hill. 


Sect.  I. 


tinguished  military  commander,  son 
of  Mr.  Baird  of  Newby th.  L.  Reservoir 
for  supplying  the  city  with  water  ;  it 
is  conveyed  hither  from  the  Pentland 
Hills.  At  back  of  this  is  Ramsay 
Lane,  leading  to  Ramsay  Lodge, 
where  Allan  Ramsay  lived,  and  where 
he  died  in  1758.  The  Free  Church 
College  is  next,  erected  1843,  soon 
after  the  "Disruption"  of  the  Church, 
as  it  is  called. 

/.  Right — In  the  main  street,  the 
first  object  of  interest  is  the  General 
Assembly  or  Victoria  Hall,  built  in 
1844,  by  Gillespie  Graham,  at  a  cost 
of  £16,000,  a  very  handsome  Church 
in  its  outward  aspect  of  the  Dec. 
Gothic  style  of  architecture.  At  the 
E.  end  is  a  noble  tower  and  spire 
rising  to  a  height  of  240  ft.,  and 
forming  a  very  prominent  object  in 
all  the  views  of  Edinburgh.  The 
hall  is  used  for  the  meetings  of  the 
General  Assembly  of  the  Church  of 
Scotland,  and  for  the  ordinary  pur- 
poses of  divine  service.  On  the 
N.  slope  of  the  hill  below  this  is 
the  Free  Assembly  Hall.  The  section 
of  High-street  below  Castle  Hill  is 
known  as  the  Laivnmarket,  because 
it  used  to  be  crowded  with  stalls  and 
booths  for  the  sale  of  linen  goods. 
Down  to  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  it  was  nearly  shut  in  at  the 
two  ends  by  projecting  buildings,  and 
had  no  lateral  carriage  communica- 
tions until  1825-30. 

g.  rt.  Near  this  is  a  remnant  of 
the  West  Bow,  a  narrow  winding 
alley  or  wjmd,  which  led  down  to 
the  Gra^sniarTcet,  the  Smithfield  of 
Edinburgh,  formerly  the  scene  of 
public  executions,  but  which  has 
long  been  used  for  the  sale  of  corn 
and  cattle,  the  Corn  Exchange,  a 
large  low  building,  being  situated  on 
one  side.  Here  it  was  that  Capt. 
John  Porteous,  after  being  hurried 
from  the  Tolbooth  down  the  West 
Bow,  was  hanged  from  a  dyer's  pole. 
His  offence  was,  that  being  in  com- 
mand of  a  guard  at  the  execution  of 
a  smuggler,  he   anticipated   an   at- 


tempt at  rescue,  and  without  warn- 
ing fired  on  the  mob.  The  queen 
having  pardoned  him,  the  mob  took 
the  law  into  their  own  hands,  as  is 
so  well  narrated  in  the  "  Heart  of 
Midlothian. ' '  In  the  West  Bow  once 
lived  Lord  Ruthven,  who  took  a  pro- 
minent part  in  the  murder  of  Rizzio  ; 
and  Major  Weir,  the  reputed  magi- 
cian, burnt  with  his  sister  in  1670. 
Over  the  door  is  the  inscription 
"  Soli  Deo  honor  et  gloria." 

L.  James's  Court,  where  stood 
the  House  of  Da\dd  Hume,  and  after- 
wards that  of  James  Boswell,  burnt 
down  in  1859.  Here  Boswell  enter- 
tained Johnson  in  1773,  and  Paoli  in 
1771.  Lady  Stair's  Close  was  once 
the  principal  thoroughfare  for 
walkers  from  the  Old  to  the  New 
Town.  A  house  in  it,  bearing  the 
date  1622,  was  for  many  j-ears  in- 
habited by  the  Dowager  Countess  of 
Stair,  whose  history  (as  Lady  Prim- 
rose) is  the  basis  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott's  story  of  "  My  Aunt  Margaret's 
Mirror."  On  the  front  of  the  house 
are  the  initials  W.  G.  and  G.  S.  (Sir 
W.  Gray  and  Geida  Smith),  and  the 
injunction,  "Fear  the  Lord  and  de- 
part from  evil,"  The  next  turning 
is  Bank  Street,  leading  to  the  Mound, 
a  little  way  down  is  the  Bank  of 
Scotland,  built  in  1806,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  £75,000,  surmounted  by  a 
dome.  In  1869  it  underwent  a 
splendid  renovation.  The  Bank  of 
Scotland  was  incorporated  by  Act 
of  Parliament  in  1695. 

To  the  S.,  opposite  Bank  Street, 
opens  George  IV.'s  Bridge,  erected 
1835,  which  spans  the  Cowgate, 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  spire  of 
the  Magdalen  Chapel.  On  the  bridge, 
at  the  west  side,  are  the  offices  of  the 
Highland  and  Agricultural  Society  of 
Scotland,  a  most  useful  institution, 
opposite  which  is  a  handsome  build- 
ing containing  Courts  for  the  accom- 
modation of  the  Sheriffs  of  the 
County. 

h.  rt.  The  County  Hall  is  a  hand- 
some building,  the  E,  face  designed 


S.  Scotland.  Route  L — Heart  of  Midlothian ;  Ch.  of  St.  Giles.  49 


on  the  model  of  the  Erechtheum  at 
Athens. 

In  the  open  space  in  front,  now 
marked  by  a  rude  ' '  heart ' '  of  paving- 
stones  let  into  the  causeway,  stood 
the  old  Tolhooth,  better  known  as 
the  "  Heart  of  Midlothian. "  It  was 
separated  by  a  lane  from  St.  Giles's 
Ch.,  and  by  a  narrow  road  from  the 
Lawnmarket.  The  Tolbooth  was  also 
used  as  the  House  of  Parliament, 
principal  court  of  justice,  and  gaol 
for  criminals  and  debtors.  Upon 
a  platform  projecting  on  the  side 
next  the  Lawnmarket  were  exposed, 
at  different  times,  the  heads  of  the 
Earl  of  Morton,  the  jMarquis  of  Mon- 
trose, and  the  Marquis  of  Argyle. 
Jt  subsequently  became  a  mere 
prison,  the  lower  storey  being  let  out 
as  shops  ;  and  after  beiug  a  disgrace 
to  the  city  for  many  years  it  M'as 
pulled  down  in  1817.  The  old  door- 
way of  the  Tolbooth  is  still  to  be 
seen,  built  into  the  wall  at  Abbots- 
ford,  and  the  keys  hang  in  the 
armoury  of  the  same  mansion. 

i.  Midway,  in  theHigh-st.,  stands 
the  Church  of  St.  Giles,  a  cruciform 
building  of  the  14th  cent.,  with  very 
slightly  projecting  transepts  :  at  one 
time  of  great  architectural  beauty. 
Its  exterior  has,  however,  been  altered 
and  restored  so  frequently,  that 
nearly  all  traces  of  it  have  dis- 
appeared, or  at  all  events  have 
taken  refuge  in  the  square  central 
Tower.  It  is  snrmounted  by  light 
flying  buttresses,  springing  from 
the  sides  and  angles  of  the  parapet, 
forming  an  arched  imperial  crown  ; 
while,  resting  upon  the  keystone  of 
the  whole,  a  short  and  graceful  spire 
springs  from  among  a  cluster  of  pin- 
nacles to  the  height  of  160  ft. 

Some  kind  of  ch.  seems  to  have 
existed  here  as  early  as  the  9th 
centy.  The  present  edifice  was 
erected  by  degi-ees,  at  periods  rang- 
ing from  the  beginning  of  the  12th 
century  to  the  middle  of  the 'loth. 
In  1466  it  became  the  seat  of  a 
[Scotland.] 


collegiate  foundation.  At  the  in- 
troduction of  the  Reformed  worship 
into  Scotland  the  36  altars  Avhich 
the  ch.  then  contained  were  removed, 
and  the  statue  of  St.  Giles  was 
carried  off  by  a  Protestant  mob, 
and  thrown  into  the  N.  Loch. 
Soon  after,  the  ch.  was  pillaged 
and  "purified,"  the  chancel  being 
alone  restored  for  divine  worship. 
In  1572  the  tower  was  fortified  by 
Kirkaldy  of  Grange,  who  held  it 
against  the  Regent.  James  VI.  took 
leave  of  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh 
in  St,  Giles's  when  about  to  depart 
to  ascend  the  English  throne.  He 
promised  to  defend  the  Presbyterian 
faith,  and  to  pay  his  Scottish  sub- 
jects a  visit  every  3  years  at  furthest. 
He  went  away,  but  re-established 
Scottish  episcopacy,  and  it  was  14 
years  before  he  set  foot  in  Scotland 
agajn. 

It  was  in  the  following  reign,  how- 
ever, that  St.  Giles  became  the  scene 
of  the  most  mornentous  events  con- 
nected with  the  religious  history  of 
Scotland.  The  bishopric  of  Edin- 
burgh was  re-established  in  1634, 
and  St.  Giles's  Ch.  became  the 
Cathedral  of  the  diocese.  From  the 
very  pulpit  whence  Knox  had  thun- 
ctered  against  popery,  the  new  liturgy 
prepared  by  Laud  was  being  read 
for  the  first  time  by  the  Dean  of 
Edinburgh,  July  1637,  when  Jenny 
Geddes,  incensed  at  the  innovation, 
took  up  the  cutty-stool  on  which  she 
had  been  sitting,  and  threw  it  at 
the  head  of  Dean  Hanna,  the  ofliciat- 
ing  minister.  The  stool  is  .still  pre- 
j  served  in  the  Antiquarian  ]\Iuseum. 
The  Presbyterians  divided  the  eh. 
into  3  separate  places  of  worship. 
But  the  greatest  alteration  in  the 
appearance  of  St.  Giles  took  place 
in  1S28,  when  the  part  W.  of  the 
central  tower  was  nearly  re-cased 
by  an  architect  thoroughly  ignorant 
of  Gothic,  and  the  whole  sobered 
down  into  a  heavy,  dull,  and  uninter- 
esting uniformity.  The  fine  E.  win- 
D 


50 


Route  4. — Edinburgh :  Parliament  House.      Sect.  L 


dow,  however,  was  copied  from  tlie 
tracery  of  the  original,  and  the  choir 
remains  tolerably  well  preserved,  a 
specimen  of  Middle  Pointed.  It  is 
loftj''  and  in  a  masculine  style  of 
Gothic.  The  vaulted  stone  roof  of 
the  E.  choir,  diagonally  groined  with 
bosses  at  the  intersections  of  ribs, 
merits  notice.  This  part  of  the  ch. 
was  repaired  and  cleared  of  pews  and 
galleries  1S72  ;  modern  carved  seats 
being  inserted  for  the  Queen,  Judges, 
and  Town-council,  also  a  new  pulpit 
and  reredos.  The  Preston  chapel  on 
the  S.  side  was  erected  by  the  citi- 
zens in  gratitude  to  Sir  \Ym.  P.,  for 
presenting  them  with  an  anu-bone 
of  St.  Giles,  1454! 

In  the  crypt,  beneath  the  S.  tran- 
sept (shortly  to  be  opened  out),  lie 
the  remains  of  two  illustrious  Scotch- 
men, the  Marquis  of  Montrose,  whose 
scattered  and  mangled  remains  were 
collected  and  interred  here,  1661, 
without  monument  or  memorial ;  and 
the  Eegent  Murray,  who  is  commemo- 
rated by  a  tablet  in  the  S.  transept, 
restored  after  removal  in  1829.  The 
Latin  epitaph  is  by  George  Buchanan, 
and  is  Avorthy  of  being  quoted  : — 

"  Jus  exarmatum  est 
Pietas  sine  vindice  luget 
23tio  Jaiiuarii  1569. 
"  Jacobo  Stovarto  Moravia;  Comiti  Scotife 
Proregi,  Viro  setatis  sua?  longe  oiUimo,  ab 
inimicis  oninis  memoriaj  deterrirais  ex  in- 
sidiis  extincto,  ceu  Patri  couununi  patria 
mcerens  posuit." 

Down  to  the  year  1817  a  number  of 
small  shops  called  "krames"  were 
built  against  the  exterior  walls  of 
the  ch. ,  and  the  northern  space  Avas 
almost  entirely  occupied  by  the 
"  Luckenbooths,"  which  were  ten- 
anted chiefly  by  booksellers  and 
jewellers. 

The  space  to  the  S.  of  St.  Giles, 
now  called  Parliament  Square,  was 
originally  the  cemetery  of  the  ch.  A 
square  stone,  inscribed  I.  K.  1572,  let 
into  the  pavement,  nearlj^  opposite 
the  S.  door,  marks  the  grave  of  John 
Knox.      Boswell   happened   to   ask 


where  J.  KnoxAvas  buried.  Johnson 
burst  out,  "I  hope  on  a  highway." 
It  is  singular  that  his  wish  should  be 
so  nearly  fulfilled.  In  the  middle 
stands  an  equestrian  statue  of  Charles 
II.,  made  of  lead,  and  cast  in  Hol- 
land. 

The  Parliament  House,  the  build- 
ing on  the  S.  side  of  this  square, 
which  was  completed  in  1640,  was 
burned  down  1824,  and  is  replaced 
by  a  modern  Italian  pile,  now  used 
as  the  Courts  of  Justice.  The  Par- 
liament Hall,  in  which  the  Scottish 
legislature  used  to  sit  before  the 
Union,  the  onl}"  part  saved  of  the 
old  edifice,  is  occupied  by  lawyers 
and  their  clients  waiting  for  cases  tb 
be  called  on,  serving  nearty  the  same 
purpose  as  Westminster  Hall.  It  is 
a  grand  hall,  122  ft.  long  and  49 
broad.  Its  best  feature  is  the  open- 
timber  roof,  which  rests  on  brackets 
ornamented  with  boldly  sculptured 
heads,  and  is  formed  of  dark  oaken 
tie  and  hammer  beams,  with  cross - 
braces.  At  the  S.  extremity,  where 
erewhile  stood  the  royal  throne,  is  a 
large  painted  window,  manufactured 
at  the  Eoyal  Factory  at  Munich, 
from  designs  of  Kaulbach,  repre- 
senting the  Institution  of  the  Court 
of  Session  by  James  V.  The  Scot- 
tish Parliament,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered, consisted  only  of  one  house, 
and  till  the  Eeformation  there  was 
ample  room  for  it  in  the  Tolbooth. 
At  the  N.  end  is  a  statue  in  white 
marble  of  the  1st  Viscount  Melville, 
by  Chantrey.  Next  to  him  on  left  is 
Henry  Cockburn  in  his  robes  of 
Solicitor-General ;  next  Duncan  For- 
bes, of  Culloden,  by  PoubiMac.  Read 
the  inscription.  It  was  owing  chiefly 
to  Forbes's  great  influence  in  Scot- 
land, and  to  his  unswerving  fidelity 
to  the  Hanoverian  cause,  that  the 
Eebellion  of  1745  attained  such 
slender  dimensions,  and  was  so  soon 
suppressed.  He  is  represented  in 
his  official  robes,  giving  his  decision 
and   explaining   the    grounds :    the 


S.  Scotland.  Route  4. — Edinburgh:  Libraries  ;  City  Cross.   51 


right  hand  is  raised.  The  forcible 
attitude  reminds  one  of  that  of  the 
husband  in  the  Nightingale  monu- 
ment, Westminster  Abbey.  The 
execution  is  admirable.  (For  a  pane- 
gyric upon  Forbes,  see  Thomson's 
"Autumn.")  Next  to  him  is  Lord 
President  Boyle,  and  beyond  is  Lord 
Jeffrey,  both  by  Steell.  Then  comes 
Lord  President  Blair,  by  Chantrey, 
erected  by  the  county  of  Midlothian, 
for  which  he  was  member  ;  and  on 
the  opposite  side  is  Robert  Dundas 
of  Arniston,  in  a  sitting  attitude, 
also  by  Chantrey.  There  are  a  great 
many  fine  portraits  of  judges  and 
other  eminent  lawyers  in  the  hall. 

In  this  hall  3  grand  banquets  have 
been  given  :  1st,  to  Gen.  Monk,  in 
1656  ;  2d,  to  the  Duke  of  York 
(afterwards  James  VI L),  in  1680  ; 
and  3d,  to  George  IV.,  in  1822. 

The  rooms  at  the  S.  end  are  oc- 
cupied by  the  Courts  of  the  Outer 
House,  or  Lords  Ordinary,  those  on 
the  E.  side  by  the  Courts  of  the  Inner 
House,  presided  over  respectively  by 
Lord  President  and  Lord  Justice- 
Clerk.  The  Scottish  Court  of  Session 
is  composed  of  13  judges,  who  are 
divided  into  the  Outer  and  Inner 
House,  the  Inner  House  forming  tlie 
First  and  Second  Divisions,  presided 
over  by  Ld.  President  (1st  Div.), 
and  Ld.  Justice-Clerk  (2d  Div.), 
who  hear  appeals  from  the  Lords 
Ordinary  and  Sheriffs  of  the  counties. 
The  Lords  Ordinary  sit  separately  in 
Halls,  and  are  5  in  number.  These 
form  courts  both  of  law  and  equity, 
exercising  the  powers  of  the  Courts 
of  Chancer)^,  Queen's  Bench,  Com- 
mon Pleas,  and  Exchequer  in  Eng- 
land. Seven  of  the  judges  of  the 
Court  of  Session  also  form  the  High 
Court  of  Justiciary,  the  Supreme 
Criminal  Court  of  Scotland,  in  which 
causes  are  conducted  by  a  Public 
Prosecutor,  the  Lord  Advocate,  or 
one  of  his  deputies.  It  sits  every 
week  diiring  the  terms  of  the  Civil 
Courts,  and  the  judges  hold  circuits 
in  vacation  throughout  the  country. 


The  number  of  the  jury  is  15,  and  a 
majority  of  voices  decides. 

Between  the  courts  and  the  County 
Buildings  are  the  Advocates'  Library 
and  Signet  Library.  They  are  both 
well  stored  with  books,  especially 
the  first,  which  is  one  of  the  collec- 
tions entitled  to  a  copy  of  every  new 
work  published  in  the  L^nited  King- 
dom. It  contains  about  300,  OoO 
volumes,  and  a  valuable  collection 
of  MSS.  Among  its  curiosities  are 
a  JMS.  of  the  Vulgate,  11th  centy., 
brought  from  the  Abbey  of  Dun- 
fermline. The  Mayence  1st  edition 
of  the  Bible,  printed  by  Guttenberg 
and  Faust ;  various  copies  of  the 
Covenant,  with  signatures  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots,  James  VI.,  etc. 
Strangers  are  admitted  to  either 
library  without  introduction,  and 
upon  the  recommendation  of  a  mem- 
ber can  get  permission  to  read  and 
write  there. 

The  E.  side  of  Parliament  Square 
is  occupied  by  the  Exchequer  and 
other  offices,  and  Police  Court.  The 
Edinbm-gh  Police  was  established  in 
1807  ;  the  protection  of  the  citizens 
ha-^dng  previously  been  intrusted  to 
the  "  Town  Guard,"  an  old  force  which 
had  been  originally  raised  in  1682. 

On  the  KE.  side  of  St.  Giles's 
Ch.,  within  the  railings,  is  the  City 
Cross,  restored  1866.  The  shaft,  of 
one  stone  20  ft.  high,  surmounted  by 
a  unicorn,  is  old  and  original,  and 
raised  upon  a  plain  modern  base. 
It  formerly  stood  upon  an  octagonal 
base  16  ft.  in  diameter,  and  about  15 
ft.  high.  At  each  angle  was  a 
pillar,  and  between  them  an  arch  of 
the  Grecian  shape.  Above  there 
was  a  projecting  battlement,  with  a 
turret  at  each  corner,  and  medallions 
of  rude  but  curious  workmanship 
between  them.  The  magistrates  de- 
stroyed this  monument  under  the 
pretext  that  it  encumbered  the 
street,  and  it  was  carried  away  by 
Lord    Somerville    to    his    lawn    at 


52 


Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  John  Knox's  House.       Sect.  I. 


Drum,  from  whence  the  shaft  was 
restored  iu  1866. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  thus  speaks  of  its 
removal  : — 

"  Dun-Edin's  Cross,  a  pillar'd  stone. 
Rose  on  a  turret  octagon. 
(But  now  is  razed  that  monument 

Whence  roj'al  edict  rang, 
And  voice  of  Scotland's  law  was  sent 

In  glorious  trumpet  clang.) 
Oh  !  be  his  tomb  as  lead  to  lead 
Upon  its  dull  destroyer's  head  !— 
A  minstrel's  malison  is  said." 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  street 
stands  the   Royal  Exchange,  where 
the  Town-Council  meet,  completed 
in  1761. 

The  High-street,  the  main  avenue 
of  the  Old  Town,  is  lined  Avith  tall 
houses,  retaining  some  picturesque 
bits  of  architecture.  It  is  more  in- 
teresting historically  as  the  scene  of 
mauy  a  bloody  struggle  between  the 
factions  of  the  nobles  and  the  citizens. 
The  townsmen  used  to  rally  round  the 
blue  banner  "  of  silk  embroidered  for 
the  Trades"  by  Queen  Margaret,  and 
still  preserved  by  the  Convener  of 
Trades,  but  contemptuously  styled 
*'  tlie  blue  blanket  "  by  James  VI. 

Here  the  rival  bands  of  Douglas 
and  Hamilton  fought  for  the  top  of 
the  Causeway,  1520,  when  the 
Douglas  prevailed  after  a  bloody 
encounter 

"  When  the  streets  of  High  Dunedin 
Saw  lances  gleam  and  falchions  redden, 
And  heard  the  slogan's  deadly  yell. " 
Scott's  Lay.,  Canto  i. ,  vii. 

1.  Dunbar's  Close  was  so  called 
because  Cromwell  established  a  guard 
there  after  the  victory  of  Dunbar. 

On  left  is  Cockburn-st.,  a  modern 
thoroughfare  leading  to  Waverley 
Bridge  and  Station.  It  is  a  pictur- 
esque copy  of  old  Scotch  archittcture, 
and  contains  a  group  of  monster 
houses  9  storeys  high,  partly  occupied 
by  the  Town-Comicil. 

Right — the  Tron  Church  received 
its  name  from  a  public  "  trou,"  or 
weighing  machine,  which  stood  close 
by,  and  to  which  the  keepers  of  false 
weights   were    nailed   by  the    ears. 


The  side  of  the  ch.  facing  the  street 
is  the  oldest  part :  a  curious  old 
wooden  steeple  was  burnt  in  1824, 
when  the  present  tower  was  erected. 

Left — N.  Bndge-street,  leading  to 
the  New  Town  by  the  X.  Bridge, 
which  was  completed  in  1772  ;  right 
S.  Bridge,  leading  to  the  College. 

Left — Halkerstoii' s  Wynd  :  the 
wooden-fronted  house  at  the  corner 
was  the  abode  and  shop  of  Allan 
Ramsaj^  poet  and  bookseller. 

In  Carruhher''s  Close  the  chapel  of 
St.  Paul's  was  the  resort  of  the 
Jacobites  after  the  expulsion  of  the 
Stuarts  in  1688. 

j.  Lower  down,  projecting  into  the 
street,  is  John  Knox's  House  (admis- 
sion to  the  interior  on  Wednesdays 
and  Saturdays  from  10  to  4,  on  pay- 
ment of  6d.)  The  house  is  irregu- 
larly shaped,  and  has  an  external 
staircase.  The  interior  is  divided 
into  small,  dark,  and  low  rooms. 
On  the  outside,  just  above  the  ground 
floor,  is  the  inscription,  "Lvfe .  God . 
aboue .  al .  and .  yo^T .  nichtbovr .  as . 
yi .  self."  A  carved  stone  figure  with 
uplifted  hands,  passed  for  Knox  in  a 
pulpit  preaching,  until  the  repairs  in 
1850  made  manifest  that  the  effigy 
represented  "  Moses  receiving  the 
Law  on  Sinai,"  God  being  repre- 
sented by  a  golden  disc,  inscribed 
"Geos."  This  house  became  Knox's 
manse  in  1559  (when  he  was  ap- 
pointed minister  of  the  High  Church), 
and  in  it  he  narrowly  escaped  assassi- 
nation from  a  shot  fired  at  him 
through  the  window  ;  here  also  he 
died  in  1575.  The  panelling  of  the 
walls  has  been  brought  from  other 
old  houses. 

k.  A  wide  airy  street  is  in  course  of 
being  opened  through  masses  of  dense 
old  buildings,  on  the  line  of  Leith 
Wynd  from  the  High-street  to  below 
the  North-bridge,  called  Jeffrey-street. 
Half-way  up  is  a  commonplace  Nnc 


S.  Scotland.     Pde.  4. — Edinburgh:  Moray  E.,  Canongate.    53 


Church,  into  one  side  of  which  has 
been  incorporated  that  elegant  frag- 
ment of  late  Gothic,  Trinity  College 
Church,  founded  1462  by  Mary  of 
Gueldres,  widow  of  K.  James  II.  It 
consists  of  two  bays,  of  the  choir, 
and  the  apse  of  3  lancet  windows,  of 
good  tracery,  with  a  fine  groined 
roof,  and  though  pulled  down,  1845, 
to  make  way  for  the  jST.  British  Eail- 
way,  was  preserved  stone  by  stone, 
and  every  stone  numbered  for  future 
reconstruction.  This  is  the  only 
part  Avorth  looking  at,  and  it  has 
been  pushed  out  of  sight,  round  a 
corner,  by  its  modern  neighbour, 
"  a  meaningless  annexe." 

At  the  contraction  of  the  street 
liere  stood  the  Nether  J^oiv,  or  Back- 
gate  of  the  city — so  that  it  was  ori- 
ginally of  very  moderate  dimensions, 
including  neither  the  Castle,  nor 
Castle  Hill,  nor  the  Canongate.  The 
Nether  Bow  was  removed  in  1764,  in 
consequence  of,  though  not  till  many 
years  after,  the  Porteous  riot.  From 
this  point  to  Holyrood  the  street  is 
called  the  Canongate,  having  origin- 
ally belonged  to  the  Abbey,  then 
tenanted  b}' "  Canons  regular."  From 
its  proximity  to  Holyrood  Palace  this 
portion "  of  the  city  contained  the 
houses  of  many  of  the  most  powerful 
members  of  the  Scottish  nobility. 

Eight — Moray  House,  now  a  Normal 
School  connected  with  the  Free  Kirk, 
was  built  by  the  Countess  of  Home  in 
1628,  and  bears  the  initials  M.  H. 
in  various  places,  besides  a  lozenge 
Avith  the  lions  rampant,  the  arms  of 
the  Home  family.  The  entrance-gate 
is  ornamented  on  each  side  by  a 
pointed  pinnacle,  or  cone  of  masonry, 
and  beneath  the  large  window  is  a 
balcony,  in  which  the  Marquis  of 
Argyle  and  family  stood  to  see  Mont- 
rose bound  and  carried  in  a  cart 
through  the  city  to  his  execution. 
The  house  was  taken  possession  of 
by  Cromwell  for  his  abode  on  his 
first  visit  to  Edinburgh,  1648. 

i        Left — Canongate  Tolhooth,  with  its 


clock  projecting  over  the  entrance, 
was  built  in  1591,  not  exactly  "  pro 
patria  et  posteris,"  but  for  debtors. 
On  one  side  of  it  are  the  arms  of 
Holyrood  Abbey,  a  stag's  head  with 
a  cross  between  the  antlers,  and  the 
motto,  "  Sic  itur  ad  astra."  The 
building  is  now  used  as  a  register 
and  revenue  office.  The  old  cross, 
which  formerly  stood  in  the  centre 
of  the  street,  has  long  since  dis- 
appeared, and  a  more  modern  one 
is  now  attached  to  the  lower  end 
of  the  Tolbooth,  and  consists  of  an 
elegant  hexagonal  shaft,  on  the 
upper  part  of  which  is  a  battle- 
mented  capital,  with  a  shield  bear- 
ing the  arms.  The  Church  of  the 
Canongate  stands  at  the  E.  end 
of  the  jail,  and  back  from  the  street. 
It  was  built  in  1688.  In  the  ceme- 
tery round  the  ch.  are  buried  Adam 
Smith,  Dugald  Stewart,  and  the  poet 
Fergnson,  who  died  at  the  early  age 
of  24.  Lower  down  is  Panmure 
House,  in  which  Adam  Smith  lived 
for  some  time. 

Left — Queenshcrry  House  was  once 
a  very  handsome  building,  in  the  style 
of  a  French  chateau.  It  is  now  used 
as  a  house  of  refuge.  The  poet  Gay 
lived  here  during  the  latter  part  of 
his  life  in  the  capacity  of  secretary 
to  the  Duchess  of  Queensberry.  The 
house  was  dismantled  in  1801  by  the 
then  Duke  of  Qyeensberry,  who  was 
usually  known  by  the  appellation  of 

Xeft — White  Horse  Close  deserves 
a  -visit  only  because  it  gives  a  view 
of  an  old  inn  in  tolerable  preserva- 
tion. The  ground-floor  wholly  con- 
sists of  stables.  This  was  a  kind  of 
Messagerie  in  the  17th  centy.,  where 
journeys  between  Edinburgh  and 
London  usually  began  and  ended.  It 
is  now  tenanted  by  a  number  of  poor 
families. 

Lower  down  is  Younger's  Brewery, 
celebrated  for  its  "  Edinburgh "  ale. 
Opposite  the  Watergate,  the  radiated 


54 


Route  4. — Edinhurgh  :  Holyrood  Palace.         Sect.  I. 


pavement  marks  the  site  of  the 
"Girth  Cross,"  or  the  bounds  of  the 
Sanctuary  of  Holyrood  for  Debt- 
ors. Here  the  road  opens  out  into 
the  space  before  Holyrood.  In  the 
centre  of  the  foreground  stands  a 
Fountain  of  quaint  design,  a  copy  of 
the  one  ■which  originally  occupied 
this  place,  and  was  made  and  pre- 
sented by  Robert  ]\Iilne,  Esq.,  C.E. 

Left  **HolyroodAhheyand  Palace. 
Adm.  Saturdays,  gratis,  on  other 
days  6d.  ;  but  during  the  residence 
of  the  Queen,  or  the  Lord  High  Com- 
missioner, there  is  no  admittance. 

Holyrood  Abbey,  i.e.  the  Abbey 
of  the  Holy  Cross,  owes  its  origin  to 
the  rescue  from  death  of  King  DaA'id 
L,  while  hunting  in  the  forest  of 
Drumsheuch,  about  2  m.  from  this 
spot,  from  the  horns  of  an  infuriated 
stag,  by  the  apparition  of  a  luminous 
cross  in  the  sky,  which  put  the 
animal  to  flight.  The  king  founded 
the  abbey  to  commemorate  his  mira- 
culous deliverance,  in  1128,  endow- 
ing it  richly  with  revenues.  Doubt- 
less David  had  the  design  of  deposit- 
ing in  the  abbey  the  Holy  Rood  or 
fragment  of  the  true  cross  brought 
by  his  mother,  St.  Margaret,  from 
Waltham  Abbey. 

The  existmg  Ch.,  or  Eoyal  Chapel, 
on  the  N.  side  of  the  Palace,  is  of 
later  date,  and  consists  of  the  nave 
of  the  Abbey  Churd],  only  ;  the  choir 
and  transept  have  disappeared.  In 
the  old  choir  were  married  all  the 
Scottish  kings  since  James  L  ;  and 
in  front  of  the  present  E.  window 
Queen  ]\Iary  married  Darnley. 

The  finest  portion  of  the  Ch.  is  the 
"W.  front,  which  has  been  elbowed 
and  intruded  on  by  the  Palace.  Well 
worth  notice  is  the  W.  front  and 
doorway,  composed  of  six  shafts  and 
orders  of  mouldings,  with  foliage  ex- 
quisitely undercut,  but  now  black- 
ened with  smoke.  The  nave  consists 
of  eight  bays  with  side  aisle.  One 
circular  arch  remains  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  aisle,  a  fragment  of  the  original 


building  of  David  L  ;  the  remainder 
is  of  the  first  pointed  style,  and  be- 
longs to  the  latter  part  of  the  12th 
cent.  The  ch.  suffered  considerably 
when  the  English,  under  Lord  Hert- 
ford, burnt  the  Palace,  in  their  inva- 
sion of  1544  ;  but  it  was  repaired, 
1633,  by  Charles  L,  and  at  the  Re- 
storation was  converted  into  a  Chapel 
Royal,  having  previously  been  the 
parish  ch.  of  the  Canongate.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  promotion  it  was 
fitted  up  most  gorgeously,  but  at  the 
Reformation  its  grandeur  only  ren- 
3f;red  it  more  obnoxious  to  the  mob, 
who  plundered  and  burnt  it,  and  also 
broke  into  the  vault,  which  had  been 
used  as  the  royal  sepulchre,  and  con- 
tained the  remains  of  David  II., 
James  II.,  James  V.,  and  his  wife 
IMagdalen  ;  the  murdered  Rizzio  was 
buried  in  the  chapel  by  the  express 
orders  of  Queen  Mary ;  and  in  the 
roj^al  vault,  on  Feb.  11,  1567,  was 
secretly  interred  Lord  Darnley,  two 
days  after  his  mysterious  murder.  | 
Tlie  remains  of  Mary  of  Gueldres 
were  removed  hither  from  Trinity  Ch. 
when  it  was  pulled  down.  In  the  mid- 
dle of  the  last  cent,  a  plan  for  repair- 
ing the  chapel  was  eventually  carried 
out  (1758)  ;  but  so  hea-s'y  a  roof  was 
put  on,  that  in  1772  it  fell  in.  Every- 
thing portable  was  then  carried  "&,way,  .^ 
including  the  skull  of  Queen  Mary  of  ^ 
Guise,  which  was  entire.  The  ruins  • 
are  now  sadly  defaced  by  time. 

I.  The  Palace  of  Holyrood  was  begun 
by  Kin g^  James  IV.,  and  completed 
by  his  successor  James  V.  ;  Sir  James 
Hamilton  of  Trimarty,  who  had  been 
employed  on  the  Palaces  of  Lin- 
lithgow, Falkland,  and  Stirling,  being 
the  architect.  This  palace  was  burned 
by  the  English  under  the  Earl  of 
Hertford,  1544,  and  again  by  the 
soldiers  of  Cromwell,  1650,  the  only 
part  which  escaped  being  the  wings 
and  towers  at  the  N.  W.  angle,  which  ,, 
were  occupied  by  Queen  Mary  from  ^ 
the  time  of  her  return  from  France, 
1561,  and  which  possess  a  great  but 


S.  Scotland.     Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  Hohjrood  Palace.         55 


painful    historic    interest   in   conse- 
quence. 

Queen  Marys  Apartments.  —  A 
door  on  the  K  side  of  the  inner 
court,  left  as  you  enter,  under  the 
colonnade,  leads  up  to  them  by  a 
winding  staircase.  The  rooms  on 
the  first  floor  were  those  of  Darnley. 
They  communicated  by  a  private 
stair,  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall, 
with  those  of  Queen  Mary  on  the 
second  floor.  These  consist  of  an 
audience-chamber,  a  bedroom  with 
an  old  tattered  bed,  said  to  be  that  of 
the  queen,  and  of  two  small  cabinets 
within  the  angle  towers. 

In  the  narrow  cabinet  or  boudoir, 
entered  from  the  bedroom,  Mary  and 
a  small  party  were  at  supper,  March 
9,  1566,  when  Darnley  and  Euthven, 
followed  by  other  conspirators,  en- 
tered for  the  purpose  of  seizing  Kizzio, 
an  accomplished  Italian  secretary 
and  skilful  musician,  who  had  gained 
the  queen's  confidence  and  roused 
the  jealousy  of  the  Presbyterian  lords 
and  ministers  of  the  kirk.  Suspect- 
ing their  purpose,  Rizzio  threw  him- 
self behind  the  queen,  and  caught 
hold  of  her  dress,  but  w'as  stabbed 
by  George  Douglas,  leaning  over  the 
queen's  shoulder,  while  the  ruSian 
Ker  of  Fawdonside  held  a  pistol  at  her 
breast,  she  being  at  the  time  seven 
months  gone  with  child  !  Rizzio, 
having  been  dragged  out  into  the 
outer  room,  was  despatched  by  fifty- 
six  w^ounds,  and  his  body  thrown 
down  the  stairs,  ^vithDarnley's  dagger 
left  sticking  in  it.  Some  dark  stains 
are  still  shown  on  the  floor  as  the 
marks  of  his  blood. 

The  present  palace  was  in  great 
part  rebuilt  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II., 
after  a  design  by  Sir  William  Bruce, 
and  was  a  copy  of  the  Chateau  de 
Chantilly,  the  residence  of  the  family 
of  Conde.  The  royal  apartments  are 
on  the  E.  side.  They  have  been  in- 
habited by  James  VIl.  when  Duke 
of  York,  by  Prince  Chas.  Edw.  in 
1745,  and  by  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land ;  by  Louis  XVIII  ;  by  Chas.  X. 


of  France,  both  before  his  elevation 
to,  and  after  his  displacement  from 
the  throne.  Her  present  Majesty  has 
occasionally  spent  a  night  or  two  here 
on  her  way  to  Balmoral.  It  is,  how- 
ever, pretty  well  deserted  b}^  royalty, 
as  expressed  by  Hamilton  of  Ban- 
gour,  Avho  called  it  "a  virtuous 
palace  where  no  monarch  dwells." 
The  Picture  Gallery,  in  which  the 
Representative  Peers  of  Scotland  are 
elected,  is  150  ft.  in  length,  27  in 
breadth,  and  18  in  height.  The  walls 
are  hung  with  portraits  of  106  Scot- 
tish kings,  who,  as  Sir  Walter  Scott 
observes,  "  if  they  ever  existed  lived 
several  hundred  j^ears  before  the  in- 
vention of  painting  in  oil."  Else- 
where he  inquires  "  the  reason  why 
the  kings  should  each  and  every  one 
be  painted  with  a  nose  like  the 
knocker  of  a  door?"  One  De  Witt 
was  the  painter  (1684-86).  At  the 
farther  end  are  four  pictures,  of  con- 
siderable historic  and  artistic  value  : 

1.  Represents  James  III.  and  his  son; 

2.  his  wife,  Margaret  of  Denmark  ; 

3.  the  Holy  Trinity  ;  4.  Sir  Edward 
Bonkil,  Provost  of  Trinity  College 
Church,  where  the  last  two  (with  a 
third,  since  lost)  formed  the  altar- 
piece.  These  pictures  were  carried 
to  Hampton  Court  at  the  Union,  and 
removed  hither,  1862,  by  permission 
of  the  queen. 

Prince  Charles  Edward  held  his 
court  in  Holyrood  Palace.  His  army 
was  encamped  at  the  back  of  Arthur's 
Seat,  near  Duddingston,  the  Prince 
constantly  reviewing  them,  and  often 
sleeping  in  the  camp. 

The  precincts  of  Holyrood  aff"ord 
shelter' to  insolvent  debtors,  a  privi- 
lege granted  by  David  I.  in  his  ori- 
ginal charter.  The  limits  of  this 
sanctuary  include  the  grounds  to  the 
E.  of  the  Palace,  Salisbury  Crags, 
and  Arthur's  Seat,  a  circuit  of  at 
least  4  miles. 

m.  A  little  S.  of  Holyrood  extends 
a  large  open  space  called  the  Queens 
Park.      Here   is  an  elegant  Gothic 


56     lUe.  4c. — Edinburgh:  Arthur's  Seat ;  Greyfriars.     Sect.  I. 


vault,  called  St.  Margaret's  Well, 
supported  by  a  central  pillar,  from 
which  descended  a  fountain  for 
the  benefit  of  pilgrims.  It  dates 
from  the  time  of  James  IV.,  and  "was 
brought  from  Restalrig  hither. 

Salisbury  Crags  (origin  of  the  name 
uncertain)  forms  a  bold  trap  cliff, 
nnder  which  is  a  walk  called  tbe 
Radical  Road,  from  having  been 
formed  by  discontented  persons  out 
of  emj)loyment  in  1819. 

n.  Separated  from  it  by  the  Hlint- 
^  er's  Bog,  now  the  Volunteer  Rifle 
I  Range,  rises  Arthur  s  Seat,  whose 
massive  and  abrupt  form,  surmounted 
by  the  unmistakable  outline  of  a  re- 
cumbent lion,  constitutes  the  strik- 
ing feature  in  all  views  of  Edinburgh. 
Though  only  820  ft.  high,  it  is  in 
character  and  mass  a  mountain.^  A 
magnificent  view  is  to  be  obtained 
from  the  top,  exceeding  that  from 
the  castle.  Geologically  *  speaking, 
Arthur's  Seat  consists  of  two  por- 
tions, one  of  sandstone,  greenstone, 
and  ash-beds  of  Lower  Carboniferous 
date.  This  is  covered  unconformably 
by  the  second  portion,  which  is  made 
up  of  various  volcanic  ejections. 

The  ascent  may  be  effected  in  h 
hour,  driving  as  far  as  Dunsappie 
Loch. 

The  stranger  should  not  omit  to 
walk  or  drive  round  the  winding  road 
called  Queens  Drive,  from  which  he 
will  see  the  pretty  village  and  loch 
of  Duddingston,  the  winter  resort  of 
skaters  and  curlers,  and  then,  passing 
under  the  porphyritic  columns  of 
Samson's  Ribs,  will  come  upon  a 
locality  replete  with  associations  of 
"  The  Heart  of  Midlothian," 
"  St.  Leonard's  Hill,"  where  Eltie 
Deans  dwelt,  and,  on  the  N.  slope, 
St.  Anthony's  Chapel  in  ruins,  be- 
low which  is  "Musliet's  Cairn." 

*  The  Geology  of  Edinburgh  is  curious 
and  most  instructive.  It  may  be  best 
studied  from  "  Tlie  Maps  and  Memoirs  of 
the  Geological  Survey,"  to  be  procured  at 
W.  &  A.  K.  Johnston's,  4  St.  Andrew  Sq. 


0.  The  secon,d  thoroughfare  of  the 
Old  Town  is  the  Cowgate,  built  in 
1500,  and  then  considered  a  fashion- 
able suburb.  It  is  now  one  of  the 
poorest,  and  is  a  narrow,  dirty  lane, 
abounding  in  Irish.  The  lower  end, 
called  South  Back  of  Canongate,  is 
chiefly  occupied  by  breweries,  and 
comparatively  open. 

The  Cowgate  is  traversed  by  George 
IV.  Bridge,  which  leads  from  the 
High  Street  to  the  Greyfriars  ;  it 
was  erected  1825-30.  At  its  side 
rises  the  square  battlemented  tower 
and  short  spire  of  ^S*^.  Magdalen^ s 
Chafpel,  a  Gothic  building,  founded 
1505,  attached  to  the  "  Corporation 
of  Hammermen."  The  Cowgate  ends 
in  the  Grassmarket,  near  the  centre 
of  which,  on  S.  side,  is  the  Corn 
Exchange,  built  in  1849. 

p.  To  the  E.  of  Heriot's  Hospital 
are  the  Greyfriars'  Churches  {Old  and 
Neiv)  and  Burying -Ground,  from 
which  an  excellent  view  may  be  ob- 
tained of  the  castle  and  S.  side  of 
Old  Town.  The  Avhole  of  this  ground 
was  formerly  a  garden  belonging  to 
the  monastery  of  Greyfriars,  founded 
by  James  I. 

In  this  ch.-5^ard  were  penned  and 
guarded  the  1200  prisoners  taken  at 
Bothwell  Brig,  no  prison  being  large 
enough  to  hold  them.  The  very 
plain  churches  stand  nearly  E.  and 
W.  A  guide  to  the  position  of  the 
monuments. 

Observe  S.W.  corner  the  tomb  of 
Principal  Robertson,  grand-uncle  of 
Lord  Brougham  ;  historian  of  Scot- 
land and  of  Charles  V.  ;  and  the  wise 
leader  of  the  kirk  for  20  years.  Here 
also  are  the  graves  of  Allan  Ramsay, 
poet ;  Hugh  Blair  ;  Mackenzie,  "the 
Man  of  Feeling  ;"  Dr.  M 'Crie,  biogra- 
pher of  John  Knox  ;  Geo.  Buchanan, 
the  historian  whose  only  memorial 
is  an  iron  plate  erected  by  a  Avorking 
man  ;  Jos.  Black,  chemist,  N.  E. 

"  In  this  venerable  cemetery, 
which  contains  the  dust  of  all  the 
contending  factions  of  Scottish  his- 


S.Scotland.     Edinburgh:  Heriofs  Hos.  ;  Watson's  Hos.       57 


tory — where  the  monument  of  the 
Covenanters  recounts  their  praises 
almost  within  sight  of  the  Grass- 
market  where  they  died  ;  where  rest 
the  noblest  leaders  both  of  the  mo- 
derate and  of  the  stricter  party,  there 
rises,  S.  side,  another  stately  monu- 
ment, at  once  the  glory  and  the 
shame  of  Scottish  Liberals.  It  is 
the  ponderous  centre  tomb,  bolted 
and  barred,  of  Sir  George  Mackenzie, 
King's  Advocate  under  James  XL, 
and  as  such  prosecutor  of  the  Cove- 
nanters. He  it  is  of  whom  Davie 
Deans  has  said,  that  '  he  will  be 
kenned  by  the  name  of  Bloody  Mac- 
kenzie so  long  as  there's  a  Scot's 
tongue  to  speak  the  word. '  " — Dean 
Stanley's  "  Church  of  Scotland."  It 
was  popularly  believed  that  his  corpse 
would  not  remain  quiet  in  the  grave. 
Standing  above  the  N.  wall,  you  look 
down  upon  the  house,  at  the  head  of 
the  Cowgate,  in  wh,  Ld.  Brougham 
was  born. 

Old  and  New  Greyfriars  Churches 
form  one  long  line  of  building,  the 
eastern  portion  being  termed  Old 
Greyfriars.  This  church  was  origin- 
ally erected  in  1612,  partially  de- 
stroyed in  1718,  and  totally  burnt  in 
1845.  The  present  building  has 
been  erected  since,  and  contains 
some  good  stained  glass.  Dr.  Eobert- 
son,  the  eminent  historian,  was  min- 
ister here  in  1762.  New  Greyfriars 
Ch.,  built  in  1721,  contains  nothing 
worthy  of  note. 

q.  George  IV.  Bridge  conducts  to 
HerioVs  Ilospital,  the  Scotch  equi- 
valent for  Christ's  Hospital,  London, 
occupying  the  high  ground  S.  of 
the  Grassmarket,  commanding  a  fine 
view  of  the  castle.  Orders  to  see  it 
may  be  obtained  daily,  except  Sat. 
and  Sunday,  12  to  3,  from  the  office 
of  the  Treasurer,  Eoyal  Exchange, 
High  Street.  There  is  no  fee.  No 
city  in  the  world  is  more  rich  in 
charitable  and  educational  establish- 
ments than  Edinburgh,  which,  in  ad- 
dition to  tlie  advantages  they  offer  to 


the  inhabitants,  constitute  by  their 
buildings  one  of  its  principal  orna- 
ments.     Of    these    the   oldest    and 
richest  is  the  hospital  founded  by 
George  Heriot,  goldsmith  and  jewel- 
ler to  James  VI.,  who,  dying  in  1624, 
left  his  property  to  the  Town-Council 
of  Edinburgh,  to  build  an  hospital  for 
the  maintenance   and  education  of 
poor  and  fatherless  boys,  the  sons  of 
freemen  in  the  city.     The  building 
was   begun    in    1628    and    finished 
in   1650,  at  a  cost  of  £30,000.     It 
was  designed  by  William  Aytoun  * 
(though    long    attributed   to    Inigo 
Jones).   Its  architecture,  a  mixture  of 
Italian  and  Gothic,  is  very  original  and 
deserves  inspection.   "When  Cromwell 
took  possession  of  the  city  after  the 
battle  of  Dunbar  he  placed  his  sick 
and  wounded  here,  and  it  continued 
to  be  used  as  a  military  hospital  till 
1659,  when  General  Monk  removed 
the  patients,  and  it  was  then  opened 
according  to  the  intentions  of  the 
founder.     It   is  a   square  building, 
witli   towers   at    the   corners,   each 
tower  rising  a  storey  above  the  main 
building,  aud  surmounted  by  4  small 
projecting    turrets.     A    picturesque 
gateway  leads  into  a  quadrangle  94 
ft.   each  way,  very  like  an  Oxford 
college.      Above   the   entrance  is  a 
statue  of  the  founder.     The  Gothic 
Chajiel,  restored  1836,  contains  some 
painted  windows,  and   is  fitted  up 
with   dark   oak.      Besides  this    are 
shown  the  dining-room,  dormitory, 
reading-rooms,   containing  portraits 
of  ex- officials,  etc.    It  now  receives 
180  boys,  and  there  are  also  seven- 
teen schools  in  the  city  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Hospital,  where,  for  a 
small  fee,  children  get  an  elementary 
education.      These    schools   are   at- 
tended by  upwards  of  4000  children  ; 
and  there  are  eight  schools  open  for 
gratuitous  evening  instruction,   at- 
tended by  about  1300  young  men 
and  women. 

Edinburgh  possesses  several  other 

*  Burton's  "Hist,  of  Scotland,"  vii.  p. 
103,  Note. 


58 


Route  4. — Edinburgh :    University. 


Sect.  I. 


great  educational  establishments — 
now  placed  under  the  excellent 
management  of  the  Merchant  Com- 
pany— a,  that  founded  by  the  will  of 
George  AVatson,  a  merchant's  clerk, 
and  afterwards  accountant  to  the 
Bank  of  Scotland,  who  died  in  1723, 
has  a  revenue  of  £1700  per  annum, 
and  under  the  new  arrangement  1000 
boys  and  500  girls  are  educated, 
sixty  being  foundationers,  the  others 
]^aying  moderate  fees.  The  Merchant 
Company  have  also  under  their  man- 
agement Daniel  Stewart's  Institution 
for  boys  (formerly  an  hospital,  now,  • 
under  the  powers  of  a  provisional 
order,  a  day-school).  James  Gilles- 
pie's Schools  for  boys  and  girls  (also 
formerly  an  hospital),  and  a  large 
girls'  school,  formed  from  the  nucleus 
of  the  Merchant  ]\Iaiden  Hospital. 
These  educational  establishments  pro- 
vide a  cheap,  and  in  some  instances 
a  gratuitous,  education  for  the  child- 
ren of  the  mercantile  classes,  and  are 
largely  taken  advantage  of,  the  course 
of  instruction  being  in  general  emi- 
nently satisfactory. 

The  Meadows  axe  a  sort  of  inclosed 
park,  which  with  Bruntsfield  Links 
formed  a  part  of  the  Borough  Moor, 
where,  in  1336,  Guy  Count  of  Na- 
mur,  with  reinforcements  for  the 
army  of  Edward  III.,  then  at  Perth, 
was  encountered  and  defeated  by  the 
Earl  of  Moray.  Upon  this  ground, 
too,  James  IV.  reviewed  his  forces 
before  marching  to  Flodden.  The 
Bore  Stone,  in  which  it  is  said  his 
standard  was  stuck,  is  still  to  be  seen 
built  into  a  wall  at  Morningside. 
Overlooking  the  Meadows  is  t\\Q  Neic 
Infirmary,  in  course  of  construction. 
Five  detached  blocks  have  already 
been  erected,  and  it  is  intended  to  ex- 
tend the  building  as  far  as  Lauris- 
ton,  about  800  yards  farther  north. 

r.  The  University  (S.  end  of  South 
Bridge)  is  a  massive  building,  entered 
by  a  triple  archway.  It  was  founded 
in  1582  by  James  VI.,  and  is  now 
justly  celebrated  for  the  excellence 


of  its  medical  school,  which  is  hardly 
surpassed  by  any  other  in  Europe. 
The  building  Avas  pulled  down  in 
1789,  and  the  present  front,  styled 
by  Fergusson  ' '  a  truthful  and  well- 
balanced  design,"  is  Eob.  Adam's  best 
work.  The  quadrangle  was  finished 
by  Playfair.  "  The  aggregate  annual 
value  of  the  Fellowships  and  Scholar- 
ships (all  founded  since  1858)  is  about 
£3400.  There  are  above  100  bursaries 
in  connection  w^ith  the  Faculty  of 
Arts,  and  24  in  Divinity,  besides  some 
newly  founded  in  Law  and  Medicine." 
There  are  38  professors,  and  about 
2000  students.  The  University 
Session  begins  in  November  and 
ends  in  April ;  but  there  is  another 
for  medical  students  from  May  to 
July.  The  Library,  in  a  room  198 
ft.,  by  50.  Its  collection  of  books 
is  nearly  150,000.  ^'^'  Opposite  the  Col- 
lege Infirmary-street,  with  the  Medi- 
cal and  Surgical  Hospitals — the  lat- 
ter, at  the  foot  of  the  street,  was, 
till  1829,  the  Royal  High  School. 

Drummond-street,  leading  out  of 
South  Bridge,  opposite  the  College, 
occupies  in  part  the  site  of  The 
Kirl'-o'-Fifld,  in  which  stood  Darn- 
1%5^'S'house,'  i\'hich  was  blown  up,  with 
him  in  it,  10th  Feb.  1567. 

Near  this  is  the  Grecian  Portico 
of  Surgeon's  Hall,  by  Playfair,  one 
of  his  best  works. 

The  house  in  which  "Walter  Scott 
was  born  Aug.  15,  1771,  near  the 
head  of  College  Wynd,  was  pulled 
down  about  1871.  Chambers-street 
occupies  the  site. 

s.  Behind  the  University  to  the  "W., 
in  Chambers-street,  is  the  Edinlurgh 
Museum  of  Science  and  Art — a  hand- 
some edifice  of  stone,  iron,  and  glass, 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Museum  at 
South  Kensington.  The  Brst  stone 
of  it  was  laid  by  the  Prince  Consort 
on  the  23rd  Oct.  1861.  It  is  Vene- 
tian in  character,  from  designs  by 
the  late  Capt.  Fowke.  The  E.  wing 
is  devoted  to  the  Natural  History 
Collection  (removed  from  the   Col- 


S.Scotland.  R.L — Edinhurgh  :  Neio  Toivn  ;  Calton  Hill.  59 


lege).  Suspended  from  the  roof  is 
a  perfect  skeleton  of  a  Greenland 
whale  {Physalis  antiquarum),  79  ft. 
long,  an  animal  almost  extinct. 
Specimens  of  the  gorilla  from  the 
Gaboon,  of  the  yak  from  the  Kara- 
corum  Mountains,  etc.  The  minerals, 
fossils,  etc.,  including  the  collection 
formed  by  Hugh  Miller,  are  very 
good.  The  Geology  of  Scotland  is 
illustrated  in  the  most  complete  and 
instructive  manner  by  the  specimens, 
sections,  etc.^  collected  by  officers  of 
the  Geological  Survey.  The  contents 
of  the  Highland  and  Agricultural 
Society's  Museum  have  been  removed 
hither.  There  is  a  very  interesting 
series  of  models  of  Scottish  Light- 
houses, including  the  Bell  Rock, 
Skerr5'-vore,  and  Dim  Heartach,  15  m. 
W.  of  lona  —  all  marvels  of  con- 
structive ingenuity.  Other  galleries 
are  occupied  with  works  of  art  of 
all  times  and  countries,  with  raw 
materials  fitted  for  manufacturing 
processes,  and  a  collection  of  Indian 
and  Chinese  curiosities. 

t.  New  Town.  Edinburgh  is  in 
fact  two  distinct  cities.  From  the 
Old  Town  of  condensed  lofty  build- 
ings and  nan-ow  wynds  you  cross 
the  Mound  into  one  as  difierent  as 
possible,  of  wide  streets,  open  spaces 
and  low  houses,  handsome,  but  on 
the  whole  monotonous,  always  ex- 
cepting Princes-street,  already  de- 
scribed. It  was  begun  about  1767, 
upon  a  plan  proposed  by  James  Craig, 
architect,  and  nephew  of  the  poet 
Thomson,  although  the  original  de- 
sign has  been  considerably  extended 
by  the  addition  of  new  squares  and 
terraces.  To  appreciate  this  contrast, 
as  well  as  to  obtain  one  of  the  most 
interesting  views  of  Edinburgh,  it  is 
indispensable  for  the  stranger  to 
ascend  the  Calton  Hill. 

u.  At  the  E.  end  of  Princes-street 
(or  strictly  of  its  continuation, 
Waterloo-place)  rises  the  Calton  Hill, 
beset  wdth  numerous  monuments, 
the  general  effect  of  which  at  a  dis- 


tance is  not  unpleasing.  The  top  of 
the  hill  is  occupied,  it  is  true,  by 
ISTelson's  Monument,  a  building 
which  has  been  likened  to  a  butter- 
churn  or  a  telescope.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  1815.  Adm.  3d.  to  go  up 
to  the  top  to  see  the  view. 

To  the  N.E.  stands  the  most  pro- 
minent object,  the  National  Monu- 
ment, raised  to  those  who  fell  in  the 
Peninsula  and  the  "Waterloo  cam- 
paign ;  a  building  intended  to  have 
been  a  restoration  of  the  Parthenon 
in  its  perfect  state,  but  which  is  a 
much  nearer  copy  of  the  temple  of 
Minerva  as  it  stands  at  present.  It 
was  commenced  in  1822,  and  the 
completion  of  every  column  cost 
£1000.  AVhen  it  arrived  at  its  pre- 
sent state  no  more  funds  were  forth- 
coming. To  the  N.W.  is  the  Ob- 
servatory. On  the  S.W.  is  Dagald 
Stewart'' s  Monument,  copied  from  that 
of  Jjysicrates  at  Athens,  commonly 
called  "The  Lan thorn  of  Demos- 
thenes." Beyond  this  is  Professor 
Playfair's,  a  rectangular,  heavy  ceno- 
taph. 

V.  At  the  base  of  the  hill  in  the 
Regent-road  is  the  Boyal  High 
School,  built  in  1825.  It  was  founded 
in  the  12th  cent.,  and  remodelled 
1598.  The  actual  building,  a  happy 
adaptation  (Hamilton,  architect)  of 
the  Temple  of  Theseus  in  Athens, 
comprises  a  centre,  2  wings,  and  2 
lodges,  extending  400  ft.  in  front, 
and  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  £30,000. 
The  number  of  pupils  is  about  400. 

To  the  south  is  Burns's  Monument, 
erected  in  1830.  The  body  of  it  is 
circular,  surrounded  by  12  columns. 
The  cupola  is  a  copy  of  the  monu- 
ment of  Lysicrates  at  Athens.  It 
contains  some  relics  of  Burns. 

On  the  left  stands  the  Prison,  a 
castellated  building  in  a  prominent 
situation,  overhanging  the  North 
British  Eailway. 

TFatcrloo-place  extends  to  the  foot 
of  the  Calton  Hill,  and  on  the  right 


60 


Route  4. — Edinburgh:  Scott  Monument.        Sect.  I. 


is  the  Calton  old  Burying-Ground,  in 
which  there  is  a  tower-like  monu- 
ment to  David  Hume,  and  a  lofty 
obelisk  to  the  five  premature  Radical 
Reformers,  transported  for  sedition 
1818,  and  now  styled  martyrs  to  the 
cause  of  popular  freedom.  Public 
appreciation  of  their  e^orts  was 
rather  tardy,  for  the  monument  was 
not  raised  till  1845. 

At  the  corner  of  N".  Bridge  is  the 
Post-office,  a  lofty,  handsome  Italian 
edifice,  the  first  stone  of  which  was 
laid  by  the  late  Prince  Consort,  23d 
Oct.  1861,  his  last  appearance  at  any 
public  ceremony. 

w.  right  At  the  end  of  Frinces-st., 
the  fine  building,  Avith  a  central 
cupola,  opposite  the  N.  bridge,  is  the 
Register  Office,  designed  by  Adam,  in 
which  all  public  documents  relating 
to  Scotland  are  kept,  such  as  regis- 
trations of  births,  deaths,  and  mar- 
riages, and  also  the  register  of  all 
deeds  conveying  or  charging  landed 
])roperty  in  Scotland.  Strangers  are 
admitted  to  see  some  of  the  valuable 
State  Papers,  Autographs,  Letters  of 
Q.  Mary,  etc.  In  front  stands  an 
equestrian  Statue  of  the  Ditke  of 
Wellington,  by  Steell,  erectedin  1852. 

St.  Andrew  Street  leads  into  St. 
Andrew  Square,  which  contains  on 
E.  side  the  ISTational  Bank,  British 
Linen  Co.'s  Bank,  and  the  Eoyal 
Bank,  all  handsome  buildings.  In 
front  of  the  last  is  a  statue  of  the 
Earl  of  Hopetoun.  In  the  centre  of 
the  square  is  a  pillar  surmounted  by 
a  statue  of  the  1st  Lord  Melville,  who 
was  impeached  by  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, but  acquitted.  The  statue  is 
14  ft.  high,  and  the  whole  is  150  ft. 
from  the  ground.  It  was  erected  in 
1828,  and  cost  £8000. 

Left  Waverley  Bridge  gives  access 
to  the  Old  Town,  and  to  the  North 
British  Railway  Station. 

The  following  objects  of  interest 
are  passed  in  walking  along  Princes- 
street  from  E.  to  W.    Directly  above 


the  "Waverley  Bridge  rises  the  Scott 
Monument,  a  graceful  Gothic  cross 
or  spire,  with  pinnacles,  resting  on 
4  pointed  arches,  the  piers  of  which 
are  strengthened  by  4  outer  piers, 
forming  lancet  arches,  and  serving  to 
buttress  up  the  whole  structure.  It 
thus  forms  a  canopy  of  open  arches 
to  enclose  the  statue.  It  was  erected 
in  1844,  from  the  designs  of  George 
Kemp,  an  architect  previouslj'-  un- 
known to  fame,  who  did  not  live  to 
see  his  plans  completed.  He  was  an 
intense  admirer  of  ]\Ielrose  Abbey, 
and  has  endeavoured  in  this  monu- 
ment to  combine  all  the  character- 
istics and  proportions  of  that  build- 
ing. Thus  the  monument  may  be 
said  to  consist  of  a  pile  of  arches, 
gradually  decreasing  in  size  till  the 
Avhole  terndnates  in  a  single  pin- 
nacle. An  interior  staircase  (ad- 
mission 2d.)  conducts  to  the  top, 
which  is  200  ft.  from  the  gi"ound. 
Above  the  principal  arches,  and  in 
various  parts  of  the  structure,  are 
niches,  filled  with  statues  represent- 
ing the  most  prominent  characters 
in  Sir  "Walter's  novels.  Beneath 
the  main  arches  is  placed  a  statue  of 
Sir  Walter  Scott  and  his  dog,  by  Steell, 
a  first  rate  work  of  art. 

The  uppermost  house  on  the  right 
in  St.  David-street  was  the  last 
residence  of  David  Hume,  who  died 
in  it,  1776.  AVest  of  Scott's  Monu- 
ment is  a  statue  to  Professor  "Wil- 
son in  bronze,  by  Steell — a  verj^ 
good  likeness,  and  a  fine  work  of  art. 

X.  1.  The  Mound,  a  raised  cause- 
wa}',  connecting  the  Old  and  New 
Towns,  was  formed  of  the  earth  dug 
out  for  the  foundations  of  the  latter. 
At  the  N.  end  of  it  is  the  Royal  In- 
stitution (Playfair,  archt.)  (admis- 
sion, Tues.,  Wed.,  and  Sat.,  free; 
Thurs.  and  Fri.,  6d.),  of  which  the 
N.  side  was  completed  in  1836.  It 
is  an  oblong  building,  of  the  Grecian- 
Doric  style.  "  The  porticoes  cover 
entrance,  and  the  flank  colonnades 
are  stepped  against   blocks,   which 


S.  Scotland.    Pde.  4. — Edinburgh  :  Antiquarian  Museum.     61 


give  them  character  and  meaning, 
and  the  whole  is  well  proportioned." 
— Fergussons  "  Modern  Architec- 
ture." It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
such  a  handsome  building  should 
have  been  put  on  such  a  site,  when 
so  many  other  good  positions  might 
have  been  available. 

In  this  building  is  placed  the  very 
interesting  *  iVa^io^ia/  Museum  of  the 
Society  of  Antiquaries  of  Scotland 
(Admission,  Tues.,  "Wed.,  and  Sat., 
free  ;  Thur.  and  Fri.,  6d,) — not  only 
a  depository  of  historic  relics  and  ob- 
jects of  value,  but,  from  its  excellent 
arrangement  and  copious  catalogue, 
(price  6d.),  a  school  of  instruction 
in  relation  to  the  primitive  civi- 
lisation of  iST.  Britain.  Not  to  dwell 
on  the  Egyptian  antiquities,  the  like 
of  which  may  be  seen  elsewhere, 
except  to  point  out  a  "funereal 
canopy"  in  the  form  of  a  temple,  we 
pass  on  to  the  Antiquities  found  in 
Scotland,  illustrating  what  are  called 
the  Stone,  Bronze,  and  Iron  periods. 
Obsen'C,  a  vast  assemblage  of  stone 
and  bronze  Celts,  and  other  primi- 
tive implements ;  whorls  of  sjiin- 
dles  used  for  hand-spinning  :  querns 
or  hand-mills  for  grinding  corn, 
which  continued  in  use  to  the 
end  of  the  17th  cent,  in  the  noi-th  ; 
3 -legged  bronze  pots  for  cooking  ; 
burnt  and  glazed  stones  from  Fi7?7'- 
fcd  Foists ;  ax^s,  utensils,  ornaments, 
and  other  relics  found  in  Picts' 
houses,  brochs,  weems  (or  under- 
ground dwellings) ";  relics  from  Scot- 
tish lake-dwellings  ;  from  Carlin- 
wark  and  Dowalton  Lochs  ;  personal 
ornaments  of  gold  and  silver — arm- 
lets, torques,  chains,  and  Celtic 
brooches  ;  do.,  found  at  Sandwick 
Orkney,  along  with.  Anglo-Saxon  and 
Cu/k  Coins  of  the  Caliphs  of  Bagdad, 
10th  cent.  ;  Casts  of  sculptured 
stone  monuments  and  crosses,  in- 
cluding that  of  Kuthwell,  Dum- 
friesshire, Campbeltown,  Argyll,  and 
other  parts  of  Scotland  ;  memorial 
inscriptions  from  various  parts  of 
Scotland— in  Agham  characters  from 


Shetland,  Aberdeenshire,  etc.  ;  in 
ancient  Celtic  or  Pictish,  from  St. 
Vigeans,  Forfarshire  ;  in  Latin,  from 
Kirkliston,  Midlothian,  and  Kirk- 
madrine,  Wigtownshire  ;  and  in  Scan- 
dinavian Eimes,  from  Maeshow,  Ork- 
ney, and  the  Isle  of  Man  ;  monu- 
ments, altars,  and  inscriptions  found 
on  the  line  of  the  Eoman  Wall  be- 
tween Forth  and  Clyde  —  a  Sculp- 
TahJ'et,  9  ft.  long,  representing  on 
one  side  a  Sacrifice  (Suovetam'ilia),  on 
the  other  Eoman  cavalry  ti-ampling 
down  the  Caledonians,  dedicated  to 
the'Emperor  Antoninus  Pius  by  the 
2d  Legion,  stating  that  they  had 
built  4652  paces  of  the  wall ;  bronze 
patellie  or  saucepans  ;  a  Eoman  ocu- 
list's stamp  ;  ancient  cannon  and  fire- 
arms ;  Eobert -Burns's  pistols,  used 
by  him  as  an  exciseman  ;  a  bronze 
battle-axe  found  at  Bannockburn  ; 
Lochaber  axes ;  flags  borne  by  the 
Covenanters  at  Bothwell  Brig,  etc.  ; 
relics  found  in  the  grave  of  Eobert 
Bruce  at  Dunfermline  in  1818,  and  a 
cast  of  his  skull  ;  the  piiljnt  from 
which  John  Knox  preached  ;  the 
folding  stool  which  Jenny  Geddes 
threw  at  the  head  of  the  Dean  of  St. 
Giles's  Church  when  he  began  to  read 
the  Liturgy  ;  the  stool  of  penitence, 
from  Old  Grey  friars  Church,  etc. ;  the 
sackcloth  gown  worn  by  penitents 
while  standing  on  the  stool,  from 
West  Calder  ;  the  jougs,  a  sort  of  iron 
collar,  from  Galashiels  Church  ; 
various  charms  against  witchcraft  ; 
The  Maiden,  an  early  form  of  the  guil- 
lotine, in  use  during  the  16th  cent. — 
the  Eegent  E.  of  Morton,  erroneously 
said  to  have  been  its  inventor,  1581, 
and  the  Marquis  of  Argyle,  were  be- 
headed by  it ;  brass  collar,  gifted  by 
the  Justiciaries,  of  a  Scotch  convict 
condemned  for  theft  as  a  perpetual 
serf,  as  late  perhaps  as  1701 ;  relics  of 
Prince  Charles  Stuart — miniatures  of 
him  and  his  family,  his  ribbon  of  the 
Garter ;  the  sea-chest  and  carved 
cocoa-nut  cup  which  belonged  to 
Alex.  Selkirk— the  original  of  Eob- 
inson  Crusoe,    cast   away   on    Juan 


62 


Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  National  Gallery.       Sect.  I. 


Fernandez — tliey  came  from  Largo, 
his  birthplace.  This  collection  of 
historic  and  antiquarian  relics  is  well 
worth  the  stranger's  notice, 

y.  To  the  south  of  the  Eoyal  Insti- 
tution stands  the  National  Gallery 
(admission,  free  on  Tues.,  AVed.,  and 
Sat.  ;  Thurs.  and  Fri.,  free  to  artists, 
to  public  6d  ;  catalogues,  6d. )  It 
contains  good  examples  of  Scotch 
artists  —  Kasmyth,  Stirling  Castle; 
Portrait  of  Robert  Burns,  bequeathed 
by  the  poet's  son  ;  Sir  John  Watson 
Gordon,  Portrait  of  Sir  Walter  Scott ; 
J.  Phillrp,  Spanish  Boys  ;  J.  Facd, 
Annie's  Tryst ;  Raehurn,  first-rate 
Portraits— of  ]\[rs.  ]\Ioncrief,  Lord 
Newton,  Francis  Horner,  Dr.  Adams  ; 
W.  Dyce,  Francesca  di  Rimini ;  H. 
TV.  Williams,  Views  of  Sunium  and 
Athens  ;  Wilkie,  John  Knox  admin- 
istering the  Sacrament ;  Sir  Edioin 
Landseer,  "Rent  day  in  the  Wild- 
erness" (a  bequest*  of  Sir  Roderick 
Murchison).  Sir  Josh.  Reynolds, 
Edmund  Burke ; "  The  Origin  of  Paint- 
ing," by  David  Allan;  and  works  by 
Geddes,  Roberts,  R.  Lauder,  MacCul- 
loch,  Sir  G.  Harvey,  Thomson,  Doug- 
las, Herdman,  and  other  Scottish 
artists.  Of  foreign  masters  may  be 
mentioned  Titian,  Adoration  of  the 
Kings.  The  Lomellini  Family,  a  first- 
rate  work  of  Van  Dyk's  best  time,  in- 
cluding 5  whole-length  portraits  ; 
but  perhaps  the  gem  of  the  collection 
is  the  Honble.  Mrs.  Graham,  whole- 
length,  by  Gainsborough.  Observe, 
also,  Flaxman's  statue  of  Bums ; 
Sir  John  Moore,  Sir  T.  Law- 
rence ;  the  7)oet  Gay,  AiJcman ; 
Oberon  and  Titania,  Paton ;  Judith 
and  Holofernes,  and  The  Combat, 
Etty :  The  Porteous  Mob,  Drum- 
Tnond ;  Interior  of  St.  Peter's,  Pan- 
nini  ;  Flemish  Landscape,  Ruysdael. 

The  New  Club  in  Princes-st.  is  on 
the  plan  of  the  best  London  clubs. 
Among  its  members  are  the  chief 
gentry  and  aristocracy  of  Scotland. 
The  other  clubs  in  Edinburgh  are 
the  United  Service  Club,  Queen-st.  ; 


the  University  Club,  Princes-st. ;  the 
Northern  Club,  George-st.  ;  and  the 
City  Club,  Princes-st. 

z.  1.  In  West  Princes-st.  Gardens, 
opposite  the  New  Club,  is  a  marble 
statue  by  Steell  of  Allan  Ramsay. 
These  gardens  are  not  public  pro- 
pert}''  like  those  to  the  E.  of  the 
Mound,  but  admittance  can  easily  be 
obtained  by  application  to  the  hotels 
or  booksellers'  shops  opposite.  A 
military  band  plays  here  once  or  twice 
a  week  in  summer,  on  which  occasions 
admission  is  virtually  unrestricted. 
The  walks  through  them  under  the 
black  rock  of  the  castle  are  charming. 
They  offer  one  of  the  best  approaches 
to  it  for  pedestrians,  who  will  see  on 
the  way  the  remains  of  the  Wellhouse 
Tower. 

1.  St,  John's  Episcopal  Church 
stands  at  the  W.  end  of  Princes-st. 
Its  style  of  architecture  is  Florid 
Gothic,  with  details  after  the  model 
of  St.  George's  Cliapel,  Windsor. 
Just  behind  is  St,  Cuthbert's  Parish 
Kirk,  In  the  West  Churchyard,  in 
the  S,AV.  corner,  is  the  grave  of 
Thomas  de  Quincey,  "the  Opium 
Eater, " 

There  is  now  building  at  the  back  of 
the  castle — Castle  Terrace — a  theatre, 
winter-garden,  and  aquarium,  the 
project  of  a  joint-stock  company. 

At  this  end  of  Princes-st,,  near 
Lothian-rd,,  is  the  Caledonian  Rail- 
icay  Stat.,  whence  start  trains  for 
Carlisle,  Glasgow,  Dumfries,  Stran- 
raer, etc. 

At  the  W,  end  of  the  town,  on  a 
line  vAih.  Maitland-st.,  is  the  Hay- 
market  Stat,  of  the  N,  B,  Railway, 
a  little  bej^ond  which  is  a  winter- 
garden,  open  to  the  public,  belonging 
to  Downie  and  Laird,  nurserjnaftn. 

A  new  episcopal  Cathedral  Ch.,  to 
cost  £40,000,  is  being  built  at  the 
W.  end  of  Melville-st.,  from  a  be- 
quest of  Miss  Walker  of  Coates,  The 
design  is  by  Sir  G,  G,  Scott,  architect, 
Passing  through  Maitland-st,  and 
Glasgow-rd. ,  a  good  view  is  obtained 


S.  Scotland.        Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  Dean  Bridge. 


63 


of  *Doiialclsov!s  Hosjntal,  the  hand- 
somest and  best  situated  Wlding  of 
the  kind  in  Edinburgh,  and  the 
masterpiece  of  the  architect  Playfair. 
(Admission  on  Tuesdays  and  Fridays, 
2  to  4.)  Donaldson  was  a  printer, 
who  died  in  1830,  and  left  £200,000 
for  the  education  and  maintenance 
of  200  boys  and  girls.  Ninety-two  of 
the  children  are  deaf  mutes. 

aa.  Parallel  with  Princes-st.,  and 
connected  with  it  by  5  cross  streets, 
runs  George-sL,  bounded  on  the  E. 
by  St.  Andrew-square,  with  the  Mel- 
ville Column,  and  on  the  W,  by 
Charlotte-square  and  St.  George's 
Ch.,  and  the  monument  to  the 
Prince  Consort.  It  would  be  a  some- 
what monotonous  avenue  of  uniform 
houses  were  it  not  for  the  brilliant 
shops  which  enliven  it,  and  some 
handsome  buildings,  as  the  Com- 
mercial Bank  opposite  St.  Andrew's 
(the  Ch.  marked  by  a  tall  spire),  the 
Music  Hall  and  Assembly  Rooms,  in 
Avhich  Sir  Walter  Scott  first  made  a 
public  confession  that  he  was  the 
author  of  Waverley,  in  1827.  Nearly 
opposite  is  the  shop  of  Mr.  Black- 
wood, the  publisher  of  the  "  Maga- 
zine,"  and  the  resort  in  times  past 
of  Prof.  Wilson,  Lockhart,  Hogg, 
]\[oir,  and  many  other  distinguished 
writers.  No.  39  Castle-st.,  a  few 
yards  N.  of  George-st.,  Avas  the 
dwelling  of  Sir  Walter  Scott  from 
1800  to  1826.  On  quitting  it  he 
wrote — "  It  has  sheltered  me  from 
the  prime  of  life  to  its  decline." 

Along  the  length  of  George-st. 
runs  a  row  of  public  monuments  :  a 
statue  of  George  IV.  at  the  intersec- 
tion of  Hanover-st.,  and  of  AVm. 
Pitt,  Frederick-st. ,  both  b)''  Chantrcy. 
Farther  on  will  be  placed  a  statue  of 
Dr.  Chalmers,  a  very  characteristic 
likeness  by  SteelL  who  is  also  en- 
gaged upon  the  Scottish  National 
Monument  to  the  Prince  Consort, 
which  will  close  the  vista  in  the 
centre  of  Charlotte-square.  This  re- 
markable group  of  sculpture  consists 
of  an  equestrian  statue  of  the  Prince, 


surrounded  by  8  figures  of  the  vari- 
ous classes  of  the  community  :  the 
aristocracy,  the  intellectual  and 
teaching  class,  the  working  and  agri- 
cultural class,  etc.,  all  in  attitudes 
testifying  respect  to  the  Prince's 
merits. 

hh.  At  the  N.W.  corner  of  Edin- 
burgh the  Water  of  Leith  is  crossed 
by  the  Dean  Bridge,  at  the  height  of 
more  than  100  ft.  above  its  bed,  one 
of  Telford's  best  designs,  consisting 
of  4  arches,  each  of  96  ft.  span. 
Seen  from  the  bridge  is  a  Doric 
temple,  placed  on  the  river  bank 
below,  and  containing  a  statue  of 
Hygeia,  raised  above  the  mineral 
well  of  St.  Bernard.  The  design  was 
by  Nasmyth,  and  a  copy  of  the 
Sibyl's  Temjile  at  Tivoli. 

Crossing  the  Dean  Bridge  to  the 
left  we  reach  the  *Dean  Cemetery,  in 
which  many  men  of  note  are  buried, 
such  as  Lords  Jeffrey,  Cockburn,  and 
Piutherfurd,  Prof.  Wilson  (Christo- 
pher North),  Alison,  etc.  The  re- 
turn from  W.  to  E.  may  be  made  by 
George-st.  Close  beside  the  Dean 
Cemetery  is  what  was  for  long  used 
as  Daniel  Stevarfs  Hospital,  a  large 
building  in  Elizabethan  style  of  archi- 
tecture, but  which  is  now  occupied  as 
one  of  the  Merchant  Co.'s  schools  for 
boys.  In  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood there  is  also  an  Orphan  Hospital, 
and  John  Watson's  Hosp. — all  fine 
buildings. 

About  1  mile  north  of  Dean  Bridge 
and  a  little  to  the  right  of  Queens- 
ferry  road,  on  a  gentle  eminence,  rises 

The  Fettes  College,  which  well  de- 
serves to  be  visited,  both  as  a  re- 
markably fine  building  and  for  the 
view  it  commands  of  Edinburgh.  It 
is  a  good  specimen  of  architecture, 
imitating  successfully  the  Domestic 
Gothic  of  Scotland,  with  a  tower  and 
spire  over  the  central  archway,  pro- 
jecting oriels,  and  bartizan  turrets. 
Behind  are  a  hall  and  chapel  of  good 
Dec-Gothic  —  the  whole  is  of  the 
finest  masonry  ;  the  capitals,  .string- 


64 


Route  4. — Edinburgh :  Fettes  College. 


Sect.  I. 


courses,  window  frames,  foliage,  and 
masques,  are  carved  with  the  most 
perfect  finish. 

It  is  from  the  design  of  David 
Bryce,  and  cost  about  £60,000, '.the 
funds  having  been  furnished  by  a 
bequest  of  a  Sir  William  Fettes,  a 
rich  banker,  to  found  an  educational 
institution.  The  Fettes  College  is  a 
public  school  for  the  education  of 
boys  of  the  upper  classes,  40  being 
foundationers.  The  system  adopted 
is  from  the  best  parts  of  the  schemes 
of  Eton,  Winchester,  and  Rugby,  to 
furnish  at  a  moderate  cost  an  educa- 
tion fit  for  sons  of  gentlemen.  Each 
boy  has  a  separate  bedroom  ;  the 
food  is  supplied  by  the  institution, 
and  not  by  the  masters. 

A  little  to  the  west  is  St.  Cuthhcrfs 
Poorliouse. 

cc.  Eminent  natives  of  Edinburgh 
and  Residents. — Sir  Walter  Scott, 
born  Aug.  15th,  1771,  on  the  site  of 
the  University.  Henry  Brougham 
in  the  3d  flat  of  a  house  at  the  head 
of  the  Cowgate,  Sept.  19,  1778  {see 
Register  of  St.  Giles).  His  mother, 
Miss  Syme,  was  niece  of  Principal 
Robertson,  the  historian  ;  his  father 
was  a  cloth  merchant.  Sir  David 
Baird,  in  Castle-hill,  in  a  house 
which  once  belonged  to  the  Gordon 
family.  His  father  was  Baird  of 
Newbyth.  Francis  Horner  was  born 
in  High-st,  1794.  Sir  Henry  Rae- 
burn,  the  portrait-painter,  was  born 
at  Stockbridge  1756.  The  painters 
Allan  Ramsay,  1713  ;  Runciman, 
David  Roberts,  1796,  and  Nasmyth, 
1758,  were  also  natives  of  Edinburgh. 
Dr.  Chalmers'  favourite  residence  was 
at  Morningside,  where  he  died.  He 
is  buried  in  the  Gn-ange  Cemetery,  on 
S.  of  the  Meadows.  David  Hume 
lived  in  St.  David-st. 

At  the  E.  end  of  Princes-st.  is 
Leith-walk,  where  stood  the  Theatre 
Royal,  burned  1875.  In  this  posi- 
tion an  earthwork  was  erected  against 
Cromwell :   it   was   afterwards   con- 


verted into  a  "Walk,"  and  finally 
opened  out  into  the  present  roadway. 

Historic  Notes  on  Edinburgh. 

In  the  7th  centy.  a  military  station 
was  formed  on  the  Castle  Hill  by 
Edwin,  King  of  Northumbria,  and 
the  town  which  grew  up  under  its 
protection  was  called  by  his  name. 
David  I.,  in  a  charter,  calls  it 
"Burgo  meo  de  Edwinesburg, "  from 
which  it  may  be  gathered  that  it  was 
made  a  royal  burgh  before  his  time, 
probably  by  Malcolm  Canmore.  The 
early  history  of  the  city  is  in  reality 
the  history  of  the  castle.  Edinburgh 
did  not  become  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  till  the  middle  of  the  15th 
centy.,  when  the  murder  of  James 

1.  disgusted  the  court  with  Perth. 
King  James  II.,  grateful  for  the 
interest  shown  in  his  behalf  when  he 
was  at  variance  with  his  nobles, 
erected  the  city  into  a  Sheriffdom 
within  itself,  and  presented  to  the 
incorporated  trades  a  banner  or 
standard,  which  has  since  been  known 
by  the  name  of  the  Blue  Blanket, 
and  is  still  preserved.  The  city 
gradually  increased  in  wealth  and 
importance  till  1544,  when  it  was 
seriously  injured  by  the  English 
under  the  Earl  of  Hertford.  This 
wanton  destruction,  followed  by  a 
century  of  civil  and  religious  discord, 
with  many  will  account  for  the 
poverty  of  its  ancient  architecture 
and  the  absence  of  buildings  of  any 
great  age. 

Of  old  public  buildings  there  are 
none  ;  and  no  older  date  than  that  of 
James  V.  is  claimed  for  any  part  of 
Holyrood  Palace,  and  that  only  for 

2.  of  the  towers.     There  are  only  a    | 
few  houses  upon  which  may  be  seen 

a  date  prior  to  the  accession  of  James 
VI.  to  the  English  throne.  This 
event  gave  an  impulse  to  building 
all  over  the  country.  Within  the 
last  ten  years  especially,  much  build- 
ing has  been  going  on  in  Edinburgh, 


S.Scotland.     Boute  i. — Edbiburgh  :  Leith;  Granton. 


Qb 


and  a  number  of  handsome  new 
streets  and  houses  have  been  erected. 
The  progress  of  the  town  is  chiefly 
towards  the  S.  and  W,  Notwith- 
standing this,  houses  are  difficult  to 
get,  and  rent  is  high. 


Environs  and  Excursions. 

a.  Leith,  Trinity  (Newhaven), 
Granton. 

Railioay  Stat,  in  Leith  Walk  or 
at  Waverley  Bridge ;  trains  every 
5  hr. 

Leith  has  been  the  port  of  Edin- 
burgh since  the  days  of  Robert  Bruce, 
and  has  witnessed  the  landing  of 
many  a  royal  personage.  In  1561 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots  was  received 
with  great  ceremony  on  her  arrival 
from  Calais  ;  and  George  IV.  landed 
here  in  1822.  In  1560  the  French 
raised  here  a  fortress,  in  which  they 
planted  a  strong  garrison  to  main- 
tain the  authority  of  the  Guises  in 
Scotland.  Queen  Elizabeth  despatch- 
ed a  fleet  to  expel  them  from  Leith. 
It  is  at  present  an  independent 
Pari.  Burgli,  with  a  Pop.  of  near 
50,000,  and  carries  on  a  very  great 
trade  in  corn  and  timber  from  the 
Baltic,  besides  wine  from  France -and 
Spain,  and  esparto  (for  paper)  from 
Oran  and  Almeria.  The  cones  of  its 
huge  glass-works  are  conspicuous 
from  a  distance.  There  are  large 
manufactures  of  cordage,  sailcloth, 
machinery,  soap,  oil-cake,  etc.  Be- 
sides these,  there  are  shipbuilding 
yards,  and  2  of  the  largest  Flour 
Mills  in  the  country,  that  of  Todd, 
where  99  pairs  of  stones  work  under 
one  roof,  and  that  of  Gibson  and 
Walker  at  Bonnington. 

The  old  harbour,  the  estuary  of 
the  black  and  foul  Water  of  Leith 
("quasi  Lethe,"  quoth  Dr.  Johnson, 
"  because  Scotchmen  embarking  here 
forget  their  own  country"),  divides 
the  town  into  S.  and  N.  Leith. 
Opening  from  it  to  the  W.  are  the 
Victoria  and  wet  docks  ;  to  the  E. 
{Scotland.'] 


the  Albert  Dock,  excavated  out  of 
the  E.  sands.  The  last  has  a  water 
area  of  14  acres,  and  was  opened  in 
1869.  On  its  quays  may  be  seen  Sir 
William  Armstrong's  Scientific  Hy- 
draulic Cranes,  for  raising  cargoes. 
The  entrance  to  this  harbour  is  by 
two  Piers  stretching  into  the  sea 
1000  yards.  Near  tlie  mouth  a 
Martello  Tower  rises  out  of  tlie  sea. 
Leith  Fort,  to  the  N.W.,  Avas  one  of 
the  3  Citadels  built  by  Cromwell  for 
keeping  the  Scots  in  order.  It  is  now 
of  no  strength  as  a  defence — little 
more  than  an  Artillery  Barrack. 
Leith  is  the  cradle  of  the  Gladstone 
family.  There  is  a  Church  here 
founded  by  them. 

Registered  ships,  1873,  201  vessels 
=  65,692  tons.  Total  number  of 
vessels  entered  inwards,  1873 — 3635 
=  768,825  tons. 

To  the  W.  of  Leith  is  Nev.iha.ven, 
celebrated  for  its  fishing  and  its 
fish-dinners.  The  fishwives  of  the 
village  are  noted  for  their  peculiar 
costume,  and  may  be  seen  in  all 
parts  of  Edinburgh  selling  fish,  the 
produce  of  their  husbands'  or  fathers' 
labour.  Their  high  reputation  for 
morality  (see  Chas.  Reade's  novel 
"  Christie  Johnstone  "),  though  exag- 
gerated, is  not  wholly  undeserved. 
The  Newhaven  fishers  are  of  Jutland 
origin,  and  are  singularly  conser- 
vative in  their  household  customs. 
They  rarely  marry  outside  of  their 
own  race  ;  the  men  are  celebrated 
for  their  skilful  seamanship  and 
hardy  daring  ;  the  women  are  noted 
for  their  keenness  in  driving  a  bar- 
gain {vide  "  The  Antiquary"). 

It  is  a  pleasant  walk  or  driv^e  of  2  m. 
from  Edinburgh  to  Granton  Pier,  by 
Inverleith-row,  stopping  by  all  means 
to  visit  on  the  way  the  *  Royal  Bo- 
tanic Gardens  (free  admission  daily, 
except  Sunday),  which  is  remarkable 
for  the  beauty  of  its  walks,  the  order 
of  its  an-angement,  its  fine  trees,  and 
for  the  most  truly  pictorial  View  of 
Edinburgh  which  it  commands.  It 
d2 


66 


Route  4. — Edinburgh  :  Excursions. 


Sect.  I. 


includes  a  very  extensive  Pinetum 
and  arhoretuni,  containing  many- 
choice  specimens  in  very  healthy 
condition.  The  wild  garden  of  Al- 
pine flowers  demonstrates  how  such 
plants  may  be  cultivated  with  per- 
fect success.  The  Palm-houses  and 
Foreign  Fernery  are  not  surpassed 
even  by  Kew.  No  garden  in  the 
kingdom  is  better  managed  than 
this,  under  Professor  Balfotir  and 
Mr.  Macnab. 

Granton  Pdy.  Stat,  on  the  Pier. 

Granton  is  the  point  at  which  the 
Earl  of  Hertford  disembarked  his 
troops  when  he  invaded  Scotland  in 
1544.  The  magnificent  Pier  here 
Avas  built  entirely  at  the  expense  of 
the  Duke  of  Buccleuch.  It  was 
begun  in  Nov.  1835,  and  partly 
opened  on  the  day  of  the  Queen's 
coronation.  It  is  1700  ft.  in  lengtli 
and  from  80  to  160  ft.  in  breadth, 
and  has  the  great  advantage  of  being 
accessible  at  an}^  state  of  the  tide. 
The  Victoria  jetty,  from  whence  the 
Queen  landed  and  re-embarked  in 
Sept.  1842,  is  on  the  W.  side,  and 
extends  90  ft.  From  this  pier  is 
the  steam  ferry  to  Burntisland,  in 
Fife,  a  passage  of  about  lialf-an-hour. 
From  this  as  well  as  from  Leitli  the 
London  steamers  depart.  The  trains 
run  down  to  the  steamers  lying 
alongside  of  the  pier. 


§  2.  Hawthornden,  Roslin  Chapel 
and  Castle,  may  be  reached  a.  By  the 
high  road  direct  to  Roslin,  7  m., 
through  Liberton.  h.  By  carriage 
via  Lasswade  to  Hawthornden,  11 
m.,  walking  thence  to  Roslin,  and 
sending  round  the  carriage,  c.  By 
Railway  direct,  via  Loanhead,  4 
trains  daily  in  40  min.,  to  Pioslin 
(Rte.  13),  the  quickest  way. 

Eoslin  and  Hawthorndeia  stand  at 
opposite  ends  of  a  romantic  glen  of 
the  N.  Esk,  traversed  by  a  footpath 
2  m.  long.  The  only  entrance  to 
Hawthornden  is  by  the  Lodge  Gate 
(admission,  Is.),  on  the  high  road  ; 


consequently  it  should  be  first 
visited.  Quitting  HaAvthornden  by 
the  lower  gate,  on  the  Esk  bank,  it 
is  a  charming  walk  of  1^  m.,  thence 
through  the  glen  to  Eoslin  Chapel. 
There  is  a  ]niblic  footpath  from 
Lasswade  to  Eoslin,  passing  outside 
the  bounds  of  Hawthornden.  (These 
places  are  described  Ete.  13.) 

English  Service  on  Sundays  in  Eos- 
lin Chapel  ;  12i  and  4^. 

Independent  of  the  many  interest- 
ing objects,  and  the  attractive 
scenery  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Edinburgh,  the  stranger  will  find 
the  chief  charm  of  all  in  the  varied 
and  exquisite  views  of  the  city  itself, 
and  the  grand  and  picturesque 
heights  which  sun-ound  it,  Avhich 
compose  a  new  natural  picture  at 
every  turn. 

§3.  3m.S.  E.  of  Edinburgh,  on 
the  way  to  Dalkeith,  may  l^e  seen, 
embosomed  by  trees,  ithe  ruins 
of  Craicjmillar  Castle^  consisting 
of  a  "■square  toWer*  in  the  centre, 
anothei-  in  front,  and  two  circular 
turrets  behind — thewholesurrounded 
by  a  high  and  strong  wall,  with  round 
towers  at  the  corners.  It  is  a  forti- 
fied house  of  the  15th  cent.,  with 
altei'ations  and  additions  of  the  17th 
cent.  The  central  tower  is  massive 
and  old-fashioned,  but  is  of  the  same 
date  as  the  wall  that  surrounds  it. 
The  roof  (from  which  there  is  a  good 
view  of  the  surrounding  country)  is 
formed  of  large  stones.  The  prin- 
cipal room  in  the  interior  is  the 
hall,  which  is  lofty,  and  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  corbels  halfway  up  the 
side,  probably  contained  a  Gallery. 
The  armour  of  Darnley  and  portrait 
of  Queen  Mary  deserve  abo\it  equal 
faith  in  the  beholder.  The  view  of 
Edinburgh  and  the  country  around 
is  very  striking.  Craigmillar  was 
used  as  a  prison  for  the  Earl  of  Mar, 
brother  to  James  II.,  in  1477,  and 
here  he  is  said  to  have  been  bled  to 
death.  According  to  Drummond  of 
Hawthornden,  however,  he  was  seized 
with  a  severe  fever,  and  either  bled 


4-  xl^^i^^-r-i^^^S^'' 


-^ 


EDKBtUGH  10  FERTR  STIRIjyC  ^lELROSE  AIOrFAI    Ac 


/  /   h,     )lu  f  4U    n    rlf 


S.  Scotland.         Pde.  4. — Environs  of  Edinburgh. 


67 


too  freely,  or  in  a  fit  of  delirium  tore 
off  the  bandages.  The  castle  was 
occupied  by  James  V.  during  his 
minority,  and  ]\Iary  lived  here  for 
several  montlis  after  the  death  of 
Eizzio,  1566.  Indeed,  the  small 
\allage  on  the  Dalkeith  road  close 
by  is  still  called  "Little  France," 
from  having  been  the  quarters  of 
her  French  guards.  Within  the  keep 
a  room  of  peculiarly  small  dimen- 
sions is  shown  as  Queen  Mary's 
apartment.  At  a  secret  meeting  held 
here  between  her  and  ilurray,  Leth- 
ington,  and  Bothwell,  it  was  proposed 
to  rid  her  of  "her  ungi'ateful  hus- 
band "  by  a  divorcement ;  but  she  re- 
fused to  listen,  and  protested  against 
any  step  by  which  "  spot  might  be 
laid  on  her  honour. "  To  this  place, 
also,  she  was  brought  as  a  prisoner 
after  the  battle  of  Carberry.  About 
1661  the  castle  passed  into  the  pos- 
session of  the  Gilmour  family,  with 
whom  it  still  remains.  iSTiddry 
House  is  the  seat  of  A.  "VVauchope, 
Esq. 

Portobello,  Inveresk,  Dalkeith 
(Park),  Melville  Cast.  (Park),  Liber- 
ton  (View),  Edinburgh. 

§  4.  Blackford  and  Braid  Hills. 

One  of  the  finest  drives,  command- 
ing the  most  extensive  and  varied 
views,  may  be  taken  by  starting 
from  Princes-street,  by  the  Lothian- 
road,  to  Morningside,  and  round 
the  Braid  Hills  to  Liberton,  and 
back  by  ISTewington. 

It  is  a  pleasant  walk  across  Black- 
ford Hill,  a  rocky  height  2  m.  S.  of 
Edinburgh,  the  view  from  which  is 
so  admiraijly  described  in  "  Mar- 
mion."  Here  the  army  of  James 
IV.  encamped  before  marching  to 
Flodden. 

§  5.  Dalmemj  Park  and  Ch., 
Hojyetoun,  and  S.  Queensferry  (Ptte. 
18). 

Dean  Bridge,  Cramond  Bridge, 
Dalmeny  Park  and  Ch.,  S.  Queens- 
ferry,  Hopetoun  Park  and  Gardens 
(the  house  is  not  usually  shown). 


§  6.  Linlithgow  Palace  and  Ch., 
by  Glasgow  railway  trains  in  \  hr. 

§  7.  To  Bm-thicick  and  Crichton 
Castles,  taking  the  railway  to  Fushie 
Bridge  Stat.     {Inn. )     Rte.  1. 

§  8.  Paihvay  to  Colinton,  Juniper 
Green,  Currie,  Pentland  Hills. 

Quitting  Edinburgh  by  Lothian- 
road,  you  pass  rt.  Mcrchiston  Castle,        ^. 
the  birthplace  of  K'apier,  the  mathe-       '   "= 
matician  and  inventor  of  logarithms. 

1.  the  pretty  suburb  of  Morn- 
ingside. The  road  then  crosses  the 
Braid  Burn,  and  winds  along  the 
slope  of  the  Braid  Hills,  a  pictur- 
esque group  about  700  ft.  high, 
placed  midway  between  Arthur's  Seat 
and  the  Pentlands,  comTuanding  the 
view  over  Edinburgh  made  famous 
by  the  description  in  "Mannion." 
Passing  rt.  Comiston  House  (Sir  J. 
Forrest),  a  road  is  given  off  to  Dreg- 
horn  (R.  A.  Macfie,  Esq.),  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  Pentlands,  the 
charming  little  village  of  Colinton, 
on  the  Water  of  Leith,  and  Bonally, 
long  residence  of  the  late  Lord  Cock- 
burn.  The  fine  range  of  the  Pent- 
lands is  now  the  most  prominent 
object,  the  road  nmning  at  the  foot 
of  the  eastern  slopes,  and  passing  5 4 
ra.  rt.  Woodhouselee  (J.  Tytler, 
Esq.)  Then  comes  the  village  of 
Howgate,  a  little  beyond  which  is 
Bush  (A.  Trotter,  Esq.),  and  Glen- 
corse  (Lord  Justice-General  Inglis). 
Within  the  grounds  of  Coliuton 
House  (Lady  Dunfermline)  are  some 
very  fine  holly  hedges.  A  bridge 
across  the  Water  of  Leith  at  Colin- 
ton leads  to  a  pleasant  road  back  to 
Edinburgh  through  the  village  of 
Slateford. 

§  9.  Penicwilc,  Halh'e's  Howe. 

[It  is  a  favourite  excursion  up  the 
Glencorse  Burn  to  the  Glencorse  Be- 
servoir.  Then  rt.  Logan  Bank  (H. 
]\I.  Inglis,  Esq.)  to  the  Loganlee  Reser- 
voir, which  lies  in  the  hollow  between 
the  heights  of  Black  Hill  (1628)  and 
Carnethy  (1890).  Both  these  were 
constructed  as  compensation    reser- 


68 


Route  5. — Carlisle  to  Edinburgh,  etc. 


Sect.  I. 


voirs  for  the  supply  of  the  mills  and 
rivers  that  were  injured  by  the 
springs  being  taken  away  for  the  use 
of  the  city.  At  the  head  of  the  glen, 
known  as  Rabble's  Hoive,  the  stream 
falls  picturesquely  into  a  small  pool, 
supposed  to  be  in  the  Poet  Ramsay's 
thoughts  when  he  wrote  "  The  Gen- 
tle Shepherd."  But  the  scenic  de- 
scription does  not  altogether  answer 
to  the  character  of  this  glen,  and  it 
seems  probable  that  the  true  Habbie's 
Howe  is  to  be  found  some  miles  higher 
up,  beyond  Penicuik.  But,  how- 
ever that  may  be,  it  is  a  delightful 
excursion,  as  showing  the  pastoral 
character  of  the  Upland  of  central 
Scotland,  which  has  of  course  no 
pretension  to  the  grandeur  of  High- 
land scenery.  ] 

7  m.  House  of  Miiir,  noted  as  a 
cattle  fair,  and  close  by  it  is  Ptullion 
Green,  where  the  Covenanters  were 
defeated  by  Dalziel  in  Nov.  1666. 
The  site  of  the  encampment  is  to  the 
S.  of  the  battlefield,  which  is  now 
commemorated  by  a  monument. 

From  here  a  cross  road  leads  to 
Penicuik  2  m.  (Rte.  16),  where 
Penicuik  House  (Sir  G.  D.  Clerk, 
Bart.)  and  fine  Park,  and  the  Paper 
Mills  on  the  Esk,  deserve  notice. 


ROUTE  5. 
Carlisle  to  Edinburgh,  Glasgow, 
or  Stirling,  by  Lockerbie  [Loch.- 
maben],  Beattock  [Moffat],  and 
Car  stairs  Junction. 

To  Carstairs  Junct.,  73  m.  in  2 
hrs.  ;  to  Glasgow,  104  m.,  6  trains 
daily  in  3  to  4  hrs.  ; — to  Edinburgh, 
101  m.,  6  trains  in  2f  hrs.  The 
Caledonian  Railway,  one  of  the  great 
trunk  lines  of  Scotland,  penetrates 
the  central  southern  counties,  and 
divides  at  Carstairs,  in  Lanarkshire, 
the  main  line  continuing  N.  to  join 
the  Highland  Ely.  at  Stanley,  and 
the  branches  on  either  side  running 
to  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow. 


Quitting  the  Citadel  Stat,  at  Car- 
lisle, the  line  skirts  the  walls  of  the 
old  city,  with  the  cathedral  and  castle 
(on  the  right),  crosses  the  river  Eden, 
and  soon  after  passes  under  the  North 
British  Rly.,  arriving  at 

4  m.  Rockliffe  Stat. 

65  m.,  near  Floreston  Stat,  the 
line  crosses  the  river  Esk  (which  5 
m.  higher  up  waters  the  grounds  of 
Netlierby,  Rte.  1),  and  then  enters  a 
tract  of  Border  country  which  was 
called  the  Debatable  ground.  It 
extends  to  the  river  Sark,  and  is 
about  8  m.  long  by  4  broad,  and  was 
for  many  years  held  only  by  the 
worst  set  of  Border  robbers.  In  1552 
a  'boundary  line  was  agreed  upon 
by  the  sovereigns  of  the  two  king- 
doms ;  but  the  habits  of  the  people 
were  little  improved  till  the  union 
of  the  crowns.  On  the  left  is  Sol- 
way  Firth,  recipient  of  the  Esk, 
Eden,  Annan,  and  Nith.  The  tide 
comes  in  at  certain  seasons  with  ex- 
traordinary rapidity,  forming  what  is 
known  as  the  Bore,  in  which  the 
waves  are  frequently  3  or  4  ft.  high. 
Strangers  to  the  coast  should  be 
careful  of  this  danger,  remembering 
the  caution  given  by  Herries  of  Bur- 
renswark  to  Darsie  Latimer,  that 
' '  he  who  dreams  on  the  bed  of  the 
Solway  will  wake  up  in  the  next 
world."  The  estuary  has  been 
bridged  across,  lower  down,  by  the 
Solway  Junct.  Rly.  On  right  is 
Solway  Moss,  memorable  for  the  de- 
feat of  the  Scots  in  1542.  A  body 
of  10,000  men  had  entered  England  ; 
but  the  leaders,  quarrelling  amongst 
themselves,  were  surprised  by  a  small 
English  force  and  routed,  leaving  200 
noblemen  and  gentlemen  in  the 
enemy's  hands.  James  V.  died  of 
mortification  in  coiisequence.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  Sark,  which  is 
the  boundary  between  England  and 
Scotland,  is 

8|  m.  Gretna  Junct.  Stat,  (in  Rte. 
9).  Here  a  Rly.  branches  W.  to 
Annan  and  Dumfries  (Rte.  9).     On 


S.  Scotland.  Route  5. — Kirkconnell ;  Ecclefechan. 


G9 


right,  a  branch  to  Longtown  joins 
the  North  British  (Ete.  1). 

13  m.  Kirkpatrick  Stat  On  left 
is  the  village  of  Kirkpatrick  Fleming, 
situated  near  the  banks  of  Kirtle 
Water,  together  with  Mossknowe 
(Col.  Graham),  the  Cove  (G.  Ogilvy, 
Esq.),  and  Bonshaw,  overhanging  the 
river. 

Kirtle  Bridge  Stat.  About  2  m. 
right,  is  the  ruined  ch.  of  Kirkcon- 
nell, the  churchyard  of  which  is  the 
scene  of  the  pathetic  ballad  of  "  Fair 
Helen  of  Kirkconnell  Lee."  The 
daughter  of  the  Laird  of  Kirkconnell 
loved  and  was  beloved  by  Adam 
Fleming  of  Kirkconnell,  but  was 
promised  in  marriage  by  her  famil}- 
to  Bell  of  Ecclefechan.  The  favoured 
swain  was  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
her  in  the  churchyard,  which  so  ex- 
cited the  jealousy  of  the  rival  that 
he  one  evening  took  up  his  station, 
armed  with  a  gun,  for  the  purpose  of 
watching  them.  Unable  to  contain 
himself  with  rage,  he  fired,  when 
the  fair  Helen  received  the  bullet  in- 
tended for  her  lover.  A  fierce  com- 
bat ensued,  in  which  the  murderer 
was  cut  to  pieces  : — 

"  I  wish  I  were  where  Helen  lies  ! 
Night  and  day  on  me  she  cries  ; 
Oh  tliat  I  were  where  Helen  lies 
On  fair  Kirkconnell  Lee  ! " 

Fleming  went  abroad,  but  returned 
hither  to  die.  The  graves  of  the 
unfortunate  couple  are  still  to  be 
seen  here. 

The  country  through  which  the 
tourist  is  passing  was  formerly  well 
wooded,  but  "  it  is  said  to  have  been 
cleared  of  the  wood  by  Act  of  Parlia- 
ment in  the  time  of  James  VL ,  in  order 
to  destroy  the  retreat  of  the  moss- 
troopers, a  pestthispartof  the  countrj' 
was  infamous  for — in  fact  the  whole 
of  the  borders  then  was,  as  Lindesay 
expresses,  no  other  thing  but  theft, 
reiff,  and  slaughter." — Pennant. 

A  fine  view  is  obtained  on  left  of 
Annandale,  as  the  train  approaches 
20  m.  Ecclefechan  Stat.,  near  the 


banks  of  the  IMein  "Water,  which  near 
this  spot  falls  into  the  Annan.  It 
derives  its  name,  Ecclesia  Fechani, 
from  St.  Fechan,  an  Irish  saint  of 
the  7th  centy.  "The  Lass  of  Eccle- 
fechan "  was  one  of  Burns's  country 
songs.  Carlyle,  the  biographer  of 
Cromwell,  was  born  here,  Dec.  4, 
1795,  son  of  a  small  farmer.  The 
small  stone  house,  extending  over  a 
gateway,  is  pointed  out.  [The  anti- 
quary may  pay  a  visit  to  the  hill  of 
Burrsivark,  920  ft.  high,  nearly  3 
m.  to  the  N.  It  is  strongly  defended 
by  3  Eijmau  camps,  the  largest  of 
which  looks  S.,  and  encloses  an  area 
of  900  ft.  in  length  by  600  in  breadth. 
The  summit,  which  commands  a  fine 
view  of  Lochmaben,  Queensberry 
Hill,  Hartfell,  the  Solway  Firth, 
Criff"el,  Annan,  Carlisle,  and  the 
Cumberland  Lake  Hills,  was  further 
strengtliened  by  several  forts,  which 
are  probably  British.  Horsley  con- 
siders Burrswark  to  be  the  work  of 
Agricola,  and  that  it  may  have  served 
as  a  summer  camp  to  Barrens,  which 
is  about  2  m.  distant.  At  Middleby, 
not  far  off,  is  a  complete  Roman 
camp.  A  Roman  road  may  be  traced 
at  the  S.E.  foot  of  the  hill,  and 
several  altars  and  coins  have  been 
dug  up  in  the  vicinity.] 

2^  m.  S.  W.  of  Ecclefechan  is  Hod- 
dam  Castle  (W.  J.  Sharpe,  Esq.),  a 
castellated  house,  built  about  1650 
by  the  Herries  family.  To  the  S.  of  it, 
on  high  ground,  is  llepentance  Tower, 
so  called  because  it  was  erected  as  a 
monument  of  repentance  by  Lord 
Herries  for  having  used  some  materials 
from  Tailtron  Chapel  to  build  Hod- 
dam  Castle.  In  the  "  Minstrelsy  of 
the  Scottish  Border"  a  different 
reason  is  assigned.  It  is  said  there, 
in  the  ballad  of  "Lord  Herries  his 
Complaint,"  that,  returning  by  sea 
from  England  with  a  large  booty 
and  a  number  of  prisoners.  Lord 
Herries  threw  the  latter  overboard 
to  lighten  the  vessel,  and  subse- 
quently built  this  tower  as  a  proof 
of  his  remorse.     Over  the  door  are  a 


70 


Route  5. — Lochmahen  ;  Jar  dine  Hall. 


Sect.  I. 


serpent  and  a  dove,  with  the  word 
"  Repentance  "  between.] 

Before  crossing  the  Water  of  Milk 
the  traveller  obtains  a  beautiful 
though  transient  view  as  the  train 
descends  the  Breconhill  incline. 

The  scenery  of  the  Water  of  Milk, 
which  rises  in  the  fells  at  the  head  of 
Eskdale,  is  very  pretty,  and  can  be 
explored  conveniently  from 

25f  m.  Lockerbie  Junct.  Stat.  {Inn, 
King's  Arms).  Lockerbie  is  cele- 
brated for  its  sheep  and  cattle  fairs, 
the  one  in  Angust  being  the  largest 
lamb  fair  in  Scotland.  There  is  a 
handsome  Toicn  Library  of  mediaeval 
architecture.  Near  Lockerbie  are 
the  ruins  of  the  Castle  of  the  John- 
stones,  one  of  the  most  powerful 
families  in  this  part  of  Scotland.  A 
"Lockerbie  lick"  is  still  proverbial 
from  the  slaughter  inflicted  by  them 
on  the  Maxwells. 

In  the  neighbourhood  is  Murray- 
field. 

Lockerbie  to  Dumfries,  [From 
Lockerbie  Junct.  it  is  15  m.  to 
Dumfries,  by  a  Branch  rly.  crossing 
the  Annan  to 

4  m.  Lochmaben  Stat.  {Inn : 
King's  Arms),  a  royal  burgh  sur- 
rounded by  a  chain  of  8  lakes. 
Near  the  "ch.,  on  a  mound,  was 
'^  a  Castle  of  the  Bruces  of  Annan- 
■7  "'V  dale,  in  which  Robert  Bruce  was 
born,  if  not  at  Turnbur3^  He  pulled 
it  down,  and  built  a  much  larger  one 
on  a  peninsula  S.E.  of  the  Castle 
Loch.  It  consisted  of  3  courts,  in- 
closed by  massive  walls  12  ft.  thick, 
and  by  a  triple  fosse.  The  faces  of 
the  walls  have  been  plundered  of  the 
stone,  and  nothing  is  now  left  but 
shapeless  masses  of  rubble.  Yet  this 
was  the  Bruce's  home  and  his  head- 
quarters when  he  began  the  war  of 
independence  against  the  English, 
1306.  The  property  now  belongs  to 
the  Earl  of  Mansfield.  There  are  4 
villages  in  the  neighbourhood,  with 
some  smaller  hamlets,  held  by  tlie 
"King's  kindly   tenants   of   Loch- 


maben," as  they  are  called.  It  is 
a  sort  of  udal  tenure,  which  acknow- 
ledges no  feudal  superior,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  originated  in  a  grant 
of  land  by  Robert  Bruce  to  his  ser- 
vants, when  superannuated.  This 
tenure  was  confirmed  by  the  Courts 
of  Session  on  an  appeal  in  1824. 

Lochmaben,  when  seen  from  a 
height,  appears  to  be  almost  an  island; 
it  is  surrounded  by  8  lochs,  the  largest 
of  which,  Castle  Loch,  to  the  S.,  is  of 
considerable  size.  "In  it  alone 
the  far-famed  Venclacc  (Coregonus 
Willoughbii,  Fa ?'rcZZ)  is  found.  Tra- 
dition adds  that  it  was  introduced 
here  by  Queen  Mary,  but  more 
probably  it  was  brought  hither  by 
the  monks  of  some  neighbouring 
convent  for  the  benefit  of  their  table. 
It  defies  the  angler,  resisting  all  sorts 
of  baits.  It  is  caught  only  with 
nets.  It  is  delicious  eating,  resem- 
bling the  smelt  ;  it  is  best  in  .July. 
Its  food  consists  of  small  water  in- 
sects. A  Fend  ace  Club  meets  here 
annually.  The  lochs  abound  with 
pike,  perch,  roach,  bream,  eels,  and 
trout. 

Jardinc  Hall,  seat  of  the  late 
venerable  naturalist  Sir  William,  now 
of  his  son  Sir  Alexander,  Jardine, 
contains  the  finest  collection  of  fossil 
footprints  of  reptiles  from  Corncockle 
Muir  sandstones,  2  m,  N.  of  the 
town. 

"  The  Footprint  room,"  is  so  called 
because  of  some  slabs  bearing  tracks  of 
fossil  animals,  together  with  ripple- 
marks,  the  vestiges  of  the  ancient  seas. 

3  m.  to  the  S,  of  Lochmaben  is 
Rammer  scales,  the  seat  of  W,  B. 
M 'Donald,  Esq.  The  grounds  are 
celebrated  for  their  beautiful  silver 
firs  and  larch,  one  of  the  latter,  cut 
for  the  Caledonian  Rly.,  measuring 
106  ft.  of  solid  timber. 

8  m.  Shielhill,  a  hamlet  on  the 
banks  of  the  Water  of  Ae. 

10  m.  Amisfield  Stat.,  to  the  right 
of  which  is  Glenae,  the  seat  of  the 
Earl  of  Carnwath. 


S.  Scotland.      Route  5. — JFamphmy ;  Beattock. 


71 


The  line  then  runs  down  the 
valley  of  the  Lochar,  crossing  it  at 

12  m,  Locharbriggs,  leaving  the 
village  of  Timvald  to  the  left. 

14  m.  Dumfries  Terminus  (Ete. 
9.)] 


Soon  after  quitting  Lockerbie  the 
rly.  to  Glasgow  crosses  the  Dryffe 
Water  hy  a  lofty  viaduct,  reaching 

28|  m.  Kcthercleugh  Stat.  Be- 
tween this  and  Dinwoodie  Stat,  on 
left  is  the  Annan  Water,  and  on  its 
left  bank  Jardine  Hall,  the  residence 
of  Sir  Alex.  Jardine.  On  the  right 
bank  is  Sped/ins  Toicer,  once  the 
residence  of  the  Jardines  of  Apple- 
garth,  a  massive  quadrangular  struc- 
ture, with  circular  turrets  at  the 
angles.  Over  the  gateway  is  the 
date  1605,  probably  the  year  when 
it  was  last  repaired. 

The  geological  features  from  Loch- 
maben  up  to  this  point  are  those  of 
Permian  sandstones.  In  the  quarry 
of  Corncockle,  which  is  overlooked 
by  Spedlin's  Tower,  the  late  Sir 
Wm.  Jardine  found  tracks  of  an  im- 
mense extinct  tortoise,  which  has 
been  named  "Chelichnys  Titan." 

Beyond  Dimcoodie,  32  m.,  the  An- 
nan approaches  more  closely  to  the 
line,  and  affords  manv  a  good  view  of 
its  windings.  As  tfie  watershed  is 
approached  the  hills  draw  in,  and  the 
Avhole  character  of  the  scenery  is 
wilder. 

345  m.  Wamphray  Stat.  To  the 
right  of  this,  1  m.,  is  the  village 
and  ch.  of  JVam^phray,  picturesquely 
situated  in  a  deep  dell  by  the  side 
of  Wamphrav  AVater,  which  rises 
to  the  N.E.  in  Loch  Fell,  2956  ft, 
the  same  that  gives  birth  to  the 
Ettrick  Water. 

On  the  Wamphray  are  some  small 
waterfalls,  known  as  the  Pot,  the 
Washing-tub,  and  Dubb's  Caldron. 
The  village  is  the  scene  of  the  ballad 
''  The  Lads  of  Wamphray." 


[To  the  left,  3  m.,  is  Lochwood 
Tower,  situated  in  a  gi'ove  of  ancient 
oaks,  long  the  principal  abode  of  the 
Johnstones.  It  was  surrounded  by 
bogs  and  impassable  ground,  so  that 
James  VI.  declared  that  '*  whoever 
built  Lochwood  was  a  knave  at 
heart."  It  was  burnt  by  the  Max- 
wells in  1592,  an  outrage  which  was 
fearfully  avenged  by  the  Johnstones 
at  the  battle  of  Lochmaben,  and  led 
to  the  almost  total  extermination  of 
tlie  Maxwells  at  that  of  Dryffesands. 
To  the  S.,  at  the  foot  of  Minnygap 
Hill,  is  Rae  Hills  (J.  J.  Hope- John- 
stone, Esq.  of  Annandale),  built  by 
the  3d  Earl  of  Hopetoun  in  1786. 
It  is  a  modern  castellated  mansion, 
with  pleasant  wooded  grounds  on 
the  banks  of  the  Kinnel.] 

Crossing  the  Annan,  and  passing 
the  village  of  Kirkpatrick  Juxta,  the 
line  reaches 

40  m.  Beattock  Stat.,  2  m.  from 
Moffat,  to  which  there  is  an  omni- 
bus (see  Ete.  6).  Here  are  refresh- 
ment-rooms, and  Beattock  Bridge 
Inn  is  100  yards  off".  On  left  of  stat. 
is  Craglands  ( —  Colvin,  Esq.),  and 
on  right  is  Lochhouse  Tower,  backed 
up  by  the  fine  ranges  above  iloff'at, 
part  of  which  town  is  seen  from  the 
line. 

The  rly.  now  enters  the  wild  de- 
files of  the  Lowther  Hills,  and  as- 
cends the  narrow  glen  of  the  Evan, 
in  a  sonnet  by  Wordsworth  called 
the  Avon,  which  rises  very  near  the 
source  of  the  Clyde.  On  left  is 
Auchencass  Castle,  a  ruin  of  no  great 
size,  but  of  considerable  strength, 
which  originally  belonged  to  Ean- 
dolph  Earl  of  Moray,  Eobert  Bruce's 
favourite  lieutenant,  and  afterwards 
regent  to  Bruce's  son  and  successor, 
David  II. 

The  high  road  from  Carlisle  to 
Glasgow  was  one  of  Telford's  grandest 
works  of  engineering,  now  rendered 
comparatively  useless  by  the  railway. 
From  the  hills  around  this  pass  3  of 
the  largest  southern  rivers,  the  Clyde, 


72 


Iloute  5. — Lamington  ;  Carstairs. 


Sect.  I. 


Tweed,  and  Annan,  all  take  their 
rise  within  a  short  distance  of  each 
other.  The  rly.  ascends  the  Evan 
valley  through  much  rock-cutting. 
Near  the  upper  end  it  passes  into 
Clydesdale  at  a  height  of  ]000  ft. 
above  the  sea.     At 

52 I'm.  Elvanfoot  Stat,  the  Clyde 
is  first  crossed,  being  already  swelled 
by  the  waters  of  the  Powtrail,  Daer, 
and  Elvan,  which  all  converge  to  this 
point.  A  little  before  arriving  at  the 
stat.,  on  right,  is  a  round  camp, 
where  2  Eoinan  roads,  coming  from 
the  S.E.  and  S.W.,  formed  a  junc- 
tion. 

[On  left  4  m.  is  the  mining  village 
of  Leaclhills,  where  Allan  Ramsay, 
author  of  "  The  Gentle  Shepherd," 
was  born  16S6.  These  mines,  to- 
gether with  the  adjoining  ones  at 
Wanlock  Head,  have  produced  more 
lead  than  any  in  Scotland,  and  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  silver,  from 
1511  down  to  the  present  time. 
Gold  is  found  in  the  streams  of  the 
district.  ] 

55  m.  the  line  passes  the  village  of 
Crawford,  having  immediately  on 
right  Lindsay  Tower,  an  old  ruined 
seat  of  the  Lindsays,  Earls  of  Craw- 
ford. The  Camps  and  Midlock 
"Waters  here  join  the  Clyde. 

58  m.  AUngton  Stat.,  Hunter's 
Inn  affords  the  angler  excellent 
quarters,  at  the  junction  of  the 
Glengonner  Water  and  the  Clyde, 
and  environed  on  all  sides  by  hills. 
On  left  is  the  seat  of  Sir  Edward 
Colebrook,  Bart.  Near  this  place 
are  traces  of  gold  workings,  which 
were  carried  on  with  some  success  in 
the  time  of  James  VI.  Abington  is 
a  favourite  locality  for  coursing 
matches,  and  is  a  capital  angling 
station.  The  water  between  Elvan- 
foot and  Lamington  is  the  best  of 
the  whole  river.  The  water  is  very 
clear,  and  the  angler  requires  fine 
tackle,  small  flies,  and  quick  sight. 
If  sheep-washing  is  going  on  he  can 


still  have  good  sport  in  the  smaller 
burns. 

63  m.  Lamington  Stat.  L.  House 
is  a  gabled  mansion,  the  seat  of  Baillie 
Cochrane,  Esq.  In  the  hall  is  the 
chair  of  Wallace !  The  heiress  of 
Lamington  married  Sir  Wm.  Wal- 
lace, and  this  property  was  inherited 
by  his  daughter.  Burns  went  to  ch. 
here  on  one  occasion,  and  was  so 
little  pleased  that  he  left  on  the  seat 
an  epigram,  called,  ' '  The  Kirk  of 
Lamington  :" — 

"  As  cauld  a  -wind  as  ever  blew  ; 

A  caulder  kirk,  and  in  't  but  few  ; 

As  cauld  a  minister's  e'er  spak  ; 

Ye'll  a'  be  het  ere  I  come  back." 

The  ch.  of  L.  retains  the  "jougs," 
or  pillory,  and  the  stool  of  repent- 
ance. 

On  right,  near  the  river,  is  the 
ruined  tower  of  Lamington. 

66^  m.  Symington  Junct.  Ely. 
to  Peebles  and  Galashiels  (Ete.  5a) 
{Inn,  Junction)  is  said  to  have  taken 
its  name  from  Simon  Locard,  who 
had  a  grant  of  the  land  from  Mal- 
colm IV.  On  left  rises  the  isolated 
and  picturesque  outline  of  Tinto 
Hill,  2200  ft.  high,  from  the  top  of 
which,  where  is  a  large  cairn,  the 
tourist  can  on  a  clear  day  see  both 
German  and  Irish  Seas,  and  from 
Goatfell  in  An'an  on  the  W.,  to  the 
Bass  Eock  on  the  E.  : — 

"  Be  a  lassie  ne'er  so  black, 

Gin  she  hae  the  penny  siller. 
Set  her  up  on  Tinto's  tap, 
The  wind  will  blaw  a  man  till  her." 

to  carry  a  stone  to  the  top  of  Tinto 
was  in  old  times  a  common  form  of 
penance.  On  the  E.  side  of  the  hill, 
near  the  rly. ,  are  the  niins  of  Fatlips 
Castle. 

68i  m.  TlmnTcerton  Stat.  The  hill 
rising  directly  up  from  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Clyde  is  Quothquan  Law, 
1097  ft. 

The  Clyde  is  crossed  for  the  last 
time  just  before  reaching 

73^  m.  Carstaiks  Junct.  Stat., 
where  the  lines  to  Glasgow  (see  Ete. 
8)  and  Stirling  (Rte.   21)  are  given 


S.Scotland.       Route  ti. — Midcalder ;  DalmaJioy  Park 


73 


off.  This  place  is  supposed  to  be 
the  ancient  Corn-Caer,  a  Roman  set- 
tlement, and  capital  of  the  Daranii, 
a  native  tribe.  Roman  remains,  in- 
cluding a  bath,  have  been  found  in 
the  parish. 

Between  the  stat.  and  the  Clyde  is 
Carstairs  House  (R.  Monteith,  Esq.) 
The  house  is  a  fine  modern  one,  of 
Tudor  architecture,  and  contains 
some  good  paintings  by  Guido,  Mo- 
rales, Raeburn,  etc.  Carstairs  is  5 
m.  distant  from  Lanark  and  the 
Falls  of  the  Clyde  (Rte.  8  to  8  a). 
Travellers  bound  thither  change 
carriages. 

Carstairs  to  Edinburgh — Rly, 
75  m.  Carmaath,  i.e.,  "the  ford 
by  the  Cairn,"  which  is  visible  on 
the  left.  In  CouthaUy  Castle  (to  the 
N.),  now  a  gl6omy  ruin,  James  IV., 
James  V.,  and  James  VI.,  were  enter- 
tained by  the  Somervilles.  Of  the 
old  ch.  one  aisle  is  still  left. 

79.1  m.  Auchengray  Stat.  3  m.  to 
the  left  are  the  ironworks  of  Wihon- 
toiun,  on  the  eastern  border  of  the 
Lanarkshire  coalfield.  From  this 
point  the  rly.  skirts  the  northern 
slopes  of  the  Pentland  Hills,  which 
occupy  the  whole  area  between  this 
and  Edinburgh,  and  aff'ord  many 
charming  views.  In  1666  the  Cove- 
nanters were  defeated  on  the  E.  side 
of  these  hills  by  General  Dalziel's 
cavalry  at  Rullion  Green.  Passing, 
right,  the  large  compensation  reser- 
voir of  Cobbinshaw,  for  supplying 
the  Union  Canal  with  water,  the 
railway  reaches 

86  m.  ffarhurn  Stat.  On  left,  2 
m.,  is  the  village  of  West  Calder 
(Stat.)  From  the  viaduct  over  Lin- 
house  Burn  a  beautiful  view  is  ob- 
tained of  the  distant  vale  of  Almond, 
with  Edinburgh  and  Arthur's  Seat 
in  the  distance. 

91  m.  Midcalder  and  Kirknewton 
[Scotland. '\ 


June.  Stat.  Calder  House.  (Lord 
Torphichen),  part  of  which  is  very 
old,  is  beautifully  situated  on  the 
bank  of  the  Murieston  Water,  near 
its  confluence  with  the  Almond.  It 
contains  portraits  of  John  Knox  (?) 
and  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  In  a  room 
here  the  Holy  Communion  was  first 
administered  after  the  Protestant 
fashion  by  Knox. 

The  aspect  of  this  district  has  con- 
siderably changed  since  1865,  by  the 
(Tsi^overy  of  certain  shales  which 
}  i.ld  a  considerable  supply  of  mine- 
ral oil.  Pits  and  oil  -  works  now 
dot  the  countr}'^  all  round  j\Iid-  and 
West  -  Calder,  contributing  sadly  to 
mar  the  scenery  and  pollute  the 
rivers. 

Between  Midcalder  and  (954  ^n.) 
Cnrrie  Stat.,  the  rly.  has  on  riglit 
Meadowbank  (A.  A.  M,  Wellwood, 
Esq.)  ;  the  picturesque  precipices  of 
Dalmahoy  Crags;  the  Water  of  Leith; 
and  on  its  banks  Balerno  ;  Riccarton, 
N.W.  of  Currie,  seat  of  Sir  William 
Gibson-Craig,  has  one  of  the  most 
extensive  and  beautiful  Pinetums  in 
Scotland.  Lennox  Totver  (now  called 
L\Tnphay),  the  old  property  of  the 
family  of  Lennox  ;  and  Curriehill 
(John  Marshall,  Lord  C),  a  modern 
house  occupying  the  site  of  the  old 
castle  of  the  Skenes  of  Currie. 

On  left,  Dalmahoy  Park,  the  seat 
of  the  Earl  of  Morton.  Amongst  its 
curiosities  are  the  keys  of  Lochleven 
Castle,  which  were  thrown  into  the 
lake  when  Mary  Queen  of  Scots 
escaped.  Seven  sets  of  these  keys, 
in  different  Scottish  houses,  contend 
for  authentication  !  The  park  is  like 
a  forest  of  fine  timber,  and  Dalmahoy 
Crags  add  a  feature  to  the  view. 
Separated  only  by  the  old  Glasgow 
road,  is  Hatton,  a  quaint  house  with 
flanking  towers,  plastered,  built  by 
the  Lauderdales  about  Charles  II.'s 
time,  with  terraced  garden. 

98  m.  Kingshiotve  Junct.  Stat.     A 
loop  line  has  been  opened  from  this 
E 


74 


Route  5a. — Broughton;  Stoho. 


Sect.  I. 


through  the  Glen  of  Colin  ton,  Jnniper 
Green,  and  Balerno  (see.  Rte.  4.)  The 
rly.,  together  with  the  Union  Canal, 
are  carried  over  the  Water  of  Leith 
at  Slateford  Stat,  by  a  magnificent 
viaduct,  the  village  lying  beneath. 

101   m.   Edinhurgh  Terminus,  at 
W.  end  of  Princes  Street.     (Rte.  4.) 


ROUTE  5a. 

Symington  Junction  to  Peebles, 
t>y  Biggar  and  Broughton. 

[From  Symington  Stat  (Rte.  5) 
on  the  Carlisle  and  Glasgow  Ely.,  a 
branch  of  19  m  runs  E.  to  Broughton 
and  Peebles.  Four  trains  daily  in 
ilix. 

2  m.  Coulter  Stat.  The  village  is 
1  m.  right,  at  the  foot  of  Snaip  Hill, 
1187  ft.,  and  there  are  a  camp  and 
traces  of  a  Roman  road  between  it 
and 

34  m.  Biggar  Stat.  Inns :  Elphin- 
stone  Arms  ;  Commercial.  A  country 
town  of  one  wide  street.  The  Church, 
built  1545,  was  a  beautiful  cruciform 
Gothic  structure  ;  but  all  its  internal 
beauty  has  been  purposel}'  destroyed. 
At  the  end  of  the  town  is  a  large 
mound,  300  ft.  in  circumference  and 
36  in  height,  supposed  to  have  been 
used  as  a  law  court  or  moothill.  Of 
Boghall  Castle,  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Winton,  there  is  only  left  one  small 
tower.  Edmonston  Castle,  a  modern 
edifice,  is  from  designs  of  Gillespie 
Graham.  From  Biggar  the  rly.  keeps 
parallel  with  the  stream  called  Biggar 
Water,  to 

8  m.  Broughton  Stat.,  at  the  foot 
of  Broughton  Heights,  1872  ft.,  1  m. 
from  which  is  the  British  fort  of 
Langlaw  Hill,  consisting  of  5  con- 
centric rings.  Broughton  is  alto- 
gether a  modern  place,  and   has  a 


trade  in  ham-curing.  To  the  S.  of 
the  town  is  Rachan  (J.  Tweedie, 
Esq.)  The  valley  of  the  Tweed  is 
entered  at  the  village  of  Drummelzier, 
in  the  churchyard  of  which  Merlin's 
grave  is  jiointed  out.  On  one  side 
is  the  Tweed,  and  on  the  other  is  the 
Pausayl  brook.  An  old  prophecy  is 
attributed  to  Thomas  the  Rhymer — 

"  Wheu  Tweed  and  Pausayl  join  at  Merlin's 
grave, 
England  and  Scotland  shall  one  monarch 
have." 

and  it  is  said  that  on  the  da}^  of 
James  YI.'s  coronation  the  Tweed 
oveiflowed  its  banks,  and  its  waters 
ran  into  the  Pausayl.  It  must  have 
been  a  marvellous  inundation,  as  the 
churchyard  is  about  10  ft.  above  the 
level  of  either  stream.  The  castle 
of  Drummelzier,  now  in  ruins,  was 
formerly  the  fortress  of  the  Tweedie 
family,  a  powerful  and  very  quarrel- 
some faction  in  the  16th  cent. 

About  7  m.  S.  of  this  is  the  source 
of  the  Tweed,  near  Tweedshaws- 
farm,  1780  ft.  above  the  sea-level. 
About  half  way  stands  Crook  Inn, 
an  angler's  resort,  once  a  famous 
posting-house  on  the  great  high 
road,  now  grass  grown.  Near  the 
village  of  Tweedsmuir,  in  the  midst 
of  a  hog,  is  a  standing  stone,  5  ft. 
high. 

124  m.  Stoho  Stat.,  to  the  left  of 
which  is  Stobo  Castle,  the  beautiful 
seat  of  Sir  Graham  Montgomery, 
built  1805,  and  Stobo  Kirk  (restored), 
with  a  square  tower,  an  E.  E.  nave, 
and  Norm,  chancel.  "  The  jougs,' 
or  iron  collar  for  the  neck  of  ofienders, 
is  attached  to  the  porch.  On  the 
left  is  Dahvick  or  New  Posso  (Sir 
J.  Nasmyth),  noted  for  its  fine  timber 
and  show  of  rhododendrons.  The 
trees  are  of  large  growth,  especially 
an  avenue  of  Silver  firs,  and  the 
larches,  which  are  reported  to  have 
been  first  planted  here  in  1725,  or 
13  vears  earlier  than  those  set  by 
the  D.  of  Athole  at  Dunkeld.  The 
ruins  of  Tinnis  {i.e.  Thane's)  Castle 


Selkirk. 


Route  6. — Galashiels  to  Moffat. 


i  D 


,are  also  conspicuous  on  a  lieiglit  near 
Drummelxier. 

16  m.  Lyne  Stat.,  to  the  N.  of 
this,  occupying  a  strong  position  on 
the  left  hank  of  the  Lyne,  is  a  Eo- 
man  castrum  stativum,  originally  a 
parallelogram  of  850  ft.  hy  750.  The 
N".  side  has  been  destroyed  by  agri- 
cultural operations,  although  the  en- 
trances at  the  remaining  sides  are 
still  visible.  At  Sheriffrimir,  be- 
tween the  Ely.  and  the  river,  there 
are  2  erect  stones,  known  as  the 
standirtg  stones.  4  m.  to  the  N.  of 
Lyne,  overlooking  the  river,  is 
Lrochil  Castle,  a  fine  old  mansion, 
partaking  of  a  mixture  of  the  fortress 
and  the  manor-house.  It  consists 
of  2  square  blocks  of  building,  with 
a  cleft  between,  formerly  connected 
by  an  arch.  At  the  extremity  of  the 
double  square  are  2  round  towers, 
each  with  a  semi-turret,  uniting  it 
with  the  square  mass.  It  was  com- 
menced by  the  regent  Morton,  but 
the  building  was  abruptly  checked 
by  his  execution  in  1581,  for  his 
participation  in  the  murder  of  Daiu- 
ley.  On  the  S.  bank  of  the  Tweed, 
opposite  Lyne,  is  the  old  ivy-covered 
tower  of  Barns,  the  residence  in  the 
16th  centy.  of  "William  Burnett,  who 
for  his  propensity  for  marauding  ex- 
peditions at  night  was  nicknamed 
"  the  Howlet." 

Between  Lyne  and  Peebles  on  the 
1.  or  north  bank  of  the  Tweed,  may 
be  seen  Xeidpath  Castle,  the  property 
of  the  Earl  of  "Wemyss  (described  in 
Ete.  19.) 

19.  m.  Peebles  Junct.  Stat.  (Ete. 
19).] 


EOUTE  6. 

Galashiels  to  Moffat,  by  Selkirk 
(Rail),  Vale  of  Yarrow,  St. 
Mary's  Locli,  and  Grey  Mare's 
Tail. 


PmU  to  Selkirk,  61  min. 


trains 


daily  in  20 min.  Thence  carriage  road 
to  the  loch.     Beyond  it,  footpath. 

This  route  is  well  worth  exploring 
for  its  fine  scenery.  The  vale  of 
Yarrow,  celebrated  in  local  song  and 
by  "Wordsworth's  two  poems,  abounds 
in  interest. 

The  Ely.  leaves  the  main  line  of 
the  Xorth  British  at  the  junction  of 
the  Gala  "Water  with  the  Tweed,  and 
runs  up  the  vale  of  the  Tweed. 

3  m.  Abbotsford  Ferry  Stat,  at 
Boldside.  It  is  a  mile  walk  after 
crossing  the  Ferry  to  Abbotsford 
(described  in  Ete.  1).  A  little  higher 
up  (at  the  Eink)  the  conjoined 
streams  of  the  Ettrick  and  the  Yar- 
row fall  into  the  Tweed,  which  flows 
from  the  west  from  Peebles  and 
Innerleithen.  At  the  point  of  union 
the  line  crosses  the  river,  and  (pass- 
ing Lindcan  Stat.)  is  carried  up  the 
right  bank  of  the  Ettrick  to 

6  m.  SelTcirk  Stat.  (County  Hotel), 
a  dull  town  (4640  inhab.),  perched 
on  the  top  of  a  hill  overlooking 
Etti'ick  "Water.  It  used  to  be  cele- 
brated for  its  shoemakmg  ;  hence  the 
old  verses 

"  Up  wi'  the  sutors  of  Selkirk, 
And  doon  wi'  the  Earl  of  Home." 

The  sutors  distinguished  themselves 
much  at  the  battle  of  Flodden  : — 

"  Selkirk,  famed  in  days  of  yore 

For  sutors,  but  for  heroes  more. 

And  on  red  Flodden's  dreadful  day, 

When  other  pow'rful  elans  gave  way. 

The  burly  sutors  firmly  stood, 

And  dyed  the  field  with  Southron  blood  ; 

Though  gall'd  by  darts,  by  horses  trod  on, 

They  bore  their  standard  off  from  Flodden, 

Which  still  on  that  returning  day 

We  bear  aloft  in  proud  aiTay. " 

Hogg's  Rnssia.de. 

To  this  dsij  admittance  to  the  dignity 
of  burgess  of  the  town  is  obtained  by 
the  penalty  of  sucking  a  brush  of 
bristles  such  as  shoemakers  use, 
dipped  in  wine,  attached  to  the  seal 
of  the  Corporation.  This  is  called 
"  licking  the  birse."  The  banner  is 
still  preserved  by  the  Corporation. 


76 


Route  Q.—Neivark  Castle. 


Sect.  I. 


The  town  was  soon  afterwards  burnt  I 
by  the  English,  It  has  at  present 
some  woollen  manufactures.  There 
is  but  little  to  see.  The  town-hall 
has  a  lofty  spire,  in  front  of  which 
is  a  statue  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  by 
Ritchie.  Here  is  also  one  to  Mungo 
Park,  the  African  traveller,  who  was 
a  native  of  Selkirkshire.  Adjoining 
the  town  is  the  Haining  (Mrs.  Pringle- 
Douglas). 

Distances  : — Galashiels,  6  m.;  Ab- 
botsford,  4  ;  St.  Mary's  Loch,  19^  ; 
Innerleithen,  11  ;  Moffat,  34  ;  Edin- 
burgh, 36  ;  Hawick,  11  ;  Melrose,  7. 
Selkirk  is  famed  for  bannocks. 

Between  Selkirk  and  Moffat  there 
is  no  continuous  conveyance  ;  but 
during  the  summer  a  coach  runs 
thrice  a  week  from  Selkirk  to  St. 
Mary's  Loch,  corresponding  with 
another  from  Moffat,  which  meets  it 
at  the  Loch.  Time  is  allowed  at  the 
Loch  for  dining  at  Tibby  Shiels's  Inn 
and  visiting  all  the  localities. 

Crossing  the  Ettrick  Water,  below 
its  junction  with  the  Yarrow,  we  pass 

3  m.  right,  Fhili^jJiaui/h  (Sir  J.  N. 
Murray,  Bart.,  a  descendant  of  the 
"outlaw"  Murray,  in  the  reign  of 
James  IV.).  The  house  is  old  Eng- 
lish, with  flights  of  terraces  in  front. 
Here,  Sept.  13,  1645,  upon  the 
haugh,  or  flat  land,  bounded  by  the 
Ettrick  and  the  hills,  Montrose,  hav- 
ing encamped  his  army,  in  security 
as  he  thought,  was  surprised  by 
Gen.  Leslie,  and  his  army  totally 
routed.  "The  Covenanting  Cuiras- 
siers, some  of  them  old  soldiers  of 
Gusta-vais  Adolphus,  crossed  the  Et- 
trick at  daybreak,  and,  charging  the 
wild  Highlanders  on  the  flat,  put 
them  to  confusion.  Oij  Slain  Man's 
Lee  is  a  green  mound  raised  above 
the  slaughtered  Royalists." — Scott. 
All  Montrose's  successes  were  lost  by 
this  one  disaster.  (Cross  the  river 
here  to  visit  Newark  Castle.) 

The  General's  Bridge,  built  by 
General  Mackay,  leads  to  Bowhill,  a 


house  and  property  of  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch,  at  the  junction  of  Ettrick 
and  Yarrow.  This  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful part  of  the  drive.  On  the  left 
flows  the  Yarrow  ;  its  banks  wooded 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  the  trees  in 
some  places  forming  an  arch  over  the 
stream  ;  on  the  right  are  picturesque 
plantations. 

[4  m.  left,  on  the  opposite  bank,  is 
Newark  Castle,  where  the  Duchess  of 
Buccleuch  is  represented  as  listening 
to  the  "Lay  of  the  Last  Minstrel," 
who 

"  Pass'd  where  Newark's  stately  tower 
Looks  out  from  Yarrow's  birken  bower." 

Newark  was  originally  a  royal  castle, 
and  held  by  the  Scotts,  who  were 
hereditary  rangers  of  Ettrick  Forest. 
When  the  forest  was  broken  up  the 
castle  was  granted  to  the  Scotts  for 
ever.  It  is  a  massive  square  tower, 
surrounded  by  an  Oitter  wall,  defended 
by  round  flanking  turrets.  The  arms 
and  supporters  of  James  I.,  in  whose 
reign  it  was  built,  are  still  preserved 
on  the  W.  side  of  the  tower  : — 

"  Rising  from  those  lofty  groves, 
Behold  a  ruin  hoary  ; 
The  shatter'd  front  of  Newark's  tower, 
Renowu'd  in  Border  story." 

Wordsworth. 

In  its  courtyard  Gen.  Leslie  shot 
the  prisoners  of  Montrose's  army, 
taken  at  Philiphaugh.  ] 

On  right,  at  foot  of  Foulshiels  Hill, 
1450  ft.,  is  Foulshiels,  where  Mungo 
Park,  the  African  traveller,  was  born 
in  1771. 

5  m.  right,  Broadmeadows,  a  fine 
modern  house,  on  a  beautiful  spot 
(James  ]\Iacbraire,  Esq.)  ;  and  on  left 
is  a  road  leading  to  Bowhill. 

6  m.  The  scenery  now  changes  ; 
the  road  emerges  from  the  woods  ; 
and  though  it  still  rmis  alongside 
the  Yarrow,  the  banks  are  bare,  the 
hills  rise  naked  and  cheerless,  and 
the  contrast  with  the  scenery  already 

is  rather  melancholy. 


S.  Scotland.      Route  6. — Galashiels  to  Moffat. 


11 


To  the  right,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Hangingshaw  Burn,  is  Hanglngshaw, 
the  property  of  Johnstone  of  Alva. 
A  few  fragments  of  wall  alone  are 
left  of  the  old  castle  of  the  ' '  outlaw 
Murray." 


9  ra.  right  is  the 
ford,  containing 
school-house,  and 
The  Yarrow  river 
famous  in  rustic 
others  from  that 
Bangour,  called  " 
row,"  beginning, 

"Busk  ye,  busk  ye, 
bride. " 


village  of  Yarrovj- 
church,  manse, 
a  few  cottages, 
has  always  been 
ballads  ;  among 
of   Hamilton    of 

The  Braes  of  Yar- 

my  bonny  bonny 


"  The  dowie  dens  o'  Yarrow "  was 
another  favourite  song  ;  and  some 
upright  stones  on  the  hillside  over- 
looking the  village  (one  of  which 
has  a  Latin  inscription)  are  believed 
to  commemorate  the  fight  mentioned 
in  it.  A  road  from  Yarrow  crosses 
the  hills  to  the  valley  of  the  Ettrick, 
and  another  at  the  village  of  Lad- 
hope,  10  m. 

14  m.  Gordon  Arms  Inn,  whence 
a  road  is  given  off  to  Traquair  and 
Innerleithen,  8.  m.  (Rte.  5).  This  is 
a  good  angling  station  for  the  middle 
waters  of  Ettrick  and  Yarrow.  At 
Mount  Benger,  near  it,  the  Ettrick 
Shepherd  lived. 

16  m.  cross  the  Douglas  Burn, 
leaving  on  right  the  Craig  of  Douglas. 
A  little  distance  up  the  glen,  and 
overhanging  the  stream,  are  the  re- 
mains of  Blackhouse  Tower,  which 
seems  to  have  been  a  square  build- 
ing, with  a  circular  turret  at  one 
angle.  It  was  the  retreat  and  strong- 
hold of  Sir  James  Douglas,  the  friend 
of  Bruce.  This  was  the  scene  of  the 
exploit  of  Sir  Wm.  Douglas  and  Lady 
Margaret,  as  told  in  the  "Douglas 
Tragedy." 

"  Seven  large  stones,  erected  on  the 
neighbouring  heights  of  Blackhouse, 
are  shoAvn  as  marking  the  spot  where 


'  the  7  brethren  were  slain  ;   and  the 
j  Douglas    Burn    is   averred   to   have 
I  been  the  stream  at  which  the  lovers 
I  stopped  to  drink,  so  minute  is  tradi- 
tion in  ascertaining  the  seat  of  a  tra- 
gical  tale,    which,    considering   the 
rude  state  of  former  times,  had  pro- 
bably foundation  in  some  real  event." 
James   Hogg,   the   Ettrick   Shep- 
herd,  was  employed  on  this   farm, 
and  here  met  Sir  W.  Scott  for  the 
fi^-st  time. 

18  m.  are  the  ruins  of  Dryhope 
Tower,  supposed  to  have  been  the 
birthjylace  of  Mary  Scott,  the  Flower 
of  Yarrow.  It  stands  on  the  eastern 
end  of 

"  Lone  St.  Mary's  silent  lake  ; 
Thou  know'st  it  well — nor  fen  nor  sedge 
Pollute  the  pure  lake's  crystal  edge  ; 
Abrupt  and  sheer  the  mountains  sink, 
At  once  upon  the  level  brink  ; 
And  just  a  trace  of  silver  sand 
Marks  where  the  water  meets  the  land. 
Far  in  the  mirror,  bright  and  blue, 
Each  hill's  huge  outline  you  may  view  ; 
Shaggy  with  heath,  but  lonely  bare. 
Nor  tree,  nor  bush,  nor  bi'ake  is  there, 
Save  where  of  land  yon  slender  line 
Bears  'thwart  the  lake  the  scatter'd  pine. 
Yet  even  this  nakedness  has  power, 
And  aids  the  feelings  of  the  hour ; 
Your  horse's  hoof-tread  sounds  too  rude, 
8o  stUly  is  the  solitude." — Marmion. 

Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake 
is  AUrive,  where  many  of  Hogg's 
poems  were  written,  and  where  he 
died. 

By  the  side  of  the  Megget  Water, 
spoken  of  in  the  "  Noctes  Ambro- 
sianae,"  as  "a  very  famous  fishing 
ground,"  a  road  leads  to  Hcnderland, 
the  niins  of  an  old  stronghold  of  one 
Peres  Cockburn,  a  celebrated  free- 
booter, who,  like  Adam  Scott  and 
others,  was  hanged  by  James  V.  in 
Ills  own  castle-yard.  It  was  on  this 
execution  that  the  pathetic  "  Lament 
of  the  Border  Widow"  was  written. 

See  the  Lady's  Seat  by  the  cascade 
of  the  Megget. 

19^  m.  the  traveller  arrives  at  the 
W.   end  of  St.  Mari/s  Loch;    the 


78 


Route  6.—St.  Manjs  Loch. 


Sect.  1. 


smaller  Loch  beyond  being  called  the 
Loch  of  the  Lowes.  Between  these 
two  a  road  passes  to  Tibhy  ShieWs 
Inn,  on  the  S.  side  of  the  water,  near 
which  stands  the  Monument  to  Hogg. 
The  house  was  brought  into  notice 
by  Hogg  and  Wilson,  who  frequented 
it  for  the  whisky  and  the  fishing. 
Trout,  perch,  and  jack  abound  in 
the  lake.  It  is  the  cradle  of  the 
stream  of  the  Yarrow,  Here  the 
passengers  may  dine  on  homely  but 
substantial  fare.  The  pedestrian 
may  return  to  Selkirk  by  the  vale 
of  the  Ettrick,  Avhich  is  parallel  to 
that  of  the  Yarrow.  Others  may 
pursue  the  journey  by  the  Moffat 
coach,  which  is  arranged  so  as  to 
meet  the  one  from  Selkirk.  Leaving 
St.  Mary's  Loch  [r.  Rodona  House), 
the  coach  ascends  the  road  by  the 
side  of  the  Loch  of  the  Lowes. 

26  m.  Birkhill  Inn.  This  district, 
from  its  solitude,  was  much  used  as 
a  hiding-place  by  the  Covenanters, 
and  many  of  the  points  are  named 
from  that  fact.  The  hill  opposite  is 
still  called  the  "  Watch  Hill ;  "  and 
not  far  off,  a  waterfall,  with  a  cave 
overhanging  it,  goes  by  the  name  of 
Dobs  Linn.  It  was  said  that  Halbert 
Dobson  and  David  Dun,  two  Cove- 
nanters, were  worried  by  the  Devil 
when  hiding  here,  and  that  one 
attacked  him  with  the  Bible,  whilst 
the  other  tumbled  him  over  into  the 
water.  Near  this  the  Yarrow  takes 
its  rise.  From  Birkhill  there  is  a 
steeply  rugged  jjath  of 

2  m.  leading  up  to  Loch  Skene, 
a  wild  and  solitary  lake,  situated 
about  1200  ft.  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  under  the  heights  of  Loch  Craig 
Head,  2625.  Robert  Chambers  first 
announced,  1845,  that  this  remark- 
able tarn  has  been  produced  by  the 
moraine  of  a  glacier  which  once 
filled  the  deep  recess  in  the  moun- 
tains. From  it  issues  the  cataract 
of  the  Grey  Mare's  Tale,  one  of  the 
highest  cascades  in  Scotland,  which 


slides  and  tumbles  down  a  deep  gash 
in  the  hillside  more  than  200  ft. 
This  stream  is  the  outlet  of  the 
Moffat  Water  from  "  the  dark  Loch 
Skene," — 

"  Where  deep,  deep  do-vvn,  and  far  within. 
Toils  with  tlie  rocks  the  roaring  linn  ; 
Then  issuing  forth  one  foaming  wave. 
And  wheeling  round  the  Giant's  Grave, 
White  as  the  snowy  charger's  tail. 
Drives  down  tlie  pass  of  Moffatdale." 

Marmion,  Introd.  to  Canto  ii. 

The  road  from  Moffat  is  carried 
near  to  the  foot  of  the  Falls,  a  path 
leading  up  to  them  along  the  edge  of 
the  gully,  a  truly  romantic  scene. 

The  Giant's  Grave  is  a  long  tu- 
mulus, between  the  road  and  the  foot 
of  the  cataract.  The  whole  of  Mof- 
fatdale lies  upon  the  Lower  Silurian 
System,  and  in  some  of  the  black 
shales  the  searcher  will  find  abun- 
dant remains  of  graptolites. 

The  road  here  crosses  the  boundary 
and  enters  Dumfriesshire. 

30  m.  rt.  is  SadcUeyoke  Hill,  so 
called  from  the  -narrowness  of  its 
ridge,  across  which  it  is  said  a  per- 
son may  sit  astride.  On  left  is  Bods- 
beck  farmhouse,  the  scene  of  one  of 
Hogg's  tales.  A  pathway  leads  over 
the  hill  to  the  road  up  the  vale  of 
Ettrick,  which  stops  short  at  the 
watershed  or  count}^  boundary.  The 
mountain  on  right,  round  whose  base 
the  road  winds,  is  HartfcU,  2651  ft., 
one  of  the  loftiest  mountains  in 
Dumfriesshire,  which  can  be  seen  to 
great  advantage  from  this  point. 
Hartfell,  White  Comb,  and  Broad 
Law,  are  the  three  great  ranges  of 
this  district,  in  all  of  which  the 
geologist  will  find  glacier  markings. 
The  road  passes  through  a  beautiful 
piece  of  wood  lying  on  its  lower 
slope.  In  this  stands  the  house  of 
Craigieburn,  which  figures  in  one  of 
Burns'  sonnets  : — 

"  Sweet  fa's  the  eve  on  Craigebum, 
And  blythe  awakes  the  morrow  ; 
But  a'  the  pride  o'  spring's  return 
Can  yield  me  nought  but  sorrow." 


S.  Scotland.       Route  6. — Galashiels  to  Moffat.. 


34:  m.  Moffat  {Inns:  Annandale 
Arms  ;  Buccleuch  Arms  ;  Star)  is  a 
small  town,  2  m.  from  Beattock 
Stat,  of  the  rly.  from  Edinburgh  to 
Dumfries  and  Carlisle  (see  Ete.  5), 
close  to  the  river  Annan.  In  sum- 
mer it  is  quite  a  fashionable  water- 
ing-place, large  numbers  of  families 
taking  up  their  residence  in  the 
numerous  lodgings  with  which  the 
town  is  provided.  Many  come  for 
the  purpose  of  drinking  the  waters. 
The  well  is  situated  about  1^  m.  from 
the  town,  approached  by  a  gentle  rise 
the  whole  way  ;  and  the  exercise  of 
walking  up  to  the  well  and  home 
again,  at  an  early  hour,  is  probably 
as  beneficial  as  drinking  the  water. 
Its  taste  is  that  of  stale  eggs  beaten 
up  with  lucifer  matches,  although  it 
is  not  so  disagreeable  as  the  stronger 
kinds  of  water  at  Harrogate.  In 
the  town  is  a  Baih-hoiise  supplied 
with  water  from  the  same  source, 
also  Eeading-rooms,  etc.  There  is 
an  Einscopal  GluqM. 

There  is  some  fishing  in  the  Annan, 
IMoflfat,  and  other  streams  ;  the  trout 
chiefly  very  small. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Moffat 
abounds  in  pretty  walks,  viz.,  to 

a.  Gallows  Hill,  rising  close  above 
the  town,  and  crowned  with  fir 
woods,  and  intersected  with  paths 
showing  pleasing  views  ; — to  Hartfell 
Spa,  4  m.  to  the  N.,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Auchencat  Burn,  a  small  stream 
that  flows  into  the  Annan  Water. 
This  excursion  may  be  prolonged  to 
the  summit  of  Hartfell. 

h.  The  Belcl  Craig  is  a  pretty  glen, 
in  which  a  small  linn  is  precipitated 
over  a  steep  bare  rock.  This  is  to 
the  left  of  the  Carlisle  road,  between 
Beattock  and  Wamphray  Stations. 

c.  The  DeviVs  Beef  Tub,  a  semi- 
circular green  hollow  surrounded  by 
steep  hills,  is  5  m.  to  the  IST.  of 
Moffat,  by  the  new  Edinburgh  road, 
one  of  Telford's  great  engineering 
works,  which  skirts  it  on  the  right, 
rising  to  a  height  of  1300  ft.  above  the 


sea-level.  This  semicircular  hollow 
is  the  head  of  the  valley  of  the 
Annan,  and  is  so  profound  and  ob- 
scure as  to  have  formed,  in  old  times, 
an  excellent  hiding-place  for  stolen 
cattle  ;  hence  called  the  DeviVs  (some- 
times the  "Douglases")  ^ce/  Tub. 
A  rebel  named  Maclaren,  in  1746, 
escaped  from  his  guard,  who  were 
conveying  him  by  the  road  to  jail,  by 
rolling  head  over  heels  into  the 
Tub,  which  was  at  that  time  full  of 
mist.  This  incident  figures  in  the 
novel  of  "  Redgauntlet,"  where,  how- 
ever, a  fictitious  Laird  of  Summer- 
trees  is  introduced  as  tlie  hero.  Near 
here  the  Annan  and  the  Tweed  rise 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  hill,  the  for- 
mer flowing  S.,  and  the  Tweed  N., 
by  Broughton  to  Peebles.  In  its 
course  through  the  parish  of  Tweeds- 
niuir  the  scenery  is  very  romantic, 
many  wild  and  lonely  burns,  such  as 
Talla,  Menzion,  and  others,  helping 
to  swell  the  infant  stream.  The 
Edinburgh  road  keeps  parallel  with 
it  as  far  as  Broughton  (Rte.  5a), 
passing,  about  half  way,  the  Crook 
Inn,  a  celebrated  angling  hostelry. 

A  lower  road  from  j\Ioffat  leads 
all  the  way  by  the  side  of  the  Annan 
into  the  Beef  Tub  itself. 

d.  The  most  interesting  excursion, 
however,  is  to  the  Grey  Mare's  Tail, 
10  m.,  and  St.  Mary's  Loch,  15  m. 
(coach  in  summer),  on  the  way  to 
Selkirk,  described  in  this  Route  6. 

Distances  —  Selkirk,  34  m.  ;  to 
Grey  Mare's  Tail,  10  ;  St.  Mary's 
Loch,  15  ;  Tibby  Shiels's  Inn,  15  ; 
Devil's' Beef  Tub,  5  ;  Birkhill,  11  ; 
Loch  Skene,  13  ;  Dumfries,  21  ;  Edin- 
burgh, 61  m.  ;  Glasgow,  65  m. 
Beattock  Stat,  of  rail.  Carlisle  to 
Glasgow,  2  m.  (omnibus  to  meet 
the  trains).  Between  that  stat.  and 
Moffat  is  Lochhouse  Tower,  a  square 
peel  belonging  to  the  Johnstones  of 
Corehead. 


80 


Route  7 . — Selkirk  to  Moffat. 


Sect.  I. 


EOUTE  7. 

Selkirk  to  Moffat  by  the  Ettrick 
Valley. 

This  road  ends  abruptly  on  the 
frontier  of  Selkirkshire,  at  the  foot 
of  the  hills  forming  the  watershed. 
In  order  to  pursue  his  journey  the 
traveller  must  either  cross  the  hills 
on  foot  to  the  road  down  Moffat- 
dale,  at  Bodsbeck,  or  he  may  drive 
by  the  road  from  the  Ettrick  to  St. 
Mary's  Loch,  and  join  the  Moffat 
road  at  Tibbie  Shiels's  Inn. 

The  road  keeps  the  right  bank  of 
the  Ettrick  Water,  passing  Haining, 
the  seat  of  Mrs.  Pringle-Douglas, 
and  overlooking  Philiphaugh  and  its 
battle-field  (Ete.  6).  The  Ettrick 
and  the  Yarrow  unite  at  a  place 
called  Carelhaugh,  corrupted  into 
Carterhaugh,  the  scene  of  Hogg's 
"Pilgrims  of  the  Sea,"  and  of  the 
ballad  "  Tamlane,"  in  the  "  Border 
Minstrelsy." 

Beyond  is  Bowhill,  a  seat  of  the 
Duke  of  Buccleuch  (Rte.  6). 

4  m.  left,  perched  on  the  top  of  a 
steep  bank,  overlooking  the  river,  is 
Oakicood  Tower,   supposed  to   have 
been  the  scene  where  the 
"  Three  lords  were  birling  at  the  wine," 

in  the  "dowie  dens  of  Yarrow."  It 
was  at  one  time  inhabited  by  Michael 
Scott,  the  wizard. 

At  the  little  village  of  Ettrick 
Bridge,  before  arriving  at  which  the 
traveller  passes  Kirkhope  Tower,  the 
road  crosses  the  river  ;  one,  on  the 
left,  being  given  off  to  the  valley  of 
the  Ale  AVater  and  Hawick,  and  soon 
after,  on  right,  another  branches  to 
the  Yarrow. 

The  country  is  now  very  wild, 
and  the  lovely  hills  and  valleys  afford 
plenty  of  scenery  for  fairy  tales,  such 
as  "  Kilmeny,"  and  others. 

12  m.,  Deloraine,  a  name  familiar 
to  all  readers  of  the  "  Lay  of  the 


Last  Minstrel, "  It  gave  the  title  of 
earl  to  Henry  Scott,  third  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Monmouth,  but  the  peerage 
is  now  extinct. 

15  m.,  at  Tushielaw,  where  is  an 
inn,  a  good  centre  for  anglers.  Other 
roads  branch  away  to  the  Yarrow, 
and  one  on  left  to  the  Borthwick 
Water.  TusMelaio  Castle  stands  on 
a  ledge  of  the  hill  that  overlooks 
the  meeting  of  the  Eankleburn  and 
Ettrick.  It  is  a  singular  situation, 
and  seems  to  have  been  chosen  fof 
the  extensive  prospect  of  the  valley 
which  it  commands  both  E.  and  W. 
It  was  the  finest  castle  in  this  neigh' 
bourhood,  and  its  last  inhabitant 
was  Adam  Scott,  who  Avas  known  in 
his  own  country  as  the  "  King  of 
the  Border,"  and  everywhere  else  as 
the  "  King  of  Thieves."  James  V., 
having  executed  Cockburn  of  Hen- 
derland,  marched  across  by  this  road 
(still  called  the  King's  road)  to 
Tushielaw,  stormed  and  plundered 
the  castle,  hanged  Scott  on  an  elm  ^i 
(still  shown  in  the  courtyard),  and  — -* 
carried  his  head  to  Edinburgh.  The 
father  of  the  "  Flower  of  Yarrow" 
was  Laird  of  Tushielaw.  The  Kankle- 
burn  runs  past  a  place  called  Buc- 
cleuch, an  old  property  of  the  Scotts, 
whence  they  have  taken  their  title. 

At  17  m.  a  road  on  left  is  given  off 
to  Tibby  Shiels's  Inn  (Ete.  6),  which 
must  be  followed  if  the  traveller  is 
driving.  A  little  farther  on  are  the 
ruins  of  Thii'lstane  Castle,  and  the 
modern  house  of  Lord  Kapier.  TJdrl- 
staiie  Castle  is  memorable  as  the  resi- 
dence of  John  Scott,  who,  when  the 
Scottish  nobility,  in  1542,  refused 
to  support  James  V.  in  an  iuA'asion 
of  England,  offered  with  his  retinue 
to  follow  the  king  whithersoever  he 
chose  to  go.  James  rewarded  his 
loyalty  by  granting  him  as  a  crest  a 
bunch  of  spears,  with  the  motto, 
"  Ready,  aye  ready."  On  the  other 
side  of  the  river  is  the  old  tower  of 
Gamescleuch.    At  the  farm  of  Ettrick 


Lanarkshire. 


Carlisle  to  Glasgoiv. 


81 


House,  20^  m.,  was  born  James 
Hogg,  the  Ettrick  Shepherd,  and  a 
headstone  records  his  memory  in  the 
chm-chyard,  although  he  was  buried 
at  Altrive,  in  the  Vale  of  Yarrow, 
1835. 

The  whole  of  this  district  was  at 
one  time  densely  covered  with  tim- 
ber, but  the  only  remains  of  Ettrick 
Forest  is  a  quantity  of  stunted  wood 
between  Cracra  Bank  and  the  slopes 
at  the  mouth  of  Rankleburn. 

•'  Ettrick  Forest  is  a  fair  forest. 
In  it  grows  many  a  seemly  tree  ; 
The  hart,  the  hind,  the  doe,  the  roe, 
And  of  all  wild  beasts  great  plentie." 

The  Bach  river,  which  joins  the 
Ettrick  immediately  below  Lochy 
Law,  has  been  haunted  from  time 
immemorial  both  by  fairies  and  the 
ghost  of  a  wandering  minstrel  who 
was  cruelly  murdered  there,  and  who 
sleeps  in  a  lone  grave  at  a  small 
distance  from  the  ford.  The  road 
now  begins  to  ascend  more  rapidly, 
and  at  last,  on  reaching  the  edge  of 
the  county  of  Selkirk,  at  the  water- 
shed, ends  abruptly,  A  track  or 
footpath  now  conducts  the  pedestrian 
down  the  other  side  of  the  hill  to  the 
farm  oi  Bodsheck,  the  haunt  of  Hogg's 
"brownie,"  28  m.,  where  the  Motfat 
Water  is  crossed,  and  joins  the  road 
from  Yarrow  to 
Moffat  (Rte.  6). 


ROUTE  8. 

Carlisle'to  Glasgow,  by  Carstairs 
Junction,  Motherwell,  Coat- 
bridge, Gartsberrie,  and  tbe 
Iron  District. 

The  Railway  from  Carlisle  to  Car- 
stairs  Junct.  is  described  in  Route  5. 

On  quitting  Carstairs  the  river 
Mouse  is  crossed,  which  lower  down 
enters  the  Clyde  throngh  the  chasm 
called  Cartland  Crags. 

3  m,  Cleghorn  Junct.  Stat.    Cleg- 


horn,  seat  of  A.  E.  Lockhart,  Esq., 
stands  on  the  Mouse,  and  the  park 
includes  a  Roman  camp. 


[Bj'aiich  Pudhcay  to  Lanark  and 
Douglas. 

2  m.  Lanark  Stat,  (see  Rte.  8a), 
where  the  Falls  of  Clyde,  Cartland 
Crags,  etc.,  are  described  ;  also  the 
road  up  to  its  beautiful  valley,  froin 
Hamilton,  nothing  of  which  is  visi- 
ble from  the  rly. 

From  Lanark  the  rly.  crosses  the 
Clyde,  and  runs  due  S.  by  Ponfeigh 
to  Sandilands,  and 

6.  m.  Douglas  Stat,  a  rather  quaint 
and  irregular  little  town  (Pop.  2624), 
Avith  a  partially  ruined  Church  of 
St.  Bride,  of  the  Pointed  Transition 
style.  In  the  choir,  which  is  the  only 
part  in  preservation,  may  be  seen  "the 
very  extraordinary  Monuments  of 
the  house  of  Douglas,  one  of  the  most 
heroic  and  powerful  families  in  the 
annals  of  Scotland.  That  works  of 
sculpture,  equal  to  any  of  the  14th 
century  in  Westminster  Abbey  (for 
such  they  certainly  were,  though 
much  mutilated  by  Cromwell's  sol- 
dieiy),  should  be  found  in  so  remote 
an  inland  place,  attests  strikingly 
the  boundless  resources  of  those 
haughty  lords,  '  whose  coronet, '  as 
Scott  says,  'so  often  counterpoised 
the  crown.' 

"The  effigy  of  the  best  friend  of 
Bruce  is  among  the  number,  and  re- 
presents him  cross-legged,  as  having 
fallen  in  battle  with  the  Saracen 
when  on  the  way  to  Jemsalem  with 

the  heart  of  his  king Sir 

Walter  Scott  examined  by  torchlight 
these  silent  witnesses  of  past  great- 
ness. It  was  a  strange  and  melan- 
choly scene,  and  its  recollection 
prompted  some  passages  in  '  Castle 
Dangerous.'  .... 

"The  appearance  of  the  village, 
too,  is  most  truly  transferred  to  the 
novel ;  and  I  may  say  the  same  of 


Boute  8. — Carlisle  to  Glasgow. 


Sect.  L 


the  surrounding  landscape.  We  de- 
scended into  a  sort  of  crypt,  in  which 
the  Douglasses  were  buried  until 
about  a  century  ago,  when  there  was 
room  for  no  more  ;  the  leaden  coffins 
around  the  wall  being  piled  on  each 
other  until  the  lower  ones  had  been 
pressed  flat  as  sheets  of  pasteboard, 
while  the  floor  itself  was  entirely 
pared  ^^•ith  others  of  comparatively 
modern  date,  on  which  coronets  and 
inscriptions  might  still  be  traced. 
Here  the  silver  case  that  once  held 
the  noble  heart  of  the  good  Lord 
James  himself  is  still  pointed  out. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a  heart,  which, 
in  memory  of  his  glorious  mission 
and  fate,  occupies  ever  since  the  chief 
place  in  the  blazon  of  his  posterity  : — 

"  '  The  bloody  heart  blazed  in  the  van, 
Announcing  Douglas'  dreaded  name.'  " 
— Locklmrfs  Life  of  Scott. 

A  little  to  the  ^ST.  of  the  town  is 
Douglas  Castle  (Earl  of  Home),  a 
modern  though  uninhabited  house, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Douglas  Water. 
It  is  a  fragment  of  a  design  of  which 
not  one-third  part  was  carried  out. 
"  Of  the  redoubted  Castle  itself  there 
remains  but  a  small  detached  frag- 
ment, covered  with  ixy,  close  to  the 
present  mansion ;  but  Scott  hung  over 
it  long,  or  rather  sat  beside  it,  draw- 
ing outlines  on  the  tuif,  and  arrang- 
ing in  his  fancy  the  sweep  of  the  old 
precincts. 

"Before  the  subjacent  and  sur- 
rounding lake  and  morass,  the  posi- 
tion must  indeed  have  been  the 
perfect  model  of  solitary  strength." 
Sir  Walter  Scott  describes  it  in  his 
tale  of  "Castle  Dangerous,"  and  re- 
visited the  spot  while  writing  that 
novel,  1831.] 

8  m.  Braidioood  Stat.,  here  are 
limestone  quarries.  A  little  to  the 
right  is  Lee  House  (Sir  Simon  Lock- 
hart,  Bart.),  a  castellated  mansion, 
renovated  by  Gillespie  Graham,  It 
contains  interesting  portraits,  Claver- 
house  and  Cromwell,   under  whom 


served  Sir  William  Lockhart,  emi- 
nent as  diplomatist  and  general,  who 
was  a  match  foe  Cardinal  Richelieu, 
and  took  Dunkirk  from  Spain  and 
France,  Here  is  kept  the  famous 
Lee  Penny,  upon  which  the  story  of 
the  "  Talisman "  is  founded,  and 
which  was  brought  from  the  East 
by  Sir  Simon  Lockhart  in  the  time 
of  Eobert  the  Bruce.  "  The  water 
in  which  it  is  dipped  operates  as  a 
styjitic,  as  a  febrifuge,  and  possesses 
several  other  properties  as  a  medici- 
nal talisman.  Of  late  its  powers 
have  been  chiefly  restricted  to  the 
cure  of  persons  bitten  by  mad  dogs  ; 
and  as  the  illness  in  such  cases 
frequently  arises  from  imagination, 
there  can  be  no  reason  for  doubting 
that  water  which  has  been  poured  on 
the  Lee  Penny  furnishes  a  congenial 
cure."  —  Introduction  to  "Talis- 
man." In  reality,  the  Lee  Penny  is 
a  groat  of  the  time  (probably  of  Ed- 
ward III.)  in  which  is  set  a  corne- 
lian or  sard  stone,  constituting  the 
real  Talisman.  The  use  of  it  was 
authorised  and  confirmed  by  a  synod 
of  the  Kirk  of  Scotland,  while  con- 
demning all  other  amulets.  In  the 
Park  is  the  Pease  Tree,  a  very  aged 
oak, 

2>\  m.  left  of  Braidwood,  up  the 
vale  of  the  Nethan,  on  the  other  side 
the  Clyde,  is  Craignethan,  the  origi- 
nal of  "  Tillietudlem  Castle,"  in 
"Old  Mortality"  (see  Rte.  8a), 

Crossing  the  gorge  called  Jock's 
Gill  we  reach 

10  m,  Carlul-e  Stat.  2  m.  W.,  in 
a  charming  position,  overlooking  the 
Clyde  valley,  is  Milton  Lockhart, 
l^ot  far  off"  is  Mauldslie  Castle  (seat 
of  James  Hozier,  Esq.) 

The  tourist  will  soon  perceive  by 
the  altered  character  of  the  scenery, 
which  from  this  to  Glasgow  is  any- 
thing but  inviting,  that  he  has 
reached  the  great  manufacturing 
district  of  the  Lanarkshire  coalfield, 
and  that  the  charming  braes  and 
woods  of  the  Clyde  have  given  place 


S.  Scotland.  Route  8a. — Coathidge  ;  Glasgow  to  Lanark.      83 


to  monotonous  and  dark  outlines, 
the  foregrounds  of  which  are  occu- 
pied by  blazing  furnaces  and  dingy- 
looking  collieries. 

13|  m.  OvERTOWX  JuxcT,  (i.e. 
Oretown).  1  m.  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Clyde  is  the  village  of  Dalserf. 
At  Overtown  is  a  junction  with  the 
Bathgate  branch  of  the  Monkland 
Eailway. 

14|  m.  TFishaw  Stat.  A  little  to 
the  right  of  the  town  are  the  Colt- 
ness  Ironworks  ;  the  town  is  partly 
undermined  by  coalpits.  Wishaio 
House  (late  Lord  Belhaven)  in  a  park 
of  great  beauty.  Coltness  H.  (H. 
Houldsworth,  Esq.)  ;  l-^  m.  S.  is 
Cavihusncthaii  House  (J.  S.  Lock- 
hart,  Esq). 

17i  m.  Motherwell  Junct., 
where  the  Clydesdale  branch  rly.  is 
given  off  to  Glasgow,  through  Cam- 
buslang  and Rutherglen  (Ete.SA),  the 
main  line  keeping  a  more  northerly 
direction.  Motherwell  is  a  town  of 
modern  rise  and  sudden  prosperity — 
from  the  mineral  wealth  around  it. 
It  possesses  several  churches  {Lin : 
Royal  H).  Omnibus  to  Hamilton, 
(2m.,5ccRte.  8a.)  On  left  is  the  vil- 
lage of  Dalzell(pron.  Dee'el),  andDa/- 
ziel  House  (J.  G.  E.  Hamilton,  Esq.), 
standing  on  a  small  tributary  of  the 
Clyde.  The  present  house  is  a  bar- 
onial pile,  retaining  the  former  man- 
sion and  keep,  700  years  old.  The 
Gardens  have  been  improved  from 
suggestions  of  Mr.  Ruskin. 

Passing  the  stations  of  Holytoicn 
and  Whifflet,  near  which  are  the 
Calder  Ironworks,  the  train  reaches 

23  m.  Coatbridge  Junct.  Stat.,  a 
mining  town,  the  centre  of  a  group 
of  blazing  Iron  Furnaces,  surrounded 
by  a  network  of  rlys.  The  handsome 
Gothic  Cliurch,  with  octagon  spire, 
built  by  J.  Baird,  Esq.,  the  iron- 
master, 1874.  Near  this  are  the 
Paraffin  oil  distilleries  of  Young  and 
Co.    Here  the  main  line  of  the  Monk- 


land  system  of  rlys.  to  Bathgate 
and  Bo'ness  is  given  oif.  The  large 
ironworks  of  Dundyvan,  Langloan, 
and  others,  are  passed  in  succession 
nearly  up  to  doors  of  Glasgow.  It  is 
a  desolate,  black  district — of  smoke, 
coal,  and  ashes, — treeless,  sunless, 
the  verdure  of  nature's  surface  scari- 
fied and  loaded  with  rubbish  heaps. 
Yet  it  deserves  to  be  seen  as  a  climax 
of  human  industry. 

24  m.  Gartsherrie  Junct.  The 
Caledonian  Rly.  sends  oif  a  line  N. 
to  Greenliill  Junction  and  Stirling, 
forming  the  link  for  travellers  from 
the  S.  to  Perth,  Dundee,  and  Inver- 
ness (Rte.  18). 

At  Gartsherrie  are  the  celebrated 
ironworks  and  furnaces  belonging  to 
the  Bairds,  the  iron-kings  of  Scot- 
land, where  one  of  the  finest  brands 
of  pig-iron  is  made.  Thence  past 
Gartcosh  and  GarnkirJc,  and  Stepps, 
to 

31  m.  Glasgow  Terminus,  Buch- 
anan-street Stat.  (Rte.  16). 


ROUTE  8a. 

Glasgow  to  BothweU,  Hamilton, 
and  Lanark  and  Falls  of  the 
Clyde. 

There  are  2  rlys.  to  Hamilton  (a) 
by  Blantyre  (b)  by  Uddingstone, 
both  starting  from  S.  side  of  Clyde 
Stat,  in  Glasgow,  and  bifurcating  at 
Cambuslang. 

It  matters  little  by  what  course  the 
traveller  finds  his  way  from  Glasgow 
to  Hamilton,  but  the  beauties  of  the 
Upper  Clyde  cannot  be  seen  from 
the  railway,  and  the  traveller  is  re- 
commended to  take  to  the  high  road 
from  Bothwell  or  Hamilton  to 
Lanark. 

Through   a  region   of    coals   an 
smoke,  where  tall  chimneys  supy>ly 
the  place  of  trees,  passing  left,  at  the 


84 


Route  8a. — Blantyre  ;  Bothivell  Castle.  Sect.  I. 


very  outskirts  of  Glasgow,  Dixon's 
Iron  Furnaces,  the  rly.  reaches 

24  m. ,  Ruthcrglcn  or  Rugglen  Stat. 
The  top-heavy  tower  of  the  Town- 
hall  is  conspicuous.  Rugglen  was  a 
town  before  Glasgow,  hut  has  now 
fallen  to  be  only  one  of  its  suburbs. 
May  29,  1679,  a  body  of  86  armed 
covenanters  rode  into  the  town,  and 
fixed  on  the  cross  a  seditious  "De- 
claration," which  led  to  the  skirmish 
of  Drumclog,  and  the  battle  of  Both- 
well  Brig.  Long  Calderwood,  Ig  m. 
N.,  was  the  birthplace  of  Drs.  John 
and  William  Hunter,  physicians  and 
anatomists.  Eight,  3  m.,  near  Pol- 
lockshaws,  is  Langsidey  scene  of  the 
battle  (see  Index).  Left  are  the  Fur- 
naces of  the  Clyde  Ironworks. 

Here  the  railway  bifurcates.  One 
line  continues  along  high  ground  on 
left  of  Clj'de,  but  out  of  sight  of 
it,  to 

8  m.,  Blantyre  Stat.,  a  workman's 
village,  dependent  on  large  cotton 
mills  and  die-works  established  here 
since  the  18th  centy.  The  illustrious 
traveller  and  missionary,  David 
Livingstone,  was  born  here  1815, 
and  commenced  life,  as  he  tells  us 
himself,  "  as  a  piecer  in  Mr.  Mon- 
teith's  works. "  f  m.  down  the  Clyde 
a  very  small  fragment  hangs  on  the 
edge  of  the  bank,  of  the  Priory  of 
Blant3Te,  founded  by  Alexander  II. 

From  Blantyre  Stat.  Bothwell  may 
be  reached  in  about  a  mile,  crossing 
the  Clyde  by  the  suspension  bridge 
(see  below). 

The  rly.  continues  to 

10  m.  Hamilton  Stat.,  about  1  m. 
from  the  town.  Omnibus  thither 
(see  below). 


The  Motherwell  Ely.,  leaving 
Cambuslang  a  little  beyond 

Neicton  Stat.  (Ironworks),  crosses 
Clyde  on  a  viaduct  commanding  fine 
view  up  and  down  the  river,  specially 
of  Bothwell  Castle,  etc. 


Uddingston  Stat.,  on  the  high  road 
from  Bothwell,  1  m.,  and  from 
Hamilton,  4  m.,  is  almost  entirely 
composed  of  2  lines  of  villas,  which 
extend  to 

Bothwell,  more  than  a  mile,  and 
constitute  that  neat  village,  a  sort  of 
rural  suburb  of  Glasgow,  on  a  height 
above  the  Clyde.  Inn  :  The  Clyde 
Hotel ;  open  situation  in  a  garden, 
near  the  Parish  Church,  a  red  stone 
edifice,  with  tall  tower,  chiefly  mo- 
dern, but  including  part  of  an  ancient 
church,  deserving  the  architect's 
notice  for  its  peculiar  stone  barrel- 
vault  and  roof  without  timber.  It 
was  built  in  1398  by  Archibald  the 
Grim,  Earl  of  Douglas,  **  that  stal- 
wart knight  whom  Froissart  saw 
wielding  a  sword  2  ells  long,  scarce 
any  one  else  could  raise  from  the 
gi'ound,  dealing  such  blows  that 
wherever  he  reached  he  overthrew." 
In  this  ch.  his  daughter  was  married 
to  David,  Duke  of  Rothesa}^,  heir- 
apparent  to  the  throne,  Avho  was 
afterwards  starved  to  death  in  Falk- 
land Palace. 

The  manse  of  Bothwell  was  the 
birthplace  of  Joanna  Baillie  the 
poetess,  11th  Sept.  1762. 

The  road  from  Bothwell  to  Hamil- 
ton passes  the  gates  of  Bothwell 
Castle  (Earl  of  Home).  In  the  midst 
of  beautiful  woods  and  grounds 
stretching  down  to  the  Clyde,  on 
whose  lofty  right  bank  rise  the  red 
jiicturesque  ruins  of  the  old  Castle.      >, 

Bothivell   Castle    (Earl   of  Home)     ty 
looks  statelily  down  upon  the  Clyde.      ^ 
There  is  admission  on  Tuesdays  and 
Fridays,  from  11  to  4.     The  castle 
has  a  grand  and  imposing  front  of 
two  round  towers,  connected  by  a 
lofty  and   massive   curtain   of    red, 
sandstone.     It  is  an  admirable  speci- 
men of  the  baronial  fortress.     It  has 
the    style    and    appearance    of    an 
Edwardian  Castle,  and  was  probably 
built  by  the  English,  but  was  taken 
from  them  1337.     Besides  its  front, 
which  owes  its  preservation  to  the 
thickness  of  its  walls,  there  is  on  the 


S.  Scotland.     PiOide  8a. — Bothioell  Brig  ;  Hamilton. 


So 


S.E.  side  the  chapel.  Tlie  castle 
belonged  originally  to  the  ]\Inrrays, 
and  was  inhabited  by  Sir  William 
AYallace  during  the  time  of  his 
governorship.  Upon  the  subjugation 
of  Scotland  it  was  given  by  Edward 
I.  to  Aylmer  de  X^alence,  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  and  after  the  expulsion 
of  the  English  was  restored  to  the 
Murrays.  From  that  family  it  passed 
by  marriage  to  that  of  Douglas,  was 
confiscated  by  James  III.  and  re- 
stored by  James  I V.  in  exchange  for 
the  Castle  of  Hermitage,  which  he 
took  from  them. 

The  modern  house  stands  close  by, 
and  contains  a  gallery  of  pictures 
possessing  much  interest,  because 
they  include  half  the  collection  of 
the  great  Lord  Chancellor  Clarendon, 
formerly  at  Amesbury  in  AVilts,  the 
other  half  of  the  collection  being  now 
at  Lord  Clarendon's  seat,  "  the  Grove,'' 
Herts.  Of  this  part  of  it  Walpole 
remarked,  "  Not  one  original,  I 
think — at  least  not  one  fine  one." 
Walpole  Avas  not  quite  right.  The 
whole-lengths  of  Lord  Lindsay,  Lord 
Binning,  Lady  Paulett,  and;  ^Irs. 
Howard,  are  by  Van  DycTc,  and  fine 
works  ;  see  also  Nell  Gwynne  and 
others  by  Lely  ;  Cromwell  and  Sir 
Thomas  More  by  Holbein  ;  Kaleigh 
by  Van  Somer ;  by  Reynolds,  Mar- 
garet, Duchess  of  Douglas,  etc. 

Passing  the  village  of  Bothwell, 
the  traveller  arrives  at  Bothivcll 
Bridge  (2  m.  from  Hamilton),  cele- 
brated for  the  battle,  June  22,  1679, 
described  in  "  Old  Mortality,"  Ije- 
tween  the  royal  troops,  commanded 
by  ]\Ionmcuth  and  Claverhouse,  who 
approached  from  the  N",,  and  the 
Covenanters  strongly  posted  on  the 
S.  bank,  but  commanded  by  nobody 
at  all,  for  they  were  squabbling 
about  the  election  of  their  officers 
when  attacked.  Their  position  was 
well  chosen,  the  only  access  to  it 
being  by  the  bridge,  which  was  held 
by  a  small  force  under  Hackston  of 
Eathillet,  until  his  ammunition  was 


exhausted.  When  this  force  was 
withdrawn  the  Duke's  army  crossed 
the  bridge,  and  his  artillery  sufficed 
to  put  the  insurgents  to  rout.  The 
bridge  is  much  altered  since  that 
day  ;  it  then  had  a  steep  rise  in  its 
centre,  where  it  was  crossed  by  a  gate, 
and  was  only  12  ft.  wide,  and  its 
approaches  on  each  side  were  much 
steeper  than  at  present. 

[From  the  bridge  over  the  Clyde 
the  high  road  skirts  on  the  left  the 
Duke  of  Hamilton's  park  wall,  and 
in  about  a  mile  reaches 

Hamilton  {Inns  :  "  Commercial, " 
Spalding's,  good  ;  obliging  landlord). 
Horses  and  carriages  kept  here, 
so  that  it  forms  a  good  centre  for  ex- 
ploring this  interesting  neighbour- 
hood. 

Hamilton  is  a  cheerful  and  pros- 
perous town,  on  a  sIojjc  (the  old  and 
dirtier  quarter  below)  about  2  m. 
from  the  Clyde,  which  near  this  is 
joined  by  its  pretty  tributaiy  the 
Avon.  Hamilton,  though  tolerably 
free  from  smoke,  is  surrounded,  at  a 
distance  of  3  or  4  m.,  by  collieries 
and  iron  furnaces,  which  light  up  the 
horizon  at  night. 

The  stately  Palace  of  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton  stands  in  the  bottom  of 
the  valley,  close  to  the  old  town, — so 
close  that  about  1826  a  whole  street 
was  purchased  and  thrown  into  the 
park.  The  fronts  of  the  houses  only 
remain,  and,  with  their  doors  and 
■svindows  walled  up,  still  serve  as  a 
boundary  wall.  At  the  same  time 
the  Old  Tolhooth,  a  picturesque  build- 
ing with  tower,  was  cut  off  from  the 
town,  and  now  stands  within  the 
grounds  of  the  Palace. 

Queen  Mary,  on  escaping  from  Loch 
Leven  Castle,  made  Hamilton  Palace 
her  rallying-point,  here  collecting 
around  her  all  her  adherents  and  par- 
tizans,  1568.  The  Palace,  besides  its 
historic  interest,  in  the  splendour  of 
its  decorations,  and  in  the  number  and 
value  of  the  precious  objects  which 
it  contains  of  art  and  virtu,  is  not 


86 


Route  8a. — Hamilton  Palace. 


Sect.  I. 


surpassed  by  any  mansion  in  tlie 
kingdom.  There  is  no  admission  to 
the  interior  except  by  special  intro- 
duction. 

The  growids  are  open  to  the  public 
Tuesdays  and  Fridays.  They  abound 
in  noble  trees,  and  are  traversed  by 
a  stately  avenue  stretching  from  the 
Palace  up  to  Chatelherault,  and  con- 
tinued on  the  other  side.  Within 
them  stands  the  remarkable  family 
mausoleum.  The  old  Palace  was 
rebuilt  in  1695-6,  but  the  building 
was  augmented  by  nearly  one-half, 
and  a  new  front  added,  by  Duke 
Alexander  in  1828-9.  It  is  a  stately 
and  imposing  piece  of  architecture, 
with  an  extent  of  264  ft.  and  a  por- 
tico of  monolith  Corinthian  columns, 
copied  from  those  of  the  Temple  of 
Vespasian  at  Pome.  Each  of  these 
is  30  ft.  high,  3  ft.  in  diameter,  and 
cut  out  of  a  single  stone.  The  inte- 
rior evinces  that  its  owners  have  com- 
bined with  a  love  of  splendour  a  true 
knowledge  and  appreciation  of  art. 

The  grand  staircase  is  entirely  of 
black  marble.  The  entrance-hall 
extends  through  3  storeys.  The 
State  apartments  are  fitted  up  in 
the  gorgeous  style  of  Louis  XIV., 
and  contain  his  bed  and  furniture. 

The  walls  are  covered  with  Gobe- 
lins, representing  the  story  of  Jeru- 
salem Delivered,  from  Tasso.  The  rich 
roof  and  gold  panels  remind  one  of 
Versailles.  The  rooms  are  ornamented 
with  caskets  inlaid  with  precious 
stones,  cabinets,  and  other  rare  ob- 
jects, gifts  of  Catherine  of  Russia  to 
the  10th  Duke  of  Hamilton  when 
ambassador  at  her  Court,  including 
her  portrait  in  tapestry,  and  another 
of  her  on  horseback  en  cavalier. 

Here  are  various  objects  which  be- 
longed to  IMarie  Antoinette  and  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots,  her  jewel-case  and 
writing  cabinet  of  ebony,  the  cradle 
of  Queen  Elizabeth,  etc. 

The  collection  of  family  portraits 
in  the  splendid  long  gallery,  and 
other  parts  of  the  house,  is  of  great 
historic  interest.     They  include 


James,  Marquis  of  Hamilton,  by 
Van  Somcr. 

William,  Earl  of  Lanark,  killed  at 
Worcester,  Mytens. 

Elizabeth  Gunning,  Duchess  of 
Hamilton,  Mr.  Beckford,  and  Alex- 
ander, 10th  Duke  of  Hamilton,  as  a 
boy,  all  by  ^'/?'  Joshua  Reynolds. 

Mrs.  Beckford,  in  old  age,  full  of 
vigour,  is  one  of  the  best  portraits 
of  Ben.   West,  P.R.A. 

The  most  celebrated  picture  here 
is  that  of  Daniel  in  the  Lions'  Den, 
one  of  the  very  few  known  to  have 
been  executed  entirely  by  Rubens 
himself.  The  following  are  among 
the  choicest  works  singled  out  by 
Waagen  : — 

Girolamo  de  Libri,  a  rare  Veronese 
master. — Large  altar-piece.  Virgin 
and  Child,  with  Saints. 
Luca  Signorelli. — The  Circumcision 
of  Christ.  —  An  altar-piece  of 
10  figures,  life-size,  one  of  the 
most  important  works  of  the 
master. 
Pontormo. — Portrait   of  Gaston    de 

Medici. 
Antonello  da  il/(;ssi7«a.— Portrait  of  a 
young  man  named,  and  dated  1474. 
Domcnichino. — John  the  Baptist  re- 
proving Herod. 
Sebastian  del  Piombo. — The  Trans- 
figuration.      Pope    Clement  VII. 


Sandro  Botticelli. — Adoration  of  the 
Kings.  A  large  picture,  with  small 
figures  executed  like  miniatures. 

Sandro  Botticelli. — The  Coronation 
of  the  Virgin  ;  below,  in  3  semi- 
circles, all  the  personages  of  the 
Holy  Church, — Apostles,  Saints, 
Patriarchs,  Prophets,  The  Fathers, 
Martyrs,  and  Holy  Virgins,  etc., 
from  S.  Pietro  Maggiore,  Florence, 
described  by  Vasari. 

Giorgione. — Hippomanes  and  Ata- 
lanta. 

Van  Dyclc. — Wm.  Fielding,  Earl  of 
Denbigh  ;  Duchess  of  Eichmond  ; 
Princess  Henrietta  of  Lorraine. 

Murillo. — John  the  Baptist  as  a 
child  asleep. 


S.  Scotland.    Route  8a. — Glasgoiv  to  Lanark ;  Hamilton. 


Velasquez.  —  Philip      IV.,      whole 

length. 
David.  —  Full    length    portrait     of 

•Napoleon. 
Tintoret. — IMoses  striking  the  Rock  ; 

Portraits.  — Visit  of  Queen  of  Slieba 

te  Solomon. 
Nich.  Poussin. — The  Entombment. 
Hohhema. — Trees    and    Houses,     in 

front  a  sheet  of  water. 
Teniers. — -A   Stable  ;    a  Landscape. 

Teniers'  Coimtry  House. 
W.  Van  der  Velde. — A  Calm  Sea. 

•  Among  the  treasures  of  the  Lib- 
rary, one  of  the  choicest  in  Bri- 
tain, abounding  in  rare  MSS.  and 
missals,  are  : — A  Greek  Gospel  of 
12th  centy.  ;  an  illuminated  Greek 
MS.  of  14th  centy.  ;  a  Psalter  MS. 
from  Hildesheim,  13th  centy.  ;  the 
Vulgate,  with  miniatures,  very  fine  ; 
Dante,  folio,  15th  centy.,  with  an 
illustration  on  every  page  ;  an  An- 
tiphonary,  executed  for  Pope  Leo  X. 
The  Beckford  Library  occupies  a 
room  to  itself,  and  contains  some 
exquisite  missals  with  miniatures. 
Here  are  preserved  the  gun  with 
which  Hamilton  of  Bothwellhaugh 
shot  the  Eegent  Murray  (it  was 
originally  a  matchlock) ;  and  the 
writing-desk  of  Jtlary  Queen  of  Scots. 

Near  to  the  palace  is  the  Mavso- 
leum,  a  square  building,  surmounted 
by  a  round  tower  and  a  stone  cupola 
(D.  Bryce,  archt),  reminding  one  of 
the  tomb  of  Cecilia  Metella  near 
Rome.  The  interior  is  an  octagonal 
chapel,  underneath  which  are  tlie 
vaults.  The  terrace  front  is  adorned 
by  colossal  lions,  by  Ritchie.  On 
the  basement  are  representations  of 
Life,  Death,  and  Eternity.  It  was 
erected  by  Alexander,  the  10th 
Duke,  whose  remains  lie  within 
the  sarcophagus  of  an  Egyptian 
queen. 

The  building  within  has  a  truly 
sepulchral  character,  and  the  echo 
produced  by  the  arrangements  of 
the  interior  is  remarkable,  since  the 


wind  as  it  passes  over  it  seems  to 
moan  a  perpetual  requiem  for  him 
who  sleeps  below.  The  bronze 
gates  are  copied  from  those  of  the 
Baptistry  at_Florence. 

Environs. — a.  \  m.  S.E.  of  Hamil- 
ton the  picturesque  river  Avon  is 
crossed  by  a  bridge,  and  a  little 
higher  up  by  a  rly.  viaduct,  close  to 
which  is  the  house  of  Barncluith  (Lady 
Ruthven),  noted  for  its  old-fashioned 
Dutch  gardens,  in  terraces  adorned 
with  quaintly  cut  yews,  clipped 
hedges,  etc.,  laid  out  1583. 

b.  About  1^  m.  higher  up  the 
Avon  valley  is  the  ruined  Casfle  of 
Cadzotu  on  its  left  bank  ;  and  on  the 
right,  connected  by  a  bridge,  is  the 
Toy  Castle  of  ChatelhcrauU,  copied, 
1732,  from  the  "chateau  in  France, 
from  which  the  Duke  takes  his 
French  title.  It  stands  in  a  com- 
manding position,  conspicuous  with 
its  four  towers,  on  the  open  hill-side, 
and  is  connected  by  a  double  avenue 
of  trees,  Avith  Hamilton  Palace  below, 
and  has  a  splendid  vicAv  over  Clydes- 
dale. One  wing  is  fitted  up  as  a 
summer  pavilion  for  picnic  parties 
in  the  Louis  XIV.  style  ;  the  rest  is 
occupied  by  gamekeepers  and  dog- 
kennels.  The  terraced  garden  behind, 
with  its  formal  yew  hedges,  looks 
down  into  the  winding  and  wooded 
Avondale.  A  bridge  over  the  river 
leads  from  it  to  Cadzovj  Castle,  the 
cradle  of  the  Hamilton  family,  built 
on  a  crag  above  the  Avon,  now  a 
shapeless  ruin  overgrown  with  trees 
and  briars,  among  Avhich  may  be 
traced  dark  vaults  and  foundations 
of  towers. 

Upon  the  same  side  of  the  river  as 
Cadzow,  and  reached  b}^  the  grass- 
drive,  is  all  that  remains  of  the  great 
CaledonioM  Forest,  which  once  ex- 
tended from  sea  to  sea  through  the 
whole  of  the  south  of  Scotland.  A 
few  of  the  old  stag-headed  oaks  are 
left,  more  than  one  of  which  mea- 
sures upwards  of  24  ft.  in  circimi- 


88 


Route  8  A. — U^pper  Clyde  ;  Craignetlian. 


Sect.  I. 


ference.  Here,  too,  is  a  lierd  of  the 
wild  cattle,  identical  with  the  breed 
still  preserved  at  Chillingham,  in 
Northumberland.  They  are  per- 
fectly white,  except  that  the  muzzle 
and  tips  of  the  ears  are  brown  ;  they 
are  very  handsome.  Sir  Walter 
Scott  alludes  to  them  in  his  ballad 
of  '*  Cadzow  Castle  :  " — 

"  Through  the  huge  oaks  of  Avondale, 
Whose  limbs  a  thousand  years  have 
worn, 
What  sullen  roar  comes  down  the  gale, 
And  drowns  the  hunter's  pealing  horn  ? 

"  Mightiest  of  all  the  beasts  of  chase 
That  roam  in  woody  Caledon, 
Crushing  the  forest  in  his  race. 
The  mountain  bull  comes  thundering 


An  order  from  the  Duke's  factor, 
which  Mr.  Spalding,  landlord  of  the 
Commercial,  will  obtain,  is  required 
to  admit  to  Chatelherault. 

c.  Bothwell  Castle  is  1\  m.  from 
Hamilton  ;  the  road  passes  over 
Bothwell  Brig  (1  m.)  (see  above). 

d.  Country  Seats  near  Hamilton — 
Dalziel  House  (J.  Hamilton,  Esq.), 

enlarged,  with  gardens  laid  out 
from  Mr.  Ruskin's  designs. 

Caldertvood  Castle  (Sir  Wm.  ]\Iax- 
well),  beautiful  walks  in  the  grounds. 

To  the  Falls  of  the  Clyde  at  Lanark 
is  a  drive  of  14^:  m.,  very  pleasant. 
Craignethan  may  be  visited  on  the 
way  (see  below). 

Hamilton  was  the  birthplace  of 
the  eminent  physician  Dr.  Cullen.] 


Hamilton  to  Lanark  and  the  Falls 
of  the  Clyde. 

\i\  m.     Coach  or  omnibus  daily. 

The  middle  Clyde  valley  between 
these  two  towns  possesses  consider- 
able beauty,  spite  of  the  inroads  of 
coal-mines  and  ironworks.  The 
railways  on  either  side  (Rte.  8)  run 


quite  out  of  sight  of  this  scenery, 
and  the  high  road  must  be  resorted 
to  by  those  who  wish  to  enjoy  the 
scenery  of  Clydesdale.  It  is '  a 
pleasant  drive  of  Ig  hr.  in  a  wag- 
gonette. Craignethan  Castle  may 
be  visited  by  a  detour  of  1  m. 
Stonebyres  Fall  is  at  the  roadside, 
and  the  valley  of  the  Mouse  and  Cart- 
land  Crags  will  absorb  an  hour. 

On  quitting  Hamilton  the  river 
Avon  is  crossed  a  little  below  the 
quaint  terraced  gardens  of  Barn- 
cluith.  Higher  up  the  Avon  are 
the  ruins  of  Cadzow  Castle,  described 
above. 

Numerous  coalpits  rise  on  either 
side  of  the  road,  and  in  the  distance 
the  smoke-clouds  by  day,  and  the 
palpitating  glare  at  night,  proclaim 
the  activity  of  various  iron -furnaces. 
The  road  approaches  the  Clyde 
near  to  Cambusnethan  House  (J.  S. 
Lockhart,  Esq.),  a  modern  Gothic 
edifice  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river. 
Above  this  the  Clyde  assumes  a 
character  of  great  beauty,  richly 
wooded,  abounding  in  orchards,  to 
be  seen  in  the  splendour  of  full 
bloom  in  the  month  of  June.  At 
Garrion  Bridge  the  road  from  Edin- 
burgh to  Ayr  crosses  the  Clyde,  which 
is  traversed  by  several  private  bridges 
leading  to  gentlemen's  seats  on  the 
right  bank,  as  to  Maiddslie  Castle 
(Jas.  Hozier,  Esq.),  a  stately  mansion 
designed  by  Adam  (down  to  1817  the 
estate  belonged  to  the  Earls  of  Hynd- 
ford)  ;  and  Milton  Lockhart  (Rev. 
Laurence  Lockhart,  D.D.),  a  modern 
Gothic  house  designed  by  Burn,  on 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots 
in  Clydesdale,  on  a  ridge  between 
Jock's  Gill,  and  the  Clyde. 

At  the  hamlet  of  Nethan-foot  the 
Nethan  is  crossed.  1  m.  up  this 
glen  to  the  right  stands  Craignethan 
Castle,  the  well-known  type  of  Tillie- 
tudlem  in  Scott's  "  Old  Mortality." 
He  visited  the  spot  in  1799,  and  ex- 
pressed such  rapture  with  the  scenery 
that  Jjord  Douglas  offered  him  the 
farm-house  for  life.     The  castle  was 


Lanark.     Hamilton  to  Lanark  and  the  Falls  of  Clyde. 


89 


a  fortified  manor-house  of  the  great 
Evandale  branch  of  the  Hamilton 
family,  but  is  now  reduced  to  two 
towers,  portions  of  the  walls,  and  of 
a  stone  vaulted  hall,  but  its  situation, 
embowered  in  foliage,  overlooking 
the  Nethan  and  defended  by  a 
ditch,  is  highly  picturesque.  The 
enthusiast  may  discover  the  Avindow 
out  of  which  the  hot  broth  was 
soused  over  Cuddy  Headrigg  by 
Jenny.  3  m.  higher  up  the  Nethan 
is  crossed  by  a  magnificent  viaduct 
of  the  Lesmahagow  Rly. 


On  the  right  bank  of  the  Clyde 
(14  m.)  is  Hallbar  Tower,  a  square 
peel  52  ft.  high,  and  the  house  of 
Carfin. 

About  3  ra.  from  Lanark,  a  gate  at 
the  roadside  leads  through  a  wood 
to  Stonehjres  Fall.  The  witch  of 
the  Fall  is  on  the  spot  to  guide  you, 
but  is  scarce  needed.  The  best 
view  of  the  entire  Fall,  which  is  48  ft. 
high,  is  obtained  by  descending  the 
stream  h.  about  100  yds.  Higher 
up  are  some  rough  natural  steps  in 
the  bank,  called  "  Jacob's  Ladder," 
from  which  a  nearer  view  is  obtained, 
but  only  of  part  of  the  Falls,  as  the 
river-bed  makes  a  bend,  and  is  much 
shrouded  by  foliage.  Stonebyres 
House  (Sir  Wm.  Scott  of  Ancrum)  is 
in  part  as  old  as  the  15th  cent. 

Kirkfieldbank  and  Clyde ville,  vil- 
occupied  by  weavers,  are 
passed  close  to  the  old  Bridge  of  3 
arches,  and  a  steep  ascent  leads  up 
to  Lanark  ;  but  a  little  below  the 
bridge  the  Mouse  water  enters  the 
Clyde  (right  bank)  out  of  a  remark- 
able defile,  called,  on  account  of  its 
precipitous  sides,  Cartland  Crags. 
They  are  from  200  to  400  ft.  high  ; 
the  chasm  is  about  f  m.  long.  Near 
its  upper  end  it  is  crossed  by  one  of 
Telford's  elegant  Bridges  of  3 
arches,  on  piers  120  ft.  above  the 
water.  A  low  bridge  crosses  near 
[Scotlarid.  ] 


its  mouth  close  to  a  very  old  nar- 
row Bridge  said  to  be  Roman,  and 
by  this  the  pedestrian  may  gain 
access  to  the  glen.  Castle  Quha,  a 
fragment  of  w\all  connected  with 
caves  in  the  cliff,  is  said  to  have 
been  Wallace's  stronghold  when  he 
made  his  first  raid  upon  the  Eng- 
lish. A  loop-road,  crossing  the  Clyde 
lower  down,  and  over  Talford  Bridge, 
from  which  you  look  down  into 
Mouse  glen,  leads  into  Lanark. 

Lanark  {Inns :  Clydesdale,  Com- 
mercial, Black  Bull — none  very  good), 
an  uninteresting  town  (5100  in- 
hab.),  on  a  cold  upland  nearly  700 
ft.  above  the  sea-level.  Little  evi- 
dence now  exists  of  the  antiquity  of 
which  it  boasts.  In  a  central 
market-place,  from  which  five  streets 
diverge,  stands  an  ungainl}'"  Parish 
Church  (date  1777),  indented  in  its 
front  with  a  niche  to  contain  a  huge 
statue  of  the  patriot  "Wm.  Wallace, 
who  commenced  his  exploits  of  arms 
here,  1297,  by  overpowering  the 
English  garrison  and  slaying  their 
leader,  Wm.  Haselrigg,  in  revenge, 
it  is  alleged,  for  the  murder  of  Wal- 
lace's wife.  The  whole  story  of 
Wallace  verges  on  the  mythical,  and 
the  chief  authority  for  it  is  the 
verses  of  Blind  Harry  the  minstrel, 
who  lived  200  years  after  the  events 
of  which  he  is  the  principal  if  not 
the  only  recorder.  N  ot  far  from  the 
rly.  station  is  a  Gothic  Rom.  Cath. 
Church.  Beyond  it,  in  the  Parish 
Burial-Ground,  several  pointed 
arches  are  preserved  of  the  old 
Parish  Ch.  of  St.  Kentigem. 

The  Falls  of  the  Clyde  (Bonnington 
and  Corra  Linns)  may  be  seen  by 
tickets,  given  to  strangers  by  the 
factor  of  Sir  Charles  Ross,  Bart.  It 
takes  2  or  3  hrs.  to  see  them.  The 
road  down  to  the  Clyde  is  carried  in 
zigzags  through  the  settlement  of 
New  Lanark,  founded  in  1784  by 
David  Dale,  and  his  son-in-law,  the 
visionary  socialist,  Robert  Owen, 
now  the  property  of  a  Manchester 
e2 


90 


Route  9. — Carlisle  to  Glasgow. 


Sect.  I. 


firm.     It  is  a  street  of  mills  and  tall 
houses  on    the  riorht  bank   of   the 


Clyde  (pop.  1200). 


m.  farther 


the  Lodge  of  Bonnington  House  (2  m. 
from  Lanark),  where  tickets  are 
given  up,  and  a  guide  must  be  taken. 
Carriages  wait  here.  (N.B. — There 
is  a  more  direct  footway  hither, 
leaving  New  Lanark  on  right.) 

It  is  a  very  pleasant  walk  from  the 
Lodge  to  the  Falls  of  1^  m.  through 
the  well-wooded  grounds  of  Sir  C. 
Ross,  Bart. ,  along  the  right  bank  of 
the  Clyde,  here  bordered  by  cliff  and 
rock  alternating  with  fine  hanging 
woods.  About  h  m.  from  the  lodge  a 
view  is  obtained  of  Cora  Linn,  the 
finest  of  the  Falls,  descending  86  ft., 
and  visible  in  its  full  extent  from  the 
jjath.  It  exceeds  any  fall  in  Britain 
in  the  body  of  water. 

The  mansion  of  Corehouse  (once 
seat  of  the  Scotch  Judge  Cranstoun, 
Lord  Corehouse,  now  of Cun- 
ningham, Esq.)  stands  on  the  left 
bank  a  little  below  the  Falls,  while 
above  it  the  old  tower  of  Core- 
house  overhangs  the  verge  of  the 
cliff.     Listen  to  Wordsworth — 

"  Lord  of  the  vale,  astounding  flood, 
The  dullest  leaf  in  this  thick  wood 

Quakes,  conscious  of  thy  power  ; 
The  caves  reply  with  hollow  moan, 
And  vibrates  to  its  central  stone 

Ton  time-cemented  tower." 

About  I  m.  farther  on,  we  come  to 
Bonnington  Linn,  the  uppermost 
of  the  three  Falls.  The  banks  of  the 
Clyde  have  here  risen  into  high 
cliffs,  and  a  bend  in  the  channel 
causes  it  to  sweep  round  a  sharp 
turn  dividing  into  two  branches. 
Between  them  is  left  a  rocky  island, 
to  which  a  light  iron  bridge  gives 
access,  and  takes  you  into  the  midst 
of  the  Fall  The  height  is  not  much 
more  than  30  ft.  but  the  .suri'ounding 
rocks  add  picturesque  effect. 

The  Fcdl  of  Stonehyres  is  about  3 
m.  below  Lanark,  close  to  the  road 
to  Hamilton  (see  above).  The  ra- 
vine of  the  Mouse  river  by  the  Cart- 
land  Crags,  also  below  Lanark,  de- 


serves a  visit,  and  requires  some  one 
to  show  the  way  (see  above). 

From  Lanark  the  geologist  may 
visit  Lesmahagotv  (5  m.),  where,  in 
the  black  slabs  of  the  Silurian  rock, 
many  remarkable  fossils  (crustacese) 
have  been  discovered — Pteregotus, 
Sylonurus,  etc.  The  village  of  Les- 
mahagow  (from  Machute  or  Mahego, 
a  Culdee  saint),  also  called  Abbey 
Green  (pop.  1800),  stands  on  the 
Nethan  Water  [Inn  :  Commercial). 


EOUTE  9. 

Carlisle  to  Glasgow,  by  Annan, 
Dumfries,  Sanquhar,  Kilmar- 
nock, and  Dairy  Junction. 

125;m.,  3  trains  daily  in  5g  hrs., 
by  the  Glasgow  and  South-Western 
Kailway,  which,  with  its  branches  to 
Ayr,  Girvan,  Dalmellington,  Bridge 
of  Weir,  and  Muirkirk,  is  upwards 
of  200  miles  in  length. 

The  Eden  is  crossed  a  little  below 
Carlisle.  The  flat  land  passed  by 
the  rly.  was  once  part  of  Solway 
Moss. 

The  Sark  river,  the  boundary  be- 
tween England  and  Scotland,  is 
crossed  to 

Gretna  Junction,  where  our 
line  turns  off  to  the  left  from  the 
Caledonian  Rly.  to  Lockerbie,  Moffat, 
and  Carstairs  Junct.    (Rte.  5). 

Gretna  Green,  or  Springfield,  was  in 
former  times  the  haven  of  runaway 
couples  from  England,  who  spurred 
with  the  utmost'  speed  attainable  by 
four  horses  to  reach  the  happy  spot 
where  the  self-styled  priest  was  in 
waiting  to  forge  the  bonds  of  matri- 
mony. These  marriages  occasioned 
by  the  difference  in  the  law  of  Eng- 
land and  Scotland  were  first  cele- 
brated, 1760,  by  a  man  named 
Paisley,  a  tobacconist,  who  died  at 
a  great  age  in  1814.  They  have 
been  suppressed  by  Act  of  Parlia- 


S.  Scotland. 


Pioute  9. — Ruthwell. 


91 


ment  since  1856.  Branch  Ely.  to 
Longtown  and  the  Waverley  Rte.  1. 
12  m.  the  rly.  crosses  the  Kirtle 
"Water,  a  tributary  of  the  Esk,  with 
the  estuary  of  wliich  it  runs  parallel 
through  a  somewhat  dreary  country 
to 

14  m.  Dornock  Stat,  and 
18  m.  Annan  Junct.  Stat.  {Inn  : 
Queensberry  Arms),  a  neat  little 
town  (3170  inhab.),  Avith  some 
industries  of  cotton-spinning  and 
haudloom  weaving.  In  1334,  after 
the  death  of  King  Eobert,  Edward 
Balliol,  having  been  crowned  at 
Scone,  summoned  the  barons  hither 
to  swear  fealty  to  him.  He  was 
surprised  by  Archibald  Douglas  and 
1000  cavalry,  and  barely  escaped  to 
Carlisle  on  horseback,  without  saddle, 
bridle,  or  a  single  attendant.  Annan 
was  the  birthplace  of  the  Rev. 
Edward  Irving  in  1792,  and  the 
scene  of  his  deposition  from  the 
Scotch  Church  by  the  presbytery 
of  Annan  in  1833,  on  account  of  the 
heretical  opinions  that  he  held. 
Hugh  Clapperton,  the  African  tra- 
veller, was  also  a  native  of  Annan. 
The  river  Annan,  on  the  left  bank  of 
which  the  town  is  situated,  falls  into 
the  Solway  Firth  about  2  m.  below. 
A  Eaihvay  is  carried  from  Annan  S., 
across  the  Solway,  b}^  Brayton  to 
Maryport  and  Carlisle.  It  does  not 
yet  join  the  Carlisle  line,  and  the 
Stat,  is  I  m.  from  Annan. 

The  Annan  is  crossed,  and  the 
scenery  improves  as  the  rly.  reaches 

21  m.  Cummertrees  Stat.,  the 
pretty  village  situated  on  the  small 
stream  of  the  Pow  "Water.  About  1 
m.  right  is  Kinmont  House,  the  fine 
seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Queensberry, 
and  34  m.  to  the  K.  is  Hodclam 
Castle  ("W.  J.  Sharpe,  Esq.),  and  the 
Tower  of  Repentance.     (Rte.  5.) 

25  m.  Ruthwell  Stat.,  2  m.  S. 
in  the  Manse  garden  of  Rutli- 
w^ell  is  a  remarkable  sculptured 
stone  Cross,  inscribed  with  lines  said 


to  be  from  a  poem  in  Anglo-Saxon 
characters,  of  the  probable  date  of 
the  7th  or  8th  century.  It  is  con- 
sidered the  most  important  Runic 
monument  in  Britain.  2  sides  are 
occupied  with  Runic,  the  others 
have  a  Latin  inscription.  According 
to  Professor  Stephens,  the  subjects 
of  the  sculpture  are  a  hind  with  a 
branch,  St.  John  the  Baptist  with 
the  Agnus  Dei,  our  Lord  with  right 
hand  uplifted  in  act  of  benediction, 
the  sacred  scroll  in  his  left,  and 
treading  on  two  swine,  referring  to 
the  miracle  of  the  possessed  swine, 
and  emblematical  of  his  triumph 
over  unclean  things.  The  legend 
running  round  the  subject  is  as 
follows  : — 

IHS  XPS  lYDEX   AEQVITATIS   BESTIAE 

ET  DRACONES 
COGNOVERUNT  IN  DESERTO  SALVATO- 

REM  MUXDI. 

In  addition  to  these  there  are  figures 
of  St.  Paul  and  St.  Anthony  break- 
ing bread  in  the  Desert ;  the  An- 
nunciation ;  the  Visitation ;  Mary 
Magdalen  washing  our  Lord's  feet ; 
the  healing  of  the  man  born  blind  ; 
and  a  Crucifixion,  this  last  all  but 
entirely  defaced,  eviilently  when  the 
cross  was  thrown  down.  Pennant 
relates  that  this  stone  was  broken  by 
an  order  of  the  General  Assembly  in 
1644,  under  the  pretence  of  its  being 
an  object  of  superstition  with  the 
vulgar,  but  the  fragments  were  put 
together  again,  1802,  by  Dr.  Duncan. 
In  the  churchyard  is  the  tomb  of 
Mr.  Young,  a  minister  in  James 
YI.'s  time,  who  died,  leaving  31 
children,  all  by  one  wife. 

Rather  more  than  a  mile  to  the 
"W.  is  the  tower  of  Comlongon  Castle, 
on  the  edge  of  an  extensive  wood. 
It  was  once  the  residence  of  the 
Murrays,  Earls  of  Mansfield,  and  for 
some  time  of  the  Wardens  of  the 
"Western  Marches. 

The  line  now  trends  inland  through 
a  moorland  district,  skirting  Lochar 


92 


Route  9. — Carlisle  to  Glasgoiv  ;  Dtimfries.       Sect.  I. 


Moss,  wliich  is  10  m.  in  length,  and 
passing  the  little  Puicl's  stat.,  29|  m. 
(5  m.  S.  is  Caerlaverock  Castle),reaehes 
33  m.  Dumfries  Junct.  Stat. 
{Inns  :  Queensberry  ;  King's  Arms  ; 
Commercial ;  post-horses  and  wag- 
gonettes. The  want  of  a  good  clean 
Inn  is  much  felt  here.  Eefreshment- 
room  at  station).  Dumfries,  a  Royal 
and  Pari,  burgh,  the  metropolis  of 
the  S.W.  border  counties,  addressed 
by  Burns  as — 

"  Maggie,  by  the  banks  o'  Nith, 
A  dame  wi'  pride  eiieuch. " 

Pop.  15,435.  It  is  well  situated  on 
rising  ground  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  Nith,  about  9  m.  from  its  mouth. 
The  old  castle,  of  which  not  a  vestige 
remains,  was  built  by  Edward  L, 
and  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied 
by  the  new  Grcyfriars  Church,  a 
handsome  red  building  with  a  tall 
spire,  standing  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  main  street,  or  Market-place,  in 
the  middle  of  which  rises  the  pictur- 
esque tower  of  the  Toicnhall  or  Mid- 
steejjh.  S.  and  W.  of  the  fortress 
stood  the  monastery  of  the  Greyfriars, 
in  the  old  ch.  of  which  Robert  Bruce, 
flying  from  the  Court  of  Edwd.  I., 
encountered  the  Red  Comyn,  and 
finding  him  loyal  to  the  English,  got 
to  high  words,  drew  his  dagger,  and 
stabbed  him  before  the  altar.  Rush- 
ing from  the  scene  of  blood  and 
sacrilege  ;  and  meeting  his  partisan, 
Roger  Kirkpatrick,  he  said,  ' '  I  doubt 
I  have  slain  Comyn. "  "  You  doubt  ? " 
said  Kirkpatrick,  "I'll  mak  sikar" 
(make  sure),  and  went  in  and 
finished  him. 

"  Kirkpatrick's  bloody  dirk 
Making  sure  of  murder's  work."— .S'coW. 

The  next  act  of  the  murderers  was 
to  expel  the  English  judges,  then 
sitting  in  the  town.  Edward  I. 
swore  by  "the  Vow  of  the  Swan" 
to  avenge  on  Scotland  the  murder  of 
Comyn,  and  proceeded  to  reconquer 
the  country,  though  aged  67,  being 
carried  in  a  litter. 


A  neat  Doric  pillar  is  erected  in 
Queensberry-square  to  the  third  Duke 
of  Queensberry.  On  Prince  Charles's 
return  from  Derby,  in  1745,  he  oc- 
cupied Dumfries,  and  his  council- 
chamber  is  still  shown  in  the  Com- 
mercial Inn.  He  levied  a  tax  on 
the  inhabitants  of  £2000  in  money, 
and  1000  pair  of  shoes,  but  a  false 
alarm  of  the  Duke  of  Cumberland's 
approach  started  him  off  at  short 
notice,  having  received  only  £1100 
of  the  levy. 

The  old  bridge,  connecting  the 
town  with  the  suburb  of  ]\Iaxwell- 
town,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nith, 
was  built  by  Devorgilla,,  wife  of 
John  Balliol,  and  founder  of  the 
Greyfriars  monastery,  in  the  reign  of 
Alexander  III.  At  that  time  it  had 
13  arches,  6  only  of  which  are  now 
standing.  In  1795  the  new  bridge 
was  built,  and  the  traffic  over  the 
old  one  is  that  of  foot  passengers 
only. 

Bitrns's  House  is  in  Burns-st.,  a 
narrow  lane  on  left  as  you  go  to  St. 
Michael's  Ch.  In  this  he  lived  for 
3  years,  and  in  this  he  died  on  July 
21,  1796.  It  was  afterwards  rented 
by  his  widow,  who  survived  him  for 
38  years.  It  is  now  occupied  by  the 
master  of  the  Industrial  School,  who 
is  kind  enough  to  allow  any  stranger 
to  see  it,  and  keeps  the  rooms  as 
much  as  possible  in  the  same  state 
as  they  were  when  inhabited  by  the 
poet.  In  December  1791,  when 
Robert  Burns  gave  up  his  farm  at 
Ellisland,  and  became  an  exciseman, 
lie  lived  for  18  months  in  a  house  at 
the  bottom  of  Bank-street. 

Burns  was  first  buried  in  the  N. 
corner  of  St.  Michael's  burying- 
ground,  but  as  there  was  no  room 
there  for  the  erection  of  the  monu- 
ment which  was  afterwards  deter- 
mined on,  the  body  was  removed  to 
the  E.  corner  on  19th  September, 
1815.  The  Mausoleum  is  a  mean 
Grecian   temple,    which   contains   a 


Dumfries.      Pwute  9. — Dumfries  ;  Lincluden  Ahbei/. 


93 


poor  sculpture  by  Turnarelli,  repre- 
senting the  genius  of  Coila  finding 
her  favourite  son  at  the  plough,  and 
casting  her  inspiring  mantle  over 
him  !  !  The  open  temple  was  utterly 
unsuited  to  the  climate,  and  so  the 
intervals  between  tlie  pillars  have 
been  filled  with  glass.  The  church- 
3'ard  of  St.  Michael's  is  remarkable 
for  the  number  of  monuments  and 
tombstones,  altogether  amounting  to 
more  than  2600.  Near  Burns's 
mausoleum,  marked  by  a  granite 
ol^elisk,  lie  two  Covenanters  who 
sutiered  death  1667. 

Sir  John  Kichardson,  the  Arctic 
voyager,  and  companion  of  Franklin, 
was  born  at  Nith-place,  Dumfries,  in 
1787. 

The  Town  CouTwil-cliainher  con- 
tains portraits  of  William  of  Orange 
and  Mary,  also  of  the  third  Duke  of 
Queensberry.  There  is  still  preserved 
amongst  the  civic  treasures  the  silver 
gun  presented  by  James  VI.,  for  the 
purpose  of  encouraging  the  use  of 
firearms  amongst  the  inhabitants  of 
the  town. 

"  The  large  building  on  the  left 
bank  of  Nith,  a  little  below  the 
town,  is  the  Crichton  Institution,  a 
lunatic  asylum,  founded  by  Dr.  C.  of 
Friars  Carse,  at  a  cost  of  i'100,000. 

Dumfries  is  celebrated  as  a  mart 
of  sheep,  bred  in  the  adjacent  dis- 
tricts, and  brought  hither  for  sale  or 
exportation  to  England.  It  has  a 
considerable  manufacture  of  tweeds 
and  woollens,  the  Nithsdale  and 
Kingholm  mills,  below  the  Bridge, 
employing  a  large  number  of  hands. 

[Steamer  to  Silloth. 

Railivays  —  to  Lochmaben  and 
Lockerbie  Stat,  on  the  rail,  to  Glas- 
gow and  Edinburgh  (Rte.  5)  ;  to 
Stranraer,  by  Castle-Douglas  and 
Newton-Stewart  (Rte.  10)  ;  to  Annan 
and  Carlisle  ;  to  Annan  and  Mary- 
port. 

Distances.  —  Castle-Douglas,  20 
m. ;  Carlisle,  33;  Annan,  15;  Glas- 
gow, 92. 


Excursions.  —  a.  up  Nithsdale  to 
Lincluden  Abbey,  1|  m. 

h.  Caerlaverock  Castle,  8  m. 
c.  New  Abbey,  7  m. 

a.  To  Lincluden  Abbey  (1^  m.), 
cross  the  bridge  to  Maxwelltown,  and 
take  the  first  turn  to  the  right.  It 
was  built  in  the  12th  cent,  by  Uthred, 
Lord  of  Galloway,  as  a  convent  for 
Benedictine  nuns,  but  about  the 
close  of  the  14th  it  was  closed  by 
Archibald  the  Grim,  Earl  of  Both- 
well,  on  account  of  the  immorality 
of  its  inmates,  and  converted  into  a 
college  and  ch.  for  a  provost  and  12 
beadsmen.  It  seems  pretty  certain, 
at  the  same  time,  that  the  good  earl 
by  so  doing  "did  greatly  increase 
his  revenues  and  largely  extend  his 
domains." 

The  buildings  are  very  prettily 
situated  on  a  promontory,  surrounded 
on  two  sides  by  the  Cluden,  and  on 
the  third  by  the  Nith,  into  which  the 
former  river  flows  at  the  S.E.  angle  of 
the  grounds.  It  is  a  small  but  beauti- 
ful Cliurch,  in  the  second  Pointed 
style,  of  which  tlie  nave  is  quite 
gone.  The  chancel,  walled  otf  by  a 
screen,  is  entered  by  a  flat  arch,  sur- 
mounted by  sculptures  of  the  Life  of 
Christ,  supported  by  a  row  of  angels. 
Part  of  the  transepts  are  also  pre- 
served. The  tracery  of  the  windows 
is  much  mutilated.  There  is  a  hand- 
some canopied  monument  on  the  N. 
side,  with  inscription,  to  Margaret 
Countess  of  Douglas,  daughter  of 
King  Robert  III.  (d.  circ.  1430). 
In  Pennant's  time  the  effigy  was 
still  there,  though  mutilated,  but  it 
has  long  since  disappeared.  Close  by 
the  tomb  is  an  archway,  beautifully 
carved  and  surmounted  by  the  heart 
and  chalice.  On  the  opposite  side  are 
three  fine  sedilia,  each  with  a  canopy 
and  crocket,  and  cusps  in  the  in- 
terior. 

Beside  the  ch.  are  the  ruins  of  a 
massive  square  Peel  Tower,  probably 
a  part  of  the  Provost's  house.  Lin- 
cluden   was    a    favourite    haunt   of 


94 


Route  9. — Carlisle  to  Glasgoiv  ;  Caerlaverock      Sect.  I. 


Burns,  and  here  it  was  that  he  saw 
the  "  Vision." 

"  The  stream  adown  its  hazelly  path, 
Was  rushing  by  the  ruined  wa's, 
Hasting  to  join  the  sweeping  Nith, 
Whose  distant  roaring  swells  and  fa's." 

The  abbey  stands  within  ancient 
Earthworks,  and  at  the  side  of  the  ch. 
rises  a  mound  or  Moot-hill. 

The  retuni  to  Dumfries  may  be 
by  the  river-side,  9,  very  picturesque 
walk, — that  is,  should  the  tourist  not 
feel  inclined  to  extend  his  ramble  up 
the  Cluden  Water  to  Irongray  Ch., 
3  m.  from  Lincluden,  where,  on  a 
shaded  little  knoll,  in  the  middle  of 
a  field,  is  the  grave  of  two  Covenant- 
ers, named  Gordon  and  M'Cubbin. 
Upon  the  tombstone  are  the  follow- 
ing lines  : — 

"  By  Lagg  and  Bloodie  Bruce  commands 
We  were  hung  up  by  hellish  hands  ; 
And  so,  their  furious  wrath  to  stay. 
We  died  near  Kirlv  of  Irongray  ; 
And  boundless  peace  we  now  partake. 
For  freedom's  and  religion's  sake. " 

See  also  the  tomb  of  Helen  Walker, 
the  original  of  Jeanie  Deans,  put  up 
by  Sir  Walter  Scott,  with  an  inscrip- 
tion written  by  him.  Irongray  is 
the  scene  of  the  "  Eecreations  of  a 
Country  Parson." 

The  "hilly  road  to  the  S.  may  be 
taken  to  Dumfries,  passing  Terregles 
House,  the  property  of  the  Maxwells, 
once  Earls  of  Nithsdale.  It  is  a 
handsome  modern  mansion.  In  a 
former  mansion  Queen  Mary  found 
rest  and  refuge  for  a  few  days  after 
her  flight  of  4  score  and  10  miles  from 
the  fight  of  Langside,  1568.  From 
hence  she  wended  her  way  to  Eng- 
land. Among  the  family  portraits 
is  one  of  the  Countess  of  N.  who  so 
heroically  rescued  her  husband  from 
the  Tower  by  taking  his  place,  1716. 

b.  Caerlaverock  Castle  stamls  about 
9  m.  to  the  S.  of  Dumfries,  on  the 
flat  marshy  shore  of  the  Solway,  be- 
tween the  rivers  Nith  and  Lochar,  and 
was  a  place  of  great  strength,  flanked 


by  the  Solway  in  front,  and  by  Lochar 
Moss  behind,  so  as  to  be  virtually 
the  key  to  S.W.  Scotland.  The 
road  thither  keeps  the  left  side 
of  the  Kith,  passing  Castle  Dykes 
(R.  Scott,  Esq.),  and  the  Crichton 
Institution.  A  road  on  right  leads 
to  Kingholm  Quay,  and  on  left  to 
Maiden  Boicer  Crags,  a  series  of  rocks 
through  which  an  opening  has  to  be 
passed,  so  narrow,  that  it  requires  a 
person  of  thin  proportions  to  enter. 

6  m.  on  right  H  m.  is  Glencaple, 
a  port  and  bathing-place  frequented 
by  the  Dumfries  folk — the  Portan- 
ferry  of  ' '  Guy  Mannering. " 

9  m.  'Caerlaverock  Castle,  a  very 
interesting  and  picturesque  building, 
well  suited  for  the  pencil  of  the 
sketcher,  is  situated  near  the  sea- 
shore, at  a  spot  identified  by  anti- 
quaries as  the  Carbantorigium  of 
Ptolemy.  As  far  back  as  the  days  of 
Malcolm  Canmore  it  belonged  to  the 
Maxwells,  long  time  Earls  of  Niths- 
dale,  ancestors  of  its  present  proprie- 
tors. It  was  besieged  and  taken  in 
1300  by  Edward  I.  in  person,  though 
bravely  defended  for  two  days  against 
an  army  furnished  with  all  the  war 
engines  then  known,  by  a  garrison  of 
only  60  men.  A  minute  account  of 
the  siege  exists  in  Norman  French.* 
It  was  afterwards  retaken  by  Bruce 
in  1313,  to  be  again  recaptured  by 
the  English.  Not  until  1355  was  it 
recaptured  from  the  English  by  Poger 
Kirkpatrick.  A  large  part  of  the 
exterior  of  the  castle  dates  from  the 
14th  centy.  Within  its  walls  died 
James  V.,  1542,  just  after  the  defeat 
of  Solway  Moss.  It  was  dismantled 
in  revenge  for  the  part  Lord  Herries 
had  taken  in  defending  Queen  Mary. 
The  interior  was  rebuilt  by  Maxwell, 
1st  Earl  of  Nithsdale,  1638,  after  its 
demolition  by  the  Earl  of  Essex,  1570, 
The  last  occasion  on  which  war  ap- 
proached its  walls  was  in  1640,  when 
it  was  besieged  by  the  Covenanters 

*  Supposed  to  be  the  work  of  Walter  of 
Exeter,  a  Franciscan  friar.  Edited  and 
published  by  i5ir  Harris  Nicolas. 


S.  Scotland.      Route  9. — New,  or  Sweetheart  Abhey. 


95 


under  Col.    Home,  and   capitulated 
after  13  weeks. 

The  castle,  in  ground  plan  a  tri- 
angle, with  round  towers  at  the 
angles,  is  well  built,  and  protected 
by  water.  "  It  had  good  walls  and 
good  ditches,  tilled  to  the  edge  with 
water,  and  I  believe  there  never  was 
seen  a  castle  so  beautifully  situ- 
ated, for  at  once  could  be  seen 
the  Irish  Sea  towards  the  W., 
and  to  the  N.  a  fine  country,  sur- 
rounded by  an  arm  of  the  sea,  so 
that  no  creature  born  could  approach 
it  on  two  sides  without  putting  him- 
self in  danger  of  the  sea."— Nicolas. 
The  gi-eat  gateway,  over  which  is  the 
crest  of  the  Maxwells,  and  the  motto 
"  I  bid  ye  fair,"  pierces  a  narrow 
curtain  between  machicolated  round 
towers  of  old  baronial  architecture, 
and  one  of  the  round  towers  at  the 
angles  of  the  triangle  still  remains, 
and  shows  evidence  of  three  storeys. 
It  is  called  Murdoch's  Tower,  be- 
cause Murdoch,  Duke  of  Albany,  was 
confined  there,  by  order  of  James  I., 
previous  to  his  execution  at  Stirling, 
1424.  "  The  buildings  in  the  court- 
yard have  the  canopied  and  sculp- 
tured window-cases  of  the  domestic 
architecture  of  James  YL,  and  re- 
mind one  of  Linlithgow  Palace  and 
Heriot's  Hospital."  On  the  lower 
storey  are  heraldic  devices,  the  stag, 
hedgehog,  etc. ;  on  the  second  are  illus- 
trated legends,  and  on  the  third  are 
fables  from  the  "Metamorphoses"  of 
Ovid.  The  great  hall,  90  ft.  long  by 
26  broad,  had  originally  two  turrets. 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  in  "Guy  Man- 
nering,"  acknowledges  that  the  gene- 
ral outline  of  his  description  of 
Ellangowan  resembled  Caerlaverock. 
"  The  massive  and  picturesque  effect 
of  the  huge  round  towers  flanking 
the  gateway,  give  a  double  portion 
of  depth  and  majesty  to  the  high  yet 
gloomy  arch  under  which  it  opened. 
The  rude  magnificence  of  the  inner 
court  amply  responded  to  the  gran- 
deur of  the  exterior.  On  one  side 
ran  a  range  of  windows,  lofty  and 


large,  which  had  once  lighted  the 
great  hall,  on  the  other  were  various 
buildings,  of  different  heights  and 
dates.  The  doors  and  windows  were 
ornamented  with  projections  offering 
rude  specimens  of  sculpture.  .  .  . 
The  end  of  the  court  which  faced 
the  entrance  had  formerly  been  closed 
by  a  range  of  buildings,  but  owing, 
it  is  said,  to  its  having  been  battered 
by  the  ships  of  the  Parliament  under 
Deane,  this  part  of  the  castle  was 
much  more  ruinous  than  the  rest." 

In  Caerlaverock  ch.  -yd.  is  a  monu- 
ment to  Old  Mortality,  set  up 
by  Messrs.  A.  and  C.  Black,  pub- 
lishers. 

c.  To  Ne2v,  or  Sivcetheart  Ahhcy, 
7^  m.  Travellers  not  pressed  for 
time,  and  desirous  of  seeing  a  part 
of  Scotland  seldom  explored,  but  full 
of  beauty,  are  recommended  to  take 
the  road  from  Dumfries  to  Dalbeat- 
tie Stat.,  round  Criffel,  and  near  the 
sea,  by  Carsphaim  and  Kirkbean, 
an  easy  day's  drive,  as  follows  :  — 
The  road  crosses  Dumfries  bridge, 
and  descends  the  valley  of  the  Nith, 
at  some  distance  from  the  river. 

3^  m.  is  Cargen  (P.  Dudgeon,  Esq. ) 

5|  m.  From  Whinnyhill  is  a  beauti- 
ful view  of  Dumfries,  with  the  valley 
of  the  Nith,  its  luxuriant  cornfields 
pleasantly  varied  by  plantations. 
Kirkconnell  is  a  fine  ancient  mansion, 
surrounded  by  old  trees  (W.  H. 
Witham,  Esq.)  On  right  rises  the 
bulky  mass  of  Criffel,  1867  ft.  above 
the  sea,  at  the  foot  of  which,  in  a 
most  picturesque  secluded  valley, 
watered  by  the  Abbey  stream,  'is 
the  Cistercian  ruin  of  New  Abbey. 
It  was  founded  in  1275  by  Devorgilla 
Balliol,  one  of  the  founders  of  Balliol 
College,  Oxford,  who  was  herself 
buried  here,  and  ordered  the  casket 
containing  the  heart  of  John  Balliol, 
her  husband  (which  she  had  treasured 
after  his  death  in  a  casket,  and  borne 
in  her  bosom),  to  be  placed  in  her 
tomb.  Erom  this  circumstance  the 
abbey  obtained  the  name  of  Douce 


96 


Route  9. — Carlisle  to  Glasgoiv. 


Sect.  I. 


Coeur,  Dulce  Cor,  or  Sweetheart 
Abbe3\  The  Church  is  cruciform, 
consisting  of  nave,  of  6  bays,  with 
all  the  main  arches  perfect,  and  part 
of  the  clerestory,  transepts  having  E. 
aisles  or  chapels,  one  retaining  its 
vaulting  choir  without  aisles,  and 
central  tower,  90  ft.  high,  resting  on 
4  arches.  The  style  is,  generally 
speaking,  E.  Pointed,  though  the 
building  appears  to  have  been  finish- 
ed, or  perhaps  altered,  in  the  Deco- 
rated period.  The  W.  entrance  is  of 
very  simple  character,  but  above  it 
is  a  triplet  window  surmounted  by 
an  elegant  rose  within  a  triangle. 
There  is  a  fine  Dec.  window  in  the 
N.  transept. 

The  E.  window  (Dec.)  is  of  5 
lights,  and  its  tracery  remains  ;  and 
is  surmounted  by  a  window  similar 
to  the  one  in  the  transept.  The  S. 
transept  wall,  partly  built  up,  retains 
part  of  a  wheel  window  of  original 
character.  Of  the  roof  nothing  re- 
mains, except  that  of  the  aisle  of  the 
S.  transept,  which  is  groined,  and, 
at  the  intersections,  has  a  shield. 
Upon  one  of  these  are  two  crosiers 
en  saltier,  surrounded  by  a  heart, 
probably  the  coat  of  arms  belonging 
to  the  abbey.  There  is  also  an  in- 
scription, "  Clius  tim  of  nid  "  (choose 
time  of  need) — a  sort  of  punning 
motto  adopted  by  this  fraternity  of 
Nithside.  The  abbey  seems  to  have 
figured  but  little  in  history.  Its  last 
abbot,  Gilbert  Brown,  is  said  to  have 
been  the  original  of  Scott's  Abbot  of 
St.  Mary's. 

The  Abbey  ruins  stand  close  to 
the  large  village  of  New  Abbey,  in- 
cluding 2  humble  hostels  and  a  mill. 
An  ugly  kirk  has  been  planted  close 
to  the  ruin,  obstructing  the  view  of 
it.  The  route  may  be  varied  on  the 
return  to  Dumfries  by  proceeding  up 
the  valley  ■)!  the  Abbey  Water  to  its 
source  in  Loch  Arthur,  and  joining 
the  rly.  at  Killywhan  Stat.,  about 
5  m. 

In  pursuing  the  road  to  Dalbeattie 
the  driver  should  be  directed  to  follow 


the  road  under  CrifFel,  which  is  a  very 
picturesque  object  from  all  points, 
by  Kirkbean,  and  by  the  shore  road 
through  Colvend.  The  country  is 
beautifully  wooded,  the  road  almost 
an  avenue,  at  other  times  a  sort  of 
cornice  along  the  seashore,  with  con- 
stant variety  of  views — seaward  over 
Solway  to  the  Cumberland  moun- 
tains, and  landwards  towards  Criffel, 
and  up  a  succession  of  pretty  glens. 
It  ascends  the  small  valley  of  the 
Urr,  passing  granite  quarries  to 
Dalbeattie  Stat.  Eoute  10.] 


From  Dumfries  the  Rail  to  Glas- 
goio  runs  N.  E.  up  the  valley  of  the 
Nith,  which  in  this,  its  lower  portion, 
is  broad  and  well  cultivated,  to 

36|-  m.  Holyivood  Stat.,  where 
formerly  a  Premonstratensian  abbey, 
founded  by  Devorgilla  Balliol,  stood. 
The  last  remains  were  taken  down  in 
1778,  and  the  parish  ch.  built  of  the 
materials.  The  old  bells  are  still 
preserved. 

Crossing  the  Nith,  on  right  is 
Dalswinton,  the  seat  of  W.  M'Alpine 
Leny,  Esq.  This  estate  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Millers :  Patrick 
Miller  was  the  first  to  experiment, 
1788,  upon  steam  as  a  locomotive 
power,  in  water,  in  a  little  ves.sel 
launched  on  the  lake,  which  still 
forms  the  chief  ornament  of  the  park. 

On  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river 
is  Ellisland,  the  farm  which  Burns 
rented  of  Mr.  Miller  of  Dalswinton, 
where  he  resided  previous  to  his 
taking  up  his  abode  in  Dumfries. 
Here  lie  wrote  his  ' '  Tam  O'Shanter," 
and  his  touching  verses,  ' '  To  Mary 
in  Heaven."  On  a  window  in  the 
house  may  still  be  seen,  scratched 
by  Burns  upon  the  glass,  "  An  honest 
man's  the  noblest  work  of  God."  A 
road  from  Holywood  Stat,  leads 
direct  to  Ellisland.  A  little  farther 
is  Friar's  Carse,   a  house  once  be- 


DUM  JURIES. 


Route  9. — Thornhill ;  Drumlanrig. 


97 


longing  to  the  Eiddells,  where  the 
poet  spent  much  of  his  time.  Over- 
looking the  river,  close  to  it,  is  a 
camp  and  stone  circle. 

404^  m.  at  AuIdgWth  Stat.^  close  to 
a  handsome  bridge  over  the  Nith — 
perhaps  the  prettiest  spot  in  its 
whole  course  ;  the  valley  begins  to 
contract,  and  the  hills  to  be  more 
lofty,  the  scenery  broken.  At  this 
point  the  Permian  sandstones,  which 
have  formed  the  bottom  of  the  valley 
of  the  Xith  to  the  sea  upwards,  cease. 
The  hills  on  either  side  of  it  are  of 
Lower  Silurian  rock.  The  river  here 
winds  through  a  defile  in  the  Silurian 

rocks.     On   1.    is    Blackwood  ( 

Copland,  Esq.)  The  rly.  next 
ascends,  and  keeps  the  high  gi'ound 
ovei'looking  the  river,  and  occasion- 
ally getting  charming  peeps  into 
Nithsdale,  to 

44|  m.  Closeburn  Stat.  A  little 
beyond  it,  on  right,  is  Closehurn 
Hall,  the  fine  seat  of  the  Misses 
Baird,  formerly  of  Sir  J.  Stuart  J\Ien- 
teith.  Here  the  hills  again  retire, 
and  another  basin  of  Permian  and  car- 
boniferous strata  fills  up  the  widened 
valley  of  the  Nith.  Among  the  hills 
behind  the  house  is  Crickhope  Linn, 
where  a  small  stream  jumps  down 
from  the  moorlands,  saws  its  way  into 
the  soft  (Permian)  sandstone,  and  in 
escaping  to  the  plain  has  shaped  out  a 
cave  or  chapel.  The  cliffs  rise  40  or  50 
ft.  above  the  stream,  yet  so  little  se- 
parated that  it  is  easy  to  leap  across 
the  fissure.  Of  this  fact  Sir  Walter 
Scott,  who  knew  the  spot  and  had  it 
"ever  present  to  his  fancy,"  has 
taken  advantage  in  the  scene  in 
"Old  Mortality,"  between  Morton 
and  Balfour.  The  fall  is  half-a-mile 
higher  up. 

Closebuim  Castle,  Avhich  is  in  the 
grounds  of  the  hall,  is  an  old  seat  of 
the  Kirkpatrick  family,  from  whom 
Eugenie,  Empress  of  the  French,  de- 
rives her  Scotch  descent.  It  is  a 
square  tower,  with  vaulted  rooms. 
To  right  of  the  station  is  the  Wallace 

[Scotland.'l 


School,  founded  by  a  Glasgow  mer- 
chant of  that  name. 

48  m.  Thornhill  Stat,  the  town 
is  about  a  mile  to  the  left.  {Inns  .- 
Buccleuch  Arms  ;  George. )  Thorn- 
hill is  a  neat,  well-built,  little  town, 
having  in  the  centre  a  cross,  sur- 
mounted by  the  Queensberry  Arms. 
The  naturalist  should  obtain  per- 
mission to  see  the  collection  of  Dr. 
Grierson,  in  which  the  geology  of 
Xithsdale  is  exemplified.  [Thorn- 
hill is  the  Stat,  for  Drumlanrig  (4 
m. ),  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Buc- 
cleuch ;  for,  although  Carron  Bridge 
is  in  reality  considerably  nearer, 
there  is  no  bridge  there  to  cross  the 
Nith.  The  situation  of  the  castle, 
as  seen  from  the  rly. ,  is  so  high  and 
open  as  to  overlook  the  tall  woods 
and  undulating  hills,  and  commands 
a  view  over  terraced  gardens  tapest- 
ried with  flowers,  down  to  the 
brawling  Nith  and  its  wooded  banks 
beyond.     The  park  Avas  devastated 

by  its  former  owner,  old  Q ,  but, 

since  1811,  when  it  came  to  the  Buc- 
cleuch family,  is  once  more  restored, 
and  boasts  of  noble  forest  scenery. 
The  castle  was  built  1675-1688  by 
William,  first  Duke  of  Queensberry, 
minister  of  James  II.  It  is  a  quad- 
rangular building  of  red  stone.  It 
has  the  character  of  a  stately  chateau, 
somewhat  like  Heriot's  Hospital,  re- 
taining parts  of  an  old  castle,  includ- 
ing a  grim  dungeon,  now  a  wine-cellar. 
The  interior  can  be  seen  Tuesday 
and  Friday,  or  in  the  absence  of  the 
family.  The  paintings  are  chiefly 
family  portraits.  In  the  park,  nearly 
opposite  Carron  Bridge,  there  is  a 
ruin  called  Tihher''s  Castle,  which 
was  destroyed  by  Bruce  in  1311. 
It  is  thought  to  have  been  Roman 
(?  Tiberii  Castel).  In  the  Church  of 
Durisdeer  are  the  sculptured  monu- 
ments in  marble  of  the  Queensberry 
family,  including  James  Douglas, 
2d  Duke,  and  his  Lady,  d.  1711.] 

[On  the  return  to  Thornhill  the 
antiquary  may  diverge  to  visit  some 


98 


Route  9. — CarUsIe  to  Glasgoiv ;  Sanquhar.       Sect.  I. 


sculptured  upright  stones,  probably 
of  the  date  of  the  11th  cent,  between 
it  and  Penpont.  This  is  a  pretty 
Tillage  on  the  Shinnel  Water,  which 
falls  near  here  into  the  Nith.  It 
rises  in  the  elevated  chain  of  hills 
between  Thornhill  and  Dalmelling- 
ton.  On  the  S.  bank,  a  little  higher 
up  than  Penpont,  is  Capernoch,  the 
seat  of  T.  S.  Gladstone,  Esq.  It  is 
a  picturesque  road  hence  all  the  Avay 
to  Tynron,  and  the  quiet  out-of-the- 
way  town  of  Moniaive  or  Minnie- 
hive.] 

About  4  m.  from  Minniehive,  on 
the  Dumfries  road,  is  Maxwellton, 
seat  of  F.  Laurie,  Esq.,  the  locale  of 
the  favourite  song  of  "Annie  Laurie," 
commencing  with 

"Maxwelltou  braes  are  bonnie." 

Annie  was  one  of  the  daughters  of 
Sir  Robert  Laurie,  and  married 
Fergusson  of  Craigdarroch.  The 
song  was  composed  by  a  disappointed 
lover. 

The  valley  of  the  Cairn  is  rich 
in  tombs  and  memorials  of  the 
Covenanters.  One  stands  in  the 
garden  of  a  farmhouse  at  Ingleston, 
near  Minniehive,  and  another  in  a 
field  adjoining  the  Free  Church. 
Still  nearer  Dumfries,  in  a  glen  run- 
ning down  to  the  village  of  Dunscore, 
are  the  ruins  of  Lag,  the  seat  of  the 
once  powerful  family  of  Grierson,  one 
of  whom  shares  with  Claverhouse  the 
reputation  of  being  the  persecutor  of 
the  Covenant. 

51  m.  at  Carron  Brichfe  Stat,  the 
wooded  scenery  of  the  Nith  is  suc- 
ceeded by  a  wild  and  rather  desolate 
moorland,  with  but  few  inhabitants. 
[From  hence  it  is  about  2  m.  right 
to  Morton  Castle,  said  to  have  been 
founded  about  1080  by  a  De  Mor- 
ville,  grandfather  of  the  founder  of 
Kilwinning  and  Drj'burgh  Abbej^s. 
It  was  afterwards  bestowed  by  Robert 
Bruce  (being  then  part  of  the  con- 
fiscated property  of  Palliol)  upon 
Randolph,  Earl  of  Moray,  and  here 


he  lived  as  Regent  of  the  kingdom 
to  David  II.  It  then  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Douglas  family,  to 
whom  it  gave  the  title  of  Earl,  and 
now  belongs  to  the  Duke  of  Buc- 
cleuch.  It  stands  on  the  margin  of 
a  deep  glen,  and  was  at  one  time 
nearly  surrounded  by  water,  which 
has  now  drained  away.  J 

At  53  m.  the  line  crosses  on  a 
noble  viaduct  the  Carron  Water  and 
a  road,  formerly  a  Roman  road,  that 
traverses  the  moors  to  Elvanfoot  Stat, 
on  the  Caledonian  line.  (Rte.  5.) 
Passing  through  a  tunnel  4200  feet 
long,  under  the  domain  of  Drumlan- 
rig,  the  rly.  still  keeps  the  high 
ground  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nith, 
having  on  left 

59  m.  Eliock  (J.  Yeitch,  Esq.), 
where  the  "  Admirable  Crichton  "  is 
said  to  have  been  born  in  1560.  (The 
Castle  of  Cluny,  Perthshire,  also 
claims  the  distinction  of  being  his 
birthplace). 

The  Nith  traverses  another  defile 
through  Silurian  rock, 

61  m,  Sanquhar  {Inn :  Queens- 
berry  Arras),  a  Pari,  borough,  and 
once  a  place  of  importance,  in  a 
dreary  situation,  surrounded  by 
round-backed  hills,  A  little  to  the 
S,  of  the  town  is  the  ruin  of  its 
castle — one  of  the  strongholds  of  the 
S.W,  of  Scotland.  Near  it  is  a  Moot 
hill.  It  has  1324  inhab.,  part  em- 
ployed  in  weaving  wool  and  cotton, 
and  part  in  the  mines  of  glance  coal. 
A  party  of  armed  Covenanters  in 
1680  attached  to  the  town-cross  a 
Declaration  renouncing  allegiance  to 
the  Stuarts,  and  declaring  war  against 
them. 

Nearly  2  m.  again  to  the  S.  are 
remains  of  an  earthwork  running 
parallel  with  the  Nith,  and  called 
the  DcviVs  Dyke.  From  Sanquhar 
an  excursion  may  be  made  to  Wan- 
lockhead  and  Leadhills,  8  m.,  and 
thence  to  Elvanfoot  (Rte.  5). 

64  m.  Kirlccomiell  Stat.  The  same 
earthwork  is  to  be  traced  to  the  S.  of 


Ayr. 


Route  9. — Atjt  fFafer ;  Mauchline. 


99 


this  station.  As  the  rly.  approaches 
the  source  of  the  ISTith  the  scenery 
becomes  more  wild  and  dreary,  al- 
though relieved  by  rather  lofty 
ranges,  rising  on  either  side  to  the 
height  of  1500  or  2000  feet. 

71  m.  New  Cumnock  Stat,  is  situ- 
ated at  the  confluence  of  the  ISTith 
with  the  Afton,  the  traveller  bids 
adieu  to  the  Nith,  and  enters  the 
boundaries  of  the  Ayrshire  coalfield. 
2  m.  E.  is  Mansfield,  the  seat  of  Sir 
J.  Stuart  Menteith,  Bart. 

Soon  after  passing  New  Cumnock 
the  watershed  is  ci'ossed,  and  the  rly. 
descends  the  valley  of  the  Lugar  to 

764  Old  Cumnock  Junct.  Stat., 
prettily  situated  at  the  confluence  of 
the  Lugar  and  the  Glaisnock. 

Both  Old  and  New  Cumnock  had 
formerly  a  reputation  for  the  manu- 
facture of  snufl"- boxes.  14  m.  left  is 
Dumfries  House,  a  seat  of  the  Mar- 
quis of  Bute,  in  an  estate  of  43,734 
acres  ;  and  about  2  m.  to  the  rt.  are 
the  Lugar  ironworks,  to  which  there 
is  a  branch  rly.  from 

784^  m.  AuGHixLECK  Junct.  Stat. 
(pronounced  Affleck).  3  m.  W.  is 
Auchinlcck  House,  residence  of  the 
family  of  which  Boswell,  the  friend 
and  companion  of  Johnson,  was  a 
member.  His  father,  a  Judge  of 
Session,  resided  here  under  the  title 
of  Lord  Auchinleck,  and  was  visited 
by  Johnson,  who  praised  the  sullen 
dignity  of  the  old  castle.  James 
Boswell,  Johnson's  biographer,  who 
alone  of  his  family  has  made  the 
name  distinguished,  is  buried  here. 

[Hence  a  branch  of  10  m.  runs  E. 
to  Muirkirk,  a  small  town  entirely 
dependent  on  the  neighbouring  iron- 
works and  collieries.  It  passes,  3 
m.,  Lugar  ironworks,  situated  on 
the  N.  bank  of  the  Lugar,  which  is 
extremely  picturesque  here.  To  the 
N.  of  Lugar  is  Aird's  Moss — a  wild, 
dreary  swamp,  marked  by  scattered 
pits  and  ironstone  mines,  but  also 
known  as  the  scene  of  a  skirmish 


between  the  Eoyalists  and  Covenant- 
ers, in  which  Richard  Cameron,  their 
leader,  was  slain,  1680,  "leaving  his 
name  to  a  religious  sect  and  a  re- 
nowned regiment  in  the  British 
army." — Burton.  An  obelisk  at  the 
E.  extremity  commemorates  the 
event. 

At  Muirkirk,  10  m.,  there  are  3 
furnaces,  belonging,  with  those  at 
Lugar,  to  the  Bairds.  From  hence 
a  road  runs  E.  through  the  hills 
between  Ayrshire  and  Lanarkshire, 
of  which  the  Cairn-table,  1942  ft., 
is  the  highest  point,  to  Douglas 
(Rte.  8).] 

Before  reaching  Mauchline,  the 
line  crosses  the  Ayr  Water  by  a 
magnificent  viaduct  of  a  single  arch 
(Ballochmyle  Bridge).  When  seen 
from  the  river,  200  ft.  below,  the 
eff'ect  of  its  extreme  lightness  and 
great  span  is  singularly  impressive 
and  pleasing.  On  the  banks  of  the 
river,  14  m.  left,  is  Barskimming, 
the  seat  of  Sir  T.  M.  jMiller  ;  and 
on  right  is  the  village  of  Catrine,  with 
Catrine  House,  once  the  residence 
of  Prof.  Dugald  Stewart  and  his 
father  ;  and  Ballochmyle  House  (Col. 
Alexander).  This  is  the  scene  of 
Burns's  two  sonnets,  "  The  Braes  of 
Ballochmyle,"  commencing — ■ 

"  The  Catrine  woods  were  yellow  seen, 
The  flowers  decay'd  on  Catrine  lee," 

^\Titten  to  express  the  sorrow  of  Miss 
Whiteford  when  her  father,  Sir  John 
Whiteford,  was  obliged  to  part  with 
the  old  family  place  ;  and  the  *'  Lass 
of  Ballochmyle"  in  honour  of  Miss 
Alexander,  whose  father  purchased 
the  property.  The  park  is  very 
picturesque,  the  ground  sloping 
rather  abruptly  to  the  Ayr,  and 
being  profusely  shaded  with  beech 
and  other  forest  trees.  A  little 
higher  up  is  the  village  and  castle 
of  Sorn,  an  old  baronial  seat  of  the 
Earls  of  Loudon  and  Winton,  now 
of  Graham  Somervell,  Esq. 

83  m.  Mauchline  {Inn  :    Loudon 


100 


Route  9. — Carlisle  to  Glasgow  ;  Kilmarnock     Sect.  I. 


Arms),  Pop.  1600,  on  a  commanding 
height,  well  known  as  the  place  Avhere 
Burns  spent  his  time  when  nominally 
attached  to  his  mother's  and  brother's 
farm  at  Mossgicl,  which  lies  1  h  m,  to 
the  N .  The  church,  the  main  feature 
in  the  town,  is  a  heavy  Gothic  build- 
ing, very  ditferent  from  that  which 
stood  in  its  place  at  the  end  of  the 
last  century.  The  churchyard  is  the 
scene  of  "  the  Holy  Fair."  Opposite 
to  it  is  the  cottage  of  Ann  Gibson, 
better  known  as  "  Poosie  Nansie,"  in 
whose  kitchen  the  "Jolly  Beggars" 

"  held  the  splore 
To  drink  their  orra  duddies." 

Next  house  to  this,  but  separated  by 
a  lane,  was  the  Whiteford  Arms  Inn. 
It  now  bears  the  sign  of  the  Cross 
Keys,  but  has  ceased  to  be  a  public- 
house.  One  John  Dove  was  land- 
lord of  it  in  Burns's  time,  and  upon 
him  the  poet  wrote  the  epitaph 
beginning — 

"  Here  lies  Johnnie  Pigeon." 
A  little  way  up  the  lane  lived  Jean 
Armour  before  she  was  publicly  ac- 
knowledged as  Burns's  wife.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  ch.-yd.  is  "  Nanse 
Tinnock's,"  and  close  by,  between 
the  ch.-yd.  and  the  remains  of  Old 
Mauchline  Castle,  was  Gavin  Hamil- 
ton's house,  in  which  Burns  was 
married.  There  is  nothing  at  Moss- 
giel  to  identify  it  with  the  poet's  re- 
sidence, which  lasted  for  a  period  of 
3  years.  The  farm  consisted  of  112 
acres,  and  was  worked  conjointly  by 
the  whole  family  ;  but  the  poet's 
inattention  and  grave  offences  made 
the  place  too  hot  to  hold  him,  and 
he  was  about  to  proceed  to  the  W. 
Indies,  when  the  reputation  which  a 
hastily  published  edition  of  his 
poems  had  raised,  and  the  ad%dce  of 
his  friends,  induced  him  to  push  his 
fortune  in  Edinburgh.  Mauchline  is 
well  known  for  its  manufacture  of 
wood  ware,  snuff-boxes,  etc.,  painted 
with  tartan  and  other  patterns. 

90 1  m.  at  Hurlford  Junct.,  which 
is   on  the   banks   of  the  Irvine,   a 


branch  is  given  off  on  right  to  K'ew- 
milns,  passing  4  m.  Galston,  de- 
pendent principally  on  weaving.  A 
little  to  the  N.  is  Loudon  Cctstle,  an 
old  castle  with  an  ugly  modern  front, 
purchased  in  1868  for  £.300,000  from 
the  Marquis  of  Hastings  by  Lord 
Bute.  The  grounds  are  charming, 
and  there  is  a  pleasant  walk  through 
them  from  Galston  to  (6  m.)  New- 
mibis,  a  small  manufacturing  town, 
noted  for  its  fine  muslins.  4  m.  to 
the  E.  of  ]S^e^vmilns,  on  the  Strath- 
avon  road,  is  Loudon  Hill,  where,  in 
1307,  Bruce  defeated  the  Earl  of 
Pembroke,  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  ultimate  success.  On  the  farm 
oi  Drumelog,  2  m.  E.  of  Loudon  Hill, 
was  fought  another  battle,  Sunday, 
June  1,  1679,  when  John  Graham  of 
Claverhouse,  with  a  troop  of  life- 
guards and  some  dragoons,  marching 
to  disperse  an  armed  Conventicle, 
was  met  and  charged  by  200  fighting 
men,  commanded  by  Hackston  of 
Ptathillet,  Balfour  of  Burley,  and 
others,  all  experienced  officers,  and 
was  signally  routed  by  them.  36  of 
the  soldiers  were  left  dead  on  the 
field:  only  3  Covenanters  being  slain. 
A  monument  now  crowns  the  hill, 
and  a  commemorative  service  is 
annually  held  here.  Around  it  lime- 
works  have  sprung  up,  and  a  coal- 
mine is  opened.] 

92i  m.  KUmarnoch  {Inns :  George  ; 
Black  Bull),  a  Pari,  borough,  and 
place  of  considerable  importance  in 
the  manufacturing  world  (pop. 
22,963),  producing  carpets,  shawls, 
bonnets,  boots,  and  (prior  to  the  in- 
troduction of  the  hat)  the  "  Kilmar- 
nock cowl."  It  stands  on  a  small 
stream  of  the  same  name  that  falls 
into  the  Irvine.  The  older  part  of 
the  town  is  narrow  and  irregularly 
built.  In  the  ch.  -yd.  of  the  Laigh 
Parish  Kirk  is  an  epitaph,  by  Burns, 
over  "  Tam  Samson." 

"  Tam  Samson's  -weel-worn  clay  here  lies. 
Ye  canting  zealots  spare  hira  ! 
If  honest  worth  in  heaven  rise, 
Ye' 11  mend  or  ye  win  near  him." 


Aye. 


Route  10. — Dumfries  to  Poiipatrich. 


101 


At  the  cross,  in  King-street,  is  a 
statue  of  Sir  Jas.  Shaw,  a  native  of 
this  town,  and  Lord  Mayor  of  liOndon 
in  1806. 

From  the  press  of  this  town  Burns's 
poems  first  issued  ;  and  among  its 
inhabitants  were  included  many  of 
his  most  generous  friends. 

Distances. — Troon,  9  ni.  ;  Ayr, 
15| ;  Mauchline,  9  ;  Eowallan  Castle, 

H. 

[There  is  a  pretty  walk  up  the 
Fenwick  Water  to  Dean  Castle,  1 
m.,  the  ancient  fort  of  the  Boyds, 
Barons  and  Earls  of  Kilmarnock,  the 
last  of  whom  was  beheaded  in  1746. 
The  castle  was  destroyed  by  fire  11 
years  before,  in  1735.  2  m.  is 
the  ruined  castle  of  Craufordland, 
and  4  m.  is  Fenwick  village,  the 
ch.-yd.  of  which  place  contains  a 
number  of  Covenanters'  tombs. 

2  m.  to  the  N.  of  Kilmarnock  is 
Kilmaurs,  an  old  burgh  formerly 
belonging  to  the  Earls  of  Glencairn. 
In  the  burial-place  of  the  family,  near 
the  church,  is  the  monument  of  the 
9th  Earl,  Chancellor  of  Scotland 
temp.  Charles  II.  Elephant  remains 
have  been  found  here  in  beds  below 
the  boulder  clay.  About  1  m.  far- 
ther is  Rowallaii  Castle,  once  the 
baronial  residence  of  the  Mures  of 
Eowallan,  a  member  of  which  family, 
Elizabeth  Miire,  was  wife  of  King 
Robert  II.  of  Scotland.  Sir  William 
Mure,  who  flourished  in  the  17th 
centy.,  was  an  author  of  no  mean 
repute,  and,  amongst  other  works, 
wrote  the  history  of  his  family.  The 
castle  is  a  place  of  great  antiquity, 
the  more  modern  portions  of  which 
were  built  in  1560.  It  is  charm- 
ingly situated,  but  hidden  from  view 
by  ^plantations.  ] 

A  little  to  the  S.  of  Kilmarnock, 
and  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
Irvine,  is  the  village  of  Riccarton, 
M'here  Wallace  is  said  to  have  spent 
many  of  his  younger  days  at  the 
farm  of  an  uncle. 


95  m.  Steioarton  Stat.  (3  m.  from 
the  town),  a  wretched  place,  where 
the  manufacture  of  cowls  and  High- 
land bonnets  is  carried  on.  The 
district  of  Dunlop  is  famous  for  its 
cheeses.  Ruius  of  numerous  border 
towers,  which  belonged  to  the  Cun- 
ninghams. 

102  m.  Dairy  Junction  Stat.,  where 
the  line  from  Ayr  to  Glasgow  joins 
the  main  line.  Coach  to  Parton 
Stat. 

In  the  neighbourhood  is  a  cave, 
on  the  farm  of  Auchinskeifh,  in  the 
course  of  the  Dusk  water,  which  has 
been  formed  in  one  of  the  limestones. 
This  stream  aff"ords  to  the  geologist 
many  interesting  sections  of  the  car- 
boniferous limestone  series  of  Ayr- 
shire. 

For  the  remaining 

23  m.  to  Glasgow  Terminus,  see 
Rtes.  12  and  16. 


ROUTE  10. 

Dumfries  to  Portpatrick,  by  Cas- 
tle-Douglas, Newton-Stewart, 
"Wigtown,  and  Stranraer.- 
Caledonian  Kly. 

804  111-  ri^'6  through  trains  in  5 
hrs.  ;  single  line,  liable  to  constant 
delays. 

Quitting  the  stat.  at  Dumfries 
(Rte.  9),  this  r\y.  winds  round  the  IST. 
of  the  town,  crosses  the  Nith  near 
Lincluden,  and  skirts 

14  m.  Maxifelltown  Stat.,  a  suburb 
of  Dumfries  (Rte.  9),  celebrated  for 
its  cloth  works  (Tweeds).  On  right 
is  Terregles  (Rte.  9),  the  family  seat 
of  the  Maxwells  (Lords  Herries), 
where  Queen  Mary  stayed  before  her 
embarkation  for  England.  Lord 
Herries  was  her  close  adherent,  and 
a  cunning  politician.  The  house  is 
modern,  and  built  of  red  freestone. 
The  gardens  are  very  charming, 
and  abound  in  terraces  and  clipped 
hedges. 


102 


Route  10. — Dumfries  to  PortpatricJc.  Sect.  I. 


A  little  to  tlie  S.  of  J^laxwelltown 
is  Corbelly  Hill,  with  an  observatory 
on  the  top,  from  -which  there  is  a 
charming  view  of  Dumfries.  The 
line,  passing  through  a  cutting  in 
the  Permian  breccia,  gets  into  the 
hilly  districts  by  the  time  it  reaches 

54  m.  Lochanhcad,  to  tlie  right  of 
which,  1  m.,  is  Loch  Rutton. 

8  m.  Killyichan  Stat.,  from  whence 
there  is  a  mountain-road,  practicable 
for  carriages,  past  Loch  Arthur,  and 
down  the  valley  of  Kew  Abbe}^  Water 
to  the  picturesque  ruins  of  New 
Abbey,  6  m.  (Rte.  9). 

10  m.  Kirlcgunzcon  Stat.  This 
name  probably  means  "the  clmrcli 
of  extreme  unction."  In  the  neigh^ 
bourhood  are  the  ruined  towers  of 
Drumcoltran  and  Corra,  the  latter 
an  old  seat  of  the  Maxwells.  The 
mountains  on  the  left  begin  to 
assume  a  more  formidable  height,  the 
principal  ones  being  Cuil  Hill,  1377 
ft,  and  Hard  Hill,  1335  ft.,  leading 
up  to  the  main  elevation  of  Criffel, 
1867  ft. 

12  m.,  near  Southiuick  Stat.,  is 
Barclosh,  an  old  seat  of  the  Herries 
family,  overlooking  the  stream  of 
Kirkgunzeon  Lane. 

14  m.  Dalbeattie  Stat.  {Inn :  JMax- 
well  Arms,  post-horses  and  carriages 
good)  ;  a  prettily  situated  thriving 
town  in  the  valley  of  the  Urr.  The 
population  (2000)  employed  in  various 
works  and  mills,  paper,  iron,  etc., 
but  principally  dependent  on  the 
granite  quarries,  which  are  in  good 
repute  with  engineers,  having  fur- 
nished stone  for  the  Thames  Em- 
bankment, and  many  of  the  largest 
docks  in  the  kingdom.  Messrs. 
Newall  and  Co.  have  extensive  works, 
in  which  monuments,  pillars,  win- 
dow frames,  etc.,  are  polished  and 
turned  out  quite  as  good  as  those 
from  Aberdeen. 

2  m.  to  the  S. ,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Urr,  is  Munches  (Wellwood 
H.  Maxwell,  Esq.),  a  fine  granite  man- 


sion, rebuilt  after  having  been  struck 
by  lightning  in  1868  and  burnt  down, 
in  a  beautiful  park  above  the  wind- 
ing Urr.  The  grounds  abound  with 
tine  trees,  pines,  etc.  The  name 
probably  originates  with  the  MonTcSy 
its  former  owners.  From  Dalbeattie 
it  is  a  pleasant  drive  of  10  m.  to 
Dundrennan  Abbey  (Rte.  10a)  by 
Auchencass. 

The  rly.  passes  1.  the  granite 
quarries,  etc. ,  in  Craig  Nair.  About 
3  m.  rt.  the  remarkable  earthwork 
the  Moot  of  Urr,  a  very  perfect  cir- 
cular mound  surrounded  by  a  deep 
trench,  and  standing  on  a  wide  plat- 
form also  inclosed  within  a  fosse.  In 
Celtic  days  it  was  probably  used  as  a 
seat  of  justice  and  place  of  council. 
From  Dalbeattie  the  line  turns 
northward,  crossing  the  Urr,  and 
passes  close  by  the  Moot  to 

20  m.  Castle- Douglas  Junct.  Stat. 
{Inns  :  Douglas  Arms  ;  Commer- 
cial), a  busy  country  town  (chief 
town  of  Galloway),  with  a  good 
market,  well  situated  on  the  N.  side 
of  CarlingvKtrk  Loch,  which  has  a 
number  of  small  wooded  islands 
upon  it.  Formerly  a  causeway  led 
from  the  shore  to  one  of  these  islands, 
from  which  fact  Castle-Douglas  was 
once  called  Causeway  End.  At  the 
S.  end  of  the  Loch  is  a  place  called 
the  Gallows  Plot,  from  the  execu- 
tions that  used  to  take  place  there 
when  the  district  belonged  to  the 
Douglas  family.  About  3  m.  to 
the  S.,  on  Gelston  Burn,  is  Gelston 
Castle  (C.  Maitland  Kirwan,  Esq. ) 

14  m.  to  the  E.,  on  an  island  of 
the  Dee,  unapproachable  by  land 
except  in  very  dry  weather,  is  Threave 
Cattle,  long  the  headquarters  of  the 
Douglas  family  ;  afterwards  of  the 
Earls  of  Nithsdale.  It  consists  of  one 
large  gloomj^  tower,  with  a  small 
courtyard  in  front,  and  entrance 
guarded  b}"  small  turrets.  Over  the 
doorway  is  a  projecting  block  of 
granite,  called  the  "  hanging  stone," 
or     *'  gallows    knob,"    which     the 


S.  Scotland.  Route  10. — Parton;  New  Galloivay. 


103 


Douglas  used  to  boast  "  never  wanted 
its  tassel. "  Threave  witnessed  some 
bloody  scenes,  and  none  more  so 
than  the  murder  of  Sir  Patrick 
M'Lellan  by  the  Earl  of  Douglas, 
who  captured  him  by  bribing  Sir 
Patrick's  warder  by  the  promise  of  a 
ladleful  of  gold.  Wlien  the  traitor 
claimed  his  reward,  tlie  Earl,  with  a 
grim  humour,  caused  the  gold  to  be 
melted  and  poured  down  his  throat. 
The  Earl  finished  his  career  by  being 
stabbed  by  the  King  in  Stirling 
Castle. 

It  is  said  that  the  gun  called  ]\[ons 
Meg,  now  in  the  Castle  of  Edin- 
burgh, was  made  here,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reducing  Threave  Castle, 
when  besieged  by  James  II.  in  1451  ; 
and,  in  confirmation  of  the  story, 
several  large  stone  balls  have  been 
found  here,  too  big  for  the  ordinary 
artillery  of  the  day. 

Branch  Railway  to  Kirkcudhririht; 
coach  thence  to  Gatehouse  (Rte. 
10a). 

The  rly.  from  Castle-Douglas  to 
Portpatriek  makes  a  wide  circuit,  so 
as  to  come  within  reach  of  New  Gal- 
loway. It  first  of  all  runs  N.W., 
passing  right  Greenlaw  and  Danevale 
Park,  and  approaching  close  to  the 
Dee  at 

23 1  m.  Crossmichaxl  Stat.  There 
is  a  ch.  here  dedicated  to  the  Arch- 
angel, but  no  traces,  traditional  or 
material,  of  his  cross.  On  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  river,  which  here  be- 
comes broad,  is  Balmaghie  Ch.,  25 
m.  The  lower  end  of  Loch  Ken 
comes  in  sight  at 

27  m.  Parton  Stat.  Coach  to 
Dairy. 

Nearly  opposite  the  village  the 
Ken  joins  the  Dee,  the  latter  np  to 
this  point  being  mnch  the  smaller 
stream,  although  it  gives  its  name  to 
the  nnited  river.  The  lower  end  of 
Loch  Ken  is  crossed  by  a  viaduct 
near  the  wooded  knoll  of  Nether 
Airds,  There  is  a  ferry-boat  here 
for   carriages   and   horses,    but    the 


best  way  for  the  pedestrian  will  be 
to  cross  by  the  rly.  bridge.  On  left 
of  the  line  is  Hensol,  the  seat  of  R. 
D.  B.  Cuninghame,  Esq. 

29  m.  Keiv  Galloivay  Stat.  [Coach 
to  the  town  upwards  of  5  m.  distant, 
the  road  thither  keeping  the  W. 
bank  of  Loch  Ken,  under  the  pic- 
turesquely wooded  slopes  of  Cairn 
Edward,  1060  ft.  Overlooking  the 
head  of  the  lake  is  Kenmure  Castle 
(Hon.  Mrs.  Bellamy-Gordon),  on  a 
lofty  mound,  and  approached  by  a 
splendid  avenue.  The  older  parts  of 
it  belong  to  the  15th  centy.,  and  the 
modern,  which  may  be  2  centuries 
later,  are  well  adapted  to  them.  The 
title  of  Kenmure,  first  gi-anted  by 
Charles  I.  to  Sir  John  Gordon,  was 
forfeited  in  1716,  when  the  7th  Vis- 
count was  executed  for  high  treason. 
It  was  revived  in  favour  of  his  grand- 
son, but  has  again  become  extinct. 

5  m.  Neio  Galloway  {Inn :  Ken- 
mure Arms)  is  a  Parliamentary 
borough,  with  a  pop.  of  440,  and  a 
constituency  of  65,  although  no  more 
than  a  village  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Ken,  which  is  crossed  higher  up 
by  a  bridge  of  5  arches.  The  scenery 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Glen  Ken 
is  extremely  l>retty,  and  will  well 
repay  the  pedestrian,  who  will  find 
in  an  excursion  hence  to  Dalmelling- 
ton  some  of  the  most  desolate  scenery 
in  the  S.  of  Scotland. 

The  traveller  is  now  in  the  very 
heart  of  Galloway,  the  name  of  a 
district,  including  Carrick,  or  the  S. 
division  of  Ayrshire,  with  Wigtown- 
shire and  Kirkcudbrightshire.  The 
latter  county  is  called  a  Stewartry, 
from  the  fact  that  when  the  posses- 
sions of  the  Balliols  and  their  vassals 
were  forfeited,  the  whole  district 
fell  into  the  possession  of  the  Crown, 
and  was  put  under  the  authority  of 
a  royal  steward. 

From  New  Galloway  a  road  runs 
to  Dairy,  8  m.,  on  each  side  of  the 
Ken,  that  on  the  "VV.  passing  Glen- 
lee,  the  prettily-wooded  park  of  Well- 


104 


Route  10. — Dumfries  to  Stranraer. 


Sect.  I. 


wood  Maxwell,  Esq.  ;  and  on  the  W. 
passing  Holme  House,  situated  on 
the  romantic  banks  of  the  little  river 
Carple. 

The  valley  narrows  above  Dairy, 
and  assumes  more  of  a  Highland 
character  as  the  road  approaches  16 
m.  the  village  of  Carsphairn,  sur- 
rounded on  either  side  by  hills,  vary- 
ing in  height  from  1000"to  1700  ft. 

The  pedestrian  should  here  leave 
the  road  and  stiike  W.  up  into  the 
mountains  called  the  Kells  range. 
Ascending  to  the  watershed  he  will 
look  doAvn  upon  Loch  Loon  and  a 
wide  amphitheatre  of  some  of  the 
wildest  hills  in  the  S.  of  Scotland.  He 
can  either  descend  to  the  head  of  the 
loch,  whence  a  good  road  will  take 
him  to  Dalmelliugton,  or  he  may  re- 
turn to  Carsphairn. 

25  m.  Dalmelliugton  (Rte.  12).] 


New  Galloicay  to  Stroanaid. 

Crossing  the  end  of  Loch  Stroan 
by  another  A^aduct,  the  rly.  passes 
through  a  country  so  desolate  that 
after  Drummox  there  is  no  stat.  for 
13  m.  Loch  Skerro^v  is  another  con- 
siderable lake  on  right,  just  before 
arriving  at  the  Water  of  Fleet,  a 
stream  rising  in  the  fine  range  of 
Cairnsnioor  of  Fleet,  2612  ft.,  one  of 
the  loftiest  mountains  in  Galloway. 

43  m.  Creetov:n  Stat.,  on  a  height, 
is  built  of  a  mosaic  of  boulder  stones 
— granites,  shites,  greywacke.  You 
may  study  geology  in  its  walls.  (1 
m.  rt.  below  lies  the  town,  a  small 
port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cree,  which, 
together  with  the  Bladenoch  river, 
forms  the  estuary  of  Wigtown  Bay, 
the  Jena  ^Estuarium  of  the  Eomans. 
Burns  has  immortalised  the  former 
river  by  his  beautiful  little  ballad, 
"The  Banks  of  Cree  :  "— 

"  And  let  us  all  our  vows  renew 

Along  the  flowing  banks  of  Cree." 

In  the  manse  of  Kirkmahreck  was 
born,  1778,  Dr.  Thomas  Brown,  the 
distinguished    Professor    of    Moral 


Philosophy  in  Edinburgh,  1818- 
1819.  He  is  buried  in  the  old  ch.- 
yd.  There  are  fine  gi-anite  quarries 
on  the  E.  shore  of  Wigtown  Bay, 
about  2  m.  S.  of  Creetown,  which 
have  supplied  some  of  the  stone  of 
which  the  Liverpool  docks  are  built. 
The  rly.  skirts  the  N.  shore  of  Wig- 
town Bay  by  the  banks  of  the  Cree, 
which  it  crosses. 

46|  m.  Palnure  Stat.,  where  the 
line  crosses  the  Palnure  Water. 

[A  pleasant  drive  may  be  taken  up 
the  Palnure  Water  (right  bank), 
along  the  New  Galloway  Road,  to 
the  Murray  Moniiment,  a  granite 
obelisk  erected  in  a  commanding 
position  by  Mrs.  Stewart  of  Cairns- 
more  in  memory  of  Dr.  Alexander 
Murray,  a  celebrated  linguist  and 
professor  of  Oriental  languages  in 
the  University  of  Edinburgh.  He 
was  the  son  of  a  shepherd  at  Dun- 
kitterick,  and  educated  at  Minnigaff 
parish  school,  a  striking  example  of 
the  pursuit  of  knowledge  under 
difficulties. 

A  little  before  reaching  the  monu- 
ment, on  right,  is  a  rocking-stone. 
Beyond  it,  on  left,  the  stream  makes 
a  series  of  pretty  falls,  known  as  the 
Grey  Mare's  Tail.] 

The  rly.  now  runs  up  the  vallej'-  of 
the  Cree  to 

50  m.  Neiaton-Stewai't  Junct.  Stat. 
{Inns :  Galloway  Arms,  in  the  main 
street ;  Crown,  near  stat.),  it  con- 
sists of  a  straggling  street  about  1 
m.  in  length  (2470  inhab.),  well 
seen  from  the  bridge  over  the 
Cree,  and  has  a  cheerful  aspect. 
The  modern  Church,  which  is 
in  the  parish  of  Pennihghame,  Avhere 
the  bishops  of  Galloway  originally 
had  their  palace,  has  a  lofty  spire  ; 
and  the  town-hall  has  a  tower  and 
cupola.  The  Eicart  Institute,  an 
educational  establishment  founded 
by  a  gentleman  of  that  name,  for 
poor  children,  is  a  modern  Gothic 
building  on  a  height,  near  the  ch. 

[There  is  a  beautiful  excursion  up  by 


S.  Scotland.      Route  10. — Dumfries  to  Stranraer. 


105 


the  Cree  to  Loch  Trool  (12  m.), 
leaving  rt.  the  pretty  village  and  ch. 
tower  of  Minnigaft",  and  passing  by 
Penninghame — E.  J.  Stopford  Blair, 
Esq.  —  who  has  built  an  elegant 
Gothic  Ejnscopal  Ch.  Higher  up,  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Penkell,  among 
very  rich  woods,  is  Cumloden  (one  of 
the  projjerties  given  by  the  Bruce  to 
three  widows'  sons),  a  shooting-box 
of  the  Earl  of  Galloway.  The  ivied 
ruins  of  Garlies  Castle  are  in  the 
woods  beyond. 

The  valley,  finely  wooded  and  en- 
livened by  the  windings  of  the  Cree, 
presents  a  succession  of  j^leasing 
scenes,  until  at  9  m.  the  river  is 
crossed  at  the  upper  bridge  of  the 
Cree,  and  an  open  country  is  tra- 
versed to  reach  Loch  Trool  (3  miles), 
where  Lord  Galloway  has  another 
shooting-box  in  the  midst  of  the 
moors,  surrounded  by  a  pretty  garden, 
with  hedges  of  fuchsias  and  other 
delicate  plants,  which  testify  to  the 
mildness  of  the  climate.  The  loch 
is  a  narrow  sheet  of  water,  beautifully 
broken  by  wooded  promontories,  and 
lying  embosomed  in  lofty  hills,  which 
rise  precipitously  on  the  E.  side,  pre- 
senting some  of  the  highest  and  most 
rugged  ground  in  the  S.  of  Scot- 
land. A  good  road  all  the  way. 
There  is  a  boat  on  the  lake,  from 
which  the  best  view  is  gained.  Here 
the  English  force  was  nearly  de- 
stroyed by  Robert  Bruce  and  his 
men  rolling  down  huge  stones  on 
the  enemy  as  they  marched  along 
the  bank  of  the  lake  below.  At  the 
S.  end  are  some  Covenanters'  graves. 
From  the  head  of  Loch  Trool  the 
pedestrian  can  cross  the  dividing 
ridge  and  descend  Loch  Dee,  a 
splendid  walk. 

The  Minnigaff  range  on  the  W. 
of  the  valley  of  the  Cree  is  much 
more  broken  in  outline  and  more 
picturesque  than  that  of  Cairnsmore, 
and  affords  glorious  rambling  ground 
for  the  pedestrian,  with  magnificent 
views.  E.  of  Newton  Stewart,  close 
to  the  bridge,   is  Kirrouchtree,  the 


seat  of  the  Eev.  W.  JMaxwell  Heron. 
At  his  gate  is  the  notice — No  en- 
trance except  on  business. 

The  Ely.  is  now  open  to  Wigtown, 
and  runs  through  a  cultivated  but 
uninteresting  country  to 

7  m.  Wigtown  {Inn :  Queen's 
Arms).  An  obelisk  stands  on 
high  ground  at  the  entrance  of 
Wigtown,  commemorating  the  fate 
of  two  female  Covenanters,  Margaret 
M'Lauchlan  (an  old  woman)  and 
Margaret  Wilson  (a  girl  of  18),  who 
Avere  said  to  have  been  tied  to  a 
stake  and  drowned  by  the  rising  tide 
of  the  Bladenoch  river  in  1685. 
They  were  buried  in  the  parish 
churchyard  below.  Drowning  was  an 
old  mode  of  punishment  in  Scotland, 
and  especially  in  Galloway,  where 
the  right  of  pit  and  gallows  (in  Latin 
fossa  et  furcd),  that  is  of  inflicting 
death  either  by  drowning  or  hang- 
ing, subsisted  longer  than  in  other 
countries. 

WigtoAvn  is  a  pleasant  and  pic- 
turesque little  town  (1780  inhab.), 
having  in  the  middle  of  its  broad 
main  street  a  well-shaded  howling- 
green,  the  uniformity  of  which  is 
broken  by  a  tall  cross.  The  Town- 
hall  and  County  Buildings  form  a 
picturesque  group. 

By  following  a  road  on  the  N. 
bank  of  the  Bladenoch  for  about  3  m., 
the  antiquary  will  find,  at  Torhousc, 
on  the  right  of  the  road,  3  rude  stones, 
the'.highest  4  ft.  6  in.  high.  On  the 
left  of  the  road,  in  a  field,  is  a  com- 
plete circle  of  19  stones  60  ft.  dia- 
meter, the  2  largest  about  5  ft.  6  in. 
and  5  ft.  high.  In  the  centre  of  the 
circle  are  2  blocks  5  ft.  high. 

At  8  m.  the  Bladenoch  is  crossed 
at  the  village  of  the  same  name, 
noted  for  its  whisky,  having  on  the 
opposite  bank  the  little  quay  of  Bal- 
doon,  and  the  old  castle  of  Balcloon, 
belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Galloway. 
This  castle  was  the  scene  of  the 
tragedy  immortalised  by  Scott  in 
' '  The  Bride  of  Lammermoor. "     The 


lOG 


Route  10. — Dumfries  to  Stranraer.  Sect.  I. 


bride  was  Janet,  eldest  daughter  of 
Sir  James  Dalrymple,  Lord  Stair,  and 
the  bridegroom  was  David  Dundas 
of  Baldoon.  They  were  married 
Angust  12th,  1669.  She  died  soon 
after,  and  report  asserted,  untruly, 
that  she  stabbed  her  husband  in  a  fit 
of  the  malady  under  which  she  sank, 

10  m.  Kirkness  village,  to  the  W. 
of  which  is  Barnbarroch  ( R.  Vans  Ag- 
new,  Esq. ,  M.  P. )  The  railroad  goes 
direct  to  Whithorn,  keeping  straight 
on  by  Sorbie,  near  which  is  Doiv- 
alton  Loch,  which  has  been  drained, 
revealing  lake-dwellings  similar  to 
those  in  Switzerland.  No  less  than 
4  artificial  islands  were  found,  con- 
structed with  timber  and  hurdles 
weighted  with  heavy  stones,  furnished 
with  fireplaces,  together  with  a  large 
quantity  of  bones  of  deer,  boars,  Bos 
primogenius,  etc.  Between  Sorbie 
and  Garlieston  is  the  old  Place  of 
S'orbic,  a  former  residence  of  the 
family  of  Hannay  in  James  IV. 's 
reign. 

The  Ely.  -ftill  shortly  run  on  to 
Whithorn  by  the  coast  to 

14  m.  Garlieston  '{rnns  .-  Queen's 
Arms  ;  Galloway  Arms),  a  small  sea- 
port, from  whence  a  steamer  runs 
three  times  a  month  to  Liverpool. 
Coach  to  Wigtown.  Adjoining  the 
town  is  Galloiva]/  IJousc,  the  seat 
of  the  Earl  of  Galloway,  with  ex- 
tensive woods  surrounding  it.  The 
house  and  grounds  command  fine 
views  of  the  Cumberland  and  Man 
mountains.  Here  is  an  episcopal 
Clmpcl.  On  Eggerness  Point,  to  the 
N.  of  Garlieston,  are  slight  ruins  of 
Eggerness  Castle,  and  to  the  S.  is 
Cruggleton  Castle,  once  an  import- 
ant fortress  belonging  to  the  Comyns, 
standing  on  the  sea- coast  to  the 
left. 

The  foundations  of  the  exterior 
wall  and  a  piece  of  an  arch  are  all 
that  is  left. 

21  m.  Whithorn  or  Whithern 
{Inn  :  Grapes),  a  Pari,  borough,  con- 


sists of  one  long  street,  containing 
the  Town  House,  Avith  its  tower  and 
bells,  and  separating  at  its  S.  end 
into  two  branches,  the  one  on  the 
left  leading  to  Whithorn  Isle,  34  m., 
which  serves  as  seaport  to  the  town. 
Pop.  1577. 

Whithorn  has  an  historic  interest 
as  the  place  where  the  first  Christian . 
church  in  Scotland  was  built,  by  St. 
Ninian,  the  apostle  of  the  low- 
lands, in  the  4th  centy.,  according 
to  Bede.  Amongst  the  antiquities 
of  Whithorn  is,  on  the  right  side  of 
the  street,  as  you  enter,  an  archway 
(which  led  to  the  Priory)  supported 
by  old  pillars,  wdth  heads  decorated 
with  oak -leaves,  and  bearing  a  shield  ; 
that  on  the  right  has  a  bar  saltier, 
and  that  on  the  left  the  arms  of  the 
bishops  of  Galloway. 

The  churchyard  stands  upon  the 
vaults  and  cellars  of  the  old  Priory. 
In  the  middle  is  the  remnant  of  the 
Priory  Ch.,  which  was  used  as  a 
parish  ch.  up  to  1822,  when  the  new 
one  was  built  close  by.  This  frag- 
ment of  the  old  ch.  is  but  the  chancel 
of  one  which  followed  the  original 
stone  ch.  of  Bede.  On  the  N.  of  the 
high  altar  are  two  canopied  tombs  ; 
these  have  been  restored,  and  one  of 
tliem  is  supposed  to  mark  the  last 
resting-place  of  St.  Ninian.  On  the 
S.W.  side  is  a  Norman  door,  with 
handsome  mouldings,  and  a  ram's 
head  on  the  keystone  ;  and  there  is 
also  a  good  S.E.  door  with  carved 
imposts.  The  old  vault  is  the  bury- 
ing-place  of  the  Murrays  of  Cally, 
near  Gatehouse.  Two  fine  sculptured 
stones  of  the  W.  Highland  type  lie 
neglected  in  the  ch.  -yd. 

Whithorn  is  the  birthplace  of  John 
Ramsay  Macculloch,  author  of  the 
"  Commercial  Dictionary,"  and  of 
many  other  valuable  works  on  Poli- 
tical Economy,  etc. 

St.  Ninian's  Chajyel,  one  of  the 
oldest  places  of  Christian  Avorship  in 
Scotland,  was  a  small  and  rude  edi- 
fice. St.  Ninian,  sometimes  called 
St.  Ringan,  a  Cambrian  Briton,  and 


Route  10. — Dumfries  to  Stranraer — Ghiiluce.  107 


the  first  bishop  of  the  Southern  Picts, 
landed  in  Galloway  about  the  end  of 
the  4th  centy.  He  preached  the 
Gospel  in  these  parts,  and  was  buried 
in  the  priory  of  Whithorn  ( =  Anglo- 
Sax.  Hwit-aern,  i.e.  white  dwelling), 
otherwise  "Candida  Casa,"  because 
built  of  stone.  He  dedicated  it  to 
his  master,  St.  Martin  of  Tours,  from 
whom  he  had  obtained  masons  to 
shape  its  walls  after  the  Roman 
fashion.  "  In  this  '  White  House  ' 
the  body  of  St.  Ninian  had  its  rest, 
with  the  bodies  of  many  other  saints, 
and  for  ages  the  place  continued  to 
be  famous,  not  only  in  North  Britain, 
but  throughout  the  Auglo-Saxon 
kingdoms,  and  among  the  races  of 
Ireland.  Subsequently  the  ancient 
shrine  was  renowned  as  a  pilgrim- 
age, whither  kings  and  princes, 
churchmen  and  warriors,  with  people 
from  many  realms,  came  by  sea  and 
land  to  make  their  devotions." — 
Robertson.  James  IV.  of  Scotland 
used  to  make  annual  pilgrimages  to 
the  shrine  of  St.  Ninian,  and  some- 
times twice  in  one  year,  undertaking 
the  whole  jouwiey  from  Edinburgh 
on  foot.  The  geologist  will  find  the 
Isle  of  Whithorn  interesting,  as  foot- 
tracks  of  extinct  animals  have  been 
discovered  in  the  Lower  Silurian 
rocks. 

2  m.  to  the  S.W.  of  the  town  is 
Glasserton,  the  seat  of  R.  H.  J.  Stewart, 
Esq.  A  Cave  called  St.  Ninians, 
marked  by  a  cross  carved  on  the 
rocky  walls,  exists  on  the  shore 
close  b)^ 

A  road  (not  very  interesting)  runs 
all  round  the  coast  from  Whithorn 
to  Glenluce,  passing 

8  m.  Port-  William,  a  thriving  little 
harbour  close  to  Monreith,  the  seat 
of  Sir  William  Maxwell.  Near  it 
is  Myrton,  where  the  powerful  family 
of  M'Culloch  once  had  a  castle  on 
the  side  of  Myrton  Loch,  of  which 
Boece  speaks  as  "the  Great  Lake 
of  Mirton,  the  one-half  whereof  doth 
freeze    by   naturall    congelation    as 


other  pooles  and  plashes,  but  the 
other  is  never  scene  to  beare  anie 
yce  at  all,  which  unto  me  dooth 
seeme  to  be  a  greate  wonder."  It 
appears  that  the  M'Cullochs  were  of 
a  somewhat  piratical  character,  and 
so  harassed  the  unfortunate  residents 
of  the  Isle  of  Man  that  it  became  a 
common  prayer — 

"  Keep  me,  my  good  cows,  ray  sheep  aud 
my  bullocks. 
From  Satan,  from  sin,  and  those  thievish 
M'Cullochs." 

From  here  it  is  13^  m.  on  to  Glenluce.] 
Kewton  Stewart  to  Stranraer. — 
Quitting  Newton  SteAvart,  the  rly. 
jmsses  left  Mcrton  Hall,  the  seat  of 
M.  S.  Boyd,  Esq.  (a  descendant  of  the 
Earl  of  Kilmarnock  who  suffered  in 
the  rising  of  1745),  and  runs  through 
an  uninteresting  country  to 

56  ra.  Kirkcowan  Stid.  On  right 
is  Craighlaw  (W.C. S.Hamilton, Esq.) 
The  railway  gradually  ascends  into  a 
treeless  region  of  heath.  This  part 
of  Wigtownshire  is  bleak  and  bare, 
and  far  from  interesting. 

64  m.  Glenluce  Stat.,  at  the  head 
of  Luce  Bay,  11  m.  from  which,  up 
the  valley  of  the  Luce,  are  the  re- 
mains of  Luce  Abbey,  founded  by 
Roland,  Lord  of  Galloway,  in  1190. 
When  entire  it  must  have  been  on  a 
very  extensive  scale.  A  mass  of 
prostrate  masonry  rises  still  upon  the 
site,  but  a  gi-eat  part  has  been  re- 
moved. The  foundations  of  the  nave, 
transepts,  and  choir  remain,  encum- 
bered with  rubbish  and  planted  with 
trees.  The  gable  of  the  S.  transept 
(E.E.)  stands  erect,  with  the  E. 
chapels  attached  to  it.  The  cloister 
square  still  exists,  with  a  range  of 
apartments,  including  the  chapter- 
house to  the  E.  The  latter  is  vaulted, 
and  has  a  central  pillar,  with  good 
bosses  and  some  Dec.  windows. 
Michael  Scott,  who  resided  here,  is 
said  to  have  locked  up  the  plague 
in  a  vault ;  and  his  books  are  still 
buried  in  the  ground.  The  Luce, 
which  here  flows  into  the  sea,  is 


108 


Route  10. — Castle  Kennedy — Stranraer.        Sect.  I. 


formed  by  two  streams,  the  Main 
Water  and  the  Cross  Water  of  Luce, 
which  join  at  the  village  of  New 
Luce,  4  or  5  m.  higher  up,  where 
there  is  an  old  rocking-stone  called 
the  Laggan-gun. 

On  the  promontory  of  the  "  Rhinns 
of  Gallowaj^"  which  can  be  visited 
from  Glenluce,  are  various  remains 
of  Celtic  antiquity,  and  in  the  parish 
of  Stoneykirk,  two  stones,  bearing  in- 
scriptions in  characters  of  the  4th 
centy.,  to  commemorate  the  death  of 
3  saints — Florentius,  Macarius,  and 
Vincentius — now  form  the  gate-posts 
of  the  deserted  ch. -yd.  of  Kirk- 
maiden. 

Crossing  the  Luce  by  a  lofty  v^ia- 
duct,  an  extensive  view  is  obtained 
of  the  bay,  the  Mull  of  Galloway, 
the  lighthouse,  and  the  Cumberland 
Mountains  ;  on  left  of  the  rly.  is 
Castle  of  Park,  the  former  seat  of  the 
Hay  family,  built  in  1590  from  the 
spoils  of  Glenluce  Abbey.  It  is  a 
good  type  of  the  Scotch  mansion  of 
the  period,  and  over  the  entrance  we 
read,  "  Blessit  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord — This  verk  was  begun  the  first 
day  of  March,  159C,  be  Thomas  Hay 
of  Park  and  Janet  MacDouei,  his 
spouse."  It  is  now  tenanted  by 
farm  servants.  There  is  a  fine  view 
of  Glenluce  Bay  from  it. 

673  ^^-  Dunragit  Stat.,  on  right 
of  which  is  Dunragit,  the  seat  of 
Sir  J.  Dalrymple  Hay,  and  on  left 
Genoch  (C.  M'Douall  of  Logan). 

On  the  banks  of  Soulseat  Loch, 
1.,  are  slight  remains  of  the  Abbey 
of  Soulseat,  or  "  Sedes  Animae," 
founded  by  Fergus,  Lord  of  Gallo- 
way, in  the  12th  centy. 

70  m.  Castle  Kennedy  Stat.,  rt. 
Within  a  mile  of  this  stat.  is  Loch 
Inch  Castle,  the  noble  residence  of 
the  Earl  of  Stair,  erected  1870  by 
the  10th  Earl,  in  the  Scotch  Gothic 
style,  on  a  site  commanding  the  two 
picturesque  lochs  which  form  the 
chief  feature  of  the  domain  in  view 
of  the  old  castle. 


In  front,  on  a  peninsula,  between 
the  Lakes,  rise  the  ivy-clad  ruins  of 

Castle,  Kennedy,  built  in  the  time 
of  James  VI.,  destroyed  by  fire  1715, 
long  a  seat  of  the  Earls  of  Cassilis.  It 
passed  to  the  Stair  family  in  the  17th 
cent.  The  gardens  and  grounds  are 
liberally  open  to  the  public  on  Wed- 
nesday and  Saturday,  and  are  the  most 
beautiful  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
The  Pinctum  especially  is  the  finest 
in  Scotland.  This  most  successful 
examj)le  of  landscape-gardening  has 
been  created  since  1847,  by  Lord 
Stair  and  his  skilful  gardener  Mr. 
Fowler.  A  curious  range  of  terraces, 
part  of  a  former  garden,  and  the  ivy- 
clad  ruins  of  the  castle,  form  inte- 
resting objects,  around  which  all  the 
newest  and  most  elegant  pines  have 
been  arranged  in  groups  and  groves 
and  avenues  with  excellent  effect.  The 
result  is  that  the  Araucaria,  Deodar, 
Pinus  nobilis,  Insignis  Nordmanni- 
ana,  Webbiana,  and  the  Cupressus 
macrocarpa,  and  many  more,  grow 
liere  in  full  vigour  and  large  masses, 
whereas  in  most  other  places  they 
occur  only  as  single  specimens. 

Passing  left  Culhorn,  a  small 
seat  of  the  Earl  of  Stair,  the  train 
arrives  at 

72^  m.  Stranraer  Stat.  {Inns  : 
King's  Arms  ;  George  ;  Meikle's 
Hotel ;  Commercial),  a  flourishing 
seaport  and  Pari,  borough  (pop. 
5941),  placed  on  the  strand  at  the 
head  of  the  expansive  bay  of  Loch 
Ryan,  and  possessing  a  considerable 
trade  with  the  north  of  Ireland  and 
Belfast,  with  which  city  it  is  con- 
nected by  fine  Steamers  running 
daily  to  Larne,  a  sea-passage  of  less 
than  3  hrs.  There  is  a  convenient 
Pier  communicating  with  the  rly. 
In  the  heart  of  the  town,  opposite 
tlie  King's  Arms,  is  a  Castle  or  tower 
built  by  the  Kennedies.  A  pretty 
view  of  the  town  and  Loch  Ryan 
may  be  obtained  from  the  heights 
above  the  cemetery — Gallows  Hill 
and  Spring  Bank.     Coach  to  Girvau 


S.  Scotland.  Route  lOa.— Castle-Douglas  to  KirJxudhrirjld.   109 


Stat.  ;  Steamers,  Glasgow  (Ayr),  and 
since  1872,  daily,  first-class  steamers, 
warranted  16  m.  an  lir.,  to  Larne, 
whence  rly.  to  Belfast. 

Castle  Kennedy  and  the  grounds 
of  Loch  Inch  are  3  m.  distant  (ad- 
mission Wed.  and  Sat.) 

6  m.  to  the  N.Yf.,  between  Loch 
Ryan  and  tlie  Channel,  is  Loclmaic 
Castle,  the  ancient  seat  of  the  old 
family  of  Agnew,  which  held  the 
office  of  hereditary  sheriff  of  Gallo- 
way down  to  the  abolition  of  heri- 
table jurisdictions,  1747.  The  monu- 
ment on  the  hill  is  to  the  late  Sir 
Andrew  A.  [A  road  to  the  S.  leads  to 
the  Mull  of  Galloicay,  passing  3^  m. 
Garthland  Tower,  once  the  seat  of 
the  M'Doualls,  Lords  of  Galloway. 
5  m.  the  village  of  Stoneykirk,  7  m. 
Balgreggan,  10  m.  Ardwell  House 
(Mrs.  Ommaney  M'Taggart),  Logan 
(J.  M'Douall,  Esq. ),  where  under  the 
cliffs  is  a  singular  sea- fish  preserve 
or  pond  accessible  to  the  tides,  and 
filled  with  great  cod  and  other  fi^h, 
some  of  them  so  tame  as  to  come  at 
the  keeper's  call  and  receive  food  out 
of  the  hand  ;  and  1 5  m.  Kirkmaiden. 
Near  Ardwell  is  Killeser,  formerly 
belonging  to  the  M  'Cullochs,  skirting 
the  shore  of  Luce  Bay  to  Drummore, 
where  is  a  little  Inn,  3  m.  from  the 
lighthouse-  The  sea  cliffs  are  150 
to  200  ft.  high.  From  the  point  of 
the  Mull,  upon  which  is  the  light- 
house (5  m.  beyond),  a  good  view 
may  be  obtained  of  the  coasts  of 
England  and  Ireland  on  the  left  and 
right,  and  the  hills  of  the  Isle  of  Man 
in  front.] 

80  m.  Portpatrick,  formerly  called 
Port  Montgomerie.  The  town  is  a 
poor  little  place,  but  is  the  nearest 
point  on  the  Scottish  coast  to  Ireland 
— only  21  m.  distant.  The  harbour 
and  pier  were  constructed  by  Kennie 
at  a  cost  of  £200,000,  but,  not  prov- 
ing convenient,  the  mail  service 
between  Portpatrick  and  Donag- 
hadee  has  been  discontinued.  From 
Portpatrick  the  submarine  telegraph 


wire  is  carried  across  the  channel.  1 
m.  to  the  S.  are  the  ruins  of  Dunskei/ 
Castle,  standing  on  a  rocky  cliff 
pierced  with  many  caves,  which  pro- 
jects into  the  sea.  There  is  fine 
rugged  cliff  scenery  along  the  coast 
line  near  this. 


ROUTE   10a. 

Castle-Douglas  to  Kirkcudbright 
—  Dundrennan  Abbey  —  Gate- 
house of  Fleet— Anwoth. 

Castle- Douglas  is  in  Ete.  10. 

Railway  to  Kirkcudbright,  10  m., 
0  trains  daily  in  4  hr.,  crossing  the 
Dee  near  Threave  Bridge,  to 

Bridge  of  Dee  Stat.  The  country 
is  very  picturesque,  though  it  can- 
not be  said  to  exhibit  any  striking 
features. 

8  m.  ( Tarff  Stat. )  At  Tongueland 
the  river  Dee  is  crossed  by  an  old 
bridge  of  2  arches,  and  a  little  lower 
down  by  another  bridge  of  1  arch  of 
112  ft.  span,  built  of  Arran  freestone, 
from  plans  by  Telford.  The  view  from 
Tongueland  Hill  is  very  charming, 
embracing  the  towns  of  Kirkcud- 
bright, St.  Mary's  Isle,  the  island 
Little  Ross,  with  the  Irish  Channel, 
and,  on  a  clear  day,  the  hills  of  the 
Isle  of  Man.  Near  Tongueland  Ch.  is 
the  site  of  the  Abbey  founded  by 
Fergus,  Lord  of  Gallowa}^,  in  the  12th 
centy.  Below  the  bridge  the  Dee  is 
joined  by  the  Tarff,  at  the  confluence 
of  which  is  Compstone  House  (S. 
Maitland,  Esq.)  and  the  old  Castle  of 
Compstone,  where  the  poet  Mont- 
gomery once  resided.  The  Dee  rises 
in  Loch  Dee,  in  the  W,  of  the 
county  of  Kirkcudbright,  and  flows 
E.  to  join  the  Ken  at  the  S.  end  of 
Loch  Ken,  between  Castle-Douglas 
and  New  Galloway.  From  this  point 
the  two  rivers  merge  in  the  Dee, 
which  now  flows  to  the  S.,  and 
assumes  all  the  wild  beauty  of  a 
Highland  stream.  It  is  a  good  fish- 
ing-river,   though    it    L'3    somewhat 


110 


Route  1  Oa. — Kirkcudbright. 


Sect.  I. 


difficult  to  obtain  leave  from  the 
various  proprietors.  The  neighbour- 
ing lochs  abound  in  trout,  pike,  and 
perch. 

11  m.  Kirkcudbright  Stat.,  pro- 
nounced Kircoobrie  (Inns  :  Royal, 
good  ;  Commercial),  Pop.  2464.  A 
Pari,  borough  and  clean  town  of  wide 
streets,  on  the  Dee,  here  crossed  by 
an  irpn  bridge,  and  accessible  for 
sea-going  steamers.  The  "  Kirk  of 
Cuthbert,"  so  called  because  that 
saint's  bones  reposed  here  for  a  time 
during  their  wanderings,  is  a  pleasant 
little  town,  and  the  head  of  the 
Stewartry.  The  kirk  from  which  it 
takes  its  name  was  founded  in  the 
8th  centy.  At  the  end  of  the  prin- 
cipal street  are  the  ivy-covered  ruins 
of  the  old  Castle  of  the  M'Lellans, 
barons  of  Kirkcudbright,  built  in 
1582.  It  is  very  plain  and  square, 
and  of  no  beauty  in  itself,  but  looks 
well  as  the  termination  of  the  street. 
The  Establislied  Ch.  is  a  handsome 
building.  The  old  ch.  was  pulled 
down,  with  the  exception  of  a  frag- 
ment that  contains  a  monument  to 
a  Lord  Kirkcudbriglit,  which  title 
has  been  extinct  since  1832.  A 
Court-house  for  county  business  was 
built  in  1867. 

About  Ih  m.  to  the  S.  is  St.  Mary's 
Isle,  now  no  longer  an  island,  but  a 
peninsula,  stretching  into  the  estuary 
of  the  Dee,  and  occupied  by  the 
grounds  and  dark  Avoods  of  the  Earl 
of  Selkirk,  Through  green  vistas  of 
beech  trees  fine  views  of  the  sea  appear. 
Here  is  an  old  herom-y  containing 
many  hundred  birds,  which  are  care- 
fully guarded  from  intrusion.  Paul 
Jones'  Point,  at  the  end  of  the  tongue 
of  land,  commemorates  a  raid  made 
b)''  that  daring  pirate,  1778,  in  the 
hope  of  carrying  off  the  Earl,  who 
was,  luckily  for  himself,  away  from 
home.  The  pirate,  however,  looted 
the  plate  ;  and  a  silver  teapot,  which 
was  returned  by  him  on  the  remon- 
strance of  Benjamin  Franklin,  is  still 
in   possession   of  the   family.      His 


father  was  gardener  at  the  Isle.  A 
nunnery  was  founded  here  in  the 
reign  of  David  I.,  and  some  portions 
of  it  are  embodied  in  the  plain  sash- 
windowed  modern  house.  The 
grounds  contain  a  cut-leaved  alder, 
the  finest  in  the  country,  and  good 
Conifers. 

An  agreeable  excursion  may  be 
made  to  Dundrennan  Abbey,  6  m. 
to  the  E.,  and  about  2  m.  from  the 
coast.  The  road  thither  passes  a 
Roman  camp,  and  the  site  of  Bombie 
Castle,  ^the  early  residence  of  the 
M'Lellans.  A  part  of  the  way  is 
lined  by  hawthorn  hedges,  which 
grow  most  luxuriantly  here,  and 
gave  to  the  place  the  name  of  ' '  Dun- 
drinnan"  (hill  of  thorns).  The 
Abbey  stands  at  the  head  of  a  pretty 
valley  1  m.  long,  running  down  from 
the  village  of  Dundrennan  to  the  sea. 
It  has  a  humble  Bin,  with  one  clean 
bedroom,  and  a  Gothic  kirk,  built 
1865,  Dundrennan  Abbey  was  the 
last  place  at  which  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots  slept  before  her  embarkation 
for  England.  She  wrote  a  letter  to 
Queen  Elizabeth  hence,  May  15th, 
1568.  Indeed,  the  very  spot  where 
she  took  boat  is  pointed  out,  and  to 
this  day  goes  by  the  name  of  Port 
Mary.  The  district  of  Rerwick  is 
bold  and  rock}'^,  and  supplied  the 
scenery  of  "  Ellangowan,"  in  Sir 
Walter  Scott's  "  Guy  Mannering." 

The  abbey  was  built  in  1142,  by 
King  David,  or,  as  some  say,  by 
Fergus,  Lord  of  Galloway,  for  Cis- 
tercian monks,  brought  from  Rie- 
vaulx,  in  Yorkshire. 

On  entering  the  W.  door,  which 
is  early  pointed,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  AVhole  of  the  nave  and 
choir  (E.  wall)  have  disappeared, 
together  with  the  tower,  the  clois- 
ters, and  almost  all  the  chapter- 
house. The  materials  have  been  re- 
moved to  build  the  village,  and 
several  of  the  stones  may  be  recog- 
nised in  the  houses,  and  particularly 
in  the  Manse.     Further  dilapidations 


S.  Scotland.     Boute  10a. — Dundrennan  Ahhey  ;  Calhj. 


Ill 


are  now  arrested  by  the  Commis- 
sioners of  AVoods.  On  the  W.  are 
the  cellars,  and  the  garden  entrance. 
The  present  remains  of  the  church, 
built  of  picturesque  grey  stone,  con- 
sist of  the  N.  and  S.  transepts,  each 
with  a  roofless  aisle,  on  the  E.  side, 
and  the  N.  and  S.  walls  of  the 
chancel.  The  arches  of  the  S.  tran- 
sept stand  perfect  and  are  pointed, 
while  the  windows  of  the  chancel, 
and  those  of  the  clerestoiy  in  the 
transept,  are  circular.  The  most 
beautiful  fragment  is  upon  the  S. 
side  of  the  ch.  This  was  the  en- 
trance to  the  chapter-house,  and 
consists  of  a  pointed  Gothic  door- 
way, flanked  on  each  side  by  a  double 
window.  Within  this  entrance  are 
the  stumps  of  4  pillars  which  sup- 
ported the  roof. 

In  the  aisle  of  tha  N.  transept  is 
the  monument  of  Alan,  Lord  of  Gal- 
loway, grandson  of  the  reputed 
founder,  and  Constable  of  Scotland 
in  1233.  The  figure  is  clothed  in 
mail,  the  legs  have  long  ago  dis- 
appeared. 

From  the  high  gi'ound  above  the 
Abbey  a  fine  view  is  obtained.  On  the 
1.  is  a  range  of  hills,  the  highest  peak 
of  which  is  Cairn  Skreel,  1425  feet, 
ending  in  Cairn  hill,  so  called  from 
the  cairn  on  its  summit.  To  the  S., 
across  the  water,  is  seen  the  coast 
of  Cumberland,  with  Skiddaw  and 
Helvellyn  in  the  background  ;  and 
on  the  extreme  right  are  the  dark- 
blue  hills  of  the  Isle  of  J^Ian. 

A  coach  goes  twice  a  day  from 
Kirkcudbright  to  (8  m.)  Gateliousc-of- 
Fleet  {Inn  :  *  Murray  Arms,  very 
good).  A  prettily  situated  town, 
which  rose  into  a  brief  prosperity 
owing  to  a  cotton-mill  being  estab- 
lished here  at  the  end  of  last  centy., 
but  which  stopped  in  1858,  and  the 
town  subsided  into  torpidity.  Its 
nucleus  was  the  old  inn  at  the  end 
of  the  avenue  leading  to  Cally,  seat 
of  H.  G.  ilurray  Stewart,  Esq.,  and 
hence  its  name. 


Cally  is  a  stately  mansion  of 
granite,  with  a  portico  of  columns, 
each  a  single  shaft.  The  lofty  Hall, 
lined  with  pi-ecious  marbles,  cost 
£50,000  alone.  Cally  is  approached 
through  shady  groves  and  avenues  of 
lofty  beech,  and  is  backed  by  gardens 
and  grounds  of  great  beauty.  Many 
rare  pines  (C.  Lambertiana,  40  ft. 
high).  It  is  one  of  the  finest  places 
in  these  parts.  Strangers  can  see 
the  grounds  Tuesday  and  Thursday. 
Extensive  views  from  Gatehouse  Hill 
and  the  Bar  Hill. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Fleet 
water  is  Anivoth  Ch.,  field  of  the 
ministry  of  the  Rev,  Saml.  Euther- 
ford — to  whose  memory  the  granite 
obelisk  was  erected  1842  on  the  hill. 

"Rutherford's  Walk"  is  the  scene 
of  the  memorable  interview  between 
him  and  Archbp,  Usher,  who  came 
over  from  Ireland  to  see  him,  (See 
Dean  Stanley  s  "Scottish  Church,")! 

The  tourist  may  rejoin  the  r\j.  at 
Creetown  by  following  the  coast 
road,  a  very  pleasant  one,  from 
Gatehouse,  commanding  good  views 
of  the  opposite  coast  of  Wigtown, 
The  distance  is  12  m,  Anwoth  Ch, 
and  monument  lie  on  right,  Car- 
doness  Castle  and  house  (Sir  W. 
Maxwell)  are  passed.  At  PMvenshaM, 
about  half-way,  there  is  a  roadside 
inn  with  fair  accommodation.  The 
coast  is  bold  and  rocky,  and  con- 
tains some  interesting  caverns.  The 
largest  of  them  is  supposed  to  have 
given  Sir  W.  Scott  the  substance  of 
his  description  of  Dirk  Hatteraick's 
cave.  It  can  only  be  reached  by  a 
rough  walk  along  the  rocky  shore, 
and  entered  only  at  low  water.  Within 
is  a  large  apartment,  the  sides  of 
which  are  hollowed  out  into  "bins  " 
for  the  storing  of  spiiits  and  contra- 
band goods,  Not  far  from  Ravens- 
hall  is  Carslouth  Castle,  a  ruin 
picturesquely  placed  on  the  edge  of 
the  cliff,  from  whence  a  flight  of 
steps  descends  to  the  water.  Its 
features  correspond  to  the  description 
of  EUangowan  in  "  Guy  Maunering." 


112 


Route  11. — Stranraer  to  Ayr, 


Sect.  I. 


Sir  Walter  Scott  derived  his  know- 
ledge of  this  district  from  Mr.  Train, 
a  very  intelligent  revenue  officer  re- 
siding at  ISTewton  Stewart.  Over- 
looking a  narrow  stream  is  Kirkdale 
House  (Major  F.  Rainsford-Hannay). 
Granite  quarries  are  opened  on  the 
shore,  and  are  provided  with  a  pier 
for  shipment  of  the  stone  about  1  m. 
S.  of  Creetown.  A  steep  ascent  of 
rather  more  than  a  mile  leads  to 
Creetown  Stat.  (Rte.  20). 


EOUTE   11. 

Stranraer  to  Ayr,  by  Ballantrae, 
Girvan,  and  Maybole. 

A  coach  leaves  Stranraer  every  day 
for  Girvan,  30  m.  Thence  to  Ayr, 
22  m.,  Railway  ;  trains  in  1  hr. 

The  coast  scenery  from  Glen  App 
to  Ballantrae  and  Girvan  is  remark- 
ably fine. 

For  the  first  10  m.  the  road  skirts 
the  eastern  shores  of  Loeh  Pi,yan, 
running  at  the  foot  of  a  plateau  of 
bleak  moors.  It  was  the  Rericonius 
Sinus  of  the  Romans,  the  presumed 
station  of  Rericonium  being  passed 
at  2 1  m.  from  Stranraer.  Earth- 
works visible  at  this  spot  are  called 
the  Mote.  On  the  bank  overlooking 
it  are  the  ruins  of  Craigcaffic  Castle, 
the  fortress  of  the  Nelsons  in  the 
13th  centy.  The  foundation-stones 
are  said  to  have  been  laid  on  bags  of 
wool  on  account  of  the  boggy  nature 
of  the  ground. 

6^  m.  on  the  W.  shore  of  the 
Loch,  opposite  Cairn  Ryan,  whose 
shales  yield  graptolites,  are  the  vil- 
lage of  Kirkcolm  and  the  grounds  of 
Corsewall  (J.  Carrick-Moore,  Esq.) 
The  ruins  of  the  ancient  castle  of 
Corseivall  lie  4  m.  to  the  N.W.,  near 
Corsewall  Point  (Lighthouse).  Close 
to  Cairn  Point  is  Loch  Ryan,  the  seat 
of  Sir  Wm.  Agnew-Wallace,  a  de- 
scendant of  the  family  of  which  the 
famous  Sir  William  was  a  member. 
The  castellated  architecture  here  is 


in  the  worst  possible  taste.  At  8^ 
m.  the  Galloway  Burn  is  crossed, 
and  the  traveller  enters  Ayrshire. 

10  m. ,  at  Finnart  Bay,  which  is 
nearly  opposite  JMilleur  Point,  the 
extreme  end  of  the  Rhinns  of  Gallo- 
ivay  (the  hilly  ridge  which  forms  the 
backbone  of  the  promontory),  the 
road  leaves  the  sea-coast  and  turns 
up  the  picturesque  and  finely  wooded 
Glen  Ajjp,  quitting  it  (14  m.)  at  the 
base  of  Carlock-hill,  1054  ft.,  and 
taking  a  direction  due  IST.  past  the 
handsome  modern  seat  of  Js.  Hunter, 
Esq.,  in  a  fine  position  overlooking 
the  sea,  in  an  estate  of  8580  acres,  to 

18  m.  Ballantrae  {Inn:  King's 
Arms,  small  but  tidy),  a  small  fish- 
ing port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Stin- 
char,  a  considerable  stream  crossed 
I  by  a  bridge.  Above  it  is  a  crust  of 
Castle  Arclstinchar,  which  once  com- 
manded the  pass  out  of  Galloway. 
The  scenery  in  Glen  Tig,  and  up  the 
Stinchar  towards  the  village  of  Col- 
monell,  54  ra.,  is  very  pretty. 
Between  the  latter  place  and  Bal- 
lantrae is  Knockdolian,  the  seat  of 
A.  Cathcart,  Esq. 

The  road  from  Ballantrae  to  Girvan 
closely  hugs  the  coast,  which  in  many 
parts  is  exceedingly  bold,  with  ro- 
mantic cliff's,  particularly  at  Bennane 
Head.  The  tourist  obtains  a  succes- 
sion of  grand  sea-views,  in  which 
Ailsa  Craig  is  a  prominent  object. 

At  Lendalfoot,  about  half-way,  the 
cliff's  are  fine  and  bold,  the  trap  rock 
assuming  fantastic  shapes,  arches, 
etc.,  and  are  covered  with  creeping 
vegetation,  and  especially  at  Games- 
loup.  The  marine  spleenwort  grows 
here.  The  ruined  tower  of  Carletoii 
Castle  is  the  scene  of  the  ballad  of 
"  May  Cullean."  Here  lived  a  baron 
who  had  a  habit  of  frequently  marry- 
ing and  becoming  tired  of  his  Avives, 
whom  he  despatched  by  pushing 
them  from  the  top  of  the  cliflTs. 
Seven  had  already  gone  this  way, 
when  May  Cullean,  the  eighth  wife, 


Ayrshire.   Route  \l. — Stranraer  to  Ayr :  Girvan ;  Ailsa.  113 


appeared  on  the  scene,  and  was  led 
out  on  to  the  rocks  to  perform  the 
same  ceremony.  Requesting  the 
baron  to  turn  away  his  head  while 
she  took  off  her  apparel,  she  adroitly 
managed  to  push  him  over  instead. 

"  'O  turn  j'e  then  about,  Sir  John, 
And  look  to  the  leaf  of  the  tree, 
For  it  never  became  a  gentleman 
A  naked  woman  to  see  ! ' 
He  turned  himself  straight  round 

about. 
To  look  to  the  leaf  of  the  tree  ; 
She  has  twined  her  arms  around  his 

waist. 
And  thrown  him  into  the  sea." 

30  m.  Girvan  Stat.  {Inn:  King's 
Arms,  good),  a  dull  but  neat  town, 
5921  inhab.,  at  mouth  of  the  Girvan 
water,  consisting  of  one  long  street, 
at  N.  end  of  which  is  the  rly.  stat. 
It  is  situated  on  the  edge  of  a  small 
detached  coalfield,  which  gives  occu- 
pation to  the  people.  Sheltered 
under  a  wooded  hill  lies  (24  m. 
S.W.)  Ardmillan  House  (Lord  Ard- 
millan). 

Distances:  Ballantrae,  12  m. ;  Ayr, 
22;  Stranraer,  30;  Turnberry  (Jastle, 
6  ;  Maybole,  12|. 

The  Fuiihoay  from  Girvan  to  A}t, 
22  m.,  takes  an  inland  course  to 
Maybole,  so  that  the  tourist  is  shut 
out  from  the  places  of  interest  on  the 
coast.  Some  may  prefer,  therefore, 
to  follow  the  coast-road,  but  it  is 
very  hilly  and  not  well  kept. 

[Girvan  is  the  most  suitable  place 
for  making  a  water  excursion  to 
Ailsa  Craig,  which  rises  grandly 
about  10  m.  out  at  sea.  It  is  1100 
ft.  in  height,  and  2  m.  in  circum- 
ference at  the  base.  From  this  side 
it  appears  to  be  spherical,  but  from 
N.  and  S.  it  would  seem  to  be  p}Ta- 
midal,  and  on  the  W.  to  be  rect- 
angular. It  is  in  reality  shaped  like 
a  wedge,  and  is  perpendicular  towards 
the  AV.,  while  it  slopes  gradually 
away  to  the  E. ,  on  which  side  alone 
it  is  accessible.  Ailsa  can  be  ap- 
proached only  when  the  wind  is 
favourable,  a  landing  is  then  easy, 
but  the  narrow  path  up  at  places 
{Scotland.  ] 


winds  round  the  edge  of  the  pre- 
cipice. Upon  the  summit  are  the 
ruins  of  a  tower.  The  Craig  is  inha- 
bited by  one  human  family,  besides 
goats,  rabbits,  and  great  quantities 
of  sea-fowl.  The  beauty  of  the  cliffs 
of  Ailsa  is  little  knoAvn,  as  it  fronts 
to  the  W.,  on  which  side  the  columnar 
cliffs  rise  to  a  height  of  400  ft.  The 
columns,  from  6  ft.  to  9  ft.  in  dia- 
meter, differ  from  those  of  Staffa  in 
being  of  grey  syenite,  not  of  basalt.] 

The  geologist  will  find  fossiliferous 
rocks  of  lower  Silurian  as  well  as  of 
carboniferous  age  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Girvan.  The  former  are 
seen  to  the  S.  of  the  Girvan  Water, 
occupying  the  high  ground  extend- 
ing from  Dailly  to  Asselburn,  Aldone, 
and  the  sea  ;  while  the  latter  form 
an  isolated  patch  on  both  sides  of 
the  river.  Silurian  fossils  may  also 
be  obtained  at  the  quarries  of  Craig's 
Head  and  Mulloch  Hill,  on  the  N. 
side  of  the  Girvan  AVater,  between 
Girvan  and  Dailly. 

The  rly.  follows  the  course  of  the 
Girvan  river  through  a  valley  of 
pleasing  character  in  places,  espe- 
cially near 

3  m,  Killochan  Stat.,  near  which 
are  Killochan  Castle  (Sir  J.  Cath- 
cart).  On  a  hill  near  Killochan  is 
the  Baron  Stone,  a  giant  boulder  of 
granite,  which,  like  the  thousand 
others  strewing  the  ground,  has 
been  brought  from  the  source  or  Eye 
of  the  Girvan,  which  is  in  a  granite 
basin.  6  m.  In  Dailly  ch. -yard  is 
the  grave  of  J.  B.  Collis,  who  was 
buried  23  days  in  a  coal-pit,  was  dug 
out  alive,  but  survived  only  3  days. 
In  the  neighbourhood  is  Dalquharran 
Castle  (Right  Hon.  T.  F.  Kennedy). 
From  this  stat,  it  is  8  m.  left  to 
Turnherry  Castle  {sec  page  115). 

8 1    m.    Kilkerran   Stat.      On   the 

slopes  of  the  opposite  bank  of  the 

Girvan  is  Kilkerran,  the  seat  of  Sir 

J.  Fergusson,  and  Bargany  (Countess 

F   2 


114 


Route  11. — Mayhole ;  Crossraguel. 


Sect.  I. 


of  stair,  Duchess  de  Coigny),  in  a 
pretty  park. 

12i  m.  Mayhole  Stat.  {Inn :  King's 
Arms),  a  place  of  some  historical  im- 
portance as  the  capital  of  the  lonety, 
hilly  cattle-feeding  district  called 
Carrick,  the  domain  of  the  Braces. 
Here  the  Lord  Cassilis,  the  hereditary 
bailie,  and  other  local  magnates,  had 
their  town  mansions,  and  held  their 
courts  in  the  olden  times. 

Mayhole  still  retains  two  buildings 
of  interest — the  Tolbooth,  which  has 
some  Gothic  details,  and  was  the  old 
town  residence  of  the  Kennedies  of 
Blairquhan,  who  had  their  principal 
castle  at  Straiton — and  the  Tower  or 
Cattle  (now  restored,  and  the  abode 
of  Lord  Ailsa's  factor),  was  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Bailie  of  Carrick.  This 
was  the  scene  of  the  ballad  of 
"Johnnie  Faa, "  the  gipsy,  Avho,  ac- 
cording to  the  story  (which  is  proved 
to  be  untrue),  eloped  with  the  lady 
of  the  6th  Earl  of  Cassilis. 

"The  gipsies  cam  to  our  gude  lord's  yett, 
And  O,  but  they  sang  sweetly  ; 
They  sang  sae  sweet  and  sae  very  com- 
plete 
That  doun  cam  the  fair  ladie. 
And  she  cam  tripping  doun  the  stair, 

And  a'  her  maids  before  her  ; 
As  soon  as  they  saw  her  weel-faired  face 
They  cuist  the  glamour  ower  her." 

Within  the  ruins  of  the  Old  Church 
is  the  burying-place  of  tlie  Ailsa 
family.  l\\  the  old  Red  Lion  Lm 
took  place  the  meniorable  theological 
contest  in  1561,  of  3  days'  duration, 
betAveen  John  Knox  and  the  Abbot 
of  Crossraguel,  Quentin  Kennedy. 

There  is  a  fine  view  from  Bennan 
Hill.  The  festival  of  shooting  at 
the  Popinjay  was  kept  iip  till  a  very 
few  years  ago.  Here  is  the  large 
agricultural  implement  manufactory 
of  Jack  and  Co. 

Mayhole  was  the  residence  of 
Kennedy  of  Cullayne,  who  was  dia- 
bolically murdered  by  Mure  of 
Auchendrane,  one  of  the  most  dan- 
gerous and  bloodthirsty  men  of  his 
time,    scrupling  not  to   assassinate 


anybody  whom  he  had  reason  to 
envy  or  fear.  For  this  last  offence, 
however,  he  was  brought  to  trial 
with  his  son,  and  executed  in  1611, 
The  story  has  been  dramatised  by 
Sir  W.  Scott  in  his  "Ayrshire 
Tragedy." 

"Ay,  'tis  an  old  belief  in  Camck  here. 
Whose  natives  do  not  always  die  in  bed, 
That  a  a  Kennedy  shall  not  attain 
Methuselah's  last  span,  a  Mure  has  slain 
him." 

[About  2  m.  from  Maybole,  on  the 
Kirkoswald-road,  are  the  picturesque 
remains  of  the  Abbey  of  Crossraguel, 
founded  previous  to  1240  by  David, 
Earl  of  Carrick,  for  Cluniac  monks 
from  Paisley.  A  large  portion  of 
the  buildings  are  still  standing,  and 
form  a  curious  mixture  of  "  the  half 
bai'onial,  half  ecclesiastical  construc- 
tion." The'ch.  consisted  of  a  nave 
without  aisle  or  transept,  and  a  chan- 
cel, divided  by  a  wall,  and  terminated 
at  the  E.  by  an  apsidal  end  of  3  sides. 
At  the  S.E.  is  a  handsome  tomb  with 
4  canopied  arches.  The  chai^ter- 
house,  retaining  its  vaulted  roof, 
supported  on  light  piers,  has  very 
handsome  Avindows,  and  is  evidently 
the  most  modern  part  of  the  whole. 
To  the  W.  of  the  chapter-house  is  a 
square,  in  which  the  cloisters  can 
easily  be  traced,  and  beyond  this  was 
the  refectory.  At  the  S.E.  corner  of 
the  ch.,  built  upon  an  arch  spanning 
a  stream  that  runs  through  the 
gai'dens,  Avas  the  Abbot's  house.  To 
the  W.  of  the  Avhole  is  the  entrance 
by  a  grand  turreted  gatehouse.] 

[Another  excursion  of  6^  m.  may 
be  made  to  the  little  fishing  and 
bathing  place  of  Dunure,  Avhich  has 
a  harbour  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
by  Abercrombie,  the  engineer,  at  an 
expense  of  £50,000.  It  is,  hoAvever, 
too  small  for  any  practical  purpose. 
Here,  overlooking  the  sea,  is  the 
solitary  fragment  of  Dunure  Castle, 
once  the  seat  of  the  Kennedies,  but 
dismantled  in  the  middle  of  the  1 7th 
centy.  ] 


Ayrshire.    Route  12. — Ayr  to  Glasgow — Culzean. 


115 


[The  coast-7'oacl  from  Girvan  keeps 
the  shore  pretty  closely  for  6  m,  to 
the  ruins  of  Turnberry  Castle,  of 
which  the  principal  portion  now 
standing  consists  of  a  piece  of 
masonry  about  30  ft.  above  the  sea, 
to  which  there  was  a  subterranean 
passage  from  the  castle.  There  is 
also  a  little  masonry  among  the 
rocks  Avhich  formed  the  foundation 
of  the  Castle,  but  so  built  into  the 
crevices  that  it  is  difficult  to  distin- 
guish between  art  and  nature. 

Turnberry  was  in  former  times  the 
seat  of  the  Earls  of  Carrick,  and  was 
occupied  by  Martha,  Countess  of 
Carrick,  who  married,  in  1274, 
Robert  Bruce,  Earl  of  Annandale. 
The  eldest  son  of  this  marriage  was 
the  great  Robert  Bruce,  who  was 
probably  born  in  it,  and  who  is  re- 
presented in  the  "  Lord  of  the  Isles  " 
as  seizing  the  castle  in  his  first  de- 
scent from  Arran.  It  is  more  pro- 
bable, however,  that  it  did  not  fall 
into  his  hands  till  after  the  battle  of 
Bannockburn.  It  had  been  arranged 
that  a  fire  should  be  lighted  at  Turn- 
berry to  give  a  signal  to  Bruce  that 
the  favourable  moment  for  the  de- 
scent had  arrived.  When  the  signal 
was  seen  at  nightfall,  Bruce  landed 
only  to  find  that  the  fire  had  not 
been  lighted  by  any  one  of  his  party, 
and  that  the  castle  was  occupied  by 
a  strong  English  force  of  Earl  Percy 
(1306).  So  mysterious  was  the  oc- 
currence that  it  was  believed  to  be  of 
supernatural  origin. 

*'  Now  ask  j'ou  whence  that  wondrous 
light 
Whose  fairy  glow  beguiled  their  sight  ? 
It  ne'er  was  known — yet  greyhair'd  eld 
A  superstitious  credence  held, 
That  never  did  a  mortal  hand 
Wake  its  broad  glare  on  Carrick's  strand  ; 
Nay,  and  that  on  the  selfsame  night, 
When  Bruce  crossed  o'er,  still  gleams  the 
light." — Lord  of  the  Isles. 

"  To  the  S.  of  the  castle  is  the 
'  Wearij  Nuik,'  a  little  romantic 
green  hill  where  Bruce  and  his  party 
are  said  to  have  rested  after  assault- 
ing the  castle." 


1  m.  N.  E.  of  Turnberry  is  the  farm 
of  Slimiter,  once  the  residence  of 
Douglas  Grahame,  the  original  of 
"Tam  o'Shanter." 

"  Here  Burns,  Avhen  19  years  old, 
studied  mensuration  and  'first  be- 
came acquainted  with  scenes  of 
swaggering  and  riot. '  The  then  occu- 
pier of  Shanter  Avas,  by  all  accounts, 
just  what  the  Tarn  of  the  poet  ap- 
pears— a  jolly,  careless  rustic,  who 
took  much  more  interest  in  the  con- 
traband traffic  of  the  coast  than  in 
the  rotation  of  crops.  Burns  knew 
the  man  well — and  to  his  dying  day, 
he,  nothing  loth,  passed  among  his 
rural  compeers  by  the  name  of  '  Tarn 
o'  Shanter.'" — Lockhart's  "Life  of 
Burns." 

The  tourist  can  proceed  from  hence 
to  Maybole  inland,  through  Kirkos- 
%cald  village  and  Crossraguel,  about 
5  m.  In  the  ch.  -yd.  of  Kirkoswald 
is  the  grave  of  Tam  and  his  "ain 
wife  Kate,"  with  the  epitaph — 
"  She  tauld  thee  weel  thou  was  a  skellum, 

A  bleth'ring,    blust'ring,   drunken 
blellum. " 

Overlooking  the  coast,  3  m.  to  the 
N.  of  Turnberry,  is  Culzean  Castle 
(pronounced  Colyean),  the  modern 
Gothic  castle  of  the  JVIarquis  of  Ailsa, 
built  1777  by  David  10th  Earl  of 
Cassilis.  It  contains  a  fine  Armoury. 
It  is  not  open  to  visitors,  and  no  view 
can  be  obtained  of  it  from  this  side  ; 
but  it  is  a  beautiful  object  from 
the  sea,  on  the  very  edge  of  which 
it  stands.  On  the  land  side  are  the 
terrace -gardens  of  the  old  house,  re- 
moved to  make  way  for  its  grand 
successor.  At  the  foot  of  the  rock 
on  which  the  castle  stands  are  the 
Coves  of  Culzean,  three  caves  hewn 
in  the  rock,  which  have  been  used 
as  hiding-places  during  the  civil 
wars,  and  aff'orded  a  refuge  to  Sir 
Archibald  Kennedy  after  the  Re- 
volution. According  to  Burns  they 
were  the  fairies'  place  of  resort  on 
Halloween. 

"  Or  for  Colean  the  rout  is  ta'en, 
Beneath  the  moon's  pale  beams  ; 


116 


Route  12. — Ayr  to  Glasgow. 


Sect.  I. 


There,  up  the  Cove,  to  stray  an'  rove, 
Amang  the  rocks  an'  streams 

To  sport  that  night." 
Burns's  "  Hallowe'en." 

Culzean  has  been,  ever  since  the 
15th  centy.,  in  the  hands  of  the 
Kennedies,  Earls  of  Cassilis,  who 
played  an  important-  part  in  the 
history  of  the  times,  and  had  such 
power  that  it  gave  rise  to  the  popular 
rhyme — 

"  'Twixt  "Wigtown  and  the  town  of  Ayr, 
Portpatrick  and  the  Cruives  of  Cree, 
No  man  may  think  for  to  bide  there. 
Unless  he  court  Saint  Kennedie." 

From  Culzean  it  is  4  m.  to  May- 
bole  Stat. 

Continuing  by  rail  from  Maybole, 
15  m.  Cassilis  Stat.  On  right  is 
seen  Cassilis  House,  another  seat  of 
the  Marquis  of  Ailsa.  In  the  grounds 
are  the  "  Cassilis  Downans,"  men- 
tioned by  Burns  in  his  "  Hallowe'en" 
as  the  resort  of  fairies. 

17  m.  Dalrym2)Ie  Junct.  Stat,  the 
village  Ipng  about  a  mile  to  the 
right,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  Doon, 
which  the  rly.  crosses  soon  after 
leaving  Cassilis.  The  Dalmellington 
branch  rly.  runs  in  here,  and  the 
traveller  soon  reaches 

214  ra.  Ayr  Stat.  {Inn :  King's 
Arms)  Ete.  12. 


ROUTE  12. 

Ayr  to  Glasgow,  by  Troon, 
Kilwinning,  Ardrossan,  Pais- 
ley [Dalmellington  and  Loch 
Doon]. 

Ayr  {Inns :  King's  Arms  ;  Com- 
mercial) is  a  pleasant  seaport  and 
borough  of  nearly  17,853  inhab., 
situated  on  the  coast,  at  the  em- 
bouchure of  the  Water  of  Ayr,  which 
is  crossed  by  a  coujile  of  bridges 
connecting  the  town  with  the  suburbs 
of  Newtown  and  Wallacetown.  Al- 
though it  dates  its  rise  as  far  back  as 
1205,  when  it  was  made  a  borough 
by  William  the   Lion,  it  has  kept 


pace  with  the  improvements  of  the 
times,  and  exhibits  well-built  broad 
streets,  and  pleasant  suburban  roads 
fringed  with  villas  and  country 
houses. 

As  regards  trade,  it  is  inferior 
to  Kilmarnock  in  manufactures  and 
to  Troon  in  shipping  prosperity,  but 
Ayr  founds  its  claims  to  importance 
more  on  its  social  distinctions  as  a 
provincial  capital  and  its  associa- 
tions with  the  two  national  cele- 
brities, Wallace  and  Burns,  the  latter 
of  whom  describes  it  as 
"  Auld  Ayr,  whom  ne'er  a  toun  surpasses 

For  honest  men  and  bonnie  lasses." 

.  There  was  an  old  castle  here  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Ayr,  a  little  way 
below  the  New  Bridge,  of  which  no- 
thing remains,  but  the  site  is  believed 
to  be  the  same  on  which  Oliver 
Cromwell  built  one  of  his  5  forts 
or  bastiles  to  overawe  the  West 
Country,  1652.  The  Old  Church 
was  partly  built  by  Cromwell,  in  lieu 
of  that  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  a 
large  pile  near  the  shore,  which  he 
seized  upon  and  converted  into  an 
armoury,  at  the  same  time  that  he 
included  it  within  the  fort.  The 
tower  of  that  ch.,  with  part  of  the 
magazine,  is  still  standing  ;  the 
former  has  been  turned  into  a  dwell- 
ing-house. It  was  in  the  Dominican 
convent  which  occupied  the  site  of 
this  ch.  that  the  parliament  assem- 
bled in  1315  which  settled  the  suc- 
cession upon  Robert  Bruce  and  his 
heirs. 

The  Wallace  Tower  in  the  High- 
street  is  one  of  the  most  conspicu- 
ous, if  not  the  most  tasteful,  objects 
in  Ayr,  being  133  ft.  in  height.  It 
was  built  in  1832  upon  the  site  of  a 
very  old  to^^"er,  in  which  Wallace  is 
said  to  have  been  confined,  and  over 
the  walls  of  which  he  was  let  down 
by  his  friends  to  escape  from  the 
Southrons.  A  niche  m  front  con- 
tains a  statue  of  Wallace  by  James 
Thom,  an  artist  of  local  fame.  The 
lower  storey  is  a  whisky  shop. 

In  Wellington  Square  is  a  statue 


S.Scotland.     Boute  12. — Ayr:  Alloivay  Kirk. 


117 


of  the  Indian  Gen.  Neill,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ayr.  It  is  the  work  of  Mr, 
Noble,  is  10  ft.  high,  and  placed  on  a 
pedestal  of  Dalbeattie  gi'anite,  which 
bears  an  inscription  describing  him  as 
"a  brave, resolute,  self-reliant  soldier, 
universally  acknowledged  as  the  hrst 
who  stemmed  the  tide  of  rebellion  in 
Bengal."  Below  the  inscription  is 
the  representation  of  his  death,  which 
took  i^lace  at  the  relief  of  Lucknow, 
25th  Sept.  1857. 

The  same  square  contains  the 
County  Buildinrjs,  designed  after  the 
model  of  the  Temple  of  Isis,  Rome. 
The  Town  Buildings  at  the  corner  of 
High  and  Sandgate  Streets  are  con- 
spicuous for  their  lofty  steeple  and 
spire. 

Thanks  to  Eobert  Burns's  facetious 
"  Dialogue,"  no  public  buildings  are 
more  celebrated  than  the  Tica  Brigs 
of  A}T,  of  which  the  "  Auld  Brig, " 
now  used  only  as   a   footway  from 
the  High   Street,  was  built  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  13th  centy.  by  two 
old  maids  of  the  name  of  Lowe.   For 
500  years   "the  auld  vandal"  satis- 
fied the  wants  of  Ayr,  though  but 
"  A  poor,  narrow  footpath  of  a  street, 
Where  twa  wheelbarrows  tremble  when 
they  meet." 

The  New  Bridge,  lower  down,  nearer 
the  harbour,  was  built  in  1788,  from 
designs  by  Adam.  The  abutments  of 
the  arches  being  adorned  with  alle- 
gorical figures,  this  uncalled-for  de- 
coration roused  the  ire  of  the  "  Auld 
Brig,"  who  says — 
"I  dout  na,  frien',  ye'll  think  ye're  nae 
sheepshank, 

Ance  ye  were  streekit  owre  frae  bank  to 
bank  ! 
;    But  gin  ye  be  a  brig  as  auld  as  me, 

Tlio'  faith,  that  day,  I  doubt,  ye'll  never 

There'll  be,  if  that  date  come,  I'll  wad  a 
boddle,  ' 

Some  fewer  whigmaleeries  in  your 
noddle." 

The  " drowsy  dungeon  clock"  was 
taken  down  in  1826. 

Railways  to  Ardrossan,  19^  m.  ; 
Glasgow,  41  ;  Girvan,  22  ;  and  Dal- 
mellington,  15  m. 


Steamer  to  Glasgow  in  8  hrs.,  and 
to  Stranraer. 

Excursions  from,  Ayr  : — 

a.  Alloway  and  Brig  o'  Doon, 
3  m. 

h.  Mauchline,  11  m.,  and  Coils- 
field. 

c.  Dalmellington  and  Loch  Doon. 

d.  Dunure  and  Greenan. 

a.  The  main  attractions  for  the 
thousands  of  tourists  who  visit  the 
town  are  Alloivay  Kirk,  Burns's 
Mrth'place,  and  monument,  and  the 
Brig  o'  Boon,  which  lie  3  m.  to  the 
S.  At  the  top  of  High  Street  or 
Townhead,  near  the  rlv.  stat. ,  2  roads 
fork  off.  Take  the  road  to  the  left 
on  quitting  the  railway  station. 
This  is  the  direction  in  which  "  Tam 
o'  Shanter  "  proceeded  after  he  had 
left  the  public-house  in  Ayr.  It  is 
not  exactly  the  same  road,  for  it  has 
been  somewhat  straightened,  and 
some  localities  mentioned  in  his  ride 
are  now  at  some  distance  from  it. 

Just  before  arriving  at  left  Rozelle 
(Mr.  Smith)  the  road  crosses  a  stream, 
over  which,  a  little  distance  from  the 


"...        the  ford 
Where  in  the  snaw  the  chapman  smoor'd." 

And  on  right  is  the  cottage  in  the 
garden  of  which  is 

"...     the  meikle  stane, 
Where  drucken  Charlie  brak's  neck  bane." 

Rt.  is  Cambusdoon  (Jas.  Baird, 
Esq.),  formerly  the  property  of  Lord 
Nigel  Kennedy,  prettily  seated  on 
the  bank  of  the  Doon. 

2  m.  right  is  a  row  of  cottages,  in 
one  of  which  Burns  was  born  on  the 
25th  Jan.  1759.  It  was  originally  a 
"  clay  bigging,"  rebuilt  by  the  poet's 
father  with  his  own  hands.  On  the 
night  of  his  birth  a  storm  came  on, 
part  of  his  mother's  cottage  fell  in, 
and  she  and  her  child  were  forced  to 
take  shelter  in  that  of  a  neighbour 
until  their  own  had  been  repaired. 
This  interesting  structure  has  now 
been  turned  by  its  enterprising  pro- 
prietors (the  shoemakers  of  Ayr)  into 


IIJ 


Boute  12. — Allow aij  ;  Mauchline. 


Sect.  I. 


a  public-lionse ;  and  behind  it  a 
saloon  has  been  built  for  the  sancti- 
fication  of  national  genius  and  the 
consumption  of  national  liquor. 
(The  lower  storey  of  the  Wallace 
memorial  is  devoted  to  the  same 
purpose. ) 

24  m.  right,  opposite  the  new 
florid  Gothic  Church  of  AUoway,  a 
flight  of  steps,  worn  by  the  feet  of 
jDilgrims  by  the  thousand,  leads  over 
a  wall  to 

"  Alloway's  auld  haunted  kirk," 
now  reduced  to  4  bare  walls,  two  of 
them  gabled  and  surmounted  by  a 
bell-cote,  Avhich  in  Burns's  day  served 
as  a  village  ch.  Here  Tarn  o'  Shanter 
was  the  witness  of  the  witches' 
hellish  orgies.  Within  the  ch.-yd., 
amongst  a  crowd  of  other  forefathers 
of  the  hamlet,  Burns's  father  is 
buried. 

Opposite  the  old  kirk  the  new  one 
rather  stares  the  old  ruins  out  of 
countenance  ;  and  beyond  it,  in 
a  garden  overlooking  the  Doon,  is 
Burns's  Monument,  built  in  1820, 
at  a  cost  of  £3350.  It  is  a  circular 
temj)le,  sujiported  by  9  fluted  Cor- 
inthian columns,  emblematic  of  the 
9  Muses.  In  the  interior  are  pre- 
served a  copy  of  the  best  edition  of 
the  poet's  works,  a  bust  and  copy 
of  the  portrait  of  him  by  Nasmyth 
(the  best  ever  executed),  and  a  Bible 
said  to  be  the  one  presented  by  him 
to  "Highland  Mary"  at  their  last 
interview.  A  staircase  leads  to  the 
temple,  whence  a  pretty  view  is  ob- 
tained of  the  surrounding  scenery. 
In  a  grotto  at  the  end  of  the  garden 
are  the  figures  of  "  Tam  o'  Shanter  " 
and  "Souter  Johnnie,"  by  James 
Thom,  the  sculptor  of  Wallace's 
statue — specimens  of  caricature  of 
little  value  as  works  of  art.  There 
is  much  bad  taste  in  all  this  cockney- 
fied  homage  to  the  poet :  the  real 
interest  lies  in  the  beauty  of  the 
spot,  the  hanks  of  the  Doon  contrast- 
ing pleasantly  with  the  rather  mono- 
tonous  country  around   Ayr.      Let 


the  tourist  descend  to  the  stream  of 
the  Doon,  just  above  the  two  bridges, 
one,    comparatively  new,  the  other 
the  "  Auld  Brig,"  of  one  slim  arch, 
to    "win   the   keystone"    of  which 
was  the  utmost  effort  of  Meg  in  her 
flight  from  the  witches,  for  as  Tam 
well  knew, 
"A  running  stream  tbey  dare  na'  cross." 
By  the  side  of  a  small  tributary  of 
the  Doon,  in  the  garden  of  Doonbrae 
cottage,  is  the  thorn  on  which 
"  Mungo's  mither  hang'd  hersel." 

There  is  an  Inn  (]\lonument)  be- 
tween the  two  bridges,  the  garden  of 
which  runs  down  to  the  river,  and 
contains  a  shell  grotto. 

[A  short  distance  up  the  Doon 
is  Newark  Castle,  on  a  shoulder  of 
Brown  Oarrick  Hill,  917  ft.  It  has 
been  almost  rebuilt  by  the  Marquis 
of  Ailsa.  Higher  up,  on  the  right 
bank  is  Doonholm,  the  seat  of  Sir 
Colin  Blackburn  ;  and  a  little  to  the 
E.  is  Mount  Olipkant  farm,  once 
rented  by  Burns's  father,  and  where 
the  poet  received  his  early  education. 
From  this  point  another  mile  will 
bring  the  pedestrian  to  Dalrijmjjle 
Stat.  (Rte.  11),  from  whence  he  may 
return  to  Ayr.  ] 

The  traveller  may  return  from 
Brig  0'  Doon  to  Ayr  by  a  diff"erent 
and  prettier  road,  on  the  left  side  of 
the  Doon,  crossing  the  new  and 
afterwards  the  Low  Bridge  over 
that  sti'eam,  and  skirting  Ayr  Race 
Course. 

[h.  To  Mauchline  (11  m.),  on  the 
road  to  which  the  traveller  meets 
with  scenes  of  great  beauty  on  the 
banks  of  the  Water  of  Ayr,  Avhich  are 
frequently  embellished  with  charm- 
ing seats  and  residences,  such  as  Gad- 
girth  (Major-Gen.  F.  C.Burnett,R.A.), 
near  which  the  picturesque  stream  of 
the  Coil  joins  the  Ayr,  and  Auchen- 
cruive  (R.  A.  Oswald,  Esq.),  in  the 
grounds  of  which  still  exists  the  Laig- 
land  Wood,  where  it  is  said  Wallace 
lay  hid  before  burning  the  Barns  of 


S.  Scotland.      Pioute  1 2. — Dahnellington ;  Loch  Doon.        1 1 9 


Ayr.  On  the  S.  bank  of  the  former 
river  is  Sundriim  (the  very  ancient 
seat  of  J.  Hamilton,  Esq.)  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  Dalmore,  where 
there  is  a  bridge,  the  Ayr  runs 
through  a  romantic  glen  bordered  by. 
high  banks,  increasing  in  beauty  till 
it  arrives  at  Coilsficld,  where  the 
little  river  Faile  runs  in. 

The  scenery  here  is  still  further 
enriched  by  the  woods  of  Mont- 
gomerie  (W.  Paterson,  Esq.),  where 
Burns  wrote  his  touching  poem  : — 

"  Ye  banks  and  braes  and  streams  around 
The  castle  o'  ^lontgoniery. 
Green    be    your  woods    and    fair    your 
flowers, 
Your  waters  never  dnnnlie  ! 
There  simmer  first  unfaulds  her  robes. 

And  there  thej'  langest  tany  ; 

For  there  I  took  the  last  fareweel 

O'  my  sweet  Highland  Mary." 

About-  a  couple  of  miles  to  the 
N.W.,  near  the  village  of  Tarbolton, 
Burns  lived  on  his  father's  farm  at 
Lochlea.  Spittalside  farm  was  the 
residence  of  David  Sillar,  the  poet's 
friend  and  correspondent. 

The  antiquary  will  find  opposite 
Montgomerie  some  well-preserved 
Roman  trenches,  and,  near  the  farm 
oflSces,  the  supposed  grave  of  Coil  or 
Kyle,  king  of  the  Britons,  who  was 
killed  in  a  battle  with  the  Picts.  It 
certainly  was  a  burying-place,  for,  on 
being  opened  in  1837,  it  was  found 
to  contain  several  urns  and  burnt 
bones.  From  Montgomerie  to 
Mauchline  it  is  3  m.  (Rte.  9).] 

[c.  To  Dcdmellingfon  by  rail.  The 
branch  leaves  the  main  line  near 
Dalrymple  Stat.  (Rte.  11).  4  m., 
turning  off  to  the  left  and  crossing  a 
small  stream  that  joins  the  Doon 
from  Loch  Martnaham,  a  consider- 
able sheet  of  water  2  m.  in  length. 

6  m.  at  Hollyhush  Stat.,  the  rly. 
approaches  the  banks  of  the  Doon, 
and  from  thence  keeps  alongside  of 
it  for  the  remainder  of  its  course. 

At  10  m.  Patna,  the  hills  begin 
to  close  in,  and  ironworks  and  pits 
to  show  themselves.  I 


12  m.  Water  side,  to  the  right  of 
which,  extending  for  several  miles, 
is  the  dreary  moorland  plateau  of 
Keir's  Hill,  1005  ft, 

15  m.  DalmeUington  Stat.,  a  town 
of  1299  inhab.,  dependent  on  the 
DalmeUington  Iron  Co.  (Messrs. 
Houldsworth),  who  have  5  furnaces 
here.  It  is  neat  and  compact,  and  is 
situated  about  |  m.  from  the  Doon, 
and  overhung  by  a  lofty  Mote  hill. 

The  principal  attraction  in  the 
neighbourhood  is  the  scenery  of  the 
romantic  narrow  glen  called  the 
A^'ess,  leading  to  Loch  Bomi,  which 
lies  4  m.  to  the  S.,  and  from  which 
issues  the  Doon.  The  owner  of 
these  beautiful  grounds,  permits 
visitors  (except  on  Sunday)  to 
skirt  the  river  for  the  whole  dis- 
tance. Loch  Boon  is  one  of  the 
largest  lakes  in  the  south  of  Scot- 
land, From  the  foot  of  Ness  Glen 
to  the  Loch  head,  Avhere  the  Gala 
Lane  flows  into  it,  it  is  5h  m.  in 
length,  though  seldom  above  I  m.  in 
breadth.  The  scenery  is  tame,  ex- 
cept near  the  head  of  the  loch,  where 
the  Wee  Hill  of  Craigmulloch,  1381 
ft,  and  the  Black  Craig,  1730  ft., 
rise  up  directly  from  the  water's 
edge.  On  an  islet  underneath  Craig- 
mulloch are  the  ruins  of  Loch  Doon 
Castle,  Avhich  appears  to  have  been  of 
soine  importance  in  the  14th  cent. 

The  lake  is  a  tolerable  fishing 
locality  for  trout,  which,  however, 
are  small,  only  averaging  about  4  or 
5  to  the  pound.  The  innkeeper  at 
DalmeUington  will  provide  a  boat, 
and  give  every  information.  The 
pedestrian  will  find  a  path  skirting 
the  lake  the  whole  distance  to  the 
head  on  the  W.  side,  and,  if  a  geolo- 
gist, should  notice  the  striated  rocks 
and  boulders  on  its  shores,  exhibiting 
the  effects  of  glacial  action. 

The  country  to  the  S.  of  Loch 
Doon  is  exceedingly  wild,  and 
almost  untrodden,  save  by  the  shep- 
herd or  the  sportsman.  Two  lofty 
and    rugged    ranges    of    hills    run 


120 


Route  12. — Ayr  to  Glasgow — Prestwkk        Sect.  I. 


nearly  due  S.  towards  the  coast  of 
Kirkcudbright,  giving  rise  to  the 
northern  rivers  of  the  Gala,  Carrick, 
and  Stinchar,  and  to  the  southern 
ones  of  the  Dee,  Carsphairn,  Cree, 
Minuoch,  and  others,  which  find 
tlieir  way  into  the  Solway  Firth. 
The  most  westerly  of  these  hills  is 
the  Merrick  range,  the  highest 
point  of  which  is  2764  ft. 

Underneath  their  stern  and  savage 
escarpments  lies  Loch  Enoch,  at  an 
elevation  of  1650  ft,  together  with 
some  smaller  tarns,  encompassed  by 
a  wild  entourage  of  hills  and  rocks, 
which  will  well  repay  the  scenery- 
loving  pedestrian,  who  can,  without 
much  difficulty,  ascend  the  stream 
of  the  Gala  from  Loch  Doon  to 
Loch  Enoch,  the  distance  being 
about  6  m. 

To  the  E.  of  Loch  Enoch  is  a 
mountain  valley  watered  by  the 
Cooran  Lane,  which  issues  from  the 
little  loch  of  the  Dungeon,  and  soon 
joins  the  Dee.  Then  still  farther  E. 
rises  the  Kells  range,  the  highest 
point  of  which,  Meikle  Millyca,  is 
2446  ft.  It  is  a  pity  that  this  ro- 
mantic district  is  not  better  known, 
as  at  present  the  utter  want  of  ac- 
commodation precludes  any  but  very 
good  walkers  attempting  it.] 

d.  Dunure  and  Greenan  (Ete.  11). 

e.  Maybole  (Rte.  11). 

Ayr  to  Glasgow — FmU. 

From  Ayr  Junct.  the  rail  to 
Glasgow  runs  due  N".,  crossing  the 
river,  and  passing  rt.  Craigie 
House  (R.  F.  F.  Campbell,  Esq. )  1^ 
m.  are  the  ruins  of  Kingsivell,  an 
hospital  founded  for  lepers  by  Eobert 
Bruce,  who  is  said  to  have  been  cured 
of  lepro.sy  by  di-inking  the  waters. 

3  m.  Prestwick  Stat.  This  town 
(on  right  of  rly.)  was  the  property 
of  the  Abbey  of  Paisley.  The  Scot- 
tish game  of  golf  is  keenly  pursued 
on  the  extensive  links  at  this  place. 
As  the  line  winds  along  the  shore  of 


A}T  Bay  the  traveller  will,  if  it  is 
tolerably  clear,  get  good  views  of  the 
opposite  coast  of  Arran,  with  Goat- 
fell  and  the  hills  of  Bute. 

4 J  m.  Monkton  Stat.  Soon  after 
leaving  Monkton  the  rly.  passes 
right  Fullarton  House,  a  seat  of  the 
Duke  of  Portland,  and  in  1801  the 
residence  of  Louis  Philippe,  King  of 
the  French. 

6^  m.  Troon  Junct.  Stat.  {Inns : 
Portland ;  Hotel ;  Commercial),  2427 
inhab.,  is  a  thriving  seaport,  with 
good  harbour,  and  warehouses  to 
correspond.  In  fact  it  is  the  ship- 
ping port  of  Ayrshire,  from  whence 
a  veiy  large  quantity  of  Scotch  coal 
is  exported  to  Ireland.  It  is  also  a 
quiet  watering-place,  particularly 
popular  with  excursionists  from  Kil- 
marnock. It  stands  on  a  neck  of 
land  projecting  into  the  bay,  at  the 
end  of  which  is  a  lighthouse.  3  m. 
on  right  is  Dunclonald  Castle,  now  a 
mass  of  uncouth  masonry,  all  the 
wrought  stones  having  been  taken 
out  from  the  doorways  and  windows, 
and  even  the  corners  of  the  build- 
ings carried  away.  The  castle  stands 
in  a  prominent  position,  occupying 
the  whole  summit  of  a  hill.  The 
dining-hall  is  entire,  and  the  kitchen 
beneath  is  nearly  so  ;  something  is 
also  left  of  the  chapel  above.  Robert 
Stewart  lived  here  before  he  came  to 
the  throne  under  the  title  of  Eobert 
II.  The  property  was  afterwards 
granted  by  James  V.  to  a  member 
of  the  "Wallace  family,  who  in  1638 
sold  it  to  Sir  W.  Cochrane.  The 
land  passed,  in  1726,  to  Lord 
Eglinton,  but  the  castle  and  5  roods 
of  land  are  still  the  property  of  Lord 
Dundonald.  Boswell,  who  with 
Johnson  vi-sited  the  ruins,  says — 
"Dr.  Johnson,  to  irritate  mj  old 
Scottish  enthusiasm,  was  very  jocu- 
lar on  the  homely  accommodation  of 
King  Bob,  and  roared  and  laughed 
till  the  ruins  echoed. " 

Between  Dundonald  and  the  Kil- 
marnock rly.   is  Auchans  Castle,  a 


S.  Scotland. 


Route  12. — Eglinton  Castle. 


121 


castellated  manor-house  of  1644,  re- 
markable architecturally  for  its 
crow-stepped  gables.  It  is,  like 
Duudonald,  a  tire -proof  habitation, 
and  was  built  principally  of  mate- 
rials from  its  great  model.  In  the 
adjoining  orchard  was  raised  the 
celebrated  "Auchans"  pear. 

[From  Troon  a  branch  rly.  of  9  m. 
runs  to  Kilmarnock,  passing  the  sta- 
tions of  Dryhurgh,  Barassie,  and 
Gatehecul,  none  of  which  need  detain 
the  tourist.] 

11  m.  Irvine  Stat.  {Inns  :  King's 
Arms  ;  Wheatsheaf ),  another  of  the 
Ayrshire  boroughs  and  ports,  prin- 
cipally occupied  in  the  shipment  of 
coals.  Pop.  6866.  It  takes  its  name 
from  the  river,  on  the  N.  bank  of 
which  it  stands,  and  which  rises  near 
Newmilns.  The  town  contains  an 
old  ruined  mansion,  said  to  have 
been  the  residence  of  the  Montgome- 
ries.  Earls  of  Eglinton.  It  was  also 
the  birthplace  of  James  jMontgomery 
the  poet  (1771),  and  of  the  novelist 
Gait  (1779),  and  for  a  time  the  resi- 
dence of  Burns,  who  was  occupied  in 
flax-dressing  here,  until  his  shop  was 
burnt  down.  At  Irvine,  1296,  Robert 
the  Bruce  "yielded  himself  up  to  King 
Edward  I. 's  'peace,'  "  i.e.  surrendered 
to  the  English  army  under  Percy. 

The  traveller  will  perceive  that  he 
has  arrived  at  an  ugly  countrj^,  save 
for  the  picturesque  outlines  of  the 
Arran  mountains  on  left.  It  is  one 
of  the  busiest  districts  of  the  Ayr- 
shire coalfield,  a  proof  of  which  is 
visible  in  the  'Hazing  ironworks  of 
Eglinton,  where  there  are  8  furnaces 
in  blast,  belonging  to  the  Bairds. 
They  should  be  seen  at  night,  when 
they  have  a  grand  effect,  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  smoke  and  dust  of 
the  daytime. 

144  m.  Kilwinning  Junct.  Stat. 
[Inns  :  Winton  Arms  ;  Commercial; 
both  poor. )  The  archaeologist  should 
visit  the  ruins  of  Kihvinning  Priory, 
founded  in  1140,  for  Tironensian 
monks,  by  Hugh  de  Moreville,  to 
\^Scotland.'\ 


whom  also  Dryburgh  Abbey  is  attri- 
buted. The  remains  are  reduced  to 
the  W.  doorway,  a  door  of  the  S. 
aisle,  and  the  S.  transept,  a  fine  front 
with  an  E.  pointed  3-light  window, 
and  a  circular  one  in  the  gable  above, 
and  an  archway  leading  to  S.  tran- 
sept aisle.  Outside  the  transept  was 
the  Chapter-house,  entered  by  a 
circular  door,  and  flanked  by  a  win- 
dow on  each  side.  A  modern  bell- 
tower,  erected  in  1815,  stands  within 
the  enclosure.  Freemasonry'  was  in- 
troduced into  Scotland  by  the  build- 
ers of  Kilwinning  Priory,  and  Mother 
Kihvinning  was  for  some  centuries 
the  parent  lodge  of  the  society  in  Scot- 
land. St.  Winning,  or  Winnin,  the 
patron  saint  of  the  ch.,  was  of  Irish 
extraction,  and  landed  on  the  coast 
of  Cunningham,  as  this  northern 
district  of  Ayr  is  called.  Finding 
starvation  rather  near  at  hand,  he 
went  to  fish  in  the  Garnock,  the  river 
on  which  Kilwinning  stands  ;  and, 
being  unable  to  catch  anything, 
cursed  the  stream,  and  forbade  fish 
ever  to  enter  it  —  a  fate  which  it 
escaped  only  by  diverting  its  course. 
The  upper  part  of  the  totvii  cross  has 
been  restored,  but  the  shaft  is  pro- 
bably of  the  15th  cent. 

1  m.  from  the  town  is  Eglinton 
Qastle,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Eglin- 
ton. The  grounds,  which  are  open  to 
strangers,  are  tastefully  laid  out. 
But  in  the  castle  an  attemj)t  is  made 
to  combine  the  style  of  the  feudal  for- 
tress with  the  light  and  conveniences 
of  a  modern  dwelling-house  ;  and  the 
appearance  of  its  bold  round  towers 
is  spoilt  by  the  rows  of  sash  windows. 
The  house  of  Montgomerie  has  for 
upwards  of  600  years  held  a  pro- 
minent position  in  the  history  of 
Scotland.  Pvobert  de  Montgomerie, 
descended  from  the  great  ISTorman 
house  of  that  name"  in  England, 
died  about  1180.  A  descendant  of 
his,  Sir  John,  married  the  heiress  of 
Eglinton,  who  was  also  niece  of  Ro- 
bert 11. ;   and  Hugh,  the  fifth  Lord 


122 


Boiite  1 2. — Ayr  to  Glasgow  ;  Ardi 


'ossan. 


Sect.  I. 


Montgomerie,  was  created  Eaii  of 
Eglinton  in  1503.  In  1612  the  title 
passed  over  to  tlie  Earl  of  Winton, 
whereby  the  two  became  united. 
The  park  is  traversed  by  the  river 
Irvine,  and  contains  some  fine  forest 
trees.  In  1839  the  Eglinton  tourna- 
ment, held  in  the  park,  was  an 
attempt  to  reproduce  on  a  large  scale 
the  chivalrous  forms  and  ceremonies 
of  the  old  times.  Among  the  knights 
was  the  Emx>ei'or  Napoleon  III. 

Apropos  of  this,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  Kilwinning  was  noted  for 
the  excellence  of  its  archers  ;  and  the 
shooting  at  the  popinjay,  as  detailed 
in  "  Old  Mortality,"  used,  until  late 
years,  to  be  an  annual  custom  here. 
The  Kilwinning  Company  of  Archers, 
as  it  is  called,  claims  an  antiquity  of 
about  400  years.  But  the  practice 
of  archery  has  now  fallen  consider- 
ably into  disuse  in  this  part  of  the 
country. 

[A  branch  of  5  m.,  parsing  through 
furnaces  and  coal-mines,  runs  from 
Kilvnnning  Junct.  at  Saltcoats,  a  dirty 
straggling  port,  where  magnesia  is 
manufactured,  in  connection  with 
salt,  salt-pans,  and  coal-mines,  to 

Ardrossan  (inn :  Eglinton  Arms),  a 
well-built  town  of  a  few  broad  streets 
at  right  angles  to  one  another  (3588 
inhab.)  It  was  founded  1806  by  the 
Earl  of  Eglinton.  Great  sums  of  money 
have  been  expended  upon  the  pier 
and  harbour  ;  and  at  one  time  it  was 
hoped  to  make  it  the  port  of  Glasgow, 
connecting  it  with  that  city  by  means 
of  a  canal.  This  was  completed  as 
far  as  Johnstone,  when  the  introduc- 
tion of  railways  arrested  the  project. 
It  is  a  flourishing  .seaport,  principally 
occupied  in  the  shipping  of  pig-iron. 
On  the  height  above  the  town  are  the 
foundations  of  a  chapel,  and  some 
detached  fragments  of  a  strong  castle, 
one  piece  of  which  has  an  arelied 
roof,  still  perfect.  It  was  reduced  to 
its  present  state  by  Cromwell's  troops. 
There  are  fine  views  of  Arran  from 
Lhe  obelisk  and  the  Fier  head. 


Steamers. — Ardrossan  is  a  place  of 
embarkation  for  Arran,  which  is 
15  m.  distant  (Rte.  23).  The  passage 
takes  about  1  h  hour,  and  is  sometimes 
very ^ rough.  There  are  also  steam- 
ers thither  daily  to  Glasgow  ;  and 
to  Newry,  on  the  Irish  coast,  once  a 
week. 

18  m.  Daley  Junct.  (Rte.  9)  with 
main  line  for  Carlisle  and  Dumfries. 
To  the  right  of  the  line  are  the  Blair 
Ironworks.  The  geologist  will  find 
in  the  Hye  IToYcr  good  sections  of 
carboniferous  rocks.  The  loAver  parts 
of  the  carboniferous  limestone  are 
well  exposed,  as  well  as  the  tufts  and 
porphyries  on  which  that  series  rests. 

21  m.  KUhirQiie  Stat.  The  village 
and  iron  furnaces  overlook  Kilbirnie 
Loch,  a  rather  fine  sheet  of  water, 
about  2  m.  long.  Here  stands  the 
Castle  of  the  Earls  of  Crawford,  which 
■tt^as  burnt  down  in  the  last  centy., 
and  some  large  ironworks.  The 
Church,  built  after  the  Reformation, 
has  a  gallery  which  belonged  to  tlie 
Crawford  family,  containing  some 
good  carved  woodwork  in  Renaissance 
style.  In  the  ch. -5"d.  is  the  monu- 
ment, with  effigies  of  Thomas  Craw- 
ford, who  sealed  and  took  Dumbarton 
Castle,  1571.  It  is  enclosed  in  a  sort 
of  stone  case,  and  is  visible  through 
loopholes. 

23  m.  Beith  Stat,  is  at  the  other 
end  of  the  loch.  3 1  m.  to  the  right  are 
the  ruins  of  Gyffen  Castle,  formerly 
the  headcpiarters  of  the  Montgomerie 
family.  A  great  ho<^e-fair  is  held 
every  year,  in  August,  at  Bcith,  on 
a  day  called  "  Tenants,"  a  corrup- 
tion of  St.  Tnan's  Dav.  St.  Inan  (qv. 
St.  Winnin-?)  lived  in  the  9th  cent., 
principally  at  Irvine,  but  has  left 
several  traces  of  his  connection  with 
other  places.  We  now  enter  Ren- 
frewshire, shortly  before  reaching 

25  ra.  Lochvnnnoch  Stat.,  a  large 
village,  engaged  in  the  spinning  of 
thread  and  i)leaching  of  linen  for  the 


S.Scotland.     Pde.  12. — Aijr  to  Glasgoiu  ;  Paisley  Ahhey.    123 


Paisley  manufactories.  It  stands  on 
Castle  Semple  Loch,  which  covers 
about  200  acres,  and  has  been  partly 
drained.  On  the  N.  bank  is  Castle 
Semple,  the  seat  of  H.  Lee-Harvey, 
Esq.,  and  near  it  are  the  renit.  .is  of 
a  Dec.  Collegiate  ch.,  founded  by 
Lord  Semple. 

To  the  S.  of  Loch  Semple  is  the 
ruin  of  Barr  Castle,  which,  with  the 
exception  of  its  roof,  is  tolerably 
complete.  It  is  a  loopholed  tower 
of  great  height,  and  consists  of  4 
storeys,  on  the  2nd  of  which  is  a  fine 
hall. 

29  m.  Millilcen  Park  Stat.,  near 
which  on  right  is  Elliston  Tower,  the 
ruined  fortress  of  the  Semple  family 
in  the  loth  cent.  Beyond  it  are  the 
remains  of  Aitchinbathie  Tower,  once 
the  property  of  the  Wallaces.  It  is 
still  smaller  than  Elliston. 

30 2  m.  Johnstone  Junct.  Stat,  is  a 
busy  town  of  over  6000  inhab.,  with  a 
considerable  reputation  for  its  cotton 
manufactories,  iron  and  brass  foun- 
dries. It  has  a  handsome  ch.,  built 
in  1793,  with  a  light  and  elegant 
spire.  In  the  neighbourhood  are 
Milliken  House  (Sir  Eobt.  Napier), 
Johnstone  Castle  (G.  L,  Houston, 
Esq.),  and  Eklerslie,  where  the 
patriot  Wallace  first  saw  the  light. 
About  1|-  m.  to  the  W.  is  the  village 
of  Kilharchan,  known  in  connection 
with  Habbie  Simpson,  its  piper,  a 
statue  of  whom  graces  the  town- 
steeple. 

"  '  Weel  hae  ye  play'd  your  part,'  quo'  Meg, 
'  Your  cheeks  are  like  the  crimson  ; 
There's  nane  in  Scotland  plays  so  weel 
Since  we  lost  Habbie  Simpson.' " 

2  ra.  to  the  W.  is  an  enormous  drift 
boulder,  called  Clochoderickstone  or 
the  Druids'  Stone. 

[From  JonxsTOXE  Juxot.  a  Branch 
Eailway  runs  to  Greenock  (Rte.  23  a) 
by  the  village  of  Bridge  of  Weir, 
prettily  situated  on  the  Gryffe 
Water.] 


33|^  m.  Paisley  Junction  Stat. 
{Inns :  George  ;  Saracen's  Head), 
Pop.  48,240,  a  Pari,  borough  and 
busy  town,  on  the  White  Cart  stream, 
which,  as  seen  from  the  rly.,  has 
no  claim  now  to  that  epithet.  It  is 
said  to  be  built  upon  the  site  'of  a 
Eoraan  military  station,  the  Van- 
duaria  of  Ptolemy.  But  the  town 
itself,  like  Glasgow,  has  a  monastic 
origin.  In  1163  Walter,  High 
Steward  of  Scotland,  founded  a 
monastery  here  upon  the  east  side 
of  the  Cart,  and  bestowed  it  upon 
monks  of  the  Cluniac  order,  brought 
from  the  Abbey  of  Wenlock,  in 
Shropshire.  The  name  of  the  place 
in  those  days  was  Passeleth.  Pope 
Honorius  III.  raised  the  monastery 
to  the  dignity  of  an  abbey,  and 
Kobert  III.  presented  it  with  a 
charter  of  regality.  At  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  religious  houses  in  1.553, 
John  Hamilton,  the  then  abbot, 
settled  it  on  Lord  Claude  Hamilton, 
3d  son  of  James  Duke  of  Chatel- 
herault,  better  known  as  the  Earl  of 
Arran,  to  whose  descendant,  the 
Duke  of  Abercorn,  it  still  belongs. 

The  remains  of  the  Ahhey  Ch.  are 
upon  the  E.  side  of  the  town.  Its 
nave,  the  only  part  preserved,  still 
used  as  a  place  of  worship,  has  been 
restored  in  very  good  taste.  The 
nave  arches  and  piers  are  like  Early 
Pointed,  although  no  part  of  it  is 
older  than  the  14th  centy.,  its  pre- 
decessor having  been  totally  de- 
stroyed by  the  Earl  of  Pembroke. 
The  W.  end  is  a  gi-aceful  composi- 
tion ;  a  deeply  recessed  Pointed 
doorway,  of  many  mouldings,  flanked 
by  2  lancet  arches  of  blank  masonr}', 
is  surmounted  by  a  Dec.  window 
which,  though  a  circular  arch,  is  a 
centy.  later  than  the  door  below. 
The  interior  is  remarkable  chiefly 
for  a  richly-developed  triforium  of 
round  arches,  but  Dec.  in  style,  in 
front  of  which  project  a  number  of 
heavy  brackets,  the  object  of  which 
it  is  not  easy  to  explain.    Of  the  rest 


124 


Route  12. — Ayr  to  Glasgow. 


Sect.  I. 


of  the  ch.  the  chancel  is  still  marked  1 
out  by  walls,  but  open  to  the  sk}',  1 
and  used  as  a  cemetery.  Near  the 
E.  end  are  4  sedilia,  together  with 
piscina  and  credence  table.  The  N. 
transept  window,  35  ft.  high  and  18 
broad,  is  very  much  admired  for  its 
elegance  and  proportions. 

The  most  perfect  part  of  the  old 
establishment  is  the  Lady  Chaj)cl, 
othermse  St.  Mirren's  Chapel,  or  the 
Sounding  Aisle,  from  its  remarkable 
echo.  This  chapel  was  built  at  a 
later  date  tlian  the  rest  of  the  ch., 
and  perhaps  subsequently  to  its  de- 
cay, for  the  S.  transept  must  liave 
been  removed  to  make  way  for  it. 

Over  the  altar  is  a  row  of  curious 
carvings  ;  that  on  the  right  repre- 
sents the  Seven  Sacraments,  and 
that  on  the  left  the  Holy  Family. 
In  the  centre  of  the  chapel  is  an 
altar-tomb,  surmounted  by  the  re- 
cumbent figure  of  a  lady,  with  a  stall 
canopy  over  her  head.  At  the  end 
of  the  tomb  are  the  arms  of  the 
abbey,  and  in  the  centre  is  the  figure 
of  a  bishop,  with  his  name  inscribed 
in  a  scroll,  although  it  is  nearly 
illegible.  This  tomb,  commonly 
called  "  Queen  Blearie's  tomb,"  is 
generally  asserted  to  be  that  of  Mar- 
gery, eldest  daughter  of  Robert  Bruce, 
and  wife  of  Walter  Stewart,  a  des- 
cendant of  the  founder.  Near  Paisley 
is  a  cross  which  marks  the  spot  where 
she  had  a  fatal  fall  while  hunting. 

The  abbey  was  the  family  burying- 
place  of  the  Stewarts  till  their  acces- 
sion, and  after  that,  King  Robert 
III.,  and  Euphemia,  2nd  wife  of 
Robert  II.,  were  interred  here.  In 
the  abbey  ch.  -yard  .  is  a  Statue  of 
Alexr.  Wilson,  the  ornithologist,  a 
native. 

For  a  centy.  and  a  half  Paisley  has 
been  celebrated  for  a  succession  of 
manufactures  of  coarse  linens  ;  for 
silk  gauze,  muslin,  etc.  _;  finally  the 
weaving  of  shaiuls  in  imitation  of 
those  of  India,  Cashmere,  and  China 
was  introduced,  and  it  is  for  this 
kind  of  work  that  Paisley  is  now 


principally  known.  Although  it  is 
emphatically  a  manufacturing  town, 
it  has  given  birth  to  many  literary 
men,  pre-eminent  amongst  whom 
were  Tannahill  the  poet,  whose  natal 
home  in  the  market-place  is  marked 
by  a  tablet,  and  Professor  AVilson 
(Christ.  North),  Motherwell,  etc. 

Paisley  has  a  Free  Library  and 
Museicm,  from  a  bequest  of  Sir  Peter 
Coates,  a  townsman,  Itcontains  some 
local  antiquities  worth  notice. 

A  glimpse  may  be  obtained  of  the 
abbey  from  the  rly.  after  the  train 
has  left  the  station  and  is  crossing 
the  river.  The  visitor  who  has  time 
to  spare  will  find  a  pretty  excursion 
along  the  White  Cart  to  the  ruins  of 
Crookston  Castle,  which  belonged  to 
the  DaiTiley  family,  though  it  is 
pretty  clear  that  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots  and  her  husband  Darnley 
were  never  there.  Another  excur- 
sion, about  2  m.  to  the  S,,  may  be 
made  to  the  Paisley  Waterworks,  on 
the  banks  of  which  stands  the  old 
ruined  fortress  of  Stanley,  overlook- 
ing the  braes  of  Gleniffer.  Tanna- 
hill thus  writes  of  it : — 

"  Keen  blaws  the  wmd  o'er  the  braes  of 
Gleniffer, 
The  auld  castle's  turrets  are  cover'd 
wi'  snaw ; 
How  changed  frae  the  time  when  I  met 
wi'  my  lover 
Amang  the  broom  bushes  by  Stanley's 
green  shaw." 

The  line  by  which  we  have  been 
travelling  joins  the  important  Rly. 
from  Glasgow  to  Greenock  and 
Wemyss  Bay  (Rte.  23)  at  Paisley. 
It  runs  through  an  uninteresting 
district  for  7  m.  to  Glasgow. 

PoUocl'sMelds  Stat.  A  little  to 
the  right  is  i?a^„.^as^?c,  built  by 
Sir  John  Maxwell  in  1585,  and  since 
modernised. 

On  approaching  Glasgow  a  branch 
line  starts  left  for  Govan,  a  shipbuild- 
ing suburb  on  the  Clyde.  Left  see 
the  buildings  of  the  new  University. 


S.  Scotland.     Route  13. — Edinburgh  to  Galashiels. 


125 


Glasgow  Terminus,  Bridge-st., 
S.  side  of  the  Clyde  ;  or  Union  Stat., 
Dunlop-st. 


EOUTE  13. 

Edinburgh  to  GalasMels,  by  Dal- 
keith, Hawthornden,  Roslin, 
Penicuik,  Peebles,  and  Inner- 
leithen. 

There  are  two  Branch  Rlys.  from 
Edinburgh  to  Roslin,  which  convey 
passengers  nearer  to  the  chapel  than 
the  Peebles  line. 

Penicuik  and  Glen  Esk  Ely.y  by 
Hawthornden  and  Roslin  Castle. 


Direct  Rly.,  by  Gilmerton 
and  Loanhead. 

The  Peebles  branch  of  the  North 
British  Rl3^  quits  Edinburgh  by  the 
Waverley  Stat.,  passing  the  pictur- 
esque environs  of  Salisbury  Crags 
and  Arthur's  Seat,  to 

6?  m.  Millerhill  Stat.  On  right  are 
Ednionstone  House  and  village,  and 
Drum  House  ( —  Mitchell,  Esq.), 
2  m.  Here  the  direct  Roslin  Rly, 
diverges  by  Gilmerton  and  Loanhead. 

Eskbank  Junct.  Stat. 

[Immediately  to  the  1., 

Branch  Railway  to  Dalkeith. 

Dalkeith  Stat.  (Inns  :  Cross  Keys 
and  Buck's  Head).  The  town,  which 
boasts  one  of  the  best  gi-ain-markets 
in  Scotland,  consists  mainly  of  one 
street,  on  left  side  of  which  is  the  old 
Ch.,  partly  built  in  the  14th  cent.  ; 
the  steeple  and  spire  were  added 
100  years  ago.  In  the  ruined  E. 
end  is  a  monument  of  the  Douglases 
of  Dalkeith. 

At  the  end  of  the  street  are  the 


gates  of  the  Fark.  At  the  right  of  the 
entrance  is  a  modern  Gothic  Epis- 
copal Ch.,  in  which  choral  service  is 
performed  ever}'  Sunday.  On  left  is 
Dalkeith  Palace,  the  seat  of  the  Duke 
of  Buccleuch,  admission  to  which,  and 
to  the  gardens,  is  gi-anted  on  Wednes- 
days and  Saturdays.  The  old  castle 
of  Dalkeith  belonged  to  the  Grahams 
for  200  years  till  the  middle  of  the 
14th  cent.  Froissart,  who  stayed 
here  for  a  considerable  time,  calls  the 
place  D'Alquest  ;  and  mentions  its 
capture  by  Edward  III.  in  1333  ;  he 
was  the  guest  of  the  Earl  of  Douglas 
(into  whose  family  it  came  by  mar- 
riage with  the  heiress  of  the  Grahams), 
but  he  has  probably  made  a  mistake 
in  the  date.  The  castle  and  lands 
seem  to  have  been  gi'anted  to  Douglas 
in  1369,  on  payment  of  a  pair  of  white 
gloves  or  a  silver  penny  to  the  king 
at  the  Feast  of  Pentecost.  It  de- 
scended to  the  Regent  Morton,  who 
increased  its  strength  and  magniti- 
cence,  until  it  got  the  name  of  the 
"Lion's  Den"  in  consequence.  It 
was  sold  to  Francis,  2nd  Earl  of 
Buccleuch,  in  1642,  in  whose  family 
it  has  since  remained.  Amongst 
its  celebrated  residents  was  General 
Monk,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that 
the  plan  of  the  Restoration  was  con- 
cocted here.  The  actual  building, 
erected  by  Ann,  Dss.  of  B.  and  Mon- 
mouth, in  the  early  part  of  the  18th 
centy.,  is  a  heavy  imitation  of  the 
palace  of  Loo  in  the  Netherlands, 
and  was  the  work  of  Sir  John  Van- 
brugh.  The  situation,  however,  is 
charming,  and  makes  up  for  any  de- 
iiciency  of  architecture.  On  either 
side,  some  way  beneath  it,  flow  the 
finely  wooded  streams  of  the  Esk  ; 
in  front  is  an  extensive  and  undu- 
lating park  of  800  acres, walled  round, 
studded  with  groups  of  fine  trees, 
amongst  which  the  cedars  are  worth 
notice.  The  palace  contains  a  good 
collection  of  paintings. 

In  the  entrance-hall, — portrait  of 
Duke  of  Monmouth,  Kneller;  also  of 
George  IV.,  hjJFilkie — animated  in 


126     Route  13. — Ediiiburgh  to  Galashiels ;  Lassicade.    Sect.  I. 


conception,  and  exliibits  great  power 
of  colour.  Lucy  Waters  (mother 
of  the  Duke  of  Monmouth),  and  Nell 
Gw3mne,  by  Leiy.  In  the  next 
room  are  some  battle  pieces.  In  1st 
dining-room  are  the  Duchess  of 
IMonmouth,  Kneller, — and  the  Earl 
of  Strafford.  In  the  breakfast-room 
are  Venetian  views,  probably  the  work 
of  Bernardo  Bdlotto:  Baths  of  Titus, 
and  Roman  Ruins,  by  Pannini — both 
admirable.  In  the  old  entrance-hall 
are  a  clock  presented  by  Louis  XIV., 
and  the  torso  of  a  female  figure  found 
in  the  grounds.  Here  are  the  portraits 
of  Francis,  2nd  Earl  of  Buccleuch, 
Dohson ;  Lucj''  Waters,  and  Mary 
Scott,  "the  Flower  of  Yarrow,"  by 
Ldy.  DraAving-room  —  Duke  and 
Duchess  of  Montague,  by  Gains- 
borough, of  true  and  refined  concep- 
tion ;  Duke  of  Buccleuch,  and  Eliz- 
abeth, Duchess  of  B.,  and  a  Boy 
with  a  Dog,  by  Sir  J.  lieynolds;  Hen- 
rietta Maria,  Vandych  (?),  a  portrait 
of  great  delicacy  and  refinement,  but 
insipid  ;  the  Jewish  Bride,  Rem- 
brandt (?)  —  a  work  of  marvellous 
power  and  transparency  ;  Stag-hunt, 
Wouvcrmans  ;  Six  Saints,  two  ador- 
ing the  Cross,  by  Andrea  del  Sarto; 
Landscape,  by  Claude ;  Wooded 
Landscape,  Ruysdjxcl ;  another  by 
Wynants.  Here  are  also  2  cabinets, 
given  to  the  Duke  of  Monmouth  by 
Charles  II. 

In  the  small  dining-room  are  six 
Venetian  views  by  Canaletti ;  a  view 
of  Montague  House,  Whitehall,  in 
the  middle  of  the  18th  century. 

The  staircase  is  very  handsome, 
and  the  inlaid  oaken  floor  deserves 
notice.  Duke  of  Monmouth,  mounted; 
Sir  Nicholas  Carew,  Master  of  the 
Horse  to  Henry  VIII.,  by  Holbein, 
of  animated  conception  and  masterly 
carrying  out. 

Dalkeith  has  had  many  royal  visi- 
tors ;  Charles  I.  in  1642  ;  George  IV. 
in  1822  ;  and  the  Queen  and  the 
Prince  Consort  on  their  first  journey 
to  Scotland,  1842. 

The  pleasure-grounds  extend  for  a 


considerable  distance,  and  contain 
some  fine  shrubberies,  conifers,  etc. 
The  gardens  and  vineries  have  a  high 
repute  among  horticulturists.] 

8  m.  From  Eskbank  Stat.,  2  m.  left, 
is  Newbattle,  described  in  Rte.  1. 

[Branch  Ely.  to  the  village  of  Lass- 
ivade,  14  m.,  passing  near  Melville 
Castle,  the  modern  seat  of  Viscount 
Melville. 

Lassicade,  a  busy  village  seated  in 
a  hollow  on  the  banks  of  the  N.  Esk, 
surrounded  by  chimneys  of  carpet 
and  other  factories,  and  by  numerous 
villas,  is  still  attractive  from  its  posi- 
tion in  a  deep  glen,  over  whose  steep 
sides  rises  the  picturesque  outline  of 
the  Pentlands.  Coaches  run  several 
times  a  day  to  Edinburgh,  distant 
6  m. 

Lasswade  was  the  residence  in  his 
later  years  of  Thomas  De  Quincej'. 
He  revised  the  collected  edition  of 
his  works  shortly  before  his  death, 
Dec.  1859.  Sir  Walter  Scott  also 
passed  some  of  the  happiest  j'^ears  of 
his  life  here  soon  after  he  was 
married,  1798,  in  a  very  small 
thatched  cottage  with  garden  and 
paddock,  amidst  the  dearest  haunts 
of  his  boj^hood.  Lasswade  was  the 
type  of  the  "  Ganderscleugh "  of 
"  Tales  of  my  Landlord." 

"  Sweet  are  the  paths,  oh  passing  sweet, 
B\'  Esk's  fair  streams  that  run, 
O'er  airy  steeps  throngli  copsewood  deeps. 
Impervious  to  the  sun." 

Around  the  ruins  of  the  Norman  Ch. 
rest  the  remains  of  the  families  of 
Melville  and  Hawthornden,  includ- 
ing those  of  Drummond  the  poet.] 

The  rly.  can  be  rejoined  at  9.2  m. 
Bonnyrigg  Stat.  [There  is  a  public 
footpath  from  Lasswade  rip  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Esk  to  Roslin,  3  m.,  passing 
on  left  the  house  of  Hawthornden  ; 
cross  Eskbridge  (1  m.)  at  the  Spring- 
field paper-mills,  and  turn  to  left  ; 
at  2-2  m.  pass  on  right  Wishart's 
Monument  in  Dryden  Park.  N.B. 
— Hawthornden    Grounds     can     be 


GOTLAND.      Route  13. — Haivthornden  J  Rosli 


127 


S.  Scotland.      Eoute  13. — Hawtliomden  ;  RosUn. 


127 


entered  only  from  the  lodge,  on  tlie 
high  road.j 

About  24  m.  right  of  Lasswade  is 
Burdiehouse,  interesting  to  the  geo- 
logist as  being  the  locale  of  the 
celebrated  freshwater  limestone  of 
the  carboniferous  group,  ably  de- 
scribed by  Dr.  Hibbert,  and  prolific 
in  estuarine  fossils  and  plants. 
Among  them  will  be  found  Palgeo- 
niscus,  Megalichthys,  Gyracanthus, 
and  large  beds  of  Cyprides. 

\1\    m.    Hawthornden    Stat.      A 
short   walk    brings    the   visitor    to 
Hawthornden,    the    admittance    to 
which  is  Is.,  daily,  except  Thursday 
and  Sunday.     The  house  (Sir  J.  H. 
Williains  Drummond,  Bt. )  is  amodern 
mansion,  grafted  on  an  old  fortified 
Peel-tower,  planted  on  the  very  edge 
of  a  red  clitf  looking  down  into  the 
den  or  glen  of  the  N".  Esk,  and  sur- 
rounded by  pretty  gardens  and  woods. 
Beneath  the  Castle  the  rock  is  pierced 
with  a  number  of  caves,  said  to  have 
been   inhabited   before   the  natives 
were  civilised  enough  to  erect  huts. 
They  have  no  doubt   been  used   as 
hiding-places.     Tradition  says  that 
they  were  once  so  occupied  by  Bruce. 
The  rock,  owing  to  its  softness,  was 
easily    hewn    out     into     chambers, 
which  were   inhabited    or   used   for 
cellars    or   prisons.      They   are   fur- 
nished with  a  well,  also  cut  in  the 
rock.      Hawthornden   has   obtained 
its  chief  reputation  from  being  built 
and  inhabited  by  the  poet  Drum- 
mond, born  in   1585,     The  melan- 
choly tone  of  his  poems  is  said  to 
have  arisen  from  the  fact  of  his  be- 
trothed dying  on  the  day  before  that 
fixed   for  the  marriage.     He  was  a 
great   friend   of  Ben   Jonson,    who 
walked  all  the  way  from  London  to 
pay  him  a  visit  here. 

"  Where  Jonson  sat  in  Druramond's  social 
shade." 


Visitors  having  traversed  Haw- 
thornden grounds,  cross  the  Esk  by 
a  bridge  and  exeunt  through  a  gate 


which  opens  only  from  within  ; 
thence  they  pursue  the  X'ath  along 
the  bottom  of  the  fine  glen  to  Koslin 
Ig  m. — a  very  pretty  walk,  though 
the  Esk  is  polluted  by  Penicuik 
Paper-mills.  It  terminates  with  a 
fine  view  of  Roslin  Castle  and  Chapel, 
as  the  visitor  emerges  from  the  glen. 
A  little  to  the  N.  of  Roslin  is  the 
Moor,  where  in  1303  the  Scotch 
army,  under  the  Regent  Comyn, 
fought  3  battles  against  3  divisions 
of  the  English.  It  was  victorious 
over  2,  and  took  some  prisoners,  but 
was  defeated  by  the  3d  under  Sir 
Robert  Neville. 

Roslinlee  Stat,  is  about  1^  m.  dis- 
tant from  the  Chapel,  and  the  same 
from  the  village.  Roslin  Oastlc  Stat. 
of  the  Penicuik  and  Esk  Valley  Rly. 
much  nearer.  Roslin  Stat,  of  the 
Loanhead  line  close  to  the  village. 
Inn  :  Royal  Hotel.  Prettily  situated 
on  a  height  above  the  deep  flowing 
N.  Esk.  Roslin  is  famous  for  straw- 
berries, which  in  summer  attract  as 
many  visitors  perhaps  as 

Roslin  Chapel.  It  is  a  common 
error  to  speak  of  this  building  as 
merely  a  chapel.  From  the  first  it 
was  designed  as  a  collegiate  church, 
dedicated  to  St.  Mattliew,  with  a 
provost,  6  prebendaries,  and  2  cho- 
risters. It  was  founded  1446,  by 
William  St.  Clair,  Earl  of  Roslin  and 
Orkney,  Grand  Master  of  the  Masons 
of  Scotland,  but  was  unfinished  on 
the  death  of  William,  Earl  of  Caith- 
ness, 1484,  and  was  carried  on  by  his 
son  and  successor.  It  is  merely  the 
choir  of  a  cruciform  church,  of  which 
the  transept  was  begun  but  never 
finished.  It  is  well  worth  while  to 
walk  round  the  outside,  to  inspect 
the  carvings, .  flying  buttresses,  and 
pinnacles.  The  Ch.  consists  of  a 
choir  of  5  bays  with  aisles,  and  the 
pier  arches  are  continued  behind  the 
altar  so  as  to  form  a  low  Lady  Chapel 
like  that  of  Glasgow.  Two  of  these 
arches  support  the  E.  window.  The 
roof  of  this  retro-choir  is  vaulted  and 
groined  in  4  bay.sV'and  from  the  ceu- 


128 


Route  13. — Roslin  Chapel. 


Sect.  I. 


tral  ribs  descend  great  carved  pen- 
dants, giving  a  very  rich  efl'ect.  This 
chapel  "is  certainly  imclassable  as 
a  whole,  being  unlike  any  other 
building  in  Great  Britain  of  its  age  ; 
but  if  its  details  are  minutely  ex- 
amined they  will  be  found  to  accord 
most  completely,  in  the  ornamental 
work,  with  the  style  then  prevalent, 
though  debased  by  the  clumsiness  of 
the  j)arts  and  their  want  of  proportion 
to  each  other.  —  Bickinan."  The 
workmen  employed  on  it  by  the 
founders  were  foreigners  ;  and  from 
a  comparison  of  this  work  with  others 
on  the  Continent  it  is  probable  that 
the  artificers  were  brought  from  the 
ISr.  of  Spain.  Fergusson  ("Architec- 
ture," vol.  ii.)  shows  that  it  resembles 
parts  of  Burgos,  while  it  has  the 
greatest  affinity  to  the  chapel  at 
Belem  in  Portugal.  Still  there  is  in 
parts  a  considerable  clumsiness  and 
scamj)ing,  both  in  the  carving  and 
construction,  that  would  lead  us  to 
believe  that  the  foreign  artificers 
left  a  good  deal  to  incapable  pupils. 
The  chapel  owes  its  beauty  entirely 
to  the  profuseness  of  its  decorations, 
for  the  original  plan  and  proportions 
are  far  from  pleasing.  "  It  has  little 
pretensions  to  S5'mmetry,  and  its 
squat,  stumpy  outline  is  a  gi'eat  con- 
trast to  the  slender  grace  of  ]\Ielrose. 
All  the  beauties  of  Koslin  are  super- 
induced on  the  design  in  the  shape 
of  mouldings  and  incrustations  " — 
Billings.  The  length  of  the  chajiel 
internally  is  only  68  ft.,  and  its 
breadth  35.  The  central  aisle  is  15 
ft.  wide,  40  ft.  high,  and  has  the 
southern  peculiarity  of  a  barrel 
vault,  with  only  transverse  ribs, 
just  as  may  be  seen  in  the  S.  of 
France.  Upon  this  stone  vault  the 
roofing  slabs  are  laid,  and  follow  its 
curves  without  intervening  timber. 
The  aisles  are  roofed  with  cross- 
vaults  rising  from  straight  stone 
transoms,  supported  by  the  piers 
and  outer  walls,  and  covered  with 
elaborate  bas-reliefs  of  Scripture  sub- 
jects rudely  carved.     Each  compart- 


ment is  difi"ereut  in  pattern,  till  the 
variety  becomes  perfectly  bewilder- 
ing. The  niches  on  a  line  with  the 
clerestory  were  occupied  by  statues 
of  the  12  Apostles  and  the  Yirgin. 
On  one  of  the  transoms  across  the 
aisle  are  represented  the  7  Deadly 
Sins,  and  on  the  opposite  side  are  the 
Cardinal  Virtues.  The  mouldings  on 
the  arch-lintels,  behind  the  altar, 
pourtray  the  Angelic  choir  playing 
on  various  instruments,  and  include 
an  angel  performing  on  the  bagpipes, 
the  Martyrdom  of  St.  Sebastian,  etc. 
At  the  E.  end  of  the  S.  aisle  is  the 
^Prentice  pillar,  ornamented  with  a 
spiral  festoon  of  flowers  and  foliage 
more  elaborately  carved  than  the 
rest.  It  received  its  name  from  a 
story  (not  uncommon)  that  the  'pren- 
tice executed  it  while  the  master 
had  gone  to  Eome  for  a  pattern,  and 
was  killed  on  the  return  of  the  latter 
in  a  fit  of  jealousy.  The  story  of  the 
foundation  of  the  chapel  is  that  Sir 
William  St.  Clair  made  a  rash  bet  of 
his  life  against  the  Eoslin  property, 
that  his  dogs  Help  and  Hold  would 
run  down  a  stag  before  it  passed  a 
certain  brook.  The  stag  was  already 
in  the  water  when  the  dog,  excited 
by  the  desperate  cries  of  its  master, 
made  a  tremendous  spring,  and 
pulled  it  down  before  it  could  mount 
the  opposite  bank.  William  St. 
Clair  and  his  dog  are  represented 
together  on  the  tombstone.  There 
is  a  legend  (not  founded  in  fact)  that 
the  lords  of  Eoslin  were  buried  in  full 
armour,  and  that  on  the  night  pre- 
ceding the  death  of  any  of  the  family 
the  cha])el  appeared  on  fire,  an  illu- 
sion which  is  sujjposed  to  arise  from 
the  peculiar  position  of  the  chapel 
admitting  the  rays  of  the  sun  point 
blank  tlu'ough  the  windows  of  both 
sides. 

"  Blazed  battlement  and  turret  high, 

Blazed  every  rose-carved  buttress  fair; 
So  blaze  they  still  when  fate  is  nigh 
The  lordlv  line  of  high  St.  Clair." 

IF.  Scott's  Ballad  of  "  Rosabelle." 

Projecting  beyond  the  E.  end  of 


S.  ScoTLAA^D.      Fioute  13. — Roslin  Castle;  Penicidk. 


129 


the  chapel,  on  a  lower  level,  is  a 
chamber,  which  the  altar  and  piscina 
prove  to  have  been  used  as  a  chapel, 
while  the  fireplace  and  other  secular 
conveniences  show  it  to  have  been 
fitted  up  for  a  vestry. 

Since  1862  the  Chapel  of  Roslin 
has  been  fitted  up  for  the  service  of 
the  Scottish  Ejjiscopal  Church,  which 
is  performed  here  on  Sundays  at  12^ 
and  44  P.M. 

The  Castle  oi  Roslin,  on  an  insu- 
lated mound  below  the  Chapel,  and 
near  the  extreme  edge  of  the  preci- 
pice overhanging  the  Esk,  is  reduced 
to  a  mere  fragment,  and  a  modem 
house  occupies  the  enclosure.  There 
are  2  storeys  left  of  gloomy  arched 
rooms,  attbrding  very  little  clue  as 
to  the  date  of  its  erection.  It  be- 
longed to  the  St.  Clairs,  and  is  pro- 
bably of  the  same  age  as  the  chapel. 
A  bridge  and  solid  wall  of  masonry 
still  remaining  over  a  gully  formed 
the  approach  to  it,  and  was  guarded 
by  a  feudal  gateway,  of  which  a 
fragment  remains.  The  upper  por- 
tion was  entirely  destroyed  by  the 
Earl  of  Hertford. 

The  Valley  of  the  Esk,  between 
Roslin  and  Penicuik,  is  extremely 
picturesque.  Near  the  village  of 
Auchendinny  are  slight  remains  of 
the  old  castle  of  Woodlwusclee,  once 
the  property  of  Hamilton  of  Both- 
wellhaugh.  Its  being  taken  from 
him,  and  his  wife's  sudden  expulsion 
in  the  middle  of  the  night,  by  which 
she  was  rendered  a  maniac,  led  to 
the  murder  of  the  Regent  Moray,  at 
Linlithgow,  by  the  hands  of  Hamil- 
ton. New  IFoodhoitselee,  residence 
of  the  Tytler  family,  is  3  m.  distant. 
•Auchendinny  House  is  the  seat  of 
John  Innes,  Esq. 

Fovmthorn  Stat,  of  the  Peebles 
Rly.  is  1  m.  from  Penicuik. 

15  Td.  Penicuik  Stat,  and  Termi- 
nus, a  prettily  situated  village  [Inn, 


Queen's  Arms),  on  the  1.  bank  of  the 
North  Esk.  Here  are  the  largest 
Pa2)er  Mills  in  Scotland  (Messrs. 
Cowan's).  1  m.  on  rt.  is  Penicuik 
House  (SirG.  D.  Clerk,  Bart.),  ahand- 
some  Grecian  edifice.  The  Baron  of 
Penicuik  was  bound  by  his  tenure, 
when  the  king  came  to  Edinburgh, 
to  receive  him  at  the  Hare  Stone  with 
3  blasts  of  his  horn.     So  Scott  says  : 

"  Come,  Clerk,  and  give  your  bugle  breath, 
Carle,  now  the  king's  come." 

The  motto  of  the  Clerks  is  "  Free  for 
a  blast. "  The  house  has  some  of  the 
ceilings  painted  by  Runciman,  the 
Scotch  artist,  witji  subjects  from 
Ossian,  and  contains  an  interesting 
collection  of  Roman  antiquities. 
Here  is  kept  the  buff  coat  that 
Claverhouse  wore  at  the  battle  of 
Killiecrankie.  In  the  grounds  is  an 
obelisk  to  the  memory  of  Allan  Ram- 
say, who  is  much  associated  with 
this  district.  At  the  bend  of  the 
grounds,  and  higher  up  the  valley  of 
the  Esk,  are  the  ruins  of  Brunstane 
Castle,  formerly  a  stronghold  of  the 
Crichtons. 

Z)i5tonccs.— Edinburgh,  by  rly.  15 
m.,  by  road  10  ;  Newhall,  3 ; 
Peebles,  12. 

The  Peebles  Rly.  now  runs  through 
a  hilly  district  to 

17|  m.  Leadburn  Junct.  Stat. 
Branch  Railway  to  Dolphinton. 

MaxUe  Hill  Stat.  To  the  S.  of 
Coalyburn  is  Halmyre  House,  an  old 
residence  of  the  Gordon  family,  and 
Macbie  Hill  (Capt.  Beresford). 

Lanianclia  (Stat.)  was  so  called 
by  the  Earl  of  Dundonald,  after 
some  property  he  possessed  in  that 
province  of  Spain.  After  being  long 
the  residence  of  the  Earl,  it  was 
bought  by  J.  Mackintosh,  Esq. 

Broomlee  Stat.  Near  this  is  the 
village  of  JFest  Linton,  once  "a  burgh 
of  regality"  and  of  considerable  im- 
portance.   The  masons  and  sculptors 


130        FiOute  13. — Edinburgh  to  Galashiels  ;  Peebles.     Sect.  I. 


of  Linton  were  renowned  for  their 
skill  in  carving  tombstones.  In  the 
village  is  Lculy  GifforcVs  Well,  sur- 
mounted by  her  figure,  carved  in 
1666  by  her  husband,  Laird  Gilford, 
who  was  celebrated  for  his  skill  in 
stonework. 

Siy'daUumgh,  on  the  S.  of  the  rly., 
is  the  handsome  modern  Gothic 
residence  of  Sir  William  Fergusson, 
the  eminent  surgeon,  Avho  has  made 
a  very  beautiful  place  of  it.      From 

Broomlec  Stat,  the  antiquary  will 
find  it  to  his  account  to  explore  the 
valley  of  the  Lyne  (to  the  S. ),  which 
was  guarded  by  numerous  forts  and 
camps,  the  principal  of  which,  viz. 
Whiteside  Hill,  Bordland  Rings, 
Drochil  Hill,  and  Henderland,  are 
in  a  fair  state  of  preservation.  The 
latter  occupies  the  summit  of  an 
eminence  rising  400  ft.  above  the  bed 
of  the  Lj-ne.  At  Roinanno,  close  to 
JSFewlands  Ch.,  near  which  is  Bord- 
lands  (G.  Hope,  Esq.),  is  one  of 
those  curious  series  of  terraces  similar 
to  Purvis  Hill,  near  Innerleithen, 
rising  14  in  number  to  the  height  of 
250  ft.  About  2  m.  to  the  S.  of 
Dolphinton  is  Castle  Craig,  the  seat 
of  Sir  W.  Gibson -Carmichael,  and 
Nether  Urd  (J.  White,  Esq.),  and  a 
little  to  the  N.  is  Garvald  House 
(W.  Woddrop,  Esq.,  Dolphinton). 

BoljjMntoii  (Stat),  an  incon-sider- 
able  village  at  the  eastern  vslope  of 
the  Pentlands,  and  on  the  high  road 
between  Biggar  and  Edinburgh. 

Leaving  rt.  Leadburn  a  picturesque 
waterfall  known  as  Corric's  Linn, 
and  on  left  Portmore  Loch  and  the 
Moorfoot  range  of  hills,  which  rise 
to  2000  ft.  (Whitehope  Law,  2038 
ft.),  the  train  arrives  at 

22|  m.  Ecldlestone  Stat.,  where 
there  are  some  forts  and  tumuli.  In 
the  neighbourhood  left  are  Portmore 
•(C.  Mackenzie,  Esq.),  and  right 
Darnhall,  an  old  house  in  the  French 
chateau  style,  the  seat  of  Lord  Eli- 
bank.  Behind  the  former  is  the 
camp   of   Northshicld  Rings,   of  an 


oval  shape,  consisting  of  three  walls 
with  sunk  ditches,  the  whole  mea- 
suring 450  by  370  ft. 

1  m.  S.  is  MilJceston  Rings,  the 
largest  camp  in  the  county,  circular, 
having  a  detached  rampart  on  the 
slope  of  the  hill  below.  Between 
Eddlestone  and  Peebles,  on  the  right, 
is  Cringletie,  the  seat  of  J.  Wolfe- 
Murray,  Esq. 

At  the  junction  of  the  Eddlestone 
Water  with  the  Tweed  is, 

27  m.  Peebles*  Junct.  Stat.  (Ete. 
5a)  {Inns :  Tontine  ;  Commercial). 
This  old  county  town  is  agreeably 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Tweed,  here  crossed  by  an  old  bridge, 
30  m.  from  its  source  and  1000  ft. 
below  it  (Pop.  about  2200).  The 
town  being  burnt  in  1544  by  the 
Earl  of  Hertford,  the  new  one  was 
built  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  but 
the  old  town  still  occupies  a  position 
on  the  bank  of  Eddlestone  Water. 
It  has  a  pretty  country  round  it,  a 
number  of  Excursions,  and  unexcep- 
tionable angling  ;  but  it  is  as  dull 
and  quiet  as  any  place  in  the  king- 
dom. It  was  a  favourite  residence  of 
the  Scottish  monarchs,  particularly^ 
of  Alexander  III.,  who  built  the 
Cross  Kirk,  of  which  the  tower  is 
still^standing  near  the  Cal.  Ely.  Stat. 
James  I.  made  Peebles  Fair  the  sub- 
ject of  his  poem,  "  Peblis  to  the 
Play,"  commencing 

"  At  Beltane,  when  ilk  hndy  bounds 
To  Peebles  to  the  play. 
To  hear  the  singing  and  the  sounds 
Their  solace,  sooth  to  say. 

By  firth  and  forest  forth  they  found. 
They  graithit  them  full  gay  ; 

God  wait  that  wold  they  do  that  stound. 
For  it  was  their  feast-day.  « 

Tliey  said. 

Of  Peebles  to  the  play." 

The  Beltane  Fair  is  still  held  in 
June.       St.    Andrew's   Church   Avas 


*  See  the  very  complete  and  interesting 
"  History  of  Peeblesshire,"  by  Wm.  Cham- 
bers, 1864. 


S.  Scotland.    Route  13. — Peebles — Neidimth  Castle. 


131 


founded  in  1195  ;  but  Cromwell's 
troopers  converted  it  into  a  stable, 
and  very  little  is  now  left  but  a 
venerable  old  tower.  The  old  Cross 
Ch.  is  not  much  better,  and  consists 
only  of  the  shell  of  the  tower,  and  an 
ivy-covered  gable.  Of  the  Castle  of 
Peebles  nothing  is  left,  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  town  walls  may  be 
seen  near  the  E.  port.  A  conspicu- 
ous building  is  the  Chambers  Insti- 
tute, presented  to  the  town  by  jMr. 
Wm.  Chambers  of  Glenormiston,  the 
publisher.  The  building  in  which 
the  library  is  placed  dates  from  the 
16th  centy.,  and  once  formed  the 
residence  of  the  Queensberry  family. 
In  the  centre  of  the  quadrangle  is 
the  shaft  of  the  old  Toivn  Cross, 
gifted  to  the  burgh  by  Sir  Adam 
Hay.  ]\Iungo  Park,  the  African 
traveller,  once  practised  as  a  medical 
man  in  Peebles,  and  had  his  surgery 
in  the  High  Street.  The  inn  of  the 
Cross  Keys,  formerly  known  as  the 
Yett,  was  the  town  mansion  of  the 
family  of  Williamson  of  Cardrona, 
and  is  of  the  date  of  the  17th  centy. 
Some  of  the  houses  have  vaulted 
floors  level  with  the  street,  and  are 
remnants  of  the  bastel  houses 
erected  for  security  against  border 
invaders. 

About  1  m.  W.  of  the  town,  on  the 
X.  bank  of  the  Tweed,  are  the  ruins 
of  Neidpath  Castle,  principally  con- 
sisting of  2  square  towers,  with  some 
modern  additions.  On  a  gateway  in 
the  courtyard  is  the  crest  of  the 
Earls  of  Tweeddale — a  goat's  head 
over  a  coronet,  and  a  bunch  of  straw- 
berries, a  rebus  on  the  name  of 
Eraser.  "  Neidpath  consists  properly 
of  two  castles  united.  Originally  the 
structure  had  consisted  of  a  tall 
border  tower  or  peel,  each  storej^ 
vaulted,  and  with  a  spiral  stair  com- 
municating with  the  different  floors. 
Subsequently  there  was  attached' to 
the  front  of  this  meagre  stronghold 
an  imposingbuilding  of  vast  strength, 
forming  the  newer  part,  which  now 
constitutes  the  castle  as  visited  by 


strangers.  The  S.  side  of  the  ancient 
tower  is  almost  entirely  gone,  leaving 
a  series  of  spectral  vaulted  floors  one 
above  another." — Chambers.  It  once 
belonged  to  the  southern  branch  of 
the  Eraser  family,  and  passed  from 
them  to  the  Hays  of  Tester.  The 
2nd  Earl  of  Tweeddale  held  it  for 
Charles  II.,  but  the  old  tower,  the 
weakest  part,  was  battered  by  the 
cannon  of  Cromwell,  and  it  was  taken 
after  an  obstinate  resistance.  It  was 
afterwards  purchased  by  the  Duke  of 
Queensberry,  "Old  Q."  who  cut 
down  the  fine  timber.  Hence 
Wordsworth's  sonnet,  "Composed 
at Castle  "  : — 

"  Degenerate  Douglas  !  oh,  the  unworthy- 
Lord  ! 

Whom  mere  despite  of  heart  could  so  far 
please. 

And  love  of  havoc  (for  with  such  disease 
Fame  taxes  him),  that  he  could  send  forth 
word 

To  level  with  the  dust  a  noble  horde, 

A  brotherhood  of  venerable  trees  ; 

Leaving  an  ancient  dome  and  towers 
like  these 

Beggared  and  outraged. " 

At  the  death  of  "Old  Q."  the  castle 
passed  to  the  Earl  of  Wemyss.  The 
Neidpath  estates  are  the  largest  in 
the  county,  yielding  a  rental  of 
£12,000  per  annum.  The  cottage 
of  David  Ptitchie,  the  original  of 
the  "Black  Dwarf,"  is  still  to  be 
seen  on  the  estate  of  Woodhouse, 
where  he  was  visited  by  Walter 
Scott,  1797,  then  the  guest  of  Prof. 
Adam  Eerguson,  who  lived  at  Hall- 
yards,  now  residence  of  W.  Ander- 
son, Esq. 

There  are  many  pleasant  residences 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Peebles, 
such  as  Rosetta,  Venlaw  (J.  Erskine, 
Esq.),  Kerfield  (A.  Mchol,  Esq.), 
and  King's  Meadow  (Sir  Robert 
Hay,  Bart.) 

Puiilway  to  Symington  Stat.  18 
m.,  on  the  v\j.  from  Glasgow  to 
Carlisle  by  Biggar  (Pte.  5). 

Distances.  —  Edinburgh,  27  m.  ; 
Innerleithen,  6  ;  Biggar,  11  ;  Neid- 


132 


Route  13. — Innerleithen;  Ashiestiel. 


Sect.  I. 


path,   1  ;  Eddleston,  i  ;  Galashiels, 
18  ;  Symington,  18. 

The  raily.  to  Galashiels  now  makes 
a  bend,  and  follows  the  N.  bank 
of  the  Tweed,  passing  Kerfield  and 
Kailzie,  on  the  S.  bank,  with  the 
scant  ruins  of  Horshurgh  Cattle.,  the 
old  house  of  the  family  of  the  same 
name. 

30  m.  Cardrona  Stat.,  with  the 
old  ruined  tower  and  the  modern 
mansion  of  Cardrona  (A,  Williamson, 
Esq.),  and  (on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river)  Glenormiston,  the  seat  of 
W.  Chambers,  Esq.,  above  Avhich 
rises  the  peaked  summit  of  the  Lee 
Pen  (1647  ft.) 

33  m.  Innerleithen  (Stat.),  {Inn  : 
Kiddle's),  prettily  placed  at  the  junct. 
of  the  Leitlien  Water  with  theTw^ed, 
is  a  watering-place  in  some  repute 
from  its  mineral  springs,  and  noted 
as  the  locale  of  the  scenes  in  "St. 
Konan's  Well."  Overlooking  the 
stat.  on  left  is  Caerlee  Hill  Fort,  a 
large  circular  British  camp,  measur- 
ing 400  by  350  ft.  across.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Leithen  is  ano- 
ther not  so  large,  known  as  the  Pirn 
Hill  Fort.  Pirn  House  is  the  resi- 
dence of  Col.  Horsburgh.  One  m. 
E.  of  Innerleithen,  at  Purvis  Hill, 
are  some  remarkable  earthen  ter- 
races, rising  in  the  form  of  gigantic 
steps,  about  a  dozen  in  number,  to 
the  height  of  450  ft.  above  the 
Tweed.  Their  appearance  has  given 
rise  to  much  discussion,  some  attri- 
buting them  to  geological  causes, 
while  arclipeologists  point  to  the  fact 
that  a  fort  itself  is  to  be  found  in 


connection  with  them,  as  is  also  the 
case  at  Newlands.  At  the  village  of 
Walkerburn,  1  m.  E.,  are  some 
woollen  factories,  giving  employment 
to  a  good  many  hands. 

About  1  m.  to  the  right  is  Tra- 
quair  House  (belonging  to  the  Stewart 
family),  part  of  which  is  very  old, 
though  the  date  is  uncertain.  There 
is  a  fine  gateway  flanked  by  two 
figures  of  bears  in  stone.  Nearly 
opposite  are  the  remains  of  the 
"  Bush  aboon  Traquair,"  the  subject 
of  a  well-known  poem,  written  by 
Robert  Crawford  in  1724.  The  road 
may  be  followed  up  the  glen  of  the 
Quair  to  Glen  House,  the  modern 
mansion  of  C.  Tennant,  Esq.,  of 
Glasgow,  designed  by  Mr.  Bryce,  in 
the  old  Scotch  baronial  style.  The 
path  continues  over  the  hills  to 
Dryhope,  at  the  foot  of  St.  Mary's 
Loch. 

Et.,  at  Grieston,  to  the  K.  of 
Traquair,  the  geologist  will  find 
Silurian  rocks  with  graptolites. 

A  little  before  arriving  at 

39  m.  Thornilee  Stat,  the  traveller 
passes  Elihank  Tower  (in  ruins),  the 
ancestral  seat  of  the  Murrays,  and 

2  m.  farther  Ashiestiel  (Lady  Kus- 
sell),  for  many  years  the  residence  of 
Walter  Scott,  where  great  part  of 
"The  Lay,"  and  of  "Marmion" 
was  written.  Farther  on  a  bridge 
with  a  fine  spanned  arch  carries  the 
Selkirk  road  across  the  Tweed. 

42  m.  Clovenfords  Stat. 

454  Galashiels  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte.  1.) 


SECTIOX   11. 

Central  Scotland  —  Glasgow  —  Stirling  —  Dumbarton  —  Part  of 
Lanark  and  Perthshire — Loch  Lomond — Loch  Katrine — The 
Trossachs. 

INTPvODUCTION. 

§  1.  General  Information.    §  2.  Ohjects  of  Intei-est.    §  3.  Loch  Katrine 
avd  Glasgow  Water-works. 


ROUTES. 


14  Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline, 

by   Dalmcny,    Quecnsfcrry, 
and  Invcrkeithing      .         .137 

15  Edinburgh    to   Stirling,    by 

the  Forth,  Alloa,  and  Cla/ik- 
niannan    .         .         .         .   140 

16  Edinburgh     to     Glasgow, 

by    Linlithgoio    and    Fal- 
kirk ....   144 

17  Glasgow  to    Edinburgh,   by 

Airdrie  and  Bathgate  .   158 

17a  Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  by 
]\Iid-Calder,  FTolyto%\Ti,  and 
Gartsherrie  Ironworks         .   160 

18  Edinburgh  or  CarstairsJunct. 


ROCTE  PAGE 

to  Stirling,  by  Larhcrt  and 
Bannockburn      .         .         .  !I61 

19  Glasgow  to  Tarhct  and  Loch 

Lomond,  by  Dumbarton  and 
Balloch  [Helensburgh,  Gare- 
loch]— Rail       .         .         .*165 

20  Stirling   to    Inversnaid,    by 

Loch  Mcnteith,  Abcrfoyle, 
and  Loch  Chon  . 

21  Stirling   to    Loch    Lomond, 

by  Dunblane,  Callandxr, 
Loch  Katrine,  and  The 
Trossachs 

22  Stirling  to  Balloch,  by  Dry- 

men,  Forth  and  Clyde  Rail. 


172 


174 


182 


1.  General  Information. 


This  division  is  made  simply  for  the  convenience  of  travellers,  as 
combining  the  Routes  issuing  from  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  and 
Stirling,  and  leading  to  the  most  generally  attractive  district  of 
Scotland — The  Trossachs,  Loch  Katrine,  and  Loch  Lomond — which 
everybody,  however  pressed  for  time,  is  sure  to  visit,  even  if  they 
advance  no  farther  into  the  Highlands. 

The  contractors  for,  and  purveyors  of,  locomotion,  indeed,  have 
succeeded  in  arranging  such  an  uninterrupted  series  of  conveyances — 
trains,  steamboats,  and  coaches — that  by  leaving  Edinburgh  at  7.10, 
or  Glasgow  at  7.30  a.m.,  you  may  meet  the  coach  at  Callander  at 
9.50,  scamper  through  Trossachs,  and  reach  the  steamer  on  L. 
Katrine  at  11.20,  complete  the  voyage  down  the  two  Lochs  by  3.20, 
reach  Stirling  at  5,  and  Edinburgh  or  Glasgow  by  6.30  !     Nay,  in 


134  §2.   Objects  of  Interest.  Sect.  11. 

the  summer,  tlie  traveller  has  three  different  cliances  in  the  day  to 
make  this  round  ! 

We  need  scarcely  enter  a  protest  against  this  hurry-scurr}^  mode 
of  doing  the  scenery  of  Scotland.  A  sensible  person  will  devote  a 
day  at  least  to  Stirling,  a  day  to  the  Trossachs  and  Loch  Katrine,  and 
another  to  Loch  Lomond  (Tarloet). 

The  mere  cost  of  the  jeurney  (fees  to  coachman  not  included)  is 
— From  Edinburgh,  25s.  first-class,  19s.  second-class  ;  from  Glasgow, 
19s.  first-class,  second-class  15s.  The  tickets  allow  of  halting  on 
the  way,  heing  valid  for  7  days. 

There  are  excellent  Inns  at  Stirling,  Bridge  of  Allan,  the 
Trossachs,  Liversnaid,  and  Tarbet  on  Loch  Lomond,  Port  of  Men- 
teith,  Doune,  etc. 

Those  who  take  interest  in  other  things  besides  grand  scenery 
may  desire  to  visit  the  extraordinary  coalfield  lying  E.  and  S.  of 
Glasgow,  where  the  manufacture  of  iron  has  been  developed  to  such 
a  wonderful  extent.  Eoutes  1 7  and  1  7a  pass  through  a  district 
dismal  with  smoke  and  black  with  coal  and  ashes,  but  teeming  with 
most  extraordinary  industry  in  iron  furnaces  and  forges.  The  centre 
of  this  is  at  Airdrie  and  Coatbridge,  situated  on  the  famous  Black 
Band  of  iron  ore.  The  largest  works  are  those  of  Gartsh^rrie 
(Baird),  Langloan,  Shotts,  etc.     (See  Rte.  1  7a.) 

§  2.  Objects  of  Interest,  Grouped  according  to 
Vicinity. 

Dalmeny. — Church  ;  Park  and  trees ;  Barnbougle  Castle  ruins. 

S.  Queensferry. — Hopetoun  House  ;  Kirkliston  ;  Church  and 
Park  ;  Niddry  Castle. 

N.  Queensferry . — Dunfermline,  Donibristle  Castle. 

The  River  Forth  and  its  windings. 

Linlitligo'W. — Wells  ;  Church  ;  Palace. 

Falkirk. — Carron  Ironworks  ;  Grseme's  Dyke  (Roman  Wall). 

Stirling. — Greyfriars  Church  ;  Mar's  Work  ;  Cemetery  ;  Castle 
and  View  ;  Cambuskenneth  ;  Abl)ey  Craig  (view)  ;  Bannockburn  ; 
Bridge  of  Allan  ;  Keir  ;  Castle  Campbell  ;  Alva  Glen. 

Dunblane. — Cathedral  :  Doune  Castle. 

Callander. — Loch  Vennachar  ;  Loch  Achray,  Loch  Lubnaig. 

Trossachs. — Loch  Katrine  ;  Beallach-nam-Bo  Pass  ;  Ellen's  Isle  ; 
Glasgow  Aqueduct. 

loch  Menteith. — Inch  Mahone. 

Loch  Lomond. — Inversnaid  ;  Tarbet  ;  Islands,  Luss  ;  Ro warden- 
nan  ;  Ascent  of  Ben  Lomond. 

Balloch.  — Dumbarton  Castle. 


Introd.       §  3.  Loch  Katrine  and  Glasgoiv  Water-worh.        135 

Glasgow. — George  Square  and  Monnments  ;  Cathedral  ;  Ne- 
cropolis ;  Old  College  ;  Exchange  ;  Universit}^  ;  Parks  ;  Broomie- 
law  ;  Shipbuilding  Yards  ;  Langside  ;  Bothwell  Castle  ;  Hamilton 
Palace  ;  Cadzow, 

Coatbrichje,  Airdrie,  Bathgate.     The  Lanarkshire  Ironworks. 

Lennoxtoion. — Campsie  Fells  ;  Lennox  Castle  ;  Kirkintilloch. 

§  3.  On  the  Loch  Katrine  and  Glasgow  Water-works.* 

The  works  which  have  been  established  for  conveying  a  portion 
of  the  water  of  Loch  Katrine  to  Glasgow  are  a  verj  interesting 
specimen  of  engineering,  so  that  a  short  description  of  them  will  not 
be  misplaced  here. 

The  singularity  which  perhaps  will  first  occur  to  the  reader  is, 
that  a  portion  of  the  waters  which,  in  the  course  of  nature,  reached 
the  sea  by  the  eastern  estuary  of  the  Forth,  is  now  turned  to  the 
supply  of  the  great  city  on  the  western  estuary  of  the  Clyde.  This 
has  arisen  from  two  circumstances.  First,  that  Loch  Katrine,  the 
highest  of  the  reservoirs  of  water  supplying  the  Forth  (hj  its  con- 
fluent the  Teith),  is  far  west ;  secondly,  that  the  elevation  of  Loch 
Katrine  is  considerable.  But  for  the  latter  circumstance  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  convey  the  water  of  Loch  Katrine  over  the 
high  ground  which  divides  the  basins  of  the  Forth  and  the  Clyde  ; 
and  it  was  apparently  to  facilitate  this  that  the  water  of  Loch 
Katrine  is  now  dammed  to  a  height  about  five  feet  above  its  natural 
elevation.  The  heights  of  the  surface  waters  of  the  principal  lakes 
above  the  mean  level  of  the  sea  are  the  following  : — Loch  Venna- 
char,  270  ft. ;  Loch  Achray,  276  ft.  ;  Loch  Katrine,  364  ft. 

The  height  of  Loch  Lomond  above  the  sea  is  only  23  ft. 
(Every  tourist  must  have  remarked  the  great  descent  in  passing  from 
Loch  Katrine  to  Inversnaid.)  It  was  obviously  impossible  to  utilise 
the  water  of  Loch  Lomond  for  the  service  of  Glasgow,  except  by  an 
enormous  expenditure  of  mechanical  power. 

Though  the  Teith,  of  which  Loch  Katrine  is  the  head,  is  an 
affluent  of  the  Forth,  yet  their  upper  basins,  being  separated  by 
hilly  ground,  must  be  considered  as  on  different  rivers.  The  basin 
of  the  Forth,  whose  head  is  in  Ben  Lomond,  lies  between  that  of  the 
Teith  and  that  of  the  Clyde.  To  gain  the  basin  of  the  Forth  it  was 
necessary  to  pierce  the  hills  bounding  the  south  side  of  Loch  Katrine. 
In  passing  by  boat  along  the  lake,  from  the  Trossachs  to  the  landing- 
pier  of  Stronachlachar,  the  -tourist  will  remark,  on  the  left  hand,  a 

*  From  a  description  of  the  location  of  the  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  by  Sir  George 
B.  Airy,  P.R.S. 


136         §  3.  Loch  Katrine  and  Glasgow  Water-works.  Sect.  II. 

little  more  than  a  mile  before  reaching  the  pier,  the  entrance-works 
of  the  water-conduit.  They  may  be  visited  by  a  road  from  Stronach- 
lachar.  They  consist  of  the  nsnal  defences  against  the  entrance  of 
extraneous  matter,  and  gates  and  sluices  for  regulating  the  influx  of 
water  ;  well  worthy  of  examination,  but  requiring  no  special  notice 
here.  The  water-course  immediately  pierces  the  hill  by  a  tunnel 
about  a  mile  long  (the  air-shafts  of  which  can  be  seen  from  the  lake), 
and  opens  upon  one  of  the  streams  of  Loch  Chon,  which  is  a  feeder 
of  the  Forth.  It  passes  on  the  south-west  sides  of  Loch  Chon  and 
the  upper  part  of  Loch  Ard,  crosses  the  Duchray  water,  traverses 
a  desolate  country,  crosses  many  streams  of  the  Forth,  and  near  the 
summit  of  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Junction  Eailwaj^  close  to  the  Bal- 
fron  station,  at  a  height  of  about  250  feet,  quits  the  basin  of  the 
Forth  for  that  of  the  Endrick,  which  it  subsequently  leaves  at  a 
lower  level  for  that  of  the  Clyde  proper. 

Through  nearly  the  whole  of  the  course  thus  described  the 
water-coiu'se  is  tunnelled  in  the  solid  gneiss  rock,  usually  at  a  small 
depth  below  the  surface,  and  nothing  is  visible  but  heaps  of  "  spoil " 
from  distance  to  distance.  It  was  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
channel  should  be  covered,  and  tunnelling  was  found  to  be  less  ex- 
pensive and  more  secure  than  vaulting  in  masonry.  But  in  many 
places  the  water  is  carried  on  aqueducts,  consisting  of  large  iron 
tubes,  or  iron  troughs  supported  by  arches  ;  and,  where  these  are 
open,  it  is  striking  to  view  the  smooth  and  rapid  course  of  the 
water  on  its  journey  to  the  distant  city.  In  some  places  the  water 
passes  through  a  tube  which  descends  to  the  bottom  of  a  valley,  and 
rises  to  nearly  the  same  level  on  the  opposite  side.  In  Stratli 
Endrick,  I  believe,  it  descends  about  200  feet  for  a  considerable 
distance. 

The  parts,  however,  which  more  immediately  concern  the  Loch 
Katrine  tourist  are  the  sluices  at  the  outlets  of  the  Lakes.  It  is 
obviously  necessary  to  have  a  sluice  at  the  outlet  of  Loch  Katrine, 
for  maintaining  the  water  at  a  height  sufficient,  but  not  inconvenient, 
for  the  discharge  into  the  Glasgow  conduit  ;  and  this  sluice  will  be 
found  at  the  bottom  of  the  Beal-nam-bo.  It  consists,  as  is  usual,  of 
adjustible  sliding  sluice-gates  (managed  by  rack-and-pinion  ma- 
chinery) and  a  weir  ;  it  also  contains,  what  is  less  usual,  a  salmon- 
ladder,  to  enable  the  salmon  to  leap  up  into  Loch  Katrine.  This 
sluice  in  itself  is  sufficient  for  the  mere  management  of  the  water- 
supply  to  Glasgow  ;  but  commercial  considerations  required  an 
additional  system  of  sluices.  The  streams  of  the  Teith  and  the 
Forth  are  employed  to  give  motion  to  various  mills,  and  to  serve  in 
various  manufactures  ;  and,  considering  the  large  amount  of  water 


Intrcd. 


Route  14. — Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline. 


137 


abstracted  for  the  supply  of  Glasgow,  there  was  great  fear  that  in 
dry  seasons  the  discharge  from  the  outlet  of  Loch  Vennachar  would 
be  absolutely  stopped,  and  the  mills  and  manufactures  would  be 
deprived  of  their  necessary  waters.  A  large  sluice  (much  larger 
than  that  at  the  outlet  of  Loch  Katrine)  is  therefore  established  at 
the  ancient  Coilantogle  Ford,  at  the  outlet  of  Loch  Vennachar  ;  and 
is  kept  under  the  most  careful  daily  regulation.  In  wet  seasons  the 
water  (which  otherwise  would  have  been  wasted  in  an  injurious 
torrent,  rushing  downwards  to  Stirling  and  the  Forth)  is  treasured 
up,  raising  the  surface  of  Loch  Vennacher ;  and  in  dry  seasons 
this  accumulated  store  is  discharged  by  regulated  openings  of 
the  sluice-gates,  for  the  benefit  of  the  mills.  It  was  laid  down  as 
a  condition  that  the  supply  of  water  to  the  river  should  never  be 
less  than  double  the  minimum  in  the  former  state  of  the  lakes,  and 
it  is  believed  that  this  condition  has  been  maintained  without  diffi- 
culty.—(?.  B.  A. 

The  plans  of  the  Glasgow  water- works  were  designed  and  the 
works  executed  by  the  eminent  Civil  Engineer,  John  Frederick 
Bateman,  Esq.,  of  London. 


ROUTE   14. 

Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline,  by 
Dalmeny,  Queensferry,  and  In- 
verkeithing  (Road  and  Rail). 

Rly.  as  far  as  S.  Queensferry,  where 
the  Firth  must  be  crossed  by  a 
steamer,  and  the  rest  of  the  journey 
traversed  in  an  omnibus  or  private 
conveyance  imtil  the  N.  Queensferry 
and  Dunfermline  Rly.  is  open. 
Carriages  and  post-horses  must  be 
ordered  beforehand  from  the  land- 
lord of  the  Hawes  Inn,  S.  Queens- 
ferry, or  of  the  Royal  Hotel,  Inver- 
keithing,  to  meet  the  traveller  at 
N".  Queensferry  pier.  For  those  who 
like  coach  travelling  "in  the  olden 
style,"  there  is  a  four-horse  coach 
starts  three  times  a-day  from  No.  4 
Princes  Street.  It  crosses  the  ferry 
in  the  steamer,  and  is  the  most  con- 
venient mode  of  reaching  Dunferm- 
line. Those  who  are  willing  to  make 
the  longer  sea  passage  by  Burnt- 
[Scotland.^ 


island  (Rte.  40)  may  proceed  thence, 
and  then  by  rail  all  the  way  to  Dun- 
fermline, via  Kirkcaldy  and  Thorn- 
ton Junct.,  but  at  the  expense  of  a 
circuit  of  20  ra.   (Rte.  40). 

The  old  coach  road  to  Queensferry 
will  repay  by  its  pleasant  scenery 
and  the  interesting  places  it  passes. 

Leaving  Edinburgh  by  the  Queens- 
feny-road,  the  traveller  crosses  the 
Water  of  Leith  at  Dean  Bridge,  be- 
yond which  an  excellent  view  is 
obtained  of  the  Fettes  College,  and 
a  little  to  the  W.  of  which  is  St. 
Cuthbert's  Poorhouse,  and  on  the  1. 
of  the  coach  road  Stewart's  Hospital 
(now  one  of  the  Merchant  Co.'s 
schools  for  boys),  an  Elizabethan 
building ;  immediately  south  of  which 
is  the  Orphan  Hosp. ,  A\dtli  open  work 
towers,  to  the  AV.  of  which  again  is 
John  Watson's  Hosp.  Stewart's 
Hosp.  consists  of  a  solid  centre  with 
towers,  and  on  each  side  a  wing, 
connected  Avith  the  main  body  by  a 
screen  of  open  work.  The  principal 
g2 


138 


FiOide  1 L — Balmeny — Queensferrij, 


Sect.  II. 


tower  is  120  ft.  liigh.     This  hospital 
was  completed  in  1853. 

1  111.  right  is  Craigleith  Quarry, 
whence  came  the  stones  for  building 
large  part  of  the  New  Town  of  Edin- 
burgh. The  stone  is  a  sandstone  of 
the  carboniferous  period,  and  is  re- 
markable for  its  fossil  trees,  one  of 
which,  lying  in  a  slanting  position, 
was  upwards  of  60  feet  in  length, 
and  which  may  now  be  seen  in  the 
Eoyal  Botanic  Gardens,  Edinburgh. 

2  m.  left  are  Eavelstone  House 
(J.  Murray  Gartshore,  Esq.),  and 
Craigcrook,  formerly  the  residence  of 
Lord  Jeffrey,  beautifully  situated  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  Corstorphine 
Hill,  which  the  road  crosses  One 
of  the  finest  views  of  Edinburgh  is 
obtained  from  it.  4  m.  right  Barnton 
(Sir  A.  K.  Gibson-Maitland,  Bart.) 

5  m.  Cramond  Bridge,  OA^er  the 
Almond  Water,  which  flows  into  the 
Firth  of  Forth  at  Cramond,  a  charm- 
ing little  village  in  a  hollow.  Cram- 
ond House  is  the  seat  of  C.  Craigie- 
Halkett  Inglis,  Esq. 

It  was  on  Cramond  Bridge  that 
James  V.  was  attacked  when  return- 
ing in  disguise  from  an  assignation. 
The  king  was  hard  pressed,  when  a 
miller  rushed  out  of  a  neighbouring 
barn,  and  put  his  assailants  to  flight  ; 
he  then  brought  the  king  into  his 
barn,  and  furnished  him  with  water 
and  a  towel  to  cleanse  his  face  from 
tlie  blood.  He  was  rewarded  with 
the  property  on  condition  that  he  or 
his  successors  should  be  ready  to 
present  a  basin  and  ewer  for  the 
king  to  wash  his  hands  whenever  he 
should  come  to  Holyrood  or  cross 
the  bridge  of  Cramond.  In  1822 
the  descendant  of  this  man  (now 
Howison  Crauford)  fulfilled  the  con- 
dition of  presenting  a  silver  ewer  to 
George  lY.  On  left  is  Xew  Saugh- 
ton  (Earl  of  Morton),  and  Craigie 
Hall  (J.  C.  Hope  Vere,  Esq.) 

The  Railway  to  Queensferry  starts 


from  Waverley  terminus,  and  follows 
the  Glasgow  line  (Rte.  16)  as  far  as 

Pudho  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte.  16). 
Turning  here  right  a  good  view  is 
obtained  of  the  Almond  river  via- 
duct on  the  Glasgow  line. 

Kirkliston  Stat.  Here  is  a  large 
distillery  ;  left  is  Dundas  Castle, 
right  Craigie  Hall. 

Balmeny  Stat,  is  in  a  cutting 
close  to  the  shale-heaps  of  a  paraffin 
oil  distillery. 

On  right  2  m.  is  the  lodge  of  Dal- 
meny  Park,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Eosebery  :  the  house  is  modern. 
It  is  ornamented  with  fine  Avoods 
and  many  noble  trees  growing  close 
down  to  the  Firth  of  Forth.  The 
grounds  are  open  to  the  general 
]tublic  every  Monday.  On  the  shore 
are  the  ruins  of  Barnh&iiglc  Castle, 
sold  by  the  Moubrays  to  the  first  of 
the  Eosebery  family  in  the  17th  cent. 

L.,  a  short  waj'^  from  the  station  is 

Dalnteny,  a  neat  well-kept  little 
village,  with  gardens  in  front  of  the 
cottages  arranged  round  a  green. 
Here  is  a  ^Romanesque  Church  (re- 
stored in  1866),  next  to  Leuchars 
the  most  perfect  in  Scotland,  though 
the  chancel  and  E.  apse  alone  re- 
main in  their  original  state.  The 
windows  are  circular-headed,  with 
tooth  mouldings.  The  S.  doorway 
is  a  circular  arch  of  double  mould- 
ings, one  a  row  of  monstrous  heads, 
very  singular,  but  much  withered. 
Above  the  door  is  an  arcade  of  5 
interesting  round  arches. 

In  the  interior  the  nave  has  been 
wretchedly  modernised,  but  in  the 
stone-vauited  chancel  there  are  2 
richly-sculptured  circular  arches,  one 
at  the  entrance  to  the  chancel  and 
another  at  the  junction  of  the  apse, 
"which  is  lower  than  the  rest  of  the 
ch.  An  ugly  modern  excrescence 
has  been  added  to  the  N.  side,  to 
furnish  space  for  the  Eosebery  pew, 
and  the  outer  wall  is  flanked  by  2 
black  tall  stove-tubes  !"  The  pilas- 
ters supporting  the  chancel  arches 


C.  Scotland.  Route  14. — Quemsferry. 


139 


inside  have  been  inhumanly  hewn 
away  to  make  room  for  pew-backs. 
The  date  of  Dahneny  is  probably 
about  the  beginning  of  the  12tli 
centy.  The  ch.  was  attached  to  the 
Abbey  of  Jedburgh.  There  are 
several  old  tombs  in  the  churchyard. 

[A  little  beyond  Dalmeny  is  the 
lodge  of  Dwadas  Castle,  the  situation 
of  which  is  elevated,  and  commands 
fine  views  both  up  and  down  the 
Forth.  After  having  been  in  the 
possession  of  one  family  (that  of 
Dundas)  since  the  days  of  Malcolm 
Canraore,  it  was  sold  in  1875  to  the 
trustees  of  the  late  Mr.  Russell  of 
Blackbraes,  The  square  old  keep  is 
now  attached  to  a  modern  mansion, 
large  and  commodious,  but  of  no 
architectural  pretensions.  In  front 
is  an  old  dilapidated  fountain,  carved 
with  inscriptions  in  Latin  verse. 
There  is  a  short  cut  hence  through 
the  grounds  to  Kirkliston,  l^  m.] 

The  rly.  descends  from  Dalmeny 
in  a  rock  cutting  down  a  steep  de- 
cline, beyond  which  a  fine  view  opens 
out  of  Firth  of  Forth,  200  ft.  above 
which  is 

Halves  Stat.,  \  m.  from  the  Steam- 
boat Pier,  and  the  Hawes  Inn  (toler- 
able), very  inconvenient  for  those  who 
have  luggage  to  be  conveyed  to  the 
boat  down  flights  of  steep  steps.  At 
low  tide  the  steamer  cannot  reach  the 
pier,  but  tows  a  common  ferryboat 
across  the  strait.  A  private  convey- 
ance can  be  had  by  telegraphing  to 
Inverkeithing.  There  are  other  piers 
.  on  the  shore  to  the  AV. ,  but  that  at 
Newhall  or  Hawes  is  most  in  use. 

8^  m.  South  Queensferry  Stat. 
This  is  a  royal  and  pari,  burgh  of 
1521  inhab.,  withal  but  a  small  place, 
at  the  foot  of  steep  heights  which 
hem  in  the  Firth  of  Forth,  at  a 
point  where  the  N.  shore  juts  out,  con- 
tracting the  passage  across  the  Firth 
to  2  miles.  Steam  ferry-boat  crosses 
8  times  a  day.  Queensferry  is  so 
called  from  Margaret,  sister  of  Edgar 
Atheling,  wife  of  Malcolm  Canmore, 


who  was  constantly  travelling  be- 
tween Edinburgh  and  Dunfermline. 
It  was  at  one  time  the  chief  passage 
from  S.  Scotland.  Oliver  Cromwell 
crossed  here  with  his  forces  1651. 
It  is  a  quaint  little  place,  contain- 
ing a  small  simple  Church,  with 
plain  stone  barrel  vault,  once  at- 
tached to  a  Carmelite  priory,  founded 
by  Dundas  of  Dundas,  1330. 

About  2  m.  from  the  stat. ,  W. ,  on 
the  shore,  near  a  little  inn,  is  the 
entrance  (always  open)  to  the  park 
and  grounds  of  Hopetoun  House,  the 
residence  of  the  Earl  of  Hopetoun,  a 
fine  Italian  house  (renovated  by 
Adam).  In  the  interior,  which  is 
not  shown  to  the  public,  are  paintings 
by  Eiibcns  (Adoration  of  Shepherds, 
one  of  his  very  finest  w^orks)  ;  A. 
Guyp,  The  Manege,  in  a  landscape  ; 
Vandyke,  Ecce  Homo  ;  Tenters,  The 
Painter,  his  Wife  and  Child,  in  a 
landscape  ;  etc.  The  grounds  con- 
tain some  remarkably  fine  specimens 
of  cedar  and  abies,  and  the  views  from 
the  gi'een  terrace  walk  parallel  to  the 
Forth  are  superb,  embracing  the 
whole  sweep  of  the  Firth  of  Forth 
and  the  Ochil  Hills  between  Stirling 
Castle  and  the  Isle  of  May.  It  is  a 
most  stately  domain,  and  the  giant 
trees,  the  long  umbrageous  avenues, 
and  the  sunny  Garden  (shown  when 
the  family  are  absent),  are  hardly  to 
be  matched.  Here  are  an  Abies 
Morinda,  80  ft.  high,  and  large 
cedars  of  Lebanon.  Adjoining  the 
park  on  the  W.  is  the  village  of 
Ahercorn.  The  Church,  originally 
very  ancient,  retains  only  one  semi- 
circular chancel  arch  and  a  doorway, 
the  rest  being  hideously  modernised. 
Abercorn  in  the  7th  cent,  was  the 
seat  of  an  English  bishop  of  the  Picts. 
Still  farther  W.  is  Binns,  the  seat  of 
Sir  AV.  DalzeU,  Bart.] 

The  traveller  crosses  the  ferry 
(here  about  2  m.  wide)  to 

10^  m.  North  Queensferry,  passing 
on  right  the  fortified  rock  of  Inch- 
garvie.      It    has   been   j)roposed    to 


14:0         Route  15. — Edlnhurrjh  to  Stirling  by  Water.    Sect.  II. 


carry  a  long  high-level  railway -bridge 

across,  so  as  to  supersede  the  passage 
from  Grantoii  to  Burntisland,  but 
the  great  depth  of  the  channel  and 
the  enormous  expense  involved  have 
hitherto  prevented  it.  The  Fife 
shore  is  more  rocky  and  indented 
than  the  opposite  one — and  a  cove  to 
the  W.  of  North  Queensferry,  known 
as  St.  IMargaret's  Hope,  is  often  used 
as  a  harbour  of  refuge  in  easterly 
gales,  and  at  times  receives  the 
Channel  Fleet.  It  is  overlooked  by 
the  square  keep  of  Bosyth  Castle, 
which  stands  on  a  rock  just  off  shore. 

See  Scott's  "  Abbot." 

From  N.  Queensferry  {Ba,il.  in  pro- 
gress) the  road  winds  round  the  W. 
side  of  the  Ferry  Hills,  where  Crom- 
well and  Lambert  fought  and  gained 
the  battle  of  Inverkeithing  in  1651. 

The  Ely.  is  carried  along  the  S. 
side  of  the  Ferry  Hills. 

13  ni.  Inverkeithing  {Inn  :  Royal 
Hotel,  post-horses  and  cars),  an 
ancient  royal  and  parl}^  burgh, 
1755  inhab.,  on  a  hill  sloping  down 
to  a  small  bay,  in  which  some  ship- 
building is  carried  on.  It  was  the 
residence  of  David  I.,  seat  of  the 
Court  and  Parliament,  and  a  house 
is  still  pointed  out  in  which  Arabella 
Drummond,  Queen  of  Robert  III.,  is 
said  to  have  lived.  The  belfry  of  the 
Tower-house  is  Palladian. 

2  m.  farther  we  come  in  sight  of 
the  tower  of  Dunfermline  Abbey, 
rising  above  the  small  houses  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  town,  and  the  long 
chimneys  of  the  factories. 

Through  deep  cuttings  the  Ely. 
reaches 

17  m.  Dunfermline  Sta.  (Ete.  41). 


ROUTE   15. 
Edinburgh    to    Stirling,   by   the 
Forth,     Alloa,    and      Cambus- 
kenneth.. 

A   steamer    leaves    Granton    Pier 
daily,  according  to  the  tide.     In  fine 


weather  the  run  to  Stirling  is  charm- 
ing— occupying  from  4  to  5  hours, 
though  the  shallows  up  the  river 
occasionally  detain  the  boat  longer. 

By  PmH  (Ete.  18)  this  journey  is 
made  in  about  1^  hour.  On  leaving 
the  pier  the  tourist  has  on  left 
Lauriston  Castle,  once  the  residence 
of  John  Law,  the  Mississippi  finan- 
cier, and  right  the  watering-jjlace  of 
Burntisland,  and  Aherdour  (Earl  of 
Morton),  a  ruined  house  of  the  17th 
cent.,  beautifully  situated  in  a  wooded 
ravine  (Ete.  40). 

A  little  off  the  coast,  1  m.  to  row 
in  a  boat,  is  Incheolm,  alluded  to  by 
Eosse  in  his  account  of  the  victory 
over  Sweno,  King  of  Norway  : — 

"Nor  would  we  deign  him  burial  of  his 
men. 
Till  he  disbursed  at  St.  Colme's  Inch 
Ten  thousand  dollars  to  our  general  use." 
Macbeth,  Act  i.  sc.  2. 

Holinshed  says  of  this — "The 
Danes  that  escaped  and  got  over  to 
their  ships,  obteined  of  Makbeth  for 
a  great  summe  of  gold,  that  such  of 
their  friends  as  were  slaine  might  be 
buried  in  St.  Colme's  Inch.  In 
memorie  whereof,  many  old  sepul- 
tures are  yet  in  the  said  Inch,  there 
to  be  seen  graven  with  the  arms  of 
the  Danes."  Upon  the  island  are  the 
ruins  of  a  Monastery  founded  in 
1123  by  Alexander  I.,  who  had  been 
driven  on  the  island  by  stress  of 
weather,  and  fed  by  a  poor  hermit 
there,  whom  in  gratitude  he  made 
the  first  Prior.  In  the  time  of 
Edward  III.  it  had  become  so  wealthy 
as  to  excite  the  cupidity  of  the  Eng- 
lish fleet  lying  in  the  Firth.  It  was 
accordingly  plundered,  but  the  fleet 
was  soon  after  overtaken  by  a  storm, 
in  which  many  of  the  ships  foundered, 
and  the  rest  were  only  too  glad  to 
return  and  make  restitution.  The 
ruins  consist  of  a  small  church  and 
some  conventual  buildings,  an  octa- 
gon Chapter-house,  22  ft.  diameter, 
with  stone  roof  (date  1263).  W.  of 
the  church  is  a  very  ancient  Cell  or 
Oratory  of  rudest  masonry,    with  a 


■ct~ 


>■  I 


^> 


'^'riiL 


*     ^ 


/\\ 


^^    -> 


Firth  OF  For  L'H.     Route  15. — BarnhougU  ;  Broomliall        141 


slit  window  at  the  E.  and  a  rude 
attempt  at  a  stone  vault,  of  the  same 
primitive  style  as  those  on  the  W. 
coast  of  Ireland,  and  probably  as  old 
as  the  9th  cent, 

N.  A  little  nearer  are  seen  the 
ruined  Oh.  of  Dalgctty,  with  a  chapel 
at  the  W.  end,  in  which  Seton,  its 
founder,  lies  buried,  and  the  Castle 
of  i)onibristle,  once  the  residence  of 
the  Abbot  of  St.  Colm,  must  have 
been  humble  at  the  best,  where 
"  the  bonnie  Earl  of  ]\Ioi-ay "  was 
brutally  murdered  in  1592,  by  the 
Earl  of  Huntly,  on  pretence  of  exe- 
cuting a  commission  from  the  king, 
though  in  reality  from  private  spite. 

On  the  left  or  S.  side  are  seen 
Cramond  Island,  and  amongst  the 
woods  is  Dalmeny  Park,  the  seat  of 
the  Earl  of  Rosebery.  The  house  is 
not  visible  from  this  point.  On 
the  shore  are  the  ruins  of  Barn- 
hougU Castle,  an  old  house  of  the 
family  of  Moubray.  It  now  belongs 
to  Lord  Rosebery  (Rte.  14).  At 
7  m.  the  steamer  passes  through  the 
strait  known  as  Quecnsferry  (Rte. 
14),  from  a  tradition  that  Queen 
Margaret,  Avife  of  Malcolm  Canmore, 
Avas  wrecked  here.  The  tolls  of  this 
ferry  belonged  at  the  Reformation 
to  the  Abbey  of  Dunfermline.  In 
the  middle  of  the  passage  is  Inch- 
garvie,  used  at  one  time  as  a  state 
prison.  On  right  is  Rosyth  Castle, 
alluded  to  by  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  his 
novel  of  the  "Abbot."  It  was  for- 
merly a  castle  of  the  Stuart  family, 
and  has  over  the  gateway  the  initials 
M.R.,  1561.  On  left,  above  the 
shore,  may  be  seen  Dundas  Castle, 
succeeded  by  Hopetoun  House  (the 
Earl  of  Hopetoun)  (Rte.  14.)  Beyond 
this  is  Blackness  Castle,  for  a  long 
time  used  as  a  state  prison,  and  one 
of  4  fortresses  which  by  the  Articles 
of  the  Union  are  to  be  kept  fortified  ; 
now  a  powder  magazine. 

Opposite  to  Blackness,  and  near 
Rosyth,  is  the  pier  of  Limekilns, 
whence  an  omnibus  conveys  passen- 


gers to  Dunfermline,  which  is  3|  m. 
distant.  Adjoining  it  is  Broomliall 
(Earl  of  Elgin),  where  there  is  a  fine 
collection  of  pictures.  Amongst  them 
are  —  St.  Sebastian,  L.  da  Vinci, 
"  great  delicacy  and  decision  of 
form;"  portrait  of  a  female,  *S'.  cli 
Piomho  ;  Holy  Family,  A.  eld  Sarto : 
St.  Francis,  A.  Carracci ;  Count 
Olivarez,  Velasquez,  etc.  Here  is 
preserved  the  sword  of  Robert  Bruce ; 
his  helmet  also  is  shown,  and  the  bed 
in  which  Charles  I.  was  born  at  Dun- 
fermline. Close  beyond  is  Charles- 
ton, celebrated  for  its  limeworks  ; 
then  Crombie  Point  and  the  village 
of  Ton-yburn. 

15  m.  left  is  the  village  of  Bo'ness 
(shortened  from  Borrowstouness),  a 
seaport  on  the  Forth,  whence  iron 
and  coal  are  largely  exported.  Here 
also  are  iron  furnaces.  A  rly.  runs 
hence  to  Airdrie  and  Glasgow  (Rte. 
14).     Adjoining  the  town  is 

Left — Kinneil  House,  a  mansion  of 
the  Duke  of  Hamilton,  and  at  one 
time  the  residence  of  Dugald  Stewart. 
A  little  higher  up,  on  the  same  side, 
is  the  port  of  Crrangertiouth,  to  which 
the  Edinburgh  and  Glasgow  Railway 
Company  have  a  branch.  The  cele- 
brated Carron  Iromvorks  are  about 
2  m.  inland, 

Nearly  opposite  Bo'ness  are  the 
remains  of  Culross  Abbey  (pronounced 
Cooross),  founded  in  1217  by  Mal- 
colm, Earl  of  Fife,  for  Cistercian 
monks.  The  tower  remains,  and  the 
Gothic  choir  is  partly  used  as  a 
Parish  Ch.  In  the  N.  aisle  is  a 
marble  monument  to  Sir  Geo.  Bruce, 
with  efiigies  of  him,  his  lady,  and  7 
children.  Within  the  masonry  is 
inserted  the  heart  of  Edward,  2nd 
Ld.  Bruce  of  Kinloss,  killed  in  a 
duel  with  Sir  Edw.  Sackville  at 
Bergen -op -Zoom,  1614.  Culross 
(though  St.  Muugo,  the  Glasgow 
saint,  was  born  and  educated  here  in 
the  6th  centy.)  Avas  better  known 
in  Scotland  for  its  manufacture  of 
girdles  for  oat-cakes  than  for  its  eccles- 


142         Route  15. — Edinburgh  to  Stirling  by  Water.    Sect.  II. 


iastical  reputation.  This  peculi- 
arity is  alluded  to  in  the  "Heart  of 
Midlothian" — "The  hammermen  of 
Edinburgh  are  na'  that  bad  at  girdles 
for  carcakes  neither,  though  the 
Cu'ross  hammermen  have  the  gree 
for  that,"  On  a  terrace  above  the 
sea,  a  little  to  the  E.  of  the  town,  is 
the  fine  mansion  of  Culross  Abbey, 
originally  built  by  Sir  Wm.  Bruce 
of  Kinross,  the  renovator  of  Holyrood 
Palace,  afterwards  repaired  by  Sir 
Robt.  Preston  of  Valleyfield.  It  con- 
tains a  room  with  a  panelled  roof,  each 
panel  decorated  by  a  painting  of  one 
of  the  Virtues,  and  some  inscriptions 
in  Latin  and  English. 

Dunimarle  Castle  (Mrs.  Sharp 
Erskine)  is  modern,  and  beside  it  is 
an  Episcopal  Chapel. 

18  m.  Kincardine  Stat.  (Inns  : 
Commercial ;  Unicorn) ;  a  small  sea- 
port of  nearly  3000  inhab.,  remark- 
able for  nothing  but  being  a  very 
long  way  from  the  county  of  the 
same  name.     Some  shipbuilding. 

1  m.  to  the  N.  is  TtdliaUan  Castle, 
the  modern  seat  of  Lady  Osborne 
Elphinstone,  built  by  Adm.  Lord 
Keith,  1820,  in  a  beautiful  Park. 
There  are  some  remains  of  an  older 
castle  near  it. 

On  left  is  Airth  Castle  (W.  Graham, 
Esq. ),  with  a  strong  tower,  called 
Wallace's  Tower,  because  built  about 
the  time  of  the  battle  of  Falkirk. 
Airth,  which  is  finely  situated  on  a 
hill  overlooking  the  Firth,  is  a 
somewhat  modernised  castle.  The 
oldest  portion  consists  of  the  tower, 
which  has  the  distinctive  features  of 
a  covered  turret  and  a  battlemented 
bartizan,  and  which  dates  from  the 
16th  cent. 

Dunmore  House,  farther  on,  but 
nearer  the  shore,  is  the  seat  of  the 
Earl  of  Dunmore,  and  contains  a 
collection  of  pictures.  The  most  im- 
portant are  : — Portrait  of  Admiral 
-  Capello,  Tintoretto ;  Orpheus  and 
Eurydice    bitten   by    the   Asp,    N. 


Poussin ;  Charles  I,  and  Henrietta 
Maria,  D.  Mytens ;  Landscape,  Hol- 
bein ;  Soldiers  maltreating  Peasants, 
Rubens  ;  Altarpiece,  A.  Dilrer  ;  The 
Visitation,  L.  Caracci ;  Perseus  and 
Andromeda,  Vandyck ;  Martyrdom 
of  St.  Catherine,  F.  Vermxese ;  Pea- 
sants with  Garlands,   Velasquez. 

As  the  river  narrows,  the  beauty 
of  the  scenery  is  increased  by  the 
near  approach  of  the  Ochil  Hills, 
an  important  range  that  runs  from 
Stirling,  through  Kinrosshire,  into 
Fifeshire.  Their  average  height  is 
over  2000  ft.,  and  they  belong  to  the 
old  red  sandstone  formation. 

20  m.  Clackmannan  Stat.,  right — 
the  dull  town  of  Clackmannan,  the 
capital  of  the  little  county  of  the 
same  name,  stands  on  high  gi'ound 
at  some  distance  inland.  At  the  end 
of  the  street  is  a  strong  Tower,  79 
ft.  high,  said  to  have  been  built  by 
Robert  Brace,  and  now^  the  property 
of  the  Earl  of  Zetland.  It  is  not 
older  than  the  loth  centy.,  although 
there  may  have  been  a  predecessor 
to  it.  Not  far  from  Clackmannan  is 
Kennet,  a  beautifully  situated  man- 
sion overlooking  the  Forth,  in  a 
domain  which  has  belonged  to  a 
branch  of  the  family  of  Bruce  since 
the  days  of  King  Robert,  now  repre- 
sented by  Alex.  Hugh  Biuce,  Baron 
Burleigh. 

Alloa  Jiinct.  Stat.  {Inn  :  Crown) ; 
a  thriving  and  increasing  town  (Pop. 
7510),  with  a  small  harbour  and 
dock  on  the  N.  side  of  the  Forth. 
Abundance  of  coal  in  its  neighbour- 
hood renders  it  alive  with  numerous 
manufactories  of  woollen  tartans, 
notably  that  of  Paton  and  Co.,  Kiln- 
craigs,  while  it  is  particularly  distin- 
guished for  its  extensive  whisky 
distilleries  and  breweries  of  Ale^ 
iron  foundries,  and  copper  works. 

The  Episcopal  Church  of  St.  John, 
Broad-street,  was  built  by  the  Earl 
of  Kellie,  1869,  at  a  cost  of  £5000, 
and  is  a  commod 
a  peal  of  6  bells. 


Firth  OF  Forth.  Boiite  16. — Alloa;  Camhushenneth  Alley.  143 


The  Gothic  Parish  Church  was 
built  1819.  In  the  old  churchyard 
stands  the  Tower  of  an  older  ch. 
In  the  Glebe  Park,  near  the  Masonic 
Hall,  is  the  Museum  of  Nat.  Hist, 
and  Antiquities.  In  Bank-street  are 
the  Municipal  Buildings. 

Eleanor  Syme,  Lord  Brougham's 
mother,  was  born  here. 

Bookselle7\  Lothian,  Candle-street, 
publishes  a  useful  Guide  and  Direc- 
tory of  the  town  and  county. 

On  the  E.  side  of  the  town,  within 
the  Park,  not  far  from  the  mansion 
of  the  Earl  of  Kellie,  rises  the  Toicer 
of  Alloa,  89  ft.  high,  with  walls  11 
ft.  thick,  built  in  the  13th  centy., 
and  long  a  stronghold  of  the  Earls  of 
Mar.  It  formed  part  of  their  mansion, 
destroyed  by  fire  1800.  Queen  Mary 
spent  some  years  here  when  a  child, 
and  two  nights  with  Darnley  in 
1566.  James  I.,  when  a  boy,  was 
birched  by  George  Buchanan  within 
its  walls,  having  been  educated  here ; 
and  Prince  Henry,  the  king's  eldest 
son,  was  also  partly  brought  up  at 
this  place. 

Alloa  Park,  the  modern  mansion 
of  the  Earl  of  Kellie,  built  in  1838 
and  1868,  contains  family  portraits 
and  relics,  and  extensive  gardens 
have  been  laid  out. 

Raihvay  from  Alloa  to  Stirling 
(Rte.  41)  ;  to  Alva  : — to  Kmross,  by 
Dollar  and  Rumbling  Bridge. 

Railwaji  to  S.  Alloa — ^wlience  Steam 
Ferry  across  tlie  Forth  to  a  Branch 
Line  leads  into  the  Edinburgh  and 
Glasgow  Railway.  Steamer  leaves 
N.  side  every  hour,  and  S.  side  20 
min.  past  every  hour,  from  7  a.m. 
to  8  p.m.  (winter  till  6)  ;  fare,  3d. 
Castle  CamjJheU,  near  Dollar,  half-an- 
hour  by  rail  from  Alloa,  is  well  worth 
a  visit  (Rte.  41). 

The  river  now  winds  round  ' '  the 
Links  of  Forth,"  so  celebrated  for 
their  fertility  that  it  is  a  popular 
saying  in. the  district  that  "  a  loop  of 
the  Forth  is  worth  an  earldom  in  the 
Noi-th."  The  land  distance  from 
Alloa  to  Stirling  is  7  m.,  while  the 


numerous  and  tortuous  curves  pro- 
long the  navigation  to  nearly  20  m. 

Passing  2  small  islands,  known  as 
Alloa  and  Tullibody  Inches,  there  is 
seen  on  right  Tullibody  House  (Lord 
Abercromby),  the  family  seat  but  not 
birthplace  of  Sir  Ralph.  It  is  very 
plain,  and  somewhat  insignificant  for 
so  good  a  situation.  Beyond  it  is 
the  mouth  of  the  Devon,  foul  with 
mill-refuse,  whose  upper  course  is 
famous  for  its  romantic  scenery  (Rte. 
42).  On  the  S.  bank  is  Polmaise 
(Col.  Murray),  just  beyond  which 
the  celebrated  Bannock-burn  falls 
into  the  Forth.  The  turns  of  the  river 
now  become  more  abrupt  than  ever, 
and  the  steamer  is  compelled  to 
slacken  speed  to  get  round  them. 
On  right,  a  conspicuous  object  on 
the  plain  is  Camhuskcnneth  Abbey, 
founded  by  David  I.  in  1147,  and  at 
one  time  perhaps  the  richest  abbey 
in  Scotland.  It  consists  now  only 
of  a  very  noble  and  substantial  tower, 
a  gateway,  and  a  few  fragments  of 
walls.  The  staircase  is  sufficiently 
preserved  to  enable  the  visitor  to 
ascend  the  tower  ;  the  view  from 
which  is  very  fine,  embracing  the 
windings  of  the  Forth  for  many 
miles,  with  the  noble  rock  and  castle 
of  Stirling  close  by,  backed  up  by 
the  Grampian  mountains  and  the 
Ochil  Hills.  The  abbey  and  its 
estates  were  given  at  the  Reforma- 
tion to  the  Earl  of  Mar,  who  pulled 
the  greater  part  of  the  building 
down  to  erect  his  house  at  Stirling. 
The  unfortunate  James  III.  (d.  1488) 
and  his  Queen  Margaret  of  Denmark 
were  buried  at  Cambuskenneth,  their 
remains  having  been  discovered  in 
1864,  and  a  monument  has  been  put 
up  to  their  memory  by  Her  Majesty 
the  Queen,  as  a  "restoration  of  the 
tomb  of  her  ancestors."  On  right  is 
the  Abbey  Craig,  spoiled  by  a  strange 
modern  monument  to  the  memory  of 
Wallace.  The  steamer  now  shortly 
reaches 

Stikling  (Rte.  21). 


144 


Route  16. — Edinburgh  to  Glasgow.  Sect.  II. 


ROUTE   16. 
Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  by  Lin- 
lithgow and  Falkirk  (Hail). 

47 J  m.     14  trains  daily. 

Leaving  Edinburgh  b}'  tlie  Waver- 
ley  Bridge  Stat.,  the  train  glides  be- 
neath the  frowning  rock  of  the  castle, 
and  through  Princes-st.  Gardens.  A 
view  is  obtained  of  Donaldson's  Hos- 
pital on  the  right,  and,  as  the  en- 
virons of  the  city  are  left  behind,  of 
the  wooded  slope  of  the  Corstorphine 
Hills,  dotted  here  and  there  with 
suburban  villas.  The  large  building 
on  the  face  of  the  hill  is  a  Convales- 
cent Hospital  in  connection  with  the 
Royal  Infirmary.  Ou  the  left,  about 
3  m.  distant,  are  the  brown  ranges  of 
the  Pentland  Hills. 

Passing  left  Saughton"  Hall,  the 
property  of  Sir  James  Gardiner  Baird, 
Bart.,  but  used  as  an  asylum  for  the 
insane,  the  traveller  reaches 

3^  m.  Corstorpliinc  Stat.  The  vil- 
lage, some  little  distance  to  the  N,, 
is  charmingly  placed  on  the  slopes 
of  the  hill,  from  whence  some  of  the 
finest  views  of  the  city  are  obtained. 
The  Church  is  an  interesting  speci- 
men of  Dec.  style,  built  in  the  form 
of  a  cross,  although  it  is  apparently 
of  an  irregular  design.  At  the  W. 
stands  a  belfry -tower,  with  a  foreign - 
looking  octagonal  spire.  In  the 
interior  are  seme  monuments  of  the 
Forrester  family,  who  founded  this 
as  a  collegiate  ch.  in  1429,  now  repre- 
sented by  Lord  Verulam.  The  figures 
in  the  niche  in  tlie  chancel  are  sup- 
posed to  represent  Sir  John  Forrester 
and  his  wife. 

In  the  neighbom'hood  of  Gogar,  54 
m. ,  are  Kellerstain  ( W.  Logan  White, 
'Esq.),  Gogar  House,  and  several 
other  residences. 

8^  m.  Ratho  Junct.  Stat,  with 
the  Bathgate  Ely.  (Rte.  17).  [An- 
other branch  of  15  m.  is  given  off  to 
Kirkliston,  Dalmeny,  and  South 
Queensferry  (Rte.  14).  The  pedes- 
trian may  follow   a   road  on   right 


leading  through  a  wood,  and  past 
the  old  Peelhouse  of  Hallyards, 
to  the  Almond  Water,  across  which 
there  are  stepping-stones,  to  Kirk- 
liston, 1|  m.  Here  is  a  fine  Ro- 
manesque Ch.,  much  disfigured  by 
modern  alterations  and  additions. 
The  former  entrance  was  beneath  a 
handsome  circular  arch,  now  blocked 
up.  Field-Marshal  the  Earl  of  Stair, 
who  lived  at  Newliston  in  the  last 
centy.,  lies  buried  here,  and  the  ch. 
contains  monuments  to  him  and  the 
family.  From  Kirkliston,  where  is 
Stewart's  large  distillery,  it  is  nearly 
3  m.  to  Queensferry  and  2  to  Dal- 
meny (Ete.  18),  passing  Carlowrie 
(R.  Hutchison,  Esq.),  famous  for  its 
large  collection  of  well-grown  Coni- 
fers. Near  this  the  antiquary  will 
find  an  inscribed  stone  called  the 
Catstane']. 

Beyond  Eatho,  by  a  grand  Viaduct 
of  36  arches,  the  line  crosses  the 
Almond  Water  that  separates  Lin- 
lithgowshire or  West  Lothian  from 
Edinburghshire  or  Midlothian.  On 
the  right  is  Neidiston  (T.  A.  Hog, 
Esq.),  the  former  residence  of  the 
Earl  of  Stair,  who  had  a  hobby  for 
arboriculture,  and  was  said  to  have 
arranged  his  trees  to  represent  the 
gi'ouping  of  regiments  in  certain 
battles. 

The  rly.  now  passes  through  a  cut- 
ting in  the  rocks,  a  gap  in  which  (rt.) 
affords  a  glimpse  of  the  ruined  castle 
oi  Niddry,  where  Queen  Mary  passed 
her  first  night  after  her  escape  from 
Lochleven.  It  then  belonged  to  Lord 
Seton. 

12  m.  at  Winchburgh  Stat,  the 
Union  Canal  appears,  and  runs 
parallel  with  the  line.  On  the  right 
are  Hopetoun  House  (Earl  of  Hope- 
toun),  Ete.  14,  the  village  of  Aber- 
corn,  and  Binns  (Sir  W.  Dalzell, 
Bart.),  (Ete.  18),  together  with  an 
obelisk  on  Bonnington  Hill  in 
memory  of  General  Hope,-  who  fell 
in  the  Indian  mutiny.  (5n  the  left  is 
Qhampfleurie  Park  (E.  H.  Johnstone 
Stewart,  Esq.) 


C.  Scotland.     Route  16. — Linlithgow ;  Church. 


145 


18  m.  Linlithgoio  Stat.  {Inn:  Star 
and  Garter,  close  to  stat.  Pop.  de- 
creasing, 3690).  Linlithgow  or  Litli- 
gow,  "the  lake  of  tiie  winding 
stream,"  long  a  royal  residence 
and  place  of  importance,  was  made 
a  royal  burgh  by  David  I.  The  town 
is  old  and  irregular,  with  high-roofed 
houses,  occasionally  adorned  with 
traces  of  sculpture.  Its  lake  is  a 
great  ornament.  No  town  in  Scot- 
land has  so  many  fountains,  and 
the  local  rhyme  speaks  of  "  Litli- 
gow  for  \s-ells,  Glasgow  for  bells, 
Peebles  for  clashes  and  lees,  and 
Falkirk  for  beans  and  pease. "  The 
fountain  of  St.  Michael,  with  the 
figure  of  the  archangel  upon  it,  and 
the  inscription,  "  St.  Michael  is 
kinde  to  strangers,"  is  passed  (1.)  on 
the  way  from  the  stat.  to  the 
castle,  10  min.  walk  :  farther  on 
is  the  Cross  Well,  the  facsimile  of  an 
older  one,  restored  1807.  Passing 
up  the  hill  between  this  well  and 
the  Town-house  j'ou  reach  the  Pre- 
cincts of  the  Palace  and  Church. 

They  are  entered  by  a  fine  castel- 
lated Gatevxiy,  built  by  James  IV. 
It  is  flanked  by  octagonal  towers, 
and  over  tlie  entrance  are  the  coats  of 
arms  of  the  4  orders  of  knighthood 
conferred  upon  that  king  by  differ- 
ent sovereigns.  They  consist  of — 
1st,  3  lions  (St.  George  of  England) ; 
2nd,  1  lion  (St.  Andrew  of  Scotland) ; 
3rd,  lions  and  castle  (St.  Philip  of 
Leon  and  Castile) ;  4th,  Fleur  de  Lis 
(of  France), 

The  Church,  founded  by  David  I., 
and  dedicated  to  the  Archangel 
jMichael,  whose  image  may  be  seen 
at  the  S.W.  angle,  is  perhaps  the 
largest  and  best  preserved  Gothic 
parish  ch.  in  Scotlaud.  It  owed  much 
of  its  grandeur  to  Crichton,  Bp.  of 
Dunkeld.  It  has  a  handsome  turreted 
Tower  at  the  W.  end,  beneath  which 
is  a  fine  doorway,  and  there  is  a  2nd 
door  on  tlie  S.  side  under  a  very  ele- 
gantly arched  Porch,  having  a  watch- 
room  above  it.  The  tracery  of  the 
[Scotland.'] 


windows  is  very  varied  and  elegant, 
especially  that  of  the  S.  transept  (St. 
Catherine's  Chapel).  The  interior 
consists  of  8  bays,  with  pointed 
arches,  resting  on  piers  furnished 
with  shields  of  arms.  It  is  hideously 
white-washed,  and  is  divided  by  an 
ugly  partition  wall,  only  the  chancel 
being  used  for  service.  It  ends  in  a 
3-sided  apse  of  tall  windows.  The 
nave  is  stately  and  unusually  wide. 
Notice  the  restored  Flamboyant  win- 
dow in  the  S.  transept,  called  St. 
Catherine's  Chapel.  It  was  in  this 
chapel  that  an  apjiarition  warned 
James  IV.  not  to  2:)rosecute  the  war 
against  England.  The  pointed  roof, 
the  clerestory  of  round  arches  (date 
1424),  enclosing  double  pointed  ones, 
the  carved  shields  attached  to  the 
piers  and  the  bosses  of  the  vault,  and 
the  W.  doorway,  deserve  attention. 
In  the  vestiy  is  a  well  sculptured 
stone  altarpiece  representing  the 
Passion  and  Betrayal  of  our  Saviour. 

Edward  I.  halted  at  Linlithgow 
the  night  before  the  battle  of  Fal- 
kirk, in  1298  ;  and  while  he  was 
sleeping  on  the  ground  by  the  side 
of  his  charger,  the  horse  put  his  foot 
iipon  the  king  and  broke  two  of  his 
ribs.  Three  years  afterwards  Edward 
wintered  here,  and  built  a  fort,  on 
the  site  of  which  arose  one  of 
the  favoiu'ite  palaces  of  the  later 
Stuarts.  Though  much  altered  in 
appearance  by  additions,  it  has  in  a 
great  measm^e  retained  its  original 
character,  and  is  a  good  specimen  of 
a  fortified  palace. 

Although  the  Palace  is  generally 
said  to  have  groAvn  out  of  the  fort 
built  by  Edward  I. ,  there  seems  no 
doubt  that  there  was  a  royal  castle 
here  in  the  time  of  David  I. 

The  fort  of  Edward  I.  was  taken 
in  1307,  and  demolished. 

The    situation    of    the    palace    is 
pleasant ;  it  stands  on  a  promontory 
of  some  elevation,   which  advances 
almost  into  the  midst  of  the  lake. 
n 


146 


Route  16. — LinUihgoio  Palace. 


Sect.  IL 


"  Of  all  the  palaces  so  fail-, 

Built  for  the  royal  dwelling 
In  Scotland,  far  beyond  compare, 
Liulitligow  is  excelling."— 5co«. 

A  low  portal  flanked  -o-ith  turrets, 
stone  vaulted  and  ribbed  across,  leads 
into  the  Courtyard. 

The  tirst  appearance  of  the  interior 
of  the  quadrangle  reminds  those  who 
have  seen  the  ruins  of  Heidelberg  of 
that  castellated  palace,  which  was  in 
part  built  under  the  eye  of  one  who 
had  spent  much  of  her  earlier  life 
in  Linlithgow — Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  James  VI.,  and  Electress  Pala- 
tine. 

This  quadrangle  is  furnished  with 
a  round  tower  in  each  corner,  and  a 
fifth  in  the  N.  front  opposite,  each 
containing  a  corkscrew  stair.  The 
E.  and  W.  sides  are  the  oldest  parts, 
and  were  built  after  the  destruction 
of  the  place  by  fire  in  1424. 

On  the  E.  side  was  the  original 
entrance,  approached  from  with- 
out by  a  drawbridge  (now  re- 
moved) over  the  deep  moat,  which 
is  still  flanked  below  by  the  drums 
of  3  towers,  said  to  be  part  of  King 
Edward  I.'s  Fort.  This  gateway,  on 
the  side  towards  the  courtyard,  is 
faced  with  some  rich  niches  and 
Gothic  work  of  a  later  date.  Beneath 
it  yawns  a  deep  dungeon.  On  the 
first  floor  is  the  great  hall,  94  ft. 
long,  lighted  by  5  windows  on  each 
side,  Avhile  one  end  is  entirely  occu- 
pied by  a  fireplace  and  ornamented 
mantelpiece  :  at  the  other  end  it 
communicates  with  the  kitchen,  fur- 
nished with  a  fireplace  nearly  as  wide. 
The  hall  communicated  with  the 
Cliapel  in  the  S.  wing,  lighted  by  6 
lancet  windoAvs.  The  lloyal  Pew 
opened  from  a  gallery  a^Dove. 

On  the  W.  side  of  the  quadrangle 
were  the  private  apartments,  fitted  u]> 
most  probably,  if  not  built,  by  James 
IV.,  the  bower  of  whose  qweeii,  Mar- 
garet, is  at  the  top  of  the  tower  stair- 
case. This  room  has  a  groined  roof, 
and  a  slab  commemorates  its  former 
occupant,  in  Sir  W.  Scott's  lines  : — 


"  His  own  Queen  Margaret,  who  in 
Lithgow's  bower 
All  lonely  sat,  and  wept  the  weary 
hour." 

Here  is  the  gloomy  chamber  where 
Queen  Mary  was  born,  1542.  Her 
father,  James  V.,  was  lying  in  a  dis- 
tant palace  at  the  same  time,  only 
30  years  of  age,  but  dying  of  a  broken 
heart,  after  the  disaster  of  Solway 
Moss  and  the  dissensions  which  had 
led  to  it.  When  the  news  was 
brought  him  that  the  queen  had  been 
delivered  of  a  girl,  remembering  that 
the  Stuarts  had  gained  the  throne 
by  marriage,  he  said,  "Well,  then, 
God's  will  be  done  !  it  came  with  a 
lass,  and  it  will  go  with  a  lass," 
and  died  soon  after.  Communi- 
cating with  these  rooms  is  a 
small  private  chapel  and  oriel  win- 
dow looking  down  upon  the  lake. 
Galleries  run  round  2  sides  of  the 
building,  partly  formed  in  the  thick- 
ness of  the  walls,  for  the  passage  of 
servants  and  retainers.  At  the  W. 
end  is  the  antechapel,  and  at  the  E. 
is  the  robing-room  for  the  priests. 
A  gallery  runs  round  the  top.  The 
lower  storey  was  devoted  entirely  to 
ofiices  and  stabling.  The  ruined 
Fountain  in  the  centre  of  the  quad- 
rangle is  richly  and  boldly  sculptured. 
The  palace  continued  in  a  perfect 
state  tmtil  1746,  when  it  was  occu- 
pied by  General  Hawley's  dragoons 
the  night  of  the  battle  of  Falkirk  (in 
which  they  were  routed  by  Prince 
Charles  Stuart),  and  was  burnt  by 
them. 

In  the  town  of  Linlithgow  the 
Eegent  Moray  was  shot,  in  1570, 
by  James  Hamilton  of  Bothwell- 
haugh,  from  a  house  belonging  to 
the  Archbishop  of  St.  Andrews,  who, 
suspected  of  having  been  accessory 
to  the  crime,  was  put  to  death  in 
consequence.  The  house  has  been 
pulled  down.  Bothwellhaugh's  wife 
had  become  mad,  in  consequence  of 
being  ejected  from  her  house  by 
Patrick  Home,  an  adherent  of  the 
Regent,  on  whom  the  forfeited  pro- 


c. 


Route  16.— Falkirk;  Trysts. 


147 


perty  had  been  bestowed.  Bothwell- 
haiigh.  vowed  vengeance  for  the  in- 
jury, and  choosing  an  opportunity 
when  tiie  Regent  was  passing  slowlj'' 
in  procession  through  the  streets, 
fired  on  him  from  a  balcony,  at 
a  distance  of  only  8  yards,  with 
so  sure  an  aim  that  the  bullet 
passed  through  his  stomach.  His 
followers  tried  to  burst  into  the 
house,  but  the  doors  were  strongly 
barricaded,  and  the  assassin  slipped 
out  in  the  rear,  where  a  fleet  horse, 
ready  saddled,  soon  carried  him  out 
of  reach.  Avontoun  House  is  the 
residence  of  W.  Blair,  Esq.,  and 
Muiravonside  of  A.  Stirling,  Esq. 

Linlithgow  produces  shoes  and 
whisky,  but  is  not  a  flourishing 
town. 

Distances.  —  Edinburgh,  18  m.  ; 
Glasgow,  29  i;  Stirling,  18;  Falkirk, 
9  ;  Bo'ness,  3. 

About  3  m.  W.  of  the  town  the 
Avon  is  crossed  at  Linlitligow  Bridge, 
in  1526  the  scene  of  a  battle  between 
the  Earls  of  Angus  and  Lennox. 
There  are  also  near  here  the  scanty 
ruins  of  the  Priory  of  Emmanuel, 
founded  by  Malcolm  in  1156. 

Crossing  the  Avon  and  the  rly.  to 
Bo'ness,  by  a  viaduct,  the  train 
arrives  at 

22]  m.  Pohnont  Junct.  Stat.  Here 
a  line  branches  to  join  the  Caledonian 
Rly.  at  Larhert  Stat.,  being  the  direct 
route  from  Edinburgh  to  Stirling. 
(Rte.  21.)     A  Tunnel. 

25J  m.  Falkirk  Stat.  The  pari, 
borough  of  Falkirk  lies  on  the  right. 
{Inns:  Red  Lion,  Crown.)  Pop.  9547. 
it  is  a  busy  town,  consisting  chiefly  of 
one  long  street,  and  has  of  late  years 
acquired  importance  from  its  situa- 
tion on  the  coalfield,  as  testified  by 
the  number  of  blazing  ironworks  and 
collieries.  In  the  town  is  a  very 
handsome  spire,  130  ft.  high.  His- 
tory gives  account  of  two  battles  of 


Falkirk :  1.  Fought  on  the  22nd  of 
July  1298,  between  Edward  L  and 
Wallace,  in  which  the  latter  was 
defeated ;  a  spot  called  Wallace's 
Stone,  on  a  hill,  3  m.  E.  of  the  town, 
is  supposed  to  mark  the  scene.  2. 
The  battle  of  Falkirk  Muir,  between 
Prince  Charles  Stuart  and  General 
Hawley,  on  the  17th  January  1746, 
in  which  Charles  was  victorious. 

In  the  ch.-yd.  lie  Sir  John  Graham 
and  Sir  John  Stewart,  killed  in  the 
first  battle  on  the  side  of  the  Scotch, 
—  and  Sir  Robert  Munro,  and  his 
brother  Dr.  Munro,  killed  in  the 
second  on  the  side  of  the  English. 
Falkirk  is  chiefly  celebrated  for  its 
^^  Trysts''  or  fairs  for  cattle,  sheep, 
and  horses  ;  of  these  there  are  three, 
held  in  August,  September,  and 
October,  on  Stenhouse  Moor,  about  3 
m.  N.W.  of  the  town.  About 
300,000  head  of  cattle  are  sold  on 
these  occasions,  and  are  brought 
great  distances — ponies  from  Shet- 
land, sheep  from  Ross  and  Suther- 
land shires,  and  horned  cattle  from 
the  western  islands. 

Falkirk,  lying  between  the  Edin- 
burgh and  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh 
and  Stirling  Railways,  has  a  station 
uj)on  both  lines. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  town 
are  Westquarter  House  (T.  L.  F.  Liv- 
ingstone, Esq.),  and  Callendai'  (W. 
Forbes,  Esq.),  formerly  a  seat  of  the 
Earls  of  Callendar,  whose  title  Avas 
forfeited  in  1716,  and  the  grounds  of 
which  contain  portions  of  the  Roman 
wall  of  Antoninus.  2  m.  to  the  IST. 
on  the  Carron  Water,  are  the  blazing 
furnaces  of  the  Carron  Ironworks, 
among  the  oldest  in  Scotland. 

From  this  place  is  derived  the 
name  of  a  now  old-fashioned  piece  of 
ordnance,  "  the  Carronade,"  first 
made  here. 

On  the  Carron,  not  far  from  Fal- 
kirk, stood  ^^ Arthur's  Oven  or  Oon,''  a 
mysterious  building,  forming  a  dome 
21  ft.  high,  of  regular  masonry,  sup- 
posed to  -have  been  Roman,  perhaps 
a  tomb.     It  was  ^Dulled  down  about 


148 


Ftoute  16. — EcUnhurgh  to  Glasgoic. 


Sect.  II. 


1750  by  a  stupid  laird  to  build  a 
milldam ! 

On  quitting  Falkirk  most  pleasing 
views  are  obtained  N.  in  clear  wea- 
ther over  the  Ochil  Hills,  the  rich 
vale  of  the  Forth,  with  Ben  Ledi 
and  Ben  VoMich  behind. 

28|  m.  Bonnyhridge  Junct.  Stat. 
Between  Falkirk  and  Castlecary  is 
Greenhill  Junct.  Stat.  (Caledon. 
Ely.),  leading  from  Carlisle  (Car- 
stairs  Junct.,  Rte.  5)  to  Stirling, 
Perth,  and  Dundee  (Scottish  Cen- 
tral). 

The  line  of  the  rly.  here  becomes 
identical  with  that  part  of  the  Roman 
Wall  of  Antoninus,  commonly  known 
in  Scotland  as  G-rimcs,  or  Gh-ahaitts 
Dyke.  This  Wall  was  built  during 
the  Roman  occupation  by  Lollius 
Urbicus,  with  the  intention  of  shut- 
ting off  the  Lowlands  from  the  wild 
tribes  to  the  north,  and  extended 
from  the  Forth  at  Kinneil  to  the 
Clyde  at  Kilpatrick,  near  Dumbarton 
(Rte,  23),  a  distance  of  27  m.,  in 
which  it  was  guarded  and  strength- 
ened by  10  forts.  We  know  the 
names  of  three  of  the  legions  em- 
ployed on  the  work — II.  "Augusta  ;" 
VI.  "Victrix;"  and  XX.  "  Yalens, 
Victrix."  An  inscribed  stone,  now 
in  Glasgow  College,  preserves  the 
name  of  Lollius  Urbicus. 

Cross  the  vale  of  the  Red  Burn  on 
a  Viaduct. 

31 1  m.  at  Casthcary  Stat,  named 
from  one  of  the  forts  on  the  line  of 
the  wall  of  Antoninus,  the  line 
leaves  Stirlingshire  and  enters  the 
county  of  Dumbarton,  obtaining  on 
the  right  very  pleasant  views  of  the 
Kilsyth  Hills,  the  highest  point  of 
which  is  Tourtain,  1484  ft. 

35|  m.  Croy  Stat. 

[To  the  right  2  m.  is  the  town  of 
Kilsyth  (pop.  6000).  The  old  Castle 
stood  upon  the  line  of  the  Roman 
road,  and  was  probably  at  one  time 
one  of  its  protecting  forts.     Its  tower 


is  still  inhabited.  Kilsyth  was  the 
scene  of  a  battle  in  1645,  when  Mon- 
trose gained  a  mcst  complete  victory 
over  the  Covenanters,  putting  6000 
of  them  to  the  sword.  Colzium,  a 
little  to  the  W.  of  the  battle-field,  is 
a  seat  of  the  Edmonstones.] 

Rt. — The  long  Gothic  edifice,  with 
chapel  and,  spire,  erected  1874,  is  a 
Convalescent  Hosintal  for  Glasgow. 
Coal-pits  occur  right  and  left  of  the 
line,  near 

41  m.  Lenzie  Junct.  Stat.,  a  vil- 
lage composed  in  part  of  neat  small 
villas.  [Hence  a  branch  of  5i  m. 
leads  to  Lennoxtown,  passing  2  m. 
Kirkintilloch,  an  ancient  little  town 
on  the  banks  of  the  Luggie,  near  its 
confluence  with  the  Kelvin,  possess- 
ing traces  of  a  Roman  fort  in  the 
shape  of  a  mound  and  ditch.  There 
is  a  beautiful  view  from  it  of  the 
Campsie  Fells,  a  eliarming  and  pic- 
turesque range  of  hills  that  forms  the 
northern  background  of  Glasgow,  and 
constitutes  one  of  its  chief  places  of 
holiday  resort.  3^  m.  right  at  Mil- 
town,  where  the  Glazert  is  crossed, 
are  the  large  printworks  of  Kincaid. 
5i  m,  Lennoxtown  is  a  considerable 
village,  dependent  on  various  print, 
bleaching,  and  alum  works.  Some 
little  distance  to  the  E.,  at  the  foot 
of  Lairs  Hill,  and  near  Glorat  (Sir 
Chas.  E.  F.  Stirling,  Bart.),  are  the 
remains  of  two  circular  forts,  which 
might  have  been  outposts  of  the 
Roman  wall.  Lennox  Castle  is  the 
beautiful  seat  of  the  Hon.  C.  Han- 
bury-Kincaid-Lennox,  and  was  built 
from  designs  by  Hamilton  of  Glas- 
gow. From  Lennoxtown,  where  the 
rly.  ceases,  a  walk  of  a  mile  will 
bring  the  visitor  to  Camjme,  a  plea- 
sant little  village  at  the  entrance  of 
the  Camp.sie  Glen,  a  charming  and 
beautiful  bit  of  scenery.  The  Kirk 
Burn,  a  tributary  of  the  Glazert, 
rushes  down  through  the  defile, 
forming  at  Craigie  Linn  a  waterfall 
about  50  ft.  high.  There  is  another 
equally  pretty  bit  a  little  to  the  W. 


C.  Scotland.     Route  16. — Coiclairs — Glasrjoiv. 


149 


at  the  Fin  Glen.  The  Camjjsie  Fells, 
which  give  so  much  variety  to  the 
scenery  around  Glasgow,  consist  of 
igneous  rocks,  "along  the  S.  flank 
of  which  the  successive  sheets  of 
ancient  lava  may  be  traced  by  the 
eye  from  a  distance  of  several  miles, 
rising  above  each  other  in  bends  of 
dark  rock  and  grassy  slope." — 
Geikie.  The  rly.  is  continued 
through  the  heart  of  the  Campsie 
Hills  to  Strathblane  and  the  little 
town  of  Killearn,  which  is  only  2^ 
m.  from  Drymen  Stat,  on  the  Fortli 
and  Clyde  Junct.  Ely.  (Rte.  22). 
At  Killearn  was  born  Geo.  Buchanan, 
the  historian  ;  died  1582,  and  buried 
in  the  Grey  friars  Ch.,  Edinburgh.] 
Between  Lenzie  Junct.  and 

44  m.  Bishopbriggs  Stat,  the  peak 
of  Benlomond  is  visible  on  riffht. 


Cowlairs  Junct.  Stat.  (rt.  Eaily.  to 
Helensburgh,  Rte.  19)  is  a  sulaurb 
of  Glasgow,  which  got  its  name  in 
the  days  cattle  were  driven  by  the 
road,  and  rested  here  for  the  market. 
Here  the  workshops  of  the  X.B.  Rly. 
Company  are  placed.  Thence  down 
a  steep  incline,  and  through  a  long 
triple  tunnel,  by  means  of  a  wire 
rope  attached  to  the  train,  to 

47^  m.  Glasgow  Terminus,  near 
George  Square. 

Glasgow. — Hotels:  considering  its 
large  population,  and  the  immense 
number  of  visitors,  either  on  business 
or  pleasure,  it  cannot  boast  of  very 
excellent  hotel  accommodation.  The 
best  are — the  Queen's,  Eoyal,  N'orth 
British,  George,  Clarence,  and  Cale- 
donian, all  in  George-square,  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  Post- 
office  and  the  Edinburgh  rly.  stats. ; 
M 'Lean's,  St.  Yincent-st.  (good  and 
quiet  family  hotel,  but  expensive)  ; 
Macrae's,  Bath-street  (good)  ;  AVaver- 
ley  Temperance  H.,  Buchanan-street 
(moderate). 

Episcopal   Churches. — In   connec- 


tion with  the  Ch.  of  England — 
St.  Jude's,  Blythswood-square,  and 
St.  Silas's,  West-end  Park.  Scotch 
Episcopal  Ch. — St.  Andrew's,  \Yillow 
Acre,  Green  ;  Christ  Ch.,  Mile -end  ; 
St.  John's,  Dumbarton  Rd.,  Ander- 
ston ;  St.  IMary's,  Holyrood  Cres- 
cent ;  St.  Ninian's,  South-side  ;  St. 
Paul's,  Buccleuch-st. 

Clubs.  — Western,  Buchanan  -  st. 
Strangers  may  be  introduced  by  a 
member ;  New  Club  ;  Junior  Club. 

The  Post-office  is  on  the  S.  side  of 
George-square. 

Luncheon  Rooms.  — Lang,73  Queen- 
street,  near  the  Exchange,  an  ad- 
mirably managed  establisliment. 
Everything  good  of  its  kind,  and 
clean.  You  may  have  your  choice  of 
100  kinds  of  sandwiches,  all  fresh 
cut.— Moderate  charges.  Everything 
tasty  and  appetising  for  lunch — from 
grouse  sandwiches  to  toasted  cheese, 
mutton  pies  to  strawberries  and 
cream,  and  excellent  coffee — is  laid 
out  for  the  hungry  guest,  who  may 
draw  his  own  bitter  beer  or  glass  of 
sherry,  or  sip  his  coffee  at  discretion. 
Scott,  also  in  Queen-st.,  Duncan, 
and  Ferguson  and  Forrester,  both 
in  Buchanan-st.,  are  recommended. 
Stark,  41  Queen-st.,  is  a  good  eating- 
house. 

Confectioner.  — Forrester,  Gord ou- 
st, famous  for  cakes. 

Photograjplur.  —  Thos.  Annan,  77 
Sauchiehall-st.,  made  the  very  best 
likeness  of  Dr.  Livingstone. 


Guide  Books,  Majys,  and  Photo- 
grainhic  Views. — Thos.  IMurray  and 
Son,  Buchanan  Street,  who  publish 
the  best  Railway  Time -Tables  for 
Scotland. 

Piailway  Termini. — A.  The  Xorth 
British  Rly.  Stat,  (for  Edinburgh 
and   the   jSTorth,    Helensburgh    and 


150 


Bouie  16. — Glasgou 


Sect.  IT. 


Loch  Lomond,  Stirling,  Perth,  Dun- 
dee, Aberdeen),  at  the  N.W.  corner 
of  George-square. 

B.  The  Caledonian  Ely.  Stat,  (for 
Carlisle  and  London,  Lanark,  Edin- 
burgh, Stirling,  and  the  North)  is 
situated  at  the  head  of  Buchanan 
Street. 

A  New  Central  Stat,  in  Gordon  St. 
is  projected. 

C.  The  Glasgow  and  South- 
Western  (for  Paisley,  Greenock,  Ayr, 
Dumfries,  and  Carlisle)  on  S.  side 
of  Clyde,  in  Bridge  Street,  near 
Glasgow  13ridge. 

D.  The  Hamilton  Ely.  Stat,  (also 
Caledonian)  a  little  to  the  S.  of  C, 
and  over  Stockwell  Bridge. 

E.  North  British  Ely.,  Airdrie 
Branch,  Old  College  Stat.,  High  St. 

F.  The  Dunlop-st.  Stat.,  near 
Arg}dl-st.  (Glasgow  Union  Ely. ),  con- 
veying passengers  across  the  Clyde 
to  Bridge-st.,  Greenock,  direct  by 
Paisley,  and  to  Ayrshire. 

Glasgoiv,tlie  commercial  metropolis 
of  Scotland,  and  the  most  important 
seaport,  stands  on  the  river  Clyde, 
60  m.  from  the  sea.  (Pop.,  1871, 
477,144,  say  500,000.)  It  rivals 
Liverpool  in  its  shipping,  Manchester 
in  its  cotton-spinning,  Newcastle  in 
its  coal,  the  Thames  and  the  Tyne  in 
its  iron  sliipbuilding,  and  Merthyr 
and  "Wolverhampton  are  equalled  by 
its  iron  furnaces,  while  the  industry 
and  perseverance  of  its  inhabitants 
has  converted  the  shallow  Clyde  into 
a  broad  and  deep  dock  for  a  navy  of 
merchant  ships  of  1000  and  1500 
tons,  lined  with  8  miles  of  Quay, 
created  at  a  total  cost  of  51  millions 
sterling.  In  addition  to  all  this  it 
was  the  cradle  of  the  steam-engine, 
James  "Watt's  invention  having  been 
perfected  here. 

Although,  after  the  romantic  posi- 
tion of  Edinburgh,  that  of  Glasgow 
must  seem  flat  and  monotonous,  it  is 
in  reality  very  advantageously,  and, 
to  a  certain  extent,  picturesquely 
situated  on  either  bank  of  the  Clyde; 


the  southern  suburbs  known  as  Gor- 
bals.  Hutch eson|;own  and  Tradeston, 
bearing  the  same  relation  to  the  city 
as  Southwark  does  to  London.  The 
northern  portion,  which  is  laid  out 
in  long  and  regular  streets  crossing 
at  right  angles,  rises  up  a  considerable 
slope,  while,  stretching  away  to  the 
"W.,  at  a  few  miles'  distance,  are  ranges 
of  hills,  forming  a  good  background. 
It  suflters  from  the  misfortune  of  an 
atmosphere  almost  always,  even  in 
summer,  tainted  Avith  dense  smoke, 
and  a  very  rainy  climate,to  compensate 
which  it  enjoys  a  supply  of  the  purest 
water  in  Europe,  brought  direct  from 
Loch  Katrine,  1859.  {See  Introd.  to 
Sect.  II.) 

Argyll-street,  which  is  nearly  3  m. 
long,  including  its  continuations  the 
Trongate  and  Gallowgate,  is  the  main 
thoroughfare,  and  is  in  general,  espe- 
cially after  working  hours,  densely 
crowded.  Buchanan-street  is  better 
built,  and  from  its  being  the  locality 
of  the  gayest  shops,  is  the  great  centre 
of  attraction.  George-st.  is  another 
avenue  extending  the  whole  length 
of  the  city,  and  passing  through 

George-square,  which  is  generally 
the  stranger's  first  point,  because  it 
is  central,  and  close  to  the  two  great 
railway  stations.  It  contains  the 
Post-office  on  its  S.  side,  and  several 
hotels.  It  has  little  claim  to  atten- 
tion for  either  its  architecture  or 
sculpture,  although  it  encloses  nume- 
rous Public  Statues  to  great  person- 
ages— the  Queen,  an  equestrian  figure 
by  Marochetti  (not  very  successful), 
W.,  and  Prince  Albert,  E.,  Sir  "^Valter 
Scott,  raised  on  a  doric  column  80  ft. 
high;  in  the  centre  is  Sir  John  Moore 
(a  native),  b)^  Flaxman  ;  S.  Lord 
Clvde,  James  AVatt,  and  Sir  Robt.  Peel ; 
S.E.,  Dr.  Graham. 

In  summer  and  autumn,  the 
seasons  when  strangers  mostly  visit 
Glasgow,  its  dwelling  -  houses  are 
generally  shut  up,  and  their  inhabit- 
ants are  "down  the  water,"  in  some 
of  the  many  marine  villages  on  the 


C.  Scotland.      Route  16. — Glasgow  Cathedral. 


151 


Clyde,  the  ready  access  to  which  is  a 
convenience  that  few  places  possess 
in  so  great  a  degree. 

Avery  pretty  park  has  been  laid  out 
by  the  Corporation  at  Kelvin  Grove, 
at  a  cost  of  over  £100,000,  from  de- 
signs by  the  late  Sir  Joseph  Paxton. 
The  visitor  to  it  may  at  the  same 
time  see  the  Botanic  Gardens,  Kibble's 
Crystal  Palace,  and  the  Observatory, 
which  are  in  the  neighbourhood. 

The  older  part  of  Glasgow  is 
at  the  E.  and  N.E.,  'where  the 
visitor  will  find  the  old  College 
(now  a  railway  station)  and  the 
Cathedral,  with  specimens  of  cha- 
racteristic Scotch  closes  and  wynds, 
one  inspection  of  which  is  gener- 
ally sufficient,  and  an  incredible 
number  of  whisky-shops  that  crowd 
the  lower  class  of  streets. 

The  two  objects  of  greatest  interest 
in  Glasgow  lie  at  its  opposite  extre- 
mities, about  2  m.  apart — the  Cathe- 
dral, which  far  surpasses  anything 
else,  at  the  E.,  and  tlie  Park  and  New 
College  at  West  End.  On  the  way 
from  the  one  to  the  other,  the  stranger 
may  look  at  the  Necropolis,  the  Old 
College,  the  Saltmarket  (for  the  sake 
of  Bailie  Nicol  Jarvie),  the  river 
Clyde  at  the  Broomielaw,  and  one 
of  the  iron  shipbuilding  yards  and 
machine  manufactories. 

To  reach  the  Cathedral  you  pass 
the  Royal  Infirmary,  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  are  the  Barony  Church  and 
the  Barony  Free  Kirk,  a  well-designed 
modern  Gothic  edifice. 

The  **Cathedral,  dedicated  to  St. 
Mungo  or  Kentigern,  tlie  finest 
Gothic  edifice  in  Scotland,  stands  in 
a  commanding  position  in  the  N.  E. 
of  Glasgow,  which  it  overlooks,  "  and 
shares  the  distinction  of  being  one 
of  the  two  or  three  Scottish  cathe- 
drals which  have  been  spared  to 
modern  days  in  a  comparatively  per- 
fect state. "  It  is  indeed  a  venerable 
and  beautiful  building — "a  brave 
,  kirk — nane  o'yourwhigmaleeries  and 
curliewurlies  and  opensteek  hems 
about  it — a'  solid,  weel-jointed  mason - 


wark,  that  will  stand  as  lang  as  the 
world,  keep  hands  and  gunpowther 
dff  it." — Scott.  The  bishopric  was 
first  restored,  and  the  original  cathe- 
dral built,, by  David  I.  in  1136.  It 
was  burnt  down  in  1192,  and  the 
present  building,  begun  soon  after 
by  Bishop  Jocelyn,  was  sufficiently 
advanced  to  be  consecrated  in  1197. 
lu  James  IV. 's  reign  the  see  of  Glas- 
gow was  declared  Metropolitan,  and 
tlie  building  of  the  cathedral  went 
regularly  forward,  although  even  up 
to  the  time  of  the  Reformation  it  was 
still  unfinished. 

In  1579  the  Presbyterian  ministers 
prevailed  on  the  magistrates  to  have 
it  destroyed,  and  workmen  were 
assembled  for  the  purpose,  when 
the  corporations  of  the  city  rose  in 
arms  and  prevented  its  destruction. 
"  And  sae  the  bits  o'  stane  idols  were 
taken  out  of  their  neuks,  broken  in 
pieces  by  Scripture  warrant,  and  flung 
into  the  Molen dinar  biirn,  and  the 
auld  kirk  stood  as  crouse  as  a  cat 
when  the  flaes  are  kaimed  aff 
her,  and  a'body  was  alike  pleased." 
— Scott.  But  after  that  time  the 
fortunes  of  the  building  were  on  the 
wane,  and  it  became  more  and  more 
neglected,  until  1829,  when  public 
attention  was  strongly  drawn  to  its 
dilapidated  state.  Since  then,  public 
and  private  generosity,  aided  by 
gi'ants  from  the  crown,  to  which  the 
cathedral  belongs,  have  contributed 
to  restore  it.  The  cathedral,  as  it  at 
present  stands,  consists  of  a  nave 
with  aisles,  transepts,  and  choir,  the 
transepts  being  so  short  that  the  ex- 
ternal symmetry  is  scarcely  broken 
at  all  by  their  projection.  The  roof 
of  the  nave  is  high-pitched,  and  the 
general  character  of  the  windows  is 
that  of  E.  Eng.  lancets,  particularly 
on  the  N.  side  ;  while  on  the  S.  they 
are  more  recent,  of  a  greater  width, 
and  have  their  heads  formed  of  3 
trefoil  circles.  "  The  crypt  and  the 
whole  choir  belong  to  the  latter  part 
of  the  13th  centy.,  the  nave  to  the 
14th,    The  central  aisle  never  having 


152 


Route  16. — Glasgoio  Cathedral. 


Sect.  II. 


been  intended  to  be  vaulted,  the 
architect  has  been  enabled  to  dis- 
pense with  all  pinnacles,  flying  but- 
tresses, and  such  expedients,  and 
thus  to  give  the  whole  outline  a 
degree  of  solidity  and  repose  which 
is  extremely  beautiful. " — Fergussons 
Architecture.  From  the  S.  transept 
projects  a  low  basement  storey,  form- 
ing a  continuation  of  the  crypt. 

The  cathedral  is  entered  by  a  door 
in  the  S.  aisle :  it  is  155  ft.  long  by  62 
broad,  not  including  the  aisles.  Be- 
fore the  Reformation  it  was  divided 
into  2  parts,  and  service  was  held  in 
both.  Here  Cromwell  sat,  Oct.  1650, 
to  hear  himself  railed  at  and  called 
"Sectary  and  ]51asphemer,"  by  the 
celebrated  Dr.  Zachary  Boyd,  in  a 
discourse  2  hours  long.  The  nave 
is  stately  and  well-proportioned, 
90  ft.  high,  with  a  triforium  of 
2  arches  to  each  bay,  and  a  (deres- 
tory.  A  carved  screen  separates  the 
nave  from  the  choir,  which  is  entered 
by  a  low  elliptic-arched  doorway. 
On  both  sides  are  steps  with  a  carved 
balustrade,  leading  down  to  the  crypt. 
The  choir,  95  ft.  long,  still  used  as 
the  parochial  High  Ch.,  is  an  ex- 
quisite example  of  E.  pointed  ;  it  is 
attributed  to  Bishop  Jocelyn,  and  to 
the  date  1175,  although  it  more  pro- 
bably belongs  to  the  latter  part  of 
the  13th  cent.  It  is  separated  from 
the  aisles  by  pointed  arches  springing 
from  clustered  pillars  with  flowered 
capitals,  while  those  of  the  nave  and 
Lady  Chapel  are  plain.  What  ought 
to  be  the  organ-loft  is  supported  on 
a  row  of  pointed  arches  with  double 
shafts  of  wood  (modern).  The  lover 
of  cathedral  service  can  scarcely  help 
regretting  the  absence  of  the  organ  ; 
but  the  ' '  kist  of  whistles  "  was  re- 
moved at  the  Reformation,  and  has 
not  yet  been  replaced,  but  it  is  ex- 
pected that  ere  long  an  instrument 
worthy  of  the  building  will  be  erected. 
The  choir  is  lighted  by  a  clerestory 
of  beautiful  narrow  4-light  windows. 
To  the  E.  is  the  Lady  Chapel,  a  double 
cross  aisle,  supported  on  3  piers,  and 


opening  into  the  choir  through  2 
graceful  arches  behind  the  altar.  Ad- 
joining it  on  the  N.E.  is  the  Chapter- 
house, a  square,  resting  on  one  cen- 
tral shaft. 

The  *Cryiit  is  the  j)ride  and  boast 
of  the  cathedral  ;  and  certainly  its 
peculiarities  are  such  as  to  make  it 
a  unique  example  of  the  kind.  It 
is  in  the  style  of  the  13th  cent.; 
and  as  the  ground  falls  rapidly  to- 
wards the  E.,  the  architect  could 
give  it  all  the  height  and  light  that 
he  required,  while  it  served,  at  the 
same  time,  as  a  basement  storey  to 
the  choir,  beneath  which  it  extends 
for  125  ft.  "The  solidity  of  the 
architecture,  the  intricacy  of  the 
vaulting,  and  the  correctness  of  its 
proportions,  make  it  one  of  the  most 
perfect  pieces  of  architecture  in  the 
kingdom."  In  the  centre  of  the 
crypt  is  the  shrine  of  St.  Mungo, 
containing  the  headless  and  handless 
efligy  of  the  saint.  At  the  S.E.  cor- 
ner is  St.  Mungo's  Well,  now  covered 
up,  and  next  to  it  is  the  burial-place 
of  "Ane  honourable  Avoman,  Dame 
Colquhoun,  who  died" — the  rest  of 
the  inscription  being  illegible. 

In  this  crypt  is  interred  the  pious 
but  eccentric  Rev.  Edw.  Irving, 
who  d.  at  Glasgow,  Dec.  1834.  His 
grave  is  marked  by  a  brass  plate,  and 
the  window  above  it  is  occupied  by 
the  figure  of  John  the  Baptist,  of 
austere  character,  by  Bertini  of  Milan. 
The  crypt  was  used  as  a  place  of 
worship  for  the  parishioners  of  the 
Barony  down  to  1820.  "Conceive 
an  extensive  range  of  low-browed, 
dark,  and  torchlight  vaults,  such  as 
are  used  for  sepulchres  in  other 
countries,  and  had  long  been  dedi- 
cated to  the  same  purj)Ose  in  this,  a 
portion  of  which  was  seated  with 
pews,  and  used  as  a  ch.  The  part  of 
the  vaults  thus  occupied,  though 
capable  of  containing  a  congregation 
of  many  hundreds,  bore  a  small  pro- 
portion to  the  darker  and  more  ex- 
tensive caverns  which  yawned  around 


Glasgow.       Route  16. — Old  College  ;  Saltmarket. 


153 


what  may  be  termed  the  inhabited 
space." — Rob  Roy. 

Besides  the  restorations  which 
Glasgow  Cathedral  has  undergone, 
the  visitor  will  particularly  notice  the 
Stained  Glass,  Avhich  for  profusion 
excels  any  building  in  the  British 
Isles.  The  proposal  thus  to  orna- 
ment this  ch.  was  warmly  responded 
to,  both  by  private  and  public 
generosity,  the  cost  of  the  whole 
amounting  to  about  £100,000.  The 
greater  portion  of  the  glass  has 
been  executed  at  Munich,  although 
the  crypt  and  chapter-house  contain 
specimens  of  British  work.  As  the 
visitor  can  buy  for  2d.  a  complete 
guide  to  each  window,  it  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  give  here  the  general  ar- 
rangement. 

Commencing  at  the  N.  angle  of 
the  nave,  are  scenes  from  the  earl)'^ 
portions  of  the  Old  Testament,  the 
magnificent  west  window  (contributed 
by  the  Bairds)  being  filled  with  four 
subjects  from  the  History  of  the  Jews, 
viz.,  the  Law  Giving,  the  Entrance 
into  the  Promised  Land,  the  Dedica- 
tion of  the  Temple,  and  the  Captivity 
of  Bab5don.  North  transept  window, 
given  by  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  : 
subject,  the  Prophets.  South  trans. : 
from  the  Lives  of  Noah,  Isaac,  and 
Christ.  The  choir  :  a  series  of  the 
Parables.  The  great  East  window  : 
the  4  Evangelists.  The  Lady  Chapel : 
the  Apostles.  The  Crypt :  subjects 
from  the  New  Testament.  The  re- 
sult shows  that  an  indiscriminate 
application  of  i:)ainted  glass  to  all  the 
openings  obscures  and  conceals  the 
beauty  of  the  Gothic  details  of  the 
interior,  which  now  cannot  be  pro- 
perly seen  for  want  of  light ! 

The  churchyard  around  the  cathe- 
dral is  literally  paved  mth  acres  of 
stone  slabs,  memorials  of  the  fore- 
fathers of  the  city. 

On  the  opposite  hill  to  the  cathe- 
dral, and  separated  from  it  by  the 
Molendinar  Bui-n,  now  a  foul  stream, 


is  the  Necropolis,  crowded  ^vith  every 
variety  of  monument  and  tomb,  some 
of  them  of  the  most  costly  material 
and  workmanship,  but  few  in  good 
taste,  rising  tier  over  tier.  The  most 
conspicuous,  and  one  of  the  worst,  is 
a  statue  of  John  Knox,  surmounting 
a  stumpy  Doric  column.  Many  are 
of  classic  design  and  good  proportions, 
of  granite  and  marble.  Ohs.  those  to 
Rev.  Geo.  Middleton,  an  obelisk  to 
Chas.  Tennant  of  St.  Eollox,  Rev. 
Dr.  Dick,  and  Major  Monteith.  The 
view  from  this  point  is  very  com- 
manding, and  extends  over  the  city, 
the  cathedral,  and  the  river  crowded 
with  shipping. 

Descending  the  hill  from  the 
Cathedral  to  the  High-street,  you 
come  to  the  Old  College,  purchased 
1868  for  £100,000,  and  converted 
into  the  North  British  Union  Rail- 
uay  Station.  It  is  a  black  smoke- 
stained,  heavy  building,  but  not 
without  some  interest  as  a  specimen 
of  Scottish  architecture  of  the  reigns 
of  Charles  I.  and  II.,  1632-62,  with 
stone  balconies,  windows  topped  with 
frontlets,  tall  chimneys  set  corner  to 
corner  and  extinguisher  turrets.  It 
consists  of  2  courts  ;  in  the  first  one 
a  picturesqiie  outer  stair  leads  to  the 
hall,  and  between  the  courts  rises  a 
tall  tower.  Over  the  inner  archway 
is  a  figure  of  Zachary  Boyd,  the  same 
who  was  paid  oft"  by  Cromwell  in  his 
own  coin  of  dreary  ranting.  The 
space  behind,  originally  the  College 
garden,  is  the  scene  of  the  duel  be- 
tween Frank  and  Rashleigh  Osbal- 
distone  in  Rob  Roy. 

Following  the  dii'ty  High-st.,  the 
Trongate  is  reached,  in  which  remark 
the  old  Town-hall,  which  includes  the 
range  of  which  the  Tontine  Hotel  is 
a  part.  In  the  open  space  in  front 
is  an  equestrian  statue  of  "William 
III.  Near  it,  at  the  crossing  of  4 
streets,  is  the  Cross  Steeple,  a  tower 
containing  a  chime  of  28  bells, 
occupying  the  site  of  the  old  Tol- 
booth  (the  prison  described  in  Rob 
Roy)  and  the   Tron  Steeple^  which 


154 


Pioute  16. — Saltmarket — Picture  Gallery.     Sect.  II. 


projects  across  the  pavement,  and 
dates  from  1637.  Dr.  Chalmers 
preached  in  the  ch.  behind  for  many 
years.  The  Tron  was  a  public  weigh- 
ing machine,  to  which  the  owners  of 
false  weights  were  nailed  by  the  ears. 

The  Saltmarket,  now  a  low,  crowded 
street,  Avith  a  large  percentage  of 
whisky-shops,  was  at  one  time  the 
fashionable  jjart  of  the  city,  though 
now  degraded  to  a  sort  of  Rag-fair. 
Here  dwelt  Bailie  Nicol  Jarvie,  the 
Lowland  cousin  of  Rob  Roy.  James 
Duke  of  York  also  lodged  here,  and 
the  great  printers  of  the  day,  Robert 
and  Andrew  Foulis,  had  their  book 
auctions  ;  and  it  was  the  very  centre 
of  attraction  for  the  Glasgow  mer- 
chants, whose  dealings  in  tobacco  far 
surpassed  those  of  any  other  city  in 
the  kingdom.  They  perpetuated 
their  calling  in  many  of  the  names  of 
the  streets,  such  as  Jamaica-street, 
Virginia-street.  In  High-street, 
Thomas  Campbell  the  poet  was  born, 
but  the  house  has  long  since  been 
removed.  Sir  John  Moore,  the  Gen- 
eral, was  born  in  the  Trongate.  The 
Candleriggs,  the  Goose-dubs,  and 
the  Gorbals  (the  last  on  the  S.  side 
of  the  Clyde),  are  the  classic  names 
of  other  streets,  peculiar  to  Glasgow. 

By  turning  to  the  right  down  the 
Saltmarket,  passing  the  Jail  and 
Justiciary  Courts,  the  visitor  will 
reach  the  Green,  an  open  space  front- 
ing the  Clyde,  with  a  column  in  the 
centre  to  the  memory  of  Nelson.  It 
will  ever  be  memorable  as  the  place 
in  which  Watt  was  Avalking  one 
Sunday  when  the  idea  of  the  sepa- 
rate condenser,  involving  the  prin- 
ciple of  his  steam-engine,  occurred 
to  him. 

The  Roijal  Exchange,  in  Queen 
Street,  is  a  very  elegant  piece  of 
architecture,  though  the  situation 
is  rather  confined.  The  portico 
consists  of  12  fluted  Corinthian 
columns,  supported  by  a  rich  frieze 
and    pediment.       The    N.    and    S. 


sides  of  the  building  are  ornamented 
with  a  handsome  colonnade  of  similar 
columns.  It  was  erected  from  the 
designs  of  Mr.  Hamilton  in  1829. 
The  reading-room  is  open  to  stran- 
gers, whose  names  are  put  down  by 
subscribers,  for  30  days,  and  after 
that  period  on  payment  of  5s.  a 
month.  The  equestrian  statue  in 
front  is  that  of  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, by  Marochetti  ;  the  pedestal 
has  representations  in  bronze  of  the 
Duke's  principal  victories.  Several 
of  the  banks,  such  as  the  National, 
Union,  British  Linen  Company,  etc. , 
are  fine  specimens  of  street  arclii- 
tectm-e. 

The  Corporation  Gallery  of  Art, 
206  Sauchiehall-st.,  is  a  collection 
of  pictures  formed  by  Archibald 
M'Lellan,  a  coachmaker,  in  1854, 
and  purchased  for  the  town  by  the 
magistrates  of  Glasgow  from  his 
creditors.  The  best  pictures  are, 
Christ's  Entry  into  Jerusalem — Alb. 
Guyi^.  Saviour  Asleep,  watched  by 
the  Virgin  —  Murillo.  Town  of 
Katwyk — J.  Ruysdacl,  an  admirable 
work.  Landscape  with  Figures — 
Wynants.  Sea-piece —  Vandervclde. 
Peasants  before  a  House — Teniers. 
Landscape  with  Rocks,  called  Wou- 
vermans,  more  probably  Lingelhach. 
Virgin,  Child,  and  St.  George — Paris 
Bordone.  Landscape — Claude  Lor- 
raine. Landscape  with  Fishermen 
— J.  Ruysdael.  The  sky  is  very 
beautiful,  and  the  execution  more 
than  usually  careful  ;  but  the  pic- 
ture, like  many  here,  is  much  injured 
by  cleaning.  Landscape  with  Cattle 
—  Teniers.  Landscape — Hohhema. 
St.  George  and  a  man,  portraits, 
part  of  an  altar-piece — Mabusc.  A 
Woman  seated  by  a  Cradle,  with  2 
Children — Nic.  Maar.  The  Woman 
taken  in  Adultery — Bonifazes  (Waa- 
gen  says  Giorgione).  The  Virgin 
Enthroned,  with  St.  Sebastian  and 
other  Saints  ;  fine  landscape  back- 
ground. There  are  also  a  statue  of 
Pitt  by   Flaxman,  and   a   series  of 


C.  Scotland.     Route  16. — Glasgoiv  University. 


155 


portraits   of  English    kings,    which 
were  formerly  in  the  Town-hall. 

Hutcliesori's  Hospital,  in  Ingram 
Street,  was  founded  in  1641  by  two 
brothers  of  that  name.  Its  income 
has  been  increased  by  various  bene- 
factors, and  now  amounts  to  £3000 
per  annum,  which  is  spent  in  pen- 
sions to  decayed  burgesses,  and  in 
educating  about  100  boys,  sons  of 
freemen  of  the  city.  The  buildings 
of  the  hospital  form  a  handsome 
range,  ornamented  with  Corinthian 
columns.  From  the  rear  rises  a 
tower,  150  ft.  high,  with  a  pyramidal 
spire  on  the  top. 

The  Xeio  University,  on  Gilmore 
Hill,  is  best  approached  through  the 
West-end  Park,  above  whose  noble 
trees  its  towers  and  long  facade  rise 
Avith  great  effect.  A  considerable 
circuit  is  avoided  by  taking  the  foot- 
path from  the  Bridge  over  the  Kel- 
vin, and  walking  up  to  it  ;  carriages 
must  go  round.  The  platform  on 
which  it  stands  commands  a  fine 
view  in  clear  weather.  It  is  a 
handsome  Gothic  edifice,  extending 
600  ft.  in  front,  to  be  surmounted 
tiy  a  well-proportioned  central  tower 
310  ft.  high,  and  was  opened  1S70, 
though  incomplete.  It  is  to  form 
2  quadrangles,  but  as  yet  only  3 
sides  of  a  square  are  built,  wliicli 
will  be  divided  into  two  courts, 
whenever  funds  can  be  found  for 
the  central  building,  which  is  to 
contain  the  hall  and  chapel.  Doubt- 
less the  millionaire  merchants  and 
manufacturers  of  Glasgow  will  not 
allow  an  edifice  so  grand  and  so 
useful  to  remain  incomplete.  The 
design  of  the  college  is  by  Sir  G. 
G.  Scott,  R.A.  It  will  cost  upwards 
of  £400,000,  of  which  £100,000  were 
raised  by  sale  of  the  old  college, 
situated  in  the  lowest  and  worst  part  of 
the  toAvn,  and  most  unfit  for  the  ren- 
dezvous of  young  students  ;  £120,000 
were  granted  by  Parliament,  and 
£140,000  were  raised  by  private  sub- 


scription. £80,000  are  needed  to 
finish  it  properly.  So  long  as  it  re- 
mains incomplete,  the  Hunterian 
Museum,  containing,  apart  from  its 
anatomical  preparations,  a  fine-art 
collection — paintings  by  old  masters, 
coins,  libraryof  valuable MSS.,  books, 
including  many  Caxtons — lies  closed 
up  in  boxes.  The  E.  side  is  devoted 
to  medical  and  chemical  classes, 
laboratories,  etc.  On  the  N.  side 
are  the  library,  100,000  vols.,  and 
reading-room  and  mirseum  ;  on  the 
ground-floor  and  above,  the  Hun- 
terian Museum  and  library  Avill 
eventually  be  placed.  It  contains  a 
good  collection  of  paintings  (includ- 
ing works  of  Rembrandt,  Rubens, 
and  S.  Rosa),  portraits  by  Kneller 
of  Dr.  Arbuthnot,  and  of  Sir  Isaac 
Newton.  Murillo,  The  Good  Shep- 
herd. Reinhrandt  (or  Koningk), 
Dutch  Landscapes.  Sir  Josh.  Rey- 
nolds, portraits  of  Ladies  Maynard 
and  Hertford.  Very  select  and 
valuable  is  the  collection  of  Greek 
and  other  coins.  There  are  nume- 
rous anatomical  curiosities,  together 
with  a  statue  of  James  "Watt,  and  a 
model  of  Newcomen's  steam-engine, 
repaired  by  Watt  himself,  and  thus 
associated  with  his  discoveries. 

Glasgow  University  was  founded  by 
the  exertions  of  Bishop  Turnbull,  its 
first  principal,  confirmed  by  a  bull  of 
Pope  Nicholas  V.  in  1 450.  For  a  long 
time  it  seems  to  have  been  almost 
destitute  of  endowments,  though  a 
building  was  erected  on  a  site  in  the 
High-street  as  early  as  1460  ;  and  at 
the  time  of  the  Reformation  its  con- 
dition was  far  from  flourishing.  In 
1560  Queen  Mary  endowed  it  wdth 
a  moiety  of  the  confiscated  church 
property  in  the  city.  This  was  in- 
creased by  the  coqDoration,  and  added 
to  by  succeeding  monarchs. 

An  impulse  was  given  to  its  fame 
and  efiiciency  by  the  advent,  1574, 
of  Andrew  Melville,  the  friend  of 
Knox,  as  a  teacher,  but  the  build- 
ings remained  mean  and  incomplete 


156 


Route  1 6. — Chjde — Broomielaw. 


Sect.  II. 


until  about  1632,  from  which  time 
dates  the  chief  part  of  the  okl  college. 
As  a  seat  of  learning  it  reached  the 
height  of  its  fame  during  the  last 
cent.,  when  it  numbered  among  its 
teachers  Cullen  and  Black  in  medi- 
cine and  chemistry,  Dr.  W.  Hunter 
in  anatomy,  Eeid  in  mental  philo- 
sophy. "  Here  Adam  Smith  taught 
doctrines  which  have  changed  the 
policy  of  nations,  and  Watt  perfected 
discoveries  that  have  subdued  the 
elements  to  be  the  ministers  of  man- 
kind." Thos.  Campbell,  Fr.  Jeifrey, 
Sir  Wm.  Hamilton,  and  John  Gibson 
Lockhart  were  students  here.  Not 
far  from  the  University,  in  the  AV. 
road,  is  the  Botanic  Garden,  first 
organised  by  Dr.  Hooker,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Kelvin. 

The  University  is  governed  by  a 
Chancellor,  elected  for  life,  a  Rector 
elected  triennially,  and  subordinate 
officers.  The  Eector  is  almost  in- 
variably a  man  of  mark  in  the  politi- 
cal or  literary  world,  and  is  elected 
by  Glottianm,  comprehending  those 
born  in  Lanarkshire  ;  Transforthance, 
those  north  of  the  Forth  ;  Rothsiance, 
counties  of  Renfrew,  Bute,  and  Ayr  ; 
and  Loudoniance,  those  not  already 
included. 

The  other  principal  educational 
establishments  of  Glasgow  are — the 
Glasgow  Academy,  the  High  School, 
and  the  Andersonian  University, 
founded  by  John  Anderson  in  1797, 
and  principally  devoted  to  the  study 
of  medicine  and  physics. 

The  Clyde,  which  from  the  noisy 
cataract  of  Corra  Linn  (Rte.  8)  has 
become  a  sedate  and  sober  stream, 
is  crossed  by  5  or  6  Bridges.  The 
lowest  one,  of  7  arches,  called  Glas- 
gow Biidge,  overlooks  the  quay  of 
the  Broomielaw  or  river  bank,  once 
overgrown  with  Broom,  running 
alongside  the  broad  and  deep  channel 
of  the  Clyde,  crowded  with  vessels, 
bristling  with  steam  funnels,  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  sights  in  Glas- 
gow.    It  is  almost  entirely  an  arti- 


ficial canal,  the  river  having  been 
originally  a  broad  shallow  stream, 
which  only  continual  dredging  (a 
work  still  carried  on)  has  made 
capable  of  holding  the  largest  vessels, 
thus  affording  a  strong  contrast  to  its 
shallowness  in  1651 ,  "when  no  vessel 
of  any  burden  could  come  up  nearer 
the  town  than  14  miles,  where  they 
must  unlade  and  send  up  their  timber 
on  rafts."  The  depth  at  high-water 
is  now  about  20  ft.  Besides  all 
these,  Dry  Docks,  Graving  Docks, 
and  Bashis  on  the  largest  scale  have 
been  constructed,  opening  into  the 
river  by  lock-gates  at  Stobcross,  etc. 
The  engineer  was  John  F.  Bateman, 
Esq.  The  registered  shipping  in 
Glasgow,  1873,  amounted  to  892 
vessels  of  460,592  tons,  215,602 
being  steam  tonnage.  One  result 
of  modern  improvement  has  been 
to  convert  the  Clyde  into  a  foul, 
offen.sive,  and  muddy  sewer,  thus 
confirming  the  forebodings  of  Tom 
Campbell,  who  thus  wi-ites : — 

"  And  call  they  this  Improvement  ?  to  have 

changed, 
Sly  native  Clyde,  thy  once  romantic 

shore. 
Where  Nature's  face  is  banish'd  and 

estranged, 
And  Heaven  reflected  in  thy  wave  no 

more ; 
Whose  banks,  that  sweeten'd  May -day's 

breath  before, 
Lie  sere  and  leafless  now  in  summer's 

beam. 
With  sooty  exhalations  cover'd  o'er  ; 
And  for  the  daisied  greensward,  down. 

thy  stream. 
Unsightly  brick  lanes  smoke  and  clank- 
ing engines  gleam." 

The  tourist  will  have  an  opportunity 
of  noticing,  during  a  trip  down  the 
river  to  Greenock,  the  number  and 
extent  of  the  ShiiJhuilding  Yards  on 
the  Clyde,  which  have  increased  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  make  this  trade 
one  of  the  specialities  of  Glasgow. 
In  1871  200  vessels,  chiefly  iron, 
with  a  tonnage  of  196,000,  and  a 
value  of  more  than  £4,000,000,  were 
built  on  the  Clyde  between  Ruther- 
glen  and  Greenock. 

Next  to  the  ship-yards  in  promi- 


0.  Scotland.     Route  16. — Glasgoiv  Manufactures. 


15' 


nence  are  the  Chemical  Works  of  the 
Tennauts,  at  St.  Rollox  (a  little  to  the 
N.  of  the  cathedral),  which  cover  an 
area  of  16  acres,  and  are  conspicuous 
for  the  lofty  Chwmey,  435  ft.  in  height, 
that  carries  off  the  deleterious  fumes 
from  more  than  100  retorts  and  fur- 
naces. They  supply  sulphuric  acid, 
chloride  of  lime,  soda,  and  other 
chemicals  used  in  manufactures.  Still 
higher  is  the  chimney  in  Crawford-st, 
Port-Dundas,belongingtoTownsend's 
Chemical  artificial  -  manure  works, 
which  is  454  ft.  high,  and  50  ft.  dia- 
meter at  base,  i.e.,  the  loftiest  build- 
ing in  the  world,  save  the  spire  of 
Strasburg  and  the  great  Pyramid. 

The  West  Indian  trade,  which  was 
formerly  the  staj)le  of  Glasgow,  has 
given  place  to  that  of  cotton  and 
calico-printing,  which  is  carried  to 
a  great  extent  in  the  suburbs  and 
neighbouring  towns.  From  its  prox- 
imity to  the  coalfields,  the  iron 
manufacture  has  become  an  import- 
ant feature  in  Glasgow  commerce. 
The  machinery  and  engine-works 
of  Messrs.  Napier  are  among  the 
most  extensive  here. 

"The  rapidity  of  the  progi'ess  of 
the  city  may  be  inferred  from  the 
following  facts.  In  1735,  though 
the  Glasgow  merchants  owned  half 
the  entire  tonnage  of  Scotland,  it 
amounted  to  only  5650  tons.  In 
that  year  the  whole  shipping  of 
Scotland  was  only  one-fortieth  jjart 
of  that  of  England ;  it  is  now 
about  one-fifth.  In  point  of  value  of 
exports,  Glasgow  ranks  fourth  among 
the  ports  of  the  United  Kingdom,  and 
Greenock  now'  takes  precedence  of 
Bristol. " — Smiles. 

Turkey  red  dyeing  was  commenced 
in  Glasgow  1816,  and  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  branches  of  the  calico- 
printing  trade.  To  these  may  be  add- 
ed, calico-printing  and  bleach- works, 
carpets,  glass,  and  pottery. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  manu- 
fiictories  here  is  that  of  Artificial  Ice 
— Rose-street,  Garnethill — where  by 


a  very  ingenious  process  of  chemistry 
the  water  of  Loch  Katrine  is  con- 
verted into  the  purest  ice,  14°  to  18° 
below  the  freezing  point  of  water. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  the 
laudable  (and  successful)  efi'orts  to 
establish  cheap  cooking  and  dining 
establishments  for  the  working-classes, 
where  a  plain  and  good  meal  may  be 
obtained  at  a  fabulously  low  cost. 
The  traveller  who  is  ';  interested  in 
social  experiments  should  by  all 
means  visit  one  of  these  institutions. 


^History. — The  origin  of  the  name 
of  Glasgow  is  uncertain;  but  the 
most  probable  derivations  (either 
"  Claishdhu,"  the  dark  glen,  or 
"Glas-coed,"  dark  wood)  evidently 
point  to  the  secluded  position  of  a 
monastery.  Tradition,  too,  agrees 
in  attributing  the  origin  of  Glasgow 
to  an  ecclesiastical  source ;  for  St. 
Kentigern,  or,  as  he  is  called,  St. 
Mungo,  is  said  to  have  founded  a 
bishopric  here  a.d.  560,  and  to  have 
worked  miracles  during  his  stay  in 
these  parts.  One  of  these  was  the  dis- 
covery of  a  ring,  lost  by  the  wife  of 
the  local  chieftain,  in  the  mouth  of  a 
fish  caught  in  the  Clyde.  A  salmon 
with  a  ring  in  its  mouth  is  still  part 
of  the  arms  of  Glasgow.  In  1450 
William  Turnbull,  the  bishop  of  the 
see,  obtained  a  charter  from  James 
II.,  by  which  all  the  property  of  the 
neighbourhood  was  held  by  the 
bishops.  In  1556,  when  the  royal 
burghs  were  taxed  by  Queen  Mary, 
Glasgow  had  a  Pop.  of  4500,  and 
apj)ears  to  have  been  only  the  11th 
city  in  the  kingdom  in  w^ealth  and 
population.  Indeed  it  was  not  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  a  Royal  Burgh  until 
the  reign  of  Charles  I.  In  1651 
Oliver  Cromwell  took  up  his  abode 
in  the  house  of  Silvercraigs,in  Bridge- 
gate-street,  and  went  to  hear  divine 
service  in  the  cathedral,  when  the 
minister,    Dr.     Zachary    Boyd,    in- 


158         Route  17. — Glasgow  to  Edinburgh — Airdrie.     Sect.  II. 


veiglied  against  him  so  strongly, 
that  Mr.  Secretary  Thnrloe  proposed 
to  pull  him  forth  by  the  ears  and 
have  him  shot.  Cromwell's  only 
answer  was,  "He's  a  fool,  and  j^ou're 
another.  I'll  pay  him  out  in  his  own 
fashion."  So  he  asked  Mr.  Boyd  to 
dinner,  and  concluded  the  entertain- 
ment with  a  prayer  that  lasted  3 
hours. 

On  the  S.  side  of  the  Clyde,  about 
a  mile  from  the  river,  on  the 
outskirts  of  the  suburb  of  Stratli- 
bungo,  and  Cross  -  my  -  Loof,  the 
avenue  of  Eglinton-street  conducts 
to  the  Queen's  Park,  a  pleasant  area 
for  recreation  of  160  acres,  well 
planted  and  laid  out.  Contiguous 
to  it  is  the  hattJefield  of  Langside, 
fatal  to  Queen  JMary,  where,  11  days 
after  her  escape  from  Lochleven, 
her  adherents,  6000  strong,  desirous 
of  conveying  her  from  Hamilton  to 
Dumbarton  as  to  a  place  of  security, 
ventured  to  attack  the  forces  of 
Regent  JVloray,  numbering  only 
4000,  but  by  his  superior  tactics 
were  utterly  defeated.  May  13,  1568, 
leaving  300  dead  and  400  prisoners. 
The  houses  of  the  village  through 
which  the  road  ran  were  occupied  by 
Kirkaldy  of  Grange  for  the  Regent ; 
the  efforts  to  take  it  were  ineffectual : 
the  skirmish  lasted  f  hour,  but  it 
settled  the  fate  of  Scotland. 

Railways  and  Distances. — North 
British :  to  Edinburgh,  47^  m.  ; 
Linlithgow,  29i;  Falkirk,  22^  Len- 
noxtown,  11^  f  Balloch,  20^  ;  Cale- 
donian :  to  London,  406  m.  ;  Car- 
lisle, 105  ;  Carstairs,  31  ;  Lanark, 
36  ;  Hamilton,  10  ;  Greenock,  22^  ; 
Wemj^ss  Bay,  30i;  Coatbridge,  10; 
Gartsherrie,  9.  Glasgow  and  South- 
western :  Paisley,  7  m.  ;  Ardrossan, 
32  ;  Ayi^  40^  ;  Dumfries,  92  ;  Car- 
lisle, 125. 

Steamers  daily  (in  summer)  to 
Greenock,  Dunoon,  Inellan,  Rothe- 
say, 40  m.,  Kyles  of  Bute,  and  Ardri- 


shaig  ;  to  xirran  by  Largs  and  Mill- 
port ;  to  Arrochar  and  Loch  Long  ; 
to  Oban  ;  to  Inveraray,  by  Lochgoil- 
head  ;  do.  by  Loch  Fyne  ;  to  Fort- 
William  and  Inverness ;  to  Campbel- 
town and  the  ]\Iull  of  Cantyre  ;  to 
the  Western  Islands,  viz.,  Gairloch, 
Eigg,  Tiree,  Coll,  Lochboisdale, 
Barra,  Staffa,  lona,  and  Skye  ;  to 
Islay  ;  Tobermory ;  Portree  in  Skye, 
and  Stornoway  in  Lewis  ;  Lochinver ; 
to  Thurso  and  Scrabster ;  to  Ireland, 
viz.,  Dublin,  Belfast,  Cork,  Water- 
ford  ;  to  Liverpool ;  to  Bristol  and 
Swansea. 

Excursions  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Glasgow  : — 

a.  Cathkin  Hill  and  Langside,  2  m. 

h.  Hamilton  and  Bothwell,  Route 
8a. 

c.  Down  the  Clyde  to  Greenock 
(Pv,te.  23),  and  Wemyss  Bay, 

d.  Dumbarton  and  Loch  Lomond 
(Rte.  19). 

e.  Campsie  Glen  (Rte.  20), 

/.  Milngavie  and  the  Whangie 
(Rte.  22), 


ROUTE  17. 

Glasgow  to  Edinburgli,  by 
Airdrie  and  Bathgate. 

Station  at  the  Old  College,  High 
Street,  Glasgow, 

This,  though  not  a  picturesque 
route,  and  far  from  attractive  to  or- 
dinary tourists,  will  ]30ssess  an  interest 
for  many  because  it  carries  them 
through  thevery  centre  of  the  Scottish 
Black  Country,  and  its  industry  in 
coal  and  iron.  Large  parts  of  this 
smoky  district  are  so  studded  with 
buildings,  furnaces,  factories,  etc.,  as 
to  resemble  town  more  than  country. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  the  line  as  far  as 
Ratho  Junction,  where  the  traveller 
joins  the  direct  Edinburgh  and  Glas- 
gow line,  runs  through  a  mineral 
district,  traversed  by  a  number  of 
branch  railways  amalgamated  under 


C.  Scotland.     Route  17. — Amine;  Bathgate. 


159 


the  name  of  the  Monkland  system, 
embracing  a  total  of  71  m.  The  rly. 
branches  off  from  the  Caledonian  line 
at  Coatbridge  (Rte.  8),  stopping  first 
of  all  at 

10|  m.  Airdric  Junct.  Stat.,  a  busy 
mining  town  of  about  13,000  inhab. 
dependent  on  the  collieries  in  the 
vicinity,  and  some  cotton-works.  It 
is  tolerably  well  built,  and  has  a 
handsome  town -hall  vnth.  a  spire. 
Since  1850  the  Airdrie  coal  district 
has  become  covered  with  works  for 
refining  imraffi^n  oil,  produced  from 
the  shales  of  the  coal-beds,  which  are 
similar,  though  perhaps  not  so  rich, 
as  those  of  Bathgate. 

At  Clarkston  Stat.,  12  m.,  the  line 
approaches  the  North  Calder,  and 
runs  parallel  with  it,  through  hilly 
ground  of  some  800  ft.  in  height,  to 
15  m.  Caldercrux  Sta.,  where  the 
Calder  takes  its  rise  in  a  large  sheet 
of  wat^r  called  Hill  End  Reservoir. 
At  the  E.  end  of  it  is 

17$  m.,  Forestf  eld  Stat.  Near  this 
point  the  line  enters  the  county  of 
Linlithgow,  and  sends  off  a  short 
branch  to  the  Shotts  Ironworks. 

22^  m.  Armadale  Jimd.  Stat.,  2  m. 
S.  of  which  is  Polkemmet  (Sir-  W. 
BaHlie). 

24^  m.  Bathgate  Junct.  Stat.,  is  a 
sort  of  metropolis  for  the  coal  disti'ict, 
and  is  by  no  means  unpicturesquely 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Bathgate 
hills.  The  modern  portion  of  the 
town  is  neat,  and  boasts  an  excellent 
Academy,  iovLudi^di  by  a  Mr.  Newlands, 
a  native  of  Bathgate,  who  made  his 
fortune  in  the  West  Indies.  Near 
this  are  paraffin  distilleries  of  Messrs. 
Young  and  Co. 

Adjoining  the  town  on  the  N.  are 
the  policies  of  Balbardie  (A.  JSiarjori- 
banks,  Esq.) 

Both  antiquary  and  geologist  will 
find  the  neighbourhood  more  than 
commonly  interesting.  The  district 
within  a  few  miles  to  the  N.,  between 


Bathgate  and  Linlithgow,  contains 
several  cromlechs,  camps,  and  earth- 
works, denoting  that  the  early  in- 
habitants considered  this  county  to 
be  of  importance,  perhaps  on  account 
of  its  proximity  to  the  Firth  of  Forth. 
Of  these  the  chief  is  the  Kipjis,  men- 
tioned by  Camden  as  "an  ancient 
altar  of  gi-eat  stones  unpolished,  so 
placed  as  each  of  them  does  support 
another,  and  no  one  could  stand  with- 
out leaning  upon  another. "  There  is 
a  camp  at  Torphickcn  (2^  m.),  as  also 
slight  remains  of  the  Hospital  of  the 
Knights  of  Jerasalem,  who  had  here 
their  principal  resort ;  and  in  some 
sandhills,  about  100  yards  from  one  of 
the  boundary  stones  of  the  Hospital, 
stone  coffins  containing  skeletons 
have  been  found.  Toi-phichen  gives 
a  title  to  the  family  of  the  Sandilands, 
and  is  the  birthplace  of  Henry  Bell 
(1767),  who,  originally  a  mason,  was 
the  first  to  introduce  steam  naviga- 
tion on  the  Clyde  (Rte.  23).  Adjoin- 
ing the  village  is  WallJiouse,  the  seat 
of  the  Gillon  family.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  Brunton  Burn,  which  near  this 
joins  the  river  Avon,  is  a  cave  tradi- 
tionally said  to  have  been  occupied 
by  Wallace. 

[From  Bathgate  Junct.  a  branch 
rly.  runs  S.  to  Morningside  14  m. 
accommodating  the  mineral  district 
of  Wilsontown.  The  geologist  can 
proceed  to  Whitburn  Stat.  2 J  m., 
near  the  source  of  the  river  Almond, 
and  thence  to  Torhaneliill  (Rte.  19), 
rendered  famous  for  the  coal  shale 
discovered  here,  so  valuable  for  naph- 
tha or  paraffin  oil  distilled  from  it. 
The  district  has  gradually  been  co- 
vered by  oil  retorts  and  refineries. 
During  1865  it  is  estimated  that 
100,000  tons  of  Scotch  coal  were 
used  for  making  oil ;  the  Boghead 
coal  producing  about  128  gallons  of 
oil  to  the  ton.] 

From  Bathgate  the  line  to  Edin- 
burgh runs  E.,  passing  on  right  the 
site  of  a  castle  given  by  Robert  Bruce 


160 


Route  \*Ja. — Edinburgh  to  Glasgoiv.        Sect.  II. 


to  his  daughter  Marjory : 
the  Academy. 


and  on  left 


20  m.  Livingstone  Stat.  The  vil- 
lage, about  1  m.  to  right,  contains 
the  remains  of  the  old  Livingstone 
Peel,  once  the  fortress  of  the  Living- 
stone family. 

22  m.  Uphall,  near  which  is  Hous- 
ton House. 

24  m.  Broxburn,  soon  after  which 
the  line  crosses  the  Almond  (Al- 
mondale,  seat  of  E.  of  Buchan),  and 
joins  the  Edinburgh  line  at 

Eatho  Junct.  The  line  hence  to 
Edinburgh  w^ill  be  found  in  Rte.  16. 

[A  branch  of  the  Monkland  system 
leaves  the  main  line  near  Coatbridge, 
passing  Airdrie  to  the  N.,  and  taking 
a  N.E.  course  through  Slamannan 
and  Avonbridge  to  the  little  shipping 
port  of  Borrowstouncss  or  Bo'ness  on 
the  Firth  of  Forth.] 


EOUTE  17  a. 

Edinburgh  to  Glasgow,  by  Mid- 
Calder,  Holytowm,  and  Gart- 
slierrie  Ironworks. 


47j    m. 
Station. 


from    "West    Princes-st. 


The  Direct  Line  of  Caledonian 
Eailwat  passes  through  the  midst 
of  the  great  Ironworks,  and  the  effect 
at  night  is  wonderful ;  it  also  passes 
close  to  numerous  paraffin  oilworks, 
a  branch  of  industry  introduced  about 
1860. 

2|  m.  Slateford  Stat,  (see  Rte.  5). 

3  m.  Kingsknorve  Stat,  (see  Rte.  5). 

5^  m.  Ourrie  Stat,  (see  Rte.  5). 

10  m.  Mid-Caldcr  Stat,  (see  Rte.  5). 

14  m.  Neivpark  Stat.  Oakbank 
Paraffin  Oilworks  use  up  in  1  year 
45,000  tons  of  shale,  and  800  tons  of 
sulphuric  acid. 


15f  West  Caldcr  Stat.  Young's 
Oil  and  Paraffin  Works  are  near  this, 
at  Addiswell.  The  river  Almond, 
the  Briech,  and  other  rivers,  empty- 
ing themselves  into  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  once  clear  streams  fit  for 
drinking  and  cookery,  have  been  of 
late  corrupted  and  befouled  by  the 
oilworks  established  on  their  banks. 
The  nuisance  is  so  great  that  when 
the  water  is  low  it  is  not  only  not 
drinkable  by  cattle,  but  is  unfit  for 
clothes  washing.  Trout  and  other 
fish  have  been  poisoned,  and  can  no 
longer  exist  in  these  waters. 

20|  m.  Briech  Stat,  (for  Longrigg). 
22^  m.  FauldhousQ  Stat,  (for  Croft- 
head). 

252  m.  Shotts  Stat,  (for  Dykehead). 
301  m.  Bellside  Stat. 
32 1   m.  Newarthill    Stat.      Left, 
Neilson's  Ironworks. 

34|  m.  Holytown  Junct.  Stat.  The 
rly.  now  traverses  the  "  black  coun- 
try "  of  Scotland — coal-heaps  and 
blazing  furnaces  all  the  way  to  Glas- 
gow. 

36|  m.  Wliifflet  Stat.  A  suburb 
of  Coatbridge  ;  the  rly.  crosses  the 
Monkland  Canal,  then  passes  Merry 
and  Cuninghame's  Iron  Furnaces  to 
37^  m.  Coatbridge  Junct.  Stat.  The 
centre  of  the  mining  district,  and  of 
a  group  of  blazing  iron  furnaces,  sur- 
rounded by  a  network  of  railway  ; 
near  this  are  distilleries  of  paraffin- 
oil  from  coal  shale.  Here  is  a  fine 
Gothic  ch.  with  octagon  spire,  built 
by  J.  Baird,  Esq.,  1874.  Branch 
Ely.  to  Greenock  direct,  avoiding 
Glasgow.     Langloan  Ironworks. 

38^  Gartshcrrie  Stat.  Here  are  the 
Ironworks  and  Blast  Furnaces  of 
Messrs.  Baird,  where  one  of  the  finest 
brands  of  pig-iron  is  made. 
4O5  m.  Gartcosh  Stat. 
41^  m.  Garnkirk  Stat.  Large  tile 
and  pipe  works  ;  here  fire-clay 
abounds, 

42|  m.  SteiJiJS  Stat. 
47?    m.    Glasgow   Terminus,    Bu- 
chanan-st.  {sec  Rte.  16). 


C.  SCOTLAND.     Route  18. — Edhiburgh  to  Stirling. 


161 


EOUTE  18. 

Edinburgh,  or  Carlisle  [Carstairs 
Junction]  to  Stirling,  by  Lar- 
bert  and  Bannockburn, 

Rail.  (?s".B.R.)  36]  m.  to  Stirling. 
9  trains  daily  in  1\  to  14  hr. 

From  Edinburgh  ( Waverley  Stat. ) 
the  line  proceeds  : — 

Linlithgow  Stat.  (Rte.  16). 

Polmont  Junct.  Stat. 

Grahamston  Stat. 

Larbert  Junct.  Stat.     {Sec  below. ) 

From  Carstairs  the  Glasgow  line  of 
the  Caledonian  Ely.  is  followed  to 
Coatbridge,  or  to  Gartsherrie 
Junct.  (Rte.  8),  where  a  branch  is 
given  off  to 

11  m.  Greexhill  Junct.,  the 
point  of  union  with  the  Edinburgh 
and  Glasgow  line  (Rte.  16).  A  little 
before  arri\4ng  at  Greenhill,  on  left, 
are  the  village  of  Cumbernauld  and 
Cumbernauld  House.  Crossing  the 
Glasgow  line,  and  running  parallel 
with  the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal,  the 
rly.  turns  round  to  the  W.  of  Falkirk, 
and  anives  at 

14  m.,  Larbert  Junct.,  whence  a 
short  branch  of  5  m.  is  given  off  to 
Falkirk  and  Polmont,  to  convey  the 
traveller  between  Edinburgh  and 
Stirling.  Another  branch  goes  to  S. 
Alloa  ferry  across  the  Forth,  lead- 
ing to  Alloa  (Rte.  15).  [Another 
little  branch  of  3^  m.  runs  W.  to 
Denny,  a  small  manufacturing  town 
on  the  Carron  Water.  On  the  way 
thither  the  rly.  passes,  right,  two 
curious  natural  mounds  called  the 
Hills  of  Dunipace  {quasi  Duni-pacis 
— hills  of  peace,  as  Buchanan  the 
historian  suggested)  ;  geologically, 
remnants  of  alluvium,  about  60  ft. 
high.] 

To  the  N.E.  of  Larbert  lies  Kin- 
[Scotland.  ] 


naird,  the  residence  of  Bruce,  the 
Abyssinian  traveller,  who  after  going 
through  unheard-of  dangers  in  dis- 
tant lands,  came  to  his  death  at  the 
door  of  his  own  house  by  falling  when 
in  the  act  of  handing  a  lady  to  her 
carriage.  He  was  buried  in  Larbert 
churchyard,  where  an  iron  pillar  was 
put  up  to  his  memory. 

Passing  left  Glenbervie  and  Car- 
brook,  the  train  arrives  at 

19^  m.  BaimocJchurn  Stat.  The 
scene  of  the  battle  fought  on  June 
24,  1314,  betvveen  the  English  army 
under  Edward  11. ,  and  the  Scotch 
under  King  Robert  Bruce,  lies  about 
1  m.  on  the  left,  in  a  plain  watered 
by  the  Bannock,  and  sheltered  by  the 
Gillies'  Hill  on  the  N.  The  English 
ai-my,  amounting  to  100,000  men, 
were  advancing  to  the  relief  of  Stir- 
ling, which  Bruce  was  then  besieg- 
ing. His  force  amounted  to  no  more 
than  30,000,  and  was  very  deficient 
in  cavalry ;  a  weak  point  which 
their  commander  counterbalanced  by 
a  judicious  selection  of  the  field  of 
battle.  The  ^  Borcstone  (now  _  pro- 
tected by  an  iron  railing)  is  said  to 
have  been  the  spot  where  Bruce's 
standard  was  planted  during  the 
battle,  and  to  have  marked  the  posi- 
tion of  his  left  wing,  while  his  right 
was  protected  by  the  Bannock 
Burn.  Brace  had  the  choice  of 
gi'ound,  and  strengthened  his  posi- 
tion by  digging  pits  across  the  tongue 
of  land  between  the  lower  end  of 
Milton  bog  and  the  burn,  and 
covering  them  over  with  boughs  and 
earth.  The  secret  of  his  success, 
however,  was  the  discovery  that 
light-armed  infantry  were  capable 
not  only  of  coping  with,  but  of  over- 
throwing, men-at-arms  on  horseback, 
clad  in  armour  cap-a-pie,  who  had 
been  the  bugbear  of  annies  until 
the  Scotch  and  the  Swiss  and  the 
Flemings  proved  that  peasants  could 
fight  as  well  as  knights.  The  battle 
h2 


162 


Route  18. — BannocTcburn. 


Sect.  IL 


began  by  an  attempt  on  the  part 
of  the  English  to  turn  the  Scottish 
left  and  throw  succour  into  Stirling, 
an  attempt  which  was  defeated  in  a 
plain  near  the  village  of  Newhouse, 
by  Randolph,  Earl  of  JSIoray,  who, 
at  the  head  of  an  undaunted  body  of 
spearmen,  received  the  charge  of  the 
English  cavalry,  and  repelled  it. 
In  this  sharp  skirmish  Sir  William 
D'Eyncourt  was  killed.  The  Scottish 
army  Avas  drawn  up  in  4  divisions,  3 
of  which  were  in  line.  The  4th  com- 
posed the  reserve,  and  was  com- 
manded by  the  king  in  person.  The 
centre  was  led  by  Bruce' s  intimate 
friend,  "the  good  Sir  James  Douglas, " 
and  Walter  Stewart,  the  king's  son-in- 
law.  Edward  Bruce  commanded  the 
right,  and  Thomas  Randolph,  Earl  of 
Moray,  the  left.  The  main  attack 
began  with  the  English  archers  on 
their  own  left,  and  had  they  been 
protected,  the  issue  of  Bannockburn 
might  have  been  different  ;  but  they 
were  charged  by  the  small  force  of 
cavalry  attached  to  Bruce's  division, 
3,nd  dispersed.  Confusion  then 
spread  into  the  English  ranks, 
though  their  superiority  in  num- 
bers enabled  them  to  stand  their 
ground  for  many  hours,  until  the 
sudden  appearance  of  the  camp 
followers,  in  an  im2)rovised  battle 
array,  upon  the  "  Gillies'  Hill," 
rising  on  the  W.,  and  now  planted 
with  fir-trees,  created  a  panic  that 
soon  became  a  rout.  The  loss  of  the 
English  was  about  10,000,  besides  a 
great  many  prisoners— that  of  the 
Scots  was  4000.  The  Earl  of 
Gloucester,  nephew  of  Edward  II., 
fell  at  the  head  of  a  small  body  of 
cavalry,  in  endeavouring  to  stem  the 
tide  of  flight.  This  spot  is  still 
called  "The  Bloody  Folds."  Im- 
mense booty  was  left  behind  by  the 
utterly  routed  English,  and  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  victors. 

About  3  m.  to  the  S.  of  Bannock- 
burn is  Saitchiehurn,  the  scene  of 
another    battle    in    1488,    between 


James  III.  and  his  insurgent  nobles, 
headed  by  his  son,  afterwards  James 
IV.,  whose  forces  were  far  superior 
in  point  of  numbers,  and  the  king 
was  defeated.  He  fled  from  the  field 
wounded,  and  was  murdered  at  the 
village  of  Milton,  the  murderer  being 
supposed  to  be  Stirling  of  Keir.  The 
lane  down  Avhich  the  king's  horse 
ran  away  mth  him,  the  well,  stream, 
and  mill  (no  longer  used  as  such), 
which  gives  its  name  to  the  village, 
can  still  be  traced.  To  the  S.  is 
Bannockburn  House,  the  temporary 
headquarters  of  Charles  Edward  in 
1746.  The  village  of  Bannockburn 
has  a  brisk  trade  in  tartans. 

From  the  field  of  Bannockburn 
the  visitor  can  proceed  to  Stirling 
through  the  village  of  *S'^.  Ninians, 
or  St.  Ringan's  as  it  is  popularly 
called.  The  old  ch.  of  this  place 
was  used  by  the  Highlanders  in 
1745  as  a  powder  magazine  ;  but  an 
explosion  took  place,  and  the  centre 
of  the  building  was  blown  away. 
The  steeple  stands  at  one  end,  with 
part  of  the  chancel  at  the  other, 
and  a  new  ch.  has  been  built  at  the 
edge  of  the  churchyard.  The  vil- 
lage, which  is  employed  in  making 
nails,  consists  of  one  long  street  of 
poor  houses,  through  which  the  main 
road  passes. 

On  quitting  Bannockburn  Stat, 
the  rly.  crosses  the  Bannock. 

22  m.  Stirling,  Junct.  Stat.  [Inns  : 
Golden  Lion  ;  Royal  ;  Station  H.  ; 
Pop.  14,279),  stands  nobly  on  rising 
ground,  overlooking  the  river  Forth, 
"  that  bridles  the  wild  Highlander." 
The  town  is  built  on  the  slope  of  the 
hill,  whose  top,  a  projectiug  rock  of 
trap,  descends  on  one  side  in  a  black 
precipice,  and  is  occupied  by  the 
Castle,  resembling  in  this  respect  the 
situation  of  Edinburgh,  and  like  it, 
commanding,  on  a  clear  day,  one  of 
the  most  lovely  views  in  the  king- 
dom. 


C.Scotland,      Route  IS. — Stirling:  Greyfriars  Church.      163 


As  the  "grey  bulwark  of  the 
North,"  the  key  of  the  main  passage 
between  the  IST.  and  S.  of  Scotland, 
at  no  period  of  Scottish  history  can 
it  be  said  that  Stirling  was  not  an 
object  of  the  highest  interest,  and  in 
no  war  was  it  not  one  of  contention. 
It  was  the  last  place  in  all  Scotland 
that  held  out  against  Edward  I., 
who  laid  siege  to  it  in  person,  1304, 
when  65  years  old.  He  was  repeatedly 
hit  by  the  engines  from  witliin,  and 
when  the  garrison,  which  under 
Oliphant  had  resisted  obstinately  the 
whole  force  of  England,  suiTendered, 
they  amounted  to  only  140  men.  The 
king,  who  was  prouder  of  its  capture 
than  of  any  other  success  in  the  war, 
treated  them  Avith  unusual  leniency. 
It  was  in  order  to  raise  the  siege  of 
Stilling  10  years  later  that  his  suc- 
cessor hazarded  the  fatal  fight  of 
Bannockburn.  In  the  time  of  the 
Stuarts  it  became  one  of  the  king's 
residences.  But,  as  at  HoljTood,  it 
was  not  till  the  reign  of  James  V. 
that  any  separate  building  was  set 
apart  for  the  Royal  family.  Then 
the  "palace"  w^as  built,  the  fort 
itself  having  served  as  the  abode  of 
his  predecessors.  The  last  occasions 
on  which  Stirling  suffered  the  horrors 
of  war  was  when  taken  by  Gen.  Monk 
in  1651,  and  again  when  threatened 
by  Prince  Charles  Edward  in  1746, 
though  he  failed  to  reduce  the  castle. 

Ascending  the  steep  streets  from 
the  station,  which  is  at  the  bottom  of 
the  town,  the  first  object  of  interest 
is  the  *Greijfria7'S  Church,  a  fine 
Gothic  building,  founded  by  James 
IV.  in  1494,  standing  at  one  end  of 
the  Castle  Hill.  It  has  a  high- 
pitched  roof,  and  a  plain  square 
battlemented  tower  at  its  W.  end,  a 
prominent  object  in  the  view  for 
miles  around.  The  nave  is  low,  with 
round  piers,  the  centi'e  and  side  aisles 
vaulted,  and  has  some  good  windows 
of  a  Dec.  character.  The  chancel 
was  built  by  Cardinal  Beaton,  at  a 
later    date    than    the    rest    of    the 


ch.  It  is  loftier  than  the  nave, 
and  is  far  the  finest  part,  of  elegant 
proportions  and  details.  It  con- 
sists of  3  bays  with  aisles,  the  E. 
end  being  semi-octagonal  with  an 
elaborate  stone  roof.  Notice  the  fine 
E.  window,  in  Avhich  "  the  long 
thin  shafts,  extending  through  the 
whole  length,  instead  of  diverging 
into  wavy  or  geometrical  figiu'es,  and 
the  transoms  crossing  them  at  right 
angles,  are  certainly  types  of  the 
latest  age,  called  the  Perpendicular  ; 
but  the  arch,  undepressed,  preserves 
the  old  majestic  form  of  the  Pointed 
and  Decorated  styles,  and  the  clus- 
terings and  mouldings  are  of  that 
strong  massive  character  that  marks 
the  undegenerate  Gothic. " — Billings. 
In  thisch.,  1543,  Mary  was  crowned 
at  the  age  of  8  months  ;  here,  too,  iu 
the  same  year,  the  Earl  of  Arran,  the 
Regent  of  the  kingdom,  renounced 
the  Reformed  religion.  In  1567  James 
VI.  was  crowned  in  this  ch.  when  a 
year  old,  the  sermon  on  the  occasion 
being  preached  by  John  Knox.  At 
the  Reformation  it  was  divided  into 
the  E.  and  W.  churches. 

There  is  an  Episcopal  Ch.,  a  good 
modern  Gothic  building,  near  the 
Stat. 

The  Valley  between  the  Grey- 
friars Ch.  and  the  castle  used  to 
be  devoted  to  tournaments  and  other 
sports.  It  is  now  occupied  by  a 
Cemetery,  laid  out  as  a  public  gar- 
den, and  contains  various  statues, 
by  Ritchie,  of  Scottish  people  fa- 
mous in  the  annals  of  religion,  in- 
cluding a  MartjT's  monument  in  a 
glass  case. 

The  Ladies'  Rock,  formerly  the 
chief  place  for  vie"\AT.ng  the  games, 
now  occupied  by  seats,  is  one  of  the 
best  points  for  enjojung  the  egre- 
giously  noble  vieio.  It  embraces  the 
folloAving  peaks  of  the  Grampian 
Range  :  on  the  N.  Ben  Lomond,  Ben 
Venue,  Ben  Ledi,  Ben  Voiiiich  on  the 
horizon,  the  windings  of  the  Forth 
just  below,  and  the  wide  expanse  of 


164 


Boute  18. —Stirling:  Mar's  JFork. 


Sect.  II. 


fertile  land  known  as  the  "  Carse 
of  Stirling,"  making  a  rare  combina- 
tion of  natural  beauty.  Below  are 
the  Castle  of  Doune  and  the  Bridge 
of  Allan.  To  the  N.  E.  are  the  Ochil 
Hills  bounding  the  view  on  that  side. 
Over  the  King's  Mote  appears  the 
undulating  Field  of  Bannockburn, 
with  the  Gillies'  Hill.  Close  below  is 
"the  Heading  Hill,"  the  place  of 
public  executions — 

"the  sad  and  fatal  mound, 
That  oft  has  heard  the  death-axe  sound, 
As  on  the  nobles  of  the  land 
Fell  the  stern  headsman's  bloody  hand." 
Lady  of  the  Lake. 

In  mid-distance  rises  the  Ahhey 
Craig,  a  gi'eenstone  rock  some  560 
ft.  in  height,  surmounted  by  the 
monument  erected  in  honour  of 
Wallace,  a  most  ugly,  meaning- 
less, and  contemptible  monument. 
A  subscription  ought  to  be  raised 
to  pull  it  down,  for  it  destroys 
the  picturesque  effect  of  the  black 
crag  on  which  it  has  perched 
itself.  In  front  of  it,  on  a  tongue  of 
land  nearly  suiTounded  by  a  curve  of 
the  Forth,  Wallace  posted  his  army, 
and  here  defeated  the  English  under 
the  Earl  Warenne  in  1297.  Allow- 
ing half  of  their  force  to  cross  the 
river  by  the  narrow  bridge,  he  seized 
it  and  cut  them  off. 

Then  comes  the  Forth,  whose  Avinds 
and  turns,  forming  the  ' '  Links  of 
Forth  "  (Etc.  15),  can  be  followed 
down  to  the  Firth,  with  the  solitary 
tower  of  Cambuskenneth  Abbey  rising 
grandly  from  its  banks,  together  with. 
the  eminence  of  Craigforth. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  hill  may  still 
be  traced  in  the  turf  the  old  gardens 
of  the  kings,  the  Round  Table  called 
the  King's  Knot,  the  space  for  tilting, 
alluded  to  by  Lindsay  of  the  Mount, 
the  friend  of  James  Y .  — 

"  Adieu,  fair  Snawdon,    with   thy  towers 
high, 
Thy    Chapel    Royal,    Tark,    and   Table 
Round." 

Not  far  from  the  Grey  friars  Ch., 


at  the  end  of  Broad-st. ,  is  a  singular 
fragment  of  Scottish  domestic  archi- 
tecture, never  finished,  called  "Mar's 
Work," — the  front  of  which  is  in 
Castle-A^-ynd.  Over  the  main  en- 
trance are  the  Royal  arms,  flanked 
by  those  of  Mar  and  his  Countess,  of 
the  date  1570.  It  is  said  that  the 
building  was  erected  with  the  ma- 
terials of  Cambuskenneth  Abbey. 
The  architect  finds  slight  evidence 
of  this  in  the  masonry  or  mouldings, 
which  are  all  of  a  later  style.  The 
architecture  is  an  uncouth  sort  of 
Renaissance,  with  enriched  pedi- 
ments and  scrolls  over  the  windows 
and  doors,  and  statues  or  pilasters 
projecting  from  the  walls.  A  little 
higher  up  Castle-wynd,  and  on  the 
right,  is  Argyll's  Lodging,  now  the 
]\lilitary  Hospital.  Its  round  turrets, 
surmounted  by  pinnacles,  as  well  as 
its  ornamented  windows  (date  1632), 
give  it  a  very  picturesque  appear- 
ance. 

Here  it  was  that  the  Duke  of  York, 
afterwards  James  YIL,  stayed  with 
the  Marquis  of  Argyll,  not  long 
before  his  execution  at  Edinburgh  in 
1661. 

On  the  N.  side  of  the  high  ground 
stands  the  Qastle,  very  grand  in  its 
commanding  position,  but  the  inte- 
rior is  very  disappointing.  At  the 
entrance  on  left  is  Queen  Anne's 
flanking  battery,  just  opposite  the 
breach  made  by  Gen.  Monk.  Pass- 
ing into  the  1st  quadrangle,  on  right, 
much  modernised,  is  the  Parliavunt 
House,  now  converted  into  a  barrack. 
A  few  of  the  old  windows  still  remain 
at  the  W.  end. 

The  inner  quadrangle  is  the  palace 
founded  by  James  Y.,  and  contains  a 
statue  of  the  founder  in  the  S.W. 
angle.  Passing  through  one  side  of 
the  quadrangle  into  a  small  garden, 
the  visitor  is  conducted  up  a  flight  of 
steps  to  the  Douglas  room,  or  rather 
to  a  good  imitation  of  it,  the  original 
haA-ing  been  burnt  in  1856.  It  has 
a  carved  wooden  ceiling.  It  was  in 
this  room  that  the  foul  murder  of 


Stirling. 


Route  19. — Glasgow  to  Loch  Lomond. 


165 


"William,  Earl  of  Douglas,  by  James 
II.,  took  place.  Douglas  had  refused 
to  abandon  the  associates  with  whom 
he  had  conspired,  or  to  break  the 
league  with  them.  "  Then,  by  God  ! " 
said  the  king,  "if  you  will  not  break 
the  bond,  this  shall,"  and  stabbed 
him  to  the  heart.  The  courtiers  then 
rushed  in,  and  threw  the  Earl  out  of 
the  window,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  he  was  buiied  where  he  fell. 
In  1797,  during  some  alterations,  a 
skeleton,  believed  to  be  his,  was  found 
in  the  garden.  From  this  room  is 
a  subterranean  passage  leading  into 
Ballangeich  (the  "windy  pass"),  a 
narrow  path  much  used  by  James  V. , 
and  from  which  he  gave  himself  the 
name  of  "the  Gudeman  of  Ballan- 
geich," when  he  wanted  an  alias. 
The  path  leads  into  the  town,  and  the 
adventures  which  he  met  with  were 
frequently  dangerous,  and  seldom 
very  creditable.  Several  of  them  are 
told  in  Scott's  "Tales  of  a  Grand- 
father." The  chapel  royal,  long  an 
armoury,  is  now  a  school.  TJie  rkw 
from  the  battlements  of  the  castle  is 
in   its    way    perfect    {see   preceding 


1  m.  from  Stirling,  crossing  the 
bridge  or  ferry,  are  the  tall  tower  and 
rains  of  the  Abbey  of  Cambuskenneth 
(Kte.  15.) 

The  old  Bridge  of  Stirling,  long 
the  only  access  to  the  N.  from  the 
S.,  is  of  very  great  antiquity.  Over 
its  centre  arch  Archbp.  Hamilton  was 
hanged  in  1571,  for  participation  in 
the  murder  of  the  Regent  Moray, 
shot  at  Linlithgow.  The  river  is 
now  crossed  by  a  modern  bridge  of 
5  arches,  as  well  as  by  2  railway 
bridges. 

For  a  more  comprehensive  view 
over  the  country,  the  pedestrian  is 
recommended  to  ascend  Dunmyat, 
the  nearest  point  of  the  Ochils,  pass- 
ing through  Logie  village.  For  a 
brief  description  of  these  hills,  see 
Ete.  42. 


EXCUESIONS  FROM  STIRLING. 

a.  To  CaUander  and  Trossachs  and 
L.  Katrine  (Rte.  33). 

b.  Alloa,  Dollar,  Ruins  of  Castle 
Campbell  and  Gorge  leading  up  to  it, 
and  Rumbling  Bridge.  (Rte.  42.) 
Glen  of  Alva. 

c.  Bridge  of  Allan  and  Dunblane. 
(Rte.  33.) 

d.  Bannockburn.     (Rte.  18.) 

e.  Lake  of  Menteith  and  Aberfoyle. 
(Rte.  32.) 

Railways.  —  By    North    British  ■ 
Edinburgh,   36  m.  ;    Glasgow,   29^ 
Dunfei-mline,   21  ;    Alloa,   7  ;    Rum 
bling  Bridge,   17.     By  Caledonian 
Callander,    16    m.  ;     Dunblane,    5 
Bridge    of    Allan,    3  ;     Perth,    33 , 
Bannockburn,  2^;  Falkirk,  11.     By 
Forth    and    Clyde    Rly.  :     Balloch, 
20  m. 

Distances. — Aberfoyle,  21^  m.  ; 
Castle  Campbell,  13 ;  Cambusken- 
neth, 1  ;  Lake  of  Menteith,  17^  ; 
Logie  Kirk,  3. 


ROUTE   19. 

Glasgow  to  Loch.  Lomond  and 
Tarbet,  by  Dnnabarton  and  Bal- 
loch [Helensburgh,  GarelochJ 
(Rail). 

5  trains  daily — 4  to  4^  hrs.  are  re- 
quired to  the  head  of  Loch  Lomond, 
taking  steamboat  at  Balloch. 

Quitting  Glasgow  by  the  Queen- 
st.  Stat.,  the  railway  at  Cowlairs 
Stat,  turns  west,  and  makes  a  wide 
sweep  through  the  country,  returning 
to  the  outskirts  of  Glasgow  at 

41  m.  Maryhill  Stat.  The  Kel- 
vin valley  is  here  crossed  by  the 
Forth  and  Clyde  Canal  on  an  aque- 
duct of  4  arches.  Descending  by 
a  series  of  locks,  the  Canal  runs 
side  by  side  with  the  Rly.  as  far  as 
Bowling.      Right    is    Garscube   (Sir 


166 


Route  1 9. — Dumhirton. 


Sect.  II. 


Geo.  Campbell,  Bt.)  in  picturesque 
grounds,  containing  a  good  collection 
of  paintings,  Italian  and  Nether- 
landish. Gcmdenzio  Ferrari — A  Holy 
Family.  Giacomo  Francia — Vii'gin 
and  Child,  with  St.  Francis. 

Palrtm  Giovani. — The  Entomb- 
ment. Moretto  —  The  Virgin;  en- 
throned, with  Saints  Augustin,  Ste- 
phen, and  La^vrence.     At 

10  m.  Dahiiuir  Stat,  the  Clj'-de  is 
reached,  and  the  Rly.  nms  beside  it 
to  Dumbarton. 

Et.,  at  KiljyatricJc,  St.  Patrick  is 
stated  by  the  best  authorities  to  have 
been  born,  his  father  being  in  the 
Eoman  service,  and  having  the  care 
of  part  of  the  "Wall  of  Antoninus. 
Thence  it  is  evident  that  he  was  not 
an  Irishman.  The  S.  bank  of  the 
Clyde  is  flat  when  compared  A^ith 
the  N.,  though  it  is  well  wooded  and 
adorned  with  fine  seats,  such  as 
Erskine  House  (Lord  Blantyi'e). 

On  the  toj)  of  a  hill  on  left  is  an 
obelisk  to  the  late  Lord  Blantyre, 
who,  after  passing  safely  through  the 
Peninsular  War,  was  accidentally  shot 
in  the  eriuittc  at  Brussels  in  1830. 

Rt.  +  Bowling  Stat.  {Inn :  Suth- 
erland Arms),  a  cheerful  and  busy- 
looking  village,  where  the  steam- 
boat passenger  can  join  the  rly.  to 
Dumbarton  and  Balloch  for  Loch 
Lomond.  The  Forth  and  Clyde 
Canal,  connecting  two  seas  by  these 
two  rivers,  here  joins  the  Clyde,  and 
there  is  a  large  enclosed  dock,  where 
invalid  steamers,  and  yachts  which 
are  laid  up  for  the  winter,  are  usually^ 
kept.  The  canal  follows  nearly  the 
line  of  the  Roman  Wall,  is  38  m.  in 
length,  and  includes  39  locks,  with 
a  rise  of  156  ft.  from  the  sea  to  the 
summit  level.  It  was  one  of  Smeaton's 
works,  and  was,  for  those  days,  a 
triumph  of  engineering  skill,  the 
country  through  which  it  was  carried 
abounding  in  deep  valleys  and  dells. 
It  still  pays  6|  per  cent.    Right,  just 

t  Denotes  Piers  at  which  steamers  touch. 
Kt.  and  L.  refer  to  the  river  bauks. 


below  Bowling,  is  Dunglass,  Point, 
with  the  ivy- covered  ruins  of  Dun- 
glass  Castle ;  in  front  of  which  stands 
the  insignificant  obelisk  raised  to  the 
memory  of  Henry  Bell,  who  first 
introduced  steam  navigation  into 
Britain,  having  launched  upon  the 
Clyde  in  1812  the  "  Comet"  steamer, 
with  an  engine  of  3 -horse  power. 
Here  was  the  termination  of  Anto- 
ninus's  Wall,  which  extended  from 
the  Forth  to  the  Clyde,  and  which  is 
seen  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Castle- 
cary  and  Falkirk  (Rte.  16).  It  was 
originally  built  by  Agricola,  A.D.  81, 
and  repaired  by  Antoninus,  a.d.  140. 
Locally  it  is  known  as  Graemes  Dyke. 
16  m.  "^^ Dumbarton  Junct.  Stat., 
a  thriving  but  dirty  town  {Iivii  : 
Elephant,  in  the  High-street),  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Leven,  which  here 
enters  the  Clyde  at  the  base  of  the  castle 
rock,  having  once  flowed  on  both  sides 
of  it.  Part  of  the  disused  N.  channel, 
now  a  pool,  flanks  the  Stat.  Dum- 
barton is  great  in  shipbuilding.  Pop. 
11,404.  A  steamboat  Pier  was  thrown 
out  into  the  Clyde  from  the  foot  of 
castle  rock,  1874.  1  m.  below  the 
town  rises  abruptly  from  the  water's 
edge  the  picturesque  bifid  rock  of 
basalt,  crowned  by  the  tower  of  the 
Castle,  one  of  the  chief  national  fort- 
resses of  Scotland,  and  as  such 
ordered  to  be  maintained  by  the  Act 
of  Union.  In  old  times  it  com- 
manded an  important  pass  into  the 
Highlands,  and  preserved  an  opening 
by  sea  with  France  or  other  foreign 
lands.  From  it  the  infant  Queen 
]Mary  was  smuggled  on  board  the 
French  fleet,  which,  to  elude  the 
English  cruisers  of  Henry  VIII.,  had 
sailed  round  by  the  'Pentland  Firth 
to  receive  her,  and  safely  landed  her 
at  Brest,  1548.  Now  the  Castle  is  of 
slight  strength.  It  is  occupied  by  a 
few  gunners  and  invalids  to  guard  a 
powder  magazine.  Its  very  name. 
Dun  Breton,  marks  its  antiquity ;  it 
is  probably  the  Balclutha  of  Ossian, 
and  Bede  calls  it  Alcluyth.  The 
town  was  capital  of  the  British  kings 


C.  Scotland.     Route  19. — Dumbarton;  Helensburgh. 


167 


from  4th  to  7th  centy.,  and  hence 
the  kingdom  of  Cumbria  was  often 
called  Strathclyde. 

The  Castle  is  nearly  a  mile  from 
the  Stat.  Turning  1.  down  Church- 
st.,  passing  1.  the  Academy,  sur- 
mounted by  a  preposterously  tall 
tower,  and  rt.  a  detached  Arch, 
taken  from  the  destroyed  Ch.  of  St. 
Michael,  then  skirting  the  high  en- 
closing wall  of  Denny's  ShiphuilcUng 
Yard,  where  1000  workmen  are  em- 
ployed, you  reach 

The  Castle,  consisting  of  a  group  of 
modern  baiTacks,  which  now  occupy 
the  hollow  of  the  hill.  There  are 
scanty  remains  of  antiquity.  A  flight 
of  steps,  within  the  cleft  which  divides 
the  two  peaks  of  rock,  leads  through 
an  ancient  pointed  Gothic  Archway, 
grooved  for  a  portcullis,  to  the  sum- 
mit, 280  ft.  above  the  Clyde,  whence 
is  a  beautiful  view  N.  over  the  moun- 
tains around  Loch  Lomond,  and  S. 
and  W.  over  the  Clyde  Estuary.  On 
the  way  up  may  be  seen  a  room  once 
filled  ^\dth  arms,  wherein  is  deposited 
a  two-handed  sword,  said  to  be  Wal- 
lace's (?),  of  which  Campbell  wrote — 

"  For  his  lance  never  shiver'd  on  helmet  or 

shield, 
And  the  sword  that  was  fit  for  archangel 

to  ^^^eld 
Was  light  in  his  terrible  hand  ! " 

Proof,  however,  is  wanting  that  Wal- 
lace ever  was  here,  though  his  captor. 
Sir  John  Menteith,  was  governor  of 
Dumbarton  ;  AVallace  was  taken  at 
Glasgow,  and  sent  off  at  once  to 
Jjondon. 

Steep  and  inaccessible  as  Dumbar- 
ton rock  may  appear,  it  was  yet 
scaled,  1571,  by  100  men,  under 
Crawford  of  Jordanhill,  who,  led  by 
a  guide  who  had  been  sentry  in  the 
castle,  ap]3roached  the  foot  of  the 
rock  at  dead  of  night,  furnished  with 
scaling  ladders,  ropes,  and  iron  cram- 
pons, at  the  spot  where  at  present 
stands  a  small  cottage.  Hauling  one 
another  up,  and  gaining  a  precarious 
footing  in  ledges  and  cracks,  they 
succeeded  in  surprising  the  garrison, 


turned  their  guns  against  them,  and 
with  a  slaughter  of  4  won  the  castle 
for  James  VI.  In  it  was  taken  John 
Hamilton,  Archbp.  of  St.  Andrews, 
a  partisan  of  Queen  Mary.  He  was 
hung  at  Stirling  4  days  after  for  his 
complicity  in  the  murders  of  Darnley 
and  Eegent  Moray. 


[Dumbarton  to  Helensburgh  and 
Gavcloch. 

From  Dumbarton  a  charming  diver- 
sion can  be  made  by  branch  rail  to 
Helensburgh,  and  thence  to  Gareloch- 
head.  The  Ely.  passes 
-  3^  m.,  Cardross  Stat.  The  grand- 
father of  Macaulay  the  historian  was 
nwnister  here,  1774-89.  On  the  hill- 
side, 1  m,  above  the  stat.,  is  the 
keep-tower  of  the  Castle  of  Kilma- 
hew,  and  near  it,  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  glen,  the  handsome  modern  house 
of  Kilmalieio  (Jas.  Burns,  Esq.),  in 
a  fine  situation,  in  the  old  Scottish 
style  of  domestic  architecture.  It 
commands  a  lovely  view,  and  its 
grounds  reach  to  the  waterside.  Kil- 
viaheio  CJiapel  is  a  small  Gothic 
building,  which  is  known  to  have 
been  consecrated.  May  10, 1467,  to  St. 
Mahew,  a  comjianion  of  St.  Patrick. 
Nearly  above  the  tnnnel  is  the  site, 
mai-ked  by  a  tuft  of  trees,  of  Cardross 
Castle,  where  King  Robert  the  Bruce 
died,  1329. 

The  line  of  coast  is  ornamented 
with  pretty  residences,  and  a  fine 
view  of  the  Argyleshire  mountains 
opens  out  (rt, )  as  the  line  approaches 

8  m.  t  Helensburgh  Terminus 
{Inn :  Queen's  Hotel,  10  min.  walk 
from  Stat. ),  a  pleasant  watering-place, 
very  popular  with  the  good  people  of 
Glasgow.  It  acquired  its  name  from 
the  wife  of  Sir  James  Colquhoun  of 
Luss,  on  whose  property  it  is  built. 

It  is  a  row  of  villas,  shops,  and 
small  lodging-houses,  stretching  a 
mile  along  the  shore,  with  a  pier  in 
the  centre,  near  which  is  an  Obelisk 
in  memory  of  Henry  Bell,  Avho  first 
navigated  the  Clyde  by  steam. 


168     Route  19. — Roseneatk  ;  Garelocli :  Dumbarton.     Sect.  II. 


The  town  straggles  up  the  hill  in 
streets  at  right  angles,  some  of  the 
square  plots  being  occupied  by  hand- 
some detached  villas. 

There  is  an  EjjiscojmI  Church,  and 
several  other  churches. 

Steamers  to  Greenock,  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Clyde,  6  times  a  day 
— to  the  head  of  the  Garelocli ;  to 
Arrochar,  at  the  head  of  Loch  Long ; 
to  Glasgow  and  down  the  Clyde  fre- 
quently. 

Helensburgh  is  situated  close  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Gareloch,  an  arm 
of  the  sea  running  N.  inland  for 
about  8  m.,  amidst  very  charming 
scenery,  although  not  so  grand  as 
that  of  the  neighbouring  Lochs  Long 
and  Goil.  \  m.  from  Helensburgii, 
at  the  angle  where  Gareloch  opens,  on 
the  E.  shore,  are  Ardincaple  Castle 
(Sir  James  Colquhoun) '  and  the  sub- 
sidiary %^llage  of  Ptow  (in  the  ch.  -j^-ard 
of  which  Henry  Bell,  the  steamboat 
projector,  is  buried,  with  a  monu- 
ment). 

3  m.  Eow  {PiUe,  a  promontory),  (a 
small  inn  at  the  Ferry)  is  by  far  the 
most  select  and  genteel  of  the  Clyde 
watering-places.  Here  are  some  ele- 
gant villas  and  permanent  residences, 
not  let  as  lodgings,  the  gardens  of 
which  are  beautifully  kept,  the  cli- 
mate being  mild  and  favourable  for 
horticulture.  Rowmore  (Mrs.  Young) 
and  Armadale  (Mrs.  John  Hamilton) 
are  the  most  noticeable.  In  fact,  it 
is  a  series  of  villas  all  the  way  to 
Ga.relochhead — such  as  Blairvadoch, 
Shandon  (J,  Jamieson,  Esq.),  West 
Shandon  (Robt.  Napier,  Esq.),  a 
fantastic  castle  containing  a  very  fine 
Museum  of  works  of  art,  which  has 
terraces  down  to  the  loch-side. 

Roseneath,  a  beautiful  seat  of  the 
Duke  of  Argyll,  an  Italian  mansion, 
begun  by  an  extravagant  Duke  of 
A.  1803,  but  never  finished,  occupies 
the  best  part  of  the  peninsula  between 
Gareloch  and  Loch  Long  on  the  W. 
bank,  and  is  worth  a  visit.  It  may 
be  reached  by  Feny  from  Rue,  or  by 
one  of  the   many   steamers,    in   20 


min.  from  Helensburgh,  crossing  the 
deep  and  sheltered  roadstead  at  the 
mouth  of  Gareloch,  where  many 
large  steamers  and  the  "  Cumber- 
land "  training-ship  lie.  About  \ 
m.  from  the  Ferry  Inn  lies  the  small 
hamlet  of  Roseneath  with  its  modern 
Gothic  church.  Close  to  the  old  ch. 
is  a  shady  grove  of  yews,  called  the 
Bishop'' s  JValk,  and  following  the  road 
to  Roseneath  House  and  Kilcreggan 
(Rte.  30),  a  gate  flanked  by  2  stone 
pillars  leads  to  a  group  of  Silver  firs, 
prodigies  of  growth,  hardly  to  be 
matched  elsewhere. 

From  iGarclocJihead,  a  consider- 
able village  with  many  villas  and 
good  Inn,  steamers  to  and  from 
Glasgow  and  Greenock  3  or  4  times  a 
day  touch  at  the  pier. 

It  is  a  charming  walk  of  1 1  m.  from 
Garelochhead  to  Loch  Long,  crossing 
the  hill,  which  commands  exquisite 
views  of  the  loch,  together  with  Loch 
Goil,  and  the  Castle  of  Cari-ick  keeping 
guard  over  the  diverging  waters  ;  and, 
a  little  lower  down,  of  the  prettily 
sheltered  house  of  Glenfinnart  (Edw. 
Caird,  Esq.),  and  Ardentinny  (Gen. 
Sir  John  Douglas),  celebrated  in  the 
verses  of  Tannahill.  From  Portin- 
caple  there  is  a  ferry  to  the  opposite 
side. 

Garelochhead  is  10  m.  from  Arro- 
char (Rtes.  30  and  31),  and  8  m. 
from  Helensburgh  ;  but  the  pedes- 
trian may  vary  his  return  thither 
through  Glenfruin—^  splendid  walk 
of  about  11  m.  to  Luss,  in  which 
he  will  gain  views  of  the  lower 
part  of  Loch  Lomond.] 


Dumbarton  to  Loch  Lomond. 
Leaving  Du.mbarton  Junct.  (Rte. 
31),  the  train  passes 

16^  m.  Dalreoch  Stat,  on  the  bank 
of  the  Leven. 

18  m.  Benton  Stat.,  a  flourishing 
village  occupied  by  print  and  bleach- 
ing works.     The  traveller  is  for  the 


C.Scotland.     Route  l^. — Alexandria:  Loch  Lomond.       169 


present  in  the  regions  made  classic 
by  the  genius  of  Smollett,  whose 
family  were  natives  of  this  district, 
and  indeed  the  village  of  Eenton  was 
so  called  from  a  lady  mentioned  in 
"Humphrey  Clinker."  A  little  to 
the  S.  is  Dalquliarn  (pronounced 
Dal  harn,  qu  mute),  where  Tobias 
Smollett  was  born.  His  monument, 
consisting  of  a  stone  pillar  sur- 
mounted by  an  urn,  with  a  Latin 
inscription  on  the  face  of  it  by  Dr. 
Johnson,  stands  in  front  of  the 
School  of  Eenton.  In  the  present 
state  of  the  populous  and  lurid 
valley  and  the  tainted  river  there  is 
little  to  remind  us  of  his  Ode  to  the 
Leven, — 

"  Pure  stream  in  whose  transparent  wave, 
My  youthful  limbs  I  wont  to  lave  .   .  . 
Devolving  from  thy  parent  lake, 
A  channing  maze  thy  waters  make, 
By  bowers  of  birch  and  groves  of  pine. 
And  hedges  flowered  with  eglantine." 

Here  are  the  colossal  dye-works  of 
Stirling  and  Buchanan,  established 
1728. 


19  m.  Alexandria,  Stat. — One  of 
several  villages  that  have  arisen  on 
the  banks  of  the  Leven  since  1728- 
1768 — has  a  large  trade  in  bleaching, 
dyeing,  and  printing.  The  pastoral 
vale  of  Smollett  is  now  teeming  with 
an  immense  industry  in  bleaching, 
dyeing  (Turkey  red),  and  printing 
calico,  carried  on  by  the  Stirlings, 
OiT  Swings,  and  Todds.  Alexandria 
was  so  called  by  the  Smollett  family, 
from  Alexander  Telfer  S.  Within 
the  memory  of  persons  still  living  it 
consisted  of  only  one  gTocer's  shop, 
and  it  is  as  well  known  now  by  its 
local  name  of  "  the  gi'ocery  "  as  it  is 
by  that  of  Alexandria.  A  bridge  over 
the  Leven  connects  Alexandria  with 
the  manufacturing  village  of  Bonhill. 
B.  House,  the  residence  of  A.Smollett, 
Esq.,  a  member  of  the  same  family. 
Passing  1.  Tillichewan  Castle  (James 
Campbell,  Esq.),  a  modern  edifice, 
the  train  arrives  at 

[Scotland.]  • 


+  Balloch  Junct.  Stat.  (Ete.  22), 
on  the  shore  of  Loch  Lomond,  in 
view  of  Ben  Lomond,  is  close  to  the 
pier,  upon  which  the  train  is  run. 
Here  the  tourist  can  betake  himself 
on  board  the  Loch  Lomond  steamer. 
The  Leven  is  here  crossed  by  a 
suspension  bridge  (toll  Id.),  on  the 
other  side  of  which  is  the  Balloch 
Hotel  (good). 

PMihvay  to  Stirling  (Rte.  22). 

Steamers  3  times  a  day  to  Tarbet 
and  Inversnaid  in  summer ;  less  often 
to  Ardlui.  There  is  a  Eestaurant  on 
board,  at  which  you  can  breakfast  or 
dine  fairly  well.  Pier  dues  on  land- 
ing, 2d. 

^^  Loch  Lomond  is  unquestionably 
the  pride  of  our  lakes — incomparable 
in  its  beauty  as  in  its  dimensions, 
exceeding  all  others  in  variety  as  it 
does  in  extent  and  sjilendour,  and 
uniting  in  itself  every  style  of 
scenery  which  is  found  in  the  other 
lakes  of  the  Highlands.  As  with 
regard  to  its  superiority  over  all 
others  there  can  be  no  question,  so 
in  the  highly  contrasted  characters 
of  its  upper  and  lower  portions  it 
offers  points  of  comparison  with  the 
whole- — with  all  those  at  least  which 
possess  any  picturesque  beauty — for 
it  has  no  blank.  Nor  do  I  think 
that  I  overrate  its  richness  in  scenery 
when  I  say  that  if  Loch  Achray  and 
Loch  Katrine  be  omitted,  it  presents 
numerically  more  pictures  than  all 
the  lakes  of  the  Highlands  united." 
— Mcccculloch. 

It  is  the  largest  fresh  water  lake  in 
Britain.  From  Balloch  to  Ardlui 
its  extreme  length  is  24  m.,  and  its 
greatest  breadth,  at  the  south  end 
from  Glenfruin  to  Endrick  Water, 
7  m.  It  contains  24  islands,  some 
of  which  are  of  considerable  size,  and 
by  their  craggy  and  wooded  features 
add  greatly  to  the  scenic  beauty  ; 
three  belong  to  Sir  George  Leith, 
and  the  rest  to  Sir  James  Colquhoun 

*  The  sign  (f)  denotes  a  landing- pier. 

I 


170 


Boute  19. — Loch  Lomond ;  Luss. 


Sect.  II. 


of  Luss,  or  the  Duke  of  Montrose. 
The  lower  portion  of  the  lake  freezes 
in  very  hard  winters,  but  never  above 
Tarbet,  between  which  and  Ben  Lo- 
mond the  depth  is  upwards  of  100 
fathoms. 

The  lower  end  of  the  lake,  which 
is  beautifully  wooded,  is  ornamented 
with  some  picturesque  residences. 
On  the  rt.,  Balloch  Castle  (A.  Dennis- 
toun-BroAvn,  Esq.),  and  the  remains 
of  the  old  castle  of  Balloch,  once  the 
property  of  the  Earls  of  Lennox. 
Higher  up  is  Boturich  Castle  (C.  B. 
Findlay,  Esq.),  occujiying  the  site  of 
the  old  seat  of  the  Lennox  family. 
On  the  1.  bank  are  Cameron  House 
(A.  Smollett,  Esq.),  Auchindennan 
(George  Martin,  Esq.),  and  Arden  (Sir 
James  Lumsden).  A  good  view  is 
obtained  of  the  forked  rock  of  Dum- 
bartoji,  nearly  due  S.  To  the  E.  is 
the  valley  of  the  Endrick,  where  the 
river  of  that  name  falls  into  the  lake. 
To  the  S.  of  its  embouchure  is  Boss 
Friory  (Sir  George  Leith,  Bart.), 
where  Sir  Walter  Scott  used  to  stay 
when  in  this  neighbourhood.  Li  the 
vale  of  the  Endrick,  also,  Napier  of 
Merchiston,  the  inventor  of  loga- 
rithms, passed  a  great  part  of  his  life. 

In  the  middle  of  the  lake  about 
this  point  is  Lich  Murrin,  the  largest 
and  most  southerly  island,  belonging 
to  the  Duke  of  Montrose,  who  keejis 
a  well-stocked  deer-forest  on  it,  though 
the  deer  are  only  of  the  fallow  kiiid. 
At  the  farthest  extremity  are  the 
ruins  of  Lennox  Castle,  to  which  the 
Duchess  of  Albany  retired  from  Doune 
Castle  after  her  husband  had  been 
executed  in  1424.  It  used  to  be  the 
practice  to  confine  insane  persons  and 
those  afflicted  with  drunkenness  on 
this  island  and  Inch  Lonaig. 

Arden  is  situated  at  the  entrance 
of  Glenfruin,  a  fine  though  triste- 
looking  glen  running  towards  Gare- 
loch.  It  acquired  a  sad  notoriety  in 
the  annals  of  the  Lennox,  as  this 
district  is  called,  from  the  battle  in 
which  the  M'Gregors  encountered 
the  clan  of  Colquhoun,  who  suffered 


sorely,  leaving  200  dead  upon  the 
field.  A  number  of  the  sons  of  the 
princij^al  families  in  the  Lennox  came 
to  look  on  at  the  battle,  and  were 
shut  up  in  a  barn  by  the  Colquhouns, 
where  they  were  all  treacherously 
murdered  by  the  M'Gregors.  The 
latter  accusation  was,  however,  de- 
nied by  the  M'Gi-egors,  who  in  the 
end  suffered  for  their  triumph.  Sixty 
widows  of  the  clan  Colquhoun  ap- 
peared before  James  VI.  at  Stirling, 
each  having  in  her  hand  the  bloody 
shirt  of  her  husband,  by  which  the 
king  was  so  moved  that  he  proscribed 
the  M'Gregors,  who  from  this  time 
forth  were  hunted  mercilessly  down. 

i  On  the  E.  Bank  is  Balmaha, 
where  the  steamer  calls.  Close  oppo- 
site the  pier  is  Inch  Caillach  (Island 
of  Old  Women),  because  a  nunnery 
formerly  existed  there.  It  is  cele- 
brated as  being  the  burying-place 
of  the  ]\I'Gregors,  who  often  swore 
"upon  the  Halidome  of  him  that 
sleeps  beneath  the  grey  stone  at  Inch 
Caillach."  Numerous  monuments 
belonging  to  that  family  still  remain, 
but  the  island  is  so  wooded  with  yew 
and  fir  that  they  are  not  to  be  seen 
from  the  water. 

"  The  shaft  and  limbs  were  rods  of  yew. 
Whose  parents  in  Inch  Caillach  wave 
Their  shadows  o'er  Clan  Alpine's  grave: 
And  answering  Lomond's  breezes  deep 
Soothe  many  a  chieftain's  endless  sleep." 
Lady  of  the  Lake,  c.  iii. 

The  steamer  now  steers  through  a 
group  of  islands,  the  principal  of 
which  are  Inch  Fad  (Long  Island), 
cultivated  and  farmed,  Inch  Croe,  Tor 
Inch,  Inch  Cruin,  Inch  Tavannach, 
Inch  Connachan,  and  Inch  lionaig, 
used  as  a  deer  park. 

"  All  the  fairy  crowds 
Of  islands,  which  together  lie 
As  quietly  as  spots  of  sky 

Among  the  evening  clouds." 

Wordsworth. 

t  Left,  Luss  pier  and  village,  with 
slate-quarries,  to  the  S.  of  which  is 
Bossdhu,  the   beautiful   seat  of  Sir 


C.Scotland.     Eoute  Id. — Rowardennan ;  Ben  Lomond.      171 


J.  Colqulioun,  the  owner  of  most  of 
this  side  of  the  loch.  His  predeces- 
sor was  drowned  in  the  lake  by  the 
upsetting  of  a  boat  overladen  with 
game,  1873.  There  is  a  tolerable />i?i 
at  Luss,  and  it  is  now  a  favourite 
watering-place. 

Glcnfinlas  opens  out  here,  run- 
ning in  a  parallel  direction  to  Glen- 
fruin  ;  and,  taking  the  lake  as  a 
whole,  this  is  perhaps  the  most 
lovely  portion  of  it. 

From  the  woods  of  Luss  the  privi- 
lege was  obtained  of  cutting  the  tim- 
ber for  the  erection  of  Glasgow  cathe- 
dral. There  is  a  good  road  from 
Luss  to  Helensburgh,  crossing  the 
opening  of  Glenfruin. 

There  is  a  ferry  across  the  lake 
from  Inveruglas  W.  to  E.  side  at 

i  Roivardcnnan  (comfortable  Inn), 
whence  the  ascent  of  Ben  Lomond, 
4  m.,  can  be  made  in  a  little  more 
than  2  hours,  with  all  convenience, 
the  path  being  so  gentle  that  those 
who  choose  can  ride  up  the  whole 
way.     Ponies  are  kept  at  the  Inn. 

The  beauty  of  Ben  Lomond  (3192 
ft.),  which  is  covered  with  grass  to 
the  top,  is  much  enhanced  by  con- 
trast ■s\ith  Ben  Arthur  (the  Cobbler) 
and  the  mountains  of  Arrochar  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  which 
have  steep  decli\dties  and  bare  rocky 
summits,  nearly  of  the  same  elevation. 
On  a  very  clear  day  the  view  from 
the  summit  is  magnificent,  and  it 
presents  the  spectator  with  a  wide 
panorama  over  the  S.  of  Scotland. 
On  the  N".  alone  is  the  view  limited 
by  the  jealous  barrier  of  the  Gram- 
pian hills,  but  on  the  other  side  it 
extends  from  the  horizon  of  St. 
George's  Channel  nearly  to  the  castle 
of  Edinburgh.  On  the  S.  arS  the 
wdndings  of  the  Clyde,  with  the  old 
rock  and  castle  of  Duml^arton,  frown- 
ing on  its  youthful  and  prosperous 
neighbour.  On  the  AV.  side  are  the 
hills  and  lakes  of  Argyllshire,  the 
island   of   Bute,    the    mountains   of 


Arran,  and  the  flat  country  of  Ayr- 
shire. On  the  E.  part  are  the  Camp- 
sie  hills,  and  the  vale  of  Menteith, 
backed  by 

" the  bulwark  of  the  North, 

Grey  Stirling  with  its  towers  and  town." 

Still  more  to  the  IST.  are  Loch 
Katrine  and  its  giant  guardians,  Ben 
Venue  and  Ben  Ledi — and  so,  from 
mountain  to  mountain,  the  eye  ranges 
over  the  sea  of  hills,  until  all  indi- 
viduality is  lost.  If  the  weather  is 
fine  and  clear  there  is  no  necessity 
for  a  guide,  but  if  it  is  at  all  uncer- 
tain, the  stranger  should  not  venture 
without  one. 

On  the  opposite  shore  W.,  5  m. 
higher  up,  is 

i  Tarbct  (*  Hotel :  M'Pherson's, 
with  a  garden  on  the  lake,  excellent, 
but  expensive).  8  m.  from  the  head 
of  the  loch,  in  a  charming  situation. 
W.  appears  the  fantastic  top  of  Ben 
Arthur  (the  Cobbler).  The  view  of 
Ben  Lomond  is  magnificent.  The 
ascent  (2i  hours),  although  made 
every  day,  and  by  no  means  difficult, 
is  not  quite  so  easy  as  that  from 
Kowardennan.  AVlien  once  over  the 
lake,  do  not  keep  straight  up,  but 
strike  through  the  woods  in  a  slant- 
ing direction  to  the  right  hahd,  until 
the  first  plateau  is  gained,  from  which 
the  way  lies  pretty  direct  to  the 
summit. 

Tarbet  is  2  m.  distant  from  Ar- 
rochar, at  the  head  of  Loch  Long, 
where  the  Glasgow  steamer  touches 
to  receive  passengers.  It  is  a  plea- 
sant walk  across  the  isthmus  to  Loch 
Long.  Coach  thither  and  to  Inveraray 
by  Glencroe  (Rte.  31). 

Continuing  up  the  lake,  which  is 
here  100  fathoms  deep,  the  steamer 
passes  on  right  Eob  Roy's  Prison, 
where  he  is  said  to  have  kept  his 
prisoners  till  he  had  extorted  suffi- 
cient ransom.  The  views  looking 
northward,  with  the  vista  of  Glen- 
falloch  are  very  beautiful,  although 
the  principal  objects,  Beii  Lomond 
and  the  Cobbler  are  now  left  behind. 


172 


Route  20. — Stirling  to  Inversnaid. 


Sect.  II. 


rt.  t  Inversnaid  {Inn*  good  ;  the 
river  Arklet  forms  a  pretty  waterfall 
just  behind  it,  alluded  to  by  Words- 
worth in  his  poem,  "  The  Highland 
Girl." 

Here  the  routes  from  the  Trossachs 
and  Loch  Katiine  (Ete.  21),  and  from 
Aberfoyle  (Rte.  29)  fall  in.  Steamers 
touch  here  3  times  a  day,  going  up 
and  down  the  lake,  in  summer. 
Coaches  convey  passengers  to  and 
from  Inversnaid  to  Stronachlachar  Inn 
on  Loch  Katrine,  corresponding  with 
the  steamers  on  the  two  lakes  (Rte.  33). 

Higher  up  on  right  is  Rob  Roy's 
Cave,  marked  by  two  circles  painted 
on  the  face  of  the  rock.  The  head 
of  the  Cobbler  Mountain  appears  on 
the  W. 

A  road  runs  from  Tarbet  along 
the  W.  side  of  the  lake  to  Ardlui, 
passing  a  cleft  or  fissure  in  the  rock 
where  the  minister  of  AiTochar  is 
sometimes  accustomed  to  preach  to 
the  outlying  members  of  his  parish. 
The  upper  part  of  the  lake  is  shallow, 
from  the  river  deposits  in  it. 

i  Ardlui  Pier  (2d.)  (8  m.  from  Tar- 
bet) is  the  highest  point  to  which 
the  steamers  go,  although  a  canal 
(not  used  now)  was  cut  by  the  Marquis 
of  Breadalbane  to  enable  them  to 
proceed  to 

Inverarnan  Hotel,  whence  coaches 
start  twice  a  day  in  summer  :  1.  to 
Tyndrum  RIy.  Stat.,  whence,  until 
the  Rly.  is  open,  other  coaches  go  to 
Dalmally,  TaynuHt,  Oban  (Rte.  34); 
2.  From  Tyndram  to  Inveroran, 
King's  House,  Glencoe,  Ballachulish, 
and  Fort- William  (Rte.  34). 

The  road  to  Tyndrum  proceeds  up 
Glenfalloch  to  Crianlarich  Stat. ,  on  the 
Rly.  to  Killin,  whence  coaches  to  Tay- 
mouth  and  Aberfeldy  (Rte.  44).  Inn. 

At  Tyndrum  the  road  to  Glen- 
coe (Rte.  34)  separates  from  that  to 
Oban. 

Dalmally  {Inn).  Rte.  31.  Rly.  in 
progress. 

Oban,     Rte.  31. 


ROUTE  20. 

Stirling  to  Inversnaid,  by  Loch. 
Menteith.,  Aberfoyle,  and  Loch. 
Chon. 

The  traveller  leaves  Stirling  by 
the  Forth  and  Clyde  Rly.  (Rte.  22), 
arriving  at  the 

13  m.  Port  of  Monteith  Stat.,  from 
whence  a  conveyance  may  be  hired 
to  Loch  Menteith,  Aberfoyle,  and 
Inversnaid,  one  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque routes  in  the  Highlands. 

The  road  soon  crosses  the  Forth, 
here  reduced  to  a  small  and  rather  a 
sluggish  stream  ;  then  passes  rt.  Car- 
dross,  and  reaches 

4  m.  Loch  Menteith,  and  Port  of 
Menteith  Inn,  quiet,  clean,  and  mode- 
rate. The  scenery  around  Loch 
i\Ienteith  is  comparatively  tame,  and 
of  a  very  different  character  from 
that  of  the  lochs  higher  up,  althoiigh 
the  well-wooded  and  cultivated  vale 
imparts  a  pleasing  effect. 

A  boat  can  be  obtained  at  the  inn, 
which  is  on  the  water's  edge,  to  \'isit 
the  island,  on  which  are  the  pic- 
turesque Gothic  ruins  of  the  Priory 
oi Inchniahonc,  "  Isle  of  St.  Colmoc," 
the  "  Island  of  Rest,"  founded  for 
Austin  Canons  Regular  in  the  13th 
centy.  by  Walter  Comyii  of  Badenoch, 
who  acquired  this  property  by  mar- 
riage with  the  Countess  of  Menteith. 
In  the  ch.  King  Da-^dd  II.  was  mar- 
ried to  his  second  wife,  Margaret, 
daughter  of  Sir  John  Logie,  in  1363. 
The  style  of  the  building  is  E.  pointed. 
The  remains  consist  of  part  of  the 
choir,  the  Tower  arch,  and  2  arches 
of  the  nave.  There  appears  to  have 
been  an  aisle  on  this  side  which  has 
disappeared,  though  the  light  and 
graceful  arches  which  separated  it 
from  the  nave  are  still  standing.  The 
mouldings  of  the  W.  entrance, 
which    is    deeply   recessed,   are    ex- 


C.Scotland.     Eauie  20. — Loch  MenfeUh  ;  Loch  Arcl         173 


ceedingly  beautiful.  The  chancel 
contains  the  tomb  of  the  founder, 
and  2  effigies  ;  one  is  a  knight 
in  complete  armoui',  with  crossed 
legs  and  triangular  shield,  bearing 
the  Stuart  arms,  and  by  his  side 
is  a  lady  with  her  ann  round  his 
neck.  Both  figures  are  much  defaced 
by  time  and  ill  usage,  but  there  seems 
very  little  doubt  but  that  they  repre- 
sent Walter  Stuart  (brother  of  the 
Steward  of  Scotland),  who  married  a 
younger  sister  of  the  Countess  of 
JVIenteith,  and  inherited  the  property 
after  her  death.  To  this  island  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  was  sent  at  the  age  of 
5  years,  as  to  a  j)lace  of  inaccessible 
security,  during  the  English  invasion 
of  1547,  after  tlie  battle  of  Pinkie,  to 
July  1548.  She  was  then  stealthily 
removed  to  Dumbarton,  where  she 
embarked  for  France,  but  a  little 
garden  is  shown  on  the  island,  called 
"  Queen  Mary's  Bower,"  said  to  have 
been  tended  by  herself,  and  to  have 
remained  as  she  left  it.  Noble  old 
planes  and  Spanish  chestnut  trees 
form  an  avenue  over  a  terrace  called 
"The  Nun's  Walk."  The  ruined 
castle  on  the  other  island,  called 
"Talla,"  once  the  property  of  the 
Grahams,  Earls  of  Menteith,  appears 
to  have  been  large,  and  enclosed  a 
quadrangular  court.  The  date  of  its 
erection  is  unknown,  and  it  has  none 
of  the  solidity  of  an  ancient  Scottish 
castle.  It  is  much  overgi-own  with 
rubbish  and  underwood.  Other 
smaller  islands  were  used  by  the 
owners  for  dog-kennels. 

About  \  m.  from  the  inn  the  road 
joins  the  high  road  to  Stirling,  and 
turns  sharp  to  the  1.,  leaving  to  the 
'rt.  the  fragment  of  the  old  castle  of 
Eednoch,  and  Eednoch  House  (Rev. 
H,  A.  Graham  Shepherd). 

Skirting  the  base  of  a  craggy  line 
of  hills  the  traveller  reaches 


9^  m.  Aherfoyle.  {Inn :  Bailie 
Nicol  Jarvie,  comfortable) ;  once  the 
"  clachan  "  where  Frank  Osbaldistone  j  distant 


and  the  worthy  Glasgow  bailie  re- 
paired to  meet  Rob  Roy.  Through 
the  village  flow  the  waters  of  the 
Forth,  which  are  formed  by  the  joint 
streams  of  the  Duchray  and  the 
Avondhu,  "  Black  Water."  To  the 
1.  is  Gartmore,  the  seat  of  W.  C.  G. 
Bontine,  Esq.  The  scenery  of  the 
Clachan,  without  being  grand,  is 
highly  broken  and  romantic,  and 
cannot  fail  to  give  delight,  especially 
when  invested  with  the  interest  of 
Scott's  well-known  novel. 

Distance  to  Bucklyvie  stat.  of  the 
Stirling  and  Balloch  Rly.,  7  m. 
[There  is  a  fine  walk  of  about  5  m. 
over  the  hills  to  the  rt. ,  by  which  the 
pedestrian  can  descend  on  the  Tros- 
sachs  (passing  Loch  Drunkie),  the 
Brigg  of  Turk,  or  Loch  Vennachar, 
In  either  case  the  views  of  Loch 
Katrine  and  the  Trossachs  are  charm- 
ing. ]  A  little  to  the  1.  is  the  village 
of  Aberfoyle  and  Duchray  Castle. 
Skirting  the  lakelet  of  Avondhu,  the 
road  opens  upon  (11  m.)  Loch  Arcl, 
a  very  beautiful  and  pleasing  lake,  on 
the  eastern  side  of  which  took  place 
the  skirmish  between  Helen  Mac- 
gregor  and  the  King's  troops.  "  The 
best  view  of  Loch  Ard  is  the  first  that 
is  obtained,  where .  a  small  portion 
only  of  the  lake,  nearly  separated 
from  the  main  body  of  the  water  by  a 
wooded  promontory,  is  seen ;  a  bright 
and  placid  basin  imbedded  in  sur- 
rounding woods,  over  which  rises  the 
graceful  fonn  of  Ben  Lomond,  and  to 
the  rt.  that  of  Benochrie.  The  E. 
border,  along  which  the  road  runs,  is 
ornamented  with  a  few  pretty  villas, 
generally  let  to  the  tenants  of  the 
neighbom'ing  shootings ;  boats  for 
fishing  may  be  obtained  at  the  eastern 
end.  From  beneath  a  perpendicular 
rock  over  the  road  a  remarkable  echo 
is  given  off.  On  a  line  of  10  syllables 
being  spoken  Avith  a  fine  voice,  the 
words  are  returned  across  the  lake, 
and  repeated  with  equal  distinctness 
from  the  woods  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
the  Y.:'— Oliver.      To- 


174 


Eonte  21. — Stirling  to  the  Trossachs.        Sect.  II, 


wards  the  northern  end,  the  Lcdard 
falls  into  the  lake,  and  fonns  2  pic- 
turesque cataracts  some  little  way 
above  the  road — the  first  about  12  ft. 
in  height,  and  the  second  50  ft. 
Mention  is  made  of  this  waterfall  in 
* '  Eob  Roy. "  "  The  first  fall — across 
which  a  magnificent  old  oak,  stand- 
ing out  from  the  farther  bank,  partly 
extended  itself,  as  if  to  shroud  the 
dusky  stream  of  the  cascade — might 
be  about  12  ft.  high."*  Loch  Ard 
has  an  island  (Dundochil),  oii  which 
are  the  scanty  ruins  of  a  castle  built 
by  the  Duke  of  Albany,  uncle  of 
James  I.  Lobelia  Dortmanni  flour- 
ishes in  this  lake.  At  the  western 
end  a  footpath  is  given  off  to  Eowar- 
dennan  on  Loch  Lomond,  6i  m., 
crossing  the  line  of  waterworks  be- 
tween Loch  Katrine  and  Glasgow. 
{See  Rte.  21.) 

15  m.  Loch  Chon,  with  its  little 
companion  Loch  Dhu,  is  more  rocky 
and  wild  than  Loch  Ard,  and  beau- 
tifully wooded  with  birch,  ash,  and 
other  forest  trees.  A  precipitous  hill 
rises  on  the  S.  W. ,  one  of  the  outliers 
of  the  Ben  Lomond  range.  The  road 
at  the  N.  end,  17  m.,  crosses  the 
culvert  of  the  Glasgow  waterworks. 
{See  Etc.  21.)  At  19  m.  the  road 
from  Stronachlachar  Inn  (Ete.  21) 
is  joined,  and  the  hill  is  crossed  to 

24  m.  Inversnaid  {Inn:  Inver- 
snaid  Hotel,  good),  where  the  tra- 
veller can  catch  the  steamer,  up  or 
down,  on  Loch  Lomond.     (Ete.  19.) 


ROUTE  21. 

Stirling  to  the  Trossachs,  Loch 
Katrine,'  and  Loch  Lomond 
(Inversnaid),  by  Dunblane  and 
Callander. 

Eail   to  Callander,    coach   to   the 

Trossachs  and  foot  of  Loch  Katrine, 

See  Dr.  John  Brown's  "Horse  Subseeivse." 


then  steamer  up  the  lake  to  Stron- 
achlachar, where  there  is  another 
coach  to  Inversnaid.  By  hooking 
through  at  the  station,  seats  are 
secured  on  the  coaches,  which  are 
often  full. 

Quitting  Stirling  Stat.  (Rte.  21) 
by  the  Stirling  and  Perth  Ely. ,  that 
line  is  followed  as  far  as  Dunblane, 
crossing  the  Forth,  and  passing 
rt.  the  bold  Abbey  Craig,  which  is 
spoiled  by  the  Wallace  Tower  on  its 
top.  — 1.  See  grand  view  of  Grampian 
Chain. 

3  m.  Bridge  of  Allan  Stat. 
{Hotels:  Queen's,  Philps'  Eoyal ;  both 
good)  ;  a  very  popular  watering- 
place,  in  consequence  of  its  cheer- 
ful and  sheltered  situation,  backed 
by  the  woods  of  Airthrey,  and  its 
mineral  wells,  where  the  chaly- 
beate water,  which  is  antiscor- 
butic and  aperient,  is  collected 
in  the  reservoir  of  an  old  copper- 
mine.  The  water  is  then  raised 
to  the  "Well  House"  on  the  brow 
of  the  hill,  and  drunk  warm.  At- 
tached to  it  are  Baths,  Eeading 
and  Billiard  rooms.  There  is  a  neat 
Episcopal  Church,  built  1857.  The 
village,  a  collection  of  lodging-houses 
and  villas,  stands  on  the  banks  of 
the  Allan  Water,  which  below  this 
spot  joins  the  Forth,  after  a  pic- 
turesque and  beautiful  course  through 
Strathallan. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  town  on 
the  Stirling  road  is  Airthrey  Castle 
(Lord  Abercrombie).  Admission  on 
Thursdays  to  the  grounds  ;  entrance 
at  the  lodge,  exit  near  the  old  ch, 
of  Logic.  Keir  (Sir  W.  Stirling-' 
Maxwell,  Bart.)  The  beautiful 
park  is  open  to  visitors  from  2  to  6 
p.  M.  on  Fridays.  Keir  (a  corruption 
of  "  Caer,"  it  being  the  site  of  a 
Celtic  fort)  stands  1  m.  N.W.  on 
the  road  to  Doune,  and  contains 
some  good  pictures,  principally  of 
Spanish  masters.  The  most  im- 
portant are  an  altar-piece,  Murillo 


C.  Scotland. 


Fioute  21. — Duiiblane. 


175 


—  the  Virgin  and  Child — formerly 
in  the  convent  of  La  Madre  de  Dios 
at  Seville,  in  which  Murillo's 
daughter  took  the  veil ;  Philip  IV. 
of  Spain,  by  Rubens,  "animated, 
warm,  and  clear  in  colour  ; "  Vir- 
gin lamenting  over  Christ's  body, 
Morales ;  Portrait  of  his  first  wife, 
Rubens  ;  Landscape,  with  two  friars, 
G.  Poussin,  "beautiful  and  poetical ; " 
Finding  of  Moses,  iV.  Poussin  ;  Christ 
and  His  Disciples  going  to  Emmaus, 
C.  Lorraine;  Landscape,  Teniers ; 
Baptism  of  Christ,  P.  Veronese  ;  the 
Virgin,  Zurbaran ;  JValker,  Portrait 
of  Cromwell;  Raebura,  Miss  Stirling. 
The  library  is  a  magnificent  lofty 
room,  lined  throughout  wdtli  fragrant 
cedar-wood.  Upon  the  cornice  are 
mottoes  in  various  European 
languages.  On  the  return  the 
tourist  may  visit  Lecroft  ch.,  very 
prettily  situated. 

There  are  plenty  of  walks  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Bridge  of  Allan, 
and  extensive  views  can  be  obtained 
from  the  hill  of  Dunmyat  or  the 
Abbey  Craig,  on  which  is  the  memo- 
rial to  Wallace. 

Near  the  village  on  rt.  of  rly.  is 
AVesterton,  the  seat  of  Sir  J.  Alexan- 
der, and  farther  on  is  KipiKuross 
(J.  Stirling,  Esq.),  the  grounds  of 
which  are  open  on  Wednesdays  and 
Saturdays.  Excursions  to  Stirling, 
to  Alva  Glen,  and  to  Castle  Camp- 
bell, by  Dollar  Stat.,  will  occupy  a 
day  most  agreeably.  (See  Rte.  42.) 
To  Dunblane,  5  m. — to  Abbey  Craig 
for  the  sake  of  the  view. 

5  m.  Dunblane  Jwnct.  Stat.  [Inn  : 
Dunblane  Hotel),  a  coriiiption  of 
Dun-allan,  stands  on  the  1.  bank  of 
the  river  Allan.  A  good  view  of 
the  cathedral  may  be  had  from  the 
rly.  It  was  originally  a  Culdee 
cell,  and  was  made  a  bishoj)ric  by 
David  I.,  by  whom  also  the  cathedral 
was  founded,  circa  1140.  Of  his 
Cathedral  nothing  remains  but  the 
fine  Romanesque  Tower.  The  exist- 
ing edifice,  of  a  pure  and  masculine 


pointed  Gothic,  consists  of  a  noble 
nave  of  8  bays,  but  ruined  and  roof- 
less, and  of  an  aisleless  choir  which 
serves  as  the  parish  kirk.  The  W. 
end,  a  good  specimen  of  the  pure 
and  simple  pointed  style,  consists 
of  a  deeply  recessed  and  moulded 
Portal,  surmounted  by  a  triplet  of 
3  tall  lancet  windows  of  2  lights, 
with  a  cinquefoil  in  the  head.  This 
ch.  was  carefully  repaired  1872, 
some  of  the  closed  windows  re- 
opened, and  the  hea\'y  wooden  gal- 
leries cleared  out  from  the  inside. 

In  the  S.  of  the  choir  is  the  monu- 
ment of  Bp.  Finlay  Dermot,  conse- 
crated to  this  see  in  1406.  His 
bones  still  lie  beneath  the  monument, 
which  has  been  much  defaced.  In 
the  antechapel  are  remains  of  the 
old  prebendal  stalls  of  black  oak, 
elaborately  carved,  some  with  cano- 
pies and  some  without.  In  the 
chapter-house  are  the  monuments  of 
Malise,  5th  Earl  of  Strathallan,  and 
his  countess,  1271. 

S.W.  of  the  Cathedral,  near  the 
river,  are  remains  of  the  Bishop's 
palace. 

Dunblane  is  honoured  by  having 
had  Leighton  as  its  bishop,  who 
held  this  diocese  from  1662  to  1669, 
when  he  was  translated  to  the  arch- 
bishopric of  Glasgow,  but  finding  that 
all  attempts  to  reconcile  the  people 
of  Scotland  to  the  episcopal  form  of 
church  government  were  futile,  he  re- 
signed his  see  and  returned  into  Eng- 
land, where  he  died,  and  was  buried 
in  the  small  village  churchyard  of 
Horsted  Keynes,  in  Sussex.  He  left 
his  Library  of  3000  vols,  to  Dunblane, 
a  great  part  of  which  is  still  preserv- 
ed in  a  house  {^^'ith  the  episcopal 
mitre  over  the  door)  near  the  gate  of 
the  churchyard.  The  whole  appear- 
ance of  the  vUlage  and  ch.,  which 
overhangs  the  banks  of  the  Allan 
Water,  is  eminently  beautiful.  The 
visitor  will  recall  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  locale  of  Tannahill's  ballad  of 
"Jessie,  the  flower  of  Dunblane." 

There  is  a  pleasant  walk  by  the 


176 


Pioute  21, — StlrUng  to  the  Trossachs  ;  Bourn.     Sect.  II. 


side  of  tlie  river,  passing  the  W.  end 
of  the  Cathedral.  The  battlefield 
of  Sherriffimdr  is  about  2  m.  N.E. 

At  Dunblane  the  Callander  Ely. 
branches  off  from  the  main  line, 
which  continues  N.  to  Perth  (Route 
43). 


Roide  to  the  Trossachs  and  Loch 
Katrine,  ascending  the  valley  of  the 
Teith. 

9  m.  Doune  Stat.  (Woodside  Hotel), 
a  town  noted  for  its  Fairs  of  cattle 
and  sheep,  driven  from  the  western 
Highlands.  The  Castle  becomes 
visible  on  the  1.  just  before  arrival 
at  the  station.  It  is  one  of  the 
gi'andest  relics  of  Scottish  baronial 
architecture.  Whatever  the  date  of 
its  foundation,  it  owes  its  present 
plan  and  strength  to  ]\Iurdoch,  Duke 
of  Albany.  After  his  execution 
(1424)  it  was  forfeited  to  the  Crown, 
and  James  IV.  settled  it  upon  his 
wdfe  ]\Iargaret.  She  married,  3dly, 
Lord  Methven,  a  descendant  of  the 
Dukes  of  Albany,  and  appointed  the 
younger  In'other  of  her  husband  con- 
stable of  it  for  life.  The  office  then 
became  hereditary,  and  now  belongs 
to  his  descendant,  Lord  Moray.  In 
1745  the  castle  was  held  for  Prince 
Charles,  by  Macgregor  of  Glengyle. 
Prince  Charles  confided  to  him  the 
prisoners  taken  at  Falkirk,  including 
a  number  of  the  Edinburgh  Univer- 
sity Volunteers  (among  them  Home, 
the  author  of  "Douglas"),  who 
escaped  by  letting  themselves  down 
the  walls  by  tA\asting  their  bedclothes 
into  ropes.  The  situation  of  the 
castle  is  admirably  chosen,  on  a 
triangular  piece  of  ground,  washed 
on  2  sides  by  the  Teith  and  Ardoch, 
while  the  3d  is  protected  by  a  deep 
moat.  It  is  in  form  an  oblong 
square,  enclosing  a  lai'ge  com't.  The 
Towers  at  each  angle  rise  higher 
than  the  walls,  and  are  surmounted 
by  turrets.  The  buildings  are  of 
various  dates,  but  no  architectui'al 
details  of  beauty  or  importance  re- 


main. The  walls  of  the  great  tower 
are  10  ft.  thick,  and  built  with 
cement.  The  most  modern  part  is 
the  interior  tower,  containing  the 
kitchen  and  dining-hall. 

The  reader  of  "AVaverley"  will 
remember  that  it  was  in  this  fortress 
that  the  hero  of  the  tale  was  confined 
by  the  Highlanders. 

The  Bridge  of  Doune  was  built,  as 
its  inscription  informs  us,  by  Eobert 
Spittal,  tailor  to  Margaret,  queen  of 
James  IV.,  the  same  who  founded 
Sjiittal's  Hospital  in  Stirling. 

I  m.  from  Doune,  S.  of  the  Teith, 

is  Deanston,  where,  since  1785,  cotton 
mills  have  been  established.  James 
Smith  of  Deanston,  long  manager  of 
the  works  (d.  1850),  is  well  known 
for  the  system  of  "  Thorough  Drain- 
age," which  he  contributed  to  intro- 
duce. "Waterwheels  of  great  power 
are  turned  by  the  Teith. 

Leaving  Doune,  the  rly.  passes  the 
Braes  of  Doune  on  the  rt.,  having 
for  its  highest  point  Uam  Var,  to- 
wards which  the  stag  in  the  "  Lady 
of  the  Lake  "— 

"  Stretching  forward  free  and  far 
Seeks  the  wild  heath  of  Uam  Var. " 

On  1.  is  the  river  Teith,  and  on  rt. 
is  Doune  Lodge  (Earl  of  Moray). 

II  m.  1.  Lanrick  Castle,  the  seat  of 
A.  Jardine,  Esq.,  succeeded  by  Cam- 
husmore  (J.  B.  Baillie  Hamilton,  Esq.), 
where  Prince  Charles  once  slept  a 
night,  and  where  Sir  Walter  Scott 
often  resided  as  a  boy,  the  guest  of 
the  Buchanan  family.  The  rly.  here 
crosses  the  Keltic,  the  very  name  of 
which  is  sufficient  to  remind  the 
traveller  that  he  is  on  the  borders  of 
the  Highlands.  Straight  in  front 
rises  the  giant  peak  of  ]jen  Ledi  to 
the  height  of  3009  ft. 

16  m.  Callander  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Dreadnought,  excellent ;  The  M'Gre- 
gor),  is  an  overgi'own  village  near  the 
junction  of  the  streams  from  Loch 


C.  Scotland.     Boutc  21. — Callander  to  the  Trossachs. 


177 


Lubnaig  with  the  Teith  from  Loch 
Vennachar.  It  has  of  late  years  be- 
come of  importance  as  the  nearest 
rly.  stat.  to  the  Trossachs,  Lochs  Ven 
nachar,  Achray,  Katrine,  and  to  the 
most  beautiful  scenery  in  this  part  of 
Scotland,  so  that  it  is  animated  and 
bustling  enough  in  the  summer 
Coaches,  3  or  4  times  a  day  in  sum 
mer,  run  between  the  trains  and  the 
Trossachs,  as  often  as  the  steamers 
on  Loch  Katrine. 

Piaihi-ay  to  Lochearnhead  and 
Killin  (Rte.  44). 

DistoMccs. — Stirling,  16  m.  ;  Dun- 
blane, 11 ;  Doune,  7  ;  Pass  of  Leny, 
2 ;  Loch  Lubnaig,  4 ;  King's  House, 
10;  Lochearnhead,  14;  Killin,  22; 
Taymouth,  38  ;  Aberfeldy,  44  ;  Loch 
Vennachar,  5  ;  Brigg  of  Turk,  7  ; 
Trossachs  Hotel,  9  ;  Loch  Katrine, 
10^ ;  Aberfoyle,  11  ;  Loch  Men- 
teith,  5i 

Callander  is  just  on  the  borders  of 
the  Highlands,  and  the  j)oorer  class 
of  inhabitants  talk  Gaelic  as  well  as 
English.  The  situation  is  far  from 
commonplace  ;  to  appreciate  it  take 
the  turn  to  the  1.  between  the  hotels 
and  stand  on  the  bridge.  Above  rises 
the  Craig  of  Callander,  a  well-wooded 
hill ;  and  to  the  rt.  is  the  grand  out- 
line of  Ben  Ledi,  which  is  nowhere 
seen  to  gi'eater  advantage.  Behind, 
and  about  1|  m.  beyond  the  rly, 
stat.,  is  the  "Fall  of  Bracklin,"  a 
small  cascade  of  about  50  ft.,  formed 
by  the  Keltie  Burn  descending  over 
a  perpendicular  face  of  stratified 
rock. 

"  Bracklin's  thundering  wave." 

It  is  a  rough  walk,  and  there  are  finer 
falls  in  the  district. 

At  the  E.  end  of  the  village  is  an 
earthen  embankment,  supposed  to  be 
the  site  of  a  Roman  Cam}),  which  it 
resembles  in  the  height  and  steep- 
ness of  its  ramparts,  rising  in  ter- 
races, but  not  in  its  gi'ound-plan. 
In  reality  it  owes  its  form  to  a 
peculiar  geological  formation  of  the 


alluvium.  It  is  evidently  to  this 
work  that  Sir  "W".  Scott  alludes  in 
the  "Lady  of  the  Lake,"  when  he 
speaks  of  the  toiTent  that 

' '  Sweeps  through  the  plains  and  ceaseless 
mines 
On  Bochastle,  the  mouldering  lines. 
Where  Rome,  the  empress  of  the  world 
Of  yore,  her  eagle  wings  unfurled." 

The  road  from  Callander  to  Loch 
Katrine  is  celebrated  for  its  beauty, 
particularly  in  the  latter  portion 
beyond  Brigg  of  Tmk.  It  has  another 
source  of  interest  as  following  the 
line  of  the  Chase  described  by  Scott 
in  the  "Lady  of  the  Lake."  The 
chase  passed  over  Bochastle's  level 
green  under  Ben  Ledi's  steep  slopes 
to  Brigg  of  Turk,  a  sti-eam  draining 
Glenfinlas  into  Loch  Vennachar. 
From  that  point  one  sole  huntsman 
followed  the  chase  along  Loch 
Achray,  whose  margin  at  the  time 
Avas  very  rough  ground,  with  scarce 
any  paths,  much  less  road. 

"  Between  the  precipice  and  brake, 
O'er  stock  and  rock  their  course  they 
take." 

The  stag-hunter  pressed  round  by 
the  head  of  Ijoch  Achray,  and  close 
under  Ben  Venue,  where  "the  gal- 
lant grey  "  expired. 

Passing  the  junction  of  the  Lub- 
naig and  Vennachar  sti'eams,  which 
together  fonn  the  Teith,  is  1^  m. 
Kilmahog  turnpike,  where  the  Loch 
Earn  road  falls  in  from  Loch  Lubnaig 
and  the  Pass  of  Leny,  which  is  only 
1  m.  distant.  On  1.  is  the  old  farm- 
house of  Bochastle.  A  very  short 
distance  beyond  is  Coilantogle  Ford^ 
'  Clan  Alpine's  utmost  gi'ound,"  at 
the  outlet  of  Loch  Vennachar,  where 
the  combat  took  place  between  Fitz- 
James  and  Roderick  Dhu.  The  ford, 
however,  is  now  superseded  by  a 
bridge.  At  the  end  of  Loch  Ven- 
nachar are  the  great  Sluices  of  the 
Glasgow  Waterworks  made  to  keep 
back  the  Teith  in  a  dry  summer,  and 
prevent  its  going  to  waste,  by  which 
the  mills  and  manufactories  on  its 
banks  might  be  stopped. 


178 


Route  21. — Loch  Achray ;  The  Trossachs.      Sect.  II. 


[Portnellan,  about  1^  ni.  from 
Coilantogle  Ford,  is  the  place  usually 
chosen  for  the  ascent  of  Ben  Lcdi, 
which  towers  on  the  rt.  to  the  height 
of  3009  ft,  Ben  Ledi,  "the  Hill  of 
God,"  is  supposed  to  have  been  in 
very  early  times  connected  with  the 
mysteries  of  heathen  worship.  The 
ascent  is  not  difficult  from  this  side, 
"  but  the  view  is  not  interesting." — 
G.  B.  A.] 

Loch  Vennachar,  "the  Lake  of 
the  JFair  Valley, "  is  5  m.  in  length 
and  1  in  breadth,  and  serves  as  a 
fitting  introduction  to  the  superior 
beauties  of  Loch  Achray,  so  well  de- 
scribed in  the  "  Lady  of  the  Lake  : " — 

"  Stern  and  steep 
The  hill  sinks  clown  upon  the  deep  ; 
Here  Vennachar  in  silver  flows, 
Tliere,  ridge  on  ridge,  Benledi  rose  ; 
Ever  the  hollow  path  twined  on 
Beneath  steep  bank  and  threatening  stone. 
The  rugged  mountains'  scanty  cloak 
Was  dwarfish  shrubs  of  birch  and  oak, 
With  shingles  bare,  and  cliffs  between, 
And  patches  bright  of  bracken  green. 
And  heather  black  that  waved  so  higli 
It  held  the  copse  in  rivaky." 

The  house  of  Invertrossachs  on  its 
bank  ( —  Cox,  Esq. ,  Dundee)  was  the 
residence  of  Queen  Victoria,  Sept. 
1869,  for  10  days.  Pearls  of  con- 
siderable beauty  and  value  have  been 
fished  up  from  the  shallows  of  this 
Loch,  chiefly  near  its  outlets. 

Passing  on  rt.  the  waterfall  of 
Miltown,  the  road  strays  away  from 
the  lake,  leaving  Lanrick  Mead  be- 
tween it  and  the  water.  This  was  the 
trysting-place  of  the  Clan  Alpine, 
summoned  by  "  the  fiery  cross." 

"  The  muster  place  be  Lanrick  Mead." 
Ben  Venue  now  becomes  more  and 
more  visible  in  front. 

The  ruined  house  at  the  roadside 
was  Trossaclis  New  Hotel :  it  was 
burnt  down  soon  after  it  was  built. 
Opposite  it  is  the  range  of  Ben 
A'an,  and  the  entrance  to  Glenfinlas, 
or    "Glen    of   the    Green   Ladies." 


For  the  reason  of  this  name  see 
"Lord  Ronald's  Coronach,"  in  the 
"Scottish  Minstrelsy.  There  is  a 
bad  road  up  the  glen  to  Loch  Voil, 
now  Lord  Moray's  deer  forest,  and 
Balquhidder,  but  the  scenery  is  very 
fine,  the  water  struggling  and  boiling 
for  some  distance  through  a  passage 
apparently  much  too  small  for  it.  1 
m.  up  is  the  cataract 

"  Whose  waters  their  wild  tumult  toss 
Adown  the  black  and  craggy  boss 
Of  that  huge  cliff,  whose  ample  verge 
Tradition  calls  the  Hero's  Targe." 

The  spot  where  the  hotel  stood  is 
called  Duncraggan,  and  just  beyond  is 
the  Brigg  of  Turk,  crossing  the  Finlas. 
[By  following  the  Finlas,  the  pedes- 
trian will  find  a  choice  of  3  valleys, 
Aaz.,  Glenfinlas  to  the  W.,  leading  to 
Loch  Voil ;  Glen  ]\Lain,  which  leads 
by  Glen  Buckie  to  Balquhidder ;  and 
Glen  Cashick  (rt.)  to  Strathyre.  It 
is  about  6  hours'  good  walking  from 
the  Trossachs  to  Lochearnhead.  Rte. 
U.] 

For  the  last  20  m.  this  route 
has  been  described  by  Scott  as 
the  one  taken  by  the  stag  when 
hunted  by  Fitz- James  and  the  rest  of 
the  field : — 

"  'Twere  long  to  tell  what  steeds  gave  o'er. 
As  swept  the  hunt  through  Cambusmore  ; 
What  reins  wei'e  tightened  in  despair. 
When  rose  Ben  Ledi's  ridge  in  air  ; 
Who  flagged  upon  Bochastle's  heath, 
Who  shunned  to  stem  the  flooded  Teith — 
For  twice  that  day,  from  shore  to  shore, 
The  gallant  stag  swam  stoutly  o'er. 
Few  were  the  stragglers,  following  far, 
That  reached  the  lalce  of  Vennachar  ; 
And  when  the  Brigg  of  Turk  was  won. 
The  headmost  horseman  rode  alone." 

In  fact,  so  minutely  is  the  whole  of 
this  district  described,  that  the  "Lady 
of  the  Lake  "  is  almost  a  sufficient 
guide  to  its  beauties.  The  road,  quite 
modern  since  Sir  "Walter  first  visited 
the  district,  and  partly  blasted  in 
the  rock,  now  passes  through  a  wood 
of  oaks  upon  the  N.  shore  of  Loch 
Achraij,  a  very  lovely  piece  of  water 
3  m.  long  by  |  m.  broad,  its  shores 
clothed  with   copse  to  the  water's 


C.  Scotland.    Route  21. — Trossachs  Hotel — Bed-nam-ho.    179 


edge.  Near  its  "W.  end  stands  the 
Trossachs  Ch.,  a  modern  Gothic 
building.  "  Fine  views,  of  Loch 
Achray,  are  to  be  obtained  by  ascend- 
ing the  hill  behind  the  TrossacJis 
Hotel.  At  the  uppennost  point 
Ben  Venue  occupies  a  prominent 
place  in  the  picture,  its  long  rocky 
ridge  sweeping  down  in  a  beautiful 
curve,  and  separating  Loch  Katrine 
from  Loch  Achray ;  the  former 
stretching  far  away  to  the  W.,  em- 
bosomed in  its  bold  mountains,  and 
the  latter  buried  beneath  the  roman- 
tic and  rocky  ridge  of  Ben  A'an." — 
Macculloch. 

It  must  have  been  in  one  of  the 
dells  near  the  head  of  the  Achray, 
in  full  view  of  Ben  Venue,  that  Fitz- 
James's  chase  ended,  by  the  death 
of  "the  gallant  grey." 

9  m.  Trossachs  Hotel  (very  good), 
facing  Loch  Achray.  It  is  a  large 
chateau-like  building,  Avith  pinnacled 
turrets,  about  1^  m.  from  Loch 
Katrine  and  the  steamboat  pier.  It 
was  erected  by  Lord  Willoughby 
d'Eresby  ;  in  Gaelic  it  is  called  Ard- 
cheanocrochan.  It  is  a  pleasant  walk 
through  the  wood  from  the  hotel  to 
the  lake. 

The  hiD.  behind  the  hotel  com- 
mands a  lovely  view  of  Loch  A'an, 
Ben  Venue,  etc.  {sec  above). 

Excursion. — Pass  of  Bcal-nam-ho 
("the  Pass  of  the  Cattle"),  and  the 
Goblin  Cave.  "  I  can  but  express  my 
astonishment  that,  of  the  enormous 
number  of  visitors  to  the  Trossachs, 
so  few  visit  this  pass,  within  an  hour's 
walk  of  the  hotel,  and  offering  by  far 
the  grandest  scenery  in  this  district. 
The  lines — 

'  The  dell,  upon  the  mountain's  crest, 
Yawned  like  a  gash  on  warrior's  breast. ' 

and  those  which  follow,  well  describe 
the  Beal-nam-bo.  To  visit  it,  the 
tourist  on  foot  may  pass  from  the 
hotel  round  the  head  of  Loch  Achray, 
cross  the  Achray  water  by  a  bridge, 


then  turn  to  the  rt.,  and  pass  (by 
sufferance  only)  through  the  yards 
of  the  Achray  farm,  where  a  bridge 
will  carry  him  over  the  stream  which 
descends  from  Ben  Venue,  after  which 
he  will  find  a  pleasant  path  along  the 
elevated  bank  of  the  Achray  water, 
followed  by  a  somewhat  marshy  way 
through  stony  meadows,  and  thus  he 
will  reach  the  Sluice  at  the  E.  end  of 
Loch  Katrine.  This  is  the  more  in- 
structive way  of  approaching,  as  it 
gives  a  close  view  of  '  the  eastern 
ridge  of  Ben  Venue'  on  one  side, 
and  a  view  of  the  rock-hills  of  the 
Trossachs  immediately  across  the 
stream  on  the  other  side.  But  the 
sluice  may  be  gained  somewhat  more 
easily,  not  by  crossing  the  Achray 
water,  but  by  passing  through  the 
Trossachs  and  taking  a  boat  to  the 
sluice  ;  the  row  thither  is  exceedingly 
beautiful.  From  the  sluice  the  walk 
must  be  continued  parallel  to  the 
lake  side,  but  separated  from  it  by 
rocky  swells  (some  of  the  'rocks, 
mounds,  and  knolls,  confusedly 
hurled,'  which  Fitz- James  saw)  ;  in 
fact  it  is  impossible  to  walk  by  the 
side  of  the  lake.  The  dell  of  the 
Beal-nam-bo  is  now  before  the  tourist, 
with  the  great  cliffs  of  Ben  Venue  to 
the  1.,  the  rocky  swells  to  the  rt.,  and 
the  narrow  cleft,  '  which  yawns  like 
a  gash  on  wamor's  breast,'  high  in 
front.  At  two  gaps  between  the 
rocky  swells  there  are  sloping  descents 
to  the  lake  side.  The  ascent  to  the 
cleft  is  steep,  but  not  very  trouble- 
some. On  the  gi'ound  there  are  nu- 
merous blocks  which  have  fallen 
from  the  cliffs,  some  of  large  dimen- 
sions. The  whole  scene  is  very 
grand.  Of  the  birch-trees  which 
Scott  particularly  mentions,  very  few 
remain.  After  passing  through  the 
cleft,  a  shoulder  of  Ben  Venue  is 
reached,  I  think  less  than  1000  ft. 
above  the  lake.  It  does,  however, 
command  the  surface  of  the  moors 
suiTounding  Ben  A'an  ;  and,  in  the 
distance,  among  other  mountains, 
the  Ben  More  of  Glen  Dochart  is 


180 


Eoute  21. — Loch  Katrine. 


Sect.  II. 


well  seen  from  it.  I  have  not  actually 
passed  beyond  this  point ;  but  it  aj)- 
pears  to  me  that  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  maintaining  a  rather  elevated 
course  for  some  distance,  and  finally 
descending  by  a  stream  called  in  the 
Ordnance  map,  Alt  Culligart,  by 
which  a  practicable  road  on  the  lake 
side,  leading  to  Stronachlachar,  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Inversnaid  Gap, 
would  be  reached.  The  utility  of 
the  Beal-nam-bo  as  a  cattle-pass  is 
thus  explained.  Suppose  cattle  to  be 
driven  from  the  S.  end  of  Loch  Lo- 
mond to  Inversnaid  and  Stronach- 
lachar. They  could  not  then  proceed 
to  Loch  Achra}'^  by  the  lake  side  of 
Loch  Katrine,  because  there  is  no 
l^ossibility  of  passing  the  cliffs  ;  and, 
though  a  practicable  road  may  be 
found  by  Loch  Ard,  and  S.  of  Ben 
Venue,  they  could  not  venture  on  it, 
as  it  would  lead  them  into  the  hostile 
district  of  Menteith.  By  rising  to 
the  head  of  the  Beal-nam-bo,  and 
descending  to  the  Achray  water,  all 
difficulties  were  avoided.  Among 
the  huge  blocks  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  pass  there  are  many  places 
which  would  give  imperfect  shelter, 
but  there  is  none  that  answers  to  the 
Goblin  Cave,  and  Scott  himself  avows 
this  in  his  note.  The  place  whose 
character  approaches  nearest  to  it  is 
that  (probably  the  same  to  which 
Scott  refers)  to  which  boatmen 
usually  conduct  strangers,  situate  in 
the  lower  of  the  sloping  descents 
between  the  rocky  swells ;  it  is  utterly 
unfit  for  the  rest  even  of  a  single 
person." — Sir  G.  B.  Airy. 

The  top  of  Ben  Venue  commands 
Ben  Lomond,  Ben  More  of  Glen 
Dochart,  and  other  mountains  of 
Breadalbane. 

The  road  to  Loch  Katrine,  on 
quitting  the  hotel,  becomes  more 
uneven,  and  soon  enters  the  gorge 
of  the  Trossachs  ( "  rugged  coun- 
try"). This  gorge  extends  from 
Loch  Achray  to  Loch  Katrine,  be- 


tween the  mountains  of  Ben  A'an 
(1800  ft.)  on  rt.  and  Ben  Venue 
(2800  ft.)  on  1.  It  is  a  rugged  laby- 
rinth of  mounds  and  rocks,  covered 
■Rith  the  richest  vegetation  of  oaks  and 
pensile  birch  and  rowans,  among 
which  the  road  winds  in  and  out,  up 
and  down,  and  at  each  turn  presents 
a  fresh  ^dew  of  the  grand  crags  of 
the  two  mountains  above  mentioned. 
The  road  runs  out  of  sight  of  the 
river,  which  escapes  from  Loch 
Katrine.  The  first  view  of  the  Lake 
is  only  of  a  contracted  reach,  a  pro- 
jecting crag  concealing  the  main 
basin.  As  usual  there  is  no  better 
description  of  it  than  that  of  Scott : — 

"  But  not  a  setting  beam  could  glow 
Within  the  dark  ravine  below. 
Where  twined  the  path,  in  shadow  hid, 
Round  many  a  rocky  jiyraraid, 
Shooting  abruptly  from  the  dell 
Its  thunder-splintered  pinnacle. 
Nor  were  those  earth-born  castles  bare. 
Nor  lacked  they  many  a  banner  fair  ; 
For,  from  their  shivered  brows  displayed. 
Far  o'er  the  unfathomable  glade, 
All  twinkling  with  the  dew-drop  sheen. 
The  briar-rose  fell  in  streamers  green. 
And  creeping  shrubs  of  thousand  dyes 
Waved  in  the  west-wind's  summer  sighs." 

From  the  foot  of  Loch  Katrine 
a  steamer  sails  3  or  4  times  a  day  to 
Stronachlachar  pier,  where  there  are 
coaches  in  readiness  to  convey  pas- 
sengers at  once  to  Inversnaid.  Em- 
barking at  a  little  rustic  pier,  the 
traveller  now  finds  himself  upon  Loch 
Katrine,  a  sheet  of  water  9  m.  long, 
by  2  broad  at  its  widest  part. 

"  Where  gleaming  'neath  the  setting  sun 
One  burnished  sheet  of  living  gold, 
Loch  Katrine  lay  beneath  him  rolled ; 
In  all  her  length  far  winding  lay 
In  promontory  creek  and  bay, 
And  islands  that  empurpled  bright 
Floated  amid  the  livelier  light ; 
And  mountains  that  like  giants  stand 
To  sentinel  enchanted  land  ; 
High  on  the  south  huge  Ben  Venue 
Down  to  the  lake  in  masses  threw 
Crass,  knolls,  and  mounds,    confus'dly 

liurl'd, 
The  fragments  of  an  earlier  world, 
A  wildering  forest  feather'd  o'er 
His  ruined  sides  and  summit  hoar, 
While  on  the  north  through  middle  air 
Ben  A'an  reared  high  his  forehead  bare." 


HHTH  OF  CLYDE    AHRAX,    L  T-TXH  \  ]..LOX( 


^. 


A 


London    John  ^Murray,  Alheniarle  Street. 


C.Scotland.     Route  11. — Loch  Katrine ;  Ellen' s  Isle.         181 


The  scenery  of  Loch  Katrine, 
while  undeniably  beautiful,  is  apt 
to  disappoint,  particularly  after  the 
tourist  has  seen  Loch  Lomiond.  Its 
mountain  sides  are  bold  and  pic- 
turesque, but  it  is  not  these  which 
impress  the  traveller  so  much  as  the 
dark  still  transparent  water,  which 
in  some  places  is  500  ft.  deep.  By  far 
the  most  lovely  portion  of  the  whole 
lake  is  that  from  which  the  steamer 
starts,  and  which  is  still  as  it  were 
wathin  the  gorge  of  the  Trossachs,  par- 
taking of  its  magnificence,  and  yet 
toned  down  by  the  softer  beauties  of 
wood  and  water  ;  but  once  this  lo- 
cality is  fairly  passed.  Loch  Katrine 
is  sui-j^assed  by  several  other  Scot- 
tish lakes.  At  the  same  time  it  is 
not  in  the  power  of  the  great  mass 
of  tourists  who  hastily  race  over  it  to 
pronounce  an  opinion  on  the  beauties 
of  the  district ;  but  those  who  can 
afford  the  time  and  have  mind  to  ex- 
plore the  woods  and  rocks  at  the 
base  of  Ben  Venue  mil  be  able  to 
appreciate  "the  incredible  chaos  of 
objects,  though  a  chaos  of  beauty 
and  sublimity. " 

The  appellation,  too,  of  "  Loch 
Katrine "  is  certainly  much  more 
graceful  than  the  one  which  it 
appears  it  ought  to  bear,  for  Sir 
Walter  derives  the  name  of  the  Loch 
from  the  "  Caterans"  or  freebooters, 
who  frequented  its  shore  in  the  olden 
time. 

The  traveller  should  on  no  account 
omit  to  follow  the  rough  cart-road 
along  the  N.  shore  of  the  lake,  which 
leads  in  |  m.  from  the  steamboat 
pier  to 

Ell^n^s  Isle,  the  scene  of  the  inter- 
view between  Fitz-James  and  the 
fair  heroine.  It  rises  rather  abraptly 
from  the  water,  not  far  from  the 
shore,  "its  beach  of  pebbles  white 
as  snow,"  and  is  perfectly  covered 
with  trees  and  tangled  underTS'Ood. 
It  was  originally  called  Eilen 
Vaniach,  and  was  the  cattle-pen, 
shambles,    and  larder   of  the   Clan 


M'Gregor,  who  hid  here  their 
stolen  booty  of  flocks  and  herds,  and 
guarded  it  by  a  flotilla  of  boats 
against  all  comers.  Here  the  main 
body  of  the  Lake  expands  to  view. 
On  the  opposite  side,  at  the  base  of 
Ben  Venue,  is  Coir-nan-Uriskan,  or 
' '  the  Goblin's  Cave, "  where  Douglas 
hid  his  daughter  when  he  took  her 
from  Eoderick  Dhu's  island.  Such 
a  local  habitation  and  a  name  have 
all  these  spots,  that  it  is  hard  to  per- 
suade oneself  that  they  have  attained 
their  celebrity  from  the  creations 
of  one  man.  Still  higher  on  the 
mountain  side  is  Bealach-nam-bo, 
or  the  Pass  of  the  Cattle — the  gap 
through  which  the  M'Gregors  drove 
their  stolen  herds— the  only  prac- 
ticable way,  parallel  to  the  lake-side, 
between  the  summit  of  Ben  Venue 
and  the  lake. 

A  road,  not  passable  for  carriages, 
runs  along  the  N.  side  of  the  lake  to 
Glcngyle,  whence  a  track  continues 
to  Inverarnan,  at  the  head  of  Loch 
Lomond,  17  m.  No  one  has  seen  the 
real  beauties  of  lake  and  shore  who 
has  not  traversed  this  road  for  the 
distance  of  a  mile  or  so.  The  only 
view  which  corresponds  to  Scott's 
description  of  the  place  where  Fitz- 
James  emerged  from  the  wood  upon 
the  lake  can  be  seen  from  this  path, 
and  this  alone.  The  steamer  does 
not  go  near  it. 

As  the  steamer  advances,  the  peak 
of  Ben  Lomond  comes  into  sight  on 
the  1.  and  soon  after^-ards  a  row  of 
shafts  nsing  one  behind  the  other 
from  the  water's  edge  marks  the 
commencement  of  the  Aqueduct  of 
the  Glasgow  IVatenvorTcs,  by  means 
of  which  70,000,000  gallons  of  pui-e 
bright  water  are  daily  conveyed  to 
Glasgow  by  tunnels  or  aqueducts, 
through  the  mountains  in  the  first 
instance,  then  parallel  to  Loch  Chon, 
the  distance  being  34  m.  The  num- 
ber of  tunnels  on  the  route  is  70,  of 
vaiying  lengths,  up  to  2650  yards, 
and   the   total   cost  of  this  public- 


182 


Route  22. — Stirling  to  Balloch. 


Sect.  II. 


spirited  scheme  was  about  £1,500,000. 
Loch  Katrine,  in  addition  to  its 
beauty,  may  thus  boast  of  forming 
the  iinest  reservoir  in  the  world.  The 
surface  of  the  lake  has  been  raised 
about  5  ft.  by  penning  up  the  outlet 
of  its  waters.  Lochs  Vennachar  and 
Drunkie  share  indirectly  in  the 
water  contribution,  for  they  supply 
the  Teith,  as  compensation  for  the 
water  taken  away  for  Glasgow.  The 
works  were  the  masterj)iece  of  John 
Fred.  Bateman,  Esq.,  civil  engineer, 
and  were  partially  opened  by  the 
Queen  and  Prince  Albert  in  1859. 
Owing  to  the  purity  and  softness  of 
the  water  an  immense  saving  was 
effected  in  the  domestic  economy  of 
the  city  of  Glasgow.  {See  Intro- 
duction, p.  135,  supra.) 

The  steamer  finishes  her  voyage  at 
Stronachlachar  Pier  (look  after 
your  baggage  here  ;  Inn^  tolerable). 
Coaches  are  in  waiting  to  convey 
passengers  to  Liversnaid,  on  Loch 
Lomond  5  m.,  to  meet  the  steamer 
on  that  Lake  (Rte.  19).  The  road 
is  highly  picturesque,  and  very  good, 
with  the  exception  of  a  steep  hill  just 
before  reaching  Inversnaid.  Loch 
Katrine  is  450  ft.  above  the  sea- 
level,  and  Loch  Lomond,  where  the 
road  ends,  is  only  24  ft.  above  it. 

1  m.  1,  a  road  falls  in  from  Loch 
Ard  and  Aberfoyle.  (Rte.  20.)     2.  m. 

I.  Loch  Arklet.  On  both  sides  may 
be  seen  numerous  tumuli,  showing 
how  often  this  bare  and  worthless 
tract  of  country  has  been  the  scene 
of  desperate  fights,  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  when  we  remember  that  this 
is  the  heart  of  the  M 'Gregor's  country, 
that  in  its  fastnesses  they  found 
refuge,  after  being  proscribed  by  an 
Act  of  Privy  Council,  April  3,  1603. 
The  act  of  outlawry  was  reversed  by 
Charles  II.,  1663,  in  consideration  of 
the  services  they  had  rendered  to 
Montrose,  but  was  renewed  by 
William  III.,  1793.  Their  legal 
rights  were  finally  restored  by  Geo. 

II.  1755. 


4  m.  rt.,  in  Glen  Arklet,  is  part  of 
the  old  cottage  where  it  is  said 
that  Helen  M  'Gregor  was  born.  Be- 
hind it  are  the  remains  of  a  Fort  built 
to  overawe  the  clan. 

The  coach  now  descends  a  long 
and  steep  hill,  through  the  gap  of 
Inversnaid,  beside  a  garrulous 
stream,  which,  in  a  series  of  water- 
falls,  reaches    Loch   Lomond,    close 

by. 

5  m.  the  Pier  at  Inversiiaid.  {Hotel, 
comfortable.)  Inversnaid,  on  the  E. 
shore  of  L.  Lomond,  about  4  m. 
from  Tarbet  and  6  from  Ardlui,  is 
remarkable  for  a  charming  situation, 
and  for  the  fact  that  Wordsworth  here 
met  the  damsel  who  inspired  his 
sonnet  to  the  "  Highland  Girl." 

Steamers  call  at  Inversnaid  pier 
going  up  the  lake  to  Ardlui,  coaches 
thence  to  Tyndrum  Stat.,  Glencoe, 
Fort- William,  Dalmally,  and  Oban  ; 
and  going  down,  to  Tarbet,  Luss, 
and  Balloch  Stat,  for  Glasgow  (Rtes. 
19  and  34). 

Lock  Loviond  is  described  in  Rte. 
19.  There  is  a  ferry  across  the 
Lake  here. 


EOUTE   22. 

Stirling  to  Loch  Lomond  (Bal- 
loch), by  Drymen,  Forth  and 
Clyde  Bail. 

30^  m.  4  trains  daily  in  2  to  2^ 
hrs. 

The  Forth  and  Clyde  Juuct.  Rly. 
connects  the  two  great  central  rivers 
of  Scotland,  and  runs  in  the  wide 
strath  between  the  Fintry  and 
Campsie  Hills  on  the  S.,  and  the 
advanced  posts  of  the  Highland 
ranges  on  the  N.  Leaving  Stirling 
from  the  joint  stat.,  the  line  turns 
sharply  round  to  the  1.,  underneath 
the  Castle  rock,  and  follows  the  rt. 


C.  Scotland.  Route  22. — Camime  Hills. 


183 


bank  of  the  Forth,  passing  rt.  Craig- 
forth  (H.  Houldsworth,  Esq.),  and  1. 
Touch,  the  seat  of  Sir  H.  Seton- 
Steuart ;  and  keeping  on  1.  the  Gar- 
gunnock  Hills.  This  name  (eaer- 
guineach)  means  a  conical  fort,  and 
relates  to  the  Peel  of  Gargunnock, 
long  since  swept  away,  which  was 
held  by  the  English  for  some  time 
against  the  attacks  of  Wallace,  who 
was  encamped  on  Keir  Hill.  Between 
6  m.  Gargunnock  Stat,  and  Kipjyen 
Stat.  9  m.  are  on  1.  Leckie  (K.  ]\Ioir, 
Esq. ),  and  Boquahan  (H.  F.  Campbell, 
Esq. ) .  The  Fin  try  range  of  hills  now 
succeeds,  a  picturesque  series  of  trap 
hills,  of  the  same  geological  age  as 
the  Campsie  Fells,  which  are  seen  in 
the  distance. 

13  m.  Port  of  Menteith  Stat.  (Rte. 
31).  This  is  the  nearest  j)oint  to  the 
Lake  of  Menteith,  5  m. 

154  m.  Bucklyvie  Stat.  (Inn  : 
Crown)  ;  nearest  point  to  Aberfoyle 
and  Loch  Ard.  The  line,  wdiich  has 
been  gradually  ascending,  reaches  the 
highest  point  between  the  Forth  and 
Clyde,  The  country  all  around  is 
uninteresting,  and  rather  barren,  but 
the  distant  peaks  of  the  Highlands 
are  frequently  seen. 

20  m.  Balfron  Stat.,  the  line  of 
the  Glasgow  Waterworks  is  crossed 
in  its  way  from  Loch  Katrine.  The 
village  (on  the  1.)  is  prettily  situated 
on  the  Endrick  Water,  a  consider- 
able stream  rising  in  the  Fintry  Hills, 
and  flo\^dng  into  Loch  Lomond. 

22  m.  Gartness  Stat. 

23  m.  Drynicn  Stat.  The  village 
is  2  m.  off,  1  m.  farther  is  Buchanan 
House,  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Montrose, 
a  modern  house  amid  fine  grounds 
and  woods.  It  contains  a  portrait 
of  the  Marquis  of  Montrose,  by 
Van  Dyck  (?).  The  rly.  approaches 
more  closely  the  Campsie  Hills,  and 
should  the  tourist  have  time  he 
will    find    that    between    this    and 


Glasgow  there  is  some  very  curious 
and  romantic  scenery  which  will 
repay  exploration.  [The  pedestrian 
can  easily  walk  from  Drymeu  to 
Strathblane  and  Lennoxtown,  11  m., 
thus  intersecting  this  range  of  hills, 
and  taking  at  the  latter  j)lace  the  rly. 
to  Glasgow  ;  or  he  may  w'alk  to  Miln- 
gavie,  10  m.,  and  then  take  another 
branch  line.  About  2  m.  from  the 
Drymen  Stat,  is  the  Finnich  Glen, 
a  very  remarkable  gorge  rent  in 
the  sandstone  beds  for  the  Finnich 
Water ;  the  sides  rising  vertically 
from  the  bed  of  the  stream  nearly 
100  ft.,  though  in  some  parts  scarcely 
10  ft.  across.  In  one  part  of  the  glen 
is  a  large  tabular  mass  of  sandstone, 
known  as  the  "  The  Devil's  Pulpit." 
From  the  Finnich  Glen  the  road 
ascends  for  some  distance  through 
the  Kilpatrick  Hills  to  5  m.  rt. 
Auchinedin  (J.  Pollock,  Esq.),  close 
to  which  is  the  very  singular  hill 
called  "  The  JFhangie,"  where  a 
considerable  chasm  runs  parallel 
with  the  face  of  the  cliff  for  about 
350  ft.  The  rock  consists  of  green- 
stone overlying  the  old  red  sand- 
stone. The  view  from  the  Whangie, 
overlooking  the  Highlands,  Strathen- 
drick.  Lake  of  Menteith,  and  Loch 
Lomond,  is  one  of  the  finest  near 
Glasgow.  Should  the  traveller  have 
elected  to  turn  off"  to  Strathblane,  a 
little  before  reaching  the  Finnich 
Glen,  he  wdll  there  find  plenty  to 
interest  him.  The  hills  of  Dun- 
foyne  and  Dungoyne,  outliers  of  the 
Campsie  Hills,  are  remarkably  bold 
and  picturesque.  About  halfway  to 
Strathblane  is  the  ruin  of  Duntreath 
Castle,  15th  centy.  "  The  possessor 
of  the  barony  of  Duntreath  enjoyed 
the  fullest  feudal  powers,  and  the 
dungeons  and  stocks  still  remaining 
attest  the  extent  of  the  authority 
once  exercised  by  the  nobility  and 
higher  gentry  of  Scotland." — Burke. 

The  village  of  Strathblane  is  very 
prettily  situated  on  the  Blane,  that 
rises  in  the  adjoining  heights  of  Earl's 


184 


Route  22. — '-Milngavie ;  Ballocli. 


Sect.  IL 


Seat  (1510  ft.),  and  flows  into  the 
Finnieh. 

1  ni.  from  Strathblane  is  Ballagan 
GJeii,  Avhere  the  Blane  leaps  down  in 
a  succession  of  cascades,  here  called 
the  Spout  of  Ballagan.  There  is  a 
fine  geological  section  of  strata, 
known  as  the  Ballagan  beds,  consist- 
ing of  thin  bedded  limestones,  sand- 
stones, clays,  and  shales,  of  the  lower 
carboniferous  age,  the  whole  being 
overlaid  by  ti-ap.  Farther  on  towards 
Campsie  is  the  isolated  trap  boss  of 
Dunglass  Hill,  shomng  columnar 
structure.  Between  Strathblane  and 
Milngavie  is  the  Mugdock  Mescrvoi?' 
of  the  Glasgow  Waterworks,  70  acres 
in  area,  holding  200,000,000  gallons, 
311  ft.  above  sea-level,  which  descend 
in  pipes  7  m.  to  Glasgow. 


10  m.  (from  Drymen)  Milngavie, 
locally  called  Milingay,  is  a  pretty 
little  town,  with  some  print-works 
and  mills.  From  hence  a  short  rly. 
of  7  m.  joins  the  Edinburgh  and 
Glasgow  line  at  Cowlairs.] 

The  main  line  proceeds  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  calling  at 

26^  m.   Kilmarnock  Stat.,  and  at 

29  m.  James  Totem,  where  are 
some  of  the  largest  print-works  in 
Scotland. 

30  m.  Balloch  Junct.  Stat.  Here 
the  tomist  for  Loch  Lomond  will 
embark  in  the  steamer  at  the  foot  of 
the  lake  (Rte.  19),  or  if  going  S.  to 
Glasgow  Avill  have  to  change  car- 
riages,    Balloch  Hotel,  good. 


SECTION  III— WESTERN  SCOTLAND. 


Estuary  of  the  Clyde — Bute — Arran — Lochs  Long,  Goil,  Fyne, 
Awe — Etive — Linnhe — Inveraray — Oban — Mull —  Iona—  Staffa 
— Glencoe — Ben  Nevis — Caledonian  Canal. 

INTRODUCTION. 

§  L   General  Ivformatioii.     §  2.  Objects  of  Interest. 


ROUTES. 


ROUTE 

23  Descent  of  t/ie  Clyde.     Glas- 

gow to  Arran,  by  Greenock 
and  Wemyss  Bay 
23a  Glasgow   to   Greenock   and 
Wemyss   Bay,    by   Paisley 
and  Bridge  of  Weir — Rail 

24  Glasgow  to  Canipheltoion  by 

sea.  Mull  of  Canty  re  . 

25  Campbeltown  to  Tarhert,  by 

Barr,  and  JFest  Tarhert  Loch 

26  Glasgow  to  May  and  Jura  . 

27  Glasgow  to  C>&a?i,  by  the  Clyde,  204 

Dunoon,  Botlusayj  Kylesof 
Bute,  Loch  Fyne,  Ardrish- 
aig,  the  Crinan  Canal 

28  Ardrishaig  to  Oban,  by  Loch 

Awe  and  Gorge  of  the 
Brander     .... 

29  Glasgow    to    Inveraray,    by 

Dunoon,Kihmin,Holy  Loch , 
Loch  Eck,  and  Loch  Fyne  . 

3  0  Glasgow  to  I  n verara  y ,  hjLoch 
Goil  or  by  Loch  Long,  and 
Arrochar  .... 

31  Loch  Lomond  (Tarbet)  to 
Oban,  by  the  Pass  of  Glen- 


188 


199 


199 


202 


209 


213 


216 


217 


ROUTE  PAGE 

croe,  Inveraray,  Loch  Awe, 
and  Dalmally    .         .  .218 

34  Loch  Lomond  to  Fort-AVil- 

liam,  by  Tyndrum,  Glencoe, 
and  Ballachulish        .         .   225 

35  Oban  to  Staffa  and  Iona,  a 

Cruise  round  the  Island  of 
Mull  .         .         .        '.   229 

36  Oban  to  Bannavie,  by  Loch 

Linnhe,  Appin,  Ballachu- 
lish (Glencoe),  and  i^o?'^  JVil- 
liam — Ben  Nevis  .  .238 
36Ax\rdgour  to  LocJis  Sunart  and 
Moidart,  by  Strontian  and 
Salen         .         .         .         .242 

37  Bannavie  to  Arisaig,  by  Glen- 
frnnan  and  Loch  Shiel         .   242 
Fort- William  to  Kingussie, 

by  Glen  S2)ean,  Glen  Roy 
(the  Parallel  Roads),  and 
Loch  Laggan  .  .  .245 
Bannavie  to  Inverness,  by 
the  Caledonian  Canal,  Fort- 
Augustus,  Loch  Oich,  Loch 
Ness,  Siudi  Fall  of  Foyers     .  247 


38 


39 


§  1.  General  Information. 

The  Routes  comprised  in  this  Section  form  an  almost  uninterrupted 
waterway,  and  it  may  be  truly  said  that  few  districts  in  Britain  excel 
in  beauty  the  Estuary  of  the  Clyde  and  the  numerous  sea-lochs  or 
fiords  which  branch  out  of  it,  penetrating  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
grandest  mountain  chains.  Thus  there  is  the  greatest  variety  of 
scenery,  starting  from  the  flat  borders  of  Dumbarton  and  Renfrew- 
shire, and  ending  in  the  wild  glens  of  Argyll  and  Inverness. 
{^Scotland. "[  I  2 


186  §  1.  General  Information.  Sect.  III. 

"  The  scenery  of  the  Highlands  has  a  peculiar  character,  the  im- 
press of  a  grand  melancholy.  In  those  mists  which  veil  the  hills,  I 
could  imagine  the  presence  of  Ossianic  Sj)irits." — W. 

Every  part  of  this  district  is  now  made  accessible  hj  Steamboats. 
Between  Glasgow,  Greenock,  and  Rothesay,  the  traffic  is  like  that  of 
the  cabs  in  the  Strand,  or  the  gondolas  in  the  Grand  Canal  of 
Venice,  dashing  past  every  minute,  or  constantly  crossing  to  and 
fro.  Some  of  them  are  magnificent  in  size  and  equipment,  such  is 
the  well-known  "  Iona  " — a  floating  palace. 

Mr,  Geikie  gives  an  interesting  explanation  of  the  formation  of 
this  fine  scenery  : — "  I  do  not  know  a  better  illustration  of  the 
softer  schists,  in.  producing  smooth-sloped  hills,  than  along  the  W. 
side  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  between  the  Kyles  of  Bute  and  the  Gare- 
loch.  A  band  of  clay-slate  runs  across  the  Island  of  Bute,  skirts  the 
Firth  by  Inellan  and  Dunoon,  crosses  the  mouth  of  Loch  Long  and 
the  Gareloch,  and  skirts  them  to  Loch  Lomond.  It  is  easy  to  trace 
this  strip  of  rock  by  the  smooth  undulating  form  of  its  hills,  which 
remind  us  rather  of  the  scenery  of  the  southern  uplands  than  of  the 
Highlands.  Behind  the  clay-slate  lies  a  region  of  hard  quartzose 
rocks,  and  the  contrast  between  their  rough  craggy  outlines  and  the 
tame  features  of  the  clay-slate  is  a  peculiar  part  of  the  scenery  of 
the  Clyde.  It  is  to  these  harder  rocks  that  we  owe  the  ruggedness 
of  the  mountains  that  sweep  from  the  shores  of  Loch  Fyne  through 
Cowal,  across  the  Holy  Loch,  Loch  Goil,  Argyll's  Bowling  Green, 
and  Loch  Long,  into  the  heights  of  Ben  Lomond." — "  Scenery  of 
Scotland." 

The  Steam  Fleet  of  Hutchinson  and  Co.  {see  Advertisements) 
deserves,  on  the  whole,  high  praise  for  appointment  and  good  man- 
agement. They  have  good  restaurants  on  board  —  at  moderate 
prices.  They  touch  at  all  the  ports  of  the  West  Coast,  and  penetrate 
to  most  of  the  Islands,  except  St.  Kilda. 

The  shores  of  the  Clyde  from  Glasgow  to  Greenock  are  almost 
one  continuous  town,  interesting  alike  as  a  great  field  of  human 
activity  and  industry.  Nature's  refined  beauties  ;  while  lower  down, 
as  far  as  the  open  sea,  they  are  dotted  with  watering-places — the 
Brightons  of  Glasgow — and  with  neat  villas  or  stately  mansions  of 
its  manufacturers  and  merchants. 

The  impressive  Rock  and  Castle  of  Dumbarton  alone,  in  such  a 
scene,  throw  back. the  mind  to  ancient  days.  Below  Greenock,  the 
Steam  Passenger  fleet,  as  a  general  rule,  divides  into  two  lines,  owing 
to  the  increased  width  of  the  Clyde.  One  set  follow  the  N.  shore  by 
Dunoon  and  Rothesay  ;  the  other  keeps  by  the  S.  shore,  by  Wemyss 
Bay,  Largs,  Millport,  Arran,  and  Ayr. 


W.Scotland.  §2.   Objects  of  Interest.  187 

A  visit  to  Arran,  4  J  hrs.  from  Glasgow,  is  highly  recommended  ; 
Arraii  is  a  model  on  a  small  scale  of  Alpine  scenery  ;  full  of  beauties. 
The  two  trysting-places  in  this  district,  for  which,  almost  all  tra- 
vellers in  the  Highlands  direct  their  steps,  are,  Inveraray  on  Loch 
Fyne,  and  Obcm,  the  Charing  Cross  of  the  Highlands,  and  the  start- 
ing-point for  Staffa  and  lona,  for  Skye,  Glencoe,  and  the  Caledonian 
Canal.     They  may  be  reached  by  the  following  rontes  : — 

Inveraray. — (A.)  By  Loch  Lomond,  Tarbet,  and  Pass  of  Glencroe 
(Rtes.  19  and  31.) 
(B.)  By  Loch  Long,  Arrochar,  and  Pass  of  Glencroe 

(Rtes.  30  and  31.) 
(C.)  By  Loch  Goil  and  St.  Catharine's  (Rte.  30.) 
Oban. — By  A,  B,  or  C,  as  far  as  Inveraray. 

(D.)  Thence  by  Loch  Awe  and  Cladich  {Steamer),  or 

DalmaUy  (Rte.  31.) 
By  steamer  from  Glasgow  or  Greenock,  by  Rothesay, 
Kyles  of  Bute,   Ardrishaig  and   Crinan    Canal 
(Rte.  27.) 
There  are  excellent  Inns  in  this  district,  at  Tarbet,  Oban,  In- 
veraray, Rothesay,  Dunoon,  Wemyss  Bay,  Brodick,  etc. 

The  Clyde  Estuary  and  all  Lochs  branching  from  it  are  peculiarly 
well  suited  for  Yachting — in  fact  the  best  possible  mode  of  explor- 
ing them  is  by  yachts.  The  reader  is  referred  to  the  Chapter  in 
Section  IV. 

§  2.  Objects  op  Interest. 

Dumbarton. — Rock  ;  Castle  ;  Shipbuilding. 

Fort-Glasgoio. — Newark  Castle. 

Ch'eenocl'. — Quay  ;  Watt  Monument  and  Statue  ;  Reservoir. 

Largs. — The  Cumbraes  ;  Millport ;  Ejiiscopal  College. 

Arran. — Brodick  Bay  and  Castle  ;  Goatfell ;  Glen  Rosa  ;  Corrie  ; 
Glen  Sannox  ;  Loch  Ranza  j  Tormoor  Circles  ;  Kildonan  Castle  ; 
Holy  Island  ;  Lamlash. 

Cantyre. — Saddell  Castle;  Abbey. 

Gamiobeltown. — Cross  ;  Mull  of  Cantyre  ;  Bengullion  ;  Achana- 
ton  ;  Caves  ;  Dunaverty  Castle  ;  Barr  Glen  ;  Mausdale  ;  Largie. 

Tarhert. — E.  and  "VV.  Lochs  ;  Castle  ;  Loch  Fyne  ;  Herring 
Fishery. 

Islay. — Coast  scenery  :  Kildalton  Crosses  ;  Port  Ellen  ;  Caves  ; 
Jura  ;  Paps  ;  Oronsay  monuments. 

Dunoon. — Kilmun  Church  ;  Loch  Eck. 

Bute. — Rothesay  Castle  ;  Mount  Stuart ;  Scalpsie  Bay  ;  Kyles  of 
Bute  ;  Ormidale  ;  Loch  Fyne. 


188 


Pmde  23. — Descent  of  the  Clyde:  Arran.     Sect.  III. 


Ardrishaig. — Criiian  Canal  ;  Lochgilphead  ;  Easdale  slate-quar- 
ries ;  Kilmartin  ;  Carnassary  Castle  ;  Pass  of  Melfort. 

Loch  Awe. — Islands  ;  Ben  Cruachan  ;  Kilchurn  Castle  ;  Inisfail 
Island  ;  Pass  of  B]ander. 

Loch  Long. — Loch  Goil  ;  Arrochar  ;  the  Cohbler  ;  Tarbet. 

Helensburgh. — Gareloch  ;  Glenfruin  ;  Roseneatli  ;  Loch  Long. 

Glencroe. — Pass  to  Cairndow  ;  Rest-and-be-Thankful. 

Inveraray. — Castle  ;  Cross  ;  Woods  ;  Ary  Falls  ;  Dunaquaich. 

Dalmally. — Ben  Cruachan  ;  Kilchurn  Castle. 

Ohan. — Bay  ;  Dunolly  Castle  ;  Dunstaffnage  Castle  ;  Loch  Etive ; 
Ardchattan  Priory  ;  Dunmacsniochan  ;  Connell  Ferry. 


ROUTE   23. 

Descent  of  the  Clyde  — Glasgow 
to  Arran,  by  Greenock  and 
"Wemyss  Bay. 

t  Denotes  landing  Piers. 

The  tourist  may  take  his  choice  of 
steamers  to  Greenock  from  7  in  the 
morning,  as  there  is  scarcely  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  in  the  day  during 
which  there  is  not  some  departure 
for  Greenock,  which  port  all  the 
Clyde  steamers  touch  at  on  their 
way  to  the  various  watering-pLaces, 
whether  situated  on  the  N.  or  S. 
coasts  of  the  Futh.  Meals  provided 
on  board. 

Steamers  twice  a  day  to  Arran 
(from  Greenock)  ;  in  about  4  hrs.  to 
Brodick,  by  Largs  or  by  Rothesay. 

About  an  hour  will  be  saved  by 
taking  the  Railways  to  Greenock  or 
Wemyss  Bay  on  the  1.  bank,  or  to 
Dumbarton  or  Helensburgh  on  the 
rt.,  and  embarking  there.  (See  Rte. 
23a.)  The  High  Level  Railway  by 
Bridge  of  Weir  is  recommended  as 
commanding  finer  views  than  are  seen 
from  the  steamboats.    {See  Rte.  23a.) 

Moving  off  from  the  Broomiclaiv, 
which  "with  its  crowded  shipping  and 
busy  wharves  presents  a  great  con- 
trast to  the  time  when  it  obtained 
its  name  from  the  quantity  of  Broom 
growing  on  it,   we  pass  on   rt.  the 


quay,  where  the  deep-sea  steamers 
for  England  and  Ireland  are  berthed. 
1.  Iron-roofed  shed  at  Springfield, 
where  the  heavier  shijDS  load.  To 
these  succeed  long  lines  of  iron  ship- 
building yards,  the  number  and 
magnitude  of  which  attest  the  pre- 
eminence that  the  Clyde  has  over 
all  other  rivers  in  this  sj^ecial  and  im- 
portant manufacture.  Indeed,  from 
Glasgow  to  Greenock,  a  distance  of 
22  m.,  it  is  studded  ^^-ith  a  succession 
of  shipbuilding  yards  and  marine 
engine  sheds,  of  Avhich  the  passenger 
is  reminded  by  the  constant  din  of 
thousands  of  hammers.  On  the  rt. 
bank  may  be  seen  transatlantic 
steamers,  and  1.  tiers  of  foreign 
liners  for  America,  East  Indies,  and 
Australia. 

Rt.  is  the  Napier  DocTc,  where  the 
Cunard  steamers  are  engined,  and  on 
the  W.  is  the  Lancefield  Quay.  To 
this  succeeds  the  5^ard  of  the  Thom- 
sons, whence  the  "lona"  and  her 
sister  ships  were  launched ;  and 
beyond  is  that  of  Napier  at  Govan, 
whence  issued  the  "Persia"  and 
"Black  Prince,"  and  most  of  the 
"Cunard"  fleet. 

1.  The  village  and  spire  of  Govan, 
where  are  several  shipbuilding  yards, 
beyond  which  is  Sliieldhall.  On  rt. 
+  Partick,  where  the  Kelvin  brook 
joins  the  Clyde  near  the  steam  build- 
ing yard  and  graving-Z>ocA;  of  Tod 
and  M'Gregor. 


W.  Scotland.    Route  23. — The  Clyde:  Renfreii: 


189 


1.  Fail-field,  the  shipbuilding  yard 
of  John  Elder  and  Co.,  the  largest 
on  the  Clyde,  employing  5000  men. 

rt.  Jordanhill  (A.  Smith,  Esq.) 
and  Scotstown  (J.  Gordon  Oswald, 
Esq. )  are  large  and  handsome  houses, 
charmingly  situated,  with  a  back- 
ground of  the  Kilpatrick  Hills,  which 
now  appear  in  the  distance. 

1.  Opposite  Scotstown  are  the  ship- 
yard of  Linthouse,  and  Elderslie 
(Mrs.  Speirs),  an  ancient  mansion, 
once  known  as  The  King's  Inch,  pro- 
bably from  the  fact  that  the  course 
of  the  river  was  then  different,  and 
made  an  inch,  or  island,  of  the  spot. 
At  Elderslie  Sir  Wm.  AVallace  was 
born.  Behind  Elderslie,  amongst 
the  trees,  is 

1.  Renfrew,  the  capital  of  the 
county,  which  gives  the  title  of  Baron 
to  the  Prince  of  Wales.  Though  now 
an  insignificant  place  (4163  inhab.), 
it  was  once  a  royal  burgh.  PmU  to 
Paisley. 

On  rt.  is  the  village  of  Yoker,  and 
opposite  are  the  woods  and  grounds 
of  Blytlisicoocl  (A.  Campbell,  Esq.), 
bounded  on  the  W.  by  the  Cart, 
formed  by  two  streams,  the  Black 
and  White  Cart,  which,  rising  in  the 
Ayi'shire  Hills,  unite  at  Inchinnan, 
2  m.  below  Paisley,  and  here  join 
the  Clyde.  It  has  been  celebrated 
by  Burns  in  his  song  of  the  Gallant 
Weaver — "where  Cart  rins  rowing 
to  the  sea."  Near  Inchinnan  Bridge 
the  Earl  of  Argyle  was  arrested,  1685, 
as  a  rebel.  Farther  on  rt.  is  a  cut  to 
the  Forth  and  Clyde  Canal. 

The  grand  works  for  widening  and 
deepening  the  channel  of  the  Clyde 
will  not  fail  to  arrest  the  stranger's 
attention.  Since  1770  nearly  six 
millions  sterling  have  been  expended 
on  these  operations,  which  have  em- 
ployed the  skill  of  such  engineers  as 
Smeaton,  Watt,  Rennie,  Telford,  and 
Walker.  At  that  time  the  Clyde 
was  fordable  opposite  where  the 
Broomielaw  now  stands.  4  m.  be- 
low the  town  a  trap-dyke,  which 
crossed   ^the    stream    900    ft.    long 


by  300  broad,  discovered  by  a  line 
grounding  on  it,  1852,  was  blast- 
ed by  gunpowder,  so  as  to  open 
a  channel  14  ft.  deep  at  low  water. 
Whole  mountains  of  rock  and  earth 
have  been  raised  from  the  bottom  by 
dredging,  and  either  laid  on  the 
banks  or  carried  in  barges  out  to  sea. 
The  banks,  formerly  defended  by 
dykes,  now,  for  a  long  distance,  rise 
above  the  level  of  high  water,  and 
need  no  protection  but  loose  whin- 
stone  rubble.  The  result  is  that 
vessels  drawing  22  ft.  can  now  moor 
alongside  the  quay  at  Glasgow. 
The  steamer  now  runs  parallel  with 
(rt.)  the  rly.  between  Glasgow  and 
Loch  Lomond  (Pvte.  19),  the  Kil- 
patrick range  of  trap  hills  forming, 
with  their  steep  wooded  banks  and 
craggy  escarpments,  a  very  beauti- 
ful backgi'ound.  Before  arriving 
at  (rt.)  the  village  of  Kilpatrick  are 
the  heights  of  Duntocher,  where  is  a 
large  establishment  of  spinning-mills. 

The  opening  reach  of  the  river  is 
very  fine,  with  the  magnificent  rock 
of  Dumbarton  standing  as  sentinel 
over  the  crowded  waterway,  seamed 
in  every  direction  by  lines  of  smoke 
from  the  numerous  steamers,  river 
and  sea-going.  In  clear  weather  Ben 
Lomond's  top  may  be  discerned. 

To  Dunglass  on  rt.  succeeds  a  pic- 
turesque valley,  in  which  is  Auchen- 
torlie  (A.  Buchanan,  Esq.),  and 
above  it  the  print-works  of  Milton, 
backed  up  by  the  wooded  hill  of 
Dumbuck,  an  outlier  of  the  Kil- 
patrick hills,  and  the  modern  Scot- 
tish mansion  of  Merton  (F.  White, 
Esq.)  Then  comes  a  low  strath, 
through  which  the  Leven  flow^s  from 
Loch  Lomond  into  the  Clyde ;  and 
on  its  banks  the  shipbuilding  yards 
of  \  Dumbarton,  nestling  under  the 
shadow  of  the  two-peaked  rock  (Rte. 
19).  Both  shores  are  lined  with 
residences,  including  on  the  1.  Fin- 
layston,  in  former  times  the  resi- 
dence of  Lord  Glencairn,  patron  of 
John  Knox. 

On  rt.    is   Cardross,   where   Lord 


190        Boute  23.— Descent  of  the  Clyde :   Greenock     Sect.  III. 


Macciulay's  grandfather  was  minister, 
1774-89,  and  beyond  it  is  Ardmore 
Point.  On  both  banks  may  be  seen 
the  steam  of  the  locomotive  ;  that  on 
rt.  from  the  Glasgow  and  Helens- 
burgh Ely,  and  on  1.  from  the 
Greenock  line. 

On  1.  -^  Port-GJasgoto  (Inhab. 
9851),  designed,  as  its  name  indi- 
cates, to  be  the  harbour  of  Glasgow, 
but  since  the  river  has  been  so  much 
deepened  it  has  declined  in  import- 
ance, and  ships  that  do  not  stop  at 
Greenock  go  right  up  to  the  city. 
Near  the  town,  on  a  low  peninsula,  is 
the  Castle  of  Newark,  a  large  quad- 
rangular pile*  of  the  16th  centy.,  but 
much  modernised.  Over  the  dooi-way 
is  the  date,  and  an  inscription,  "  The 
blessing  of  God  be  hereon."  It  be- 
longed to  the  Dennistouns,  and  is 
now  the  property  of  the  Shaw- 
Stewart  family. 

Looking  N.,  the  tourist  sees  the 
beautiful  entrance  to  the  Gareloch, 
backed  by  the  rough  mountains  of 
Argyllshire,  flanked  on  one  side  by 
the  gleaming  white  houses  of 

+  Helensburgh  (Rte.  19),  a  favourite 
watering-place,  reached  by  steamer 
every  hour,  in  a  few  minutes  from 
Greenock,  and  on  the  other  by  Eose- 
ncath,  the  lovely  marine  villa  of  the 
Duke  of  Argyll  (Rte.  19). 

On  1.  the  forest  of  masts  and  the 
general  bustle  betoken  the  town  of 

t  Greenock  Stat.  (Refreshment 
and  waiting  rooms  on  the  piers.) 
{Inns:  Tontine,  good),  a  busy  seaport, 
(population,  57,146),  important  like- 
wise for  its  trade  and  industry,  for  its 
sugar  refineries,  shipbuilding  yards 
and  docks — for  its  cotton  and  woollen 
spinning,  ironworks,  etc.  The  ex- 
treme beauty  of  its  situation  must 
not  be  forgotten,  on  the  broad  ex- 
panse of  the  Clyde,  gay  with  ship- 
ping, in  every  position  and  every 
variety  of  fonn.  The  passing  tra- 
veller Avill  be  glad  to  quit  its  narrow 
and  bustling  streets,  and  as  nearly 
100  steamers  touch  here  in  a  day,  an 
opportunity    will     quickly    present 


itself.  The  fine  buildings  upon  the 
Quay  are  the  Custom-house  in  the 
Grecian,  and  the  Mariners'  Asylum, 
in  the  Elizabethan  styles.  The 
theatre  originally  built  \>j  Kemble 
is  now  the  Sugar  Exchange. 

The  heights  behind  the  town  are 
worth  ascending  for  the  sake  of  the 
romantic  Highland  vicio  over  sea 
and  mountain  ;  which  may  be  ad- 
vantageously commanded  from  the 
picturesque  Cemetery.  The  tourist 
should  at  all  events  run  up  to  the 
Well  Park,  laid  out  in  gardens  im- 
mediately above  the  station.  It  was 
presented  to  the  town  by  Sir  M. 
Shaw-Stewart. 

In  Greenock  James  Watt  was 
born. 

The  birthplace  of  Watt  has  been 
pulled  down,  but  its  site  is  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Watt  tavern,  close  to 
Dalrymple  Street.  The  gi-eat  en- 
gineer is  however  commemorated  in 
Greenock  in  the  Watt  Monument — 
a  modern  Gothic  building  in  Union- 
st.,  W.  of  the  town — built  by  his  son, 
to  contain  a  library  presented  by 
him,  and  a  statue  by  Chantrey,  raised 
by  public  subscription. 

The  town  is  well  supplied  with 
water  from  a  reservoir  of  300  acres, 
called  Loch  Thom,  or  "Shaw's 
Water,"  about  6  m.  to  the  S.  As  it 
is  situated  at  a  height  of  500  ft. 
above  the  sea,  the  water  when  near- 
ing  the  town  is  turned  to  economical 
purposes  for  driving  Wheels  of  mills 
and  manufactories,  instead  of  steam. 
One  of  these,  in  Upper  Greenock, 
has  the  enormous  diameter  of  220  ft., 
and  weighs  117  tons.  "The  pro- 
sperity of  Greenock  dates  from  the 
year  1707,  shortly  after  the  union 
with  England,  when  the  British 
Parliament  granted  what  the  Scottish 
Parliament  had  refused,  viz.  the 
privilege  of  constructing  a  harbour." 
— Smiles. 

Greenock  is  directly  opposite  the 
watering-place,  Helensburgh  (see  Rte. 
19) — a  pleasant  retreat  from  smoke 
and  dirt,  to  which  steamers  are  con- 


W.Scotland.      Boute  23. — The  Clyde :  Largs. 


191 


stantly  plying  in  |  hour,  conveying 
passengers  to  the  railway  to  Dum- 
barton and  Loch  Lomond. 

Eaihoay  Termini. — {a)  At  the  Old 
Steam  Quay  at  the  Harbour,  for 
Glasgow  Low  Line  (Caledonian)  ; 
also  at  Cathcart-st. 

(&)  At  Princes  Pier,  1  m.  farther 
down  the  Clyde,  Terminus  of  the 
High  Level  Rly.  to  Glasgow  (Ayr- 
shire Ely.  Kte.  23  a).  It  has 
another  Stat,  in  Lynedoch-st.  (Rte, 
12). 

(c)  Upper  Greenock  Station  for 
Wemyss  Bay,  not  far  from  Lynedoch- 
st.  Stat. 

Distances. — Glasgow,  by  rail,  22r, 
m.  ;  by  water,  21  ;  Helensburgh, 
4  ;  Gourock,  2  ;  Wemyss  Bay,  8  ; 
Inverkip,  6. 

Starting  from  Greenock  Quay,  the 
vessel  skirts  the  well-filled  Docks 
and  a  puny  battery  of  7  giins,  be- 
yond which  appears  the  Wood  Insti- 
tution for  aged  and  infinu  seamen. 

1.  About  3  m.  from  Greenock,  and 
opposite  the  watering-place  of  Kil- 
creggan,  is  f  Gourock,  a  favourite 
resort  of  the  Glasgow  folk,  on  the 
shore  of  a  bay  dotted  with  houses, 
furnished  with  a  Pier,  at  which 
many  Clyde  steamers  stop.  The 
Darroch  family  have  property  here, 
and  a  mansion  in  the  place  of  the  Old 
Castle.  2  m.  W.  of  the  town  stands 
the  ruined  tower  of  Levan  Castle. 
Near  it,  off  Kempoch,  the  steamer 
"Comet"  was  run  down  by  the 
"Ayi""  (1825),  and  50  passengers 
drowned. 

As  the  coast  trends  southward,  the 
tourist  has  on  his  rt.  the  entrance 
to  Loch  Long,  and  Holy  Loch,  with 
the  marine  villages  of  Kilmun,  Kirn, 
and  Dunoon  (E,te.  29).  On  1.  is  the 
Cloch  Lighthouse.  Turning  sharp  to 
the  S.  the  steamer  passes  Ardgowan, 
the  seat  of  Sir  Michael  Shaw- 
Stewart,  perhaps  the  most  beautiful 
place  on  the  Clyde,  and  soon  stops 
at 

t  InverTcip  {Inns :  Murdoch's  ; 
Smith's),  a  pleasant  secluded  little 


watering-place  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Kip,  facing  Inellan  and  the  slopes  of 
Cowal,  with  its  background  of  moun- 
tains. Gait,  the  novelist,  is  buried 
here. 

2  m,  farther  on  1.  is  t  Wemyss  Bay 
(a  tolerable  Hotel),  a  more  modern 
watering-place  and  the  terminus  of 
the  Wemyss  Bay  Rly.,  with  a  long 
Pier,  where  passengers  arriving  by 
rail  join  the  boat  to  I3ute  and  Arran. 
Steamers  for  Largs,  Eothesay,  and 
Millport,  touch  here.  The  most  con- 
spicuous building  is  Castle  Wcrayss, 
designed  by  Billings,  the  seat  of  John 
Burns,  Esq.,  shipowner,  a  worthy  and 
benevolent  citizen  of  Glasgow ;  also 
Kelly  House  (J.  Young,  Esq.,  the 
faithful  friend  of  David  Living- 
stone). 

The  N.  shore  of  the  Clyde  Estuary 
— Dunoon,  Rothesay  and  Isle  of  Bute 
are  described  (Rte.  27). 

Still  coasting  S.,  we  have  on  rt. 
the  promontory  of  Toward  Point, 
round  which  the  Oban  steamer  goes 
through  the  Kyles  of  Bute,  and  on  1. 
Skelmorlie  Castle,  a  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Eglinton  (occupied  by  J.  Graham, 
Esq.)  ;  the  ruined  castle  of  Knock, 
under  the  conical  hill  of  Knock  ;  and 
inland  Brisbane,  the  residence  of  the 
late  Sir  T.  Brisbane.  There  is  a 
pier  at  +  Skelmorlie,  which  has  risen 
in  repute  as  a  residence.  As  the 
channel  narrows  between  the  main- 
land and  the  Great  Cumbrae,  we 
have  on  the  1.  the  watering-place  of 

t  Largs  (Brisbane  Arms),  cele- 
brated for  the  battle  fought  here  in 
1263,  the  date  being  fixed  by  the 
calculation  of  the  eclipse  that  occur- 
red just  before. 

"  Here  floated  Haco's  banner  trim. 
Above  Norweyan  warriors  grim, 
Savage  of  heart  and  large  of  limb." 

Haco,  King  of  Norway,  having 
entered  the  Eirth  of  Clyde  with  a 
numerous  fleet,  met  with  a  storm  dur- 
ing the  disembarkation  of  his  troops. 
His  ships  were  dispersed,  and,  a  part 
only  of  his  army  being  landed,  he 
was  attacked  and  routed  with  great 


192 


Route  23. — The  Clyde:    Cumhraes. 


Sect.  III. 


slaughter  by  Alexander  III.  Haeo 
fled  to  Skye  and  thence  to  the 
Orkneys,  where  he  died  of  hardship 
and  mortification,  and  was  buried 
in  the  cathedral  of  Kirkwall ;  the 
result  of  the  victory  was  the  cession 
of  the  Hebrides  and  Man  to  Scot- 
land, after  they  had  been  for  400 
years  attached  to  the  Norwegian 
crown.  The  Norwegians  buried 
their  slain  in  a  Mound,  still  existing 
on  the  shore  opposite  Cumbrae, 
opened  1873,  and  found  to  contain 
burnt  human  bones. 

In  the  aisle  of  the  Old  Church,  near 
the  Mound,  is  a  monument  to  Sir 
Robert  Montgomery. 

The  conchologist  may  find  on  the 
shore  here  the  llissoa  Calcuthisca,  an 
exceedingly  rare  shell. 

[In  the  summer  an  omnibus  runs 
to  Ardrossan  from  Largs,  passing  li 
m.  on  1.  Kelhurn  Castle  (Earl  of 
Glasgow),  prettily  situated  by  the 
side  of  a  stream,  on  which  there  is  a 
waterfall.  The  house  was  built  in 
the  16th  centy.,  and  has  a  very  in- 
genious and  curiously  -  ornamented 
sun-dial  in  front  of  it.  3  m.  Fairlie 
village  and  castle,  and  thence  through 
the  village  of  West  Kilbride  to  (12 
m.)  Ardrossan  {Inn:  Eglinton  Arms). 
(Rte.  12.)] 

From  Largs  the  steamer  crosses  to 
the  watering-place  of  Milljjort,  situ- 
ated in  a  bay  on  the  S.  side  of  the 
island  of  Great  Cumbrae,  which,  to- 
gether with  the  Lesser  Cumbrae, 
stands  in  mid-channel  between  the 
mainland  and  the  island  of  Arran. 
' '  Both  islands  consist  of  portions  of 
the  same  great  sheet  of  carboniferous 
igneous  rock  which  runs  from  Ar- 
drossan N.  to  Greenock,  and  in  both 
portions  of  the  red  sandstone  on 
which  these  rest  rise  from  under 
them,"  The  geologist  will  find  on 
the  E.  shore  a  couple  of  interesting 
whinstone  dykes. 

t  Millport  {Inns :  Millport ;  Cum- 
brae ;  Kelburn  Arms)  is  an  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  little  place  for  a  short 
stay,  with  a  good  Pier  built  by  Lord 


Bute,  and  contains  an  Episcopalian 
Collegr,  built  from  designs  by  Butter- 
field,  and  a  beautiful  chapel,  in  which 
full  choral  service  is  held  twice  ever}'- 
Sunday. 

The  Garrison  is  a  seat  of  Lord 
Glasgow,  built  on  the  site  of  an  old 
fort. 

An  amusing  anecdote  is  told  of  a 
fonner  minister  of  the  parish  of  Cum- 
brae, who,  with  exalted  notions  of  the 
little  world  in  which  he  lived,  used 
to  pray  for  the  island  of  Cumbrae, 
together  with  the  adjacent  islands  of 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland. 

The  Lesser  Ciimhrae  is  a  very  small 
island  of  about  1  m.  in  length.  There 
was  once  a  fort  on  it,  until  it  was 
burnt  by  Cromwell's  troops.  The 
stump  of  a  tower  on  the  E.  side  of 
Olderdale  is  supposed  to  have  been 
a  defence  against  Norwegian  pirates. 
At  the  S.AX''.  angle  is  a  lighthouse. 
An  older  one  stood  on  the  hill-top. 
To  the  N.  are  the  remains  of  the 
chapel  of  St.  Vey,  with  the  tomb 
of  the  saint  considerably  mutilated. 
The  views  from  both  the  islands  over 
the  shores  of  Bute  and  Arran  are 
very  fine. 

Emerging  from  the  protection  of 
the  Cumbraes  the  steamer  crosses 
the  main  channel  and  makes  for 
Arran,  whose  magnificent  cliffs  and 
mountains,  topped  by  the  rugged 
heights  of  Goatfell,  form  a  grand 
feature  in  the  landscape.  The  first 
point  at  which  the  boat  stops  is 
Corrie,  where  is  a  quiet,  neat  little 
inn. 

t  Brodick,  however,  is  the  most 
central  locale  for  exploring  the  island, 
and  the  place  where  most  of  the 
tourists  disembark,  at  an  iron  Pier  of 
peculiar  construction,  with  buffer- 
sides  to  protect  the  steamers  in  rough 
weather. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is 
rarely  of  any  use  going  to  An-an 
without  having  secured  accommoda- 
tion beforehand  ;  as  in  the  summer 
it  is  crammed  \dth  visitors  from 
Glasgow,  many  of  whom  reside  for 


W.  Scotland.    Route  23. — The  Clyde:  Arran — Brodick     193 


the  season  there,  going  backwards 
and  forwards  to  their  places  of  busi- 
ness. At  Brodick  there  is  only  one 
Inn  (Douglas  Arms),  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton  not  permitting  any  other 
to  be  built.  There  are,  however, 
lodgings  to  be  had  in  many  of  the 
small  cottages  along  the  shore.  At 
Corrie  there  is  a  good  Inn.  At 
Lamlash  accommodation  is  more 
plentiful ;  but  in  consequence  of  its 
situation  it  is  not  such  a  good  start- 
ing-point to  explore  the  beauties  of 
the  island,  which  mainly  lie  in  the 
north. 

The  island  of  Arran  is  about  20  m. 
long  by  12  broad,  the  interior  con- 
sisting of  wild,  uncultivated  moun- 
tains, which  in  the  N.  rise  to  a  very 
considerable  height. 

For  many  centuries  the  island  was 
a  royal  domain,  well  stocked  with 
red  deer  and  other  beasts  of  the 
chase,  and  used  principally  as  a 
hunting-ground.  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  Bruce  landed  here,  and 
mustered  his  forces  before  making 
that  last  and  successful  descent  on 
his  own  country. 

"  "Where  does  my  brother  bend  his  way? 
As  I  have  heard  for  Brodifk  Baj'. 
Across  the  isle — of  barks  a  score 
Lie  there,  'tis  said,  to  waft  them  o'er, 
On  sudden  news,  to  Carrick  shore." 

Lord  of  the  Isles. 

It  was  in  St.  Bride's  convent,  on 
the  N.  of  the  island,  that  his  sister 
Isabel  was  placed.  The  earldom  of 
Arran  was  conferred  for  the  first  time 
upon  Sir  James  Boyd,  who  married 
the  sister  of  James  I.,  but  the  pro- 
perty and  the  lady  were  after  Boyd's 
death  given  to  Sir  James  Hamilton. 
Hogg's  ballad  makes  Walter  Hamilton 
win  the  princess  and  the  island  of 
Arran  in  a  tournament — a  poetical 
ver.sion  of  the  circumstance.  With 
the  exception  of  one  or  two  farms, 
the  whole  island  belongs  to  the 
Duke  of  Hamilton,  who  occasionally, 
though  very  seldom,  visits  Brodick 
Castle. 

The  Geology  of  Arran  is  a  subject 
[Scotland.] 


which  has  attracted  much  attention,  • 
and  has  been  frequently  described  by 
th(-  able  pens  of  many  eminent  geo- 
logists, as  Jameson,  Sedgwick,  Ram- 
say, etc.  To  those  fond  of  this 
science  the  island  is  a  complete  field 
for  study,  embracing  within  its  area 
an  extraordinary  variety  of  different 
phenomena.  The  general  line  of  the 
coast  is  low,  although  it  occasionally 
rises  into  precipitous  cliffs,  especially 
on  the  S.  and  S.W.  Eed  sandstone 
is  the  predominant  rock  along  the 
coast,  extending,  with  few  interrup- 
tions, from  the  Cock  of  Arran  on  the 
extreme  N.  along  the  E.  Brodick, 
where  it  is  very  well  seen,  and  thence 
to  the  S.  shore  as  far  as  Kildonan, 
where  it  is  displaced  by  an  intrusion 
of  trap. 

It  lines  the  valleys  of  the  Slidry 
and  Torralin'?,  then  disappearing  for  a 
time  resumes  its  position  between  the 
Machry  Burn  and  Glen  lorsa.  Near 
the  ]\Iachry  there  is  a  remarkably 
precipitous  wall  of  black  porphyry, 
extending  for  2  m.  along  the  shore. 
On  the  N.  and  N.E.  are  sections  of 
the  carboniferous  series,  interstratified 
with  trap  beds.  The  interior  of  the 
island  is  chiefly  composed  of  granitic 
mountains,  viz.,  Goatfell  (2863  ft.), 
towards  the  E.  Ceum-na-Caillich, 
Caisteal  Abheal,  Cia  Mh6r,  and  Ben 
Huish  in  the  centre,  and  Ben  Varain 
on  the  W. 

"Those  in  the  S.  are  generally 
composed  of  trap  rocks,  partly 
syenite,  partly  porphyry,  partly 
greenstone,  with  many  dykes  of 
greenstone  and  pitchstone  passing 
through  the  red  sandstone  strata 
around  the  coasts.  The  small  size 
of  the  island,  combined  with  the 
elevation  of  the  mountains,  gives  to 
the  short  glens  a  very  sudden  depth, 
and  permits  the  cliffs  to  show  great 
curvatures  of  strata.  Dykes  and 
overlying  masses  of  greenstone,  fel- 
spathic  and  trap  porphyry,  various 
sorts  of  claystones  and  pitchstone 
are  seen  abundantly  both  on  the  E., 
W.,  and  S.  coasts  ;  and  so  perfectly 


194 


Route  23. — Arran  :  Goatfell. 


Sect.  III. 


are  all  the  phenomena  exhibited, 
that  it  is  ditticnlt  to  imagine  any 
space  of  the  same  limited  extent 
more  worthy  of  being  studied  for  the 
purpose  of  understanding  the  mutual 
relations  of  pyrogeneous  rocks." — 
Phillips. 

'\  Brodick.  {Inn:  Douglas  Arms, 
very  good,  but  generally  lull  to  over- 
floAving  in  the  summer  months. )  The 
village  of  Brodick,  properly  speak- 
ing, no  longer  exists,  except  in  the 
castle,  most  of  the  houses  near  it 
having  been  removed.  But  the 
whole  bay,  including  the  hamlet  of 
Invercloy,  now  passes  by  the  name 
of  Brodick. 

The  Castle  (Duke  of  Hamilton) 
was  seized  by  Edw.  I.  and  held  by 
Sir  John  Hastings,  from  whom  it  was 
taken  at  the  general  liberation  of 
Scotland  from  the  Englisli  yoke.  It 
was  garrisoned  by  Oliver  Cromwell ; 
but  his  soldiers,  having  provoked  the 
indignation  of  the  islanders,  were 
mas.sacred.  It  has  been  rebuilt  in 
the  Scotch  baronial  style  from  de- 
signs by  ]\lr.  Gillespie  Graliam,  and, 
though  not  a  very  large  building, 
it  has  from  its  commanding  position 
a  very  good  effect. 

Steamers  daily  to  Greenock  and 
the  ports  of  the  Clyde ;  once  to 
Rothesay  ;  daily  to  Ardrossan. 

Distances  from  Brodick. — To  Glen 
Eosa,  3  m.  ;  Loch  Ranza,  12  ;  Goat- 
fell,  6  ;  Glen  Sannox,  6  ;  Lamlash, 
4  ;  Glen  Ashdale,  10  ;  Tormoi-e,  10. 

'  a.  Goatfell  (2863  ft.),  or  Ben-na- 
Gaoith,  the  "  IMountain  of  the  Wind  " 
of  the  "Lord  of  the  Isles" — 

"  The  sun,  ere  j'et  he  sunk  behind 
Benghoit,  the  mountain  of  the  wind  "— 

rises  from  behind  the  castle  of 
Brodick,  and  is  the  excursion  most 
often  undertaken  by  visitors.  No 
guide  is  required  for  the  ascent, 
except  by  persons  unaccustomed  to 
mountaineering,  which,  with  the  de- 
scent, v,dll  occupy  from  4  to  5  hours, 


starting  from  and  returning  to  the 
hotel.  The  first  2  m.  may  be  done 
on  horsebai^k,  or  even  in  a  carriage, 
following  the  road  along  the  coast, 
passing  the  mouths  of  Glen  Shiraig, 
where  schools  and  a  ch.  have  been 
built,  and  Glen  Rosa.  Upon  thert., 
near  the  schoolhouse,  is  an  old  stone 
monument,  ormenhir,  placed  upright, 
probably  the  entrance  to  an  avenue  ; 
cross  the  burn  and  enter  the  duke's 
grounds.  Farther  on  are  2  more 
upright  stones  in  a  field.  Thence 
ascend  the  hill  at  the  stables  and 
make  for  the  kennels,  which  are 
above,  keeping  a  little  to  the  rt.  of 
the  latter  and  entering  the  planta- 
tions. Emerging  from  there  on  to 
the  heather  a  track  runs  straight  up, 
whence  the  summit  is  seen  rising 
right  in  front.  The  path  appears  to 
wind  a  long  way  round,  but  any  at- 
tempt at  a  short  cut  to  the  mountain 
from  this  point  Avill  only  result  in 
increased  latigue  to  the  pedestrian, 
without  any  saving  in  time.  He 
should  therefore  keep  well  to  the 
right.  From  the  top  may  be  seen 
the  mass  of  mountains  which,  one 
beyond  another,  occupy  the  whole 
of  the  northern  part  of  the  island, 
together  with  the  shores  of  Scot- 
land indented  with  its  numerous 
lochs  and  bays,  the  islands  of  the 
W.,  the  coasts  of  Galloway  and  Ire- 
land, and  the  mountains  of  Cumber- 
land. Near  the  spectator  are  the 
granite  peaks  of  the  sister  mountains 
— that  of  Caisteal  Abhael  on  the  N. 
being  the  most  conspicuous,  topped 
with  loose  blocks  of  great  size,  that 
give  its  simimit  the  appearance  of  a 
recently  dismantled  fortification. 
"Near  the  summit  of  Goatfell,  and 
also  on  the  S.  shoulder,  the  granite 
suddenly  ari.^es  in  perjiendicular 
cliffs,  assuming  the  artificial  appear- 
ance of  huge  Cj'clopeau  walls.  Large 
blocks  are  arranged  one  above  an- 
other with  the  utmost  nicety,  thus 
frequently  presenting  a  vertical  face 
of  rock  of  considerable  height" — 
Ramsay. 


^Y.  Scotland.     Boufe  23. — Arran:  Goatfell 


195 


A  tolerable  mountaineer  may  pro- 
ceed from  the  top  of  Goatfell  along 
the  Saddle,  and  thus  effect  his  de- 
scent upon  Glen  Sannox  to  Corrie, 
instead  of  returning  the  way  he 
came. 

h.  The  veiiis  of  trap  and  jntchstonc 
traversing  the  sandstone  rock  in  all 
directions  exposed  along  the  shore  S. 
of  Brodick,  deserve  the  attention  of 
the  geologist,  and  may  interest  or- 
dinary travellers. 

c.  One  of  the  easiest  and  most 
"beautiful  excursions  from  Brodick  is 
that  to  Glen  Rosa,  as  romantic  a 
glen  as  any  in  the  Highlands,  which 
runs  immediately  beneath  Goatfell, 
and  is  separated  only  by  a  ridge  or 
neck  from  Glen  Sannox,  The  lower 
part  of  the  glen  is  easily  accessible, 
there  being  a  good  path  ;  but  after 
the  wooden  bridge  over  the  tributary 
river  is  passed,  the  path  becomes  ex- 
cessively wet  and  boggy.  But  for 
those  who  do  not  mind  this,  it  is  as 
fine  a  walk  as  can  be  imagined  up  to 
the  head  of  Glen  Rosa,  crossing  the 
ridge  and  down  Glen  Sannox  to 
Corrie,  and  returning  to  Brodick  by 
the  road. 

d.  Lamlash,  the  first  place  in  size 
in  Arran,  opposite  Holy  Islaiul,  is 
4  m.  from  Brodick  {see  below,  e). 

e.  An  Excursion  round  the  Island 
by  the  coast-road  will  be  about  53  m. 
Going  N.  from  Brodick  the  mouth  of 
Gen  Rosa  is  passed  on  the  1.  ;  then 
the  Castle,  a  fiue  red  sandstone 
building.  A  good  road  runs  close 
along  the  sea,  while  the  view  on  the 
opposite  side  is  bounded  by  a  bank 
of  rock,  the  lowest  step  of  the  moun- 
tain ranges,  which  slope  from  the 
interior  to  the  sea  on  both  sides. 
This  bank  is  thickly  covered  in  some 
parts  with  trees  and  brushwood,  and 
the  ground  below  is  strewn  Avith 
masses  of  shivered  rock. 


At  5^  m.  there  is  a  fine  cascade, 
about  250  ft.  high. 


6  m.,  at  t  Corrie  is  a  good  quiet 
Inn,  at  which  steamers  call  daily. 
Excavations  of  great  extent  and  age 
were  discovered  during  the  working 
of  some  quarries  here. 

At  8  m.  the  mouth  of  Glen  Sannox 
is  reached,  which  runs  down  to  the 
sea  from  the  base  of  Goatfell.  There 
is  no  road  up  it,  except  as  far  as  the 
baryta  works  ;  and  the  ground,  un- 
less in  dry  seasons,  is  wet  and 
boggy.  Stillness  reigns  around,  and 
the  almost  perpetual  mists  in  which 
the  depths  of  the  glen  are  shrouded 
lend  gloom  to  the  neighbourhood. 
The  descent  of  Goatfell  is  frequently 
made  across  the  ridge  that  divides 
Glen  Sannox  from  Glen  Rosa,  or  the 
pedestrian  can  proceed  down  the  lat- 
ter to  Brodick.  "  On  the  northern 
range  of  Glen  Sannox  there  is  a  re- 
markable fissure  called  Ceum-na- 
Caillich,  forming  a  deep  indentation 
on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  from 
whence  a  narrow  gully  descends  into 
the  glen.  This  seems  to  have  once 
been  entirely  filled  with  a  trap  dyke, 
now  decomposed.  There  are  several 
trap  dykes  in  and  around  Cia  Mhor,  a 
high  conical  hill,  forming  alike  the 
upper  extremity  of  Glen  Sannox  and 
Glen  Rosa.  One  of  these,  of  a  very 
singular  construction,  crosses  the 
ridge  that  divides  the  glens  on  the  S. 
side  of  Cia  Mhor.  This  remarkable 
dyke  includes  5  distinct  bands." — 
PMiiisay. 

The  volcanic  or  trappean  ash  that 
reposes  upon  the  carboniferous  strata 
on  this  portion  of  the  coast  is  ex- 
tremely interesting.  About  2  m. 
from  Glen  Sannox  are  the  Fallen 
Rocks,  in  which  an  immense  cliff  of 
old  red  sandstone  conglomerate  seems 
to  have  given  way,  and  to  have 
strewed  the  slope  with  masses  of  rock 
in  the  wildest  confusion.     There  is  a 


196 


Pioute  23, — Arran  :  Loch  Ranza. 


Sect.  III. 


tradition  that  this  fall  was  heard  in 
Bute. 

The  scene  at  the  Seriden,  at  the 
N.  extremity  of  which  stands  the 
"  Cock  of  Arran,"  a  point  well  known 
at  sea,  is  somewhat  similar,  though 
even  wilder.  It  is  a  large  piece  of 
clilf  which  once  bore  resemblance  to 
a  cock,  but  the  wind  and  waves  have 
knocked  its  head  ofl',  and  the  likeness 
is  no  longer  striking.  The  whole  of 
this  portion  of  the  route  is  very  im- 
pressive from  the  wild  confusion  of 
roclvs  on  every  side,  whicli  appear  as 
if  an  avalanche  had  deposited  them 
where  they  now  lie.  A  long  glen  is 
now  traversed,  in  which  the  road  sur- 
mounts a  steep  ascent  and  then  de- 
scends as  suddenly  to  the  level  of  the 


12  m.  +  Loch  Piccnza  (a  small  and 
poor  Inn,  furnishing  fresh  herrings 
and  potatoes)  is  an  inlet  of  the  sea, 
about  1  m.  long  at  high  water  and 
•|  m.  broad  ;  at  its  apex  rises  the 
graceful  form  of  Torindan-eoin,  to 
the  S.  of  which  is  the  rugged  top 
of  Caisteal  Abheal.  It  is  a  pity  that 
no  accommodation  exists  at  Loch 
Eanza,  for  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  landscapes  in  Arran.  Tlie 
Bay  is  di\'ided  by  a  promontory  run- 
ning out  into  it  from  the  W.  shore  ; 
and  upon  this  stands  a  Castle,  con- 
sisting of  2  square  towers,  the  roofs 
of  which  are  still  tolerably  perfect. 
It  was  erected  as  a  royal  hunting 
seat  prior  to  the  j'ear  1380.  A  nun- 
nery dedicated  to  St.  Bride  formerly 
existed  here,  but  there  are  no  traces 
of  it  left. 

Loch  Eanza  is  a  celebrated  herring 
station,  the  fish  here  being  remark- 
ably good,  as  indeed  they  are  through- 
out the  whole  of  the  western  coasts. 
The  Campbeltown  steamer  calls  off 
the  loch  several  times  a-week  (Rte. 
24).  Rounding  the  point  and  turn- 
ing southward,  the  traveller  arrives 
at  (14  m.)  the  little  village  of  Catacol. 
The  geologist  will  notice  here  curious 
examples  of  contorted  schist. 


17  m.  is  a  lonely  little  kirk,  be- 
longing to  the  village  of  North 
Tundergay,  2  m.  from  which,  inland, 
is  the  secluded  and  solitary  lake  of 
Corrie-oM-lachan,  which  looks  as 
if  it  had  been  scooped  out  of  the 
recesses  of  Ben  Varen.  Its  sides  are 
almost  wholly  destitute  of  vegeta- 
tion, and  the  lake  has  the  appear- 
ance of  having  been  the  centre  of  an 
extinct  volcano.  "  Ben  Varen  itself 
is  in  form  like  a  long  house,  with 
rounded  roof,  and  on  its  summit  are 
two  of  the  Cyclopean  walls  meeting 
at  right  angles. " — Anderson.  As  the 
road  progresses  S.  very  fine  views  are 
obtained  of  the  mountainous  coast  of 
Cant}Te,  from  which  Ben  Tore  stands 
out  pre-eminently. 

19  m.  South  Tundergay  village  ; 
and  20  m.  that  of  White  Farland. 

2H  m.,  at  Imachar  there  is  a 
small  public-house,  but  clean  and 
respectable. 

24^  m.,  at  Glen  lorsa,  the  river  of 
the  same  name  enters  the  sea.  On 
the  rt.  bank  is  Dugary,  a  shooting- 
box  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton, and  behind  it  is  the  keeper's 
house,  picturesquely  situated.  At 
26^  m.  is  a  road  across  the  island  to 
Brodick,  about  8  m. 

28  m.,  near  the  Machry  river, 
which  the  road  now  crosses,  is  Tor- 
more,  famous  for  its  anticpiarian 
remains  in  the  shape  of  upright 
stones  and  circles.  Here  are  2  up- 
right stones  upon  2  hills,  command- 
ing the  entrance  to  Avhat  was  evi- 
dently an  avenue  leading  up  to  the 
great  circles.  At  the  beginning  of 
this  avenue  there  is  a  dolmen,  formed 
of  large  slabs  put  together  like  a 
house  of  cards,  so  as  to  enclose  a 
space.  The  interior  when  opened 
was  found  to  contain  some  ashes. 

The  first  monument  consists  of  2 
concenti'ic  circles,  the  ground  in  the 
interior  being  somewhat  raised. 

The  diameter  of  the  largest  of 
these  two  circles  is  aboiit  55  ft.,  and 


W.  Scotland.    Route  23. — Tormore — Old  Stones. 


197 


the  stones  are  granite  boulders  ;  the 
2  largest  in  the  interior  circle  point- 
ing E.  and  W.,  in  which  direction 
all  the  circles  lie,  thongli  not  all  in 
the  same  line.  On  the  S.  side  of 
this  one  is  a  stone  with  a  hole  bored 
in  it.  The  centre  of  this  circle  has 
been  opened,  and  human  bones  or 
ashes  were  found  in  it. 

2.  A  circle,  composed  of  5 
boulder-stones,  one  removed. 

3.  To  the  N.  of  the  last  is  a  single 
upright  slab,  about  12  ft.  above  the 
ground,  evidently  one  of  a  circle  of 
similar  stones. 

4.  Three  upright  slabs,  15  ft.  from 
the  ground,  belonging  to  a  circle  60 
ft.  in  diameter.  There  are,  here  and 
there,  groups  of  stones,  which  may 
be  the  remnants  of  circles  scattered 
about  between  this  and  the  hills  ; 
but  the  surface  has  been  removed 
constantly  in  the  search  for  peat,  so 
that,  doubtless,  many  more  have 
disappeared. 

A  little  beyond  Tormore  the 
tourist  must  turn  to  the  rt.,  on  the 
coast,  for  the  King's  Cavrs.  The 
whole  line  of  rock  has  been  hollowed 
here  into  caves,  some  of  which  are 
fitted  wdth  doors  and  \Adndows.  The 
last  and  largest  is  called  the  King's 
Cave,  and  is  said  to  have  been  in- 
habited by  Fingal,  Bruce,  and  several 
other  Scotch  heroes,  fabulous  and 
historical.  The  roof  is  partly  sup- 
ported by  a  natural  pillar  that  rises 
from  the  floor  and  divides  the  upper 
part  of  the  cave  into  2  chambers. 
Upon  its  side  is  rudely  carved  a 
sword,  and  on  the  walls  are  rough 
sketches  of  the  chase,  ascribed  to  the 
leisure  hours  of  Bruce  and  his  com- 
panions when  condemned  to  inac- 
tivit}^  and  concealment  in  Arran. 
But  the  softness  of  the  stone  and  the 
continual  damp  of  the  walls  would 
long  ago  have  obliterated  any  carv- 
ings of  such  ancient  date  ;  although 
it  is  by  no  means  improbable  that 
the  cave  itself  was  at  one  time  in- 
habited   by   Eobert   Bruce   and   his 


brother  Edward.  From  the  caves, 
if  it  is  dry,  climb  the  cliffs  and  strike 
E.  across  the  moor  to  the  high  road  ; 
but  if  it  be  Avet,  return  to  the  road 
whence  you  diverged,  and  proceed  to 
Torbeg,  the  next  village.  [At  the 
kirk  a  road  on  I.  leads  to  Shedog, 
where  there  is  a  small  Inn.  1  m. 
from  this  point  is  the  bridge  over 
the  Machry  Water  and  the  village  of 
Clachan,  with  an  old  cemetery  over- 
grown with  nettles.  Here  it  was 
said  that  St.  Molus  or  Molaise  was 
buried,  although  his  resting-place  is 
claimed  by  the  Irish  as  being  in  the 
island  of  Inishmurray,  off  the  coast  of 
Sligo.  From  Clachan  it  is  7  m.  to 
Brodick,  passing  on  the  way  the 
junction  of  the  Dugary  road,  marked 
by  a  highly-ornamented  letter-box.  ]j 

The  geologist  will  notice  in  the 
red  sandstone  cliffs  near  Tonnore  and 
Drumadoon  the  prevalence  of  dykes 
of  pitchstone  and  trap  porphyry. 

Continuing  the  route  along  the 
coast  from  Torbeg,  33  m.  rt.  is  Tor 
Castle,  or,  as  it  is  commonly  called, 
Castle  Hill,  an  oblong  barrow  run- 
ning from  N.  to  S.,  on  the  top  of 
which  are  the  remains  of  2  circles, 
which  may  have  been  walls,  or  simply 
stones  in  position.  The  larger  one 
is  about  80  ft.  in  diameter,  the 
smaller  54.  On  the  S.  side  are  3 
fragments  of  stone  of  superior  work- 
manship to  the  rest. 

On  the  S.  of  the  Castle  Hill  is  a 
smaller  barrow,  with  a  very  narrow 
ridge,  upon  which  there  seem  to 
have  been  stones  also,  by  the  collec- 
tion at  its  foot.  The  position  of 
these  remains  being  on  the  coast, 
and  principally  the  W.  coast,  in- 
duces the  antiquary  to  attribute 
them  to  a  Norse  origin. 

[A  little  beyond  the  N.  of  the 
Slidry  Water,  34  m.,  a  road  on  1. 
runs  to  Lamlash,  10  m.,  a  pretty 
route  through  Glen  Scorridale,  de- 
scending by  Glen  Monymore.]  A 
little  farther  on  is  a  good   Inn  at 


198 


Route  23. — TiyuT  of  Arran — Lamlash.     Sect.  III. 


crossed  to  Kilmory  village. 

37i  m.  on  rt.  is  Bennan  Head,  the 
point  of  termination  of  the  Struey 
Clilfs  on  this  side.  In  the  face  of 
them  is  the  Black  Cave,  a  large,  dark 
excavation,  about  SO  feet  high. 

40 1  m.  1.  is  Essiemorc,  or  the 
Great  Fall,  in  which  the  water 
descends  100  ft.  in  a  long,  thin 
stream,  which  is  swayed  to  and  fro 
by  the  wind,  into  a  pool,  from  which 
it  forces  its  way  through  a  rocky 
channel  of  red  sandstone  to  the  sea. 
At  its  mouth  is  the  village  of  Auchin- 
grew,  where  there  is  a  ch.  and  manse. 

41|  m.,  at  Kildonan  village,  there 
is  a  small  public-house.  Off  the 
shore  is  the  island  of  Pladda,  upon 
which  there  is  a  lighthouse.  Kil- 
donan Castle,  upon  the  edge  of  the 
shore,  is  a  square  keep  of  2  storeys  ; 
the  roof  of  the  lower  storey  still  per- 
fect, and  a  part  of  the  upper  one 
still  left.  On  the  land  side  is  a 
splendid  line  of  perpendicular  cliffs, 
called  the  "Dippin  Rocks,"  from 
the  E.  end  of  which  a  stream  spouts 
forth,  vdlh.  a  fall  of  nearly  300  ft. 
There  is  a  road  from  Kildonan 
Castle,  which  rejoins  the  main  road 
without  returning  through  the  vil- 
lage, and  passes  close  to  Dippin 
Lodge,  the  grounds  of  which  are 
kept  strictly  private  ;  then  along  the 
shore  of  Whiting  Bay,  on  the  1.  of 
wdiich  is  the  village  of  Silverbank,  so 
called  from  the  fine  bright  sand  wiih. 
which  the  coast  is  covered.  At  the 
back  of  the  village  Glen  Ashdcde,  in 
which  there  is  a  good  waterfall,  runs 
up  into  the  hills.  The  sti-eam  is 
broken  in  one  place  only — the  first 
fall  being  about  60  ft.  high,  and  the 
lowest  very  much  more.  The  north- 
ern point  of  Whiting  Bay  is  called 
King's  Cross,  from  its  being  the 
place  where.  Bruce  is  said  to  have 
embarked  for  Carrick,  and  opposite 
to  it  are  the  clifis  of 


Holy  Isle,  a  picturesque  island, 
about  IJ  m.  in  length,  rising  to  the 
height  of  1009  ft.,  and  forming  an 
admirable  breakwater  to  the  Bay  of 
Lamlash.  Holy  Isle  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  resort  of  St.  Molio  or 
Molaise,  a  disciple  of  St.  Columba. 
His  cave  by  the  shore  is  marked  by 
some  curious  inscriptions  in  Eunic 
characters  of  the  date  of  the  12th 
centy. 

The  composition  of  the  rocks  is 
red  sandstone  overlaid  by  felstone, 
and  the  surface  is  covered  wdth  heath 
and  the  Arbutus  uva  ursi. 

49  m.  t  Lamlash  {Inns :  Lamlash 
H.  ;  Bannatyne's  ;  Kennedy's)  is  a 
straggling  village  of  detached  cot- 
tages, running  along  the  coast,  and 
facing  the  sea  and  the  northern  pro- 
montory of  Holy  Isle.  It  is  much 
resorted  to  in  the  summer,  but  prin- 
cipally by  those  who  are  not  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  accommodation  at 
the  hotel  at  Brodick.  In  Lamlash 
Bay  the  Norwegian  King  Haco 
moored  his  shattered  fleet  after  his 
defeat  at  Largs. 

Steamers  start  from  it  several  times 
a  day,  for  Greenock,  Ardi'ossan,  and 
Wemyss  Bay. 

It  is  a  favourite  walk  of  4  m.  to 
Brodick  ;  both  the  ascent  from  Lam- 
lash and  the  descent  to  Invercloy 
affording  very  beautiful  views.  The 
geologist  may  see  veins  of  pitchstone 
crossing  the  road. 

53  m.  Brodick  {see  above). 

The  tourist  who  is  anxious  to 
make  a  more  intimate  geological  ac- 
quaintance with  Arran  should  read 
M  'Culloch's  admirable  description, 
which,  although  a  little  out  of  date, 
is  a  magnificent  resume  of  the 
mineralogical  features.  The  most 
compendious  work  is  Prof,  Ramsay's 
"  Geology  "  of  the  island. 


W.  Scotland.     Route  23rt. — Glasgoic  to  JVemyss  Bay.  199 


ROUTE  23a. 

Glasgow  to  Greenock  and 
"Wemyss  Bay,  by  Paisley 
and  Bridge   of  "Weir. 

(A.)  High  Level  Line. — Stats,  in 
Glasgow  :  Union  Kly.,  Dunlop  Street, 
N.  side  of  Clyde,  and  Bridge  Street 
Stat,  on  S.  side — 12  trains  daily  in 
less  than  an  lir.  to  Greenock. 

Crossing  the  Clyde  on  an  Iron 
Bridge,  the  Caledonian  YAj.  joins  the 
South -Western  at 

Pollockshields  Stat.  This  Glasgow 
suburb,  along  with  Ibrox,  consists 
chiefly  of  villas. 

Rt.,  see  the  West-end  Park  and 
Gla,sgow  College  on  the  height. 

PmMey  Junct.  Stat.,  in  Rte.  12. 
Here  the  2  lines  to  Greenock  diverge. 
The  High  Rly.  1.  to 

Crosslee  Stat,  is  connected  with 
Johnstone,  11  to  12.  Rt.,  in  clear 
"weather,  Ben  Lomond  is  \'isible. 

Bridge  of  Weir  Stat.,  a  small 
manufacturing  village  with  mills  in 
a  hollow.     After  passing 

Kilmalcolm  Stat. ,  a  wonderful  pro- 
spect opens  out  on  the  rt.  over  the 
valley  and  estuary  of  the  Clyde  from 
Dumbarton  downwards.  From  the 
great  height  at  which  the  rly.  runs 
you  have  a  complete  bird's-eye  view, 
and  look  down  upon  smoking  steam- 
boats, the  tops  of  the  chimneys,  and 
roofs  of  the  towns  of  Port-Glasgow 
and  others,  through  which  the  Low 
Line  runs.  Xo  traveller  should  fail 
to  take  this  route  for  the  sake  of  the 
remarkable  view. 

The  rly.  descends  through  a  series 
of  tunnels  partly  running  under  the 
streets  of  Greenock,  to 

Greenock  Stat.  (Lyndoch  Street), 
Here  passengers  for  Wemyss  Bay 
must  change  trains. 

Greenock  TermimisiJlviTboxiT Stat.) 
at   Prince's  Pier,    W.   of  the  town. 


where   all   the   river    steamers    call 
(Rte.  23). 

(B.)  From  Paisley  ly  Low  Line  to 
Greenock  and  Wcinyss  Bay. 

Houston  Stat. 

Bishopton  Stat.  Emerging  from 
a  long  tunnel  the  Clyde  opens  out  to 
vi(nv. 

Port-Glasgow  Stat,  {see  Rte.  23). 

221  m.  Upper  Greenock  Stat. 
Near  this,  among  the  hills  on  1.,  are 
the  reservoirs  which  supi)ly  Green- 
ock with  water,  descending  in  the 
stream  called  Shaw's  Water,  which 
turns  many  miles. 

Ravenscraig  Stat. 

Inverkip  Stat,  (see  Rte.  23). 

30^  m.  Wemyss  Bay  Terminus,  2 
hrs.  bv  rail  from  Glasgow. 


ROUTE  24. 

Glasgow  to  Campbeltown  and 
Cantyre  by  Sea. 

A  steamer  stai-ts  three  times  a 
week  from  the  Broomielaw,  arriving 
at  Camp1>eltown  in  6  or  7  hours. 
The  first  part  of  this  route,  down  the 
Firth  of  Clyde  to  Greenock  and 
Wemyss  Bay,  is  detailed  in  Rte.  23. 
From  Wemyss  Bay  the  steamer  makes 
for  the  N.  coast  of  Arran,  which  it 
skirts,  getting  magnificent  views  of 
Goatfell,  Kidvoe,  Ceum-na-Caillich, 
and  Glen  Sannox,  Then  the  beauti- 
ful inlet  of  Loch  Ranza  is  touched  at. 
The  strait  between  the  W.  coast  of 
Arran  and  that  of  Cant}Te  is  called 
Kilbrannan  Sound,  down  which  the 
traveller  steams,  passing  on  rt.  the 
solitary  little  kirk  of  North  Tunder- 
gay.  Then  the  steamer  crosses  ob- 
liquely over  to  Cantyre,  first  touch- 
ing at  the  little  fi.shing  harbour  of 
JJarradale,  in  the  village  of  which 
there  is  a  decent  Inn.  Near  Carra- 
dale  House,  overlooking  the  sea,  are 
the  ruins  of  Aird  Castle  ;  also  a  vitii- 


200 


Route  24. — Campheltown  ;  CanUjre.        Sect.  III. 


fied  fort  on  a  small  island.  From 
this  point  there  is  a  road  along  the 
coast  running  northward  to  Clunaig 
and  Skipness,  at  the  entrance  of 
Loch  Fyne,  and  also  one  running 
south  through  Saddell  to  Campbel- 
town. 

Skipness  Castle  is  somewhat  dila- 
pidated. Its  outer  walls  are  7  ft.  in 
thickness,  and  it  has  2  projecting 
towers,  one  of  which  was  evidently 
the  keep  of  the  Castle,  and  goes  hy 
the  name  of  "Tur  in  t'  sagairt,"  the 
Priest's  Tower.  One  of  its  former 
owners,  a  Campbell,  called  "The 
Captain  of  Skipness, "  studied  the  art 
of  war  under  Gustavus  Adolphus, 
and  fought  against  Charles  I.  and 
Montrose.  At  Skipness  is  also  the 
ruined  ch.  of  St.  Columba,  which  in 
its  entirety  was  the  largest  ch.  in 
Can  tyre,  except  that  of  Saddell. — C. 
Bede. 

Carradale  is  a  good  place  for  ascend- 
ing Ben-an-  Tuirc,  ' '  the  mountain  of 
the  boar"  (2170  ft.),  which  is  the 
highest  mountain  in  Cant3Te.  The 
hills  throughout  the  whole  peninsula 
are  noways  remarkable  for  their  jjic- 
turesque  features,  as  they  consist 
rather  of  a  succession  of  swelling  up- 
lands than  of  rugged  or  precipitous 
heights.  Nevertheless,  the  view  from 
Ben-an-Tuirc  will  repay  the  ascent, 
as  it  includes  Ayrshire  and  Wig- 
townshire to  the  E.  ;  Ireland,  the 
Giant's  Causeway,  and  Rathlin  Island 
to  the  S.  ;  Islay,  Gigha,  and  Jura, 
with  the  broad  Atlantic,  to  the  W.  ; 
and  northward,  as  far  as  Ben  Cru- 
achan  and  Ben  Lomond. 

1|  m.  S.  of  Carradale  is  the  pretty 
Glen  Torrisdale,  at  the  entrance  to 
which  is  Torrisdale  Castle  (J.  Hoyes, 
Esq.).  About  4  m.  to  the  S.,  is  the 
glen  and  Castle  of  Saddell,  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  bits  on  the  eastern 
coast  of  Cantyre.  The  castle  is  a 
plain  quadrangular  tower,  with  a 
machicolated  embattlement.  There 
are  also  some  slight  remains  of  the 
monastery   of  Saddell,    founded    in 


1163  for  Cistercian  monks,  by  Re- 
ginald, the  son  of  Somerled,  Lord  of 
Cantyre  and  the  Isles.  In  the  old 
churchyard  are  some  very  ancient 
scul|)tured  stones,  also  monuments  of 
the  Macdonalds,  the  former  possessors 
of  Saddell,  concerning  whom  there 
are  many  singular  stories  in  the 
district.  A  little  to  the  S.  of  Sad- 
dell is  Ugadale,  the  property  of  Capt. 
Hector  M'Lean,  whose  ancestors  re- 
ceived it  in  consideration  of  kind- 
ness offered  by  them  to  Robert  Bruce. 
A  brooch,  presented  by  him,  is  still 
an  heirloom  in  the  family. 

At  Ardnacross  the  romantic  glens 
of  Straduigh  and  Glenluissa  run 
down  to  the  sea.  Presently  the 
picturesque  island  of  Davar,  on 
which  there  is  a  revolving  light, 
points  out  the  entrance  to  the  har- 
bour of  Campbelto^^^l,  in  whose  land- 
locked waters  the  whole  navy  of 
Great  Britain  might  ride  safely.  At 
the  head  of  it,  pleasantly  sheltered 
from  the  rough  winds  of  the  Atlantic, 
is  James  VI. 's  royal  burgh  of 

+  Campbeltown  {Inns :  Argyll  Arms ; 
White  Hart  —  both  moderate  and 
comfortable),  the  headquarters  of  the 
distillery  trade,  and  withal  a  some- 
what dirty  town,  6628  inhab.  It 
is  of  great  antiquity,  having  been  the 
capital  of  the  early  Dalriadan  mon- 
archy about  the  6th  or  7th  cent. 
The  principal  object  of  interest  in 
the  town  is  the  Cross,  which  stands 
on  a  pedestal  in  the  centre  of  the 
main  street — date  about  1500.  The 
one  side  is  covered  with  elaborate 
ornamentation,  similar  to  that  on  the 
cross  at  Inveraray  (Rte.  31),  and  the 
other  contains  this  inscription  in 
Lombardic  characters,  together  with 
a  few  figures  of  men  and  animals. 
"  Hsec  est  crux  Domini  Yvari  M. 
Heachyi-na  quondam  Pectoris  de  Kyl- 
regan  et  Domini  Andre  nati  ejus 
Pectoris  de  Kilcoman  qui  banc  crucem 
fieri  faciebat."  Although  Campbel- 
town is  well  sheltered,  it  has  no  very 


W.  Scotland.    Route  24. — Canty  re — Kllkcrran. 


201 


picturesque  scenery,  except  towards 
the  Isle  of  Arran  and  the  Sound. 
The  population  depends  principally 
on  the  whisky  distillation  and  the 
herring  fishery.  Of  distilleries  there 
are  upwards  of  20,  which  turn  out 
about  1,200,000  gallons  of  whisky  a 
year.  This  trade  has  nearly  super- 
seded the  fishery. 

Distances. — The  Mull  of  Can  tyre, 
10  m.  ;  Dalavaddy,  3  ;  Macrahanish 
Bay,  5  ;  Barr,  12 ;  West  Tarbert 
(coach  daily  to  meet  the  steamer),  35. 

Stejxmer  3  times  a  week  to  Glas- 
gow. 

[A  very  interesting  excursion  may 
be  made  round  the  south  coast  to 
the  Mull,  skirting  the  harboiu'  of 
Campbeltown,  and  arriving  at  1^  m. 
Kilkerran,  prettily  situated  at  the 
foot  of  the  Glenramskill  hills,  of 
which  Bengullion  is  the  highest 
point,  rising  to  1160  ft. 

Kilkerran  (Chil  Chieran)  claims;to 
have  been  the  site  of  the  cell  of  the 
Irish  saint  St.  Kieran,  who  preached 
in  the  6th  centy.,  and  is  believed  to 
have  been  the  first  Christian  mis- 
sionary to  the  western  portion  of 
Scotland.  He  is  said  to  have  dwelt 
in  a  cave  a  little  southward,  where 
the  coast  trends  away  to  the  j\Iull. 
Of  the  church  of  Kilkerran,  once 
annexed  to  the  abbey  of  Paisley, 
nothing  remains,  though  the  burial- 
ground  is  still  used.  Between  it 
and  the  sea  is  the  old  ruined  Castle, 
garrisoned  by  James  VI.  to  over- 
aw^e  the  Macdonalds,  Avho,  however, 
thought  so  little  of  it  that  they  cap- 
tured it  and  hung  the  governor  from 
the  walls  before  the  king  was  well 
out  of  sight.  There  is  a  fine  view 
from  Bengullion,  on  the  face  of 
which  is  a  deep  rift. 

A  little  to  the  S.  of  Kilkerran  is 
Kildaloig,  the  seat  of  Sir  L.  Camp- 
bell. There  is  some  fine  timber 
here. 


3  m.  at  AcJianaton,  or  Achaoan 
Head,  is  the  cave  where  St.  Kieran 
dwelt.  Pennant  speaks  in  high 
terms  of  it : — "These  caves  are  very 
magnificent  and  various  ;  the  tops 
are  lofty,  and  resemble  Gothic  arches. 
One  has  on  all  sides  a  range  of 
natural  seats.  Another  is  in  the 
form  of  a  cross,  with  3  fine  Gothic 
porticoes  for  entrances.  On  the  floor 
is  the  capital  of  a  cross,  and  a  round 
basin,  cut  out  of  the  rock,  full  of  fine 
water — the  beverage  of  the  saint  in 
olden  times,  and  of  sailors  in  the  pre- 
sent, who  often  land  to  dress  their 
■^actuals  beneath  this  shelter. "  From 
thence  the  road  keeps  tolerably  near 
the  coast-line,  crossing  the  mouths 
of  Glen  Arvie  and  Coneglen,  where 
a  considerable  stream  falls  into  the 
sea,  amidst  some  romantic  scenery. 

Between  Glen  Ar\'ie  and  Cone- 
glen, close  to  Southend,  is  Machri- 
rcock,  a  shooting-lodge  of  the  Duke 
of  Argyll.  As  a  proof  of  the  mildness 
of  the  climate,  a  laburnum-tree  in 
the  garden  here  was  in  full  bloom, 
Dec.  15,  1865.  Limecraigs,  near 
Campbeltown,  is  another  seat  of  the 
same  family,  where  the  Duchess, 
mother  of  the  gi'eat  Duke  John,  once 
resided. 

At  Dunaverty  is  the  Castle  of  the 
Macdonalds,  the  lords  of  Cantyre, 
where  Bruce  hid  from  his  enemies, 
quitting  Scotland  from  this  point  to 
cross  over  to  Eathlin  Island,  which 
lies  some  20  m.  to  the  S. 

The  castle  was  situated  on  the 
summit  of  a  very  precipitous  rock, 
which  is  only  accessible  from  the 
land  side  by  a  narrow  approach,  and 
obtained  its  name  of  Dunaverty  from 
Dunamortaich,  or  "rock  of  blood," 
from  the  scenes  of  warfare  which  it 
witnessed.  At  the  close  of  Mon- 
trose's Eoyalist  War,  1647,  a  remnant 
of  his  forces,  chiefly  Irish,  under 
Alaster  M'Collkeitoch,  being  de- 
feated by  the  Marquis  of  Argyle, 
took  refuge  in  Dunaverty,  from 
whence   Colkitto  sailed   to  Ireland, 


202 


Route  2L—Mun  of  Cantyre. 


Sect.  III. 


leaving  300  men  as  garrison.  During 
his  absence  the  Covenanter  General 
Leslie  besieged  the  place  with  a 
force  of  3000  men,  and  the  castle, 
which  was  naturally  impregnable, 
was  forced  to  yield  at  last  from  the 
stoppage  of  the  supplies  of  water. 
The  unfortunate  garrison  were  all 
most  cruelly  put  to  death,  the  only 
ones  who  escaped  being  a  young 
man  named  M  'Coul,  and  a  nurse  to 
the  infant  of  Macdonald. 

About  2  m.  off  the  coast  is  the 
Isle  of  Sanda,  containing  a  light- 
house and  a  summer  residence  belong- 
ing to  the  proprietor  (D.  J.  K. 
M 'Donald,  Esq.) 

About  1  m.  to  the  W.  of  Dunaverty 
is  Keill  House,  let  as  a  fishing  and 
shooting  lodge.  There  is  another 
large  cave  here,  to  which  is  attached 
the  legend  of  the  piper  who  ventured 
in  with  his  dog ;  the  latter  eventually 
coming  out,  but  the  piper  losing  his 
way  for  ever.  The  same  story  is 
told  of  several  caves  in  Scotland, 
and  particularly  of  one  on  the  S. 
coast  of  Mull. 

About  1  m.  inland  is  Southend, 
a  neat  little  village  with  a  decent 
Inn.  At  Carskay  the  road  crosses 
the  stream  of  the  Glen  Breckay,  and 
farther  on  that  of  Glenmanuilt,  from 
whence  it  takes  the  high  groiind  for 
about  2  m.  to  the  lighthouse  of  the 
IMull  of  Cantyie  ;  or  the  pedestrian 
may  keep  close  to  the  coast  and  visit 
the  Danish  fort  at  Balcinacumra, 
situated  at  the  top  of  a  perpendicular 
rock  overlooking  the  sea,  and  sur 
rounded  by  3  walls. 

The  Mull  of  Cantyre  (sujiposed  by 
some  to  be  the  Epidium  Promon- 
torium  of  the  Eomans),  although 
of  no  great  height,  is  attractive 
from  its  Avild  and  j)recipitous  rocks 
and  the  tremendous  currents  and 
tides  that  beat  against  them,  and 
which  in  rough  weather  are  fearful 
to  behold.  At  the  summit  of  the 
rock  is  the  Mull  Lighthouse,  built  by 
Peter  Stuart  in  1788,  and  aftenvards 


remodelled  by  Robert  Stevenson :  the 
tower  is  sheathed  with  copper,  and 
contains  a  light  visible  for  22  nautical 
miles.  The  view  from  it  is  remark- 
ably fine,  extending  over  the  N.  coast 
of  Ireland,  the  island  of  Eathlin, 
Islay,  and  a  vast  extent  of  the 
Atlantic.  The  geological  composition 
of  the  rocks  is  that  of  the  quartzose 
sandstones  of  the  Lower  Silurian 
series. 

From  the  Mull  a  road  runs  N., 
vdiloL  glorious  sea  views,  every  now 
and  then  crossing  a  picturesque 
glen.  After  passing  the  Beacon  of 
Crochmoy,  it  skirts,  about  4  m.  from 
the  lighthouse,  the  base  of  the  granite 
mountain  of  Sliahh,  which  rises  to 
the  height  of  2000  ft.  Under  the 
northern  slopes  lies  the  fine  open  bay 
of  Macrihanish,  near  which  is  the 
parish  and  village  of  Kil  Coivin, 
where  the  ruins  of  the  ch.  or  oratory 
of  St.  Coivin  are  still  visible.  In  the 
burial-ground  are  some  curious  old 
sculptured  tombstones. 

There  is  a  good  road  from  hence 
to  Campbeltown  through  Dalavaddy, 
where  there  is  a  small  patch  of  car- 
boniferous beds,  and  where  coal  (of 
an  inferior  quality)  is  worked  to 
supph'^  the  neighbourhood.  A  canal 
was  formed  to  take  it  to  Campbel- 
town to  be  shipped,  but  it  is  found 
more  convenient  to  bring  coal  from 
the  Ayrshire  coast. 

From  Dalavaddy  it  is  3  m.  to 
Campbeltown.] 


EOUTE   25. 

Campbeltown  to  Tarbert,  by  Barr 
and  "West  Tarbert  Loch.. 

A  coach  leaves  Campbeltown  every 
morning,  except  on  Thursday  and 
Saturday,  for  Tarbert,  skirting  the 
western  coast  of  Cantvre,  and  offer- 


W.  Scotland.   Route  25. — Campheltoion  to  Tarhert. 


203 


iug  on  a  fine  day  a  beautiful  excur- 
sion by  what  Macculloch  calls  "a 
very  amusing  road. " 

For  the  first  few  miles  the  way 
lies  inland,  through  a  moorland  dis- 
trict, relieved  at  one  spot  by  an 
avenue  of  limes.  4  m.  is  the  ancient 
cemetery  of  Kilchenzie,  still  in  use. 
As  the  road  ascends  the  hill,  the 
traveller  gains  on  1.  a  distant  view 
of  the  clitis  of  Macrihanish  Bay. 

At  6h  ni.  is  a  picturesque  glimpse 
of  Tangy  Glen,  and  again  where  the 
road  crosses,  farther  on,  the  stream 
of  the  Barr  Burn,  passing  the  prettily- 
wooded  demesne  of  Glenbar  Abbey 
(Keith  M'Alister,  Esq.)  The  house, 
though  ancient,  has  been  consider- 
ably modernised,  and  is  beautifully 
situated  amidst  rich  timber.  There 
is  a  decent  little  inn  in  the  village  of 
Barr,  although  its  outward  appear- 
ance is  not  prepossessing. 

The  road  now  regains  the  coast, 
and  very  fine  views  are  obtained  at 
Glencrcggan  (rt.)  "The  portion  of 
the  Irish  coast  seen  from  Glencreggan 
is  that  of  Fair  Head  and  the  Giant's 
Causeway,  in  the  front  of  which 
Rathlin  Island  is  plainly  visible. 
Then  come  Islay  and  Jura,  their 
rugged  outlines  forming  one  long 
bold  line  against  the  sky,  the  Paps 
of  Jura  being  the  most  conspicuous 
feature.  Between  us  and  them  lie 
the  prett}'  islets  of  Cara  and  Gigha. 
The  western  coast  of  Cantyre 
stretches  in  long  perspective  to  the 
rt.  Islay  is  about  28  m.,  and  Jura 
34  m.  in  length  ;  but  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  Islay  overlapping  Jura, 
the  two  at  first  sight  appear  to  fonn 
one  long  island.  These  four  islands 
of  the  southern  Hebrides  —  Islay, 
Jura,  Cara,  and  Gigha  (pronounced 
"  Yeea  ") — are  a  lovely  feature  in  the 
view,  more  especiallj^  when  seen  from 
the  moors  on  the  hills  behind  Glen- 
creggan, from  whence  we  can  ' '  sight " 
anotlier  portion  of  the  Hebridean 
group — the  islands  of  Colonsay  and 
Oronsay  ;  and  still  farther  to  the  rt. 
the  island  of  Scarba,  with  the  Gulf 


of  Corryvi'echan,  while  shado^^y  Mull 
fills  in  the  background." — Glencreg- 
gan, by  C.  Bede. 

From  Glencreggan  the  road  winds 
down  a  steep  hill  to  the  seaside, 
where  there  is  a  cave  with  the 
unpronounceable  name  of  Beallo- 
chaghaochean,  and  then  keeps  close 
to  the  shore  to  Mausdale  \illage,  in 
the  parish  of  Killean.  A  little  be- 
fore reaching  the  church  the  traveller 
gets  a  peep  up  the  Clachaig  Glen. 
In  the  village  a  tall  chimney  calls 
the  attention  to  the  manufacture  of 
starch  from  the  farina  of  potatoes, 
now  given  up.  Beyond  the  manse 
and  kirk  of  Killean  are  the  ruins  of 
the  old  kirk,  very  rude  and  primi- 
tive, though  containing  a  double 
window  with  tooth  moulding. 

18  m.  Tayinloan  village,  near  which 
the  road  passes  Largie  Castle,  the 
seat  of  C.  Moreton  Macdonald,  Esq., 
a  fine  modernised  building  of  the 
Scotch  baronial  style,  in  a  prettily- 
wooded  park,  through  which  flows 
the  stream  that  rises  in  Loch  Ulaga- 
dale.  The  Llacdonalds  of  Largie 
were  in  former  times  the  most  con- 
siderable proprietors  in  Cantyre. 

[From  Tapnloan  there  is  a  ferry  to 
the  island  of  Gigha  (or  Yeca),  about 
4  m.  distant  from  the  mainland,  and 
separated  from  the  smaller  islet  of 
Cara  by  the  still  smaller  one  of 
Gigulum.  The  principal  village  in 
Gigha  is  Ardminish,  on  the  W.  coast, 
which  boasts  of  a  ch.  and  a  manse, 
but  there  is  not  much  to  see  in  the 
island  save  a  fortification  in  the 
middle  of  the  islet  called  Dun  Chifie, 
and  a  blow-hole,  called  in  Gaelic  Sloc- 
an-leim,  or  the  Squirting  Cave,  from 
which  the  sea  in  rough  weather  throws 
up  high  jets. 

l!s'ear  Ardminish  kirk  are  a  few 
remains  of  an  older  one,  with  sonie 
monumental  relics.  Cara  also  has 
an  old  ruined  chapel.] 


204 


Bouie  2G. — Glasgow  to  Islay  and  Jura.     Sect.  III. 


At  Kilmichael  tlie  road  crosses 
auotlier  picturesque  stream,  that  has 
its  source  in  Loch  Garisdale, 

25  m.  Ronachan,  the  seat  of  Allan 
Pollock,  Esq. ,  celebrated  in  Scotland 
and  Ireland  for  his  enthusiasru  and 
success  in  model  farming. 

A  little  farther  on  is  the  village  of 
Claclian,  prettily  situated  in  the  bot- 
tom of  a  dell,  to  which  several  streams 
converge.  It  is  sheltered  by  the  woods 
and  grounds  of  Ballinakill.  The  hill 
of  Dunskeig,  which  overlooks  it  on 
the  L,  is  marked  by  a  vitrified  fort 
and  some  intrenchments.  It  is  worth 
ascending  for  the  sake  of  the  lovely 
view  over  West  Loch  Tarbert,  a  long 
narrow  Highland  loch  that  runs 
inland  for  about  11  m.,  and  sepa- 
rates the  districts  of  Cantyre  and 
Knapdale. 

The  wooded  shores  of  Knapdale 
have  been  taken  advantage  of  by 
owners  of  property  for  their  resi- 
dences, several  of  which  grace  the 
loch.  As  the  road  from  Clachan  to 
Tarbert  surmounts  the  steep  hill,  the 
traveller  gains  a  view  in  succession 
of  Ardpatrick  House  (Capt.  James 
C.  Campbell),  and  Dunmore  (W. 
Campbell,  Esq.)  On  the  E.  side  of 
the  loch  the  road  passes  Stonefield 
(C.  G,  Campbell,  Esq.)  and  the  vil- 
lage of  Whitehouse  Inn,  where  a 
road  on  rt.  is  given  off  to  Skipuess 
and  the  E.  coast  of  Cantyre. 

+  35  m,  Tarbert  {Inn :  Islay  Arms), 
a  busy  and  important  village,  the 
chief  centi'e  of  the  herring-fishery  of 
Loch  Fyne,  is  most  picturesquely 
situated  at  the  head  of  East  Loch 
Tarbert,  which  is  about  1  m.  in 
length,  and  in  its  rugged  rocks  and 
landlocked  waters  widely  differs 
from  the  softer  beauties  of  West 
Loch  Tarbert.  The  East  Loch  is 
overlooked  by  the  Castle,  which, 
though  now  crumbling,  Avas  once 
the  stronghold  of  Cantyre,  and  for  a 
time  the  residence  of  Kobert  Bruce 
and  King  James   II.     It   "is   said 


to  have  been  supplied  with  water 
from  the  other  side  of  the  loch,  con- 
veyed under  the  harbour  by  pipes." 
The  visitor  \\\1\  be  interested  in  all 
the  busy  preparations  for  herring- 
fishing,  and  the  loading  of  the 
steamers,  if  his  olfactory  nerves  are 
not  too  strongly  acted  on  by  the 
smell  of  the  fish. 

Tarbert,  or  Tarbet  (Gaelic,  Tairb- 
lieart  =  an  isthmus),  is  a  name  which 
frequently  occurs  in  Scotland.  In 
this  instance  it  describes  very  well 
the  "portage"  between  E.  and  W. 
Lochs  Tarbert.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  Tarbet  on  Loch  Lomond, 
which  is  only  1  i  m.  from  Loch  Long, 
and  indeed  of  every  place  that  bears 
this  name.  This  narroAV  neck  is  not 
much  more  than  1^  m.  across.  Plans 
have  been  suggested  for  cutting  a 
ship-canal  through  it. 

The  "lona"  calls  daily  in  the 
summer  from  Glasgow  to  Ardrishaig, 
and  arrives  oft'  the  pier  on  Loch 
Fyne,  which  is  about  §  m.  from  the 
village  (Rte.  27).  2d.  is  charged  each 
passenger  for  pier  dues. 

There  is  also  a  slow  steamer,  twice 
or  three  times  a  week,  to  Inveraray 
and  Glasgow  ;  but  as  she  is  in  the 
season  laden  to  the  brim  with  herring- 
boxes,  it  is  not  an  advisable  convey- 
ance. A  steamer  also  calls  at  West 
Tarbert  once  a  week  from  Islay,  re- 
turning thither  the  same  day.  It  is 
about  4  hours'  sail. 


ROUTE   26. 

Glasgow  to  Islay  and  Jura. 

A  steamer  leaves  Glasgow  every 
Monday  morning  for  the  two  Islay 
harbours.  Port  Ellen  and  Port 
Askaig  ;  but  as  she  sails  round  the 
Mull  of  Cantyre,  passengers  for  Islay 
would  do  well  to  go  by  the  "  lona  " 
on  Tuesday  morning  to  Tarbert,  from 
whence  a  conveyance  can  be  got  to 


W.  Scotland.  Boute  2Q.—IsIay—Forf  Ashiig  ;  Kildaltoii.  205 


West  Tarhcrt,  1|  m.  (Ete.  25),  in 
time  to  catch  the  Islay  steamer  on 
her  return  journey  to  Port  Ellen. 
IsloAj  is  seldom  visited  by  tourists, 
who  usually  follow  the  route  through 
the  Crinan  Canal,  ignoring  every- 
thing to  the  south  ;  but  although  it 
does  not  possess  scenery  of  the  highest 
order,  and  is  inferior  in  this  respect 
to  Jura,  there  is  much  to  interest  the 
traveller.  It  is  the  most  westerly 
as  well  as  the  largest  island  of  the 
Southern  Hebrides,  being  30  m.  long 
by  24  broad,  and  containing  in  its 
3  parishes  of  Kilchoman,  Kilmeny, 
and  Kildalton,  a  pop.  of  about 
16,000.  It  closely  adjoins  the  island 
of  Jura,  separated  only  by  the  Sound 
of  Islay,  a  narrow  strait,  lined  by 
precipitous  cliffs.  They  correspond 
so  nearly  with  those  of  the  opposite 
coast  that  the  imagination  is  perforce 
carried  back  to  the  time  when  not 
only  Islay  and  Jura  were  contiguons 
with  each  other,  but  also  with  the 
mainland,  and  even  with  Rathlin 
Island  and  the  N.  coast  of  Ireland. 
A  very  strong  and  unpleasant  current 
runs  through  the  sound,  rendering 
the  navigation  rather  intricate.  The 
outline  of  the  coast  is  irregular  on 
the  S.  and  N.,  the  largest  portion  of 
the  island  being  on  the  E.,  which  is 
separated  by  a  naiTow  isthmus  from 
the  western  prolongation  of  the 
Ehynns.  The  deep  indentations 
thus  formed  are  Loch-in-Daal  on  the 
S.  and  Loch  Gruinaird  on  the  N., 
which  penetrate  inland  like  Nor- 
wegian fiords.  The  interior  is  by  no 
means  lofty  ;  the  highest  point, 
Sgor-na-Faoileann,  being  only  1444 
ft.,  while  the  hills  on  the  W.  are 
considerably  lower.  The  finest  coast 
scenery  is  to  be  found  at  the  Point 
of  the  Ehynns,  and  from  Laggan  Bay 
round  the  Mull  of  Oe  (the  most 
southernly  promontory)  to  I^oudans 
Bay  on  the  E.  side.  "The  eastern 
coast,  as  far  as  Ardtala,  consists  of  a 
rugged  line  of  low  rocks,  much  in- 
dented and  beset  with  islands — ^the 
([uartz  rock  here  forming  the  higher 


and  more  precipitous  shore,  of  which 
Macarthur's  Head  is  the  most  con- 
spicuous point. " — Macculloch. 

+  Port  Askaig  is  a  snug  little  har- 
bour with  a  decent  Inn,  tolerably 
well  sheltered  by  woods  and  planta- 
tions on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  in 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  Strait, 
separating  it  from  Jura,  here  only  ^ 
m.  wide,  and  ti'aversed  by  a  Ferry. 
To  the  K.W.  of  the  town  lead  was 
formerly  worked,  and  the  proprietor 
of  the  estate  used  silver  plate  from 
his  own  mines.  Two  roads  branch 
off  from  this  point,  one  to  Bridgend 
(8  m.),  thence  to  Bowmore  (11  m.), 
and  another  to  Port  Ellen  (20  m.), 
making  the  circuit  of  the  Mull.  The 
latter  keeps  close  to  the  coast,  and, 
except  for  sea-\dews,  which  include 
the  coast  of  Gigha  and  the  opposite 
Cantyi-e  shore,  is  comparatively  un- 
interesting. At  Macarthur's  Head,  a 
prominent  point  at  the  S.  end  of 
Islay  Islancl,  there  is  a  lighthouse. 
Near  Ardmore,  14  m.,  is  the  burying- 
place  of  Kildalton  (one  of  the  island 
parishes),  containing  a  couple  of 
Sculjitured  Crosses,  and  a  little  far- 
ther S.,  overlooking  Laggavoulin 
Bay,  are  the  remains  of  a  strongly- 
built  round  tower  called  Dun  Kaom- 
haig,  supposed  to  be  one  of  the  for- 
tresses of  the  powerful  ]\Iacdonalds, 
lords  of  Islay.  The  road  now  winds 
under  the  hill  of  Cnoc,  where  two 
upright  stones  mark  the  supposed 
resting-place  of  a  Danish  princess 
named  Yula,  whence  Islay  may  have 
derived  its  name. 

20  m.  Port  Ellen  or  Ellinor,  a 
modern  village,  named  in  honour  of 
Lady  Eleanor  (L'ampbell  of  Islay,  has 
some  large  distilleries,  which,"  with 
horses  and  black  cattle,  are  the 
source  of  the  principal  riches  of  the 
island.  From  here  a  road  cuts  across 
the  peninsula  of  the  Oe  to  the  W. 
coast,  while  another  goes  as  far  as  the 
cliffs  of  the  Mull,  where  there  is  a 
cave  called  Sloe  Mhaol  Doradh  ;  it 
is,  however,  only  accessible  from  the 


206 


Route  26. — Iday  ;  Boimnore. 


Sect.  III. 


sea,  and  the  visitor  will  require  a 
boat.  The  extreme  point  of  the  Mull 
is  occupied  by  the  remains  of  an  old 
entrenchment  called  Dun  Aird.  The 
road  now  coasts  along  the  smooth 
bay  of  Laggan,  and  at  the  base  of  the 
range  of  Sgur  Voucharan,  1157  ft. 

Crossing  the  Laggan  river,  and 
reaching  the  upper  portion  of  Loch- 
in-Daal  at  Ardlarach  Point,  the 
traveller  reaches 

Boivmore  (11  m.  from  Port  As- 
kaig),  the  chief  town  of  Islay,  with 
a  pop.  of  about  1000,  and  good  Inn. 
Loch-in-Daal  was  the  scene  of  the 
exploits  of  an  American  privateer  in 
1813,  which  fired  and  rifled  several 
merchant  vessels  lying  at  anchor.  3 
m.  to  the  N.  is  Bridgend  (a  good 
inn),  adjoining  the  pretty  grounds 
and  woods  of  Islay  or  the  White 
House,  formerly  the  residence  of 
Campbell  of  Islay,  for  centuries 
owners  of  the  island,  now  the  pro- 
perty of  Chas.  Morrison,  Esq. 

At  Bridgend  the  road  from  Port 
Askaig  comes  in,  for  the  first  part  of 
its  course  exceedingly  pretty,  until 
it  reaches  the  moorland. 

Distances  of  Bridgend  from — Port 
Ellen,  11  m.  ;  Port  Askaig,  8. 

The  steamer  calls  at  Port  Ellen  3 
times  a  week,  and  once  at  Port 
Askaig.  Omnibuses  from  Bridgend 
meet  the  steamer  at  both  j^laces. 

About  halfway  is  Kilmeny  kirk 
and  manse,  and  a  little  nearer  Port 
Askaig,  Kilmeny  Loch,  the  source  of 
the  river  Sorn,  which  accompanies 
the  road  to  Bridgend.  About  1^  m. 
to  the  N.  of  Kilmeny  Loch  and  2^ 
to  W.  of  Port  Askaig,  is  FinJagan 
Loch.  On  its  Island  are  the  re- 
mains of  the  principal  Castle  of  the 
Macdonalds,  Lords  of  the  Isles,  who 
here  held  their  court.  From  Bridg- 
end the  excursion  can  be  continued  to 
the  Ehynns,  the  road  keeping  close 
to  the  head  of  Loch-in-Daal,  and 
skirting  the  opposite  coast  to  Port 
Charlotte,  and  the  little  village  of 
Portnahaven,  near  the  end  of  the 
point.     On  Oversay  Island,  just  ofi' 


the  point  of  the  PJiynns,  is  a  Light- 
house, showing  a  flashing  light  every 
5  seconds.  "  The  promontory  of  the 
Rhynns  is  noted  for  the  extreme 
violence  and  rapidity  of  the  tides 
that  run  past  it — scarcely  less  violent 
and  fearful  than  the  stream  of  Corry- 
vi'echan,  and  attended  with  currents 
even  more  difficult  to  explain.  In 
the  most  remarkable  case  that  occurs 
here,  a  narrow  channel  is  found  be- 
tween the  body  of  the  island  and  the 
2  small  islets  Chenzie  and  Oversay, 
and  in  this  strait  the  time  of  the  ebb 
is  IO4  hours,  that  of  the  flood  being 
but  1^,  while  on  the  outside  of  these 
islands,  the  twelve  hours  are,  as  in 
the  open  sea,  equally  divided  between 
the  ebb  and  the  flood. " — Macculloch. 

Keeping  the  W.  coast,  the  traveller 
will  reach  Kilchoman  ch.,  from 
whence  a  road  runs  direct  to  Bridg- 
end, i^assing  the  estate  of  Sunderland 
(A.  Maclaren,  Esq.,  who  has  done 
very  much  for  this  portion  of  the 
island  in  developing  agriculture,  and 
encouraging  deep-sea  fishing  at  Port- 
nahaven, where  large  numbers  of  cod 
are  caught).  Instead  of  proceeding 
direct  to  Bridgend,  however,  the 
tourist  may  visit  several  interesting 
spots  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
Khynns,  particularly  at  Loch  Guirm 
or  Gorm,  where  are  the  ruins  of  a 
square  fort,  another  stronghold  of 
the  ]\Iacdonalds. 

The  coast  in  this  portion  of  the 
island  is  extremely  fine,  and  contains 
numerous  caverns.  The  principal 
one  is  at  Sannigmore,  visited  by 
Pennant,  who  thus  describes  it : — 
' '  The  entrance  was  difficult,  but 
after  some  trouble  we  found  the 
inside  of  an  immense  extent  and 
height,  the  roof  solid  rock,  which 
returned  with  the  noise  of  thunder 
the  discharge  of  our  muskets.  With- 
in this  cave  was  another,  straight 
before  us,  with  a  fine  arched  entrance. 
We  found  one  gi-otto  divided  into 
numbers  of  far -winding  passages, 
sometimes  opening  into  fine  ex- 
panses, again  closing  for  a  long  space 


W.  Scotland.         Route  26. — Jura  ;  Pa^js  of  Jura. 


207 


into  galleries,  passable,  but  with  diffi- 
culty— a  perfect  subterranean  laby- 
rinth." 

This  spot  was  noted  for  a  terrible 
shipwreck  in  1847,  when  the  "Ex- 
mouth,"  with  her  freight  of  240 
emigrants,  was  lost  with  all  hands. 
Cutting  across  the  promontory,  the 
traveller  will  descend  to  the  shores 
of  Loch  Gruinaird,  which  indents 
the  jS".  coast  for  a  considerable 
distance,  though  not  nearly  to  the 
same  extent  as  Loeh-in-Daal  does  the 
S.  A  fierce  battle  was  fought  here 
in  1588,  between  the  Macdonalds  of 
Islay  and  the  jNI  'Leeds  of  JMull,  with 
whom  they  had  a  feud,  and  who  had 
invaded  the  island.  The  latter  were 
driven  back  with  the  loss  of  their 
leader.  The  history  of  Islay  is  al- 
together identified  with  the  Mac- 
donalds, who  held  sway  as  Lords  of 
the  Isles  after  the  Norwegian  occu- 
pation, which  may  still  be  traced  in 
many  of  the  names  of  places.  The 
power  of  the  Macdonalds  was  how- 
ever broken  in  the  reign  of  James 
III.,  who,  angry  at  the  number  and 
extent  of  these  private  feuds,  made 
a  grant  of  the  island  to  the  familj^  of 
Campbell.  The  geological  formation 
of  Islay  is  that  of  the  Lower  Silurian 
slates,  varied  with  occasional  bands 
of  thin  limestone,  and  on  the  E. 
coast,  near  Port  Ellen,  with  inter- 
bedded  gi'eenstones. 

Jura. 

To  the  N.W.  of  Islay,  separated 
only  by  the  nari'ow  sound,  is  the 
long  tapering  island  of  Jura,  about 
30  m.  in  length,  containing  some 
veiy  fine  scenery,  but  seldom  visited 
on  account  of  the  want  of  accommo- 
dation, excepting  small  Inns  at  Craig- 
house  and  Lagg.  Considering  its  size. 
Jura  has  a  small  population,  the  culti- 
vation being  extremely  limited,  since 
the  whole  area  is  filled  with  moun- 
tains of  a  sterile  character.  There 
are  a  few  scattered  villages  along  the 
S.  and  E.  coasts,  which  are  provided 
with  a  road  ;  the  W.  coast  is  utterly 


uninhabited,  and  the  centre  of  the 
island  is  deeply  indented  by  Loch 
Tarbet,  which  nearly  cuts  it  in  two. 
There  is  o.  ferry  from  Port  Askaig  to 
Feolin,  the  road  on  the  Jura  side 
running  round  the  S.  coast  to  Ardfin, 
the  residence  of  Richard  Campbell, 
Esq.,  in  whose  family  the  lordship 
of  Jura  has  been  retained  since  1666. 
From  thence  the  road  skirts  the  E. 
to  the  northern  exti^emity  of  the 
island,  the  usual  landing-place  from 
Ciinan  and  the  mainland.  About 
half-way  up  is  the  little  fishing- 
village  of  Lagg  (Inii),  whence  there 
is  a  ferry  to  Knapdale  (8^  m.) ;  higher 
up  again  is  Ardlussa,  the  residence  of 
Col.  M'Xeill,  V.  C. 

The  most  romantic  scenery  is 
found  in  the  S.  division,  and  consists 
principally  of  the  Pajys  of  Jura,  three 
mammillary  eminences  which  are  con- 
spicuous landmarks  in  the  Hebridean 
Sea.  The  most  lofty  is  Bein-an-oir 
(Mountain  of  Gold),  2675  ft.,  Ben-a- 
chaolois  (Mountain  of  the  Sound), 
2412  ft.,  and  Bein-sheunta  (or  the 
Hallowed  Mountain).  There  is  no 
difficulty  whatever  in  the  ascent, 
which  is  worth  making  for  the  sake 
of  the  magnificent  views  over  the 
Atlantic  and  the  coast  of  jMull. 
From  the  W.  side  of  the  Paps  runs  a 
narrow  strip  of  rock,  terminating  in 
the  sea,  and  called  "  the  slide  of  the 
old  hag."  To  the  S.  of  the  Paps 
are  Dubh  Beinn  (1735  ft.),  and 
Brut  Beinn  (1123  ft.),  while  the 
northern  portion  of  the  island  has 
Ben  Breac  (1482  ft.),  and  Ben  Garris- 
dde  (1210  ft.).  The  Antiquities  of 
Jura  are  few,  and  consist  of  a  singu- 
lar line  of  stones  running  down  sea- 
wards fi'om  Bein-an-oir,  and  traces  of 
a  triple  entrenchment  on  the  N.  side 
of  the  bay  overlooking  the  Small 
Isles. 

To  the  N.   of  Jura  is  the  small 
island  of  Sccirha,   separated  by  the 
terrible  gulf — 
"  Wliere  Corryvreckan's  surges  driven. 

Meet,   moiint,   and    lash  the  breast    of 
heaven."  $ 


208       Boiite  26. — Jura:   Corryvreclian ;  Oronsay.      Sect.  III. 


Corryvreclmn  or  Corieblireacain, 
"  the  cauldron  of  the  spectred  sea,"  is 
the  terror  of  light  craft  sailing  these 
seas,  although,  as  in  all  cases  of  so- 
called  whirlpool,  the  effects  of  it  are 
immensely  exaggerated.  "  Through 
the  channel,  about  |  m.  in  breadth, 
the  sea  rushes  with  a  velocity  (as 
ascertained  by  the  Admiralty  sur- 
veyors) of  9^  miles  an  hour.  By  the 
pilots  of  the  district  the  speed  is  re- 
puted to  be  17  or  18  miles  an  hour. 
There  are  two  circumstances  which 
greatly  increase  the  effect.  One  is, 
that  in  the  northern  side  of  the 
channel,  or  near  the  coast  of  Scarba, 
and  towards  the  western  mouth  of 
the  channel,  there  is  a  large  rock  or 
shoal  on  which  the  depth  is  about  \ 
of  that  in  the  neighbouring  parts  of 
the  bay,  and  on  this  the  sea  some- 
times breaks  with  great  fury.  The 
other  is,  that  when  the  current  is 
opposed  to  the  wind,  and  especially 
when  the  outward  current  is  opposed 
to  the  prevalent  westerly  wind,  the 
whole  channel  is  covered  Avith  high 
rolling  breakers." — G.  B.  A. 

In  rough  weather,  at  the  flood- 
tide,  which  curiously  sets  to  the  W. 
out  to  sea,  it  is  a  very  awful-looking 
place,  which  no  mariner  in  his  senses 
would  care  to  attempt  ;  but  in 
smooth  weather  vessels  of  certain 
tonnage  can  sail  over  it  without 
danger.  The  poet  Campbell  de- 
clares that  the  sound  of  Corry- 
vrechan  can  be  heard  for  many 
leagues  on  the  mainland,  and  that  it 
is  like  the  sound  of  innumerable 
chariots. 

The  passage  between  Scarba  and 
Lunga  is  easier  of  access,  and  more 
striking.  ' '  Supposing  the  visitor  to 
be  on  the  inside  of  the  islands,  he 
can  venture  to  approach  most  nearly 
when  the  sea  is  rushing  inwards 
through  the  passage.  And  here  he 
will  see  a  commotion  of  waters  such 
as  perhaps  he  can  nowhere  else  wit- 
ness. He  will  be  borne  along  on  a 
white  foaming  sea  at  a  gallop  speed. 
We  have  seen,  at^jthe  distance  of  30 


ft.  from  our  boat,  a  rapid  conical 
whirl,  of  perhaps  40  or  50  ft.  in 
diameter,  force  itself,  like  a  huge 
corkscrew,  towards  the  bottom  of  the 
sea.  This  passage  is  called  in 
Gaelic  *  Bheallaich  a  Choin  Ghlais, ' 
Pass  of  the  Grey  Dog,  but  the  sailors 
call  it  the  Little  Gulf."— 6-'.  B.  A. 

About  9  m.  to  the  W.  of  Jura  are 
the  isles  of  Oronsay  and  Colonsay, 
almost  touching  each  other — indeed 
connected  for  three  hom"s  at  low 
water. 

Oronsay,  small  as  it  is,  contains 
some  of  the  most  interesting  ecclesi- 
astical ruins,  next  to  lona,  in  the 
W.  of  Scotland,  consisting  of  a  mo- 
nastery founded  in  the  14th  centy.  by 
the  Lords  of  the  Isles.  The  Church, 
which  is  roofless,  is  about  60  ft.  in 
length,  and  almost  entirely  without 
decoration,  and  adjoining  it  is  the 
cloister,  the  arches  of  which,  when 
in  preservation,  were  very  peculiar. 
On  two  of  the  sides  there  were  7 
triangular-headed  low  arches,  with 
plain  square  columns,  but  on  the 
other  tliey  Avere  round-headed. 

In  Pennant's  time  there  were  a  great 
many  tombstones,  some  of  which 
represented  warriors  7  ft.  high — "a 
flattery  perhaps  of  the  sculptor,  to 
give  to  future  ages  exalted  notions 
of  their  prowess."  There  is  also  the 
tomb  of  an  abbot  named  ]\Iacdufie, 
who,  it  is  said,  Avas  executed  by  the 
Lord  of  the  Isles  for  his  tyranny.  In 
the  churchyard  is  a  fine  sculptured 
Cross,  the  head  of  which  is  adorned 
Avith  a  relief  of  the  Crucifixion.  The 
inscription  at  the  base  is  to  the 
memory  of  Colin,  Chief  of  Oronsay, 
who  died  in  1510.  Both  these  islands 
are  associated  with  and  took  their 
respectiA^e  names  from  St.  Columba, 
and  St.  Oran  his  companion.  An 
abbey  existed  also  in  Colonsay,  but 
all  traces  of  it  are  gone,  save  the 
foundations.  This  island  is  much 
larger  than  Oronsay,  and  is  remark- 
able for  the  richness  of  its  pasture,  in 
I  which  it  forms  a  marked  contrast  to 


W.  Scotland.  Pde.  27. — Glasgotv  to  Crimm  Canal  and  Oban.  209 


Jura.  The  late  Rt.  Hon.  Duncan 
M'Neill,  after  being  L.  President  of  the 
Court  of  Sesn. ,  was  raised  to  the  jjeer- 
age  by  the  title  of  Lord  Colonsay. 


ROUTE   27. 
Glasgow  to  Oban,  by  Ibe  Clyde, 

Dunoon,  Rothesay,  Loch  Fyne, 

Ardrishaig,  and  Crinan  Canal. 

Oban  may  be  reached  by  several 
routes  overland,  but  the  one  by  the 
Crinan  Canal  is  generally  preferred 
by  the  visitors  to  Scotland,  a  regular 
and  uninterrupted  stream  of  whom 
pass  backwards  and  forwards  daily 
during  the  season.  It  is  deservedly 
a  favourite  route,  for  the  whole  voy- 
age is  landlocked,  or  otherwise  so 
sheltered  as  seldom  to  cause  disquiet 
to  the  traveller  unaccustomed  to  the 
sea.  Moreover  the  accommodation 
between  GlasgoAV  and  Oban  is  of  the 
finest  description,  and  very  great  cre- 
dit is  due  to  Messrs.  Hutcheson  and 
Co.,  who  have  organised  a  fleet  of 
steamers  for  the  service  of  the  west- 
ern seas.  The  '^lona,"  which  conveys 
the  toiu-ist  as  far  as  Ardrishaig,  is  a 
superb  boat  both  in  speed  and  fittings. 
The  saloons  are  splendidly  furnished, 
and  there  is  a  hurricane  deck  for  fine 
weather.  Newspapers,  books,  and 
a  post-office  are  provided,  together 
with  lavatories  and  every  conve- 
nience for  passengers ;  the  cuisine 
too  is  admirable,  and  it  really  is 
one  of  the  sights  of  Scotch  travel 
to  see  the  tourist  cargo  sit  down 
to  breakfast  and  dinner. 

The  "lona"  leaves  her  moorings 
at  the  Broomielaw  every  morning  at 
7  o'clock,  arriving  at  Ardrishaig 
about  1.  At  the  farther  (N.)  end  of 
the  Crinan  Canal  another  boat  is 
waiting,  which  lands  its  passengers 
at  Oban  about  .6  '30. 

The  river  portion  of  the  route,  and 
the  S.  shore  of  the  Clyde  estuary, 
Greenock,  Wemyss  Bay,  and  Largs, 
are  described  in  Rte.  23.  By  using  the 
rail  from  Glasgow,  you  can  overtake 
[Scotland.] 


the  "lona"  at  Greenock,  starting 
half-an-hour  later.  By  leaving  Edin- 
burgh (W.  Princes-st.  stat.)  at  6.30 
A.M.,  you  can  also  catch  the  "  loua" 
at  Greenock. 

liounding  the  point  of  the  Cloch 
Lighthouse,  the  steamer  crosses  the 
Firth  to 

rt.  *  t  Dunoon  (Rte.  29)  (Eotd  : 
Argyle),  one  of  the  most  favourite 
of  Glasgow  watering-places,  and  then 
touches  at  i  IncJlan  {Hotel :  Royal, 
very  good),  which,  like  Dunoon,  has  a 
fine  frontage  to  the  water,  and  a  good 
shelter  of  wooded  hills  at  the  back. 

Instead  of  keeping  south,  the  ves- 
sel now  turns  sharj)  round  ToAvard 
Point,  upon  which  there  is  a  light- 
house, the  S.  extremity  of  the  pro- 
montory of  Cowal.  On  rt.  are  the 
ruins  of  Toward  Castle,  a  stronghold 
of  the  old  family  of  Lament.  There 
is  but  one  ivy-covered  tower  left,  but 
close  by  is  the  more  showy  modern 
mansion  of  A.  S.  Finlay,  Esq.  Across 
the  island  of  Bute  may  be  seen  Goat- 
fell,  in  Arran.  Immediately  opposite 
Toward  is  the  busy  town  of 

t  Rothesay  {Inns:  Queen's  H., 
West  Bay,  out  of  the  town,  quiet, 
comfortable  ;  Bute  Arms,  close  to  the 
Pier  ;  Royal.  The  Hydropathic 
Establishment,  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  Bay,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
buildings,  is  also  frequented  as  an 
Hotel).  Rothesay,  capital  of  Bute, 
is  a  Pari.  Burgh  (Pop.  7760),  on  the 
Clyde.  It  has  long  been  the  resort 
of  invalids  on  account  of  its  mild 
climate,  but  of  late  it  has  been  over- 
run by  the  holiday-making  folk  and 
workpeople  of  Glasgow,  and  has  be- 
come the  Margate  of  the  Clyde.  It 
has  also  turned,  into  a  manufacturing 
town,  many  hundreds  of  its  popula- 
tion finding  employment  in  three 
cotton  mills.  It  has  a  convenient 
and  bustling  Pier,  at  which  a  steamer 
touches  nearly  every  \  hour.  The 
modern  town  has  spread  neaily  round 

*  The  sign  t  indicates  a  steamboat  land- 
ing, Fler. 

K  2 


210 


Pvoute  27. — Glasgoio  to  Oban:  Rothesay.     Sect.  III. 


the  Bay,  the  houses  commanding  the 
lovely  view  over  the  entrance  to  the 
Kyles  of  Bute.  The  older  town 
mounts  the  hillside.  In  the  centre 
of  it  stands  the  Castle,  a  ruin  since 
1685,  said  to  have  been  founded  in 
the  11th  cent,  by  Magnus,  King  of 
N^orvvay,  afterwards  the  property  of 
the  Stewarts,  and  a  royal  residence. 

The  existing  Castle,  not  older  than 
the  14tli  centy.,  is  circular  in  plan, 
with  round  towers  at  the  corners, 
2  of  which  have  fallen,  and  a  square 
projecting  Gatehouse,  in  which  were 
the  chief  apartments.  Eobert  III., 
who  died  here,  created  his  eldest 
son  Duke  of  Rothesay,  a  title  still 
borne  by  the  Prince  of  Wales.  Crom- 
well began  the  work  of  destruction 
here,  a  work  completed  by  a  brother 
of  the  Earl  of  Argyle,  1685.  The 
Marquis  of  Bute,  the  hereditary 
keeper,  has  of  late  years  cleared  out 
the  moat,  and  put  the  buildings  in  a 
thorough  state  of  repair.  A  pleasant 
terrace  walk  is  carried  round  the  pre- 
cincts. Adjoining  the  castle  is  an  im- 
posing-looking jail  and  court-house. 

Traversing  High  St.,  |  m.  walk 
S.,  you  reach  the  Old  Kirk,  adjoin- 
ing which  is  a  fragment  of  the  Gothic 
Ch.  of  St.  Mary,  containing  2  cano- 
pied tombs,  with  eftigies  of  Stewarts, 
ancestors   of  the    Bute   family,    de 


scended  from  the  Nt 
(Dapifer). 


Fitz-Alau 


The  Island  of  Bute,  of  which  Rothe- 
say is  the  capital,  is  18  ra.  long,  5  m. 
broad,  and  has  a  Pop.  of  between 
16,000  and  17,000.  Great  part  of 
the  island  belongs  to  the  Alarquis 
of  Bute,  whose  seat,  Mount  Stuart, 
5  m.  to  the  S.,  is  surrounded  by  very 
fine  plantations,  and  contains  a  good 
collection  of  pictures.  From  the 
hills  behind  Rothesay  charming 
views  may  be  obtained  of  the  Island 
of  Arran,  which  is  also  well  seen 
from  Ettrick  Bay,  a  pleasant  drive 
of  5  m.,  passing  througii  Kames. 
Near  the  Bay,  at  St.  Colmacks,  are 
remains  of  a  Circle  of  Old  Stones,  4 


only  upright.  A  longer  excursion  is  to 
the  S.  W.  to  Scalpsie  Bay,  half-way 
between  which  and  Rothesay  is  Loch 
Fad,  a  pretty  lake,  1^  m.  in  length, 
but  spoiled  by  the  embankments 
made  by  a  cotton-spinning  company. 
Near  it  Kean  the  actor  had  a  cottage. 
The  view  looking  down  the  loch  and 
across  to  the  peaks  of  Arran  is  very 
tine.  Loch  Quicn  is  a  smaller  loch, 
between  Loch  Fad  and  Scalpsie  Bay. 
On  the  road  hitlier  from  Rothesay 
are  the  remains  of  a  Cliapel  contain- 
ing some  stone  effigies  said  to  be 
"the  stout  Stewarts  of  Bute,"  bro- 
thers in  arms  of  Wallace. 
]  At  Laiigalchorid,  in  the  S.W.,  are 
,  some  old  stone  remains.  The  road 
is  continued  to  the  very  S.  of  the 
island.  There  are  a  vitrified  fort  at 
Dung  oil, "the  ruins  of  an  early  Ro- 
manesque ch.  of  St.  Blane,  with  an 
:  elegant  pointed  chancel,  standing  on 
a  large  mound  and  surrounded  by  a 
wall  of  unhewn  stones,  and  another 
I  curious  circular  ruin  in  an  adjoining 
i  wood,  called  The  Devil's  Caldron. 
1  Ascog  Hall  (J.  B.  Stewart,  Esq.), 
has  extensive  gardens  and  beautiful 
conifers  in  its  grounds. 

After  leaving  the  pier  at  Rothesay 
the  steamer  enters  the  Kyles  of  Bute, 
a  narrow,  tortuous,  and  almost  land- 
locked Strait  between  the  N.  half  of 
Bute  and  the  mainland,  forming  an 
acute  bend  between  it  and  the  Isle 
of  Bute.  The  sail  tlirough  it  is 
agreeable,  the  scenery,  without  be- 
ing fine,  is  exceedingly  good,  the 
hills  covered  with  copsewood,  and 
descending  pretty  steeply  to  the 
Avaterside,  which  is  fringed  with 
many  a  little  seaside  villa  or  cottage 
ornee.  At  the  head  of  the  Bay  of 
Kames  is  the  pier  and  village  of 
t  Port  Bannatyne  or  Kamesburgh, 
near  which  is  the  modern  mansion 
of  Kames  Castle  (Marq.  of  Bute  — 
let).  On  rt.  pass  Achavullin,  Port 
Lament,  and  the  entrance  to  Loch 
Striven,  a  long  arm  of  the  sea,  at  the 
head  of    which    may    be   seen    the 


W.  Scotland.     Route  27. — Loch  Fijne ;  Tarhert. 


211 


rounded  tops  of  the  Cowal  mount- 
ains. Upon  the  peninsula  that 
separates  Lochs  Striven  and  Ridden 
is  South  Hall,  a  charming  place,  be- 
longing to  J.  Campbell,  Esq. 

Stoppages  are  made  at  t  Colin- 
traive  Pier,  at  the  mouth  of  rt.  Loch 
Ridden,  and  Eilan  Gerig,  upon  Avhich 
a  fort  was  built  in  1685,  by  the 
Earl  of  Argyle,  in  his  unsuccessful 
invasion  of  Scotland.  It  was  sub- 
sequently dismantled  by  an  English 
fleet.  This  invasion  was  under- 
taken in  conjunction  with  that  of 
Monmouth  in  the  W.  of  England, 
and  had  an  equally  disastrous  termi- 
nation, both  leaders  being  beheaded, 
the  one  at  Edinburgh  and  the  other 
on  Tower  Hill.  There  are  a  pier 
and  Inn  at  i  Ormidalc,  some  2  m. 
up  Loch  Ridden,  from  Avhence  a  road 
runs  N.  to  Loch  Fyne,  by  the  valley 
of  Glendaruel.  Rounding  the  point 
and  turning  southward,  the  steamer 
passes  on  the  1.  2  pieces  of  rock  in 
a  green  hollow,  rudely  painted, 
known  as  the  "Maids  of  Bute." 

At+  TigJmabruichjWheYe the  Kyles 
begin  to  Aviden,  are  an  hotel  and 
a  small  colony  of  marine  villas, 
which  enjoy  a  distant  view  of 
the  Arran  mountains.  The  vessel 
now  rounds  Ardlamont  Point,  the 
most  southerly  promontory  of  the 
Cowal  district,  keeping  on  1.  the 
island  of  Inchmarnock,  with  its 
ruined  chapel  of  St.  Marnock,  and 
soon  enters  the  noble  estuary  of 

Loch  Fyne.  The  view  is  now 
bounded  by  the  hills  of  Cowal  on  the 
rt.,  and  the  equally  monotonous  ones 
of  Knapdale  on  1.,  having  in  sight, 
lower  down  on  Cantyre,  the  castle 
of  Skijmess  (Rte.  24). 

The  steamer  next  wends  its  way 
up  Loch  Fyne,  one  of  the  largest 
Scotch  sea-lochs,  which  stretches  for 
about  10  m.  beyond  Inveraray,  alto- 
gether a  distance  of  some  40  m.  It 
is  famous  for  its  herrings,  which, 
when  eaten  fresh,  are  an  entirely 
different  article  of  food  from  herrings 


as  usually  bought,  and  indeed  are 
one  of  the  greatest  delicacies  of  the 
fish  department.  The  fishing  has 
latterly,  however,  very  much  dete- 
riorated from  some  unexplained  cause. 

The  steamer  touching  at  Tarbert 
(Rte.  25)  gives  passengers  an  oppor- 
tunity to  land  in  Cantyre,  a  penin- 
sula of  Argyllshire,  stretchings,  into 
the  sea  40  m.,  and  also  to  catch  the 
Islay  steamer  which  comes  up  to 
West  Tarbert,  about  Ih  m.  hence. 

A  coach  leaves  East  Tarbert  daily 
(except  on  Thursdays  and  Satur- 
days) for  Camjjbeltown,  arriving  there 
about  9  in  the  evening.     (Rte.  25.) 

The  steamer  now  passes  on  1.  Bar- 
more,  the  handsome  modern  seat  of 
Mr.  Campbell  of  Stonefield,  and  the 
long  ridge  of  Sliabh  Ooil,  generally 
supposed  to  be  the  scene  of  the 
death,  from  a  wild  boar,  of  Ossian's 
"Diarmid."  On  the  opposite  E. 
shore  lie  the  picturesque  wood  and 
mansion  of  Ardviarnock  (Dr.  Nicol). 
Above  Barmore  is  Inverneil  Kirk,  a 
little  beyond  which  the  steamer 
arrives  at  the  head  of  Loch  Gilp  and 
i"  Ardrishaig,  where  the  traveller 
leaves  the  "  lona,"  to  be  transferred 
by  the  Crinan  Canal  to  the  Oban 
boat.  The  heavy  baggage  is  at  once 
taken  out  and  put  into  large  vans, 
which  are  driven  across  the  isthmus. 
The  distance  from  the  "lona"  to 
the  passage  boat  is  about  5  of  a  mile, 
which  the  tourist  has  to  walk,  the 
only  disagreeable  part  of  the  journey, 
as  there  is  always  an  immense  crowd 
assembled  on  the  pier,  partly  of 
fishermen,  partly  of  touters  and  por- 
ters, and  partly  of  the  passengers 
from  Oban  waiting  to  embark  in  the 
returning  "  lona." 

For  those  who  wish  to  stay  at 
iArdrishaig,  the  Royal  is  a  good  Ian. 
During  the  season  a  coach  starts 
from  the  pier  on  the  arrival  of  the 
steamers  to  convey  tourists  to  Ford 
on  Loch  Awe,  where  a  steamer 
meets  the  coach.  This  is  a  magni- 
ficent route  to  Oban  (Rte.  28). 


212 


Fa 


97 


■Crinan  Canal ;  Crimui. 


Sect.  III. 


The  Crinan  Canal,  by  Avhich 
passengers  are  conveyed  across  the 
isthmus  from  Ardrishaig  on  Loch 
Fjaie  to  Crinan  on  the  W.  ocean,  is 
9  m,  long,  and  was  cut  in  1822  to 
obviate  the  necessity  of  the  long  and 
dangerous  voyage  round  the  Mull  of 
Cantyre,  for  which  purpose  it  is 
broad  enough  to  receive  ships  and 
steamers  of  considerable  burden.  It 
is  supplied  with  water  from  natural 
reservoirs  in  the  hills,  the  banks  of 
one  of  which  gave  way  in  Feb. 
1859,  and  by  flooding  the  canal, 
caused  it  to  burst  its  boundaries. 
It  was  closed  for  15  months,  in  con- 
sequence of  this  accident,  traces  of 
which  are  even  yet  visible. 

The  passengers  are  conveyed  in 
a  tiny  but  neat  steamer,  with  a 
roof  to  it,  which,  when  crowded  with 
tourists,  presents  a  curious  appear- 
ance. The  distance  is  completed  in 
2  hours,  one  being  entirely  taken  up 
by  the  delays  at  the  9  locks.  During 
these  stoppages  most  people  get  out 
and  walk,  rejoining  the  boat  at  the 
last  lock.  The  scenery  along  the 
canal  is  peculiar,  and  in  many  places 
exceedingly  picturesque,  the  bed  of 
the  canal  having  been  deeply  ex- 
cavated out  of  the  mica  schist,  from 
which  great  thickets  of  underwood 
and  bramble  spring  up,  mingled 
with  flowers  and  ferns. 

For  the  first  2  m.  the  boat  skirts 
the  bay  of  Loch  Gilp,  at  the  head  of 
which  is  Lochgilphead  village,  and 
(on  the  opposite  side)  Kilmorie,  the 
mansion  and  beautifully-wooded  es- 
tate of  Sir  J.  Orde,  Bt.  Then  come  the 
residence  of  the  Bishop  of  Argyll,  the 
county  Lunatic  Asylum,  and  on  1. 
the  grounds  of  Auchindarroch  (A. 
Campbell,  Esq.)  Halfway  the  sum- 
mit level  is  reached,  and  the  descent 
to  the  Atlantic  commences. 

At  6i  m.  1.  is  the  village  of  Bella- 
nacli  [Whence  a  very  pretty  road 
runs  S.  to  Loch  Siren,  a  beautiful 
and  characteristic  fiord.  The  tourist 
should  proceed  due  S.  for  1  m.,  when 
the  road  diverges.     Take  the  one  to 


the  1.  to  Kilmichael  Litssa,  5  m., 
where  a  boat  may  be  obtained. 
About  3  parts  down  the  loch  on  the 
E.  is  Castle  Swen  or  Siveno,  a  strong, 
square  fortress.  At  the  very  mouth 
of  the  loch,  and  forming  part  of  the 
promontory  that  divides  it  from  Loch 
Killisport,  is  Eilean  Mor,  which  con- 
tains the  ruins  of  an  early  oratory 
and  chapel  of  St.  Cormac,  with  the 
tombstone  of  a  priest,  who  is  repre- 
sented in  his  robes,  with  some  gro- 
tesque figures.  There  is  also  a  CJuipel 
at  Kilmory,  with  many  old  sculptured 
monuments,  near  the  end  of  the  pro- 
montory. From  Keills,  on  the  W. 
coast  of  Loch  Swen,  the  pedestrian 
can  obtain  a  ferryboat  to  Jura,  8  m.] 

N'ear  Ballenoch  the  river  Add 
joins  issue  with  the  canal,  flowing 
through  a  wide  and  open  moorland. 
An  enormous  quantity  has  been  re- 
claimed, at  a  very  great  expense,  by 
John  Malcolm,  Esq.,  M.P.,  of  Pol- 
talloch,  whose  beautiful  house  is  seen 
on  the  N.,  overlooking  the  estate, 
backed  up  by  rising  woods  and  craggy 
ridges  of  hill.  Model  farming  has 
been  carried  on  largely  here,  and,  it 
is  believed,  with  very  profitable 
results. 

At  Crinan,  a  village  with  an  Inn 
and  a  Lighthouse,  where  the  canal 
terminates  in  the  Sound  of  Jura,  the 
passengers  again  betake  themselves 
to  the  steamer  for  Oban,  a  voyage 
of  3  hrs.  The  accommodations  on 
board  the  steamer  "Chevalier,"  or 
any  other  of  Hutcheson's  boats  which 
may  happen  to  be  on  the  route  at  the 
time,  are  quite  as  good  as  those  of  the 
"  lona."  On  this  side,  if  the  wea- 
ther is  rough,  the  passengers  may  pro- 
bably get  a  taste  of  the  Atlantic  swell, 
although  the  number  of  islands  breast- 
ing the  sea  generally  secure  an  easy 
passage  inshore.  From  the  village 
of  Crinan,  which  is  on  the  IST.  side 
of  Loch  Crinan,  a  road  runs  along 
the  coast  to  Oban,  by  Melfort  Pass 
(Rte.  28).  On  the  moss  of  Crinan  is 
Lunadd,  the  ancient  capital  of  Dal- 


W.  Scotland.  Boute  28. — Jrdrishaig  to  Oban,  by  Loch  Awe.  213 


riada  (Skene).  As  the  steamer  leaves 
Loch  Crinan,  through  "  Dorish- 
more,"  "the  great  gate,"  it  passes 
on  rt.  Duntroon  (J.  Malcolm,  Esq.) 
an  old  fortress  modernised,  and  then 
(also  on  rt.)  the  entrance  to  Loch 
Craignish,  another  of  the  character- 
istic W.  coast  arms,  with  a  string  of 
islands  dotting  it.  On  the  point  is 
Craignish  Castle.  "  The  coast  from 
Craignish  Point  to  Loch  Melfort 
presents  many  striking  scenes,  pro- 
duced by  the  remains  of  trap  veins, 
which,  like  those  in  Mull,  stand 
up  like  walls  and  castles  on  the 
shore." — Macculloch.  To  the  1.  is 
seen  the  island  of  Jura,  with  its  long 
line  of  dark  hills,  forming  a  bold 
skyline.  The  3  dome -shaped  mount- 
ains are  the  Paps  of  Jura,  behind 
which  is  Islay  (Rte.  26.).  To  the 
N.  of  the  island,  separating  it  from 
Scarba,  is  the  dreaded  Gulf  of  Corry- 
vrechan  (Rte.  26),  and  beyond  it  are 
the  islands  of  Orousay  and  Colon- 
say. 

The  vessel  now  passes,  a  number 
of  inlets  and  islands — Loch  Melfort, 
at  the  head  of  which  is  the  village  of 
Kilmelfort,  Scarba,  Lunga,  Luing 
Island,  and  the  island  of  Shuna, 
succeeded  by  those  of  Easdale  and 
Sheil,  both  famous  for  their  slate- 
quarries.  Emerging  again  into  the 
open,  fine  views  are  obtained  of 
the  cliffs  of  Mull,  which,  on  the 
S.  and  S.  W.,  present  magnificent 
escarpments.  Between  Shell  and 
Luing  Island  is  the  Sound  of  Cuan, 
through  which  a  tremendous  current 
generally  flows.  Shell  island  is  se- 
parted  from  the  mainland  by  a  narrow 
strait,  across  which  is  a  bridge  of  70 
ft.  span.  On  rt.  is  Loch  Feochan, 
beyond  which  the  tourist  occasion- 
ally gets  a  distant  view  of  Ben 
Cruachan,  and  the  steamer  soon 
after  enters  the  Sound  of  Kerrera, 
formed  by  the  island  of  Kerrera, 
which  makes  an  excellent  natural 
breakwater  for  the  harbour  of  Oban. 
At  its  S.  end  is  the  ruined  castle  of 
Gulin,    an   old   Danish  fortress,   in 


which  Alexander  II.  died  in  1249, 
having  come  to  the  W.  with  the  in- 
tention of  recovering  the  Hebrides. 

On  the  rt.  is  Gallenach  House, 
the  seat  of  Major  J.  M'Dougall.  At 
the  ]Sr.  j)ortion  of  the  Sound  the 
steamer  rounds  the  point,  and  enters 
the  harbour  of 

Oban  (Ete.  31). 


ROUTE  28. 
Ardrishaig    to    Oban,    by    Loch 
Awe  and  Gorge  of  the  Brander. 

A  tourist's  coach  leaves  Ardrishaig 
daily  during  the  season,  after  the 
arrival  of  the  "lona"  and  the  Oban 
steamer,  conveying  the  passengers  to 
Ford,  at  the  head  of  Loch  Awe.  Here 
it  forms  a  connection  Avitli  a  steamer, 
which  makes  the  journey  up  and  down 
once  a  day,  meeting  at  Cladich  the 
coach  to  Inveraray,  and  bringing 
on  its  passengers  to  Brander,  where 
a  third  coach  is  waiting  to  go  on  to 
Oban.  A  few  miles  before  reaching 
Loch  Awe  a  4th  coach  is  met,  return- 
ing to  Oban  by  the  pass  of  Melfort, 
so  that  tourists  can  now  leave  Oban 
by  one  coach  and  return  to  it  the 
same  day  by  another  route,  or  can 
do  the  same  thing  as  regards  Oban 
and  Inveraray. 

Passing  through  the  village  of 
Ardrishaig,  and  leaving  that  of  Loch- 
gilphead (Rte.  27)  on  rt,,  the  road 
takes  a  N.  course  through  a  tolerably 
level  bit  of  countrj'-,  and  crosses  the 
Add,  a  rapid  sti^eam,  rising  in  the 
hills  between  Lochs  Awe  and  Fyne, 
and  falling  into  the  Atlantic  at 
Crinan.  3  m.  the  road  passes  the 
village  of  Kilmichael  Glassary,  once 
celebrated  for  its  Cross,  now  re- 
moved to  the  grounds  of  Poltalloch, 
It  is  a  conspicuous  feature  in  the 
landscape,  which  here  becomes 
broken  and  picturesqiae. 

linear  Glassary  is  Kirnan,  of  which 
the    last    occupant    was    Archibald 


214 


Route  28. — Loch  Awe. 


Sect.  III. 


Campbell,  grandfather  of  the  poet, 
who,  when  he  visited  it,  found  it 
ruinous,  which  called  forth  the 
lines — 

**  At  the  silence  of  twilight's  contemplative 
hour 
I  have  gazed,  in  a  sorrowful  mood, 
On  the  wind-shaken  weeds  that  embosom 
the  bower 
Where  the  home  of  my  forefathers  stood. 
All  ruined  and  wild  is  their  roofless  abode, 
And  lonely  the   dark    raven's   sheltering 
tree." 

10  m.  Kilmartin  is  a  pretty  village, 
with  the  spire  of  the  Ch.  crowning  the 
hill,  and  the  shell  of  an  old  tower. 
In  the  churchyai'd  are  several  old 
monumental  crosses.  There  is  an- 
other old  ruin  a  little  farther  on, 
at  Carnassary,  on  the  bank  to  1.  of 
the  road.  At  this  point  the  coach 
is  met  by  one  bringing  passengers 
from  Oban  to  make  the  round  by 
Loch  xVwe,  and  receiving  others  from 
tlie  Ardrishaig  coach. 

Ascending  a  long  hill,  Loch  Aligan, 
a  beautiful  little  lake,  makes  its  ap- 
pearance, with  the  residence  of 
Elderline  on  its  E.  bank ;  it  is 
closely  succeeded  by  Loch  Awe,  at 
the  head  of  which  (at  the  Inn  of 
'\  Ford)  the  tourist  changes  his  con- 
veyance, and  betakes  himself  to  the 
small  steamer. 

Loch  Aioe  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  beautiful  of  Scottish  lakes, 
although  the  characteristics  of  most 
lakes,  of  possessing  the  finest  scenery 
at  the  head,  is  here  reversed,  the 
head  being  comparatively  tame,  and 
the  foot  being  magnificently  grand. 
The  researches  of  geologists  bear  out 
the  theory  that  these  positions  have 
been  reversed.  "The  present  out- 
flow of  the  lake  through  the  deep 
narrow  gorge  of  the  Pass  of  Brander 
is  comparatively  recent.  No  one  can 
ascend  from  the  Sound  of  Jura  to 
Kilmartin,  and  thence  up  the  ter- 
raced valley  to  Loch  Awe,  without 
being  convinced  that  this  must  have 
been  the  old  outlet  of  the  great 
valley  of  that  loch." — GeiJcie.     The 


length  is  about  26  m.,  and  a  little 
steamer  makes  the  trip  once  a  day. 
Roads  run  alongside  each  bank  for 
the  whole  length,  but  they  are  not 
very  good  ;  the  best  is  on  the  E. 
side.  The  hills  on  either  side  are  of 
no  great  height,  and  are  somewhat 
tame,  but  as  the  passenger  sails  north- 
wards, the  enormous  mass  of  Ben 
Cruachan  fills  up  the  landscape  to 
the  N.,  and  constitutes  one  of  the 
most  striking  scenes  in  the  High- 
lands. On  an  island  at  the  S.  end 
on  rt.is  the  shell  of  the  old  castle  of 
Fconachan,  and  about  a  quarter  of 
the  distance  on  rt.  is  Eredine,  the 
property  of  N,  Malcolm,  Esq. 
Higher  up  is  Inish  Chonel,  with  the 
ruins  of  another  fortress  that 
anciently  belonged  to  the  Lords  of 
Lochaw,  through  which  district  the 
tourist  is  now  journeying.  There  is 
an  old  Scotch  proverb,  "  It's  a  far 
cry  to  Lochaw,"  originally  emanat- 
ing from  a  Campbell,  who  was  over- 
powered by  enemies  in  the  distant 
N.,  but  it  ultimately  was  used  to 
signify  the"  enormous  breadth  of  the 
Campbells'  possessions,  inasmuch  as 
any  challenge  from  an  enemy  could 
not  reach  them.  Close  to  Inish 
Chonel  is  Innis  Errech,  containing 
an  old  chapel  and  cemetery.  About 
2  m.  farther  on  the  same  side  is  the 
waterfall  of  Blairgour,  where  the 
stream  falls  into  such  a  precipitous 
gulf,  that  in  wet  weather  its  situation 
is  conspicuous  for  a  long  distance  by 
the  immense  column  of  sj)ray  rising 
from  it.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
lake  is  the  mouth  of  a  stream  issuing 
from  lioch  Avich. 

At  Port  Sonachan  there  are  two 
good  Inns,  one  in  iV.,  the  other  in 
*S'.  Sonachan — capital  rendezvous  for 
anglers.  Also  a  ferry  to  the  W.  bank, 
from  whence  a  wild  road  runs  to  Tay- 
nuilt,  about  6  m.  From  Port  Son- 
achan northwards  is  the  cream  of 
Loch  Awe  scenery,  as  the  steamer  gets 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  rifted  masses 
of  Ben  Cruachan,  and  the  fine  valley 


W.  Scotland.    Route  28. — Cladich — Pass  of  Bmnder 


'2\D 


of  Glen  Strae.  At  Cladich  there  is  a 
small  Pier  to  embark  passengers  from 
Inveraray  by  the  coach  which  runs 
thence  to  Dalmally  (6  m.)  and  Oban 
(Rte.  31).  If  the  weather  is  wet  or 
gusty,  it  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant 
way  of  getting  to  Inveraray,  as  the 
tourist  has  sometimes  an  hour  or  more 
to  wait  for  steamer  or  coach,  and 
there  is  no  shelter- — not  a  shed.  The 
road  from  Inveraray  continues  from 
Cladich  6  m.  to  Dalmally,  and  there 
falling  into  the  Tyndrum  and  Oban 
road.  Having  taken  in  the  Cladich 
passengers,  the  steamer  turns  round, 
and  crosses  the  lake,  which  is  here  con- 
siderably broader.  It  lands  passen- 
gers for  Dalmally  at  Inystrynich, 
and  passing  Kilchurn  Castle  (Rte. 
31),  Innisfail  island,  with  its  old 
ecclesiastical  ruins  and  cemetery,  and 
Innisfraoch,  where  the  M'Naughtens 
had  a  (ruined)  castle,  glides  under 
the  shadow  of  Ben  Cruachan,  into 
the  arm  of  the  lake  which  forms  the 
commencement  of  the  Pass  of  Awe  or 
the  Brander. 

"  Ben  Cniachan  stands  as  fast  as  ever. 
Still  downward  foams  the  Awe's  fierce 
river." 

Here  the  mountains  on  each  side 
close  in  with  a  startling  abniptness, 
casting  a  shade  over  the  deej)  dark 
waters  of  the  lake,  and  leaving  room 
only  for  the  carriage-road  along  the 
side.  The  most  wonderful  effects 
are  produced  after  rain,  when  hun- 
dreds of  cataracts  dash  down  on  either 
side,  and  by  reflection  in  the  water 
make  it  appear  as  though  there  were 
an  inverted  arch  of  waterfall  through 
which  the  vessel  is  sailing.  In  about 
'1\  m.  the  crags  rise  still  more  abrupt- 
ly, until  all  further  passage  is  stopped 
by  the  straitened  egress  of  the  river 
Awe,  foaming  and  plunging  in  its 
rocky  channel  on  its  way  to  Loch 
Etive.  The  Pass  of  Awe  is  supposed 
to  be  the  place  where  Macdougall  of 
Lorn  disputed  the  approach  of  Robert 
Bruce  in  1308,  and  was  defeated  by 
him,  in  consequence  of  allowing  the 


king's  troops  to  gain  a  superior 
vantage  ground.  From  here  the 
rest  of  the  journey  to  Oban,  17  m., 
is  performed  by  coach,  which  is  found 
waiting  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  at 
Brander  (Rte.  31). 

Distances. — Taynuilt  Inn,  7^  m.  ; 
Dalmally,  6 ;  Connell  Ferry,  14 ; 
Oban,  17. 

[The  route  to  Oban  from  the  point 
where  the  Ardrishaig  coach  is  met 
is  not  as  fine  as  that  by  Loch  Awe. 
At  the  village  of  Kintraw  the  head 
of  Loch  Craignish  is  reached,  the 
road  crossing  the  stream  and  Glen  of 
Doin,  and  passing  on  rt.  Barhreck, 
the  seat  of  John  M 'Archer,  Esq. 
Loch  Craignish  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  inlets  on  the  coast,  from 
the  number  of  wooded  islands  that 
are  dotted  about,  and  it  is  well  worth 
the  pedestrian's  attention.  At  Barach- 
a-hcan,  on  the  coast  of  Loch  Sliuna, 
a  bye-road  is  given  off  S.  to  Craig- 
nish promontory,  and  another  on  E. 
to  Loch  Avich.  At  the  head  of  Loch 
Melfort  are  the  village,  powder-mills, 
and  distillery  of  Kilmelfort.  From 
here  a  road  is  given  off  on  rt.  to  Loch 
Avich,  the  "Loch  Launa"  of  Ossian, 
a  large  sheet  of  water  full  of  fish. 
It  is  di-ained  into  Loch  Awe  by  the 
Avich  river,  the  course  of  which  is 
marked  by  a  series  of  fine  falls  and 
deep  pools. 

Between  Kilmelfort  and  Kilninver 
the  road  is  fine  at  the  Pass  of  Mel- 
fort. At  the  latter  village  a  road  on 
1.  is  given  off  to  Shell  Island  and 
Easdale,  where  a  considerable  popu- 
lation is  employed  in  working  the 
slate-quarries. 

The  scenery  on  the  banks  of  Loch 
Feochaii  is  very  picturesque,  and, 
together  with  Loch  Nell,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  a  short  river,  is 
often  the  subject  of  an  excursion 
from  Oban,  which  is  8  m.  distant 
from  Kilninver.  1 


216 


Route  29. — Glasgow  to  Dunoon:  Kilmun.      Sect.  III. 


ROUTE  29. 

Glasgow  to  Inveraray  by  Dunoon, 
Kilmun,  Holy  Loch,  Loch  Eck, 
and  Loch  Fyne. 

Steamer — Glasgow  to  Dunoon. 
(Rtes.  23,  27). 

Dunoon  to  Stracliur — 25  miles — 
good  road  and  pretty  scenery. 

This  is  a  pleasant  and  picturesque 
way  of  reaching  Inveraray,  but  fa- 
cilities are  no  longer  given  by  the 
running  of  a  coach,  except  from 
Strachur  to  St.  Catherine's,  whence 
there  is  a  steamer  across  Loch  Fyne. 

f  Dunoon  {Inns :  Argyle,  well 
placed  ;  Douglas)  is  one  of  the  best 
patronised  of  the  Glasgow  watering- 
places,  and  from  its  position,  com- 
manding the  whole  sweep  of  the 
Firth  of  Clyde,  most  deservedly  so. 
One  of  the  best  points  for  enjoying 
this  view  is  the  top  of  the  conical 
rock,  at  the  angle  of  West  Bay,  which 
bears  traces  of  the  foundations  of  an 
ancient  Castle  which  played  a  con- 
siderable part  in  the  history  of  the 
olden  time.  It  was  taken  from  the 
English  by  Sir  Colin  Campbell  of 
Lochaw,  for  King  David  Bruce,  who 
made  him  hereditary  governor,  an 
office  which  has  descended  to  the 
Duke  of  Argyll. 

20  or  30  steamers  call  at  the  pier 
daily,  going  up  and  down. 

The  road  leaves  to  the  rt.  the 
village  of  Kirn  {Hotel:  Queen's), 
a  prolongation  of  Dunoon,  and  skirts 
the  western  shore  of  Holy  Loch,  a 
small  though  beautiful  inlet  of  the 
sea  about  2^  m.  in  length,  surrounded 
by  hills  of  considerable  height.  On 
the  N.  shore  is  Hafton  (James 
Hunter,  Esq.). 

On  the  opposite  shore  is  f  Kilmun 
— another  freqiiented  marine  rendez- 
vous. {Inn:  FierH.)  Like  Dunoon, 
it  boasts  of  antiquity  in  the  remains 


of  a  collegiate  Church,  of  which  the 
Tower  alone  remains  (1442),  and  a 
}>urial  vault,  where  the  dead  of  the 
mighty  family  of  Argyll  rejiose,  in- 
cluding Duncan,  Lord  Campbell,  the 
founder,  1553,  the  Marquis,  beheaded 
1661,  whose  head  was  stuck  on  the 
Tolbooth  of  Edinburgh.  It  is  pro- 
bable that  the  Holy  Loch  took  its 
name  from  Kilmun  (the  ch.  of  St. 
Mun). 

A  steamer  from  Greenock  touches 
here  several  times  a  day.  The  valley 
of  the  Echaig,  a  very  pretty  stream, 
leads  up  to  Loch  Eck,  a  really  fine 
lake  7|  m.  in  length,  although  not 
much  more  than  ^  of  a  mile  in 
breadth.  Its  beauty  consists  in  the 
steep  and  abruj^t  rise  of  the  hills  from 
the  water's  edge,  especially  on  the  W. , 
the  lofty  range  of  Benmore,  separat- 
ing Loch  Eck  from  Glendaiiiel.  Con- 
sidering how  near  Loch  Eck  is  to 
large  and  fashionable  watering-places, 
its  Mild  and  solitary  aspect  aifords 
an  unexpected  contrast.-  * '  It  resem- 
bles indeed,  in  many  respects,  the 
lakes  of  the  north  of  England, 
closely  embosomed  in  their  own 
compact  mountains,  yet  of  unex- 
pectedly steep  and  bold  acclivity." 
— Anderson.  Halfway  up  it  is  the 
inn  of  Whistlefield  [whence  a  bye- 
road  of  4|  m.  runs  down  Glen  Finart 
to  Ardentinny  on  Loch  Long  (Rte. 
30),  where  the  pedestrian  may  catch 
a  steamer  up  to  Arrochar,  or  down 
to  Glasgow^.  From  the  head  of  the 
loch  the  road  ascends  by  the  side  of 
the  Noiton,  until  it  reaches  the 
watershed,  and  descends  to 

Strachur,  on  the  E.  bank  of  Loch 
Fyne.  Near  it  is  Strachur  House 
(D.  Campbell,  Esq.).  The  view  from 
this  spot  and  for  the  rest  of  the  way 
is  charming,  over  Loch  Fyne,  the 
mountains  at  its  head,  the  town  and 
Castle  of  Inveraray,  and  in  the  gap 
over  the  shoulder  of  Duuaquoich  the 
far-off  mass  of  Ben  Cruachan. 

t  At  St.  Catherine's  (small  Inn),  is 
a  FeiTy  to  Inveraray,  2  m.  by  row- 


Argyll. 


Fife.  30. — Glasgovj  to  Inveraray:  Loch  Goil. 


217 


boat  in  ^  hr.  ;  and  by  steamer  (fare 
Is.)  twice  a  day  in  10  minutes. 

Coach  to  Lochgoilhead. 

Inveraray  (Rte.  31).  {Hotels:  Ar- 
gyll Arms,  good  ;  George.) 


ROUTE   30. 

Glasgow  or  Greenock  to  Inver- 
aray, by  Loch  Goil,  or  by 
Helensburgh  and  Loch  Long, 
and  Arrochar. 

Steamers  leave  the  Broomielaw  and 
Greenock  daily  for  Lochgoilhead, 
and  the  steamer  "Chancellor," 
saloon-decked,  for  the  head  of  Loch 
Long  (Arrochar) — a  voyage  of  about 
4  hours.  From  Lochgoilhead  a 
coach  runs  in  summer  to  St. 
Catherine's,  where  there  is  a  ferry  to 
Inveraray,— and  at  Arrochar  the 
tourist  must  take  his  chance  of  getting 
a  seat  on  the  Tarbet  or  Inveraray 
coach.  The  Loch  Goil  steamer  calls 
at  Greenock  (Rte.  23),  and  taking  a 
N.W.  direction  across  the  Firth  of 
Clyde,  and  leaving  on  rt.  the  entrance 
to  Gareloch,  the  first  place  called  at 
is 

+  Kilcreggan,  a  row  of  small  florid 
villas  along  the  shore,  continued 
without  interruption  for  2  miles 
to  t  Cove,  on  the  margin  of  Loch 
Long.  The  most  remarkable  and 
largest  of  them  are  Hartfield  (D. 
Richardson,  Esq.)  and  Craigrownie 
(Alex.  A.  Abercromby,  Esq.)  There 
is  a  fine  view  from  the  hill  between 
Kilcreggan  and  Roseneath. 

+  Blairmore  on  the  W.  Change 
steamer  here  for  Lochgoilhead.  From 
Cove  there  is  a  charming  walk  up 
to  the  ferry  of  Coulport,  passing  a 
number  of  handsome  houses.  Con- 
spicuous among  these  Knock  Derry, 
on  a  high  prominent  rock,  mentioned 
in  the  "Heart  of  Midlothian"  as 
Knock  Dimder.  It  replaces  the  old 
castle,  but  stands  upon  its  dungeons 
cut  in  the  rock. 
\^ScotJand.'\ 


1  m.  beyond  is  Ardpeaton  (J. 
Walker,  Esq.),  and  at  Coulport  there 
is  a  handsome  house  belonging  to  Mr. 
J.  Kibble,  and  adjoining  it  a  pretty 
Swiss  cottage,  not  far  from  the  Free 
Kirk. 

The  road  on  the  E.  shore  stops  at 
Coulport,  whence  there  is  a  ferry,  1^ 
m.  across,  to 

W.  t  Ardentinny,  a  collection  of 
houses  at  the  mouth  of  Glen  Fiunart, 
up  which  runs  a  pleasant  road  to 
Loch  Eck  and  Straclmr,  on  Loch 
Fyne  (Rte.  29),  and  to  Inveraray. 

[About  9  J  m.  Loch  Goil  *  opens  out 
to  the  N.W,  It  is  even  more  land- 
locked than  Loch  Long,  owing  to  a 
turn  at  the  entrance.  A  little  way  up 
on  the  1.  bank  are  the  ruins  of  Carrick 
Castle,  one  of  the  former  strongholds 
of  the  Argyll  family.  It  consists  of 
a  square  keep  with  a  projecting  out- 
work and  portion  of  curtain  wall. 

At  LochgoilMad,  8  m.  from 
the  entrance,  is  a  comfortable  Inn, 
surpassed  by  few  for  beauty  of  situa- 
tion and  fine  scenery.  The  hills 
at  the  head  of  Loch  Goil  are  splen- 
didly grouped,  and  are  named  in 
Gaelic  according  to  some  fancied 
shape  or  attribute,  such  as  Ben  Dio- 
lad,  the  Hill  of  the  Saddle;  Ben 
Bheula,  from  its  bright  and  plenti- 
ful verdure  ;  Ben  Donoeh,  the  Hill 
of  one  field,  etc.  Of  more  noble  pro- 
portions is  Ben  Ular,  which  fills  up 
part  of  the  district  between  Loch 
Goil  and  Strachur.  The  severity  of 
the  head  of  the  loch  is,  however,  re- 
lieved by  the  woods  and  grounds  of 
Drimsynie  (R.  Livingstone,  Esq.)  A 
coach,  corresponding  with  the  steamer, 
runs  to  St.  Catherine's  steam  ferry, 
on  Loch  Fyne,  opposite  Inveraray 
{see  Rte.  29),  8  m.  From  the  inn  a 
road  of  6  m.  brings  the  tourist  to  the 
shore  of  Loch  Fjme,  passing  through 
a  romantic  glen  known  by  the  name 
of  '■''  HelVs  Glen,''^   immortalised  by 

*  It  is  a  common  blunder  of  the  Guide 
Books  to  confound  Loch  Goil  with  Loch 
Gi/h,  the  scene  of  Campbell's  "  Lord  Ullin's 
Daughter."   (.See  Mull,  Route  35,  p.  233.)   , 


218 


Route  31. — Loch  Lomond  to  Oban.        Sect.  III. 


Wordsworth.  From  Ardno  on  the 
Loch  Fyiie  shores  it  is  nearly  2  m. 
to  St.  Catherine's,  where  there  is  a 
2  m.  ferry  across  the  lake  direct  to 
Inveraray  (Rte.  31).] 

Loch  Long,  which,  if  not  the  most 
extensive,  is,  perhaps,  the  most  beau- 
tiful of  the  sea  lochs,  runs  into 
the  heart  of  Argyllshire  for  about 
20  m.,  though  in  breadth  it  never 
exceeds  two,  and  is  seldom  more  than 
one.  Half-way  up,  the  knotty  ridge 
of  hills  known  as  Argyll's  Boivling 
Green  projects  in  a  sort  of  mountain 
promontory,  causing  the  branch 
water  of  Loch  Goil  to  be  deflected  to 
the  W. 

This  sinuous  loch  is  not  to  be 
visited  by  strange  yachts  without 
jjilotage.  It  is  best  to  approach  it 
by  road.  The  m.ouutain  forms  at  its 
head  are  especially  grand.  For 
some  distance  there  is  no  road  on 
either  shore. 

The  steamer  to  Arrochar  does  not 
go  up  Loch  Goil,  but  after  touching 
at  Dunoon  and  Kirn,  keeps  her 
course  straight  up  Loch  Long. 

E.  at  t  Portincaple,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  Loch  Goil,  is  a  ferry,  whence 
a  steep  path  across  the  moor  falls  into 
the  high  road  from  Garelochhead 
along  the  E.  shore  of  Loch  Long  to 

Arrochar  (Rte.  31),  where  the 
steamer  stops  about  1^  hr.  before 
returning  to  Greenock. 

From  Arrochar  the  tourist  can 
either  proceed  to  Inveraray  through 
Glencroe  by  the  coach,  or  walk  or 
drive  to  Tarbet,  and  there  catch  the 
Loch  Lomond  steamer  either  up  to 
Inverarnan,  or  down  to  Balloch 
(Rte.  19). 

Distances  of  Arrochar  from — Tar- 
bet, on  Loch  Lomond,  2  m.  ;  Glen- 
croe, 6  ;  Rest-and-be-Thankful,  9  ; 
Inveraray,  22  ;  Ben  Lomond,  6. 


ROUTE  31. 

Loch  Lomond  (Tarbet)  to  Oban, 
by  the  Pass  of  Glencroe,  Inver- 
aray, Loch  Awe,  and  Dalmally. 

Coach  to  Inveraray,  22  m.  in  4  hrs. , 
fare  8s.,  every  morning,  from  Tarbet 
Hotel  {see  Route  19). 

It  is  a  long  stage  to  post ;  no  relay 
nearer  than  Inveraray,  and  a  hilly 
road. 

A  narrow  isthmus  of  moderate 
elevation  divides  Loch  Lomond  from 
the  sea — Loch  Long.  Over  this  pass 
the  Norwegian  ships  of  Haco  were 
dragged  and  launched  in  Loch  Lo- 
mond to  ravage  its  islands  and  shores. 
An  avenue  of  oaks  lines  the  way 
to  Arrochar  (a  2  m.  walk)  through 
this  lovely  cross  glen,  opening  out 
upon  Loch  Long. 

+  *  Arrochar  (a  good  In7i,  near 
the  Pier.  Omnibus  to  Tarbet  on 
Loch  Lomond.  Every  day  in  summer 
a  steamer  comes  hither  from  Greenock 
and  Glasgow,  and  remains  here  1^ 
hr.  before  returning  to  Greenock.) 

The  situation  is  exquisite,  the 
mountains,  which  here  rise  to  more 
than  3000  ft.,  overhang  the  lake 
so  closely  as  only  to  leave  enough 
space  for  the  road.  The  most  peculiar 
of  the  mountains  is  Ben  Arthur, 
the  Cohhler  (2883  ft.),  so  called  from 
its  singular  grouping  of  rocks  at  the 
summit,  which  resemble  a  cobbler 
stooping  to  his  work.  The  adjoining 
summit  is  the  Cobbler's  Wife. 

From  Arrochar  the  road  winds 
round  the  head  of  Loch  Long,  com- 
manding a  fine  view  of  Ben  Lomond  ; 
next  it  turns  into  Glencroe.  This 
must  not  be  confused  with  the  more 
celebrated  Pass  of  Glencoe,  near  Bal- 
lachulish.  It  is  a  green  but  treeless 
valley,  with  black  rocks  projecting 
through  the  greensward,  and  ranks 
high  among  the  wild  and   desolate 


Argyll.       Ftte.  31. — Glencroe  ;  Loch  Fync  ;  Imcmray.        219 


mountain  valleys  of  tlie  South  High- 
lands. The  summit  of  the  pass, 
which  is  about  4^  m.  from  Loch 
Long,  reached  by  a  long  ascent  in 
zigzags,  is  marked  by  a  well-known 
rude  stone  seat,  inscribed  "  Eest-and- 
be-Thankful,"  erected  at  the  time 
the  road  was  made  by  the  24th 
regiment  in  1746. 

"Doubling  and  doubling  with  laborious 

walk, 
Who  that  has  gained  at  length  the  wished- 

for  height, 
This  bi-ief,  this  simple  wayside  call  can 

slight, 
And  rest  not  thankful?" — Wordsworth. 

The  zigzags  are  continued  1.  by  a 
road  leading  to  Lochgoilhead.  Ours 
turns  rt.,  and  a  little  farther  on  a 
stream  is  crossed,  running  into  Loch 
Restil  (1.),  from  whence  the  road  de- 
scends through  the  pastoral  valley  of 
Glenkinglass,  and  reaches  Loch  Fyne. 

linear  14  m.  Cairndo^v.  Here  is 
a  tolerable  Inn.  To  the  S.,  over- 
looking Loch  Fjoie,  is  Ardkinglass 
House  (G.  F.  W.  Callender,  Esq.)  At 
Caimdow  is  a  ferry  to  the  opposite 
bank,  by  which  the  pedestrian  will 
save  nearly  3  m.,  but  the  shortest  road 
to  Inveraray  turns  S.,  and  follows  the 
E.  shore  of  Loch  Fyne  to 

+  St.  Catherine's  Ferry,  where  the 
Loch,  2  m.  wide,  may  be  crossed  at  any 
time  by  row-boat,  and  4  times  a  day 
by  steamer  in  10  min. 

The  usual  road  from  Arrochar 
bends  round  the  head  of  the  loch 
and  crosses  the  valley  of  Glen  Fyne, 
which  runs  up  almost  to  the  borders 
of  Perthshire.  It  is  carried  down  the 
W.  coast  of  the  loch,  gaining  a 
charming  view  of  Inveraray,  and 
passing 

20  m.  the  ruined  tower  of  Dun- 
derawe,  a  fortress  of  the  M'Naughtens, 
on  the  gate  of  which  is  the  date 
1596,  and  an  inscription.  The  road, 
however,  has  to  make  another  circuit 
by  the  little  bay  and  glen  of  Shira,  in 
order  to  reach 

24  m.  t  Inveraray  {Inns :  Argyll 


Arms,  good ;  George ;)  chief  town  of 
Argyllshire  (Pop.  902),  residence  of  the 
Duke  of  Argyll,  is  finely  placed  on  a 
bay  of  the  W.  shore  of  Loch  Fyne, 
into  which  pour  2  small  streams,  the 
Ara  and  Shira.  Between  these  rises 
the  grand  wooded  conical  mil  of 
Duniquoich. 

On  a  level  green  meadow  at  its 
base,  thick-set  with  ancestral  trees 
— beech,  lime,  Scotch  fir,  and  ash  of 
great  age  and  growth,  some  of  the 
finest  to  be  found  in  Scotland — stands 
the  Castle  of  the  Duke  of  Argyll.  It 
is  neither  an  attractive  nor  imposing 
edifice,  having  been  erected  in  the 
castellated  style  before  that  style  was 
understood,  about  1750,  by  Adams, 
for  Duke  Archibald.  The  original 
town  or  village  was  removed  to  its 
present  site  to  make  way  for  it.  The 
old  castle,  to  which  the  exciting  scenes 
in  the  "  Legend  of  Montrose  "  belong, 
stood  nearer  the  sea,  and  is  quite 
swept  away.  The  actual  castle  is  a 
spacious  quadrangular  structure  of 
greenish  grey  slate  or  soapstone, 
which  in  rainy  weather  becomes 
almost  black,  with  round  towers  at 
the  angles,  surmounted  by  a  central 
tower.  The  great  hall  under  it  is 
ornamented  with  ancient  arms,  among 
which  are  the  muskets  used  by  the 
clan  at  Culloden.  The  drawing- 
room  and  gallery  are  decorated  with 
tapestry,  paintings,  and  family  por- 
traits. Lord  Frederick  Campbell, 
by  Gainshorough,  John  the  Red, 
"Jeanie  Deans,"  Duke  of  Argyle, 
etc.,  deserve  notice. 

The  toA^Ti,  I  m.  from  the  castle, 
consists  of  a  row  of  whitewashed 
houses,  and  a  broad  street  running 
from  it,  in  the  middle  of  which  the  ch. 
is  planted.  At  the  end  of  this,  on  the 
shore,  stands  a  very  elegant  Cross, 
resembling  those  of  lona,  richly 
sculptured  with  foliage,  animals,  and 
the  worm  ornament.  It  is  thought 
to  have  come  from  a  neighbouring 
old  cemetery  called  Kilmallen.  On 
the  edge  is  a  commemorative  Latin 
inscription  for  Duncan,  Patrick,  and 


220 


Route  31, — Inveraray  to  Oban:  Cladkli.     Sect.  III. 


Maclmore  MacGilh^comghan,  Near 
the  top  a  florid  Gothic  arch  is  repre- 
sented, proving  the  date  of  this 
monument  not  to  be  earlier  than 
the  13th  cent. 

At  the  side  of  the  hotel  a  noble 
avenue  of  beech  trees  leads  into  woods 
behind  the  town,  which  are  the 
principal  features  in  the  scenery,  and 
into  the  Glen  of  Essachosan.  Few, 
if  any,  places  in  Scotland  are  more 
beautifully  timbered  than  the  policies 
of  Inveraray  Castle.  Boswell  had 
great  pride  in  pointing  them  out  to 
Johnson. 

A  frequent  and  easy  excursion  is  up 
the  conical  hill  of  Duniquoich,  which 
forms  the  terminating  buttress  of  the 
range  of  hills  between  Glens  Aray 
and  Shira,  and  commands  beautiful 
views  of  both  valleys,  as  well  as  of 
the  town  and  Loch  Fyne.  It  is 
also  a  fine  drive  from  the  base  of 
Benbhuie  to  the  Duke's  granite 
quarries  of  Furnace,  overlooking  the 
loch  some  miles  to  the  south.  The 
lower  portion  of  Loch  Fyne,  below 
Inveraray,  is  considerably  tamer  than 
its  head,  the  hills  rising  to  no  great 
height,  and  exhibiting  a  rather  mo- 
notonous outline.  The  artist  will 
find  the  finest  view  of  the  Lake  and  of 
Inveraray  from  the  road  to  Strachur, 
about  a  m.  S.  of  St.  Catherine's 
Ferry. 

Conveyances  from  Inveraray. — In 
the  season  there  are  daily  coaches 
to  Tarbet  on  Loch  Lomond,  and  to 
Oban, — Ferry  steamer  4  times  a  day 
to  St.  Catherine  (for  Loch  Goil), 
thence  coach  to  Strachur  for  Lock  Eck 
and  Dunoon)  (Rte.  29).  There  is  a 
Steamer  twice  a  week  direct  to  Glas- 
gow, but  it  is  chiefly  designed  to 
carry  cargo,  and  cannot  be  recom- 
mended as  a  speedy  means  of  transit, 
particularly  during  the  herring 
season. 

The  visitor  during  that  season 
will  not  repent  making  acquaint- 
ance with  the  Loch  Fyiie  herrings, 
which  are  here  of  peculiar  delicac}^. 


The  arms  of  the  town  of  Inveraray 
are  a  herring  in  a  net. 

Distances. — Tarbet  24  m.,  or  20  m. 
crossing  the  Ferry  to  St.  Catherine  ; 
Cairndow,  10  ;  Ardrishaig,  23  ;  Glen- 
croe,  16  ;  Cladich,  11  ;  Oban,  40  ; 
Port  Sonachan,  14  ;  St.  Catherine, 
2  ;  Strachur,  5  ;  Dalmally,  16  m. 

The  road  to  Oban  is  carried 
through  the  Duke's  domain,  and 
up  the  picturesque  vale  of  Glen 
Aray,  at  the  mouth  of  which  In- 
veraray is  situated.  The  woods  abound 
with  some  of  the  finest  specimens  of 
spruce,  larch,  and  silver  fir  to  be 
found  in  Britain,  and,  from  the  variety 
and  density  of  the  foliage  and  the  size 
and  age  of  the  trees,  form  altogether 
a  specimen  of  forest  scenery  hardly 
surpassed  in  the  W.  of  Scotland. 
Within  the  first  3  m.  there  are  3 
vaterfalls  on  the  Aray,  the  last, 
called  Linnhe-ghlutain,  being  the 
finest.  Arrived  at  the  summit  level 
of  Glen  Aray,  there  is  a  magnificent 
view  of  Loch  Awe,  with  Ben  Crua- 
chan  flinging  its  mighty  shadows 
over  it.  A  series  of  steep  descents 
leads  to, 

19  m.,  Cladich,  where  there  is  no 
Bin  (Rte.  28),  but  1^  m.  lower  down 
the  lake  is  a  small  wooden  pier,  with- 
out shed  or  shelter,  where  the  steamer 
may  be  caught,  either  in  its  daily 
ascent  to  the  head  of  Loch  Awe  (for 
Ardrishaig),  or  on  its  return  to  the 
Brander  for  Oban. 

Nearly  3  m.  to  the  S.  is  Port  Sona- 
chan (2  Inns,  one  on  each  side  of  loch), 
a  favourite  and  retired  resting-place 
for  artists  and  fishermen.  From  either 
of  these  places  charming  water  excur- 
sions can  be  made  to  Inish  Chonel, 
Innishail,  Eredine,  Blairgour,  and 
Innis  Errech  (Rte.  28). 

The  road,  stiU  veiy  hilly,  keeps 
on  the  E.  side  of  Loch  Awe  to  Dal- 
mally. On  a  conspicuous  knoll,  rt. 
of  road,  which  is  also  a  fine  point 
of  view,  a  Grecian  Temple  (!)  is  set 
up   as   a    monument    to    M'IntjTe, 


W.  Scotland.     Route  31. — Kilchum  Castle;  DalmaUij.       221 


a  Gaelic  poet.  On  1.  a  spacious 
tract  of  meadow  ground  projects  into 
the  lake,  npon  whicli  stand  the  im- 
posing ruins  of  Kilchum  Castle, 
consisting  of  an  oblong  building,  with 
a  square  keep,  flanked  by  bartizans. 
It  has  been  celebrated  by  Wordsworth 
in  a  sonnet — 

" Abandoned  by  thy  rugged  sire, 

Nor  by  soft  peace  adopted,  though  in  place 
And  in  dimension  such  that  thou  might'st 

seem 
But  a  mere  footstool  to  yon  sovereign  lord, 
Huge  Cruachan." 

The  oldest  part  of  it  was  built  in 
1440  by  Sir  Duncan  Campbell ;  the  S. 
and  the  N.  sides  were  added  in  1615 
by  Sir  John  Campbell,  Knight  of 
Rhodes,  ancestor  of  the  Breadalbane 
family.  Sir  Duncan  Campbell's 
grandson  married  the  heiress  of  the 
Lords  of  Lorn,  and  took  the  title  of 
Lorn  with  its  extensive  possessions. 
The  property  of  his  descendant 
(Earl  of  Breadalbane)  now  extends 
from  the  sea  to  Aberfeldy,  a  distance 
of  something  like  100  miles.  Many 
of  these  glens  were  in  former  times 
the  property  of  the  ]\I  'Gregors,  until 
dispossessed  by  the  Campbells. 

"Glehorchy's  proud  mountains,  Kilchum 
and  her  towers, 
Glenstrae  and  Gleulyon,  no  longer  are 
ours." 

There  being  no  roads  to  this  part  of 
the  country  in  those  times,  the  Camp- 
bells easily  found  refuge  at  home  out 
of  reach  when  in  difficulties,  their 
favourite  motto  being  "It's  a  far 
cry  to  Loch  Awe. " 

16  m.  DalmaUy,  a  pretty  village, 
but  out  of  sight  of  the  lake,  in  a 
grove  of  ti'ees  (a  fair  Inn,  fishing  on 
Loch  Awe),  whence  it  is  possible  to 
ascend  Ben  Cruachan,  though  Ben 
Awe  is  better.  It  is  charmingly 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  Glenorehy, 
near  the  ch.,  and  close  to  the  junc- 
tion of  the  great  road  from  Tyndrum, 
and  the  head  of  Loch  Lomond  (Rte. 
34).  In  the  ch.-yd.  is  buried  Dun- 
can M'lntyre,  the  Highland  poet. 
[1  m.  E.  of  Dalmally  the  Tyndrum 


road  divides,  and  a  picturesque  branch 
runs  1.  up  Glenorehy,  in  which  there 
are  waterfalls,  and  joins  the  Glencoe 
road  near  Loch  Tullich,  and  Inver- 
uran  Inn  (Rte.  34)]. 

Quitting  Dalmally,  the  road  crosses 
the  Orchy,  passes  the  kirk,  and  soon 
afterwards  the  mouth  of  Glen  Strae, 
the  second  of  the  large  northerly 
glens  that  fall  into  the  basin  of  Loch 
Awe,  once  the  haunt  of  the  ]\Iac- 
gregors,  who  were  put  down  by  the 
Camj^bells.  It  then  skirts  the  base 
of  Ben  Cruachan  (3670  ft.),  the  giant 
of  the  line  of  mountains  that  bound 
Glen  Strae  and  Loch  Etive.  Towards 
Loch  Awe  it  presents  a  long  front, 
and  its  immense  bulk  woiild  lead 
one  to  suppose  its  height  far  greater 
than  it  is.  This  front  is  very  steep 
and  wooded,  and  the  little  streams 
which  trickle  down  are  easily  con- 
verted into  foaming  cascades.  The 
slates  constituting  its  base  "dip" 
steeply  into  the  bed  of  the  lake,  and 
rise  equally  steep  on  the  S.  side. 
The  islands  in  the  lake  exhibit  ver- 
tical strata. 

"  The  ascent  of  Cruachan  is  tedious 
(it  takes  about  6  or  9  hrs.),  but  not 
difficult,  and  from  its  position  no  less 
than  its  altitude,  it  presents  some  of 
the  finest  and  most  extensive  moun- 
tain views  in  Scotland.  Compared 
to  Ben  Lomond,  it  is  a  giant,  and  its 
grasp  is  no  less  gigantic.  From  the 
bold  granite  precipices  of  its  sharp 
and  rugged  summit,  which  is  literally 
a  point,  we  look  down  upon  its  red 
and  furrowed  sides,  into  the  upper 
part  of  Loch  Etive,  and  over  this 
magnificent  group  of  mountains, 
which,  extending  N.  and  E.,  display 
one  of  the  finest  landscapes  of  moun- 
tains in  the  Highlands.  Its  com- 
manding position  not  only  enables  us 
to  bring  under  our  feet  the  whole  of 
this  group  as  far  as  Appin  and  Glen- 


coe,  and   even   to   Ben   Ni 


but 


opens  a  view  of  the  whole  of  the 
eastern  chain  of  mountains,  reaching 
from  Rannoch  as  far  as  Ben  Lawers 
and  Ben  Lomond,  and  beyond  them 


222  Fioute  31.— Ben  Cruachan  ;  Pass  of  A  ice.   Sect.  III. 


to  lands  which  only  cease  to  be 
\'isible  because  they  at  length  blend 
with  the  sky.  While  it  looks  down 
on  the  long  sinuosities  of  Loch  Awe, 
and  over  the  irregular  lands  of  Lorn, 
bright  with  its  numerous  lakes,  it 
displays  all  the  splendid  bay  of  Oban 
and  the  Linnhe  Loch,  with  Jura, 
Islay,  and  all  the  other  islands  of  the 
coast,  commanding  besides  the  hori- 
zon of  the  sea,  even  beyond  Tiree  and 
Coll,  together  with  the  rude  moun- 
tains of  Mull,  and  the  faint  blue 
hills  of  Eum  and  Skye." — Alac- 
culloch. 

The  road  from  Dalmally  to  Oban 
takes  many  a  wide  sweep,  many 
a  rise  and  fall,  around  the  base  of 
Ben  Cniachan,  obtaining  lovely  views 
of  Loch  Awe,  and  nearly  approach- 
ing Kilchurn  Ccistle,  rising  on  its 
rock  pedestal  out  of  the  marsh. 

22  m.  from  Inveraray  the  road 
enters  the  grand  Pass  of  Avjc  or 
Brandcr  (Rte.  28),  where  Loch  Awe 
finds  its  exit  through  a  gap,  which 
marks  a  great  structural  break  or  dis- 
placement, opened  between  Ben  Cru- 
achan on  the  E.  and  on  the  W.  "a 
broken  escarpment  of  bed,  dipping  at 
a  Avholly  different  angle."  To  this 
great  displacement  of  strata  is  due 
the  hollow  forming  the  bed  of  Loch 
Awe.  {Sec  Duke  of  Argyll  on  Lake 
Basins.)  The  river  Awe,  the  sole 
outlet  of  the  lake,  rushes  down  to 
Loch  Etive  in  a  foaming  and  furious 
stream.  "In  front  the  heights  of 
Cruachan  terminate  abniptly  in  the 
most  frightful  precipices,  which  form 
the  whole  side  of  the  Pass,  and  de- 
scend in  one  fall  into  the  water 
which  fills  its  trough.  At  the  N. 
end  of  the  Pass  lies  that  part  of  the 
cliff  called  Craiganuni ;  at  its  foot 
the  Lake  contracts  its  water  to  a 
very  narrow  space,  and  at  length 
terminates  in  2  rocks  called  TJie 
Rocks  of  Brandcr,  which  form  a 
straight  chaimel  somewhat  resembl- 
ing the  lock  of  a  canal.  Here  the  river 
Awe  pours  out  its  current  at  a  furious 


rate,   over  a  bed  encumbered  with 
rocks. " — "  Chronicles  of  Canongate. " 

The  Loch  Atvc  steamer  from  and  to 
Ford  and  Port  Sonachan  lauds  pas- 
sengers or  receives  them,  at  a  small 
wooden  Pier  close  to  this  Bridge. 
The  scene  of  Awe  is  described  in 
Scott's  "Highland  Widow,"— "The 
tremendous  mountain,  Ben  Cruachan, 
rushes  down  in  all  the  majesty  of 
rocks  and  wilderness  to  the  Lake, 
leaving  only  a  Pass  in  which,  not- 
^\dthstanding  its  extreme  strength, 
the  warlike  clan  of  ]\IacDougall  of 
Lorn  was  almost  destroyed  by  the 
sagacious  Robert  Bnice.  That  king, 
the  Wellington  of  his  day,  had  ac- 
complished, by  a  forced  march,  the 
unexpected  manceuvi'e  of  forcing  a 
body  of  troops  round  the  other  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  thus  placed 
himself  in  the  flank  and  rear  of  the 
men  of  Lorn." — W.  Scott. 

[From  the  Bridge  of  Awe  a  road 
of  2  m.  branches  off  rt.  to  Bonawc, 
on  the  shores  of  Loch  Etive.  Here 
is  an  iron  furnace  erected  in  1753, 
for  the  smelting  of  ore  brought 
from  England,  by  the  aid  of  char- 
coal fuel.  This  is  almost  the  only 
instance  where  charcoal  has  not  been 
superseded  by  coal.  Bonawe  is  the 
best  place  from  which  to  ascend  Ben 
Ciaiachan.  Old  Inverawe  House  is 
the  seat  of  J.  A.  Campbell,  Esq. 
There  is  a  ferry  at  Bonawe,  and  a 
corresponding  road  on  the  other  side 
ranning  W.  to  join  the  Oban  and 
Appin  road  (Rte.  36).] 

30  m.  Taynuilt  (Inn,  tolerable 
angling  quarters  ;  Mr.  Bright  stayed 
here,  1871-1872).  On  the  eminence 
rt.  of  the  road  is  a  rude  Stone  Monu- 
ment erected  to  Nelson's  memory,  by 
the  workmen  of  the  Bonawe  Iron 
Furnaces,  1804.  The  spot  commands 
a  glorious  view  of  Ben  Ciiiachan,  etc. 
[A  road  6|  m.  runs  direct  from  this 
over  the  hills  and  down  upon  Loch 
Awe,  opposite  Port  Sonachan,  pass- 
ing through  the  district  known  as 


W.  Scot.  Pde.  31.— Z.  Etive  ;  Conml  Ferry ;  Dunstaffnage.  223 


Muckaiu,  and  running  up  the  Lorn 
Water.  There  is  a  ferry  across  the 
lake  to  Port  Sonachan.] 

Taynuilt  is  a  good  place  for  ex- 
cursions up  Loch  Etive,  one  of  the 
longest  of  those  fiords  that  indent 
the  W.  coast  of  Scotland — running 
inland  some  15  m.  in  length  in  the 
direction  of  Glencoe.  The  mountain 
ranges  on  the  lower  portion  of  Loch 
Etive  are  not  high  or  striking. 
"Above  Bona  we  it  is  not  like  the 
same  loch.  For  a  couple  of  miles  it 
is  not  Avide,  and  it  is  so  darkened  by 
shadows,  that  it  looks  less  like  a 
strait  than  a  gulf;  huge  overhang- 
ing rocks  on  each  side  ascending 
high."—/.  JFilson.  The  loch  head, 
in  addition  to  Ben  Cruachan  is  girdled 
by  Ben  Slarive,  BiichaiJc  Etive  (2537 
ft.),  the  bleak  ujilands  of  Dalness 
Forest,  Ben  Trilehain,  Biddanabian, 
and  others  of  less  height.  Loch 
Etive  can  be  explored  only  in  a 
boat ;  the  upper  end  is  accessible  by 
a  road  from  King's  House,  Glencoe. 

[On  the  N.  shore,  between  Bonawe 
and  Connel  Ferry,  is  the  ivy-covered 
Ardchattan  Priory  (Mrs.  Popham), 
so  called  from  Caton,  a  follower  of  St. 
Columba,  founded  in  the  13th  centy. 
by  the  M'Dougalls  for  Benedictine 
monks  of  the  order  of  Valliscaulium, 
a  reformed  branch  of  the  Cistercians, 
and  destroyed  in  the  l7th  by  Col- 
kitto.  Robert  Brace  on  one  occasion 
held  a  Parliament  here,  one  of  the 
last  at  which  the  business  was  con- 
ducted in  the  Gaelic  language.  The 
eh.  is  of  E.  English  date,  and  consists 
of  a  simple  nave,  without  piers.  In 
the  interior  are  the  tombs  of  Duncan 
and  Dugald,  fonner  priors,  with  some 
curious  sculptured  figures,  including 
one  of  Death,  with  a  toad  beneath 
the  knees.] 

The  road  to  Oban  rans  along  the 
shore  of  Loch  Etive  to 

37  m.  Connel  Ferry  (Ptte.  36), 
situated  at  the  mouth  or  sea-opening 
of  Loch  Etive,  which  is  not  only 
contracted  by  the  approximation  of 


the  opposite  shores,  but  is  also  ob- 
structed by  a  reef  of  rocks  stretching 
two-thirds  across,  which,  at  spring 
tides,  during  ebb,  presents  the  phe- 
nomenon of  a  Sea  Cataract,  pouring 
over  the  obstructive  wall  of  rock, 
5  or  6  ft.  high,  with  a  tremendous 
roar.  "  The  greatest  depth  of  the 
loch  above  these  falls  is  420  ft.  At 
the  falls  themselves  there  is  a  depth 
of  only  6  ft.  at  low  water,  Avhile  out- 
side this  barrier  the  soundings  reach, 
at  a  distance  of  2  m.,  168  ft.  Loch 
Etive  is  thus  a  characteristic  rock- 
basin,  and  an  elevation  of  the  land 
to  the  extent  of  only  20  ft.  would 
isolate  the  loch  from  the  sea,  and 
turn  it  into  a  long,  winding,  deep 
freshwater  lake.  ^^—Geikie. 

Not  far  from  Connel  Ferry  (on  rt. 
of  road),  and  commanding  the  entry 
into  the  loch,  is  the  ruined  castle  of 
Dunstaffnage,  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment amongst  the  Scots  from  about 
500  A.D.,  till  by  their  conquest  of 
the  Picts  in  843,  they  found  it  ne- 
cessary to  have  a  capital  in  a  more 
central  situation.  The  Coronation 
stone,  now  in  AVestminster  Abbey, 
was  used  here  before  it  was  carried  to 
Scone.  The  belief  that  this  stone, 
the  ' '  Lia  Fail, "  carried  sovereignty  • 
with  it  was  at  one  time  verj^  strong, 
both  in  England  and  Scotland. 

The  castle  afterwards  became  the 
stronghold  of  the  I^ords  of  Lorn,  and 
was  taken  by  Robert  Bruce  soon 
after  his  victory  in  the  pass  of  Awe. 
It  stands  upon  a  natural  pedestal  of 
puddingstone,  or  conglomerate  rock, 
and  the  entrance  is  reached  by  a 
naiTow  staircase.  The  building  is 
said  to  belong  to  the  13th  centy., 
but,  as  it  now  stands,  exhibits  slight 
evidence  of  construction  older  than 
the  15th  ;  it  is  of  coarse  masonry. 
It  is  an  irregular  4-sided  structure, 
with  a  round  tower  at  3  of  the  angles, 
the  remaining  angle  being  also 
rounded.  The  circumference  of  the 
whole  is  about  400  ft.,  and  the  walls 
are  in  some  places  QQ  ft.  high  and  10 


224 


Boute  31. — Dunstaffnage  ;  Oban.  Sect.  III. 


ft.  in  thickness.  On  the  castle  wall 
are  some  of  the  brass  guns  which 
were  fished  up  from  one  of  the  ships 
of  the  Spanish  Armada  sunk  off 
Mull.  The  Castle  is  now  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Crown  ;  a  Royal  castle. 
The  magnificent  I'ieic  from  it  of  B. 
Cruachan  and  other  hills  gives  an 
interest  to  the  spot  not  possessed  by 
the  ruins.  There  is  an  old  chapel 
close  by,  which  seems  to  date  about 
a  century  later  than  the  castle.  It 
is  the  burial-place  of  Campbell  of 
Dunstaffnage. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Loch  Etive 
is  a  grand  line  of  cliffs,  called  Cragan 
High,  "The  King's  Rock,"  formed 
of  a  singularly  hard  and  mixed  con- 
glomerate. The  tourist  may  also 
visit  the  ancient  fort  of  Dun  j\Iac- 
sniochan  (Rte  36)]. 

Descending  a  steep  hill,  passing 
rt.  Dunstaffnage  and  Dunolly,  the 
road  enters 

Oban,  {Inns:  Great  Western  H., 
large  house  facing  the  bay,  good 
rooms,  but  expensive  ;  Craig- Ard  Inn 
and  boarding-house  on  a  height 
above  sea  ;  Alexandra  House,  facing 
sea ;  Caledonian,  comfortable,  and 
less  expensive,  but  near  port  and 
pier ;  King's  Arms.  Oban  (2413 
inhab.)  is  a  general  resting-place  and 
starting-point  for  travellers  by  sea 
and  laud — a  focus  for  conveyances. 
It  has  been  familiarly  styled  "the 
Charing  Cross  of  the  Highlands." 
It  is  also  an  incipient  watering-place. 
It  consists  chiefly  of  inns  and  lodg- 
ings, with  some  pretty  villas  on  its 
outskirts.  It  is  very  pleasantly 
situated  on  a  land-locked  bay,  shel- 
tered in  front  by  the  island  Kerrera, 
beyond  which  are  seen  the  moun- 
tains of  Mull.  Obe  Ann,  in  Gaelic, 
means  Little  Bay.  The  tourist  who 
arrives  at  Oban  by  the  road  has  an 
advantage  over  those  coming  by  the 
boat,  inasmuch  as  the  latter  do  not 
get  to  Oban  until  the  evening,  and 
then  there  is  apt  to  be  a  great  rush 
to  the  Hotels  for  beds.    If  not  arriv- 


iu'^  till  the  evening,  it  is  almost 
necessary,  at  the  height  of  the  season, 
to  write  or  telegraph  for  rooms. 

The  visitor  should  walk  to  the 
headland,  on  the  south,  from  whence, 
particularly  at  sunset,  he  will  have 
a  splendid  view  of  the  town  and 
crescent-like  bay,  with  Ben  Cruachan 
rising  grandly  in  the  E.,  while  in 
the  W.  Loch  Linnhe,  Kerrera  and 
Lismore  Islands,  and  the  noble 
mountains  of  Mull,  form  a  magnifi- 
cent background. 

Alt-na- Craig,  the  cottage  residence 
of  Prof.  Blackie,  is  in  one  of  the  best 
situations. 

Oban  abounds  in  all  kinds  of 
churches,  and  there  is  a  very  neat 
Gothic  Episcopal  Chapel,  near  to  the 
Great  Western  Hotel. 

Excursions. — A  short  mile  to  the 
N.,  overlooking  the  sea,  is  Dunolly 
Castle,  a  square  keep,  very  limited 
in  space,  from  the  great  thickness  of 
the  walls.  A  little  of  the  exterior 
rampart  is  left,  also  of  the  dungeon. 
The  ruins  stand  on  a  precipice,  and 
are  approached  by  a  steep  ascent  from 
the  land  side,  originally  intersected 
by  a  moat.  This  Avas  also  a  strong- 
hold of  the  Lords  of  Lorn.  It  is  now 
the  property  of  Admiral  Sir  John 
M'Dougall,  the  lineal  representative 
of  the  Lords  of  Lorn,  and  the  chief 
of  the  clan  ]\l  'Dougall,  whose  modern 
house  is  just  below  the  castle.  The 
"  Brooch  of  Lorn,"  torn  from  Robert 
Bruce  in  the  battle  of  Dalrigh,  is 
here  preserved.  Admission  through 
the  gi-ounds  tmce  a  week,  but  the 
ruins  may  be  reached  in  a  boat. 

About  5  m.  distant  on  the  shore 
stands  the  Clach-a'  Koin,  an  upright 
stone  with  a  hole  in  it,  to  which  it  is 
said  Fingal  used  to  tie  his  dog  Bran. 

Excursions  to  Dunstaffnage  Castle 
(distance  3  m.),  described  above, 
commanding  a  magnificent  view  : — 
to  Connel  Ferry  on  the  N.,  remark- 
able for  its  sea  cataract ; —  to  the 
beautiful  scenery  of  Lochs  Nell  and 
Feochau  {i  m.)  on  the  S.  (Rte.  28). 


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W.  Scotland.  Route  34. — Loch  Lomond  to  Fort-William.     225 


Near  Loch  ISTell  is  the  Serpent  Cairn, 
an  old  stone  monument  of  heaped-up 
boulders,  supposed  by  some  to  be  an 
old  moraine — a  work  of  nature,  and 
not  of  man. 

Steamer  every  morning  to  Crinan 
and  Ardrishaig  for  Glasgow  ;  every 
morning  and  evening  to  Fort-Wil- 
liam and  Bannavie,  for  the  Cale- 
donian Canal  and  Inverness,  touching 
at  Ballachulish  for  Glencoe. 

Steamers  every  morning  in  summer 
to  StafFa,  lona,  and  round  the  island 
of  Mull,  returning  the  same  evening 
(Kte.  35). 

Steamer  twice  a  week  to  Skye 
(Portree),  calling  at  stated  times  at 
Loch  Aline,  Salen,  Tobermory,  Ari- 
saig,  Balmacarra,  Kyle  Akin,  Broad- 
ford,  Portree,  Gareloch,  Loch  Inver, 
Ullapool,  and  Stornoway.  From  Oban 
to  Skye  (Portree,  Etes.  56,  57) 
takes  15  hrs.,  including  halts.  For 
these  trips  the  traveller  should 
consult  the  local  time  -  tables,  or 
^Messrs.  Hutcheson's  agent  on  the 
Pier ;  but  as  goods  are  taken  with 
passengers,  punctuality  in  these  boats 
must  not  be  depended  upon. 

Coaches  daily  to  Ardrishaig,  by 
which  the  tourist  can  visit  Lochs 
Nell  and  Feochan,  and  the  Pass  of 
Melfort  (Rte.  27)  ;  daily  to  Loch 
Lomond,  through  Taynuilt,  Dal- 
mally,  Tyndrum,  Inverarnan  ;  daily 
to  Inveraray,  by  Connel  Ferry,  Tay- 
nuilt, Pass  of  Awe,  and  Dalmally 
{see  above). 

By  taking  the  Melfort  coach  the 
tourist  can  meet  another  near  Ford, 
then  sail  down  Loch  Awe,  and  re- 
turn to  Oban  in  the  evening  by  the 
Inveraray  coach — a  very  good  day's 
work  (Rte.  28). 

Distances. — Lochs  Nell  and  Feo- 
chan, 4  m.  ;  Kilmelfort,  15  ;  Auch- 
nacraig  (Mull),  7  ;  Dunstaffnage,  3  ; 
Dunolly,  1  ;  Taynuilt,  11  ;  Pass  of 
Awe,  15  ;  Kilchurn  Castle,  23  ;  Dal- 
mally, 24  ;  Cladich,  30  ;  Inveraray, 
40  ;  Tarbet,  on  Loch  Lomond,  64  ; 
Ai^pin,  12. 


EOUTE  34. 

Loch  Lomond  to  Fort-'William, 
by  Tyndrum,  Glencoe,  and  Bal- 
lachulish. 

A  daily  coach  travels  this  road  in 
the  season,  starting  from  Ardlui 
Pier,  at  the  head  of  Loch  Lomond 
(described  Rte.  19),  on  the  arrival 
of  the  steamer.  It  takes  10  hrs.  to 
perform  the  distance,  48  m. 

1  m.  Inverarnan  Hotel,  finely 
situated  at  the  embouchure  of  Glcn- 
falloch,  a  very  narrow  glen,  with  a 
small  stream  at  the  bottom,  from  the 
sides  of  which  the  fir-clad  hills  rise 
at  once,  but  with  a  gradual  inclina- 
tion. The  annual  rainfall  at  Ardlui, 
head  of  Loch  Lomond,  averages  115 
inches. 

After  passing  Glenfalloch  House 
a  good  retrospective  view  is  obtained 
from  the  head  of  the  glen. 

At  7J  m.  Crianlarich  (Inn,  im- 
proved), is  a  Stat,  on  the  rly.  from 
Callander  to  Killin  and  Tyndrum,  a 
junction  of  4  roads. 

[The  railroad  to  Killin  Stat,  runs 
alongside  of  (l^  m.)  Loch  Lochart, 
a  small  but  i)icturesque  lake  at  the 
foot  of  Ben  More,  which  rises  to  the 
height  of  3903  ft.,  its  regularly  sloped 
sides  well  covered  with  grass  to  the 
top.  From  the  west  the  ascent  is 
steep,  but  not  difficult.  This  glen 
is  the  scene  of  Hogg's  song  of  the 
"Spectre  of  the  Glen, " 

Immediately  at  the  back  of  Ben 
More  rises  the  rival  peak  of  Stobin- 
nain,  3813  ft. 

9  m.  Lulh  Stat.  Inn.  Nearly  oppo- 
site is  xichlyne,  a  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Breadalbane.  Near  Lix  turnpike  is 
the] 

Hi  m.  KlUin  Stat.,  of  the  Kail- 
way  from  T}Tidrum — but  it  is  4  m. 
from  Killin.  Omnibus  thither 
(Rte.  44.) 

The  railroad  from  Crianlarich  to 
Tyndrum,  passing  rt.  Inverhagemy 


22G 


Route  34. — Loch  Lomond  to  Fort-William.     Sect.  III. 


House,  readies  (11  m.)  the  village 
of  St.  Fillans  (not  to  be  confounded 
Mith  the  village  of  the  same  name 
on  Loch  Earn),  where  are  the  remains 
of  a  priory,  and  "the  Holy  Pool," 
iu  which  epileptics  and  lunatics  were 
foi-merly  ducked  and  left  bound 
all  night  in  the  open  air. 

"  Saint  Fillan's  blessed  well, 

Whose  spring  can  frenzied  dreams  dispel, 

And  the  crazed  brain  restore." — Scott. 

If  found  loosened  in  the  morning 
they  were  considered  curable. 
This  mode  of  treatment  is  men- 
tioned by  Pennant  as  being  practised 
as  late  as  1790.  He  adds  that  the 
patients  were  generally  found  in 
the  morning  relieved  of  all  their 
troubles— by  death. 

12  m.  cross  the  river  Dochart, 
which,  under  the  name  of  the  Ettrick 
"Water,  rises  in  the  slopes  of  Ben  Lui, 
3651  ft.,  one  of  the  mountains  bor- 
dering Glenorchy  on  the  E.  ^  m. 
to  the  1.  is  Dal-Righ  or  the  King's 
Field,  celebrated  for  Eobert  Bruce' s 
escape  (1306).  After  being  defeated 
at  Methven  by  Lord  Pembroke,  he 
Avas  attacked  here  by  the  Lord  of 
Lorn,  grandson  to  the  Red  Comyn, 
whom  Bruce  murdered  at  Dumfries, 
one  of  whose  followers  seized  his 
mantle,  and  though  mortally  wound- 
ed, held  .it  so  fast  that  Bruce  was 
compelled  to  abandon  it.  The 
buckle  which  fastened  it  remained  a 
trophy  at  Dun  oily.  Bruce  skilfully 
withdrew  his  mailed  warriors,  whose 
armour  baffled  the  assault  of  the  wild 
highlanders. 

13|  m.  Tyndrum  Stat,  a  large 
railway  Inn.  Coach  to  King's  House, 
Glencoe,  and  Ballachulish  (Rte.  47). 
Coach  to  Dalmally  (13  m.),  Loch 
Aavc,  Inveraray,  and  Oban.  In  the 
neighbourhood  are  some  lead-mines 
belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Breadalbane. 
The  annual  rainfall  here  averages 
104  inches.  A  little  beyond  Tyn- 
drum are  Benbuy,  Ben  Vurie,  and 
Ben  Vuridh,  S.  W.  spurs  of  the  Glen- 
lyon  range. 


17i  m.  is  the  village  of  Auch,  to 
the  rt.  of  which  is  the  pass  to  Glen 
Lyon  and  Ta}Tnouth  for  pedestrians. 
The  distance  would  be  about  7  m. 
to  Loch  Lyon  (Rte.  46).  At  the  N. 
corner  of  the  pass  is  Ben  Doa,  a 
fine  bare  peak. 

19|  m.  at  Orchy  Bridge,  the  head 
of  Glenorchj^  is  reached  [up  which 
runs  a  branch  road  from  Dalmally, 
11m.]  On  rt.  is  a  farm -road  leading 
to  the  scanty  ruins  of  Atichallader 
Casth,  which  stands  at  the  foot  of 
Lnch  Tullich,  an  interesting  piece  of 
water  much  improved  by  the  young 
woods  which  have  been  planted 
around  it.  Ardvrcchnish,  Lord 
Breadalbane's  shooting-lodge  on  the 
opposite  side,  with  its  young  planta- 
tions, contrasts  agreeably  with  the 
general  barrenness  about  Tyndrum. 

22^  m.  Invcroran  Inn  (angling 
quarters),  succeeded  by  a  very  dreary 
road,  having  the  moor  of  Rannoch 
on  the  rt.  and  the  Blackmount  deer 
forest  on  the  1.  This  is  one  of  the 
finest  deer  forests  in  Scotland,  and  is 
rented  by  Lord  Dudley  from  Lord 
Breadalbane  for  £5000  a  year.  This 
part  of  the  journey  is  tedious,  the 
road  gradually  ascending  until  it 
arrives  at  a  level  of  about  1500  ft. 
above  the  sea.  Then  passing  on  rt. 
a  long  winding  piece  of  water,  named 
Loch  Lydoch,  it  begins  to  descend, 
having  in  view  Glen  Etive  and  Glen- 
coe. 

32^  m.  King's  House  Inn,  a 
humble  isolated  hostelry,  5  m.  from 
the  head  of  Glencoe,  a  dreary  spot. 
[From  this  point,  a  track,  fit  only  for 
hardy  pedestrians,  leads  across  the 
Moor  of  Rannoch  to  Loch  Rannoch, 
so  to  Taymouth — distance  about  45 
m.  (Rte.  47).] 

34i  m.  at  AUnafedh,  a  few  cot- 
tages by  the  roadside,  a  path  turns 
ott'to  Fort-William,  by  Gen.  Wade's 
road,  generally  known  as  the  Devil's 
Staircase.  20  ra.  stiff  walking.  The 
tourist  now  enters 

Glencoe.     The  Valley  of  Glencoe 


W.  Scotland. 


Route  34. — Glencoe. 


227 


runs  about  E.  and  W.,  and  is  nearly 
of  equal  width  at  either  extremity. 
The  grandest  scenery  is  on  the  E., 
next  to  King's  House,  therefore  it  is 
best  to  approach  it  from  the  W.  or 
sea-side.  The  width  of  the  valley 
allows  the  eye  to  take  in  the  full 
height  and  grandeur  of  the  flanking 
mountains.  From  a  wide  open 
country,  at  King's  House,  composed 
of  moor  and  swamp,  the  road  gradu- 
ally sweeps  into  a  towering  pass, 
wdiich  the  dark  perpendicular  rocks 
close  in  on  both  sides,  their  height 
and  gloom  intensified  by  the  thick 
veil  of  mist  that  generally  rests  be- 
tween them.  The  course  from  the 
King's  House  is  a  regular  descent, 
and  the  horses  galloping  the  whole 
way,  whisk  the  coach  round  the 
sharp  corners  and  arrive  at  the  end 
of  the  stage  before  the  traveller  has 
had  time  to  complain  of  monotony. 
[1.  a  road  turns  otf  S.  to  the  head  of 
Loch  Etive,  where  Edw.  Grieve, 
Esq.  M.P.,  has  built  a  house  in  the 
midst  of  majestic  scenery.] 

The  entrance  to  Glencoe  is  be- 
tween the  Devil's  Staircase  and 
Buachail  Etive,  2537  ft.,  a  frowning 
mass  of  rock  on  the  1.  On  rt.  of 
the  glen  is  an  almost  unbroken  wall 
of  precipice  ;  on  1.  a  number  of  sepa- 
rate momitains  rearing  themselves 
from  distinct  bases,  or  breaking  into 
peaks  as  they  rise.  They  are  chiefly 
of  porphyry,  and  owe  to  that  rock 
their  picturesque  character. 

About  the  middle  of  the  glen  is 
the  tarn  or  small  lake  of  Treachtan, 
through  which  flows  the  Cona,  of 
which  Ossian  sang,  and  on  whose 
banks  Ossian  was  born.  It  is  hard 
to  say  under  which  aspect  Glencoe 
is  finest —Avhether  with  the  shifting 
lights  of  cloud  and  sunshine,  or  when 
the  storm  is  breaking  over  its  pre- 
cipitous black  jagged  rocks.  In  the 
latter  case  the  innumerable  torrents 
that  tumble  down  the  rifted  walls 
form  not  the  least  remarkable  feature 
of  the  scene. 

The  following  description  by  Lord 


Macaulay  will  be  read  with  interest 
on  the  spot,  allowing  for  certain 
exaggerations — e.g.,  the  green  sides 
of  the  glen  are  now  covered  with 
sheep,  and  it  includes  several  cot- 
tages and  a  few  trees.  The  pre- 
vailing sound  is  that  of  the  rush 
of  waters. 

"In  the  Gaelic  tongue  Glencoe 
signifies  the  Glen  of  Weeping — and, 
in  truth,  that  pass  is  the  most  dreary 
and  melancholy  of  all  the  Scottish 
passes  —  the  very  Valley  of  the 
Shadow  of  Death.  Mists  and  storms 
brood  over  it  through  the  greater 
part  of  the  finest  summer, — and  even 
on  those  rare  days  when  the  sun  is 
bright,  and  Avhen  there  is  no  cloud 
in  the  sky,  the  impression  made  by 
the  landscape  is  sad  and  awful.  The 
road  lies  along  a  stream  which  arises 
from  the  most  sullen  and  gloomy  of 
mountain  pools.  Huge  precipices 
of  naked  stone  frown  on  both  sides. 
Even  in  July  the  streaks  of  snow 
may  often  be  discerned  in  the  rifts 
near  the  summits.  All  down  the 
sides  of  the  crags  heaps  of  ruins  mark 
the  headlong  paths  of  the  torrents. 
Mile  after  mile  the  traveller  looks  in 
vain  for  the  smoke  of  one  hut  (?),  or 
for  one  human  form  wu-apped  in  a 
plaid,  and  listens  in  vain  for  the  bark 
of  a  shepherd's  dog,  or  the  bleat  of 
a  lamb  (?).  Mile  after  mile  the  only 
sound  that  indicates  life  is  the  faint 
cry  of  a  bird  of  i^rey  from  some  storm- 
beaten  pinnacle  of  rock.  The  pro- 
gress of  civilisation,  which  has 
turned  so  many  wastes  into  fields 
yellow  with  harvest,  or  gay  with 
apple-blossoms,  has  only  made  Glen- 
C9e  more  desolate." — Macaulay^  s 
"History  of  England." 

In  1691,  William  III.,  having 
tried  several  means  of  pacifying  the 
'  Highlanders,  issued  a  proclamation 
:  that  whatever  clan  did  not  take  the 
I  oath  of  allegiance  to  him  by  the  31st 
j  of  December  should  be  treated  as  an 
enemy.  The  chiefs  declared  they 
1  would  not ;  but,  seeing  warlike  pre- 


228 


Fioute  34. — Glencoe. 


Sect.  III. 


parations  being  made  by  the  Govern- 
ment, they  one  after  another  sub- 
mitted. The  last  day  of  the  year 
arrived.  All  except  Macdonald  of 
Glencoe  (known  as  M'lan)  had 
sworn,  he  having  been  prevented  by 
accident  rather  than  by  design  from 
tendering- his  submission  within  the 
limited  time  ;  and  on  that  day  he  re- 
paired to  Fort-William  and  ottered  to 
take  the  oath. 

But  Colonel  Hill,  the  governor  of 
the  fort,  was  not  a  magistrate  com- 
petent to  receive  the  oath,  and  so 
Macdonald  had  to  make  his  way  to 
Sir  Colin  Campbell,  Sheritt'  of  Argyll, 
who  lived  at  Inveraray,  live  days' 
journey.  He  swore  allegiance,  and 
intelligence  to  that  eff'ect  was  sent 
to  the  Ministers  in  London,  but 
suppressed  by  tiie  Master  of  Stair, 
Secretaiy  of  State  ;  and  AVilliam  was 
thereupon  induced  to  sign  an  order 
for  the  extirpation  of  the  clan, 
principally  at  the  instigation  of  the 
Earl  of  Breadalbane,  whose  lands 
the  Glencoe  men  had  plundered. 
On  the  1st  of  February  1692,  Camp- 
bell of  Glenlj^on,  a  connection  of 
Macdonald's,  arrived  in  Glencoe  with 
128  soldiers,  giving  assurances  of  the  | 
most  friendly  intentions.  During  1 2 
days  the  soldiers  lived  familiarly 
with  the  people  of  the  glen,  and  the 
very  evening  before  the  massacre 
was  spent  by  the  officers  at  cards  in 
Macdonald's  house.  On  the  13th 
Campbell  began  at  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning  to  execute  his  orders. 
His  host  and  nine  others  were  drag- 
ged out  of  their  beds  and  murdered. 
Lieutenant  Lindsay  knocked  at  the 
door  of  the  old  chief,  and  asked  for 
admission  in  friendly  language. 
Macdonald  got  up  to  receive  them, 
and  with  two  servants  was  shot  dead  ; 
his  wife  being  so  ill  treated  that  she 
died  the  next  day.  The  huts  were 
burned  and  the  cattle  driven  off.  Out 
of  200  inhabitants,  at  least  GO  were 
slain,  but  many  more  perished  from 
cold  and  privation,  and  it  was  only 
the  roughness  of  the  weather  which 


impeded  the  march  of  Colonel  Ham- 
ilton, and  j)revented  his  occupying 
the  passes  in  time  that  saved  the 
lives  of  the  rest. 

41  m.  is  the  small  public-house 
of  Clachie,  where  milk  and  whisky 
and  oatcakes  may  be  had.  The 
exit  from  the  glen  is  by  a  long 
valley,  in  which  trees  and  cultiva- 
tion begin  to  appear,  opening  on  to 
the  shores  of  Loch  Leven,  with  very 
beautiful  and  pleasant  landscapes. 
On  a  wooded  eminence  in  front 
stands  Invercoe,  the  modern  mansion 
of  A.  Burns  ]\Iacdonald,  Esq.  A 
portion  of  the  old  house  of  Macdon- 
ald, the  head  of  the  clan,  now  a 
ruin,  may  be  seen  above  the  trees. 
Here  the  officers  of  the  hostile  regi- 
ment were  quartered,  and  here  the 
massacre  began.  Above  rises  the 
jiicturesque  and  conspicuous  conical 
mountain,  the  Pwp  of  Glencoe,  and 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  loch 
is  Calart,  the  seat  of  Sir  Duncan 
Cameron.  The  Pap  of  Glencoe  is  a 
projecting  bare  peak  with  steep 
rifted  gullies,  very  dangerous  to 
ascend. 

From  extreme  desolation  and  soli- 
tude the  road  suddenly  breaks  into 
life  and  bustle  at  the  slate-quarries 
at  Ballachulish,  where  a  large,  dirty, 
straggling  village  has  gi'own  up  to 
supply  the  wants  of  the  workmen. 
From  thence  the  road  winds  by  the 
water's  edge,  affording  exquisite  re- 
trospective views  of  the  Loch  and  the 
entrance  to  Glencoe,  considerably  in- 
jured by  the  black  scar  of  the  slate 
quarries  opened  in  the  mountain 
sides.  Fine  in  form  rise  the  moun- 
tains at  the  head  of  Loch  Leven,  and 
in  front  the  hills  of  the  opposite 
coast  of  ]\Iorven.  Passing  a  pretty 
Episcopal  ch.  and  parsonage,  we 
arrive  at 

48  m.  the  Ballachulish  Hotel,  on 
the  S.  shore  of  the  grand  Sea  Fiord, 
Loch  Leven,  here  crossed  by  a  ferr}'', 
on  the  way  to  Fort-^Yilliam  (14  m.) 
and  Ben  ISTevis.     On  the  opposite  (N.) 


'W.  Scotland.    Route  35. — Ohan  to  Staffa  :  Mull. 


229 


side  of  the  ferry  is  the  Loch  Leren 
Hotel,  also  good,  and  quieter. 

The  coaches  start  from  the  Bal- 
lachiilish  Hotel  to  Loch  Lomond 
or  Inveraray — through  Glencoe — to 
Fort-William,  from  the  other  side  of 
the  Ferry. 

A  coach  starts  for  Glencoe  on  the 
arrival  of  the  early  steamer  from 
Oban  or  Inveraray,  returning  after  \ 
hr.  halt  in  the  glen  :  the  steamer 
meanwhile  waiting  to  take  on  the 
passengers.  It  is  a  drive  of  about 
8  m.  from  the  hotel  to  that  part  of 
Glencoe  which  displays  the  finest 
scenery.  The  steam  voyage  from 
Ballachulish  to  Oban  and  Fort- 
William  is  described  in  Ete.  36. 
Steamers  to  Oban  or  Fort- William 
and  Bannavie  daily. 

[A  very  beautiful  excursion  may 
be  made  along  the  N.  side  of  Loch 
Leven,  an  arm  of  the  sea,  extending 
from  Loch  Linnhe  some  12  m.  in- 
land. This  road  commands  magnifi- 
cent ^dews  of  the  Pass  of  Glencoe, 
and  the  entrance  to  the  glen.  Besides 
the  ferry  between  the  two  hotels, 
there  is  one  called  the  Dog's  Ferry, 
considerably  higher  up,  and  between 
them  is  an  island  containing  burial- 
places — one  for  the  inhabitants  of 
Glencoe,  and  the  other  for  those  of 
Lochaber.  In  the  former  repose  the 
bones  of  M'lau,  the  laird  who  was 
shot  in  the  massacre  of  Glencoe.  At 
the  head  of  the  loch,  where  the  road 
from  the  Devil's  Staircase  to  Fort- 
William  is  joined,  is  the  fall  of  the 
Serpent  Rii^er,  which  runs  through 
a  series  of  natural  arches,  almost  a 
subterranean  passage,  and  the  fall 
of  Kinlochmore,  a  very  beautiful  cata- 
ract of  30  ft.,  though  the  volume 
of  the  stream  is  by  no  means  large. 
A  track  keeps  on  from  this  point  by 
the  side  of  the  Blackwater  Lochs, 
and  eventually  joins  the  road  between 
Loch  Laggan  and  Loch  Treig  (Ete. 
38).] 

Crossing    the    ferry    from    Balla- 


chulish  another    coach   awaits   the 
passenger. 

50^  m.,  at  Onich  village  (slate- 
quarries),  the  road  leaves  Loch 
Linnhe,  and  for  the  rem.ainder  of 
the  distance  skirts  the  E.  bank  of 
Loch  Eil. 

Upon  the  opposite  side  is  Ardgour, 
pleasantly  surrounded  by  woods  and 
meadows. 

59i  m.  Maryhurgh,  a  suburb  of 
Fort- William,  so  named  in  honour 
of  the  queen  of  William  III. 

60i  m.  Fort- William  {Inn: 
Caledonian— tolerable  ;  not  so  expen- 
sive as  Bannavie).  It  is  a  drive  of 
3  m.  to  the  steamer  on  the  Caledonian 
Canal.  The  sea  steamer,  after  touch- 
ing at  Fort  -  William,  proceeds 
to  the  entrance  of  the  canal  (Ete. 
36). 


EOUTE  35. 

Oban  to  Staffa  and  lona— a  Cruise 

round  the  Island  of  MvQl. 

Daily  in  summer  a  steamer  makes 
this  most  interesting  excursion  ; 
tourists,  especially  ladies,  had  better 
not  attempt  the  trip  when  the 
weather  is  at  all  bad  —  for  with 
a  rough  sea  it  is  impossible  to  land 
at  Staffa,  and  they  are  sure  to  get  a 
good  tossing  oft'  the  Mull  coast.  In 
fine  weather  nothing  can  be  more 
delightful. 

The  fare  is  £1,  including  the  land- 
ing expenses  at  Staff"a  and  lona. 
The  time  employed  is  about  12  hrs., 
including  1  hr.'s  stay  at  Staffa  and 
the  same  at  lona.  Dinner  and  refresh- 
ments on  board  at  moderate  rates.  The 
steamer  in  this  excursion  makes  the 
circuit  of  the  Isle  of  Mull,  and  it  de- 
pends on  the  state  of  the  tide  and 
mnd  whether  it  steers  W.  from  Oban 
through  the  sound  of  Mull,  or  S. 
through  the  Firth  of  Lorn.  The 
first-named  route  crosses  the  mouth 
of  the   Linnhe   Loch.      The  points 


230 


Route  do.—Ohan  to  Staffa  :  Mull        Sect.   III. 


to  be  noticed  are  rt.  Dunolly  Castle, 
■while  farther  on  and  more  inland  is 
Dunstaffnage  (Rte.  31V  On  1.  is  the 
N.  end  of  KeiTera  Island.  Lying 
in  the  very  centime  of  Loch  Linnhe  is 
rt.  the  Island  of  Lismore,  "the great 
garden,"  a  long,  low  mass  of  lime- 
stone, about  10  m.  long  by  2  m. 
broad,  with  a  lighthouse  at  the  lower 
extremity  (Rte.  36). 

The  steamer  next  passes  the  Lady's 
Eock,  visible  only  at  low  water.  One 
of  the  Macleans  of  Duart,  about  1530, 
having  married  a  sister  of  the  Earl  of 
Argyll,  and  wishing  to  be  rid  of  her, 
placed  her  upon  the  Lady's  Rock, 
that  she  might  be  drowned  by  the 
rising  tide.  She  was  found  and 
rescued  by  some  of  her  own  people,  and 
Maclean  was  eventually  assassinated 
by  her  brother.  This  story  is  the 
subject  of  Joanna  Baillie's  "  Family 
Legend,"  and  Campbell's  poem  of 
"  Glenara."  On  the  mainland  of  Mull 
(1.)  are  the  tolerably  preserved  ruins 
of  Duart  Castle,  formerly  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Macleans,  standing  on 
the  brink  of  a  high  cliff,  at  the  ex- 
tremity of  a  long  and  elevated  penin- 
sula. The  main  building  is  a  large 
and  nearly  square  tower,  with  walls 
12  ft.  thick.  The  vessel  now  enters 
the  "melancholy"  Sound  of  Mull, 
a  sea  channel,  varying  in  breadth 
from  1  to  3  m.,  and  ha-v'ing  on  rt.  the 
high  grounds  and  cliffs  of  the  main- 
land of  Morven,  and  on  1.  the  still 
more  picturesque  mountains  of  Mull. 

[The  Island  of  Mull,  "  a  mass  of 
hill,"  round  which  the  tourist  is  about 
to  coast,  is  about  30  m.  long,  while 
its  greatest  breadth  is  20  m.  The 
indentations  of  the  bays  and  creeks 
however,  are  so  deep  and  irregular, 
especially  on  the  W.,  that  while  the 
coast-line  measures  some  300  m.,  it 
it  is  only  3  m.  from  sea  to  sea — 
between  the  Sound  at  Salen,  and  the 
Atlantic  at  Loch-na-Keal,  a  long  and 
broad  fiord  that  nearly  cuts  the  island 
in   two.      To  the  S.   of  it  is  Loch 


Screidan,  beyond  which  projects  a 
long  granitic  promontory  called  the 
Ross  of  Mull.  Though  the  island 
contains  some  lofty  mountains,  it 
cannot  be  said,  as  a  whole,  to  be 
picturesque,  consisting,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  occasional  patches  of  arable 
land,  of  a  vast  moor,  devoted  to  the 
pasturage  of  cattle  and  horses. 

The  cliff  scenery  on  the  S.  is  cer- 
tainly grand,  and  contains  several 
caves ;  and  considering  that  very  fair 
accommodation  is  to  be  got,  and  the 
roads,  few  as  they  are,  are  good,  it  is 
surprising  that  Mull  is  not  visited 
oftener  than  it  is.  Salcn  is  the  best 
place  to  stop  at,  both  from  its  central 
position  and  its  comfortable  quarters. 
To  the  S.  of  Salen  is  the  great  range 
of  mountains  that  fill  up  the  interior, 
and  rank  in  height  and  abruptness 
of  outline  with  the  principal  ranges 
in  the  "W.  of  the  mainland.  Ben 
More  rises  to  3172  ft.  ;  Benbuy  to 
2352  ;  and  Dun-da-Gu  to  2505.  The 
result  of  the  proximity  of  such  high 
peaks  to  the  moisture-laden  breezes 
of  the  Atlantic  is,  that  Mull  is  the 
rainiest  place  in  Scotland,  exceeding 
in  this  characteristic  both  Rum  and 
Skye.  ^052rcZZ  described  Mull  as  "  a 
hilly  country  diversified  with  heath 
and  grass,  and  many  rivulets."  Dr. 
Johnson  said  it  was  a  dreary  country, 
much  worse  than  Skye,  ' '  Oh,  sir ! 
a  most  dolorous  country." — Croker, 
Boswell. 

But  indeed  the  voyage  we  are  now 
describing  will  enable  the  traveller 
to  pronounce  the  coast  scenery  and 
cliffs  of  Mull  exceedingly  grand. 
Both  to  the  artist  and  geologist  the 
arched  rocks  of  Carsaig  on  the  S. 
coast,  and  the  display  of  basaltic 
columnar  cliffs  are  full  of  interest ; 
while  the  Duke  of  Argyll's  discovery 
of  Tertiary  leaf-beds  in  volcanic  ashes 
on  the  promontoiy  of  Ai-dtim  Head, 
between  Loch  Screidan  and  Loch 
Laigh,  causes  that  spot  to  be  visited 
by  men  of  science.  From  Salen  an 
excursion  may  be  made  to  the  ba.salt 


W.  Scotland.      Route  35. — Ohan  to  Staffa — Salen. 


231 


cliffs  of  the  Island  Ulva,  from  which 
a  boat  may  be  hired  to  Statfa. 

Some  of  the  localities  in  Mull  are 
very  interesting  to  the  geologist. 
Nine-tenths  of  the  island  consist  of 
trap  rocks  of  the  tertiary  age,  and 
those  peculiar  terraces  characteristic 
of  these  igneous  overflows.  Along 
the  E.  and  S.  coasts  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Loch  Buy  is  a  thin  strip 
of  oolite — and  again  on  the  W.  coast 
of  Gribun,  facing  Staffa.  The  pro- 
montory of  the  Ross,  as  far  as 
Bunessan,  consists  of  granite,  the  red 
colouring  of  which  imparts  a  pic- 
turesque warmth  to  the  rocks.  At 
Arcltun,  to  the  N.  of  Bunessan,  are 
some  basaltic  pillars,  together  with 
tertiary  beds,  containing  leaf  impres- 
sions associated  with  volcanic  ash. 
These  interesting  fossils  consist  of 
Rhamnites,  Filicites  Hebridicus, 
Equisitites  Campbelli,  Alnites,  etc., 
and  were  described  by  the  late 
Professor  Forbes,  in  the  "Geological 
Journal."] 

In  traversing  the  Sound  of  Mull 
the  steamer  passes  on  1.  a  cascade, 
the  spray  from  which  is  often  taken 
at  a  distance  for  smoke,  the  water 
being  hidden  by  a  projection  till  the 
steamer  is  abreast  of  it. 

Rt.  is  Ardtornish  Castle,  in  a  wild 
and  picturesque  situation,  on  a  chain 
of  rocks  overhanging  the  sea  at  the 
mouth  of  Loch  Aline,  Avhich  stretches 
up  into  the  district  of  Morven,  It 
was  during  the  latter  part  of  the  14th 
and  during  the  loth  centy.,  the  head- 
quarters of  the  "  Lords  of  the  Isles." 
The  ruins  are  not  large :  the  square 
keep,  with  its  thick  Avails,  and  the 
broken  rampart  of  the  courtyard, 
give  one  but  a  faint  notion  of  the 
grandeur  of  the  "  Ardtornish  Halls  " 
of  Sir  Walter  Scott  :— 

"  Ardtornish  on  her  frowning  steep, 
'Twixt  cloud  and  ocean  hung, 
Glanced  with  a  thousand  lights  of  glee. 
And  landward  far  and  far  to  sea 
Her  festal  radiance  flung." 

But  the  introduction  of  Ardtornish 
at  the  date  of  the  poem  is  an  ana- 


chronism, for  the  residence  of  the 
Lords  of  the  Isles  at  that  time  was 
Islay,  the  castle  of  Ardtornish  being 
built  about  1340.  The  Lord  of  the 
Isles,  in  the  time  of  Robert  Bruce, 
was  in  reality  Angus  Og,  but  his 
name  has  been  converted  by  Scott 
into  the  more  euphonious  title  of 
Ronald. 

Here  it  was  that  the  treaty  was 
signed  between  Edward  IV.  and 
the  Lord  of  the  Isles,  in  which  the 
latter  consented  to  become  Edward's 
vassal,  and  receive  an  annual  pension 
in  return  for  assistance  to  be  ren- 
dered to  the  King  and  the  banished 
Earl  of  Douglas  in  their  designs  upon 
Scotland.     {SceRymer's  "Foedera.") 

Just  beyond  it  is  the  narrow  en- 
trance to  Loch  A  line,  in  many  places 
prettily  fringed  with  copsewood. 

"Green  Loch  Aline's  woodland  shore." 

At  the  head  of  the  Loch  is  the  ruin 
of  another  old  castle,  called  Kinloch 
Aline,  and  in  the  village  close  by  is 
one  of  the  crosses  brouglit  from  lona. 
Loch  Aline  House  is  the  residence  of 
—  Sinclair,  Esq.  Passing  rt.  Fuenary 
House,  the  steamer  crosses  over  to 
Salen,  where  there  is  a  comfortable 
Inn,  a  good  place  from  whence  to 
make  excursions  either  to  Loch-na- 
Keal  or  to  the  summit  of  Ben  More. 
The  latter  is  easily  reached  by  the 
road  from  Salen  to  Loch  Screidan, 
which  passes  close  to  the  base  of  Ben 
More.  In  the  vicinity  of  Salen  (1.) 
is  Aros  House  (Captain  F.  Camp- 
bell), and 

Aros  Castle,  at  one  time  a  strong- 
hold of  the  Lords  of  the  Isles,  on  a 
high  rocky  peninsula  at  the  mouth 
of  a  stream.  It  was  probably  more 
a  fortress  than  a  habitation,  being 
90  ft.  long,  with  walls  40  ft.  high. 

On  rt.  are  vestiges  of  Killundin 
Castle,  on  the  coast  of  Morven,  a 
wild,  desolate  region,  the  picturesque 
beauties  of  which  are  principally  con- 
fined to  the  coast.  As  the  vessel 
proceeds    through    the    sound    the 


232 


Route  35. — Tohermory  ;  Mingary. 


Sect.  III. 


rugged  and  broken  outlines  of  Ben 
Hiant,  near  Ardnamurchan,  form  a 
magnificent  feature. 

1.  t  Tohermory  {Inns :  Mull  H.  ; 
Mish-nish).  The  name  of  this  place 
implies,  "  St.  Mary's  Well ;  "  it  was 
built  in  1788  by  the  Society  for  the 
Encouragement  of  British  Fisheries. 
It  is  the  largest  village  or  the  only 
town  in  Mull  (1500  Inhab.),  and 
is  built  on  the  shore  of  a  well-shel- 
tered bay,  having  in  front  the  small 
island  Calve.  On  the  N.  horn  or 
promontory  of  the  bay  stands  a 
lighthouse.  The  chapel,  dedicated 
to  the  Virgin,  has  entirely  dis- 
appeared. 

The  town  faces  the  S.E.,  and, 
with  high  hills  at  its  back,  has 
a  somewhat  gloomy  appearance,  al- 
though on  a  fine  summer  day  the 
thick  Avoods  are  deliciously  shady. 
There  is  a  pretty  waterfall  in  the 
stream  at  the  back  of  the  town, 
and  also  several  cascades  in  the 
woods  around,  Avhich  after  rainy 
weather  fall  directly  over  the  cliffs 
into  the  bay  with  a  peculiarly  beau- 
tiful appearance.  To  the  S.  of  the 
town  is  Drumfin,  the  seat  of  Alex. 
Allan,  Esq.  of  Aros,  on  the  banks 
of  a  picturesque  lake. 

Good  fishing  in  the  Lakes  Mish- 
nish,  with  leave  from  the  proprietor. 

Passing  on  rt.  the  mansion  and 
Eom.  Cath.  chapel  of  Drimnin  (Lady 
Gordon),  the  steamer  crosses  the 
mouth  of  Loch  Sunart  rt.,  a  long  and 
beautiful  fiord  running  into  the  Alor- 
ven  district  for  some  20  m.,  nearly 
"VV.  and  E.,  separating  it  from  Ard- 
namurchan (Rte.  36).  The  entrance 
on  the  N.  is  guarded  by  Ben  Hiant 
(1721  ft.).  On  rt.,  not  far  from  Ard- 
namurchan Point,  Mingary  Castle, 

"Sternly  placed, 
O'erawes  the  -n-oodland  and  the  waste." 

The  ruins,  which  are  considerable, 
stand  upon  a  headland  nearly  sur- 
rounded by  water,  and  are  further 
protected  by  a  high  wall  built  on  the 
extreme   edge    of    the    cliff's.      The 


length  of  the  principal  building  is  50 
ft.  ;  it  is  3  storeys  high,  but,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  small  loop- 
holes, there  is  no  external  opening. 
The  castle  belonged  to  the  M'lans, 
a  younger  branch  of  the  Macdonalds, 
Lords  of  the  Isles ;  and  in  1493 
James  IV.  held  his  court  here  to  re- 
ceive the  submission  of  the  insular 
chieftains.  Mingary  and  Loch  Aline 
castles  were  taken  in  1644  by  Alaster 
Macdonald  (better  known  as  Col- 
kitto),  who  commanded  the  Irish 
auxiliaries  sent  over  by  the  Earl  of 
Antrim  to  assist  Montrose.  It  was 
besieged  by  the  Marquis  of  Argyle, 
but  relieved. 

The  steamer  now  gains  the  At- 
lantic, the  eff"ects  of  whose  rolling 
SAvell,  except  on  a  calm  day,  are  sure 
to  be  experienced  here.  To  the  N. 
are  the  lighthouse  and  point  of  Ard- 
namurchan, beyond  which  the  preci- 
pitous Scuir  of  Eigg  is  seen,  to- 
gether Avith  the  lofty  peaks  of  Rum  ; 
and  if  the  day  is  clear  the  mag- 
nificent outline  of  the  Coolin  Hills 
in  Skye  (Rte.  58).  In  the  distance, 
straight  in  front,  are  the  islands  of 
Tiree  and  Coll,  both  composed  of 
Laurentian  gneiss.  Tiree  (Pop.  6000) 
yields  a  beautiful  pink  marble  spotted 
with  gi'een.  In  very  clear  weather 
may  also  be  seen  the  S'kerryvore  light- 
house, a  tower  of  granite  150  ft.  high, 
built  on  a  rock  barely  rising  out  of 
the  sea  at  low  water,  designed  by 
Alan  Stevenson. 

To  the  S.  on  1.  in  ]\Iull  is  Cailiach 
Point,  near  which  the  poet  Campbell 
lived  as  a  private  tutor,  and  where 
he  composed  "The  Exile  of  Erin" 
and  much  of  "  The  Pleasures  of  Hope. " 
The  S.  extremity  of  the  bay,  which 
is  indented  by  the  inlet  of  Calgary, 
is  called  Treshnish  Point.  The 
vessel  passes  on  rt.  the  Treshnish 
Islands — a  picturesque  group  of  bas- 
altic trap  rocks  rising  into  terraces 
about  300  ft.  in  height,  one  of  which, 
from  its  shape,  is  known  as  "The 
Dutchman's  Cap  ;"  another  is  pierced 


^y.  Scotland.     Bonte  35. —  Ulva  ;  Staffa;  FingaVs  Cave.     233 


through  by  a  hole  or  arch.  The  2 
largest  are  called  Fladda  and  LuBga, 
and  are  used  for  pasturing  the  cattle 
belonging  to  the  farm  of  Treshnish 
in  Coll.  Fortifications  exist  on  the 
island  Cairnlnirg,  which  was  a  strong- 
hold of  the  Noi-^^egian  kings,  on  the 
border  of  the  Sudreys  (or  S.  Islands, 
Sodor),  steeply  rocky  and  accessible 
only  at  one  point.  It  is  mentioned 
in  the  Sagas  under  the  name  Bjorn- 
arborg.  Some  ascribe  the  existing 
parts  to  the  Macleans,  who  defended 
Cairnburg  against  Cromwell. 

In  a  bay  which  deeply  indents  the 
W.  coast  of  Mull,  lies  the  large 
Island  of  "  Ulva  dark,"  whose  shores 
are  lofty  cliffs  of  black  basaltic 
columns,  and  contrast  with  the  small 
gi'een  islet  of  Inch  Kenneth,  where 
Dr.  Johnson  and  Boswell  were  so 
hospitably  received  by  Sir  Alan  Mac- 
lean, A  modern  mansion  has  been 
built  by  Col.  Macdonald,  but  the 
ruins  of  the  huts  in  which  these 
travellers  were  lodged  remain.  John- 
son commemorated  Inch  Kenneth  in 
a  Latin  Ode.  There  are  ruins  of  a 
very  old  church  60  ft.  long,  on  the 
Island,  and  belonged  to  the  monks  of 
lona. 

Ulva  lies  at  the  mouth  of  Loch 
Gyle  or  Keal  ;  the  scene  of  T. 
Campbell's  Poem  of  "  Lord  Ullin's 
Daughter." 

"  Now  who  be  ye  would  cross  Locli  Gyle,^ 
This  dark  and  stormy  water  ? 
Oh,  I'm  the  chief  of  Ulva's  Isle, 
Aud  this  Lord  Ullin's  daughter." 

Leaving  behind 

"  Ulva  dark  and  Colonsay," 

which  adjoin  the  mainland  pretty 
closely,  the  steamer  soon  approaches 
Staffa  (Stafs-ey,  the  island  of  staves 
or  columns)  (J.  IST.  Forman,  Esq.), 
a  small  uncultivated  island,  little 
more  than  1^  mile  round,  with  a 
perpendicular  face  towards  the  W., 
and  a  more  gradual  slope  to  the 
sea  on  the  E.  It  consists  of  3 
distinct  strata  of  trap — the  lower  of 
{Scotland.'] 


conglomerate,  or  trap-tuff;  the  middle 
of  columnar  basalt,  in  which  the 
caves  have  been  formed  by  the  action 
of  the  sea  and  the  weather  working 
out  portions  of  the  pillars  ;  and  an 
upper  bed  of  confused  basalt  and 
fragments  of  pillars.  The  island  is 
penetrated  by  several  caverns,  but  the 
most  famous  of  these,  and  usually 
the  only  one  visited,  is  Fixgal's 
Cave. 

When  the  weather  permits,  visitors 
are  landed  from  the  steamers  in  boats, 
and  walking  over  the  pavement, 
formed  by  the  tops  of  broken  pillars, 
can  penetrate  the  cave  and  climb 
the  slippery  platforms  by  means  of 
stairs,  ladders,  and  ropes,  which  have 
been  erected.  Still  better,  when 
the  sea  is  calm  the  tourist  can  pro- 
ceed to  the  end  of  the  cave  in  a 
row-boat,  peer  down  into  the  deep 
clear  water  below,  alive  with  medu- 
soe,  and  polyps,  and  watch  the 
shimmer  of  the  sunshine  reflected 
from  the  waves  upon  the  high  roof. 
In  storms  there  is  risk  of  boats  being 
dashed  by  the  surf  against  the  sharp 
edges  of  the  rocks. 

The  length  of  FingaVs  Cave  is  227 
ft.,  and  the  height  from  the  water  at 
mean  tide,  66  ft.,  the  depth  of  the 
sea  within  being  about  the  same. 
The  sides  of  the  aperture  are  vertical, 
and  nearly  parallel.  The  whole  of 
the  sides,  ground,  and  roof,  is  com- 
posed of  black  pentangular  or  hexa- 
gon pillars,  not  consisting  of  one 
solid  mass  from  top  to  bottom,  but 
divided  transversely  by  joints  at 
nearly  unifonn  distances  of  2  ft.  Sir 
Walter  Scott  thus  describes  it : — 

"  There  all  unknown  its  columns  rose, 
Where  dark  and  undisturbed  repose 

The  cormorant  had  found, 
And  the  shy  seal  had  quiet  home, 
And  weltered  in  that  wondrous  dome  ; 
Where,  as  to  shame  the  temples  decked 
By  skill  of  earthly  architect. 
Nature  herself,  it  seemed,  would  raise 
A  Minster  to  her  Maker's  praise  ! 
Not  for  a  meaner  use  ascend 
Her  columns,  or  her  arches  bend  ; 
Nor  of  a  theme  less  solemn  tells 
That  mighty  surge  that  ebbs  and  swells, 

l2 


234 


Route  35. — Staffa  :  Fingal's  Cave.        Sect.  III. 


And  still,  between  each  awful  pause, 
From  the  high  vault  an  answer  draws. 
In  varied  tone,  prolonged  and  high, 
That  mocks  the  organ's  melody. 
Nor  doth  its  entrance  point  in  vain 
To  old  lona's  holy  fane, 
That  Nature's  voice  might  seem  to  say, 
'  Well  hast  thou  done,  frail  child  of  clay  ! 
Thy  humble  powers  that  stately  shrine 
Task'd  hard  and  high,  but  witness  mine  ! 
Which,  when  the  ruins  of  thy  pile 
Cumber  the  desolated  isle. 
Firm  and  immutable  shall  stand, 
'Gainst  Mind  and  waves,  and   spoiler's 
hand.' " 

Sir  Eobert  Peel  made  it  his  boast 
that  he  "had  seen  the  temple  not 
made  with  hands,  had  felt  the  ma- 
jestic swell  of  the  ocean — the  pulsa- 
tion of  the  great  Atlantic — beating 
in  its  inmost  sanctuary,  and  swelling 
a  note  of  praise  nobler  far  than  any 
that  ever  peeled  from  human  organ." 

In  order  to  comprehend  the/orma- 
tion  of  this  island,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  N.W.  coast  of  Scotland 
was  once  the  scene  of  violent  volcanic 
action,  and  that  the  subterranean 
disturbances  found  vent  along  a  line 
from  Skye  to  Ireland,  the  eliects  of 
which  may  be  traced  through  Staffa, 
]\Iull,  I  slay,  Eathlin,  and  the  Giant's 
Causeway.  By  this  means  a  great 
quantity  of  liquid  basalt  was  ejected 
to  the  surface,  which,  when  begin 
ning  to  cool,  formed  a  number  of 
nuclei,  equidistant  from  each  other, 
which  gradually  absorbed  the  inter- 
vening mass  into  as  many  equal 
spheres.  The  pressure  of  the  spheres 
one  upon  the  other  caused  them  to 
assume  a  prismatic  shape,  and  if  we 
could  take  oti'  the  top  of  the  island, 
we  should  find  that  the  pillars  in 
the  centre  are  regular  hexagons,  while 
those  on  the  outside  are  more  inclined 
to  form  irregularly-sided  pentagons. 

StafFa  was  unknown  to  the  world 
before  an  accidental  visit  paid  to  it 
in  1772  by  Sir  Joseph  Eankes,  who, 
on  his  way  to  Iceland,  had  been 
driven  into  the  Sound  of  Mull,  and 
heard  by  chance  from  some  inhabit- 
ants of  the  district  of  this  real  won- 
der of  the  world.     The  earliest  ac- 


count of  it  is  to  be  found  in  Pennant's 
tour  in  Scotland,  1774. 

From  the  landing-place  a  staircase 
has  been  formed  to  the  top  of  the 
island,  by  which  glimpses  of  the 
cliffs  and  caves  on  the  other  side  can 
be  obtained,  although  the  short  time 
granted  by  the  steamboat  directors 
does  not  allow  of  their  being  visited. 
They  consist  of — 1.  The  Boat  Cave, 
accessible  only  by  sea,  in  depth  about 
150  ft.  2.  M'Kinnon's,  or  the  Cor- 
morants Cave,  is  about  220  ft.  in 
length,  and  50  ft.  in  height  at  the 
entrance.  3.  The  Scollop  Shell  Cave 
is  of  no  great  dimensions,  but  is 
interesting  from  the  form  of  the 
columns,  which  are  bent  like  a  series 
of  ship's  timbers. 

The  remaining  curiosity  is  the 
Giant's  Colonnade,  with  the  rock  of 
' '  Buachaille "  (the  shepherd),  a  sort 
of  small  causeway  or  cluster  of 
columns  forming  an  islet  about  30 
ft.  high,  not  far  from  Fingal's  Cave. 
Its  pillars  are  placed  on  a  series 
of  curved  ones,  visible  only  at  low 
water.  Indeed,  this  causeway  is  as 
interesting  as  anything  on  the  island, 
but  tourists  scramble  over  it  in  their 
hurry  to  get  to  the  cave,  without 
paying  it  the  attention  it  deserves. 

After  visiting  Staffa  in  the  mixed 
society  of  a  crowded  steamboat,  most 
persons    wiU     agree    with    Words- 
worth,— 
% 

"  We  saw,  but  surely  in  the  motley  crowd 
Not  one  of  us  had/e?i  the  far-famed  sight. 
How  could  we  feel  it  ?   each  the  other's 

blight. 
Hurried  and  hurrying,  volatile  and  loud. 
....  One  votary  at  will  might  stand 
Gazing,  and  take  into  his  mind  and  heart. 
With  undisturbed  reverence,  the  effect 
Of  those  proportions,  where  the  Almighty 

hand 
That    made    the   world,    the    Sovereign 

Architect, 
Had  deigned  to  work  as  if  with  human 

art. " 

The  island  is  rented  by  the  Steam- 
boat Company  from  the  proprietor. 
The  boatmen  are  chiefly  natives  of 
Ulva. 


W.  Scotland. 


Fioute  35. — lona. 


235 


8  m.  from  StafFa  to  the  S.  is  the 
Island  of  Ioxa,  where  the  steamer 
usually  stops  one  hour.  In  calm 
weathei'  it  is  anchored  inside  a  reef 
op2)osite  the  village,  whence  passen- 
gers are  conveyed  in  boats  to  a  low 
rude  pier,  leading  to  the  scattered 
street  of  heather-thatched  cottages, 
including  an  Established  church,  and 
a  Free,  with  a  manse.  There  are  2 
humble  Inns,  the  Argyll  and  the 
Columba. 

lona  is  a  bare  and  rather  barren 
treeless  island,  3  m.  long,  studded 
with  niins,  among  which  the  square 
cathedral  tower  is  conspicuous.  The 
name  would  seem  to  have  been  ori- 
ginally I  or  Hy  (Island),  changed 
subsecjuently  to  I-Columb-Kill  = 
Island  of  Columba  of  the  Church. 
It  has  about  400  inhab.  It  belongs 
to  the  Duke  of  Argyll,*  and  yields 
about  £400  a  year  rental.  The  deep 
interest  attached  to  lona,  and  its 
attraction  for  strangers,  are  due  almost 
entirely  to  association. 

"  We  Avere  now  treading  that 
illustrious  island  which  was  once  the 
luminary  of  the  Caledonian  regions, 
whence  savage  clans  and  roving  bar- 
barians derived  the  beneiits  of  know- 
ledge and  the  blessings  of  religion. 

"  Far  from  me  and  from  my 
friends  be  such  frigid  philosophy  as 
may  conduct  us  inclilferent  and  un- 
moved over  any  ground  which  has 
been  dignified  by  wisdom,  bravery, 
or  virtue.  That  man  is  little  to  be 
envied  whose  patriotism  would  not 
gain  force  upon  the  plain  of  Mara- 
thon, or  w-hose  piety  would  not  grow 
warmer  among  the  ruins  of  lona." — 
Dr.  Johnson. 

In  the  darkest  of  the  dark  ages 
(a.d.  563)  St.  Columba,  an  Irish 
monk,  of  noble  descent,  disgusted 
with  the  sanguinary  feuds  of  his 
counti-ymen,  left  Ireland,  and  sought 
refuge  in  lona,  out  of  sight  of  his 
native   land.      He   landed   with   12 

*  The  Duke  has  published  an  interesting 
account  of  lona. 


companions,  converted  Connall,  king 
of  the  Dalriads,  and  Bored  or  Bradi, 
king  of  the  Picts,  and  founded  here 
a  monastery,  which  was  the  means 
of  extending  religion  and  civilisa- 
tion not  only  in  Scotland  and  the 
Islands,  but  even  to  the  Orkneys 
and  Iceland.  The  founder  of  this 
seat  of  learning  and  nursery  of  the 
clergy  died  circa  597,  at  the  very 
time  when  Augustine  landed  in  Kent 
to  convert  the  English. 

Ko  buildiug  now  remains  of  the 
age  of  St.  Columba.  The  Northern 
pirates  from  time  to  time  pillaged 
these  defenceless  recluses,  and  espe- 
cially, in  807,  burned  and  destroyed 
the  monastery  and  all  belonging  to 
it. 

On  landing  from  the  steamer  the 
stranger  is  beset  by  children  offering 
plates  full  of  pebbles,  yellow,  green, 
and  blue,  of  serpentine  and  felspar, 
rolled  by  the  sm-f,  and  picked  up 
in  the  Bay  of  Currach,  where  St. 
Columba  first  landed  from  Ireland, 
on  the  W.  side  of  the  Island. 

Leaving  the  cottages  of  the  village, 
the  first  ruin  we  arrive  at  is  the 
Church  of  the  Priory  of  Austin  Nuns 
(date,  circa  1180),  measuring  58  ft. 
by  20  ft.,  now  roofless,  except  at  one 
end,  where  a  portion  of  stone  vault 
remains.  The  tomb  in  the  wall  is 
that  of  the  last  prioress  (d.  1543). 
Her  efiig}-,  in  hood  and  cloak,  occu- 
pies one-half  of  the  slab,  the  rest  is 
broken  away. 

Following  an  ancient,  paved  cause- 
way, we  pass  Maclean's  Cross,  a 
single  shaft  carved  with  great  force 
and  excellence  of  design,  11  ft.  high, 
one  of  350  existing  here  before  the 
Reformation,  when  they  were  de- 
stroyed (except  2)  by  the  anti-Popish 
synod  of  Arg}'ll. 

A  little  farther  on  is  the  Cemetery 
(Reilig  Oran),  the  oldest  Christian 
burial-place  in  Scotland,  dedicated 
to  St.  Oran,  whose  Chapel  within 
the  enclosure,  a  small  roofless  cham- 
ber of  Eomanescpie  architecture,  is 
probably  the  oldest  building  in  lona. 


236 


Route  35. — lona  Cathedral. 


Sect.  III. 


and  dates  from  tlie  lltli  centy.  It 
is  entered  by  a  low  doorway,  deeply 
recessed  with  chevron  mouldings. 
Within  is  the  tomb  of  MacFingal, 
Lord  of  the  Isles,  and  a  friend  of 
King  Robert  Brace,  and  hero  of 
Scott's  "  Lord  of  the  Isles,"  where  for 
euphony  he  is  styled  Ronald,  his 
real  name  being  Angus  Og.  Here 
also  is  an  effigy  of  an  armed  knight, 
Macquarrie  of  Ulva. 

"lona  has  long  enjoyed,  without 
any  very  credible  attestation,  the 
honour  of  being  reputed  the  Cemetery 
of  the  Scottish  kings.  It  is  not  un- 
likely that  when  the  opinion  of  local 
sanctity  was  prevalent,  the  chieftains 
of  the  Isles,  and  perhaps  some  of  the 
Irish  or  Norwegian  princes,  were 
deposited  in  this  venerable  enclo- 
sure."— Johnson. 

Shakspeare  alludes  to  the  fact 
when  telling  that  "the  gracious 
Duncan  "  was  carried  to  Colmskill — 

"  The  sacred  storehouse  of  his  predecessors, 
And  guardian  of  their  bones." 

And  Collins  describes  lona  as  the 
place  where, 

"  Beneath  the  showery  West, 
Tlie  mighty  kings  of  three  fair  realms  are 
laid." 

The  cause  of  this  may  be  found  in  an 
ancient  Gaelic  prophecy,  thus  ren- 
dered— 

"  Seven  years  before  that  awful  day, 

When  time  shall  be  no  more, 
A  watery  deluge  shall  o'ersweep 

Hibernia's  mossy  shore. 
The  Green-clad  Isle,  too,  shall  sink  ; 

While  with  the  great  and  good, 
Coloinba's  happier  isle  shall  raise 

Her  towers  above  the  flood." 

According  to  tradition  the  tombs 
in  the  cemetery  were  arranged  in 
9  rows,  or  "ridges,"  scarcely  now  to 
be  distinguished,  and  the  last  Scottish 
king  interred  here  was  Macbeth. 
In  the  3d,  called  "Ridge  of  the 
Kings,"  it  was  said  that  the  royal 
remains  were  enclosed  in  3  vaults. 


but  excavations  made  in  1833  have 
proved  that  these  have  no  existence. 
Here  are  2  slabs  bearing  bishops' 
croziers.  In  the  14th  row,  2  monu- 
ments bear  Gaelic  inscriptions  to 
Irish  ecclesiastics.  These  are  the 
oldest  remaining,  but  do  not  date 
farther  back  than  the  12th  centy. 

The  5th  row  includes  the  most 
perfect  tombstone  to  4  priors  of  lona, 
Scotchmen  of  the  same  clan. 

All  the  royal  tombs  and  all  the 
ancient  arrangements  have  long  since 
been  swept  away.  Solicitude  for 
antiquity,  awakened  somewhat  tar- 
dily, has  collected  from  among  the 
nettles  and  rubbish  some  two  score 
monumental  slabs,  rudely  cai'ved 
with  crosses  and  swords,  loelonging 
to  priest  and  warriors  not  now  to  be 
identified,  none  of  merit  as  works 
of  art  or  of  interest  for  their  great 
antiquity.  There  are  several  be- 
longing to  the  names  of  Maclean  of 
Col,  Dnart,  and  Loch  Buy,  Mac- 
kinnon  and  Macquarrie  of  Ulva. 

The  figure  of  a  galley,  the  crozier 
of  a  bishop  or  abbot,  and  the  shield 
and  helmet  of  a  king  are  not  of  un- 
frequent  occurrence. 

Leaving  "  this  awful  gi'ound,"  to 
.use  Johnson's  words,  we  proceed  N. 
of  the  cemetery  to  the  ruins  of  the 
Cathcdrcd  (St.  Mary's),  the  principal 
building  in  lona,  having  in  front  a 
picturesque  and  curious  granite  Cross, 
boldly  carved  with  Runic  ornaments 
and  figures,  called  *  St.  Martinis 
Cross,  14  ft.  high. 

The  church,  dating  from  beginning 
of  13th  centy.,  is  cruciform  ;  its 
length,  115  ft.  The  nave  is  nearly 
demolished  and  the  transepts  are 
aisleless.  At  the  N.W.  angle,  out- 
side the  nave,  are  foundations  of  a 
cell  or  chamber,  in  which  it  is  said 
the  shrine  and  bones  of  St.  Columba 
were  placed.  The  Tower  at  the 
crossing,  75  ft.  high,  rests  on  jiointed 
arches.  Remark  the  4  square 
windows,  openings  to  emit  the  sound 
of  the  bells,  each  filled  with  different 
tracery  of  elegant^  design  and  late 


W.  Scotland. 


lloute  35. — luna  Cathedral. 


237 


date.  In  the  choir  aud  transepts  are 
2  engaged  pointed  arches  and  3 
circular  arches,  with  elegant  tooth 
mouldings  and  lattice-patterns  alike 
in  both,  showing  them  to  be  of  the 
same  date.  On  the  N.  side  of  the 
altar  is  the  monument  of  Abbot 
Mackinnon  (d.  1500),  on  the  S.  of 
Abbot  K.  Mackenzie,  and  in  the 
centre  that  of  Macleod  of  Macleod, 
with  effig}^  in  armour.  On  the  S. 
side  are  3  elegant  sedilia,  which, 
together  with  the  fine  E.  window, 
are  in  the  Decorated  Gothic  of  the 
14th  centy. 

\  ra.  N.  of  the  cathedral  rises  the 
rocky  knoll  of  Dun  I,  some  300  ft. 
above  the  sea.  The  ascent  of  it 
will  be  well  rewarded  by  the  Pano- 
ranm  from  the  top,  extending  over 
the  mountains  and  inlets  of  Mnll, 
the  Paps  of  Jnra,  the  Isles  of  Eigg, 
Rum,  Statfa,  Treshnish,  and  the 
far-off  rock  and  lighthouse  of  Skerry- 
vore. 

There  is  no  corn-mill  in  lona  : 
grain  is  carried  over  to  Bunessan,  in 
Mnll,  to  be  ground.  Failing  this 
"^/le  Que/m,"  or  hand-mill,  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible,  is  still  resorted 
to.  There  are  two  specimens  fit  for 
use  in  the  island  at  present. 

The  scenery  of  the  island  of  lona 
does  not  offer  anything  in  parti- 
cular. On  the  "W.  side  there  is  a 
natural  curiosity  called  the  "  Spout- 
ing Cave"  where  the  water,  rush- 
ing in  and  compressing  the  air,  is 
forced  back  through  a  small  orifice 
to  a  great  height. 

From  the  village  there  is  a  ferry 
across  the  Sound  of  lona  to  the  Ross 
of  Mull,  where  the  granite  quarries 
are  worth  notice.  A  road  leads 
from  Port  Dearg  on  that  coast  to 
Bunessan,  5  m.,  a  small  town 
situated  at  the  extremity  of  Loch 
Lathaich,  and  not  far  from  Ardtun, 
where  the  geologist  will  find  the 
tertiary  leaf-beds  before  alluded  to. 
A   steamer  from   Glasgow   calls   at 


Bunessan  once   or  twice  a  month. 
There  is  a  small  Inn  at  Bunessan. 

"  The  Rev.  Thomas  M'Lachlan  has 
traced  for  a  distance  of  7  miles  a 
series  of  granite  monoliths  in  Mull, 
each  about  6  ft.  in  height,  at  intervals 
of  about  half-a-mile,  the  oue  within 
sight  of  the  next,  extending  east- 
wards and  along  the  shore  of  Loch 
Screidan  from  the  first  nearest  the 
shore,  which  stands  in  a  conspicuous 
place  within  sight  of  the  cathedral. 
He  ascertained  that  there  is  a  vague 
tradition  among  the  people  that 
these  were  Avaymarks  to  lona,  and 
that  there  had  been  a  continuous  line, 
though  most  of  the  stones  have  now 
disappeared." — Anderson. 

Macdonald,  the  postmaster  of  lona, 
keeps  a  safe  boat,  in  which  parties 
may  be  conveyed  for  12s.  to  20s., 
according  to  their  number,  to  Staffa 
from  lona. 

15  m.  S.  W.  of  lona  is  the  solitary 
rock  of  Dhu  Reartach  (St.  John's 
Rock),  a  solitary  trap  rock,  220.  ft. 
long,  rising  30  ft.  out  of  deep  water, 
in  the  midst  of  dangerous  reefs  occu- 
pying some  square  miles — long  a 
source  of  danger  to  mariners — but 
since  1867-72  surmounted  by  a  Light- 
Jiouse  100  ft.  high,  erected  by  the 
Messrs.  Stevenson,  engineers  to  the 
Commissioners  of  the  Northern  Light- 
houses. The  difficulties  in  approach- 
ing the  rock  were  very  great.  On  an 
average  this  was  possible  on  only  50 
days  in  a  year.  The  stones  and  other 
material  were  prepared  at  Erraid 
granite  quarries  in  the  Ross  of  Mull. 
On  one  occasion  14  stones,  each  of 
2  tons,  fixed  by  jaggles  and  cement 
into  the  masonry,  37  ft.  above  high 
water,  were  torn  out  by  the  waves 
and  swept  off  the  rock. 

The  S.W.  angle  of  Mull  is  beset 
with  reefs  extending  nearly  all  the 
way  to  the  lighthouse,  whose  use  is 
to  warn  mariners  off  from  them. 

In  steering  to  or  from  lona,  the 
steamer,  by  aid  of  careful  surveys 


238 


Route  36. — Ohan  to  Bannavie. 


Sect.  III. 


and  experienced  pilots,  is  able  to 
thread  its  way  safely  througli  a  little 
archipelago  of  granite  islets,  by  a 
narrow  and  intricate  channel. 

Soon  after  rounding  Ardalanish 
Point,  the  granite  ceases,  and  gives 
place  to  igneous  rocks,  which  gra- 
dually rise  into  precipitous  cliffs.  At 
Carsaig  (A.  ]\[aclean,  Esq.),  at  the 
entrance  to  Loch  Buy,  the  scenery 
is  extraordinarily  fine— consisting  of 
a  series  of  basaltic  rocks,  which 
in  one  instance  have  been  pierced 
through  by  the  action  of  the  sea  so 
as  to  obtain  for  them  the  name  of 
the  Carsaig  arches.  These  cliffs  rise 
to  the  height  of  1000  ft.,  surmounted 
by  columnar  basalt,  exceeding  all 
others  in  Scotland,  save  those  of 
Hoy.  The  inland  cliffs  between 
Loch  Buy  and  Loch  Spelve  are 
basaltic.  At  the  head  of  Loch  Buy, 
a  considerable  salt-water  inlet,  the 
mountains  of  Ben  Buy  (2.352  ft. )  and 
Creachbeinn  (2.344  ft.)  are  seen,  while 
seaward  the  traveller  obtains  good 
views  of  Colonsay,  Oronsay,  Gar- 
velloch  or  the  Isles  of  the  Sea,  and 
the  distant  ranges  of  Scarba  and 
Jura,  in  which  the  Paps  are  parti- 
cularl}^  conspicuous.  Moy  is  the 
modern  seat  of  M  'Lean  of  Loch  Buy. 
Here  Johnson  and  Boswell  stayed  on 
their  return  from  the  Hebrides,  and 
it  was  here  Johnson  was  so  offended 
by  Miss  M'Lean's  offer  of  cold 
sheep's-head  for  supper. 

1.  Loch  Spelve  is  another  narrow 
fiord,  ramifying  for  a  considerable 
distance  inland.  The  cliffs  between 
Lochs  Buy  and  Spelve  are  lofty  and 
picturesque.  The  steamer  now 
enters  the  Sound  of  Kerrera.  There 
is  a  ferry  from  the  Point  of  Crushna- 
craig  (4  m.  from  Duart  Castle,  9  m. 
from  Salen)  to  Kerrera.  Passing  on 
rt.  Gallenach  (P.  M'Dougall,  Esq.), 
we  soon  arrive  at 

Oban  (Ete.  31). 


ROUTE   36. 

Oban  to  Bannavie,  by  Loch 
Linnhe,  Appin,  Ballachulish 
(Glencoe),  and  Fort -"William. 
—Ben  Wevis. 

Every  morning  a  steamer  runs  be- 
tween Oban  and  Ballachulish,  giving 
tourists  time  to  see  Glencoe,  return- 
ing in  .'the  evening.  The  sail  up 
Loch  Linnhe  is  very  beautiful,  and, 
being  .so  completely  landlocked,  the 
water  is  seldom  very  rough.  On  rt. 
the  steamer  passes  Dunolly  and  Dun- 
staff'nage  castles  (Rte.  31),  guarding 
the  entrance  to  Loch  Etive,  which 
is  crossed  by  a  reef  at  Conn  el  Ferry, 
and  1.  the  long  Island  of  Lismore. 
On  Lismore  were  once  an  import- 
ant ecclesiastical  establishment  and 
a  considerable  population.  It  was 
also  the  locality  of  the  cathedral 
ch.  of  the  diocese  of  Argjdl.  "  The 
cathedral  of  St.  Moluac,  the  seat  of 
the  bishops  of  a  diocese  which  was 
dismembered  from  Dunkeld  in  the 
beginning  of  the  13th  cent.,  is  per- 
haps the  humblest  in  Britain.  The 
High  ch.  of  Argyll  is  less  than  60  ft. 
in  length,  by  30  ft.  in  breadth — it 
has  no  aisles,  and  seems  to  have  had 
neither  transejjts  nor  nave. " — Robert- 
son. It  is  now  modernised,  and 
used  as  a  parish  ch.  On  the  N'.W. 
coast,  on  a  high  rock,  are  the  ruins 
of  Auclrnvdouni  Castle,  the  ancient 
seat  of  the  Bishops  of  Argjdl.  It 
is  a  square  of  80  ft.  with  walls  40 
ft.  high,  the  interior  being  divided 
into  two  portions.  It  was  from  this 
palace  that  the  Bishops  of  Argyll 
acquired  the  title  of  "  Episcopi  Lis- 
morenses,"  just  as  the  Bishops  of 
Sodor  and  Man  obtained  their  title 
from  the  Sudreys,  Sodorenses,  or 
Southern  Hebrides,  which  formed 
a  portion  of  the  diocese  of  Ebude. 
From  the  N.  end  of  Lismore  there 
is  a  short  ferry  to  Port  Appin  (a 
comfortable  inn),  where  the  sports- 


W.Scotland.  Eoufe  36. — Ohan  to  Ballachulish :  Appin.     239 


man    may   shoot    seals,    -n-liich   are 
plentiful  along  these  shores. 

[From  Oban  to  Ballachulish  a 
road  i-uns  near  the  coast  the  whole 
way,  crossing  3  ferries  ;  passing  1  m. 
Dunolly,  and  a  little  farther  on  1. 
Dunstaffnage  Castle.  Loch  Etive  is 
crossed  at  Connel  Ferry,  5  m. ,  where 
at  certain  times  the  tide  rushes  with 
great  fury  over  a  reef  of  rocks,  form- 
ing a  sort  of  sea  waterfall  (Ete.  31). 
The  scenery  is  remarkably  line. 
Ben  Cruachan  and  its  giant  fellows 
form  a  grand  background  on  the  W. 
Near  the  bay  of  Ardmucknish  is  a 
little  rocky  eminence  called  Dun 
Macsniochan,  or  the  Fort  of  the  Sons 
of  Usnoth,  surmounted  by  the  re- 
mains of  a  vitrified  fort.  This  is 
believed  by  some  antiquaries  to  be 
the  site  of  Bcregonmm,  the  old 
Pictish  capital  of  this  district,  before 
it  was  occupied  by  the  Scots,  The 
rock  has  two  peaks,  each  surmounted 
by  a  vitrified  wall  ;  and  a  raised  way, 
called  Straidmharagaid,  "the  mar- 
ket street,"  said  to  have  been  the 
principal  street  of  the  city,  but  which 
was  more  probably  the  work  of  Chris- 
tian times,  and  connected  with  the 
small  cemetery  at  the  base  of  the 
cliff".  The  "Selma"  of  Ossian  also 
claims  a  position  on  this  spot.  On 
the  opposite  promontory  is  Loch- 
nell,  the  residence  of  D.  Campbell, 
Esq.  The  road  from  Bonawe  and 
Ardchattan  Priory  (Rte.  31)  falls  in 
here. 

8  m.  Barcaldine — a  finely  situated 
old  mansion,  once  a  seat  of  a  branch 
of  the  Campbells — is  the  residence 
of  Mrs.  Cameron.  Near  it  is  a  small 
inn  called  Nova  Zembla.  At  Shean 
Ferry  10  m.,  where  the  inlet  of  Loch 
Creran  is  crossed,  the  traveller  leaves 
the  district  of  Lorn  and  enters  that 
of  Appin,  passing  1.  Airds  (R.  j\Iacfie, 
Esq.)] 

t  14  m.  at  Port  A2)]nn  there  is  a 
comfortable  little  Inn,  at  which  the 
steamers  to  Ballachulish  calL 


Eilean  Stacker  (the  Island  of  the 
Falconer),  a  castle  standing  on  a 
rock  detached  from  the  shore,  was 
long  the  residence  of  the  Stewarts 
of  Appin.  It  bears  the  royal  arms 
over  the  door,  because  it  was  built 
for  James  IV. 

Quitting  Appin  and  passing  1.  the 
Island  Shuna,  with  remains  of  a 
castle,  and  rt.  Appin  House  (Miss 
Downie),  the  steamer  diverges  E. 
into  the  narrow  Firth  of  Loch  Leven, 
and  touches  at 

+  Ballachulish  Pier  {Hotel .-  5  m, 
from  Glencoe,  described  in  Rte.  34), 
27  m.  from  Oban. 

The  steamer  next  crosses  Loch 
Linnhe  to  call  off"  'y  Ardgour,  a  cheer- 
ful little  place  with  an  inn,  on  the 
Morven  side  of  the  coast,  and  below 
Con-an  Ferry,  commanding  a  mag- 
nificent view  of  the  mountains  oj^po- 
site.  Behind  the  village  is  a  water- 
fall, visible  at  a  long  distance,  and 
known  as  the  Ardgour  Totoel,  it  is 
presumed  from  its  whiteness.  Here 
the  inlet  of  Loch  Linnhe  opens  into 
Loch  Eil,  the  first  of  the  chain  of 
lakes  belonging  to  the  Great  Glen 
through  which  the  traveller  passes 
to  Inverness. 

Ardgour  House  is  the  residence  of 
A.  M'Lean,  Esq. 

From  Ardgour  an  excursion  may 
be  made  to  Lochs  Sunart  and  Moidart 
(Rte.  36a). 

As  you  ascend  Loch  Eil  (rt.)  Ben 
Nevis  comes  in  sight  before  the  vessel 
reaches  the  pier  of 

t  Maryburgh,  \  m.  distant  from  the 
straggling  and  dirty  little  town  of 

Fort-  William  {Inn  :  Chevalier, 
near  the  pier,  Caledonian — tolerable), 
which  takes  its  name  from  ?ifort  on 
the  S.E.  side,  originally  built  by 
General  Monk,  afterwards  enlarged 
and  strengthened  by  William  III., 
chiefly  with  the  view  of  keeping  in 
check  the  turbulent  clan  Cameron, 
but  now  sold  by  Government  to  Camp- 
bell of  Monzie.  It  was  beseiged,  with- 
out success,  by  the  rebels  in  1746. 


240     Bimte  o6. — Ohan  to  Fort-William :  Bannavie.     Sect.  III. 


At  Kilmally,  near  Bannavie,  is  a 
mommient  erected  to  Col.  Cameron, 
of  the  92d  Highlanders,  killed  at 
Quatre  Bras  [see  Rte.  37). 

Distances. — Ballachulish,  12^  ni.  ; 
Glencoe,  by  the  Devil's  Staircase, 
20  ;  Bannavie,  3  ;  Inverlochy,  li  ; 
Spean  Bridge,  9^ ;  Bridge  of  Roy,  13  ; 
Loch  Laggan,  32  ;  Prince  Charles's 
Monnment,  18  ;  Kinloch  Aylort,  28; 
Arisaig,  38  ;  Gairlochy,  11.] 

1^  m.  1.,  between  Fort- William 
and  Bannavie,  on  the  1.  bank  of  the 
Lochy,  just  below  the  suspension 
bridge,  is  the  Castle  of  Inverlochy,  a 
quadrangular  building  flanked  by 
round  towers  at  the  4  corners.  It 
is  possible  that  tliis  was  erected  by 
Edward  I.  for  the  purpose  of  check- 
ing the  unrul}^  mountaineers,  as  Fort- 
William  was  built  about  4  centuries 
after.  Under  its  walls,  in  1645,  the 
Covenanters  under  Argyle  were  sur- 
prised by  Montrose,  and  defeated 
with  the  loss  of  1500  men.  Argyle 
himself  retired  on  board  ship  at  the 
beginning  of  the  action.  There  is  a 
beautiful  picture  of  Inverlochy  Castle 
— one  of  Macculloch's  finest — in  the 
National  Gallery  at  Edinburgh. 

The  road  from  Fort- William  (having 
first  crossed  the  Nevis)  is  carried 
over  the  broad  stream  of  the  Lorchy 
by  a  suspension  bridge,  on  which  is 
a  heavy  toll  of  2s.  for  a  carriage  to 
Bannavie. 

The  sea  steamer  halts  at  t  Corimch, 
close  to  the  mouth  of  the  Caledonian 
Canal  and  Neptune's  Staircase.  Om- 
nibus conveys  passengers  1  m.  to 

Bannavie  Inn :  Lochiel  Arms, 
good,  but  very  expensive,  1 874.  Post- 
horses  and  Traps.  Inns  at  Fort- 
William  more  moderate  ;  its  situa- 
tion is  fine,  and  it  commands  per- 
haps the  best  view  of  Ben  Nevis  ; 
and  it  is  convenient  for  tourists 
going  to  Inverness  by  the  morning's 
steamer  {sec  Rte.  39). 

Distances  to — Fort- William,  3  m.  ; 
Inverlochy  Castle,  1^  ;  Spean  Bridge, 


9  ;  Bridge  of  Roy,  ]  2  ;  Base  of  Ben 
Nevis,  2  ;  to  the  summit,  8  ;  Glencoe, 
by  the  Devil's  Staircase,  23  ;  Loch 
Laggan,  31  ;  Kingussie,  53  ;  Kin- 
loch Aylort,  25  ;  Glenfinnan,  15  ; 
Arisaig,  36. 

[The  excursion,  j^a?-  excellence,  from 
Bannavie  and  Fort- William  is  that 
up  Ben  Nevis  (4368  ft.),  the  highest 
mountain  in  Scotland,  and  indeed  in 
Great  Britain,  which  stands  at  the 
back  and  to  the  E.  of  Fort- William, 
and  opposite  the  hotel  at  Bannavie, 
from  whence  an  admirable  view  is 
obtained  of  its  massive  proportions. 
The  first  impression  of  Ben  Nevis  is 
disappointing,  for  it  is  anything  but  a 
gi-aceful  mountain,  and,  from  the 
absence  of  peak  or  cone,  it  takes  some 
little  time  to  realise  its  great  height 
and  gigantic  mass.  One  of  its  cha- 
racteristic features  is  the  almost  con- 
stant presence  of  snow  in  the  gi'eat . 
precij)ices  facing  the  N.  E. ,  even  in  the 
hottest  summer — a  fortunate  occur- 
rence for  Cameron  of  Glen  Nevis, 
who,  it  is  said,  holds  his  land  by  the 
tenure  of  an  unfailing  snowball  when 
demanded. 

Ben  Nevis  belongs  to  a  large  and 
important  range  of  mountains,  though 
separated  from  them  liy  deep  ravines 
on  the  E.  and  W.,  that  on  the  W. 
Glen  Nevis  being  strongly  marked. 
The  N.  face,  which  is  the  best  for 
the  ascent,  consists  of  two  portions, 
the  lower  a  broad,  almost  square 
basement,  upon  which  stands  the 
steep  black  head  that  forms  the  difii- 
cult  part  of  the  ascent.  The  charge 
for  a  guide  is  from  8s.  to  10s.  The 
necessity  for  taking  him  depends 
entirely  on  the  weather,  and  on  the 
tourist's  acquaintance  with  moun- 
tains. For  some  a  compass  and  a 
map  are  all  that  is  necessary ;  but 
the  greater  number  will  be  all  the 
safer  for  a  guide,  as  Beu'  Nevis  is 
famous  for  mists,  and  the  precipices 
on  the  N.  E.  side  are  very  dangerous. 
Ladies  may  easily  ride  as  far  as  the 
lake,  which  is  1700  ft.  above  the  sea. 


W.  Scotland.      Route  36. — Ascent  of  Ben  Nevis. 


241 


The  ascent  was  made  by  the  Empress 
Eugenie,  August  1872. 

From  Banuavie  to  the  summit  is  a 
walk  of  about  8  m.,  which  will  take  3i 
hrs.  ;  the  descent  may  be  made  in  2  hrs. 

Crossing  the  Loehy  by  the  suspen- 
sion bridge,  a  path  strikes  up  from 
the  Distillery  along  the  1.  bank  of 
the  burn,  which  descends  from  a 
mountain  tarn  1700  feet  above  the 
sea.  Keeping  this  on  the  1.  you 
skirt  its  upper  extremity,  and  turn 
1.  up  the  face  of  the  mountain. 
Skirt  the  edge  of  this  till  opposite 
the  face  of  the  mountain,  and 
then  strike  across  the  valley  and 
commence  the  ascent.  This  part  of 
Ben  Nevis  appears  to  be  one  gigantic 
heap  of  stones,  and  the  members  of 
a  party  should  keep  in  line,  as  in 
shooting,  since  the  stones  are  liable 
to  be  displaced  and  fall  down.  The 
summit  of  Ben  Nevis  consists  of  3 
great  ridges,  nearly  parallel.  The  2 
outside  ones  are  grey  granite,  very 
much  of  equal  height,  while  the 
middle  is  of  red  porpliyry,  not  much 
lower.  The  one  to  the  S.  soon  nar- 
rows into  a  sharp-edged  ridge,  so 
narrow  that  ' '  a  single  block  of 
granite  may  split  into  two  parts,  of 
which  one  would  roll  crashing  down 
the  steep  slope  into  the  valley  on  the 
1.,  while  the  other  would  leap  to  the 
bottom  of  the  glen  on  the  rt.  In 
this  sharp  form  the  ridge  divides, 
one  arm  sweeping  round  the  head  of 
the  glen  on  the  N.E.  side,  while 
the  other  circles  westward  to  the 
shoulders  of  Ben  Nevis.  "^ — Geikie. 

If  the  atmosphere  is  clear,  the  for- 
tunate tourist  will  see  a  panorama 
about  100  m.  in  diameter,  extending 
from  sea  to  sea,  and  embracing 
nearly  every  lofty  mountain  in  Scot- 
land. ' '  In  no  other  place  is  the 
general  and  varied  character  of  the 
Highlands  better  illustrated,  and 
from  none  can  the  geologist,  whose 
eye  is  open  to  the  changes  wrought 
by  sub-aerial  waste  on  the  surface  of 
the  country,  gain  a  more  vivid  in- 
[Scotland.] 


sight  into  their  reality  and  magni- 
tude. It  is  easy  to  recognise  the 
more  marked  heights.  To  the  S., 
away  down  Loch  Linnhe,  he  can  see 
the  hills  of  Mull  and  the  Paps  of 
Jura,  closing  in  the  horizon — Loch 
Eil  seems  to  be  at  his  feet,  winding 
up  into  the  lonely  mountains. 

"Far  over  the  hills,  beyond  the 
head  of  the  loch,  he  looks  across 
Arisaig,  and  can  see  the  cliffs  of  the 
Isle  of  Eigg,  and  the  dark  peaks  of 
Bum,  with  the  Atlantic  gleaming 
below  them.  Farther  to  the  N.  W. 
the  blue  range  of  the  Coolins  rises 
along  the  sky-line,  and  then  sweep- 
ing over  all  the  intermediate  ground, 
through  Arisaig,  and  Knoj^dart,  and 
Clanranald's  country  (where  the  Pre- 
tender landed,  whence  also  he  de- 
parted), mountain  rises  beyond  moun- 
tain, ridge  beyond  ridge,  cut  through 
by  dark  glens,  and  varied  here  and 
there  with  the  sheen  of  lake  and 
tarn .  N  orth ward  runs  th  e  mysterious 
straight  line  of  the  Great  Glen,  with 
its  chain  of  lochs.  Thence  to  E.  and 
S.  the  same  billowy  sea  of  mountain 
tops  stretches  out  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  follow  it — the  hills  and  glens  of 
Lochaber,  the  wide  green  strath  of 
Spean,  the  grey  corries  of  Glen  Treig 
and  Glen  Nevis,  the  distant  sweep  of 
the  mountains  of  Brae  Lyon  and  the 
Perthshire  Highlands,  the  spires  of 
Glencoe,  and  thence  round  again  to 
the  blue  waters  of  Loch  Linnhe." — 
Geikie. 

Ben  Cruachan,  Ben  Lomond,  Ben 
More,  Ben  Screel,  Ben  Lawers,  Schie- 
hallion.  Cairngorm,  Ben  Wyvis — 
giants  all — are  plainly  visible  in  this 
remarkable  scene. 

The  descent  is  more  dangerous, 
though  not  so  laborious  as  the  ascent, 
and  great  care  should  be  taken.  The 
whole  journey  from  the  hotel  and 
back  again  will  occupy  nearly  6  hours. 

The  top  of  Ben  ^ Nevis  may  be 
reached  from  Fort-  WiViam,  by  as- 
cending Glen  Nevis,  some  way  be- 
yond the  farm  of  Achartre,  and  then 
turning  1,  up  the  shoulder  of  the  hill, 


242     Rs.  36a,  Ardgour. — 37,  Bannavie  to  Arisaig.     Sect.  III. 


Avliicli  will  bring  you  in  sight  of  the 
tarn  mentioned  al30ve. 

Glen  Nevis  is  one  of  the  grandest 
glens  in  Scotland,  and  an  excursion 
may  be  made  up  to  its  very  head, 
visiting  on  the  way  Dunjardil,  a  fine 
vitrified  fort,  and  a  rocking-stone. 

There  can  hardly  be  a  more  plea- 
sant Excursion  than  that  to  Arisaig 
(Rte.  37),  where  the  Inn,  though 
small,  is  comfortable  and  moderate. 

Conveyances  from  Fort- William. — 
Coach  daily  to  Glencoe  and  the  head  of 
Loch  Lomond,  with  branch  to  Oban. 

Coach  every  morning  to  Kingussie 
(50  m.  Rte.  38)  to  meet  the  mail 
train.  Steamers  daily  to  Oban  an<l 
to  Inverness,  starting  at  8  a.m.  from 
Bannavie  (Rte.  39). 


EOUTE  36a. 

Ardgour  to  Loch  Sunart  and 
Loch  Moidart  by  Strontian 
and  Salen. 

Ardgour  to  Strontian,  15  m.  ; 
Salen,  24;  Mingary,  40;  Killhoan,  41. 

A  good  carriage  road  runs  from 
Ardgour  (Rte.  36),  where  the  Oban 
and  Fort- William  steamers  touch 
daily  up  and  down.  It  runs  S.W. 
parallel  with  the  shore  of  Linnhe 
Loch  to  Inversanda. 

From  Inversanda  the  way  lies  up 
Glen  Tarbert,  and  crosses  the  high 
ground  between  Lochs  Linnhe  and 
Sunart,  descending  on  the  latter  at 
15  m.  Strontian  (Sir  T.  M.  Riddell, 
Bt.),  close  to  which  is  an  Inn. 

In  Glen  Strontian  are  some  cele- 
brated lead-mines,  in  which  the 
mineral  known  as  "  Strontianite " 
was  first  found.  The  mines  are  in 
granite  and  gneiss,  about  800  ft. 
above  the  sea.  They  were  first 
worked  about  1700,  and  the  miners 
built  a  town,  which  the}^  called  New 
York.  Besides  the  lead  ore,  and 
along  with  it,  occur  a  greater  num- 
ber of  rare  minerals  perhaps  than  in 


any  spot  in  Britain,  including  cal- 
cite,  apophyllite,  harmotome,  sphene, 
staurolite,  Brewsterite,  Strontianite. 
Many  of  these  are  found  only  in  the 
rubbish  heaps  of  the  old  mines. 
The  female  population  find  employ- 
ment in  making  straw  hats  and  the 
basis  of  silk  hats.  Skirting  the  N. 
side  of  Loch  Sunart,  the  scenery  of 
which  is  remarkably  fine,  the  road 
divides  at  9  m. 

Salen,  the  one  turning  to  the  K. 
and  crossing  Loch  Shiel,  and  then 
by  Shiel  Bridge  to  Castle  Tyrim 
and  to  Kinloch- Moidart  (Rte.  37) 
—  the  other  to  the  S.  follows  the 
windings  of  Loch  Sunart,  passes  at 
the  base  of  Ben  Hiant,  and  termi- 
nates, beyond  Mingary  Castle  (Rte. 
35),  amongst  the  cliffs  of  Ardnamur- 
chan.  A  path  leads  to  the  light- 
house, which  is  180  ft.  above  the  sea, 
and  is  visible  for  18  m. 

A  steamer  touches  periodically  at 
Salen.  Loch  Sunart  is  well  worth 
exploring  in  a  yacht ;  but  a  pilot  and 
a  good  chart  are  needed,  as  the 
entrance  is  intricate  and  dangerous 
without  them. 


ROUTE   37. 

Fort-William  iBannavie)  to  Ari- 
saig, by  Glenfinnan  and  Loch 
Shiel. 

This  is  a  very  fine  drive  or  walk — 
distance  36  m.  The  scenery  from 
Kinloch-Ajdort  to  Arisaig  is  not  to 
be  surpassed.  Inn  at  Arisaig,  small 
but  comfortable.  Mail-gig  from 
Fort-William  goes  3  times  a  week  to 
Kinloch-Aylort,  returning  alternate 
days  ;  takes  3  passengers.  If  the 
tourist  times  his  visit  he  may  catch 
the  Skye  steamer,  calling  at  Arisaig 
either  N.  or  S. — which  it  does  once 
or  twice  a  week.     {See  time-tables. ) 

1  m.  is  Corpach,  where  the  •  pas- 
sengers from  Oban  are  disembarked 
and  conveyed  by  omnibus  to  Banna- 


CALEDOMA3.     C\NAL 


r 


/  :^  t^^; 


/' 


ii 


>.  Y 


^MkJUr'"''    A 


Loridan  -  John  Murray      iibenuirlt 


W.  Scotland.     Route  3' 


-Fassifern  ;  Glenfinnan. 


243 


vie,  thus  avoiding  the  numerous 
locks  by  means  of  which  the  Cale- 
donian Canal  descends  to  the  level  of 
the  sea  in  Loch  Eil,  known  as  Nc})- 
tunes  Staircase  (Rte.  39),  which 
causes  the  Inverness  steamer  to  start 
from  the  top  to  save  time.  The 
cargo-boats  which  ply  to  and  from 
Glasgow  have  to  pass  through  the 
locks. 

14  ni.  rt.,  in  Kilmally  ch.-yard,  is 
an  obelisk  to  the  memor}^  of  Colonel 
Cameron  of  the  92d  Highlanders, 
who  was  shot  at  Quatre  Bras.  The 
inscription  is  from  the  pen  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott.  Byron's  famous  lines 
in  "Childe  Harold"  form  even  a 
more  lasting  epitaph.  The  road  now 
skirts  the  N.  shore  of  Loch  Eil, 
which  makes  a  peculiar  turn  on 
itself,  forming  a  right  angle.  The 
views  of  the  Ben  Nevis  range  are 
very  fine  until  they  are  shut  out  by 
the  intervening  mountains  of  Ard- 
gour. 

3  m.  is  a  shooting-lodge,  and  65 
m.  is  Fassifern,  a  seat  of  the  late  Sir 
Duncan  Cameron,  whose  father,  Sir 
Ewen  Cameron,  was  created  a 
baronet  for  his  son's  eminent  servi- 
ces in  Holland,  Egypt,  and  the 
Peninsula.  The  road  is  good,  but 
not  very  picturesque  ;  nor  is  there 
much  beauty  in  Loch  Eil,  though 
the  view  of  the  mountains  overhang- 
ing the  end  of  it  is  very  pleasing. 

[From  Fassifern  there  is  a  fine 
though  very  solitary  walk  up  Glen 
Souleach  to  Stronliath,  the  highest 
summit  of  the  mountains  intervening 
between  Loch  Eil  and  Loch  ArJcaig, 
which  is  reached  by  a  path  descend- 
ing Glen  Camagorie,  and  joining  a 
track  at  the  head  of  Loch  Arkaig  by 
the  old  Barrack.  The  same  track 
continues  "\V.  up  Glen  Dessary,  and 
thence  to  the  head  of  Loch  Nevis,  10 
m.,  a  grand  though  seldom  visited 
fiord,  both  shores  of  which  are  lined 
by  mountains  from  1800  to  2500  ft. 
in  height.    (iS'ee below  Arisaig,  p.  244.) 


At  the  head  of  Loch  Nevis  is  the 
little  village  of  Sourlies,  at  the  base 
of  Scour-na-caich  (3399  ft. ),  whence 
j  the  tourist  can  make  his  way  to  In- 
verie,  another  village  on  the  coast  of 
the  loch,  but  lower  down  (a  good 
Inn).  In  point  of  distance  the  walk 
between  Fassifern  and  Sourlies  would 
be  something  like  23  m.,  but  such 
excursions  cannot  be  measured  by 
mere  mileage  where  the  character  of 
the  country  is  so  severe.  The  chief 
features  of  Loch  Nevis  are  the  out- 
lines and  gi-andeur  of  the  hills,  which 
rise  immediately  from  the  shore, 
though  there  is  a  lack  of  wood  or 
any  softening  contrast  for  the  eye  to 
rest  upon. 

Occasionally  the  Skye  steamer 
makes  an  excursion  up  Loch  Nevis 
for  wool.] 

Passing  Lochiel  House  (now  a 
farmhouse),  the  tourist  reaches  a 
shooting-box  of  Ld.  Morton,  a  little 
short  of 

15  m.  Glenfinnan  (small  Inn, 
sells  beer).  There  is  a  neat  Rom. 
Cath.  Chaiiel.  at  the  head  of  Loch 
Shiel  and  Glenfinnan,  a  wild  and 
solitary  spot,  its  rocky  sides  clothed 
with  beautiful  Scotch  firs  and 
birch.  At  Glenfinnan  a  monument 
to  Prince  Charles  Edward  stands  in 
a  beaiitiful  situation  close  to  the  road, 
at  the  junction  of  4  glens.  In  itself 
it  is  only  an  ordinary  Pillar,  built 
of  the  common  stone  of  the  country, 
and  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the 
Prince  in  the  act  of  addressing  his 
followers.  The  column  was  erected 
by  Macdonald  of  Glenalladale  on  the 
very  spot  where,  in  the  presence  of 
about  700  Camerons  and  300  Mac- 
donalds,  the  Prince's  standard  was 
unfurled  by  the  Marquis  of  Tulli- 
bardine,  on  the  1 9th  of  August  1745. 
It  will  also  serve  to  commemorate 
his  escape  from  Scotland,  which  took 
place  in  the  same  district  on  the  20th 
September  in  the  following  year. 
' '  In  Glenfinnan  the  most  striking 
scenery  lies  near  its  entrance  from 
Fort- William  :  the  forms  of  the  hills 


244 


Route  37. — Loch  Shi  el ;  Aiisaig.         Sect.  III. 


being  not  only  fine,  but  their  acclivi- 
ties iDeing  diversified  by  rocks  and 
precipices  in  a  grandeur  of  style 
extremely  rare. '' — Macculloch. 

ioc^  ^AteHs  a  narrowwinding  fresh- 
water lake,  26  m.  long,  in  no  part  1 
m.  wide,  communicating  by  a  short 
arm  with  the  sea  at  Loch  Moidart, 
and  separating  the  districts  of  Sunart 
and  Moidart.  On  its  banks  Prince 
Charles  lay  hid  for  a  considerable 
time,  and  was  at  length  ferried 
across  the  lake  in  a  hollow  oak 
trunk,  so  as  to  escape  the  watchful 
eyes  of  the  troops. 

From  Glenfinnan  the  road  to  Ari- 
saig  becomes  wilder  and  rougher, 
though  more  picturesque.  It  skirts 
the  northern  shore  of  Loch  Eanuoch 
for  nearly  4  m.,  and  reaches 

25  m.  Kinloch-Aylort  (head  of 
Loch  Aylort),  where  there  is  a  poor 
little  Inn.  Inveraylort  House  is  the 
residence  of  D.  Cameron,  Esq. 

[Here  the  road  divides — the  one 
to  the  S.  skirting  the  southern  coast 
of  Loch  Aylort  to  Kinloch- Moidart 
(Rte.  36),  and  thence  to  Shiel  Bridge 
and  Salen.  By  this  road  the  pedes- 
trian can  visit  all  this  beautiful 
coast,  returning  to  Ardgour  by 
Strontian  (Rte.  36a).] 

The  road  then  crosses  the  high 
ground  between  Loch  Aylort  and 
Loch-na-Nuagh,  the  finest  portion  of 
the  excursion.  This  was  the  precise 
spot  where  Prince  Charles  landed  in 
Scotland,  July  2.5,  1745.  In  the 
farm-house  of  BoiTadale,  situated  on 
the  road,  then  held  by  one  Angus 
Macdonald,  he  first  took  shelter.  He 
disembarked  from  the  small  vessel, 
the  Doutelle,  with  only  seven  fol- 
lowers, afterwards  known  as  ' '  the 
.seven  men  of  Moidart  "  and  here  he 
re-embarked  14  months  after,  hav- 
ing been  a  wanderer  ever  since  Cul- 
loden. 


36  m.  Arisaig  {Inn  most  com- 
mendable ;  good,  clean,  and  mode- 
rate ;  English  landlord ;  waggon- 
ettes). This  hamlet  of  a  few  houses, 
and  a  Rom.  Cath.  Cliapd  on  the 
height,  is  in  a  fine  position,  com- 
manding sea  views  of  the  Scuir  of 
Eigg  and  other  islands.  Many  charm- 
ing Excursions  by  land  and  water 
from  Arisaig  to  Castle  Tyi'im  and 
Kinloch-Moidart.  Walk  to  Loch- 
na-Nuagh,  where  a  boat  can  be  ob- 
tained to  cross  to  the  opposite  farm 
of  Samalaman.  From  thence  there 
is  a  road  (3  m.)  to  Loch  Moidart, 
across  which  another  boat  will  take 
the  tourist .  to  Castle  Tyrim,  a 
curious  old  fortress,  a  pentagon  in 
shape,  enclosing  a  large  court,  and 
supposed  to  have  been  built  in  the 
14th  centy.  by  the  wife  of  John, 
Lord  of  the  Isles.  It  is  still  the 
property  of  their  descendants,  the 
Clanranald  family.  Dorlin,  a  seat 
of  Lord  Howard  of  Glossop,  lies  S.  of 
Castle  Tyrim,  on  Loch  Moidart.  On 
Eilcan  Fiannan  is  a  cemetery  around 
a  ruined  chapel,  filled  with  graves  of 
the  Clanranalds  and  other  families 
of  Moidart,  by  the  inhabitants  of 
which  it  is  looked  on  with  feelings 
of  great  veneration.  At  the  head  of 
Loch  Moidart,  the  inlet  on  which 
Castle  Tyrim  is  situated,  are  the 
village  of  Kinloch-Moidart  and 
Moidart  House,  the  seat  of  the 
Robertson  family,  of  which  Dr. 
Robertson  the  historian  was  a  mem- 
ber. The  old  house  was  burned 
down  by  George  II. 's  troops  in  re- 
venge for  the  owner's  partiality  to 
the  Stuart  cause.  Charles  Edward 
spent  24  days  here  collecting  his 
adherent  followers,  until  Aug.  18th, 
when  he  set  out  to  raise  his  standard 
in  Glenfinnan. 

The  Skye  steamer  calls  at  Arisaig 
about  every  10  days,  but  the  place 
of  embarkation  is  3  m.  from  the 
village.  This  distance  may,  how- 
ever, be  rowed  in  a  boat.  In  the 
neighbourhood  are  Borradale,  and 
Arisaig  Castle  (Trustees  of  late  F.  D. 


W.  Scotland.  Route  38. — Fort-William  to  Kingussie.      '    245 


Astley,     Esq.),      cliarming      spots, 
3  m. 

h.  The  peniusula  of  Arisaig  is  ex- 
ceedingly wild  and  mountainous, 
particularly  to  the  IST.,  where  a  iine 
chain  of  hills  divides  Loch  Morar 
(which  is  fresh  water)  from  Loch 
Nevis.  There  is  a  carriage-road  from 
Arisaig  to  L.  Morar,  and  a  path 
along  its  N.  shore,  from  which  you 
may  cross  the  hills  by  a  line  pass, 
commanding  hotli  lakes  and  the 
mountain  of  Craig  or  Sgur  Mor  (1995 
ft.  high),  to  Tarhct  on  S.  shore  of 
Loch  Nevis  (a  small  homely  Inn). 
Here  a  boat  may  be  hired  to  head 
of  Loch,  whence  down  Glen  Dessary 
is  12  m,  to  Loch  Arkaig.] 

In  the  loch  of  Arisaig  "  a  cran- 
nage "  or  lake  dwelling  was  dis- 
covered about  250  yds.  distant  from 
the  land.  It  was  formed  of  layers 
of  trunks  of  trees,  forming  a  strong 
and  firm-built  rectangular  house. 
Arisaig  is  the  nearest  point  from 
which  to  make  an  excursion  to  Eigg  ; 
but  as  the  Skye  steamer  occasionally 
stops  at  that  island  by  signal,  that  is 
by  far  the  best  way  of  reaching  it. 


ROUTE   38. 

Fort-William  to  Kingussie,  by 
Glen  Spean,  Glen  Roy  (the 
Parallel  Roads),  and  Loch 
Laggan. 

50  m.  Fort-William  {Inn,  Cale- 
donian, see  Ete.  36).  A  coach  runs 
to  Kingussie  in  7  hrs.  and  back 
daily,  to  meet  the  mail  train  on  the 
Highland  Railway  (Pae.  48). 

The  road  passes  on  1.  Inverlochj'- 
Castle,  the  Suspension  Bridge,  and 
Torlandie,  the  modern  seat  of  Lord 
Abinger,  who  is  a  large  proprietor  in 
this  district.  On  rt.  are  seen  the 
massive   range   of  Ben   Nevis,  and 


its  round  shoulders.      The  scenery 
is  very  picturesque  at 

94  m.  Spean  Bridge  (a  good  Inn), 
where  the  Spean  is  crossed,  a  fine 
brawling  Highland  stream,  full  of 
deep  eddies  and  swift  currents.  It 
is  a  noble  salmon  river,  but  strictly 
preserved,  principally  by  Lord  Abin- 
ger. The  gorge  of  the  S2:)ean  above 
this  is  very  romantic,  varied  by 
woods  and  rocks.  At  Highhridge  it 
is  again  spanned  by  an  old  pictur- 
esque bridge  of  3  arches,  built  by 
Gen.  Wade,  the  spot  where  the  cam- 
paign of  the  '45  was  opened,  by  Cap- 
tain Scott  and  a  detachment  sent 
from  Fort- Augustus  being  surprised 
and  made  prisoners  by  the  Mac- 
donalds  of  Keppoch. 

Some  of  the  famous  geological 
"roads "  begin  to  appear  on  the  sides 
of  the  mountains  in  Glen  Spean,  as  the 
tourist  approaches  Glen  PlOij,  and  the 
(13  m.)  Bridge  of  Eoy  Inn,  situated 
at  its  mouth.  Most  of  the  celebrated 
geologists  of  the  day  have  visited 
this  Inn  on  a  pilgrimage  to  Glen 
Roy  and  its  Parallel  Roads.  [From 
Bridge  of  Roy  to  the  Lodge  (A.  Prior, 
Esq.),  at  the  head  of  the  glen,  it  is 
about  9  m.,  but  an  excellent  view  of 
"  the  Roads"  is  obtained  about  4  m. 
up  the  valley. — "Each  of  these 
roads  is  a  shelf  or  terrace,  formed 
by  the  shorewaters  of  a  lake  that 
once  filled  Glen  Roy.  The  highest 
is  of  course  the  oldest,  and  those 
beneath  it  were  formed  in  succes- 
sion, as  the  waters  of  the  lake  were 
lowered.  This  lake  not  only  filled 
up  Glen  Roy,  but  also  some  of  the 
other  valleys  to  the  west.  Until 
Agassiz  suggested  the  idea  of  a  dam 
of  glacier  ice,  the  great  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  understanding  how  a  lake 
could  ever  have  filled  these  valleys 
was  the  entire  absence  of  anj'-  relic  of 
the  barrier  that  must  have  kept  back 
the  water.  Mr.  Jamieson  has  shown, 
however,  that  Agassiz's  suggestion  is 
fully  borne  out  by  the  evidence  of 
great  glacial  erosion   both  in  Glen 


24G 


Route  3S.—GIen  Roy ;  Loch  Treig.         Sect.  III. 


Spean  and  in  tlie  valley  of  the  Cale- 
donian Canal.  The  latter  valley- 
seems  to  have  been  filled  to  the  biini 
with  ice,  which,  choking  up  the 
mouths  of  Glens  Roy  and  Spean, 
served  to  pond  back  the  waters  of 
these  glens.  The  Glen  Treig  glacier 
in  like  manner  stretched  right  across 
Glen  Spean,  and  mounted  its  north 
bank.  When  the  lake  that  must 
have  thus  filled  Glen  Eoy  and  the 
neighbouring  valleys  was  at  its 
deepest,  its  surplus  waters  would 
escape  from  the  head  of  Glen  Eo}^ 
down  into  Strathspey,  and  at  that 
time  the  uppermost  beach  or  parallel 
road  (1140  ft.  above  the  present  sea- 
level)  was  formed.  The  Glen  Treig 
glacier  then  shrank  back  a  little,  and 
the  lalce  was  thus  lowered  about  SO 
ft.,  so  as  to  form  the  middle  terrace, 
wdiich  is  1059  ft.  above  the  sea,  the 
outflow  being  now  by  the  head  of 
Glen  Glaster  and  through  Loch  Lag- 
gan  into  the  Spey.  i\.fter  the  lake 
had  remained  for  a  time  at  that 
height,  the  Glen  Treig  glacier  con- 
tinued on  the  decline,  and  at  last 
crept  back  out  of  Glen  Spean.  By 
this  means  the  level  of  the  lake  was 
reduced  to  847  ft.  above  the  sea,  and 
the  waters  of  Glen  Roy  joined  those 
of  Loch  Laggan,  forming  one  long 
winding  lake,  having  its  outflow,  by 
what  is  now  the  head  of  Glen  Spean, 
into  Strathspey.  While  this  level 
was  maintained,  the  lowest  of  the 
parallel  roads  of  Glen  Roy  was 
formed.  As  the  climate  of  the 
glacial  period  grew  milder,  however, 
the  mass  of  ice  which  choked  up  the 
mouth  of  Glen  Spean  and  ponded 
back  the  waters,  gradual!}'-  melted 
away  :  the  drainage  of  Glen  Roy, 
Glen  Spean,  and  their  tributar)^ 
valleys  was  no  longer  arrested,  and 
as  the  lake  crept  step  by  step  down 
the  glen  towards  the  sea,  the  streams 
one  by  one  took  their  places  in  the 
channels,  which  they  have  been  busy 
widening  and  deepening  ever  since." 
— Geikie. 

By  ascending  two-thirds  of  Glen 


Roy,  and  turning  to  the  1.  up  the 
trilDutar}^  glen  of  Glen  Furraied,  a 
good  pedestrian  may  cross  the  ridge 
intervening  between  it  and  Loch 
Lochy,  and  catch  the  Inverness 
steamer  at  Laggan  (Rte.  39),  or 
he  may  cross  the  watershed  to  Loch 
Spey,  and  so  descend  the  strath, 
joining  the  old  military  road  at 
Corryarrick,  about  5  m.  from  Loch 
Spey,  a  small  tarn,  which  is  the 
cradle  of  the  Spey.] 

For  several  miles  above  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Eoy  and  Spean,  the  latter 
runs  through  a  very  grand,  rocky 
channel,  well  sheltered  by  foliage, 
and  very  picturesque. 

174  m.  the  Treig  falls  into  the 
Spean  from  Loch  Treig  on  S.  [at  the 
mouth  of  the  glen  Agassiz  points  to 
the  remarkable  terraced  mounds  of 
blocks  left  by  the  glaciers,  which,  he 
says,  reminded  him  of  those  moraines 
in  the  valley  of  Chamounix.  Amongst 
these  masses,  which  are  composed 
of  syenite,  Mr.  Jameson  found  one 
measuring  26  ft.  in  length,  and  he 
compares  the  moraine  to  a  ruined 
breakwater.  A  road  runs  on  the  E. 
side  of  Loch  Treig,  and  round  its 
head,  or  the  tourist  can  return  to 
Glen  Spean  by  another  road  doAvn 
the  glen  known  as  Larig  Leach- 
dach.  A  well -seasoned  pedestrian 
can  ascend  Glen  Treig,  climb  over 
the  ridge  into  Glen  Nevis,  and  so 
descend  to  Fort- William,  as  fine  a 
mountain-walk  as  can  be  got  in 
Scotland.  From  the  head  of  Loch 
Treig  another  road  runs  S.  E.  to  the 
head  of  Loch  Leven  and  the  Devil's 
Staircase  (Rte.  34).] 

The  country,  which  has  hitherto 
been  fully  or  partially  cultivated, 
becomes  wild  and  bleak,  on  approach- 
ing Loch  Laggan.  On  an  eminence 
near  its  W.  end  is  the  Highland  seat 
of  Mr.  Ansdell,  R.A.,  the  animal 
painter. 

Loch  Laggan,  7  m.  long,  and  1 
broad,  contains  2  small  islands,  upon 
one   of  which  are   the  ruins   of  a 


Inverness. 


Boute  39. — Caledonian  Canal. 


247 


castle,  said  to  have  been  built  by 
Fergus  II.  On  the  S.  side  of  the 
loch  is  Ardverikie,  a  shooting-lodge 
of  Sir  John  Ramsden,  Bart.,  to  whom 
the  adjoining  domain  belongs.  The 
Queen  and  Prince  Consort  occu- 
pied this  house  for  some  weeks  in 
1848,  when  it  belonged  to  Lord 
Abercorn.  On  the  walls  were  some 
admirable  sketches  of  Deer  Stalking, 
by  Sir  Edw.  Landseer. 

32  m.  at  the  E.  end  of  Loch  Lag- 
gan  is  a  fair  Inn,  and  close  by  is  the 
old  Kirk  of  Laggan,  a  rough,  rootless 
shell,  full  of  nettles  and  modern 
tombstones,  and  near  it  is  Mr.  Armi- 
stead's  Lodge.  The  rushing  river 
Pattach  feeds  Loch  Laggan.  Soon 
after  leaving  the  inn  the  watershed 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Ger- 
man Ocean  rivers  is  passed,  and  the 
road  enters  and  descends  the  valley 
of  the  Spey. 

[At  the  junction  of  the  2  rivers 
Mashie  and  Spey  the  Corrxjarrick 
road  falls  in,  at  one  time  an  im- 
portant communication  between  the 
E.  and  W.  Highlands,  but  now  little 
used.  It  passes  Glenshirra  shooting- 
lodge  (Evan  Baillie,  Esq.)  and  the 
Garvamore,  once  an  inn,  then  fol- 
lows the  valley  of  the  Spey  until  the 
road  from  Inverness  joins  it.  The 
scenery  is  excessively  wild  at  the 
Corryarrick  Pass,  where  the  road  is 
carried  over  Corryarrick  Mountain, 
and  winds  down  the  Tarff  valley,  by 
a  series  of  16  extraordinary  zigzags, 
to  Fort- Augustus  (Rte.  39)  ;  the  dis- 
tance to  which  from  Bridge  of  Laggan 
is  about  20  m.] 

At  the  angle  formed  by  the  Spey 
and  the  ]\Iashie  in  Glenshirra  is  the 
interesting  British  fort  of  Dunda- 
lair,  the  walls  of  which,  of  slabs  of 
slates  in  dry  masonry,  are  12  ft. 
thick  and  14  ft.  high.  "It  is  the 
most  perfect  British  stronghold  in 
Scotland." — D.  JV.  It  is  12  m.  from 
Kingussie. 

At  the  Bridge  of  Laggan  the  Spey 


is  crossed  by  a  timber  bridge.  At 
one  end  of  it  stands  the  Old  Kirk 
and  manse,  where  Mrs.  Grant  of 
Laggan  lived,  and  wrote  "Letters 
from  the  Mountains,"  and  at  the 
other  the  Free  church. 

A  little  farther  on  the  1.  is  Chiny 
Castle,  the  seat  of  Ewen  Macpherson, 
Esq.,  chief  of  the  clan  Macpherson 
and  the  clan  Chattan,  whose  pipes, 
preserved  here,  are  said  to  be  the 
identical  pipes  which  stirred  up  the 
passions  at  the  battle  between  clan 
Chattan  and  clan  Quhele  on  the 
North  Inch  at  Perth,  so  well  de- 
scribed by  Sir  Walter  Scott  in  "  The 
Fair  Maid  of  Perth."  The  road 
runs  under  the  grand  precipices  of 
Craig  Dhu.     At 

47  m. ,  Newton  More  Stat. ,  the  road 
joins  the  Perth  and  Inverness  road, 
and  runs  parallel  with  the  Highland 
Railway  to 

50  m. Kingussie  Stat.  {Hotel:  Duke 
of  Gordon,  fair  ;  coach  to  Fort-Wil- 
liam starts  from  this  house),  Rte.  48. 


ROUTE   39. 

Bannavie  to  Inverness,  by  the 
Caledonian  Caaal,  Fort-Augus- 
tus, Loch  Oich,  Loch  Ness,  and 
Falls  of  Foyers. 

A  steamer  starts  every  morning  in 
summer  from  Bannavie  at  8,  and 
from  Inverness  at  7.  They  cross 
midway  near  Fort- Augustus  about 
12,  making  the  voyage  in  9  hrs. , 
including  the  passage  of  8  or  10 
locks,  which  occupy  2  hrs.  (9  min. 
each).  Passengers  can  breakfast  and 
dine  on  board  comfortably.  A  halt 
of  \  hr.  at  the  Falls  of  Foyers  per- 
mits a  hasty  visit  to  them. 

The  Caledonian  Canal  is  the  con- 
necting link  between  Lochs  Eil, 
Lochy,  Oich,  and  Ness,  and  opens  a 
line  of  communication  through  the 


248 


Boute  39. — Bannavie  to  Inverness.         Sect.  III. 


"Glen  More  nan  Albin,"  or  the 
Great  Glen  of  Scotland,  between 
the  Atlantic  and  German  Oceans. 
Public  attention  was  first  directed 
to  the  scheme  in  1773,  when  Watt 
the  engineer  was  intrusted  to  make 
a  survey  and  report  upon  its  feasi- 
bility. Nothing,  however,  teas  clone 
until  1803,  A\hen  this  magnificent 
undertaking  was  commenced,  and, 
after  costing  a  million  sterling,  was 
opened  for  traffic  in  1822.  But  it 
had  not  been  properly  finished  ac- 
cording to  the  original  plan,  and 
after  some  years  Avas  found  to  be  little 
better  than  useless.  The  Govern- 
ment again  took  it  up  in  1838,  and 
consulted  Mr.  AValker,  civil  en- 
gineer, and  Sir  Edward  Parry,  R.N., 
as  to  the  feasibility  of  its  comple- 
tion. By  their  recommendation 
certain  improvements  were  made, 
and  the  canal  finally  re-opened  in 
1847,  at  the  cost  of  a  further  sum  of 
£250,000. 

The  entire  length  of  the  navigation 
from  Corpach  to  Clach-na-harry,  the 
Inverness  terminus,  is  60 ^  m.,  of 
which  23  m.  only  are  canal,  the  rest 
being  the  natural  waterway  of  the 
Lochs  which  the  canal  connects.  It 
is  20  ft.  deep,  50  ft.  broad  at  the 
bottom,  and  110  ft.  at  the  top.  The 
summit-level  at  Loch  Oich  is  100  ft. 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  at  Cor- 
pach and  Inverness.  This  canal  pre- 
sented great  advantages  to  sailing 
vessels,  for,  whereas  a  ship  might  be 
for  weeks  or  even  months  windbound 
before  it  could  come  round  the  Pent- 
land  Firth,  it  can  now  reckon  on 
crossing  from  sea  to  sea  in  48  hours. 
The  introduction  of  steam  has  de- 
prived the  Canal  of  this  gi'eat  utility. 
The  rates  are  Is.  per  register  ton, 
with  additional  charge  if  steam-power 
is  required.  Both  Caledonian  and 
Crinan  Canals  are  under  the  super- 
vision of  commissioners  appointed  by 
Government. 

The  Great  Glen,  through  which 
this  singular  waterway  exists,  is 
the    largest    of  those    longitudinal  | 


valleys  common  in  the  "W.  of  Scot- 
land, Avhich  appear  to  coincide  with 
the  line  of  a  great  fault.  This  fault 
is  considered  by  Mr.  Geikie  to  be  of 
a  date  prior  to  the  deposition  of  the 
old  red  sandstone,  as  the  conglome- 
rate of  that  age  is  seen  running  up 
the  glen  from  the  ]\Ioray  Firth,  and 
he  believes  it  to  mark  the  locality  of 
successive  disturbances  (from  its  be- 
ing a  weak  line  in  the  crust  of  the 
earth).  This  seems  to  be  corrborated 
by  the  fact  that  Loch  Kess  has  fre- 
quently been  agitated  violently  dur- 
ing several  historical  earthquakes. 

Telford's  greatest  difiiculty  lay  at 
the  commencement,  to  connect  liOch 
Lochy  with  the  sea  at  Corpach,  80 
ft.  below  it,  the  distance  being  onlj'' 
8  miles.  He  managed  to  surmount 
the  slope  of  the  hill  by  a  series  of  8 
lochs  in  succession,  which  at  once  lift 
the  water  to  a  height  of  64  ft.,  and 
which  he  named  NeiJtune!s  Staircase. 
At  the  top  of  this  the  steamer  starts 
for  Inverness. 

*  i  Bannavie  (Inn  :  Lochiel  Arms, 
good,  but  dear,  1874),  close  to  the 
locks,  where  the  canal  steamer  stops 
in  order  to  avoid  delay  of  passing 
through.  An  omnibus  conveys  pas- 
sengers to  the  sea  steamers  I5  m. 
off,  at  Corpach.  This  is  a  good  point 
from  which  to  make  the  ascent  of 
Ben  Nevis  {see  Rte.  36). 

The  Canal  runs  thro^^gh  the 
district  known  as  Lochaher,  "The 
Lakes'  Mouth. "  The  scenery  on  the 
rt.  is  very  bold  and  magnificent,  and 
the  retrospective  view  of  Ben  Nevis 
one  of  the  best  that  can  be  obtained. 
In  the  distance  also  is  seen  the  resi- 
dence of  Lord  Abinger. 

Farther  on,  the  river  Lochy  is 
parallel  with  the  canal,  but  at  some 
distance  below,  the  intervening  space 
being  frequently  flooded  by  the  dis- 
charge of  superfluous  water  from  the 
canal.  The  embankment  by  which 
the  canal  bed  is  raised  30  or  40  ft. 

*  This  mark  t  denotes  a  lauding-pier  or 
place  where  steamers  touch. 


W.  Scotland.    Boute  39. — Loch  Lochj  ;  Loch  Oich. 


249 


above  the  natural  surface  on  both 
sides  is  remarkable. 

8  m.  at  Gairlochy,  is  a  large 
regulating  lock  leading  into  Loch 
Locliy.  [From  here  a  road  runs 
E.  to  Spean  Bridge,  4  m.  {see  Rte. 
38).  The  opening  of  Glen  Spean 
offers  a  charming  prospect  from  the 
canal.] 

Loch  Lochy  is  10  m.  long  and  1. 
m.  in  breadth,  the  hills  descending 
close  to  the  water's  edge.  On  1.  is 
the  entrance  of  the  Arkaig,  a  long, 
narrow  sheet  of  water,  on  the  northern 
side  of  which  a  road  runs  to  Glen 
Dessary  and  Loch  iSevis  (Rte.  37). 

[Near  the  foot  of  Loch  Arkaig  is 
Achnacarry,  the  modern  residence  of 
Cameron  of  Lochiel.  Only  a  frag- 
ment remains  of  the  old  Castle, 
which  was  bui-nt  by  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland  in  1746.  It  was  also 
the  residence  of  the  redoubtable 
Sir  Ewen  Cameron,  noted  for  his 
desperate  courage, in  the  field. 

On  the  rt.  of  the  lake  is  Glenfin- 
taig,  well  situated. 

18  m.  Kinloch  Lochy,  at  the  foot 
of  Ben  Tigh,  2942  ft.,  was  the  scene 
of  a  ferocious  battle  in  1544,  between 
the  M 'Donalds  of  Clanranald  and  the 
Erasers.  The  chief  of  the  M  'Donalds 
had  died,  and  a  natural  son  had 
seized  the  property.  The  Erasers 
adopted  the  cause  of  the  right  heir, 
and,  having  wasted  the  lands  of 
M 'Donald,  were  met  on  their  return 
at  this  place.  The  chief  of  the 
Erasers  and  80  men  fell,  and  the  heir 
of  Clanranald  was  wounded,  taken 
prisoner,  and  afterwards  murdered 
by  the  surgeon  who  was  employed  to 
dress  his  wounds  thrusting  a  needle 
into  his  brain  ! 

The  section  of  the  Canal  (2  m. 
long)  which  connects  Loch  Lochy 
with  Loch  Oich  terminates  E.  at  the 
hamlet  of  Laggan  of  Glengarry,  where 
are  2  locks.  Travellers  bound  for 
Glenshiel  and  Skye  may  disembark 


here  or  at  CalJantry,  5  m.  farther, 
near  the  E.  end  of  Loch  Oich,  but 
conveyances  are  not  to  be  got  nearer 
than  Invergany,  4  m.  otF.  At  Laggan 
Macdonald  of  Glengarry  is  buried. 
He  was  the  latest  example  of  a 
thorough  Highlander,  admiring  every- 
thing Celtic  with  dogged  enthusiasm, 
and  despising  everything  from  the 
South.  [By  crossing  the  hills  on  rt. 
a  pedestrian  can  reach  Glen  Roy  and 
its  Parallel  Roads  in  about  6  m.  of 
difficult  walking.     {See  Rte.  38.)] 

20  m.  is  the  entrance  to  Loch  Oich, 
a  truly  beautiful  Highland  lake,  3i 
m.  long,  which  empties  into  Loch 
Ness,  hemmed  in  by  well-wooded 
banks,  and  dotted  here  and  there 
with  pretty  islands.  On  the  rt.  the 
range  of  hills  is  high  and  steep, 
though  grassy  and  wooded.  On  the 
1.  the  principal  object  is  "Glen- 
garry's Bow^ling  Green." 

1.  There  is  a  singular  monument 
by  the  loch  side,  erected  by  the  late 
M'Donell  of  Glengarry,  over  the 
"  Well  of  Heads.'"  It  consists  of  a 
group  of  7  human  heads  carved  in 
stone,  with  an  inscription  in  English, 
Gaelic,  Erench  and  Latin.  Keppoch, 
head  of  a  branch  of  the  M'Donells, 
died,  having  sent  his  2  sons  for  edu- 
cation to  Erance,  and  leaving  his 
affairs  to  the  management  of  his 
7  brothers,  by  whom  his  sons  on 
their  return  were  murdered.  But 
the  old  bard  of  the  family  never 
rested  till  he  got  assistance  and  put 
the  murderers  to  death.  Their 
heads  were  presented  here  to  Glen- 
garry, having  been  previously  washed 
in  this  stream,  which  has  ever  since 
been  called  "Tobar-nan-Ceann,"  or 
the  "Well  of  the  Heads." 

22  m.  1.  the  ruined  castle  of  Inver- 
garry,  burnt-  by  the  Duke  of  Cum- 
berland in  1746,  and  Invergarry 
House,  the  handsome  modei-n  man- 
sion, built  1869,  of  E.  Ellice,  Esq., 
M.P.,  who  bought  the  Glengarry 
estate  from  the  Earl  of  Dudley  for 


250 


Route  39. — Liver garr ij ;  Loch  Ness.        Sect.  III. 


£120,000.  The  house  is  very  well 
lilaced,  overlooking  the  lake,  where 
the  scenery  is  most  charming.  It 
stands  at  the  opening  of  Gleyi  Garry, 
which  stretches  from  this  point  to 
the  W.  coast,  20  m.  It  was  of  old 
tenanted  by  the  Kennedys,  the  most 
savage  and  untamable'  of  all  the 
Highland  clans.  They  were  eventu- 
ally expelled  or  exterminated  by  a 
combination  of  their  enemies.  The 
old  Castle  is  an  interesting  5-storeyed 
square  tower,  with  a  turret  at  one 
side.  On  a  rock  above  the  lake, 
called  "  Craig-na-Phithick,"  or  the 
"Rock  of  the  Raven,"  which,  once 
the  old  war-cry  of  the  M'Donells, 
is  now  the  motto  of  its  chief. 

Gallantry,  close  to  the  Locks,  at 
the  N.  end  of  L.  Oich,  is,  3  m.  from 
Invergarry  Inn  (tolerable).  Post 
horses  and  cars  may  be  hired  here, 
but  must  be  ordered  beforehand,  as 
the  supply  is  short.  This  is  the  start- 
ing point  of  the  very  favourite  road 
to  Skye  by  Glen  Shiel  Inn,  on  Loch 
Duich,  34  m.  ;  also  to  Glenelg  and 
Loch  Hourn  Head,  24  m.  (Rte.  60). 

23J  m.  near  the  end  of  Loch 
Oich  is  Aberchalder,  the  rendezvous 
of  Prince  Charles's  forces  before 
proceeding  southwards. 

Here  the  summit  level  of  the 
Canal  is  reached,  and  the  descent  com- 
mences, the  steamer  passing  within 
2  m.  through  8  locks  in  succession, 
an  operation  which  takes  about  an 
hour  and  a  half,  or  even  longer,  if  a 
vessel  should  happen  to  be  coming 
in  the  opposite  direction.  Passengers 
may  walk  along  the  bank  and  regain 
the  steamer  at  the  last  lock.  Close 
to  these  locks  at  E.  is  Fort- Aug ivstus, 
a  moated  and  bastioned  fort,  at  the 
S.  end  of  Loch  Ness,  commanding 
the  Pass  of  Corryarrick  into  Strath- 
spey, and  Laggan  (Rte.  38). 

+  Fort- Augustus,  constructed  to 
hold  300  men,  but  now  fast  decaying, 
and  no  longer  Government  property, 
was  sold  1867  to  Lord  Lovat.  It 
was  built  shortly  after  the  Rebellion 


of  1715,  and  named  in  honour  of  the 
then  Prince  of  Wales.  {Inns  :  King's 
Inn  and  Glen  Tarif,  both  small  and 
second  rate). 

29  m.  Loch  Ness,  the  last  in  the 
chain  of  lakes,  is  nearly  24  in.  long, 
and  has  an  average  breadth  of  1  m. 
The  hills  on  each  side  rise  directly 
from  the  water's  edge,  and  the  banks 
of  the  lake  below  the  surface  of  the 
water  are  as  steep  as  those  of  the  hills 
above  it  ;  consequentlj^  the  depth  in 
the  centre  is  as  much  as  130  fathoms, 
and  the  surface  never  freezes.  The 
surrounding  ranges  rise  to  a  height 
of  1200  ft.,  and  are  densely  clothed 
with  trees  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Geikie  considers  that,  not- 
withstanding the  existence  of  a  vast 
fault  running  down  the  Great  Glen, 
Loch  Ness  is  a  true  rock  basin,  and 
has  been  formed  by  the  scooping  out 
of  the  hollow  by  glacier  ice  ! 

t  34  m.  1.  Invermoriston  (Inn, 
good)  is  the  outlet  of  Glenmoriston, 
and  of  an  important  road  to  the  W. 
coast  and  to  Skye  (Rte.  61),  uniting 
at  Clunie  Inn  with  the  road  from 
Invergariy  to  Shiel  House  Inn.  16 
m.  below  Clunie  is  Torgoyl  hamlet 
and  small  Inn,  where  a  path  strikes 
over  the  mountain  in  6  or  7  m.  to 
Fort-Augustus. 

The  Falh  of  Moiisfon  are  I  m. 
from  the  pier.  The  mouth  of  the 
glen  is  surrounded  by  a  semicircle  of 
well-wooded  hills,  in  front  of  which 
is  Glenmoriston  House  (Trustees  of 
the  late  J.  Murray  Grant,  Esq.),  an 
old  mansion  modernised. 

A  little  higher  up,  above  Ruisky, 
is  another  torrent,  called  Aultguithas, 
which  has  an  almost  vertical  fall 
down  the  hillside. 

+  38  m.  rt.  the  steamer  touches  at 
the  Pier  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Foyers  river,  and  the  pretty  wood 
and  meadows  round  the  house  of  J. 
C.  Cunningham,  Esq. ,  so  as  to  allow 


W.  Scotland.  Route  39. — Falls  of  Foyers, 


251 


the   tourist  an  opportunity  to  visit 
the  Falls  of  Foyers.     Pier  ^4d.  toll). 

There  is  a  good  Hotel  at  Foyers, 
occupying  the  site  of  an  inn  called 
the  "(General's  Hut"  (from  its 
having  been  General  Wade's  head- 
quarters while  superintending  the 
roads  in  the  Highlands). 

The  river  Foyers  takes  its  source 
in  a  mountain  lake  to  the  E.  of  Fort- 
Augustus,  on  the  skirts  of  the  Mo- 
nagh  Leagh  mountains,  and  con- 
tinues its  course  at  a  considerable 
elevation,  till  it  reaches  the  edge  of 
the  hills  which  hem  in  the  valley  of 
the  Ness  on  the  S.E.  Here  it  de- 
scends in  two  gi-and  falls  through  a 
deep  and  tortuous  gash  or  glen  in  the 
mountain  side,  rocky,  but  shrouded 
within  thick  woods,  so  that  the  Fall 
is  in\'isible  from  the  lake.  The 
steamers  going  N.  and  S.  stop  here 
4  an  hour  to  let  the  passengers  visit 
the  Falls,  but  it  is  a  steep  though 
pretty  walk  of  at  least  10  min.  from 
the  landing-place  to  the  lower  Fall, 
with  the  sight  of  which  the  visitor  is 
obliged  usually  to  be  content.  It  is 
far  the  finest. 

The  river  rushing  down  from  this 
through  a  rough  and  rocky  channel, 
finally  throws  itself  over  the  preci- 
pice into  a  pool  90  ft.  below.  Both 
river  and  falls  are  closely  bordered 
with  birch,  which  on  a  sunny  day 
add  much  to  the  beauty. 

"  It  cannot  be  disputed  that  F03'- 
ers  is  the  first  in  order  of  all  our 
cascades  ;  but  it  is  as  vain  to  at- 
tempt to  compare  it,  in  respect  of 
beauty,  with  that  of  the  Tummel 
or  those  of  the  Clyde,  as  it  would  be 
to  compare  a  landscape  of  Cuyp  with 
one  of  Rubens,  or  the  Bay  of  Naples 
with  Glencoe. " — Maccidloch. 

The  post  of  vantage  to  see  the  lower 
Fall  is  on  a  projecting  rock,  very 
happily  placed,  overlooking  the  pool. 

"  Among  the  heathy  hills  and  ruggeil  woods 
The  roaring  Foyers  pours  his  massy  floods, 
Till  full  he  dashes  on  the  rocky  mounds, 
Where  thro'  a  shapeless  breach  his  stream 
resounds. 


As  high  in  air  the  bursting  torrents  flow. 
As  deep  recoiling  surges  foam  below. 
Prone  down  the  ro(^k  the  whitening  sheet 

descends, 
And     viewless     Echo's    ear,     astonished 

rends."— IJio- us. 

The  upper  Fall  is  30  ft.  high,  and 
is  crossed  by  a  light  bridge,  beside 
which  there  is  a  pathway  leading 
to  the  best  point  for  viewing  it. 

Distances — to  Inverness,  18  m.  ; 
Fort- Augustus,  14  m. 

There  is  a  pleasant  drive  up  Glen 
Farigaig,  and  above  the  hotel  and 
Falls.  Ferry  from  Foyers  to  Ruisky 
Inn  on  N.  shore. 

Beyond  Foyers  on  rt.  is  Inxcrfari- 
gairj,  under  a  precipitous  hill,  sur- 
mounted by  the  vitrified  fort  of 
Duniardd.  The  visitor  who  has 
time  to  stay  at  Foyers  should  Avalk 
inland  from  the  Falls  until  he  strikes 
upon  the  road  to  Glen  Farigaig,  re- 
turning by  the  shore-road. 

N".,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
loch,  is  Mealfourvounic,  a  fine  moun- 
tain of  old  red  conglomerate,  3060 
ft.  high,  the  last  of  the  range  that 
separates  Glenmorjston  from  Glens 
Afirick  and  Urquhart.  Its  ascent 
can  be  made  in  about  2\  hours  from 
'"+  Drumnadrochit  Inn  {see  next 
page),  visiting  on  the  way  the  Falls 
of  Dhivach). 

45  m.  1.,  on  a  rocky  promontory, 
are  the  ruins  of  Casth  Urquhart, 
originally  built  in  the  12th  centy. 
The  remains,  forming  a  considerable 
enceinte,  nearly  oval  in  plan,  include 
a  strong  square  keep  of  3  storeys, 
and  a  dungeon  or  pit,  surmounted 
by  turrets,  and  on  the  land  side  are 
defended  by  a  deep  and  broad  moat. 
The  whole  area  is  enclosed  by  a  wall, 
and  the  entrance  defended  by  massive 
towers.  The  old  castle  was  besieged 
by  the  army  of  Edward  I.  in  1803, 
and  this  was  built  in  its  place  by  his 
engineers.  It  next  belonged  to  the 
Chisholms,  and  in  ]  509  passed  into 

*  t  Signifies  a  landing-pier. 


252 


Pioute  39. — Glen  Urquhart. 


Sect.  III. 


the  hands  of  the  clan  Grant,  whose 
property  it  still  is. 

+  1.  TcmplcJwuse  Pier,  at  the 
mouth  of  Glen  Urquhart,  is  about  a 
mile  from  the  excellent 

Inn  of  Drumnadrochit,  14  m.  from 
Inverness. 

[A  little  waj'  up  the  Glen  is  the 
beautiful  residence  oi Balmacaan,ihe 
abode  of  the  Earl  of  Seafield,  chief  of 
the  clan  Grant.  The  gi'ounds  offer 
charming  walks.  An  excursion  may 
be  made  from  Drumnadrochit  up 
Glen  Urquhart  to  Strath  Affrick  by 
the  Chisholm  Pass,  and  the  Druim 
and  Inver  Cannich,  which  will  intro- 
duce the  stranger  to  some  of  the 
wildest  scenery  in  Scotland  (Rte. 
65a).  ]  A  coach  runs  in  summer  to 
Inver  Cannich.] 

The  upper  part  of  Loch  Ness  is 
not  particularly  interesting,  it  ter- 
minates iu  Loch  Lochfour,     On  the 


ground  which  separates  the  two  lochs 
may  be  traced  the  vestiges  of  a 
Roman  encampment,  called  by  Ptole- 
my Banatia — and  the  foundations  of 
an  old  keep  named  Castle  Spiritual. 
1.  Lochend  Inn  is  nearly  opposite 
Aldourie. 

I  On  rt.  is  Aldourie,  the  seat  of  Col. 
j  Fraser  Tytler.  In  this  house  was 
I  born,  1765,  Sir  James  Mackintosh. 
On  1.  Dochfour  House  (Evan  Baillie, 
Esq.),  a  modern  Italian  mansion. 
To  this  succeeds  rt.  Ness  Castle 
(Lord  Saltoun),  soon  after  passing 
which  the  steamer  arrives  at  the 
t  Midrtovm,  6  pair  of  Locks  {Inn : 
Muirtown,  fair),  the  resting  and 
starting  place  of  the  Caledonian 
Canal  steamers,  where  omnibuses  are 
in  readiness  to  convey  passengers  to 

1^  m.  Inverness.    {Hotels :  Railway, 
Caledonian,  good  ;  Union.)  Rte.  64. 


SECTION  lY. 

Fife— St.  Andrews — Kinross — Clackmannan — Par-Aof  Pehthsiiire 
— Perth — Dunkeld — Dundee — Forfar,  etc. 


INTRODUCTION. 
1.   General  Information.     §  2.  Objects  of  Interest. 


ROUTES. 


40-  Edinburgli  to  Dundee,  by 
Burntisland,  Cupar,  and  St. 
Andrews   ....  256 

40a  Edinburgh  to  Perth,  by 
Burntisland  Ferry,  Mark- 
inch,  Ladyhank,  Abernethy, 
2in&  Bridge  of  Earn   .         .265 

41  Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline, 

and  Stirling,  by  Thornton 
Junction   ....  267 

42  Stirling  to  Kinross  &  Perth, 

by  \Alvd\  Alloa,  Dollar, 
Castle  Camplell,  Rumhling 
Bridge,  Kinross  (Eail),  and 
Cauldron  Linn  [Glenfarg]     269 

43  Stirling  to  Perth,  by  Crief 

Junction  and  Auchterarder  274 

44  Callander   to    Dunkeld,    by 

Lochcarnhcad,  Killin 

(Rail),  Kenmore,  Tay- 
mouth,  and  Aherfeldy         .  278 


45  Stirling   or   Perth  to   Loch- 

earnhead,  by  Crie.f  (Rail), 
Coriirie,      and      St.      Fil- 

lans 284 

45a  Crieff  to  Aberfeldy  or  Dun- 
keld, by  Amulree  and  the 
Small  Glen        .         .         .288 

46  Taymouth  (Kenmore)  to  In- 

veroran,  by  Fortingal  and 
Glenlyon  .      '  .         .289 

47  Kenmore   to    King's   House 

(Glencoe),  by  Kinloch-Itan- 
noch.     For  Pedestrians       .   290 

48  Perth  to  Forres  and  Inver- 

ness, by  Dunkeld,  Killie- 
crankie,  Blair-Athole,  Kin- 
cfussie,  and  Grantown 
(Rail)       .         .        .        .292 

49  Perth   to   Dundee  and    Ar- 

broath (Rail)     .         .         .303 


§  1.  General  Information. 

The  country  included  in  this  division  would  be  more  explored  by 
travellers  if  its  numerous  attractions  were  better  known.  Fife  and 
Kinross,  besides  being  counties  of  the  highest  agricultural  cultivation 
(Howe  of  Fife),  are  full  of  picturesque  beauty,  and  abound  in  fine 
seats  and  parks — Donibristle,  Raith,  Wemyss  C,  Balcarres,  Leslie 
House,  Broomhall,  Dysart  H.  The  country  bordering  on  the  estuaries 
of  the  Forth  and  Tay  commands  most  inviting  prospects.  It  has  hills 
of  respectable  height,  such  as  the  Ochill  range,  the  Sidlaw  Hills, 
stretching  along  the  Carse  of  Gowrie  from  Perth  to  Forfar,  and  the 


254  §  2.  Ohjeds  of  Interest  Sect.  IY. 

crroiip  of  the  Tivo  Lomonds  in  Fife,  not  comparable  with  those  of  the 
Highlands,  yet  they  enclose  glens  and  gorges  of  romantic  beauty. 
Such  are  the  Pass  of  Glenfarg,  the  Dens  of  Airlie,  of  Finella  near 
Bervie,  and  the  Burn  at  Kincardine,  and  the  valley  of  the  Devon — 
Burns's  "  crystal  Devon,  winding  Devon."  The  rolling  round-backed 
Ochill  hills  giv^  little  indication  at  a  distance  of  the  deep  gorges  and 
narrow  chasms,  threaded  by  bright  burns  and  waterfalls,  which  in- 
tersect them — such  as  those  of  Rumbling  Bridge,  Castle  Camp- 
bell, and  Glen  Alva — all  easily  reached  from  Stirling,  These  fine 
glens  are  a  prelude  to  the  magnificent  scenery  of  Perthshire — a 
grand  county,  extending  from  the  fertile  Carse  of  Gowrie  and  Strath 
Earn  to  the  mountain  passes  of  Dunkeld  and  Killiecrankie,  and  the 
incomparable  upper  valley  of  the  Earn  from  Crieff  to  Loch  Earn — 
scarcely  to  be  surpassed  in  Scotland.  Here  the  traveller  has  the  full 
enjoyment  of  the  finest  Highland  scenery,  in  the  midst  of  mountains 
such  as  Ben  Voirlich,  Ben  More,  Ben  Lawers,  and  Schiehallion. 

Convenient  Railways  now"  carry  the  tourist  into  the  centre  of  this 
fine  scenery,  from  Perth  by  Dunkeld  to  Blair- x4.thole  and  Strathspey, 
and  from  Callander  to  Loch  Earn  and  the  borders  of  Loch  Tay. 

Perthshire  includes  those  noble  parks  and  seats,  Dunkeld,  Tay- 
mouth,  Drummond  Castle,  Menzies,  Ochtertyre,  Dunira,  Rossie, 
Kinfauns,  Dupplin,  Scone,  etc. 

The  great  towns  are — Perth,  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  pretty 
situation,  and  Dundee  for  its  great  commerce  and  thriving  manufac- 
tures. 

The  historic  sights  and  antiquities  of  the  district  include  Dun- 
fermline Abbey,  Falkland  Palace,  the  decayed  city  of  St.  Andrews 
(which  may  also  be  styled  a  Gothic  Pompeii  from  the  number  of  its 
ruins).  Castle  Campbell,  on  the  shoulder  of  the  Ochills,  with  its 
romantic  gorges,  Lochleven  Castle,  a  fragment  of  shapeless  wall, 
which  yet  attracts  pilgrims  for  the  sake  of  Queen  Mary  ;  the 
Gothic  churches  of  Arbroath,  Dunkeld,  etc. 

There  is  no  lack  of  good  accommodation  for  travellers  in  the 
inns  of  Crieff,  St.  Fillans,  Lochearnhead,  Killin,  Taymouth,  Dun- 
keld, Dollar,  Kinross,  Rumbling  Bridge,  Pitlochrie,  Blair- Athole,  etc. 

§  2.   Objects  of  Interest. 

Burntisland. — Aberdour  Church  and  Castle  ;  Donibristle. 

Kirkcaldy. — Raith  ;  Ravenscraig. 

Dysart. — Old  Houses  ;  Church  ;  Caves  ;  Stehorane. 

Falkland. — Palace  ;  Lomond  Hills. 

Dairsie. — Castle  ;  Church  ;  Dura  Den. 


Introd.  §2.   Objects  of  I/itered.  255 

Leuchars. — Eomanesque  Chnrcli  ;  Earl's  Hall. 

St.  Andrews. — Cathedral  ;  St.  Rule's  Tower  ;  Castle  ;  United 
College  of  St,  Salvator  and  St.  Leonard  ;  Parish  Church  ;  St.  Mary's 
College  ;  Madras  College  ;  Links  and  Golf  Club  House. 

Collessie. — Beaton's  Tower  ;  Lindores  Abbey. 

JVewb  urgh. — Cross. 

Abernethy. — Round  Tower. 

Bridge  of  Earn.  — Hill  of  Moncrieff  ;  Glenfarg. 

Greenloaiiing. — Ardoch  Camp. 

Crieff. — Cross  ;  Drumniond  Castle  ;  Tomachastle  ;  Glenturrit. 

Forteviot. — Dupplin  Castle  ;  Scenery  of  the  May. 

Perth. — St.  John's  Church  ;  Kinnoul  Hill  ;  Dunsiunane  Hill  ; 
Moncrieff  Hill  ;  Kinfauns  Castle  ;  Elcho  ;  Scone. 

Dunfermline. — Abbey  ;  Palace  Ruins ;  Terrace  in  the  Churchyard. 

Alva. — Scenery  of  the  Alva  Glen. 

Dollar. — Castle  Campbell  and  Glen  ;  Rumbling  Bridge  ;  Cauldron 
Linn. 

Kinross. — Lochleven  Castle  ;  St.  Serf's  Isle. 

Loch  Earn. — Glen  Ogle  ;  Braes  of  Balquhidder  ;  Loch  Voil. 

Comrie. — Devil's  Cauldron  ;  Melville's  Monument  ;  St.  Fillans  ; 
Dunira  ;  Vale  of  Earn. 

Loch  Tay. — Killin  ;  Finlarig  Castle  ;  Ben  Lawers. 

Kenmore. — Taymouth  Castle  and  Park  ;  Stones  at  Craig  Monach. 

Glen  Lyon. — Comrie  and  Garth  Castles  ;  Fortingal  yew-tree  ; 
Meggernie  Castle  ;  Pictish  Tower  ;  Schiehallion  ;  Kinloch-Rannoch. 

Aberfeldy. — Falls  of  Moness  ;  Cross  at  Dull  ;  Weem  Craig. 

Glen  Almond. — Trinity  College  ;  Small  Glen  ;  Amulree  ; 
Inchaffray  ruins. 

Methven.  —  Castle  Grounds  ;  Trinity  College  ;  Huntingtower 
Castle. 

Stanley. — Campsie  Linn  ;  Stobhall. 

Murthly. — New  and  Old  Castles  ;  Woods  and  Pine  Trees. 

Dunkeld. — Bridge  ;  Cathedral  ;  Duke  of  Athole's  grounds  ; 
Birnam  Hill  ;  Craig-y-Barus  ;  Rumbling  Bridge. 

Pitlochrie. — Vale  of  Tummel  ;  Ben  Vrackie  ;  Falls  of  Tummel  ; 
Bridge  of  Garry  ;  the  Queen's  View  ;  Loch  Tummel. 

Pass  of  Killiecranhie. — Woods  of  Faskally. 

Blair- Athole. — Castle  ;  Glen  Tilt  ;  Falls  of  the  Tilt  and  the 
Fender  ;  Ben-y-Gloe  ;  Falls  of  Bruar. 

Kingussie. — Valley  of  the  Spey  ;  Loch  Laggan  ;  Glen  Roy  ; 
Parallel  Roads. 

Aviemore. — Woods  'of  Rothiemurchus  ;  Loch  Alvie  ;  Loch- 
an-Eilian  ;  View  of  Cairngorm  ;  Larig  Pass. 


256 


Route  40. — Burntisland  to  Dundee. 


Sect.  IV 


Bridge  of  Carr. — Dulsie  Bridge  ;  the  Streens. 

Gran  town. — Castle  Grant. 

Dunjjhait. — Altyre  ;  scenery  of  the  Findhorn  ;  Relugas  ;  Loch- 
an-Dorb  ;  Castle  ;  Course  of  the  Divie  ;  Glen  Ferness. 

Inchture. — Eossie  Priory  ;  Fowlis  Easter  Church. 

Dundee. — Harbour  ;  Old  Church  Tower  ;  Flax  and  Jute  Mills  ; 
View  from  the  Law  ;  Tay  Railway  Bridge  ;  Broughty  Castle. 

Arbroath. — Abbey  ;  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse  ;  Cliff  Scenery  ; 
Caves  at  Auchmithie  ;  Red  Castle  ;  Red  Head  ;  Lunan  Bay, 


ROUTE  40. 

Edinburgh  to  Dundee,  by  Burnt- 
island, Cupar,  and  St.  Andrews. 

From  the  Waverley  Bridge  station 
trains  fun  to  Gvanton,  where  the 
tourist  is  ferried  across  the  Firth  to 
Burntisland. 

Granton  has  become  important 
from  being  the  place  of  departure  of 
the  London  and  Aberdeen  steamers, 
as  well  as  for  the  refuge  it  affords  to 
large  vessels  in  an  easterly  gale, 
thanks  to  the  large  Flcr  and  break- 
waters constructed  by  the  D.  of  Buc- 
cleuch.  The  central  pier,  on  which  the 
traius  run  alongside  of  the  steamer, 
projects  1700  ft.,  and  can  be  ap- 
proached at  any  state  of  the  tide. 

Tolerable  Ferry  Steamers,  fur- 
nished with  upper  deck,  ply  7  or  8 
times  a  day  from  Granton  to  Burnt- 
island, 5  m.,  in  4  or  f  hr.  The  tra- 
veller during  his  passage  gets  a  mag- 
nificent view  of  Edinburgh  Castle 
and  New  Town,  backed  by  the  Cal- 
ton  Hill  and  Arthur's  Seat.  To  the 
rt.,  at  the  entrance  of  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  is  the  island  of  Inchkcith, 
which  Dr.  Johnson  landed  on  and 
explored  with  Boswell,  1773,  finding 
"very  good  grass,  but  rather  a  pro- 
fusion of  thistles."  The  English 
planted  a  fort  and  garrison  here  com- 
manding the  harbour  of  Leith  and 
the  Firth  of  Forth,  to  the  disgust  of 
the  Scotch.  The  French  held  and 
garrisoned   it,    1565,   in   accordance 


with  the  Treaty  of  Edinburgh,  and 
Brautome  calls  it  "File  des  Che- 
vaux."  A  fort  inscribed  "Maria  Re., 
156i,"  was  pulled  down  to  furnish 
materials  for  the  more  useful  Light- 
house, conspicuous  at  night  by  a 
bright  revolving  light  far  and  near. 

At  Burntisland  the  traveller  lands 
in  Fifeshire,  one  of  the  richest  and 
most  productive  of  all  the  Scottish 
counties.  Its  soil  is  fertile,  and  it 
has  great  wealth  in  coals  and  large 
manufactures,  and  abundant  popu- 
lation. As  a  proof  of  its  former  im- 
portance, it  may  be  mentioned  that 
it  contains  13  royal  burghs — viz.,  St. 
Andrews,  E,  and  W.  Anstruther, 
Burntisland,  Grail,  Dysart,  Inver- 
keithing,  Kilrenny,  Kinghorn,  Kirk- 
cald}%  Pittenweem,  Cupar,  and  Dun- 
fermline, many  of  which  are  now 
mere  villages. 

Tlie  Steamers  land  at  a  convenient 
pier  close  to  the  Terminus  of  the 
Perth  and  Dundee  Railway,  where 
the  train  is  waiting. 

Burntisland  {Inn:  Forth  H.)  is  a 
Pari.  Burgh  (pop.  3265),  and  a  fa- 
vourite watering-place  with  the 
Edinburgh  people,  to  whom  its 
ready  access  and  its  bracing  air  are 
gi-eat  recommendations.  It  is  pret- 
tily overhung  by  the  Binn  End 
Hills,  a  trap-tuff  range  700  ft.  in 
height,  and  there  are  some  pleasant 
walks  to  the  foot  of  Dunearn  and 
the  ravines  amongst  the  hi'ls.     At 


Fife. 


Route  40. — Kirkcaldy  ;  Dysart. 


257 


the  E.  end  of  the  town  the  sea  conies 
in  far  upon  the  land,  and  forms  a 
fine  and  sandy  beach. 

The  views  across  the  Forth,  of 
Edinburgh,  give  interest  to  all  this 
part  of  the  Fife  coast. 

^  m.  to  the  N.  of  the  town  is  the 
ruined  ch.  of  Kirkton,  formerly  the 
parish  ch. 

3  m.  to  the  AV.  (a  very  pretty  sea- 
side walk)  is  Aherdour  {i.e.  month 
of  the  water)  village,  which  has  the 
ruins  of  an  old  ch.  of  Dec.  date, 
and  of  a  deserted  castle  or  castel- 
lated mansion,  a  building  of  the  1 7th 
eenty.  From  hence  Inchcolm,  Avith 
its  primitive  cell  or  hermitage  and 
Abbey  (2  m.  in  a  row-boat),  Doni- 
bristle,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Moi-ay,  with  beautiful  wooded  park, 
and  Dalgetty,  can  all  be  conveni- 
ently visited  (Rte.  19). 

From  Burntisland  the  train  keeps 
close  to  the  sea  to 

104  m.  Kinghorn  Stat,  near 
which,  in  1286,  King  Alexander  III. 
was  thrown  over  a  precipice,  by  his 
horse  stumbling,  and  killed.  If  the 
day  is  clear,  the  views  over  the  op- 
posite coast  of  Haddington,  embrac- 
ing Berwick  Law  and  the  Bass  Rock, 
are  very  charming.  Kot  far  from 
Kinghorn  is  Grange,  the  old  resi- 
dence of  Sir  Wm.  Kirkcaldy,  the 
partisan  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots.  A 
little  to  the  S.  of  Kinghorn  is  the 
promontory  of  Petticur. 

12  m.  rt.  Seafield  Tower,  on  a  rock 
projecting  into  the  sea. 

14  ra.  Kirkcaldij  Stat.,  the  "lang 
toon,"  stretching,  with  the  village 
of  Pathhead,  for  a  good  2  m.  along 
the  shore  (pop.  12,422).  An  old 
religious  establishment  belonging  to 
the  Abbey  of  Dunfermline  existed 
here,  the  head  of  which  resided  at  a 
place  still  called  "Abbot's  Hill," 
the  position  of  the  old  house  being 
marked  by  a  venerable  yew  tree 
which  stood  close  by.  Near  here  are 
the  ruins  of  a  tower  called  BaAv^earie 
[Scotland.] 


(1|  m.  1.),  which  has  Avails  7  ft. 
thick.  In  the  13th  centy.  Michael 
Scott  the  wizard  was  born,  and  re- 
sided at  Balwearie.  In  the  mountain 
limestone  qioarries  near  Kirkcaldy 
are  found  many  pretty  minerals, 
calcite,  steatite,  augite,  apophyllite, 
etc. 

Overlooking  Kirkcaldy  are  the 
beautiful  grounds  and  Avoods  of 
JRaith  (Col.  Ferguson),  Avhich  are 
embellished  with  an  artificial  lake  of 
20  acres,  and  a  tower  commanding 
a  magnificent  view  of  the  Forth  and 
distant  Edinburgh.  The  house  AA'as 
originally  built  in  1694,  since  Avhich 
tAvo  Avings  and  an  inner  portico 
have  been  added.  Noble  pine  trees 
here. 

Dunnikier  Den  is  a  pleasant  Avalk. 

In  1644  Charles  I.  made  Kirk- 
caldy a  free  port,  Avith  additional 
privileges,  and  it  noAv  possesses  a^ 
considerable  shipping  business  in 
coals,  besides  some  linen  and  flax 
manufactories.  It  was  the  birthplace 
of  Adam  Smith,  and  the  house  is 
still  shoAA-n  in  Avhich  he  Avrote  his 
"Wealth  of  Nations."  At  Path- 
head,  on  the  shore,  are  the  ruins  of 
Eavenscraig  Castle,  commemorated 
in  the  tragic  ballad  of  "Rosabelle." 

"  Moor,  moor  the  harge,  ye  gallant  crew, 
And,  gentle  lady,  deign  to  stay  ! 
Rest  thee  in  Castle  Ravensliengh, 
Nor  tempt  the  stoniiy  Firth  to-day." 

The  castle  Avas  granted  by  James 
III.  to  "William  Sinclair,  Earl  of 
Orkney,  on  his  resignation  of  that 
title.  It  AA-as  inhabited  till  the  Re- 
storation, but  is  noAv  a  picturesque 
ruin  overhanging  the  sea.  The 
same  family  haA-e  handed  doAvn  their 
name  to  the  suburb — Sinclairtoivn 
(Stat.) 

16  m.  Dysart  Stat.,  a  dull  toAvn 
with  one  or  two  cotton  mills  and 
chimneys,  is  said  to  derive  its 
name  (?)  from  "  desertion,"  a  monk- 
ish solitude.  The  upstart  suburb 
Sinclairtown  is  surpassing  Dysart  in 
manufacturing  industry.  Adjoining 
m2 


258 


Route  40. — Thornton  Junction — Leven.       Sect.  IV. 


is  Dysart  House  {Earl  of  Eosslyn). 
To  the  1.  is  Dunnikier  House  (J.  T. 
Oswald,  Esq.),  and  Dunnikier  Law, 
commanding  a  fine  view  of  the 
country,  and  the  Firths  of  Tay  and 
Forth.  The  old  ch.  of  Dysart, 
standing  close  by  the  sea,  was  a 
venerable  and  stately  edifice,  but  is 
now  a  ruin.  One  of  the  windows 
bears  the  date  1570,  but  a  great  deal 
of  it  is  of  a  far  older  time.  The 
tower  is  peculiar  in  its  little  staircase 
turret,  and  the  decorations  above 
the  corbel  gable.  On  the  shore  are 
several  caves,  the  largest  of  which 
was  excavated  in  the  rock  as  a  re- 
treat, or  Dcmrtuvi,  by  St.  Serf,  who 
preached  the  gospel  on  the  shores  of 
the  Firth,  and  had  a  ch.  at  Culross, 
680-700. 

1  m.  to  the  E.  are  the  "  ^vZ 
Mocks,''''  where  witches  were  burnt  in 
foi-mer  times. 

The  rly.  now  tends  inland  to 

18^  m.  Thornton  Jdnct.  Stat, 
where  a  branch  line  is  given  off 
1.  to  Dunfermline  and  Stirling 
(Rte.  41). 


[E.  Branch  Ely.  rt.  to  Leven  and 
Anstruther. 

On  rt.  (on  the  coast)  are  the  vil- 
lages of  E.  and  W.  Wemyss,  with 
Wemyss  Castle  (J.  Erskine  Wemyss, 
Esq.),  built  about  the  commence- 
ment of  the  last  centy.,  but  enlarged 
in  the  presoit.  It  stands  upon  a 
rock  some  30  ft.  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  Queen  Mary  first  met 
Darnley  at  the  old  castle  in  Feb. 
1565,  and  was  married  in  the  July 
following.  The  clitts  along  the  shore 
are  hollowed  out  with  "  ?/;ee'/;is,"  or 
caves,  from  which  Wemyss  gets  its 
name.  Not  far  off  rise  the  ruins  of 
Macduff's  Castle.  Near  W.  Wemyss 
are  numerous  smoky  collieries.  On 
H  hill  near  it  is  the  old  town  cross  of 
Cupar.  The  line  is  carried  down  the 
valley  of  the  Orr,  which  joins  the 
Leven,  to 


4  m.  Cameron  Bridge  Stat. 

6  m.  Leven  Stat.,  a  small  seaport  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Leven  river,  famous 
for  its  "  links  "  or  sands,  which  under 
the  name  of  Leven,  Scoonie,  and 
Lundin  Links,  stretch  all  the  way 
to  Largo.  *  They  are  much  used  for 
the  pursuit  of  the  favourite  Scottish 
game  of  golf. 

8^  m.  Largo  Stat.,  or  Kirkton 
Largo,  is  a  considerable  village,  part 
of  which,  Lower  Largo,  is  situated  on 
the  coast.  It  was  the  birthplace  of 
Alexander  Selkirk,  the  original  of 
Robinson  Crusoe,  in  1675.  His 
humble  cottage  stood  about  1  m. 
from  the  kirk,  but  has  been  pulled 
down.  In  the  neigh])ourhood  are 
the  romantic  glen,  called  "  Kiel's 
Den,''  and  Durie  House,  with 
beautiful  grounds,  always  open.  On 
1.  is  the  conical  hill,  called  Largo 
Law,  a  very  conspicuous  feature  in 
all  views  of  the  Fifeshire  coast, 
rising  1000  ft.  above  the  sea,  and 
commanding  a  fine  view. 

Largo  House  is  the  seat  of  Mrs. 
Denliam. 

Linden  House,  1  m.,  a  modern 
mansion,  includes  an  ancient  tower. 
In  the  park  are  3  Standing  Stones, 
14  and  16  ft.  high  :  a  4th  is  gone. 

12f  m.  Kilconqnhar  Stat,  (locally 
pronounced Kinuchar),  literally  "the 
church  at  the  head  of  the  fresh- 
water Lake,"  Avhich  immediately 
adjoins  the  village.  A  little  to  the 
N.  are  the  village  of  Colinsburgh, 
Charleton  (.J.  Anstruther  Thomson, 
Esq.),  Pitcorthie,  and  Balcarres  (Sir 
Coutts  LindsayfBt.),  which  has  lovely 
grounds  and  views.  In  this  old 
mansion  of  the  Earls  of  Balcarres 
Lady  Anne  Lindsay  (Barnard)  wrote 
the  ballad  "Old  Robin  Gray." 
There  are  some  fine  old  trees  here  ; 
Lathallau  (S.  Lumsdaine,  Esq.),  and 
Kilcouquhar  House  (Sir  John  Be- 
tliuue). 

14  m.  Elie  (Stat)  is  a  long  straggling 


Fife. 


Pioute  40. — Markinch  Junction. 


259 


village,  connected  with  a  western 
suburb  called  Earlsfeny.  Elie  House 
is  the  residence  of  J.  Anstruther, 
Esq.  The  coast,  Avhich  has  hitherto 
been  for  some  distance  sandy  and 
rather  low,  now  becomes  rockj^  aiKl 
precipitous  from  here  to  St.  AudreAvs, 
affording  but  slight  chance  of  pre- 
servation to  any  unfortunate  vessel 
which  may  be  driven  on  it.  E.  from 
Jjcven  are  good  sections  on  the  coast 
of  the  carboniferous  volcanic  rocks. 

16  m.  aS*^.  Monance  (Stat),  named 
after  the  patron  saint. 

The  chapel  of  St.  Monance  was 
built  by  David  II.,  in  gratitude  for 
his  recovery  from  a  wound  received 
at  the  battle  of  Nevill's  Cross  in 
1346.  One  of  the  arrows  stuck  in 
his  wound,  and  defied  every  attempt 
to  get  it  out,  until  the  king  made  a 
pilgrimage  to  St.  Monance's  shrine  ; 
wlien,  as  he  was  standing  wrapped 
up  in  his  devotions,  the  arrow  at 
once  leapt  out.  The  chapel  is  cruci- 
form, and  at  the  intersection  of 
chancel  and  transept  has  a  short 
square  tower,  sunnounted  by  an  oc- 
tagonal steeple,  the  little  belfry 
windows  on  which  give  a  foreign 
effect.  The  interior,  which  is  lighted 
by  Dec.  windows  with  beautiful  tra- 
cery, has  a  fine  groined  roof,  and  a 
square  recess  with  ogee-headed  com- 
jmrtments  for  sedilia.  St.  Monance, 
the  patron  saint,  is  identified  by 
some  antiquaries  with  St.  Ninian, 
the  founder  of  Whithorn  in  Galloway 
(Ete.  10). 

ITi  ra.  Pittenweem  (Stat.),  a  poor 
little  place,  although  once  one  of  the 
royal  burghs  of  Fif'eshire. 

2  m.  N.AV.  is  Balcctski&  (Sii-  Ealph 
Anstruther).  The  house  is  one  of 
the  Scoto-French  mansions,  and  was 
built  by  Sir  W.  Bruce,  the  royal 
architect  for  Scotland.  The  gardens 
are  old-fashioned,  and  are  worth 
seeing  for  their  hanging  terraces  and 
clipped  hedges.  The  line  terminates 
at 


19  m.  Anstruther  Stat,  a  little 
seaport,  the  birthplace  (17S0)  of 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Chalmers,  D.D. 
Efforts  have  been  made  to  improve 
its  harbour,  and  £60,000  have  been 
laid  out  in  piers  and  breakwater  under 
direction  of  John  Hawkshaw,  Esq., 
C.E.  A  coach  plies  between  An- 
struther and  St.  Andrews. 

6  miles  out  at  sea  is  the  Isle  of 
May,  a  rocky  islet,  containing  the 
ruins  of  a  chapel,  also  a  Lighthouse.] 


Proceeding  N.  from  Thornton  June, 
the  main  line  crosses  the  Leven  to 

21m.  Markinch  Jvjtict.  Stat.,  whence 
an  excursion  of  1  m.  to  the  east  will 
bring  the  tourist  to  the  ruins  of  Bal- 
gonie  Castle,  a  work  of  great  strength, 
probably  built  in  the  12th  centy. 
The  approach,  through  a  grove  of 
walnut-trees,  is  very  picturesque. 
The  ruins  consist  of  a  large  court- 
yard, with  a  tower  80  ft.  high,  rising 
on  the  N.  side.  In  Balgonie  Ch. 
rests  David  Leslie,  General  of  the 
Kirk  and  Estates  army,  who  with- 
stood "Wallenstein  at  Stralsund,  and 
was  defeated  by  Cromwell  at  Dunbar. 

[From  here  a  short  branch  of  4  m. 
to  W.  leads  to  Leslie  (Stat.),  passing 
14  m.  rt.  Balbirnie  House  (J.  Bal- 
four, Esq.).  Leslie  is  a  populous  and 
busy  place,  dependent  on  its  flax'  and 
bleaching  mills,  and,  like  many  of 
the  Fifeshire  towns,  contains  some 
interesting  remains  of  street  archi- 
tecture. Adjoining  it  is  Leslie  House, 
the  fine  old  seat  of  the  Countess  of 
Rothes.  Adam  Smith,  when  a  child, 
was  kidnapped  from  Strathendry  by 
gipsies,  and  carried  into  these  woods. 
"The  Green"  is  one  of  the  many 
places  where  the  scene  of  King  James 
V.'s  poem,  "Christ's  Kirk  on  the 
Green,"  is  supposed  to  be  laid. 

The  views  from  the  high  gi-ound 
to  the  W.,  above  the  old  ruins  of 
Strathendry  Castle  and  House  (Hon. 
Mrs.  Douglas),  are  exceedingly  good, 
and  embrace  a  large  extent  of  coun- 


260       Rte.  40. — Edinburgh  to  Dundee  :  Falkland.      Sect.  IV. 


try  westward,  Avith  Loch  Leven,  and 
the  straight  channel  of  the  Leven 
issuing  from  it.  On  the  opposite 
shore  is  Kinross. 

24  m.  Falkland  Road  Stat,  is  3  m. 
from  Falkland.  Omnibuses  twice  a 
day  :  or  a  trap  may  be  ordered  by 
a  telegram  from  the  Inns. 

Falkland  {Inns,  Commercial  — 
Bruce  Arms)  is  now  a  quiet  village, 
once  a  royal  burgh,  lying  at  the  head 
of  the  plain  called  ' '  The  Howe  of 
Fife."  It  consists  chiefly  of  modern 
houses,  with  a  modern  Gothic  clock 
or  spire,  and  lias  several  spinning 
mills  for  linen.  It  is  charmingly 
situated  at  the  foot  of  Easter  Lomond 
Hill,  one  of  an  important  range  of 
Fifeshire  hills  rising  from  1100  to 
1400  ft.  On  a  raised  phatform,  over- 
looking the  plain,  stands  the  Palace 
of  the  Stuart  Kings  of  Scotland,  who 
resorted  hither  for  the  sake  of  the 
chase.  It  is  entered  from  the  street 
by  a  very  picturesque  gateway  flanked 
by  2  loopholed  round  towers,  and 
shows  on  this  side  a  late  Gothic 
front.  This  and  the  greater  part  of 
the  ruined  edifice  now  remaining 
were  built  by  James  V.,  who  fre- 
quently repaired  hither  to  hunt,  as 
did  also  his  daughter,  Queen  ]\lary, 
and  her  son,  James  I.  It  was  never 
adapted  for  a  place  of  defence,  but 
has  much  of  the  character  of  one  of 
those  sunny  chateaux  of  Touraine, 
Blois,  Amboise,  or  Chambord,  in 
which  ]\Iary  of  Guise  may  have  passed 
her  youth.  It  dates  from  1430-40. 
The  S.  wing,  which  turns  to  the 
main  street,  an  elegant  fa9ade  of 
narrow  mullioned  windows,  alone  is 
tolerably  perfect,  and  is  in  part  in- 
habited. James  V.  died  here  of  a 
broken  heart.  The  fagade  towards  the 
courtyard,  now  a  garden,  (1530-40) 
is  more  Italian  in  character.  It  is  di- 
vided by  pilasters  or  buttresses  in  the 
form  of  grouped  pillars,  and  sliows  the 
composite  design  of  the  Renaissance 
period,  with  carved  scrolls  and  cor- 
nices.     The  windows,    divided    by 


transoms,  are  flanked  by  medallion 
heads  of  kings  and  queens.  The 
most  interesting  part  is  the  Great 
Hall,  75  ft.  long,  with  a  flat  roof  of 
oak,  ribbed  and  pannelled  in  geo- 
metric patterns,  now  sadly  dilapi- 
dated. The  castle  was  burned  in 
the  time  of  Charles  II.,  who  lived  in 
it  10  days,  1650.  The  original 
castle  was  built  by  the  Macduffs,  the 
powerful  Thanes  and  Earls  of  Fife. 
Their  descendant,  Robert  Stewart, 
who  became  also  Duke  of  Albany, 
here  starved  to  death  his  nephew, 
the  Duke  of  Rothesay,  the  heir  to 
the  throne.  For  some  days  the 
young  man's  life  was  preserved  b)"^  a 
woman,  who  through  a  reed  gave  him 
milk  from  h^r  own  breast,  but  was 
discovered,  and  it  is  said  put  to 
death.  On  the  attainder  and  exe- 
cution of  Albany  and  his  sons 
(1424),  the  castle  became  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Crown  {see  Sir  W.  Scott's 
"  Fair  Maid  of  Perth  ").  The  palace 
belongs  to  the  Crown,  but  the  ruins 
and  the  pretty  gardens  attached  to 
them  are  well  taken  cai'e  of  by  Col. 
Tyndall  Bruce  of  Falkland,  hereditary 
keeper.  In  tlie  courtyard  is  a  monu- 
ment with  statues  of  two  of  that 
family.  Their  seat,  Falkland  House, 
a  modern  Gothic  mansion  (by  Burn 
and  Bryce,  architects,  1840),  on  the 
edge  of  a  shady  glen  running  up  into 
the  Lomond  hill,  is  about  1  m.  W. 
of  the  town. 

Near  Kingskettle  Stat,  the  line 
passes  1.  Nuthill,  and  crosses  the 
Eden  to 

27  m.  Ladybank  Junct.  Stat.,  a 
gi-eat  rly.  depot  and  centre,  from 
which  lines  diverge  N.  to  Perth 
(Rte.  40a),  rt.  to  Cupar,  St. 
Andrews,  and  Dundee,  and  I.  to 
Kinross. 

To  St.  Andrews  and  Dundee  the 
Railway  passes  through  a  prettily 
wooded  country  to 

30  m.  Springfield  Stat.,  passing  1. 
Rankeillour    (D.    Maitland-Makgill- 


Fife. 


Route  40. — Cupar ;  Dairsie  ;  Leuchars. 


261 


Cricliton,  Esq.),  and  rt.  Crawford 
Priory;  a  fine  modern  Gothic  man- 
sion (Earl  of  Glasgow)  and  Eden  wood 
(SirG.  Campbell,  M.P.)  On  the  hill 
to  the  S.  is  the  old  ruined  tower  of 
Scotstarvit,  once  the  residence  of  Sir 
John  Scott,  the  quaint  author  of 
"The  Staggering  State  of  Scots 
Statesmen,"  1652. 

[Cults  Church  contains  a  medallion 
by  Chantrey  of  the  father  and  mother 
of  Sir  David  Wilkie,  who  was  born 
in  the  vianse,  which  is  backed  by 
what  he  called  "my  own  blue 
Lomonds."  His  first  picture  was 
Pitlessie  Fair,  a  subject  of  140 
figures.] 

32  m.  Civpar  (pronounced  Coopar) 
Stat.,  the  county  town  of  Fife,  a 
pari,  burgh  and  one  of  the  royal 
burghs  of  David  II.  {Hotels  :  Royal  ; 
Tontine  ;  both  good).  Pop.  5105. 
Notwithstanding  its  antiquity  it  has 
a  modern  appearance,  the  castle 
having  been  long  superseded  by  the 
Madras  Academy,  which  is  built  on 
its  site.  There  is,  however,  a  slight 
fragment  of  the  old  Dominican  mon- 
astery, and  the  parish  church  is  of 
the  ]5th  centy.,  although  modern- 
ised. The  immediate  neighbourhood 
is  pretty,  and  adorned  with  pleasant 
villas  and  seats,  as  Eden  Park,  Kin- 
gask,  Tarvit,  etc. 

Lord -Chancellor  Campbell  was 
born  here,  his  father  having  been 
minister  of  Cupar. 

A  few  miles  to  the  N".W.,  on  an 
eminence  which  commands  a  large 
extent  of  country,  formerly  known 
as  The  Mount,  the  property  and 
patrimonial  seat  of  Sir  David  Lind- 
say, the  poet  and  king-at-arms,  is  an 
obelisk  erected  to  the  memory  of  the 
4th  Earl  of  Hopetoun. 

35  i  m.  Dairsie  Stat.  The  ruins 
of  Dairsie  Castle  stand  on  an  emi- 
nence overhanging  the  river  Eden, 
which  is  here  crossed  by  a  bridge  of 
3  arches.  David  11.  lived  here,  as 
in  a  place  of  retreat  and  security 
during  a  great  part  of  his  minority  ; 


and  here,  in  the  early  part  of  the 
17th  centy..  Archbishop  Spottiswoode 
wrote  his  "History  of  the  Church  in 
Scotland." 

The  little  Cliurch  of  Dairsie  was 
built  in  1621  by  the  same  dignitary, 
as  part  of  his  plan  for  covering  Scot- 
land with  such  ch.  edifices  and  ser- 
vices as  England  has  retained,  and  is 
alluded  to  by  him  "as  one  of  the 
beautifulest  little  pieces  of  church 
work  left  in  this  unhappy  country." 
Its  style  is  Gothic,  but  of  a  date 
when  all  architecture  was  obsolete. 
Consequently  the  plan  is  awkwardly 
carried  out.  The  windows  are  most 
primitive  looking,  on  account  of 
their  not  being  divided  by  raised 
muUions,  but  cut  out  of  the  flat  stone. 
The  ch.  had  at  one  time  a  handsome 
rood-screen,  or,  as  it  was  called,  "a 
glorious  partition-wall  of  timber," 
which  the  Provincial  Assembly  of 
Fife  ordered  to  be  cut  down  to  the 
level  of  the  pews. 

The  geologist  will  find  an  inter- 
esting locality  2  m.  from  Dairsie,  at 
Dura  Den,  where  the  old  red  sand- 
stone contains  a  remarkable  number 
of  fossils  in  a  fiiir  state  of  preserva- 
tion, principally  consisting  of  fishes. 
The  most  abundant  are  the  Holopty- 
chius  Andersoni,  an  armour-plated 
fish,  together  with  the  Pamphractus, 
a  fossil  resembling  the  Ptericthys, 
which  is  also  found  there  (P.  hy- 
drophilus). 

In  the  neighbourhood  are  Kil- 
maron  (Lady  Baxter)  and  Balruddery 
(J.  Edward,  Esq.) 

39  m.  Leuchars  Junct.  Stal., 
whence  the  rly.  to  St.  Andrews  is 
given  off.  This  little  village  is  cele- 
brated amongst  ecclesiologists  for  the 
most  beautiful  fragment  of  a  Roman- 
esque church  to  be  found  in  Scotland  ; 
not  so  large  as  that  at  Dalmeny,  but 
from  the  richness  of  what  remains 
it  is  evident  that  it  must  have  been 
a  much  handsomer  building.  The 
nave  is  modern.  The  exterior  of 
the   apse   is   ornamented   with  two 


262 


Route  40. — Leuchars  ;  Magus  Moor.       Sect.  IV. 


rows  of  arches,  separated  by  a 
string-course  of  tooth-moulding,  the 
upper  arches  having  square  piers 
between  the  pillars.  Above  is  a 
corbel  with  grotesque  heads,  some 
human  and  some  of  rams,  together 
with  the  muzzled  bear.  The  church 
is  supposed  to  belong  to  the  early 
part  of  the  12th  ceuty.  To  the  W. 
of  the  apse  the  decorations  consist  of 
an  under  arcade  of  interlaced  arches 
and  an  upper  one  of  arches  with 
cable  moulding.  Internally  the 
visitor  should  particularly  notice 
the  very  rich  mouldings  of  the  arch 
at  the  entrance  of  the  apse. 

1  m.  to  the  E.  is  EarVs  Hall,  a 
seat  of  the  Bruce  family,  begun 
in  1546,  and  finished  in  1607.  It 
stands  in  a  small  park,  surrounded 
by  a  belt  of  trees,  and  consists 
mainly  of  a  square  tower,  with  a 
single  room  on  each  floor.  In  the 
drawing-room  is  a  mantel-piece,  with 
a  coat-of-arms,  on  which  are  the 
initials  A.  B.  (Alexander  Bruce)  and 
E.  L.  (Elizabeth  Lindsay),  his  wife. 
On  the  next  floor  is  the  hall,  with 
ceiling  painted  to  represent  various 
coats-of-arms  of  all  ages,  such  as 
"Hector  Prince  of  Troy,"  "David 
King  of  Israel,"  "  Emperor  of  Judea," 
and  so  forth,  with  others  of  less 
illustrious  families,  though  deriv- 
ed probably  from  more  authentic 
som-ces. 

The  Railway  to  St.  Andrews  runs 
through  a  well  cultivated  district  to 

2  m.  Guardhridge  Stat.  The 
bridge  over  the  Eden,  which  below 
this  opens  into  a  broad  creek  of  the 
sea,  was  originally  built  by  Bishop 
"Wardlaw  about  1420,  and  repaired 
by  Ai'chbishop  Beaton  100  years  later. 
See  the  arms  on  the  keystones  and 
buttresses. 

4  m.  to  the  S.  is  Magus  Moor,  on 
which  a  plantation,  still  called  "the 
Bishop's  Wood,"  marks  the  place 
where  Archbp.  Sharpe  was  waylaid, 
dragged  from  his  coach,  and  butchered 


in  the  arms  of  his  daughter,  who  vainly 
strove  to  protect  him,  by  a  party  of 
crazy  Covenanters,  commanded  by 
Balfour  of  Burley  and  Hackston  of 
Rathillet,  3d  May,  1679.  Five  of 
the  Bothwell  Bridge  prisoners  were 
brought  hither,  and  hung  in  chains 
as  atonement ! 

5  m.  ^S*^.  Andrews  Stat,  about  a 
mile  from  the  ruins,  which  stand  at 
the  E.  end  of  the  city,  the  station 
being  at  the  W.  {Inns,  second-rate  : 
Cross  Keys,  Market  Street,  and 
Royal,  South  Street.) 

This  ancient  and  historic  city  and 
pari,  burgh,  of  6316  inhab.,  seat  of 
a  venerable  University,  stands  on  a 
rocky  and  exposed  promontory  jut- 
ting into  the  North  Sea ;  cheerful  as 
a  residence  and  watering-place,  and 
highly  interesting  from  its  historic 
associations  and  numerous  remains 
of  ancient  buildings.  It  consists  of 
3  chief  streets,  called  North,  South, 
and  Market  streets,  nearly  parallel, 
but  converging  towards  the  E.  at  the 
Cathedral,  and  the  small  pier  and 
harbour. 

A  stranger  arriving  at  the  Railway 
Station  may  reach  the  ruins  of  the 
Castle  and  Cathedral  by  crossing  the 
Links  (generally  alive  with  players, 
female  and  male,  occupied  with  the 
old  Scottish  game  of  Golf,  of  which 
St.  Andrews  is  the  headquarters), 
skirting  the  town  on  the  rt.,  and 
passing  on  1.  the  handsome  Golf 
Club  House,  and  the  obelisk,  called 
the  Martyr's  Memorial. 

At  the  E.  extremity  of  the  three 
streets,  near  the  small  harbour,  within 
an  enclosed  cemetery,  rise  the  scanty 
and  scattered  ruins  of  the  grand 
Cathedral,  which  when  perfect  was 
no  less  than  358  ft.  long.  The  only 
existing  remains  are  part  of  the  W. 
and  E.  ends,  standing  isolated,  so  as 
to  mark  its  vast  extent,  and  part  of 
the  S.  nave  wall.  Of  the  intervening 
walls,  tower,  and  columns,  there  has 
been  a  clean  sweep.  Although  the 
first  step  in  this  demolition  is  due  to 


Fife. 


Route  40. — St.  Andrews  :  Cathedral 


263 


a  thundering  sermon  of  John  Knox 
against  Popery,  preached  in  this  ch., 
June  11,  1559,  he  is  not  responsible 
for  its  deliberate  dilapidation,  caused 
by  the  greed  for  stones  to  build 
houses  and  dykes  in  later  times. 

The  see  and  church  of  St.  An- 
drews was  founded  by  Angus,  King 
of  the  Picts,  who  transferred  the 
mother  churc^h  of  his  kingdom  to 
the  E.  coast  from  the  remote  lona, 
and  adopted  St.  .  Andrew  as  the 
patron  saint  instead  of  St.  Columba 
{circa  750  a.d.) 

Although  the  actual  ch.  was  begun 
1159  by  Bishop  Arnold,  once  a  monk 
of  Kelso,  it  was  not  finished  or  conse- 
crated until  1318.  Less  than  half  of 
the  W.  front  is  standing,  but  it  in- 
cludes a  picturesque,  pointed,  and 
deeply  recessed  central  dooricay,  sur- 
mounted by  a  trefoil-headed  arcade, 
flanked  by  a  turret  still  propped  by 
a  flying  buttress. 

The  nave,  consisting  of  12  bays,  is 
gone,  except  the  S.  wall  pierced  with 
windows,  2  of  which  to  the  E.  are 
round-headed,  and  all  at  least  18  ft. 
above  the  ground.  Adjoining  the  S. 
transept  was  the  Chapter  Hoitsc,  of 
which  remain  an  arcaded  wall,  and 
part  of  a  vestibule  Avith  3  entrance 
arches  pointed,  of  gi-eat  elegance, 
now  walled  up.  Here  are  preserved 
many  old  grave-stones,  chiefly  of 
15th  and  16th  centys.  The  E.  end 
wall  stands  perfect  with  its  flanking 
turrets,  3  narrow  windows  with 
round  heads  below,  and  a  Pointed 
window  above  rising  into  the  gable, 
early  Pointed,  1202-20.  These  ruins, 
now  well  protected  and  cared  for, 
stand  within  the  enclosure  of  the  Old 
Abbey  Walls,  built  by  Prior  Hepburn 
in  the  16th  centy.,  20  ft.  high,  nearly 
a  mile  long,  loopholed  and  flanked 
with  turrets  for  defence,  stretching 
round  by  the  seashore,  and  still  very 
perfect.  The  enclosure  is  now,  as 
heretofore,  a  churchyard,  and  serves 
as  a  place  of  general  resort. 

Within  it,  a  little  S.E.  of  the 
Cathedral,  rises  the  small  Chapel  or 


basilica  of  aS'j^.  Rule  or  Regulus,  sur- 
mounted by  a  square  Tower,  108  ft. 
high,  remarkably  perfect,  though  of 
rude  masonry.  It  is  a  Romanesque 
building,  erected  probably  between 
1127-44,  though  a  much  greater  an- 
tiquity has  been  claimed  for  it.  There 
is  a  legend,  in  fact,  that  it  was  erected 
by  Hergust,  a  Pictish  monarch,  in 
honour  of  St.  Regulus,  which  would 
assign  its  date  to  the  4th  centy. 
The  small  ch.,  very  narrow  in  pro- 
portion to  its  height,  21  ft.,  has  its 
chancel  arch  walled  up,  and  has  lost 
its  E.  apse.  St.  Rule  (or  Regulus), 
according  to  the  legend,  landed  here 
in  a  ship  which  had  drifted  hither 
from  Greece,  without  oars  or  sails, 
freighted  with  the  precious  bones  of 
St.  Andrew,  who  forthwith  became 
the  Patron  Saint  of  Scotland,  and 
attracted  pilgrims  from  all  parts,  not 
only  of  that  country,  but  of  Europe. 
A  fine  view  is  to  be  had  from  the 
top  of  the  tower  ;  admission  on  aj)- 
plication  to  the  sexton. 

At  the  extremity  of  South-st. ,  near 
the  W.  end  of  the  Cathedral,  is  tlie 
Priory  Gateivay  (or  Pends),  3  stately 
Gothic  vaults,  finely  groined.  This 
leads  into  the  Abbey  Precinct,  to  the 
TieiuPs  Barn,  and  the  ruins  of 

St.  Leonardos  College^  founded  1512. 
Its  chapel  it  roofless,  but  contains 
several  interesting  monuments.  At 
the  time  of  Dr.  Johnson's  visit  it  was 
used  as  a  greenhouse.  The  College 
foundation  is  now  transferred  to  St. 
Salvator,  and  the  two  pass  under  the 
style  of  the  United  College  of  St.  Sal- 
vator and  St.  Leonard.  St.  Leonard's 
College  Hall  is  a  modern  boarding- 
house  for  students,  where  they  have 
rooms  and  meals  as  at  Oxford  and 
Cambridge. 

On  the  opposite  (N".)  side  of  the 
Cathedral  and  churchyard,  on  a  rock 
rising  abruptly  from  the  sea,  is  the 
Castle  of  the  Archbishops,  founded 
by  Bishop  Rodger  in  1200,  but 
wholly  rebuilt  by  Bishop  Traill  in 
the  end  of  the  14th  centy.,  now  an 


264 


Route  40. — St.  Andreivs  ;  Castle. 


Sect.  IV. 


empty  shell,  and  not  very  picturesque. 
Isolated  by  a  deep  fosse  cut  in  the 
rock,  it  was  entered  by  a  di'awbridge, 
of  which  the  piers  are  standing.  It 
consists  of  a  gabled  keep,  the  kitchen 
tower  to  the  E. ,  the  sea-tower  to  the 
W.,  and  a  well  in  the  centre  of  the 
courtyard.  On  the  29th  Ma\%  1546, 
Norman  Leslie,  son  of  the  Earl  of 
Kothes,  slipped  over  the  drawbridge 
along  with  some  workmen  employed 
at  the  time  in  repairs  of  the  Castle, 
followed  by  James  Melville,  the 
young  Laird  of  Grange,  and  15  sol- 
diers. They  killed  the  porter,  ex- 
pelled the  garrison,  caught  Cardinal 
Beaton  as  he  flew  up  the  turnpike 
stairs  of  the  keep — slew  him,  and 
hung  out  his  body  from  the  front 
window  in  the  sight  of  the  people  ; 
raised  the  drawbridge,  and  being 
reinforced  by  numerous  followers, 
and  well  supplied  with  provisions, 
prepared  to  stand  a  siege.  Among 
those  who  joined  them  was  John 
Knox,  who  narrates  that  the  body 
of  Beaton  was  salted  and  buried  ' '  in 
the  boddoni  of  the  Sea  Tower,  where 
many  of  Goddes  children  had  been 
imprisoned  befoir." 

The  post  was  held  for  14  months, 
until  a  French  force,  in  18  galleys, 
commanded  by  Leo  Strozzi,  Prior  of 
Capua,  assailed  it  by  sea  and  land, 
and  bringing  to  bear  the  improved 
appliances  of  Italian  artillery  and 
engineering,  breached  its  walls  with 
guns  mounted  upon  the  Cathedral 
and  College  tower,  and  in  6  days 
compelled  it  to  surrender.  The  gar- 
rison, including  Knox,  were  sent 
prisoners  to  the  French  King's  gal- 
leys at  Nantes.  James  VI.  found 
refuge  here,  1586,  after  his  escape 
from  the  Gowrie  conspirators. 

Crossing  by  narrow  lanes  through 
Market-st. ,  by  Church-st. ,  into  South- 
st.,  visitors  emerge  opposite  the  Post 
Office.  Close  to  it  is  St.  Marys  Col- 
lege, which,  with  the  united  colleges 
of  St.  Salvator  and  St.  Leonard, 
constitutes  the  University  of  St. 
Andrews,    the    oldest    in    Scotland, 


founded  1411,  by  Bp.  Wardlaw.  St. 
Mary's  is  devoted  to  theological  teach- 
ing. Here  is  the  University  Library, 
of  about  55,000  vols.,  including  some 
valuable  JNISS.  Here  are  portraits 
of  John  Knox,  of  Lord  Melville,  by 
IVilkie,  et(3.  Attached  to  it  is  the 
residence  of  the  Principal,  and  a 
garden  in  which  grows  Queen  Mary's 
Thorn. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  South-st. 
is  the  Old  or  Parish  Kirk,  an  ancient 
building,  but  of  no  interest.  It 
contains  the  heavy  and  elaborate 
marble  monument  of  Archbishop 
Sharpe,  on  which  his  murder  is  repre- 
sented in  a  clumsy  bas-relief,  exe- 
cuted in  Holland,  set  iip  by  his  son. 
{See  Magus  Moor,  p.  262.) 

Higher  up  in  South-st.  is  the 
Madras  College,  an  Elizabethan  build- 
ing, erected  1833,  at  a  cost  of  £1 8, 000. 
part  of  the  bequest  of  Dr.  And.  Bell, 
a  native  of  St.  Andrews,  author  of 
the  Madras  or  Monitorial  system  of 
education,  son  of  a  hairdresser  here. 
It  is  a  juvenile  school,  on  a  very  large 
scale.  The  number  of  pupils  ave- 
rages 900,  under  the  charge  of  10  or 
14  masters. 

Opposite  j\[adras  College  are  the 
picturesque  ivy-clad  ruins  of  the  S. 
transept  of  the  Oiurch  of  the  Black 
Friars,  founded  1247  by  Bishop 
Wishart. 

South-st.  is  terminated  at  its  W. 
end  by  a  picturesque  Gateivay,  the 
West  Port,  of  mediaeval  architecture. 

The  geologist  and  lover  of  coast 
scenery  will  find  plenty  of  interest 
along  the  iron-bound  cliffs,  within 
3  or  4  m.  E.  of  St.  Andrews.  The 
curious  phenomenon  of  the  "Rock 
and  Spindle  "  is  an  instance  of  ma- 
rine denudation,  in  a  veined  erup- 
tion of  trap-rock,  and  there  are  occa- 
sional ancient  sea-beaches,  as  also 
examples  of  the  proximity  of  vol- 
canic agglomeration  to  the  sand- 
stone. The  strata  visible  in  the 
cliff's'  at  low-water  are  much  bent 
and  contorted.  Between  the  castle 
^.nd  the  harbour  is  St.  Rules  Cam — 


Fife. 


Route  40a. — Edinburgh  to  Perth. 


265 


"  Where  good  St.  Rule  liis  holj'  lay, 
From,  midnight  to  the  dawn  of  day. 
Sang  to  the  billows  sound." 

Scott. 

IsTumeroiis  caves  occur  along  the 
coast  between  this  and  Dysart,  which 
are  believed  to  have  sheltered  the 
early  missionaries. 

Conveyances.  —Rail  to  Leuchars 
June.  5  m.,  to  join  the  Edinburgh 
and  Dundee  Rly.  ;  coaches  to  An- 
struther  and  Crail.] 

[From  Leuchars  the  rly.  will  event- 
ually be  carried  into  Dundee  by  the 
stupendous  Tay  Viaduct  {see  Rte. 
49),  now  in  progress.  Until  it  is 
completed  the  line  skirts  the  solitary 
Tents  Moor  to  the  Tay  at] 

44  m.  Tayport  Stat.,  where  the 
^l5^  carriage  has  to  be  changed  for 
the  steam  ferryboat  to  Droughty. 

To  the  1.  of  Tayport  is  Scots  Craig 
(Captn.  W.  H.  Maitlaiid  Dougal). 

The  mouth  of  the  Tay  is  of  con- 
siderable width,  and  is  protected  on 
the  N.  by  the  Forfarshire  hills, 
which  run  with  considerable  uni- 
formity E.  and  W.  Looking  W. 
the  traveller  obtains  a  view  of  the 
chimneys  and  buildings  of  Dundee, 
with  tlie  thick  cloud  of  smoke  that 
generally  overhangs  it. 

Close  to  the  pier,  on  the  Forfar- 
shire side,  is  Brottghty  Castle,  a 
single  tower  of  the  date  of  the  16th 
centy.  Near  it  the  English  planted 
a  Fort,  very  offensive  to  the  Scotch, 
commanding  the  Port  of  Dundee  and 
the  Firth  of  Tay,  from  which  the 
intruders  were  ejected  1550,  only  by 
the  help  of  a  French  force  under  De 
Thermes. 

45  m.  Brouglity  Ferry  Stat,  is  a 
rapidly-increasing  suburb  of  Dun- 
dee, and  is  pleasantly  interspersed 
with  villas  and  marine  residences. 

Steamers  ply  across  to  Tayport  9 
or  10  times  a  day,  corresponding 
with  the  trains  N.  and  S. 

494    m.    Dundee    Stat.      {Hotel: 
[Scotland.  ] 


Royal,  good)  Rte.  49  ;  (N.  British), 
is  on  the  Qua.v,  about  300  yds.  from 
the  station  for  Perth  (Caledonian 
Rly.)  ;  a  subway  connects  the  two 
stations. 


ROUTE  40a. 

Edinburgh  to  Perth  by  Burnt- 
island Perry,  Markinch,  Lady- 
bank,  Abernethy,  and  Bridge 
of  Earn. 

This  route  is  the  same  as  Rte.  40 
as  far  as  LadyhanTc  Junct.  Stat. ,  but 
it  is  not  a  favourite  one,  the  ferry 
across  the  Forth  making  it  very  in- 
convenient and  unpleasant  to  some 
people.  The  way  by  Stirling  is 
most  generally  taken,  as,  though  the 
actual  distance  travelled  is  longer, 
the  time  taken  is  not  more,  and  all 
annoyance  of  changing  carriages  is 
saved. 

The  main  line  to  Perth  continues 
in  a  N.  W.  direction,  passing— 1. 
Kinloch  House  (C.  Kinnear,  Esq.), 
containing  3  paintings  by  Wilkie,  to 

294  ra.  CoUessie  Stat.  A  road  on 
rt.  leads  to  Monimail,  1  m.,  where 
stands  Beaton's  Tower,  which  formed 
part  of  the  country  residence  of  the 
Abp.  of  St.  Andrews,  and  in  1560 
was  inhabited  by  Cardinal  Beaton, 
who  is  represented  upon  the  walls  by 
the  arms  of  the  family.  Adjoining 
it  is  ilelville  House,  the  seat  of  the 
Lady  Eliz.  Cartwright,  where  are 
family  portraits  of  the  Leslies,  and 
an  interesting  whole-length  of  Gus- 
tavus  Adolphus. 

33 2  m.  rt.  Lindorcs  Abbey  (close 
to  a  farmyard),  founded  in  1178  by 
David,  Earl  of  Huntingdon,  grand- 
son of  David  L,  to  commemorate 
the  capture  of  Ptolemais,  in  the 
Holy  Land.  It  was  bestowed  on 
Benedictine  monks,  and  possessed 
one  of  the  richest  endowments  in 
Scotland.     Its  remains  cover  a  large 


266     Route  iO A.— Edinburgh  to  Pertl  :  Neidmrgh.     Sect.  IY. 


space  of  ground,  but  they  are  so 
fragmentary,  so  covered  -with  ivy, 
and  so  denuded  of  the  casnigmasonr}^, 
that  it  is  ahnost  impossible  to  iden- 
tify any  part.  Jolin  Knox,  in  the 
fervour  of  his  zeal,  records  how 
he  "  came  to  Lindores,  a  place  of 
black  monkery  ;  we  burned  their 
mass-books  before  their  faces,  and 
reformed  them. "  Among  those  who 
were  buried  in  Lindores  was  the 
Duke  of  Eothesay,  who  was  starved 
to  death  by  his  uncle  in  Falkland 
Palace.  Very  near  the  abbey  are 
the  Loch  of  Lindores,  and  the  ruined 
Gothic  church  of  Abdie  on  its  mar- 
gin. 

The  railway  sweeps  round  the 
Craig  of  Clatchard,  which  is  crowned 
with  a  succession  of  high  ramparts 
of  an  ancient  Hill  Fort  ;  attached  to 
it  is  a  walled  enclosure  for  keeping 
cattle.     The  line  joins  the  Tay  at 

34i  m,  Keiohurgli  Stat.  {Inns  : 
George ;  Commercial).  The  town 
is  prettily  situated,  and  from  the 
rly.  looks  neat,  and  built  after  a 
modern  fashion  ;  but  it  is  a  dirty 
place,  of  one  street  only.  The  view 
is  very  fine  looking  up  and  down 
the  Tay,  the  chimneys  and  spires  of 
Dundee  being  visible  in  the  distance. 
Li  the  park  of  JMugdruni  House 
(Hay  Paterson,  Esq.)  is  the  cross  of 
Mugdrum,  from  a  saint  named  a\lag- 
ridin.  It  consists  of  one  upright 
slab  of  granite,  sculptured  with 
figures  of  animals.  Another  cross 
stood  about  14  m.  to  the  S.,  on  the 
slope  of  the  Ochill  Hills,  overlooking 
Strathearn.  It  was  called  Macduff's 
Cros.'^,  and  was  destroyed  by  a  mob 
of  fanatics  in  1559,  who  were  on 
their  way  to  demolish  the  Abbey  of 
Lindores.  One  large  block  of  free- 
stone, which  served  as  the  base, 
alone  remains  : 

"  The  pedestal 
On  which  in  ancient  times  a  cross  was 

reared, 
Carved  witli  words  whicli  foiled  philo- 
logists." Scolt. 


The  view  from  it  over  the  Tay 
is  fine. 

[About  9  m.  E.  of  Newburgh  are 
the  ruins  of  Balmerino,  founded 
1229  by  Ermengarde,  the  queen  of 
William  the  Lion,  for  Cistercian 
monks  from  Melrose  ;  she  was 
buried  in  the  ch.  Of  it  nothing  re- 
mains but  the  roofless  chapter-house 
and  cloisters.  Near  it  is  a  pretty 
dell.  The  place  belongs  to  Fr.  A. 
Stuart,  Esq.] 

37  m.  Ahcrndhy  Stat.  This  was 
an  old  Pictish  capital  of  Scotland. 
It  is  now  an  irregular  village,  with 
3  churches  and  a  power-loom  mill. 
It  is  chiefiy  celebrated  for  its  Ilomul 
Toiver,  the  only  monument  of  its 
early  greatness.  It  is  74  ft.  in 
height  and  48  in  circumference  at 
bottom,  tapering,  towards  the  top, 
to  32  ft.  At  present  it  contains  the 
clock  and  bell.  Ohs. — The  door  and 
window  openings,  and  its  very  per- 
fect even  masonry,  resembling  that 
of  St.  Rule  at  St.  Andrews.  It  may 
date  from  the  lltli  or  early  part  of 
the  12th  centy.  About  6  ft.  from 
from  the  ground,  the  "jougs,"an 
iron  collar,  is  fastened  in  the  wall. 
It  was  used  to  confine  prisoners 
before  taking  them  to  jail,  but  that 
purpose  is  now  answered  by  an  iron 
cage  attached  to  the  foot  of  the 
Tower.  The  name  jougs  was  derived 
from  an  old  Celtic  word,  which  was 
the  parent  of  the  Latin  "jugum, " 
and  is  in  all  probability  the  "jug" 
that  in  thieves'  slang  signifies 
"prison." 

41  m.  Bridge  of  Earn  Stat.,  at 
the  point  where  the  old  Edinburgh 
road  crosses  the  river,  at  the  foot  of 
Moncrieff"  Hill.  It  consists  of  the 
Inn  (Moncrieff"  Arms),  and  a  group 
of  lodging-houses,  generally  occupied 
by  visitors  to  the  neighbouring 
ilineral  Springs  of  Pitcaithley, 
which  are  about  1  m.  to  the  W.  1  m. 
is  Kilgraston  House  (C.  T.  C.  Grant, 


Fife. 


Route  41. — Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline. 


267 


Esq.),  a  modern  mansion  in  red 
stone,  with  park  and  gardens,  the 
cradle  of  the  brothers  the  late  Gen. 
Sir  Hope  Grant,  and  Sir  Francis, 
President  of  the  R.  Academy.  The 
interior  contains  some  good  paint- 
ings by  S.  Rosa,  L.  da  Vinci,  Spag- 
noletto,  and  others. 

Pleasant  excursions  to  the  top  of 
Moiicrieff  Hill,  by  permission  of  the 
owner  of  Moncrietf  House,  whose 
woods  extend  to  the  summit,  in- 
cluding noble  old  trees  and  a  pro- 
mising collection  of  new  conifers. 
It  is  ^  an  hour's  walk  to  the  top 
(see  Perth,  Rte.  43).  The  views  over 
Earn  and  Tay  are  superb,  h.  To 
Glenfarg  (Rte.  42). 

424.  Crossing  the  Earn  river,  the 
rly.  joins  the  Stirling  and  Perth  line. 

After  passing  Moncrieff  Hill,  in  a 
tunnel  1^  m.  long,  the  tourist  sud- 
denly discovers  Perth,  surrounded 
by  an  amphitheatre  of  hills,  such  as 
Moncrieff  Hill  and  the  Kinnoul 
Hills,  beyond  which  the  Carse  of 
Gowrie  stretches  away  towards  the 

464  m.  Perth  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte. 
43).  {Inns:  British,  close  to  the 
stat,  ;  Royal  George,  near  the  Tay 
Bridge;  Salutation,  South-st.) 


ROUTE  41. 

Edinburgh  to  Dunfermline,  Kin- 
ross, and  Stirling,  by  Thornton 
Junction. 

The  direct  distance  from  Edin- 
burgh to  Dunfermline  is  17  m.  by 
Queensferr}%  where  the  rly,  stops  ; 
the  remaining  6  m.  of  hilly  road, 
after  crossing  the  ferry,  must  be 
travelled  in  coach  or  a  private  con- 
veyance {see  Rte.  14)  until  the  rly. 
now  in  course  of  formation,  is  com- 
pleted. 

By  the  present  Route  the  traveller 
crosses  the  Firth  from  Granton  to 
Burntisland,  and  takes  the  train  to 

J    Tlwrnton  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte.  40). 


The  line,  a  branch  from  the 
Edinburgh,  Perth,  and  Dundee  Rly. , 
here  strikes  otf  to  the  1.,  up  the  val- 
ley of  the  Orr,  passing  through  an 
uninteresting  country,  principally 
inhabited  by  a  manufacturing  com- 
munity. 

5  m.  Cardenden  Stat.,  to  the  N. 
of  which  is  the  village  of  Auchter- 
derran. 

11  m.  Lochgelhj  Stat.  {Inn: 
Minto  Arms)  ;  on  the  Orr. 

10  m,  Cowdenbeath  Junct :  col- 
lieries and  iron  forges.  [Hence 
another  short  line  of  8  m,  runs  N. 
to  Lochleven  and  Kinross,  passing 

5  m.  Blair- Adam,  the  seat  of  "VV. 
P.  Adam,  Esq. ,  jSI.P.,  a  frequent  resort 
of  Sir  AValter  Scott  in  the  lifetime 
of  his  friend  Chief-Commissioner 
Adam.  The  plot  of  "The  Abbot  " 
was  concocted  here,  and  many  scenes 
in  the  beautiful  grounds,  "the 
Kiery  Craggs,"  etc.,  are  described  in 
the  novel.  The  castle  of  Lochleven 
is  a  conspicuous  object  from  them. 
Near  at  hand  is  the  Kirk  of 
Cleish  (botham).  The  scenery  is 
picturesque,  as  the  rly.  crosses  a  gap 
between  the  Cleish  Hills  (1.)  and 
Benarty  Hill  (rt.),  and  then  skirts 
the  shores  of  Lochleven  to  Kin- 
ross. 

Lochleven  Stat.  (Rte.  42). 

Dunfermline,  Railway.'] 


country,  to 

13  m.  Halheath,  or  Hill  of  Beath, 
a  conical  eminence  to  rt.  of  the  line, 

15  m.  Dunfermline  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Commercial,  near  the  stat.  ;  Royal ; 
neither  particularly  good.)  Though 
a  Pari.  Burgh  and  a  place  of  some 
importance,  both  as  regards  the 
number  of  inhabit.  (14,95»)  and  the 
produce  of  its  manufactories,  Avhich 
consist  chiefly  of  diapers  and  line 
table-linen,  it  is  a  poor-looking  and 
ill-built  town,  occupying  the  slope^i 


268 


Route  4 1 . — DunfermTine ;  A hhey. 


Sect.  IV 


and  summit  of  a  steep  hill,  its  only 
distinguishing  feature  being  its 
church,  ruined  Abbey,  and  Castle. 
Among  modern  structures  the  St. 
Leonards  Works  is  the  handsom- 
est though  not  the  largest  of  the 
power-loom  Aveaving-mills. 

The  Palace  was  long  the  residence 
of  the  Scottish  kings. 

"  The  king  sits  in  Dunfermline  tower 

Drinking  the  blude-red  wine  ; 

Where  sail  I  find  a  skeely  skipper 

Will  sail  this  ship  o'  mine  ?  " 

Ballad  of  Sir  ^Patrick  Speiis. 

The  scanty  ruins  of  the  Royal 
Palace,  now  property  of  the  Crown, 
stand  on  a  projecting  rock  above  the 
wooded  glen  of  Pittencrief  (seat  of 
J.  Hunt,  Esq.),  traversed  by  the 
winding  burn  from  which  is  derived 
the  name  Dunfermline,  i.e.,  castle 
of  the  winding  stream.  It  was  built 
by  Malcolm  Canmore.  In  it  were 
born  Maud,  wife  of  Henry  I.  of 
England,  and  her  brothers  (after- 
wards kings)  Edgar,  Alexander,  and 
David  II.,  father  of  Robert  Bruce. 

King  Edward  I.,  in  his  second  in- 
vasion of  Scotland,  1303,  held  his 
Court  here,  and  at  that  time  the 
Castle  was  burned,  it  is  supposed  by 
accident.  It  was  rebuilt  by  James 
IV.,  1500. 

Mary  Queen  of  Scots  lived  here  in 
1561.  Her  son,  James  VI.,  sub- 
scribed the  Covenant  here  ;  and  here 
his  children,  Charles  I.  and  Princess 
Elizabeth,  were  born.  Charles  II. 
also  inhabited  the  palace  before  his 
march  to  Worcester,  and  was  forced 
by  the  Covenanters  to  sign  "the 
terrible  act "  known  as  the  Ikinferm- 
line  Declaration,  in  which  his  parents 
are  condemned  in  sufficiently  strong 
language. 

The  high  road  from  Queensferry 
ascends  between  the  Castle  and  the 
Abbey  ruins,  and  these  last  are  ap- 
proached through  a  massive  Gothic 
vaulted  Gatevjay. 

The  Abbey,  "The  Westminster  of 
Scotland,"    was     founded     by    the 


Saint-Queen  Maigaret,  sister  of  the 
refugee  Prince  Edgar  Atheling,  and 
her  husband  Malcolm,  1070-93,  for 
Benedictine  monks  from  Canter- 
bury. Of  their  church  nothing  re- 
mains. A  second  church  was  partly 
replaced  by  an  elegant  pointed 
choir  and  transepts,  added  1250, 
but  ruined  by  the  Reformers,  and 
finally  swept  away,  1818,  to  make 
room  for  the  tasteless  edifice,  con- 
structed in  entire  ignorance  of  the 
true  principles  of  Gothic,  which  at 
present  serves  as  Parish  Church.  In 
the  space  between  the  2  easternmost 
piers,  where  the  high  altar  stood, 
Robert  Bruce  was  buried,  and  a  blue 
marble  slab  at  the  E.  end  is  said  to 
mark  the  grave  of  Queen  ]\Iargaret. 
The  balustrade  of  the  tower  is 
wrought  into  the  words,  "  King 
Robert  the  Bruce  !  !  !  " 

Most  fortunately  there  has  been 
preserved  of  the  second  eh.  the  nave 
and  western  portion,  date  1150,  of 
pure  and  simple  Romanesque.  It  is 
externally  somewhat  marred  by  the 
great  size  and  massiveness  of  the 
buttresses,  added  in  the  16th  cent. 
On  each  side  of  the  round-headed 
W.  doorway  rises  a  narrow  square 
tower,  lighted  with  windows  of  Dec, 
date.  The  N.  aisle  is  entered  by  a 
porch.  The  inner  doorway  is  very 
rich  Romanesque,  presenting  a.  con- 
trast to  the  groined  roof,  which  is 
of  later  date.  The  Romanesque 
nave,  106  ft.  long  and  54  ft.  high, 
is  supported  by  tall  cylinder  piers 
and  round  arches,  forming  5  bays. 
Some  of  the  piers  are  grooved  in  zig- 
zags and  sjjirals,  not  unlike  those  of 
Durham.  The  arch  next  to  the  door 
was  rebuilt  by  James  VI.,  in  the 
early  pointed  style.  This  impres- 
sive nave  is  cut  off  from  the  modern 
church  by  a  hideous  partition 
wall. 

Dunfermline  Abbey  succeeded 
lona  as  the  place  of  sepulture  of  the 
Scottish  kings.  King  Duncan,  or 
Macbeth,  was  the  last  buried  at 
lona :   and   Malcolm   Canmore  and 


FiFE.     Routes  41,  Dunfermline. — 42,  Stirling  to  Kinross.      269 


his  son  having  been  killed  at  Aln- 
wick, were  moved  hither  in  1110. 
Malcolm  and  his  queen  lie  at  the  E. 
end.  Their  sons  were  buried  here, 
Kings  Edgar,  Alexander  I.,  David 
II.  ;  Malcolm  IV.,  Alexander  III., 
and  Robert  the  Bruce.  His  remains 
were  disinterred  in  1818  {see  the 
admirable  description  in  "  Tales  of  a 
Grandfather. "  They  were  found  en- 
cased in  2  coverings  of  sheet  lead, 
and  wrapped  in  a  shroud  interwoven 
with  threads  of  gold,  A  cast  of  the 
king's  skull  was  taken  by  the 
Phrenological  Society  of  Edinburgh. 
They  were  replaced  in  a  new  coiBn, 
and  re-interred ;  the  pulpit  now 
stands  over  the  spot  where  they  lie. 
In  the  S.  triinsept  is  a  marble 
monument  to  General  Bruce,  Men- 
tor to  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

Of  the  rest  of  the  Abbey  nothing 
is  to  be  seen  but  the  Abbey  Gateway 
and  "  Fratery,"  or  Refectory,  stand- 
ing in  the  S.W.  corner  of  the  ch.- 
yard,  the  most  striking  portion  of 
which  is  the  W.  window,  still  per- 
fect, of  7  lights,  the  upper  part  filled 
with  quatrefoils.  It  was  probably 
put  up  at  the  end  of  the  16th  centy. 
The  remains  appear  to  date  from  the 
14th  centy.  Edward  I.  wintered  in 
the  Abbey  in  1303,  and  had  no  sooner 
quitted  it  than  it  was  burned  by  his 
soldiers,  along  with  the  town. 

There  is  a  good  view  of  the  town 
from  the  terrace  in  the  ch.-yard. 

The  bulky  U.  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Queen  Anne  St.  was  one  of  the 
earliest  churches  of  the  Secession. 
That  movement  had  its  origin  here, 
and  in  front  of  this  cli.  is  a  stone 
statue  of  its  chief  leader,  Ralph 
Erskine,  who  is  buried  in  the  Abbe}^ 
Ch. 

3  m.  from  Dunfermline  towards 
the  sea  is  Broomhall,  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Elgin.  In  it  are  preserved  the 
sword  (and  helmet  ? )  of  Robert  the 
Bruce,  and  the  bed  of  Anne  of 
Denmark,  in  which  Charles  I.  was 
born,  brought  from  Dunfermline. 


Here  are  some  valuable  paintings, 
Seb.  del  Piomho. — A  female  portrait, 
Leon,  da  Vinci. — St.  Sebastian.  An. 
Caracci. — St,  Francis  before  the 
Crucifix.  Felasqicez.  —  Duke  of 
Olivarez.  Moroni. — A  Blacksmith. 
Elzheimer. — St.  Peter  delivered  from 
Prison, 

Rail  to  Stirling,  21  m.  ;  Kinross, 
11  m.  ;  Thornhill  Junct.  (Rte,  40), 
15  ;  coach  to  Edinburgh,  16  m. 

Distances. — Inverkeithing,  4  m.; 
Queensferry,  6  m.    Rail  in  progress. 

The  remainder  of  the  route  to 
Stirling  is  effected  by  a  branch  of 
the  North  British,  which  runs  partly 
through  a  colliery  district.  In  the 
neighbourhood  of  Oakley,  4.^  m.,  are 
Inzievar  (A.  Smith  Sligo,  Esq.)  and 
Luscar,  6  m. 

Eastqrange  is  the  stat.  for  Culross 
(Rte.  15). 

104  Kincardine  Stat.,  the  town 
being  2  m.  on  the  1.  12  m.  Clack- 
manncm  (Rte.  19);  14  m.  Alloa; 
21,  Stirling  (described  in  Rte,  18). 


ROUTE  42. 

Stirling  to  Kinross  and  Perth.,  by 
[Alva]  Alloa,  Dollar,  Castle 
Campbell,  Humbling  Bridge, 
and  Cauldron  Linn  [Glenfarg], 

The  Devon  Valley  Rly.  passes 
many  scenes  of  beauty.  This  line 
strikes  F,  from  Stirling  Stat.,  cross- 
ing at  once  the  Forth,  touching  tAvo 
or  more  of  its  meandering  "  links  ; " 
1.  goes  the  line  to  Callander  (Rte. 
21). 

14  m.  Causeway  Head  Stat.,  at 
the  foot  of  Abbey  Craig  ;  N.  of  this 
rises  Dunmyat,  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  of  the  Ochill  range  of 
hills,  and  commanding  an  interesting 
view  from  its  top,  which  may  be 
reached  by  the  road  passing  Logie 


270 


Eoute  4:2. — Tillicoultry ;  Dollar.  Sect.  IV. 


Ch.  From  it  may  be  seen  the  course 
of  the  Forth,  its  links,  its  tributary, 
the  Devon,  Arthur's  Seat,  the  Gram- 
pians, and  Airthrey  Castle  (Lord 
Abercromby). 

The  Devon  river  is  crossed  before 
reaching  Cambus  Stat.  ;  rt.  is  Tulli- 
body House. 


[Branch  Ely.  to  Aha,  5^  m.,  fol- 
lowing the  course  of  the  Devon  by 
Menstrie  Stat.,  a  seat  of  the  Avoollen 
cloth,  tartan,  etc.,  manufacture,  and 
the  birthplace  of  Gen.  Sir  Ralph 
Abercromby,  1734. 

5|  m.  A  iva  Terminus  {Inn :  John- 
stone Arms),  a  thriving  village  of 
4296  inhab.,  abounding  in  woollen 
mills,  agreeably  placed  at  the  foot  of 
the  Ochill  Hills,  which  are  penetrated 
by  very  picturesque  glens. 

1|  m.  E,,  on  an  eminence,  is  Alva 
House  (J.  Johnstone,  Esq.),  built  in 
the  reign  of  Cliarles  I.,  though  much 
altered  subsequently.  The  grounds 
are  beautifully  laid  out,  and  are  re- 
markable for  their  fountains  and 
terraces.  A  remarkably  fine  avenue 
of  oaks  leads  from  the  house  to  the 
ch.,  and  behind  the  village  is  the 
exceedingly  pretty  Glen  Alva,  called 
the  "Silver  Glen,"  from  the  silver- 
mines  that  used  to  be  worked  here. 
The  family  of  Johnstone  obtained 
the  estate  of  Alva  by  purchase  from 
the  Erskines,  Earls  of  Mar. 

The  ascent  of  Ben  CI  each,  the 
highest  of  the  Ochills,  may  be  made 
in  34  hrs.  from  Alva,  following  the 
horse-path  to  Blackford,  The  view 
from  the  top  is  most  extensive,  and  | 
has  been  excellently  engraved  in 
Knipe's  Panorama,  from  a  drawing  by  ; 
the  Ordnance  Survey  officers,  pub- 
lished at  Stirling. 

TillicouHry  Stat.,  on  the  Devon  ; 
here  are  mills  for  the  manufactur- 
ing of  tartans  and  other  woollen 
stuffs.  By  following  the  glen  into 
the  mountains,  the  pedesti'ian  will 
come  to  some   romantic  little  falls 


and  charming  scenery.  Tillicoultry 
House,  to  the  IS",  of  the  village,  is 
the  seat  of  E.  Wardlaw  Ramsay, 
Esq.  ' '  The  whole  of  this  part  of 
the  country  is  one  continued  scene 
of  beauty,  rendering  this  portion 
of  Clackmannan  one  of  the  most 
delicious  of  Scotland.  From  the 
gates  of  Muckhart,  along  the  foot 
of  the  Ochills,  is  a  ride  exceeded 
in  beauty  by  very  few  lines  in  Scot- 
land of  equal  length  ;  singular  too 
as  it  is  beautiful,  bounded  on  one 
hand  by  a  lofty  and  continuous  wall 
of  green,  cultivated,  and  wooded 
mountains,  and  on  the  other  looking 
over  a  wide  and  open  expanse  of 
country  which  dazzles  the  eye  by 
its  richness." — Maccidloch. 

Between  Tillicoultry  and  Dollar 
1.,  is  Har-sneston  (James  Orr,  Esq.), 
"  on  Devon's  banks,"  celebrated  by 
Burns,  and  "  Tait's  Tomb,"  the 
family  burial-place  of  the  Archbp. 
of  Canterbury,  whose  father  built 
Harvieston. 

12  m.  Dollar  Stnt.  {Inn  :  *Castle 
Campbell,  comfortable).  The  origin 
of  this  name  is  "  Dal-ard,"  the  steep 
valley.  It  is  a  very  pretty  Swiss-look- 
ing little  village,  celebrated  for  a 
large  Academy,  a  building  in  the 
Doric  style,  founded  by  the  muni- 
ficent bequest  of  John  M'Nab  of 
Stepney,  who  left  his  native  place  a 
poor  bo}^,  and  afterwards  realised  a 
large  fortune  in  the  West  Indies. 

Dollar  is  traversed  by  the  Dollar 
brook,  and  it  is  a  truly  delightful 
walk  to  follow  up  that  stream,  con- 
stantly ascending  through  a  wooded 
glen,  1  m.,  to  the  ruins  of  *  Castle 
Camjybell,  which  stands  on  a  project- 
ing buttress  of  the  mountain,  iso- 
lated by  deep  gorges  on  either  side, 
meeting  together  \  m.  below  the 
fortress.  In  ascending  it  is  desir- 
able to  follow  the  rt.  hand  or  E. 
gorge,  up  which  the  path  winds  un- 
til it  reaches  the  gate  in  the  rear  of 
the  castle.     After  exploring  it,  and, 


Scotland.  Route  i2. — Castle  Camplell ;  Rumbling  Bridge.   271 


if  time  allows,  ascending  to  tlie  point 
of  view  about  300  yards  behind  it, 
the  traveller  may  return  by  tlie  other 
path,  plunging  into  the  deep  wooded 
dell,  having  the  castle  on  his  left. 
This  in  a  short  distance  narrows  into 
a  most  extraordinary  and  romantic 
chasm — a  mere  chink  split  in  the 
mountain  side,  in  places  not  2 
yards  apart,  between  walls  of  bare 
rock  200  ft.  high.  The  tumbling  tor- 
rent occupies  nearly  the  whole  space 
below,  and  the  gorge  would  be  in- 
accessible to  human  foot  were  it  not 
that  the  rock  path  is  eked  out  by 
many  bridges  and  platforms  of  wood 
clamped  Avith  iron  stanchions 
against  the  vertical  rock.  These 
have  been  made  at  the  expense  of 
the  good  people  of  Dollar,  who  have 
thus  laid  open  to  strangers  a  scene 
unequalled  of  its  kind  in  Britain, 
and  nearly  resembling  the  famous 
Goi-ge  of  Pfcjfers  in  Switzerland, 
though  on  a  smaller  scale. 

To  return  to  the  Castle.  It  is  a 
buikiing  of  much  interest  from  its 
romantic  and  commanding  position, 
and  its  ancient  strength  and  good 
preservation.  It  is  approached 
through  an  outer  court  or  Barme- 
kin,  and,  as  usual,  its  chief  feature 
is  a  square  keep  tower,  probably  of 
12th  centy.,  to  which  a  more  mo- 
dern wing,  with  an  open  arcade,  is 
attached.  On  the  first  floor  of  the 
tower  was  the  great  hall,  with  a 
remarkable  cradle  roof  of  stone, 
ribbed.  Adjoining  it  is  the  ])it  or 
dungeon,  entered  by  a  trap-door  in 
its  floor.  From  the  top  of  the  tower 
is  a  splendid  view,  extending  to  the 
winding  Forth,  Clackmannan  Tower, 
and  the  Pentlands. 

The  origin  of  this  castle,  or  how 
it  came  into  the  hands  of  the  Argyle 
family,  is  unknown,  but  it  was  origi- 
nally called  the  Castle  of  Gloom, 
situated  in  the  parish  of  Dolour,  sur- 
roiinded  by  the  Glen  of  Care,  and 
watered  by  the  rivers  of  Sorrow.  In 
4189  the  first  Earl  of  Argyle  obtained 
an  Act  of  Parliament  to  change  its 


name  to  Castle  Campbell.  In  1556 
John  Knox  preached  here  a  short  time 
prior  to  his  going  to  Geneva,  and  in 
the  next  centy.  Montrose,  on  his 
way  to  Kilsytli,  sacked  and  burnt 
it  in  revenge  for  the  destruction  of 
Airlie,  and  it  has  never  since  been 
inhabited  save  by  a  keeper,  who  is 
a  very  intelligent  guide.  It  re- 
mained in  the  possession  of  the  Ar- 
gyle family  from  1465  to  1S05,  when 
it  Avas  sold  to  Crauford  Tait,  Esq. 
It  now  belongs  to  James  Orr,  Esq. 

From  Dollar  the  ascent  of  Ben 
Cleuch,  one  of  the  liighest  of  the. 
Ochills,  is  a  walk  of  5  m.  passing 
Castle  Campbell]. 

Beyond  Dollar,  3  m.,  the  rly.  is 
carried  over  the  Gairnie,  on  a,  viadiict 
of  6  arches,  110  ft.  high,  and  over 
the  Devon  on  a  second  long  viaduct. 

Humbling  Bridge  Stat,  is  only 
200  yards  from  the  bridge  over  the 
Devon,  so  called  on  account  of  the 
roar  of  the  torrent  passing  under  it, 
and  about  300  yanls  from  the  com- 
fortable Inn,  through  whose  grounds 
access  is  obtained  to  the  very  re- 
markable and  picturesque  scenes 
which  the  Devon  here  presents. 
•The  river  runs  for  nearly  a  mile 
through  a  dark  rocky  chasm,  whose 
sides,  100  to  200  ft.  high,  are  vertical, 
if  not  overhanging.  In  places,  how- 
ever, the  channel  is  so  tortuous  and 
broken  by  sudden  descents  that  the 
river  writhes  and  twists,  burrowing 
and  undermining  so  as  to  be  lost  to 
view.  In  others  it  whirls  round  and 
round,  for  ever  carrying  loose  stones 
along  with  it,  which  hollow  out  the 
rock  into  cau\lrons,  and  f)olish  the 
sides  quite  smooth.  The  small  fall 
near  the  Inn  is  called  the  DcviVs 
Mill,  because  it  grinds  and  inimbles 
like  a  mill,  and  never  minds  Sun- 
day. This  gorge  or  chasm  is  groAm 
over  with  trees,  which  root  in  all 
the  crannies  of  the  rocks,  and  form 
a  most   picturesque    contrast  with 


Route  42. — Kinross  ;  Lochleven. 


Sect.  IV. 


their  green  foliage  to  the  grey- 
rocks.  Paths  and  steps  give  access 
to  the  best  points  of  view.  The 
most  striking  scene  is  the  Bridge 
itself,  Avhich,  like  the  Pont  du 
Diable  on  the  Pass  of  St.  Gothard, 
is  double,  consisting  of  an  older 
narrow  arch  built  by  a  local  mason, 
1713,  surmounted  by  a  more  modern 
and  loftier  one  70  ft.  above  stream. 
The  views  through  the  2  arches 
athwart  the  foliage  is  very  striking, 
and  there  is  much  here  to  attract 
the  artist.  A  pleasant  footpath 
along  the  1.  bank  of  the  Devon  leads 
down  the  valley  2  m.  from  the 
Bridge  to  the  Cauldron  Linn,  where 
the  whole  body  of  water,  descends  in 
two  falls  through  a  deep  gap  between 
vertical  clilfs.  The  walk  to  this 
spot  is  exceedingly  beautiful ;  and 
when  the  river  is  full  the  cascade 
is  well  worth  seeing.  Access  to  it 
on  the  rt.  is  gained  through  the 
grounds  of  Blairhill  (A.  Haig,  Esq.), 
from  whom  permission  must  be  ob- 
tained. 

Ih  m.  to  S.  of  Rumbling  Bridge  is 
Aklie,  the  seat  of  the  JNlercers  of 
Aldie,  now  represented  by  the  Dowa- 
ger Marchioness  of  Lansdowne. 

1^  m.  Crook  of  Devon  Stat.,  so 
called  from  the  abrupt  bend  which 
the  Devon  river  makes  in  its  descent 
from  Sheriffmuir  at  the  base  of  the 
Ochill  Hills.  Near  it  is  Tullibole 
Castle,  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  Sir 
H.  W.  Moncreiff,  Bt.  Thence 
through  a  well  cultivated  country, 
bounded  on  1.  by  hills. 

Kinross  Jund.  Stat.  [Here  a 
branch  riy.  turns  S.  by  Kinross  to 
Dunfermline  by  Cowdenbeath  Junct. 
(Rte.  41.)] 

7  m.  Kinross,  for  Lochleven  Stat., 
close  to  the  Lake,  the  mills,  and  the 
boats.  Lniis :  Kirkland's,  best,  and 
well  managed  ;  Bridge  House,  near 
the  lake.  Kpiscopal  Ch.,  a  neat 
Gothic  building  on  outskirts  of  the 


town.  Kinross  is  the  capital  of  the 
county  of  the  same  name.  The 
whole  of  this  district,  including 
the  3  counties  of  Kinross,  Fife,  and 
Clackmannan,  used  to  be  called  the 
Ross  {i.e.  the  peninsula),  and  Kinross 
means  the  "head  of  the  peninsula  ;." 
just  as  Culross  on  the  Firth  of  Forth 
means  the  "bottom  of  the  penin- 
sula," and  so  on.  The  town  was 
once  noted  for  its  cutlery,  but  its 
manufaiiture  now  is  that  of  coarse 
linen  and  woollen  goods.  There  are 
several  large  Mills  on  the  loch  side, 
close  to  the  raihvay  stat.,  4  m.  from 
the  centre  of  the  town.  A  wide  turfed 
avenue  leads  from  the  town  to 
Kinross  House  (Sir  Graham  Mont- 
gomery, Bt.),  on  the  lake  shore,  now 
uninhabited.  It  was  built  by  Sir 
William  Bruce,  architect  of  Holy- 
rood. 

Kinross  stands  on  the  W.  side  of 
Lochleven.  Twenty  boats  are  kept 
for  hire;  charges  for  visiting  island 
and  castle,  5s.  ;  for  iishing,  2s.  6d. 
an  hour  ;  boatman's  fee.  Is.  an  hour. 

Lochleven  is  a  sheet  of  water  9 
m.  in  circuit,  famed  for  its  Cattle 
and  its  pink  Trout.  On  its  S.  shore 
rises  the  picturesque  hill  of  Ben 
Arthey.  There  are  several  islands, 
on  one  of  Avhich,  nearest  the  town,  \ 
m.  from  the  shore  (about  20  minutes 
to  row),  is  Lochleven  Castle,  a  for- 
tress of  considerable  antiquity,  be- 
longing to  the  Douglas  family. 
Here  Queen  Mary  Avas  imprisoned 
after  her  surrender  at  Carberry  Hill, 
1567,  and  remained  11  months  in 
the  custody  of  Lady  Douglas  of  Loch- 
leven, a  woman  adapted  by  temper, 
and  still  more  by  circumstances,  for 
a  gaoler,  having  been  the  mistress 
(she  said  Avife)  of  James  V.,  and 
mother  of  the  Earl  of  Murray,  AA*ho, 
if  legitimate,  Avould  have  been  King 
of  Scotland.  A  picturesque  object 
at  a  distance,  the  castle  on  a  nearer 
approach  is  seen  to  be  a  rough  square 
Peel  ToAver,  standing  in  a  court,  sur- 
rounded by  a  rampart  wall,  which 


Kinross. 


lioute  42. — Lochleven  :  Castle. 


273 


once  included  various  offices  now 
pulled  down.  The  tower  was  entered 
at  a  round-headed  low  door  half- 
way up  the  Avail  by  a  draw-stair  or 
platform.  It  consisted  of  two 
vaulted  chambers,  below  a  store- 
house and  kitchen,  with  trap-doors 
in  the  floors,  and  above  three  storeys, 
of  which  the  wooden  floors  are  gone. 
In  this  tower  dwelt  Lady  Douglas. 
Her  prisoner  was  secured  in  a  de- 
tatched  round  turret,  in  the  angle 
of  the  rampart,  where  she  occupied 
a  room  only  15  ft.  in  diameter, 
furnished  with  a  fireplace  and  one 
window,  and  entered  by  a  corkscrew- 
stair  from  the  courtyard.  Within 
these  walls,  on  the  23d  July,  1567, 
by  persuasion  or  compulsion  of  the 
Earl  of  Lindsay  and  Melville,  Queen 
Mary  signed  a  deed  of  Abdication  of 
the  crown  in  favour  of  her  son,  and 
another  appointing  her  brother,  Mur- 
ray, Regent.  Only  a  month  before 
the  discovery  and  publication  of  her 
secret  correspondence  with  Bothwell, 
found  in  the  famous  "Casket,"  had 
occurred.  Many  attempts  were  made 
by  Mary's  friends  for  her  deliverance, 
but  in  vain.  She  was  more  suc- 
cessful with  her  personal  fascina- 
tions, by  which  she  succeeded  in 
captivating  the  heart  of  George 
Douglas,  the  son  of  her  gaoler,  whose 
devotion  to  her  caused  him  to  be 
expelled  the  castle.  He  left  behind, 
however,  a  confederate,  Willie  Doug- 
las, a  boy  of  18,  who  on  the  night  of 
the  2d  May,  1568,  while  the  inmates 
of  the  castle  were  at  prayers,  secured 
the  keys,  placed  the  queen  in  a  boat 
belonging  to  the  castle,  having 
locked  the  gates  behind  him,  threw 
the  keys  overboard,  and  conveyed  her 
to  the  mainland,  where  she  was  re- 
ceived by  Lord  Seton,  George 
Douglas,  and  Sir  James  Hamilton, 
and  taken  to  Niddry  Castle. 

Confined  and  rough  as  these  ruined 
walls  are,  an  indescribable  interest  at- 
taches to  them,  when  we  think  of  the 
illustrious  and  interesting  prisoner 
who  sighed  beneath  that  roof,  who 


trod  those  very  stone  steps,  who  sat 
on  that  stone  seat,  and  peered  long- 
ingly day  after  day  through  that 
contracted  window.  Owing  to  the 
recent  drainage  of  the  lake,  by  which 
1400  acres  of  land  have  been  added 
to  its  margin,  the  area  of  the  island 
has  been  enlarged,  and  boats  can  no 
longer  land,  as  in  Mary's  time,  close 
under  the  castle '  walls.  Queen 
Mary's  escape  forms  one  of  the 
principal  scenes  in  Sir  W.  Scott's 
"Abbot."  On  the  15th  of  the  same 
month  (May)  Mary  was  defeated  at 
Langside  by  her  brother,  and  fled  to 
England. 

Upon  St.  Serfs  Isle  are  the  niins 
of  an  old  priory,  said  to  have  been 
founded  for  the  Culdees,  by  Eocha, 
King  of  the  Picts.  David  I.  trans- 
ferred the  building  and  property  to 
Augustinian  canons,  and  ordered  the 
Culdees  to  conform  to  the  rules  of 
that  order,  or  to  leave  the  priory. 
AndreAv  Wynton,  one  of  the  earliest 
of  the  Scotch  annalists,  was  prior  of 
this  place. 

5  m.  from  Kinross,  on  the  E.  shore 
of  the  lake,  is  the  village  of  Kin- 
neswood,  the  birthplace  of  Michael 
Bruce  the  poet,  author  of  the  "  Ode 
to  the  Cuckoo,"  commonly  attributed 
to  Logan. 


Eail  to  Rumbling  Bridge,  7  m.  ; 
also  to  Ladybank,  16  m.  (for  Perth) 
to  Dunfermline. 

Distances. — Dollar,  11m.;  Milna- 
thort, 1*  ;  Perth,  by  Glenfarg,  17  ; 
Dunfermline,  11. 


The  PJy.  from  Kinross  to  Lady- 
hank  Junct.,  16  m.,  enjoys  partial 
glimpses  of  Lochleven. 

Milnathort  Stat.  A  large  power- 
loom  mill  here.  [The  old  road  to 
Perth  here  branches  off  to  the  1.  and 
runs    through    the    truly  beautiful 


274 


Route  43. — Stirling  to  Perth  :  Ardoch,     Sect.  IV. 


Glenfarg,  a  defile  in  the  Oehills, 
owing  much  of  its  beauty  to  the 
picturesque  form  of  the  porphyry 
hills  which  bound  it,  descending  into 
the  vale  of  Earn  at  the  Ijridge  of 
Earn,  The  old  Edinburgh  road 
threaded  the  windings  of  this  pass  : 
a  still  older  road  traversed  the  hill- 
top to  the  point  from  which  Sir 
"Walter  Scott's  description  of  Perth, 
in  "The  Fair  Maid  of  Perth,"  was 
taken,  viz.  "the  Wicks  of  Baiglie." 
The  mineralogist  may  find  scmie 
good  specimens  of  minerals,  includ- 
ing that  known  as  "  Staurolite,"  in 
Ghnfarri,  where  the  rock  is  being 
quarried  for  I'oad-metal. 

About  halfway  up  the  glen  is 
Balmanno,  one  of  the  most  perfect 
examples  of  the  old  Scottish  mansion. 
Close  by  it  is  the  pretty  waterfall  of 
Dron,  a  noted  place  for  the  breeding 
of  water-ousels,  the  nests  of  which 
are  placed  between  the  waterfall 
and  the  rock,  so  as  to  be  almost  in- 
accessible. There  is  a  charming 
Avalk,  turning  off  to  the  1.  at  Dron, 
and  following  the  road  to  Forteviot] 

The  rly.  is  then  carried  up  the 
Vale  of  the  Eden,  through  a  some- 
what uninteresting  country,  to 

Strathmiglo  Stat.,  at  the  back  of 
the  Lomond  Hills  ;  4  in.  from  Falk- 
land, Anchtcrmuchtii  Stat.  The 
view  on  the  rt.,  however,  is  relieved 
from  monotony  by  the  escarpments 
of  the  Lomond  Hills,  which  rise  to 
between  1700  and  1800  ft. 

Ladybank  Jdnct.  (Ete.  40). 

Perth  Junct.  Stat.  (Ete.  43). 


ROUTE  43. 

Stirling     to     Perth,    by     Crieff 

Junction  and  Auchterarder. 

The  line  from  Stirling  to  Dun- 
blane, 54  m.,  is  given  in  Rte.  21. 
Here  the  Rly.  to  Callander  (and  the 
Trossachs)  branches  1.  (Rte.  21,  p. 
176). 


[To  the  rt.  3  m.,  and  nearly  equi- 
distant from  Dunblane  and  Kinbvck 
Stations  is  Sherijf'muir,  celebrated 
for  the  undecided  battle  fought  there 
in  1715,  between  the  Earl  of  Mar, 
who  commanded  the  Pretender's 
forces,  and  the  Duke  of  Argyll, 
at  the  head  of  the  royal  troops, 
which  were  inferior  in  number. 
Mar's  object  was  to  cross  the  Forth 
and  join  his  friends  in  the  S.,  and  to 
prevent  this,  Argyll  gave  him  battle. 
The  rt.  wing  on  each  side  was  com- 
pletely victorious,  and  pushed  its 
successes  so  far  as  not  to  have  noticed 
til  at  its  left  was  irretrievably  routed. 
Both  sides  claimed  the  victory,  but 
the  fruits  of  it  were  with  Argyll,  for 
the  Earl  retreated.  This  was  the 
battle  of  which  Burns  wrote — 

"  There's  some,  say  that  we  wan, 
And  some  say  that  they  Avan, 

And  some  say  tliat  nane  wan  at  a',  man  ; 
Bnt  of  one  thing  I'm  sure. 
That  at  SheriHmuir, 

A  battle  there  was,  which  I  saw,  man  ; 
And  we  ran,  and  they  ran. 
And  they  ran,  and  we  ran, 

And  we  ran,  and  they  ran  awa'  man." 

The  Battle  Stone  upon  which 
the  Highlanders  are  said  to  have 
sharpened  their  dirks  before  the 
action,  as  well  as  the  mound  where 
the  slain  were  buried,  are  still  to  be 
seen.] 

The  rly.  from  Dunblane  keeps  to 
the  X.E.,  up  the  valley  of  the  Allan, 
which  is  fed  by  several  minor  streams 
rising  in  the  Braes  of  Doune. 

11  m.  Greenloaning  Stat.  There 
is  a  fine  glen  on  the  1.,  leading  in  24 
m.  to 

I5  m.  Ardoch  Hotise  (Geo.  Home 
Drummond,  Esq.),  in  whose  park  the 
archaeologist  will  find  the  most  per- 
fect Roman  cam})  in  Great  Britain,  a 
series  of  green  turfed  banks  and 
ditches,  one  within  the  other, 
arranged  in  the  form  of  squares. 
The  space  within  one  set  of  entrench- 


Perthshire.     Route  iZ. — Stirling  to  Perth :  Ardoch.  275 


ments  is  oblong,  and  measures  420  ft. 
by  375,  with  its  4  sides  nearly  facing 
the  cardinal  points  of  the  compass. 
The  prffitoriuni  is  a  regular  square  of 
60  ft.  in  the  centre  of  the  camp,  and 
stands  upon  slightly  rising  ground. 
Upon  the  X.  side  of  this,  the  smallest 
camp,  is  the  Procastrum,  1060  ft.  by 
900,  where  the  baggage  was  placed  ; 
and  N.AV.  of  that  is  the  Great  Camp, 
2800  ft.  by  1950,  which  is  considered 
to  have  been  able  to  contain  26,000 
men.  The  form  of  this  camp  is  ob- 
long, but  not  a  regular  parallelogram. 
Gen.  Wade's  road  enters  it  by  its 
S.  gate,  and  has  thus  destroyed  part 
of  the  vallum.  The  N.  gate  is  a  little 
E.  of  the  road,  and  covered  by  a 
straight  traverse,  and  another  gate 
on  the  W.  is  protected  in  a  similar 
manner.  The  3d  stauds  on  trhe  W. 
of  the  great  one,  apparently  within 
it,  its  ramparts  crossing  those  of 
the  larger  one,  which  was  evidently 
the  older,  and  seems  by  its  superior 
state  of  preservation  to  have  been 
occupied  at  a  subsequent  period,  when 
a  part  of  the  original  force  Avas  with- 
drawn. It  is  probable  that  they  were 
all  constructed  by  Agricola. 

A  covered  way  is  supposed  to  have 
led  to  Camps  Castle,  about  1  m.  far- 
ther N.,  on  the  road  to  Crieff.  In 
the  neighbourhood  of  Ardoch  are 
Braco  Castle  (G,  Kellie  M 'Galium, 
Esq.). 

15.^  m.  BlacJcford  Stat.,  to  the  1. 
of  which  is  Orchil  House,  and  rt. 
Gleneagles  (Earl  of  Camperdown), 
a  modern  mansion  at  the  mouth  of 
a  fine  pass  leading  through  the 
Ochills.  The  village  (on  rt.)  is 
devoted  to  shoemaking. 

18  m.  Crieff  Juxct.  A  branch 
is  given  off  1.  to  Crieft',  8i  m. 
(Ete.  45.) 

Between  Crieff  Junction  and 

20  m.  Auchterarder  Stat.,  the  line 
passes  rt.  the  remains  of  Ogilvy 
Castle,  once  a  place  of  great  strength. 


On  1.  is  a  fine  view  of  the  Perthshire, 
ranges  (Grampians). 

Auditerarder,  a  town  full  of 
weavers,  a  street  a  mile  long.  Pop. 
4000  (1.),  is  of  little  importance 
in  itself,  but  was  of  considerable 
notoriety  as  the  scene  of  the  events 
which  led  to  the  disruption  of  the 
Scotch  National  Church  in  1843. 
Auchterarder,  with  Dunning  and 
other  places  in  the  neighbourhood, 
was  burnt  by  the  Earl  of  Mar  in  1715, 
to  impede  the  progress  of  the  royal 
troops,  for  which  compensation  was 
promised  to  the  sufferers  in  a  ]>rocla- 
mation  from  the  palace  of  Scone. 
In  the  park  of  Kincardine  Castle 
(modern)  is  a  beautiful  glen  3  m. 
long,  crossed  by  the  railway  on  a 
viaduct. 

24  m.  Dunning  Stat.,  between 
which  and  the  village  is  Duncrub,  the 
seat  of  Lord  Eollo. 

The  rly.  now  approaches  and  keeps 
parallel  with  the  Earn  to 

26 1  m.  Forteviot  Stat.  On  Holy 
Hill,  near  the  ch.,  are  remains  of  a 
royal  residence  of  very  early  times. 
It  was  the  favourite  summer  quarters 
of  Kenneth  II.,  and  was  probably 
taken  by  him  from  the  Pictish  kings. 
Duncan  and  Macbeth  spent  the  chief 
part  of  their  time  here,  as  did  also 
Malcolm  Canmore  and  his  son,  whose 
charters  are  dated  from  this  place. 
But  the  acquisition  and  importance 
of  the  Lowlands,  the'  English  edu- 
cation, and  Saxon  and  Norman 
adherents  of  the  succeeding  kings 
made  a  more  southerly  residence  de- 
sirable, and  soon  after  Malcolm's  reign 
Forteviot  was  allowed  to  go  to  ruin. 

14  m.  S.  of  the  station  is  Invermay 
(Hon.  Lady  Clinton,  formerly  seat 
of  the  Belshes),  near  which  the  river 
May  rushes  down  from  the  Ochills  in 
a  wild  and  broken  stream  ;  in  one 
place  it  is  called  Humble-Bumble, 
from  the  deep  booming  sound  kept 


276 


Route  4:3.— Perth. 


Sect.  IV. 


lip   by   the   water   between    narrow 
walls  of  rock. 

14  m.  from  the  stat.,  on  the  N.  side 
of  the  Earn,  is  Dupjylin  Castle  (Earl 
of  Kinnoul),  a  modern  house,  com- 
pleted in  1832,  its  predecessor  having 
been  burnt  down  in  1827.  Its  style 
is  Elizabethan,  and  the  cost  of  its 
erection  was  £30,000.  It  was  visited 
by  the  Queen  in  1842.  Dupplin  was 
the  scene  of  a  battle,  in  which 
Edward  Baliol  and  his  English 
auxiliaries  defeated  David  Bruce  in 
a  night  attack  in  1332. 

Near  Forqandenny,  294  1^-5  ^^^^ 
Eossie  (S.  Oliphant,  Esq.),  Newton 
of  Condie  (L.  Oliphant,  Esq.),  and 
Freeland  (Lady  Ruthven).  The  rly. 
now  crosses  the  Earn,  and,  join- 
ing the  Perth  and  Edinburgh  Ely. , 
emerges  through  a  long  tunnel  into 
Perth,  near  the  South  Inch — a  wide 
meadow  planted  ^vith  an  avenue  of 
trees,  stretching  to  the  Tay,  and  enters 
the  well-arranged  and  handsome 

33. i  m.  Perth  Junct.  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Pople's  British  H.,  near  the  Stat., 
good  ;  Royal  George,  George-st.,  near 
the  Bridge  ;  Salutation,  South-st.) 
Post  Office  at  E.  end  of  High-st. 

The  city  of  Perth  (Pop.  28,250) 
is  charmingly  situated  upon  the  rt. 
bank  of  the  Tay,  and  is  a  place  of 
great  antiquity.  Considering  that 
it  is  an  old  historic  city,  long  a 
residence  of  Scottish  kings,  it  may 
surprise  a  stranger  that  it  should 
possess  no  remains  of  antiquity,  until 
he  calls  to  mind  that  this  was  the 
place  where  Knox,  in  1559,  preached 
his  first  sermon  inciting  to  "  the 
purging  of  churches  from  idolatry." 
The  immediate  pulling  down  of  the 
religious  houses,  the  Black  and  Grey 
Friars  and  Carthusian  convents,  by 
the  hands  of  "the  rascal  multitude," 
as  Knox  styles  them,  Avas  the  conse- 
quence of  his  eloquence. 

There  is  a  story  that  the  Roman 
soldiers  of  Agi'icola,  when  they  came 
in  sight  of  the  Tay  and  the  South 


Inch,  exclaimed  "  Ecce  Tiberis  !  ecce 
Campus  Martins  "  —  a  compliment 
which  Sir  Walter  Scott  has  turned 
as  follows — 

"'Behold  the  Tiber!'  the  vain  Roman 

cried, 
Viewing  the  ample  Tay  from  Baiglie's  side  ; 
But  Where's  the  Scot  that  would  the  vaunt 

repay, 
And  hail  the  puny  Tiber  for  the  Tay  ?  " 

The  Railway  Station,  one  of  the 
principal  buildings,  is  situated  at  the 
S.  W.  angle  of  the  town,  and  the  chief 
streets — Victoria,  South,  High,  and 
^lill  streets — run  from  W.  to  E.  to- 
wards the  Tay. 

The  river  is  crossed  by  a  bridge  of 
9  arches, built  1771,  by  Smeaton,  and 
connecting  the  level  plain,  on  which 
the  city  stands,  with  the  Kinnoul 
Hills,  'the  lower  slopes  of  which  are 
studded  with  villas. 

On  the  N.  side  of  the  town,  near 
the  spot  where  the  Free  "West  Kirk 
now  stands,  stood  the  Dominican 
Convent,  where,  in  1437,  James  I., 
the  Poet  King,  so  long  prisoner  in 
Windsor  Castle,  and  author  of  "  The 
King's  Quliair,"  was  assassinated. 
From  that  time  Perth  ceased  to  be 
the  capital  of  Scotland.  The  king's 
guards  on  this  occasion  were  dispersed 
in  the  town,  and  the  locks  and  bolts 
had  been  removed  by  the  assassins 
from  the  doors  of  the  monastery. 
On  the  first  alarm  caused  by  the 
onslaught  of  the  conspirators  on  the 
building,  Catherine  Douglas,  a  lady 
of  the  bedchamber,  thrust  her  arm 
into  the  socket  of  the  bolt  which 
barred  the  door.  A  momentary  delay 
was  caused  by  this  slight  impediment, 
but  speedily  her  arm  was  broken  and 
the  assassins  rushed  in.  During  this 
pause  the  king  had  time  to  conceal 
himself  in  a  vault  under  the  room, 
into  which  he  lowered  himself  by 
taking  up  a  plank.  The  conspirators 
at  first  could  not  find  him,  and  went 
out.  In  their  absence  the  queen 
and  the  ladies  tried  to  raise  the 
king  out  of  the  vault  again,  but 
in  the   attempt  Catherine   Douglas 


Scotland. 


Route  43. — Perth. 


n  i 


fell  into  tlie  vault  beside  the  king, 
and  at  this  unlucky  moment  the  con- 
spirators returned,  and  despatched 
both  the  brave  lad_y  and  the  king. 
I'he  principal  conspirator  in  the  mur- 
der was  the  Earl  of  Athol,  though 
the  one  who  actually  slew  the  king 
was  Sir  Robert  Graham. 

At  the  extreniit}^  of  South-st., 
facing  the  Tay,  the  County  Buildings 
and  Jail  occupy  the  site  of  Gowrie 
House.  They  contain  portraits  of 
General  Lord  Lyndoch  and  Lord 
George  Murray,  etc.  On  this  spot 
occurred  the  mj^sterious  Gowrie  con- 
spiracy, 1600,  when  James  VI., 
enticed  by  the  Earl  of  Gowrie  and 
his  brother,  under  the  pretence  of  a 
disclosure  of  a  treasure  of  gold,  Avas 
seized  and  bound,  and  all  but  carried 
off  in  a  vessel  moored  in  the  Tay 
close  at  hand,  prepared  to  deposit 
him  a  prisoner  in  Fast  Castle,  in  the 
hands  of  Logan  of  Restalrig.  The 
king's  cries  aroused  his  attendants. 
The  Gowries  were  slain  on  the  spot, 
and  he  was  released. 

The  North  and  South  Inch  are  two 
wide  meadows,  situated  on  either 
side  of  the  town,  and  left  open  for 
the  enjoyment  of  the  inhabitants. 
The  South  Inch  is  by  far  the  larger, 
and  is  surrounded  and  intersected  by 
avenues  of  noble  sycamores  and  other 
trees.  On  the  N.  Inch,  occurred, 
1396,  the  memorable  combat  between 
the  clan  Chattan  and  the  clan  Quhele 
(Kav),  so  admirably  described  in 
Scott's  "Fair  Maid  of  Perth."  It 
was  fought  in  the  presence  of  the 
king  by  30  champions  on  each  side. 
A  man  was  wanting  on  one,  but 
his  place  was  filled  by  a  bandy-legged 
smith  (Chrom  Gow)  of  Perth,  who 
fought  well,  and  contributed  to  the 
victory,  without  knowing  why  or  on 
which  side  he  was  fighting. 

The  principal  Church  in  the  town 
is  St.  John's,  between  South-st.  and 
High-st.  From  it  Perth  was  often 
known  as  ^^  St.  Johnston,"  and  its 
war-cry  was    "St.    John's   hunt   is 


up."  It  is  said  to  have  been  founded 
in  the  5th  centy.  Nothing  of  that 
age  remains.  The  existing  building 
is  a  cruciform  ch.,  with  a  central 
square  tower  surmounted  by  a  low 
spu-e.  IS'o  doubt  the  tower  is  very 
old,  but  the  general  character  of  the 
church  is  Dec.  Its  interior  has  been 
broken  up  into  three  ditferent  places 
of  worship  (E.,  Middle,  and  W.), 
of  which  the  W.,  or  nave,  is  the 
oldest.  Certain  portions  are  set  apart 
for  the  different  guilds  of  the 
town.  There  is  a  circular  arch  over 
the  entrance  on  the  S.  side.  In  the 
E.  ch.  is  a  monument  to  Lord 
Gowrie,  and  another  to  the  officers 
of  the  90th  Regiment  (Perthshire 
Light  Infantry)  killed  before  Se- 
bastopol.  The  bells  are  rung  every 
day  at  6  A.M.  and  10  p.m. 

Episcopal  service  is  performed  at 
^S"^.  Ninian's  (near  the  N.  Inch),  the 
cathedral  ch.  of  the  diocese,  but  only 
the  choir  and  transept  are  finished. 
St.  John's  is  a  quiet  Ej^isccrpal  C%cq)cl 
in  Princes-st.,  near  the  S.  Inch. 

The  old  jail  in  High-st.,  opposite 
the  Post  Office,  has  an  octagonal 
tower,  supposed  to  have  been  built 
by  Cochrane,  architect  to  James 
IIL 

A  circular  Grecian  temple  has  been 
erected  in  George-st.  to  the  memory 
of  E.  T.  Marshall,  one  of  the  most 
popular  of  provosts.  It  now  serves 
as  a  local  Muscuni,  and  contains  a 
library  and  some  pictures.  There  is 
also  a  monument  to  Sir  Walter  Scott 
at  the  end  of  High-st.  ;  and  a  statue, 
by  Brodie,  of  the  Prince  Consort  on 
the  K'orth  Inch — it  is  very  insigni- 
ficant. Facing  the  N.  Inch  are  the 
Public  Schools — a  group  of  seven, 
for  different  classes  of  scholars, 
under  the  management  of  the  Town- 
Council. 

Excursions. — There  is  nothing  so 
interesting  at  or  near  Perth  as  the 
ascent  of  Kinnoul  and  Moncrieff 
Hills  and  the  views  from  their  tops. 

a.  Kiwnoul  Hill,  the  N.W.  head- 
land of  the  Sidlaw  range,  rises  ab- 


278        lloutes  43,  Scone. — 44,  Callander  to  Dunkeld.   Sect.  IV. 


ruptly  from  the  1.  bank  of  the  Tay, 
Turning  rt.  beyond  the  Bridge,  a 
road  1.  next  leads  up  the  Hill,  past 
the  Rom.  Cath.  Retreat,  a  modern 
Gothic  building  ;  then  by  path 
through  the  wood.  Looking  back, 
Perth  is  displayed  to  gi-eat  advan- 
tage, while  from  the  S.  brow  of  the 
hill  the  eye  ranges  over  the  lower 
course  of  the  Tay,  backed  by  Mon- 
crieff  Hill.  In  quarries  round  the 
base  of  the  hill  agates  are  foimd.  At 
the  foot  of  the  hill  is  Kinfauns  Castle 
(Ld.  Gray.) 

c.  To  the  S.  of  Perth,  4  m.,  between 
the  Tay  and  the  Earn,  rises  Moncricff 
Hill,  from  which  may  be  obtained 
the  best  general  view  of  the  town 
and  country  ;  the  beauty  of  its  woods, 
and  the  fertile  garden  from  which  it 
rises,  justifying  Pennant's  boast  that 
it  is  the  "  glory  of  Scotland."  The 
summit,  756  ft.  above  the  sea,  is  ac- 
cessible by  a  carriage-road.  The  view 
extends  E.  to  Dundee  and  the  mouth 
of  the  Tay,  N.  over  a  vast  extent  of 
the  Highland  ranges  beyond  Dun- 
keld, with  the  city  of  Perth  at  the 
foot,  and  W.  up  Strathearn. 

Scoiu,  Palace,  the  modern  seat,  on 
an  ancient  site,  of  Lord  Mansfield,  is 
2J  m.  from  Perth,  but  no  admittance 
is  granted  except  by  special  order. 
There  is  little  left  about  the  place, 
except  the  name,  to  mark  its  anti- 
quity or  former  importance.  In  the 
Eoyal  Chapel  the  many  Scottish 
kings  from  Kenneth  II.  to  John 
Baliol,  including  Robert  the  Bruce, 
Robert  II.,  James  I.,  and  Charles  II., 
were  crowned,  but  no  memorials  are 
left.  The  stone  on  which  the  Pictish 
kings  sat  at  their  coronation  at  Dun- 
staffnage,  and  which  was  brought 
hither  by  Kenneth  II.  for  their  suc- 
cessors, was  carried  to  England  by 
Edward  I.,  and  is  now  in  West- 
minster- Abbey.  On  the  "  Moot- 
hill,"  a  mound  N.  of  the  abbey,  the 
King  sat  to  hold  Parliaments  and 
Law  Courts.  In  1704  W.  Murray, 
the  illustrious  Chief  Justice  Mans- 


field, was  born  liere,  March  2.  The 
coronation  of  the  chevalier  James 
Stuart  here  in  1716  was  a  mere  un- 
fulfilled design.  The  abbey  was 
sacked  by  the  Perth  mob,  1559,  after 
Knox's  sermon.  An  aisle  belonging 
to  the  old  abbey  ch.  is  still  standing. 
It  serves  as  the  burial  chapel  of  the 
family,  and  contains  several  monu- 
ments. A  large  one  of  marble  com- 
memorates a  Lord  Stormont.  The  old 
market-cross  stands  in  the  pleasure- 
grounds  of  the  palace.  In  the  in- 
terior is  some  old  furniture  and 
pictures,  and  a  coverlet,  said  to  have 
been  worked  by  the  hands  of  Queen 
Mary. 

Raihvay  to  Edinburgh,  by  Burnt- 
island Ferry  62  m.  (Rte.  40a.)  ;  to 
Edinburgh,  by  Stirling  (Rtes.  15  and 
18) ;  to  Dundee,  22  m.  (Rte.  49)  ;  to 
Aberdeen,  by  Forfar  (Rte.  49)  ;  to 
Dunkeld  and  Inverness  (Rte.  48)  ; 
to  Crietf,  by  Methven  (Rte.  45). 

Distances. — Bridge  of  Earn,  4  ra.  ; 
Dupplin  Castle,  6 ;  Methven,  74  ; 
Kinfauns,  3  ;  Inchaffray,  13  ;  Dun- 
keld, 15^;  Aberfeldy,  32 i. 


ROUTE   44. 

Callandei  to  Dunkeld,  by  Loch- 
earnhead,  Killin  (Rail),  Ken- 
more,  Taymouth,  and  Aber- 
feldy. 

Callander  is  described  in  Rte.  21. 

Rly.  to  Killin — 3  trains  daily  in 
1  hour.  Coach  daily  thence  to  Dun- 
keld. 

On  quitting  Callander,  the  rly. 
leaves  on  I.  the  road  to  the  Trossachs 
(Rte.  21),  and  proceeds  to  thread 
the  romantic  Pass  of^  Leny,  through 
which  river  and  railway  and  road 
have  barely  room,  wedged  in  between 
the  roots  of  Benledi  on  the  I.,  and  a 
lower  range  on  the  rt.     The  beauties 


Scotland.     Route  iL — Loch  Luhnaig ;  BalquJddder.  279 


of  the  Pass  are  hidden  from  the 
railway  passenger,  who  crosses  the 
brawling  stream  before  reaching 
Loch  Lnbnaig.  The  scene  is  de- 
scribed in  "  The  Legend  of  Mon- 
trose," and  in  the  fiery-cross  scene  of 
"The  Lady  of  the  Lake."  Leny 
House  is  the  seat  of  J.  B.  Hamilton, 
Esq.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  pass 
is  Loch  Luhnaig,  ' '  the  crooked 
lake,"  from  its  having  two  arms  of 
water  at  an  obtuse  angle  to  one 
another. 

The  rly.  is  carried  along  the  W. 
shore  of  the  lake,  which  was  previ- 
ously pathless,  the  high  road  passing 
on  the  opposite  side. 

"  Loch  Lubnaig  is  rendered  ut- 
terly unlike  every  other  Scottish  lake 
by  the  complete  dissimilarity  of  its 
two  boundaries — the  one  being  fiat 
and  open,  and  the  other  a  solid  wall 
of  mountains,  formed  by  the  steep 
and  rocky  declivity  of  Benledi. 
Though  long,  it  presents  little 
variety,  but  its  best  landscapes  are 
rendered  very  striking  by  their  great 
simplicit)^,  and  by  the  profound  and 
magnificent  breadth  of  shade  which 
involves  the  hill  as  it  towers  aloft. " 
— Macculloch.  At  the  ai)ex  of  the 
lake,  54  m.,  is  the  fine  bold  front  of 
Craig-na-Coilig ;  and  rather  more 
than  half-way  up  is  ArdchuUarie 
(Sir  W.  Stirling-Maxwell,  Bart.)  ; 
for  some  time  the  habitation  of 
Bruce  the  Abyssinian  traveller, 
where  part  of  his  book  w'as  written. 

At  the  top  of  the  lake, 

8i  m.,  is  Strathyre  Stat.  (2  small 
Inns),  a  place  of  summer  resort  from 
Glasgow,  whither  young  Norman 
carried  the  fiery  signal. 

'*  Benledi  saw  the  cross  of  fire 
That  glanced  like  lightning  down 
Strathyre." 

On  1.  a  bridge  crosses  the  river, 
offering  a  short  and  picturesque 
route  for  those  who  intend  to  make 
an  excursion  to  Loch  Voil  and  Bal- 
quhidder. 


10^  m.  Kinrfs  House  Inn,  2  m. 
from  Strathyre,  is  a  small  house, 
good  and  clean.  The  train  will  stop 
at  it,  notice  being  given  at  the  next 
stations.  It  is  situate  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  valley  of  Balquhidder. 

[2  m.  up  that  valley  is  the  neat 
village,  and  pretty  modern  ch.  on  a 
knoll  commanding  a  lovely  view  of 
"  The  Braes  of  Balquhidder,"  the 
subject  of  Tannahill's  pretty  song, 
and  of  Loch  Voil,  with  the  orna- 
mental seat  and  woods  of  Stronvar 
(D.  Carnegie,  Esq.)  In  the  well- 
kept  ch.-yd.,  shaded  by  yews  and 
})lanes,  in  front  of  the  roofless  ivy- 
clad  old  Ch.,  is  the  grave  of«"Rob 
Roy  M'Gregor."  There  are  three 
stones  togetiier,  the  one  on  the  rt. 
being,  as  the  inscription  says,  the 
gravestone  of  his  son  Colin  ;  that  on 
the  1.  belongs  to  his  son  Hamish,  or 
James.  It  is  a  rough  slab  of  slate, 
carved  with  a  rude  cross,  on  one  side 
of  it  a  sword,  on  the  other  a  man  in 
a  kilt,  bearing  a  shield,  with  a  dog 
at  his  feet.  On  Colin's  grave  are 
the  arms  of  the  M'Gregors — viz.  a 
pine-tree  torn  up  by  its  roots,  crossed 
by  a  sword  piercing  a  crown,  in 
allusion  to  the  claims  of  royalty 
made  by  the  chiefs  of  the  clan. 
There  is  also  in  this  burial-ground  a 
rude  old  font,  a  stone  with  the  sculp- 
tured figure  of  a  Culdee  priest.  On 
this  spot  the  clan  M 'Gregor  gathered 
round  the  head  of  the  king's  forester, 
which  they  had  cut  oft',  and  swore  to 
protect  the  murderers  ("  Legend  of 
iMontrose  ").  Balquhidder  stands  at 
the  E.  end  of  Loch  Voil,  a  piece  of 
water  3^  m.  long,  and  separated  very 
slightly  from  the  smaller,  although 
picturesque.  Loch  Doine.  The  oppo- 
site bank  of  Loch  Voil  was  the  scene 
of  the  escape  of  Rob  Roy,  which  Sir 
Walter  Scott  has  so  spiritedly  de- 
scribed. The  foundation  of  the  story 
is  true.  He  had  been  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Duke  of  Montrose,  and  was 
buckled  on  behind  Graham  of  Gart- 
nafuerach  :    but  he  slipped  off  the 


280 


Route  44. — Lochearnhead  ;  Killin.         Sect.  IY. 


belt,  took  to  the  hillside  and  not  to 
the  water,  and  thus  got  away.  From 
the  bridge  at  the  E.  end  of  Loch 
Voil  a  fine  view  may  be  had  in  both 
directions  ;  embracing  on  the  E.,  at 
a  distance  of  5  m.,  the  peak  of  Ben 
V^oirlich  (3180  ft.),  and  on  the  oppo- 
site side,  though  not  so  easily  seen, 
that  of  Ben  ]\lore. 

From  the  bridge  a  road  runs  1. 
up  the  charming  little  valley  of  Glen 
Buckie,  for  about  3  m.,  to  some 
farmhouses,  and  from  it,  at  2|  m., 
branches  a  path  to  Glenfinlas  and 
Brigg  of  Turk,  a  very  beautiful  walk 
of  about  6  hours  in  dry  weather,  but 
one  Avhich  at  other  times  had  better 
not  bS  attempted.  The  pedestrian 
may  also  follow  the  road  up  the  Braes 
of  Balquhidder  and  under  Ben  Chroan 
to  Inverarnan  {20  m.,  6  hrs.  walk), 
or  to  the  head  of  Loch  Katrine  at 
Glengyle  (Rte.  21).] 

Rail  to  Killin. 

12  m.  rt.  Edinchip,  the  charming 
seat  of  Sir  ]\Ialcolm  M'Gregor,  is  next 
passed,  and  rt.,  Edinample,  an  old 
castellated  house  overlooking  Loch 
Earn,  belonging  to  Lord  Breadal- 
bane,  situated  on  the  Ample,  which 
here  forms  a  pretty  cascade,  not  so 
remarkable  for  the  quantity  of  water 
as  from  the  singular  rocky  rent 
through  which  it  falls,  and  the 
effects  on  the  rocks  of  running 
water.  It  should  be  seen  from 
below. 

Locliearnhead  Stat. 

13A  m.  At  Lochearnhead  is  a 
thoroughly  good  Hotel,  Avell  situated 
at  the  mouth  of  Glen  Ogle,  2  m. 
from  the  Ely.  Stat.,  and  2^  m.  from 
the  head  of  Loch  Earn,  which  is  7 
m.  long  and  400  ft.  in  depth.  Loch- 
earnhead is  a  good  central  place 
for  excursions,  a  road  running  on 
either  side  the  lake  to  St.  Fillans, 
8  m.,  a  charming  drive,  disclosing 
at  the  head  of  the  Ample  glen  the 
mountain  Stuck-a-Chroan,  and  half- 
way down  the  grand  form  of  Ben 
Voirlich    rising    behind  the   woods 


and  mansion  of  Ardvoirlich  (]\Iajor 
Stewart)  ;  Ben  Voirlich  (3180  ft.) 
separates  the  basin  of  Loch  Earn 
from  Glenartney  {see  Rte.  45). 

Distances. —  St.  Fillans,  8  m.  ; 
Comrie,  13  m.  ;  Crieff,  20  ;  Killin, 
8  ;  Dunkeld,  48  ;  Callander,  ISJ  ; 
Trossachs,  24  ;  Aberfeldy,  30  ;  Bal- 
quhidder, 5  ;  Glenvech  Falls,  3. 

Baihcay  to  Killin,  Tyndrum,  and 
to  Callander. 

Leaving  Lochearnhead,  the  rail- 
road enters  Glen  Ogle,  a  wild  rocky 
defile,  and  ascends  a  steep  incline 
in  deep  cuttings  over  several  via- 
ducts. View  looking  down  on  Loch 
Earn,  and  up  to  Ben  Voirlich.  At 
16  m.  is  the  highest  point  of  the 
glen,  with  a  small  loch  on  1.  The 
mountains  beyond  Glen  Dochart 
come  in  sight,  with  the  summits  of 
Ben  More  and  Stobinhain  on  1. 

19  m.  Kill  in  Stat.,  near  Lix,  4  m. 
from  Killin.  Omnibus  \h\X\iQT .  Rail- 
way to  Tyndrum.  Coaches  thence  to 
Oban,  Glencoe,  and  Ballachulish 
(Pvte.  34).  The  first  view  of  Ben 
Lawers  is  obtained  here,  rising  over 
a  group  of  lower  peaks  directly  in 
front. 

22  m.  Killin.  {Inns  :  Killin  Hotel  ; 
Bridge  of  Lochy  Hotel,  1  m.  on  the 
Taymouth  road.)  Kil-Fin  signifies 
the  cell  of  Fingal,  whose  grave  is 
marked  by  an  upright  stone  in  a 
field  on  the  1.  The  Dochart  here 
divides  into  two  or  three  rapidl}"^ 
flowing  branches,  forcing  their  way 
over  and  between  masses  of  bare  pro- 
jecting rock.  It  is  crossed  by  3 
bridges,  and  encloses  2  islands  ;  the 
lower  of  these,  suiTounded  by  a  belt 
of  fine  firs,  is  the  burial-place  of  the 
M'Nabs,  a  clan  which  once  owned  all 
the  surrounding  district,  now  absorbed 
in  the  Breadalbane  domain.  The 
M  'Nabs  emigrated  to  North  America, 
but  this  cemetery  still  remains  their 


Perthshire.     Route  i  4:. — Loch  Tay  ;  Taymoutli. 


281 


possession.  It  was  Sir  Allan  M'Nab, 
the  head  of  this  clan,  who  aided  in 
repulsing  American  marauders  from 
Canada,  and  who  avenged  the  inva- 
sion of  British  territory  by  sending 
the  rebel  steamer  Caroline  in  flames 
over  the  Falls  of  Niagara. 

On  leaving  Killin  the  road  skirts 
the  river  Lochy  on  its  way  to  L. 
Tay,  and  crosses  it,  after  passing 
Finlarig,  a  picturesque  ruined  castle 
and  cemetery,  the  cradle  and  the 
grave  of  the  Breadalbane  family, 
beautifully  situated  in  some  fine 
wood,  and  worth  visiting.  On  the 
Lochy  there  are  some  falls,  or  rather 
rapids,  3  m.  up  the  stream  from 
Cameron's  Inn.  The  sides  of  the  river 
are  rocky  and  overhung  Avith  trees. 

There  is  a  road  to  Kenuiore  on 
either  side  of  Loch  Tay  ;  that  on  the 
N.  is  2  m.  shorter,  and  is  the  one 
generally  used  by  carriages.  Pedes- 
trians should  take  the  S.  road,  as  by 
that  means  they  get  the  finest  views 
of  Ben  Lawers,  and  can  also  visit  the 
waterfall  of  Acharn,  without  return- 
ing from  Kenmore,  from  Avhich  it  is 
2  m.  W. 

Loch  Tay  is  15  m.  long  and  \\ 
broad  at  the  widest  part.  Its  chief 
feeders  are  the  Dochart  and  Lochy 
at  its  W.  end,  Avhile  at  its  E.  it  sends 
forth  the  full-grown  river  Tay. 

Close  to  KUlin,  on  this  road,  is 
Audi-more,  Lord  Breadalbane. 

At  25  m.  Edramuckie  [a  car  road 
is  given  off  to  Glenlyon  on  1. ,  cross- 
ing the  lower  slopes  of  Ben  Lawers 
at  a  height  of  about  1000  ft,  and 
running  into  Glenlyon  at  Inner- 
wick  Inn.  Distance  to  Innerwick, 
9  m.  ;  Loch  Rannoch,  14]. 

30  m.  Lawers  Inn,  the  best  point 
from  which  to  ascend  Ben  Lawers, 
which  is  by  no  means  difficult.  "  This 
wide-based,  broad-shouldered  moun- 
tain rises  from  the  valley  of  Loch  Tay 
on  one  side,  and  sinks  into  Glenlyon 
on  the  other.  It  thus  forms  a  huge 
dome-shaped  mass  between  2  deep  | 

\Scotland.'\ 


valle3^s.  But  instead  of  owing  this 
form  to  an  upward  curving  of  the 
schists,  it  actually  lies  in  a  basin 
of  these  rocks  which  dip  underneath 
the  mountain  on  the  banks  of  Loch 
Tay,  and  rise  up  again  from  its 
furtlier  skirts  in  Glenlyon.  Thus 
Ben  Lawers  is  in  reality  formed  of 
a  trough  of  schists,  while  the  valley 
of  Loch  Tay  runs  along  the  top 
of  an  anticlinal  arch.  Hence  that 
wliich  in  geological  structure  is  a 
depression,  has,  by  denudation,  be- 
come a  great  mountain,  while  that 
wliicli  is  an  elevation  has  been  turned 
into  a  deep  valley. " — Gcikie. 

The  summit  is  3945  ft.  above  sea- 
level.  Of  all  the  mountains  of  Scot- 
land, perhaps  of  Britain,  Ben  Lawers 
is  the  richest  in  its  botany.  No- 
where is  such  abundance  of  alpine 
plants  to  be  found.  Here  occur  the 
curious  Clierleria,  or  mossy  cyphet, 
the  fragrant  Myosotis  alpestris,  and 
the  Gentiana  nivalis. 

There  is  a  ferry  from  LaAvers  to 
Ardeonaig  Free  Kirk  and  Inn,  1| 
m.,  on  the  other  side  of  the  loch. 
About  2  m.  from  Taymouth,  on  that 
side,  are  the  Falls  of  Acharn,  in  a 
pretty  glen  ^  m.  above  a  small  Inn. 
There  is  a  good  view  of  Loch  Tay 
from  it.  Just  opposite  Lawers  Inn 
is  a  copper-mine. 

From  Lawers,  the  road  on  the  N. 
side  improves.  A  rude  stone  circle 
is  passed  on  the  1. 

At  35  m.  the  best  view  of  Loch 
Tay  is  obtained.  This  is  the  widest 
part. 

On  1.  is  Drmnmond  Hill,  a  fine 
object,  densely  clothed  Avith  a  thick 
forest  of  fir,  among  which  are  some 
noble  larch-trees. 

37  m.  rt.  is  the  kitchen -garden 
belonging  to  Taymouth  Castle.  On 
1.  is  Rock  Lodge  ;  and  a  peep  of  the 
castle  can  be  obtained  upon  the 
bridge  over  the  Tay  as  it  first 
emerges  as  a  river  under  that  name 
n2 


28: 


Route  44. — Taymouth  Castle. 


Sect.  l\ 


from  the  lake.  Near  the  shore  is  an 
island,  on  which  are  the  ruins  of  a 
priory,  built  by  Alexander  I.  over 
the  grave  of  his  wife  Sibylla,  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  I.  of  England. 

38  m.  Kenmore  {Inn:  Breadalbane 
Arms,  good)  is  a  neat  little  village 
at  the  foot  of  Loch  Tay,  consisting 
of  a  ch.,  hotel,  and  about  a  dozen 
cottages,  shut  out  from  all  view  of 
lake  or  park,  clustered  around  the 
gate  of  Taymouth  Castle,  the  noble 
seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Breadalbane. 

Admission  to  the  grounds  only, 
with  a  guide,  from  10  to  12,  and  2  to 
4  P.M. — fee,  Is.  each  person.  The 
walk  will  occupy  about  1\  hr.  Car- 
riages may  be  sent  on  to  meet  parties 
at  the  Fort,  on  the  Dunkeld  road. 

The  Castle  (not  shown)  is  a  large 
grey  structure  of  slate,  with  round 
towers  at  the  angles,  surmounted  by 
a  central  block,  while  2  wings,  that 
on  S.AV.  being  a  remnant  of  the  old 
castle  restored,  project  from  the  main 
building.  There  is  a  magnificent 
hall,  grand  staircase,  library,  and  a 
suite  of  apartments  occupied  by  Her 
Majesty  and  the  Prince  Consort  on 
their  first  visit  to  Scotland  in  1842. 
"The  Gothic  staircase  is  of  stone, 
and  very  fine." 

The  Castle  was  originally  founded 
by  Sir  Colin  Campbell  of  Glenorchy, 
scion  of  the  house  of  Argyll,  circa 
1573.  The  present  edifice,  though 
large  and  stately,  is  but  of  Brumma- 
gem Gothic,  and  it  stands  in  the 
bottom  of  the  valley,  but  its  sur- 
roundings are  lovely. 

There  is  some  magnificent  timber 
in  the  park  :  oak,  ash,  beech,  lime, 
and  chestnut  line  the  walks  that  lead 
to  the  house,  occasionally  diversified 
by  some  light  and  elegant  larch  of 
great  height  and  age. 

On  each  side  the  Tay  there  is  a 
grand  beech-walk. 

The  best  view  of  the  castle,  park, 
and  surrounding  country,  is  to  be  got 
from  the  Museum  and  Fort,  1  m.  on 
the  Aberfeldy  road.    In  this  Museum 


are  kept  specimens  of  stuffed  ani- 
mals, and  a  battery  of  guns  has 
been  placed  in  front  for  salutes. 
The  view  from  this  spot  on  a  fine 
day  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in 
Scotland. 

This  is  the  view  alluded  to  by  the 
Queen's  Journal  in  these  touching 
words  : — 

' '  We  got  out  and  looked  from  this 
height  down  upon  the  house  below, 
the  mist  having  cleared  away  suffi- 
ciently to  show  us  everything  ;  and 
then  unknown,  quite  in  private,  I 
gazed— not  without  deep  emotion — 
on  the  scene  of  our  reception  twenty- 
four  years  ago  by  dear  Lord  Breadal- 
bane, in  a  princely  style  ;  not  to  be 
equalled  in  grandeur  and  poetic 
ettect. 

"Albert  and  I  were  then  only 
twenty-three,  young  and  happy. 
How  many  are  gone  that  were  with 
us  then  !" — Leaves  from  the  Journal 
of  our  Life  in  the  Highlands,  p.  15. 

For  a  short  excursion  from  Ken- 
more  the  tourist  may  visit  the  Her- 
mitage and  Falls  of  Acharn,  2  m.  to 
the  W.  on  the  S.  side  of  Loch  Tay. 
The  burn,  passing  down  a  dark  and 
wooded  ravine,  first  takes  a  clear 
leap  of  40  ft.,  and  then  several 
smaller  ones. 

Distances  of  Kenmore  from — 
Luib,  24  m. ;  Lochearnhead,  26  ; 
Crianlarieh,  34 ;  Dunkeld,  24 ;  In- 
verarnan,  48  ;  Aberfeldy,  6 ;  Lawers, 
8  ;  Callander,  42. 

Taymouth  and  the  woods  of  Drum - 
mond  should  not  be  dismissed  with- 
out mention  of  the  Capercailzie 
{Tetrao  urogallus),  which  was  re- 
introduced about  1835  into  Scotland 
from  Norway,  and  is  now  tolerably 
plentiful  in  the  woods. 

From  Kenmore  the  road  to  Aber- 
feldy runs  up  hill,  passing  a  pretty 
waterfall,  and 

40  m.    the  Gate  of  the  Museum 


Pkrthshire.     Route  44. — T ay  mouth ;  Aherfeldy. 


283 


and  Fort,  a  private  entrance  to  the 
grounds  of  Taymouth,  by  which 
there  is  no  admission  for  the  public. 
Within  the  gates  are  two  large 
Standing  Stones,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  commencement  of  an 
avenue  leading  to  Craig  Monach,  a 
triple  circle  ^  m.  farther  on,  to  the 
rt.  of  the  Aberfeldy  road.  A  good 
view  is  obtained  on  1.  of  Schehal- 
lion. 

41 J  rt.  Bolfracks  House,  the  resi- 
dence of  Lord  Breadalbane's  factor. 

43  m.  1.,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  is  3Ienzies  (pron.  Mengies) 
Castle  (Sir  Robert  Menzies).  It  is 
a  good  tj^ical  example  of  the  Scot- 
tish mansion,  17th  cent.,  with  gables, 
angle-turrets,  and  Avails  of  immense 
thickness.  The  park  contains  timber 
of  remarkable  girth  and  beauty.  To 
this  place  General  JMackay  escaped 
from  Killiecrankie.  Behind  Castle 
Menzies  rises  an  abrupt  hill,  clothed 
with  hanging  wood,  called  Weem 
Crag,  ascended  by  shady  paths  of 
easy  slope,  and  from  its  summit 
commanding  a  view  of  the  valley  of 
the  Tay.  Close  to  it,  1^  m.  from 
Aberfeldy,  is  Wecm  Inn,  very  com- 
fortable quarters.  A  bridge  over  the 
Tay  leads  to 

44m.  Aberfeldy  Stat.  {Hotel,  Bread-  \ 
albane  Arms,  good  ;  Weem  Inn,  be- 
yond  the   bridge)  is   a   charmingly  | 
situated  village  at  the  junction  of  the  j 
little  river  Moness  with  the  Tay.    The 
houses  are  well-built  with  slated  roofs, 
and  the  whole  looks  clean.    The  river 
is  crossed  by  an  old  bridge  of  General 
Wade's,   and  in  a   meadow  on   the 
opposite  side  the  Black  Watch  was 
embodied  Avith  the  regular  army  as 
the  43d  Regiment.     It  subsequently 
became  the  42d. 

The  entrance  to  the  pretty  leafy 
glen  in  which  are  the  Falls  of 
Moness,  is  opposite  the  hotel.  They 
are  kept  under  lock  and  key.  A 
guide,  or  at  least  the  payment  of  one 
(Is.  6d.)  is  enforced.     The  first  fall 


is  about  1  m.  from  the  gate  ;  it  is 
very  pretty,  but  has  had  too  much 
done  to  it.  The  second,  though 
merely  spouts  of  water  over  shelves  of 
slate,  is  picturesque  from  the  tortuous 
course  of  the  stream,  which  comes 
wriggling  down  an  inclined  plane 
about  200  yards  long,  the  vertical 
distance  being  about  200  ft.  Its 
narrow  channel  is  confined  by  lofty 
walls  of  mica  slate,  from  whose  fis- 
sures spring  ferns  and  larch  and 
mountain-ash  ;  but  few,  if  any,  birch 
now,  to  form  a  transparent  canopy 
overhead.  The  third  fall  is  50  ft.  in 
height,  and  is  worth  visiting  more 
for  the  massive  rocks  and  beautiful 
foliage  than  mass  of  water. 

The  description  of  the  Glen  and 
its  "  Birks  "  by  Burns  is  as  follows : — 

"The  braes  ascend,  like  lofty  wa's, 
The  foaming  stream,  deep  roaring,  fa's, 
O'erhung  wi'  fragrant  spreading  shaws, 

The  Birks  of  Aberfeldy. 
The  hoary  clifls  are  crown'd  wi'  flowers. 
White  o'er  the  linn  the  burnie  pours. 
And  rising,  weets,  wi'  mistv  showers, 

The  Birks  of  Aberfeldy." 

The  tourist  who  is  walking  to  Tay- 
mouth need  not  return  to  Aberfeldy, 
but  can  strike  from  the  third  fall 
over  the  little  bridge  and  up  the 
wood  to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  whence 
he  can  descend  to  join  the  Tajonouth 
road ;  he  will  thus  obtain  a  good 
view  of  Farragon. 

Overlooking  the  town  is  Moness 
House  (Colonel  Murray) .  The  tourist 
in  search  of  a  comprehensive  and 
beautiful  view  cannot  do  better  than 
ascend  Farrachel  Hill. 

Conveyances.  —  Coach  daily  by 
Kenmore,  6  m.,  to  Kill  in  Stat., 
thence  rail  to  Lochearnhead  and 
Callander. 

Raihvay  to  Perth  and  Inverness. 

Distances. — Grandtully  Castle,  6 
m. ;  Dunkeld,  18  ;  Taymouth  Castle, 
6  ;  Acharn  Falls,  8  ;  Crieff,  24  ;  Pass 
of   Killiecrankie,   174  ;    4,och  Tum- 


28i 


Route  45. — Perth  to  St.  Fillans. 


Sect.  IV. 


mel,  11  ;  Loch  Rannocli,  21  ;  Glen- 
quiech,  13  ;  Fortingal,  9. 

From  Aberfeldy  there  is  a  branch 
raihcay  of  9  m.  to  Ballinluig  Junct. 
on  the  HighLmd  Ely.  It  passes  6  ni. 
Grandtully  Stat,  and  Castle  (Sir  A. 
D.  Stewart  of  Murthly),  from  which 
may  have  been  taken  the  description 
of  Tullyveolan,  belonging  to  the 
Baron  of  Bradwardine  in  "Waver- 
ley."  The  rly.  continues  down  the 
valley  of  the'Tay,  passing  L  Bal- 
*  lechin  (Major  Stewart)  and  Pitnacree 
(T.  Potter,  Esq.)  It  crosses  Tay 
and  Tummel  j  ust  above  their  j  unction 
ou  lattice  bridges. 

9  m.  Ballinluig  Junction,  (Ete. 
48.)  From  this  it  is  9  m.  to  Dun- 
keld,  and  4  m.  to  Pitlochrie  and 
Killiecrankie. 

DuNKELD  Stat,  {see  Ete,  48), 


ROUTE  45. 

Stirling  or  Perth.,  to  Lochearn- 
head,  by  Crieff  (Rail),  Comrie, 
and  St.  Fillans. 

A  pleasant  route  ;  fine  scenery. 

See  Rte,  4-3  for  the  road  from  Stir- 
ling to 

Crieff  Junct.  Slat.,  where  this  line 
separates  from  that  to  Perth, 

From  this  and  the  following  sta- 
tions fine  views  are  obtained  of  the 
distant  chain  of  the  Grampians,  Ben 
Voirlich,  Ben  Ledi,  and  Ben  Lomond, 

2|  m.  TulUbardine  Stat.,  adjoin- 
ing which  is  the  site  of  TulUbardine 
Castle,  once  a  seat  of  the  earls  of  that 
name,  before  receiving  the  title  of 
Dukes  of  Athole.  There  is  a  small 
Gothic  chapel,  12th  centy.  On  the 
rt.  of  the  line  Strathallan  Castle, 
the  seat  of  Viscount  Strathallan. 

5  m.  Muthill  Stat.,  the  village 
Deing  1  m.  1.  It  has  a  Gothic  church, 
erected  in  1828,  and  the  ruins  of  an 


old  ch.  In  the  neighbourhood  is 
Ciddees Castle (R.  T.  N,  Speirs,  Esq.), 
containing  a  small  collection  of 
Spanish  pictures.  1^  m.  1,  is  Drum- 
viond  Castle  (see  opposite  page)  ;  the 
rly.  now  crosses  the  Earn,  near  a 
Roman  camp  (from  which  an  ancient 
Roman  road  stretches  in  a  direct 
line  to  Perth),  and  passing  7  m. 
Highlandman  Stat.,  reaches 

9  m.  Crieff  Junct.  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Drummond  Arms,  facing  4  grand 
lime  trees  ;  Carriages  for  hire ; 
Stewart's  Hotel ;  the  Roj-al  Hotel.) 
Crieff  (pop.  4000),  is  a  town  of  no  great 
size  or  importance,  j^et  popular  as  a 
summer  resort,  from  the  healthi- 
ness of  its  situation  on  the  side  of  a 
hill,  a  little  distance  from  the  Earn, 
here  joined  by  the  Turrit,  the  purity 
of  its  air,  and  the  fine  drives,  walks, 
and  general  scenery  of  its  neighbour- 
hood. Strathearn,  which  it  over- 
looks, is  celebrated  no  less  for  its 
wooded  slopes  than  its  fertile  plains. 

Near  the  Town  Hall  is  a  venerable 
Cross,  carved  with  Runic  knots,  but 
without  inscriptions  —  probably  of 
the  12th  centy.  Here  also  stands 
the  old  stone  Market  Cross  and  the 
ivonjoiigs  or  pillory  (see  Index), 

There  is  a  large  HydrojMthic  Esta- 
blishment on  the  outskirts,  f  m,  from 
Crieff,  on  the  Hill  of  Knock,  a  very 
fine  point  of  view. 

In  former  times  the  Stewards  of 
Strathearn  held  here  their  Courts  of 
Justice  on  a  circular  mound,  still 
existing  on  the  Farm  of  Broich,  ^  m. 
E,  of  CriefF.  By  their  sentence  many 
Highland  caterans  and  thieves  suf- 
fered at  "  the  kind  gallows  of  CriefF," 
on  the  Gallows  Hill.  In  return  for 
this,  the  Highlanders  bore  a  grudge 
against  the  town,  and  burnt  it  in 
1715,  and  were  nearly  doing  the 
same  in  1745. 

There  is  an  Ejnscojml  chapel  here. 

The  pleasant  rides  and  drives 
around  CriefF  are  nearly  endless. 

For  shorter  walks  the  tourist 
should,  without  fail,  climb  the  Knock 


Scotland.  Pde.  45. — Crieff  to  Lochearn :  Lhimimond  Castle.  285 


or  Hill  of  Crieff,  scarce  a  mile  off, 
for  its  exquisite  view. 

The  hill  of  Tomachasile,  3  m.  W., 
on  the  N.  bank  of  the  Earn  to- 
wards Comrie,  is  approached  by  a 
charming  river-path  called  Lady 
Mary's  Green  Walk.  The  summit 
of  the  hill  is  ornamented  Avith  a 
gi-anite  monument  to  Sir  David 
Baird.  Between  Crieff  and  the 
Knock  of  Crieff  is  Fc7'ntorucr  (Lord 
Abercromby),  in  which  Sir  David 
Baird  resided  for  many  years.  In 
the  interior  is  the  sword  of  Tippoo 
Saib,  and  Wilkie's  picture  of  the 
finding  of  his  body. 

Railways — to  Stirling,  Edinburgh, 
and  Glasgow,  by  Criefi"  Junction 
(Rte.  43) ;  to  Methven,  Perth,  and 
Dundee  {see  p.  287). 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  object 
in  the  neighbourhood  is  Druvimond 
Castle  and  its  beautiful  Gardens, 
which  are  liberally  shown  to 
strangers.  It  has  been,  since  the 
loth  cent.,  the  seat  of  that  ancient 
and  noble  family  the  Drummonds, 
Earls  of  Perth.  It  now  belongs  to  the 
Trs.  of  Lady  Willoughby  d'Eresby. 
A  drive  of  3  m.  from  Crieff,  crossiug 
the  bridge  1  m.  distant,  tui'ning  1. 
along  the  road  to  Muthill,  leads  to 
the  entrance-gate,  where  a  noble 
avenue  of  beech,  surmounting  a 
rocky  ridge  l.^  m.  long,  constantly 
ascending,  conducts  to  the  Castle, 
which,  excepting  an  old  square 
tower,  is  chiefly  modern,  Cromwell 
having  battered  the  original.  It  com- 
mands fine  views  over  Strathearn 
and  the  Grampian  chain  on  the  N., 
and  contains  a  small  armoury  and 
interesting  historic  and  family  por- 
traits— James  V.  and  VI.,  Charles  I. 
and  II.,  Q.  Mary,  etc. 

Behind,  it  looks  down  upon  the 
most  beautiful  old-fashioned  Garden, 
laid  out  in  a  series  of  natural  ter- 
races formed  on  the  rock  itself,  as  it 
descends  step-wise.  The  flower-beds 
are  most  tastefully  arranged,  so  as 
to  resemble  a  rich  Persian  c.xrpet, 


the  whole  set  off  and  relieved  by 
evergreens,  box,  and  yew  hedges,  cut 
and  carved  in  quaint  fashion,  and  by 
fine  specimens  of  cypress,  cedars,  and 
rare  conifers.  Statuary,  and  foun- 
tains, with  stately  staircases,  give 
great  effect  to  the  whole.  The  mul- 
tiplex ^2«i-6?mAvas  designed  by  John, 
2d  E.  of  Perth,  who  laid  out  the 
gardens  1662. 

At  the  back  of  the  Castle  the  hill 
of  Torleum  rises  to  1400. 

More  distant  Excursions  from 
Crieff  S.  to  the  Roman  camp  at 
Ardoch,  by  Muthill  ;  (Rte.  43)  to 
Monzie,  and  the  Small  Glen  (Rte. 
4oa)  ;  to  Glenalmond. 


Crieff  to  Comrie  64m.;  St.  Fil- 
lans,  12  m.,  and  Lochearnliead  Stat, 
20^  m.,  one  of  the  most  charming 
drives  in  Scotland,  ought  on  no 
account  to  be  neglected. 

Coaches  daily,  in  summer. 

The  valley  of  the  Earn  is  well 
cultivated  and  richly  wooded,  and 
enlivened  by  the  constant  variety 
afforded  by  th.e  sparkling  and 
abounding  river  —  the  grey  rocks 
alternating  with  the  rich  foliage, 
the  grand  mountains,  whose  tops 
impend  over  the  road  at  everj'- 
turn,  and  the  succession  of  country 
seats,  all  in  lovely  situations. 

Soon  after  leaving  Crieff  the  river 
Turrit  is  crossed,  issuing  out  of 
the  Highland  Glen  Turrit,  at  whose 
mouth  stands  the  house  of  Ochtertyre 
(Sir  Patrick  Keith  Murray,  Bart.), 
on  a  lovely  bank,  overlooking  the 
wide-spreading  Loch  of  Monzievaird, 
and  backed  by  dark  woods.  A  lady 
of  this  family  was  immortalised  by 
Burns  as  "The  Flower  of  Strath- 
more."  The  jjark  is  liberally  open 
to  strangers.  At  the  head  of  Glen 
Turrit  rises  the  grand  mountain 
Bon  Chonzie  (2922  ft.)    Burns  WTote 


286 


Route  45. — Comrie ;  St.  Fillans. 


Sect.  IV. 


some     verses     "On     scaring     some 
Waterfowl  in  Loch  Tnrrit." 

After  skirting  the  park  for  more 
than  a  mile,  we  pass,  on  the  height, 
the  monument  to  Sir  David  Baird. 
At  Monzievaird  was  born  Gen.  Sir 
George  Murray,  the  faithful  lieut.  of 
"the  Duke "  in  Spain  and  at  Water- 
loo. ;  1.  Strovjan  (T.  J.  Graham  Stir- 
ling, Esq.)  ;  and  nearer  Comrie, 
Lawers,  the  fine  seat  of  D,  R.  Wil- 
liamson, Esq. 

6.  m.  Cowrie  (second-rate  Inn)  :  a 
long  street,  with  2  specially  ugly 
churches,  but  prettily  situated  at  the 
junction  of  Glenartney  and  Glen  Led- 
nock  w'ith  the  Earn  Valley.  The  best 
idea  of  the  surrounding  country  will 
be  obtained  by  ascending  Dunmore— 
a  commanding  hill,  marked  by  the 
obelisk  set  up  as  a  Monument  to 
Henry  Dundas  of  Dunira,  1st  Ld. 
Melville.  The  way  to  it  lies  through 
the  picturesque  wooded  Glen  Led- 
nock,  by  a  path  commencing  behind 
the  town,  running  through  the 
grounds  of  Dunira  (Sir  D.  Dun- 
das). About  \  of  an  hour's  walk 
brings  the  tourist  to  the  upper  Falls 
of  the  Lednock,  which,  though  not  of 
great  volume,  will  repay  the  visit  of 
the  artist  and  lover  of  nature  by  the 
picturesque  gi-andeur  of  the  remark- 
able chasm  in  the  rock  called  the 
Devil's  Cauldron,  through  which  they 
worm  their  way,  working  out  deep 
cauldrons  in  the  hard  rock  by  the 
friction  of  the  stones  W'hich  the  cur- 
rent forces  to  revolve  in  the  bottom. 

A  winding  path  is  carried  in  zig- 
zags from  this  iip  to  the  Melville 
Monument,  an  obelisk  of  boulder 
granite,  whence  the  view  is  ex- 
tremely interesting  and  extensive. 
A  circuitous  carriage-road,  1^  m., 
leads  to  within  a  short  distance  of 
the  Falls. 

For  many  years  Comrie  has  been 
subject,  from  time  to  time,  to  slight 
shocks  of  earthquake,  so  slight, 
as  only  to  cause  glasses  or  A-essels 
to    rattle    on    the    shelves    in    the 


houses,  accompanied  by  a  slight 
rumbling  sound.  In  October  1889, 
at  least  70  shocks  were  felt,  in  some 
instances  accompanied  by  a  loud 
report  and  sulphureous  smells. 

On  the  opposite  (rt. )  bank  of  the 
Earn,  lie  Dalchonzie  and  Aberu- 
chill  Castle  (G.  C.  Dewhurst,  Esq., 
of  Manchester),  behind  which  is  a 
pretty  wild  glen.  But  the  prettiest 
spot  in  all  the  valley  is  Dunira  (Sir 
David  Dundas,  Bart.),  a  handsome 
modern  mansion  by  Br3'ce,  architect, 
which  has  succeeded  the  cottage  to 
which  Henry  Dundas,  1st  Lord  ^lel- 
ville,  the  friend  of  William  Pitt, 
retired,  at  a  spot  where  the  valley 
is  most  smiling  and  the  mountains 
the  grandest.  The  road  for  miles 
passes  through  an  avenue. 

Ascending  the  1.  bank  of  the  ample 
river,  Ave  pass  1.  the  green  conical 
hill  of  Dunjillan,  600  ft.  high,  on 
the  top  of  w^hich  St.  Fillan,  the 
patron  saint  of  Robert  Bruce,  used 
to  say  his  prayers  so  assiduously 
that  he  has  left  the  marks  of  his 
knees  in  the  rock  ! 

St.  Fillans  (Inn :  *Drummond 
Arms  :  good  accommodation,  well 
placed  and  very  comfortable  :  ob- 
liging landlord.  Cars,  post-horses, 
boats,  and  fishing  on  the  lake). 

This  pretty  village  stretches  along 
the  E.  shore  of  the  lake  and  the 
outlet  of  the  river  Earn,  surrounded 
by  hills  and  mountains  (Dundearn), 
amidst  scenery  far  finer  than  that 
at  Lochearnhead.  On  the  smooth 
green  meadow  opposite  the  inn, 
reached  by  a  wooden  bridge,  the 
Highland  games  are  held. 

Loch  Earn  is  a  lovely  highland 
lake,  stretching  7  m.  from  St.  Fillans 
E.  to  Lochearnhead  W.  ;  near  the  E. 
end  is  a  small  islet,  covered  with  trees, 
and  made  up  of  stone  heaps,  said  to 
be  the  remains  of  a  stronghold  of  the 
Neishes,  who,  having  committed 
depredations  on  the  M'Nabs,  were 
pursued  to  this  retreat  and  extermi- 
nated bv  that  irate  tribe. 


Perthshire.     Route  io.- — Lochearn  :  Crieff  to  Perth . 


287 


There  is  a  good  road  on  either  side 
of  the  lake,  and  it  is  a  very  pleasant 
drive  from  St.  F.  to  go  by  the  one 
and  return  by  the  other.  The  road 
along  the  X.  shore  is  the  most  level, 
but  the  other  commands  by  far  the 
best  view.  At  the  distance  of  4  m., 
looking  across  the  lake  S.,  the  House 
of  Ardvoirlich  is  barely  seen  (Major 
R.  Stewart),  where  the  jMacgregors 
committed  the  atrocity  of  displaying 
to  his  widow  in  a  dish  the  head  of  the 
Ste\^'art  whom  they  had  murdered, 
with  a  crust  between  the  teeth. 
{See  Scott's  "Legend  of  Montrose.") 
Near  Ardvoirlich,  by  the  side  of  the 
road,  stands  a  stone,  informing  the 
passers-by  that  the  bodies  of  six 
Macdonalds  of  Glencoe  lie  buried 
there,  who  were  killed  in  an  attempt 
to  "  harry"  Ardvoirlich. 

At  the  head  of  the  valley,  opening 
behind  the  house,  rises  the  peak  of 
Be7i  Voirlich,  3180  ft.  high.  A 
little  to  the  right,  Ardvoirlich  Cottage 
(Miss  Stewart),  a  picturesque  little 
habitation,  which,  along  with  the 
mansion-house,  has  been  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  family  for  several 
centuries. 

Lochearnhead  {Inn  :  Dayton's  H. 
good ;  is  about  4  mile  distant  from 
the  lake  and  1^  m.  from  the  station 
of  the  rly.  from  Callander  to  Killin 
(see  Rte.  44.) 


Raihuay — Crieff  to  Perth,  17$  m. 
(4  trains),  in  50  min. 

Ahercairney  Stat.,  not  far  from  the 
noble  seat  of  Ch.  Home  Drummond 
Moray,  Esq.,  a  large  modern  Gothic 
mansion,  with  beautiful  grounds. 
At  Foul  is  "Wester  is  a  carved  Stone 
Cross  and  a  jougs  or  iron  pillory 
attached. 

6  m.  from  Crieff  are  the  fragment- 
ary ruins  of  Inchaffray,  founded  in 
1200,  and  largely  endowed  by  David 
I.  and  Alexander  III.  Maurice,  the 
abbot  of  the  time,  attended  Bruce  to 
Bannockburn,  with  the  arm  of  St. 


Fillan  in  a  silver  casket,  a  relic  to 
which  great  importance  was  attached 
in  those  days.  The  Abbey  was 
called  "Insula  Missarum,"  or  the 
Island  of  the  Masses  ;  and  the 
ground  is  now  the  property  of  Lord 
Kinnoul. 

IS'ear  Balgowan  Stat,  are  Gorthy 
(G.  E.  JNIercer,  Esq.),  and  Balgowan 
(W.  Thomson,  Esq.),  the  birthplace 
of  General  Graham  (Lord  Lynedoch), 
who  did  not  enter  the  military  pro- 
fession till  he  was  45  years  old,  im- 
pelled thereto  by  grief  for  the  loss  of 
his  Avife.  After  going  through  the 
Peninsular  war  he  died  in  1843,  at 
the  age  of  93,  and  was  buried  in 
Methven  ch.  -yard  by  the  side  of  his 
wife,  who  died  50  years  before  him. 

Methven  Junct.  Stat.  [A  short 
branch  leads  to 

11  m.  Methven  [Inn,  Star),  a 
quaint  little  village,  near  which 
Robert  Bruce  was  defeated  in  1306 
by  the  English,  under  Aymer  de 
Valence,  Earl  of  Pembroke,  and 
Viceroy  of  Scotland.  Lynedoch  House 
was  the  residence  of  Lord  Lynedoch, 
and  is  adorned  with  some  choice 
trees  of  his  planting.  Dronach 
Haugh  is  the  burial-place  of  "  Bessie 
Bell  and  Mary  Gray."  3  m.  to  the 
N.W.  is  Trinity  College,  situated  in 
the  prettiest  part  of  Glenalmond, 
founded  in  1841  as  a  public  school 
for  members  of  the  Episcopal  Church. 
As  a  school  it  is  very  successful,  and 
it  is  a  fine  pile  of  building,  which 
cost  £42,000  ;  the  elegant  Gothic 
CMpel  was  erected  subsequently  by 
the  Avarden,  Rev.  Ch.  Wordsworth, 
now  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  at  a  cost 
of  £5500. 

Glenalmond,  in  which  the  col- 
lege is  situated  is  of  a  very  pic- 
turesque character,  and  was  the  sub- 
ject of  lines  by  Wordsworth  : — 

"  A  convent,  even  a  hermit's  cell, 
Would  break  the  silence  of  this  dell ; 
It  is  not  quiet,  it  is  not  ease. 
But  something  deeper  far  than  these. " 


288 


Route  i^k.— Crieff  to  Aherfeldy.  Sect.  IV. 


The  Cairnies  (Mrs,  Malcolm  Pat- 
ton)  is  a  pretty  cottage  surrounded  by 
a  Pinetum  surpassed  by  few  in  Scot- 
land. Methven  Castle  (Wni.  Smythe, 
Esq.)  is  a  fine  old  Scotch  seat  and 
estate,  abounding  in  old  timber.] 

15.  Ahnondbank  Stat,  to  the 
rt.  of  which  is  Tippermuir,  pro- 
perly Lamerkin  Muir,  where  the 
Marquis  of  Montrose,  with  1100 
half-clad  Irish  and  1300  half-armed 
Highlanders,  defeated  a  tumultuous 
mob  of  about  6000  Covenanters, 
citizens  of  Perth  and  others,  hastily 
gathered  together  to  oppose  him 
under  Lord  Elcho ;  the  battle  was 
fought  on  the  1st  Sept.  1644,  and 
the  town  of  Perth  was  the  prize  of 
the  victory. 

20 1  m.  1.  Huntingtowcr  Castle. 
The  key  is  left  at  a  shop  in  the  village, 
and  2s.  6d.  is  charged  for  the  use  of 
it !  There  is  nothing  interesting  in 
the  interior,  which  is  used  as  a 
granary.  Its  name  was  changed 
after  the  Gowrie  Conspiracy  from 
that  of  Euthven,  the  latter  having 
acquired  a  disagreeable  notoriety 
from  the  Raid  of  Euthven,  perpe- 
trated there  in  1582. 

King  James  VI.,  returning  from 
Blair  Castle  to  Edinburgh,  was  invited 
by  the  Earl  of  Gowrie  to  his  castle  of 
Euthven.  He  accej^ted  the  invitation, 
but  on  arriving,  found  himself  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  the  nobility 
of  the  kingdom  politically  opposed  to 
him.  The  next  morning  a  list  of  de- 
mands was  presented  to  him,  to  which 
he  was  called  upon  to  accede,  the 
chief  being  that  he  should  dismiss 
his  favourites,  the  Earls  of  Arran  and 
Athol.  James  endeavoured  to  leave 
the  room,  when  one  of  the  conspira- 
tors put  his  back  against  the  door, 
at  which  outrage  the  king  burst  into 
tears,  and  was  told  roughly,  "  Better 
bairns  greet  than  bearded  men." 
In  the  end  he  was  compelled  to 
agree  to  all  their  demands.  The 
castle  consists  of  2  square  tower. 

23  m.  Perth  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte.  43.) 


ROUTE  45a. 

Crieff  to  Aberfeldy  or  Dunkeld, 
by  Amulree  and  the  Small 
Glen.    (23  m.) 

For  Crieff,  see  Ete.  45.  A  carri- 
age may  be  hired  at  the  Drummond 
Arms  ;  no  coach.  The  road  runs 
N.E.  to  Gihnerton,  having  on  1.  the 
Knock  of  Crietf,  and 

3  m.  Monzie  (pron.  Monee)  village 
and  Castle  (G.  Johnstone,  Esq.,  of 
Lathrisk),  a  modern  castellated 
mansion,  under  the  Knock  of  Crieff, 
surrounded  by  stately  trees,  amongst 
which  are  some  of  the  oldest  Larclies 
in  Scotland,  one  of  them,  at  3  ft. 
from  the  ground,  is  20  ft.  in  girth. 

The  road  surmounts  a  steep  hill, 
and  descends  into  the  vale  of  the 
Almond,  where  the  pretty  grounds 
of  Logiealmond  divide  it  ;  the  rt. 
branch  goes  down  the  valley  to  Glen- 
almond  and  the  College  (Ete.  45). 
The  1,  branch  ascends  the  sti-eam 
and  enters  the  Small  Glen,  an  in- 
teresting Highland  pass. 

The  road  is  carried  for  about  2  m. 
through  a  narrow  rocky  defile,  one 
of  the  gates  into  the  Highlands.  In 
its  jaws,  near  its  upper  end,  is  the  re- 
puted tomb  of  Ossian,  a  rude  flat 
stone,  removed  from  off"  the  bones  it 
was  meant  to  cover,  when  the  road 
was  made  ]  746  : — 

"  In  this  still  place,  remote  from  men, 
Sleeps  Ossian  in  the  narrow  glen  ; 
In  this  still  place,  where  murmurs  on, 
But  one  meek  streamlet— only  one." 

The  Almond  is  crossed  at  the 
bridge,  and  over  a  bleak  moor,  we 
come  to  Corriemuckloch,  and  soon 
after  reach 

12.  m.  Amulree.  Good  angling 
quarters  Inn  :  Post-horses.  On  the 
Braan,  which  issues  out  of  Loch 
FrcucMe,  a  little  to  the  W.  of  the 
place. 


Perthshire.  Pamte  46. — Kenmore  to  Inveromn  ;  Glenlyon.  289 


From  this  a  road  follows  the  course 
of  the  Braan  to 

10  m.    DunJceld   (Rte.    48),    and 
another  leads  in 

11  m.  to  Aherfekly^i^t.  (Rte.  44.) 


ROUTE  46. 

Taymouth  (Kenmore)  to  Inver- 
oran,  by  Fortingal  and  Glen- 
lyon. 

It  is  30  m.  from  Kenmore  to  the 
Fort- William  road.  Carriages  can 
go  as  fiir  as  Innerwick  througli  all 
the  most  beautiful  portions  of  Glen- 
lyon. The  latter  part  of  the  Ete. 
is  only  for  pedestrians.  The  Lyon  is 
crossed  at  the  ferry,  close  by  which 
is  the  shell  of  Comhra  Castle,  a  small 
square  keep  of  3  storeys,  completely 
enveloped  in  ivy. 

[Ig  m.  from  Cushieville  Inn,  over- 
looking the  road  from  Strath  Tay 
to  Strath  Tummel,  is  the  ruined 
castle  of  Garth,  once  the  abode  of 
Cuilean  Cursta,  or  the  fierce  Wolf, 
brother  of  the  Earl  of  Buchan.  Be- 
tween the  inn  and  the  castle  are  some 
waterfalls  on  the  Keltnie  Burn.] 

6  m.  Garth  House  (Rev.  H.  Blis- 
sett),  was  the  birthplace  of  Gen. 
David  Stewart,  author  of  "  A  history 
of  the  Highlanders. " 

7.  m.  Fortingal  village.  Here  is 
an  Inn.  By  crossing  Drummond 
Hill  (the  top  of  which  may  be 
reached  even  in  a  carriage  by  a 
zigzag  road)  3  m.  is  saved  in  this 
distance.  The  great  curiosity  here 
is  the  yew-tree  in  the  ch.-yd.  (keys 
to  be  had  at  the  Manse),  said  to  be 
2500  years  old.  It  is  12  ft.  in 
height,  and  the  largest  of  the  stems 
measures  20  ft.  in  girth. 

4|  m.  from  a  small  bridge  may  be 
seen    Glenlyon    House-  (F.    Garden 


Campbell,    Esq.), 
l^Scotland.'] 


the  old  residence  |  Castle,    an    old 


of  the  Campbells  of  Glenlyon,  one 
of  whose  membej'S  took  part  in 
the  Glencoe  ma-ssacre.  On  1.  is  a 
Roman  encampment  occupying  about 
80  acres.  Tlie  Prtetorium  can  be 
easily  traced,  and  there  is  also  within 
the  camp  a  tumulus  60  ft.  long. 

The  way  to  Innerwick  turns  to 
the  rt.,  and  immediately  afterwards 
enters  the  pass,  continuing  for  sonu 
time  by  the  side  of  the  river,  whose 
channel  is  very  deep  and  rocky. 
The  road  is  uneven,  beautifully 
shaded  with  trees,  and  winds  so  that 
the  aspect  of  the  view  is  continually 
changing. 

Glenlyon  is  a  very  narrow  pictur- 
esque valley  running  up  from  the  Tay 
3  m.  below  Kenmore,  E.  and  W.,  at  the 
back  (N.  side)  of  Ben  Lawers.  Ex- 
cept for  pedestrians  it  is  a  cid  de  sac  ; 
the  good  carriage  road  ceases  near 
Innerwick,  about  20  m.  There  are 
cart-roads  leading  from  this  N".  to 
Loch  Rannoch,  and  S.  to  Loch  Tay, 
but  only  guides  will  bring  the  travel- 
ler from  L.  Lochy  through  the  glens 
at  the  vale  head  to  Tyndrum  or  In- 
veroran,  by  Dalmally,  or  Glencoe. 

The  lower  part  of  the  valley  is 
called  Fortingal,  and  a  drive  of  10 
or  15  m.  up  it  will  disclose  all  the 
fine  scenerj'-.  It  is  shut  in  by  high 
hills,  richly  wooded,  with  protruding 
crags  between  and  above.  In  parts 
the  scenery  of  the  defile  is  like  the 
Trossachs. 

[To  reach  Glenlyon  from  Ken- 
more one  must  either  cross  the  W. 
shoulder  of  Drummond  Hill,  turning 
out  of  the  Killin  road  near  Stronfearn 
(2  m.),  or  must  make  a  detour  of  3 
or  4  m.  E.,  to  Comrie  Castle,  the 
ruined  shell  of  a  square  tower,  to 
Fortingal  village.] 

8  m.  passing  rt.  Cliesthill  House 
(W.  J.  B.  Stewart  Meuzies,  Esq.),  the 
pass  opens  into  the  glen. 

9  m.  on  a  small  hillock  on  the  rt., 
are   the   scanty   ruins    of   Carnhane 

stronghold   of  the 
O 


290 


Pites.  46,  Glenhjon — 47,  Keniiwre  to  Glencoe.    Sect.  IY. 


M 'Naughts,   evidently  an   insignifi- 
cant place. 

12  ni.  the  road  now  passes  a  Free 
Kirk  and  Manse,  from  whence  are  fine 
views  of  the  bold  rounded  top  of 
Ben  Gherrig,  while  on  the  opposite 
side,  towering  amongst  some  lower 
elevations,  is  tlie  peak  of  Ben  Lawers. 
The  once  comfortable  little  inn  at 
14  m.  Innencick  has  been  converted 
into  a  shooting-box,  and  its  place  sup- 
plied by  a  small  public -house.  Here 
is  a  road  on  the  N.  to  Loch  Rannoch. 
8  m.,  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  is  the  burial-ground,  in  which 
is  still  preserved  a  rude  bell  of  olden 
days.  [15  m.  From  Bridge  of  Bcdgic 
a  road  runs  S.  to  Killiu  (Ete.  44), 
and  across  the  hills  12m.]  In  front 
is  the  gateway  of  Meggcrnie  Castle 
(E.  S.  Alenzies,  Esq.),  the  house  being 
2  m .  beyond.  After  passing  the  gate 
a  picturesque  waterfall  will  be  ob- 
served on  the  1.  The  drive  winds 
along  the  side  of  the  river  for  more 
than  a  mile,  and  then  enters  a  fine 
avenue  4  m.  long,  of  beech  and  lime 
tree.s,  which  meet  overhead.  The 
castle  is  a  square,  comfortably-built 
house,  originally  erected  in  1579, 
restored  and  repaired  in  1673,  and 
much  enlarged  and  improved  by  its 
present  owner. 

At  16  m.  the  road  ceases  to  be 
passable  for  carriages,  and  the  scenery 
changes  considerably  ;  the  glen  be- 
coming bare  and  treeless,  and  ap- 
parently producing  nothing  but  turf. 

At  22  m.  is  a  good  specimen  of  a 
^^ Pictuh  Tower."  It  is  much  dilapi- 
dated, though  enough  is  left  to  give 
an  idea  of  what  it  was  like  when  per- 
fect. The  walls  are  still  2  ft.  high,  and 
7.  ft.  thick,  of  large  stones,  with  the 
interstices  filled  up  with  small  ones. 

27  m.  at  Locli  Lyon  the  road  alto- 
gether ceases.  The  pedestrian  should 
now  pass  round  to  the  W.  side  of 
the  Loch,  and  tuiii  up  a  watercourse 
on  rt.  This  ends  in  a  peat  track, 
which  leads  down  to  the  side  of  a 


burn,  along  which  the  path  runs  for 
the  remainder  of  the  way.  The  sur- 
face of  the  ground  is  thickh'  studded 
Avith  roots  of  great  size,  proving  that 
at  some  distant  period  the  whole  of 
this  country  was  part  of  a  gigantic 
forest.  This  is  borne  out  by  the 
ancient  name  of  the  Forest  of  Mam- 
lorn. 

32  m.  the  pedestrian  reaches  the 
high  road  to  Fort-William,  and 
striking  northward  reaches 

47  m.  Inveroran  Inn.     (Rte.  34.) 


EOUTE  47. 

Kenmore  to  Glencoe,  by  Kin- 
loch-Eannoch.  For  Pedestrians. 
45  m. 

This  route  should  not  be  attempted 
without  a  map  and  compass,  as  it  i.s 
difficult  and  boggy,  except  in  dry 
weather. 

2  m.  Com  bra  Castle,  and  ferry 
across  the  Lyon  (Ete.  46). 

4  m.  CushieviUe  Inn,  from  which 
a  visit  may  be  paid  to  the  waterfall 
on  the  Keltnie  Burn.  The  road 
from  hence  passes  Garth  Castle  ruins 
(Kte.  46),  and  through  an  unculti- 
vated and  wild  district,  the  only 
great  feature  in  the  view  being  the 
celebrated  mountain  SchchaUion 
(3564  ft.),  round  which  the  road 
winds.  The  name  is  said  to  be 
from  "  Sith-gailionn," — the  Moun- 
tain of  Storms,  though  other  deriva- 
tions have  been  given.  The  traveller 
is  scarcely  able  to  get  a  good  xiqw  of 
the  top,  being  so  close  under  it ;  but 
the  mountain  stands  well,  having 
nothing  round  or  near  to  withdraw 
the  attention  from  its  single  conical 
peak,  which  is  so  characteristic  of  its 
quartz-rock  formation.  Dr.  Ma.ske- 
lyne,  the  astronomer  royal,  made  his 
experiments  for  ascertaining  the  gra- 
vity of  the  earth  on  Schehallion  in 
1777.      On   rt.  rises   the   less  cele- 


Scotland. 


Route  47. — Klnloch-Rannoch. 


291 


brated  Farragon,  about  2800  ft.  high. 
Schehallion  can  be  easily  ascended 
from  Kinloch,  but  the  view  from  the 
summit  is  comparatively  confined. 

[At  8  m.  a  road  on  rt.  goes  to 
Tummel  Bridge,  4  m.,  and  on  north- 
ward to  Dalnacardoch,  where  it 
joins  the  Highland  Rly.  and  north 
road  to  Inverness  (Rte.  48).] 

The  way  to  'Kinloch  continues  to 
ascend  until  a  considerable  elevation 
has  been  reached ;  then  passing 
through  a  long  tract  of  bog  and 
moor  which  lies  at  the  foot  of 
Schehallion,  it  descends  through  a 
narrow  pass  bordered  with  wood,  and 
enters  the  vale  of  Rannoch. 

17  m.  Kinloch- Rannoch  {Inn 
Macdonald  Arms,  good  ;  3  or  4  boats 
for  fishing  ;  the  loch  contains  Salmo 
ferox).  This  neat  little  village, 
which  has  improved  very  much  of 
late  years,  is  situated,  as  its  name 
implies,  at  the  head  or  E.  end  of 
Loch  Hannoch,  a  beautiful  piece  of 
water  11  m.  in  length  and  1  in 
breadth,  and  abounding  with  large 
trout.  There  is  a  road  on  either 
side,  but  the  northern  is  the  best  one 
to  take,  being  somewhat  shorter,  and 
aff"ording  the  best  views.  Along 
the  N.  side  the  ground  is  partly 
cultivated,  and  partly  covered  with 
scattered  plantations  of  fir  and 
birch,  through  which  the  glistening 
waters  of  the  lake  appear  to  great 
advantage.  On  the  S.  side  there  is 
more  wood  and  less  cultivation.  As 
we  get  to  the  "VV.  end  of  the  lake 
may  be  discovered  the  highest  peak 
of  Ben  Lawers,  about  20  m.  distant. 
Coach  in  summer  from  Kinloch-Ran- 
noch  to  Struan  Station. 

Passing  Killahonan  and  Ardla- 
rich  the  road  crosses  the  Ericht, 
which  flows  into  Loch  Rannoch 
from  Loch  Ericht,  a  desolate  and 
dreary  sheet  of  water  some  16  m. 
long,  lying  at  the  foot  of  Ben  Alder. 

At  the  W.  end  of  Loch  Rannoch 
is  the  Lodge,  formerly  the  Tighna- 


line  Inn,  but  now  turned  into  a 
shooting-box. 

28  m.  Rannoch  Lodge  (Hon.  Lady 
Menzies). 

The  road,  which  has  hitherto  been 
very  good,  now  deteriorates.  By- 
and-bye  it  becomes  a  farm  road,  a 
peat  track,  a  well-defined  path,  and 
ultimately  degenerates  into  a  line 
of  precarious  footing  across  a  marsh. 
At  36  m.  the  farm  road  is  left  for  a 
path  (1.)  leading  to  a  rude  bridge 
across  the  Gauer.  \  m.  beyond  this 
is  a  shepherd's  hut,  from  which  a 
track  will  be  found  to  the  head  of 
Loch  LydoclL  The  walker  must  now 
gird  up  his  loins  to  cross  the  Moor  of 
Rannoch,  the  largest  and  dreariest 
moor  in  Scotland,  which  will  occupy, 
generally  speaking,  about  4  hours, 
although  the  distance  is  not  above 
8  m.  Keep  well  up  the  ridge  on  the 
rt.,  and  if  the  ground  is  swampy 
climb  the  hill  and  proceed  along  the 
top,  the  peaks  of  which  will  be  found 
marked  with  large  stones,  probably 
intended  as  landmarks.  Steer  due 
W.,  and  then  Loch  Lydoch  on  the  1. 
will  gradually  become  more  and 
more  distant,  and  will  be  succeeded 
by  a  number  of  small  pieces  of  water, 
varying  in  number  and  size  according 
to  the  season. 

"The  long,  lonely  Moor  of  Ran- 
noch lies  in  great  measure  on  gi-anite, 
while  the  range  of  mountains  that 
bounds  its  south-eastern  margin  con- 
sists, not  of  granite,  but  of  quartz 
rock." — Gcikie. 

General  Roy,  in  his  "Military 
Antiquities,"  mentions  the  Moor 
of  Rannoch  and  Edrachillis  as  the 
two  most  remarkable  districts  in 
his  knowledge. 

After  a  time  the  mountains  at  the 
entrance  of  Glencoe  will  become 
visible,  and  then  the  road  and  the 
inn.  Still  keep  up  the  hill  until 
a  small  burn  is  reached  running 
straight  doAvn  to  the  road.  There  is  a 
path  along  this  which  leads  direct  to 

48  m.  King's  House,  near  the 
entrance  to  Glencoe  (Rte.  34). 


292 


Route  48. — Perth  to  Forres  and  Inverness.    Sect.  IY 


ROUTE  48. 

Perth  to  Forres  and  Inverness, 
by  Dunkeld,  Killiecrankie, 
Blair- Athole,  Kingussie,  and 
Grantown. 

Higliland  Rly.  ;  a  single  line  ;  4 
trains  daily  to  Forres,  119  m.  ;  and 
to  Inverness,  144  m. 

Perth  is  described  in  Ete.  43.  {See 
Map.) 

rt.  2  m.  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Tay,  is  Scone  Palace  (Lord  Mans- 
freld),  described  in  Ete.  43. 

Crossing  the  Almond  Eiver,  the 
line  reaches 

4  m.  Luncarty  Stat.  In  a  field 
upon  the  1.  Kenneth  III.,  about  985, 
defeated  the  Danes,  who  had  in- 
vaded the  kingdom.  It  was  in  this 
battle  that  the  Scots  were  rallied  by 
a  peasant  of  the  name  of  Hay  ;  and 
the  victory  being  gained,  Hay  be- 
came a  great  man  and  founded  the 
Tweeddale  family.  This,  like  many 
other  picturesque  traditions^  how- 
ever, has  been  said  to  be  apocryphal, 
though  several  families  bearing  the 
name  of  Hay  still  have  a  peasant 
with  a  yoke  over  his  arm  as  one  of 
the  supporters  of  their  coat  of  arms. 

We  now  cross  the  rivers  Shochie 
and  Ordie  immediately  above  where 
they  unite  and  run  into  the  Tay. 
An  old  rhyme  runs — 

Says  the  Shochie  to  the  Ordie,  "  Where 

shall  we  meet  ? " 
"At  the  Cross  o'  St.  Johnston,  when  a' 

are  fast  asleep. " 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Tay  are 
the  Stormontfield  breeding-ponds, 
where  the  process  of  breeding  salmon 
can  be  seen. 

7  m.  Stanley  Junct.  Stat.,  where 
the  great  north-east  S3'stem  of  rail- 
waj^s  is  given  off  to  Forfar,  Aber- 
deen, and  Inverness  (Ete.  50). 

The  village  of  Stanley  takes  its 
name    from  the    late    Lady   Emily 


Stanley,  mother  of  the  1st  Marquis 
of  xithole.  The  old  house  of  Stob- 
hall  is  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  is 
of  great  interest  to  the  antiquarian. 
The  hiding-place  of  the  D.  of  Perth 
in  the  chapel  may  still  be  seen. 
5  m.  from  the  stat.,  onrt,  is  Camjme 
Linn,  the  only  cataract  of  the  Tay 
the  scene  of  Eacliin  Maclan's  deatl 
in  "The  Fair  Maid  of  Perth."  Oi; 
rt.,  on  a  clear  day,  the  blue  hills  o' 
Forfarshire  may  be  seen.  Near  thi^ 
rises  Dunsinane,  {seep.  304). 

10|  m.,  on  rt.  of  Murtlily  Stat.,  is 
the  large  County  Lunatic  Asylum. 
On  the  other  side  of  the  river  may 
be  seen  the  village  of  Caputh,  with 
a  ferry-boat  which  works  by  a  chain. 
Farther  on  is  New  Murthly  Castle, 
seat  of  Sir  A.  Douglas  Stewart,  a  verj"- 
large  and  formal-looking  square  Eliza- 
bethan chateau,  begun  on  a  grand 
scale  from  designs  of  Gillespie 
Graham,  architect,  but  left  a  mere 
shell,  never  finished,  amid  grand 
woods.  A  few  yards  to  the  N.  are 
the  old  castle,  built  at  various 
periods,  and  a  little  chapel,  used 
occasionally  for  Presbyterian  wor- 
ship. The  gardens,  in  the  old  Dutch 
style,  are  quaint.  The  grounds  are 
very  beautiful,  and  adorned  with 
rare  pine-trees  of  new  kinds,  hardly 
to  be  matched  elsewhere  for  size,  but 
are  closed  by  the  present  owner  to 
the  public. 

Near  Dalpowie  House  is  an  old  oak, 
called  the  hangman's  tree,  where 
Highland  marauders,  etc.,  w^ere  sus- 
pended. This  custom  was  common 
when  what  were  known  as  the 
"Heritable  Jurisdictions"  prevailed 
in  Scotland,  when  the  superior  of  the 
land  tried  and  condemned  criminals 
without  the  intervention  of  the 
King's  Courts. 

The  scenery  is  only  partially  re- 
vealed through  the  screen  of  thick 
fir-trees  rapidly  passed  by  the  train. 
Emerging  from  a  tunnel,  the  tra- 
veller is  all  at  once  introduced  to 
a  view  most  exquisite,  which  com- 


Scotland. 


Route  48. — Dunkeld. 


293 


bines  the  charms  of  Highland  moun- 
tain and  river  with  the  rich  foliage 
of  Lowland  plantation.  The  rly. 
skirts  1.  the  base  of 

Birnam  Hill  (1325  ft.),  which  is 
said  by  Macculloch  never  to  have 
recovered  the  march  of  its  wood 
to  Dansinane,  but  a  young  and 
vigorous  plantation  is  now  creeping 
up  the  sides,  which  is  the  more 
necessary,  as  the  hill  has  been  much 
broken  into  for  its  slate.  At  its  foot 
lies  the  Birnam  Hotel,  and 

15  m.  DitnTceld  Stat.,  on  the  S. 
bank  of  the  Tay,  about  1  m.  from 
the  town.  Close  to  the  station,  the 
Birnam  Hotel,  a  handsome  building, 
with  a  baronial  hall  for  tables  d'hote. 
It  is  a  well-kept  and  comfortable  Inn. 

Omnibuses  run  from  the  trains 
into  the  town  {Hotels :  Athole  Arms, 
excellently  managed  ;  Royal  H. 
(Fisher's),  close  to  the  dncal  gate, 
crossing  the  river. 

Fishing  (salmon  and  trout),  to 
be  obtained  by  visitors  staying  at 
Athole  Arms  (Grant's)  or  Birnam 
Hotel  (Pople's)  ;  trout-fishing  in  the 
Braan. 

Dunkeld,  the  gate  of  the  High- 
lands, is  a  village  of  about  1000  in- 
habitants, in  a  charming  situation 
on  the  1.  bank  of  the  Tay,  here 
hemmed  in  between  grand  wooded 
mountains,  and  crossed  by  a  hand- 
some bridge  of  7  arches,  erected  by 
Telford  in  1809,  at  a  cost  of  £42,000. 
Pontage,  |d.  for  foot-passenger. 

At  the  farther  end  of  the  main 
street,  leading  to  Blair-Athole,  ^  m. 
from  the  Bridge,  is  the  Lodge  Gate 
to  the  Duke  of  Athole's  Grounds. 
A^isitors  are  admitted  under  the  con- 
duct of  a  guide,  and  the  charge  is 
2s.  6d.  for  one  or  two,  and  Is.  each 
for  three  or  more.  Some  distance  from 
the  entrance  are  the  foundations  of  a 
Palace,  designed  by  Hopper,  begun  by 
John,  4th  Duke  of  Athole,  but  aban- 
doned at  the  Duke's  death,  having  cost 


£30, 000.  The  actual  ducal  residence 
is  a  modest  cottage  on  a  smooth  lawn 
near  the  river  bank.  Here,  in  1842, 
Queen  Victoria  and  Prince  Albert 
were  entertained  and  welcomed  by 
the  late  Duke  at  the  head  of  900 
Highlanders,  500  of  them  being 
Athole  men  of  his  own  clan.  A 
palatial  looking  building  on  a  hillock 
at  the  back  of  the  town  is  the  Duke 
of  Athole's  dog-kennels. 

Near  the  house  stands  the  vener- 
able and  picturesque  Cathedral,  the 
choir  of  which  is  fitted  up  as  the 
parish  ch.,  the  nave  being  a  ruin, 
and  open  to  the  sky. 

It  is  a  grand  Gothic  edifice,  appa- 
rently of  the  15th  centy.,  though  the 
massive  round  piers  of  the  nave 
bespeak  an  earlier  date,  and  we  know 
that  it  stands  on  the  site  of  one  of 
the  oldest  churches  in  Scotland, 
founded  by  Culdee  missionaries,  who 
in  the  9th  centy.  were  driven  from 
lona  by  the  roving  Northern  pirates, 
and  settled  here,  bringing  with  them 
the  relics  of  St.  Columba.  The 
main  arches  of  the  nave,  which  are 
pointed,  are  surmounted  by  a  very 
clumsy  triforium  of  round  arches. 

In  the  chapter-house  is  a  monu- 
ment to  John,  4th  Duke  of  Athole, 
1833,  with  all  the  armorial  bearings. 

The  W.  end  of  the  ch.  is  pierced 
with  a  large  window,  which  is  placed 
awry,  its  canopied  moulding  being 
twisted  away  from  the  line  of  the 
gable.  It  is  flanked  by  a  noble  mas- 
sive tower  (1469-1501).  In  the  S. 
aisle  of  the  nave  is  the  monument  of 
Bp.  Piobert  of  Cardney,  who  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  nave  ;  in  the  N. 
aisle  is  the  statue  of  Bp.  Sinclair. 
In  the  choir,  now  used  as  the 
parish  ch.,  is  a  recumbent  e&gy 
of  Alexander  Stewart,  Earl  of 
Buchan,  natural  son  of  Robert  II., 
better  known  as  ' '  The  Wolf  of 
Badenoch,"  whose  greatest  ex- 
ploit was  the  destruction  of  Elgin 
Cathedral.  After  a  career  of  un- 
paralleled cruelty  and  vice  he  died, 
and  was  buried  here  in  1394.     Here 


294     Route  ^S.—Dirnksld;  D.  of  A  tholes  Grounds.    Sect.  IV. 


also  is  a  monument  to  the  42d 
Highlanders  (Black  Watch)  who  fell 
in  the  Crimean  war, — a  bas-relief  by 
Steell,  erected  by  the  surviving  offi- 
cers in  1872. 

Close  to  the  ch.  tower  rise  two  of 
the  oldest  and  finest  Larches  in 
Britain,  brought  from  the  Tyrol  in 
1738,  15  ft.  8  in.  in  girth  at  3  ft. 
from  the  ground,  99  ft.  high,  but 
maimed  in  the  leading  shoot. 

In  1689  a  regiment  of  1200  Low- 
landers  took  up  a  i^osition  in  and 
around  the  cathedral,  and  was  at- 
tacked by  the  Highland  army,  fresh 
from  its  victory  of  Killiecrankie. 
After  a  most  obstinate  fight  the 
Highlanders  were  beaten  off"  with 
great  loss,  and  soon  afterwards  dis- 
persed. The  regiment  has  since  been 
known  as  the  26th  Cameronians. 
The  grave  of  Col.  Cleland,  who  com- 
manded them  and  was  killed,  is  to 
be  seen  in  the  churchyard. 

Nothing  can  be  lovelier  than  the 
broad  Tcrrace-waltcs  of  velvet  turf 
stretching  up  the  1.  bank  of  the  Tay, 
commanding  the  brisk  river,  the 
bridge,  aud  the  noble  mountains,  and 
shaded  by  trees  of  magnificent  growth 
(silver  fir  150  ft.  high  and  16  ft.  in 
circumference,  Scotch  firs  and  vigor- 
ous deodars. 

2  m.  from  Dunkeld,  by  the  road 
vqy  Strathbraan,  passing  the  village 
of  Inver,  the  visitor  may  reach  the 
romantic  river  Braan,  which,  in 
a  rocky  glen,  forms  a  pictur- 
esque fall  over  the  slate  strata 
turned  on  edge.  A  pretty  summer- 
house,  called  Ossians  Hall,  which 
stood  here,  was  blown  up  and  de- 
stroyed by  some  malicious  person, 
much  to  the  loss  of  visitors,  1869. 
The  miscreant  Avas  never  found  out, 
and  the  summer-house  has  never 
been  rebuilt. 

The  village  of  Inver  is  about  one 
mile  from  Dunkeld,  and  on  the  way 
the  Braan  is  crossed  by  one  of  Gen. 
AVade's  bridges.  Inver  Avas  the  resi- 
dence of  Neil  Gow. 

Higher    up    the    stream    is    the 


Rumbling  Bridge,  a  favourite  re- 
sort of  tourists,  below  which  the 
Braan,  falling  into  a  deep  chasm, 
growls  among  the  rocks,  and  if  there 
has  been  much  rain  this  is  of  itself 
worth  a  visit.  The  ruins  of  Goxvrie 
Castle,  a  seat  of  the  once  powerful 
Earls  of  GoAvrie,  whose  lands  were 
confiscated  at  the  time  of  the  Gowrie 
Conspiracy,  are  at  Trochrie,  about  2 
miles  farther  up  Strathbraan,  on  the 
Amulree  road.  The  visitor  can  re- 
turn by  the  Amulree  road,  passing 
rt.  Dundonachie  (Burn  Murdoch, 
Esq.) 

The  Episcopal  Ch.  of  St.  Mary  is 
close  to  the  Birnani  Hotel. 

Walks.  — a.  Birnam  H.  is  ascended 
by  a  very  pleasant  walk  up  the  side 
of  the  Inchcwan  Burn,  which  passes 
the  hotel,  passing  under  the  railway 
bridge.  No  carriages  allowed,  how- 
ever. The  view  from  the  top  is 
magnificent. 

h.  The  Terrace- Walk,  along  rt. 
bank  of  Tay  behind  the  hotel.  Here 
may  be  seen  the  finest  Sycamore  in 
Britain,  and  an  oak  nearly  its  equal. 
There  is  a  path  by  the  river  to 
Murthly,  but  its  gates  are  closed  to 
strangers. 

c.  The  walks  up  and  around 
Craig-y-barns  command  fine  views  of 
the  Tay  above  Dunkeld. 

Highland  Gatherings  are  held 
annually  at  Dunkeld  about  end  -of 
July,  and  Birnam  end  of  August. 

Among  the  modern  villas  and 
countiy -houses  around  Dunkeld  may 
be  named  Kinloch  (Hon.  Arthur 
Kiunaird,  M.P.) ;  St.  Mary's  Tower 
(Lord  John  Manners),  charming 
view  ;  Erigmore  (Sir  John  Garden), 
etc. 

Conveyances  from  Dunkeld.  — El  y. 
to  Perth  and  Inverness.  Coach  to 
Braemar  by  Blairgowrie. 

Excursions. — a.  Loch  of  the  Lowes 
3  m.,  and  Blairgowrie,  12  m.  (Ete. 
52  B)  ;  h.  Murthly  Castle  and  Camp- 
sie  Linn  (Rte.  48) ;  c.  Amulree  and 


Scotland. 


rioute  48. — Diinheld  to  PitlocJirie. 


295 


Small  Glen  (Ete.  45a)  ;  d.  Aberfekly, 
18  m.  (Rail.,  Dunkeld  to  Pitlochrie 
and  Kenmore,  24  m.  (Ete.  44)  ; 
e.  Pitlochrie,  Pass  of  Killiecrankie, 
and  Blair- Athole  (Rte.  48). 


Quitting  Dunkeld  Stat.,  in  a  cut- 
ting which  shuts  out  the  Tay,  we 
cross  its  tributary,  the  Braan,  and 
skirt  the  base  of  Craigvinean.  Only 
partial  glimpses  can  be  obtained  of 
the  really  line  scenery  of  the  Tay, 
owing  to  the  thick  fir  woods. 

201  m.  Dalguise  Stat.,  on  rt.  are 
the  farm-buildings  of  the  Duchess 
of  Athole,  and  on  1.  is  Dalguise 
House  (J.  Stewart,  Esq.)  ;  farther 
on,  also  on  1.,  is  Kinnaird  House, 
a  residence  of  the  Duke  of  Athole. 
The  line  now  crosses  the  Tay  to 

21  im.  Giiaij  Stat. 

24  m.  Ballixluig  Junct.  Stat. 
Here  the  Aberfeldy  branch  Rly.  is 
given  off  (Rte.  44),  on  the  way  to 
Taymouth  and  Loch  Tay. 

On  a  peninsula  formedby  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Tunimel  and  Tay  stands 
the  village  of  Logierait  (onl.).  Just 
above  a  monumental  cross  has  been 
erected  to  the  6th  Duke  of  Athole. 
The  Tay  is  here  crossed  by  a  chain 
boat,  which  is  swept  from  side  to 
side  by  the  action  of  the  stream. 

The  railway  now  ascends  the  Yale 
of  Tummel. 

14  m.  from  Ballinluig  on  rt.  is  the 
village  and  white  inn  of  MouUncarn, 
near  which  are  some  Falls,  and  the 
remains  of  an  old  tower  about  80  ft. 
square,  of  the  history  of  which 
nothing  is  known. 

Passing  rt.  Croftinloan  (Captain 
Jack  Murray),  Donavourd  (G. 
Gordon,  Esq.),  and  1.  Killichangie 
and  Dunfallandie  (Miss  Ferguson), 
the  rly.  reaches 

Pitlochrie  Stat.  {Inn :  Fisher's,  ad- 


joining the  Stat.),  very  good,  but 
generally  full  in  Aug.  and  Sept. 

Pitlochrie  is  a  neat  quiet  village 
of  lodging-houses,  much  resorted  to 
in  summer.  It  is  charmingly  situated 
on  an  eminence  above  the  Tummel, 
surrounded  by  wooded  hills,  over 
which,  on  the  N.,  soars  the  grand 
mass  of  Ben  Vracky. 

For  those  who  have  leisure  to  stop 
here,  the  hills  and  woods  around 
offer  walks  and  rides  almost  without 
end.  Palish  ch.,  Episcopal  ch..  Free 
Kirk. 

JFalks. — a.  To  the  village  of  Mou- 
lin (2  m.  N.),  on  the  road  to  Spital  of 
Glenshee.  Near  it  are  Balnakielly 
(H.  B.  Stewart,  Esq.),  which  is  likely 
to  be  turned  into  a  Hydropathic 
Receptacle,  and  Balledmund  (J. 
Ferguson,  Esq.)  b.  The  ascent  of 
Ben  Vracky  is  a  walk  of  6  or  7  m.  ; 
2^  hrs. ;  fine  view. 

c.  1  m.  E.  of  Pitlochrie,  not  far 
from  the  Episcopal  Chapel,  a  small 
glen  opens  out,  in  which  is  a  tiny 
cascade  called  the  Black  Spout. 

cl.  The  woods  and  grounds  of  Fas- 
kalhj,  2  m.  up  the  valley  of  the 
Tummel,  abound  in  charming  shady 
walks  reaching  to  the  river  side. 
Respectable  persons  are  readily  ad- 
mitted by  Mr.  Butter,  the  obliging 
owner.  There  is  no  need  to  approach 
the  house  closely,  much  less  to  stare 
in  at  the  windows.     {See  next  page. ) 

e.  To  the  Falls  of  Tummel— Im- 
mediately  above  the  House  of  Fas- 
kally,  the  river  Garry,  descending 
from  Killiecrankie  Pass  and  Blair- 
Athole,  joins  the  Tummel,  Avhose 
upper  course  is  nearly  from  W.  to  E. 
A  short  distance  above  this  junction 
are  the  Falls  of  Tummel,  which  are 
pretty,  and  formed  by  a  large  body 
of  water,  though  not  above  18  ft. 
high.  In  order  to  reach  them, 
follow  the  Blair- Athole  road  past 
Faskally,  for  4  m.,  where  a  road  de- 


296 


Route  48. — Loch  Tiimmel ;  KilUecranhie.     Sect. 'IV. 


scends  to  a  Bridge  over  the  Garry- 
A  little  beyond  this  a  footpath  on  1., 
through  fields  and  plantations,  leads 
to  the  Falls. 

/.  Loch  Tiimmel  and  Queen  s  View, 
8  m. ,  or  4^  m.  beyond  the  Bridge  of 
Garry,  the  road,  ascending  the  1. 
bank  of  the  river  Tunimel,  passes 
Bo'iiskdd  (G.F.  Barbour,  Esq.)  After 
crossing  the  mouth  of  the  little  Glen 
of  Fincastle,  ascend  a  hill,  from 
the  summit  of  which  a  projecting 
bastion  of  rock  permits  a  magnificent 
prospect,  known  as  the  "■Queens 
View''^  of  Loch  Tummel,  8  m.,  at  a 
great  depth  below,  witli  its  rocks  and 
forest-covered  headlands,  backed  up 
at  the  W.  end  by  the  peaks  of  Sche- 
hallion  and  Fan-agon. 

Passing  Portnellan  on  the  X.  side 
of  the  lake,  and  continuing  along  the 
upper  course  of  the  river,  the  tourist 
reaches  Bridge  of  Tummel  Inn,  a 
very  pleasant  fishing-station. 

From  here  one  road  runs  N.  to  Dal- 
nacardoch,  another  due  S.  to  Comrie,. 
Cushieville,  and  Kenmore  (Ete.  44), 
Avliile  the  main  road  continues  on  to 
Kinloch-Eannoch,  21  m.  Hence  the 
tourist  can  continue  a  walking  excur- 
sion over  to  Glencoe  (Rte.  47).] 

From  Pitlochrie  the  tourist  may 
visit  Glentilt,  Bruar  Falls,  Blair- 
Athole  Castle  grounds,  and  an  ex- 
cursion may  be  made  to  the  summit 
of  the  Hill  of  Tulloch  {see  p.  298.) 

Coach  in  summer  to  Kinloch-Ran- 
noch  from  Pitlochrie. 


From  Pitlochrie  the  rly.  ascends 
the  valley  of  the  Tummel  in  cuttings, 
piissing  behind  Faskally. 

The  great  charm  of  Pitlochrie  is 
its  vicinity  to  the  mouth  of  the 
grandly -wooded  defile,  in  the  midst 
of  which  the  Tummel,  coming  from 
the  W.,  is  joined  by  the  Garry,  de- 
scending from  Blair- Athole.    The  N. 


part  of  this  defile  is  properly  the 
Pass  of  KiJliecranMc.  The  beauties 
of  the  magnificent  scenery  are  lost 
to  those  who  merely  pass  through  in 
the  train.  It  is  best  explored  on 
foot  or  in  an  open  carriage.  The 
road  and  railway  run  through  the 
Pass  side  by  side.  They  both  tra- 
verse the  beautiful  woods  of  Faskally 
(Arch.  Butter,  Esq.),  whose  house  is 
barely  seen  L  placed  in  the  midst  of 
a  sunny  haugh,  just  below  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Garry  with  the  Tummel. 
A  little  further  on  (1.)  a  wooden  foot- 
bridge leads  over  the  rl}^ ,  and  a  road 
branches  down  to  the  Old  Bridge  of 
Garnj,  commanding  a  fine  view  up  the 
Pass  and  of  Ben-y-Gloe  at  its  head. 
This  bridge  leads  to  the  Falls  and 
Loch  of  Tummel.  From  the  Bridge 
of  Garry  also  a  footpath  leads  up  the 
1.  bank  of  the  Garry,  through  Mr. 
Butter's  grounds,  along  the  line  of 
the  old  road  by  which  Gen.  Mackay 
marched  his  army  to  encounter  Dun- 
dee. From  this  path,  which  goes 
under  the  Rly.  Viaduct,  a  just  esti- 
mate of  the  grandeur  of  the  Pass  can 
alone  be  formed.  A  wicket-gate  also 
leads  1.  out  of  the  high  road  down  to  a 
jutting  point  called  the  Queens  View, 
from  which  you  look  over  the  Ely. 
Viaduct,  and  down  the  course  of  the 
river. 

The  rly.,  which  hitherto  has  been 
carried  in  cuttings  along  the  shoulder 
of  the  hills,  is  conveyed  over  a  small 
burn  descending  to  the  Garry,  on  a 
noble  Viaduct  of  10  arches,  and  at 
once  penetrates  the  hill  beyond  in  a 
tunnel,  emerging  from  which  the 
train  reaches 

Killiecrankie  Stat. — About  \  m. 
N.  of  this  is  the  field  of  battle. 

The  Pass  of  Killiecrankie  is  cele- 
brated for  the  battle  fought  in  July 
1689,  between  General  Mackay, 
who  commanded  for  William  III., 
and  Claverhouse  (Viscount  Dundee) 
on  the  side  of  King  James  VII.,  and 
in  which  the  latter  commander  re- 
ceived  his   death   wound.      But   it 


Scotland.    ^.48. — Pass  of  KiUiecr  ankle  ;  Blair- A  thole.     297 


must  be  remarked  that  the  battle 
itself  did  not  take  place  in  the  Pass, 
for  Claverhouse  allowed  the  royal 
troops  to  emerge  and  form  in  the 
opening  of  the  valley. 

"The  ascent  of  General  Mackay's 
troops  on  the  day  of  the  battle  was 
long  and  toilsome  ;  for  even  the  foot 
had  to  climb  by  twos  and  threes,  and 
the  baggage-horses,  1200  in  number, 
could  only  mount  one  at  a  time.  No 
wheeled  carriage  had  ever  been 
tugged  up  that  arduous  path.  The 
head  of  the  column  had  emerged, 
and  was  on  the  tableland,  w^hile  the 
rear-guard  was  still  in  the  plain 
below. 

"It  was  past  7  o'clock  ;  Dundee 
gave  the  word  ;  the  Highlanders 
dropped  their  plaids.  The  few  who 
were  so  luxurious  as  to  wear  socks  of 
untanned  hide  spurned  them  away. 
It  was  long  remembered  in  Loch- 
aber  that  Lochiel  took  off  what  pro- 
bably was  the  only  pair  of  shoes  in 
the  clan,  and  charged  barefoot  at 
the  head  of  his  men.  The  whole 
line  advanced  firing.  The  enemy 
returned  the  fire  and  did  much  exe- 
cution. AVhen  only  a  small  space 
was  left  between  the  armies,  the 
Highlanders  suddenly  flung  away 
their  firelocks,  drew  their  broad- 
swords, and  rushed  forward  with  a 
fearful  yell.  The  Lowlanders  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  shock  ;  but  this 
was  then  a  long  and  awkward  pro- 
cess, and  the  soldiers  were  still 
fumbling  with  the  muzzles  of  their 
guns  and  the  handles  of  their  bayo- 
nets, when  the  whole  flood  of  Mac- 
leans, Macdonalds,  and  Camerons 
came  down.  The  ranks  of  Balfour's 
regiment  broke.  He  was  cloven 
down  while  struggling  in  the  press. 
Eamsay's  men  turned  their  backs 
and  dropped  their  arms.  Mackay's 
own  foot  were  swept  away  by  the 
furious  onset  of  the  Camerons.  His 
brother  and  nephew  exerted-  them- 
selves in  vain  to  rally  the  men.  The 
former  was  laid  dead  on  the  ground 
by  the  stroke  of  a  claymore.      The 


latter,  with  eight  wounds  in  his  body, 
made  his  way  to  his  uncle's  side. 
Even  in  that  extremity,  IMackay 
retained  his  self-possession.  He  had 
still  one  hope.  A  charge  of  horse 
might  recover  the  day  ;  for  of  horse 
the  bravest  Highlanders  were  sup- 
posed to  stand  in  awe.  But  he  called 
on  the  horse  in  vain.  Belhaven, 
indeed,  behaved  like  a  gallant  gen- 
tleman ;  but  his  troopers,  appalled 
by  the  order  of  the  infantry,  galloped 
ofl"  in  disorder.  Annandale's  men  fol- 
lowed ;  all  was  over ;  and  the  mingled 
torrent  of  red  coats  and  tartans  went 
roaring  down  the  valley  to  the  gorge 
of  Killiecrankie." — Lord  Macau/ay. 

The  scenery  of  the  Pass,  which  is 
about  1^  m.  in  length,  is  exceedingly 
beautiful,  the  river  Garry  foaming 
at  the  bottom  in  its  rocky  channel, 
while  the  wooded  hills  rising  on 
each  side  shut  it  completely  in. 


Stat.,  is  Urrard  House  (Mrs. 
Alston  Stewart),  into  which  Dundee 
is  said  to  have  been  carried  after  he 
had  received  his  mortal  wound.  An 
upright  stone  in  the  middle  of  a  field 
is  said  to  mark  the  spot  where  he 
fell  ;  but  it  is  generally  believed  to 
have  been  part  of  an  old  stone 
monument.  As  the  road  emerges 
from  the  Pass  the  winding  valley  is 
adorned  with  several  pretty  villas 
and  residences,  such  as  Killiecrankie 
Cottage,  Strathgarry  House  (Mrs. 
Stewart),  and  Lude  House  (J.  P. 
M'lnro}^  Esq.),  with  the  height  of 
Ben-y-Gloe  rising  behind. 

The  railway  and  road  cross  on 
bridges  the  river  Tilt,  close  to 

35  m.  Blair-Athole  Stat.  {Inns : 
Athole  Arms,  an  excellent  house, 
opposite  the  Duke's  park  gate, 
which  is  close  to  the  stat  ;  Bridge  of 
Tilt  Inn.  Strangers  are  admitted  to 
the  park  and  grounds,  but  must  be 
attended  by  a  guide,  who  receives 
Is.  from  each  person. 


298 


Route  48, — Blair  Castle  ;  Bruar  Falls.      Sect.  IV. 


Blair  Castle,  the  principal  residence 
of  the  D.  of  Athole,  was  dismantled  in 
1690,  to  prevent  its  being  garrisoned 
by  the  rebels,  but  it  was  restored 
with  towers  and  re-embattled  1870. 
It  was  built  by  John  of  Strathbogie, 
one  of  the  Comyns,  who  became  Earl 
of  Athole  by  marriage,  and  is  rather 
destitute  of  architet^tural  features. 
The  site  and  the  grounds  are  charm- 
ing. They  include  fine  trees,  espe- 
cially several  grand  Larches — rivals 
in  age  and  size  of  those  at  Dunkeld. 
In  the  old  Church,  behind  the  house, 
was  buried  the  valiant  Dundee,  the 
hero  of  Killiecrankie,  but  his  remains 
have  been  removed  to  the  Ch.  of  Old 
Deer.  The  family  of  Murray  ranks 
high  in  antiquity  and  importance 
in  the  annals  of  Scotland,  and  the 
motto  now  borne  by  them,  "  Furth 
fortune,  and  fill  the  fetters,"  was 
gi'anted  to  an  ancestor  by  James  I., 
who  sent  him  in  command  of  his 
troops  against  a  rebellious  Lord  of 
the  Isles.  The  ^larquis  of  Tulli- 
bardine  and  2  brothers  were  "  out " 
with  i\Iar  in  1715,  on  the  side  of  the 
Old  Pretender,  and  after  many  years' 
exile,  2  of  them  (the  third  being  dead) 
returned  with  Charles  Edward  in 
1745.  The  Marquis  unfurled  the 
Prince's  banner  at  Glenfinnan,  and 
Lord  G.  Murray  was  the  ablest  and 
most  devoted  officer  in  his  army ;  the 
first  in  advance,  the  last  in  retreat. 
He  finally  escaped  to  Rome  ;  but 
his  elder  brotlier  was  captured,  and 
died  in  the  Tower.  The  castle,  oc- 
cupied as  an  outpost  of  the  Duke  of 
Cumberland,  was  besieged  by  Lord 
George,  and  defended  by  a  garrison 
under  Sir  Andrew  Agnew,  just  before 
the  battle  of  CuUoden. 

Excursions. — a.  Killiecrankie  and 
Pitlochrie  {a,nte)  ;  h.  Falls  of  Bruar 
3|  m.  N.  ;  c.  Glentilt  and  Braemar 
(Ete.  52c)  ;  d.  HiU  of  TuUoch. 

The  Hill  of  TuUoch  was  ascended 
by  Her  Majesty  and  the  Prince  Con- 
sort.    She  greatlj^  praises  the  View. 

The    lower    part    of    Glentilt    is 


included  in  the  grounds  of  Blair, 
and  i)resents  some  pretty  wooded 
and  rocky  scenery,  in  the  style  of 
Ruysdael's  pictures.  No  one  need 
ascend  to  the  head  of  Glentilt  in 
search  of  fine  scenery,  nor  for  other 
reasons,  except  he  be  bound  for 
Braemar  {see  Rte.  52c),  to  which  it 
is  a  short-cut  bridle-way. 

The  Falls  of  the  Bruar  well  de- 
serve to  be  visited  from  Blair-A thole, 
4  m. 

10  m.  The  Falls  of  Bruar,  three 
romantic  cascades,  each  differing 
from  the  other,  afford  fine  studies 
for  the  artist  of  rock  and  water,  and 
rich  and  varied  foliage,  far  finer  than 
the  Falls  of  Tummel.  A  carriage- 
road  leads  \\\)  to  the  second,  and  a 
path  from  thence  gives  easy  access 
to  all  of  them,  up  one  side  of  the 
stream  and  down  the  other  ;  distance 
1  m. 

The  sides  of  the  stream  are 
planted  with  fir,  the  result  of  a  vis't 
from  Burns,  Avho  wrote  the  "  Humble 
Petition  of  Bruar  Water  to  the  noble 
Duke  of  Athole." 


'  Would  then  my  noble  master  please 

To  grant  my  highest  wishes, 
He'll  shade  my  banks  wi'  towering  trees 
And  bonnie  spi-eading  bushes." 


The  Rly.  going  N.  crosses  the 
Bruar  a  little  above  its  junction 
with  the  Garry,  about  a  mile  before 
reaching 

40  m.  Struan  Stat.,  which  is  2  ni. 
from  Bruar  Falls. 

Coach  from  Struan  Stat,  to  Kin- 
loch-Kannoch. 

Near  Struan  Stat,  (a  fine  retro- 
spective view  over  Blair-Athole)  is 
the  old  mansion  of  Struan.  The 
rly.,  constantly  rising,  passes  through 
birch  plantations.  The  channel  of 
the  Garr}'  is  a  trough  of  slate  rocks, 
which  form  a  succession  of  rapids. 


Inverness.     Route  48. — Blair-Athole  to  Kingussie. 


299 


444  m.,  rt.,  is  Dalnacardoch. 
This  point  is  the  boundary  between 
the  forest  of  Athole  and  that  of 
Druniouchter.  A  road  runs  S. 
from  here  to  Strath  Tummel,  cross- 
ing in  its  course  Glen  Erochkie, 
The  gradients  of  the  rly.  have  been 
getting  steeper  and  steeper,  and  the 
traveller  now  tinds  the  country 
very  much  wilder  and  more  deso- 
late as  he  approaches  the  summit 
level.  If  the  day  is  clear  the  moun- 
tains on  rt.  show  to  great  advantage. 

Near  this  we  bid  adieu  to  trees, 
not  to  be  seen  again  until  we  reach 
Strathspey.  The  old  coach  road 
may  be  traced  in  places  by  tlie  black 
snow-posts,  and  the  rly.  is  defended 
from  snow-drifts  by  strong  palissade 
screens,  notwithstanding  the  line  is 
often  blocked  up  in  severe  winters. 

51  m.  Balnaspiclal  Stat.,  very  near 
the  source  of  the  Gany  in  Loch 
Garry,  which  is  seen  1.,  a  little  to 
the  S. 

52.^  m.  The  line  now  attains  its 
highest  point,  and  enters  Inverness- 
shire  at  Drumouchter  Fass,  where 
the  line  and  road  run  between  the 
mountains  called  Badenoch  Boar  on 
the  rt.  and  the  Athole  Sow  on  the  1., 
immediately  after  which  the  water- 
shed of  the  Spey  is  entered. 

' '  The  piles  of  the  glacier  debris 
Avhich  can  be  traced  to  tlie  head  of 
Glengarry,  cross  the  watershed,  and 
go  down  Glentruim,  showing  that 
the  glacier  of  Loch  Garry  split  upon 
the  watershed,  and  sent  one  branch 
into  Glengarry,  the  other  into  Glen- 
truim. The  deep  pass  of  Drum- 
ouchter, 1450  ft.  above  the  sea,  is 
as  wild  a  scene  as  can  be  reached  in 
the  Highlands  by  a  turnpike-road." 
■ — Geikie. 

1.  The  head  of  Loch  Ericht  is 
visible  from  the  rly.  before  reaching 

59  m.  Dalwhinnie  Stat.  Inn,  at  the 
head  of  Glentruim,  a  desolate  and 
solitary  spot,  protected  by  a  few 
fir-trees  from  the  cold  winds. 


[On  1.  lies  Loch  Ericht  or  Errochd, 
good  fishing,  and  boats  (no  road), 
a  long  dreary  lake,  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  the  mountains  of  the 
forest  of  Drumouchter  and  those  of 
the  forest  of  Ben  Alder,  of  wdiich 
Ben  Alder  (3741  ft.)  is  the  highest 
point.  The  water  of  this  loch  is 
never  known  to  freeze.  In  a  cave  in 
Ben  Alder  Prince  Charlie  was  con- 
cealed by  Cluny  Macpherson.] 

[A  road  also  runs  N.  from  Dal- 
whinnie to  Laggan,  7  m.,  to  join 
that  between  Kingussie  and  Fort- 
William,  Rte.  38].  Near  the  inn  on 
rt.  is  Gen.  AYade's  stone,  with  the 
date  of  1729  upon  it.  This  marks 
the  spot  where  the  troops  who  made 
the  roads  from  Inverness  met  those 
who  were  working  up  from  Dunkeld, 
and  commemorated  the  fact  and  the 
date  on  this  stone.  There  is  a  fine 
view  of  Schehallion  on  1.  The  Avild 
country  here  has  on  more  than  one 
occasion  been  a  favourite  rendezvous 
and  stronghold  of  the  Highlanders, 
who  have  here  held  their  own  against 
a  far  more  numerous  force  of  dis- 
ciplined trooi>s.  In  this  neighbour- 
hood even  Cromwell's  Ironsides  re- 
ceived a  check  from  the  men  of 
Athole,  and  Gen.  Cope,  declining  to 
encounter  the  Highlanders  descend- 
ing from  the  Pass  of  Corryarrack, 
retired  to  Inverness,  leaving  open 
the  Lowlands  and  the  road  to  Edin- 
burgh, Aug.  26,  1745. 

Between  Dalwhinnie  and  New- 
tonmore the  Truim  Water  is  crossed 
at  Ettridge  Bridge.  The  river  Spey 
descending  from  its  mountain  cradle 
in  the  W.  under  Cairndearg,  down 
Glenlaggan,  receives  the  Truim 
near  Glentruim  House  (Major  L. 
Macpherson).  Inveriiahavon,  where 
the  two  rivers  unite,  was  the  scene 
of  a  great  battle  fought  in  the  reign 
of  James  I.  between  the  clans 
Cameron  and  Mackintosh. 

The  rly.  descends  the  valley  for 
some  way  parallel  with  the  Spey  to 

69  m.  Newtonmore  &id±.,  where  the 


300 


Rmde  48. — Dunkeld  to  Inverness. 


Sect.  IV. 


country  becomes  more  picturesque, 
producing  a  short  turf  tliat  forms 
excellent  pasture  for  the  Badenoch 
sheep.  The  Spey  soon  swells  into  a 
broad  stream,  its  banks  fringed  with 
corn  crops,  and  finely  backed  by  the 
outline  of  the  Grampian  Chain  on  rt. 
At  Newtonmore  the  rly.  and  the  road 
cross  the  Spey,  and  keep  along  its  1, 
bank  to 

72  m.  Kingussie  Stat. ,  pronounced 
Kingeusie  (Hotel,  a  good  Inn),  a  vil- 
lage of  some  size,  and,  together  with 
the  greater  part  of  the  surrounding 
district,  the  property  of  Evan  Baillie, 
Esq.,  of  Dochfour,  Avho  purchased 
it  from  the  last  Duke  of  Gordon. 
It  serves  as  a  sort  of  capital  to  this 
wild  country  of  Badenoch,  Avhich 
foi-merly  belonged  to  the  Comyns, 
though,  upon  their  annihilation  by 
Bruce' s  party,  some  of  it  w^as 
bestowed  upon  Randolph,  Earl  of 
Moray.  Part  of  it  was  retained  in 
the  royal  power,  and  was  subse- 
quently granted  to  the  natural  son 
of  Eobert  II.,  better  known  as  the 
Wolf  of  Badenoch.  One  of  the  for- 
tresses by  which  his  power  was 
maintained  was  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  Spey,  on  a  sjiot  now  occupied 
by  the  ruins  of  the  liuthvcji  barracks, 
which  were  built  in  1718  to  keep  the 
Highlanders  in  check,  and  were  de- 
stro^^ed  by  them,  1745. 

This  place  was  the  closing  scene 
of  the  rebellion,  for  here  the  High- 
landers assembled  after  the  rout  at 
Culloden,  in  hopes  that  Prince 
Charles  would  take  the  field  again. 
But  he  saw  the  uselessness  of  an- 
other attempt  ;  and  bidding  them 
farewell,  commanded  them  to  dis- 
perse. 

A  Coach  leaves  Kingussie  daily, 
in  summer,  passing  Loch  Laggan 
and  Spean  Bridge  (391  m.),  and  the 
mouth  of  Glen  Roy,  to  Fort- William 
(Rte.  38),  50  m. 

Distances. — Dalwhinnie,    13   m,  ; 


Aviemore,  11^  ;  Laggan  Inn,  18  m.  ; 
Bridge  of  Roy,  33  m. 

The  rly.  next  passes  Belleville 
(Colonel  Macpherson),  beautifully 
situated  on  high  ground.  There 
is  an  obelisk  close  by  to  the 
memory  of  Macpherson,  the  trans- 
later  or  writer  of  Ossian,  avIio  built  the 
house,  from  designs  of  Robert  Adair. 
Sir  David  Brewster  lived  here.  The 
Castle  of  Raits,  upon  whose  site 
Belleville  stands,  was  the  scene  of 
the  slaughter  of  the  Comyns  by  the 
clan  Macintosh.  Comyn  had  asked 
his  opponents  to  dinner,  and  placed 
each  of  them  at  table  next  to  one 
of  his  own  clan.  At  the  appearance 
of  the  boar's  head  on  a  dish,  each 
Comyn  was  to  slay  a  Macintosh. 
But  the  guests,  having  been  warned 
of  the  plot,  Avere  too  quick  for  their 
opponents,  and  when  the  boar's  head 
appeared  each  ]\lacintosh  slew  a 
Comyn.  At  the  W.  of  the  castle  is 
a  large  gi-ey  stone  called  the  Listen- 
ing Stone,  at  which  the  plot  was 
revealed. 

The  valley  of  the  Spey  below  this 
has  the  aspect  of  a  rolling  plain  of 
hillocks  of  drifted  gravel,  covered 
with  heather,  and  Avoods  of  fir  and 
birch,  which,  coupled  with  the 
windings  of  the  river,  give  it  a  cha- 
racter of  beauty  and  variety. 

77^  m.  Kincraig  Stat.,  at  the 
foot  of  Loch  Inch,  in  which  the 
Spey  for  a  little  time  loses  itself. 

To  the  S.  now  opens  out  the  pic- 
turesque vale  of  Glenfeshie,*  where 
twenty  years  ago  the  Duchess  of  Bed- 
ford built  a  rustic  colony  of  wood 
huts,  on  whose  rough  walls  the  late 
Edwin  Landseer  left  traces  of  his 
pencil. 

Birch-woods  appear  again,  and 
continue  with  little  alteration  as 
far  as  Rothiemurchus,  where  the 
woods  and  walks  of  the  Doune 
(Grant  of  Rothiemurchus),  on  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  Spey,  are  especially 


Moray.     Ete.  4=8. — Strathsjmj ;  Cairngorm;  Gramjnans.     301 


heaiitiful.     To  the  IST.    extends  the  | 
mountain  chain  of  Monadh  Leadh. 

On  the  rt.  Cairngorm  and  Ben 
Muich-Dlmi  are  grand  objects,  visible 
in  iine  weather  more  or  less  from 
Kingussie  to  Grantown,  generall}^ 
tipped  with  snow. 

On  1.  is  Lock  Alvie,  and  on  rt. 
Craig  Alvie,  upon  which  is  a  cairn 
to  the  memory  of  those  who  fell  at 
Waterloo,  and  a  monument  to  the 
last  Duke  of  Gordon,  to  whom  this 
property  belonged. 

Between  the  rly.  and  Loch  Alvie 
is  Lynvuilg  Inn,  a  passable  roadside 
hostelry,  and  the  only  one  between 
Kingussie  and  Abernethy  or  Gran- 
town except  the  Aviemore  Inn.  A 
pleasant  short  Excursion  from  this  to 
the  lakelet,  Loch-an-Eilan,  and  pic- 


turesque ruined  Castle,  on  an  island 
in  the  midst  of  the  lake,  2  m.  from 
the  Spey,  6  m.  from  Aviemore  Stat. 
The  road  to  it  skirts  round  a  wooded 
hill  called  Ord  Bain. 
Lynvuilg  is  2  m.  from 

83 J  m.  Aviemore  Stat.  Inn  to  hQ 
re-established. 

A  grand  view  of  the  Cairngorm 
range  accompanies  the  traveller  on  rt. , 
in  the  foreground  birch-woods,  mixed 
with  rocks — highly  picturesque. 

This  is  the  border  of  the  county 
of  Moray,  and  the  line  and  road 
here  quit  the  district  of  Badenoch 
for  that  of  Strathspey. 

[Aviemore  is  the  point  from  which 
to  cross  the  Grampians  to  Deeside 
and  Braemar,  by  the  pass  of  the 
Larig  Rue  (Ete.  52a).  The  distance 
to  Braemar  is  at  least  35  m.,  and  the 


excursion,  although  one  of  the  grand- 
est in  Scotland,  is  also  one  of  the 
most  fatiguing,  and  should  not  be 
attempted  witbout  a  guide,  except 
by  those  who  are  well  used  to 
mountains.  But  a  guide  is  not  al- 
w'ays  to  be  procured  on  this  side,  so 
that  those  who  purpose  ascending 
are  directed  as  follows  (the  sketch 
outline  is  that  of  the  hills  as  seen 
from  the  station) : — Cross  the  Spey 
by  a  timber  bridge  close  to  the 
station,  and  follow  up  the  S.  or  1. 
bank  of  the  Morlich,  passing  a  num- 
ber of  saw-mills  and  huts  occupied 
by  the  workmen  engaged  in  cutting 
the  forest  of  Eothiemurchus.  Keep 
close  to  the  river  for  nearly  2  m., 


where  it  is  crossed  by  a  stone  bridge 
at  a  little  hamlet ;  then  turn  to  the 
rt.,  and  keep  the  road  till  it  di\-ides. 
The  one  on  the  rt.  leads  to  the 
keeper's  house  at  Glenmore.  After 
passing  that,  keep  the  Larig  well  in 
view,  and  follow  the  path  as  it  in- 
clines again  towards  the  river,  which 
is  again  crossed  by  a  foot-bridge  near 
a  green  patch  of  grass.  The  path 
through  the  remainder  of  the  forest 
must  be  carefully  watched,  for  it  is 
not  always  very  clear.  It  gradually 
mounts  till  the  tourist  finds  himself 
fairly  at  the  entrance  of  the  pass,  and 
at  a  considerable  height  above  the 
stream,] 

The  country  beyond  Aviemore  be- 


302 


Boute  48, — Boat  of  Garten  ;  Grantown.      Sect  IV. 


comes  more  picturesque,  the  way 
passing  through  part  of  the  ohl  forest 
of  Dulnain,  where  some  of  the  okler 
trees  are  of  great  size  and  beauty. 
Behind  Aviemore  is  the  lakelet  of 
Belladron,  where  the  rare  Ktqjhar 
minima  may  be  found  by  the  bo- 
tanist. 

88.^  m.  Boat  of  Garten  Jimd.  Stat. 
Small  Inn  near  Stat.,  3  beds.  Em- 
press Eugenie  lodged  here,  1872. 
The  ferry  boat  over  Spey  is  100  yds. 
off.  Branch  rly.  to  Elgin  and  to 
Aberdeen,  by  Craigellachie,  Duff- 
town, and  Keith  (Rte.  55b),  by 
the  Speyside  branch  of  the  Great 
North  of  Scotland  Railway. 

On  1.  is  TullochgoTum,  famous  for 
its  "Reel."  The  song  was  written 
by  the  Rev,  J.  Skinner,  minister  of 
the  Episcopal  ch.  of  Longside,  Aber- 
deen. Tullochgorum  was  the  original 
seat  of  the  old  clan  Phadrick.  Be- 
yond the  river  are  the  ruins  of  Castle 
Roy,  a  quadrangular  fortress  of  the 
Comyns,  with  two  square  projecting 
towers,  and  high  archway.  There  is 
a  curious  vault  near  the  W.  corner, 
but  no  history  is  attached  to  the  castle. 

93.  m.  Broomhill  Stat.,  fiiie  views 
of  Grampians  from  hill  above  Stat. 
Beyond  this  the  Dulnain  joins  the 
Spey  at  Bridge  of  Curr.  Here  is  a 
timber  bridge  over  the  Spey  to  Bridge 
of  Xethy. 

On  1.  is  the  old  tower  oi  Mudcerach, 
built  in  1598  by  Patrick  Grant,  and 
without  that  heavy  solidity  which  is 
to  be  found  in  older  towers.  Its  situ- 
ation, however,  is  very  good,  on  the 
brow  of  a  hill  overhanging  a  pic- 
turesque little  valley. 

From  Broomhill  Stat,  the  rly.  runs 
away  from  the  Spey  to 

96  m.  Ch^antoicn  Stat.  {Inn :  Grant 
Arms,  good.  Post  horses,  cars,  etc.) 
A  well-built  and  well-kept  little  town 
of  granite  cottages  ;  the  wide  street 
planted  with  rows  of  trees.  There 
are  ^j^easaw^  walks  in  the  woods  be- 


tween the  town  and  the  Spey  1  m. 
distant,  and  near  the  bridge,  com- 
manding views  over  the  winding  river 
and  the  Grampians.  It  is  a  hive  of 
the  clan  Grant.  Castle  Grant,  seat  of 
the  Earl  of  Seafield,  their  chief,  stands 
on  a  commanding  height,  and  is 
a  plain  house  like  a  factory  or  barrack, 
but  its  core  is  a  tower,  with  walls  12 
ft.  thick,  of  considerable  age.  It 
has  fine  old  trees  around  it.  and  com- 
mands a  grand  view  of  the  Gram- 
pian chain  ;  and  the  deer  park  comes 
up  nearly  to  the  door.  It  is  seldom 
inhabited,  Cullen  being  a  far  more 
attractive  residence.  The  highland 
games  of  the  district  are  however 
celebrated  in  the  park  in  summer, 
and  atti'act  numerous  visitors.  In 
the  interior  are  some  family  portraits, 
and  a  collection  of  old  muskets. 

From  Grantown  there  is  a  road 
to  Braemar  and  Ballater,  through 
Tomintoul  (Rte.  52).  Thefstation  is 
H  m.  from  Grantown,  beyond  the 
Spey  (Rte.  55b). 

Baihvays  to  Inverness  and  Perth  ; 
Kingussie,  24  m. ;  Forres,  23  m. ;  to 
Rothes,  Elgin,  Keith,  and  Aber- 
nethy. 

Distances.  —  Tomintoul,  15  m.  ; 
Ballater,  32  m.  ;  Braemar,  50  m. 

[For  pedestrian  route  from  Brae- 
mar to  Abernethy  and  Grantown,  by 
the  East  Larig  Pass,  50  m.,  a  jour- 
ney of  12  hrs.,  see  Rte,  52a.] 

On  quitting  Grantown  the  line 
leaves  Strathspey,  and  strikes  due 
N".,  passing  rt.  the  entrance  gate  of 
Castle  Grant ;  ascending  a  steep 
range  of  hills,  where  the  summit 
level  of  the  ridge,  dividing  the  Spey 
basin  from  the  Findhorn,  is  crossed 
about  1050  ft.  above  the  sea,  afford- 
ing magnificent  \'iews  on  the  N.  of 
Scuirvullion  and  the  mountains  of 
Sutherland,  and  on  the  S.  of  Ben 
Muich-Dhui  and  the  Cairngorms. 
Nearly  at  the  top  of  the  ridge  is 
104 J  m.   Dava  Stat.,  in  a  wide. 


Scotland. 


Route  40. — Perth  to  Dundee. 


303 


dreary,  heathery  peat  moss,  under 
the  Knock  of  Brae  Moray.  On  an 
island  in  the  lake  of  Loch-an-Dorbh 
on  1.  stand  the  remains  of  the  Castle, 
the  principal  stronghold  of  the 
Comyns,  a  feudal  fortress,  quad- 
rangular keep,  with  round  towers  at 
the  corners,  and  at  the  side  nearest 
the  mainland  protected  by  double 
connecting  walls.  E emote  and  appa- 
rently inaccessible  as  Loch-an-Dorbh 
seems,  K.  Edward  I.  deemed  it  neces- 
sary to  put  down  the  strength  of  the 
Comyns,  and  marched  a  large  army, 
Sept.  25,  130-3,  to  lay  siege  to  it. 
He  took  it,  and  the  existing  remains 
are  of  a  castle  probably  built  by  him. 
Thence  the  rly. ,  crossing  a  lofty  via- 
duct over  the  Divie,  descends  to 

111  m.  Dun-pliail  (Stat.),  close  to 
the  village  of  Edinkillie  and  Glen 
Furncss,  the  property  of  the  Earl  of 
Leven,  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Divie.  Dunphail  Castle  (1.)  the  seat 
of  Lord  Thurlow. 

From  Dunphail  Stat,  the  pedes- 
trian may  with  advantage  Avalk  to 
Forres,  along  the  beautiful  banks  of 
the  Divie  and  Findhorn,  entering 
Lord  Murray's  domain  at  Logic  {see 
Rte.  55),  about  9  m.  Relugas  also 
is  near  this  stat.  The  rly.  traverses 
the  fine  fir-woods  of  Altyre  (Sir  Wm. 
Gordon  Cumming,  Bart.),  and  leav- 
ing on  rt.  Sanquhar  House  (C.  E. 
Fraser  Tytler,  Esq. ),  soon  reaches 

119  m.  Forres  Junc.  Stat. 
Buff"et. 

For  an  account  of  Forres,  as  well 
as  of  the  railway  from  Forres  to  In- 
verness and  to  Aberdeen,  see  Rte. 
55. 


EOUTE  49. 

Perth  to  Dundee  and  Arbroath.. 

(Rail.) 

During  the  summer  a  steamer 
occasionally  plies  between  Dundee 
and  Perth,  according  to  tide. 


Fiaihva.y. — 7  trains  daily  to  Dun- 
dee, in  1  hour  from  Princes-st.  Stat. 
Perth  {see  Rte.  4.3). 

After  skirting  the  S.  Inch,  it 
crosses  the  Tay  on  a  long  low  wooden 
bridge,  and  follows  the  I.  bank  of  the 
Firth  of  Tay,  winding  round  the  base 
of  Kinnoul  Hill  to 

3  m.  Kiafaiins  Stat.  On  1.  Kin- 
faAins  Castle,  on  an  eminence  over- 
looking the  Tay,  is  tlie  seat  of  Lord 
Gray.  The  land  originally  belonged 
to  tlie  Charteris  family.  The  Castle 
was  built  in  182"2,  by  Smirke,  and 
contains  a  fine  library  and  some  good 
pictures  : — G-uercino,  Peter  denying 
Christ  ;  F.  Francia,  Virgin  and 
Child  ;  A.  del  Sarto,  male  portrait  ; 
Titian,  Head  of  a  female  ;  Pt,em- 
brandt,  the  Banished  Lord  ;  Rubens, 
male  head. 

On  1.  the  Sidlaio  Hills  stretch 
N.E. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river, 
under  Moncrieff  Hill,  are  the  ruins 
of  Elcho  Castle,  a  plain,  gloomy- 
looking  building  of  the  16th  centy. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  (7  m.) 
Glencarse  Stat,  are  Glencarse  (T. 
Greig,  Esq.)  and  rt.  Pitfour  (Sir  J. 
S.  Richardson),  formerly  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Hays. 

11  m.  Errol  Stat,  and  Errol  Park 
(G.  Armitstead,  Esq.)  The  Parish 
Church  was  rebuilt  in  Romanesque 
style,  1832,  Gillespie  Graham,  archt. 

The  district  is  very  rich  in  legends 
and  folk  lore,  much  of  which,  such 
as  the  tales  of  Greensleeves,  Kin- 
noul Rock  Diamond,  the  Devil's 
Porridge-pot,  the  reader  will  find  at 
length  in  Chambers'  "Pictures  of 
Scotland." 

10  m.  1.  are  Megginch  Castle  (J. 
M.  Drummond,  Esq.),  an  old  resi- 
dence of  the  Errol  family,  built  in 
the  16th  centy. ;  Fingask  Castle  (Sir 
Patrick  M.  Threipland),  which  con- 
tains an  interesting  and  complete 
collection  of  Jacobite  relics,  the  house 
of  Threipland  having  been  one  of  the 
most   devoted  to  the  cause   of  the 


304 


Route  49. — Perth  to  Dundee  ;  Bossie.        Sect.  IV. 


Stuarts.  The  gardens  are  good  ex- 
amples of  Dutch  gardening.  The  old 
keep  of  Kinnaird  Castle  (restored)  is 
not  far  off.  About  2  m.  to  the  N.  is 
Dunsinane  Hill  (1114  ft.),  the  site 
of  the  castle  celebrated  in  "  ]\Iac- 
beth."  It  is  crowned  by  a  hill  fort 
of  several  successive  ramparts  of 
loose  stones.  It  overlooks  the  coun- 
try to  and  far  beyond  Birnam  Hill. 

134  m.  Inchtitrc  Stat. ;  3  m.  to 
the  N.  is  Eossie  Priory  (Lord  Kin- 
naird), situated  on  the  slope  of  Eos- 
sie Hill,  which  commands  a  fine 
and  extensive  vieAV  over  the  Firth  of 
Tay  and  the  Carse  of  Gowrie.  It  Avas 
built  in  1817,  and  contains  a  valu- 
able collection  of  pictures  :  amongst 
them  are — Vamhjck,  Portrait  of  a 
Lady,  painted  in  his  Genoese  man- 
ner ;  Gainsborough,  Portrait  of  a 
Man,  delicately  executed  in  a  cool 
tone  ;  Guido  Reni,  the  Repentant 
Magdalene,  tenderh^  executed  in  a 
broken  and  harmonious  tone  ;  L.  da 
Vinci,  beautiful  portrait  of  a  Lady, 
called  La  Columbine  ;  Sassofcrrato, 
Virgin  and  Child,  a  particularly  fine 
example  ;  P.  Veronese,  Kneeling 
"Woman  at  Altar  ;  L.  Caracci,  Re- 
pentant Magdalene  ;  A.  del  Sarto, 
Portrait  of  a  Man,  one  of  his  finest 
pieces ;  Michael  Angelo,  or  more 
probably  Marcello  Venusti,  the  Cruci- 
fixion ;  Rubens,  Portrait  of  a  Man,  of 
great  freshness  of  conception  ;  Rem- 
brandt, Portrait  of  a  Man,  signed 
and  dated  1666  ;  Tintoretto,  Conver- 
sion of  St.  Paul,  spirited  ;  Sir  J.  Rey- 
nolds, a  good  replica  of  the  Banished 
Lord,  in  the  National  Gallery. —  fV. 
There  are  some  fine  pieces  of  sculp- 
ture and  interesting  antiquities. 
The  grounds  of  Eossie  are  very 
pretty,  and  are  ornamented  by  a 
campanile  tower,  with  a  very  sweet 
peal  of  bells. 

15^  m.  Longf organ  Stat.  Between 
the  village  and  the  rly,  is  Castle 
Huntly  (G.  Paterson,  Esq.),  standing 
on  a  high  rock,  perpendicular  to  the 


S.  W. ,  but  sloping  off"  to  the  E.  The 
tower,  to  which  some  very  taste- 
less additions  have  been  made,  was 
built  on  the  foundations  of  a  still 
older  one  by  Sir  A.  Gray,  Master  of 
the  Household  to  James  II.,  in  1452, 
and  the  present  building  now  con- 
sists of — 1,  the  original  tower  ;  2, 
the  Castellum  de  Huntly  of  1452  ; 
3,  additions  by  the  Earls  of  Strath- 
more  ;  and  4,  the  wings  added  by 
Mr.  Paterson  in  1778.  Castle 
Huntly  was  sold  to  the  Earl  of 
Strathmore  in  1615,  and  its  name 
changed  to  Castle  Lyon. 

On  rt.  are  the  ruins  of  Dron 
Chapel,  a  branch  establishment  be- 
longing to  the  monastery  of  Cupar. 

For  the  latter  part  of  the  way  the 
rly.  skirts  the  edge  of  the  Tay  ;  it  is 
cai-ried  on  huge  substructions  through 
the  deserted  stone  quarries  of  Kin- 
goodie,  near 

17^  m.  Tnvergou'rie  Stat.  Here 
the  line  enters  the  county  of  Forfar. 
At  the  head  of  a  bay  on  the  N.  shore 
of  the  Tay  is  the  small  mouldering 
ruin  of  Invergoivrie  Ch. ,  an  old  build- 
ing, chiefly  of  15th  centy.,  but  claim- 
ing a  greater  antiquity,  because 
founded  in  the  12th  centy. 

Adjoining  is  the  burial-place  of 
Lord  Gray. 

On  1.  is  Gra}^  House  (Lord  Gray), 
and  Camperdown  (Lord  Camper- 
down),  a  modern  house,  with  Ionic 
portico. 

To  the  N.  W.  of  Gray  House  is 
Foulis  Easter  Church.  Near  the 
door  are  the  "  jougs"  for  confining 
drunken  or  refractory  persons.  In- 
side the  ch.  is  a  fragment  of  the 
original  oak  Roodscreen,  with  painted 
panels  of  the  Crucifixion,  and  other 
Bible  subjects. 

The  rlv.  from  Strathmore,  Newtyle, 
and  ]\Ieigle,  10^  m.  (Ete.  50),  falls  in 
a  little  way  from 

Neivtyle  June.  Stat. 

At  Lochee,  now  a  suburb  of  Dun- 


Forfar. 


Route  49. — Dundee. 


305 


dee,  not  far  from  the  Den  of  !Mains, 
is  Claverhouse,  theijatrimony  of  John 
Graham  of  Claverhouse,  Viscouut 
Dundee,  the  hero  of  Killiecrankie. 

The  rly.  approaches  the  extremity 
of 

The  Great  Tay  Pudlway  Bridge, 
begun  1871,  to  convey  the  N.  B. 
Rly.  directly  into  Dundee  from  Leu- 
chars  Stat,  without  resorting  to  the 
ferry,  over  the  Estuary,  here  2  miles 
wide,  may  be  completed  in  1876-7. 
It  is  10,320  ft.  long  from  shore  to 
shore,  resting  on  88  piers,  some  of 
brick,  which  were  partly  built  on  the 
bank  and  floated  to  their  places,  and 
lowered  by  means  of  hydraulic  rams, 
the  rest  of  iron  cylinders.  It  con- 
sists of  89  spans,  varying  in  width, 
one  on  the  N.  shore  of  160  ft.,  on 
iron  bowstring  girders  ;  while  14  in 
the  centre,  over  the  navigable  chan- 
nel, are  of  the  great  width  of  200  ft., 
giving  a  clear  headway  of  88  ft. 
above  liigli  water.  The  difficulty  of 
constructing  these  wide  spans  was 
enhanced  by  the  rocky  nature  of  the 
river  bed,  and  the  strong  current  of 
the  tides.  The  engineer  is  Mr.  Th. 
Bouch,  of  Edinburgh.  The  cost  will 
be  at  least  £2oO,o6'0. 

21^  m.  Dundee  West  Stat.  (Perth 
and  Forfar  Railways),  at  the  water- 
side, close  to  the  docks,  and  about  100 
yds.  from  the  Arbroath  and  Broughty 
Ferry  Stat.,  now  connected  by  a 
tunnel.  {Inns :  Royal  Hotel,  Nether- 
gate,  opposite  the  Town  Ch.  and 
Tower ;  British  Hotel,  in  Castle-st., 
neither  first-rate. ) 

The  town  of  Dundee  occupies  a 
favourable  position  on  the  N.  side  of 
the  Firth  of  Tay,  not  far  from  its 
mouth,  on  two  hills,  sloping  gently 
to  the  water.  It  is  a  flourishing 
seaport  and  pari,  burgh,  ranking 
third  in  all  Scotland  for  population 
(118,977),  shipping,  and  trade,  whilst 
it  is  also  one  of  the  most  important 
seats  of  the  Manufacture  of  Linen 
{Flux)  ;  but  its  special  staple  is  Jute. 
[Scotland.] 


At  the  waterside,  between  the  West 
and  East  Railway  Stations,  are  the 
Bocks,  named  after  Earl  Grey,  King 
William,  Victoria,  and  Camperdown, 
occupying  an  area  of  33^  acres,  filled 
with  shipping  from  the  Baltic,  the 
East  Indies,  etc.  An  Archioay,  sin- 
gular rather  than  beautiful,  called 
Royal,  because  built  in  honour  of 
Queen  Victoria's  visit,  1844,  leads, 
between  Grey  and  King  William 
Docks,  to  the  Pier. 

Union-st.,  near  the  West  Stat,  and 
Castle-st.,  opposite  the  Royal  Arch, 
lead  up  into  the  broad  High-st. ,  in 
which  is  the  steepled  Town  House. 

Opposite  to  it  runs  Ileform-st.,  the 
chief  thoroughfare  in  the  town,  but 
not  beholden  to  the  architecture  of 
its  buildings. 

In  Nethergate,  the  continuation  of 
High-st.,  rises  the  Old  Steeple  (St. 
Mary's),  one  of  the  finest  Gothic 
towers  in  Scotland,  dating  from  the 
14th  cent.,  though  attributed  to  a 
vow  of  David,  Earl  of  Huntingdon, 
brother  of  King  William  (when  in 
danger  of  shipwreck),  to  build  a  ch. 
to  the  Virgin  on  the  spot  where  he 
should  first  step  on  shore.  It  is  a 
massive  structure,  156  ft.  high.  In 
1651,  when  General  Monk  assaulted 
Dundee — at  that  time  a  place  of  re- 
fuge for  the  Royalists  driven  out  of 
other  cities,  with  much  of  their  pro- 
perty— this  tower  was  occupied  by 
the  garrison,  and  held  out  until 
burning  straw  was  applied  below. 
Lumsden,  the  governor,  was  slain 
here,  but  the  stories  of  indiscri- 
minate massacre  of  the  inhabitants 
by  Monk  are  believed  to  be  fabulous. 
The  tower  was  restored  in  1872,  by 
Sir  Gilbert  Scott — who,  it  is  hoped, 
may  be  furnished  with  funds  by  the 
Dundee  citizens  to  complete  it  with 
the  crown  of  open  stonework  which 
once  surmounted  it,  like  that  of  St. 
Giles's,  Edinburgh.  The  ch.  belong- 
ing to  it  was  destroyed  by  the  English, 
under  Edward  I.,"^1295  ;  and  again, 
1548.  Three  modern  churches  have 
come  to  attach  themselves  to  it.  In 
o  9 


306 


Route  4 9 . — Dundee. 


Sect.  IV 


the  E.  cli.  some  ancient  portions  re- 
main, and  in  the  ch.  -yard  some  old 
grave  slabs,  carved  with  crosses,  etc., 
are  stowed  away. 

The  only  other  bit  of  antiquity  is 
the  Old  Port,  in  Cowgate,  not  far 
from  Baxter's  mills.  George  Wish- 
art,  the  Reformer,  having  heard  tliat 
the  plague  was  raging  in  Dundee, 
came  hither  to  give  the  consolations 
of  religion  to  the  stricken,  and  chose 
this  building  whence  he  might  preach 
to  them  outside  the  gate,  and  to  the 
sound  assembled  within.  Not  long 
after  Wishart  was  executed  at  St. 
Andrews  by  order  of  Cardinal  Beaton, 
but  it  must  be  borue  in  mind  that 
at  the  very  time  he  was  conspiring 
to  kill  the  Cardinal. 

Eeform-st.  leads  into  an  irregular 
open  space,  in  the  middle  of  which 
is  the  Albert  Institution  (Gothic,  by 
Sir  Gilbert  Scott),  containing  Public 
Free  Librar}"-,  Hall,  and  Assembly 
Eooms,  surmounted  hy  a  spire  ;  a 
curved  staircase  leads  up  to  the  en- 
trance. 

On  the  N.  side  is  the  Hiqh  School, 
with  a  Greek  portico,  and  the  Gothic 
Exclianrjc,  with  square  tower  and 
News-rooms.  On  the  S.  side  the 
Eastern  Club.  None  of  these  build- 
ings rise  much  above  mediocrity  in 
art. 

St.  PauVs  Ejnscopal  Ch.,  in  Castle- 
st.,  is  one  of  the  most  successful  of  Sir 
Gilbert  Scott's  Gothic  churches,  and 
has  an  elegant  tower  and  spire,  210 
ft.  high.  It  occupies  the  site  of  the 
Castle  of  Dundee. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  town  are 
the  Justiciary  and  Sheriff- Court 
Houses,  a  large  classical  pile  of 
buildings. 

There  are  also  two  People's  Parks, 
one  the  gift  of  the  late  millionaire  of 
Dundee,  Sir  David  Baxter,  Bart.  : 
good  places  of  exercise  for  the  natives, 
but  Nvith  no  special  attraction.  A 
visitor  with  time  on  his  hands  and 
muscles  to  his  legs  may  ascend  Bim- 
dee  Law,  535  ft.,  and  enjoy  a  view 


of  the  Firth  of  Tay,  the  Bell  Rock 
Lighthouse,  St.  Andrews,  and  the 
Tay  Bridge. 

The  town  of  Dundee  bristles  with 
nearly  100  stalks  of  tall  chimneys, 
and  abounds  in  great  Mills,  all  built 
of  freestone.  In  these  are  carried  on 
the  staple  manufactures  of  the  place 
— Flax  and  Linen.  The  largest  in  that 
line  are  Messrs.  Baxter  Brothers' 
spinning  mill,  in  King-st.  ;  25,000 
persons  are  employed  here  in  that 
trade,  and  the  value  of  the  annual 
export  of  linen  is  nearly  £3,000,000. 
The  spinning  and  weaving  of  Jute, 
second  in  importance  only  to  that  of 
flax,  is  almost  a  speciality  at  Dundee, 
and  was  introduced  by  the  spirit  of 
enterprise,  when  Russian  hemp  was 
rendered  scarce  and  dear  by  the 
Crimean  war.  It  is  the  fibre  of  a 
Bengal  annual  plant  [Corchorus  cap- 
sularis),  8  ft.  high,  with  a  stem 
no  thicker  than  the  finger.  It  is 
imported  hither  direct  from  Cal- 
cutta to  the  extent  of  100,000  tons 
per  annum,  worth  (say)  £700,000, 
which,  when  manufactured,  realise 
£2,000,000.  It  is  chiefly  converted 
into  sacking.  The  grand  Jtite  Mills 
of  Messrs.  Gilroy,  in  Lochee  Road, 
have  nearly  60  windows  in  a  row, 
and  are  5  storeys  high  ;  they  employ 
1500  persons,  chiefly  women.  Cox's 
Mills,  N.W.  of  the  town,  at  Lochee, 
are  even  larger. 

The  outside  of  the  mills  is  all  that 
the  tourist  is  likely  to  see,  as  there 
is  a  great  indisposition  on  the  part 
of  the  millowners  to  admit  strangers, 
unless  properly  introduced.  Per- 
haps when  he  has  seen  the  dust 
and  heard  the  noise  that  proceeds 
from  Baxter's  mill,  he  will  not  be  so 
anxious  to  go  inside.  At  present 
there  are  72  power-loom  firms,  own- 
ing 8000  power-looms  and  203,000 
spindles. 

Dundee  enjoys  a  curious  speciality 
in  its  manufacture  of  Marmalade,  of 
which  about  1000  tons  are  turned  out 
annually  by  Keiller  and  Co.,  requir- 


Forfar. 


Route  49. — Dundee  to  Arbroath. 


30' 


ing  at  least  3000  cliests  of  bitter 
oranges  and  3000  tons  of  sugar.  As 
an  instance  of  the  collateral  require- 
ments of  the  trade,  upwards  of  a 
million  and  a  half  of  jars  are  fur- 
nished from  Newcastle  annually. 

Hector  Boece,  the  most  untrust- 
worthy of  Scottish  annalists,  was 
horn  in  Dundee,  in  the  middle  of 
the  loth  cent,  ;  also  Adm.  Duncan. 

A  steamer  to  Perth.  Steamers  to 
Newcastle  and  London.  Ferry 
steamers  to  Newport,  on  the  S. 
side  of  the  Tay,  10  or  12  times  a 
day. 

Railways. — To  Edinburgh  (involv- 
ing 2  steam  ferries),  by  Broughty 
Ferry,  Cupar,  Lady  bank  Junct., 
Thornton  Junct.,  Burntisland  Ferry, 
and  Granton,  50f  m.  ;  by  Perth  and 
Stirling,  92  m. 

Distances. — Broughty  Ferrj^  2  m. ; 
Newburgh,  by  water,  10  ;  St.  An- 
drews, 14^  ;  Leuchars,  9  J  ;  Edin- 
burgh, 50| ;  Perth,  21  J. 

[Those  who  wish  to  go  due  N.  to 
Blairgowrie  and  Braemar,  can  do 
so  without  making  a  detour  to  Perth 
or  Arbroath,  via  the  Newtyle  Ply., 
which  joins  the  main  line  at  New- 
tyle,  16  m.  There  is  little  to  see  on 
the  way,  the  country  not  being  par- 
ticularly striking,  although  it  im- 
proves as  the  line  is  carried  through 
the  Sidlaw  Hills.] 

Railway  to  Arbroath. — From  the 
East  Stat.  Dundee,  the  trains  run  to 

23^  m.  Broughty  Ferry  Junct.  Stat. 
(Rte.  40).  A  colony  of  villa  resid- 
ences of  Dundee  merchants.  On  rt. 
are  the  ruins  of  Broughty  Castle,  oc- 
cupied by  the  English  in  1547,  after 
the  victory  of  Musselburgh.  It  was 
stormed  by  the  French  auxiliaries,  in 
the  Scotch  service,  in  1550,  and  dis- 
mantled. Of  late  years,  however,  it 
has  been  repaired   and   fortified  to 


guard  the  entrance  of  the  Ta}^  which 
it  commands. 

Here  passengers  going  S.  to  Edin- 
burgh diverge  across  the  ferry. 

Steamers  cross  the  ferry  to  Tay- 
port  several  times  a  day,  correspond- 
ing with  the  trains  either  way  to 
Edinburgh,  by  Burntisland,  to  Cupar, 
Kinross,  and  to  St.  Andrews  (Rte. 
40). 

Near  Broughty,  the  direct  rly.  to 
Forfar,  214  m.,  turns  N. 

26  m.  Monifieth  Stat.  On  rt.  is 
the  promontory  called  Buddon  Ness, 
conspicuous  at  night  by  the  Tay 
lighthouse. 

28  m.  Between  Barry  Stat,  and 
32  m.  Carnoustie,  a  dreary  tract  is 
passed,  known  as  the  Carnoustie 
Sands.  This  name  signifies  the 
"  Cairns  of  Heroes,"  and  refers  to  a 
number  of  tumuli  to  be  seen  here. 
It  is  said  that  they  mark  the  graves 
of  the  Scots  who  fell  in  battle  near 
this  village  when  the  Danes,  under 
Camus,  were  defeated  by  Malcolm 
IL 

34  m.  to  the  1.  is  East  Haven. 
3  m.  is  Panmure,  a  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Dalhousie,  a  modern  Scotch  castle 
by  Bryce.  The  pillar  upon  a  hill  in 
front  is  a  monument  to  the  1st  Lord 
Panmure. 

38  m.  Arbroath  Stat.  {Inns :  Albion  ; 
^Yhite  Hart),  a  well-built  and  busy 
town  and  pari,  burgh,  Pop.  19,974, 
possessing  some  good  shops,  a  har- 
bour neither  commodious  nor  of 
easy  access,  and  manufactures  of 
coarse  linen  canvas.  It  is  the  Fair- 
port  of  Sir  Walter  Scott's  "Anti- 
quary." Its  unabbreviated  name  is 
Aberbrothoek,  from  its  situation  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Brothock  river.  It 
was  made  a  ro3'al  burgh  by  William 
the  Lion,  to  whom  the  town  is  also 
indebted  for  its 


308 


Route  49. — Arbroath  ;  Bell  Rock. 


Sect.  IV. 


Abbey,  founded  1178,  and  dedi- 
cated (1233)  to  St.  Thomas  a  Becket. 
Its  remains  are  very  disjointed  and 
fragmentary,  but  they  are  grand  in 
position,  picturesque  in  outline,  and 
in  the  colour  of  the  dark  red  sand- 
stone. "  I  should  scarcel}"  have  re- 
gretted my  journey,"  wrote  Dr. 
Johnson,  "  had  it  afforded  nothing 
more  than  the  sight  of  Aberbro- 
thock."  It  seems  to  have  been  very 
spacious,  and  enclosed  a  large  portion 
of  the  present  to^Yn,  though  its 
establishment  consisted  only  of  an 
abbot  and  24  monks.  The  ke3's  of 
the  ch.  are  kept  in  a  cottage  close  by 
the  W.  entrance.  The  Church  was 
270  ft.  long— 10  ft.  longer  than  the 
Cathedral  of  Elgin — and  consisted  of 
nave  of  8  bays,  with  aisles,  transept 
with  aisles,  and  chancel.  It  is  a  very 
fine  example  of  the  First  Pointed 
style,  and  even  though  the  grand  and 
deeply  moulded  IF.  doorway  is  cir- 
cular, its  mouldings  are  of  that  style. 
Above  the  W.  entrance  porch  is  a 
Gallery  of  6  fine  Pointed  arches 
opening  into  the  nave.  The  entire 
N.  wall  of  the  ch,  is  gone,  along  with 
piers  and  pier-arches,  only  S.  side, 
and  E.  and  W.  end,  with  the  bases 
of  2  towers,  remaining. 

For  many  years  the  municipal 
authorities  were  in  the  habit  of 
selling  the  materials  (without  giving 
any  account  of  the  proceeds),  which 
is  the  cause  of  the  disappearance 
of  so  much  of  the  building.  This 
nefarious  practice  was  stopped  in 
1815,  by  order  of  the  Barons  of  the 
Exchequer,  who,  by  seasonable  re- 
pairs, saved  the  remainder. 

King  John  granted  leave  to  the 
monks  and  burgesses  of  Aberbroth- 
wdck  to  trade  without  molestation 
or  tax  with  any  place  in  England, 
except  the  city  of  London.  In 
1320  a  general  assembly  of  the 
estates  of  Scotland  was  held  in  the 
abbey,  when  a  spirited  declaration 
was  drawn  up  of  the  independence 
of  the  Scottish  Kingdom  of  the  Eng- 
lish Crown,  and  a  protest  against  any  | 


interference  by  the  Pope  or  his 
legates.  Amongst  the  abbots  of 
Aberbrothockwere  the  three  Beatons, 
the  Cardinal,  David,  and  two  Arch- 
bishops James,  one  the  uncle  and 
the  other  the  nephew  of  the  Cardinal : 
also  Gawin  Douglas,  the  translator 
of  Virgil. 

The  entrance  to  the  enclosure  of 
the  abbey  is  through  a  fine  Gothic 
Gateway,  constructed  for  defence, 
and  once  furnished  with  barbacan, 
drawbridge,  and  j)ortcullis. 

The  grave  of  K.  "William  is  pointed 
out  in  front  of  the  high  altar.  The 
windows  at  the  E.  end  consisted  of 
3  divisions,  each  one  of  3  lancets, 
deej)ly  embayed  ;  above  was  a  fine 
rose  window,  as  at  the  W.  end.  It 
was  called  the  0  of  Arbroath  ;  and, 
lighted  from  within,  once  served  for 
a  beacon,  as  it  faces  the  sea.  At  this 
day  a  spire  at  the  end  of  the  abbey 
property,  when  seen  through  it,  is  a 
guide  to  ships  entering  the  harbour, 

Tlie  S.  Aval]  of  the  nave  is  still 
standing,  as  well  as  i)art  of  the  S. 
transept  ;  and  attached  to  it  is  the 
Chapter  house,  still  perfect  in  walls 
and  roof.  It  is  surrounded  with 
sedilia.  Among  the  monuments  pre- 
served in  it  is  part  of  a  sculptured 
figure,  with  feet  resting  on  a  lion, 
su])posed,  on  this  slight  foundation, 
to  be  the  effigy  of  the  founder.  But 
upon  the  figure,  which  is  draped 
more  like  that  of  an  ecclesiastic  than 
a  king,  "figures  of  knights  in  full 
armour  are  clambering  up  :  one 
appears  to  be  struggling  with  the 
drapery  below,  another  has  reached 
the  waist ;  and  the  fracture  which 
is  across  the  shoulder  leaves  dangling 
the  mailed  heels  of  two  others,  which 
must  have  reached  the  neck.  Is  it 
possible  that  there  can  be  here  any 
reference  to  the  slaughter  of  Becket, 
to  whom  the  abbey  was  dedi- 
cated?" 

Of  the  abbot's  house  the  kitchen  is 
still  visi])le  on  the  S.  side  of  the  abbey 
church,  and  in  the  High  Street  a 
portion  of  the  abbey  buildings  re- 


Scotland.        Boute  id. — Arbroath;  Red  Head. 


309 


mains  in  tlie  shape  of  a  tower,  now 
used  as  a  butcher's  shop. 

A  fine  ballad  of  South ey  has  im- 
mortalised the  abbots  of  Aberbro- 
thock  for  their  munificent  humanity 
in  establishing  and  maintaining  a 
bell  beacon  on  that  dangerous  reef  of 
rocks  in  the  German  Ocean,  which  is 
supposed  to  have  received  its  name 
of  the  "  Bell  Rock"  from  this  cir- 
cumstance, but  it  is  probably  only  a 
legend. 

"  The  Abbot  of  Aberbrothock 

Had  pLaced  that  bell  on  the  Inchcape  rock ; 

On  a  buoy  in  the  storm  it  floated  and 

swung, 
And  over  the  waves  its  warning  rung. 
When  the  rock  was  hid  by  the  surge's  swell 
The  mariners  heard  the  warning  bell  ; 
And  then  they  knew  the  perilous  rock, 
And  blessed  the  Abbot  of  Aberbrothock. " 

A  lighthouse  was  erected  upon  it 
in  1810  at  an  expense  of  £60,000. 
It  was  suggested  by  R.  Stevenson 
(the  father  of  the  present  celebrated 
lighthouse  engineers,  D.  and  T. 
Stevenson),  that  the  "Bell "  obtained 
its  name  from  the  domed  form  of  the 
rock. 

The  Abbot  of  Arbroath  had  the 
custody  of  the  Brechbannach  or  sacred 
banner  of  St.  Columba,  for  which  the 
lands  of  Forglen  in  Banffshire  were 
given  to  the  abbey.  As,  however, 
the  banner  required  to  be  followed  to 
the  field  of  battle,  it  remained  really 
in  the  hands  of  laymen,  while  the 
Church  received  the  pecuniary  ad- 
vantages attached  to  the  duty. 

The  town  of  Arbroath  is,  like 
Dundee,  dependent  on  its  mills  for 
linens  and  canvas,  of  Avhich  there 
are  a  considerable  number.  Flag- 
stones, too,  of  old  red  sandstone 
are  exported  under  the  name  of 
"  Arbroath  pavement. " 

Conveyances  from  Arbroath. — Rail 
to  Dundee,  17  m.,  and  to  Guthrie 
JuNCT.  8  m.,  for  Forfar  and  Aber- 
deen. 

At  Carmijlie  3Tanse,  6  m.  S.  E.  of 
Forfar,  the  reapmg-machine  was  in- 


vented  by   the   Rev.    Patrick  Bell, 
1826,     It  continued  in  use  till  1868. 

[The  pedestrian  should  not  omit 
an  excursion  along  the  coast  to  Mon- 
trose, distance  from  16  to  17  miles. 
The  cliff"  scenery  is  remarkably  fine. 
If  time  is  short,  he  may  go  to  Auch- 
mithie  by  road,  3-^  m. ,  but  in  so  doing 
he  will  miss  some  curious  objects. 
On  the  top  of  the  cliffs,  about  1^  m. 
from  Auchmithie,  are  an  entrenched 
fort  called  Lud's  Castle,  and  a  sin- 
gular chasm  known  as  the  FoL  The 
caves  are  down  below,  and  should  be 
visited  from  Auchmithie  in  a  boat, 
unless  it  is  very  low  water,  when  they 
may  be  reached  on  foot.  The  Lady's 
Cave  obtains  its  name  in  consequence 
of  the  light  falling  in  such  a  way  as 
to  resemble  a  veiled  figure.  Another 
is  the  Mason's  Cave,  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  rocks  at  the  entrance, 
which  look  as  if  they  had  been  built 
up  artificially  ;  while  another  is  the 
Green  Cave,  on  account  of  the  luxuri- 
ance of  the  hart's-tongue  fern  {Scolo- 
2)endrium  vulgarc) ;  Asplenium  ma- 
rinum  also  grows  here, 

A  uchmithie  is  an  exceedingly  primi- 
tive fishing  village,  with  a  public- 
house,  the  "Mussel  Crag "  of  Scott's 
"Antiquary."  From  thence  keep 
the  cliff-road,  passing  on  I,  the  dark 
woods  of  Ethie,  on  the  estate  of 
the  Earl  of  Northesk,  2  m,  1,  is 
Anniston,  the  seat  of  Col.  Rait, 
At  Red  Head  the  cliff's  are  magnifi- 
cently grand  and  precipitous,  and 
an  additional  interest  is  imparted  by 
their  being  the  scene  of  the  escape 
of  Sir  Arthur  and  Miss  Wardour  in 
the  "Antiquary."  From  this  point 
the  coast  trends  inward,  forming  the 
graceful  curve  of  Lunan  Bay.  About 
the  centre  stands  Red  Castle,  an  old 
fortress  of  William  the  Lion.  From 
its  colour  and  position  it  is  a  strik- 
ing object,  though  little  is  left  but 
a  portion  of  a  tower,  and  a  long  Avall 
of  very  thick  masonry.  Below  the 
castle  the  mouth  of  tlie  Lunan  can  be 


310 


Route  49. — Arbroath. 


Sect.  IV. 


crossed  by  a  rude  bridge  of  poles, 
which  demand  some  care.  But  there 
is  a  stone  bridge  a  little  higher  up, 
close  to  the  mansion  of  Lunan  (Capt. 
Blair-Imrie),  There  is  a  curious 
story,  that  a  Dutch  vessel  was  once 
wrecked  in  Lunan  Bay,  and  that  the 
captain  and  crew  were  treated  with 
great  kindness  by  the  parish  clerk, 
whose  daughter  the  captain  ulti- 
mately married.  He  returned  to 
Amsterdam,  was  promoted  to  a 
situation  by  his  employers,  ulti- 
mately became  a  partner  in  the  house, 
and  his  descendants,  under  the  name 
of  Baring,  are  now  members  of  the 
British  peerage.  Should  the  tourist 
wish  to  strike  inland  here,  he  can 
proceed  up  the  valley  of  the  Lunan 
to  Inverkeilor.  Ascending  the  cliffs 
again  from  the  sands  of  Lunan,  he 
comes  on  Buckie  Den,  a  beautiful 
little  "den,"  running  steeply  to  the 
sea.  Passing  Bodclom,  where  are 
some  limekilns,  the  next  callage  is 
Uson,  inhabited  by  fishermen.  On 
1.  is  Dunninald  (Miss  Arkley).  A 
little  past  Uson  is  the  ancient  bury- 
ing-ground,  overlooking  the  Eock  of 
St.  Skecigli,  a  very  picturesque  and 
singular  trap-rock,   jutting   sharply 


out  from  the  red  sandstone.  Its 
seaward  end  is  perforated  by  natural 
archways,  and  is  covered  with  lichens. 
The  geologist  should  not  omit  going 
down  and  examining  it.  1^  m.  be- 
yond Uson,  in  a  field  by  the  rocks, 
is  a  small  burying-ground  of  the 
families  of  Williamson  and  Scott. 
Uson  House  is  the  residence  of  G. 
Keith,  Esq.,  and  some  distance 
beyond  is  Rossie,  the  seat  of  — 
M 'Donald,  Esq.,  a  very  beautiful 
place,  overlooking  the  estuary  of  the 
Esk.  From  L^son  House  the  road 
leads  through  a  pretty  avenue  of  trees 
to  the  village  of  Ferry  den,  Avhere  a 
ferry-boat  conveys  the  tourist  to 
Montrose  (Rte.  50).] 

From  Arbroath  the  rly.  turns 
sharp  to  the  1.  and  runs  inland  up 
the  valley  of  the  Brothock,  past 

Colliston  Stat,  (attached  to  the  old 
ch.  of  St.  Vigeans.  In  the  church- 
yard are  some  curious  sculptured 
stones)  and  LeysiniU  Stat.,  to 

8  m.  Guthrie  Junct.,  where  the 
main  line  from  Perth  to  Aberdeen  is 
met  (Rte.  50). 


SECTION  V. 

Aberdeen — Forfar — Deeside — Braemar — Strathspey — Elgin- 
Banff — Nairn — The  Cairngorm  Mountains. 

INTRODUCTIOK 

1.  Gcnerallnformation.     §  2.  Deer  Forests.     §  3.  Places  of  Inten 


ROUTES. 


50  Perth  to  Aberdeen,  by  Cupar - 

Angus,    Forfar-   {Brechin), 
Montrose,  and  Stonehaven  . 

51  Kirriemuir  to   Ballater  and 

Braemar,  by  Glen  Clova     . 
51a  Brechin    to    Glenshee,    by 

JVest    Water,   Clova,    Glen 

Prosen,  and  Glenisla.    For 

Pedestrians 
51b  Brechin  to  Ballater,  by  Ed- 

zell  and  Glenmark 
51c  Brechin    to   Banchory,    by 

Edzell,  Fettercairn,  and  the 

Cairnmount 

52  Aberdeen   to   Braemar,    by 

Banchory,  Ahoyne,  Ballater, 
(Rail),  and  Balmoral 
52a  Braem,ar  to  Aviemore,  by 
lAnn  of  Dee,  Wells  of  Dee, 
and  the  Larig  Rue  Pass. 
[Ascents  of  Ben  Muieh-Dhui 
and  Loch  A' an  {Avon)] 


PAGE  I  ROUTE  PAGE 

52b  Braemar    to   Dunk  eld,    by 
Spital  of  Glenshee,   Bridge 

315  of    Cally   (Pitlochrie)    and 

Blairgowrie        .         .         .347 

326    52c  Braemar    to    Blair-Athole, 

by  Bainoch  and  Glen  tilt     .  349 
53  Aberdeen  to  Fraserburgh  and 

Peterhead  .  .         .351 

329    54  Aberdeen     to      Alford     and 

Strathdon,  by  Kintore        .   354 

331  55  Aberdeen  to  Inverness,  by 
Huntly,  Keith,  Elgin,  For- 
res,    and    Nairn     (Great 

333  North  of  Scotland  Eail- 
wat)         .         .         .         .358 

55a  Aberdeen  to  Banff,  by  In- 

334  veramsay,  Fyvie,  &  Turriff  370 
55b  Perth  to  Elgin,  by  Craigel- 

lacMe  and   Rothes,   and  to 
BanflF,     by      Craigellachie, 
Dufftown,  and  Keith  Junc- 
342  tion  (Rail)        .        .         .374 


§  1.    General  Information. 

The  country  traversed  by  the  following  group  of  Routes  compre- 
hends the  Cairngorm  Grampians — some  of  the  highest  mountains 
of  Scotland,  and  most  impressive  in  their  scenery.  Ben  Muich-Dhui 
is  the  monarch  of  the  group,  surrounded  by  the  almost  equally  lofty 
Cairntoul,  Braeriach,  Cairngorm,  Ben-a-Bourd,  Ben-A'an.  These 
granite  giants  hang  over  the  "  Wells  of  Dee,"  the  source  of  that 
grand   river   on  whose  banks  our  queen  has  fixed  her  quiet  and 


312  §   1.   General  Information.  Sect.  V. 

sunny  residence,  where,  backed  by  another  giant,  most  Alpine  of 
peaks — Lochnagar — and  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  mountains,  she 
enjoys  a  retirement  more  complete  than  any  other  part  of  her 
dominions  could  afford.  At  the  base  of  their  conchoidal  and  j)reci- 
pitous  corries  sleep  the  romantic  tarns  of  Loch  Muick,  Loch  Dhu, 
Lochnagar,  and  Loch  Avon,  "in  the  bosom  of  beauty." 

The  headquarters  for  exploring  this  region  is  Castleton  of  Brae- 
mar,  distant  from  18  to  20  m.  from  the  mountain  summits  men- 
tioned above  ;  and  as  there  is  no  Inn  or  place  of  refuge  nearer  than 
the  vale  of  the  Spey — 15  m.  farther — to  visit  their  summits  and  re- 
cesses is  a  feat  not  unAYorthy  a  member  of  the  Alpine  Club. 

To  hardy  pedestrians  the  excursion  to  the  source  of  the  Dee, 
perhaps  the  highest  source  in  Britain,  the  Pass  of  Larig,  Loch  Avon, 
and  Loclinagar,  are  specially  recommended.  They  will  nowhere  find 
valleys  or  gorges  narrower,  corries  or  precipices  loftier — hitherto 
little  explored  or  known.  If  more  convenient,  they  may  begin  their 
walks  on  the  S.,  or  by  the  Forfarshire  side  of  the  mountains,  by  as- 
cending the  romantic  Glen  Clova — paradise  of  plants  and  flowers  ;  or 
from  the  N.  boundary  of  the  district.  Strathspey  ;  or  from  Athole, 
by  Glentilt. 

Strathspey,  a  glorious  valley,  skirting  the  N.  roots  of  the  Gram- 
pian range,  and  commanding  most  attractive  views  of  their  (even  in 
sunmier)  snow- dotted  peaks,  presents,  by  the  Glen  of  Avon  and 
other  tributaries,  many  gaps  of  access  to  their  recesses.  Parallel 
with  this  chain,  N.  of  the  Spey,  the  chain  of  the  Mouadh  Leadli,  from 
whose  sides  springs  the  Findhorn — romantic  and  ruthless  stream, 
dear  to  salmon-fishers  and  artists — studded  with  lovely  seats,  Dun- 
phail,  Altyre,  Belugas,  Glen  Furness,  Darnaway,  etc. 

For  easy-going  travellers,  a  carriage-road  exists  from  Dunkeld  or 
Pitlochrie  by  Spittal  of  Glenshee  ;  while  from  Aberdeen  a  Bailway 
will  carry  them  to  Ballater,  whence  it  is  a  drive  of  18  m.  to  Brae- 
mar. 

On  the  outskirts  of  this  range,  besides  the  lovely  valleys  of  the 
North  and  South  Esk,  attention  must  be  called  to  the  very  grand 
Cliff  Scenery  on  the  sea-shore,  from  Stonehaven  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Dee — including  the  Bullars  of  Buchan  and  Dunottar  Castle. 

The  district  is  by  no  means  barren  in  Antiquities,  though  they 
are  confined  to  its  outskirks,  in  the  fertile  valleys,  etc.,  or  the  roots 
of  the  hills — such  are  the  primitive  but  huge  constructions,  the 
Stone  Forts,  called  Catertuns  (Bte.  51a). 

This  is  the  country  of  the  Sculptured  Stones — rude  monuments, 
but  deftly  carved  in  relief,  with  figures  of  men  and  animals,  patterns 
of  interlacing  knots,  mixed   with  strange  symbols,  the  meaning  of 


Introi).         §2.  Deer  Forests ;  Agriculture;  Inns.  313 

which  has  never  been  explained  :  such  as  a  figure  like  the  letter  Z, 
two  circles  joined,  resembling  a  pair  of  spectacles  ;  some  bear  the 
Christian  cross,  combined  with  figures  of  dragons  and  other  mon- 
sters, reseml)ling  the  elephant  or  walrus,  similar  to  the  peculiar 
figures  on  early  Irish  illuminated  MSS.  The  date  assigned  to  them 
is  the  8th  or  9th  cent.  They  occur  most  frequently,  and  almost  ex- 
clusively, in  the  country  between  the  mouth  of  the  Tay  and  the 
shores  of  the  Moray  Firth.  Among  the  chief  examples — the  Stones 
at  Forres  (Sueno's),  Meigle,  Aberlemno,  Largo,  Forteviot,  and  Elgin 
Cath.,  may  be  specified.  Ecclesiastical  remains  of  high  interest  occur 
at  Brechin,  whose  Round  Tower  resembles  those  of  Ireland,  in  the 
Church  and  College  of  Aberdeen,  the  magnificent  ruins  of  Elgin 
Cathedral  and  Chapter-House,  and  the  less  extensive  remains  of 
Pluscardine. 

In  no  part  of  the  United  Kingdom  are  so  many  grand  inhdbitecl 
Castles  as  in  Aberdeen  and  Nairnshires,  built  in  a  peculiar  and  very 
picturesque  style — partly  as  defensible  houses,  sometimes  with  draw- 
bridge and  portcullis,  and  always  with  bracketted  angle-turrets  or 
bartizans.  Among  the  finest  of  these  are  Glamis  and  Cawdor, 
Fyvie,  Castle  Frazer,  Kildrummie,  Craigievar,  Glenbucket,  and 
Edzell  in  ruins. 

There  is  no  lack  of  more  modern  mansions  and  seats — the 
princely  Gordon  Castle,  Aboyne,  Haddo,  Invercauld,  Castle  Forbes, 
Cortachy,  and,  at  the  head  of  all,  the  Regal  Balmoral — an  admirable 
specimen  of  the  Scottish  style  of  architecture  revived. 

§  2.   Deer  Forests  ;  Agriculture  ;  Ixns. 

Deer  Forests. — A  large  part  of  the  main  and  moorland  of  Aber- 
deenshire and  the  adjoining  counties  is  kept  as  a  preserve  for  deer, 
and  large  rentals,  as  is  well  known,  are  paid  for  the  exclusive  rights 
of  shooting  over  them  ;  but  unfortunately  the  best  time  for  rambling 
about  the  hills  is  also  the  season  for  deerstalking,  when  the  lairds 
and  owners  of  shootings  use  their  utmost  endeavours  to  keep  tourists 
from  all  but  the  strict  road,  and  in  many  cases  try,  through  their 
keepers,  to  prevent  them  following  certain  valleys  or  ascending  cer- 
tain mountains.  On  the  part  of  the  owners,  tourists  should  remem- 
ber that  it  is  very  hard  that  the  deer  should  be  disturbed,  and  the 
whole  day's  shooting  disarranged,  simply  because  people  will  stray 
out  of  the  regular  road  and  wander  about  at  their  own  sweet  will. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  a  moot  point  whether  a  mountain  can  be 
closed  to  tourists.  The  best  plan  is  for  them  to  adhere  as  closely  as 
possible  to  the  path,  and  not  to  trespass  on  enclosures  or  forests — so 

[Scotland.]  p 


314  §  3.  Places  of  Interest.  Sect.  V. 

that,  in  case  of  attempts  on  the  part  of  keepers  to  bar  the  passage, 
the  onus  of  proving  their  right  to  do  so  will  lie  with  the  proprietors. 

Aberdeenshire  is  divided  into  several  districts — Mar  in  the  S., 
Buchan  in  the  N.E.,  Garioch  traversed  by  the  Urie,  and  Formartin 
in  the  centre  ;  and  though  once  possessed  by  a  great  Celtic  popu- 
lation, Gaelic  is  not  at  all  spoken,  except  in  the  Braemar  district. 
The  present  inhabitants  are  partly  of  Saxon  or  Flemish,  and  partly 
of  Norwegian  and  Danish  origin,  and  speak  a  patois  peculiar  to 
themselves.  It  is  somewhat  like  the  dialect  spoken  in  the  lowlands, 
but  much  sharper  :  for  example,  what  is  always  fat ;  boots,  beets, 
etc.  ,  Diminutives  are  also  used  very  freely.  For  several  excel- 
lent anecdotes  illustrating  the  dialect,  see  "  Dean  Eamsay's  Re- 
miniscences of  Scottish  Character,"  a  most  excellent  and  amusing  work. 
In  no  portion  of  Scotland  have  greater  industry  and  skill  been  ex- 
hibited, or  more  capital  invested,  in  agricultural  pursuits,  than  here, 
and  that  with  a  soil  naturally  wet  and  cold,  and  a  climate  so  unpro- 
pitious  that  it  has  been  described  a?  divided  into  two  seasons — "  nine 
months  winter,  and  three  months  bad  weather."  Consequently  wheat 
is  seldom  sown  here,  and  100,000  acres  of  arable  land  are  devoted 
to  oats  and  turnips.  From  skilful  management  of  the  turnip  crop 
this  district  has  become  one  of  the  chief  meat-producers  in  Britain, 
and  sends  copious  supplies  both  of  live  cattle  and  dead  meat  to  the 
London  market.  On  the  week  preceding  Christmas  more  than  2000 
head  of  cattle,  besides  sheep,  are  sent  up  to  London  from  the  mar- 
kets of  Aberdeenshire,  Banff,  etc. 

The  1)171  accommodation  is  as  good  as  in  any  part  of  the  High- 
lands. At  Aberdeen  there  are  numerous  hotels.  There  are  good 
Inns  at  Braemar  (2),  Glen  CI  ova,  Alford,  Inverurie,  Grantown, 
Forres,  Ellon,  Newburgh,  Banff,  Abernethy,  Craigellachie,  Fochabers, 
and  Kingussie.  Many  of  the  landlords  have  fishings  to  let.  (See 
"Sportsman's  Time- Tables  and  Guide  to  the  Rivers  and  Moors  of 
Scotland.") 

§  3.  Places  of  Interest. 

Meigle. — ^lonuments  in  churchyard  ;  Alyth  ;  Airlie  Castle  ;  Den 
of  Airlie  ;  Slug  of  Auchrannie. 

Kirnhnuir. — Cortachy  Castle  ;  Glen  Clova  ;  Glen  Dole  ;  Loch 
Brandy  ;  Loch  Fee  ;  Glen  Prosen  (Rare  Ferns). 

Forfiir. — Glamis  Castle  ;  Restennet  Priory  ;  Aberlemno  Forts  ; 
Melgund  Castle  ;  Guthrie  Castle. 

Brechin. — Cathedral  ;  Round  Tower  ;  Caterthun  Forts  ;  Edzell 
Castle  ;  the  Burn  ;  scenery  of  West  Water  ;  Fettercairn  ;  Slack  of 
the  Birnie. 


Scotland. 


Route  50. — Perth  to  Aberdeen. 


315 


Montrose. — Museum  ;  Basin  ;  Links  ;  Den  Finella  ;  Bervie  Cliff 
scenery. 

Laurencekirk. — Kincardine  Castle. 

Stonehaven. — Dunnottar  Castle  ;  Muchalls  House. 

Blairgowrie. — Kirkmichael  antiquities  ;  Glenshee. 

Braemar. — Invercauld  ;  Falls  of  Corrymulzie  ;  Linn  of  Quoich  ; 
Linn  of  Dee  ;  Wells  of  Dee  ;  Cairngorm  ;  Ben  Muich-Dhui  ;  Loch- 
nagar  ;  Loch  Callater  ;  Loch  Avon. 

Ballater. — Pannanich  Wells  ;  Byron's  lodging  ;  Pass  of  Ballater  ; 
Burn  of  the  Vat ;  Glen  ]\Iuick  ;  Abergeldie  Castle  ;  Balmoral. 

Ahoyne. — Castle  ;  Earthworks  ;  Lumphanan  Peel  Bog. 

Banchory. — Crathes  Castle  ;  scenery  of  the  Dye  and  Feugh. 

Dinim. — Castle  ;  Dykes  ;  Corbie  Den. 

harbour  ;     Cathedral  ;     King's     College 
Union  Street  ;  Court-houses  ;  Marif^chal 


A  herdeen.  —  Pi  er  and 
Chapel ;  Brig  o'  Balgownie 
College  ;  Granite  Works. 

Peterhead. — Quarries  ; 
Slaines  Castle. 

Kintore. — Castle  Frazer. 

Alford. — Craigievar  ;  Kildrummie  Castle  ;  Towie  Castle 
bucket  Castle  ;  Colquhanny  Castle  ;  Dune  of  Invernochty. 

Tui-riff. — Church  ;  Fyvie  Castle. 

Banff. — Duff  House  ;  Craigstone  Castle  ;  Vale  of  Deveron. 

Huntly. —  Castle;    Stones    of    Strathbogie ;    Gordon    Schools 
Huntly  Lodge  ;  Hill  of  Noth. 


Bullers    of    Buchan  ;    Coast    Scenery ; 


Glen- 


ROUTE   50. 

Perth  to  Aberdeen,  by  Cupar- 
Angus,  Forfar,  Brechin,  Mon- 
trose, and  Stonehaven. 

Perth,  described  in  Ete.  43. 

There  is  another  road  to  Aberdeen 
via  Dundee  and  Arbroath  (Rte.  49), 
The  line  to  Diuikeld  (Rte.  48)  is  fol- 
lowed as  far  as 

7?  m.  Stanley  Junct,,  where  the 
Forfar  Ely.  branches  off  to  the  rt., 
keeping  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Tay, 
which  is  crossed  at 

11  m.  Cargill  Stat.,  at  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  rivers  Tay  and  Isla.  14 
m.  to  the  1.  of  the  stat.  are  the  ruins 


of  Stohhall,  the  seat  of  Sir  John 
Drummond,  whose  daughter  married 
Robert  III.,  and  became  Queen  of 
Scotland. 

In  the  angle  formed  by  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Tay  and  Isla  (to  the  N.  of 
Cargill)  is  the  village  of  Meikleour, 
with  Roman  remains  in  the  shape  of 
camp  and  praetorium.  On  a  height 
commanding  the  junction  of  the 
rivers  is  a  noble  mansion-house, 
built  1873  by  Bryce  for  the  Marchion- 
ess of  Lansdowne.  Another  camp 
may  be  visited  a  little  to  the  E.  of 

134  m-   Woodside  Stat. 

154  na.  Cupar- Angus  Junct. 
[Hence  a  branch  line  is  given  off  on 
1.  to  Blairgowrie,  the  route  thence 
by  the  Spital  of  Glenshee  to  Brae- 
mar (Rte.  52b).  1 


31 G     Boute  50. — Perth  to  Aberdeen :  Cupar- Angus.      Sect.  Y. 


Cupar-Angus  {Hotels:  Stratlimore 
Arms  ;  Kailway),  distinguislied  from 
Cupar  in  Fifeshire  by  the  addition  of 
Angus,  the  old  name  for  the  county 
of  Forfar.  The  town  stands  on  the 
borders  of  Perth  and  Forfarshire, 
and  on  the  bank  of  the  Isla,  and 
possesses  some  factories  for  the 
coarser  kinds  of  linen. 

An  abbe}^  was  founded  here  in 
1164  by  Malcolm  IV.  for  Cistercian 
monks,  but  it  had  been  getting  out 
of  repair  before  the  Reformation,  and 
its  rain  was  completed  at  that  time. 
The  only  vestiges  of  this  once  mag- 
nificent structure  are  in  the  X.  angle 
of  the  present  churchyard,  on  the 
side  of  the  road  to  Dundee. 

To  the  1.  of  the  town  is  Hallybur- 
ton,  the  seat  of  Lord  J.  F.  Gordon 
Hally  burton. 

18  m.  Ardhr  Stat.  A  branch  on 
rt.  is  given  off  to  Newtyle  and  Dun- 
dee (Rte.  49). 

21  m.  MeigJe  Junct.  Stat.  {Inn: 
Belmont  Arms),  the  town  lying  1 
m.  to  the  N.  In  the  ch.-yard  are 
Sculjiturccl  Stones,  representing  the 
story  of  Prince  Arthur's  wife,  Yanora 
(or  Guinever  ?),  who  was  captured  by 
the  Picts.  Her  husband  some  time 
afterwards  rescued  her,  but  finding 
that  she  had  been  seduced  during 
the  separation,  sentenced  her  to  be 
torn  in  pieces  by  wild  beasts,  which 
is  supposed  to  be  depicted  upon  the 
stones.  Some  regard  them  as  hunt- 
ing scenes.  Near  Meigle  is  Belmont 
Castle  (Lord  Wharncliffe).  [A  short 
branch  of  5  m.  is  given  off  to  Alyth, 
a  small  town  with  some  coarse  linen 
factories,  lying  pleasantly  on  the 
southern  slope  of  the  Grampian  dis- 
tiict.  In  its  neighbourhood  is  Paith- 
ven,  for  many  years  the  seat  of  the 
Crichton  family.  Ruthven  House 
(Mrs.  Ogilvie)  is  modern,  pleasantly 
situated  on  the  river  Isla,  near  the 
site  of  the  ancient  castle.  2  m.  to 
the  1:T.  of  Ruthven  is  Airlie  Castle 
(Earl  of  Airlie),  at  the  junction  of 


the  Melgum  and  Isla,  both  famous 
trout  and  salmon  streams,  and  highly 
picturesque  with  rock  and  foliage. 
In  1639  the  Earl  of  Airlie  was  a 
strong  royalist,  and  left  Scotland  to 
avoid  signing  the  Covenant.  During 
his  absence  the  castle  was  burnt  by 
the  Earl  of  Argyle,  acting  under  the 
authority  of  the  Committee  of 
Estates.  It  is  the  subject  of  the 
ballad  "The  Bonnie  House  of  Air- 
lie," and  this  injury  was  afterwards 
avenged  by  Montrose  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  Castle  Campbell.  Some 
remains  of  the  old  castle  have  been 
incorporated  with  the  present  build- 
ing, the  E.  wall,  with  its  portcullis- 
entry,  being  still  entire.  The  re- 
mainder has  disappeared.  The 
principal  residence  of  the  Earl  of 
Airlie  is  at  Cortachy,  near  Kirrie- 
muir. 

In  the  grounds  of  a  farmhouse, 
called  "the  Barns  of  Airlie,^'  is  a 
"weem"  or  cave,  the  roof  of  which 
is  rudely  sculptured.  The  Glen  or 
Den  of  Airlie  is  very  romantic,  par- 
ticularly at  the  waterfall  or  Slug  of 
Audirannie,  60  ft.  high,  and  is  well 
worth  a  visit.  The  whole  is  ex- 
ceedingly fine,  the  banks  being  in 
many  places  perpendicular,  and  400 
ft.  in  height.  It  is  a  noted  place 
for  ferns,  and  Asplenium  viricle  is 
plentiful.  The  tourist  may  return 
to  Kirriemuir,  12  m.  distant,  instead 
of  to  Alyth. 

Between  Alyth  and  Meigle  is 
Hollywood,  the  seat  of  Clayhill  Hen- 
derson, Esq.,  and  in  the  neighbour- 
hood is  Kinloch  (Sir  George  Kinloch, 
Bart.)] 

Quitting  Meigle  Junct.,  the  line 
approaches  the  Sidlaw  Range,  con- 
spicuous on  which  is  a  ruined  tower 
on  the  summit  of  Kilpurnie  Hill, 
1151  ft. 

244  m.  Eassie  Stat. 

26|  m.  Glamis  Stat.,  1  m.  from 
which  on  rt.  is  Glamis  Castle  (Earl  of 
Strathmore).  Admission  liberally 
granted  to  castle  and  gardens.  Small 
Inn  in  the  villacre. 


Scotland.     Boute  50. — Perth  to  Aberdeen:  Glamis. 


317 


This  "magnificent  old  Baronial 
Castle "  is  perhaps  the  finest  and 
most  picturesque  of  the  Scottish 
castles  now  inhabited,  and  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  most  cheerful 
and  habitable.  It  owes  its  present 
aspect,  clustered  with  turrets,  barti- 
zans, and  extinguisher  roofs,  to  the 
first  Earl  of  Strathraore,  1675-1687. 
Doubtless  it  has  older  portions  in- 
cluded in  the  square  tower  with 
walls  15  ft.  thick,  which  overlooks 
the  whole,  and  the  lower  wings  are 
still  more  modern.  The  old  chron- 
iclers say  that  Malcolm  II.  died  at 
Glamis,  and  some  add  that  he  was 
assassinated.  But  then  Macbeth  was 
Thane  of  Glamis,  and  perhaps  lived 
there,  and  he  was  said  to  have  mur- 
dered a  king.  So,  by  a  conjunction 
of  tradition  and  fiction,  the  scene 
immortalised  by  Shakespeare  has 
been  transferred  hither,  and  the 
room  in  which  Duncan  breathed  his 
last  is  even  pointed  out.  ' '  It  con- 
tains a  curious  monument  of  feudal 
times,  being  a  secret  chamber,  the 
entrance  of  which  by  the  law  or 
custom  of  the  family  must  only  be 
kno^\^l  to  3  persons  at  once,  the 
Earl,  his  heir-apparent,  and  any 
third  person  they  may  take  into 
confidence." — Si7'  IF.  Scott. 

At  the  execution  of  Lady  Glamis 
for  witchcraft,  and  for  conspiring  to 
poison  King  James  V.  (!)  in  1537, 
the  castle  was  forfeited  to  the  Crown  ; 
but  Avlien  her  innocence  had  been 
established  it  was  restored  to  her 
son,  whose  descendant,  Patrick,  be- 
came Earl  of  Strathmore  in  1606. 
In  1716  Prince  Charles  Edward 
lodged  for  some  time  here,  and  held 
a  sort  of  court.  Sir  Walter  Scott 
adds: — "A  disciple  of  Kent  had 
the  cruelty  to  render  this  splendid 
old  mansion  more  parkish,  as  he  was 
pleased  to  call  it,  to  raze  all  the  ex- 
terior defences,  and  to  bring  his 
mean  and  paltry  gravel  walk  up  to 
the  very  door  out  of  which,  deluded 
by  the  name,  we  might  have  imagined 
Lady  Macbeth  (with  the  form  and 


features  of  Siddons)  issuing  forth  to 
welcome  King  Duncan." 

It  is  entered  by  a  low  door,  sur- 
mounted by  shields  of  the  bearings 
of  the  noble  family  of  Lyon  ;  also 
by  the  arms  of  the  royal  family,  in 
allusion  to  the  time  when  James  V. 
lived  here  during  the  forfeiture.  A 
winding  stair  in  the  circular  tower, 
set  in  an  angle  of  the  building,  leads 
to  a  low  vaulted  hall  decorated  with 
armour  and  the  bufi"  coat  of  Claver- 
house.  It  occupies  nearly  the  whole 
space  of  the  tall  square  central 
tower,  Avhich  seems  to  be  the  oldest 
part  of  the  castle.  The  drawing- 
room  (once  the  hall)  is  embellished 
with  a  finely  carved  and  arched  ceil- 
ing and  noble  fireplace.  In  addition 
to  family  portraits  are  some  pictures 
of  the  Stuarts  and  their  ministers — 
of  Claverhouse,  the  Duke  of  Lauder- 
dale, and  James  Thomson  the  poet  ; 
and  opening  out  from  this  is  a  small 
dark-panelled  chapel,  one  of  the 
oldest  portions  ;  it  was  consecrated 
before  the  Reformation.  Some  hand- 
some cabinets,  and  tapestry  repre- 
senting scenes  in  the  life  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar will  be  admired.  The 
visitor  should  not  omit  to  see  the 
view  from  the  top  of  the  castle,  over 
Strathmore  and  12  counties,  the 
range  of  the  Grampians,  the  towns 
of  Alyth,  Blairgowrie,  Eorfar,  Mount 
Blair,  and  the  Craigs  of  Clova.  The 
kitchen  is  old. 

In  front  of  the  house  a  curious 
sun-dial  will  be  noticed,  with  an  ex- 
traordinary number  of  faces  to  the 
sun.  Amongst  the  curiosities  of  the 
place  is  the  "lion-cup"  of  Glamis, 
the  original  from  which  Sir  W.  Scott 
took  the  idea  of  the  ' '  Blessed  Bear  of 
Bradwardine  "  in  "  "VVaverley."  The 
Park  of  1000  acres  is  traversed  by 
the  river  Dean  ;  it  abounds  in  fine 
trees.  The  pinetum  and  gardens  are 
modern. 

In  front  of  the  manse,  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Glamis,  is  a  sculptured  stone, 
called  King  Malcolm's  gravestone. 

Soon  after   passing  Glamis  Stat. 


31: 


Route  50. — Perth  to  Aherdeen  :  Forfar.        Sect.  V. 


a  brief  glance   is   obtained   of   tlie 
castle,  on  rt. 

28J  m.  Kirriemuir  Junct.  [from 
this  a  short  branch  leads  on  1,  to 
Kirriemuir  [Inns  :  Airlie  Anns  ; 
Crown),  a  brisk  manufacturing  little 
town,  with  a  trade  in  brown  linen. 
Like  Alyth,  it  is  pleasantly  placed 
on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  hills, 
called  the  Braes  of  Angus.  In  the 
cemetery  are  some  sculptured  stones. 
In  the  neighbourhood  are  Logic  (Col. 
Kinloch),  Lindertis  (Sir  T.  Munro), 
and  Kinnordy  (birthplace  of  the  emi- 
nent geologist,  the  late  Sir  Charles 
Lyell,  Bart.),  while  Airlie  Castle  is 
only  4 J  m.  to  the  W.  2^  m.  W.  rises 
the  four-storeyed  fortalice  of  Invcr- 
quharity  Castle,  seat  of  a  branch  of 
the  Ogilvies,  one  of  whom  fought  for 
James  VIl.  at  the  Battle  of  the 
Boyne.  For  pedestrian  route  from 
Kirriemuir  to  Ballater,  by  Glen 
Clova  {see  Rte.  51).  It  is  a  drive 
of  15  m.  from  this  to  Glen  Clova 
Inn.  J 

321  m.  i^o?/ar  Stat,  (^i^n:  County 
Arms,  post  horses  ;  Pop.  12,555),  a 
royal  and  pari,  burgh,  and  cajiital  of 
the  county  of  the  same  name.  Brist- 
ling with  stalks  of  chimneys,  it  is  by 
no  means  an  attractive  town  ;  but 
possesses  handsome  County  Buildings 
and  a  Public  Hall,  for  which  it  is  in- 
debted to  a  liberal  townsman,  Peter 
Reed,  confectioner.  It  contains  eight 
or  nine  large  power-loom  mills,  which 
employ  many  of  the  inhabitants  in 
weaving  coarse  linens. 

An  octagon  turret,  formerly  the 
Town  Cross  (date,  time  of  Charles  I.), 
now  marks  the  site  of  the  Castle, 
which  was  a  royal  residence  in  the 
days  of  Malcolm  Canmore.  Queen 
]\Iargaret  had  a  retreat  upon  the 
Inch  in  Forfar  Loch,  now  partl}^ 
drained. 

The  town  acquired  an  infamous 
notoriety  from  the  number  of  old 
women  executed  here  under  a  charge 
of  witchcraft.    A  hollow  on  the  north 


of  the  town  is  still  called  "The 
Witches'  Howe,"  and  the  Forfar 
"  Bridle,"  which  was  used  as  a  gag, 
is  still  preserved  in  the  Tow/i  Hall, 
where  are  also  portraits  of  Admiral 
Lord  Duncan,  by  Opie,  and  of  Henry 
Dundas,  Lord  Melville,  by  Raehtim. 

The  hill  above  the  town  is  con- 
verted into  a  public  Cemetery,  planted 
with  coniferous  trees,  and  laid  out 
in  walks. 

A  little  to  the  E.  of  the  town,  1.  of 
the  rly.,  are  the  remains  of  Rcstennet 
Prioinj,  of  the  date  of  the  13th  cent., 
although  an  earlier  ch.  is  supposed 
to  have  existed  here,  foimded  by  St. 
Boniface  in  the  7th  cent.  The  square 
tower,  surmounted  by  an  octagonal 
,spire,  is  the  principal  portion  that 
remains. 

Glamis  Castle  is  6  m.  off  {see 
above). 

FinJiavcn  Castle  is  a  ruined  strong- 
hold of  the  Earls  of  Crawford.  Near 
it  is  a  Roman  camp  of  considerable 
extent.  At  Aherlemno,  in  a  field  not 
far  distant,  are  two  sevlptured  stones^ 
with  figures  of  men  and  horses. 

Passing  some  small  lochs,  the  rly. 
reaches 

35  m.  ClocTcshriggs  Stat.  ;  imme- 
diatel}'-  after  which  is  Rescobie  Loch, 
formed  by  the  Lunan  river.  Lastrcea 
thelyjjteris  is  to  be  found  in  it. 

37  J  m.  1.,  close  to  Auldbar  Road 
Stat.,  is  Balgavies  (pronounced  Be- 
gays)  House,  a  modern  building  en- 
grafted on  the  old  castle. 

[1.  4  m.  Melgund  Castle  is  a  fine  old 
ruin,  said  to  have  been  built  by  Car- 
dinal Beaton.  Between  Melgund 
and  Brechin  is  Auldbar  (P.  J. 
Chalmers,  Esq.),  a  castellated  man- 
sion, part  of  which  was  built  by  Sir 
Thomas  Lyon,  Treasurer  of  Scot- 
land, whose  arms,  impaling  those  of 
his  wife,  daughter  of  the  Regent 
Morton,  are  cut  below  the  bartizan. 
Auldbar  is  built  on  the  edge  of  a 
ravine  of  great  depth.     The  grounds 


Forfar.      Route  50. — Guthrie  Junction  ;  Brechin. 


319 


are  very  picturesque,  and  contain  a 
charming  terrace  garden.  ] 

39-^  m.  at  Ghthrie  Juxct.  the 
Arbroath  line  is  given  off  on  rt. 
(Rte.  49). 

Guthrie  Cctstle  (1.),  the  seat  of  the 
family  of  the  same  name,  is  a  square 
tower,  built  in  1468,  but  much  added 
to  of  late  years. 

Gardyne  Castle  (1  m.  on  rt.)  is  a 
baronial  structure  of  venerable  as- 
pect, standing  on  the  declivity  of  a 
deep  valley,  watered  by  a  small 
stream.    The  rly.  now  turns  N.  E.  to 

45  m.  Farnell  Road  Stat.^  a  little 
to  the  N.  of  which,  on  the  banks  of 
the  South  Esk,  see  Kinnaird  Castle, 
the  stately  seat  of  the  Earl  of  South- 
esk,  which  title,  after  being  long  at- 
tainted, was  restored  in  1855.  It 
contains  a  fine  library  and  an  inter- 
esting collection  of  paintings.  The 
estuary  of  the  river  is  crossed  at 

48  m.  Bridge  of  Dun  Junct., 
on  the  S.  Esk.  rt.,  see  chimneys  of 
Montrose. 

[Hence  a  short  branch  of  4  m.  1. 
leads  to 

Brcchm  Stat.  (Etes.  51a,  b,  and  c) 
{Inn  :  Commercial,  clean  and  good), 
a  flourishing  and  increasing  town, 
with  large  linen  manufactures  (Pop. 
7933),  lying  upon  the  side  of  a  hill 
overhanging  the  South  Esk.  This 
modern  quarter  occupies  the  high 
ground. 

The  Cathedral,  from  the  first  a 
building  of  small  extent,  has  had 
its  nave  supplanted  by  a  modern 
sash- windowed  Kirk,  but  retains  at 
W.  end  a  fine  Dec.  Tower,  portal, 
and  window  ;  while  the  choii',  a 
ruined  fragment,  with  4  lancet  win- 
dows, remains  roofless  at  the  E.  end. 

Far  more  interesting  is  the  Round 
Toxcer  adjacent  to  it,  of  exact  and 
solid  masonry,  10  ft,  diameter,  85  ft. 
high  to  the  parapet,  which  is  sur- 


mounted by  a  conic  roof,  a  later 
addition.  It  strongly  resembles  the 
round  towers  of  Ireland,  and  is  pro- 
bably as  old  as  the  ]  1th  century.  Its 
chief  architectural  feature  is  a  nar- 
row doorway,  6  ft.  above  the  ground, 
with  jambs  inclining  upwards,  sur- 
rounded by  a  beaded  moulding,  and 
surmounted  by  a  crucifix  carved  in 
low  relief.  The  two  figures  at  the 
sides  were  evidently  intended  to 
represent  saints.  It  is  certain, 
therefore,  that  it  was  built  after 
the  conversion  of  the  country  to 
Christianity.  These  towers  may  have 
parti}'  served  as  belfries,  and  partly  to 
protect  sacred  property  and  vessels. 

Compared  with  the  Irish  towers, 
Brechin  reminds  one  of  Kilkenny, 
inasmuch  as  regards  its  proximity 
to  the  cathedral  ;  Cloyne,  in  its 
type  and  manner  of  building  ;  and 
Donaghmore,  in  its  ornamentation 
over  the  door.  Not  the  least  in- 
teresting part  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Brechin  is  its  beautiful  situation  on 
the  borders  of  the  deep  ravine  of 
the  S.  Esk.| 

Brechin  Castle,  a  comfortable  mo- 
dern mansion,  is  charmingly  placed 
higher  up  on  the  edge  of  this  glen 
of  the  S.  Esk,  turning  its  back  on 
chimneys  and  hills.  The  pretty  cor- 
ridor and  other  rooms  are  hung  with 
some  interesting  portraits,  Charles 
Fox,  Neil  Gow  the  famous  fiddler, 
and  several  others.  During  the  inva- 
sion by  Edward  I.  Brechin  Castle 
held  out  against  him  for  3  weeks, 
under  Sir  Thomas  ]\Iaule,  nor  was  it 
surrendered  till  the  governor  had 
been  killed.  It  has  been  much 
modernised  ;  it  is  still  the  resid- 
ence of  the  head  of  the  Maule  family, 
the  Earl  of  Dalhousie. 

About  5  m.  N.  of  Brechin  is  the 
remarkable  hill-fort  called  the  White 
Caterthun  [see  Rte.  51a). 

Distances.— 'To  Perth,  52  m.  ;  to 
Montrose,  7J  m.] 


320 


Route  50. — Montrose  ;  Den  Finella. 


Sect.  V 


From  the  Bridge  of  Dun  Stat,  the 
rly.  skirts  the  estuary  of  the  Esk, 
known  as  Montrose  Basin,  to 

501  m.  DuBTON  JuNCT.  Stat.  ;  a 
sliort  branch  of  3  m.  (on  rt.)  leads 
to 

Montrose  Stat.  {Inns:  Star;  "White 
Horse).  A  Pari.  Burgh  town  of  some 
trade, butnot increasing.  Pop.  14,548. 
It  stands  on  a  tongue  of  fiat  land 
stretching  S. ,  flanked  on  the  W.  by 
a  large  tidal  Basin  formed  by  the 
estuary  of  the  S.  Esk  river,  and  on 
the  AV.  by  the  N.  Sea.  There  is  a 
good  deal  of  shipbuilding  carried  on, 
with  its  accessories  of  rope  and  sail 
making.  The  town,  which  is  well 
built,  and  is  furnished  with  excel- 
lent shops,  contains  an  interesting 
Town  Hall ;  the  ch.  is  modern,  and 
has  a  lofty  spire.  In  the  High-street 
are  statues  of  Jos.  Hume  (who  was 
born  here  1777,  and  was  long  ]\I. P. 
for  Montrose)  and  of  Sir  Robt.  Peel. 
It  is  also  the  birthplace  (1S05)  of  Sir 
Alexander  Burnes,  the  traveller  and 
Eastern  diplomatist,  murdered  at 
Cabool,  and  of  Robert  Browne,  the 
botanist.  At  the  end  of  the  High- 
street  is  a  portion  of  the  town -house 
in  which  the  ]\larquis  of  Montrose 
was  liorn,  1612. 

The  mouth  of  the  S.  Esk,  which 
is  .the  entrance  to  the  Basin,  a 
splendid  land-locked  sheet  of  water, 
about  3  m.  across,  is  bridged  over  by 
a  suspension  bridge,  built  by  Sir 
Samuel  Brown,  who  saw  in  the  little 
island  of  Bravoch  a  useful  ally.  On 
the  S.  bank  of  the  Basin  is  the  hand- 
some seat  of  Rossie  (W.  M.  Mac- 
donald,  Esq.)  The  visitor  should 
cross  the  ferry,  ascend  the  hill  above 
Ferryden  for  the  sake  of  the  view, 
and  return  by  the  suspension  bridge 
(Rte.  49).  A  large  Lunatic  Asylum 
has  been  built  near  Hillside,  Dub- 
ton.  The  Links  of  Montrose  are 
celebrated  as  one  of  the  finest  golf- 
grounds  in  Scotland.  Here  ended 
the  Rebellion  of  1715-16  by  the 
secret  embarkation  of  Prince  James 


Stuart,  accompanied  by  IMar,  on 
board  a  French  vessel,  leaving  his 
army  in  the  lurch. 

There  is  not  much  to  be  seen  at 
Montrose,  but  an  Excursion  to  Den 
Finella,  by  the 

[Montrose  and  Bcrvie  Bailway, 
which  strikes  due  N.  along  the  coast, 
skirting  the  cliffs,  crossing  the  N. 
Esk  below  the  Pounage  Pool,  where 
John  o'Arnha  encountered  the  Water 
Kelpie,  according  to  the  old  ballad 
composed  by  George  Beattie,  who 
sleeps  in  the  ch. -yard  of  St.  Cyrus, 
at  the  foot  of  the  rocks. 

Rt.  by  the  sea  is  the  Kaim  of 
Mathers,  built  by  Barclay  to  escape 
the  vengeance  of  the  King  for  having 
slain  and  afterwards  "  suppit  in 
bree,"  the  body  of  the  Sheriti"  of  the 
Mearns.     At 

Lauriston  Stat,  the  traveller  should 
stop  to  visit  Den  Finella,  one  of  the 
most  romantic  Dens  in  the  county, 
in  the  grounds  of  A.  Porteous,  Esq., 
crossed  b}'  the  rly.  on  a  bridge  of 
4  arches. 

Bcrvie  Terminus,  made  a  royal 
burgh  by  David  II.,  1342  ;  was  the 
birthplace  of  Coutts,  the  banker. 
Hallgreen  Castle  (I.  Farquhar,  Esq.) 
was  the  residence  of  the  father  of  Dr. 
Arbuthnott,  the  friend  of  Pope  ;  he 
was  probably  born  here. 

Stonehaven,  10  m.,  may  be  reached 
b}'  'bus  4  times  a  week. 

A  beautiful  walk  is  to  Arbroath, 
16  m.  along  the  coast,  by  L^son,  Bod- 
dom,  Lunan  Bay,  Red  Head,  and 
Auchmithie  (Rte.  49). 

Rail  to  Aberdeen. 

The  main  line  now  keeps  north- 
ward, passing  1.  Hillside  and  Craigo 
(M.  Grant,  Esq.),  and  at 

54  m.  Craigo  Stat.,  enters  Kincar- 
dineshire, crossing  the  North  Esk 
river  through  the  fertile  "  How-o'- 
the- Mearns. " 

56  m.  Marykirk,  to  the  rt.  is  Kirk- 
ton    Hill    (G.    Taylor,    Esq.),    well 


Kincardine.       Icoute  50. — Stonehaven;  Duniiottar. 


321 


situated  at  the  foot  of  tlie  Garvock 
Hills. 

59  m.  Laurencekirk  {Hotel :  Gar- 
denstone  Arms)  was  founded  by 
Francis  Garden,  Lord  Gardenstone, 
in  1765,  on  the  estate  of  Johnston, 
which  he  had  then  recently  purchased. 
Dr.  Beattie,  author  of  "The  Min- 
strel," was  born  on  a  farm  close  to 
the  town,  of  which  his  father  was 
tenant,  1735.  It  was  once  famous 
for  its  manufacture  of  snuff-boxes. 
Et.  Garvock  Hill,  marked  by  its 
Tower,  which  commands  a  fine  view. 
At  the  hill  foot,  Johnston  Lodge 
(Alex.  Gibbon,  Esq.),  3  ni.  1.  is  the 
village  oi  Auchinblae  (Rte.  51c). 

62^  m.  Fordoun,  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  birthplace  of  John 
of  Fordoun,  author  of  the  "  Scoto- 
Chronicon,"  and  the  oldest  author- 
ity on  the  subject  of  Scottish  his- 
tory ;  Pitarrow  is  a  little  to  the  1.  of 
the  line.  On  1.  is  Monboddo  (J.  C. 
Burnett,  Esq.),  seat  of  Lord  Mon- 
boddo, who  was  celebrated  for  hold- 
ing remarkable  opinions  about  men 
having  tails.  Dr.  Johnson  and  Bos- 
well  dined  here,  and  the  latter  says 
that  it  was  then  "  a  wretched  place, 
wild  and  naked,  with  a  few  old 
houses  ;  though,  if  I  recollect  aright, 
there  are  2  turrets,  which  mark  an 
old  baron's  residence."  The  house 
has  been  much  improved  and  en- 
larged. The  rly.  soon  crosses  the 
Bervie  Water,  and  reaches  Drum- 
lUliie,  a  little  manufacturing  village  ; 
it  then  descends  the  valley  of  the 
Carron  Water,  having  Fetteresso 
Castle  (R.  Duff,  Esq.,  M.P.)  on  the 
1.,  and  on  rt.  Fowlsheugh,  a  great  re- 
sort of  sea-birds,  and  Dunnottar 
House. 

73J  m.  Stonehaven  {Inns:  Com- 
mercial ;  Station  ;  Urie  Amis),  a 
flourishing  little  port,  and  the  county- 
town  of  Kincardine.  It  is  situated 
very  near  the  mouth  of  2  rivers,  the 
Carron  and  the  Cowie,  and  is  con- 


siderably  in    repute    as    a    bathing 
place. 

See  a  little  to  the  S.  of  the  town 
the  ruins  of  Dunnottar  Castle,  seat  of 
the  Keiths,  Earls  IMarischal  of  Scot- 
land. It  stands  on  a  projecting  rock, 
separated  from  the  mainland  by  a 
deep  chasm,  which  in  former  days 
must  have  made  it  impregnable. 
The  great  square  tower,  which  is 
still  the  most  complete  part,  and 
chapel,  are  said  to  have  been  built 
by  the  Crawfords,  Earls  of  Lindsay. 
The  modern  part  consists  of  3  sides 
of  a  quadrangle,  and  is  more  like  a 
barrack  than  a  castle.  During  the 
wars  of  the  Commonwealth  the  Scot- 
tish regalia  were  kept  here,  and  when 
the  castle  was  besieged,  the  governor, 
George  Ogilvie  of  Barras,  held  out 
strenuously,  and  did  not  surrender 
until  they  had  been  conveyed  away, 
through  the  midst  of  the  besieging 
force,  by  Mrs.  Grainger,  the  minister's 
wife  —  the  crown  in  her  lap,  the 
sceptre  disguised  as  a  distaff.  She 
buried  them  under  the  pulpit  of 
Kiuneff  Church  until  the  Restora- 
tion. Dunnottar  was  used  in  16S5 
as  a  place  of  imprisonment  for  the 
Covenanters,  and  the  "  Whigs'  Vault," 
in  which  they  were  confined,  still  re- 
mains. The  cliffs  are  bold  and  rocky 
here,  and  rise  to  200  ft.,  a  little  lower 
down  at  Fowlsheugh,  between  Stone- 
haven and  Bervie.  In  the  ch.  -yard 
of  Dunnottar,  Walter  Scott  met  for 
the  first  and  last  time  Peter  Paterson, 
the  original  of  "  Old  Mortality," 
cleaning  the  headstones  at  the  graves 
of  the  Covenanters  who  died  in  Dun- 
nottar Castle. 

Pass  rt.  the  ruins  of  Cowie  old 
Kirk,  and  1.  Urie,  the  fine  seat  of 
Alex.  Baird,  Esq.,  a  handsome 
modern  Gothic  house,  replacing  the 
old  mansion  of  the  Barclays,  the 
most  illustrious  of  whom,  Robert, 
wrote  the  "Apology  for  the  Quakers." 
Some  relics  of  him  are  preserved  in 
the  present  house.  The  last  of  the 
family  was  Captain  B.,  the  famous 
pedestrian,  and  a  great  agriculturist. 


322 


Route  50. — Urie ;  Aberdeen. 


Sect.  V. 


R.  Barclay  and  Captain  B.  both  rest 
in  the  family  burying-ground  upon 
the  mound  or  Hauf  of  Urie. 

The  line  approaches  the  coast  to 
78  m.  Muchalls  Stat.,  near  which 
is  the  small  but  quaint-looking 
house  of  Muchalls,  begun,  as  the 
inscription  tells  us,  in  1619,  and 
finished  in  1627,  by  Sir  Thomas 
Burnett  of  Leys.  A  low  courtyard 
wall  in  front  supports  a  row  of  for- 
midable-looking bastions,  a  fashion 
which  had  outlived  the  necessities 
of  the  times.  The  large  hall  and 
another  smaller  room  haA^e  ceilings 
of  pargetted  pi  aster- work  in  excellent 
preservation,  and  on  either  side  of 
the  fireplace  is  a  gloomy  figure 
standing  with  crossed  arms. 

The  rly.  now  keeps  close  to  the 
coast,  which  is  bold  and  rocky,  aff'ord- 
ing  many  a  beautiful  peep  down 
the  gullies. 

794  m.  NeivtonMll  Stat. 

81^  m.  Portlethen  Stat.,  nearwhich 
is  the  village  of  Findon,  or  Finnan, 
well  known  for  the  production  of 
smoked  haddocks. 

85  m.  Cove  Stat.  See  on  rt.  the 
Nigg  Lighthouse,  and  Wellington 
Suspension  Bridge.  From  hence  the 
rly.,  making  a  curve,  crosses  the 
Dee,  and  enters 

Aberdeen  Termimis,  in  College-st., 
near  the  docks,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
gully  called  Denburn.  This  is  the 
Stat,  of  the  Great  North  of  Scotland, 
Caledonian,  and  Deeside  Railways. 
(Imperial  Hotel,  close  to  the  stat.  ; 
Douglas's  H.  ;  the  Northern  H.  : 
Royal  H.)  The  Post-oflSce  is  in 
Market  St. 

Several  Episco'pal  Chapels  here. 

The  Photographic  Vic^vs  of  Scottish 
sceneiy,  by  Wilson  of  Aberdeen  are 
deservedly  celebrated. 

Aberdeen,  88,125  Inhab.,  is  the 
fourth  city  in  Scotland,  in  point  of 
population  and  trade.     It  has  also 


important  manufactures  in  linen, 
woollen,  and  iron.  It  is  great  in 
shipbuilding  (clippers  of  renown). 
It  is  the  chief  seaport  of  the  N.  of 
Scotland,  and  in  1873  had  235  ves- 
sels of  103,149  tons.  It  is  really  a 
handsome  town,  built  chiefly  of 
granite,  the  local  stone,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Dee,  between  it  and  the  Don  ; 
but  its  harbour  has  neither  the 
capacity  nor  convenience  propor- 
tioned to  its  trade,  although 
Smeaton  and  Telford  employed  their 
best  engineering  abilities,  and  ex- 
pended more  than  £300,000  upon  it. 
New  and  expensive  works  were  be- 
gun 1871 — including  a  S.  Breakwater 
of  concreted  blocks,  1300  ft.  long, 
which  will  not  be  finished  for  some 
time.  The  "  diversion  "  of  the  Dee  by 
the  straightening  of  its  course,  cut- 
ting off  a  great  bend  just  below  the 
Wellington  and  Railway  bridges, 
was  achieved  in  1872. 

A  fine  Pier  was  completed  in  1848, 
having  on  the  N.  pier-head  a  tidal 
fixed  red  light. 

The  Bridge  over  the  Dee  is  a  struc- 
ture of  7  arches,  built  in  the  early 
part  of  the  16th  centy.  by  Bishop 
Dunbar.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest 
bridges  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
having  survived  the  floods  of  1829. 
It  was  the  scene  of  the  first  of  Mon- 
trose's victories  ;  the  passage  of  the 
bridge  was  won  \>y  him  after  a  battle 
of  two  days  on  June  19,  1639,  one 
of  the  manj''  fluctuating  struggles 
of  the  Scottish  Civil  War,  in  which 
Aberdeen  constantly  changed  hands, 
passing  from  the  Cavalier  to  the 
Covenanter,  and  back  again.  At 
this  date  Montrose  belonged  to  the 
latter  party. 

Leaving  the  railway  stat.,  as- 
cend to  Castle  St.,  a  sort  of  central 
market-place,  one  side  of  which  is 
occupied  by  the  Toivn  and  County 
Buidinc/s,  modern  Gothic,  of  pic- 
turesque design  (Peddie  and  Kinnear, 
architects),  with  a  very  eff"ective  bel- 
fry tower  200  ft.  high,  and  another 
ancient  tower  at  the  E.  end.     It  cost 


SCOTLA.ND. 


Pioute  50. — Aberdeen. 


323 


£60,000,  and  contains  some  good 
portraits  —  the  Queen  and  Prince 
Consort,  by  John  Philli}),  a  native 
— Queen  Anne,  by  Kneller,  etc.  ■ 

Before  it  stands  The  Cross,  a  struc- 
ture in  the  Renaissance  style,  with 
hexagon  base,  the  panels  ornamented 
with  medallion  heads  of  Scottish 
Kings,  from  James  I.  to  James  VIL, 
surmounted  by  a  pillar,  bearing  the 
Eoyal  Unicorn  rampant.  It  was  the 
work  of  a  mason,  John  Montgomery, 
of  Auldrain,  1686. 

In  this  place  also  is  the  Statue  of 
the  last  Duke  of  Gordon,  Marquis  of 
Huntly,  and  Colonel  of  the  42d  High- 
landers, whom  Scott  addressed  : 

"Cock  of  the  North,  my  Huntly  braw, 
Whaur  are  you  wi'  the  Forty-twa  !  " 

The  chief  street  is  Union-st7^cet,  a 
fine  avenue  of  granite  houses,  with 
many  good  shops,  banks,  hotels,  etc., 
stretching  W.  from  Castle-street, 
nearly  a  mile.  A  Statue  of  Queen 
Victoria,  by  Brodie,  deserves  high 
commendation.  On  the  rt.  hand  an 
open  Grecian  colonnade  discloses  to 
view  the  E.  and  W.  Churches,  stand- 
ing in  a  large  ch.-yard,  but  forming  a 
continuous  building.  The  E.  church 
is  of  carpenter  Gothic,  1870-75,  the 
other,  having  sash  windows,  was 
designed  by  Gihhs,  architect  of  St. 
Martin's-in-the#Fields  and  the  Ead- 
clitf  Library,  a  native  of  Aberdeen. 

The  W.  church,  burned  in  1874, 
has  been  rebuilt,  but  the  fine  tower 
and  transept,  with  the  monuments  of 
the  Irvines,  have  been  destroyed. 


Surrounding  the  ch.  is  a  Cemetery, 
which  contains  the  remains  of  Dr. 
Beattie,  author  of  "The  Minstrel," 
and  some  time  Professor  of  Moral 
Philosophy  in  Marischal  College. 

Union-st.  is  carried  across  the  hol- 
low of  the  Denburn  on  a  very  fine 
granite  Bridge,  of  a  single  arch,  131  ft. 
span,  and  at  the  N.  W.  end  is  a  seated 


Statue  by  ]\larochetti  of  the  Prince 
Consort,  at  the  uncovering  of  which 
the  Queen  attended.  He  is  in  a 
field-marshal's  uniform,  with  the 
robe  of  the  Thistle  over  it,  and  in 
the  hand  a  scroll.  It  is  not  a 
successful  work. 

Close  to  the  Union  Bridge  is  the 
Trades  Hall,  a  granite  building,  con- 
taining some  portraits  by  Jameson, 
and  some  curiously  carved  chairs. 

Pieturning  to  Castle-street,  to  the 
W.  of  the  Cross  is  the  Tolbooth,  with 
a  lofty  spire,  now  incorporated  in 
the  Toivn  HaU.  From  its  N.  side 
branches  out  Broad-street.  Here, 
at  No.  68,  lived  Byron  when  a  boy, 
with  his  mother. 

A  narrow  entrance  in  Broad-street 
leads  to  Marischal  College  (now  an 
integral  portion  of  the  University), 
named  from  its  founder,  George  Keith, 
Earl  Marischal,  in  1593.  The  present 
building,  forming  3  sides  of  a  quad- 
rangle, with  a  tower  100  ft.  high, 
of  poor  modern  Gothic,  was  com- 
pleted in  1841,  at  a  cost  of  £38,000. 
In  the  centre  of  the  court  is  an 
obelisk  to  Sir  James  M'Grigor,  head 
of  the  medical  staff"  in  the  Egyptian, 
Walcheren,  and  Peninsular  cam- 
paigns.    A  flight  of  stairs  leads  to 

The  Hall,  containing  some  good 
portraits  by  Jameson,  a  pupil  of 
Vandyke  and  a  native  of  Aberdeen 
— George  Buchanan,  and  others. 

Eminent  students  :  Gilbert  Bur- 
net, Bishop  of  Salisbury  (1657)  ;  Dr. 
Arbuthnott,  the  friend  of  Pope  ;  Colin 
Maclaurin,  the  mathematician  ;  Dr. 
Reid,  the  metaphysician  ;  Robert 
Hall,  the  divine,  and  Sir  James 
Mackintosh. 

The  former  Grammar  School,  in  the 
School  Hill,  was  Byron's  first  place 
of  education.  Read  his  admirable 
reminiscences  of  Aberdeen  in  Moore's 
"Life  of  Byron." 

To  the  E.  of  Castle-square  are 
Castle-hrae  and  the  Barracks.  On 
this  hill  once  stood  the  old  Castle 


324 


Route  50. — Old  Aberdeen  ;  Cathedral.        Sect.  V. 


of  Aberdeen,  which  in  the  time  of 
Edward  was  garrisoned  by  the  Eng- 
lish, and  captured  from  them  by  a 
night  attack  of  the  citizens,  whose 
watchword  was  "  Bon  Accord,"  which 
has  ever  since  been  tlie  motto  of 
the  city.  From  the  N.E.  corner  of 
the  square  a  street  leads  down  to 
the  Lioiks,  upon  which  Montrose  en- 
camped on  three  difterent  occasions. 
Here  are  the  premises  of  Leslie  and 
Macdonald  for  polishing  granite. 

The  Granite  of  Aberdeen  is  valued 
over  all  the  world,  and  the  city  is 
chieily  built  of  it,  so  that  it  some- 
times goes  by  the  name  of  "the 
granite  city."  The  N.  of  Scotland 
Bank,  with  its  Corinthian  portico  of 
four  columns,  the  new  Grammar 
School,  and  the  new  County  Buildings, 
are  good  examples  of  finely- wrought 
granite  buildings.  The  docks  of 
Sebastopol  were  also  built  of  this 
material.  In  connection  with  the 
artistic  value  of  granite,  the  visitor 
should  inspect  Messrs.  INIacdonald 
and  Co.'s  granite-works.  The  art  of 
working  granite  with  the  axe,  in- 
stead of  the  pick,  and  the  inventions 
of  patent  axing  or  chiselling  with  a 
number  of  cutting  surfaces  combined 
in  one  tool,  as  well  as  that  of  polish- 
ing by  machinery,  are  due  to  the  late 
Alexander  Macdonald. 

Aberdeen  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  important  towns  in  Scotland, 
possessing  charters  of  privilege  older 
than  any  other  Scotch  city,  from 
"William  the  Lion,  Alex.  L  and  IL, 
and  Robert  Bruce.  The  Town-Council 
Registers  begin  1398.  At  the  inva- 
sion by  Edward  IJL,  Sir  Thomas 
Roscelyn,  one  of  his  lieutenants, 
landed  a  body  of  troops  at  Dunethan, 
and  marched  upon  Aberdeen  ;  where- 
upon the  citizens  mustered  their  forces 
and  gave  Sir  Thomas  battle  on  the 
green.  The  English  were  defeated 
with  great  slaughter,  and  Sir  Thomas 
being  killed,  the  English  in  revenge 
burnt  Aberdeen  to  the  ground.  The 
city  was  then  rebuilt  at  the  mouth 


of  the  Dee,  and  called  New  Aberdeen. 
Robert  II.  assembled  a  parliament 
here  to  couce]'t  measures  for  an  inva- 
sion of  England. 

In  the  minority  of  James  I.  the 
citizens  marched  out  under  their 
provost.  Sir  Robert  Davidson,  and 
fought  with  the  Earl  of  Mar  against 
Donald  of  the  Isles  at  Harlaw.  Sir 
Robert  was  killed,  and  a  rule  was 
then  made  that  the  provost  should 
not  leave  the  city  during  his  term  of 
office.  In  1569  Aberdeen  was  entered 
by  a  body  of  Reformers,  who,  after 
some  opposition  from  the  inhabitants, 
succeeded  in  destroying  the  ecclesi- 
astical buildings  ;  but  the  town  itself 
soon  gave  in  its  adhesion  to  the  new 
creed.  One  hand  of  the  Marq.  of 
Montrose  was  sticking  on  the  top  of 
the  Tolbooth  until  the  visit  of  Charles 
II.  in  1650,  Avhen  it  was  taken  down 
at  the  request  of  his  son,  and  sent  to 
Edinburgh  to  be  buried. 

A  little  more  than  a  mile  from  the 
crowded  streets  and  bustle  of  Aber- 
deen a  singular  contrast  is  presented 
in  the  silent  ways  of  Old  Aberdeen^ 
or  "the  Auld  Town,"  near  the  river 
Don,  a  collection  of  detached  houses, 
some  large  and  handsome  modern 
mansions  amidst  trees  and  gardens, 
much  more  like  a  village  than  a  city. 
It  is  said  to  have  been  deserted  for 
the  new  site  after  t^^e  inroad  of  the 
English,  temp.  Edward  III. 

The  Cathedral,  dedicated  to  St. 
Machar,  a  companion  of  St.  Columba, 
consists  of  a  stately  nave  only.  Hank- 
ed by  two  massive  battlemented 
towers  with  short  spires  (1424).  The 
choir  was  destroyed  by  the  Reformers, 
and  the  transepts  by  the  fall  of  the 
central  tower,  undermined  by  Crom- 
well's troopers.  The  W.  entrance, 
the  round  arch  between  the  two  cas- 
tellated towers,  is  surmounted  by  a 
window  of  seven  tall  slits.  All  this 
is  of  granite,  and  dates  from  1357- 
1518. 

The  nave  extends  to  7  bays  of 
pointed  arches  resting  on  columnar 
piers.    The  visitor  should  notice  the 


Scotland.       Route  50. — Old  Aberdeen ;  College. 


325 


flat  ceiling  of  panelled  oak,  with  its 
forty-eight  shields,  glittering  with 
the  blazonries  of  the  Pope,  the  em- 
peror, St.  Margaret,  the  kings  and 
princes  of  Christendom,  the  bishops, 
and  the  earls  of  Scotland,  added  by 
Bishop  Dunbar,  1519-31.  Here  is 
the  grave  of  Barbour,  author  of  ' '  The 
Bruce,"  and  Archdeacon  of  Aberdeen, 
who  died  in  1395.  In  the  ruined  S. 
transept,  now  open  to  the  sky,  are 
two  canopied  tombs,  with  effigies, 
much  mutilated,  of  Bishops  Leighton 
(1424)  and  Dunbar  (1518).  The  ca- 
thedral was  well  restored,  1871,  and 
much  whitewash  and  a  heavy  gallery 
removed. 

A  little  S.  of  the  Cathedral,  stand- 
ing in  a  field,  is  King's  College, 
founded  in  1494,  in  accordance  with 
a  bull  of  Pope  Alexander  VI.,  by 
Bishop  Elphinstone,  to  whose  zeal 
and  liberality  it  owes  its  existence, 
and  the  patronage  it  received  from 
James  IV.  At  the  Picformation  it 
was  possessed  of  very  considerable 
revenues,  but  was  deprived  of  a  great 
part  of  its  wealth  in  the  general 
scramble.  In  1641,  Charles  I.  grant- 
ed it  a  charter,  incorporating  it  with 
the  Marischal  College  as  a  part  of 
the  "Caroline"  University.  But 
after  the  Kestoration  the  two  col- 
leges were  again  disunited,  and  it  is 
only  since  1860  that  they  have  been 
finally  merged, — the  King's  College 
being  devoted  to  Arts  and  Divinity, 
and  the  other  to  the  classes  of  law 
and  medicine. 

The  building  was  completed  1870- 
74,  and  now  forms  a  square,  one  side 
of  which,  the  only  part  remaining  of 
the  original,  is  the  Chapel,  begun 
1500,  and  the  massive  tower  attach- 
ed to  it,  surmounted  by  a  crown  on 
flying  arches,  similar  to  St.  Giles's, 
Edinburgh,  and  St.  Nicholas,  New- 
castle. The  chapel  has  a  good  Flam- 
boyant "W.  window,  and  contains 
some  very  elaborate  carved  woodwork 
in  the  same  style,  consisting  of  a 
double  row  of  canopied  stalls,  with 


miserere  seats  and  a  lofty  open  screen. 
The  carving  throughout  is  gorgeous 
and  delicate.  The  patterns  of  the 
tracery  is  very  elaborate,  and  differs 
in  every  panel.  Bishop  Stuart's 
pulpit  was  brought  hither  from  the 
cathedral  ;  upon  it  are  heads  in  relief 
of  the  Scottish  monarchs  (as  on  the 
city  cross)  from  James  I.  to  James 
VII.  In  the  pavement  are  monu- 
mental slabs  to  Elphinstone,  the 
founder,  and  of  Hector  Boece,  d. 
1536,  the  first  principal.  The  N'eto 
Library,  opposite  the  chapel,  con- 
tains about  80,000  volumes,  and 
several  fine  old  MSS.  and  missals. 
In  one  of  the  class-rooms  are  pictures 
of  the  Ten  Sibyls,  and  of  Principal 
Middleton  by  Jameson,  and  an  ori- 
ginal likeness  of  the  founder. 

Nearly  2  m.  from  Aberdeen,  and 
I  m.  from  Old  Aberdeen,  is  The  Old 
Bridge  of  Don  or  Brig  o'  Balgownie, 
a  very  picturesque  single  pointed 
arch,  62  ft.  span,  erected  1320,  by 
Bp.  Cheyne,  spanning  a  deep  black 
pool  of  the  river,  backed  by  fine 
woods,  and  quite  worthy  of  the 
artist's  penciL  It  has  been  made 
famous,  however,  by  Lord  Byron, 
who  remembered  it,  and  the  super- 
stition connected  with  it,  many  years 
after  he  had  left  Aberdeen.  The 
poetic  legend  runs  thus  : — 

"  Brig  o'  Balgownie,  black's  your  wa'  ; 
Wi'  a  wife's  ae  son,  an'  a  mare's  ae  foal, 
Down  ye  shall  fa'." 

Byron,  who  had  crossed  it  as  a  boy 
9  years  old,  alludes  to  it  in  "  Don 
Juan,"  and  recalls  to  mind  its  "  one 
arch,  and  its  black  deep  salmon 
stream  is  in  my  memory  as  yester- 
day, I  still  remember,  though  I 
may  misquote,  the  awful  proverb 
which  made  me  pause  to  cross  it, 
yet  lean  over  with  a  childish  delight, 
being  an  only  son."  Old  as  it  is  it 
withstood  the  floods  of  1829,  which 
swept  away  almost  all  the  modern 
bridges  in  this  part  of  Scotland. 

Lower  down  is  a  modern  bridge  of 
5  arches. 


126 


Route  51. — Kirriemuir;  Cortachy. 


Sect.  V. 


Steamers  from  Aberdeen  to  Edin- 
burgh, Newcastle,  Hull,  and  Lon- 
don ;  to  Kirkwall,  Lerwick,  Wick, 
and  Thurso, 

FmU  to  Perth,  90  m.,  and  Dun- 
dee ;  to  Inverness,  109  ;  to  Ballater, 
on  the  way  to  Braemar,  44  ;  Alford, 
Peterhead,  4.5  ;  Banff;  and  Fraser- 
burgh, 47^  ni. 

Distances. — Aboyne,  32  m.  ;  Bal- 
later, 44  ;  Balmoral,  53  ;  Castleton 
of  Braemar,  60  ;  Stonehaven,  16  ; 
Banchory,  17^  ;  Kintore,  12  m. 


KOUTE  51. 

Kirriemuir    to      Ballater     and 
Braemar,  by  Glen  Clova. 

From  Kirriemuir,  in  Rte.  50,  is  a 
drive  of  15  m.  to  Clova  Hotel.  The 
carriage  road  continues  to  the  head 
of  the  glen,  but  over  the  mountain 
is  a  mere  bridle-path,  not  very  dis- 
tinctly marked,  and  rarely  crossed 
in  foggy  weather. 

This  is  a  fine  excursion,  and  one 
of  the  least  known.  Even  those 
whose  walking  powers  are  limited 
should  go  as  far  as  the  head  of  Glen 
Clova,  which  may  be  done  in  a  con- 
veyance. 

The  pedestrian  should  sleep  at 
Clova,  where  there  is  a  comfortable 
little  inn,  the  Ogilvy  Arms,  and  pro- 
ceed next  day  to  Ballater,  over  the 
Capel,  or  to  Braemar  by  Bachna- 
gairn  and  Cairn  Bannoch.  But  as 
Clova  is  in  the  centre  of  the  moun- 
tain district  known  as  the  Braes  of 
Angus,  it  is  a  good  place  to  stop  at 
and  explore  the  district. 

From  Kirriemuir  the  road  runs  K. 
leaving  the  village  of  Kingoldrum 
and  Kinnordy,  the  property  of  the 
late  Sir  Chas.  Lyell,  Bart,  the  dis- 
tinguished geologist,  to  whom  also 
belonged  the  old  Castle  of  Inver- 
quharity  on  the  1. 

5  m.  is  Cortachy  village  and  Castle, 


chief  seat  of  the  Earl  of  Airlie,  most 
charmingly  situated  in  a  wooded 
amphitheatre,  through  which  the 
South  Esk  flows  with  considerable 
fall  and  force,  a  lovelj^  domain.  Part 
only  of  the  castle  is  ancient ;  the 
very  handsome  baronial  mansion 
attached  to  it  was  built  1871-2,  at  a 
cost  of  £25,000  (David  Bryce, 
architect).  Its  chief  features  are  a 
Keep  Tower,  120  ft.  high,  to  serve^as 
a  Museum  and  Clock  Tower,  the 
clock  flanked  by  2  huge  stone  bulls, 
the  supporters  of  the  Airlie  arms. 
The  chief  entrance  is  in  the  pretty 
village,  close  to  a  bridge  over  the 
river,  and  not  far  from  the  red  sand- 
stone Kirk,  which  has  a  good  Perp. 
window. 

[At  Cortachy  a  road  runs  in  from 
Brechin,  15  m.,  which  has  followed 
the  N.  bank  of  the  South  Esk  the 
whole  way,  passing  1.  Eskmouut, 
Maulsden,  Marquis,  and  rt.  CarestoTi. 

10  m.  at  Finhaven  (a  public-house) 
the  Esk  is  crossed  by  a  handsome 
bridge  close  to  the  ruined  castle  and 
modern  mansion  of  Finhaven  (Col. 
Gardyne).  The  road  to  Cortachy 
turns  off"  at  the  inn  to  the  rt.,  leaving 
the  other  to  pursue  its  way  to  Forfar. 

11m.  Tannadice  House  (W.  Neish, 
Esq. ),  and  the  village  of  Tannadice, 
beyond  which  is  Inchewan  (J.  Ogilvy, 
Esq.).  To  the  right  is  the  entrance 
to  Glen  Ogle.  Before  reaching  the 
woods  of  Douanie,  turn  to  rt.  and 
then  to  1.,  passing  at  the  back  of 
Douanie  and  saving  a  mile  to  Cor- 
tachy]. 

As  far  as  Cortachy  the  country  is 
well  wooded,  to  this  succeed  open 
sheep-walks.  From  Cortachy  there 
are  two  roads  to  Clova — one  on  each 
side  the  river.  On  the  W.  bank  is 
the  best  road,  but  the  other  is  rather 
the  prettiest.  Neither  of  them  keeps 
close  to  the  river,  in  some  parts  of 
which  pearls  are  found  of  consider- 
able size.  The  valley  is  interesting 
to  the  geologist  for  the  good  examples 


ScOTLi'.ND. 


Route  51. — Glen  Clova. 


327 


it  affords  of  river  terraces  and  mor- 
aine heaps  formed  by  glaciers.  It  is 
equally  interesting  for  its  botany,  and 
the  number  of  rare  plants  it  yields. 
The  lower  half  of  the  valley  is  com- 
paratively tame,  but  as  soon  as  the 
mountains  at  the  head  begin  to  show 
themselves,  there  is  always  a  fine 
view. 

1  m.  from  Cortachy,  on  1.,  is  the 
entrance  to  Glenprosen,  through  a 
pine  wood  of  Norwegian  character 
This  glen  (Rte.  51a)  is  very  different 
from  Clova,  the  hills  being  much 
lower  and  wooded  nearly  to  the 
summit. 

12  m.  (from  Kirriemuir)  on  the 
opposite  side  is  situated  a  shooting- 
lodge  of  Lord  Airlie. 

16  m.  Clova  village  or  Kirkton, 
consists  of  the  Inn  (Ogilvy  Arms, 
good),  manse,  kirk,  and  some  farms, 
forming  a  charming  little  colony, 
surrounded  by  green  pastures,  and 
bounded  on  each  side  by  lofty  and 
craggy  hills.  The  road,  just  before 
reaching  the  village,  crosses  the  Esk 
at  a  ford  (there  is  a  foot-bridge  for 
pedestrians),  and  is  continued  to  the 
head  of  the  glen  i  m.  on  the  1.  or  E. 
bank.  Overlooking  the  village  is  a 
single  fragment  of  Clova  Castle,  con- 
cerning which  there  is  but  little 
account  ;  indeed,  the  only  historical 
interest  of  Clova  is  associated  with 
(rather  strangely)  King  Charles  II. 
When  this  sovereign,  in  early  life 
(1650),  was  established  at  Perth, 
amongst  the  zealous  Presbyterians, 
he  formed  a  design  to  escape  from 
their  hands,  and  take  refuge  with  the 
Highland  and  other  royalists.  He 
got  as  far  as  Clova,  but  there  finding 
none  of  his  expected  supporters  he 
put  himself  into  the  hands  of  a  Col- 
onel Montgomery,  with  whom  he 
returned  to  Perth.  This  incident  is 
known  in  Scottish  history  by  the 
name  of  The  Start. 

A  steep   ascent  of  |   hour,   path 


faintly  marked,  at  the  back  of  the 
hotel,  following  the  burn  which  runs 
out  of  the  loch,  leads  up  the  hill 
for 

1^  m.  to  Loch  Brandy,  a  pictur- 
esque tarn  embosomed  in  a  deep 
hollow  of  precipitous  cliffs,  which 
shut  it  out  from  the  world. 

About  2  m.  farther  S.  is  Loch 
Wharral,  a  similar  tarn,  though  not 
so  well  worth  visiting  ; '  and  to  the 
N.  of  Loch  Brandy  is  the  Corrie  of 
Clova,  apparently  the  bed  of  a  loch 
drained  away.  The  sharp  ridge 
between  the  two  is  called  the  Sneb  of 
Clova,  and  is  marked  by  a  very 
curious  gap  or  indentation  in  the 
rock.  This  fissure  is  gradually 
widening,  and  must  eventually  sepa- 
rate a  huge  mass  of  rock  which  will 
fall  into  Loch  Brandy.  On  the 
opposite  line  of  hills  is  a  depression 
known  as  the  Sneck  of  Barns,  over 
which  lies  the  shortest  way  to  Glen- 
prosen (Rte.  51a).  From  Clova  to 
the  head  of  the  glen  the  road  is 
worse,  but  the  scenery  incomparably 
finer.  The  hills  draw  nearer,  and 
are  rugged  in  the  extreme. 

3  m.  from  Clova  village  is  the  farm 
of  Breclounie  (]\Ir.  White),  opposite 
which  is  a  fine  jagged  peak  called 
the  Sgur  or  Scurry  of  Doll.  A  little 
above  the  road  on  the  rt.  is  a  curious 
cave  produced  by  the  falling  together 
of  rock  debris.  It  is  known  as 
Weems  Cave,  but  has  no  tradition 
associated  with  it.  1  m.  above  Bre- 
dounie  the  glen  is  suddenly  brought 
up  and  deflected  like  a  fork  by  the 
grand  massive  hill  of  Ought,  at  the 
foot  of  which  is  Acharn  Farm  (Mr. 
Welsh),  and  shooting-lodge  of  Lord 
Southesk.  To  the  1.  runs  up  Glen 
Doll,  one  of  the  wildest  and  finest 
glens  in  Scotland.  There  is  no  road 
up  it,  although  a  pony  may  be  taken 
with  care.  The  most  prominent 
beauties  of  Glen  Doll  are  the  Eagle's 
Cliff  and  Loch  Fee,  a  tributary  corrie, 
the  loch  of  which  has  been  drained 
off,  leaving  a  singular  hollow.  The 
cliffs    here    are   splendid   and   very 


328 


Route  51. — Glen  Clova. 


Sect.  V 


steep,  "but  it  is  quite  possible  for  a 
decent  cragsman  to  cross  over  to 
Glen  Call}^  and  thus  into  Glen  Tsla. 
ISTearly  at' the  head  of  Glen  Doll  is 
a  steep  path  known  as  Jock's  Lad- 
der, by  which  the  tourist  can  ascend 
the  Tolan  and  descend  on  the  other 
side  to  Loch  Callater,  passing  a  very 
black  little  tarn,  completely  encircled 
by  cliffs,  in  which  the  Corbreach 
Burn  rises.  There  is  also  the  JFine- 
Stoiqj,  or  "  pot "  in  the  rock,  in  which 
the  water  is  rotated.  Glens  Clova, 
Doll,  and  Fee,  are  celebrated  for 
their  Alpine  flowers  and  number  of 
rare  plants  and  ferns.  Unfortunately 
the  locality  is  so  well  known  by  pro- 
fessional botanists  that  they  annually 
visit  the  glen  and  carry  otf  its 
treasures  wholesale  —  a  selfish  and 
impolitic  proceeding,  Avhich  Avill  soon 
rob  the  neighbourhood  of  one  of  its 
principal  attractions.  The  following 
are  the  principal  specimens  to  be 
found  : — Polypodium  Dryopteris,  P. 
Phlegopteris,  Cystopteris  fragilis,  C. 
dentata,  Hymenophyllum  uuilaterale, 
Polystichum  Lonchitis,  P.  angulare, 
Blechnum  boreale,  Woodsia  silvensis, 


W.  hyperborea  (rare,  at  Bachna- 
gairn),  Lastrea  spinulosa,  L.  dilatata, 
L.  oreopteris,  Eubus  Chamgemorus, 
Alchemilla  alpina,  Carex  aquatilis, 
Molinia,  depauperata,  Phleum  Mic- 
hellii,  Carex  stictocarpa,  C.  phseos- 
tachya,  C.  tenella  (rare),  Juncus 
Gesneri,  Astragalus  alpinus,  Hiero- 
chloe  borealis,  Hieracium  Halleri, 
etc.,  Lichnis  Alpina  in  Little  Gils- 
rannoch.  The  indiscriminate  gather- 
ing of  plants  is  now  prevented  by 
the  landowners. 

There  are  two  ways  of  leaving 
Glen  Clova — a.  To  Ballater.  b.  To 
Braemar.  To  Ballater  proceed  1  m. 
beyond  Bredounie  up  Glen  Clova  to 
the  foot  of  the  Cfrpc/  (on  rt.,  recog- 
nisable by  a  cairn  on  top).  A  zigzag 
bridle-path  is  seen  ascending  the  face 
of  the  hill,  from  the  top  of  which 
there  is  a  splendid  view  looking  up 
Bachnagairn  and  Glen  Fee.  Follow 
the  path  along  the  northern  shoulder, 
as  marked  by  the  posts,  keeping  Loch- 
nagar  and  the  subordinate  ranges 
to  the  1.,  as  shown  in  the  outline 
sketch. 


C/\IRN      BAWNOCK 


The  path  soon  descends  to  Loch 
Muick,  the  tourist  gaining  a  peep  of 
the  savage  Dhu  Loch  and  the  water- 
fall that  issues  from  it.  It  is  9  m. 
from  Clova  to  the  end  of  Loch 
MuicJc,  belonging  to  the  Queen, 
a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  hemmed 
in  on  all  sides  but  one  by  steep 
mountains.      At  the  head  of  it  is 


lOCM   AfU'Sfi 


the  handsome  lodge  built  by  the 
Prince  Consort,  from  whence  there 
are  riding  paths  to  Dhu  Loch,  which 
is  guarded  by  the  precipices  of  Loch- 
nagar  on  the  one  side  and  Craig  Dhu 
Loch  on  the  other.  From  the  foot 
of  Loch  Muick  (a  noted  place  for 
pic-nics)  it  is  9  m.  to  Ballater.  There 
is  a  road  on  either  side  the  glen — 


Scotland.      Routes  51,  GUn  Clova. — 51a,  Ghn  Slue. 


329 


but  the  one  on  the  1,  bank  of  the 
Muick  is  the  Queeiis  Drive,  not  gene- 
rally accessible  to  tourists,  and 
never  when  Her  Majesty  is  at  Bal- 
moral. 1|  m.  from  the  loch  is  ^?^ 
naghuissac,  formerly  known  as 
"The  Hut,"  but  now  made  into  a 
comfortable  cottage  residence,  and 
occupied  by  the  Courtwhen  the  Queen 
resides  at  Loch  Muick.  Glen  Muick 
for  the  first  4  miles  is  rather  mono- 
tonous and  bare,  but  at  the  Falls  of 
Muick  the  scenery  is  very  charming, 
the  river  rushing  with  considerable 
body  through  a  narrow  wooded  ravine. 
There  is  a  primitive  bridge  just  below 
the  Linn,  by  crossing  \Wiich  it  may 
be  seen  from  another  point.  Below 
this  the  glen  opens  out  and  becomes 
partly  pastoral  and  partly  deer  forest. 
In  the  N".  rises  the  huge  mass  of 
Morven  ;  to  the  rt.  is  the  shoulder  of 
Mt.  Keen,  while  the  foreground  is 
made  up  of  the  glen  and  the  beauti- 
ful woods  of  Birk  Hall,  formerly 
occupied  by  Sir  Jas.  Clark,  by  the 
Prince  of  Wales  during  his  Highland 
residence,  and  latterly  by  General  Sir 
W.  Knollys. 

17  m.  from  Clova  is  the  Bridge 
of  Muick,  where  that  river  enters 
the  Dee,  the  road  across  it  leading  to 
Knock  Castle  and  Abergeldie. 

18  m.  Ballater  (Rte.  52). 

h.  From  Clova  to  Braeniar  the  dis- 
tance is  about  the  same  as  to  Ballater, 
but  the  path  is  not  so  easy  to  find. 
Instead  of  turning  off  up  the  Capel, 
keep  straight  on  to  the  head  of  Glen 
Clova  as  far  as  Bachnagairn,  a 
shooting-lodge,  7  m.  from  Clova. 
Half-way  up  the  Esk  has  to  be  forded, 
but  the  pedestrian  may  avoid  it  by 
crossing  the  bridge  near  Acharn, 
and  following  a  footpath  on  the  W. 
bank  of  the  river.  BachnagoArn  is 
splendidly  situated  amongst  the  rocks 
at  the  head  of  the  glen,  and  deeply 
embosomed  amidst  the  firs  of  a  deer 
forest.  The  South  Esk,  which  rises  in 
Loch  Esk,  about  2  m.  higher  up,  falls 
{Scotland.  ] 


in  one  grand  leap  of  70  or  80  ft.  in 
height,  the  cliffs  on  each  side  bound- 
ing it  like  a  wall.  Unfortunately  it  is 
so  shrouded  by  the  forest  that  the  visi- 
tor must  approach  close  to  it,  and  thus 
some  of  the  effect  is  lost.  From  Bach- 
nagairn cross  the  stream  by  a  foot- 
bridge and  follow  the  path  to  the  rt., 
which  winds  round  the  crest  of  the 
hill.  Do  not  attempt  to  folIoAv  the 
river,  for  the  ground  is  uneven  and 
very  boggy.  The  path  keeps  to  the  W. 
of  Craig  Dhu  Loch,  and  close  to  the 
side  of  Cairn  Bannock,  from  whence 
on  a  clear  day  the  Ochill  and 
Lomond  Hills  may  be  seen.  From 
thence  it  descends  and  joins  the  path 
from  Braemar  to  Lochnagar  on  the 
side  of  Cairn  Taggart.  Follow  this 
path  down  to  Loch  Callater,  and 
thence  by  Glen  Callater  to  Glen 
Clunie  and 

Braemar  (Rte.  52a). 


ROUTE  51  A. 

BrecMn  to  Glen  Shee,  by  West 
Water,  Clova,  Glen  Prosen, 
and  Glen  Isla.  For  Pedes- 
trians. 

This  route  is  a  carriage -road  as  far 
as  Lethnot,  and  is  continued  to 
Edzell  (Rte.  51b),  but  beyond  Leth- 
not is  for  pedestrians  only.  It  is 
a  good  one  for  examining  the  scenery 
of  Forfarshire  and  the  Braes  of  Angus. 
The  distances  are  as  follows  : — 

Brechin  to  Lethnot,  7  m. 

Lethnot  to  Clova,  16  m.  (good 
Inn). 

Clova  to  Glen  Prosen,  6  m.  (Inn). 

Glen  Prosen  to  Glen  Isla,  12  m. 
(Inn). 

Glen  Isla  to  Glen  Shee,  16  m. 
(Inn). 

As  there  is  no  inn  of  any  sort  at 

Lethnot,  it  will  be  a  good  j)lan  to 

drive  from  Brechin,  the  walk  from 

Lethnot  to  Clova  being  sufliciently 

p2 


330    Route  51  A. — The  Catertuns ;  Clova  ;  Glen  Prosen.  Sect.  Y. 


long.  The  road  crosses  the  Cruick 
Water,  passes  the  property  of  Balua- 
moon,  and  ascends  the  Menmuir 
Hills,  at  the  summit  of  which  it 
passes  between  two  round-backed 
hills,  each  capped  with  a  Cale- 
donian or  British  fort,  called  the 
Brown  and  White  Cater  tun.  The 
"White  Catertun  on  1.  of  road  is  an 
ov\il  fortification,  of  concentric  rings 
of  loose  whitish  stones,  measuring 
25  ft.  across  at  the  top  and  200  ft. 
at  the  base.  They  have  been  dis- 
turbed and  huddled  so  as  to  destroy 
their  mural  outline,  but  still  rise  to 
a  height  of  60  ft.,  enclosing  an  oval 
area  measuring  436  it.  by  200  ft. 
The  fort  is  entered  by  one  opening 
at  the  E.  The  platform  on  which  it 
stands  projects,  as  a  great  bastion,  in 
front  of  the  Grampian  range,  Avhich  it 
commands  to  the  N.  and  W.,  iuid  it 
oveiiooks  the  plain  of  Strathmore, 
which  is  studded  with  Eoman  camps. 
The  Brown  Catertun,  about  1  m.  N., 
is  a  series  of  concentric  entrench- 
ments, nearly  circular.  There  is  a 
splendid  view  looking  S.  over  Brechin 
and  the  flat  country  to  the  N.  of  Ar- 
broath and  Dundee,  and  northwards 
over  the  Forfarshire  Hills,  in  which 
Warran  is  a  very  cons^ncuous  fea- 
ture. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  steep  slope 
of  Menmuir  Hills  the  road  crosses  the 
Paphrie  Burn,  leaving  Lethnot  {7  ra.) 
a  little  on  the  rt.  It  is  a  pretty  little 
village  on  the  1.  bank  of  the  West 
Water,  but  otherwise  is  of  no  inte- 
rest. The  road  now  follows  the  rt. 
bank  through  a  rather  monotonous 
glen  to 

10  m.  Stonyford  Bridge,  a  chann- 
ing  bit  of  landscape  ac  the  foot  of 
Warran.  The  glen  now  becomes 
very  pretty,  although  the  hills  are 
by  no  means  of  broken  or  romantic 
outline.  On  the  contrary,  they  are 
rounded  in  form  and  covered  with 
heather  to  the  sumnnts^a  perfect 
blaze  of  colour  when  the  latter  is  in 
bloom.     About  3  m.  from  Stonyford 


is  a  shooting  -  lodge  of  Lord  Dal- 
housie's,  and  farther  on  is  Kedshiels 
farm,  the  last  house  in  the  glen.  Do 
not  cross  over  to  it,  but  keep  straight 
up  the  glen  by  a  peat  path.  It  soon 
becomes  very  narrow  and  rough,  and 
the  rocks  in  many  places  are  pre- 
cipitous. There  is  a  particularly  fine 
bit  at  the  junction  of  the  Coscarie 
Burn  with  the  Saughs  Water,  forming 
the  West  Water.  At  the  head  of 
the  former  cross  the  mountain  called 
Dog  Hillock,  Avhich  is  very  boggy, 
but  by  keeping  the  depression  a  good 
deal  is  avoided.  A  few  minutes' 
walking  brings  us  over  the  Kennat 
Burn,  which  tblloAV  down  into  the 
open,  and,  leaving  Eotal  to  the  1.,  cut 
across  the  moor  to  get  into  the 
Clova  road.  The  whole  distance  from 
Brechin  to  Clova  by  this  route  will 
be  23  m. 

Stop  at  Clova  (Rte.  51)  and  next 
day  ascend  the  hill  exactly  opposite 
the  inn,  the  depression  of  which 
is  known  as  the  Sneck  of  Barns.  On 
the  other  side  a  path  leads  down 
Glen  Logic  to  Glen  Prosen,  passing  at 
the  junction  of  the  two  streams  ^aZvia- 
hoth,  the  seat  of  Donald  Ogilvy,  Esq., 
charmingly  sheltered  and  embosomed 
in  fine  old  trees.  At  the  lodge  gate 
is  the  hamlet  of  Bitcarity,  where  is 
a  little  inn.  Within  the  grounds  of 
Balnaboth  is  the  ruin  of  a  small 
Roman  Catholic  chapel,  probably 
built  by  the  Kinlochs  in  the  16tli 
centy.  Glen  Prosen  is  characterised 
by  wooded  hills,  and  a  general  beauty 
and  softness  different  from  the  other 
valleys.  A  road  runs  up  from  Pit- 
carity  to  a  shooting-lodge  of  Mr. 
Ogilvy,  and  one  of  the  Earl  of 
Airlie's  at  the  head  of  the  glen.  But 
the  way  to  Glen  Isla  turns  off  to 
the  1.  a  mile  from  Balnaboth,  and 
goes  down  the  valley  of  the  Mel  gum 
for  some  little  distance,  being  in 
fact  the  road  to  Alyth.  The  tourist 
should  turn  off  at  Clintlaw  and  cross 
the  hill  to  Glen  Isla  (a  comfortable 
Inn),  about  12  m.  from  Pitcarity. 
From  Glen  Isla  the  tourist  has  three 


Scotland.  Pds.  5  1a,  Glen  IsIa.—olB,  Brechin  to  Ballater.  331 


courses.  He  may  follow  the  Isla  for 
a  few  miles,  and  then  strike  south 
and  reach  Alyth,  visiting  on  the 
way  the  unrivalled  river  scenery  at 
Reekie  Linn,  or  the  Slug  of  Auch- 
rannie(Ete.  50),  and  so  to  Alyth  ;  or  he 
may  pi'oceed  up  the  glen  to  Forter 
Castle,  a  square  tower,  supposed  by 
some  to  have  been  the  scene  of  the 
burning  of  "the  Bonnie  House  of 
Airlie,"  and  then  cross  the  shoulder 
of  Mt.  Blair  by  a  good  road,  rejoin- 
ing the  Glen  Shee  road  at  Cray  (Rte. 
52b).  But  by  far  the  finest  excur- 
sion is  to  ascend  the  glen  beyond 
Forter,  where  the  scenery,  which  has 
hitherto  been  rather  tame,  begins  to 
be  fine.  About  8  m.  from  the  inn 
there  are  waterfalls  at  the  junction 
of  the  Cally  with  the  Isla.  Glen 
Cally  can  be  explored,  and  a  passage 
made  over  the  hills  at  the  head  to 
Glen  Fee  and  Glen  Doll  (Rte.  51), 
or  the  tourist  can  proceed  to  Caen- 
lochan  Glen,  which  runs  to  the  very 
foot  of  Glasmeal  (3502  ft.),  a  fine 
wild  scene.  The  shoulder  of  Glass- 
meal  may  be  crossed,  and  the  tourist 
join  the  Glen  Clunie  road  to  Brae- 
mar  at  the  top  of  Cairn  Well.  The 
Corry  of  Caenlochan  has  not  its 
equal  on  this  side  of  Scotland  for 
beauty  or  brilliant  verdure  and 
number  of  rare  plants.  Prof.  Mac- 
gillivray  says: — "If  there  are 
other  places  in  Scotland  which  con- 
tain as  many  interesting  plants  as 
this  they  must  be  very  few.  Ceras- 
tium  alpinum,  Saxifraga  nivalis,  S. 
stellaris,  S.  oppositifolia,  S.  hyp- 
noides,  Veronica  saxatilis,  V.  alpina, 
Silene  acaulis,  Erigeron  alpinus, 
Potentilla  alpestris,  Draba  incana, 
Saussurea  alpina,  Gentiana  nivalis, 
Epilobium  alsinifolium,  Aira  alpina, 
Poa  alpina,  P.  caesia,  Phleum  com- 
mutatum,  Alopecunis  alpinus,  Salix 
lanata,  S.  Myrsinites,  S.  reticulata, 
S.  herbacea,  and  Mulgedium  al- 
pinum, form  a  collection  scarcely  to 
be  found  elsewhere,  and  in  the  pro- 
fusion and  luxuriance  of  its  indi- 
vidual  plants   contrasting  with  the 


granite  corries  of  Aberdeenshire." — 
Natural  History  of  Deeside,  p.  77. 

It  is  impossible  to  state  the  exact 
distance  between  Glen  Isla  and  Brae- 
mar,  but  it  cannot  be  less  than  25 
miles. 


ROUTE  5lB. 

Brechin  to  Ballater,  by  Edzell 
and  Glenmark.    35  m. 

This  is  a  very  fine  route,  but  the 
distances  are  long,  and  there  is  no 
inn  between  Edzell  and  Ballater,  29 
m.,  so  that  the  best  plan  would  be 
to  sleep  at  Edzell,  see  the  castle  and 
the  burn,  and  then  drive  from  Ed- 
zell for  as  many  miles  as  the  tourist 
chooses. 

Brechin  to  Edzell,  6  m.  Omni- 
bus daily.  Follow  Aberdeen  road 
2  m.,  turn  N.  (L),  cross  the  Cruick 
and  West  Water  not  far  from  Stra- 
cathro  (Sir  J.  Campbell),  and  the 
Gothic  castle  of  Inglismaldie  (Ld. 
Kintore).  Another,  but  longer  road 
is  by  the  Catertun  Forts  (Rte.  51a). 

Edzell  {Inn :  Panraure  Arms,  post 
horses,  good  headquarters  for  explor- 
ing) is  a  neat  village,  situated  on  the 
1.  bank  of  the  North  Esk,  which  here 
has  a  very  broken  and  romantic 
course.  1  m.  from  the  village,  on 
the  road  to  Lethnot,  and  near  the 
West  Water,  are  the  ruins  of  *  Edzell 
Castle,  surrounded  by  a  grove  of 
trees.  This  fortress  in  old  times  com- 
manded the  entrance  to  the  Lowlands 
in  this  direction,  and  the  tall  tower 
of  Glenmark  was  its  outpost.  Its 
first  possessors  were  the  Stirlings, 
from  whom  it  passed  to  the  Lind- 
says, and  is  now  the  property  of  the 
Earl  of  Dalhousie.  As  in  many 
other  Scottish  castles,  the  oldest  part, 
the  square  tower  at  the  S. ,  built  by 
the  Stirlings,  is  still  the  most  per- 
fect. This  was  connected  with  a 
round  tower  (much  dilapidated)  by 
a  lower  range,  containing  the  state 


332 


Route  51b. — Brechin  to  Ballater :  Edzell      Sect.  V. 


apartments,  built  by  the  Lindsays, 
now  a  mere  shell,  though  compara- 
tively modern.  The  keep  tower  and 
Lindsay  buildings  overlook  a  square 
enclosure,  once  the  flower  garden  or 
Viridarium  of  Sir  David  Lindsay, 
whose  arms  and  the  date  1604,  appear 
over  a  doorway  in  the  N.E.  corner. 
The  walls  have  this  peculiarity,  not 
only  are  they  decorated  all  round 
with  emblematical  figures  in-  bas- 
relief  of  the  Cardinal  Virtues,  the 
Sciences,  Planets.,  etc.,  etc.,  but  at 
intervals  they  are  indented  with 
large  square  holes,  like  pigeon  holes, 
intended  to  hold  flowers  and  creeping 
plants,  but  -which,  viewed  at  a  dis- 
tance, formed  the  Lindsay  coat  of 
arras — the  fesse  chequee,  in  combina- 
tion with  the  mullets  surmounting 
them.  l\\  the  angle  of  this  court  is 
an  elegant  turreted  Garden-house,  or 
lodge  of  the  same  date,  whei-e  pic-nic 
parties  may  make  their  tea  and  the 
like  by  leave  of  the  owner. 

In  the  Stirling  Tower  is  the  Ladies' 
Bower,  whose  window  overlooks  a 
noble  prospect.  Here  Queen  Mary 
sat  when  she  visited  Edzell. 

From  Edzell  the  road  runs  IST., 
crossing  the  North  Esk  at  Gannochy 
Bridge.  A  little  beyond  is  the  en- 
trance to  the  Burn  (W.  M'Liroy, 
Esq.),  built  by  Lord  Adam  Gordon, 
1791.  On  application  at  the  lodge 
the  visitor  is  kindly  allowed  to  walk 
along  the  river  side  through  the 
grounds.  The  North  Esk  flows  for 
some  four  miles  through  a  gorge  of 
old  red  sandstone,  forming  a  succes- 
sion of  romantic  views,  of  the  kind, 
not  to  be  excelled  in  Scotland.  The 
narrowness  and  depth  of  the  ravine, 
the  great  body  of  clear  brown  water, 
the  curious  tilted  arrangement  of  the 
rocks,  and  the  Alpine  character  of  the 
woods,  make  up  altogether  a  perfect 
picture.  One  of  the  finest  bits  is 
where  a  suspension  bridge  is  flung 
across  the  chasm,  and  where  the 
geologist  will  observe  some  very  re- 
markable masses  of  conglomerate,  as 
large  as  a  house.    Near  the  top  of  the 


gorge  the  arrangement  of  the  rocks 
is  diff'erent — serpentine  and  jasper 
occur. 

The  botanist  will  find,  amongst 
other  plants,  Galium  anglicum,  Jun- 
germannia,  Saxifraga  aizoides,  Adian- 
tum  nigi'um,  Alchemilla  alpina,  etc. 
The  tourist  will  discover  that  by  the 
time  he  has  exhausted  the  beauties  of 
the  Burn,  he  has  escaped  two  miles 
at  least  of  tedious  road,  which  he 
can  rejoin  at  the  end  of  the  grounds. 
Above  the  Burn  the  valley  of  the 
North  Esk  becomes  open,  and,  al- 
though very  pretty  and  pastoral,  is 
not  of  any  grandeur  or  wildness. 
ML  Battock  (2554  ft.)  is  a  conspicu- 
ous feature  due  N. 

Opposite  Auchintoul  there  is  a 
pretty  peep  up  Mooran  and  Forbie 
glens. 

17  m.  At  Tarff  Bridge,  a  stream 
coming  down  from  Glen  Tinmount 
is  crossed  [and  a  road  on  rt.  given  off 
to  Burse  Castle,  where  it  again 
diverges  —  the  one  on  the  N.  to 
Aboyne,  and  on  the  E.  along  the 
Feugh  Water  to  Banchory  (Rte. 
51c.)] 

Beyond  Tar jf side  the  road  passes 
at  the  foot  of  Migvie  Hill,  and  a 
beautiful  view  opens  up  of  Glen 
Effock  on  the  1. ,  a  glen  of  consider- 
aiile  length,  that  runs  S.  W.  to  very 
near  the  head  of  Saughs  Water. 
There  is  no  road  up  it  except  to  a 
farm. 

20  m.  at  Loch  Lee  Kirk  the  Lee 
joins  the  Esk,  taking  its  rise,  or 
rather  passing  through  Loch  Lee,  a 
wild,  though  small  lake,  almost 
surrounded  by  mountains.  A  farm- 
house, the  manse,  and  a  few  cottages, 
make  up  the  village  ;  there  is  no 
inn.  The  Earl  of  Dalhousie  has  a 
pretty  shooting-lodge  here.  Between 
the  village  and  the  Loch  is  Invermark 
Castle,  the  old  residence  of  the  Stir- 
lings,  and  the  first  great  barrier 
opposed    to    the    Highland    forces. 


Kincardine.      Route  51c. — Brechin  to  Bancliory. 


333 


Near  the  junction  of  a  small  burn 
with  the  Mark,  the  late  Lord  Dal- 
housie  enclosed,  within  a  conspicuous 
structure  of  stone  arches,  a  clear 
spring,  called  the  Princes  Well. 
An  inscription  records  the  visit  of 
the  Queen  and  Prince  Consort,  Sep- 
tember 1861.  After  passing  the 
manse,  Glenmark  narrows  consider- 
ably. At  the  head  of  it,  keep  the 
craggy  hill  of  Dowan  to  the  rt. ,  and 
begin  to  ascend  Craig  Boestock,  and 
then  along  a  zigzag  path  called  ' '  the 
ladder."  This  crosses  the  shoulder 
of  3Iount  Keen  (3200  ft),  a  singu- 
lar conical -shaped  hill  with  a  deep 
corrie.  On  the  other  side  the  road 
crosses  the  head  of  Glentanmr,  a 
fine  glen  joining  Deeside  at  Aboyne, 
where  Mr.  Cunliffe  Brook  has  a 
house,  an  old  shooting  -  lodge  en- 
larged, then  crossing  Corrievruach, 
it  falls  into  the  Ballater  road  near 
the  Bridge  of  Muick. 
35  m.  Ballater  (Rte.  52). 


ROUTE  51c. 

Brechin  to  Bancliory,  by  Edzell, 
Fettercairn,  and  the  Cairn- 
monnt. 

This  is  another  very  pretty  route, 
by  which  a  cross-cut  may  be  made 
into  Deeside  without  going  round  by 
Montrose  and  Aberdeen,  while  it 
affords  an  excellent  opportunity  of 
seeing  more  closely  the  Forfarshire 
hills. 

To  Edzell,  6  m.,  see  last  Eoute ; 
but,  instead  of  turning  off  at  the 
Glenesk  road,  keep  straight  on. 

[8.  m.  rt.  is  the  road  to  Montrose, 
so  remarkable  for  its  direct  line  of 
4  m.,  that  it  is  called  "  The  Lang 
Straight."]  The  country  now  be- 
comes very  open,  and  in  the  extreme 
distance  on  rt.  the  Montrose  Lunatic 
Asylum  at  Dubton  can  be  seen  some 
10   m.    off.     10  m.   1.   Balbegno,  an 


old-fashioned    house,    built    about 
1567. 

11  m.  Fettercairn  (Inn  :  Ramsay 
Arms  ;  Eagle),  a  quiet  little  town, 
or  rather  village.  The  Eagle  was 
the  quarters  of  Her  Majesty  and  the 
Prince  Consort  during  one  of  their 
incognito  excursions,  Sept.  1861. 
Their  visit  has  been  commemorated 
by  a  handsome  Tudor  arch  of  red 
sandstone  erected  over  the  bridge. 
The  village  Cross  was  brought  from 
the  extinct  town  of  Kincardine. 

The  road  now  passes  rt.  Fetter- 
cairn House,  and  1.  Fasque,  the  seat 
of  Sir  Thomas  Gladstone,  Bt.,  built 
1809.  To  the  rt.,  in  a  wood,  are 
the  ruins  of  Kincardine  Castle,  where 
the  helpless  King  John  Balliol  signed 
his  abdication  in  favour  of  Edward 
L,  who  visited  the  castle  1296.  In 
an  earlier  age  Kenneth  III.,  enticed 
into  this  stronghold  by  Finella,  was 
slain  here. 

13  m.  the  road  divides,  one  passing 
in  front  of  Finella  Hill  to  Fordoun. 

15  m.  at  Clattering  Brig  another 
road  is  given  off  to  the  rt.  to  Auchin- 
blae,  passing  2  m.  Drumtochty  Castle, 
the  beautiful  seat  of  Major  Gammell. 

4  m.  Auchinhlae  {Inn:  Fordoun 
Arms),  a  village  prettily  situated  on 
the  steep  banks  of  the  Luther  Water. 
The  modern  ch.  has  a  fine  tower  ; 
but  in  the  ch.  -yd.  there  is  a  portion 
of  the  old  ch.  remaining.  Some 
little  distance  from  the  village  a 
fair  is  held,  kno^^^l  as  St.  Paddy's 
Fair.  This  is  a  corruption  of  St. 
Palladius,  who  is  supposed  to  have 
come  over  with  the  earl}''  mission- 
aries to  lona,  and  who  died  452. 
Dr.  Beattie  was  parish  schoolmaster 
here,  and  describes  the  scenery  in 
his  "  Minstrel."  From  Auchinblae 
the  rly.  may  be  joined  at  Laurence- 
kirk (Rte.  50),  3  m.  farther. 

Before  leaving  Clattering  Brig  the 
geologist  should   pay  a  visit  to  the 


334 


Route  52. — Aberdeen  to  Braemar.         Sect.  Y. 


Birnie  Slack,  where  tlie  stream 
issues  from  a  deep  corrie  in  the  hills 
and  flows  for  some  distance  under- 
ground, or  rather  under  a  tremend- 
ous accumulation  of  debris  of  quartz 
and  felspar  from  the  hill.  At  Clat- 
tering Brig  commences  a  long  tedi- 
ous ascent  (4  m.)  of  the  Cairn  o' 
Mount,  from  which,  however,  on  a 
clear  day  the  view  is  most  magnifi- 
cent. On  the  other  side  the  road 
descends  to  the  valley  of  tlie  Dye,  a 
river  rising  in  Mount  Battock,  and 
flowing  eastward  under  Clochnabane, 
2370  ft.  high.  The  Dye  is  crossed 
at  21  ra.  Bridge  of  Dye.  Leaving 
the  conical  hills  of  Mount  Shade  on 
1.  the  road  is  joined  at  23  m.  by  an- 
other from  Tillyfamry,  Auchinblae, 
and  Glenbervie.  A  little  beyond 
this  point  the  road  to  Banchory  is 
given  off",  passing  the  shooting-lodge 
of  Boggendrip  and  the  hamlet  of 
Strachan,  where  it  crosses  the  Feugh 
Water,  which  is  followed  down  to 
the  Dee  at 

30  m.  Banchory  {see  p.  335).  Stra- 
chan Manse  was  the  birthplace  (1710) 
of  thelearned  Dr.Thomas  Reid,  author 
of  "An  Enquiry  into  the  Human 
Mind."  Should  the  tourist  be  inclined 
to  prolong  his  walk  he  may  take  the 
road  to  the  1.,  which  leads  to  the 
banks  of  the  Feugh,  and  the  little 
inn  of  WMtestones,  where  a  night's 
lodging  can  be  had.  From  thence 
the  Feugh  may  be  explored  in  the 
upper  part  of  its  course  as  far  as  the 
ruined  castle  and  deer  foi-est  of  Birse, 
whence  a  road  crosses  a  gap  in  the 
hills  and  descends  to  (Rte.  52). 

Ahoyne  by  the  old  Dinny  Burn. 
Should  the  tourist  wish  to  reach 
Aboyne  by  a  shorter  way  he  may  go 
direct  from  Whitestones,  passing  1. 
Finzean  and  Ballogie  House  (Dyce 
Mcholl,  Esq.) 


EOUTE  52. 

Aberdeen  to  Braemar,  by  Ban- 
chory, Aboyne,  Ballater  [Rail], 
and  Balmoral. 

Deeside  Ely.,  43^  m.,  3  trains 
daily,  in  2^  brs.,  between  Aberdeen 
and  Ballater,  whence  a  coach,  meet- 
ing the  first  train,  runs  to  Braemar, 
in  24  hrs.,  18  m. 

The  line  runs  for  the  most  part 
near  the  river  Dee,  which  drains  the 
S.  half  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  takes 
its  rise  in  the  highest  basin  of 
the  Grampian  mountains,  of  which 
Ben  Muich-Dhui  is  the  principal. 
The  entire  course  of  the  Dee  is 
about  90  m.,  and  as  its  source  is 
at  a  great  height  the  current  in 
some  places  is  extremely  rapid.  The 
country  watered  by  it  is  mostl}'- 
moorland,  though  diversified  by 
plantations  and  natural  woods  of  fir 
and  beech.  As  compared  with  the 
northern  part  of  the  county  watered 
by  the  Don,  it  is  said — 

"  Ae  rood  o'  Don's  worth  twa  0'  Dee, 
Unless  it  be  for  fish  or  tree." 

Quitting  the  General  Stat,  at  Aber- 
deen (Rte.  50),  the  rly.  soon  leaves 
the  line  to  Forfar  and'  Perth  1. ,  and 
turns  sharp  to  the  rt.,  in  view  (on  1.) 
of  the  rly.  bridge,  and  the  Dee  Bridge 
of  7  arches,  built  in  the  16th  cent, 
by  Bishop  Elphinstone. 

The  ch.  on  the  hill  above  is  that  of 
Nigg. 

2  m.  Buthrieston  Stat.,  o]iposite 
which  is  Banchory  House  (late  A. 
Thomson,  Esq.),  where  the  Prince 
Consort  stayed  in  1859,  when  he 
came  to  Aberdeen  to  preside  at  the 
British  Association  meeting. 

4  m.  near  Cults  Stat,  is  Cults 
House  (George  G.  S.  Gibb,  Esq.), 
and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  the  Kirk  of  Banchory  Dav- 
enich.    Opposite  Murtle  Siat. ,  65  m. , 


Aberdeen. 


Pioute  52. — Aberdeen  to  Braemar. 


335 


is  Blairs  College,  endowed  1829  by 
John  Menzies,  Esq.,  of  Pitfodels,  for 
the  education  of  candidates  for  the 
Roman  Catholic  Priesthood.  The 
college  contains  portraits  of  Mary 
Queen  of  Scots  and  Cardinal  Beaton. 

6g  m.  Milltimher  Stat.  Amongst 
the  residences  in  this  neighbourhood 
are,  onl.,  Kingcausie  House,  (Mrs.  Bos- 
well),  and  on  rt.  Culter  (Pt.  Duff,  Esq). 

74  ni.  Culter  Stat.  Near  this  are 
paper  mills,  and  rt.,  the  ch.  and 
manse  of  Peterculter,  and  1.  those  of 
Maryculter,  with  Maryculter  House 
(Col.  Cosmo  Gordon  of  Fyvie).  Near 
this  is  the  Corbie  Den,  or  Pot,  a 
little  i)icturesque  rent  in  the  rock, 
Avith  a  brook,  a  cascade,  and  a  deep 
pool,  abounding  in  botanical  speci- 
mens which  are  usually  to  be  found 
only  on  high  mountains.  The  rly. 
ascends  a  steep  incline  to 

10  m.  Drum  Stat.,  near  which,  at 
Drumoak,  the  Dee  is  crossed  by  a 
bridge.  Drum  Castle  (A.  F.  Irvine, 
Esq.)  is  finely  situated  on  the  slope 
of  a  hill,  and  is  a  simple  square  peel- 
tower  (some  600  years  old),  with 
bartizan,  turrets,  and  walls  12  ft.  to 
15  ft.  thick.  The  hall  on  the  1st 
floor  has  been  converted  into  a  lib- 
rary, the  groined  ceiling  of  which  is 
adorned  with  armorial  bearings.  The 
lower  storey  is  called  the  dungeon. 
The  family  of  Irvine  of  Drum  is  of 
great  antiquity,  and  played  a  con- 
spicuous part  in  the  battles  of  the 
loth  centy.,  and  particularly  in  that 
of  Harlaw. 

1.  Durris  House  (pron.  Dores)  (A. 
Young,  Esq.),  and  beyond  it  is  a 
tower,  built  upon  an  eminence  in 
honour  of  the  last  Duke  of  Gordon. 

rt.  Drum  Loch. 

11  m.  Park  Stat,  and  Park  House 
(A.  Kinloch,  Esq.).  Bridge  over 
Dee. 


[8  m.  to  the  N.  is  the  village  of 
Edit,  and  I'm.  beyond  that  is  the 
Barmckyne  (a  corruption  of  Barbican 
of  Dunecht).  It  is  a  conical  hill 
covered  with  fir-trees,  but  having  on 
it  5  concentric  lines  of  fortification, 
2  of  which  are  still  of  considerable 
height.  The  ramparts  are  built  with 
a  regularity  approaching  to  a  face  of 
masonry,  and  not  mere  heaps  of 
stones  ;  it  is  the  most  perfect  ancient 
fort  in  the  N.  of  Scotland.  Near 
the  fortress  are  several  stone  circles. 
Dunecht  is  the  seat  of  Lord  Crawford 
and  Balcarres  (Lindsay).  There  is 
neither  history  nor  tradition  belong- 
ing to  it.  A  little  farther  on  is  Mid- 
mar,  formerly  called  Ballogy,  in- 
habited only  by  a  keeper.  It  exhibits 
a  mixture  of  the  Baronial  with  the 
native  Scottish  architecture. 

15  m.  Crathes  Stat.,  and  on  rt. 
Crathes  Castle  (Sir  James  Burnett 
Bart.),  on  the  slope  of  a  wooded 
hill.  The  original  portion  is  the  old 
square  tower,  Avith  turrets,  to  which 
additions  have  been  made  at  various 
times.  Its  top  is  surmounted  by 
conical  turrets,  and  has  a  number  of 
dormer  windows  ;  but  the  lower 
storeys  exhibit  the  old  precautionery 
style  of  building,  plain  and  dark. 
A  branch  of  the  house  of  Burnett 
produced  Gilbert  Burnett,  Bp.  of 
Sarum,  Author  of  the  "History  of 
His  Own  Times. "  Bridge  over  Dee 
here.  On  1.,  about  2  m.  S.,  is 
TilquMllie  Castle  (J.  Sholto  Douglas, 
Esq.),  backed  up  in  the  distance  by 
the  mountains  at  the  head  of  Glen- 
esk,  conspicuous  amongst  which  is 
Clochnaben,  1906  ft. 

174  m.  Banchory- Ternan  Stai. 
{Hotel :  Burnett  Arms,  good)  is  a 
neat  and  picturesque  village,  includ- 
ing many  villas  and  a  modern  Gothic 
Episcopal  ch.,  well  situated  above 
the  river  at  its  junction  with  tlie 
Feugh,  both  rivers  being  crossed  by 
bridges.  It  is  about  1  m.  from  the 
stat.     Excursions  can  be  made — 


336 


Route  52. — TorjMns;  Ahoyne. 


Sect.  V. 


a.  To  Whitestones,  6  m.,  and  the 
Feugh  Water  (Rte.  51c). 

h.  To  Glen  Dye  and  Fettercairn, 
20  m.     (Rte.  51c). 

Quitting  Banchory,  an  d  leaving  on  1. 
Blackhall  (A.  D.  Campbell,  Esq.),  very 
prettily  placed  among  woods  on  the 
S.  side  the  river,  and  Inchmarlo  (P. 
Davidson,  Esq.),  the  train  parts  com- 
pany for  a  time  with  the  Dee,  and 
reaches 

21|  m.  Glassel  Stat.  [A  little  to 
the  ]^.  of  it  is  the  Hill  of  Fare, 
1794  ft.,  between  which  and  the  rly. 
is  Corrichie,  the  scene  of  a  fight  in 
1562  between  the  Earl  of  Huntly 
and  the  Earl  of  Murray,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  his  sister,  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots,  in  which  Huntly,  the  gi-eat 
potentate  of  N.E.  Scotland,  was  de- 
feated and  slain,  and  the  power  of 
the  House  of  Gordon  broken.  A 
well  near  the  place  is  still  called 
Queen  Mary's  Well.  On  the  S.  slope 
of  the  Hill  of  Fare  is  Campfield 
(Miss  Scott),  and  on  the  northern 
side  is  Midmar  {ante),  charmingly 
situated  in  a  w^ll-wooded  recess.] 
Leaving  on  rt.  Cragmyle  (J.  Gordon, 
Esq.),  the  traveller  reaches 

24  m.  Torphhxs  Stat,  the  rly.  hav- 
ing diverged  from  the  line  of  the 
old  road,  passes  out  of  sight  of 
Potarch  Bridge  and  the  -village  of 
Kincardine-O'' Neil  {Inn ;  Gordon 
Arms),  a  favourite  resort  of  those 
who  wish  pure  and  bracing  air.  At 
Potarch  Bridge,  2  m.  (a  comfortable 
little  Inn),  where  a  road  runs  S. 
through  Kincardineshire  to  Fetter- 
cairn, 10  m.  (Rte.  51c),  the  scenery 
is  very  picturesque,  the  Dee  becoming 
excessively  contracted  in  its  channel, 
more  so,  indeed,  than  at  any  part  of 
its  course. 

From  Torphins  the  line  runs 
southward  to  Lumphanan,  crossing 
the  pretty  dingle  of  the  Beltie  Burn, 
and  having  on  rt.  Pitmurchie  (Mrs. 


Lamond),  and  Findrack  (F.  G.  Eraser, 
Esq.) 

27  m.  Lumphanan  Stat.  (Railway 
Inn),  to  the  rt.  of  which,  and  close 
to  the  line,  is  the  "  Peel  Bog,'^  a  cir- 
cular earthwork,  about  120  ft.  in  dia- 
meter and  18  ft.  high,  surrounded 
by  a  moat.  It  was  probably  con- 
structed about  the  10th  centy.,  and 
Lord  Hailes  supposes  that  Macbeth 
made  his  last  stand  here.  Farther 
on  is  Macbeth's  Cairn,  supposed  to 
mark  the  place  where  Macbeth,  flee- 
ing from  his  castle  at  Dunsinane, 
met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  Mac- 
duff. 


Burn  ;  and  Desswood  (A.  Davidson, 
Esq.). 

32|  m.  Aboyne  Stat.  {Inn  .- 
Huntly  Arms,  good),  sometimes 
called  Charleston  of  Aboyne — a  pretty 
village,  surrounded  by  plantations 
and  green  fields.  Ahoyne  Castle,  the 
seat  of  the  Marquis  of  Huntly,  dates 
back  to  the  11th  cent.,  though  there 
is  little  left  of  that  period.  It  was 
repaired,  or  perhaps  restored,  in 
1671,  and  the  E.  wing  was  added  in 
1801.  The  bridge  over  the  Dee  at 
Aboyne  was  swept  away  by  the  floods 
in  1829,  and  was  replaced  by  the 
present  suspension  bridge. 

[On  rt.  a  road  runs  to  Strathdon 
through  Tarland,  to  which  place 
there  is  a  coach  3  days  a  week.  At 
Tarland  (Migvie),  fair  Inn.  In  the 
ch.  -yard  is  a  sculptured  stone  monu- 
ment, and  near  it  a  wecm  or  Pict's 
house.] 

Glentanner,  running  S.W.  from 
Aboyne,  is  highly  picturesque,  and 
will  repay  a  visit. 

From  Aboyne  the  rly.  runs  across 
the  Moor  of  Dinnet — a  bleak  un- 
promising tract  of  country — to 

Dinnet  Stat.,  at  the  foot  of  Loch 
Kinnord,  a  very  pretty  lake,  fringed 
with  wood,  and  a  good  "find"  for 
aquatic  plants.     One  of  its  islands 


Aberdeen.      Roide  52. — Burn  of  the  Vat ;  Ballater. 


337 


contains  a  small  fort,  once  used  as  a 
place  of  confinement. 

[2  m.  from  Dinnet,  to  the  rt.  of 
tlie  line,  is  seen  the  fine  range  of  CuJ- 
hlecn,  which  was  the  scene  of  a  battle 
in  1335  between  David  Bruce  and 
the  Earl  of  Athole,  and  the  cairns 
in  the  neighbourhood  are  said  to 
cover  the  slain.  In  the  face  of  the 
mountain  is  a  small  gully,  at  the 
entrance  to  which  (a  short  distance 
from  the  road)  is  a  very  singular 
hollow  or  cauldron,  scooped  out  by 
the  torrent's  action  stirring  round 
stones  and  pebbles,  called  the 
"  Burn  of  the  Vat. "  "  In  this  place 
the  rocks  are  about  60  ft.  liigh  on 
one  side,  though  lower  on  the  other. 
A  mass  of  rock  blocks  up  the  fissure, 
leaving  on  one  side  a  small  passage 
for  the  brook,  and  on  the  other  an 
aperture  2^  to  4  ft.  broad  and  9  ft. 
high.  The  water  is  thus  impeded, 
and  accumulates  in  the  fissure,  where 
it  has  scooped  out  the  lower  part  of 
the  rocks  on  either  side  in  the  form 
of  a  concavity,  like  half  the  top  of  a 
dome.  The  breadth  is  24  yards  below, 
but  only  16  above. "  There  is  a  small 
cave  behind  the  little  waterfall, 
through  which  a  rapid  entrance  must 
be  forced,  when  a  small  hollow  will 
be  discovered.  It  is  a  pleasant  walk 
of  5  m.  from  the  Bm-n  of  the  Vat 
to  Ballater.] 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
is  the  village  called  Castle  of  Dec, 
from  the  Castle  of  Candacaile,  once 
a  stronghold  of  the  Earls  of  Huntly, 
but  of  which  there  are  now  no  re- 
mains. 

Near  this,  the  grand  mountain 
mass  of  Morven  (2860  ft.)  becomes 
conspicuous,  N. 

At  Ballatrich,  also  upon  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  Dee,  Byron  spent 
some  weeks  of  his  boyhood,  and  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery  seems  to  have 
made  a  lasting  impression  on  the 
mind  of  the  young  poet — 
[Scotland.'^ 


"  When  I  see  some  dark  hill  point  its  crest 
to  the  sky, 
I  think  of  the  rocks  that  o'ershadow 
Culbleen ; 
When  I  see  the  soft  blue  of  a  love-speak- 
ing eye, 
I  think  of  those  eyes  that  endear'd  the 
rude  scene." 

The  cottage  in  which  he  and  his 
mother  lived  is  still  pointed  out,  and 
the  cupboard  bed  on  which  he  slept 
is  shown  at  the  farmhouse. 

The  line  now  x>^sses  an  obelisk 
memorial  to  Farquharson  of  Monal- 
trie,  and  the  Pannaiiich  Wells,  a 
long  white  building,  capable  of 
accommodating  about  30  patients. 
The  water  is  strongly  impregnated 
with  iron.  The  scenery  now  im- 
proves as  the  tourist  nears  Ballater, 
the  bleak  moorland  giving  place  to 
mountain  scenery  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque description. 

42  m.  Ballater. — Terminus  of  the 
Deeside  Rly.  Coach  twice  a  day  to 
Braemar,  18  m.  The  village  of  Bal- 
later {Inn  :  Invercauld  Arms,  very 
good)  is  finely  placed  on  the  1.  bank 
of  the  Dee,  just  below  the  junction 
of  the  Muick  burn,  descending 
through  a  grand  glen  from  the  S. 
flanks  of  Lochnagar.  It  is  sur- 
rounded by  wooded  hills  and  distant 
mountains.  A  wooden  bridge  crosses 
the  Dee,  a  substitute  for  the  fine  old 
granite  bridge  which  Avas  swept  away 
by  the  flood  of  1829. 

In  the  summer  Ballater  is  very  full 
of  visitors,  who  resort  to  it  partly  for 
the  sake  of  the  minwal  waters  of 
Pannaninch  (which  are  good  for  dys- 
pepsia), but  still  more  for  tlie  purity 
of  its  air  and  the  beauty  of  its  situa- 
tion. The  principal  amusements  are 
mountain  excursions,  although  it 
must  be  remembered  that  in  the 
shooting  season  the  passes  are  jeal- 
ously watched  by  the  keepers,  in 
order  that  the  deer  may  not  be  dis- 
turbed. Good  salmon-fishing  may 
be  had  by  people  staying  at  the 
hotel  who  choose  to  pay  for  it.  On 
the  N.  of  the  village  rises  Craig-an- 

Q 


338 


Boute  52. — Ballater  to  Braemar. 


Sect.  Y 


Darroch  (1 400  ft. ),  covered  with  trees 
and  coppice,  commanding  a  yery 
pleasing  view,  and  easily  accessible. 
At  its  foot  is  Menaltrie  Honse. 
There  is  a  fine  view  from  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  which  is  easy  of 
access,  a  path  running  up  from  about 
j  m.  on  the  Braemar  road.  Behind 
it  is  a  precipitous  wooded  ravine, 
called  the  Pass  of  Ballater,  a  veiy 
charming  excursion  on  a  hot  day. 

To  the  ^L  rises  Morven  (2880  ft.\ 
remarkable  for  having  scarce!}''  any 
heather  upon  its  sides,  tliough  the 
lower  portions  are  thickly  clad  with 
juniper. 

"  When  I  roved  a  young  Higlilander  o'er 
the  dark  heath. 
And  climbed  thy  steep  summit,  0  Mor- 
ven,  of  snow  ! 
To  gaze  on  the  toiTents  that  thundered 
beneath, 
Or  the  mist  of  the  tempest  that  gather- 
ed helovr ." —Byron. 

[Loehnagar,  12  m.  from  Ballater, 
to  the  top,  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent features  in  Byron's  Highland 
reminiscences,  which  neither  time 
nor  distance  effaced  from  his  me- 
mory— 

"  The  infant  rapture  still  survived  the 

boy, 
And  Loehnagar  with  Ida  looke-d  o'er 

Troy, 
Mixed    Celtic    memories    with   the 

Phiygian  mount, 
And  Highland  linns  with  Castalie's 

fair  fount." 

The  mountain  is  3800  ft.  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  but  Ballater  itself  is 
780  ft.  at  the  bridge.  The  road, 
crossing  the  bridge,  stretches  S.  out 
of  the  Valley  of  the  Dee,  about  a 
mile  above  Ballater,  and  ascends  by 
the  rt.  bank  of  its  tributary,  the 
Muick.  The  ascent  is  fatiguing,  and 
at  the  latter  portions  difficult.  A 
guide  can  be  procured  at  the  hotel 
(charge  5s.)  The  road  {by  Loch 
Muick)  will  be  found  in  Ete.  51, 
but  the  generality  of  visitors  prefer 
as(?ending  Loehnagar  from  Castleton 
of  Braemar  (see  p.  341).] 


SJiort  Excursions  from  Ballater — 

a.  Pass  of  Ballater,  round  Craig- 
an-Darroch,  5  m. 

h.  Ballatrich,  Byron's  Cottage,  5 
m.,  and  Pannanich  Wells,  2  m.  [see 
abov-e). 

c.  Burn  of  the  Vat,  5  m.,  and 
Loch  Kinnord,  5  m.  on  the  road  to 
Tarland. 

d.  Linn  of  Muick,  5  m.  ;  Loch 
Muick,  9  m.,  the  Royal  Domain. 

e.  Cairn  of  Morven,  6  m. 

Longer  Excursions — 

a.  To  Dhu  Loch,  13  m.  ;  Loeh- 
nagar, 12. 

^.  Balmoral,  9  m. ;  Forest  of  Bal- 
lochbuie  (Falls  of  Garrawalt),  17. 
(Ete.  52a). 

y.  Capel  Mount,  12  m.  ;  Clova 
Inn,  18  (Ete.  51). 

5.  Mount  Keen,  9  m.  ;  Loch  Lee, 
15  ;  Edzell,  29  ;  Burn,  27  ;  Brechin, 
35  (Ete.  61b). 

The  road  to  Braemar,  a.scendiug 
the  k  bank  of  the  Dee,  winds  round 
Craig-an-Darroch,  passes  Craig-an- 
Darroch  Cottage,  with  the  Dee  brawl- 
ing beneath,  and  the  entrance  to  the 
Pass  of  Ballater,  to 

44  m.  Tordarnicli,  where  the  Gairn 
is  crossed. 

[Braemar  to  Strathsjyey. — A  very 
hilly  road  ;  requires  9  hrs.  with  the 
same  horses,  which  must  be  rested 
(no  change)  on  the  way.  A  branch 
road  on  rt.  to  Grantown  (35  m.), 
through  Gairnshiel  and  Tomantoul. 
It  is  the  usual  post  road,  but  pre- 
sents no  object  of  interest. 

4  m.  Rienloan  Inn,  on  the  Gairn 
Water  (whence  a  loop  road  is  given 
off  to  Braemar).  At  Abergairn  are 
lead  mines  on  Marquis  of  Huntly's 
propert}'-. 

13  m.  at  Corgarff  Castle,  a  dreary 
looking  4-storeyed  fortress,  last  occu- 


SC0TLAI^^D. 


Route  b2. — Balmoral. 


339 


pied  as  a  baiTack  (Cock  Bridge  Inn)^ 
the  road  crosses  Strathdon  (Rte.  54). 

22  m.  Tomantoul  [Inn :  Eiclimond 
Arms,  fair)  is  an  miinteresting 
wretched  village  on  the  banks  of 
the  Avon.  Thence  the  road  con- 
tinues westward  to  Grantown,  by 
the  Bridge  of  Bruan  (Rte.  52a).  ] 


From  Tordarnich  the  road  to  Brae- 
mar  lies  through  a  district  pleasantly 
diversified  with  wood.  On  1.  is  Craig 
Youzie,  "  Hill  of  Firs, "  a  charming 
bit  of  scenery.  In  front  may  now  be 
seen  the  Prince's  Cau-n. 

49  m.,  on  the  opposite  bank,  1., 
Ahergeldie  Castle,  an  old  turreted 
square  tower,  enlarged  by  modern 
additions,  which  used  to  be  inhabited 
by  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  is  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Prince  of  Wales  when 
visiting  Scotland.  The  river  is  cross- 
ed here  by  a  rope  and  cradle-bridge. 
Next  comes  into  view  (1.)  the  white 
spire  of  the  Parish  Church  of  Crathie, 
often  attended  by  Her  Majesty,  who 
has  presented  it 'with  stained  glass 
windows  commemorative  of  the 
Prince  Consort  and  Rev.  Dr.  Norman 
Macleod.  Just  beyond  is  the  obe- 
lisk to  the  memory  of  the  late  Prince 
Consort,  put  up  by  his  tenantry. 
Above  this  is  the  Cairn  and  monu- 
uiental  Statue,  of  the  Prince.  A  mag- 
nificent view  is  obtained  of  Lochnagar, 
rising  behind  and  above  two  nearer 
and  lower  peaks.  There  is  a  suspen- 
sion foot-bridge  over  the  Dee  at 
Crathie.  Near  the  Free  Ch.  is  the 
Lochnagar  Distillery. 

A  private  bridge  crosses  the  Dee 
to  Balmoral,  but  there  is  no  public 
road  south  of  the  river  from  Balmoral 
to  Braemar. 

On  a  slightly  elevated  plain,  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill  of  Craig-an- 
Gowan,  and  bounded  by  a  curve  of 
the  Dee,  stands  Balmoral  Castle,  the 
Queen's  Scottish  residence.  The  re- 
version of  the  lease  of  the  property 


was  acquired  in  1848  by  Prince  Albert 
from  the  trustees  of  the  late  Sir  Ro- 
bert Gordon,  and  on  its  expiry  the 
estate  itself  was  purchased  from  the 
trustees  of  the  Earl  of  Fife  for 
£31,500.  It  is  a  castellated  palatial 
mansion  in  the  Scottish  style,  with 
a  tall  and  picturesque  tower  at  one 
end,  flanked  by  bartizan  turrets. 
The  whole  is  of  white  granite,  and 
was  designed  and  planned  by  the 
Prince  Consort,  to  occupy  the 
place  of  an  older  building.  The  in- 
terior is  not  shown  ;  nor,  indeed,  is 
there  anything  within  to  excite  curio- 
sity, the  whole  arrangement  being 
simple  in  the  extreme,  but  in  perfect 
good  taste,  and  suited  to  a  Highland 
residence.  The  chief  ornament  is  a 
statue  (by  Theed)  of  the  Prince  Con- 
sort, in  his  Highland  dress,  in  the 
corridor  ;  which  is  also  studded  with 
stags'  horns  and  other  hunting  deco- 
rations. The  Queen's  retirement 
from  State  and  public  affairs  will 
be  respected  by  all  who  approach, 
and  protect  her  from  any  attempt 
at  intrusion.  The  castle  and  grounds 
are  well  seen  from  the  high  road, 
together  with  the  model  farm  and 
schools  built  by  Her  Majesty.  The 
ball-room,  for  occasional  festivities 
of  the  Queen's  retainers,  occupies  a 
detached  wing  to  the  N.  The  gar- 
dens and  half  wild  grounds,  very 
picturesque,  stretch  to  the  base  of 
the  fine  wooded  hill,  Craig-an-Gowan. 
Besides  a  bronze  statue  of  the  Prince 
in  this  Park,  near  the  entrance,  there 
are  on  different  heights  commemo- 
rative Cairois.  The  estate  comprises 
10,000  a^es,  and  about  30,000  of 
deer  forest,  including  Birkhall, 
Abergeldie,  and  Lochnagar. 

Beyond  Crathie  the  road  passes 
on  rt.  the  remains  of  the  old  house 
of  MoiutUrie,  burned  in  1745  ;  and 
on  1.  is  a  cairn  on  a  hill,  to  comme- 
morate the  .marriage  of  the  Princess 
Alice,  and,  farther  on,  of  the  Prin- 
cess Royal.  In  the  valley  between 
them  is  the  Home  Farm  of  Balmoral. 


340 


Route  52. — Inverccmld  ;  Braemar. 


Sect.  V. 


Just  at  the  edge  of  the  river  is  a 
small  mound,  on  which  is  a  group  of 
firs.  This  is  the  Cairn-iia-cidmhnue, 
or  Cairn  of  Reckoning,  it  heing  the 
custom  of  the  Farquharsons  to  as- 
semble here  previous  to  an  expedition, 
and  deposit  each  man  a  stone.  On 
their  return  they  each  picked  one 
off,  and  the  number  left  on  the  cairn 
marked  the  loss  of  the  clan.  On  1. 
is  Invergelder,  where  the  Gelder 
runs  into  the  Dee.  A  lodge  has 
been  built  for  Her  Majesty  in  Glen 
GelcUr.  A  little  farther  on  the  coach 
stops  to  bait  at  Liver  Inn.  The  hills 
now  begin  to  close  in  as  the  road 
enters  the  dark  precincts  of  Col. 
Farquharson's  Forest  of  Ballochhuic, 
a  grand  amphitheatre  of  woods  that 
extend  for  miles,  nearly  to  the  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains,  and  present, 
probably,  the  finest  example  of  a 
forest  in  Great  Britain. 

[The  walks  and  drives  through  it 
are  private,  but  at  the  lodge,  close  to 
Invercauld  Bridge  over  the  Dee, 
there  is  a  walk  across  the  old  bridge 
and  through  the  forest  to  the  Falls 
of  Garrawalt.  Although  exceedingly 
beautiful,  they  are  not  remarkable 
for  depth  or  height,  the  sti'eam  de- 
scending by  a  number  of  small  leaps, 
overhung  by  dark  firs  or  graceful 
birches.  A  bridge  has  been  thrown 
over  the  Falls,  which  are  best  seen 
from  the  summerhouse  on  the  oppo- 
site side.  Tourists  must  keep  the 
prescribed  road,  as  otherwise  the 
deer  may  be  disturbed.  The  Garra- 
walt Falls  are  5  m.  from  Braemar.] 

At  Invercauld  Bridge  the  road  to 
Castleton  of  Braemar  crosses  the  Dee, 
while  that  to  Invercauld  and  Linn  of 
Dee  continues  along  the  1.  bank. 

The  country  here  is  finely  wooded, 
with  abrupt  bold  hills,  conspicuous 
among  which  is  Craig  Cluny  (on  1. ), 
a  peak  of  solid  granite,  fringed  with 
pines,  and  overhanging  the  road. 

Not  quite  halfway  up  are  the  re- 
mains of  an  old  tower,  which  goes  by 


the  name  of  the  "  Laird  of  Cluny's 
Charter  Chest,"  because  there  in  un- 
settled times  and  when  pressed  by 
enemies,  the  Laird  of  Cluny  used  to 
hide  his  title  -  deeds.  The  valley 
here  expands,  and  presently  Inver- 
cauld House,  the  seat  of  Col.  Far- 
quharson,  comes  in  sight,  on  the 
opposite  (1. )  bank  of  the  Dee,  a  mag- 
nificent domain.  The  mansion,  in 
part  dating  from  the  15th  centy., 
received  the  addition  of  a  tower  on 
its  old  foundations,  and  other  im- 
provements in  the  Baronial  style, 
1874.  On  the  rising  of  the  Earl  of 
Mar,  1715,  he  dated  from  this  house 
his  address  calling  out  the  clans, 
whose  chiefs  were  assembled  here. 
It  stands  on  a  green  bank,  facing  the 
Forest  of  Ballochbuie,  and  is  pro- 
tected by  a  densely-covered  amphi- 
theatre of  hills.  The  tall  perpen- 
dicular clifi"  of  quartz  in  front  of 
Invercauld  House  is  called  the 
^^ Lion's  Face^"  from  a  supposed 
resemblance. 

Braemar  Castle,  a  tall,  plain  white- 
washed building,  also  belonging  to 
the  family  of  Invercauld,  occupies  a 
fine  situation.  It  has  neither  anti- 
quity nor  history  to  recommend  it. 
It  was  lased  as  a  barrack,  and  was 
long  garrisoned  by  Hanoverians,  to 
keep  the  Highlanders  in  check,  and, 
from  its  four  storeys  and  want  of 
ornament,  seems  to  have  been  built 
for  that  purpose.  In  front  of  it  are 
held  the  annual  Highland  games. 
Opposite  the  castle,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Dee,  is  a  monument  to  the  late 
Mr.  Farquharson  of  Invercauld. 
Rounding  a  sharp  turn  and  ]iassing 
the  little  cemetery,  the  tourist  reaches 

60  m.  Castleton  of  Braemar  {Inns: 
Fisher's  Invercauld  Arms,  best  situa- 
tion ;  Fife  Arms  ;  both  good)  a  scat- 
tered village  at  the  junction  of  tlie 
Clunie  torrent,  from  the  S.,  with  the 
Dee,  at  the  height  of  1180  ft.  above 
the  sea.  It  is  consequently  cele- 
brated for  the  extreme  purity  and 


Aberdeen. 


Route  62. — Braemar  ;  Lochnagar. 


341 


bracing  character  of  its  air.  It  is  a 
simple  rustic  village,  and  offers  little 
accommodation  besides  the  two  hotels 
and  some  few  shops ;  but  new  lodging- 
houses  and  villas  are  springing  up. 
There  are  two  places  of  worship — the 
Parish  Ch.  and  Free  Ch. — and  during 
the  summer  months  an  Ei^iscopaliau 
service  is  held  at  Mar  Lodge.  A 
clump  of  trees  near  the  bridge  over 
the  Clunie,  which  dashes  in  leaps  and 
falls  through  the  midst  of  the  village 
to  join  the  Dee,  marks  the  site  of 
the  ancient  castle  of  Braemar,  which 
is  assigned  to  the  age  of  ]\Ialcolm 
Canmore.  The  rock  upon  which  the 
Earl  of  Mar  raised  the  standard  of 
rebellion  in  1715  has  been  removed 
to  make  way  for  the  estension  of 
building  required  for  the  Invercauld 
Arms. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Glen 
Clunie  is  Morrone,  a  massive  moun- 
tain, 2800  ft.  above  the  sea,  com- 
manding a  fine  view.  On  it  is  the 
farm  of  Tomantoul,  said  to  be  the 
highest  cultivated  land  in  the  king- 
dom. The  following  botanical  spe- 
cimens are  found  on  it : — Cerastium 
alpinum,  Eubus  chamtemorus.  Aza- 
lea procumbens,  Trientalis  europsea, 
Juncus  triglunis,  etc. 

From  its  proximity  to  the  finest 
mountain  scenery  in  Scotland,  Brae- 
mar is  a  great  centre  of  attraction. 
The  attempt  to  close  the  Deer  Forests 
to  strangers  by  the  proprietors,  some- 
what interferes  with  pedestrian  wan- 
derings {see  Introd.  to  Sect.  V.). 

Conveyances. — Coaches  tmce  a-day 
to  Ballater  Stat.^  18  m.  ;  coach  every 
alternate  day  to  Blairgowrie  and 
Dunkeld,  by  Spital  of  Glenshee,  15 
m.  ;  Bridge  of  Cally,  29  m.  (Rte. 
62b). 

Short  Excursions  : — 

Panics  and  Guides  may  be  hired  at 
the  rate  of  7s.  6d.  to  10s.  each,  for 
the  entire  day.  Cai's  and  Post-liorses 
are  kept  at  both  the  inns. 

a.  To  the  top  of  Morrone  (the  hill 
behind  Castleton),  3  m.,  fine  view. 


h.  To  Corrymulzie  Linn,  3  m.  ; 
Linn  of  Dee,  6  m.  ;  and  back  by 
Linn  of  Quoicli  (Rte.  52a),  follow- 
ing the  1.  bank  of  the  Dee,  past  In- 
vercauld House,  recrossing  the  Dee 
at  Invercauld  Bridge  ;  a  jjieasant 
round  of  about  17  m.,  during  which 
the  grand  peaks  of  the  Aberdeenshire 
Grampians  are  seen  one  after  the 
other. 

c.  Falls  of  Garrawalt,  5  m.  ;  and 
Forest  of  Ballochbuie  (Rte.  52). 

d.  Lochnagar,  13  m.,  by  Loch 
Callater. 

Long  Excursions  : — 

a.  To  Bachnagairn,  11  m.  ;  and 
Clova,  18  m.  (Rte.  51). 

^.  To  Ben  Muich-dhui,  20  m. ;  and 
Wells  of  Dee,  Larig  Pass,  21  m., 
and  Aviemore,  35  m.  (Rte.  52a). 
Ascent  of  Ben  Muich-dhui,  or  Cairn- 
gorm, 20  m.,  14  hours  to  go  and  re- 
turn ;  you  may  drive  as  far  as  Gleu 
Derrie.     Take  provisions. 

y.  To  Balmoral,  9  m. ;  and  Balla- 
ter Stat.,  18  m.  (Rte.  52). 

8.  To  Blair- Athole,  by  Glentilt, 
29  m.  (Rte.  52c). 

e.  Lochnagar,  "The  Jewel  of  the 
Mountains  "  hereabouts,  as  the  Queen 
has  styled  him,  3789  ft.,  is  oftener  as- 
cended from  Braemar  than  from  any 
other  place.  Those  who  are  not  used 
to  mountains  should  take  a  guide, 
7s.  6d. ;  pony,  7s.  6d.  Time  required, 
74  to  8  hours.  For  a  considerable 
distance  the  path  is  not  marked,  and, 
in  case  of  mist,  it  is  easy  to  lose  the 
way  to  the  top.  Good  walkers  can 
easily  do  it  all  on  foot ;  but  those 
who  are  not,  can  lighten  the  day's  work 
by  driving  as  far  as  Loch  Callater, 
5  m.,  taking  the  route  to  Spital  of 
Glenshee.  Go  up  Glen  Clunie  for 
2  m.  as  far  as  the  farm  of  Achal- 
later,  where  Glen  Callater  comes  in 
on  1.  The  road  up  that  Glen  keeps 
to  the  1.  bank  of  the  Callater  river. 
Do  not  cross  by  the  first  wooden 
bridge,  but  by  the  second,  soon  after 
which  the  road  divides.  Take  the 
one  to  the  1.,  and  follow  it  to  the 


312    lits.  52,  Loclinagar. —  52a,  Bmemar  to  Aviemore.  Sect.Y. 


foot  of  Loch  Callatcr,  where  there  is 
a  farmhouse  or  lodge.  A  ])^t\\  will 
be  seen  breasting  the  steep  hill  on  1. 
This  track  bears  away  to  the  rt. 
round  the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  and 
leads  to  the  top.  After  rounding 
the  corner  it  enters  a  glen  formed  by 
three  mountains,  the  centre  of  which 
is  Cairn  Taggart  or  Priest's  Hill. 
The  path  does  not  go  to  the  top  of 
Cairn  Taggart,  but  winds  spirally 
round  it,  passing  ovei*  its  farther 
shoulder.  The  heather  will  be  missed 
at  this  point,  this  side  of  the  hill 
being  exposed  to  the  S.  E.  winds. 
The  next  glen,  like  the  last,  has 
three  summits,  of  whicli  Little  Cairn 
Taggart  is  the  centre.  To  the  ex- 
treme rt.  is  Dhu  Loch,  a  dark,  soli- 
tary pool,  2050  ft.  above  the  sea. 
Winding  round  the  base  of  Little 
Cairn  Taggart  the  path  crosses  the 
stream  which  separates  it  from  Locli- 
nagar. This  is  the  ]\Iuick  Water, 
which,  running  from  some  springs 
high  up  on  the  1.,  passes  through 
Dhu  Loch,  and  thence  into  Loch 
Muick.  But  the  top  of  Loclinagar  is 
not  visible  until  an  elevated  plateau 
is  reached,  where  the  two  peaks  that 
form  its  highest  points  appear  at 
some  little  distance  to  the  1.  Below 
and  on  the  same  side,  at  the  foot  of 
the  cliff,  is  seen  the  Loch-an-Nean 
(Bird's  Loch),  from  which  the  Garra- 
walt  takes  its  rise.  At  the  foot  of 
the  principal  peak  is  Lochnagar 
(Hare's  Loch),  which  gives  its 
name  to  the  mountain.  The  view 
from  the  top  is  very  fine,  but 
embraces  little  but  mountain 
peaks.  To  the  extreme  S.  are  the 
Lomond  Hills,  next  to  which  is  Ben 
Ledi,  while  Ben  Cruachan  and  Sclie- 
hallion  stand  out  in  fine  relief,  with 
Ben  More  and  Ben-y-Gloe  due  W. 
To  the  N.W.  is  the  gigantic  range 
of  Braeriach,  Ben  lluich-dhui, 
and  Cairngorm,  with  Morven  and 
minor  chains  gradually  sinking 
down  to  the  Aberdeenshire  hills. 
Lochnagar  is  celebrated  for  its 
botanical  specimens,  but  great  care 


must  be  taken  in  searching  for 
them,  on  account  of  the  numerous 
precipices.  In  some  respects  the 
view  from  Lochnagar  is  superior  to 
that  from  Ben  Muich-dhui,  although 
the  latter  is  500  ft.  higher.  On  a 
neighbouring  summit  rises  a  monu- 
mental Cairn  of  stones  raised  b}^ 
Queen  Victoria  in  memory  of  the 
Prince  Consort.  Liscribed  tablets 
are  inserted  in  it. 

Excursion  to  the  Linn  of  Quoich, 
a  picturesque  waterfall  in  the  beauti- 
ful Glen  Quoich,  commencing  under 
Ben-na-Bourd,  and  joining  the  Dee 
at  AUanquoich,  about  2  m.  above 
Braemar.  But  between  the  two 
places  the  Dee  intervenes,  and  there 
is  no  foot-bridge  to  cross  it.  There 
is  a  ford  about  1  m.  above  Castleton, 
practicable  for  carriages,  except  when 
the  Dee  is  high,  and  there  is  a  pri- 
vate ferry-boat  (6d.  fare)  about  a  mile 
lower  down,  available  for  foot  passen- 
gers. Failing  these,  one  must  drive 
round  by  Linn  of  Dee,  and  descend 
its  1.  bank  to  the  mouth  of  Glen 
Quoich.  There  is  a  bridge  of  the 
Earl  of  Fife's  to  ]\lar  Lodge  ;  but  this 
is  completely  closed  to  the  tourist 
public.  The  Linn  of  Quoich,  though 
exceedingly  picturesque,  is  of  no 
great  volume  of  water.  The  stream 
nishes  along,  over  a  succession  of 
rocky  ledges,  and  in  its  fretted  course, 
whirling  the  loose  stones  along  with 
it,  has  scooped  out  several  hollows 
in  the  micaceous  schist,  which  have 
earned  for  it  the  name  of  "  Quoich  " 
(Cup). 


ROUTE  52a. 

Braemar  to  Aviemore,  by  Linn 
of  Dee,  "Wells  of  Dee,  and  the 
Larig  Rue  Pass.  [Ascents  of 
Ben  Mulch- dhni,  and  Loch  A'an 
(Avon).] 

Distances. — To  Linn  of  Dee,  6  m. ; 
Glen  Derrie,  9  m.  for  pedestrians,  who 


Scotland.        Route  52a. — Corriemulzie ;  Linn  of  Dee.         343 


cau  cut  across  into  tlie  Glen  direct 
from  Linn  of  Dee  (carriages  must 
make  a  circuit  of  3  m.)  ;  to  "Wells 
of  Dee,  21  m. ;  Top  of  Larig,  22  m. 

These  routes  lead  the  pedestrian 
into  the  midst  of  the  Cairngorm 
Mountains,  over  pathless  wastes,  and 
unfold  some  of  the  grandest  scenes 
in  all  Scotland.  But  the  distance 
from  Braemar  to  the  Spey  at  Avie- 
more  is  fully  35  m.,  and  there  is 
scarce  a  hut,  and  no  inn  or  house  of 
shelter  on  the  way,  therefore  only 
robust  pedestrians  should  attemj)t  it. 
Take  provisions  and  jjlaid. 

Comparatively  few  are  able  to  per- 
form the  whole  of  the  Larig  Rue 
Pass,  owing  to  the  distance,  and  the 
wild  and  uninhabited  country.  But 
the  ascent  of  Ben  Muich-dhui  may 
be  made  from  Braemar,  by  starting 
early  and  driving  to  Glen  Derrie  ;  the 
rest  of  the  work  may  be  got  through 
-  on  foot  or  pony-back,  and  a  return 
made  to  Braemar  by  nightfall.  The 
best  plan  is  for  a  party  to  club  to- 
gether and  get  a  break  from  the  hotel 
for  20s. ;  guide,  10s.  Warm  plaids 
and  cloaks  should  be  taken,  as  tlie 
warmth  or  severity  of  the  weather  in 
Deeside  is  no  criterion  whatever  of 
what  it  may  be  3000  ft.  higher 
up. 

As  the  road  runs  up  the  Dee 
valley  the  scenery  is  varied  and 
interesting.  It  is  a  beautiful  terrace 
drive,  overlooking  the  Dee,  Glen 
Quoich  and  the  farm  of  Allanquoich 
being  on  the  rt. ;  Avhile  above  these 
rise  in  succession  the  summits  of 
Cairngorm,  Ben  Muich-dhui,  and 
the  flat-topped  mountain  of  Ben-na- 
Bourd. 

3  m.  1.  is  Corriemulzie  Cotta,ge,  or 
Mar  Lodge  (Earl  of  Fife),  said  to 
stand  on  higher  ground  than  any 
gentleman's  residence  in  Scotland. 
To  see  t\\%Fall  of  Corriemulzie,  which 
is  almost  immediately  under  the 
bridge,  pass  through  a  wicket  gate 
on  rt.,  and  down  to  the  summer- 
house.     The  pretty  stream  falls  over 


a  precipice  about  30  ft.  high,  the 
ravine  being  of  considerable  depth, 
and  charmingly  slirouded  with  foli- 
age. The  path  follows  the  stream 
down  to  the  river,  4  m.  rt.  On  the 
other  side  the  Dee,  which  is  crossed 
by  a  wooden  bridge  (closed  to  the 
public),  is-  Old  ]\Iar  Lodge,  a  seat  of 
the  Earl  of  Fife,  let  for  shooting. 
[A  little  farther  on  1.  is  Lnvercii,  at 
the  junction  of  the  Ey  with  the  Dee. 
It  is  worth  while  to  follow  the 
stream  up  for  a  little  distance,  for 
the  sake  of  the  views  of  the  Cairn- 
gorms. I  m.  up  the  glen  the  Ey 
receives  a  tributary  from  Glen  Corry. 
Follow  the  path  up  the  Ey.  It  leads 
to  a  deep  chasm,  through  which  the 
stream  flows.  In  the  rocks  above  is 
the  ^''ColoyieVs  Bed,"  or  "Rebel's 
Cave,"  said  to  be  the  hiding-place 
of  one  of  the  Farquharsons,  wdio  was 
"  out  "  with  the  Earl  of  Mar  in  1715. 
A  ledge  a  few  feet  above  the  water, 
100  ft.  in  length,  and  from  4  to  12 
in  breadth,  overhung  by  the  rock 
behind,  forms  the  "bed."] 

6 4  m.  The  Linn  of  Dee  is  a  nar- 
row fissure  between  rocks  of  mica 
slate,  through  which  the  river 
has  to  struggle,  fretting  against  the 
sharp  sides,  and-tumbling  down  some 
4  or  5  small  cascades.  The  rocks 
on  either  side  project  over  the  water 
to  within  4  ft.  of  one  another,  and  in 
flood-times,  when  the  chasm  is  nearly 
filled  up  by  the  torrent,  it  is  very 
grand.  Lord  Byron,  when  a  boy, 
had  a  narrow  escape  here,  by  his 
foot  catching  in  some  heather,  and 
falling,  he  was  rolling  downwards, 
when  an  attendant  seized  hold  of 
him  and  saved  his  life.  Over  the 
Linn  a  handsome  bridge  of  white 
Aberdeen  granite  was  built  in  1857, 
and  opened  by  the  Queen.  Around 
the  Linn  and  N.  of  the  Dee  are  some 
grand  Scotch  firs,  relics  of  the  ancient 
forest.  The  return  to  Castleton  of 
Bi'aemar  may  be  varied  by  taking 
the  road  down  the  I.  bank  of  the 
Dee  by  Invercauld,  12  m. 


344         Boute  52a. — Glen  Derrie  ;  Ben  Mukh-dhui.     Sect.  V. 


[For  continuation  of  route  from 
Linn  of  Dee  to  Blair- Atliole  by  Glen- 
tilt  ;  or  to  Kingussie,  see  Ete.  52c.] 

Between  Linn  of  Dee  and  its 
source,  the  Wells  of  Dee,  the  river 
makes  a  gi-eat  bend,  and  only  the 
upper  part  of  its  course  is  interest- 
ing. The  way  thither  may  be  much 
shortened  by  ascending  Glen  Lui  to 
Glen  Derrie  by  the  chord  of  the  arc, 
and  this  is  also  the  way  to  reach 
Ben  Muich-dhui. 

There  is  a  stile  in  the  wall,  which 
will  enable  the  pedestrian  to  reach 
the  lodge  at  Glen  Derrie  in  3  m., 
cutting  off  a  large  angle  and  crossing 
the  Lui  by  a  footbridge.  The  carriage- 
road  from  the  Linn  of  Dee  turns 
sharp  to  the  rt.  Follow  it  till  the 
next  road  joins  it  on  1.  This  leads 
up  a  hill  and  through  a  forest,  then 
by  the  banks  of  the  Lui  to  the 
shooting-lodge  of  Ghn  Derrie,  where 
the  Derrie  joins  the  Lui  Beg,  forming 
the  main  stream  of  the  Lui. 

Glen  Derrie  Lodge,  12  m.  from 
Braemar  (let  for  shooting),  with 
a  forester's  cottage,  is  beautifully 
situated  near  the  junction  of  the 
Derrie  with  the  Lui,  and  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  mountains.  Here 
the  carriage  must  be  left.  Distances 
— To  Wells  of  Dee  about  8  m.,  to  top 
of  Ben  ]\Iuicli-dhui,  3  hours. 

The  vale  of  the  Derrie  on  the  rt. 
leads  to  Loch  A' an  and  to  the  valley 
of  the  Spey  by  the  East  Larig  Pass, 
that  of  Lui  Beg  on  the  1.  leads  to 
the  Larig  Eue  and  Wells  of  Dee, 
while  out  of  it  lies  the  best  ascent 
of  Ben  Muich-dhui. 

The  ascent  of  Ben  Muich-dhui  is 
commenced  here.  Cross  the  Derrie 
by  a  footbridge,  and  keep  alongside 
its  rt.  bank  through  an  open  wood 
of  firs,  which  the  wind  and  floods  are 
rapidly  thinning.  At  the  end  of 
this  cross  the  Derrie  again,  and  a 
naked  glen  succeeds,  bounded  on 
the  N.  by  Ben-na-Main  (distinguished 
by  a  cairn  on  the  summit),  behind 
which  is  Loch  Avon.     On  the  1.  is 


Little  Cairngorm,  through  a  deep 
corrie  of  which  on  the  N.  side  the 
Water  of  Ettichan  flows  into  the 
Derrie.  After  proceeding  about  4 
m.  cross  the  Derrie  once  more, 
just  below  the  junction,  and  turn  W. 
up  Corrie  Ettichan  to  Loch  Etti- 
chan, which  is  passed  on  the  rt, 
"  lying  like  a  drop  of  ink  at  the  base 
of  a  huge,  dark,  mural  precipice." 
During  the  steep  and  long  ascent 
splendid  \iews  are  obtained  of  the 
table-land  that  separates  Glen  Derrie 
and  Glen  Quoich,  with  the  long  flat 
outline,  and  IST.  and  S.  summits  of 
Ben-na-Bourd.  The  path  is  now 
pretty  well  defined,  and  by  keeping 
to  the  1.  a  gradual  ascent  leads  to 
the  top  of  Ben  Muich-dhui,  4296 
ft.  above  the  sea,  a  broad  level 
platform  marked  by  a  cairn.  It 
is  the  second  highest  mountain 
in  Great  Britain  (Ben  Nevis  being 
the  highest  by  110  ft.),  is  the 
centre  of  the  Great  Cairngorm 
gi'oup  of  the  Grampians,  and  is 
flanked  by  4  main  outliers — to  the  W. 
Braeriach,  4285  ft.  ;  to  the  N.  Cairn- 
gorm, 4095  ft.  ;  to  the  S.  Cairu- 
toul,  4249  ft.,  and  Monach  More  ; 
and  to  the  E.  Ben-na-Main.  East- 
Avard  of  this  again  are  the  2  peaks  of 
Ben-na-Bourd,  4039  ft.,  and  Ben  Avon 
or  Ben  A'an,  3968  ft.,  all  of  which 
are  composed  of  ruddy  coarse-gi-ained 
granite.  Transparent  smoked  quartz 
crystals  are  found  on  these  moim- 
tains,  often  of  large  size,  and  adapted 
for  cutting,  though  the  particular 
brown  crystals,  known  as  "Cairn- 
gorms," are  not  limited  to  this  dis- 
trict. The  upper  regions  of  these 
hills  are  bare  and  devoid  of  vegeta- 
tion, but  their  sides  are  full  of  springs, 
as  is  usually  the  case  in  granite  for- 
mations. The  Lui,  the  Dee,  and  the 
Avon,  spring  from  Ben  Muich-dhui. 
The  iST.E.  side  of  Ben  Muich-dhui 
consists  of  a  precipitous  front  from 
1000  to  1500  ft.  in  height,  beneath 
which  lies  Loch  A'an,  3  m.  in  length. 
The  W.  side  also  is  grandly  precipi- 
tous, the  extraordinary  character  of 


Scotland.     Bmite  52a. — Ben  Muich-dliul ;  Loch  A'an.       345 


the  view  consisting  in  the  fact  that 
it  is  separated  from  the  adjoining 
mountains  of  Cairntoul,  Braeriach, 
Cairngorm,  and  Ben-na-Main,  by 
such  narrow  valleys  that  the}^  may 
almost  be  called  clefts.  "  Standing 
on  the  western  shoulder,  you  might 
almost  imagine  that  you  might  throw 
a  stone  on  to  Braeriach.  Yet  be- 
tween these  two  summits  rolls  the 
river  Dee,  and  Braeriach  presents, 
right  opposite  to  the  hill  on  which 
you  stand,  a  mural  precipice  2000 
ft.  high." — Burton. 

This  knot  of  giant  mountains  rise 
close  upon  the  junction  of  the  coun- 
ties of  Aberdeen,  Bantf,  and  Inver- 
ness. Cairngorm,  which  is  nearly 
4  m.  N.  of  Ben  Muich-dhui,  may  be 
reached  with  little  difficulty  by  the 
long  ridge  which  extends  from  one  to 
the  other.  The  whole  range,  with  its 
savage  cauldrons  and  cairns,  consists 
of  granite — "a  rock  which,  from  its 
usual  decomposing  character,  and  its 
abundant  vertical  joints,  combines  in 
its  decay  a  grandeur  of  lofty  clitf 
with  a  smoothness  of  mountain  top, 
such  as  none  of  the  other  Highland 
rocks  can  boast." — Geikie. 

Flcmts  found  at  the  various  altitudes 
of  this  range  : — Thalictrum  alpinum, 
Silene  acaulis,  Cerastium  latifolium, 
Astragalus  alpinus,  Alchemilla  al- 
piua,  Kubus  Chamaemorus,  Gnapha- 
lium  lupinum,  Erigeron  alpinum, 
Saussurea  alpina,  Epilobium  alpi- 
num, Ledum  Ehodiola,  Saxifraga 
stellaris,  S.  oppositifolia,  S.  csespi- 
tosa,  Azalea  procumbens,  Vaccinium 
m}Ttillus,  V.  Vitis-Idtea,  Y.  uligino- 
sum,  Arctostaphylos  Uva-ursi,  Yero- 
nica  alpina,  Oxyria  reniformis,  Juni- 
perus  alpinus,  Salix  herbacea,  S. 
lanata,  S.  myrsinites,  Juncus  trifidus, 
J.  triglumis,  Carex  rigida,  C.  saxa- 
tilis,  C.  rupestris,  C.  leporina,  C. 
vaginata,  C.  ctipillaris,  Alopecurus 
alpinus,  Aira  alpina,  Festuca  vivi- 
para,  etc. 

From  Ben  Muich-dhui  the  ti'aveller 
may  descend  to  Loch  A' an,  and,  if 
provided  with  plaid  and  provisions, 


may  pass  the  night  under  the 
"Shelter  Stone,"  {see  below).  In 
a  neighbouring  hollow,  generally 
containing  a  large  deposit  of  snow, 
is  the  source  of  the  Avon,  which  after 
a  devious  course  over  the  table-land 
through  the  moss,  plunges  down  from 
the  edge  of  the  precipice  in  a  succes- 
sion of  falls.  Its  bed  may  be  used  as 
a  rough  stair  down  to  Loch  A'an. 

Ascent  of  Ben  A'an — Loch  A'an. 

10  m.  from  the  Shiel  of  Derrie. 

Ascend  Glen  Derrie  as  though 
going  up  Ben  Muich-dhui,  but  in- 
stead of  turning  to  the  1,  up  the 
Ettichan,  keep  due  N.,  and  cross  the 
shoulder  of  the  hill  to  the  Dhu  Loch, 
which  lies  under  and  to  the  E.  of 
Ben-na-Maia.  The  streamlet  issu- 
ing out  of  it,  if  followed,  will  bring  the 
traveller  to  the  Avon,  of  which  it  is 
a  feeder.  The  Avon  is  met  hurrying 
down  to  the  Spey.  Here  cross  the 
Avon,  and  follow  up  its  I.  bank 
about  a  mile  to  the  spot  where  it 
issues  from  Loch  Avon,  and,  although 
it  is  going  out  of  the  way  to  do  so, 
this  is  the  easiest  plan  of  visiting 
Loch  Avon  or  A  'an.  It  is  a  beautiful 
though  lonely  and  solemn  sheet  of 
blue  water,  even  at  such  a  height 
overshadowed  by  the  precipitous 
sides  of  the  surrounding  mountains, 
3  m.  long  and  1  m.  broad.  It  is 
fed  by  the  small  stream  which  issues 
from  a  cleft  between  Ben  Muich-dhui 
and  Cairngorm,  and  falls  in  a  string 
of  cataracts  900  ft.  high.  At  the 
head  of  the  loch,  on  the  N.  side, 
under  the  precipice,  is  the  ' '  Clach 
Dhian"or  ^' SJielter  Stone,"  &  huge 
rock  of  granite  fallen  from  above 
upon  2  smaller  blocks  which  sup- 
port it,  forming  a  shallow  cave,  the 
only  refuge  in  case  of  a  storm,  and 
in  some  cases  the  only  night's  lodg- 
ings that  the  pedestrian  can  procure. 
From  Loch  Avon  issues  the  Avon 
river,  the  puiity  of  whose  water  is  so 
great  that  rt  has  given  rise  to  the 
country  proverb — 


346 


Route  52a. — Larig  Bue  Pass. 


Sect.  V. 


"  The  Water  of  A"an  it  rises  sae  clear 
'T would  beguile  a  man  o'  a  liunder  year." 

The  Avon  follows  a  devious  course 
through  a  trackless  waste  until  it 
reaches  the  Spey,  near  Inveravon. 

From  the  I)hu  Loch  the  path 
crosses  the  Avon,  and  &till  keeping 
X.  crosses  a  secondary  range  of 
liills  near  Bein-na-Bynach,  from 
which  it  descends  (N.\V.)  into  the 
Nethy  valley,  to  join  a  road  between 
Bridge  of  Bruan  and  Rothiemurchus, 
or  else  to  follow  the  Nethy  Water  to 
Abernethy  (Rte.  48).  The  distance 
from  Glen  Derrie  to  Abernethy  is 
about  22  m. 


g.  The  Larig  Bue  Pass  and  the 
Wells  of  Dee. 

"  The  grizzly  cliffs  which  guard 

The  infant  hills  of  highland  Dee, 
Where  hunter's  horn  was  never  heard, 

Nor  bugle  of  the  forest  bee, 
'Mid  wastes  that  dern  and  dreary  Ire 

One  mountain  rears  its  mighty  form. 
Disturbs  the  moon  in  passing  by. 
And  smUes  above  the  thunderstorm." 
Hogg. 

From  Glen  Derrie  to  Aviemore, 
by  the  Larig  Rue  Pass,  keep  straight 
up  Glen  Liii  and  cross  the  Derrie  by 
a  footbridge,  and  follow  a  well- 
marked  path,  made  for  the  transport 
of  the  deer,  still  keej)ing  up  Glen  Lui, 
but  instead  of  turning  N.  towards 
Ben  Muich-dhui,  cross  the  Lui  by 
stepping-stones,  and  keep  on  due  W. 
along  the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  until 
it  leads  by  a  moderate  ascent  into 
the  valley  of  the  Dee.  Here  the 
path'  ceases  to  be  well  marked,  and 
the  ground  becomes  wet.  Ascend 
on  the  1.  (E.)  side  of  the  Dee,  but 
first  look  back  and  around  on  the 
view  —  Lochnagar  and  Ben-y-Gloe 
are  prominent.  The  wanderer  is  now 
encircled  by  the  most  magnificent 
scenery  of  Glen  Dee.  The  cradle  of 
the  Dee  is  walled  in  by  mountains 
whose  sides  are  abrupt  precipices, 
and  they  vary  in  height  from  1000 
to  2000  ft.      Looking  X.  you  have 


rt.,'  Ben  Muich-dhui ;  in  front  the 
Larig  Pass,  and  the  Dee  descending 
from  it  in  steps.  On  the  1.  of  the 
Larig  rise  Braeriach  and  Cairntoul, 
and  between  these,  on  the  W.,  open 
two  tremendous  corries  or  dark  glens, 
each  sending  her  tributarj'-  to  the 
infant  Dee,  the  Garacharj^  3  m.  from 
the  source,  which  even  claims  to  be 
the  Dee  itself,  and  the  Geusachan  2 
m.  lower,  the  waters  of  both  leaping 
down  in  cascades  like  white  ribbon. 
3  m.  above  the  junction  of  the  Gara- 
chary  with  the  Dee  are  the  Wells  of 
Dec,  a  series  of  5  natural  steps,  sup- 
porting ponds  or  basins,  the  largest 
of  which  is  250  yds,  in  circumfer- 
ence, through  which  the  river  passes 
in  succession.  The  Dee  is  at  first 
lost  to  the  eye,  the  water  descending 
into  a  chaos  of  huge  gi-anite  blocks, 
through  which  it  passes  hid  from 
sight.  On  either  side  is  a  wall  of 
clifi'  of  tremendous  height,  which 
seems  to  shut  the  world  entirely  out 
— a  scene  of  utter  desolation  and 
solitude-.  The  path  runs  above  and 
to  the  L  of  the  Wells,  and  requires 
considerable  care  on  the  part  of  the 
traveller  who  has  to  thread  his  way 
over  the  loose  rocks.  It  has  to  sur- 
mount a  great  mass  of  debris  of  the 
red  granite  from  Ben  Mac-dhui,  the 
result,  perhai^s,  of  the  grinding  of 
souie  ancient  glaciers,  piled  high  up 
against  the  opposite  slope.  Soon  after 
crossing  the  crest  the  traveller  falls 
in  with  another  stream  running 
N,  to  the  Spey,  the  Alt  or  Larig- 
Drill,  which  runs  for  6  or  7  m.  in  a 
N.W.  direction.  By  degrees,  after 
8  or  10  miles  of  as  hard  and  rough 
walking  as  the  Highlands  can  show, 
views  are  opened  up  of  Speyside,  the 
woods  of  Rothiemurchus  and  Avie- 
more in  the  distance.  Aboitt  2  m. 
on  the  other  side  of  the  crest  the 
geologist  will  notice  some  glacier 
heaps  of  enormous  size,  like  huge 
railway  embankments.  The  path 
now  proceeds;  -above  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  Alt  Drui,  which  5  m.  below  the 
pass  receives  from  the  W.  the  Benny 


Perthshire.      FiOiite  52b. — Braemar  to  DunMd. 


347 


Burn,  through  Gleumore,  Avhere  are 
the  remains  of  what  was  once  a  noble 
forest.  Next  it  threads  some  of  the 
Eothiemurchus  woods,  which  the 
owner  is  rapidly  thinning,  and 
leaves  Loch  Morlich  on  the  rt.  It 
then  crosses  the  river  and  reaches 
the  keeper's  house.  Re-cross  the 
river  by  a  stone  bridge,  and  keep 
the  1.  bank,  past  some  huts  and  saw- 
mills to  Inverdrui,  where  the  Spey 
is  crossed  by  a  timber  bridge.  Im- 
mediately on  the  other  side  is 

Avievwre  Stat.,  and  2  m.  from  it 
towards  Kingussie  is  Lynvuilg  Inn 
(Rte.  48). 


ROUTE  52b. 

Braemar  to  Dunkeld  [and  Pit- 
loclirie],  by  Spital  of  Glen- 
shee,  Bridge  of  CaHy,  and 
Blairgowrie. 

A  coach  runs  every  second  day, 
but  if  coming  from  Blairgowrie  the 
tourist  had  better  take  the  precau- 
tion of  securing  his  place  beforehand, 
as  the  coach  is  often  full,  and  the 
hotel-keepers  at  Blairgowrie  demand 
exorbitant  prices  for  post-carriages. 
Between  Braemar  and  Spital  of 
Glenshee  the  road  crosses  a  high 
pass  of  the  Grampian  range,  the 
ascent  of  which  by  horses  from  either 
side  involves  4  miles  at  a  walking 
pace.  The  road  gradually  ascends 
Glen  Clunie,  along  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  river. 

2.  m.  Auchallater  Farm,  where  the 
Callater  burn  flows  in  on  1.  (Rte.  52a), 
up  Avhich  lies  the  road  to  Lochna- 
gar. 

5  m.  Glen  Baddoch  comes  in  on 
rt.  by  Mr.  Kennedy's  lodge,  and  Glen 
Clunie  makes  a  turn  to  the  1.  The 
road  now  becomes  very  steep,  and 
by  a  succession  of  zigzags  gains  the 
summit  of  the  range  at  Cairn  Well. 
Glasmeal,  3502  ft.,  is  a  fine  object  on 
the  1.,  although  it  is  not  so  broken 


and  precipitous  on  the  X.  as  on  the 
S.  side.  The  pedestrian  who  wishes 
for  a  fine  scramble  may  cross  the 
shoulder,  and  descend  into  Caen- 
lochan,  and  thence  into  Glen  Isla 
(Rte.  51a). 

The  high  road  from  Cairn  Well 
descends  by  a  long  incline  with 
awkward  turns,  popularly  known  as 
the  JJevU's  ElhovK  Here  the  county 
of  Perth  is  entered.  Glenbeg  is 
followed  down  to 

15  m.  Spital  of  Glenshee,  a  fair 
posting  Inn,  with  2  or  3  cottages, 
finely  placed  at  the  junction  of  Glen- 
beg with  Glens  Tatnich  and  Lochy, 
the  imited  rivers  of  which  form  the 
Shee.  On  the  opposite  bank  is  a 
tumulus,  with  a  clump  of  trees, 
known  as  Diarmid's-  Tomb.  [From 
the  Spital  the  pedestrian  who  wishes 
to  go  to  Pitlochrie  may  save  the 
round  by  Bridge  of  Cally  10  m., 
by  taking  a  slanting  j^atli  over  the 
hill  to  the  rt.,  striking  on  the  other 
side  the  Invercroskie  Water,  and 
joining  the  Kirkmichael  and  Pit- 
lochrie road  by  Dirnanean.  The 
distance  is  6  or  7  m.] 

As  the  road  to  Blairgowrie  recedes 
from  the  Spital,  the  tourist  gets 
fine  views  of  the  southern  face  of 
Glasmeal  and  Uam  Beg. 

20  m.  1.  Danaglar,  a  picturesque 
house  in  the  baronial  style,  sheltered 
by  Mt.  Blair  and  a  forest  of  pines. 
21  m.  at  Cray  (Mrs.  Robertson)  the 
scenery  is  very  soft  and  lovely.  [A 
road  on  1.  crosses  the  Shee,  and  runs 
to  Glen  Isla,  over  the  shoulder  of 
Mt.  Blair,  passing  the  square  ruined 
castle  of  Porter.  Distance  to  Glen 
Isla  Inn  9  or  10  m.  (Rte.  51a).] 

23.  m.,  leaving  Glenkilrie  on  rt, 
and  Dalrulzian  House  on  I.  [a  road 
on  rt.  is  given  ofi"  to  Kirkmichael, 
aftbrding  fine  distant  views  W.  of 
the  Ben  Vrackie  and  Ben-y-Gloe 
ranges.  On  the  elevated  moor  of 
Balnahroch,  which  is  to  the  1.  of  this 
road,  are  some  early  remains,  well 


348 


Pwute  52b. — Bridge  of  Ccdly. 


Sect.  V 


worth  visiting  by  the  antiquary. 
They  consist  of  clusters  of  circular 
walls,  one  of  which,  known  as  the 
"Grey  Cairn,"  is  90  ft.  round.  In 
the  neighbourhood  are  other  circles 
of  nearly  equal  dimensions,  showing 
that  the  district  was  one  of  import- 
ance in  pre-christian  times.  Calcined 
bones  have  also  been  found,  together 
with  gneiss  and  stone  tools. 

By  this  road  Kirkmichael  is  5  m. 
distant,  and  Pitlochrie  17.] 

25|  m.  Percie  Inn,  a  roadside 
public-house. 

29  m.  Bndge  of  Cally.  The  Inn 
(Invercauld  Arms)  is  finely  situated 
at  the  junction  of  the  Eardle  with 
the  Shee,  the  united  streams  taking 
the  name  of  the  Ericht.  The  view 
from  the  bridge  is  charming,  looking 
up  the  Eardle,  which  is  spanned  also 
by  the  old  bridge. 

[A  road  to  Pitlochrie  is  given  off 
here  (18  m.),  following  up  the  Glen 
of  Eardle  for  the  whole  of  its  course. 
It  is  a  very  pretty  drive,  although 
not  remarkable  for  grandeur  until 
within  half-a-dozen  miles  of  Pit- 
lochrie. Between  Bridge  of  Cally 
and  Kirkmichael  are  on  1.  Cally 
(J.  C.  Constable,  Esq.),  Blackcraig, 
the  fine  baronial  seat  of  P.  A. 
Eraser,  Esq.,  and  one  or  two  shoot- 
ing-lodges. 

7  m.  Kirkmichael  (public-house) 
is  a  j)retty  village  on  the  1.  bank  of 
the  Eardle,  but  it  w^ll  not  detain 
any  but  antiquaries,  who  can  visit 
the  early  remains  on  Balnabroch 
from  hence.  To  Pitlochrie  keep 
straight  alongside  the  river,  passing 
rt.  Invercroskie  House  and  Dir- 
nanean  (J.  Small,  Esq.),  charmingly 
placed  near  the  confluence  of  the 
Invercroskie  with  the  Eardle.  Here 
the  track  from  the  Spital  of  Glen- 
shee  comes  in.  Farther  on  (1.)  is 
Kindrogan  (P.  S.  Keir,  Esq.),  and  on 
rt.  the  fine  Glen  Fernate  runs  in. 
The  road  now  enters  Glen  Brereclian, 


on  the  rt.  of  which  the  scenery  is 
broken  and  fine,  but  the  Blavelig 
Hills  on  the  1.  are  boggy  and  mono- 
tonous. 

At  Clunskeid,  12  m.,  cross  the 
Brerechan,  below  the  shooting- 
lodge  :  [a  footpath  on  rt.  follows  the 
river  and  turns  up  the  Glen  between 
Ben  Vrackie  and  Ben  Yuroch.  It 
crosses  the  ridge  and  comes  into  the 
head  of  Glen  Gurnaig,  and  emerges 
at  Blair  -  Athole  by  the  Fender 
Valley. 

From  Clunskeid  to  Blair -Athole 
the  distance  is  about  9  m.] 

The  road  to  Pitlochrie  ascends  the 
hill,  facing  Ben  Vrackie,  which  is 
remarkably  broken  and  fine.  Higher 
up  on  rt.  Ben-y-Gloe,  with  its  tre- 
mendous precipices,  becomes  the 
prominent  feature.  From  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill  above  Pitlochrie  there 
is  a  most  superb  view  over  the 
mountains  of  Perth  and  Inverness- 
shires,  in  which  Schehallion  and 
Ben  Lawers  are  very  conspicuous. 
The  road  then  descends  through 
^Moulin  to  Pitlochrie,  18  m.  (Rte. 
48.)] 


From  Bridge  of  Cally  it  is  6  m.  to 
Blairgowrie,  the  road  being  carried 
along  a  terrace  on  the  rt.  bank  of 
the  Ericht,  passing  Strone  Hoicse,  in 
the  angle  formed  by  the  confluence 
of  the  rivers,  and  on  the  opposite 
bank  Glen  Ericht. 

Not  far  from  Blairgowrie  the  val- 
ley of  the  Ericht  is  very  fine,  and 
particularly  at  Craighall  (Col.  Clerk 
Rattray),  where  it  flows  in  a  narrow 
glen,  between  steep  and  precipitous 
rocks,  at  least  200  feet  high,  remind- 
ing one  of  Hawthornden  or  l^Iatlock. 
The  peculiarities  of  this  house  and 
its  position  are  so  exactly  copied  by 
Scott  in  his  description  of  Tully- 
veolan,  that  they  were  at  once  re- 
cognised by  its  owner.  Oj)posite, 
but  a  little  higher  up  than  Craighall, 


Scotland. 


Pioute  52c. — Braemar  to  GlentilL 


349 


are  some  remains  of  a  fortress  known 
as  Lady  Lindsay's  Castle.  The  road 
crosses  the  Ericht  to  the  1.  bank, 
whei'e  the  Lorenty  Burn  flows  in, 
forming  a  waterfall.  It  then  passes 
near  the  village  of  Eattray,  and  pro- 
ceeds to 

35  m.  Blaircjotvrie  Stat.  {Inns  : 
Koyal ;  Queen's),  a  neat  little  town 
on  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Ericht,  which 
sets  in  motion  the  wheels  of  several 
flax-spinning  mills,  employing  many 
hands.  To  the  S.  of  it  are  Blair- 
gowrie House  (A.  Macpherson,  Esq.), 
and  Altamont  (Mrs.  Ballingall). 
[Eaihuay,  5  m.  to  Ciqxtr-Angus  on 
the  Caledonian  main  line  to  Perth 
and  Aberdeen,  passing  rt.  the  little 
Loch  of  Stormont,  with  its  island 
and  castle,  and  then  crossing  the 
Isla.] 

The  road  to  Dunkeld,  12  m.,  is 
rather  picturesque,  skirting  the  N. 
bank  of  a  chain  of  lakes  formed  by 
the  Lunan.  First  come  Loch  Marlie 
and  the  village  of  Kinloch,  which  is 
succeeded  by  Loch  Climie,  on  an 
island  of  which  is  the  ruined  Castle 
of  Climie,  said  to  be  the  birth-place 
of  the  Admirable  Crichton.  Be- 
tween this  loch  and  the  road  is  For- 
neth  (W.  Speid,  Esq.). 

The  road  is  conducted  between  Craig 
Bannock  and  Butterstone  Ijoch,  the 
series  being  finished  with  the  Loch 
of  the  Lowes. 

12  m.  Dunkeld  Stat.  {Rte.  48). 


EOUTE  52c. 

Braemar  to  Blair-Athole,  by 
Bainocti  and  Glentilt. 

A  bridle  road,  29  miles  long,  some- 
times resorted  to  as  the  only  direct 
communication  between  Braemar  and 
Blair-Athole.  Of  this  distance,  how- 
ever, about  10  m.  at  either  end  may 
be  done  by  a  conveyance.  A  pony 
may  go  the  whole  way  "with  a  little 


care.  Queen  Victoria  describes  the 
route  in  her  "Journal."  There  is  no 
jilace  of  shelter  or  refreshment  on  the 
wa}^,  so  it  should  not  be  attempted 
except  in  fine  weather. 

From  Braemar  to  Avithin  1  m.  of 
Bainoch  Ijodge  is  1 2  m. ,  good  road. 
Bainoch  to  Forest  Lodge,   9  m., 
bridle-way,  path  not  well  marked  in 
places. 

Forest  Lodge  to  Blair-Athole,  8  m., 
good  road. 

The  charge  for  a  pony  is  20s.  ;  for 
a  guide  5s.  Between  Bainoch  and 
Forest  Lodge  the  rough  path  admits 
only  of  a  foot-pace.  It  is  quicker  to 
walk  than  to  ride. 

A  carriage  may  be  ordered  from 
Blair-Athole  to  meet  the  party  at 
Forest  Lodge,  but  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  as  soon  as  the  deer  season 
begins,  Glentilt  is  often  closed  for  car- 
riages after  12  o'clock  forenoon,  so 
that  in  such  a  case  the  ponies  must 
be  taken  on.  The  right  of  way  was 
the  subject  of  fierce  dispute  some 
years  ago,  but  the  glen  is  not  now 
closed  at  any  time  for  pedesti^ians  or 
equestrians.  After  heavy  rain  this 
route  should  not  be  taken,  for  there 
is  a  bridgeless  river,  the  Tarff",  flow- 
ing into  the  Tilt,  which  can  only  be 
crossed  by  wading.  In  ordinary 
weather  it  is  only  a  little  above  the 
knees,  but  when  risen  is  strong  and 
rapid  enough  to  make  it  dangerous 
to  ford.  It  is  a  great  pity  that  the 
Duke  of  Athole  does  not  rebuild  the 
bridge  over  it. 

For  the  first  65  m.,  as  far  as  the 
Linn  of  Dee,  the  road  is  the  same  as 
detailed  in  Ete.  52a.  It  then  pursues 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Dee,  which  here 
flows  through  an  open  valley  ;  with 
small  burns  joining  it  from  the  hills. 
94  m.  the  Dee  is  crossed  by  a  wooden 
bridge,  just  where  the  road  turns  out 
of  Glen  Dee,  which  stretches  away  to 
the  rt.,  up  to  the  Wells  of  Dee  (Rte. 
o2a).  Braeriach,  the  Devil's  Point, 
and  Ben  Muich-dhui  are  fine  objects, 
towering  over  the  hills  in  the  fore- 
ground, rt. 


350 


Route  52c. — Braemar  to  Blair  :  GUntllt.      Sect.  Y. 


11  m.  The  Geauly  (or  Geldy)  has 
to  be  forded,  the  bridge  being  broken 
down.  [The  path  to  Kingnssie  and 
Strathspey  (the  Queen'sroute),  follows 
the  1.  bank  of  the  Geauly  Water  for 
some  7  ni.  farther,  when  it  crosses  the 
watershed  into  Glenfishie,  having  on 
1.  Scarsoch  and  Cairn  Eelar.  On  the 
other  side  the  hill,  cross  the  Endiart 
atits  junction  with  the  Fishie,and  fol- 
low the  rt.  bank  of  the  latter  stream, 
passing  Eea  Leame.  In  about  6  m. 
farther  the  Fishie  is  crossed  and  the  1. 
bank  followed.  At6  m.  from  Kingussie 
a  loop  road  is  reached  that  nms  on 
rt.  to  Pioat  of  Inch,  and  1.  to  Kin- 
gussie, passing  the  outlet  of  Glen 
Troniie  and  Ruthven  Barracks.  The 
whole  distance  from  Braemar  to  Kin- 
gussie will  be  about  38  m.  (Rte.  48.)] 


After  crossing  the  Geldy  the  road 
crosses  the  Bainoch,  and  reaches  12 
ra.  Bainoch  Lodge  (Earl  of  Fife), 
where  it  becomes  a  bridle-path. 
It  turns  nearly  due  S.  across  an 
open  moor,  and  for  a  mile  or  two 
is  not  very  distinctly  marked. 
Behind  is  the  whole  of  the  Ben 
Muich-dhui  range,  while  in  front  are 
the  steep  slopes  and  precipices  of 
Ben-y-Gloe.  The  Tilt  rises  in  a 
small  tarn,  on  the  right,  and  flows 
through  a  glen  "so  narrow  as 
seldom  to  give  room  for  more  than 
the  river,  while  in  many  places 
its  channel  is  but  a  ravine  through 
the  solid  rocks.  This  valley  is  dis- 
tinguished by  its  extreme  depth  and 
narrowness,  and  by  the  wildness  of 
its  upper  extremity.  The  ornamented 
beauty  is  confined  to  that  part  which 
approaches  to  Blair. "  The  peculiar- 
ity of  the  glen  is  its  extreme  straight- 
ness,  which  makes  it  appear  in  some 
parts  almost  like  a  gigantic  canal- 
cutting,  and  the  uniform  steepness  of 
the  hills  on  either  side ;  in  fact,  there 
are  not  in  the  whole  of  its  course  half- 
a-dozen  places  where  it  is  possible 
to  get  out  of  it,  except  by  very  ardu- 
ous and  often  dangerous  climbing. 


16  m.  The  Tar/f  flows  in  from  the 
W.  in  a  fine  fall,  hemmed  in  by 
precipitous  clift's.  The  bridge  over 
it  was  washed  away  many  years  ago, 
and  the  Duke  of  Athole  does  not 
wish-  to  rebuild  it.  In  dry  weather 
the  water  is  not  more  than  2  or  3  feet 
deep,  but  is  subject  to  considerable 
rise  after  rain.  The  tourist  must 
get  across  as  he  can,  the  best  plan 
being  to  relinquish  one's  nether  gar- 
ments and  walk  through  ;  but  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  stones  are 
too  large  and  slippery  to  make  it  a 
matter  of  much  pleasure.  There  is 
a  corresponding  gap  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Tilt,  up  which  a  steep 
path  leads  to  Falar,  a  shooting-lodge 
of  the  Duke  of  Athole's.  The  ford  is 
called  the  Pil  Tarff. 

Between  the  Tarff"  and  Forest 
Lodge  is  a  cairn  commemorating  the 
place  where  the  Queen  lunched  in 
her  excursion  from  Blair-Athole. 

21  m.  Forest  Lodge  is  the  prin- 
cipal hunting-station  of  the  Duke  in 
the  glen,  or  indeed  in  the  whole  of 
his  extensive  Forest  of  Athole,  which 
embraces  more  than  100,000  acres, 
and  is  computed  to  contain  upwards 
of  15,000  head  of  red  deer.  3000 
deer  were  driven  at  once  in  sight  of 
the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  in 
Sept.  1872.  Ever5i;hing  in  the  district 
is  subordinate  to  the  breeding  of  deer, 
with  which  sheep  pasturing  interferes, 
in  order  that  the  herds  might  have  the 
repose  deemed  so  essential.  Glentilt, 
however,  was  once  inhabited  by  the 
clan  of  M'Intosh,  from  whom  it  was 
purchased  by  the  Earl  of  Athole  in 
1532.  The  glen  is  bounded  on  the  E. 
mainly  by  the  heights  of  Ben-y-Gloe, 
"Moitntains  of  the  jMist,"  the  most 
lofty  point  of  which  is  Cairngowar, 
3750  ft.  The  view  from  the  summit 
is  a  good  deal  interrupted  b}^  neigh- 
bouring mountains. 

From  Forest  Lodge  there  is  a  good 
carriage  road.  At  a  picturesque  bridge 
over  the  Tilt  observe  the  pink  hue 
of  the  granite  in  the  river  bed.    Near 


Scotland.       Route  53. — Aberdeen  to  Peterhead. 


351 


this  marble  occurs.  The  glen,  in  the 
lower  i^art  of  its  course,  is  largely 
ornamfMited  with  woods,  while  the 
river  offers  at  every  turn  delicious 
combinations  of  rock  and  water. 
There  are  some  picturesque  falls 
about  2  m.  from  Blair-Athole,  a  little 
after  the  notice  board  \o  pedestrians 
and  riders  to  take  the  hill  road,  with 
a  view  of  disturbing  th«  deer  as  little 
as  possible.  At  28  m.  the  Fender 
joins  the  Tilt  in  a  series  of  pretty 
cascades  ;  the  upper  one  is  the  finest. 
Below  the  old  bridge  of  Tilt  is  a  path, 
whence  is  visible  the  York  Fall, 
formed  by  a  small  tributary  stream. 
The  geologist  will  find  Glentilt 
very  interesting  on  account  of  the 
limestones  which  are  associated  with 
the  Lower  Silurian  quartz  rocks. 
Quarries  of  beautiful  marble  have 
been  opened  in  it.  M'Culloch  calls 
attention  to  its  min-erals,  particularly 
those  of  Sahlite  (or  silicate  of  Mag- 
nesia) and  Tremolite.  It  was  under 
the  first  bridge  beyond  the  enclosure 
that  Sir  James  Hall  first  observed 
the  phenomenon  of  granite  veins, 
that  proved  the  commencement  of  a 
most  important  era  in  geology.  The 
botanist  will  find  in  the  glen  and  the 
mountains  round,  Cornus  suecica, 
Rubus  arcticus,  Azalea  procumbens 
(Ben-y-Gloe),  Lichen  nivalis,  L. 
Islandicus,  Satyriuni  viride,  S.  hirci- 
num,  Saxifraga  oi3positifolia,  Silene 
acaulis,  Pyrola  secunda,  Convallaria 
verticillata,  etc. 

29  m.  Blair-Athole  (Rte.  48), 


EOUTE  53. 

Aberdeen    to    Fraserburgh,    and 
Peterhead. 

The  rly.  to  Peterhead  44|  m.— to 
Fraserburgh  47^— is  the  Inverness 
line  as  far  as  Dyce  Juxctiox — and 
passes  through  a  very  characteristic 
portion  of  the  county. 


The  country  is  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  proving  the  skill  and 
perseverance  of  the  farmers. 

If  m.  Kittyhreioster  Stat.,  to  the 
rt.  of  which  is  a  good  view  of  Old 
Aberdeen,  with  its  two-towered  ca- 
thedral and  the  lantern  summit  of 
King's  College.  The  ch.  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill  to  the  left  is  that  of 
]S"ewhills.  The  vale  of  the  Don  is 
the  scene  of  active  industry — paper 
mills  (Pirie's),  and  M'oollen  mills, 
granite  quarries,  etc.,  occur  in  suc- 
cession. 

4  J  m.  Buxhurn  Stat,  to  rt.  of  which, 
on  other  side  of  the  Don,  is  Grand- 
holme  House  (C-ol.  Paton), 

Ql  m.  Dyce  Junct.  Stat.  Here  the 
line  divides  ;  to  the  1.  proceeding  to 
Banff  and  Inverness  (Ete.  55),  and 
on  rt.  crossing  the  Don  to  Peterhead. 

1\  m.  The  village  of  Dyce  is  to  the 
1.  of  Parkhill  Stat.  The  ch.-yard 
contains  some  sculptured  stones,  and 
on  rt.  is  Parkhill  House  (J.  Gordon- 
Cumming-Skene,  Esq.) 

llf  m.  Xew  Machar,  to  1.  of  which 
is  Elriek  (P.  Burnett,  Esq.) 

141  m.  Uclny  Stat.  The  tower  of 
Udny,  1.,  2|  m.,  belongs  to  a  family 
of  the  same  name,  and  is  a  curiously- 
gaunt,  bare  building  of  4  storeys, 
surmounted  by  corner-turrets,  under- 
neath which  is  a  fantastic  mould- 
ing. The  two  lower  storeys  have 
handsomely  groined  ceilings,  one 
being  entirely  occupied  by  the  hall, 
unadorned,  but  finely  jjroportioned. 
It  has  been  fitted  up  and  reoccupied 
by  the  proprietor,  J.  H.  Udny,  Esq. 

16 J  m.  Logierieve  Stat.,  4  m.  1. 
of  which  is  Tolquhoun  Castle  (Earl 
of  Aberdeen),  a  strong  squat  build- 
ing of  the  quasi-baronial  order,  dis- 
figured by  a  quantity  of  grotesque 
statuary  upon  the  exterior.  An 
inscription  over  the  entrance  says — 


352 


Boute  53. — Aberdeen  to  Fraserburgh.         Sect.  V. 


"All  tliis  warke,  except  the  auld 
tower,  was  begun  by  William  Forbes, 
15th  Aprile,  1581,  and  endit  by  Mm, 
20th  Oct.  1589." 

18  m,  Esslcmont  Stat. 

20  m.  Ellon  Stat.  (Xew  Inn),  at 
which  point  the  line  crosses  the 
Ythan,  a  considerable  stream  which 
rises  near  Turritf  and  drains  a  large 
portion  of  the  district  of  Buchan, 
It  is  celebrated  for  its  mussel 
pearls  [Mija  marqaritifera),  and  one 
of  the  jewels  of  the  ancient  crown  of 
Scotland  is  said  to  have  been  found 
here.  Near  the  little  town  of  Ellon, 
which  stands  on  rt.  of  rly.  IJ  m.,  is 
Ellon  House,  modern,  in  beautiful 
grounds,  adjoining  an  old  Castle  (A. 
Gordon,  Esq.) 

4  m.  1.  is  Haddow  House  (Earl  of 
Aberdeen),  a  plain  modern  mansion. 

Near  it  are  the  ruins  of  the  old 
house  of  Gight,  of  which  Byron's 
mother  (a  Gordon)  was  heiress. 

23  m.  Arnage  Stat. ,  and  on  rt.  Ar- 
nage  Castle  (J.  Eoss,  Esq.)  The 
countrj^  is  now  fairly  adorned  with 
wood,  though  not  of  sufficient  age 
to  be  thought  ornamental,  except  in 
large  masses.  Dr.  Johnson  said 
that  when  he  had  reached  this  point 
he  had  only  seen  2  trees  older  than 
himself  in  all  Scotland. 

27  m.  Auchnagatt  Stat. 

32  m.  New  Maud  Junct.  Stat.  [The 
branch  line  to  Fraserburgh  continues 
due  N.,  passing  33  m.  Brucklay  Stat., 
and  37  m.  Stricken  Stat.,  picturesquely 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Mormond 
Hill,  810  ft.,  on  which  there  is  the 
outline  of  a  white  horse. 

Passing  Lonmay  and  Rathen  Stats, 
the  train  arrives  at 

47im.  Fraserburgh  Stat.,  a  borough 
or  barony,  of  which  Lord  Saltoun 
is  superior.  It  is  a  town  of  consider- 
able consequence  in  the  herring- 
fishery,    and    its    harbour,    though 


naturally  a  very  difficult  one,  has 
been  much  improved  by  works 
(from  designs  by  Telford)  which 
cost  nearly  £50,000.  There  are 
in  the  town  the  ruins  of  2  chapels, 
Avhich  once  belonged  to  the  Alabey 
of  Deer.  There  is  also  a  tower 
3  storeys  high,  built  in  1592,  and 
intended  to  serve  the  purpose  of 
a  college,  but  never  finished.  A 
second  tower  on  Kinnaird  Head,  to 
the  W.  of  Fraserburgh,  was  used  as 
a  wine-cellar.  In  the  town  is  a 
handsome  cross  12  ft.  high,  standing 
upon  a  pedestal,  and  surmounted  by 
the  royal  arms  and  those  of  Lord 
Saltoun,  whose  seat,  Philorth,  lies 
about  1^  m.  to  the  S.,  in  the  midst 
of  a  wooded  demesne,  contrasting 
with  the  bare  country  around. 
Cairnhulg  Castle,  on  the  Philorth 
Water,  was  a  fort  of  the  Comyns, 
and  foj-feited  in  1306.  It  then 
passed  to  the  Erasers.] 

Quitting  New  Maud  'Junct.,  the 
first  station  on  the  rly.  to  Peterhead 
is 

35^  m.  Mintlaw  Stat,  the  village 
of  Old  Deer  on  the  rt.  This  place 
once  possessed  an  Ahhey,  and  its 
remains  can  be  seen  from  the  rly. 
It  Avas  founded  about  1200  by  Comyn, 
Earl  of  Buchan,  for  monks  of  the 
Cistercian  order.  In  the  Ejnscopal 
Ch.  have  been  interred  the  remains 
of  John  Graham  of  Claverhouse, 
Viscount  Dundee,  the  hero  of  Killie- 
crankie,  removed  hither  from  Blair- 
Athole.  On  1.  is  Pitfour  (Col.  Fer- 
guson), where  a  monument  has  been 
set  up  to  William  Pitt  and  Henry 
Dundas,  Lord  Melville. 

At  39  m.  Longside  Stat.,  the 
line  crosses  the  Deer  Water,  which, 
together  with  its  tributary  the 
Strichen  Water,  falls  into  the  sea 
at  Inverugie. 

41  m.  New  Seat  Stat. 

On  1.  is  Heading  Hill,  where  th 


Scotland.     Route  b^. — Peterhead ;  Bulhrs  of  Buchan.        353 


executions  took  place  in  the  days, 
and  by  order,  of  the  Keiths,  Earls 
Marischal. 

42 1  m.,  near  Inverugie  Stat.,  is  Li- 
verugie  Castle,  the  ruined  residence 
of  the  Keiths,  Earls  Marischal  of 
Scotland,  till  the  year  1715,  when, 
•in  consequence  of  their  rebellion,  the 
property  was  forfeited.  The  brother 
of  the  last  earl  became  a  field -marshal 
in  the  Prussian  service.  The  castle 
had  a  splendid  hall  50  ft.  long,  lighted 
by  4  deeply  embayed  windows. 

444  m.  Peterhead,  {Inn  :  Laing's 
Temperance).  A  Pari.  Burgh  (Pop. 
8535)  and  busy  seaport,  chief  town 
of  Buchan,  principally  dependent  on 
the  whale-fishery,  which  has  long 
been  a  nursery  for  tlie  bravest  and 
best  seamen.  The  town  was  founded 
b}'-  the  Keiths,  to  the  memory  of 
whom  a  cross  of  granite  was  erected 
in  1832.  The  Statue  of  Marshal 
Keith,  in  front  of  the  Tolbooth,  in 
High  St.,  was  the  gift  of  the  King  of 
Prussia,  to  the  Marshal's  native 
town  (1869).  Banished  from  Britain 
as  a  supporter  of  the  Stuarts,  he 
became  one  of  the  best  generals  of 
Frederick  the  Great.  The  place 
now  belongs  to  the  Merchant  Com- 
pany, Edinburgh.  A  large  quan- 
tity of  granite  is  annually  ex- 
ported from  Peterhead,  the  neigh- 
bouring bay  affording  an  inexhaust- 
ible supply  of  beautiful  flesh-coloured 
stone.  The  harbour  is  much  ex- 
posed to  tremendous  sea  storms, 
which  have  repeatedly  swept  away 
piers  and  breakwaters.  It  was  re- 
modelled in  1822  from  designs  by 
Telford,  and  now  furnishes  partial 
refuge  for  vessels  caught  on  this 
stormy  coast.  The  Arbuthnott  mu- 
seum should  be  seen. 

The  Pretender  landed  here  in 
disguise  in  1716.  [The  Baij  of 
Peterhead  is  bounded  (about  3  m.  to 
the  S. )  by  the  promontory  of  Bachan- 
ness — near  which  are  the  ruins  of 
Boddom  Castle,  built  in  the  14th 
{Scotland. '[ 


centy.  by  the  Keiths,  upon  the 
extreme  end  of  a  high  rocky  pro- 
montory. 

6  m.  from  Peterhead,  to  the  S. 
(passing  rt.  and  1.  large  granite 
quarries),  are  the  ^i«Z/crs  (Boilers)  of 
Buchan.  It  is  a  tremendous  deep 
hollow  or  crater  in  the  rock,  200  ft. 
deep  and  50  ft.  wide,  into  which  the 
waves  flow  through  a  natural  arch- 
way at  the  bottom.  In  rough  weather, 
and  in  a  high  wind,  the  waves  rush 
in  with  incredible  violence,  often 
dashing  over  the  enclosing  rocks.  It 
is  a  fine  sight,  and  has  the  advantage 
of  being  accessible  to  view  from  the 
land  as  well  as  by  sea.  Dr.  Johnson 
calls  it  "a  rock  perpendicularly 
tubulated."  "  He  walked  round  this 
monstrous  cauldron.  In  some  places 
the  rock  is  very  narrow,  and  on  each 
side  there  is  a  sea  deep  enough  for  a 
man-of-war  to  ride  in,  so  that  it  is 
somewhat  horrid  to  move  along." — 
Bosvjell.  Sir  W.  Scott  adds,  "The 
path  is  3  feet  wide,  so  there  is  no 
danger,  though  often  much  fear." 
Johnson  insisted  on  being  rowed 
into  the  Pot.  He  also  describes  the 
Duubuxj  or  Yellow  Pvock,  as  "a  yel- 
low protuberance  of  stone,  open  to 
the  main  sea  on  one  side,  and  parted 
from  the  land  by  a  very  narrow  chan- 
nel on  the  other,  covered  with  sea- 
birds.  "  \  m.  S.  of  the  Bullers  is  an 
arched  rock  in  a  headland. 

8.  m  (S.  of  Peterhead)  is  Slaines 
neiv  castle,  the  seat  of  the  Earl  of 
Errol,  finely  situated  on  the  very 
verge  of  the  precipice,  above  the  sea, 
in  a  position  which  Dr.  Johnson  de- 
clared to  be  "the  noblest  he  had 
ever  seen,"  1773.  The  house  con- 
tains portraits  by  Sir  Jos.  Beynolds. 
The  severe  character  of  the  climate, 
however,  prevents  the  growth  of  any 
trees  whatever. 

14  m.  are  the  ruins  of  Slaines  old 
castki     The  old  castle  was  destroy- 
ed  by  James   VI.    in  1594.     Lord 
Q  2 


354 


Route  54. — Aberdeen  to  Alford. 


Sect.  Y. 


EiTol  had  joined  Lord  Hnntly,  wlio 
had  committed  tlie  barbarous  mur- 
der of  the  "Bonnie  Earl  of  Moray." 
The  Earl  of  Argyle  was  ordered  to 
march  against  them,  but  he  Avas  de- 
feated in  Glenlivat,  so  that  James 
was  compelled  to  take  the  field  in 
person.  At  Forvie,  a  few  miles  below 
Slaines,  are  a  large  number  of  shell- 
mounds,  some  of  which  have  been 
opened  and  found  to  contain  hearth- 
stones, charcoal,  and  bones  of  the  ox 
and  deer. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  Ugie, 
and  partly  protected  by  it,  is  Pmvchs- 
craig  Castle,  a  most  interesting  old 
fort.  It  belongs  to  the  12th  centy., 
and  is  in  antiquity  next  to  Braal 
Fort  on  the  Thurso.  Eavenscraig 
was  probably  built  by  the  Cheyues, 
a  fandly  which  subsequently  became 
merged  in  the  Keiths. 


EOUTE   54. 

Aberdeen  to  Alford  and  Strath- 
don,  by  Kintore. 

A  good  way  of  seeing  this  valley 
is  to  take  the  rail  to  Alford,  where  a 
conveyance  may  be  had,  then  drive 
to  Colquhonuy ;  walk  on  to  Skellater 
and  Corgarff,  return  to  Cohjuhonnj" 
to  sleep,  and  next  day  drive  to 
Gartly  Stat,  on  the  G.  N.  S.  line. 

Quitting  TviNTORE  Junct.  and 
passing  1.  Hallforest  Castle  (Rte.  55), 
the  line  reaches  the  Don  at 

18  m.  Kriiinatj  Stat.,  to  the  L  of 
which  is  Kemnay  House  (A.  Burnett, 
Esq.)  From  the  rly.  bridge  at  the 
stat.  a  good  view  is  obtained  of 
Fettcrnear  (trustees  of  Col.  Leslie 
of  Balquhain),  beautifully  situ- 
ated on  the  IST.  bank  of  the  Don. 
It  was  once  the  country  seat  of  the 
Bishops  of  Aberdeen,  and  was  made 
over  to  William  Leslie,  the  9tli  Baron 
of  Balquhain,  by  Bishop  Gordon  in 


1566,  for  the  service  performed  by 
him  in  saving  Aberdeen  cathedral 
from  destruction. 

At  Kemnay  are  extensive  Qua7'- 
ries  of  a  nearly  white  granite,  em- 
ploying 300  men  ;  it  was  used  for 
the  Thames  Embankment.  The 
modern  Gothic  Ch.  here  is  of  native 
granite. 

[2  m.  to  the  S.  is  Castle  Fraser 
(Col.  Fraser),  which  was  anciently 
known  by  the  name  of  Muchalls, 
and  passed  into  the  Fraser  /amily 
in  the  year  1532.  Its  main  feature 
is  a  square  tower  of  the  16th  centy., 
the  lower  part  of  which  is  of  con- 
siderable age,  and  lias  been  topped 
with  the  ornamental  turrets  and 
conical  roofs  of  the  early  part  of  the 
17th  centy.,  the  time  when  the  tur- 
reted  style  had  reached  its  highest 
development  in  Scotland.  At  that 
time  a  round  tower  was  added,  and 
from  the  angle  Avhere  this  joins  the 
square  mass,  there  springs  a  light 
turret  surmounted  by  an  airy-looking 
pavilion-shaped  roof.  A  broad  and 
handsome  moulding  runs  round  the 
building,  which  gives  the  upper  part 
a  peculiarly  rich  and  pleasing  efiect, 
especially  as  it  is  contrasted  by  the 
singular  plainness  and  almost  studied 
absence  of  ornament  of  the  lower 
storeys.  Internally  the  hall  is  worth 
notice  from  its  elaborate  ceiling. 

21  m.  Monymusk  Stat.  The  vil- 
lage (rt.),  which  is  of  considerable 
antiquity,  is  neatly  built,  and  is  in 
the  form  of  a  square,  Avith  some  fine 
old  trees  in  the  centre.  Malcolm 
Canmore  is  said,  in  the  11th  centy., 
to  have  founded  a  prior}"  on  the  spot. 
It  is  probable  that  the  tower  of  the 
present  ch.,  though  not  of  this  age, 
did  at  one  time  belong  to  a  priory 
subsequently  founded  here  by  Bruce, 
who,  on  his  way  to  the  battle  of 
Inverurie,  bivouacked  in  a  meadow 
called  the  "Camp  Field." 

Monymusk  House  (Sir  A.  Grant) 


Aberdeen.         Route  54. — AJford;  Craigkvar. 


355 


is  beautifully  situated  on  tlie  banks 
of  the  Don.  The  principal  toAver  is  of 
some  age,  but  modern  additions  have 
been  made  to  it.  The  grounds  are 
well  wooded,  and  in  a  part  called 
Paradise  are  some  of  the  finest  pines 
and  larches  in  Scotland.  The  jMrish 
Ch.  has  an  old  tower,  of  architecture 
resembling  Norman.  The  chan- 
cel and  nave,  probably  of  the  same 
date,  are  so  much  mutilated  by 
repairs  that  no  trace  of  style  is 
visible.  The  original  doors  and  win- 
dows are  abolished.  The  Mony- 
musk  Stone  has  a  well-carved  cross 
upon  it,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
been  at  some  time  a  landmark  on 
the  Prioiy  property. 

Higher  up  the  Don  are  the  ruins 
of  PitjicMe  Castle,  once  the  property 
of  General  Urry,  hanged  in  1650  at 
]\Iontrose.  He  began  as  a  Royalist, 
and  then  joined  the  Covenanters, 
whom  he  deserted  after  their  defeat 
at  Auldearn.  To  the  X.  is  a  ridge 
of  hill,  of  which  the  most  prominent 
feature  is  Bennachie  (1440  ft.), 
which  overlooks  the  battlefield  of 
Harlaw  (Ptte.  55).  On  the  1.  of  the 
stat.  is  Cluny  Cctstic  (John  Gordon, 
Esq.),  and  the  ruined  castle  of  Tilly- 
cairn.  Cluny  is  an  imposing  struc- 
ture, built  in  1836,  but  its  large 
sash  windows  and  other  modern 
appliances  harmonise  but  poorly 
with  the  pretentious  exterior  of  a 
Norman  fortress. 

24  m.  Tillyfourie  Stat.,  to  1.  of 
which  are  Correnny  Hill  and  quarries. 

28^  m.  Wliitehouse,  to  the  N.  of 
which  (2  m.)  is  Castle  Forbes,  the 
seat  of  Lord  Forbes,  a  modern  house, 
finely  situated  estate  of  13,621  acres. 

29^  m.  The  terminus  of  the  line 
is  reached  at. 

Alforcl  Stat.  {Inn:  Haughton 
Arms,  comfortable  ;  good  fishing 
quarters),  a  pleasant  little  village, 
near  which  Montrose  defeated  the 
Covenanters  under  Colonel  Baillie  in 


1645.  A  cattle-market  is  held  here 
once  a  month,  when  a  large  quantity 
of  Aberdeen  stock  changes  hands. 
There  are  also  some  granite  qiutrries 
in  the  hills,  or  "  howes,"  as  they  are 
locally  called,  between  this  and 
Strathdon.  They  yield  a  dark- 
coloured  or  blue  granite.  Just  be- 
yond is  Haughton  House  (R.  0. 
Farquharson,  Esq.),  estate  4500  ac. 

[An  Excursion  may  be  taken  from 
Alford,  crossing  the  bridge,  and  at 
the  next  toll-bar  taking  road  to  rt. 
Dalpersie  or  Terpersie  Castle,  a 
small  fortified  house  consisting  of  a 
quadrilateral  building  -v^ith  a  round 
tower  (internally  octagonal)  at  the 
diagonal  corners.  There  are  but  three 
storeys,  with  one  room  in  each.  On 
one  of  the  A^indow  sills  is  the  date 
1561,  also  the  crest  of  the  Gordons, 
a  boar's  head,  beautifully  cut. 

The  road  on  1.  at  the  cross  roads 
leads  to  *  Craigievar  Castle  (Sir  W. 
Forbes).  The  estate  belonged  to 
the  Mortimers,  and  was  purchased 
by  the  Forbes  in  1610.  The  build- 
ing consists  of  three  towers  seven 
storeys  high,  sunnounted  by  turrets, 
high  pitched  roofs,  dormer  "uindows, 
and  mouldings  and  sculpture.  "  Its 
uses  as  a  fortress  against  the  High- 
land reivers,  rather  than  a  dwelling- 
house,  are  recalled  by  all  its  attri- 
butes of  sullen  strength,  and  not 
less  startlingly  by  the  admonition 
round  the  shield,  by  which  the  ad- 
venturous intruder  is  warned  against 
the  temerity  of  waking  sleeping 
dogs."  The  most  interesting  portion 
of  the  castle  is  the  hall,  which  has  a 
magnificent  ceiling  with  pendants 
and  wall  decorations.  The  house  is 
kept  up  in  the  original  style,  but  sel- 
dom occupied  by  the  family.  There  is 
a  roadside  public-house  at  Muggert- 
haugh. 

2  m.  beyond  Craigievar  are  the 
ruins  of  Corse  Castle  and  Corse 
House  (J.  0.  Forbes,  Esq.)  The  old 
castle  was  built  in  1581,  and  belonged 


356 


Route  54. — Alford;  Kildrummie. 


Sect.  V. 


at  the  beginning  of  the  17th  centy. 
to  Patrick  Forbes,  Bishop  of  Aber- 
deen, who  was  greatly  respected  for 
his  learning  and  goodness.  It  is  said 
that  the  devil  paid  him  a  visit  here, 
and  being  worsted  in  an  argument, 
went  away  in  a  rage,  carrying  with 
him  the  whole  front  of  the  house. 

The  smaller  road  on  rt.  (from  the 
cross  roads)  leads  to  Cushuie  (Mrs. 
Lumsden),  passing  Hallhead  (H.  W. 
Gordon,  Esq.),  and  on  to  Tarland, 
and  by  the  ruins  of  Coul  Castle  to 
Charleston  of  Aboyne.  A  t  the  corner 
of  the  Hill  of  Coul,  at  a  j)lace  called 
the  Stack  of  Tilly  Lodge,  there  is  a 
magnificent  view.  On  a  rocky  emi- 
nence near  the  ch.  are  the  remains 
of  the  old  Castle  of  Coul,  a  fortitica- 
tion  of  square  form,  with  hexagonal 
towers  at  the  corners.  It  belonged 
to  the  Durwards,  a  family  of  con- 
siderable note  in  the  time  of  Alex- 
ander II.,  and  it  is  said  that  the  ch. 
bell  still  rings  of  its  own  accord 
whenever  one  of  the  name  dies]. 

Distances.  From  Alford  to  Kin- 
tore,  16  m.  ;  Hmitly,  20  :  Craigievar, 
4  ;  Kildrummie,  10  ;  Corse  Castle,  6. 

A  good  road  runs  along  the  N. 
side  of  the  Don,  joining  that  through 
Strathbogie. 

Beyond  the  river  is  Breda  House, 
with  its  burial-place,  and  farther  on 
are  the  woods  of  Briix,  once  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Camerons.  They  being 
at  feud  with  the  ]\Iowatts  of  Aber- 
geldie,  it  was  agreed  that  12  horse- 
men on  either  side  should  meet  and 
draw  up  articles  of  peace.  The 
Camerons  came  to  the  place  of  ren- 
dezvous according  to  agreement. 
The  Mowatts  brought  12  horses,  but 
2  men  on  each,  who  immediately 
fell  on  the  Camerons  and  slew  them. 
The  property  devolved  on  an  only 
daughter,  who  was  then,  or  subse- 
quently, wooed  by  a  cadet  of  the 
house  of  Forbes.  She  declared  her 
intention  of  marrying  none  save  the 
avenger  of  her  father's  murder. 
Whereupon  young  Forbes  challenged 


Mowatt  and  killed  him  in  single 
combat,  married  the  heiress,  and 
established  the  family  of  Forbes  of 
Brux.  The  last  of  his  line,  Jonathan 
Forbes,  was  proscribed  in  1715,  but 
concealed  himself  in  the  neighbour- 
hood by  working  as  a  labourer.  A 
dyke  built  by  his  own  hands  may  be 
seen  running  up  the  hill  from  the 
opposite  bank.  The  road,  leaving 
on  rt.  Littlewood  House,  now  enters 
a  beautiful  pass,  having  the  softly 
wooded  hills  of  Callivar  and  Coreen 
Hill  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
It  then  crosses  the  Mossie  Burn — 

"  From  Esset  to  Mosset, 
From  Bogie  to  Don," 

extended  the  original  territory  of  the 
Forbes  family.  At  the  toll-bar  the 
road  divides,  that  on  the  rt.  going  to 
Lumsden,  Hill  of  Koth  and  Huntly 
(Rte.  54),  and  on  1.  to 

10  m.  Kildrummie  Inn,  fair. 
Here  is  the  old  burial-place  of  Kil- 
drummie, with  its  Norman  wall  and  a 
vault  containing  monuments  of  the 
Elphinstone  family  and  the  Earls  of 
]\Iar.  Beyond  is  the  conical  hill  of 
Drumgoivdrum,  in  a  glen  behind 
which  took  place  the  massacre  of  the 
Camerons  by  the  Mowatts. 

Kildrummie  Castle  was  a  roj^al 
fortress  in  the  days  of  Eobert  Bruce. 
His  Avife  and  children  were  placed 
here  for  safety,  but  the  castle  being 
besieged  by  the  Earls  of  Lancaster 
and  Hereford,  they  fled  to  St.  Du- 
thus's  sanctuary  at  Tain,  where  they 
were  taken  by  the  Earl  of  Ross,  and 
given  up  to  Edward  I.  Kildrummie 
was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  the 
English,  and  as  for  the  garrison,  the 
chronicler  relates  concisely ,  "  thai 
wer.all  hangyt  and  drawyn."  The 
castle  is  the  most  picturesque  object 
in  the  whole  of  Strathdon.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  built  in  the  reign  of 
Alexander  II.  by  Gilbert,  Bishop  of 
Caithness,  and  to  have  had  7  towers. 
It  stands  on  a  rock  overhanging  a 


ScoTLAiJD,  Route  54. — Castles  Toivie,  Glenbucket,  and  Newe.   357 


ravine,  and  consists  of  a  square 
court  with  round  towers  at  the 
angles.  The  material  employed  is 
freestone,  which  must  have  been 
brought  from  some  distance,  as  the 
stone  of  the  country  is  granite.  The 
chapel  with  its  3-light  window,  in 
imitation  apparently  of  Elgin,  is  very 
conspicuous  among  the  remains. 
"  Kildrummie  may  be  pronounced 
the  only  castle  in  Scotland  of  which 
a  chapel  forms  a  conspicuous  fea- 
ture. "  Of  the  Snow  TovN'er  towards 
the  W.,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
150  ft.  high,  there  is  but  little  trace. 
The  road  now  enters  the  Den  of 
Kildrummie,  a  narrow  picturesque 
pass,  with  steep  wooded  sides.  At  the 
end  of  this  Morven  appears  in  the 
distance,  and  Towie  in  the  valley. 

8  m.  Euins  of  Towie  Castle,  of 
which  the  insignificant  square  keep 
is  left.  In  1571  it  belonged  to 
Alexander  Forbes,  and  in  his  ab- 
sence was  besieged  by  Adam  Gor- 
don, brother  of  the  Earl  of  Huntly. 
On  Forbes's  wife  refusing  to  sur- 
render, Gordon  set  fire  to  the  tower, 
and  burnt  herself,  her  children,  and 
servants,  27  in  all.  Upon  this  tragic 
incident  is  founded  the  ballad  of 
"  Edom  o'  Gordon,"  though  the  scene 
is  there  transferred  to  Eodes  in 
Berwickshire  : 

"  But  when  the  lady  saw  the  fire 
Come  flaming  over  her  head, 
She  wept  and  kissed  her  children  twain, 
Saj'ing,  '  Bairns,  we  be  but  dead. '  " 

In  the  ch.  -yard  is  an  old  gravestone 
with  a  sculptured  cross.  It  has  8 
branches  with  trefoiled  ends,  and  a 
gilt  chalice,  probably  implying  that 
it  covered  the  body  of  a  priest. 

Pass  rt.  Glenkindie  (A.  I^eith, 
Esq.),  and  just  before  the  next  toll- 
bar  in  the  second  field  from  the  road- 
is  a  very  remarkable  Picfs  House. 
It  has  two  chambers,  communicating 
with  each  other  by  means  of  a  small 
aperture,  3  ft.  from  the  ground  of 
•the  outer  chamber,  but  on  the  floor 
level  of  the  inner. 


10  m.  the  Glenbucket  river  is 
crossed  [and  a  road  is  given  off  to 
the  E".  up  the  glen,  passing 
under  the  Buck  of  Cabrach,  2377. 
It  ultimately  divides ;  one  branch 
down  the  valley  of  the  Deveron  to 
Huntly,  and  another  through  Glen 
Fiddick  to  Dufl'town. 

About  1  m.  up  this  road  are  the 
ruins  of  Glenbucket  Castle,  built  in 
1590  (Lord  Fife).  An  inscription 
on  the  walls  tells  the  visitor  that 
"n  (ought)  is  left  but  famine" — al- 
though there  is  not  even  much  of  that 
about  the  place,  as  its  history  has  been 
lost.  The  proprietor  took  the  part  of 
the  Stuarts  in  1715  and  in  1745. 

Moivatfs  Stone,  4  m.  up  the  burn, 
marks  the  spot  where  the  duel 
between  Mowatt  and  young  Forbes 
took  place,  which  ended  in  the 
death  of  Mowatt.  An  old-fashioned 
dirk  found  near  the  place  is  now 
in  the  Banff  museum.]  Continuing 
up  Strathdon,  on  rt.  is  Ben  Newe 
(the  Holy  Hill),  and  at  the  farm 
of  Buchan  there  is  another  Picfs 
House  in  the  garden.  (Inquire  at 
the  house  for  the  key  and  a  candle.) 
It  has  one  chamber,  and  winds 
considerably.  It  was  only  discovered 
a  few  years  ago,  though  a  tradition 
of  its  existence  was  acknowledged — 
an  old  "quoich"  or  drinking-cup 
and  some  wood  ashes  were  found 
at  tjie  farther  end.  The  Don  is 
now  crossed — the  road  on  rt.  lead- 
ing to  Neive  Castle  (Sir  C.  Forbes), 
a  good  view  of  which  is  obtained  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 

15.  m  is  Colquhonny  Inn  (good), 
standing  1100  ft.  above  the  sea, 
and  adjoining  it  are  the  ruins  of 
Colquhonny  Castle,  begun  by  one 
of  the  family  of  Forbes  of  Towie, 
but  never  finished  ;  for  it  is  said 
that  three  of  the  lairds  fell  from  the 
top  and  were  killed,  a  disaster  so 
ominous  that  the  works  were  discon- 
tinued. 


358 


Route  55. — Aberdeen  to  Inverness:  Kintore.    Sect.  Y. 


[From  Colqiihonny  to  Gartly  Stat. 
is  21  m.]  16  m.  on  1.  a  group  of  trees 
on  the  opposite  bank  marks  the  site 
of  the  old  house  of  Colquhonny ;  and 
above  it  is  to  be  seen  the  Hill  of 
Lanach,  with  a  cairn  on  the  top 
erected  to  commemorate  the  acqui- 
sition of  a  baronetcy  by  the  father 
of  Sir  C,  Forbes  of  Newe.  In  the 
valley,  near  the  water's  edge,  stands 
Bellabeg — the  original  property  and 
habitation  of  the  family,  Near  the 
confluence  of  the  Nochty  is  the 
Dune  of  Invernochty,  an  elliptical 
mound  40  ft.  high,  and  970  ft.  in 
circumference  at  the  base.  Around 
the  top  may  still  be  traced  the  foun- 
dations of  walls,  and  at  the  bottom 
there  was  a  moat.  It  is  probably  a 
natural  eminence  (perhaps  an  ex- 
ample of  drift)  adapted  to  the  pur- 
poses of  a  fort.  The  Brichjc  of  Pol- 
dullie  over  the  Don  was  built  in  1715, 
by  Black  Jock  Forbes  of  Inverernan, 
as  testified  by  the  insoiption.  As- 
cending the  hill  beyond,  a  good  view 
is  obtained  of  Morven  on  the  left, 
and  Ben  Newe  behind.  Opposite 
Candacraig  is  Glen  Conry,  where  the 
Earls  of  Mar  are  said  to  have  kept 
their  hounds.  Lonach  Hill  is  in 
front. 

17  m.  At  the  confluence  of  the 
Ernan  are  Inverernan  (Gen.  Forbes), 
and  Forbes  Lodge. 

At  18  m.  Lonach  there  is  a  de- 
cent little  Inn.  The  road  bejond 
passes  through  a  beautiful  bit  of 
scenery,  rounding  the  base  of  Lonach, 
while  the  hills  on  the  opposite  side, 
clothed  with  birch  and  firs,  close  in 
like  an  amphitheatre.  Beyond  this 
Pass  the  road  rises  rapidly,  and  at 
the  top  of  the  first  hill  is  Skellater 
House,  after  which  the  country  be- 
comes bare. 

At  the  head  of  the  Strath  the  high 
road  from  Ballater  to  Toraantoul 
runs  northward.  To  Ballater,  1 3  m. ; 
Tomantoul,  83  m. 

At  the  point  of  junction  is  the 
ruined  Castle  of  Corgarff,  supposed  to 


have  been  built  by  one  of  the  Earls  of 
Mar  for  a  Imnting-seat.  It  was  sub- 
sequently purchased  by  Government, 
and  kept  up  as  a  small  military 
station  for  the  repression  of  smug- 
gling. Near  it  is  Allargue  House 
(Ts.  of  the  late  R.  Farquharson  Esq.). 
A  bridle-road  continues  ,  westward, 
passing  very  near  to  the  source  of  the 
Don,  and  crossing  the  great  backbone 
of  Avon  Forest ;  it  then  descends 
Glen  Avon,  and  at  the  Bridge  of 
Bruan  falls  into  the  Tomantoul  and 
Cromdale  road. 


ROUTE  55. 

Aberdeen  to  Inverness,  by 
Huntly,  Keith,  Elgin,  Forres, 
and  Nairn,  Great  North  of 
Scotland  Railway. 

108  J-  m.,  4  trains  daily,  and  those 
very  slow  (time  occupied,  6  hours). 
The  tourist  who  cares  for  ecclesiastical 
architecture  should  stop  at  Elgin  to 
visit  the  ruins  of  the  cathedral,  and 
those  of  Pluscardine  Abbey. 

For  the  country  between  Aberdeen 
and  74  m-  Dyce  Junction,  see  Ete. 
53.  From  thence  the  line  keeps  the 
S.  side  of  the  Don  to 

lOf  m.  Kinaldie  Stat.,  where  a 
bridge  crosses  the  Don  to  Fintray 
village  and  House  (Sir  W.  Forbes). 

13|  m.  Kintore  Junct.  Stat. 
The  town  of  Kintore  (on  1.)  is  a 
Pvoyal  and  Pari.  Burgh.     Pop.  659. 

About  1^  m.  distant  are  the  ruins 
of  Hallforest  Castle,  an  old  building, 
said  to  have  been  a  hunting-lodge  of 
the  Earls  of  Mar  before  Bruce's  time. 
It  has  only  two  storeys,  with  vaulted 
roofs,  and  each  of  these  could  be 
divided  by  a  temporary  floor  into  two 
rooms.  But  there  are  no  traces  of 
staircase,  which  must  have  been  at  the. 
outside.     The  castle  was  granted  to 


Scotland.      Eoute  55. — Inveramsay ;  Balquhain. 


359 


Keith,  Earl  Marisclial,  for  services  at 
Bannockburn.  It  was  inhabited  as 
late  as  1639,  and  the  present  family 
take  the  title  of  Kintore  from  the 
property. 

At  this  junction  the  Alford  Valley 
Line  is  given  oif.  The  main  line 
passes  1.  Thainston  (D.  Forbes-Mit- 
chell, Esq.)  Rt.  of  the  line  is  seen 
Keith  Hall  (the  seat  of  Lord  Kintore), 
formerly  called  Caskieben,  and  once 
the  property  of  the  Johnstones.  The 
Scottish  Latin  poet,  Arthur  John- 
stone, was  born  here  in  1587.  It  is 
an  estate  of  17,000  acres.  The  rly. 
now  crosses  the  Don  and  arrives  at 

16  5  m.  Inverurie  Stat.  [Inn  :  Kin- 
tore Arms  ;  fishing).  It  is  a  neat 
small  town,  with  3  churches  and 
several  modern  villas,  a  Pari.  Burgh 
(Pop.  2856),  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Urie.  Inverurie  is  said  to  have  re- 
ceived the  privileges  of  a  royal  burgh 
from  Robert  Bruce,  in  commemora- 
tion of  a  victory  gained  near  here  over 
Comyn,  the  adherent  of  Edward  I. 
Rt.  of  the  rly.,  at  the  S.  end  of  the 
town,  is  a  mound,  partly  artificial, 
called  the  Bass,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  seat  of  justice,  or  a  hillock 
to  mark  the  gi'ave  of  a  Pictish  king. 
Concerning  this  mound,  which  is  in 
reality  an  example  of  drift,  there  is 
a  local  prophecy  : — 

"  When  Dee  and  Don  run  both  in  one, 
And  Tweed  shall  rim  in  Tay, 
The  bonnie  water  of  Urie 
Shall  bear  the  Basse  away." 

[A  branch  of  5  m.  is  given  off  rt. 
to  Old  Meldrum,  Ij^ng  on  the  high 
road  from  Aberdeen  to  Banff".  To  the 
S.  of  the  town  is  Barra  (Col.  Ramsay), 
on  the  hill  above  which  is  a  fort, 
marking  the  locality  of  the  battle 
between  Robert  I.  and  the  English 
army  under  Comyn,  Earl  of  Buchan. 
To  the  N".  of  the  town  is  Meldrum 
House  (B.  C.  Urquhart,  Esq.)] 

Crossing  the  Frie  river  the  line 
reaches 

21  m.  Inveramsay  Junction, 
having  on  rt.    Harlaw^   where  was 


fought  the  bloody  battle,  in  1411, 
between  the  Earl  of  j\lar  and  Donald 
of  the  Isles,  who  had  invaded  Scot- 
land and  burnt  Inverness  to  make 
good   his   claim  to  the  earldom   of 


Here  a  Railway  branches  to  Banff 
(Rte.  55a.) 

The  Garioch  is  the  name  of  the 
district,  celebrated  from  its  fertility 
as  the  "  gimel "  or  meal-j)ress  of 
Aberdeenshire. 

On  the  1.  side  of  the  rly.  and  1.  m. 
from  Harlaw,  are  the  ruins  of  Bal- 
quhain, a  ruined  tower  belonging  to 
the  old  family  of  Leslie  of  Balquhain. 
Here  Sir  William  Leslie  had  the 
honour  of  entertaining  Queen  Mary 
for  two  da3^s  during  her  progress  in 
the  north,  1562.  It  is  stated  that 
the  Duke  of  Cumberland,  on  his  way 
to  CuUoden  in  1746,  ordered  the 
castle  to  be  burnt,  and  there  is  a 
local  tradition  that  one  of  the  tenants 
averted  the  calamity  by  filling  his 
bonnet  full  of  silver  pieces  and  off"er- 
ing  them  to  the  soldiery  ;  the  bribe 
was  accepted,  and  the  vaults  filled 
with  damp  straw,  which  produced 
such  a  dense  smoke  that  the  duke 
was  satisfied  that  his  orders  had  been 
executed.  Several  illustrious  mem- 
bers of  the  family  of  Leslie  were  bom 
at  Balquhain,  and  amongst  others 
Walter,  Count  Leslie,  who  served 
with  distinction  in  the  Austrian 
army,  and  was  created  a  Count  of 
the  Holy  Roman  Empire ;  also  James, 
who  succeeded  him  in  his  German 
estates,  and  was  second  in  command 
at  the  siege  of  Vienna.  On  the  hills 
behind  the  castle  are  some  tumuli. 

1  m.  from  Balquhain  is  the  village 
of  Chapel  of  Garioch,  and  1  m.  be- 
yond that  is  the  Maiden  Stone,  about 
10  ft.  high,  and  ornamented  on  all 
four  sides.  On  the  E.  side  are  three 
compartments — in  the  lowest,  a  comb 
and  mirror — common  emblems  on 
Scotch  sculptured  stones — in  the 
middle,  an  animal  like  an  elephant, 
and  in  the  upper  one,  a  dog.     It  is 


360 


Route  55. — Pitcapk;  Huntly. 


Sect.  V. 


probably  an  early  Cliristian  monu- 
ment. 

Quitting  Inveramsat  Junct.  the 
main  line  reaches 

2U  m.  Pitca'ple  Stat.  {Inn),  to  rt. 
of  which  is  Pitcaple  Castle  (H.  Lums- 
den,  Esq.)  and  Logie  (Sir  James 
Elphinstone),  and  on  1,  Pittodrie 
(Mrs.  Knight  Erskine).  Pitcaple 
was  formeiiy  a  seat  of  the  Leslie 
family,  and  in  1640  the  Earl  of 
Montrose,  on  his  way  south  as  a 
prisoner,  was  allowed  to  rest  here  for 
a  night,  the  lady  of  the  house  being 
his  cousin.  Hartliill  Castle  ruins 
(on  rt. ).  This  fortress  was  built  in 
1638  by  Patrick  Leith,  and  burnt 
soon  after  by  the  Covenanters. 

24^  m.  Oyne  Stat,  (pronounced 
een. ) "  To  the  S.  is  the  beautiful  ridge 
of  Bennachie,  mentioned  as  the  place 
looking  down  on  the  battlefield  of 
Harlaw. 

The  traveller  will  call  to  mind  the 
fine  ballad  in  the  "Antiquary  :" — 

"  The  Coronach's  cried  on  Bennachie, 
And  down  the  Don  and  a'  ; 
And  hieland  and  lawland  may  mournfu'  be 
For  the  saix  field  of  Harlaw." 

From  the  summit  (1440  ft.),  which 
is  characterised  by  a  number  of  gran- 
ite peaks,  is  a  charming  view  of  the 
valleys  of  the  Don  and  the  Urie. 
In  ancient  charters  it  is  called  the 
"  Eoyal  Forest  of  Bennachie." 

On  rt.  a  road  leads  to  Wcsthall 
(Lady  Leith),  the  old  seat  of  the 
Horns  ;  another  on  1.  leads  to  the 
Gaudie  river,  on  rt.  bank  of  which 
is  Likelyheacl,  a  seat  of  the  Forbes 
in  1629.  2  m.  farther  up  the  stream 
is  Leslie  Castle,  one  of  the  most  con- 
venient of  these  ancient  structures. 
This  also  was  built  by  the  Forbes 
in  1661,  and  consists  of  three  towers 
joined  together  and  turreted. 

28  m.  Iiiscli  Stat.,  lying  at  the  foot 
of  the  conical  hill  of  Dun  o'  Deer, 
with  an  old  fort  on  the  summit,  of 
the  date  of  the  14th  cent  v.     Hector 


Boece  says  "  that  the  sheep  that 
gangs  on  this  mountain  are  yellow, 
their  teeth  hewit  like  gold."  "On 
the  1,  is  the  hill  of  Christ's  Kirk,  a 
suppressed  parish,  where  a  fair,  called 
'iThe  Sleepy  Market,'  was  at  one 
time  held  during  the  night.  It  has 
been  supposed  that  it  is  the  scene  of 
the  old  poem  of  '  Christ's  Kirk  on 
the  Green,'  ascribed  to  King  James 
I." — Oliver. 

Conspicuous  on  the  K.  are  the 
Foudland  Hills,  on  the  old  coach- 
road  to  Huntly,  which,  although  of 
no  great  height,  were  in  "^dnter  the 
terror  of  travellers  on  account  of  the 


31  m.  Wardhouse  Stat,  and  House 
(C.  P.  Gordon,  Esq.). 

33  m.  At  Kennethmont  Stat.,  to  the 
rt.  of  which  is  Leith  Hall  (Colonel 
Leith-Hay),  the  line  enters  the  valley 
of  Strathbogie,  and  the  country  be- 
comes more  wild  and  hilly.  Looking 
S.W.  the  traveller  sees  the  peaks  of 
the  Buck  of  Cabrach,  between  Strath- 
bogie and  Strathdon  ;  while  to  the 
W.,  near  at  hand,  is  the  conical  sum- 
mit of  the  Taj)  of  Noth  (1830  ft.),  a 
conspicuous  landmark  from  the  Ger- 
man Ocean.  The  archaeologist  should 
visit  it  for  its  vitrified  fort,  which  is 
very  perfect,  enclosing  a  large  area 
by  a  rampart  some  15  ft.  high,  with 
a  single  opening  at  the  S.  E.  corner. 
From  the  extent  of  the  outworks  it 
is  plain  that  the  fort  must  have  been 
one  of  the  greatest  importance. 

36  m.  Gartly  Stat.  There  is  a 
good  road  up  to  Strathdon.  It  is  21 
m.  to  Colquhonny  Inn  (Rte.  54). 

ilvix.  Huntly  Stat.  {Inns:  Gordon 
Arms,  Strathbogie  Arms).  The 
town  stands  at  the  head  of  Strath- 
bogie, at  the  confluence  of  the  Bogie 
with  the  Deveron,  and  consists  prin- 
cipally of  2  streets  that  cross  one 
another  at  rt.  angles,  forming  a 
spacious  market-place,  in  which  is  a 


SCOTU-ND.      Pioute  55. — HuntJy ;  Keith;  Fochahers. 


3C1 


statue  of  the  5th  Duke  of  Eichmond. 
Hard  by  are  the  ruins  of  Huntly,  or 
Strathhogie  Castle,  as  it  was  called  till 
the  year  1544,  cradle  and  seat  of  the 
Earls  of  Huntly,  the  most  powerful 
chieftains  in  the  N".  down  to  the 
16th  centy.  An  old  fortress  here 
belonged  in  early  times  to  the 
Comyns,  but  very  little  is  left  but 
the  vaults.  It  was  granted,  along 
with  the  barony,  by  Robert  Bruce 
to  Sir  Adam  Gordon,  founder  of  the 
family,  whose  head,  in  the  time  of 
Queen  IMary,  held  three  earldoms,  and 
ruled  more  like  a  monarch  than  a 
subject  from  Deeside  to  the  \Y.  Ocean. 

It  was  dismantled  by  James  VI. 
in  1594,  on  account  of  the  rebellion 
of  the  first  Marquis  of  Huntly  and 
his  murder  of  the  Earl  of  j\loray.  It 
was  rebuilt  by  Patrick,  E.  of  Strath- 
more  1696.  At  the  end  of  the  last 
centy.  it  ceased  to  be  inhabited,  and 
much  of  the  material  has  been  used 
for  the  building  of  Kunthj  Lodge, 
occupied  by  the  late  Duchess  of  Gor- 
don, the  gardens  of  which  are  very 
pretty,  and  are  open  on  Wednesdays. 
The  visitor  should  notice  the  Gordon 
schools,  erected  in  1851  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  fifth  and  last  duke. 

The  Deveron  is  crossed  by  a  bridge 
of  5  arches  near. 

45^  m.  Rothiemay  Stat.  The  line 
now  approaches  the  boundary  be- 
tween the  counties  of  Aberdeen 
and  Banff,  and  crosses  it  at 

Grange  Junct.  Stat.,  where  the 
line  to  Banlf  (Rte.  55b)  branches 
N.  E.  under  Knock  Hill. 

53^  Keith  Junct.  Stat.  {Inn  :  Gor- 
don Arms).  Keith  consists  of  a 
group  of  4  small  towns  on  the  Isla, 
the  chief  of  them  of  modern  origin, 
consisting  of  5  straight  streets  crossed 
by  others  at  right  angles.  It  has  4 
great  cattle  and  horse  fairs  in  the 
year.  The  Roman  Catholic  Clmiiel 
is  elaborately  ornamented,  and  con- 
tains an  altarpiece,  the  Incredulity 
\8cotland.\ 


of  St.  Thomas,  presented  by  Charles 
X.,  King  of  France. 

The  trains  of  Gt.  X.  of  Scotland 
Rly.  go  round  from  Keith  to  Craig- 
ellachie,  and  thence  up  the  Spey  to 
Boat  of  Garten,  on  Highland  line. 

Quitting  Kcitli,  the  main  line 
skirts  the  boundary  of  Banflf  and 
Moray  shires,  to 

58^  m.  Mulhen  Stat.,  and  passes 
through  a  prettily  wooded  defile  to 
the  valley  of  the  Spey,  which  is 
crossed  not  only  by  the  rly.  Viaduct 
of  6  arches  2-30  ft.'long,  but  also  by 
a  suspension  bridge,  which  has  super- 
seded the  old  ferry,  from  which  the 
place  is  still  called  the  "'Boat  o' 
Brig."  The  geologist  will  notice 
the  sections  of  Avealden-clay  and 
drift  on  the  banks  of  the  Spey,  which 
may  be  traced  down  below  Fochabers. 

62.   OiiTOX  Stat. 

Passing  rt.  Orton,  the  seat  of  A. 
T.  ^Miarton-Duff",  Esq.,  and  travers- 
ing for  3  m.  the  woods  of  the  Duke 
of  Richmond,  the  line  reaches 

65  m.  Fochabers  Stat.,  the  town, 
which  is  visible  from  the  railway, 
being  about  3.^  m.  to  the  rt,  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  Spey,  here 
crossed  by  a  fine  bridge.  (Inn  :  Gor- 
don Arms. )  It  is  a  neat  little  place, 
built  upon  a  regular  plan,  with  a 
handsome  square  in  the  centre.  At 
the  E.  end  is  an  Educational  Institu- 
tion, founded  by  Alexander  ]\lilne,  a 
native  of  Fochabers,  who  made  a 
large  fortune  as  a  merchant  at  N^ew 
Orleans. 

Close  to  the  town  is  the  entrance 
to  Gordon  C'aiT^Zg  (Duke  of  Eichmond), 
1 J  m.  distant,  standing  in  a  spacious 
park  of  1300  acres,  which  was  form- 
erly a  marsh,  called  the  Bog  of 
Gight,  but  is  now  well  covered  with 
trees.  The  Castle — the  seat  of  the 
Dukes  of  Gordon  till  their  title  be- 
came extinct,  and  their  property 
R 


362 


Eoute  55. — Gordon  Castle;  Elgin  Ctdhedral.     Sect.  Y. 


passed  in  1836  to  the  Duke  of  Eicli- 
mond — is  considered  the  great  place 
in  tliis  part  of  the  kingdom.  Its  ex- 
terior measures  600  ft.  in  length,  and 
it  has  four  storeys,  the  whole  being 
faced  with  freestone  and 'surmounted 
by  battlements.  Behind  the  centre 
rises  a  ponderous  square  tower  of  the 
11th  centy.,  90  ft.  high.  With  the 
exception  of  this  tower  the  whole  is 
modern,  and  there  is  no  grandeur 
about  it  except  as  regards  size.  The 
gardens  are  well  laid  out,  and  occupy 
an  area  of  12  acres.  In  the  interior 
are  good  family  portraits,  some  copies 
of  the  old  masters,  and  some  statuary. 
The  fishery  of  the  Spey  is  part  of 
the  property,  and  has  realised  as 
much  as  £15,000  per  annum.  The 
duke's  landed  estate  in  county  of 
Aberdeen  amounts  to  69,660  acres. 

It  is  about  3  m.  from  Fochabers 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  Gar- 
mouth,  where  it  is  of  considerable 
breadth.  At  Kingston  Charles  II. 
landed  1650,  and  was  at  once  com- 
pelled to  sign  the  Covenant.  The 
Spey  and  the  Findhoru  are  both  no- 
torious for  their  sudden  floods,  or 
"sjjates,"  during  which  the  smallest 
burns  become  roaring  torrents,  cre- 
ating terrible  havoc  in  their  course. 
In  consequence,  the  river  bed  and 
delta  at  its  mouth  are  constantly 
changing,  from  the  shifting  of  sand- 
banks. 

At  Port-Gordon,  4  m.  N.W.,  is  a 
small  harbour  formed  by  the  Duke 
of  Richmond. 

The  rly.  now  turns  to  the  1.  to 

68 4  m.  Lhanhryde  Stat.,  whence 
the  traveller  obtains  on  a  clear  day 
a  distant  vieAv  of  the  Inverness  and 
Koss-shire  mountains,  among  which 
Ben  Wyvis  is  conspicuous. 

Passing  1.  Coxton  Tower  {see 
below),  we  reach 

714  m.  Elgin  Jund.  Stat.  {±nn  : 
Gordon  Arms,  in  the  market-place). 
There  is  no  comfortable  inn  (1874). 


Elgin  is  a  neat  and  somewhat  busy 
town  and  Pari.  Burgh  of  7340  inhab., 
built  on  the  winding  banks  of  a  deep 
but  sluggish  stream,  the  Lossie,  and 
celebrated  for  the  most  splendid 
ecclesiastical-  ruin  in  JST.  Scotland. 
The  centre  of  the  town  is  a  long  and 
broad  market-place,  at  one  end  of 
which  stands  the  High  Kirk,  faced 
with  a  Grecian  portico,  and  at  the 
side  the  ancient  Tolbooth.  The 
Cathedral  is  situated  about  f  m. 
from  the  Stat,  at  the  E.  end  of  the 
town.  On  the  way  to  it  you  pass 
the  High  Kirk,  the  County  Buildings 
(modern  Gothic),  and  the  Museum — 
a  praisewortlw  collection  of  local 
antiquities,  geology,  fossils,  etc. 

^  Elgin  Cathedral  (Holy  Trinity) 
was  founded  about  1224  by  Bishop 
Andreas  de  Moravia.  It  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  completed  by 
the  end  of  the  century,  but  in  1390 
it  was  given  to  the  flames  on  the 
Feast  of  St.  Botolph,  by  the  Wolf  of 
Badenoch,  King  Kobert  III.'s  half- 
brother,  at  the  head  of  a  band  of 
wild  highlanders.  It  was  rebuilt 
with  a  steeple,  which  fell  in  1506, 
but  was  raised  again  in  1538  to  a 
height  of  198  ft.  Much  of  the  ex- 
isting remains,  however,  precede  in 
date  the  catastroplie  of  1390.  They 
consist  of  2  stately  W.  towers,  84 
ft.  high,  seen  far  and  near,  flanking 
a  very  handsome  pointed  portal, 
deeply  recessed  with  vigorous  and 
beautiful  mouldings — indeed  all  the 
car \'ed  work  is  excellent — surmounted 
inside  by  a  pointed  arcade,  over 
which  stood  a  large  window,  long 
since  emptied  of  its  tracery.  Of  the 
nave,  of  6  bays  with  double  aisles, 
nothing  remains  but  the  stumps  of 
some  of  the  piers.  The  central 
tower  and  part  of  the  transept  are 
quite  gone.  The  beginning  of  this 
destruction  was  an  order  of  Privy 
Council  (156S)  to  strip  the  roof  of 
its  lead.  A  heavier  blow  was  dealt 
(1640)  by  the  General  Assembly 
ordering  the  demolition  of  the  in- 
terior, including  a  veiy  perfect  and 


Scotland.  Route  55. — Elgin;  Pluscardine. 


363 


beautiful  rood  screen  richly  adorned, 
painted  with.  Bible  subjects.  This 
work  was  effectually  carried  out  by 
the  minister  of  Elgin  (Gilbert  Eoss), 
and  the  Lairds  Innes,  Brodie,  and 
others. 

The  Chancel,  raised  on  2  steps, 
is  lighted  by  2  windows  on  each 
side.  The  choir  was  flanked  by 
side  chapels,  and  the  main  arches 
surmounted  by  an  elegant  clerestory 
of  pointed  windows  in  2's  and  .3's. 
The  high  altar  was  lighted  on  each 
side  by  a  pair  of  tall  windows.  The 
total  length  of  the  building  was  264 
ft.  The  two  best  bits  of  the  church 
date  from  the  13th  cent}^,  the  best 
period  of  Gothic,  and  escaped  the 
conflagration  by  ' '  the  Wolf. "  They 
are  the  facade  of  the  S.  transept, 
showing  a  line  bold  doorway,  with  a 
sort  of  toothed  moulding,  surmounted 
by  a  jDointed  oval,  the  round  arch 
appearing  in  the  windows  above  the 
pointed  and  the  E.  end  of  the  choir. 
"The  E.  end  wall  is  virtually  one 
great  window  of  2  rows  of  5  lancets 
each,  but  having  piers  between  them 
instead  of  mullions,  and  a  wheel  at 
the  top.  Its  details  are  exquisite, 
and  the  whole  design  rich  and  beauti- 
ful. " — Fergusson. 

The  best  preserved  part  of  the 
building  is  the  octagonal  Chapter- 
liouse,  entered  from  the  S.  choir  aisle, 
retaining  still  its  elegant  central  pier 
and  finely -groined  roof,  not  unworthy 
to  be  compared  with  some  of  those 
of  England.  It  dates  from  the  first 
quarter  of  the  loth  centy.,  and  de- 
serves to  be  taken  care  of.  Of  late, 
indeed,  the  ruins  have  been  pre- 
served by  Government,  and  some 
money  laid  out  in  repairs. 

Of  the  Monuments  the  best  is  an 
armed  effigy  of  Hay  of  Lochloy 
(1421). 

The  S.  choir  aisle,  wdiich  retains 
its  stone  vault,  is  set  apart  as  a 
burial-place  for  the  Gordon  family  : 
here  rests  the  last  duke.  In  the  nave 
is  placed  an  antique  block  of  granite, 
carved  on  one  side  with  a  Cross,  on 


the  arms  of  which  are  the  symbols 
of  the  four  Evangelists  ;  on  the  other 
side  are  figures  of  a  knight  carrying 
his  hawk,  the  spectacle  ornament, 
the  broken  mace  (Z),  and  the  half- 
moon.  It  dates  probably  from  9th 
or  10th  centy.,  and  deserves  notice. 
It  was  dug  up  in  the  town  1823. 

On  the  N.W.  of  the  cathedral^ 
within  the  wall  of  the  college,  are 
the  remains  of  the  Bishop^ s  Palace, 
and  the  Greyfriai^s  Church,  a  long 
narrow  building  of  the  loth  centy.  ; 
also  of  the  Dean's  house. 

^  m.  E.  of  the  town  is  Ander- 
son's Institution,  for  the  maintenance 
of  10  old  people  and  the  education 
of  about  300  children.  Its  founder. 
General  Anderson,  H.  E.  I.  C.  S., 
was  an  orphan,  who,  according  to  the 
story,  was  reared  in  the  lavatory  of 
the  Abbey  Chapter-house.  The  build- 
ing has  a  Doric  portico,  supporting  a 
pediment,  on  which  are  3  sculptured 
figures  representing  the  founder  of 
the  institution  aud  its  objects. 

Upon  Lady  Hill,  among  the  ruins 
of  an  old  castle,  is  a  monument  to 
the  last  Duke  of  Gordon,  who  died 
in  1836. 

The  geologist  may  visit  the 
Museum,  which  contains  a  good 
collection  of  fossils  of  the  district, 
including  fossil  fish  from  Lossie- 
mouth, etc. 

pMilways  to  Inverness,  35 1  m.  ; 
Lossiemouth,  5  ;  Rothes,  14 ;  Aber- 
deen, 71.^  ;  Banff,  36. 

Excursions — a.  Coxton  ;  h.  Plus- 
cardine Abbey,  6  m.  ;  c.  Spynie  and 
Lossiemouth,  5  ;  d.  Kinloss  and 
Forres,  12^  ;  e.  Fochabers,  64- 

a.  2  m.  from  Elgin,  at  the  side  of 
the  rly.  to  Fochabers,  is  Coxton,  a 
good  specimen  of  the  old  Peel 
tower.  It  is  completely  fire- 
proof, and  has  no  access  what- 
ever to  the  entrance  save  by  a 
ladder. 


Boute  56. — Pluscardine ;  Sjjynie ;  Aires.       Sect.  Y 


b.  The  ecclesiologist  should  make 
an  excursion  to '*  Pluscardine  Ahhcy, 
6  m.  S.W.  from  Elgin.  The  road 
(good,  though  rather  circuitous) 
passes  by  Anderson's  Institution. 
Take  the  first  road  to  rt.  and  after- 
wards that  to  1.,  and  at  5  m.  turn  to 
1.  and  cross  a  burn,  after  Avhich 
the  abbey  becomes  visible  upon  the 
rt.,  in  a  charming  situation,  furnish- 
ing plentiful  subjects  for  the  artist. 

Protected  from  the  chilling  blasts 
of  the  Northern  Ocean  by  a  long  and 
high  ridge  of  hills,  now  thickly 
planted  with  fir,  the  abbey  stands  at 
the  narrowest  point  of  a  valley  which 
expands  towards  the  E.  and  "W.  in 
a  long  vista  of  luxuriant  fertility. 
The  very  perfect  remains  have  been 
well  cared  for,  and,  surrounded  as 
they  are  by  a  high  wall  enclosing 
about  10  acres,  approached  by  a 
nicely-shaven  lawn,  neat  garden, 
and  well-pruned  trees,  convey  a 
vivid  ijnpression  of  mediaeval  civi- 
lisation and  monastic  repose.  The 
church  itself  was  cruciform,  with  a 
square  central  tower.  Pluscardine 
Priory  was  founded  in  the  year  1230, 
and  dedicated  to  St.  Andrew.  The 
monks  were  Cistercians  of  the  rule 
of  St.  Benedict.  The  architecture 
is  chiefly  Early  Pointed,  retaining, 
as  usual,  the  circular  arch  in  its 
doorways.  The  nave  is  gone,  all 
but  a  fragment  of  wall  ;  the  choir  of 
3  bays,  -sAdthout  aisles,  is  56  ft.  long. 
The  Chapter -house,  about  30  ft. 
square,  shows  remarkably  delicate 
mouldings,  and,  like  that  of  Elgin, 
is  supported  by  a  single  central  pier. 
The  N.  transept  is  a  fine  composition, 
and  had  a  large  round  window  in  the 
gable.  The  old  groined  roof  is  still 
standing  on  the  aisles  of  the  transept 
and  also  on  a  small  chapel  at  the  N. 
of  the  choir. 

On  the  N.  Avail  of  the  choir  is  a 
credence  table,  on  which  2  angels  are 
represented  as  supporting  a  casket, 
and  with  their  other  hands  squeezing 
a  bunch  of  grapes.  A  flight  of  steps 
leads  from  the  ch.  up  to  the  dormi- 


tory, upon  which  a  substantial  roof 
has  been  set.  The  Refectory  has 
been  fitted  up  as  a  chapel ;  the  old 
]Hilpit  of  Elgin  Cath.  is  placed  in  it. 
The  buildings  are  luxuriantly  over- 
grown, and  there  are  some  fine  old 
trees  in  the  grounds. 

[About  the  same  distance  from 
Elgin,  to  the  AV.  of  the  Rothes  road, 
is  the  old  Kirk  of  Birnie,  which  was 
the  oldest  bishop's  ch.  in  the  diocese 
of  Moray,  and  which  still  preserves 
its  nave  and  chancel  entire.  There 
is  no  E.  window,  the  church  being 
lighted  by  round-headed  windows  of 
Norm.  date.  In  the  interior  is  a 
copper  bell,  said  to  have  been  made 
in  Rome.  To  be  buried  in  Birnie 
kirkyard  is  the  ambition  of  many  of 
the  country  people,  who  consider  its 
soil  as  peculiarly  sacred. 

c.  1^  m.  N.  of  Elgin,  on  1.  of  the 
Lossiemouth  Branch  Rly.,  are  the 
ruins  of  Spynie,  the  old  residence  of 
the  bishop.  The  Loch  below  it  has 
been  drained.  It  was  made  the  head- 
quarters of  the  see  by  a  papal  bull 
in  1203. 

At  the  destruction  of  the  religious 
establishments  it  was  granted  to 
Alexander  Lindsay,  who  was  created 
Lord  Spynie,  and  was  afterwards 
killed  in  a  street  skirmish  at  Edin- 
burgh. The  castle  originally  con- 
sisted of  1  large  square  tower  of  6 
storeys,  with  turreted  angles  on  the 
roof.  A  court  was  subsequently  added, 
protected  at  the  other  3  angles  by 
towers,  and  on  the  S.  and  E.  sides 
by  a  moat.  Over  the  main  entrance 
the  crozier  is  still  seen,  and  on  theS. 
side  the  chapel  can  be  identified. 

Lossiemouth  is  5  m.  from  Elgin, 
of  which  it  serves  as  the  port. 
A  harbour  was  built  here  in  1839 
with  2  basins.] 

Quitting  Elgin,  the  line  crosses 
the  Lossie  at  Palmers  Bridge,  a 
name  betokening  its  association  with 
Pluscardine  and  Elgin,  and  passes 
under  the  Knock  of  Alves,  a  hill,  on 
the  summit  of  which  is  a  tower,  to 


Moray.     Boute  55. — Forres;  Swends  Sk 


Findhorn.      365 


77  ra.  Alves  Jund.  Stat,  [whence 
there  is  a  branch  rly.  to  the  small 
port  of  Burghead,  5  m.  Traces  of 
ramparts  and  earthworks  across  the 
promontory  on  which  it  is  situated 
bear  out  the  tradition  that  Burghead 
was  a  Danish  fort,  although  some 
antiquaries  have  considered  it  to  have 
been  the  site  of  the  Roman  "ultima 
Pteroton  "  (?).  In  1864  some  mounds 
were  examined  at  Bennett  Hill,  when 
kists  were  found  with  complete  ske- 
letons and  flint  arrowheads. 


Pluscardinc  Abbey  is  4  m.  S. 
preceding  page).   ; 


{see 


81  m.  Kinloss  Junct.  Stat.,  close 
to  which  is  Kinloss  Abbey,  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  foundations  of 
David  I.  The  abbot  was  mitred  and 
had  a  seat  in  Parliament,  and  the 
brethren  were  of  the  Cistercian  order. 
At  the  Pieformation  it  was  sold,  and 
for  centuries  the  building  served  as 
a  quarry  for  all  the  houses  and  walls 
in  the  neighbourhood  ;  now  it  is  re- 
duced to  2  fine  round-headed  arch- 
Avays  and  a  few  vaults.  King  Ed- 
Avard  I.  in  1303,  and  King  Edward 
III.  in  1336,  lodged  in  the  Abbey. 
To  the  1.  of  the  stat.  are  the  ruins  of 
BiLrgie  Castle,  the  history  of  which 
is  unknown,  except  that  it  once  be- 
longed to  Kinloss  Abbey,  and  that 
Alexander  Dunbar,  a  judge  of  the 
Court  of  Session,  acquired  it  by  his 
marriage  with  the  niece  of  the  last 
abbot. 

[A  short  branch  rail  on  rt.  is  given 
off  from  Kinloss  to  Findhorn,  a  vil- 
lage at  the  entrance  of  the  Findhorn 
Loch,  which,  owing  to  the  devasta- 
tions caused  by  the  sea,  is  the  third 
village  of  its  name.  ' '  The  first  stood 
about  a  mile  W.  of  the  bar,  the  point 
at  which  tlie  river  originally  entered 
the  Firth,  before  the  eastward  pro- 
gress of  the  moving  sand  drove  it 
into  the  channel  it  now  occupies. 
The  second  village  was  planted  a 
little  to  the  N.  of  the  present  one, 


but  it  too  has  been  swept  aAvay.  Nor 
does  it  appear  that  the  existing  town 
is  free  from  the  risk  of  being  over- 
taken, partially  at  least,  by  a  similar 
catastrophe. " —  Geikic.  ] 

84  m,  at  Forres  Stat,  {buffet)  a 
Junction  is  formed  with  the  Highland 
Rly.  to  Perth  (Rte.  48),  and  with  the 
railways  to  Inverness  and  Aber- 
deen. {Inns:  Royal  Hotel  at  the 
Stat.,  clean  and  good ;  Station  Hotel ; 
Edgar's,  in  the  town).  It  is  a  clean 
little  town,  pop.  3959,  believed  by 
some  to  have  been  a  Roman  station, 
and  the  Varis  of  Ptolemy.  On  an 
elevated  platform,  at  the  W.  end  of 
High-st.  nearest  the  station,  stood 
the  Castle,  whose  site  is  marked  by 
a  tall  granite  Obelisk  to  the  memory 
of  Dr.  Thomson,  a  native,  w^hose  de- 
votion to  the  troops  in  the  Crimea  is 
gratefully  remembered.  S.  of  the 
town  rises  the  wooded  Hill  of  Cluny, 
whose  summit,  crowned  by  a  Tower, 
raised  as  a  monument  to  Nelson,  and 
accessible  by  winding  paths,  may  be 
reached  by  following  the  street  at  the 
side  of  the  ToAvn  Hall.  On  the  slope 
of  this  hill  is  a  magnificent  Hydro- 
pathic establishment,  to  which  an 
omnibus  conveys  passengers  from 
the  rly. 

About  a  mile  W.  of  Forres  the 
Findhorn  is  crossed  by  a  Suspension 
Bridge,  replacing  a  stone  bridge 
swept  away  by  the  floods,  1829. 

Forres  is  in  summer  a  cheerful 
place,  from  which  several  very  inte- 
resting Excursions  may  be  made. 

The  most  interesting  antiquarian 
remain  in  the  neighbourhood  is 
*Siveno's  Stone,  a  narrow  shaft  of 
sandstone,  standing  in  a  field  at  the 
side  of  the  road  leading  to  Kinloss, 
1  m.  E.  of  the  Town  Hall,  just  be- 
yond the  old  turnpike.  It  is  23  ft. 
high,  and  is  carved  with  figures  of 
warriors  and  animals.  "  These 
figures  are  arranged  closely  in  five 
divisions,  forming,  as  it  were,  so 
many  passages  of  the  story.  As  far 
as  can  be  discovered  by  ordinary  ex- 


366 


Route  55. — Belugas  ;  Diilsle  Bridge.         Sect.  V. 


amination,  these,  in  the  order  from 
the  top,  are — -Ist  and  2d  panels,  men 
and  animals  in  two  rows  ;  3d  panel, 
two  rows  of  warlike  figures,  with  in- 
struments of  music,  entering  a  gate- 
Avay  as  if  in  triumpli  ;  4th  panel,  four 
warriors  with  spears,  driving  before 
them  animals  with  human  heads  ; 
5th  panel,  men  as  if  in  consultation." 
— Muir. 

It  is  asserted  that  the  stone  was 
erected  by  Malcolm  II.  or  Macbeth  (?) 
to  commemorate  the  expulsion  of  the 
Danes.  Between  Sweno's  Stone  and 
Forres  is  a  mass  of  granite  riveted 
with  iron,  which  marks  the  spot 
where  witches  used  to  be  burnt. 

[One  of  the  finest  and  most  com- 
pensating Excursions  in  ISIorayshire 
is  along  the  rt.  bank  of  the  Find- 
horn  above  Forres.  Follow  the  road 
to  Grantown,  through  the  fine  forest 
of  Altyre  (Sir  Wm.  Gordon  Gum- 
ming, Bart.),  turning  rt.  opposite 
his  lodge,  reach  the  river  side,  com- 
manding splendid  views,  and  enter 
Ld.  Moray's  grounds  at  the  Lodge  of 
Sluie.  Here  admittance  is  given 
(and  a  small  fee  paid  to  the  gate- 
keeper) to  a  beautiful  footj->ath  through 
the  woods  looking  down  upon  Find- 
horn,  100  or  200  ft.  below.  The 
bends  and  twists  of  the  river,  as  it 
forces  its  way  through  grooves  in  the 
rock  at  the  base  of  pink  precipices  of 
granite,  are  extraordinary.  The  path 
commands  a  new  view  of  a  fresh 
reach  or  bend  at  every  100  yards,  as 
the  water,  brown  as  porter,  settles  in 
dark  pools  or  eddies  over  shelving 
rocks.  The  carriage  should  be  sent 
round  from  Sluie  to  Logic  farm-house 
and  the  Burnt  Mill — a  distance  of  3 
m.,  which  may  be  reached  by  the 
pedestrian  keeping  always  the  rt. 
hand  footpath.  Having  rejoined  the 
road  at  the  mill,  a  mile  farther  you 
reach  Eelugas  (Mrs.  Geo.  E.  Smith), 
over  the  bridge  of  the  Divie,  close 
to  which  a  wicket-gate  rt.  leads  down 
the  1.  bank  of  Divie  to  its  junction 
with  the  Findhorn.     At  this  point, 


and  a  little  above  it,  these  rivers  at- 
tain the  climax  of  beauty.  The 
Findhorn  writhes  and  tumbles 
through  and  over  grand  masses  of 
granite  fissured  in  all  dii-ections,  and 
rushing  through  narrow  chinks,  one 
of  which,  called  Randolph's  Leap,  is 
said  to  have  been  cleared  at  a  bound 
— though  the  whole  river  passes 
through  the  gap.  At  various  spots 
inscriptions  mark  the  height  of  the 
river  during  the  terrible  floods  of 
August  1829,  which  devastated  the 
grounds  of  Eelugas,  planted  and  laid 
out  with  so  much  care  and  taste  by 
Sir  Thomas  Dick-Lauder,  their  for- 
mer owner. 

The  pedestrian  may  return  to 
Forres  by  ascending  the  exquisite 
stream  of  the  Divie,  passing  Dun- 
phail  (Ete.  48)  (Lord  Thurlow),  and 
rejoining  the  railroad  at  Dunphail 
Stat.,  where  he  may  take  the  train 
to  Forres.  Following  up  the  Find- 
horn, some  of  the  gi-andest  scenery 
is  met  with  at  Ferness,  where  the 
river  runs  in  a  very  deep  chasm, 
forming  a  series  of  cataracts,  well 
seen  from  a  path  made  in  the  rock. 
From  Glenferness,  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Leven  and  JMelville,  it  is  2  m.  to 
Didsie  Bridge  (Ete.  48),  where  the 
traveller  can  bait,  and,  if  he  choose, 
can  visit  the  Streens,  or  proceed  direct 
to  Nairn  and  Inverness. 

A  little  before  reaching  Dulsie 
Bridge  the  river  runs  through  the 
extraordinary  narrow  granite  gorge 
called  the  "  Streens."  "  What  spot 
on  earth  can  exceed  in  beauty  the 
landscape  comprising  the  Old  Bridge 
of  Dulsie,  spanning  with  its  lofty 
arch  the  deep  dark  pool,  shut  in  by 
grey  and  fantastic  rocks,  surmounted 
with  the  greenest  of  gi-eenswards, 
with  clumps  of  ancient  weeping 
birches,  backed  by  the  dark  pine- 
trees." — St.  John.  A  branch  road 
has  been  made  to  Cawdor,  6  m. 
At  Comjhorough  Bridge  a  junction 
is  formed  with  the  Highland  road 
from  Sloch-na-muich,  and  the  Find- 


Scotland. 


Route  55. — Darnawaij  ;  N'airn. 


36' 


horn  is  crossed,  the  Strathdearn  road 
keeping  up  the  1.  bank.  Although 
very  wild  and  desolate,  the  scenery 
is  not  remarkable  except  at  Dalma- 
gavie  Dell,  where  the  glen  becomes 
much  contracted.  The  road  finally 
ends  at  Coignafearn,  a  shooting-box 
of  Mackintosh  of  Mackintosh.  ] 

Distances  from  Forres  to  Eelugas 
7  ra  ;  Keith,  29^  m.  ;  Elgin,  12i  ; 
Kinloss,  3  ;  Dulsie  Bridge,  12  ; 
Dunphail,  5|  ;  Grantown,  23  ; 
Nairn,  9|  m. 

The  Cathedral  of  Elgin  is  best 
visited  from  Forres,  as  there  is  no 
good  inn  at  Elgin. 

Bail.  Forres  to  Inverness  crosses 
the  Findhorn,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  rapid  and  dangerous  streams 
in  Scotland,  by  a  closed  iron  plate 
bridge. 

The  mouth  of  the  Findhorn  is 
bounded  on  N.W.  by  the  Sands 
of  Ciilben,  a  broad  range  of  mov- 
ing hills  and  sand-drifts,  which, 
since  the  latter  part  of  the  17th 
century,  have  overwhelmed  and 
destroyed  a  tract  of  3600  acres, 
once  known  as  the  Garden  of  Moray. 
The  rly.  passes  rt.  Dalvey  (iST. 
M'Leod,  Esq.\  famous  for  its  gar- 
dens (the  finest  in  Morayshire),  and 
arrives  at 

87.|  m.  BrocUe  Stat.,  to  rt.  of 
which  is  the  House  of  Brodie,  one 
of  the  stateliest  in  Morayshire,  in 
the  midst  of  well-grown  fir-woods, 
seat  of  the  ancient  family  of  Brodie. 
It  then  passes  (1.)  Hardmoor,  a  wide 
and  blasted  heath,  supposed  to  be 
that  on  which  Macbeth  and  Banquo 
met  the  witches.  A  clump  of  fir- 
trees,  visible  from  the  train,  was  left 
by  the  Laird  of  Brodie  to  mark  the 
spot  when  the  forest  was  cut 
down.  On  1.  are  Boath  House  (Sir 
J.  Dunbar),  and  the  ruins  of  Inchoch 
Tower,  once  the  seat  of  the  Hays  of 
Lochloy. 


The  village  of  Auldearn  is  the 
scene  of  one  of  Montrose's  most 
brilliant  victories,  gained  on  the  9th 
May  1645,  in  which,  with  1500  foot 
and  200  horse,  he  routed  the  Coven- 
anters, under  General  Urry,  with 
great  slaughter. 

About  3  m.  from  Forres,  and  2  m. 
S.  of  Brodie,  is  seen  (1.)  the  entrance- 
gate,  decorated  w'ith  4  colossal  earl's 
coronets,  of  Darnaivay  Castle  (Earl 
of  Moray),  on  the  W.  side  of  the 
Findhorn.  The  extensive  w^alks 
through  the  woods  on  the  river 
banks  afford  views  little  inferior  to 
those  on  the  opposite  side  {see  page 
366).  It  is  shown  on  Tues.,  Thurs. , 
and  Sat.  Part  of  an  old  castle  is 
included  in  the  modern  Italian  edifice. 
Earl  Randolph's  Hall,  100  ft.  long, 
with  roof  of  oak,  carved  with  pend- 
ants, is  very  magnificent.  The  castle 
is  embosomed  in  a  forest  of  oak  and 
pine. 

93^  m.  Nairn  Stat.  [Inn  :  Ma- 
rine, very  comfortable  and  moder- 
ate ;  a  Pari.  Burgh  ;  Pop.  3735)  is  a 
favourite  watering  -  place,  having 
good  sands,  and  easily  accessible. 
There  is  a  large  Sicimming  Bath, 
roofed  with  glass,  near  the  shore, 
into  which  sea-water  is  pumped. 
Swimming  lessons  are  given.  Nairn 
is  on  the  boundary  between  the 
highlands  and  the  lowlands ;  and 
until  within  a  few  years,  both  English 
and  Gaelic  were  spoken  here.  The 
town  has  increased  by  the  building 
of  many  villas  and  lodging-houses. 

Episcopal  Cliurcli  here. 

Excursions. — Same  as  from  Forres 
The  banks  of  the  Findhorn — for 
a  picturesque  and  charming  Excur- 
sion take  road  to  Forres,  by  Brodie, 
cross  suspension  bridge  to  Sluie, 
walk  up  river  banks  to  Logic  farm- 
house, where  carriage  may  meet  you. 

[5  m.  to  the   S."\V.,    overlooking 


3G8 


rioiite  55. — Fort-George;  Cidloden. 


Sect.  V 


the  ISTairn  river,  is  Cawdor  Castle 
(Earl  of  Cawdor).  It  is  a  well  pre- 
served and  picturesque  castellated 
building  of  grey  stone,  from  one 
corner  of  which  springs  a  square 
tower,  with  small  turrets  at  the 
angles.  It  is  approached  by  a 
draAvbridge  over  the  fosse,  and  is 
shown  when  the  family  are  not 
living  in  it.  Its  chief  interest  lies 
in  the  belief  that  ]\Iacbeth,  who,  it 
will  be  remembered,  was  Thane  of 
Cawdor,  murdered  Duncan  in  this 
castle.  In  reality,  however,  no  part 
of  the  castle  is  older  than  the  loth 
centy.  It  contains  some  family  por- 
traits and  fine  tapestry,  representing 
among  other  subjects  the  adventures 
of  Don  Quixote.  In  the  dungeon 
is  an  old  hawthorn  -  tree,  which 
grew  on  the  spot,  the  subject  of  the 
legend  that  the  founder  of  the 
castle  had  a  chest  of  gold  earned 
by  an  ass,  and  that  he  had  been 
advised  by  a  hermit  to  build  wher- 
ever the  ass  stopped.  The  halt  took 
place  at  this  very  tree,  which  was 
enclosiMl  in  the  fabric. 

Around  the  Castle  are  some  noble 
old  trees  :  ohs.  a  walnut  and  chestnut 
especially.  There  are  fine  walks  in 
the  woods. 

2\  m.  higher  up  the  river  jSTairn, 
on  its  1.  bank,  is  Kilravock  Castle 
(Major  Rose).  It  is  not  generally 
shown,  but  by  favour  may  be  seen  on 
presentation  of  stranger's  card.  It 
consists  of  an  old  square  tower,  built 
in  1460,  with  lower  buildings  of  a 
later  date,  and  has  been  in  the  Rose 
family  ever  since.  There  is  a  good 
collection  of  armour  and  family  pic- 
tures, and  the  gardens  are  beauti- 
fully laid  out  and  well  worth  a  visit. 
The  14th  April,  1746,  Prince  Charles 
Edward  spent  at  Kilravock,  Avhere 
he  praised  everythingi  and  made  him- 
self exceedingly  agreeable.  The 
next  day  was  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land's birthday,  which  he  spent  at 
Kilravock,  remarking  to  Mr.  Rose, 
the  then  proprietor,   "you  had  my 


cousin  here  yesterday, "     On  the  3d 
day  the  cousins  met  at  Culloden.] 

Bail  to  Inverness. 

99 J  m.  Fort-George  Stat.  The 
fort,  which  is  3  m.  distant,  is  an 
irregular  polj-gon,  with  6  bastions, 
and  was  built  soon  after  the  Rebel- 
lion of  1745,  to  keep  the  Highlanders 
in  check.  It  is  large  enough  to  hold 
3000  men.  Johnson  and  Boswell 
were  entertained  here  by  Sir  Eyre 
Coote,  who  was  governor  at  the 
time.  It  Avas  made  one  of  the  mili- 
tary centres  and  depots,  1872. 

1.  m.  from  Fort-George  is  a  Ferry 
across  to  Fortrose,  a  nearly  straight 
road.  The  road  is  continued  S.  to 
Grantown,  and  across  the  Grampians 
by  Tomintoul  to  Braemar  (Rte.  64). 

10|  m.  Dalcross  Stat.,  to  the  1.  of 
which  is  Dalcross  or  Dacus  Castle, 
where  the  royal  troops  were  put  in 
array  just  before  the  battle  of  Cul- 
loden. The  castle  consists  of  2 
square  blocks  of  buildings,  joining 
one  another  at  right  angles.  The 
windows  are  stanchioned  with  iron, 
and  the  original  massive  oaken  door, 
studded  with  huge  nails,  still  SAvings 
at  the  entrance.  The  hall  is  perfect, 
and  has  the  dais  or  raised  part  at  one 
end  for  the  lord  and  his  guests.  The 
ceiling  is  of  carved  oak,  partly 
painted.  It  was  built  by  Lord 
Lovat  in  1621,  and  in  the  18th 
centy.  was  purchased  by  the  Macin- 
tosh family.  It  is  now  used  as  a 
farm-house. 

rt.  about  half-way  between  Dal- 
cross and  Culloden  Stats.,  overlook-' 
ing  Inverness  Firth,  is  Castle  Stewart, 
a  fine  example  of  the  turreted  house. 
It  seems  to  have  been  built  by  the 
Earl  of  ]\Ioray  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  16th  centy.  In  1624  it  was 
taken  by  the  ]\Iacintoshes  and  ren- 
dered uninhabitable,  though  in  later 
years  it  has  been  repaired. 

105  m.  Culloden  Stat.  On  1., 
close   at   hand  is   Culloden    House 


SCOTLAJsD. 


Route  55. — CuUoden. 


369 


(A.  Forbes,  Esq.),  built  on  the  site 
of  the  old  mansion,  which  in  1745 
belonged  to  Duncan   Forbes,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Court  of  Session,  and  a 
staunch  supporter  of  the  Hanoverian 
cause.     It  was  for  some  days  before 
the  battle  the  headquarters  of  Prince 
Charles.     About  3  m.  from  the  stat. 
is  Drummossie  Moor,  the  ground  on 
which  the   Battle   of  Cullodcn   was 
fought  on  the  16th  April  1746.     It 
was  then  a  wide  open  swampy  heath, 
extending    southwards     from     the 
Moray  Firth,  a  great  part  of  which 
has  since  been  converted  into  arable 
land,    and   covered   with   luxuriant 
crops  of  grain.     By  the  road  from 
Inverness   it   is   6  m.    to  the  large 
boulder  stone  upon  which  the  Duke 
of  Cumberland  is  said  to  have  break- 
fasted that  morning.     The  ground, 
it  will  be  seen,  was  admirably  adapted 
for  the  Eoyalists — strong   in  horse 
and   artillery,   and   everything   else 
appears,  as  if  by  a  fatality,  to  have 
conduced  to  their   success.     Prince 
Charles  was  obliged  to  fight  to  pro- 
tect Inverness,   but  he  might  have 
chosen  better  ground  than  this.     He 
had  won  every  battle  that   he  had 
fought — he  had  not  abused  his  suc- 
cesses by  misconduct— and  yet  his 
army  was  demoralised  as  though  by 
a  succession  of  defeats.     The  pay  of 
the  men  had  been  long  in  arrear, 
and  among  the  officers  there  was  jeal- 
ousy and  distrust  of  one  another. 
The  whole  of  the  previous  day  the 
army   had     but     one     biscuit    per 
man,   and    it    had    been    marching 
all  night  with  the  intention  of  sur- 
prising   the    duke.       This    it    had 
failed  to  do,  and  was  now  going  to 
fight    upon    the     most     unsuitable 
ground  that  could  have  been  select- 
ed.    And  to  crown  all,  at  the  last 
moment   arose   that   ever  -  recurring 
difficulty    about    the    position    on 
the  right  wing.      The   Macdonalds 
claimed  it  as  their  right  from  time 
immemorial.       The    Stewarts    and 
Camerons  were    placed    there,    and 
the  Macdonalds  on  the  left.      The 


armies    had    been    about    equal    in 
numbers,  but  pressed  by  hunger  and 
fatigue   nearly   one-half    the   rebels 
had    straggled    into    Inverness,    or 
fallen  asleep  on  the  line  of  march. 
The  Duke  of  Cumberland  drew  up 
his  forces  in  3  lines,  and  began  the 
battle  with  his  artillery.    The  French 
gunners   in   Prince   Charles'   service 
feebly   replied.       The    Highlanders 
waxed  impatient  and  began  to  waver. 
Lord  George  Murray,  seeing  no  time 
was  to  be  lost,  led  forward  the  clans 
on    the   right,   who,    charging  with 
their  usual  impetuosity,   broke  the 
Duke's  first  line.     But  the  second, 
drawn  up  3  deep,  front  rank  kneeling, 
reserved   their   fire   till   the    enemy 
were  almost  on  their  bayonet-points, 
and  then  poured  in  so  murderous  a 
volley  as  to  make  the  Highlanders 
recoil.     M  'Lachlan  and  M  'Lean  were 
killed,  while  Lochiel  was  carried  off 
badly  Avounded.     Now  was  the  time 
for  the  Macdonalds  to  have  proved 
the  justice  of  the  claim  they  held  so 
tenaciously,  and,  like  the  ISIacpher- 
sons  on  a  similar  occasion,  to  have 
retrieved  the  fortunes  of  the  day  ; 
but  in  vain  the  Duke  of  Perth  rode 
up  and  implored  them  to  advance. 
In    vain     Macdonald    of    Keppoch 
charged  at  the  head  of  a  few  per- 
sonal retainers,  and  fell,  exclaiming, 
"My  God  !    do  the  children  of  my 
clan  forsake  me  ?"     Still  one  chance 
remained,    and    all    might    yet    be 
well.    Lord  Elcho  galloped  up  to  the 
Prince,  and  begged  him  to  put  him- 
self at  their  head  and  lead  the  charge 
in  person.      The   Prince   hesitated, 
and  declined.      Lord  Elcho  turned 
away  with  a  bitter  execration,  and 
swore  he  would  never  see  his  face 
again.      A   few  minutes   afterwards 
Charles  suffered  himself  to  be  led 
from    the    field  —  the     Macdonalds 
marched  off  without  striking  a  blow, 
but  with  pipes  playing  and  colours  fly- 
ing— the  battle  of  Culloden  was  lost, 
and  with  it  the  hopes  of  the  Stuarts. 
The  insurgents  lost  1000  men  killed 
and  wounded,  the  royalists  300. 


370    Rs.  55,  Stones  of  Clava. — 55a,  Aberdeen  to  Banff.     Sect.  Y. 


A  monument  \  m.  to  the  W.  of 
the  great  boulder  shows  where  the 
contest  was  fiercest,  and  where  most 
of  the  slain  were  buried. 

[1  m.  to  the  S.E.  of  Culloden 
Moor,  and  4  from  the  station  on  the 
S.  (rt. )  bank  of  the  river  Kairn,  stand 
the  Stones  of  Clava,  one  of  the  most 
extensive  remains  of  the  kind  in  the 
kingdom.  A  footpath  leads  from 
Cumberland's  Boulder  Stone  across 
the  road,  past  a  farmhouse,  to  the 
edge  of  the  river  Kairn,  which  is 
crossed  by  a  wooden  bridge.  On 
the  S.  side  of  the  river  are  several 
cairns,  but  it  is  probable  that  ori- 
ginally they  were  scattered  about  on 
both  sides  of  the  stream,  for  on  the 
N.  there  are  upright  stones  here  and 
there  in  the  corn-fields,  and  the  little 
tributary  of  the  Nairn  is  choked  with 
stones  of  all  sizes  which  have  been 
cleared  off  the  fields. 

The  monuments  on  the  S.  side 
extend  rather  more  than  1  m.  They 
consist  entirely  of  cairns  surrounded 
by  circles  of  stones,  and  of  many 
detached  upright  stones,  either  mark- 
ing the  spot  where  a  cairn  has 
stood,  or  part  of  an  avenue  lead- 
ing to  and  from  the  centre.  The 
cultivation  of  the  valley,  and  still 
more  the  erection  of  cottages  and 
farm-buildings  close  by,  have  played 
sad  havoc  with  this  curious  monu- 
ment of  antiquity — here  detached 
stones  have  been  heaped  together, 
there  the  cairns  have  been  scattered. 
The  valley  extends  N.E.  and  S.W., 
and  the  uncultivated  part  of  it  is  so 
covered  with  gorse  and  juniper  as  to 
prevent  one's  comprehending  the 
general  ground  plan  of  the  whole. 
The  principal  .object  is  a  line  of  4 
cairns,  more  or  less  perfect.  When 
undisturbed  they  were  16  ft.  high 
and  50  ft.  in  diameter.  A  ring  of 
upright  stones  confines  the  base  of 
each,  and  the  whole  is  surrounded 
by  a  circle  of  detached  slabs,  some 
50  yards  in  diameter.  The  3d  from 
the  E.  seems  to  be  the  most  import- 


ant, and  the  slabs,  are  larger  and 
flatter.  With  the  exception  of  the 
last,  which  has  fallen  in,  the  cairns 
have  all  been  opened,  the  easternmost 
very  scientifically,  by  the  order  of 
]\lrs.  Campbell  of  Kilravock  ;  it  was 
found  to  contain  a  chamber  12  ft.  in 
diameter,  with  a  passage  2  ft.  wide 
opening  towards  the  S.  In  the 
chamber  was  an  urn,  in  which  were 
ashes.  The  fields  to  the  W.  are  full 
of  blocks  which  show  how  far  the 
cairns  extended.  The  largest  of  all 
is  nearly  a  mile  to  the  W.  Eound 
this  cairn  was  a  circle  of  moderate- 
sized  stones,  and  beyond  that  a  ring 
of  very  large  ones,  of  the  latter  of 
which  a  single  specimen  is  standing, 
12  ft.  high  by  9  broad  in  its  widest 
point.  There  can  be  little  doubt, 
from  all  these  indications,  that  the 
plain  of  Clava  was  at  some  prehis- 
toric time  a  cemetery  for  the  great 
and  noble  Caledonians  in  the  N.  But 
whether  all  the  interments  took  place 
at  once,  or  whether,  as  in  loua,  these 
sepulchral  monuments  must  be  attri- 
buted to  the  history  of  several  cen- 
turies, is  a  matter  of  conjecture. 
Fergusson  ( ' '  Old  Stone  Monuments" ) 
supposes  Clava  to  have  been  the 
burial-place  of  Brude,  King  of  the 
Picts,  who  Avas  converted  to  Christi- 
anity by  St.  Columba. 

The  'flat  shores  of  the  Firth  of 
Inverness  are  carefully  cultivated 
and  teeming  with  grain,  as  are  also 
those  of  the  Black  Isle  opposite.  On 
apj)roaching  the  Terminus,  see  rt. 
the  mouth  of  the  Caledonian  Canal 
and  the  height  of  Craigphadrick 
(Rte.  64). 

110  m.  Inverness.  Junct.  Stat.  (Rte. 
64).  {Inns:  Caledonian,  very  good  ; 
Station  Hotel. ) 


EOUTE  55a, 

Aberdeen  to  Banff,  by  Inveram- 
say,  Fyvie,  and  Turriff. 

As   far   as   Inveramsay   Junct.   is 


Scotland.     Route  55a. — Aberdeen  to  Banff:  Fyvie. 


371 


described  in  Ete.  55.     Quitting  that 
stat.  the  line  reaches 

2  m.  IVartle  Stat,  and  Warthill 
House  (Wra.  Leslie,  Esq.),  an  old 
Scottish,  tower-house,  with  a  hand- 
some modern  addition,  filled  with 
precious  objects  of  Oriental  art.  Here 
also  is  an  interesting  portrait  of 
Prince  Charles  Edward,  with  a  hawk 
and  cocked  hat.  The  house  is  sur- 
rounded by  thriving  woods,  which 
hide  it  from  the  rly. 

6  m.  Rotliic,  near  which  is  Rothie 
House  (Col.  Forbes  Leslie). 

9  m.  Fyvic  Stat.  To  the  rt. ,  over- 
looking the  banks  of  the  Ythan  river, 
is  *Fyvie  Castle,  one  of  the  stateliest 
and  best  preserved  castellated  man- 
sions of  Aberdeenshire.  It  occi.ipies 
a  commanding  site,  and  is  built  in 
the  form  of  the  letter  L,  with  3  lofty 
square  towers,  crowned  by  bartizan 
turrets,  named  after  their  founders, 
Preston,  Meldrum,  and  Gordon 
towers.  Between  the  first  two  is  the 
old  entrance,  flanked  by  round  bas- 
tions, now  closed,  but  retaining  its 
massive  iron  crossed-barred  gate. 
The  present  entrance  is  in  the  rear, 
and  leads  to  a  broad  Avinding  stair. 
Tlie  interior  contains  an  interesting 
painting  by  Murillo,  and  portraits 
of  Monmouth,  Claverhouse,  Queen 
Mary,  Montrose,  and  Cecil,  Earl  of 
Salisbury.  The  original  castle,  pro- 
bably a  tall  peel  tower,  dates  from 
the  13th  cent.  Edward  L  is  said 
to  have  slept  in  it  1 296.  The  domain 
was  part  of  the  royal  chase  down  to 
the  time  of  Eobert  II.,  whose  son 
received  it  as  a  gift  from  his  father, 
but  shortly  gave  it  up  to  his  cousin. 
Sir  James  Lindsay.  In  1390  the 
estate  of  Fyvie,  Avith  the  castle, 
passed  from  the  Lindsays  to  Henry 
de  Preston,  by  whom  the  Preston 
tower  on  the  S.E.  was  built.  In 
1596  it  was  bought  by  Alexander 
Seton,  created  Lord  Fyvie  and  Earl 
of  Dunfermline,  Lord  Chancellor, 
and  tutor  to  Charles  I.     By  him  the 


Seton  tower  was  added,  and  his 
arms  sculptured  on  a  tablet  of  free- 
stone over  the  gateway.  It  is  pro- 
bable also  that  the  whole  was  re- 
modelled and  redecorated  under  his 
supervision.  The  tower  on  the  IST.W. 
was  added  by  the  Gordons,  who 
bought  the  estate  in  1726.  In 
the  S.W.  toAver  is  the  Charter- 
room,  adorned  with  grotesque  carv- 
ings, and  underneath  it  is  a  cham- 
ber, walled  up.  No  one  knows 
AA-hen  or  why  it  was  closed,  but 
a  superstitious  tradition  that  some 
great  calamity  Avould  folloAV  its 
opening  has  hitherto  checked  curi- 
osity. In  1644  the  park  Avas  occu- 
X)ied  by  the  ]\Iarquis  of  Montrose, 
whose  intrenchments  may  still  be 
traced  near  the  garden.  He  Avas 
defeated  here  by  Argyle. 

It  is  noAV  the  seat  of  Col.  W.  Cosmo 
Gordon.  On  the  Preston  tower 
is  a  figure  of  the  Trumpeter  of  Fyvie, 
the  subject  of  a  charming  love 
ballad. 

3  m.  loAver  doAvn  the  Ythan  is  the 
ToiL'cr  of  Gight,  which  belonged  to 
the  branch  of  the  Gordons  from 
Avliich  came  Byron's  mother.  It  was 
besieged  by  Montrose  1639,  when 
he  upheld  the  Covenanting  cause, 
but  he  failed  to  take  it. 

To  the  I.  oi  Auchterless  ^Ut.  {lil 
m.)  is  Towie,  noAV  a  farmhouse,  but 
formerly  Tolly  Castle,  the  residence 
of  the  Barclay  family.  The  old  hall 
is  still  complete,  and  appears  to  have 
been  built  or  used  for  a  chapel.  It 
has  a  groined  and  ribbed  roof,  and 
is  decorated  with  sacred  emblems. 
In  the  recess  at  the  farther  end  are 
4  shields  with  representations  of  the 
Evangelists.  An  inscription  on  the 
exterior  (partly  illegible)  says  : — 

"  Sir  Alexander  Barclay  de  Tolly 
Fundator,  deeessit 
Anno  Domini  1136 
In  time  of  Valtb  al'  men 
Semis  friendly  and  friend  is  not^^ 
Knavin  bot  in  adversity.     1593." 

In  reality  the  date  of  the  foundation 


372       Route  5r^x.— Turriff ;  Banff;  Duff  House.         Sect.  V. 


must  be  about  1300.  The  cynical 
spirit  of  the  later  inscription  may  be 
explained  by  Thomas  the  Ehymer's 
lines  upon  the  castle  : — 

"  Barclay  Tolly  of  the  glen, 
Happy  to  the  maids,  but  never  to  the  men," 

Of  this  family  was  Field  Marshal 
Barclay  de  Tolly,  who  commanded 
the  Russian  troops  at  the  battle  of 
Smolensko. 

To  rt.  of  Auchterless  is  Hatton 
Castle,  the  seat  of  Garden  Duff, 
Esq.,  which  still  preserves  part  of 
the  old  tower  of  Balquhally,  the 
place  of  the  Mowatts,  sold  by  them 
in  1723. 

18  m.  Turriff  {Inn :  Commercial), 
a  thriving  industrious  town,  with 
manufactures  of  flax,  thread,  and 
brown  linen,  is  a  place  of  consider- 
able antiquity,  as  shown  by  the  re- 
mains of  the  old  Church,  once  the 
property  of  the  Knights  Templars. 
It  is  120  ft.  long  and  18  broad,  and 
has  a  handsome  belfry,  with  a  fine- 
toned  bell  of  the  year  1557.  There 
are  monuments  to  the  Lindsay  and 
Leslie  families.  The  town  Cross  is 
very  old,  and  used  to  be  the  spot 
where  the  Sheriff's  Court  assembled. 
In  1639  the  Master  of  Forbes,  who 
had  collected  a  body  of  Covenanters 
here,  was  ignominioush^  routed  by  a 
party  of  Royalists,  and  the  skirmish 
was  afterwards  known  as  the  ' '  Trot 
of  Turriff"."  On  this  occasion,  in 
this  remote  village,  the  first  blood 
was  drawn  in  the  civil  war  of  Scot- 
land. In  the  neighbourhood  are 
Forglen  (Sir  R.  J.  Abercromby),  a 
handsome  modern  house  (2  m.  from 
.stat.),  beautifully  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Deveron,  an  estate  of 
8000  acres,  and  Dalgety  (A,  D. 
Ainslie,  Esq.). 

The  rly.  now  approaches  the  river 
Deveron,  and  reaches 

'  21  m.  Plaidy  Stat, 
2  m.  rt.  is  Craigstone  Castle  (Mrs. 
Pollard-Urquhart),  built  1607.    It  is 


a  plain  copy  of  the  principal  tower 
of  Fyvie,  so  studiously  plain  indeed 
that  the  corner  towers  have  been 
omitted  after  the  corbels  to  support 
them  had  been  built.  The  only  de- 
coration consists  of  a  row  of  grotesque 
sculpture  over  the  central  arch. 

25  m.  King  Edward  Stat.,  a  cor- 
ruption of  Kin-Edart,  formerly  be- 
longing to  the  Comyns.  There  are 
remains  of  a  castle  1^  m.  off,  on  a 
rocky  eminence,  which  was  one  of 
their  strongholds.  2  m.  1.  Eden 
House,  belonging  to  M.  E.  Grant 
Duff,  Esq.,  M.P. 

On  an  eminence,  separated  from 
the  town  by  the  river  Deveron,  here 
spanned  by  Smeaton's  Bridge,  Om- 
nibus to  and  from  the  town  \  m.  is 

Banff  Terminus. 

29  m.  Banff  {Hotel :  Fife  Arms, 
clean  and  good),  a  Pari.  Burgh  and 
seaport  of  2d  class  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Deveron,  which  separates  Banff 
from  Macduff.  (Pop.  7439.)  On  the 
shoulder  of  the  hill  next  the  sea 
stood  the  Castle,  at  times  a  royal 
residence,  and  occupied  for  a  daj'-  or 
two  by  the  invader  Edward  I.  in 
1296  and  1298.  The  castle  is  now 
supplanted  by  a  modern  house  ;  and 
a  few  lumpish  walls  and  a  ditch  alone 
repi'esent  it.  Beyond  it  is  Chalmers 
Hospital.  In  the  Old  Church-yard, 
behind  the  Post-Offiee  is  a  fragment 
of  a  Gotliic  Church,  with  one  or  two 
monuments.  On  the  height  near  the 
present  church  are  the  Schools,  a 
handsome  building  with  a  Grecian 
portico,  built  from  funds  left  by  Jas, 
Wilson,  a  native  of  Banff.  In  this 
building  is  a  Museum,  where  some 
relics  are  preserved  of  Ferguson  the 
astronomer  (b.  at  Keith  1710). 

In  Low  St.,  opposite  the  Fife  Arms, 
are  the  County  Buildings,  and  near 
the  end  of  the  street,  close  to  the 
church,  is  the  entrance  lodge  to 

Duff  House  (Earl  of  Fife),  a  hand- 
some Italian  mansion,  with  towers  at 
the  four  corners,    designed   by  the 


Banff. 


Route  55  a. — Banff ;  Maaluff. 


373 


elder  Adams,  and  built  about  the 
middle  of  the  18th  centy.,  sheltered 
by  trees  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Deveron.  It  contains  a  fine  collec- 
tion of  paintings,  which  can  be  seen 
in  the  absence  of  the  family  by  an 
order  from  the  factor.  Besides  a 
number  of  family  portraits  of  more 
than  average  merit,  the  following  are 
the  most  noticeable  old  pictures  : — 
Henrietta  Maria,  Fandi/cJc,  full  length 
in  white  satin  ;  Penelope  Countess 
Herbert,  same  ;  Charles  I.  as  Prince 
of  Wales,  Velasquez,  a  good  picture, 
but  not  a  favourable  portrait — the 
expression  is  sinister,  and  reminds 
one  of  his  son  James  II.  Lady  Mary 
Coke,  and  Mrs.  Abington,  Sir  J.  Rey- 
nolds, a  lovely  picture,  face  full  of 
expression  and  softness  of  colouring  ; 
Hawking,  Wynants ;  Sir  W.  Lent- 
hall,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, 1640,  Mytens;  Infant  Saviour, 
feeling  the  sharpness  of  the  Crown  of 
Thorns,  Alonzo  Cano ;  Italian  Land- 
scape, Zuccarelli :  Salvator  Mundi 
astride  upon  the  globe,  Luca  Gior- 
dano, a  tine  jjicture,  with  more  ex- 
pression than  is  generally  found  on 
this  subject;  Assumption,  AIunllo{l); 
Duke  of  Richmond,  Vandyck;  Duch- 
ess of  Richmond,  same  ;  Charles  I., 
Vandyck;  Duchess  of  Richmond, 
Lely,  a  beautiful  face  and  figure  ; 
Prince  Henry,  Jansen;  Jane  Duchess 
of  Gordon,  Reijnolds;  Princess  Eliza- 
beth ;  3  children  of  James  I.,  stiff 
and  disagreeable  ;  3  small  heads  by 
Holbein;  an  ecclesiastic,  J.  van 
Eyck ;  a  philosopher  with  a  sciill, 
Q.  Matsys ;  head  of  a  girl,  Murillo  ; 
Louis  XIV,  Rigaud ;  Queen  Eliza- 
beth, Hilliard  ;  porti-aits  of  the  Eng- 
lish kings  from  Henry  V.  to  George 
II.,  including  a  full  length  of 
Henry  VIII.  by  Holbein  ;  the 
Chevalier,  Prince  Charles,  and  Car- 
dinal York  by  G.  Hamilton,  etc. 
There  is  a  handsome  library  70  ft. 
long,  and  a  good  collection  of  arms 
and  armour.  There  is  a  charming 
walk  straight  through  the  Park  to 
Alvah  Bridge  (2  m. ),  where  the  rocks 


rise  to  the  height  of  50  ft.  and  are 
said  to  be  as  deep  below  the  surface 
of  the  water.  There  is  a  Gothic 
mausoleum  in  the  Park  containing 
monuments  to  various  members  of 
the  family.  The  estate  amounts  to 
72,000  acres. 

Banff  has  a  reputation  for  sea-bath- 
ing, but  there  are  no  machines. 
However,  a  Bath-house  was  opened 
in  1872. 

A  little  to  the  E.  of  Banff,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Deveron,  is  the 
town  of  Macduff,  politically  united 
to  Banff,  though  otherwise  independ- 
ent, devoted  to  herring-fishing  and 
some  shipbuilding.  It  takes  its 
name  from  the  Fife  family,  whose 
property  it  is.  From  the  hills  above 
there  is  a  charming  view  of  the  va,le 
of  Deveron,  and  the  Sutherlandsliire 
mountains  in  the  distance. 

There  is  an  Episco^Kcl  Cli.  at  Banff. 

The  terminus  of  the  Strathisla 
Raihray,  leading  to  Elgin  and  Inver- 
ness by  Tillynaught  and  Grange, 
also  to  Portsoy  (Rte.  55b),  is  at 
Banff  Harbour,  close  to  the  Pier. 

5  m.  from  Banff  on  the  road  to 
Portsoy,  passing  the  gable  end  of 
the  old  ruined  ch.  of  Boyndie,  are 
the  remains  of  the  Castle  of  Boyne, 
once  the  property  of  the  Edmon- 
stones  and  then  of  the  Ogilvys.  An 
older  castle  stood  once  upon  the  sea- 
shore, of  which  a  few  fragments  re- 
main. Boyne  Castle  overlooks  a 
deep  ravine,  which  served  as  a  de- 
fence to  the  N.W.  On  the  S.  is  the 
entrance  by  a  raised  causeway  across 
the  moat.  The  gateway  is  protected 
by  2  round  towers,  and  the  whole 
building  consisted  of  a  rectangle,  de- 
fended by  towers  at  the  angles.  The 
W.  side,  with  its  hall,  80  ft.  long, 
was  added  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
16th  centy. 

2  m.  S.  of  Banff  is  Inchdrewer 
Castle,  now  converted  into  a  farm- 
house. Here,  in  1713,  Lord  Banff 
was  bui'nt  under  very  suspicioiis  cir- 
cumstances. 


374 


Ro^ite  55b. — Perth  to  Elgin  :  Craig ellacliie.     Sect.  V. 


ROUTE  55b. 

Perth,  to  Elgin,  by  Craigellacliie 
and  Rothes,  and  to  Banff,  by 
Craigellachie,  Dufftown,  and 
Keith  Junction.    Rail. 

From  Perth  to  Boat  of  Garten 
June.  Stat,  is  described  Rte.  48. 
Quitting  the  Highland  Railway,  this 
line  continues  to  descend  Strathspey, 
by  Nethy  Bridge  Stat. 

Grantoivn  Stat.,  and 

Cromdale  Stat.  The  river  makes 
a  wide  sweep  between  well  wooded 
hills.  The  Scottish  dance  music,  the 
"Strathspey,"  is  derived  from  this 
district." 

rt.  is  Tiilchan  Lodge,  I'esidence  of 
the  hospitable  M.  T.  Bass,  Esq., 
M. P.,  in  a  charming  situation,  and 
well  backed  by  fir-woods,  on  1.  bank 
of  river. 

Advie  Stat. 

Near  Dalvey  is  Glenlivat,  famed 
for  its  whisky. 

The  Avon,  the  largest  tributary 
of  the  Spey,  descending  from  the 
Cairngorm  Grampians,  falls  in  from 
the  E.  {see  Rte.  52a).  Railway 
crosses  the  Spey  just  above  the  junc- 
tion. 

Ballmdalloch  Stat.  At  Delnes- 
haugh  is  a  small  Inn  (Aberlour  H.) 
where  a  horse  and  car  may  be  hired 
to  Tomintoul.  Ballindalloch  Castle 
(Sir  G.  Macpherson  Grant,  Bart.) 
consists  of  an  imposing  old  square 
tower  with  modern  additions.  In  the 
park  are  some  fine  avenues,  leading 
towards  the  junction  of  the  two  rivers. 
It  is  an  estate  of  14,223  acres. 

Blacksboat  Stat. 

The  spire-like  peak  of  Ben  Rinnes 
is  a  conspicuous  object  on  it. 

Carron  Stat.     The  Spey  is  again 


Aherlour  Stat,  on  rt.  bank  of 
Spey.  1  m.  up  the  river  Lour  is  a 
pretty  fall,  the  Lynn  of  Ruthrie,  30 
ft.  high. 

rt.  Aberlour  House  (Miss  Mac- 
pherson Grant),  a  handsome  modern 
mansion,  picturesquely  situated. 

A  long  hilly  promontory,  stretch- 
ing IST.  from  the  Grampians  towards 
the  Spey  here  terminates  in  the  clitt' 
called  Craigellachie,  round  which 
the  road,  the  river,  and  the  railway 
wind.  "There  is  nothing  remark- 
able in  either  its  height  or  form  ;  it 
is  darkened  with  a  few  scattered 
pines  and  birch  trees,  and  touched 
along  the  summit  with  a  flush  of 
heather  ;  but  it  constitutes  a  kind 
of  headland  or  promontory  in  the 
group  of  hills  to  which  it  belongs,  a 
sort  of  initial  letter  of  the  mountains, 
and  thus  stands  in  the  minds  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  district,  and  the 
Clan  Grant,  for  a  type  of  the  coun- 
try."— liuskin.  In  old  times  it  was 
the  trysting-place  of  the  clan,  and 
hence  their  war-cry  became,  "  Stand 
fast,  Craigellachie." 

Craigellacliie  June.  Stat.  Inn : 
Fife  Arms  (fishing).  The  Spey  is 
here  crossed  by  Telford's  elegant  iron 
Bridge  of  a  single  arch,  150  ft.  span, 
so  debased  as  to  allow  ample  water- 
way for  the  destructive  floods.  Here 
a  riy.  branches  rt.  to  Banfl'  by  Duff- 
town (see  next  page). 

The  rly.  to  Elgin  follows  the  Spey, 
which  winds  round  the  W.  base  of 
the  lofty  hill  of  Ben  Aigen,  rising 
due  N.  after  passing  rt.  near  Arn- 
dilly  the  junction  of  the  river  Fid- 
dich,  as  far  as 

Rothes  Stat.  (Grant  Arms,  a  fair 
Inn),  a  picturesquely  situated  vil- 
lage on  the  1.  bank  of  the  Spey,  and 
directly  in  view  of  Ben  Aigen  (1500 
ft.)  From  this  place  a  branch  of  the 
noble  family  of  the  Leslies  takes  the 
title  of  Earl.     The  ruined  Avails  of 


Scotland.       Route  55b. — Craigellaclm  to  Banff. 


375 


their  old  Castle  rise  above  it  on  the 
W.  They  sold  this  estate  about 
1700  to  Grant,  Earl  of  Seafield,  and 
migrated  to  Fife.  Kear  this  is  the 
large  Distillery  of  Glen  Grant. 

Elgin  Junc.  Stat.  (Ete.  55). 


Craigellachie  Junct.  to  Banff. 
Quitting  Craigellachie  and  passing  1. 
Kininvie  House  (G.  A.  Leslie,  Esq.), 
we  ascend  the  Glen  of  the  Fiddich 
to 

11m.  Dufftovrn  Stat. ,  which  is  1  m. 
from  the  village  of  modern  origin, 
founded  since  1817,  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Kullan  and  Fiddich  Waters 
{Inn :  Wilson's).  Near  the  stat.  is 
Balvenie  old  castle,  once  the  pro- 
perty of  the  Athole  family,  whose 
motto  is  on  the  front  of  it.  No  part 
of  the  building  is  older  than  the  15th 
centy.  At  a  short  distance  from  it  is 
the  modern  castle,  the  seat  of  the 
Earl  of  Fife.  Close  to  Dutttown  is 
Mortlach  Kirk,  on  the  steep  banks  of 
the  Dullan,  originally  founded  as  a 
primitive  cathedral  ch.  by  Malcolm 
II.  It  has,  however,  been  modern- 
ised with  the  strictest  Presbyterian 
ugliness,  2  round-headed  windows 
being  all  that  is  left  of  the  old 
building,  besides  some  tombstones 
in  the  interior.  The  limestone 
scenery  around  Dufftown,  Glen  Fid- 
doch  and  Dullan,  is  very  beautiful, 
and  contrasts  well  with  the  granite 
peaks  of  the  neighbouring  hills  of 
Uenrimies  and  the  Convals. 

[From  Dufftown  two  or  three 
roads  run  S.  through  Glen  Rinnes 
and  Glen  Fiddoch  to  Glenlivat, 
celebrated  for  its  whisky.  Its 
principal  historical  importance  is  on 
account  of  the  battle  of  Glenlivat. 
The  Earl  of  Ai'gyle  had  been  de- 
puted by  James  VI.  to  reduce  to 
submission  the  Earls  of  Huntly  and 
Errol,   and  marched   hither   at   the 


head  of  the  Campbells.  The  rebel 
earls  met  him  with  a  force  numeri- 
cally inferior,  but  chiefly  composed 
of  gentlemen  well  aimed  and 
mounted.  The  Earl  of  Argyle  was 
defeated,  and  James  YI.  in  conse- 
quence took  the  field  in  person. 
Huntly  and  Errol  were  not  prepared, 
or  could  not  muster  force  enough,  to 
meet  the  king,  who  destroyed  their 
strongholds,  Huntly  and  Slaines 
castles.  Overlooking  Glen  Fiddoch 
is  the  tower  of  Anchindoun,  wliich 
was  burnt  by  the  clan  Mackintosh 
in  the  16th  centy.,  an  event  com- 
memorated in  an  old  ballad.] 

The  Railway  next  descends  Glen 
Isla  to 

Drummuir  Stat. 

E.  is  Drummuir  Castle  (Major 
Gordon  Duff). 

Auchindachy — Earl's  mill  Stat. 

Keith  Junct.  Stat,  on  the  Railway 
from  Aberdeen  to  Elgin  (Rte.  55), 
which  we  follow  as  far  as 

49  m.  Grange  Junct.,  whence  the 
Strathisla  branch  is  given  off  to  Port- 
soy and  Banff",  passing 

3^  m.  Knock  Stat.,  at  the  foot  of 
Knock  Hill  (1640  ft.) 

8  m.  to  Cornhill,  rt.  of  which  is 
Park  House  (Major  Duff  Gordon 
Duff). 

10  m.  at  TiLLYN AUGHT  JUKCT.  Stat. 
The  Railway  divides — rt.  by  Lady 
Bridge  Stat,  to  the  sea,  and  along  the 
shore  to 

Banff  Harbour  Terminus,  close  to 
the  Pier  {see  Rte.  55a) 

1.  13  m.  to  Portsoy  Terminus, 
a  small  seaport.  The  geologist 
will  find  in  the  rocks  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  a  perfect 
storehouse  of  mineralogical  speci- 
mens. Portsoy  marble,  a  beautiful 
variety  of  serpentine,  and  a  peculiar 


376 


Route  55b. — Craigellachie  to  Banff:  CuUen.    Sect.  Y. 


flesli-coloured  granite,  are  quarried 
here. 

A  coach  runs  daily  from  Portsoy 
Stat,  to  Fochabers,  passing  not  far 
from  the  ruins  oiFindlater  Castle,  a  few 
fragments  of  which  are  on  a  rock  jutt- 
ing into  the  sea.  The  Norman  family 
of  St.  Clair  obtained  it  by  marriage 
with  Johanna  of  Findlater  in  the 
reign  of  David  II.  It  afterwards 
came  into  the  possession  of  the 
Ogilvys,  who  were  created  Earls  of 
Findlater.  The  last  Earl  Findlater 
died  in  ]811,  and  the  estates  passed 
to  the  family  which  the  Earl  of  Sea- 
field  now  represents. 

About  6  m.  to  the  W.  is  Cullcn, 
{Inn  :  Seafield  Arms,  neat  and 
orderly),  a  modern  town,  pop.  2055, 
of  two  cross  streets  sloping  down  to 
a  small  bay,  on  whose  shore  rise  three 
rocks,  called  the  "  three  Kings  of  Cul- 
len."  Here  stood  the  castle  where 
the  wife  of  Robert  Bruce  died.  Close 
to  the  town  is  the  very  picturesque 
and  handsome  castellated  man- 
sion, the  finest  in  these  parts, 
Cull  en  House,  the  seat  of  the  Earl 
of  Seafield,  charmingly  situated  on 


the  edge  of  a  picturesque  wooded  glen. 
It  has  been  enlarged  by  two  tall 
flanking  towers,  and  decorated  in  the 
castellated  style  of  the  17th  centy., 
and  contains  a  valuable  collection 
of  portraits,  including  one  of  James 
VI.,  by  Mytens.  The  CImrch,  which 
is  cruciform,  has  been  well  restored. 
It  was  founded  by  Robt.  Bruce,  and 
the  bowels  of  his  queen  were  buried 
here.  It  contains  the  fine  tomb  of 
Ogilvy  of  Findlater. 

It  is  a  privilege  to  be  allowed  to 
drive  through  the  tine  woods  of  Cul- 
len  House  on  the  way  td  Elgin. 
Proceeding  westward  the  road  runs 
under  the  Binn  of  Cullen,  1048  ft. 
high,  and  through  a  well- cultivated 
district  called  the  Enzie,  to  Buckie, 
where  the  stranger  will  be  surprised 
to  filid  a  somewhat  imposing  Roman 
Catholic  Cathedral,  the  members  of 
this  religion  abounding  in  this 
neighbom-hood.  From  Buckie  it  is 
about 

7  m.  to  Fochabers  {see  Rte.  55), 
passing  1.  Cairnfield  (J.  Gordon,  Esq.) 
and  through  Gordon  Woods. 


SECTIOISr    VL 

Western  Highlands  and  Islands  (Outer  Hebrides)— Skte— Lewis — 
Loch  Maree— Loch  Torridon — Glenshiel — Loch  Alsh  and  Loch 

DUICH. 

INTRODUCTION. 
§  1.  General  Information.     §  2.   Princiijal  Ohjects  of  Interest. 

EOUTES. 


56  Oban  to  Portree  in  Skye,  by 

Arisaig,  Eigg,  Kyle  Akin, 
and  Broadfurd  .         .         .  381 

57  Strome      Ferry      to     Skye, 

Broadford  and  Portree 
(steamer)  to  Quiraing,  Starr 
Rock,  and  Dunvegan  .         .   385 

58  Balmacarra   (Loch  Alsh)  to 

Porrree  in  Skye,  by  Kyle 
Akin  Ferry,  Broadford,  and 
Sligachan  (Excursion  to 
Coruisk)    .         .         .         .389 

59  Portree  to  Stornoway  and  the 

Outer  Hebrides  .         .         .   393 

60  Invergarry  or  Fort-Augustus 


(Loch   Oich)   to   Skye,    by 
Tomandouu,  Glenshiel, 

Loch      Duich      {Falls      of 
Glomach),  Loch  Alsh,    and 
Stroine  Ferry     .         .         .397 
61  Shiel  House  Inn  to  Skye,  by 

Glenelg  and  Kijle  Rhea  .  400 
Dingwall  to  Strome  Ferry  and 
Skye,  hy  Sir athjyeffer,  Garve, 
Achnasheen,  and  Loch  Car- 
ron  (Skye  Eailway)  .  401 
Achnasheen  to  Loch  Maree 
and  Gairloch,  LochTorridon, 
Shieldag  and  Applecross. — 
Shieldag  to  Loch  Carron    .   403 


62 


63 


1.  General  IxroRiiAtioN. 


"  The  Hebrid  Isles, 
Placed  far  amid  the  melancholy  main." 

Thovison. 

From  the  N.  side  of  the  Great  Glen  of  Scotland  (the  line  of  the 
Caledonian  Canal)  branch  several  nearly  parallel  valleys  in  a  N.W. 
direction  —  Glengarry,  Glenmoriston,  and  Glen  Urquhart  —  all 
leading  to  splendid  scenery.  Glens  Garry  and  Moriston  conduct  to 
Skye  by  Glen  Shiel,  which  is  pre-eminently  the  grandest  approach 
to  Skye  (Route  60).  Another  line  of  access  from  the  E.  side  of 
Scotland  is  by  railway  from  Dingwall  (19  m.  N.  of  Inverness)  to 
Strome  Ferry,  whence  a  daily  steamer  plies.  This  line  of  rail  also 
gives  access  to  the  gloomy  and  grand  scenery  of  Loch  Maree  and 
[Scotland.]  r  2 


378  §   1.   General  Information.  Sect.  VI. 

Loch  ToiTidon,  and  the  smiling  beauties  of  Gareloch.  Loch  Hourn 
opening  into  the  mainland  opposite  Skye,  accessible  from  Glenelg 
or  Glen  Quoich,  is  not  to  be  surpassed  for  grandeur. 

From  Beauly  or  Invermoriston  the  wanderer  may  explore 
the  unrivalled  scenery  of  Kilmorack,  the  Druim,  the  Chisholm's 
Pass,  Strath  Affrick,  Strathglass  (Geusachan),  the  Pas  sof  Kintail,  and 
the  Falls  of  GlomaJc,  which  are  also  accessible  from  Shiel  House 
Inn. 

The  Inn  accommodation  of  the  district  is  very  fair,  good,  and 
convenient.  Shiel  House  Inn,  at  the  mouth  of  Glen  Shiel,  is  close 
to  the  lovely  sea-lochs  Duich  and  Alsh,  and  within  a  walk  of  Loch 
Hourn.  Balniacarra  and  Strome  Ferry,  opposite  Skye,  are  pleasant 
quarters.  There  are  fair  Inns  at  Loch  Carron  Station  and  other 
stations  on  the  Dingwall  line,  and  at  Beauly  is  a  large  hotel.  Strath 
Alfrick  lias  a  smaller  Inn,  quiet  and  comfortable. 

Achnasheen  Stat,  is  the  starting-point  for  visiting  Loch  Maree. 
At  the  foot  of  that  lake  is  the  well-known  Inn  of  Kinlochewe,  and 
.*)  m.  farther  the  new  Hotel  of  Talladale,  on  its  margin,  commanding 
the  finest  reaches  of  the  lake.  Loch  Torridon,  which  has  no  Inn 
but  the  small  public  house  at  Shieldag,  may  be  visited  from  Kin- 
lochewe. Drumnadrochit  is  a  favourite  Inn  near  the  shores  of 
Loch  Ness,  from  which  pleasant  excursions  can  be  made  to  the  Fall 
of  Foyers,  to  Strath  Aflrick,  etc. 

Shje  also  is  well  provided  with  Inns,  at  Kyle  Akin,  Broadford, 
Sligachan  (rough,  but  fair),  Portree  (2),  and  Uig,  as  well  as  a  new 
Inn  at  Steinscholl,  near  Quiraing. 

"  stranger  !  if  e'er  thine  ardent  step  hath  traced, 

Tlie  northern  realms  of  ancient  Caledon, 
Where  the  proud  Queen  of  Wilderness  hath  placed. 

By  lake  and  cataract  her  lonelj'  throne  ; 
Sublime  hut  sad  delight  thy  soul  hath  known, 

Gazhig  on  pathless  glen  and  mountain  high. 
Listing  where  from  the  cliffs  the  torrents  thrown 

Mingle  their  echoes  with  the  eagle's  cry. 
And  witli  the  sounding  lake,  and  with  the  moaning  sky. 

"  Such  are  the  scenes,  Avhere  savage  grandeur  wakes 

An  awful  thrill  that  softens  into  siglis  ; 
Such  feelings  rouse  them  by  dim  Rannoch's  lakes. 

In  dark  Glencoe  such  gloomy  raptures  rise  : 
Or  further,  where,  beneath  the  northern  skies. 

Chides  Avild  Loch  Eribol  his  caverns  hoar— 
But,  be  the  minstrel  judge,  they  yield  tlie  prize 

Of  desert  dignity  to  that  dread  shore, 
That  sees  grim  CooUin  rise,  and  hears  Coriskin  roar." 

Scott. 

The  Isle  of  Skye  may  be  approached — 


Introd.  §  2.  FrincijMl  Objects  of  Interest.  379 

1.  from  Strome  Feriy  Stat,  of  the  Dingwall  Ely.  by  daily 
steamer  to  Portree  (in  3^  lirs.),  calling  off  Broadford. 

2.  By  ferry-boat  from  the  pier  near  Balmacarra  to  Kyle  Akin, 
a  strait  about  1  m.  wide,  or  by  ferry  at  Kyle  Rhea. 

3.  By  the  coasting  and  cargo  steamers  from  Glasgow  and  Oban 
twice  a  week,  a  voyage  of  15  or  16  hrs. 

The  island  is  so  indented  by  sea-lochs  and  inlets  that  it  is  said 
no  part  is  distant  more  than  4  m.  from  the  sea. 

The  climate  of  Skye  is  variable  and  rainy,  the  annual  rainfall 
averaging  101  inches  ;  but  it  is  not  so  bad  as  has  been  described. 
June  and  July  are  pleasant  months,  and  though  in  August  and 
September  the  weather  is  often  broken,  the  traveller,  well  prepared, 
will  find  no  more  serious  impediments  to  his  -movements  than  in 
other  parts  of  the  Highlands. 

§  2.  Principal  Objects  of  Interest, 

There  are  3  principal  objects  of  interest  in  Skye : — (a.)  Coruish, 
the  most  original,  which  is  reached  most  easily  in  a  yacht  or 
steamer  from  Loch  Scavaig.  This  approach  is  a  scene  of  unrivalled 
grandeur — splintered  and  shivered  mountains  of  bare  rock,  so  black 
that,  after  rain,  they  look  as  though  pitch  had  been  poured  over 
them,  overhang  the  sea-shore.  On  Saturdays  during  Summer  (wind 
and  weather  permitting)  a  steamer  lands  passengers  on  the  shore  of 
Loch  Scavaig,  wdthin  half-a-mile  of  Coruisk.  It  is  generally 
approached  from  Portree  and  Sligachan,  w^hence  it  is  a  very  roman- 
tic but  severe  walk  or  ride  of  9  m.  Coruisk  is  also  accessible  from 
Broadford — driving  5  m.  to  Torrin — boating  thence  round  2  pro- 
montories, and  landing  at  the  mouth  of  the  Glen.  The  landlord  at 
Broadford  (Mr.  Eoss)  can  make  an  arrangement  with  the  Torrin 
boatman,  and  this  is  by  far  the  easiest  route  if  you  can  count  upon 
fine  iveather;  and  Portree,  which  is  9^  m.from  Sligachan,  is  the  nearest 
point  to  the  other  great  sights — Quiraing  and  Storr  Rock. 

(b.)  Quiraing  is  21  m.  from  Portree,  and  you  can  drive  to 
within  1 J  m.  of  it.  (c.)  The  Storr  Rock  is  8  m.  from  Portree,  and 
can  be  reached  only  on  foot — a  hard  walk.  Each  of  these  3  excur- 
sions requires  a  day  to  itself,  but  instead  of  returning  to  Portree 
from  Quiraing  the  pedestrian  may  sleep  at  Uig  or  SteinschoU,  and 
set  out  thence  for  the  Storr.  The  high-level  Route,  following  the 
tops  of  the  hills  and  high  plateau  all  the  way  from  Quiraing  to 
Storr  and  Portree,  a  suggestion  of  Mr.  Nicolson,  is  recommended  to 
the  notice  of  hardy  pedestrians.  Cars  and  post-horses  may  be  had 
at  Kyle  Akin,  Broadford,  Sligachan,  and  Portree. 

The    Coollin  Hills,  which  encircle   Coruisk,  are    described  by 


380  §  3.  P'lds'  Castles.  Sect.  VI. 

Boswell  as  "a  prodigious  range  of  mountains,  capped  with  rocky 
pinnacles  in  a  strange  variety  of  shapes.  They  resemble  the  moun- 
tains round  Corte  in  Corsica."  Sir  Walter  Scott  tells  us  they  take 
their  name  from  the  Ossianic  hero,  Cuchullin.  The  geology  of  Skye 
possesses  considerable  interest.  The  Coollin  or  Cuchullin  Hills  are 
composed  of  a  peculiar  rock  called,  from  its  excessive  hardness, 
Hypersthene,  One  of  the  most  striking  views  of  this  very  remark- 
able group  is  presented  from  the  sea. 

About  2|-  m.  N.  of  Portree  a  fine  section  of  the  Beds  of  the 
Oolite,  from  the  Cornbrash  to  the  Lias,  is  exposed,  with  ammonites, 
belemnites,  and  other  characteristic  fossils. 

The  telegraph  wires,  carried  through  Skye,  afford  facilities  for 
ordering  beds  and  conveyances. 

§  3.  PiCTs'  Castles. 

Peculiar  to  the  N.  of  Scotland,  beyond  the  Great  Glen  or  line 
of  the  Caledonian  Canal,  are  certain  round  towers,  called  burghs  or 
brocks,  or  Picts'  castles,  of  unknown  age  and  origin.  The  most 
perfect  type  is  the  Tower  of  ]\Iousa,  on  an  islet  in  Shetland.  From 
this  example,  and  others  less  perfect,  they  appear  to  be  cylinders  of 
masonry  tapering  upwards  into  a  truncated  cone,  or  waisted  like  a 
dice-box.  The  walls  are  composed  of  an  outer  and  inner  concentric 
shell  of  untrimmed  stones — evenly  set,  but  without  mortar.  This 
rude  masonry  is  bound  together  by  4  or  5  courses  of  slabs  of  slate 
placed  crosswise,  so  as  to  leave  in  the  thickness  of  the  wall  a 
gallery  or  inclined  plane  winding  up  to  the  top  like  a  corkscrew, 
and  lighted  by  small  openings  or  slits  in  the  inside.  The  rest 
of  the  wall  is  filled  up  with  loose  stones,  and  it  may  measure  in 
thickness  from  10  to  15  feet.  The  towers  vary  in  height  from  25 
to  40  ft.,  and  in  diameter  from  30  to  50.  They  were  not  roofed, 
but  the  inner  slits  open  into  a  circular  court.  A  low  door  on  the 
ground  level  led  into  this  and  communicated  with  the  winding 
galleries  or  cells,  which  in  some  instances  are  so  low  and  narrow 
(3  ft.)  that  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  any  but  a  race  of 
pygmies  could  have  traversed  them. 

Sir  Walter  Scott  compares  the  Tower  of  Mousa  to  a  ruined 
pigeon-house. 

More  than  400  examples  are  known  of  these  towers  in  the  N. 
and  N.  W.  of  Scotland  and  in  the  Isles,  for  the  most  part  more  or 
less  ruined.  They  are  thus  distributed — in  Shetland,  75  ;  Orkney, 
70  ;  Caithness,  79  ;  Sutherland,  60  ;  Long  Island,  38  ;  Skye, 
30,  etc. 
*^*  See  "  Hints  for  Yachtsmen,"  in  the  General  Introduction 
to  this  Handbook. 


P.o^//^    P^a^nhnn    fn    ^hvP-      Fir/ri  881 


Inverness. 


Route  56.—^  Oban  to  Shje  :  Elrjg. 


381 


EOUTE  56. 

Oban  to  Portree  in  Skye,  by 
Arisaig,  Eigg,  Kyle  Akin,  and 
Broadford.— (Steam  Voyage.) 

A  steamer  calls  at  Oban  twice  a 
week  for  Skye  ;  coming  round  from 
Glasgow  by  the  Mull  of  Cantyre. 
Beyond  Oban  it  makes  repeated 
stoppages,  so  that  punctuality  must 
not  be  looked  for.  The  time  taken 
in  the  transit  varies  with  the  amount 
of  cargo  and  the  number  of  places 
at  which  the  vessel  calls ;  but  in 
general  it  may  be  calculated  from 
12  to  18  hours.  Generally  speaking 
the  fare  is  good,  and  the  officials  are 
always  remarkable  for  their  attention 
to  their  guests,  as,  indeed,  is  the  case 
in  all  Messrs.  Hutcheson's  fleet  of 
steamers.  Resist  firmly  all  attempts 
at  extortion  by  boatmen  in  rowing 
out  to  the  steamers.  We  have  seen 
a  threat  of  throwing  them  overboard 
bring  them  to  their  senses  when  they 
attempted  to  pull  ashore  on  their 
rapacious  demands  not  being  satis- 
fied. 

The  route  is  the  same  as  that 
described  in  Kte.  35  as  far  as 
Tobermory  and  the  N.  extremity  of 
the  island  of  Mull.  Then  the  steamer 
rounds  the  cliff's  of  Ardnamurchan 
Point,  having  on  1.  the  distant  islands 
of  Tu-ee  and  Coll,  and  in  front  those 
of  Muck,  Eigg,  Rum,  and  Canna. 
Muck  ("  Insula  Porcorum,"  the 
Isle  of  Sea  Swine,  i.e.  Porpoises) 
is  very  small,  not  above  1^  m. 
in  breadth,  and  contains  nothing  of 
interest.  Its  geological  constituents 
are  trap  and  basalt.  To  the  N. 
is  Eigg  (N.  Macpherson,  Esq.),  off" 
which  the  steamer  calls.  The  land- 
ing is  difficult,  and  there  is  no 
anchorage.  It  is  distinguished  by  a 
peculiarly  shaped  hill  terminating  in 
a  lofty  peak,  1346  ft.  in  height,  called 
the  Scoot  or  Scuir  of  Eigg,  and  formed 
of   pitchstoue   and   porphyry  —  the 


trap  overlying  a  forest  of  petrified 
trees.  ' '  The  Scuir  of  Eigg  is  a  veri- 
table Giant's  Causeway,  like  that 
on  the  coast  of  Antrim,  taken  and 
magnified  rather  more  than  20  times 
its  height,  and  then  placed  on  the 
ridge  of  a  hill  nearly  900  ft.  high. 
This  strange  causeway  is  columnar 
from  end  to  end  ;  but  the  columns, 
from  their  great  altitude  and  deficient 
breadth,  seem  mere  rodded  shafts  in 
the  Gothic  style — they  rather  re- 
semble bundles  of  rods  than  well-, 
proportioned  pillars.  Under  the  old 
foundations  of  this  large  wall  we  find 
the  remains  of  a  pine  forest,  that, 
long  ere  a  single  bed  of  the  porphyry 
had  burst  from  beneath,  had  sprung 
up  and  decayed  on  hill  and  beside 
stream  in  some  nameless  land — had 
then  been  swept  to  the  sea — had  been 
entombed  deep  at  the  bottom  in  a 
sand  of  the  oolite — had  been  heaved 
up  to  the  surface  and  high  over  it 
by  volcanic  agencies  working  from 
beneath — and  had  finally  been  built 
upon,  as  arches  are  built  upon  piles, 
by  the  architect  that  had  laid  down 
the  masonry  of  the  gigantic  Scuir 
in  one  fiery  layer  after  another." 
Hugh  Miller,  "Cruise  of  the  Betsy." 
The  tree  which  formed  this  fossil 
wood  has  been  long  known  to  geolo- 
gists by  the  name  of  the  Pinites 
Eiggensis. 

The  island  is  sometimes  visited 
for  the  purpose  of  seeing  the  cave 
{Uamh  Ehraing),  in  which  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  island  were 
smothered.  This  cave  is  250  ft.  in 
length,  and  about  25  ft.  in  height 
and  breadth,  and  is  situated  in  the 
S.E.  corner  of  the  island,  not  far 
from  the  landing-place. 

Some  of  the  Macleods  of  Skye, 
having  been  thrown  ashore  upon 
Eigg,  were  hospitably  treated  by  the 
Macdonalds  ;  but  in  consequence  of 
some  of  them  off'ering  an  insult  to  one 
of  the  women,  they  were  bound  hand 
and  foot,  and  turned  adrift  in  an  open 
boat.  They  were  picked  up  by  some 
friends 


382 


Route  56. — Scoot  of  Eigg  ;  Canna.         Sect.  YL 


with  a  large  force  to  avenge  their  in- 
juries. The  inhabitants  took  refuge 
in  the  cave,  and  couhl  not  be  found, 
and  Macleod  was  on  the  point  of  re- 
embarking  his  warriors,  when  a  man 
was  discerned  on  the  shore.  Land- 
ing again,  they  tracked  him  by  his 
footsteps  (there  being  a  light  snow 
on  the  ground)  to  the  mouth  of  this 
cave.  There  they  lit  a  fire  and 
stifled  the  whole  population  : — 

"  A  numerous  race  ere  stern  Macleod 
O'er  their  bleak  shores  in  vengeance 

strode, 
When  all  in  vain  the  ocean  cave 
Its  refuge  to  itsvictiins  gave."— 

Lord  of  the  Isles. 

Hugh  Miller  mentions  that  in  the 
Bayof  Lagg,  which  is  to  the  N.  of 
the  island,  is  an  oolitic  sand,  which 
on  being  struck  emits  a  distinct 
musical  sound — a  metallic  ring  like 
that  described  as  existing  in  the 
mountains  of  Jebel  Nakous,  near  the 
Isthmus  of  Suez. 

Some  4  m.  to  the  K  of  Eigg  is  the 
island  of  Rum,  called  by  Sir  Walter 
Scott, "  Rona, "  the  magnificent  peaks 
of  which  appear  to  rise  immediately 
from  the  water's  edge.  It  is  seldom 
visited,  save  by  the  geologist  — 
the  island  having  undergone  several 
changes,  the  struggling  peasantry, 
who  starved  in  their  upland  wig- 
wams, having  been  removed  to 
make  room  for  a  gigantic  sheep 
farm.  "The  geology  of  Rum  is 
simple  but  curious.  Let  the 
reader  take  from  12  to  15  trap  hills, 
varying  from  1000  to  2300  ft.  in 
height  ;  let  him  pack  them  closely 
and  squarely  together,  like  bottles 
in  a  case-basket  ;  let  him  surround 
them  with  a  frame  of  old  red  sand- 
stone, measuring  rather  more  than  7 
m.  on  the  side,  in  the  way  the  basket 
suiTounds  the  bottles  ;  then  let  him 
set  them  doA\ai  in  the  sea  a  dozen  m. 
off  the  land,  and  he  will  have  pro- 
duced a  second  island  of  Rum,  similar 
in  sti'ucture  to  the  existing  one." — 
Maculloch. 

On  the  E.  coast  of  Rum  is  the  inlet 


of  Loch  Scresort,  at  the  head  of 
which  is  the  mansion-house  (Captain 
Macleod),  whence  a  glen  of  red  sand- 
stone can  be  followed  across  the 
island  to  Scoor  More  1509  ft.,  which 
contains  the  bloodstones  or  helio- 
tropes for  which  Rum  is  celebrated. 
The  most  lofty  summits  are  to  be 
found  in  the  S.  of  the  island,  in  the 
peaks  of  Haskeval  2667,  Scoor-nau 
Gillean  2553,  and  Halival  2367  ft. 

About  the  same  distance  to  the 
N.W.  of  Rum  is  Canna  Island,  cele- 
brated for  its  "  Compass  Hill "  on  the 
I*^.E.,  so  called  from  the  variation  in 
the  compass  experienced  by  vessels 
which  pass  it,  a  phenomenon  which 
Maculloch  says  is  by  no  means 
confined  to  Canna,  but  is  frequent 
through  all  the  basaltic  islands  of 
the  coast,  owing  to  the  quantity  of 
iron  present  in  that  rock.  In  a 
pretty  bay  opening  towards  the  E. 
there  is  a  lofty  and  slender  rock,  de- 
tached from  the  shore.  Upon  the 
summit  are  the  ruins  of  a  very  small 
tower,  accessible  only  by  a  steep  and 
precipitous  path.  Here  it  is  said 
that  one  of  the  Lords  of  the  Isles 
confined  his  wife,  a  beautiful  foreigner, 
of  whose  fidelity  he  entertained  sus- 
picions : — 

"  Stern  was  her  lord's  suspicious  mind, 
Who  in  so  rude  a  jail  confined 

So  soft  and  fair  a  thrall ! 
And  still  when  on  the  cliff  and  bay 
Placid  and  pale  the  moonbeams  play. 

And  every  breeze  is  mute. 
Upon  the  lone  Hebridean's  ear 
Steals  a  strange  pleasure  mixed  with  fear. 
While  from  that  cliff  he  seems  to  hear 

The  murmur  of  a  lute." 

As  the  steamer  sails  N.,  the  travel- 
ler obtains  magnificent  views  of  the 
ranges  in  the  mainland,  embracing 
the  mountains  of  Morven,  Ardua- 
murchan,  Sunart,  and  Arisaig,  at 
which  latter  port  the  steamer  calls 
once  a  week.  The  enti-ance  into  the 
harbour  is  difficult  and  dangerous. 
From  the  village  (a  good  Inn)  runs 
a  very  picturesque  road  to  Glenfinnan 
and  Bannavie  (Rte.  37). 

Occasionally  the  steamer  touches 


Scotland. 


Route  5Q. — Ohan  to  SJcye  :  Loch  Nevis. 


383 


at  Loch  Moidart,  overhanging  which 
are  the  rnins  of  Castle  Tyrim,  an  old 
fortress  of  Clanranald,  burnt  by  the 
proprietor  when  he  left  in  1715  to 
join  the  cause  of  Prince  Charles 
Edward. 

As  the  tourist  approaches  the  coast 
of  Skye,  nearing  the  promontory  of 
Sleat,  superb  views  are  gained  of  the 
rifts  and  black  precipices  of  the 
Coollin  Hills  and  of  Blaven,  which, 
if  the  evening  be  fine,  are  lighted  up 
by  the  setting  sun  with  magical  effect. 

Entering  Sleat  Sound,  the  steamer 
passes  1.  Arviadale  Castle,  the  seat 
of  Lord  Macdonald,  the  lineal  de- 
scendant of  the  Lords  of  the  Isles, 
and  head  of  the  clan  Macdonald. 
The  modern  Gothic  castle  is  pleas- 
antly situated  amongst  woods  and 
conifers  round  the  house  and  garden, 
in  which  standard  fuchsias  attain 
unusual  size,  with  a  background  of 
hills.  It  was  built  about  1815,  and 
is  not,  therefore,  ' '  the  small  house 
on  the  shore"  in  which  .Johnson  ajid 
Boswell  were  entertained  so  inhospit- 
ably in  1773.  "Instead  of  finding 
the  Lord  of  the  Macdonalds  sur- 
rounded with  his  clan  and  a  festive 
entertainment,  we  found  a  small  com- 
pany, and  cannot  boast  of  our  cheer. " 
— BosiveU.  The  present  house  is 
ornamented  with  a  window  of  stained 
glass,  representing  Somerled,  Lord 
of  the  Isles,  and  founder  of  the  fam- 
ily. To  the  clan  ]\Iacdonald  Napoleon 
was  indebted  for  one  of  his  best 
marshals.  There  is  a  small  Inn  at 
Armadale,  and  a  good  road  thence 
to  Broadford. 

On  the  opposite  coast  is  the  en- 
trance to  Loch  Nevis,  up  which  the 
steamer  occasionally  goes  for  wool. 
It  is  a  fine  wild  fiord,  running  some 
15  or  20  m.  inland,  girdled  on  each 
side  by  steep  mountains,  and  sepa- 
rating the  districts  of  Morar  and 
Knoydart.  About  half-way  up  on 
the  N.  side  is  the  little  village  of 
Inverie,  at  the  foot  of  Scoor-nan 
Gour  ("Goat  Peak")  2466,  and  at 
the  very  head  is  the  hamlet  of  Sour- 


lies,  from  whence  a  road  runs  through 
Glen  Dessary  to  Loch  Arkaig  (Pte. 
37). 

The  steamer  now  passes  on  1.  the 
grey  and  ruined  Castle  of  Knock, 
and  then  calls  at  Isle  Oronsay  (St. 
Oran's  Isle),  where  are  the  ruins  of  a 
small  chapel  formerly  belonging  to 
a  nunnery  and  a  lighthouse.  Over- 
looking this  island,  on  the  E.  shore 
of  the  Sound  of  Sleat,  is  Dimsdale,  a 
handsome  modern  seat  of  L.  D.  Mac- 
kinnon,  Esq.,  with  gardens.  Oppo- 
site this  is  the  opening  of  Loch 
Hourn,  which  separates  the  district 
of  Knoydart  from  that  of  Glenelg. 

Loch  Hourn  is  a  narrow  sea-arm, 
extending  inland  about  25  m., 
through  a  series  of  mountains  even 
finer  than  those  of  Loch  Nevis,  Ben 
Scrccl  on  the  N.  side  being  no  less 
than  3196  ft,  and  Laorbhein  ("Hoof- 
HUl"),  on  the  S.,  3341  (Rtes.  60- 
61).  The  Coollin  mountains  of  Skye 
also  contribute  to  the  grandeur  of 
this  scenery. 

It  was  in  this  neighbourhood  that 
Prince  Charles  Stuart  had  a  narrow 
escape  from  being  surrounded  by  a 
chain  of  sentinels  and  watch-fires. 
Taking  advantage  of  the  few  moments 
when  the  sentinels,  having  met  on 
their  beat,  turned  their  backs  to 
each  other,  he  crept  between  them 
and  got  away. 

The  steamer  next  enters  the  nar- 
row straits  of  Kyle  Rhea,  bordered 
on  the  Skye  side  by  Scoor-nan-Gour 
(1983  ft.),  and  Bein-na-Caillich  (2387 
ft.),  and  on  the  mainland  by  the 
mountains  of  Glenelg.  From  Kyle 
Rhea,  where  there  is  no  Inn,  a  very 
hilly  road  runs  to  Broadford,  12  m. 
(Rte.  61).  On  rt.  is  the  village  of 
Glenelg,  with  the  ruined  barracks  of 
Beruera. 

Emerging  from  the  Kyle  Rhea,  the 
tourist  will  be  puzzled  to  make  out 
in  which  direction  the  exit  can  be 
from  the  landlocked  sheet  of  water 
now  before  him.  In  front,  and 
stretching  to  the  rt.,  is  Loch  Alsh, 
which   at  its   eastern    extremity   is 


384        Route  56. — Kyle  Akin  ;  Broadford ;  Portree.  Sect.  \l. 

he  may  find  them  occupied.  There 
being  no  harbour  accessible  for 
steamers,  passengers  disembark  in  a 
boat.  The  landing  is  bad  if  the 
weather  is  rough. 


divided  into  two  narrow  lakes,  named 
respectively  Loch  Luing  and  Loch 
Duich.  Right  opposite  the  mouth 
of  Kyle  Rhea  is  a  wooded  bank,  under 
which  the  pleasant  and  comfortable 
little  hotel  at  Balmacarra  is  situated 
(Rte.  61).  Strome  Ferry  Rly.  Stat, 
is  9  m.  from  it  :  hilly  road  (Rte.  62). 
The  steamer,  now  guided  by  the  light- 
house N.  of  the  Kyle,  turns  sharp  to 
the  1.,  through  the  straits  of  Kyle 
Akin,  leaving  on  rt.  a  granite  obelisk, 
erected  by  Sir  Roderick  j\Iurchison 
to  one  of  his  ancestors  who  was  en- 
gaged in  the  '45. 

iKyle  Akin  (Inn:  King's  Arms, 
good),  is  the  neatest-looking  village 
in  Skye,  and  possesses  several  modern 
slated  houses.  Here  is  a  ferry,  about 
4  m.  broad,  and  a  good  road  thence 
to  Broadford,  8  m.  The  steamer 
from  and  to  Oban  touches  here.  It 
is  good  headquarters  for  excursions. 
Upon  a  rock,  near  the  village,  are 
the  ruins  of  Castle  Moil,  a  small 
keep,  said  to  have  been  built  for  the 
purpose  of  enforcing  a  toll  from  every 
ship  that  passed,  by  an  old  lady 
named  Mackinnon,  usually  called 
"Saucy  Mary." 

Kyle  Akin  owes  its  name  to  Haco, 
King  of  Norway,  who  sailed  through 
the  strait  in  1263  on  his  way  to  and 
from  Largs.  The  stean)er,  passing 
the  Lightliouse  at  the  N.  mouth  of 
the  Kyle,  now  comes  more  into  the 
open,  although  it  hugs  the  shore 
pretty  closely  as  it  passes  to  the 
inner  side  of  the  curiously  green  is- 
land of  Pabba  ("whose shores  would 
furnish  a  museum  with  fossils  "),  in 
order  to  call  off 

Broadford,  which  is  overshadowed 
by  Ben-na-C:!aillich.  Ross's  Hotel 
here  is  a  very  fair  Inn,  some  short 
distance  from  the  landing-place,  and 
it  can  be  recommended  as  a  good 
starting-place  for  those  who  visit  the 
Spar  Cave  and  Loch  Coruisk  by  way 
of  Torrin  (Rte.  58)  and  Loch  Slapin. 
But  as  the  Oban  steamer  usually 
arrives  about  midnight,  unless  the 
tourist  has    written  to  engage  beds 


About  1^  m.  off  the  land  is  Pahha 
Island,  interesting  to  the  geologist. 
It  consists  of  rocks  belonging  to  the 
Upper  Lias,  which  swarm  with  fossil 
remains.  "They  rise  by  thousands 
and  tens  of  thousands  on  the  exposed 
place  of  its  sea-worked  strata,  stand- 
ing out  in  bold  relief,  like  sculptur- 
ings  on  ancient  tombstones,  at  once 
mummies  and  monuments,  the  dead 
and  the  carved  memorials  of  the 
dead.  Trap  dykes  stand  up  like 
fences  over  the  sedimentary  strata, 
or  run  out  like  moles  into  the  sea." 
Farther  out  is  the  Cambrian  sand- 
stone island  of  Lunga,  the  next  island 
to  which  is  that  of  Scalpa,  separated 
by  a  narrow  strait  from  Skye,  navi- 
gable only  at  high  tide.  The  steamer 
then  passes  the  W.  shore  of  Raasay 
Island  (Rafn's-ey). 

Next  the  narrow  Sound  of  Raasay 
is  threaded,  skirting  the  W.  shore  of 
Raasay  Island,  in  view  of  the  modern 
mansion  which  has  succeeded  that 
of  Macleod  of  Raasay  (now  no  longer 
the  Laird),  where  Johnson  and  Bos- 
well  Avere  so  hospitably  entertained. 
On  the  E.  shore  is  seen  the  pictur- 
esque mountain  pyramid  of  Glamaig, 
rising  by  the  side  of  Loch  Sligachan, 
which  is  terminated  by  the  more 
romantic  peaks  of  Scoor-na-Gillean. 
Leaving  these  behind,  the  steamer 
enters  the  small  landlocked  harbour 
of 

"f  Portree,  capital  of  Skye.  {Lins  : 
Royal,  and  Portree  Hotels.)  {See 
Rte.  57.) 


Scotland. 


Route  57. — Strome  Ferry  to  Shje. 


385 


EOUTE  57. 

Strome  Ferry  to  Skye,  Broad- 
ford  and  Portree  (Steamer),  to 
Quiraing,  Storr  Kock,  and  Dun- 
vegan. 

Steamier  daily  in  summer,  starting 
from  Portree  at  9.30  a.m.,  to  eatcli 
the  mid-day  train  from  Strome  Ferry 
Terminus  to  Ding^vall — returning  at 
2  P.M.  It  is  a  voyage  of  ^h  hrs.  (32 
m.)  from  Strome,  calling  olf  Broadford 
to  set  down  and  take  in  passengers. 

Quitting  Loch  Carron  through  the 
narrow  strait  at  Strome  Ferry  [see 
Ete.  62),  the  steamer  traverses  outer 
Loch  (jarron,  in  view,  rt.,  of  the 
gi'and  mountains  of  Applecross,  and 
1.  of  Mr.  Alex.  Matheson's  modern 
Castle  of  Duncraig,  while  in  front 
appear  the  picturesque  mountains  of 
Skye.  Leaving  to  the  S.  the  Strait 
of  Kyle  Akin,  the  shore  is  coasted 
along  until  abreast  of 

t  Broadford. — A  roomy  boat  puts 
out  for  passengers.  See  Ete.  57,  where 
the  rest  of  tlie  voyage  to  Portree  is 
also  described.  It  is  full  of  variety. 
Coasting  round  the  Island  Scalpa,  it 
passes  the  opening  of  a  narrow  bay, 
Loch  Sligachan,  which  washes  the 
feet  of  the  grand  mountain  Glamaig, 
while  beyond  appear  Scoor-nan-Gil- 
lean,  and  others  of  the  Coollin  range. 
It  penetrates  between  the  Island  of 
Raasay,  no  longer  owned  by  the 
Macleods  of  E.,  but  purchased  by  Mr. 
G.  G.  Macka3^  in  1872,  for  £55,000. 
Here  Prince  Charles  was  some  time 
sheltered  by  the  laird  in  a  miserable 
hut,  all  the  houses  having  been  burned 
by  the  soldiery.  The  steamer  soon 
reaches  the  sheltered  small  harbour 
of 

t  PORTEEE.      Inns  :    Eoyal,   just 
above  the  pier  (L.  Ross),  very  fair  ; 
Portree  Hotel,   newer  and  comfort- 
able ;   good  cuisine  (A.  Campbell)  ; 
[Scotland.^ 


(post-horses  and  carriages  at  both 
houses).  This  is  the  chief  place  in 
Skj-e,  though  but  a  village  of  600  in- 
hab.  It  is  built  on  a  platform  of  rock, 
which  presents  towards  the  harbour 
a  cliff  60  or  80  ft.  high.  Its  name, 
' '  King's  Harbour, "  was  given  to  it 
after  a  visit  of  King  James  Y.     It  has 

3  churches,  3  banks,  and  a  Sheriff's 
Court-House.  Behind  the  U.P.  ch. 
is  a  pretty  Walk  among  the  trees 
overlooking  the  sheltered  harbour. 
From  this  and  other  commanding 
points  views  may  be  had  iST.  of  Storr 
Eock,  and  S.  of  the  Coollin  range. 
On  tlie  outskirts  of  the  town  is  a 
cloth  (Tweed)  mill,  employing  some 
hundred  persons. 

Steamer  daily  to  Strome  Ferry, 
returning  in  the  afternoon  ;  carries 
the  mails.  Twice  a  week  it  goes  to 
Gairloch  in  the  evening — returning 
next  morning.  Twice  a  week  a 
steamer  to  Stornoway  touches  here 
(Ete.  50). 

Coaches  {Waggonettes)  daily  in 
summer  to  Uig,  on  the  way  to 
Quiraing,  to  Sligachan,  on  way  to 
Coruisk,  and  to  Dunvegan  (Mail), 
returning  in  the  evening. 

Distances: — Prince  Charles's  Cave, 

4  m.  ;  Storr  Eock,  8;  Uig,  154; 
Quiraing,  2U ;  Steinscholl,  24  ; 
Duntulm,  25  "•  Dunvegan,  23  ;  Sli- 
gachan, 94  ;  Broadford,  24i  ;  Loch 
Coruisk,  18  ;  Kyle  Akin,  32 ^  ; 
Strome  Ferry,  32. 

Excursions.  —  (a.)  To  Prince 
Charles  s  Cave,  4  m.  due  N.,  close 
upon  the  sea-shore  ;  best  visited 
in  a  boat.  Its  mouth  is  screened 
by  a  fringe  of  stalactites.  It  is 
prettj',  but  scarcely  worth  the 
trouble  of  a  visit,  and  its  con- 
nection with  the  Prince  is  not 
proven. 

(b.)  To  Storr  Rock.— k  rough  walk 
of  8  m.  good  (34  hrs.),  by  a  path 
S 


;S6 


Fiotde  57. — Sforr  Bock ;   Uig. 


Sect.  YI. 


over  marsli  and  moor,  not  clearly 
defined.  It  is  accessible  only  to 
pedestrians.  About  4  ni.  on  the 
road  from  Portree  to  Uig,  a  patli 
strikes  off  rt.,  leaving  rt.  the  hills 
of  Tor  Vaig  and  Essie.  The  track, 
which  in  wet  weather  is  very  soft 
and  marshy,  with  many  water- 
courses to  cross,  runs  up  a  wide 
moorland  valle}^,  passing  two  small 
lochs,  Fadda  and  Lethan,  aliounding 
in  small  trout,  direct  to  the  Storr, 
which,  unless  there  is  a  mist,  is  toler- 
ably conspicuous  all  the  way. 

From  Portree  to  Loch  Staffin  and 
the  N.  end  of  Skye  extends  a  re- 
markable range  of  black  clilfs,  reach- 
ing to  a  height  of  2348  ft.  The 
upper  part  is  a  stratum  of  imper- 
fectly columnar  trap-rock,  resting 
on  soft  and  crumbling  oolitic  beds 
and  shales,  which  give  way  under 
the  effects  of  rain  and  frost,  and 
bring  down  the  trap-i'ocks  in  masses, 
and  detached  pinnacles  and  blocks, 
resembling  giant  castles,  exceeding 
far  in  dimensions  any  work  of  man, 
and  forming  miles  of  Cyclopean 
ruins.  The  most  remarkable  of 
them  are  Quiraing  and  Storr  Rod', 
a  black  pinnacled  clitf,  rising  2348 
ft.  above  the  sea,  commanding  from 
its  slope  a  grand  and  extensive 
sea-view.  At  the  base  of  this  range 
of  high  cliff  is  a  broad  terrace  of 
moorland,  from  which  a  succession 
of  inecipitous  descents  (in  fact,  an 
UndcrcHff)  leads  dow)i  to  the  sea. 

The  did  Man  of  Storr  is  an  isolated 
black  obelisk  of  trap,  rising  to  a 
height  of  160  feet. 

Near  the  sliore,  opposite  the  small 
green  island  of  Holm,  a  singular 
waterfall  bursts  forth  over  a  shelf  of 
hai'd  basalt,  which,  having  resisted 
the  water's  action  in  washing  out 
the  oolitic  bed  below,  has  formed 
a  cave,  so  hollowed  out  that  you  can 
get  behind  the  cascade  and  see  the 
sea-view  through  it.  Beyond  this  the 
outlet  of  Loch  JNIehall  bursts  down 
over  the  clitf  in  a  waterfall. 


There  is  no  inn  or  shelter  near 
Storr  Eock,  and  the  usual  course  is 
to  return  to  Portree  ;  a  very  stout 
walker,  however,  may,  in  3  or  4 
hours,  find  his  way  across  the  moor 
to  Steinscholl  (SA  miles  from  Qui- 
raing), where  there  is  a  very  fair  Inn 
{sec  below). 

An  experienced  Skye  traveller 
suggests  as  an  alternative  "to 
ascend  the  Storr,  and  follow  the 
mountain  ridge  the  whole  way  till 
you  come  to  the  high  road  near  Quir- 
aing. I  have  no  doubt  it  is  one  of  the 
grandest  promenades  in  Skye,  com- 
manding Avide  views  in  all  direc- 
tions."— N. 

Portree  to  Quiraing,  21.i  m. — 
Coach  (Waggonette)  every  morning 
in  summer  ;  returning  at  night.  A 
good  road,  traversing  first  a  monot- 
onous undulating  moor  of  peat  land, 
with  few  patches  of  cultivation. 
Glimpses  S.  of  the  Coollin  moun- 
tains ;  N.  "\V.  of  Macleod's  Tables. 

3  m.  The  road  to  Dun  vegan  tm-ns 
off  1.  {see  below). 

6  m.  Our  road  descends  to  the  sea- 
shore at  the  extreme  end  of  Loch 
Snizort,  a  Firth  which  penetrates  far 
inland,  dividing  the  promontory  of 
Trotternish  E.,  from  that  of  Vater- 
nish  W.  A  little  short  of  this  a 
footpath  stiikes  rt.  across  the  moor, 
following  the  course  of  a  small 
stream  to  the  Storr  Rock  {see  above). 

[10  m.  a  road  turns  off  1.  to  Kings- 
burgh  Rouse.  The  old  mansion  in 
which  Prince  Charles  found  refuge 
1746,  and  where  Johnson  and  Bos- 
well  were  entertained  by  the  Laird 
and  his  wife,  Flora  Macdonald,  1773, 
has  been  pulled  down.] 

After  surmounting  a  long  ascent, 
the  eye  is  relieved  by  a  view  down 
into  the  cheerful  bay  of  Uig,  shut  in 
by  high  hills,  and  so  sheltered  as  to 
enjoy  a  climate  like  that  of  Devon. 
It  is  bordered  b}'  neat  houses,  and 
well-to-do  cottages,  and  two  churches, 
and  anion <r  them  is 


Inverness.       Route  57. — Kilmuir ;  Qua'mng. 


387 


1 4  m.  Uig  Inn — small  but  clean — 
where  horses  and  carriages  (rather 
dear)  may  be  hired  to  go  on  to  Qui- 
raing.  Near  the  centre  of  the  bay  is 
the  comfortable  house  of  Captain 
Fraser,  whose  well-managed  estate 
extends  from  this  to  Steinscholl. 

From  Uig  Bay  the  road  ascends 
in  a  sweeping  zigzag,  which  the 
pedestrian  may  abridge  by  a  short 
cut. 

[At  the  top  of  the  hill  a  road 
branches  1.  high  above  the  sea  to 

5  m.  Kilmuir,  where,  in  the  ch. - 
yd.  is  the  Grave  of  the  brave  Flora 
Macdonald,  long  neglected  and  un- 
distinguished, until  in  1871  an  lona 
Cross  of  grey  granite,  21  ft.  high, 
was  placed  over  it  by  a  public  sub- 
scription. There  are  6  Duns  or  old 
forts  in  Kilmuir  j^arisli. 

3  m.  farther,  on  the  top  of  a  cliff 
above  the  sea,  rise  the  ruins  of  Duiv^ 
Uilm  Castle,  the  original  seat  of  the 
Macdonalds. 

8  m.  from  Uig  —  1.  at  Mugstott 
(Monkstadt),  on  the  shore,  once  a 
seat  of  the  Macdonalds,  and  pre- 
viously of  the  "Monks,"  Prince 
Charles  landed,  1746,  from  Long 
Island,  disguised  as  a  female  ser- 
vant accompanying  Flora  Macdonald. 
The  situation  is  very  fine,  backed  as 
it  is  by  basaltic  cliffs. 

From  the  top  of  the  cliffs,  which 
extend  around  the  N".  of  Skye  to 
Loch  Staffin,  noble  views  are  pre- 
sented of  the  indented  coast  of  Skye, 
and  of  Lewis  and  Harris  on  the 
horizon.] 

About  5  m.  from  Uig,  *  just  where 
the  road  begins  to  descend  E.  to  the 
sea,  a  well-marked  footpath  strikes  1. 
across  the  grassy  slope,  which,  a  little 
way  on,  is  crested  by  a  range  of 
black  rocks.  Skirting  these,  and 
constantly  rising,  at  the  end  of  about 
2  m.,  a  massive  detached  rock,  re- 
sembling a  castle,  is  passed.  And 
now  the  black  cliffs  become  split 
*  -See  Sketch  Map. 


into  projecting  towers,  spires,  and 
pinnacles,  one  of  which,  the  Needle 
Rock,  forms  a  natural  obelisk  120  ft. 
high.  A  steep  and  difficult  scramble, 
to  accomplish  which  ladies  will  be 
glad  to  avail  themselves  of  the  strong 
arm  and  sure  foot  of  the  old  shep- 
herd who  haunts  the  spot,  brings 
you  into  a  nook  surrounded  by  these 
colossal  skittles,  but  allowing  peeps 
of  the  deep  j)recipice  through  the 
interstices,  and  down  to  the  sea 
1500  ft.  below.  Above  this  rises  the 
Quiraing  or  Citiraing,  a  large  cylin- 
der of  rock,  with  vertical  sides,  like  a 
great  plum-cake.  It  is  difficult  to 
climb,  but  on  surmounting,  it  is 
found  to  be  a  circular  turfed  plat- 
form. From  this  you  have  a  magni- 
ficent view  down  on  the  sea  below, 
and  across  it  to  Lewis  on  the  N.,  and 
the  mountains  of  Ross-shire  on  the  E. 

These  dusky  rocks  of  Quiraing  are 
of  trap  and  amygdaloid,  and  are  a 
continuation  of  those  of  the  Storr. 
The  cause  of  the  phenomenon  is,  in 
this  case,  the  slipperiness  of  the  Ox- 
ford clay  beds  below,  and  the  wasting 
away  of  the  lower  oolitic  limestones 
and  shaley  strata,  causing  the  upper 
rock  beds  to  crack  and  fissure,  and 
;  eventually  to  slide  down  in  the  fan- 
tastic fragments  which  we  see,  yet 
maintaining  an  upright  position. 

About  2  J  m.  from  Quiraing,  on  the 
shore,  is  the  new  Inn  of  Steinscholl, 
where  the  carriage-road  terminates  at 
present,  near  the  landing-place  on 
Loch  Staffin.  Boats  may  be  hired 
here. 

The  Sea  Cliffs  around  the  bay  of 
Loch  Staffin  are  grand  in  the  ex- 
treme, and  peculiar  from  the  colum- 
nar arrangement  of  the  basalt. 
Though  not  so  exactly  formed  as  in 
Staffa,  their  effect  at  a  distance  is 
equally  gi-and.  The  name  comes 
from  their  resemblance  to  Staves. 

About  2  m.  to  the  E.  a  remarkable, 
though  small.  Waterfall  dashes  over 
the  cliffs  from  a  considerable  height 
into  the  sea.  It  is  the  outlet  of  a 
lake  (Loch  Miaghailt).     A  projecting 


388 


Boute  57. — Dunvegan  Castle;  Sbje.        Sect.  VI. 


mass  nearly  opposite  is  called  tlie 
Kilt  Rock  (Creag  an  Fheile),  from 
the  resemblance  of  the  strata  to  the 
bars  of  tartan,  curiously  banded  and 
folded.  It  is  a  very  striking  object, 
and  is  best  seen  from  a  boat. 

From  Stein  sell  oil  to  Storr  Rock 
there  is  no  regular  road  or  marked 
path  after  the  first  3  or  4  miles. 
The  distance  is  9  m.  at  the  least,  a 
good  bit  of  it  over  boggy  ground, 
and  across  deep  rocky  watercourses, 
very  hard  work  even  for  the  expe- 
rienced pedestrian. 


Portree  to  Dunvegan.     22  m. 

Dunvegan  is  an  interesting  his- 
toric residence  of  a  Highland  chief, 
but  few  ordinary  travellers  will  find 
it  worth  while  to  make  a  journey 
expressly  to  visit  it,  through  a 
country  for  the  most  part  dreary. 
The  road  to  Uig  is  followed  from 
Portree  till  within  sight  of  Loch 
Snizort,  when  it  turns  to  the  1., 
skirts  the  loch,  passing  Carabost. 

7  m,  Skeabost.  {Inn :  Public 
House.) 

4  m.  Tayinloan.  {Inn  :  Lyndale 
House. )  Loch  Grishornish  to  Fairy- 
bridge  [whence  a  road  branches  N. 
to  Vaternish  Point,  passing  Stein  on 
Loch  Bay,  once  a  station  of  the  Bri- 
tish Fishery  Company,  The  Isle  of 
Isa  (losa,  Jesus),  at  the  mouth  of 
this  loch,  was  off'ered  by  Macleod  to 
Dr.  Johnson,  provided  he  would  live 
in  it  for  three  months  every  year], 

Dunvegan  Castle,  seat  of  ^Macleod 
of  Macleod,  residence  for  centuries  of 
the  chief  of  the  clan,  is  a  pictur- 
esque building,  partly  old,  partl}^ 
modern,  on  a  rock  surrounded  on  3 
sides  by  the  sea,  backed  by  well- 
grown  plantations.  Formerly  it 
was  accessible  only  from  the  sea  by 
a  boat  and  a  subterranean  staircase, 
now  by  a  modern  bridge  crossing  the 
chasm.  It  forms  two  sides  of  a 
small  square.     It  is  said  to  be  the 


oldest  inhabited  castle  in  Scotland, 
and  contains  some  antique  family 
relics — 1.  A  square  Irish  cup  of  wood, 
beautifully  carved  and  mounted  in 
silver,  which  belonged  to  John  Mac- 
guire  and  his  wife  Catherine  O'Neill, 
chief  of  Fermanagh,  bearing  the  date 
1493.  2.  The  fairy  banner,  supposed 
to  be  associated  with  the  destiny  of 
the  family.  The  claymore  of  Eorie 
More  (Sir  Pioderick  Macleod),  and 
his  horn,  carved  and  ornamented 
with  silver,  holding  perhaps  2  quarts, 
which,  filled  with  claret,  tlie  heir  of 
Macleod,  as  a  proof  of  manhood,  was 
expected  to  empty  at  a  draught.  (See 
notes  to  Scott's  "  Lord  of  the  Isles.") 

Here  Johnson  and  Boswell  were 
hospitably  entertained  to  their  hearts' 
content  for  many  days  (1773).  Here 
Sir  Walter  Scott  was  a  welcome 
guest,  and  composed  "MacCrim- 
mon's  Lament. "  The  country  around 
is  comparatively  barren  ;  but  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  castle  is  adorn- 
ed with  plantations.  Behind  the 
castle  is  a  waterfall. 

Small  Inn  at  Dunvegan. 

[To  the  W.  of  Dunvegan  stretches 
the  peninsula  of  Durinish,  out  of 
which  rise  the  singular-shaped  hills 
called 

MacJeod's  Tables,  with  flat  tops 
and  steep  sides.  The  most  northern 
point  is  Dunvegan  Head,  where  the 
cliffs  are  high  and  grand,  command- 
ing views  of  the  Outer  Hebrides. 

There  is  a  good  road  direct  from 
Dunvegan  toSligachan,  24  m., abound- 
ing in  fine  scenery.  At  Kilmnir  is 
the  parish  ch.  of  Durinish,  and  in 
the  ch.-yard  a  monument  to  the 
father  of  Simon,  Lord  Lovat. 

At  Caroy  is  the  only  Episcopal 
church  in  Skye. 

11  m.  is  the  village  and  church  of 
Bracadale.  Near  this  is  Struan  Inn 
(poor),  at  the  head  of  the  sea-loch 
Bracadale.  From  its  shores  inex- 
pressibly fine  views  are  commanded 
of  the  Coollin  Hills,  while  on  the  W., 
off"  the  S.  point  of  Durinish,  are  seen 


Skye. 


Fioide  58. — Balmocarra  to  Portree. 


389 


MadeocVs  Maidens.  3  stacks  of  ba- 
saltic rocks  resembling  the  Needles, 
compared  by  Sir  Walter  Scott  to  the 
Norwegian  " Riders  of  the  Storm," 
rising  sheer  above  the  waves,  and 
backed  by  clifls  600  or  700  ft.  high. 

At  Ulenish,  a  few  m.  "VV.  is  a  well- 
preserved  example  of  the  Celtic 
burg  or  dune,  which  is  described 
by  Dr.  Johnson  in  his  "  Tour  to  the 
Western  Islands." 

The  road  thence  skirts  the  shores 
of  Loch  Harport,  at  the  head  of 
which  a  road  branches  off  to  the  west 
to  Carhost,  celebrated  for  its  distil- 
lery, and  Talisker,  a  rich  valley,  over- 
looked and  sheltered  by  the  bold 
basaltic  hill,  Breesval. 

10  m.  Sligachan  {Lvn)  (Ete.  58). 


ROUTE  58. 

Balmacarra  (Loch  Alsh)  to  Por- 
tree in  Skye,  by  Kyle  Akin 
Ferry,  Broadford  and  Sligachan 
(Excursion  to  Coruisk). 

See  Sketch  Mcqj. 

The  strait  separating  the  Isle  of 
Skye  from  the  mainland  is  crossed 
by  ferries  at  Kyle  Ehea  (from  Glen- 
elg),  and  at  Kyle  Akin  from  Balma- 
carra. The  distance  across  is  about 
a  mile.  Carriages  and  horses  are 
taken  across.    The  fare  is  6s.  a  horse. 

At  the  neat  village  of  Kyle  Akin 
in  Skye  {see  Rte.  56)  is  a  very  fair 
Inn  {King's  Arms),  which  furnishes 
horses,  cars,  and  other  traps.  Many 
pleasant  Excursions  may  be  made 
from  this,  not  only  in  Skye,  as  to 
Lochindaal  and  Armadale,  whence 
the  views  of  the  mainland  and  of 
Isle  Oronsay  are  magnificent,  but  also 
by  crossing  the  ferry  (I  hr.  passage) 
to  Loch  Alsh,  Glenelg,  and  Loch 
Hourn. 

There  is  no  longer  a  coach  to  Broad- 
ford.  It  is  a  drive  of  8  m.  thither, 
by  a   good   road,   commanding  fine 


views  of  the  Coollin  mountains  and 
of  Ben-na-Caillich,  under  which  lies 

8  m.  Broadford  {Inn :  John  Ross's 
hotel,  very  good,  at  the  junction  of 
the  roads  to  Torrin  and  Sligachan. 
Carriages  and  horses  kept). 

This  is  a  village  of  40  or  50  scat- 
tered cottages,  above  which  rise  a 
very  ugly  kirk  and  the  hotel,  and 
one  or  two  other  houses  of  2  storeys, 
with  a  small  pier  for  herring-boats. 

The  old  farm-house  of  Corrycha- 
tachan,  where  Johnson  and  Boswell 
were  hospitably  entertained  by  Mac- 
kinnon,  who  sent  Bozzy  to  bed  so 
drunk  that  he  was  found  in  bed  by 
the  doctor  next  day  at  1  p.m.,  and 
soundlyrated — "  What,  drunk  yet ! " 
no  longer  exists  ;  the  modern  house 
is  close  to  the  village. 

The  Excursion  to  Loch  Coruisk 
may  be  conveniently  made  from 
Broadford.  Mr,  Ross  of  the  Hotel 
will  furnish  cars  and  bespeak  a  boat. 
Those  who  do  not  mean  to  return  to 
Broadford  can  telegraph  to  Sligachan 
for  ponies  to  meet  them  at  Cama- 
sunary.  The  journey  may  proceed 
thus  : — By  car  or  on  foot  to  Torrin 
(6  m.)  by  a  good  road,  passing  the 
small  lake  and  ruined  Ch.  of  Kil- 
christ,  in  full  view  of  the  wonder- 
ful mountain  of  Blaven  (Blabhein, 
3012  ft.) 

At  Torrin,  a  poor  hamlet  at  the 
head  of  Loch  Slapin,  a  boat  may  be 
hired  for  25s.  for  one  or  two  persons, 
or  10s.  a-head  for  more,  to  Coruisk 
and  back,  including  a  visit  to  the 
Spar  Cave,  or  to  Kilmaree  only, 
omitting  Spar  Cave  (no  great 
loss).  The  distance  is  14  m.,  requir- 
ing from  24  to  3  hrs. ,  according  to 
tides,  to  go  thither. 

a.  In  rough  weather  the  carriage 
can  drive  round  the  head  of  Loch 
Slapin  to  Kihnarce,  12  m.  from 
Broadford,  from  which  there  is  a 
footpath  3  m.  to  Camasunary,  a  soli- 
tary white  farm-house,  the  only  one 
on  the  savage  shores  of  Loch  Sca- 
vaig,  where  a  boat  can  be  hired  to 


390 


Route  58. — S])cir  Cave. 


Sect.  VI. 


row  to  the  mouth  of  Loch  Coruisk. 
IST-B. — 2  boats  are  kept  here.  To 
this  farm-house  ponies  may  be  sent 
from  Sligachan  to  convey  travellers 
thither  instead  of  returning  to 
Tonin.  There  is  also  a  rough  and 
difficult  path  along  the  rocks,  above 
the  sea,  often  a  mere  broken  ledge 
6  in.  wide,  from  Camasunary  to  the 
mouth  of  Coruisk. 

From  Camasunary  a  path  strikes 
due  N.  to  Sligachan  (Gg  m.)  under 
Blaven  (rt.),  keeping  the  burn  on 
the  1.  and  skirting  the  2  small  lochs 
which  feed  it,  Loch-na-Creach  and 
Loch-nan-DamfF.  Ascending  the 
mountain  by  a  rough  path  on  his  1. , 
he  may  look  down  upon  L.  Coruisk, 
as  described  farther  on. 

h.  Starting  from  Torrin  hy  water, 
the  boatmen  keep  pretty  close  to  the 
coast  of  the  rocky  peninsula  of 
Strathaird,  which  is  interesting  from 
its  geological  features.  "It  is  for 
the  most  part  surrounded  by  cliffs, 
seldom  exceeding  60  or  70  ft,  in 
height,  and  cut  smoothh^  down  so  as 
to  afford  a  perfect  display  of  the 
succession  of  the  (sandstone)  strata 
of  which  they  are  composed.  On  the 
E.  side  these  are  remarkable  for  the 
very  extraordinary  number  of  caves 
they  contain,  and  for  the  fissures  by 
which  they  are  intersected.  20  or 
30  are  sometimes  found  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hundred  yards,  the  inter- 
stices having  a  resemblance  to  the 
ends  of  detached  walls  placed  in  a 
parallel  manner.  They  are  the  con- 
sequences of  trap -veins  that  have 
been  washed  away." — Macculloch. 

About  half-way  down  the  coast  is 
Kilmarce,  whence  a  foot-track  crosses 
the  hill  to  Camasunar3%  3  m.,  so  that 
the  tourist  can  return  from  the  Spar 
Cave,  and  then  walk  to  Camasunary. 
It  is  a  fine  walk,  and  there  is  a  mag- 
nificent view  from  the  top  of  the  hill. 
Beneath  is  Loch  Scavaig,  on  the  mar- 
gin of  which  stands  the  solitary  farm- 
house of  Camasunary.  Out  at  sea 
the  islands  of  Rum,  towering  and 


mountainous,  Canna  flat  and  fertile, 
and  Eigg,  distinguished  by  the  lofty 
Scoor.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
loch,  and  beyond  the  solitary  farm- 
house, the  mountain  side  slopes  down 
into  ocean  with  shelf  and  precipice. 
On  the  right  Blaven  towers  up  into 
the  mist,  and  at  his  base  opens  the 
desolate  Glen  Sligachan.  On  the 
left  the  eye  travels  along  the  whole 
S.W.  side  of  the  island  to  the  Sound 
of  Sleat,  to  the  hills  of  Knoydart, 
and  to  the  long  point  of  Ardnamur- 
clian,  dim  in  the  distance. 

The  SiJar  Cave  is  an  enlarged  ex- 
ample of  a  trap- vein  worked  out  of  the 
sandstone,  such  as  on  a  smaller  scale 
have  been  visible  all  along  the  coast. 
The  entrance  is  strikingly  pictur- 
esque, through  a  narrow  rift  bounded 
by  very  high  cliffs,  rocks  of  which 
strew  the  ground  in  Avild  confusion. 
After  proceeding  some  little  distance 
into  the  interior,  the  stalagmite  floor 
of  the  cave  suddenly  rises  steeply  up 
like  a  Montague  Eusse.  A  consider- 
able amount  of  caution  must  be 
exercised  in  climbing  it,  as  the 
smoothness  of  the  steep  floor  gives  but 
little  footing,  and  the  wetness  of  the 
surface  makes  it  still  more  unpleas- 
ant. It  is  not  fit  for  ladies,  but  a 
rope  fastened  above  would  remove 
much  of  the  difficulty.  Arrived  at 
the  summit,  the  visitor  finds  that  a 
"  facilis  descensus"  of  corresponding 
height  and  smoothness  awaits  him, 
and  that  if  he  makes  a  false  step  on 
this  side  he  will  end  his  glissade 
in  a  rather  deep  pool  of  water,  be- 
yond which  is  another  small  cave. 
The  stone  on  each  side,  but  esi^ecially 
on  the  rt.,  has  assumed  several  fan- 
tastic shapes,  which,  seen  by  the  dim 
light  of  the  candles,  Avill  afford  full 
scope  to  a  lively  imagination.  But 
the  stalactites  which  once  formed 
the  great  beauty  of  the  cave  have 
been  carried  away  or  mutilated  to 
satisfy  the  acquisitive  propensities 
of  tourists.  On  the  whole,  the  cave 
is  curious,  particularly  to  the  geolo- 


Skye. 


Route  58. — Loch  Scavaig  ;  Loch  Coniish. 


191 


gists  ;  Lilt  otlienvise  it  is  scarcel}^ 
Avortli  the  visit,  and  ladies  will  liiid 
it  partieulaiiy  disagreeable.  Tiie 
Spar  Cave  is  directly  opposite  the 
inlet  of  Loch  Eishort. 

Then  the  boat  rounds  the  point  of 
Strathaird,  passing  between  the  clitis 
on  the  mainland,  which  are  much  fre- 
quented by  seals,  and  a  small  island 
tenanted  by  rats.  Once  the  corner 
is  turned,  and  the  boat  is  fairly  within 
Loch  Scavaig,  a  view  faces  the  tour- 
ist not  to  be  surpassed  in  Britain. 
A  huge  amphitheatre  of  peaked  hills 
girdles  the  blue  sea,  thg  centre  being 
formed  by  a  serrated  line  of  jagged 
peaks,  which,  if  the  weather  is  clear 
— a  rare  thing  in  this  district — cut 
the  sky  like  so  many  lancets.  Be- 
low is  a  deep  dark  mass  of  purple 
colour,  often  relieved  by  drifting 
wreaths  of  vapour.  As  the  boat  neai's 
the  laud,  the  hills  grow  upon  the 
sight  until  we  imagine  that  we  are 
entering  a  huge  hall,  and  we  land  at 
the  head  of  Loch  Scavaig.  This  is, 
beyond  doubt  the  finest  approach  to 
Coruisk.  Boats  must,  however,  be- 
ware of  sudden  squalls,  llings  are 
let  into  the  rock  for  mooring  yachts, 
lit.  and  1.  rise  up  directly  from  the 
water's  edge  the  rough  peaks  of 
Sgor-na-Stree  (Peak  of  Strife)  and 
Gairsbheinn,  down  wliich  the  Mad 
Cataract  comes  dashing  with  a  loud 
roar.  The  visitor  lands  on  the  spot 
Avhere  the  Bruce  is  said  to  have 
landed,  and  after  a  short  climb  up 
the  1.  bank  of  the  stream,  which  dis- 
charges the  waters  of  the  lake  into 
the  sea  after  a  course  of  300  yds., 
he  stands  on  a  rocky  dam,  from 
which  he  looks  upon  the  marvellous 
wilderness  of  Loch  Coruisk,  or  Coir- 
uisge,  i.e.,  the  water  cauldron,  from 
Coire  (Gael.),  a  cauldron  or  hollow, 
and  uisgc,  water.  A  small  boat 
may  easily  be  carried  across  and 
launched  on  the  lake,  which  contains 
quantities  of  small  trout.  It  is  not 
deep  except  in  one  place,  20  fathoms, 
and  seems  to  be  filled  with  gravel. 


"Picking  your  steps  carefully  over 
huge  boulders  and  stepping-stones, 
you  come  upon  the  most  savage 
scene  of  desolation  in  Britain.  Con- 
ceive a  large  lake  tilled  ^\itll  dark- 
green  water,  girt  with  torn  and 
shattered  precipices,  the  bases  of 
which  are  strewn  with  ruin,  and 
whose  summits  jag  the  sky  Avith 
grisly  splinter  and  peak.  There  is 
no  motion  here  save  the  white 
vapour  steaming  from  the  abyss." 
Loch  Coruisk  is  about  5  m.  round, 
and  the  little  valley  at  its  upper 
end  is  bounded  by  a  barrier  of  per- 
pendicular rocks,  some  of  which 
are  considered  inaccessible.  They 
are  composed  of  hypersthene.  The 
jagged  peaks  are  black  and  angular, 
and  the  points  which  occasionally 
protrude  from  the  sides  are  so  sharp 
as  to  convey  the  impression  of  their 
being  composed  of  iron  rather  than 
stone.  A  mist  generally  rests  upon 
the  summits,  and  little  verdure  re- 
lieves the  sombre  blackness  of  the 
sides  which  is  reflected  in  the  water. 
Only  near  the  Avaterside  occur  a  lew 
grasses  and  an  occasional  stunted 
shrub,  and  in  nooks  and  crannies  of 
the  rock  does  heather  or  bog-myrtle 
grow.  The  weathering  of  a  thousand 
years  has  no  power  to  disintegrate 
the  surfiice  of  the  hypersthene  rock, 
it  only  causes  the  liornblende  crys- 
tals slightly  to  project  from  its  sur- 
face. An  awful  silence  reigns  in 
this  Avernus  of  the  Noi-th,  where 
all  is  hard,  dark,  and  motionless. 
The  geologist  will  notice  the  frequent 
occurrence  of  glacial  striations  and 
perched  boulders. 

It  will  be  rememliered  that  upon 
the  shores  of  this  lake  Bruce  and 
the  Lords  of  the  Isles  met  Cormack 
Doil  and  his  companions.  The  de- 
scription of  the  scene  by  Scott  is 
wonderfully  accurate  and  spirited. 
It  cannot  be  improved,  and  needs  no 
addition : — 

"  Rarely  human  eye  has  known 
A  scene  so  stern  as  that  dread  lake, 
With  its  dark  ledge  of  barren  stone. 


392 


Route  5§. — SligacJian  to  Coruisk  Sect.  VI. 


Seems  that  primaeval  earthquake's  sway  : 
Hath  rent  a  strange  and  shattered  way 

Through  the  rude  bosom  of  the  hill ; 
And  that  each  naked  precipice. 
Sable  ravine  and  dark  abyss, 

Tells  of  the  outrage  still. 
The  wildest  glen  but  this  can  show 
Some  touch  of  Nature's  genial  glow  ; 
On  high  Benmore  green  mosses  grow, 
And  heath  bells  bud  in  deep  Glencroe, 

And  copse  in  Cruachen  Ben  : 
But  here— above,  around,  below, 

On  mountain  or  in  glen. 
No  tree  nor  shrub,  nor  plant  nor  flower, 
Nor  aught  of  vegetative  power 

The  weary  eye  may  ken. 
For  all  is  rocks  at  random  thrown, 
Black  waves,  bare  crags,  and  banks  of  stone 

As  if  were  here  denied 
The  summer  sun,  the  spring's  sweet  dew, 
That  clothe  with  many  a  varied  hue 

The  bleakest  mountain  side." 

Lord  of  the  Isles. 

Instead  of  returning  by  boat  to 
Camasunary,  the  stout  pedestrian, 
by  kee])ing  a  short  distance  along 
the  E.  side  of  L.  Coruisk  as  far  as  a 
tumbling  torrent,  may  clamber  up 
its  precipitous  rocky  bed  till  he 
reaches  the  source  of  the  burn,  a 
small  tarn  in  the  lap  of  the  moun- 
tain, called  Loch  Dhu.  A  second 
climb  in  a  slanting  direction  Avill 
bring  him,  after  a  good  hour's  walk, 
to  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain 
Scoor-nan-Damff,  a  part  of  the  black 
mountain  wall  which  encircles  the 
lake,  whence  he  may  look  down  upon 
Coruisk,  and  after  enjoying  the  gi-and 
scene  pursue  his  way  down  the  oppo- 
site side  to  Sligachan  Inn,  a  \ca\k  of 
9  m.,  as  described  below. 


The  carriage-road  from  Broadford 
to  Sligachan  follows  a  very  circuitous 
course  ;  ascending  3  hilly  promon- 
tories and  bending  round  2  inlets  of 
the  sea.  It  commands  fine  views 
seawards,  first  of  Scalpa  Island,  next 
of  the  still  larger  island  Itaasay, 
14  m.  long,  on  which  is  the  already 
mentioned  modern  house,  and  Bro- 
chal  Castle,  a  picturesque  ruin  on  a 
rocky  slope,  on  the  opposite  (E.)  side 
of  the  Island.  A  long  and  steep 
descent  brings  the  road  down  to  the 


level  of  the  sea  at  Loch  Ainort,  the 
resort  of  the  heron  and  of  herds  of 
red  deer.  Winding  round  its  head 
we  again  ascend  to  come  down  to 
the  sea  at  Sconcer,  a  poor  scattered 
hamlet  near  Lord  Macdonald's  shoot- 
ing-lodge, at  the  mouth  of  the 
gloomy  sea-loch  Sligachan.  The 
road  round  it  skirts  the  base  of  Ben 
Glamaig  —  a  grand  mountain  of 
syenite  seen  from  far  and  near. 

15  m.  Sligachan.  Inn,  not  first- 
class  but  very  tolerable,  homely  ac- 
commodation and  fare,  civil  host.  It 
stands  at  the  junction  of  the  roads 
from  Dunvegan,  Portree,  and  Broad- 
ford,  at  the  mouth  of  the  glen,  up 
which  runs  the  rugged  path  to  Cor- 
uisk, 9  m. 

The  view  from  the  Inn  is  backed 
by  the  grand  form  of  Scooi^-na-Gil- 
Ican  (Peak  of  the  Youths),  most  pic- 
turesque of  the  Coollin  range,  sur- 
mounted by  3  peaks.  Its  summit, 
3220  feet  high,  was  first  attained  by 
the  late  Prof.  James  Forbes,  1836. 
It  may  be  reached,  with  a  guide,  in 
3  hrs.  from  the  Inn,  not  less.  It  is 
somewhat  difficult,  and  requires  a 
steady  head.  There  is  no  beaten 
path.  It  is  not  suited  for  ladies  ; 
and,  when  mists  arise,  is  dangerous 
for  strangers  to  the  mountain. 

The  Mail  Coach  from  Portree 
stops  at  Sligachan  inn. 

Ponies  and  guides,  Sligachan  to 
Coruisk,  9s.  each.  It  is  a  walk  or  ride 
of  2^  hrs.,  crossing  the  bridge  and 
turning  rt.,  by  a  path  as  rough  as  any 
in  Scotland,  intersected  by  frequent 
water-courses.  It  skirts  at  first  the 
base  of  Marscow  (1,),  but  Scoor-na- 
Gillean  (rt.)  is  still  the  grand  feature 
of  the  view.  As  soon  as  it  is  passed, 
the  deep  mysterious  corrie,  called 
Hart-a-Corrie,  like  a  cirque  in  the 
Pyrenees,  is  seen  opening  out  behind 
it  (rt. ),  surrounded  by  jagged  peaks, 
at  Avhose  base  rises  the  stream  of  the 
Sligachan,  Up  its  flanks  lies  the 
ascent  of  Scoor-na-Gillean,  one  of  no 


Skye.      Routes  58,  Sligachan. — 59,  Portree  to  Stornoicay.      393 


trifling  difficulty.  [From  Hart-a- 
Corrie  it  is  possible  to  scale  the 
steep  ridge  of  Druim-na-Rabm,  de- 
scending upon  Coruisk — wearisome 
work.  ] 

Leaving  this  opening  of  Hart-a- 
Corrie  ou  rt.,  you  reach  a  watei'shed, 
and  find  another  rivulet  running 
with  you  to  feed  2  small  lakes.  As 
soon  as  these  come  into  sight  the 
traveller  must  bend  to  the  rt.  across 
the  stream  and  valley,  over  the  green- 
sward, towards  a  conical  peak.  The 
path  to  Loch  Coruisk  may  be  dis- 
cerned as  a  streak  on  the  hillside. 
Make  for  this  alongside  of  a  rambling 
burn,  which  falls  into  the  lakes,  and 
it  will  bring  you  up  to  a  neck  or  de- 
pression in  the  ridge.  Here  you 
stand  at  the  topof  Druim-na-Eahmon 
the  edge  of  the  deep  oval  basin,  2000 
ft.  below,  filled  by  Loch  Coruisk,  shut 
in  all  round  by  an  abrupt  wall  of 
mountains,  black  as  ink,  and  herb- 
less,  cutting  the  sky  with  their  fan- 
tastic jagged  outline.  Half-way 
down,  in  the  green  lap  or  recess  on 
the  mountain  side  lies  the  small 
tarn  of  Loch  Dhu ;  following  the 
stream  issuing  out  of  it,  you  may 
descend  in  an  hr.'s  hard  scramble  to 
the  margin  of  Loch  Coruisk  ;  but  the 
view  is  finer  from  above.  Out  to 
sea  it  extends  to  Loch  Scavaig  and 
the  Isles  of  Eigg,  Eum,  and  Muck. 
It  embraces  the  whole  succession 
of  the  Coollin  peaks,  topped  by 
Scoor-na-Gillean,  between  which 
and  the  observer  intervenes  the 
mysterious  Hart-a-Corrie. 

The  ponies  may  be  left  at  the 
bottom  of  the  steep  ascent  on  the 
Sligachan  side.  Thence  there  is  a 
path  to 

Camasunary  (4  m.)  on  the  sea, 
keeping  Loch-nan-Damff"  and  Loch- 
na-Creach  on  thert.,  and  following 
the  stream  flowing  out  of  them  un- 
der Blabhein  {see  p.  390)  to  its  mouth. 

Distance  from  Sligachan  to  Portree, 
94  m.     Coach  daily. 

Mr.  A.  Nicolson  recommends  the 


excursion  from  Sligachan  to  Coire- 
nan-Crich,  a  gi-and  corrie,  command- 
ing fine  views  over  L.  Bracadale. 

Coach  daily  in  summer  to  and  from 
Sligachan  to  Portree. 

Except  the  views  of  the  Cool- 
lin range,  it  is  a  dreary  and  unin- 
teresting drive  to  Portree,  until 
within  2  or  3  m.  of  it,  when  the  dis- 
tant Storr  Rock  and  the  harbour 
appear  in  view. 

9^  m.  Portree  (in  Ptte.  57). 


ROUTE  59. 

Portree  to  Stornoway  and  the 
Outer  Hebrides. 

The  bi-weekly  Steamer  to  Portree 
from  Glasgow  proceeds,  after  landing 
her  cargo,  to  Stornoway  twice  a 
week,  varying  its  course  and  calling 
at  Tarbert  (Harris),  and  Loch  Maddy 
in  Uist,  and  Loch  Boisdale.  There 
is  also  a  steamer  direct  from  Glasgow 
to  Barra  and  Benbecula,  and  a  steamer 
once  a  week  from  Strome  Ferry  to 
Stornoway. 

The  Outer  Hebrides,  commonly 
called  "The  Long  Island,"  extend 
from  the  Butt  of  Lewis,  the  most 
northerly  extremity  of  that  island, 
to  Barra  Head,  a  distance  of  130  m., 
separated  from  the  mainland  by  the 
Minch.  They  include  Lewis,  Harris, 
N.  and  S.  Uist,  Benbecula,  lying 
between  these  two,  Barra,  Pabbay, 
etc.  To  the  IST.W.  part  of  Scotland 
they  form  a  sort  of  breakwater.  By 
the  tourist  these  islands  are  seldom 
visited,  although  the  accommodation 
is  much  improved.  There  are  fair 
Inns  at  Stornoway,  Tarbert,  Barvas, 
Garry-na-hine,  and  Loch  Maddy. 
There  is  also  a  good  road  through 
the  whole  Long  Island  ;  also  from 
Stornoway  to  Uig,  from  Stornoway 
to  Ness,  through  Barvas  (a  small 
inn),  and  from  Stornoway  to  the 
Aird.  The  scenery  is  monotonous, 
from  the  comparative  absence  of 
bold  features,  except  in  Harris  and 


394 


Route  59. — Lcifis  ;  Stornmmy. 


Sect.  VI. 


Barra,  and  tlieiiumber  of  little  lakes 
and  sea-arms  that  intersect  the  coun- 
try at  every  turn. 

Lewis  (pron.  Lews),  the  N.  part 
of  the  principal  island,  belongs  to 
the  county  of  Eoss,  and  the  S.  por- 
tion, which  is  called  Harris,  to  that 
of  Inverness.  The  climate  is  mild 
and  humid;  annual  rainfall  30  inches; 
average  temperature  40°  to  46°  5",  but 
liable  to  violent  storms.  The  surface 
is  flat,  the  soil  is  extremely  poor,  and, 
though  gi'eat  efforts  have  been  made 
by  the  proprietor.  Sir  James  Matlie- 
son,  to  improve  its  powers  of  produc- 
tion, they  have  as  yet  been  attended 
with  but  little  success.  The  peat  is 
so  soft  and  spongy  that  it  is  only  by 
continual  repair  that  the  drains 
can  be  kept  from  closing  up.  The 
division  between  Harris  and  Lewis 
is  partly  arbitrary,  and  pirtly  de- 
cided by  the  approach  of  2  fiords — 
Loch  Seaforth  and  Loch  Resort. 
The  W.  coast  line  from  the  latter 
to  Gallon  Head  consists  of  groups 
of  mountains  of  considerable  height, 
and  frequently  approaching  the  sea 
in  rugged  precipices.  To  the  N.E. 
of  this  are  a  number  of  winding 
fiords,  all  forming  part  of  the  large 
bay  of  Loch  Roag.  ' '  The  loch  is  hol- 
lowed into  bays,  and  interrupted  by 
passages  of  such  variety  and  intricacy, 
that  it  requires  no  ordinary  degree  of 
attention  and  readiness  in  decerning 
the  true  nature  and  bearings  of  the 
land  under  such  circumstances  to 
eifect  its  circumnavigation.  With  the 
chart  it  is  sufficiently  difficult,  with- 
out that  it  would  be  almost  impracti- 
cable. The  entrance  by  Loch  Iloag  in 
particular  is  so  obscure  that  a  boat 
ma}^  pass  within  a  few  hundred  yds. 
of  the  entrance  without  perceiving  it. 
The  clifl"s  which  bound  most  of  the 
islands  and  shores  are  rugged,  Avith- 
out  beauty,  and  with  little  elevation. 
One  or  two  detached  rocks  may, 
perhaps,  be  exempt  from  this  general 
remark,  and  of  these,  Gariveilan, 
placed  at  the  mouth  of  the  loch,  is 
the   most  interesting,   displaying   a 


detached  arch  of  gi^eat  height,  with 
considerable  simplicity  and  grandeur 
of  ettect."  —  Maccullodis  Western 
Islands. 

The  only  town  in  Lewis  is  Storno- 
icay  {Inn :  Lewis  Hotel,  good)  on 
the  E.  coast,  originally  founded  by 
James  VL  Separated  from  it  by  a 
narrow  channel  of  the  bay  is  Storno- 
way  Castle,  the  residence  of  Sir 
James  Matheson,  Bart.,  who,  to  all 
the  other  benefits  which  he  has  con- 
ferred upon  this  property  since  he 
purchased  it  from  the  Mackenzies 
of  Seaforth  in  1844  for  £90,000, 
has  added  this,  greater  than  all,  the 
building  of  a  house  upon  it  and  living 
there.  Since  Sir  James  became  pro- 
prietor of  Lewis,  a  domain  of  406,090 
acres,  he  has  spent  there  on  education 
and  improvements  in  the  island  up- 
wards of  £200,000.  Stornoway  Castle, 
his  residence,  is  a  large  turreted  build- 
ing in  the  Tudor  style,  principally 
of  granite,  with  extensive  conserva- 
tories. Great  skill  and  cost  have 
been  laid  out  in  the  Garden,  which, 
by  artificial  soil,  glass,  and  other 
contrivances,  is  as  productive  as  any 
in  the  S.  of  England.  The  grounds 
have  been  planted  with  suitable 
trees. 

Stornoway  is  a  cheerful  small  town 
of  slate-roofed  white  houses,  well 
supplied  with  water  and  gas.  There 
is  a  commodious  Pier,  and  an  Episco- 
pal Chapel.  A  Liglithouse  marks  the 
entrance  of  the  harbour  :  there  is  a 
patent  slip.  There  is  also  a  court- 
house and  resident  sheriti'-substitute. 
It  will  interest  those  who  have  read 
"  The  Princess  of  Thule." 

Steamer,  4  times  a  week  to  Ulla- 
pool and  back  (Rte.  67)  ;  twice  a 
week  to  Portree,  Oban,  and  Glasgow. 

About  2  m.  from  Stornoway,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Creed,  are  a  range 
of  Furnaces  for  distilling  oil  from  the 
peat  of  the  country  by  a  chemical 
process.     They  cost' £2 5, 000. 


'L'ojnhuie 

.J'U,/   1  !  J      I        i_l<  b 


t  ,ir  n  /s''//- 
i,u<f  liiiL 


^3a^ 


.M^ 


n 


-^5*'=^<^,^ 


'^r^ 


Eoss-SHIRE.      Pioute  59. — Lewis  ;  Calhmlsh;  Ilarris. 


195 


The  Standing  Stones  of  Callermsh, 
next  to  Stennis  the  most  remarkable 
relic  of  the  kind  in  Scotland,  form 
the  principal  object  of  interest  to 
antiquaries.  They  are  situated  near 
the  head  of  Loch  Itoag  on  the  W. 
side  of  the  island,  16  m.  from  Stor- 
noway,  by  a  good  road.  There  is  a 
fair  Inn  at  Gearaidh-na- Aimhne  (pro- 
nounced Garry  -  na  -  hine).  These 
stones,  planted  on  a  high  tableland 
above  the  sea,  are  arranged  in  the 
plan  of  a  cross,  with  a  circle  in  the 
centre,  42  ft.  in  diameter,  and  a  tall 
stone  in  the  centre,  18  ft.  high. 
The  circle  consists  of  13  stones  from 
8  to  13  ft.  in  height,  great  boulders 
of  gneiss,  which  have  been  moved  to 
the  top  of  the  eminence.  The  N. 
extremity  of  the  cross  is  an  avenue 
of  19  stones,  the  highest  of  which  is 
12  ft.  Excavations  were  made  in 
the  peat  of  6  ft.  deep,  and  a  stone 
chamber  was  discovered  in  the  centre 
of  the  circle — probably  the  grave  of 
the  individual  in  whose  honour  the 
whole  was  erected.— (Proc.  Scot.  Ant. 
Sac.  vol.  iii.)  There  is  also  h  m. 
distant,  2  more  circles,  one  within 
the  other,  and  scattered  about  the 
island  there  are  a  great  number 
of  single  stones  or  pairs,  probably 
erected  over  the  graves  of  Celtic  or 
Norse  warriors.  Cairns,  too,  are 
frequently  met  with,  some  of  which 
have  been  opened  and  found  to  con- 
tain bones. 

Numerous  specimens  of  the  old 
dunes  or  burgs  occur  in  Lewis. 
That  of  Brager,  constructed  of  un- 
hewn stone,  is  3  storeys  high,  and 
tapers  towards  the  summit.  It  has 
a  double  wall,  bound  by  large  flags, 
which  incloses  a  winding  staircase 
round  the  building.  {See  Introduc- 
tion, Section  II.)  A  similar  fort  at 
Carloway  is  still  moi-e  perfect.  These 
lie  to  the  N.  of  Callernish,  about  12 
and  7  m,  respectively.  There  are 
also  ruins  of  very  early  Christian 
churches,  hermits'  cells,  and  religious 
houses. 

In  the  reiirn  of  James  VI.  an  extra- 


ordinary project  was  started  by  some 
Fife  Lairds  to  colonise  Lewis,  as  we 
in  our  time  have  colonised  Nova 
Scotia  or  New  Zealand.  It  proved 
eminently  unsuccessful. 

The  extreme  N.  point  of  the 
island,  the  £iitt  of  Lewis,  is  a  wild 
spot,  with  precipitous  cliffs  sur- 
mounted by  a  Lighthouse,  and  de- 
tached rocks  and  pinnacles  worn  by 
the  sea.  A  natural  arch  above  the 
sea  is  said  to  have  been  made  by  the 
Devil,  to  attach  a  chain  by  which  he 
meant  to  drag  Lewis  out  to  sea  ! 

The  cattle  on  Bernera  isle,  in  Loch 
Roag,  pass  to  the  main  island  by 
swimming  across  the  sea  straits  at 
certain  seasons,  in  search  of  pasture. 

The  lower  or  S.  half  of  the  island 
is  called  Harris,  and  the  only  good 
Inn  is  to  be  found  at  Tarbert,  at 
which  the  steamer  calls  twice  a 
month  ;  but  there  is  a  thatched 
country  inn  at  Obe.  Good  salmon- 
fishing  can  be  had  at  Tarbert  in  the 
neighbouring  lakes.  As  the  name 
Tairbeart  implies,  there  is  here  a 
narrow  isthmus  of  about  ^  m.  be- 
tween the  E.  and  W.  Lochs.  Harris, 
one-half  of  which  was  sold  by  Lord 
Dunmore  in  1871  to  Sir  Claude  Scott, 
the  banker,  for  £155,000,  consists 
almost  entirely  of  high  sterile  hills 
covered  with  stones,  with  a  very 
slight  sprinkling  of  stunted  heather. 
The  N.  part  of  the  island  has  a  foun- 
dation of  gneiss — the  oldest  stratified 
rock  in  Scotland — rising  into  a 
scattered  group  of  grandly  peaked 
inountains,  called  the  Forest  of 
Harris,  striking  for  weirdness  and 
sublimity,  but  destitute  of  trees.  • 
At  the  S.  end,  at  the  foot  of 
Roneval,  1502  ft.,  is  Rowdill,  where 
there  is  a  house  formerly  inhabi- 
ted by  Macleod  of  Harris,  and  ^ 
mile  from  a  glen  with  a  thriving 
plantation  of  trees.  "Above  the 
house  is  situated  the  ruins  of  the 
ancient  Church  of  Rowardill,  unfor- 
tunately burnt  down  some  years  ago 
by  accident.     It  is  in  the  form  of  "a 


396 


Route  5d.—  Uist:  St  KUda. 


Sect.  VI. 


cross,  with  a  rude  tower  at  the  E. 
end.  Upon  this  are  certain  pieces  of 
sculpture  of  a  kind,  the  last  which 
one  would  have  expected  to  find  on 
a  building  dedicated  to  religious 
purposes," — Sir  TV.  Scott's  Diary. 
JMacculloch  says,  "The  sculptures 
present  some  peculiarities  which  are 
well  worthy  the  notice  of  an  anti- 
quar}^,  and  from  their  analogy  to 
certain  allusions  in  oriental  worship, 
are  objects  of  much  curiosity."  In- 
side are  2  monuments  of  the  Mac- 
leods,  minutely  described  by  Sir 
Walter  Scott,  one  of  them  an  effigy 
in  armour,  1428.  This  Chtcrch,  St. 
CJcmeiifs,  has  been  restored,  and  is 
in  good  preservation.  Macculloch 
describes  the  extreme  violence  of  the 
wind  as  instanced  around  the  moun- 
tain of  Eoncval,  where  the  ground 
has  been  ploughed  up  by  its  action 
as  though  in  great  dykes. 

Southwards,  and  separated  from 
Harris  by  the  Sound  of  Harris,  is 
North  Uist,  the  property  of  Sir  John 
Orde,  Bt.,  succeeded  by  Benhccida, 
South  Uist,  and  Barra,  all  belonging 
to  Mr.  Gordon  of  Cluny.  In  North 
Uist  are  the  little  harbour  and 
comfortable  inn  of  Loch  Madcly,  in 
South  Uist  that  of  Loch  Boisdale,  at 
both  which  places  one  of  the  Hutche- 
son  steamers  calls  from  Glasgow  once 
a  month.  The  entrance  of  Loch 
Maddy  is  flanked  by  the  projecting 
basalt  islet  crags  of  the  Big  and  Little 
Maddy  ("Madadh,"  a  dog).  There 
is  hardly  even  a  village  here,  only 
a  jail,  court-house,  and  Inn.  Prince 
Charles  Edward  was  sheltered  in  S. 
Uist  by  Clanranald,  after  Culloden, 
in  the  inaccessible  cave  of  Corradale. 

Barra  brings  up  the  rear,  once  the 
property  of  the  Macneils,  whose  old 
Castle  still  stands  at  Kisamul,  on  the 
S.  of  the  island,  on  an  isolated  rock 
\  m.  from  the  shore.  It  is  certainly 
the  grandest  and  most  picturesque 
ruin  in  the  West  Islands,  The  walls 
are  about  60  ft.  high,  and  enclose  an  ir- 
regular area,  within  which  are  a  strong 
square  keep  and  other  buildings. 


Near  to  Barra  is  Mingala.y,  a 
strange  rock}^  island,  with  cliffs  1000 
ft.  high,  3  m.  long,  cleft  by  a 
rift  900  ft.  deep,  stretching  across 
the  island,  ending  in  a  cave.  The 
inhabitants  climb  the  rocks  like 
monkeys  after  birds  and  eggs.  The 
rocks  are  fissured  by  whin  dykes, 
which  the  sea  has  in  part  washed 
out,  so  that  boats  pass  between  their 
vertical  walls.  In  one  instance  a 
fragment  of  a  dyke  left  in  situ,  forms 
a  natural  bridge  550  ft.  above  the 
water. 

Communication  is  maintained  be- 
tween the  smaller  southern  islands 
by  Fords,  practicable  for  6  or  8  hrs, 
at  ebb  tide,  but  known  only  to  local 
grades.  Thus  the  tides  exercise  an 
important  influence  on  market,  ch. 
services,  funerals,  etc. 

The  westernmost  of  the  Scottish 
islands  is  St.  Kilda,  about  55  m,  W. 
from  Harris,  It  is  about  3  m,  long 
by  2  broad,  and  has  a  fine  bold  out- 
line, with  magnificent  clifl's,  swarm- 
ing with  sea-foAvl.  It  is  dangerous 
to  approach  save  in  moderate  weather. 
The  settlement,  numbering  72  per- 
sons in  1873,  is  lodged  in  18  cottages 
with  zinc  roofs,  which  replace  the 
ancient  low  hovels  Avhere  the  people 
sat  and  slept  alongside  of  the  ac- 
cumulated off'al  of  birds  and  fish, 
which  in  summer  they  spread  over 
their  fields.  They  are  now  better 
housed  than  the  avei-age  of  Highland 
peasants,  but  the  general  health  and 
vitality  of  infants  has  hardly  ad- 
vanced. The  old  huts,  entirely  un- 
roofed by  a  gi'eat  storm  in  October 
1860,  now  serve  as  cow-sheds,  and 
man  and  beast  at  length  live  apart. 
The  inhabitants  live  almost  entirely 
u])on  fish  and  sea-fowl,  which  they 
catch  for  exportation  of  the  oil  and 
feathers.  Their  regular  communica- 
tion with  the  mainland  occurs  only 
once  a  year.  A  breed  of  small  dun 
sheep  is  peculiar  to  the  island.  The 
flock  amounts  to  600.  During  the 
great  storm,  Oct.  1860,  everything 


St.  Kilda.       Route  60. — Fort-Augustus  to  Shje. 


397 


in  St.  Kilda  was  blown  away.  Only 
one  roof  was  left  in  the  island,  and 
the  whole  stock  of  provisions  laid  in 
for  the  winter  was  carried  otf  by  the 
Avind  or  spoiled  by  the  rain.  Since 
then  the  island  has  been  purchased 
by  Macleod  of  Macleod. 

Habit  and  hardships  have  given 
these  poor  people  a  nerve  which  ap- 
pears to  strangers  unaccountable,  and 
they  are  devotedly  attached  to  their 
dreary  home.  Bird-catching  is  a  dan- 
gerous occupation,  but  is  followed  with 
much  hardihood  by  men  who  have 
been  fowlers  from  time  immemorial. 
One  sits  at  the  top  of  the  cliff  hold- 
ing the  roj)e  in  his  hands,  or  it  is 
fastened  to  his  waist,  while  the  other 
descends  to  his  perch.  These  ropes, 
which  are  generally  about  30  fathoms 
long,  usually  last  only  three  years. 
They  are  protected  by  a  sheath,  to 
run  in,  made  of  leather,  raw  oow 
hide,  or  sheepskin,  to  prevent  them 
fraying  against  the  rocks. 

At  times  it  is  not  possible  to  land 
for  a  week  together,  no  harbour  exist- 
ing on  its  shores,  so  that  strangers  are 
liable  by  a  sudden  shift  of  the  wind  to 
be  detained  several  days,  the  vessels 
which  brought  them  being  drifted  to 
a  distance.  In  spite  of  certain  primi- 
tive habits  and  customs,  as  the  use 
to  this  day  of  spindle  and  distaff  to 
spin  the  avooI  with  which  they  make 
their  own  clothes,  and  of  the  quern 
to  grind  grain,  they  have  acquired 
from  the  sight  of  casual  visitors  an 
inveterate  habit  of  begging.  "Warm 
clothing,  such  as  mittens,  needles, 
scissors,  and  knives,  are  very  accept- 
able. They  depend  a  good  deal  upon 
the  sea-fowl  which  they  catch  (ful- 
mers),  of  which  they  eat  the  eggs 
and  sell  the  down. 

In  1732  a  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Session,  Erskine,  Lord  Grange,  found 
it  necessary  to  get  rid  of  his  wife 
on  account  of  insanity.  She  was 
carried  away  from  Edinburgh  by 
some  followers  of  Lord  Lovat,  con- 
veyed to  St.  Kilda,  and  put  under 
the  care  of  the  chief  of  Macleod. 


This  is  the  simple  explanation  of  an 
event  which  has  been  converted  into 
a  political  mystery.  She  died,  May 
1745,  and,  on  her  death,  was  buried 
at  Trumpan,  in  Skye. 


ROUTE  60. 
Invergarry  or  Fort  -  Augustus 
(Loch.  Oich)  to  Skye,  by 
Tomandoun,  GlensMel,  Loch. 
Duich  (Falls  of  Glomach),  Loch 
Alsh,  and  Strome  Ferry. 

This  niost  interesting  route  opens 
a  short  cut  for  travellers  by  the 
Caledonian.  Canal  desiring  to  visit 
Skye  without  performing  the  cir- 
cuit by  Inverness  and  Dingwall. 
They  may  leave  the  steamer  either 
at  Laggan  Loch,  W.  end  of  Loch 
Oich,  or  at  Callanich,  E.  end,  3  m., 
from  Invergarry,  but  must  bespeak  a 
carriage  from  the  landlord  of  the  Inn 
there  to  meet  them. 

36  m.  to  Kyle  Akin,  8  m.  from 
Loch  Alsh  to  Strome  Ferr}^  A  good 
road,  very  interesting  scenery.  Cars 
and  post-horses  may  be  hired  at 
Invergarry,  Shiel  House,  and  Balma- 
carra,  uncertain  at  Tomandoun  and 
Clunie.  This  is  the  shortest  way 
from  Oban  to  Skye  (Rte.  62). 

At  Invergarry,  on  the  line  of  the 
Caledonian  Canal  {see  Rte.  39)  (22  ra. 
from  Bannavie),  is  a  fair,  homely 
Inn :  the  landlord,  if  written  to, 
will  send  a  machine  to  meet  travel- 
lers by  the  Caledonian  Canal  at 
Callanich  (3  m. ),  at  the  E.  end  of 
Loch  Oich. 

Leaving  behind  Mr.  Edward 
Ellice's  handsome  house,  but  tra- 
versing for  30  m.  on  end  his  well- 
managed  domain,  the  road  ascends 
the  pretty  wooded 

Glengarry.  Passing  through  pen- 
sile woods  of  birch,  it  emerges  upon 
Loch  Garry,  a  smiling  sheet  of  water, 
4  m.    long.     It    passes   the   burial- 


398 


Boute  60. — Glen  Quoich';  Glenshiel       Sect.  VI. 


ground  of  the  Ellice  family,  in  which 
lies  the  amiahle  lit.  Hon.  Edward 
Ellice,  better  known  as  "the  Bear," 
the  able  politician  who  moved  the 
Whig  party  from  1836  to  1852. 

Near  the  W.  end  of  Loch  Garry  is 
16r,  m.  Tomandoun.    (Inn,  a  soli- 
tary house  of  limited  accommodation, 
but  sometimes  can  furnish  a  car  and 
post-horses. ) 

To  reach  Glen  Shiel  we  must 
ascend  from  this  point  out  of  the  vale 
of  the  Garry.  [The  road  up  it  con- 
tinues to  the  romantic  narrow  lake 
of  Glen  Qtioich,  girdled  with  moun- 
tains {in  the  midst  of  which,  in  a 
romantic  spot,  is  the  lodge,  long  the 
autumn  residence  of  Et.  Hon.  Edward 
Ellice.  A  road  of  5  m.  leads  thence 
over  a  summit  ridge  to  Loch  Ifonrn 
Head  {?  no  Jnn),  a  most  romantic 
scene,  well  worth  exploring  ;  whence 
it  is  10  m.  walk,  over  the  mountain 
ridge  dividing  Inverness  from  Ross- 
shire,  1iy  the  Pass  of  Corryucrligcny 
to  Shiel  House  Inn.] 

Erom  Tomandoun  an  ascent, 
nearly  continuous,  of  4  m,,  passing 
Glen  Luing,  amid  some  fine  moun- 
tain scener}^  brings  you  down  upon 

10|  m.  Clunie  {Inn,  another  poor 
mountain  hostel,  sometimes  can  fur- 
nish horse  and  car,  and  2  or  3  post- 
horses),  a  little  to  the  W.  of  Loch 
Clunie  and  the  shooting-lodge. 

We  are  here  on  the  high  road 
from  Invermoriston  (25  m.)  to  Skye 
(Rte.  39). 

Leaving  Clunie  Inn,  after  2^  m,, 
an  almost  continuous  descent  begins 
into  Glen  Shiel,  through  a  magnificent 
defile,  deep  and  narrow,  yielding  in 
grandeur  onl}^  to  Glencoe,  overhung 
by  preponderating  mountains,  Avith 
peaked  sugar-loaf  heads,  serrated 
ridges,  and  mysterious  corries.  The 
slanting  rocks  wdiich  edge  the  tor- 
rent are  clothed  with  su(;h  a  tapestry 
and  fringe  of  ferns  as  will  delight 
the  painter's  eye.  Few  trees  or 
houses. 


Glenshiel.  In  addition  to  its 
natural  attractions,  this  glen  is  in- 
teresting as  having  inspired  Dr. 
Johnson  with  the  idea  of  writing 
his  "Journey  to  the  Western  Isles." 
At  Auchnashiel  he  observes,  "I  sat 
down  on  a  bank,  such  as  a  writer  of 
I'omance  might  have  delighted  to 
feign.  I  had,  indeed,  no  trees  to 
whisper  over  my  head,  but  a  clear 
rivulet  streamed  at  my  feet.  The 
day  was  calm,  the  air  soft,  and  all 
was  rudeness,  silence,  and  solitude. 
Before  me,  and  on  either  side,  were 
high  hills,  which,  by  hindering  the 
eye  from  ranging,  forced  the  mind  to 
find entertainmentfor  itself.  Whether 
I  spent  the  hour  well  I  know  not, 
for  here  I  first  conceived  the  notion 
of  this  narration. " 

Mr.  Geikie  thus  writes  of  it : — 
"  Perhaps  the  defile  of  Glenshiel  in 
the  S.  W.  of  Ross-shire,  with  its  encir- 
cling group  of  lofty  naked  mountains, 
may  be  taken  as  one  of  the  best  exam- 
ples of  the  more  savage  and  rugged 
forms  which  the  granite  rocks  as- 
sume. Dark  masses  of  bare  rock 
seem  there  piled  upon  each  other, 
giving  a  corrugated  outline  to  the 
steep  acclivities  that  rise  up  into  an 
array  of  grey  serrated  ridges  and  deep 
corries,  over  which  tower  the  peaks 
of  Glenelg. "  The  pass  of  Strachel,  in 
this  glen,  was  in  1719  the  scene  of  a 
skirmish  between  a  small  force  '  of 
regular  troops  and  a  body  of  High- 
landers, chiefly  JMacraes  and  ]\Iac- 
kenzies,  under  the  Earl  of  Sea- 
forth,  who  joined  the  rising  of  the 
Earl  of  Mar,  backed  by  a  fleet  de- 
spatched from  Cadiz  by  the  King  of 
Spain  in  support  of  the  Stuart  cause. 
Only  2  vessels  out  of  30,  however, 
reached  Loch  Duich,  where  they 
landed  400  Spaniards  and  2000  stand 
of  arms.  They  were  encountered 
in  this  glen  by  Gen.  Wightman.  The 
Highlanders  fought  fiercely,  but  were 
routed,  the  Spaniards  laid  down  their 
arms  without  firing  a  shot ;  Lord 
Seaforth  was  badly  wounded,  and  the 
rebellion  crushed. 


Scotland.    Pde.  QO. — Shielhouse  Inn ;  Falls  of  Glomach.      399 


11  m.  Shielhouse  Inn  is  homely, 
but  comfortable,  situated  iu  a  beau- 
tiful spot  at  the  mouth  of  Glen- 
shiel,  overhung  by  precipices  and 
peaks  of  the  greatest  grandeur, 
about  4  m-  from  the  S.  end  of  Loch 
Duich. 

1  h  m.  from  the  inn  is  a  remarkable 
subterrcinean  "  Picts'  House,"  by  the 
roadside.  To  explore  it  the  traveller 
must  enter  on  his  hands  and  knees, 
but  it  soon  rises  to  a  height  of  8  ft. 
The  passage  is  lined  with  large  fiat 
stones. 

^lany  very  fine  Excursions  may  be 
made  from  this  ; — a.  The  ascent  ol 
Rattachan  (Rte.  61),  over  which  the 
road  to  Glenelg  and  Kyle  Rhea  is 
carried  in  many  curves,  should  be 
made,  for  the  sake  of  the  views  over 
Lochs  Alsh  and  Duich,  and,  on  the 
opposite  side,  of  the  grand  peaks  of 
Ben  Screel ;  h.  The  Pass  of  Cu7-ryvar- 
ligcn,  leading  to  Loch  Hourn  Head. 
A  stiff  walk,  but  through  scenes  not 
surpassed  for  grandeur,  2u00ft.  about 
the  sea. 

c.  To  the  Falls  of  Glomach.  The 
carriage-road  winds  round  Loch 
Duich  to  Linassie  Bridge  and  up  the 
valley  of  Kintail  as  far  as  the  shoot- 
ing-lodge. Thence  runs  a  footjjath 
on  1.  ascending  to  a  pass  nearly  2000 
ft.  above  the  sea,  leaving  on  1.  Scur- 
na-Leamrag  (2070  ft.)  It  is  a  rough 
walk  of  at  least  5  hrs.  from  Kintail,  and 
is  rather  severe  for  ladies,  though  they 
sometimes  walk  or  ride  up  on  ponies. 
The  direction  is  nearly  N.N.E.  The 
top  of  the  pass  is  a  narrow  dry  defile 
between  low  rocky  cliffs,  after  which 
bear  to  the  rt.,  under  the  shoulder 
of  the  hill  at  first,  and  next  across  the 
open  moor,  where  the  path  is  lost  for 
a  time  in  green  boggy  gi'ound.  The 
sources  of  the  Glomach  are  in  3  small 
lochs  stretching  in  a  line  N.  and  S. 
The  path  over  tlie  Pass  of  Kintail  into 
Strath  Affrick  runs  S.  of  these.  Our 
path  leaves  them  far  on  rt.  In  front 
rises  the  grand  mass  of  Scuir-na-Cairan, 
which  ends  iu  a  black-pointed  preci- 


pice, 1000  ft.  high.  At  the  foot  of 
this  are  the  Falls  of  (ilomach,  and 
the  traveller  may  gnide  his  steps  to 
them  by  it.  They  lie  900  ft.  below 
the  summit  of  the  Pass,  so  that  to 
reach  them  you  have  to  descend  nearly 
half  the  distance  you  have  ascended 
from  Kintail.  The  solitude  around 
is  perfect  :  not  a  sign  of  habitation 
or  cultivation.  The  narrow  gush  in 
the  mountain-side,  down  which  the 
stream  is  precipitated,  must  have  been 
caused  by  a  shift  or  upheaval  of  the 
strata,  which  are  here  turned  up  like 
the  leaves  of  a  book.  The  volume 
of  water  is  not  large,  but  the  depth 
of  the  chasm,  the  pure  white  foaming 
water  against  the  black  precipices, 
fearful  to  look  over,  give  peculiar 
grandeur  to  this  cascade,  which  goes 
into  a  rent  impenetrable  b3^the  eye. 
The  traveller  bound  for  Skye  or 
the  W.  coast  has  the  choice  of  re- 
ascending  tlie  mountain  and  returning 
the  way  that  he  came,  or  of  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  Glomach  down- 
wards to  Glen  Elchaig,  thence  by 
Loch  Luing  and  Loch  Alsh  at  Dornie 
Ferry.  The  descent  to  the  Elchaig 
is  pathless  and  almost  precipitous. 
Below  is  a  rough  road. 


The  drive  from  Shiel  House  Inn 
to  Loch  Alsh  and  Strom e  Ferry  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  varied 
in  the  Highlands.  It  skirts  the  N. 
shore  of  Loch  Duich,  passing  the 
opening  of  the  valleys  of  Kintail, 
crossing  the  Avon  Cumhanag,  near 
Kintail  village.  The  views  extend  S. 
across  the  lake,  at  Linassie  Bridge,  to 
i\Iam  Ratachan,  over  whose  shoulder 
winds  the  romantic  road  to  Glenelg, 
and  E.  to  the  towering  peak  of  Ben 
Attow  (4000  ft.),  a  grand  group  of 
mountains,  sometimes  known  as 
Scour  Ouran. 

The  terrace  road  along  the  lake 
skirts  Iiiverinet,  a  charming  seat  of 
]\Ir.  Alexander  Matheson,  and  soon 
after  the  broad  expanse  of  Loch  Alsh, 


400 


Route  61. — Ratiachan ;  Glenelg. 


Sect.  YI. 


the  continuation  of  LocliDuich,  opens 
out,  and  a  third,  but  minor  fiord. 
Loch  Luing,  comes  in,  opposite  the 
picturesque  island  Fort  of 

Eilean  Donan,  a  rare  subject 
for  the  artist ;  a  square  old  keep 
founded  on  a  rock,  within  an  en- 
closing wall.  It  was  the  stronghold 
of  the  Mackenzies,  Earls  of  Seaforth, 
and  the  try  sting-place  of  the  clan, 
when  summoned  by  the  beacon 
lighted  on  the  top  of  Tullochard. 
It  was  battered  by  a  ship  of  war  1719, 
after  the  Battle  of  Glenshiel.  The 
Lord  of  the  Isles  lost  his  life  in  an 
attack  upon  this  Castle. 

At  Dornie  Ferry  (very  poor  public- 
house),  the  inlet  called  Loch  Luing 
is  crossed  in  a  ferry-boat.  It  takes 
4  hr.  to  transport  carriage  and  horses. 
At  Dornie  on  Loch  Luing  is  a  R.  C. 
Convent  founded  by  the  late  Duchess 
of  Leeds.  [A  road  runs  along  its 
W.  shore  to  Glen  Elchaig,  whence 
it  is  a  walk  of  5  or  6  m.  to  the  Falls 
of  Glomach  {see  preceding  page).  ] 

Quitting  the  Ferry,  the  terraced 
road,  carried  high  above  Loch  Alsh, 
commands  a  succession  of  the  finest 
views  W.  to  Skye,  E.  towards  Glen- 
shiel. It ;;  turns  inland  to  Loch 
Alsh,  the  name  of  a  pretty  village, 
as  well  as  of  the  lake. 

From  this  we  have  a  choice  of  2 
roads  to  Skye  : — a.  Continuing  due 
W.  to  Balmacarra  {Inn,  clean,  and 
good  views),  a  pleasant  place  to 
stay  at.  Distances : — to  Dornie  Ferry, 
5^  m.  ;  Glenshiel  Inn,  15  m. ;  Stroma 
Ferry  Inn  and  Ely.  Stat.,  12  m. 

Near  the  Inn  is  Balmacarra  House 
(one  of  Mr.  Alex.  JNIatheson's  charm- 
ing seats),  looking  S.  down  the  strait 
of  "Kyle  Rhea,  and  W.  to  Kyle  Akin 
and  the  Coollin  Hills  ;  to  Kyle  Akin 
Ferry,  8  m.  Rte.  58).  A^.'^.— The 
Mail  has  ceased  to  run  on  this  road. 
A  boat  may  be  hired  at  Balmacarra 
Pier,  1  m.  from  the  Inn,  to  cross 
direct  to  Kyle  Akin  in  Skye  (?  4  m.) 
h.  Turning  due  N.  from  Loch  Alsh, 
ascending  the  hiUs  which  separate 


Loch  Alsh  from  Loch  Carron  (com- 
manding exquisite  views)  and  de- 
scending on 

8  m.  Strome  Ferry,  Rly.  Stat,  and 
Inn,  whence  a  steamer  runs  daily  to 
Skye  (Rte.  62). 


ROUTE  61. 

Shi  el  House  Inn  to  Skye,  by- 
Mam  Rattachan,  Glenelg,  and 
Kyle  Rhea  Ferry,  10  m. 

"Within  I  m.  of  Shiel  House  Inn 
(Rte.  60),  the  good  carriage-road  be- 
gins from  the  margin  of  Loch  Duich 
to  ascend  the  steep  hill  of  Rattachan. 
It  is  much  improved  since  Johnson 
and  Boswell  rode  on  horseback  over 
it ;  "a  terrible  steep  to  climb,  not- 
withstanding the  road  is  formed 
slanting  along  it."  At  present  it 
curves  round  the  hills,  and  into  the 
gullies,  and  some  of  its  gradients  are 
steep  ;  but  the  views,  expanding  at 
every  step  over  the  winding  shores 
of  Lochs  Duich  and  Alsh,  are  superb. 
On  reacliing  the  summit,  the  pros- 
pect opens  upon  a  new  scene,  the 
singular  peak  of  Ben  Screel,  and 
other  giants  which  rise  above  the 
shores  of  Loch  Hourn.  The  descent 
is  less  steep  to 

8^  m.  Glenelg  (Kirkton).  {Inn  : 
very  clean  and  good.  A  pleasant 
neat  village  grouped  around  the  Bay, 
but  one  of  the  most  rainy  places  in 
all  Scotland.  Glenelg  (Glen  of  Deer), 
which  gives  its  name  to  the  district, 
consists  mainly  of  2  subordinate 
glens.  Glen  More  and  Glenbeg  — 
the  former  not  particularly  striking, 
while  the  latter  has  some  very  fine 
scenery,  at  Eilean  Reach,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  river. 

ExcursioTis.  — a.  A  walk  of  about 
3  m.  from  Glenelg  up  Glenbeg  leads 
to  two  ruined  Pictish  Toivers  (sec 
Introduction,  Section  II.)  In  both 
cases  only  half  of  the  tower  remains, 
exhibiting  an  instructive  section,  to 


Ihuuaet  H^ 


//  Estahlishjnetit. 


STA. MILES 


^^  :fe>^^p   ,? 


Ross-shire.     Boute  G2.—lJingivaIl  to  Strome  Fcmj. 


401 


show  how  it  was  constructed,  about 
25  ft.  high,  and 30 ft.  diameter.  The 
Avhole  of  this  district  belonged  to  the 
Macraes,  a  tribe  which  came  from 
Ireland  with  Colin  Fitzgerald. 

b.  There  is  a  rough  road,  just 
practicable  for  a  car,  to  Loch  Hourn 
Head,  running  round  the  coast  from 
Glenelg,  and  skirting  the  north  side 
of  Loch  Houi'n.  It  winds  round  the 
base  of  Ben  Miolary  and  Ben  Bcrccl 
(3196  ft.),  which  gives  this  district 
a  peculiarly  wild  aspect. 

"Less  accessible,  but  not  less 
striking,  examples  of  savage  scenery 
may  be  found  along  the  gneissoic 
shores  of  Loch  Hourn  and  Loch 
ISTevis.  The  height  and  the  angular 
forms  of  the  mountain  ridges,  the 
steep  and  deeply  rifted  slopes,  and 
the  ruggedness  and  sterility  of  the 
whole  landscape,  distinguish  these 
two  sea-lochs  from  the  rest  of  the 
fiords  on  the  W.  coast." — Geikic.'] 

Distances  of  Glenelg  from — Kyle 
Rhea,  1|  m.  ;  Bernera,  1  ;  Glenbeg, 
1^  ;  Shiel  House,  8^  m.  Broadford 
in  Skye  (hilly  road)  is 

13  m.  from  Kyle  Rhea  ferry.  The 
Strait  is  I  m.  wide,  but  owing  to  the 
strong  tide  it  takes  ^  hour  to  cross. 
Charge  (carriage  and  2  horses),  6s. 


ROUTE  62. 

Dingwall  to    Strome  Ferry  and 

Skye,   by   Stratlipeffer,   Garve, 

Achnasheen,  and  Loch  Carron 

[Skye  Railway]. 

53  m.  2  trains  daily  in  less  than 
3  hrs. — a  single  line,  constructed 
1870 — greatly  facilitates  access  to 
the  beautiful  sea-lochs  of  Ross  and 
Sutherland — also  to  the  Island  of 
Skye.     At 

Dingwall  Junct.  Stat,  {sec  Rte. 
65),  this  Rally,  turns  1.  out  of  that 
to  Lairg  and  Golspie,  and  begins  to 
ascend.  1.  rises  the  ridge  of  Druim 
Chat  (the  Cat's  Back),  separating 
{Scotland. '\ 


Stratlipeffer  from  Strathconan,  and 
the  large  and  very  perfect  Vitrified 
Fort  oi  Knockfa,rrel ;  rt.  are  the  woods 
of  Tulloch  (D.  Davidson,  Esq.), 
36,100  acres. 

A  long  and  steep  incline  carries 
the  train  up  to 

5|  m.  Stratlipeffer  Stat.,  at  a  con- 
siderable height  above  the  Wells, 
and  about  2  m.  distant  from  them, 
whereas  the  carriage  -  road  thither 
from  Dingwall  is  only  5  m, 

{Inns :  The  Old  Spa  Hotel ;  Strath- 
pefier  Hotel,  near  the  Wells  and  the 
Stat.)  A  watering-place  of  some 
local  repute,  not  very  lively,  but  is 
improving.  It  has  pleasant  walks 
around  the  Wells,  and  many  large 
houses,  in  a  well-cultivated  valley  ; 
belonging  to  the  Duchess  of  Suther- 
land (Countess  of  Cromartie), 

Strathpeffer  is  resorted  to  for  its 
mineral  waters,  .strongly  impreg- 
nated with  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
gas — far  more  so  than  those  of  Har- 
rogate, containing,  in  addition,  some 
saline  ingredients  which  add  much 
to  their  medicinal  properties. 

The  neighbourhood  is  sufficiently 
interesting  to  make  it  convenient 
headquarters  from  which  to  explore 
Ben  Wyvis,  Strathgarve,  or  Strath- 
conan. 

Omnibus  to  Dingwall  —  also  to 
the  Stat,  to  meet  every  train  on  the 
Skye  Rly. 

a.  The  chief  Excicrsion  (10  m.  walk) 
is  to  the  summit  of  Ben  Wyvis 
(Ben  Uaish,  Mountain  of  awe), 
which  rises  to  the  height  of  3426  ft., 
though  from  its  enormous  bulk  it 
does  not  seem  so  lofty.  It  is  held 
from  the  Crown  by  the  tenure  ol 
producing  a  snowball  from  its  ravines 
on  any  day  of  the  year — no  very 
difficult  task.  "  On  the  ascent,  the 
pedestrian  will  be  annoyed  at  the 
immense  extent  of  mossy  broken 
ground  at  the  base  ;  but  after  passing 
the  first  snow-wreaths  in  xVulteunire, 
which  we  recommend  as  the  easiest 
track,  he  will  find  the  whole  upper 
«  9 


402 


Fioute  62. — Dingtcall  to  Sfrome  Ferry. 


Sect.  VI. 


acclivities  deeply  covered  with  a  fine 
elastic  moss,  and  from  the  corrie  on 
the  top  he  may  approach  and  look 
down  the  clitis  of  Corie-na-Feol  or 
the  Flesh  Corrie.  Ben  Wyvis  is 
composed  of  slaty  gneiss,  with  num- 
erous large  veins  of  hornblende  and 
granite,  and  intermixed  with  garnets. 
To  the  botanist  this  mountain  is 
chiefly  interesting  for  the  earlier 
spring  flowers,  such  as  Saxifraga 
oppositifolia,  Arbutus  alpina.  Azalea 
procumbeqs,  Betula  nana,  etc.,  and 
for  its  mosses,  and  as  a  habitat  for 
the  scarce  grass,  Alopecurus  alpinus." 

b.  The  Falls  of  Bogie,  formed  by 
the  river  that  issues  from  Loch  Garve, 
in  a  fine  birch  forest  on  the  estate  of 
Coul,  are  picturesque,  though  of  no 
great  volume — a  drive  of  5  m.  Kear 
them  is  the  Inn  of  Contin. 

Strathpefler  was  the  scene  of  a 
bloody  fight  between  the  M 'Donalds 
and  M'Kenzies,  and  subsequently 
between  the  latter  and  the  Monroes, 
in  both  of  which  the  M  'Kenzies  were 
victorious.  Near  the  pump-room  a 
stone  pillar,  with  a  rude  sculpture  of 
an  eagle,  marks  the  spot  where  the 
tide  of  battle  turned,  and  the  Mon- 
roes fled. 

To  the  1.  of  the  road  to  Dingwall 
is  the  old  ivy-covered  Castle  Leod,  a 
baronial  mansion  of  the  Duchess  of 
Sutherland,  with  pretty  grounds ; 
open  to  the  public  at  times. 

Distances. — Dingwall,  5  m. ;  Garve, 
8 ;  Loch  Acheltie,  3  ;  Rogie  Falls,  5  m. 

The  rl}'-.  continues  to  ascend  the 
valley  of  the  Pefl"ery,  and  traverses 
the  ravine  of  Craig-na-Fidach — the 
Raven's  Rock.  The  line  here  is  blasted 
through  slate  and  gneiss  rocks,  and 
emerges  upon  the  wooded  district  of 
Rogie  (Sir  Arthur  Mackenzie  of 
Coul).  N.  rises  Ben  Wyvis.  Along 
the  shore  of  Loch  Garve,  If  m.  long, 
near  which  is  Strathgarve,  Mr.  Han- 
bury's  shooting-lodge,  backed  by 
woods,  the  rly.  reaches 

12  m.  Garve  Stat.,  a  small  hamlet 


on  a  pretty  green  plain,  with  a 
tolerable  Highland  Inn,  where  a 
horse  and  gig  may  be  hired. 

From  this  a  road  to  Loch  Broom 
and  Ullapool— 28  m.  (Rte.  66). 

After  3  intervening  dreary  miles 
of  moorland  and  stones,  we  rush  into 
scenery  afl"ording  an  agi^eeable  con- 
trast ;  a  wood  of  birch  and  larch 
is  traversed,  on  the  shores  of  the 
crescent-shaped  Loch  Luichart,  of 
which  pleasing  but  partial  glimpses 
are  seen  through  the  branches  1.  It 
is  7  m.  long,  but  the  rly.  touches 
merely  its  upper  extremity,  and 
passes  swiftly  rt.  the  Italian  villa 
and  grounds  of  Kinloch  Luichart 
(Dowager  Lady  Ashburton,  who  has 
a  private  stat.  on  the  rly.  and  an 
estate  of  8500  xn,cres.) 

A  lattice  girder  bridge  carries  the 
line  over  the  stream  pouring  out  of 
Loch  Fannich  —  first  skirting  the 
margin  and  then  cutting  through 
the  midst  of  Loch  CuUen  to 

21 5^  m-.  Auclienault  Stat.,  and  Inn 
at  the  foot  of  Ben  Eigen  N.,  and  at 
the  entrance  of  the  monotonous  green 
valley  of  Strathbran,  over  which 
ScuirvulUn  towers  on  the  S.  with  its 
3  peaks,  dividing  Strathconan  from 
Strathbran.  The  shooting-lodge  of 
Mr.  Prout  is  passed. 

27 1  m.  Achimshcen  Stat.  {Inn  at 
Siftt.  good  ;  horses  and  cars  here). 

From  this  the  interesting  Excur- 
sions to  Loch  Maree,  Gairloch,  and 
Loch  Torridon  (Rte.  63)  are  made. 
Coach  daily  in  summer  to  Loch 
Maree  and  Gairloch. 

Leaving  behind  Achnasheen,  the 
train  passes  rt.  Loch  Ledgowan  (on 
the  N.  shore  of  which  is  a  shooting- 
lodge  of  Alex.  Matheson,  Esq.),  and 
attains  the  summit-level,  634  ft. 
above  the  two  seas.  The  small  and 
melancholy  Loch  Scaven  sends  its 
waters  W.  into  Loch  Carron.  rt.  is 
seen  Glencarron,  purchased  in  1874 
by  Sir  Ivor  Guest,   Bart.,  with  the 


Eoss-SHIRE.       Route  63. — Achnasheen  to  Loch  Maree. 


403 


small  (leer  forest  attached,  for 
£50,000.  Sir  Ivor  owns  33,900 
acres  in  Ross. 

Auchnashellacli  Stat,  overlooks 
the  handsome  shooting-lodge  and 
grounds  of  Sir  Ivor  Guest,  Bart.  A 
path  over  the  mountain  N.  leads  to 
Kinlochewe  and  Loch  Maree  (Rte. 
63). 

The  freshwater  Loch  Doule  is 
quickly  passed. 

45 1  m.  Strathcarron  Stat.  {Inn, 
small  hut  very  good  ;  furnishes 
horses  and  carriages),  at  the  E.  ex- 
tremity of  the  grand  sea-loch  Carron, 
of  which  a  fine  view*  opens  as  far  as 
Strome  Ferry,  the  mountains  of  Skye 
rising  in  the  far  distance  to  the  W. 

There  is  a  road  from  this  to  Loch 
Carron,  or  Jeantoicn,  4  m. ,  a  village 
on  the  N.  shore  of  the  Loch  {Inn, 
clean  and  moderate),  whence  Ex- 
cursions may  be  made  to  Shieldag, 
16  m..  Loch  Torridon  and  Apple- 
cross,  20  m.  (Rte.  63). 

The  course  followed  by  the  rly. 
along  the  S.  -shore  of  Loch  Carron 
is  the  most  picturesque  and  interest- 
ing of  the  whole  route  ;  very  wdnd- 
ing,  following  the  ins  and  outs  of 
the  rocks,  which  frequently  descend 
vertically  into  the  sea,  in  rapid  curves 
and  some  cuttings.  It  is  carried 
only  a  few  feet  above  the  level  of 
high  tides,  and  the  depth  in  many 
places  is  very  great. 

53  m.  Strome  Ferry  Terminus,  close 
to  Avliich  is  the  Stat.  Inn :  or  Ach- 
more  Hotel,  commanding  fine  view, 
near  the  landing-pier. 

Steamer  to  Skye  and  Portree^  30  m. 
(see  Rte.  56)  daily. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  loch, 
here  crossed  by  a  ferry  |  m.  wide,  is 
the  Strome  Inn. 

4  m.  W.  on  the  shore  of  outer  Loch 
Carron  rises  Duncraig  Castle,  the 
modern  seat  of  Alex.  Matheson,  Esq., 
in  a  lovely  situation,  and  beyond,  to 
the  W.,  is  the  village  of  Plockton. 

Instead  of  taking  the  steamer  from 
Strome    Ferry  to   Portree,   the  tra- 


veller bound  for  Skye  may  go  by 
land  to  Balmacarra,  crossing  the 
hills  behind  Strome,  up  the  glen  of 
Achmore,  a  bleak  drive,  until  the 
heights  are  leached,  which  command 
a  view  of  Loch  Alsh,  of  the  grand 
mountains  of  Glenelg  S.  of  it,  and 
of  the  Coollin  range  in  Skj^e  to  the 
W.,  a  glorious  prospect.  Passing 
the  small  lake  and  manse  of  Loch 
Alsh,  we  reach 

12  m.  Balmacarra  {Inn,  comfort- 
able ;  finely  placed),  a  hamlet  of 
scattered  houses,  the  property  of 
Alex.  Matheson,  Esq.,  opposite  the 
ferry  of  Kyle  Akin  in  Skye  (Rte. 
58).  He  owns  220,483  acres  in 
Ross-shii'e. 


ROUTE  63. 

Achnasheen  to  Loch  Maree 
and  Gairloch,  to  Loch.  Torri- 
don, Shieldag,  and  Applecross. 
Shieldag  to  Loch  Carron. 

28  m.  to  Gairloch.  From  Auch- 
nasheen  a  Coach  daily  in  connection 
with  the  10.45  a.m.  train  from  Ding- 
wall, returning  for  afternoon  train, 
fares  between  Achnasheen  and  Gair- 
loch, 7s.  6d.;  to  Poolewe,  8s.  6d.,— 
in  summer,  by  Kinlochewe  and 
the  W.  shore  of  Loch  Maree.  Loch 
Maree  is  seen  to  most  advantage 
from  this  approach. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  perhaps  the  least  known  Excur- 
sions in  Scotland,  embracing  the  finest 
scenery  in  Ross-shire. 

Achnasheen  Stat.,  on  the  Skye 
and  Dingwall  Rly. ,  is  provided  with 
a  very  fair  Inn  (Rte.  62),  which  will 
furnish  cars  and  waggonettes.  The 
road  thence  I'uns  N.  W.  alongside  of 
Loch  Roshk,  a  long  melancholy  lake, 
with  bare  treeless  sides.  At  the 
foot  of  the  lake,  near  Achnasheen, 
the  geologist  wall  observe  interesting 
examples  of  glacier  moraine  heaps, 
through  which  the  river  has  cut  its 


404 


Route  63.—KinlocJieive;  Loch  Maree.       Sect.  YI. 


way.  At  its  head,  a  low  watershed 
is  crossed,  and  the  road  thence  passes 
down  the  narrow  Glen  Dochart,  at 
the  end  of  which  is  a  vista  of  Loch 
Maree,  which  suddenly  comes  into 
view,  flanked  on  the  E.  by  the  grand 
mass  of  Ben  Slioch,  and  intersected 
by  promontories,  which  in  the  per- 
spective project  beyond  one  another, 
till  in  the  distance  they  seem  to 
meet. 

10  m.  (from  Achnasheen)  is 

Kinlochcwe.  {Inn,  comfortable, 
but  small.)  Kinlochewe  is  a  scat- 
tered hamlet,  with  a  large  shooting- 
lodge,  2  m.  from  the  head  of  Loch 
Maree,  near  the  junction  of  three 
streams  from  Glen  Dochart  on  the 
S.,  Glen  Logan  on  theE.,  and  Glen- 
garry (up  which  runs  the  road  to 
Loch  Torridon)  on  the  S.W.  The 
scenery  around  is  grand,  the  white 
peak  of  Ben  Eay  overhangs  it,  and  the 
river,  fringed  with  birch  and  alder, 
adds  a  charm  to  the  landscape.  A 
Free  Kirk  was  built  here  1875. 

Excursions  can  be  made  by  boat 
on  the  lake,  or  by  road  to  Talladale 
(9  m.),  and  Gairloch,  18  m.  This  is 
the  best  way  of  seeing  the  wild  and 
savage  ranges  of  mountains  that  rise 
from  its  banks — to  Loch  Torridon  10 
m.,  and  Shieldag  {j)ost). 

N.B. — The  right  of  fishing  on 
Loch  Maree  can  be  obtained  at  the 
Inn,  and  Boats — 10s.  to  Isle  Maree  ; 
20s.  to  Poolewe. 

[A  rough  road  from  Kinlochewe 
runs  over  the  hills  to  join  the  Loch 
Carron  Road,  near  Craig  Inn,  8  m.  ] 

Distances  from  Kinlochewe. — Tor- 
ridon Lake,  10  m.  ;  Shieldag,  14m.; 
Achnasheen,  10  m.  ;  Loch  Roshk, 
9  m.  ;  Talladale  Inn,  %  m.  ;  Pool- 
ewe, 191  m.  ;  Gau'loch,  18. 

The  road  to  Gairloch  nms  along 
the  side  of  Loch  Maree,  and  is  very 
beautiful,  passing  through  groves  of 
indigenous  v^oods  which  shade  the 


road  and  hang  high  on  the  brows  of 
the  hills,  and  having  in  full  view  the 
bare  sides  of  Ben  Slioch. 

Loch  Maree  (St,  Maolmbba's  Lake) 
is  18  m.  in  length  and  2  in  breadth, 
and,  while  possessing  many  of  the 
ordinary  features  of  the  Scottish 
lakes,  has  some  very  distinguishing 
ones,  such  as  the  abmpt  way  in 
which  the  mountains  shoot  up,  the 
beautiful  vegetation  which  in  some 
places,  especially  on  the  S.,  festoons 
the  rocks,  and  the  cluster  of  islands, 
2  4  in  number,  in  the  centre  of  the  lake. 
And  yet,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  sides 
of  Loch  Maree  are  bare,  owing  pro- 
bably to  the  establishment  of  some 
iron-smelting  works  about  a  century 
ago,  and  the  extensive  cutting  down 
of  the  timber  consequent  thereon. 
The  most  striking  object  in  the 
scenery  is  Ben  Slioch  or  Sliabhoch 
(4000  ft.),  which  rises  up  in  such  an 
uninterrupted  mass,  nearly  straight 
from  the  water's  edge,  that  the  tourist 
can  scan  its  gi-eat  rifts  and  gullies 
from  base  to  summit  at  one  glance. 
To  the  1. ,  near  Kinlochewe,  the  tra- 
veller gets  good  views  of  the  curiously 
white  quartz  summits  of  Ben  Eay 
and  the  hills  near  Loch  Torridon. 
The  scenery  is  particularly  sti-iking 
at  the  Bridge  of  Grudie,  looking  up 
the  Glen  of  Grudie.  Nearly  opposite 
is  Lettereioe,  an  estate  of  69,800 
acres  (Meyrick  Bankes,  Esq.),  where 
the  ironworks  just  mentioned  were 
carried  on.  Their  remains  may  still 
be  seen,  as  also  a  cemetery  called 
Clach-na-Sassenach,  or  the  English- 
man's Grave.  Continuing  farther  W. 
is  a  spacious  amphitheatre  of  moun- 
tains, rising  range  above  range,  their 
summits  grey  and  bare,  with  varied 
fonns,  but  all  with  graceful  easy  out- 
lines, though  sharp  and  jagged  to- 
wards the  top. 

9i  m.  Talladale.  A  large  and 
handsome  Hotel,  built  in  1872  by 
Sir  K.  Mackenzie  of  Gairloch,  on  a 
height  commanding  a  grand  view  of 
lake   and   mountain.     It  will   be  a 


Scotland.        Route  63. — Slatfadale;  Gairloch. 


405 


great  convenience  to  travellers,  being 
almost  the  only  house  between  Kin- 
lochewe  and  Gairloch. 

11  m.  Slattadale,  where  the  lake 
trends  to  the  IST.W,,  and  the  road 
turns  due  AV.  The  lake  here,  in- 
creased to  its  greatest  breadth,  is 
crowded  with  islands,  and  a  more 
distant  view  of  the  mountains  is  ob- 
tained in  either  direction.  In  the 
centre  is  Eilean  Marce,  crowned 
with  woods  and  thickets,  upon  which 
it  is  said  that  St.  Maree  lived  as  an 
anchorite  ;  it  is  now  used  as  a  ceme- 
tery by  some  of  the  families  in  the 
neighbourhood.  Close  by  is  a  little 
well,  once  celebrated  for  its  healing 
virtues,  and  considered  infallible  in 
cases  of  insanity  ;  but  the  use  of  the 
water  of  the  well  had  to  be  preceded 
by  submersion  of  the  patient  in  the 
loch. 

By  driving  from  Kinlochewe  as 
far  as  Slattadale,  all  the  finest  part 
of  the  scenery  of  the  lake  is  disclosed. 

At  Slattadale  a  path  branches  to 
rt.,  following  the  bend  of  Loch 
Maree  to  Poolewe  at  the  head  of 
Loch  Ewe,  74  m. 

The  road  to  Gairloch  now  ascends 
1.  for  Ig  m.  a  considerable  hill,  from 
which  there  is  a  magnificent  retro- 
spective view,  and  soon  turns  W., 
descending  a  narrow  and  romantic 
glen,  a  fracture  in  the  slate  rock, 
traversed  by  the  river  Kerrie,  pass- 
ing Loch  Padhascally.  A  little  far- 
ther on  is  a  most  picturesque  water- 
fall. Kerrisdale  is  a  charming  glen, 
in  its  lower  course  completely  grown 
up  with  firs  and  pines,  over  which 
peeps  the  summit  of  Bershuin. 

18  m.  from  KinlocheAve,  Gairloch 
Inn:  a  handsome  large  inn,  built 
1872.  This  pretty  village  has  the 
same  name  as  the  Bay  of  the  Sea, 
round  whose  shore  its  houses  are 
spread.  It  is  furnished  with  a  Pier, 
at  which  the  Stcanurs  from  Portree 
in  Skye  touch  three  times  a-week, 
and  from  Glasgow  once.     It  nestles 


at  the  head  of  the  inlet,  and  close 
by  the  embouchure  of  a  brawling 
stream.  A  little  Avay  up  the  glen 
is  Floicerdah,  an  old-fashioned  but 
comfortable  house,  built  in  the  last 
century,  in  a  nook  surrounded  by 
thriving  plantations.  It  is  a  seat  of 
Sir  Kenneth  Mackenzie,  the  possessor 
of  164,680  acres  in  the  Loch  Maree 
district.  It  is  well  protected  on  the 
N.  by  a  bank  of  rock,  covered  by 
trees,  and  serAang  as  a  rampart  against 
the  winds  from  the  Atlantic.  Beyond 
it  are  the  present  parish  ch.,  and  the 
ruins  of  its  predecessor.  Gairloch 
was  the  district  in  which  so  much  of 
Hugh  Miller's  early  life  was  spent, 
as  related  in  "My  Schools  and 
Schoolmasters." 

Conveyances  from  Gairloch. — Coach 
every  day  to  Aclmasheen  Stat. 

Distances. — Kinlochewe,  18  m.  ; 
Achnasheen,  30 ;  Talladale  Inn,  9 ; 
Poolewe,  6  ;  Loch  Torridon  (Shiel- 
dag),  across  the  hills,  16. 

The  road  to  Poolewe  runs  plea- 
santly along  the  high  banks  over- 
looking the  Gairloch  and  a  wide  ex- 
panse of  sea,  with  the  northernmost 
promontory  of  Skye,  and  the  islands 
of  Lewis  and  Harris.  It  then  crosses 
a  ridge  of  hills,  and  descends  to  Loch 
Ewe  at 

6  m.  Pooleice  {Inn  comfortable) 
is  prettily  placed  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Ewe,  a  fine  salmon  river,  which  has 
but  a  short  course  from  Loch  Maree. 

5  m.  X.E.,  under  the  precipices  of 
Ben  Lairg  lies  LocJi  Fruin  (or  Finn), 
where  Salmo  ferox  may  be  caught. 
Inquire  at  Poolewe  Inn  about  boat 
and  guide  (6s.  a  day),  charge,  3s.  6d. 
per  rod. 

[From  Gairloch  the  pedestrian  may 
reach  Loch  Torridon  and  Shieldag, 
without  retracing  his  steps  to  Kin- 
lochewe by  a  fine  walk  across  the 
mountains,  about  16  m.  There  is  no 
continuous  path,  and  the  way  is 
difiicult  to  find.  Following  the  road 
from    Gairloch   to    Loch   Maree   for 


406 


Route  63. — Loch  Torridon  ;  Shieldag. 


Sect.  VI. 


about  a  mile,  before  penetrating  into 
Kerrisdale,  a  path  on  rt.  leaves  the 
main  road,  and  in  about  3  m.  arrives 
at  a  hamlet  called  Shieldag  Gairloch. 
There  secure  a  guid-e  if  you  can,  at 
least  inquire  for  the  path  to  Mr. 
Beatson's  lodge,  which  follow  into 
the  mountains  until  a  considerable 
loch  is  reached.  The  path  passes  a 
short  distance  to  the  1.  of  it.  The 
tourist  Avill  then  have  Ben  Alligin  on 
his  1.  and  in  front  of  him  a  low  coni- 
cal hill  called  Tombuie.  Make  for 
this  latter,  and  keep  to  the  rt.  shoul- 
der, descending  on  liOch  Eelugan. 
It  is  difficult  to  strike  the  right  path, 
owing  to  the  number  of  sheets  of 
water,  among  which  it  is  hard  to  dis- 
tinguish Loch  Relugan.  Cross  an 
intervening  ridge  and  descend  to  the 
sea  to  a  hamlet  calTed  Diabag,  where 
a  boat  may  be  got  for  Shieldag. 
There  is  no  inn  at  Diabag,  but  at 
Shieldag  a  decent  small  inn,  with  3 
beds. 

The  views  on  the  Gairloch  side  of 
the  Pass  are  remarkably  fine,  over  to 
the  island  of  Lewis,  the  mountain 
ranges  of  which  are  very  conspicuous, 
but  they  are  not  to  be  compared  with 
those  round  Loch  Torridon,  Avhich 
for  abruptness,  singularity  of  form, 
and  extraordinary  gleaming  surface, 
present  landscapes  equal  to  anything 
in  the  Highlands.] 

Kinlocliewe  to  Loch  Torridon 
(10  m.)  thence  to  Shieldag  (6  m.  by 
water). 

A  good  carriage-road  turns  W. 
from  the  inn,  up  the  vale  of  the 
Garry,  under  the  white  quartz  crags 
of  Ben  Eay,  which  remind  one  of 
dolomite  or  chalk  cliff's.  The  stream 
flows  out  of  Loch  Clair,  where  Sir 
Ivor  Guest  has  a  deer  forest  and 
shooting-lodge  (Coulin).  Now  looms 
into  view  the  grand  form  of  Ben 
Liugach^  whose  dark  mural  preci- 
pices, rising  in  places  2000  ft.  above 
the  road,  are  skirted  by  it  for  a 
space  of  3  m.     It  forms  the  grand 


predominant  feature  of  this  journey  ; 
its  colossal  lines,  seamed  with  hori- 
zontal lines  of  stratification,  resemble 
a  series  of  terraces.  The  road  at  pre- 
sent ends  at  the  shore  of  Loch  Torri- 
don, where  there  is  a  poor  fishing- 
hamlet,  not  far  from  Torridon  House 
(Duncan  Darroch,  Esq.),  an  estate  of 
32,000  acres.  There  is  a  humble 
public-house  on  the  shore. 

Boats,  rather  dirty,  with  4  rowers, 
may  be  hired  here  to  Shieldag,  6  m., 
for  12s.,  H  111'-  (depending  on  the 
tide).  It  will  save  time  to  land  1  m, 
short  of  Shieldag,  and  walk  a  mile, 
as  the  tide  runs  strong  round  the 
point.  Loch  Torridon,  though  very 
little  visited,  is  better  worth  seeing 
than  most  of  the  Scotch  lakes,  and 
it  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  country 
is  so  wild  and  the  accommodation  so 
scanty  that  it  precludes  many  tour- 
ists from  approaching  it.  It  consists 
really  of  three  inlets,  the  outer  or 
lower  loch,  and  the  upper  loch,  be- 
tween which  branches  Loch  Shieldag, 
separated  from  the  others  by  a  very 
narrow  entrance.  The  mountains 
which  girdle  Loch  Torridon  consist 
of  dull  red  Cambrian  sandstones, 
capped  with  quartz  rock,  which 
"  may  be  seen  stealing  up  the  backs 
of  the  mountains,  even  to  their  very 
summits,  and  as  they  are  marked  by 
a  snowy  whiteness,  the  contrasting 
hues  of  the  two  rocks  give  rise  to 
some  of  the  most  unexpected  features 
in  the  scenery  of  these  districts." — 
Geikie. 

The  surrounding  mountains  sup- 
port very  little  verdure,  so  that  the 
prevailing  tint  of  the  landscape  is 
grey,  not  green.  The  rocky  knob 
rising  at  the  back  of  Shieldag  is  of 
gneiss,  and  commands  fine  views. 

Shieldag  is  a  quiet  little  village, 
circling  round  the  bay,  with  ch.  and 
manse,  inhabited  by  fishermen,  and 
containing  a  clean  small  Inn,  furnish- 
ing 3  beds  ;  and,  by  giving  previous 
notice,  good  meals  ;  but  meat  and 
bread   come   from    a   distance,    and 


Scotland. 


Route  63. — Apj^lecross  ;  Kishorn. 


407 


there  is  uot  a  horse  or  cart  within 
9  m.  Its  situation  is  very  sechided, 
being  just  under  the  hill  of  Stron 
Nea,  which  rises  up  to  the  height  of 
1667  ft. 

Distances  from  Shield  ag  to  Torri- 
don  House,  6  m.  (footpath,  no  road). 
Capital  carriage-road  to  Courtown, 
14  m.[;  Stroma  Ferry,  20  ;  Loch 
Carron,  20 ;  Strathcarron  Stat,  on 
Skye  Rly.,  where  horses  and  cars 
can  be  had,  24  m.  {see  Ete.  62),  but 
by  a  mountain  path  it  may  be 
reached  in  a  walk  of  10  m. 

[If  the  traveller  has  time,  it  is  a 
beautiful  excursion  to  Applecross. 
A  good  road  runs  S.  through  Glen 
Shieldag  to  Kishorn  and  Loch  Car- 
ron, 16  m.  The  traveller  can  either 
take  this,  or,  if  a  pedestrian,  can 
cross  to  the  farm  of  Durinear,  on  the 
"W.  shore  of  Loch  Shieldag,  and  then 
strike  over  the  hills  to  Applecross. 
The  walk  is  difficult,  and  the  path 
indistinct,  but  once  the  central 
plateau  is  gained,  there  is  a  good 
landmark  in  Loch  Lundie,  which 
must  be  kept  well  to  the  1.  Eight  in 
front  the  path  may  be  seen  breasting 
the  steep  mounta,in,  on  the  other  side 
of  which  is  Applecross,  the  domain 
of  Lord  Middleton,  63,000  acres.  It 
is  difficult  to  over-estimate  the  beauty 
of  the  view  from  the  summit  of  the 
hill,  which  embraces  Loch  Torridon 
and  the  mountains  round  Loch  Maree. 
To  the  W.  the  Minch  and  the  whole 
of  the  western  islands,  with  Skye  and 
the  Quiraing,  are  seen  lying  directly 
underneath,  while  to  the  S.  is  a  wide 
panorama  of  the  Highland  district  of 
Loch  Carron,  Kintail,  Glenshiel, 
Loch  Hourn,  with  Ben  Screel,  and  on 
a  clear  day  Ben  In  evis. 

One  would  scarcely  expect  to  find 
any  architectural  remains  m  such  an 
out  of  the  way  district  as  this,  but 
in  former  times  Applecross  [Inn)  was 
selected  as  one  of  the  earliest  sites 
for  a  religious  home  by  the  brethren 
of  lona,  and  Maolbride' s  ch.  was 
founded  here  in  673.     Maol— Gaelic, 


bald  — the  equivalent  of  tonsured.  A 
slab  carved  with  a  cross  is  still  stand- 
ing near  the  modern  ch.  Other 
crosses  once  existing  have  disap- 
peared. It  is  said  that  the  name  is 
derived  from  a  belief  that  every  apple 
in  the  monks'  garden  was  marked 
with  the  sign  of  the  cross.  The  real 
derivation  seems  to  be  Apor  or  Ahcr, 
river  mouth,  and  Crosaii,  cross.] 

Shieldag  to  Strome  Ferry  or  Strath- 
carron Stats.  (Skye  Ely.)  A  good 
though  rather  monotonous  road,  first 
up  a  wooded  glen  next  skirting  a 
wild  open  basin,  crosses  a  ridge  and 
descends  to  the  head  of  Loch  Kishorn. 
It  leaves  on  rt.  the  bridge  over  which 
the  road  into  Applecross  passes,  as- 
cending from  which  it  attains  the 
brow  of  a  hill,  whence  a  magnificent 
view  opens  of  Lochs  Kishorn  and 
Carron,  with  the  Skye  mountains 
beyond,  the  sea,  and  an  archipelago 
of  islets. 

One  mountain  of  peculiar  form  and 
great  elevation,  called  Bein  Bhain, 
especially  arrests  the  eye.  At  the 
point  best  suited  to  command  this 
view  of  unrivalled  grandeur  stands 
the  mansion  of  Courthill,  Vice-Chan- 
cellor  Sir  John  Stuart,  who  owns 
32,000  acres. 

From  this  the  road  turns  due  E., 
threading  the  romantic  pass  of  Kis- 
horn,— extending  to  Loch  Carron,  in 
part  filled  with  debris  of  fallen  rocks  ; 
fine  views  appear  through  its  vista. 
A  descent  in  zigzag  carries  the  road 
to  Loch  Carron  (formerly  Jeantown), 
a  considerable  village  on  the  N.  shore 
of  that  lake,  with  a  Church  and 
manse.  It  stands  on  the  old  mail 
road  running  W.  5  m.  to  Strome 
Castle,  opposite  Strome  Ferry,  the 
terminus  of  the  Sky€  Ely. 

There  is  a  mountain  path  direct 
from  Loch  Cail-on  to  Shieldag 
(10  m.)  The  road  skirts  the  shore 
of  Loch  Carron,  and  at  its  head 
reaches 

Strathco.rron  Stat,  (good  Inn),  on 
Skye  Ely.  (Ete.  62). 


408 


Route  63. — KisJiorn  to  Apptecross. 


Sect.  VI. 


[The  road  from  Kishorn  to  Apple- 
cross  is  wonderfully  fine,  in  the  opin- 
ion of  some  equalling  that  through 
Glencoe.  It  Avinds  in  a  series  of 
slants  through  the  truly  Alpine  pass 
of  Beallach-nam-Bo,  the  mountains 
rising  on  each  side  to  nearly  3000  ft., 
and  throwing  a  perpetual  gloom  over 
it.  To  the  traveller  just  emerging 
from  its  shadows,  the  sunniness  of 


Loch  Kishorn  affords  a  very  welcome 
and  pleasant  relief.  Do  not  attempt 
to  cut  across  the  estuary  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  for  this  is 
treacherous  ground,  and  it  is  better 
to  follow  the  road.  It  winds  round 
the  N.  flank  of  Glen  Bhain,  and 
keeps  the  large  Loch  Danch  well  on 
the  rt.] 


SECTION  VII. 


Inverness — Sutherland  —  Caithness — Ross  —  Cromarty — Assynt- 
Lairg  —  Loch  Inver  —  Dtjnrobin  —  Cape  Wrath. 

INTRODUCTION. 

General  Information. 


ROUTES. 


6i  Inverness  to    Cromarty,    by 

Fortrose     .         .         .         .412 

65  Inverness    to    Golspie     and 

Helmsdale,  byBeauly,  Ding- 
wall, Tain,  Bonar  Bridge, 
and  Lairg — (Rail)    .         .416 

65a  Beauly  to  Shiel  House  Inn 
and  Loch  Duich,  by  The 
Druim,  Chisholms  Pass, 
Glen  Africk,  and  the  Pass 
of  the  Beallach  of  Kintail  .   421 

65b  Bonar  Bridge  to  Golspie,  by 

Dornoch     .         .         .         .424 

66  Dingwall,  by  Garve  to  Ulla- 

pool and  Foolewe        .         .   425 


ROUTE 

67  Lairg  to  Loch  Inver  and  Dur- 

ness, by  Oykel  Bridge,  Loch 
Assynt,  and  Scourie  . 

68  Lairg  to  Durness,  by  Loch 

Shin  and  Scourie 

69  Golspie  to  Thurso  and  JFick, 

by  Helmsdale    . 

70  Helmsdale  to  AVick,   by  the 

Ord  of  Caithness     . 

71  Wick  to  Thurso,  by  Huna 

and  John-o'-Groafs  House 
7lxlj?dx^  to  Tongue 

72  Thurso  to  T'ongue 

73  Tongue  to  Cape  Wrath,  by 

Durness  and  Smoo 


426 

429 

431 

436 

438 
439 
440 

442 


Gexeral  Information. 

In  a  traveller's  point  of  view,  these  Northern  Counties  contain 
many  objects  of  interest  ;  but,  as  they  are  somewhat  scattered,  the 
best  mode  of  guidance  seems  to  be  to  lay  down  a  route  which  will 
include  the  most  remarkable. 

The  singular  scenery  of  Assynt,  extending  from  Loch  Broom,  N., 
derives  its  character  from"  the  geological  composition  and  modifica- 
tions of  "  a  group  of  sandstone  hills  unique  in  the  British  Isles  " — 
to  use  the  words  of  Hugh  Miller,  who  spent  his  youth  among  them. 
They  rise  abruptly  as  pyramids  or  columnar  masses  to  a  height  of 
2000  to  3000  ft.,  and  include  Suilven,  Canisp,  Quinaig,  Coiilmore, 
Ben  More,  Benilie  ;  all  forms  of  peculiar  grandeur  in  the  landscape. 
To  these  may  be  added,  on  account  of  their  picturesque  forms  and 
great  height — in  the  district  between  Assynt  and  the  N.  coast — Ben 
Hee,  Ben  Strome,  Ben  Spionn,  Ben  Hope,  Ben  Lair,  and  Ben 
Laoghal.  The  Assynt  mountains  consist  of  nearly  horizontal  strata 
of  sandstone  with  vertical  sides — looking  as  though  regularly  built 
up  tier  over  tier,  like  courses  of  masonry. 

The  Vale  of  the  Beauly,  in  its  upper  portion  called  Strathglass 
and  Strath  Affnck,  deserves  to  be  explored  to  its  farthest  extremity  ; 
[Scotland.]  T 


410  General  In furmation.  Sect.  VII. 

and,  without  fail,  as  far  as  Loch  Affiick.  It  is  one  of  tlie  loveliest,  and, 
in  jiarts,  the  grandest  in  the  Highlands. — Route  65a. 

Caithness  consists  of  barren  but  elevated  land,  much  less  varied 
by  mountains,  almost  entirely  bare  of  trees,  except  at  Berriedale. 
The  geology  of  Caithness  has  become  specially  interesting  from 
Hugh  Miller's  account  of  it,  and  its  extraordinary  fossils,  in  his 
"  Old  Red  Sandstone."  The  sea-clifts  about  Thnrso,  however,  with 
Dunnet  Head  and  Holburn  Head,  and  the  singular  detached  rock, 
the  Clett,  have  a  grandeur  of  their  own.  The  sea  views  from  Dun- 
net  Head  to  Duncansbay  Head,  over  the  furiously  raging  Pentland 
Firth,  and  the  clitfs  of  Hoy  and  the  Orkneys,  are  peculiarly  grand. 
The  Bay  of  Wick,  the  focus  of  the  Herring-Fishery^  is  an  interesting 
sight,  morning  and  evening  during  the  summer,  ^\•hen  a  fleet  of  500 
to  1000  fishing-boats  may  be  seen  standing  out  to  sea,  or  returning 
laden  with  their  spoil. 

Travellers  from  the  S.  usually  approach  this  district  by  the 
Highland  and  other  liaihcuf/s,  via  Inverness  and  Dingwall.  It  is 
also  accessible  by  steamers  from  Aberdeen  to  Thurso,  or  on  the  W. 
coast  to  Ullapool  and  Loch  Inver  from  Glasgow.  Excellent  roads 
penetrate  the  whole  district,  and  tolls  are  so  rare  they  may  be 
said  to  be  unknown. 

The  Inns  of  the  district  are  comfurtable  and  clean,  especially 
those  kept  by  tenants  of  the  Duke  of  Sutherland,  a  liberal  landlord, 
at  the  same  time  watchful  over  the  interests  of  the  public.  The  best 
inns  are  at  Golspie,  Lairg,  Loch  Inver,  Scourie,  Tongue,  Dornoch, 
Durness,  Alt-na-harra,  Helmsdale,  Brora. 

Lairg,  besides  its  comfortable  inn,  is  a  good  starting  point,  be- 
cause from  it  set  out  the  mail  carriages,  which  convey  the  post  as 
well  as  travellers.  They  are  a  sort  of  open  waggonettes,  carrying 
from  four  to  twelve  outside  passengers  only,  but  not  nmch  luggage. 
Their  courses  are  as  follows  : — 

Lairg  to  Loch  Inver,  Dullness,  and  Scourie. — Mon.,  Wed.,  Fri. 

Eeturning  Tues.,  Thurs.,  Sat. 
Gai've  to  Ullapool. — Mon.,  Wed.,  Fri.     j  1  horse  mail-gig  daily 
Ulkqjool  to  Garve. — Tues.,  Thurs.,  Sat.  [  (except  Sat.) 
Lairg  to  Thurso. — Three  times  a  week. 
TJairso  to  Tongne,  45  m.  in  9  hrs. — Three  times  a  week. 

At  the  ciiief  Inns  post-horses,  gigs,  waggonettes,  etc.,  may  be 
hired  at  the  usual  charge — for  one  horse,  Is.  a  mile  ;  two  horses,  Is.  6d. 

A  carriage  and  pair  may  be  hired  at  the  Sutherland  Arms,  Lairg, 
for  the  whole  tour,  at  the  rate  per  diem — 


I^'TROD. 


General  Information. 


411 


For  two  liorses,  £l  :  Is.  ;  feed  of  horses,  10s.  ;  Driver,  6s.  ;  total, 
£l  :  17s.      On  rest  days  only  16s.  a  day  is  charged. 


Sketch  of  a  Tour. 
-heaiitiful  drive  by  Loch  Assynt 


Miles. 

34 

13 

31 

25 


30 

38 


Lairg — To  Inchnadamff- 

To  Loch  Inver        -  .  -  .  - 

To  Scourie — Excursion  to  tlie  Isle  of  Handa     - 

To  Durness,  Kyle  Skou 

[Excursion  to  Cape  Wrath. — The  Cave  of  Smoo  is 
scarce  worth  the  trouble.] 
Kound  the  head  of  Loch  Eriboll.     A  pedestrian  may 

be  ferried  across. 
To  Tongue  (Inn  a  good  resting-place) — fine  sea  views 
— fine  situation  under  Ben  Laoghal.     [Excursion 
to  Loch  Laoghal]       ------ 

Eeturn  by  Altnaharra  Inn  (good)  to  Lairg 
Or,  Lairg  to  Thurso. 
Thurso   to  Wick,  by  John-o'-Groat's  and  Duncansbay  Head. — 

Grand  sea  views. 
Berriedale.  Brora. 

Dunrobin  and  Golspie. 
Lairg.     Inn,  1  m.  from  Railway  Stat. 

For  the  Fly-fisher  Sutherland  and  Caithness  present  greater  at- 
traction than  almost  any  part  of  Scotland,  from  the  number  of  their 
rivers  and  lochs  ;  they  are  nearly  countless,  and  abound  in  trout 
and  salmon.  The  fishing  is  private  property — in  some  cases  pre- 
served for  the  owner,  in  others  let  by  him  at  so  much  per  rod. 
The  landlords  of  the  various  Inns  have  usually  a  right  of  fishing, 
the  enjoyment  of  which  can  be  obtained  by  visitors  stajdng  in  their 
houses.  Braal  Castle,  near  Thurso,  is  a  place  of  constant  resort  for 
anglers. 

(See  J.  Watson  Lyall's  excellent  "  Sportsman's  Guide  to  the 
Rivers,  Lochs,  Moors,  and  Forests  of  Scotland.") 


The  county  of  Sutherland  com- 
prises a  disti'ict  of  1754  square 
miles,  1,176,343  acres  of  which  be- 
long to  the  Duke  of  Sutherland.  It 
touches  the  sea  on  3  sides,  and  those 
parts  which  are  near  the  water  are 
more  or  less  cultivated  ;  while  upon 
the  E.  coast  agriculture  has  been 
carried  to  a  high  standard.  But 
the  interior  of  the  county  is  an  ele- 


vated plateau,  in  many  parts  covered 
with  heather,  and  including  vast 
tracts  of  peat  divided  by  straths  of 
some  fertility,  and  containing  numer- 
ous lakes  embosomed  in  bleak  and 
dismal  regions,  and  solitary  mountain 
peaks.  This  part  of  the  county  is 
now  wholly  uninhabited,  though  at 
one  time  it  contained  a  numerous 
population. 


-JE^ 


412 


FiOide,  G4. — Inverness  to  Cromarty.        Sect.  YII. 


It  is  divided  into  35  sheep-farms, 
each  hearing  from  1500  to  8000  sheep, 
and  let  at  an  average  of  3s.  for  every 
sheep  that  it  is  able  to  maintain. 

Previous  to  1800  the  interior  of 
the  county  was  in  a  state  of  barbarism, 
tillage  being  performed  in  the  very 
rudest  way  and  on  the  smallest  scale. 
The  implement  used  was  the  crass- 
cron,  a  crooked  stick  shod  with  iron. 
There  were  no  roads,  no  bridges — 
except  at  Brora  and  Dornoch — nor 
even  was  there  any  intercourse  with 
the  rest  of  Scotland.  Since  that  time 
the  mountaineers  have  either  been  re- 
moved to  the  coast,  where  the  soil  is 
good  enough  to  repay  the  labour  ex- 
pended upon  it,  or  enabled  to  emi- 
grate to  Canada.  Their  huts  were 
pulled  do\\Ti,  and  all  cultivation 
being  abandoned,  the  ground  was 
thrown  open  to  the  sheep  and  the 
deer. 

Much  heartburning  and  some  in- 
dignation were  the  result  of  these 
wise  and  humane  measures.  But  the 
people  Avere  incapable  of  improve- 
ment as  they  were,  and,  since  the 
cessation  of  private  and  clan  feuds, 
Avere  unable  to  find  a  maintenance  or 
employment  upon  such  ground.     For 


upwards  of  20  years  the  whole  rental 
of  the  property  was  spent  in  these 
alterations,  and  so  successful  has  the 
plan  been,  that,  instead  of  living,  as 
they  were  obliged  to  do,  by  robbery 
and  violence,  there  is  now  no  more 
peaceable  or  honest  population  in 
the  kingdom  than  the  people  of 
Sutherland,  and  strangers  will  be 
struck  with  their  civility  and  good 
manners.  Though  Sutherland  was 
at  an  early  period  conquered  and 
partly  colonised  by  the  Danes,  it  is 
probable  that  they  did  not,  except  by 
occasional  raids,  penetrate  into  the 
interior,  but  contented  themselves 
with  the  foundation  and  possession 
of  its  principal  toAvns  and  villages. 
Gaelic  has  always  been  the  language 
of  the  people,  but  it  is  fast  dying  out, 
and  probably  two  more  generations 
will  find  it  extinct  in  these  parts. 

Both  roads  and  inns  in  Sutherland 
are  excellent. 

That  the  Northern  part  of  Scotland 
should  be  called  Sutherland  is  to  be 
accounted  for  only  by  the  fact  that  the 
name  was  giA^en  by  a  people  dAvell- 
ing  still  farther  north,  in  NorAvay 
and  the  Orkney  and  Shetland 
Islands. 


EOUTE  64. 

Inverness  to  Cromarty,  by 
Fortrose. 

Inverness  {Hotels :  Caledonian, 
good  ;  Station  Hotel ;  Royal). 

Post  Office,  27  High  Street. 

Morel,  purveyor,  Church  Street. 
Pastrycook — Macdonald,  High  St. 

Inverness,  capital  of  the  North 
(Pop.  14,463),  stands  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Ness,  chiefly  on  its  rt. 
bank.  The  river,  whose  course  is 
only  6  m.  long  between  Loch  Ness 
and  the  sea,  is  crossed  by  a  wooden 
Bridge,  by  the  Ely.  bridge  beloAV,  and 
by  a  light  suspension  bridge  above 
it.  It  is  a  Avell-built  and  prettily- 
situated    toAvn,    Avdthout     any    fine 


buildings ;  but  it  is  a  dull  one 
except  on  market-days  and  county 
meetings,  or  at  the  half-yearly 
assizes,  and  at  the  Highland  Gather- 
ing in  September,  Avhen  it  is  much 
too  full.  There  is  not  much  to 
be  seen  here.  The  Rly.  Stat,  is  in 
Academy  Street,  and  opposite  the 
stat.  runs  Union  Street,  where  are 
some  of  the  best  shops.  If  the 
stranger  makes  his  way  to  a  tall 
Steeple,  corner  of  Church  Street,  con- 
taining the  toAvn  clock,  close  to  the 
Toton  Hall,  and  old  Cross  built  into 
the  Avail,  he  ayIU  see  a  rude  untrimmed 
stone  in  fi'ont  of  the  Exchange,  called 
Clach-na-Cuddin,  stone  of  the  pails, 
because  the  water-carriers  used  to 
rest  their  tubs  on  it.  By  folloA\nng 
Bridge    Street,    he   will    reach    the 


Scotland. 


lioute  64. — Tiiverness. 


413 


Sns2)ension  Bridge,  from  which  lie 
will  behold  L,  on  the  height,  the  City 
Jail  and  County  Courts,  imitating 
in  a  humble  way  the  feudal  and  royal 
castle  which  once  occupied  the  grand 
site  and  commanded  the  passage 
between  the  N.  and  S.  of  Scotland. 
It  was  blown  up  by  Prince  Charles, 
1746.  Dr.  Johnson  was  willing  to 
look  upon  the  ruins  which  he  visited 
as  the  site  of  Macbeth' s  Castle,  an 
assumx:)tion  for  which  there  exists  no 


to  2 

S  1:3  Caledonian 

m6  Hotel. 

o  ^  Steeple.  + 

■^  To  Canal.    83. 


To  the  Jail 
•cp    or 
Castle. 


Post  Office+  : 


Church  Street. 


PLAN 


INVERNESS.    :S  : 

■^  : 
Ingles  Street. 

+  Railway. 
Rly.  Stat, 
and  Hotel. 


evidence.  The  view  from  the  Terrace 
in  front  of  the  jail  is  pleasing.  Cross- 
ing the  river  by  the  Chain  Bridge, 
and  turning  1.,  we  come  to  the 

Eijiscopal  Cathedral  (St.  Andrew's) 
of  the  see  of  Aloray  and  Koss,  of 
which  the  Primus  resides  here.  It 
is  a  handsome  modern  Gothic  build- 
ing (Alex.  Ross,  architect),  conspicu- 
ous for  its  twin  towers,  intended  to 
be  crowned  with  spires  when  money 
comes  in.  It  is  a  cross  ch. ,  in  style 
Dec,  with  aisles,  ending  in  an  apse. 
The  Nave,  of  5  bays,  has  granite 
piers  ;  the  roof  of  timber.  The  Font, 
of  white  marble,  and  supported  by 
an  angel,  is  copied  from  one  by  Thor- 
waldsen  at  Copenhagen.  The  ch. 
cost  about  £20,000. 

A  furore  for  Gothic  has  infected 
the  kirks  here  —  Old,  Free,  and 
United   Presbyterian — all   of  which 


have  adopted  the  st3de,  while  two 
have  built  towers,  which  aspire,  some 
day,  to  have  spires. 

Oliver  Cromwell  appreciated  the 
strategic  importance  of  Inverness, 
and  built  a  strong  fort  on  the  rt.  bank 
of  the  river,  below  the  town,  to  com- 
mand the  passage  and  bridle  the 
wild  Highlanders.  It  was  pulled 
down  at  the  Restoration  to  please 
the  Clans  and  their  Chiefs. 

The  Academy  is  a  school  where 
about  200  pupils  are  educated,  to 
which  is  attached  a  bequest  of  a 
Captain  Mackintosh  for  boys  of  his 
name.  Here  is  also  one  of  the 
schools  endowed  by  the  late  Dr.  Bell, 
of  St.  Andrews. 

The  country  in  the  neighbourhood 
is  exceedingly  pretty — every  charm 
of  wood  and  cultivation  is  here  in 
profusion.  The  landscape  is  flanked 
on  the  one  side  by  the  Firths  of 
Moray  and  Beauly,  and  on  the  other 
by  the  fresh-water  lochs  of  Dochfour 
and  Ness. 

The  dialect  of  the  Inverness  people 
is  much  more  pleasant  and  less  broad 
than  that  of  the  lowland  or  Aber- 
deenshire Scotch.  Some  account  for 
this  by  the  fact  that  the  English 
troops  of  Cromwell  were  garrisoned 
here,  and  taught  the  people  (who 
then  spoke  nothing  but  Gaelic)  a 
better  English  than  they  would  other- 
wise have  acquired.  Certain  it  is 
that  English  spoken  more  ' '  trip- 
pingly on  the  tongue"  is  not  to  be 
met  with  in  Great  Britain. 

Pleasant  walks  1  m.  S.  W.  to  the 
Cemetery  on  the  Fairies'  Hill  (Tom- 
na-hurich).     See  below. 

About  a  mile  above  the  town  the 
Ness  is  divided  by  several  islands, 
joined  by  bridges  covered  with  trees, 
and  intersected  by  agreeable  paths. 

The  outlet  of  the  Caledonian  Canal 
is  at  Muirtown,  Ig  m.  W.  of  Inver- 
ness, where  it  descends  into  the  sea 
through  six  pair  of  gates. 

Steamers  every  morning  at  7,  from 
Muirtown  Quay,  start  to  Bannavie, 


414 


Route  64. — Environs  of  Invenii'ss.        Sect.  VII. 


60  m.,  and  Fort-William  (see  Ete. 
39).  Passengers  may  breakfast  and 
dine  on  board.  A  sea-steamer  will 
take  them  on  at  once  to  Oban  from 
Bannavie. 

Railways  South  by  Nairn  and 
Forres,  24  m.,  to  Dimkeld — Perth, 
144;  Elgin,  36;  Banff  and  Aberdeen, 
108.  North  to  Golspie,  83  ;  Ding- 
wall, 181 ;  Tain,  44  ;  Lairg— to  Skye 
by  Dingwall  and  Strome  Ferry  (Rte. 
62)  ;  Beauly,  10  m. 

Environs. — A.  Craig  PhadricJc,  an 
isolated  conical  hill,  420  ft.  high,  2.§ 
m.  W.  of  Inverness,  beyond  the 
Caledonian  Canal,  forms  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  mountain  chain  pro- 
jecting forward  and  commanding  a 
large  expanse  of  flat  country.  Its 
siimmit  is  traversed  by  two  walls  or 
ramparts  of  large  stones,  partly  vitri- 
fied on  the  surface.  This  hill  fort 
was  the  capital  of  the  Northern  Picts 
in  the  6th  cent.  St.  Columba  came 
hither  from  lona  to  convert  and 
baptize  Brud,  King  of  the  Picts. 

B.  Nearer  the  town  than  Craig- 
phadrick  is  a  smaller  hill  of  much 
the  same  shape,  called  Tom-na-hurich 
(Hill  of  the  Fairies).  This  has  been 
converted  into  a  cemetery,  most  of 
the  graves  being  on  a  iHateau  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  which  is  reached 
by  a  road  winding  round  the  sides. 
The  hill  is  prettily  wooded,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  burial-places 
in  the  north. 

c.  Cullodcn  Moor,  battle-field  of 
1746,  is  6  m.  bv  road.  1  m.  from 
Culloden  Stat.  (Rte.  55). 

D.  Clava  Plain,  3  m.  from  Cul- 
loden, is  strewed  Avith  a  number  of 
old  stone  circles  and  cairns  [see  Rte. 
55). 

D.  The  Fall  of  Foyers  is  18  m. 
"W.  on  the  S.  shore  of  Loch  Ness 
(Rte.  39).  The  daily  steamer  from 
Inverness  reaches  the  Fall  about  9.30 
A.M.  ;  the  return  steamer  touches 
there  about  12, 

From   Inverness    to    Cromarty   a 


mail  car  runs  daily,  returning  the 
same  evening.  Convej^ances  can  also 
be  had  at  the  inn  on  the  N.  side  the 
Kessock  Ferry  (Rte.  65),  which  is  the 
connecting  link  between  the  Firths 
of  Moray  and  Beauly,  and  about  f 
m.  broad.  Upon  the  N.  side  of  it  is 
a  conical  hill,  wooded  to  the  top,  on 
which  are  the  remains  of  a  vitrified 
fort.  Take  the  old  road  to  it  (which 
will  shorten  the  way  by  about  a  mile) 
and  ascend  the  hill,  round  which  the 
new  road  is  carried.  The  whole  of  this 
peninsula  of  Ross-shire,  lyingbetween 
the  Firths  of  ]\Ioray  and  Cromarty, 
was  in  old  times  known  as  the 
' '  Black  Isle, "  from  the  dark  colour 
of  its  soil.  It  was  also  called  *' Ard- 
meanach,"  "the  Monks'  Height," 
from  its  religious  establishments. 
It  has  3  great  ridges,  about  600  ft. 
in  height,  running  parallel  to  each 
other.  The  old  road  crosses  them  in 
succession,  while  the  new  one  goes 
round  their  bases  ;  but,  except  in  the 
case  already  mentioned,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  new  road  is  really  the 
longer.  [By  the  road  to  the  1.  on 
the  N.  of  Beauly  Ferry,  the  traveller 
reaches  at  5  m.  the  old  tower  of 
Redcastlc,  once  the  principal  house 
of  the  promontory,  which,  on  the 
forfeiture  of  the  earldom  of  Ross,  be- 
came a  royal  castle,  and  then  the 
property  of  the  Mackenzies. 

The  road  soon  after  enters  Beauly 
near  the  rly.  stat.  (Rte.  65).]  4g  m., 
at  the  bottom  of  the  first  hill,  is 
the  village  of  Munlochy,  from  which 
there  is  a  road  going  due  N.  to 
Invergordon,  while  that  to  the  rt. 
leads  along  the  coast  to  Fortrose  and 
Cromarty. 

Passing  at  some  distance  on  I. 
Rosehaugh,  formerl}^  the  property  of 
"the  bluidy  Mackenzie,"  now  the 
seat  of  James  Fletcher,  Esq.,  the 
tourist  reaches 

8r,  m.  the  village  of  Aroch  (pro- 
nounced Auch),  occupied,  it  is  said, 
by  the  descendants  of  a  Danish  co- 
lony, who  have  preserved  many  Norse 
words  and  expressions  in  their  Saxon 


Eoss-SHiiiE.    FiOutc  (di. — Inverness  to  Cromarty :  Fortrose.    415 


tongue.      The   House  of  Aroch  be-  ^ 
longs  to  J.  G.  Mackenzie,  Esq. 

10  m.  Fortrose.  The  quickest 
way  of  reaching  Fortrose  from  In- 
verness is  to  go  by  train  to  Fort- 
George  Stat.,  then  to  walk  4  m.  to 
Fort- George,  whence  a  ferry-boat 
lands  the  passenger  1  m.  from 
Fortrose. 

Fortrose  {Inn,  good),  a  somewhat 
lifeless  seaport  and  Pari.  borough- 
Pop.   911 — was  formerly  the  seat  of 
the  Bishops  of  Ross,  whose  palace  has 
utterly  disappeared.     The  lane  on  the 
rt.,  at  the  broken  shaft  of  the  old 
cross,  leads  to  the  Cathedral,  stand- 
ing in  a  green  close.     It  is  a  mere 
fragment  of  a  large  Cross  ch.,  and 
consists  of  the  S.  aisles  of  nave  and 
choir  of  elegant  2d  Pointed  Gothic, 
in  red  sandstone,  the  sharp  mould- 
ings testifying,  as  usual,  to  the  skill 
of  Scotch  masons.     It  was  not  com- 
pleted until  1185,  by  Abbot  Frazer, 
who  came  from  ]\lelrose,  and  the  ch. 
retains  portions  of  his  work  in  the 
Perp.  style  of  that  Southern  abbey. 
The  ruin  of  the  ch.  is  attributed  to 
Cromwell,   who   used  its   stones   to 
build  the  fort  at  Inverness.     Against 
the  wall  of  the  chancel  is  the  cano- 
pied  toynb,  "much    mutilated,    of    a 
Countess  of  Eoss,  said  to  be  founder 
of  the  ch.,  1330  ;  and  there  is  a  later 
and  poorer  monument  of  a  bishop. 
One  arched  compartment  under  the 
tower  is  walled  off  as  the  burial-place 
of  the  Mackenzies  of  Seaforth. 

Near  the  N.E.  corner  is  the  Chap- 
ter-house,  a  detached  building  of  2 
storeys,  the  upper  one  is  used  as  a 
school,  and  the  lower— a  crypt,  in 
which  there  are  some  sedilia — as  a 
granary  or  coal-hole.  Sir  James 
JNIackintosh  went  to  school  at  Fort- 
rose, 1775. 

12  m.  EosemarJde,  an  old  borough, 
much  frequented  for  sea-bathing. 
There  is  a  ferry  hence  to  Fort- 
George.  The  road  to  Cromarty  is 
very    uninteresting,    but    the  walk 


along  the  edge  of  the  cliffs  is  a 
favourite  resort  of  geologists,  and  has 
been  much  illustrated  by  the  writ- 
ings of  Hugh  Miller.  The  Burn  of 
Eathie  exhibits  the  junction  of  the 
granite  and  the  old  red  sandstone. 
The  road  passes  Xewhall  (J.  A.  S, 
Mackenzie,  Esq.)  and  Pontzfield, 
(G.  3iL  G.  Munro,  Esq.) 

20  m.  Cromarty  (anc.  Crombathi, 
"the  crooked  bay")  was  in  former 
days  a  place  of  some  importance,  but 
has  been  reduced  to  its  present  in- 
significance principally  by  the  failure 
of  its  herring-fishery.       Pop.    1176. 
Cromarty  Bay  is  well  known  as  one 
of  the  safest  anchorage  grounds  in 
the  north.      This  is  owing  to  lofty 
isolated  rocks  ( Lower  Silurian),  which 
form  its  portal,  called  "  the  Souters," 
which  contribute  to  break  the  force 
of  the  waves  outside.      "  One  who 
approaches  from   the  E.  is  at  once 
struck  with  the  narrow  chasm-like 
entrance  of  the  Cromarty  Fii*th,  cut 
through  a  long  lofty  range  of  red 
sandstone  precipices.     It  is  wholly 
unlike  the  mouth  of  any  other  firth 
in  the  countr}^  for  it  is  not  the  sea- 
ward expansion  of  a  land  valley,  but 
seems    in    some    abnormal    fashion 
to    have    been    broken    through    a 
high  barrier  of  hard  rock." — Gcikic. 
Cromarty  House  (Col.   Ross)  stands 
upon  the  site  of  the  old  castle  of  the 
Earls  of  Ross.     On  a  hill  above  the 
town    rises    a    pillar-statue    of    red 
sandstone  to  the  memory  of  Hugh 
Miller,  b.  1802,  in  a  humble  cottage 
close  to  the  churchj^ard,  which  con- 
tains several  tombstones  cut  by  him 
while  a  mason.      Tarradale,  in  the 
Black  Isle,  not  far  distant,  was  the 
paternal  estate  of  Sir  Roderick  Mur- 
chison,  the  geologist. 

Steamers  from  Edinburgh  to  In- 
verness call  at  Nairn,  Cromarty,  and 
Invergordon  twice  a  week. 

From  the  ferry  on  the  IST.  of  Cro- 
marty it  is  9  m.  to  Tain,  and  a  diver- 
sion to  the  old  Abbey  Ch.  of  Fearn, 
and   the  stone    at   Shandwick,    will 


416 


Eoute  64. — Nigg  ;  Fearn  ;  Tarhet. 


Sect.  VII. 


make  it  3  m.  longer,  but  it  is  not 
worth  while,  except  for  a  determined 
ecclesiologist,  to  go  to  Fearn,  which 
he  can  reach  more  easily  by  rail. 
The  first  place  passed  from  Cromarty 
is  the  village  of  Nigg,  where  there  is 
a  very  curious  old  sculidured  stone 
attached  to  the  S.E.  corner  of  the 
Established  Ch.  It  has  been  broken, 
but  is  riveted  together  again.  Upon 
the  top  are  2  figures  in  an  attitude  of 
supplication,  and  below  their  out- 
stretched hands  are  2  dogs,  while  be- 
tween the  two  descends  the  Holy 
Dove,  with  the  wafer  in  its  mouth. 
Underneath  is  a  cross  composed  of 
rectangular  figures.  Z\  m.  from  this 
is  the  cross  at  Shandioick,  a  still  more 
handsome  and  curious  monument.  It 
lies  about  1^  m.  beyond  Ankerville 
Kirk,  at  which  point  the  roads  part. 
The  stone  stands  about  ^  m.  above 
the  village,  is  about  9  ft.  high,  and  has 
on  it  a  large  cross  formed  of  a  number 
of  bosses,  which,  being  covered  with 
lichen,  look  like  so  many  brass- 
headed  nails.  Below  the  horizontal 
shaft  are  2  representations  of  St. 
Andrew's  martyrdom,  and  below  that 
again  an  elephant  and  a  dog.  These 
stones  may  have  been  preaching- 
stones  in  the  early  days  of  Christian- 
ity, erected  to  mark  the  place  where 
the  priest  or  missionary  of  the  dis- 
trict would  meet  and  preach  to  the 
people. 

Fearn  Stat,  is  2  m.  from  Sandwick. 
The  Abbey  was  originally  founded 
at  Edderton,  12  m.  to  the  N.  W.,  but 
was  subsequently  placed  here,  on 
account  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil. 
It  Avas  built  by  Farquhar,  1st  Earl 
of  Ross,  about  the  year  1230,  and 
inhabited  by  Augustinian  monks. 
Patrick  Hamilton,  the  earliest  martyr 
of  the  Scottish  Reformation,  who 
was  burnt  at  St.  Andrews  in  1528, 
was  Abbot  of  Fearn,  and  at  his 
death  the  abbey  was  annexed  to 
the  bishopric  of  Ross.  The  chapel 
was  used  for  Divine  worship  till  the 
year  1742,  when  the  roof  fell  in  on  a  | 


Sunday  and  killed  44  persons.  The 
ch.  was  subsequently  repaired  with- 
out the  slightest  regard  to  architec- 
tural propriety. 

The  style  is  mixed,  the  doors  be-, 
ing  round,  and  the  windows  pointed. 
The  entrance  was  on  the  N.  side  by 
a  Dec.  door.  Both  on  the  N.  and  S. 
sides  are  small  chapels,  which  at  first 
sight  bear  the  appearance  of  tran- 
septs. The  chapel  was  roofed  with  5 
arches  or  ribs,  2  of  which  are  still 
standing.  In  the  S,  chapel,  now  the 
Shandwick  burial-ground,  is  a  re- 
cumbent figure,  under  a  handsomely 
carved  canopy,  long  supposed  to  be 
that  of  an  abbot,  but  ascertained  to 
represent  a  lady  of  the  clan  Mac- 
kenzie, with  a  veil  over  her  face.  One- 
half  of  the  chancel  is  set  apart  as  the 
burial-place  of  the  Ross  family. 

From  Fearn  there  is  a  road  to  Tar- 
hct  Ness,  the  extremity  of  the  penin- 
sula. To  get  thither  a  little  piece  of 
the  county  of  Cromarty  is  traversed, 
the  remainder  belonging  to  Ross- 
shire. 

On  the  1.  is  Loch  Slyn,  at  the 
N.  E.  corner  of  which  are  to  be  seen 
the  ruins  of  an  old  castle. 

4  m.  beyond  this  is  Tarhet,  in  the 
churchyard  of  which  are  some 
curious  plain  and  sculptured  stones, 
and  beyond  is  a  fragment  of  the  old 
castle  of  Balone,  an  outpost  of  the 
Earls  of  Ross,  allowed  to  fall  into 
decay  after  the  strength  and  aggres- 
sive power  of  Denmark  and  its  set- 
tlements had  ceased  to  be  formidable. 


ROUTE  65. 

Inverness  to  Golspie  and  Helms- 
dale, by  Beauly,  Dingwall, 
Tain,  Bonar  Bridge,  and 
Lairg  (Kail). 

1014  m.      Three   trains   daily  in 
8  hrs. 

The  railway  journey,  of  which  this 


Scotland.        Route  Q^. — Inverness  to  Golspie — Beanli/.       417 


route  forms  a  part,  may  now  be  con- 
tinued nearly  to  John-o'-Groat's,  at 
least  N".  to  Wick  and  Thurso.  The 
line  passes  through  one  of  the  most 
fertile  and  best-farmed  districts  in 
Scotland,  the  land  chiefly  held  by 
resident  landlords. 

Quitting  the  central  station  at  In- 
verness, the  train  crosses  in  succession 
the  Ness,  the  locks  of  the  Caledonian 
Canal,  and  the  road  to  Clachiiaharry, 
the  "Watchman's  Seat,"  whence 
the  citizens  in  olden  time  looked 
anxiously  out  for  the  predatory  bands 
who  came  from  the  N.  and  W.  to 
plunder  and  destroy.  The  line  keeps 
Craigphadrick,  with  its  vitrified 
fort,  to  the  1.,  skirting  the  S.  side 
of  Beauly  Basin,  and  passing  rt. 
Kessock  Ferry  (Rte.  64),  leading  to 
the  Black  Isle. 

34  m.  Bunchrew  Stat.  Bunchrew 
House  was  formerly  a  residence  of 
the  Lord  President  Forbes.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  basin  is  Redcastle 


(Right  Hon.  Hy.  Jas.  Bailie),  the 
old  fort  of  the  Mackenzies  (6500 
acres). 

54  m.  Lentran  Stat. 

Tg  m.  Clunes  Stat. 

10 J  m.  Beauly  8t3it.  Inn:  Beauly 
Hotel,  good  quarters  for  fishing  and 
for  making  excursions.     This  village 
is  named  from  the  Priory  "  de  bello 
loco,"  whose  ruins  still  remain,  sur- 
rounded by  some  venerable  trees,  at 
the  end  of  the  broad  street,  on  the  1. 
bank  of  the  Beauly.    It  was  founded 
by  Sir  John  Bisset  of  Lovat  in  1230  for 
monks  of  the  house  of  Val  des  Choux 
in  Burgundy.     At  the  Reformation 
the  then  prior  gave  it  in  trust  to  Lord 
Lovat,   and    his   descendants    have 
retained  its  revenues.     The  ch.  is  of 
Pointed    Gothic,  consisting  of  nave 
ind  choir  without  aisles,  rather  plain, 
if  not  rude,  in  style  ;  in  the  S.  wall 
ire  3  windows  in  shape  of  large  tre 
bils.    It  contains  several  monuments, 
;hiefly  to  the  Mackenzie  family. 

Excursions. — The  beauties  of  the 


upper  valley  of  the  Beauly  are  hardly 
to  be  exaggerated.  No  stranger 
should  omit  to  visit  its  three  gi-and 
gorges  of  Kilmorack  (with  its  falls), 
the-  Druim  (pron.  Dream),  and  the 
Chisholm's  Pass,  nor  should  he  stop 
short  of  the  romantic  Loch  Afirick, 
all  described  in  Rte,  65a. 

Within  4  m  of  Beauly,  on  the  S. 
side  of  the  open  valley,  laeyond  the 
river,  are  Belladruvi,  the  seat  of  J. 
Merry,  Esq.,  on  a  tributary  stream 
(5400  acres),  and  still  nearer  Beau- 
fort Castle  (Lord  Lovat),  long  seat 
of  the  Bissets,  now  of  the  Frazers 
(161,574  acres).  The  old  tower  was 
besieged  by  Edward  I.,  and  was 
nearly  razed  to  the  ground  after  Cul- 
loden.  The  present  house  is  not 
remarkable.  A  charming  drive  of  7 
or  8  m.  may  be  taken  through  the 
parks  and  woods  of  these  two  fine 
domains,  returning  by  the  Falls  of 
Kilmorack,  crossing  the  Beauly  by 
the  timber  bridge  2^  m.  from  the 
Inn  [see  Rte.  65a). 

121  m,  jj/j^^y  Qj^  Q^,^  s^g^^  y\]iQre 
large  sheep  and  cattle  fairs  are  held 
in  an  enclosed  space  upon  the  Moor 
once   a  month   during  winter    and 
spring,  and  twice  a  month  during  the 
remainder  of  the  year.     Passing  1. 
Highfield  (J.  Gillanders,  Esq.),  where 
is    a    neat    Episcopal    Chapel,    and 
Conon   House,   the  property  of  Sir 
Kenneth  Mackenzie,  Bart.,  of  Gair- 
loch,  a  lovely  view  is  obtained  on  1. 
of   Strathconon,   a   picturesque   and 
fertile  valley,  backed  by  a  range  of 
mountains  of  moderate  height,  over 
which   towers   Ben   Wyvis.      Castle 
Brahan,  the  seat  of  Jas.  Stewart  Mac- 
kenzie, Esq.,  of  Seaforth,  stands  on  the 
loAver  slopes  of  the  ridge,  surrounded 
by  thick  masses  of  trees.     It  is  an 
old  castle,  but  so  cropped  and  mo- 
dernised outside  as  to  look  like  a 
factoiy.     An  estate  of  8051  acres. 

16  m.  at  Conon  Stat,  the  river  of 
that  name  is  crossed,  just  as  it  flows 
into  the  Cromarty  Firth.  About  2 
m.  rt.  on  the  S.  bank  of  the  Fii-th  is 


418 


Route  65.—DmgwaU—AuU  Graat.       Sect.  YII. 


Ferintosh,  once  greatly  celebrated  for 
its  whisky  ;  the  privilege  of  distilling 
which  free  from  duty  was  originalh^ 
granted  1689  to  Duncan  Forbes, 
father  of  the  President  of  the  Court 
of  Session,  as  a  recompense  to  him 
for  the  losses  he  had  incurred  from 
the  soldiers  of  Buchan  and  Carron 
at  the  Revolution.  It  was  redeemed 
in  1786  for  a  payment  of  £20,000  to 
the  family. 

18|  m.  Dingwall  Junct.  Stat. 
(Inns :  National,  best,  but  ill-man- 
aged, near  the  Stat.  ;  Caledonian), 
Pop.  2125,  is  still  called  in  Gaelic 
Inverpefferan,  because  of  its  situation 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Peffer,  near  the 
head  of  the  Cromarty  Firth.  Ding- 
Avall  is  a  Norse  name  derived  from 
Tingvolla,  "  Field  of  the  Thing  "  or 
Parliament,  or  place  of  genei'al  as- 
sembly. There  is  one  long  street, 
with  an  old  tower,  once  a  jail,  in  the 
centre,  and  at  its  N.  end  is  the  Ely. 
Stat.,  and  close  to  it  the  new  Jail 
'  and  La2V  Coujis,  and  a  Gothic  Free 
Kirk.  Behind  the  old  court-house, 
which  is  still  used  occasionally  as  a 
lock-up,  stands  aii  obelisk  57  ft.  high, 
strengthened  by  bands  of  iron,  erect- 
ed by  order  of  one  of  the  Earls  of 
Cromarty  over  his  own  grave,  that 
his  wife  might  be  disappointed  in  her 
threat  of  dancing  thereon  !  It  is 
now  in  a  field  b}^  itself,  outside  the 
cemeterj'. 

From  Dingwall  Excursions  may 
conveniently  be  made  westward  by 
the  STcyc  Ely.  to  Skye  — the  first 
stage,  5  ra.,  being  the  watering-place 
of  Strathpcffer  (Rte.  62)  ;  also  to 
Loch  Maree  and  other  interesting 
Highland  scenery  {see  Rte.  63). 

Railways  to  Golspie  and  Helms- 
dale ;  to  Inverness  ; — to  Strathpcffer, 
Garve,  Auchnasheen  ;  to  Strome 
Ferry  by  Skye  Rly.  (Rte.  62),  which 
diverges  W.  from  Dingwall  Stat. 

Continuing  N".  the  rail  from  Ding- 
wall keeps  close  to  the  shore  of  the 
Cromarty  Firth,  having  on  1.  the  hill 


and  woods  of  Tulloch  (D.  Davidson, 
Esq.)  (36,130  acres),  and  of  Foiolis 
Castle,  the  seat  of  C.  Munro,  Esq. 
(4458  acres).  The  clan  of  that  name 
has  been  seated  in  this  country  for 
many  centuries. 

23  m.  Foiolis  Stat.  A  little  far- 
ther on  is  the  village  of  Evanton. 
On  the  height  is  Balcony  House 
(Miss  Munro),  built  on  the  site  of  an 
old  fortress  of  the  Earls  of  Ross. 

25  m.  Novar  Stat,  li  m.  from 
the  Stat,  is  the  extraordinary  Eavinc 
of  the  Ault  Graat  or  "Ugly  Burn," 
which  flows  out  of  Loch  Glass  on 
the  northern  flanks  of  Ben  Wy^ds. 
Its  deep  and  tortuous  channel,  only  a 
few  feet  wide,  nearly  2  m.  long,  be- 
tween sandstone  cliffs  100  or  more 
ft.  high,  is  overgrown  with  bushes, 
concealing  the  burn,  which  rumbles 
beneath  like  a  subterranean  torrent. 
' '  Over  the  sullen  pool  in  front  we 
may  see  the  stern  pillars  of  the  por- 
tal rising  from  80  to  100  ft.  in  height, 
and  scarce  12  ft.  apart,  like  the 
massive  obelisks  of  some  Egyptian 
temple  ;  while  in  the  gloomy  vista 
within,  projection  starts  out  beyond 
projection,  like  column  beyond 
column  in  some  narrow  avenue  of 
approach  to  Luxor  or  Carnac.  The 
precipices  are  green,  with  some  moss 
or  byssus,  that,  like  the  miner, 
chooses  a  subterranean  habitat — for 
here  the  rays  of  the  sun  never  fall ; 
the  trees,  fast  anchored  in  the  rock, 
shoot  out  their  branches  across  the 
opening,  to  form  a  thick  tangled 
roof  at  the  height  of  150  ft.  over- 
head— while  from  the  recesses Avithin, 
where  the  eye  fails  to  penetrate,  there 
issues  a  combination  of  the  strangest 
and  A^ildest  sounds  ever  yet  produced 
by  water  —  there  is  the  deafening 
rush  of  the  torrent  blent  as  if  with 
the  clang  of  hammers,  the  roar  of 
vast  bellows,  and  the  confused  gabble 
of  1000  Yoices."— Hugh  Miller. 

Then  succeed  the  beautiful  beech 
and  fir  woods  which  surround  Novar 
(Col.  Ferguson  of  Raith)  (1 4,582  acres). 


Ross-shire.     Boute  65. — Invergordon ;  Fearn  ;  Tain.  419 


At  the  back  of  Novar  Stat,  is  tlie 
mil  of  Fyrish{U7 8  ft.) 

28^  m.  Alness  Stat.,  a  village  of 
considerable  size,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  valley.  5  m.  up  the  Alness  river 
is  Ardross,  a  grand  modern  Costle, 
built  by  Alex.  Matheson,  Esq.  The 
rly.  crosses  the  Alness  by  a  singular 
viaduct,  consisting  of  a  skew  bridge 
built  on  a  curve,  to 

31-^-  m.  Invergordon  Stat.,  a  flour- 
ishing little  port  with  a  good  harbour 
{Inn:  Commercial,  good),  situated 
opposite  the  opening  of  the  Cromarty 
Firth  into  the  sea.  Invergordon 
Castle,  a  short  distance  to  the  "W., 
was  burnt  down  1804,  and  is  still  a 
ruin.  The  views  in  the  neighbour- 
hood are  varied  and  pretty,  embrac- 
ing seaward  the  whole  of  Cromarty 
Firth  and  the  Black  Isle,  while  Ben 
"Wyvis  is  a  conspicuous  and  magnifi- 
cent inland  feature. 

34  m.,  near  Delny  Stat.,  is  Tarhai 
House,  a  seat  of  the  Duchess  of 
Sutherland  (Countess  of  Cromartie). 
It  lies  between  the  road  and  the  sea, 
and  was  built  by  the  late  Lord 
M  'Leod  on  the  site  of  one  of  the  old 
castles  of  the  Mackenzies,  Earls  of 
Cromartie,  forfeited  after  the  rebellion 
of  1715,  but  subsequently  restored. 
It  is  surrounded  by  some  venerable 
yews  and  elms,  and  old  gardens.  Es- 
tate of  149,879  acres. 

36  m.  ParJchill  Stat. 

37^  m.,  near  Xigcj  Stat.  (Sculp- 
tured stones),  is  Balnagoican  House 
(Sir  C.  Ross,  Bart.),  a  very  handsome 
mansion,  consisting  of  an  old  tower 
with  a  pointed  roof,  numerous  tur- 
rets— one  of  the  grandest  specimens 
of  the  Scottish  architecture  of  the 
16th  centy.  It  has  beautiful  gardens 
and  grounds,  communicating  with 
a  picturesque  rocky  glen.  Estate  of 
110,445  acres. 

39  m.  Fcarn  Stat.,  whence  the 
ecclesiologist  can  pay  a  visit  to  the 
old  ch.  of  Fearn  (Rte.  64).  Calrossie 
is  another  seat  of  Sir  C.  Eoss.     The 


high  fanning  of  this  disti'ict  is  cele- 
brated. The  rly.  noAV  descends 
slightlv  to  the  shores  of  Dornoch 
Firth." 

42  m.  Tain  Stat.  {Inns :  Royal  H., 
fair;  Balnago  wan  Arms .  Pop.  1765), 
an  antique  town  of  gradually  de- 
creasing importance.  Its  name  is 
evidently  a  comiption  of  "Thing," 
the  Norse  for  "Court,"  the  town 
having  been  the  capital  of  the  dis- 
trict h^ng  between  the  Firths  of 
Dornoch  and  Cromarty.  It  was 
made  a  royal  burgh  by  Malcolm 
Canmore,  and  is  still  a  picturesque 
old-fashioned  place,  which  Avill  well 
repay  a  halt.  In  the  centre  of  it 
stands  the  original  Tower  of  the 
Sheritfs  Court,  re-cased,  but  retain- 
ing its  quaint  old  shape  and  its  coni- 
cal spire,  with  small  pointed  turrets 
at  each  angle.  Below  the  town,  that 
is,  between  it  and  the  Dornoch  Firth, 
is  a  large  flat,  partly  covered  by  the 
drifting  sand.  Here  stands  the  old 
rough  chaxiel  in  ruins,  dedicated  in 
the  early  part  of  the  13th  cent,  to  St. 
Duthus,  a  Bishop  of  Ross.  Probably 
there  was  some  restoration  at  that 
time,  for  it  will  be  seen  that  the  E. 
end  is  of  later  date  than  the  rest. 
The  masonry  of  the  body  of  the  ch. 
is  excessively  rude,  and  must  be  as 
old  as  the  lith  centy.  To  this  ch. 
the  queen  and  daughter  of  Robert 
Bruce  fled  from  Kildrummie  Castle, 
and  from  it  the)'  were  taken  by  the 
Earl  of  Ro^s  and  given  up  to  Ed- 
ward I.  In  1429  the  church  was 
burnt  by  the  M'Xeills  during  the 
prosecution  of  a  feud  with  Mowat  of 
Freswick,  who  with  some  followers 
had  taken  refuge  here,  and  it  was 
never  rebuilt. 

In  1471  the  new  Church  of  St. 
Duthus  was  founded  in  the  centre 
of  the  town.  It  is  a  fine  specimen 
of  the  Dec.  style,  with  an  E.  window 
of  5  lights,  surmounted  by  a  six- 
foiled  circle,  supported  by  2  trefoils. 
At  the  W.  end  a  heavy  porch  has 
been  erected  in  modern  times,  above 


420 


lioute  65. — Tain;  Bonar  Bridge ;  Lairg.     Sect.  VII. 


which  is  the  figure  of  a  bishop,  pro- 
bably St.  Duthus  himself.  King 
James  V.  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the 
old  chapel  in  1527,  at  the  instigation 
of  Cardinal  Beaton,  who  wished  to 
get  him  ont  of  the  way  dming  the 
martjT-dom  of  Patrick  Hamilton. 
Beyond  the  ch.  stands  the  Academy, 
a  school  of  some  reputation.  On  the 
S.  side  of  the  town  is  the  modern 
ch.,  which  most  people  mistake  for 
the  jail.  It  is  a  square  battlemented 
building,  with,  formidable  towers  in 
front.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Firth  may  be  seen  the  Cathedral  of 
Dornoch  (Rte  65b). 

Railway  to  Golspie,  Thurso,  and 
Wick,  and  to  Inverness,  44  m. 

Distances  —  Dingwall,  25^  m.  ; 
Meikle  Ferry,  2^ ;  Bonar  Bridge,  134 ; 
Dornoch  (by  Ferry),  6  ;  Fearn,  3  m. 
The  Ely.  skirts  the  shore  of  Dor- 
noch Firth,  which  is  the  estuary  of 
the  Oykel,  the  Shin,  and  the  Flete 
rivers. 

46.2  ™-  Meikle  Ferry  Stat.  At 
this  point,  before  the  rail  was  made, 
was  a  ferry  by  which  the  coach  pas- 
sengers crossed  the  Firth,  so  as  to 
save  them  going  round  by  Bonar 
Bridge.  It  is  nearly  2  m.  across, 
though  a  mole  on  each  side  has 
much  reduced  the  distance.  The 
direct  distance  to  Golsjiie  this  way 
may  be  about  14m.,  while  the  circle 
which  the  rly.  makes  increases  the 
distance  to  36.  The  entrance  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Firth  is  much  impeded 
by  a  long  sandbank  called  the  ' '  Giz- 
zing"  or  ^^  Gey  sen  Briggs,"  a  term 
evidently  of  Norse  origin — and  in 
stormy  weather  the  breaking  of  the 
waves  upon  it  may  be  heard  at  a 
considerable  distance.  Above  the 
stat.  is  the  house  of  Tarlogie  (H.  L. 
Eoss,  Esq.),  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Firth,  Skibo  (E.  C.  Sutherland- 
Walker,  Esq.) 


494  m.  Eddcrton  Stat.  Near  the 
Cluirch,  built  1793,  are  2  sculptured 
Scandinavian  monuments. 


571  m.  Bonar  Bridge  Stat.,  situ- 
ated on  the  borders  of  Eoss  and 
Sutherland,  is  named»from  a  bridge, 
where  the  rly.  leaves  on  the  rt., 
spanning  the  estuary  of  the  Dornoch 
Firth,  or  Kyle  of  Sutherland,  wdiich  is 
here  contracted  to  a  narrow  channel. 
It  consists  of  an  iron  arch  150  ft.  in 
span,  and  two  stone  arches  of  50  and 
60  ft.  respectively.  It  was  built  in  1812 
at  an  expense  of  £14,000  by  Telford, 
and  has  repeatedly  withstood,  unin- 
jured, the  shocks  of  masses  of  ice 
and  timber  which  the  winter  storms 
have  driven  against  it.  The  Bridge 
Inn  is  very  poor,  but  there  is  a  good 
Inn  at  Ardgay,  close  to  the  stat. 

Distances. — Tain,  13i  m.  ;  Jleikle 
Ferry,  M  ;  Dornoch,  13^  ;  Golspie, 
21 ;  Oykel  Bridge,  20  ;  Loch  Shin,  12 ; 
Loch  Assynt,  38  ;  Loch  Inver,  52  ; 
Ullapool,  38  m. 

At  Invercarron,  where  the  rly. 
crosses  the  Carron,  Montrose's  final 
array  on  behalf  of  King  Charles  I. 
was  defeated  1650,  and  he  himself 
driven  a  fugitive  into  the  wilds  of 
Assynt,  where  he  was  soon  after  cap- 
tured. The  river  Oykel  is  crossed 
on  a  lattice  girder  bridge. 

60  m.  Invershin  Stat.  Here  the 
Shin,  a  good  and  early  salmon  river, 
is  reached,  as  it  flows  into  the  Kyle 
of  Sutherland  from  Loch  Shin. 
There  is  an  Inn  at  Inveran  on  the 
opposite  side.  The  line  then  follows 
the  river  Shin  up  to 

66  m.  Lairg  Stat,  (omnibus),  1|  m. 
from  the  village,  and  Inn,*  Suther- 
land Arms,  good  ;  situated  near  the 
foot  of  Loch  Shin,  a  tame  and  narrow 
lake  24  m.  long,  but  abounding  in 
trout.  Observe  the  extensive  and 
enterprising  agricultural  operations 
going  on  by  the  sides  of  the  loch, 
under  the  superintendence  of  the 
Duke.  Four  roads  meet  near  here, 
making  Lairg  a  place  of  importance 
in  Sutherlandshire  communications. 
The  innkeeper  furnishes  cars,  and 
gigs  and  waggonettes,  and  boats  on 
Loch  Shin  for  fishing,  which  is  good 


Sutherland.     Eoute  65a. — Beauhj  to  Kintail,  etc. 


421 


here.  AcJiavy  is  a  seat  of  Sir  James 
Mathieson,  Bart.,  who  owns  much 
land  hereabout. 

Mail-drags  or  waggonettes  start 
Mon.,  Wed.,  and  Frid.,  to  Loch  Inver, 
by  Inchnadamtf  (Rte.  67);  to  Scourie, 
with  a  branch  to  Durness  (Rte.  68), 
returning  the  alternate  days ;  to 
Tongue  (Rte.  67). 

Distances. — Bonar  Bridge,  9  m.  ; 
Inveran,  6  ;  Rosehall,  10  ;  Golspie, 
17  ;  Altnaharra,  20  ;  Tongue,  35  ; 
Laxford  Bridge,  37  ;  Loch  Inver,  46 
m.  ;  Inchnadamff,  33  m. 

From  Lairg  the  rly.  turns  sharp 
to  the  E.,  and  surmounting  a  steep 
rise  attains  to  the  head  waters  of 
Strathflcct,  which,  wild  and  moory  at 
first,  improves  in  appearance  and 
value  as  it  descends  to  the  E.  coast. 
The  farm-houses  are  comfortable  and 
substantial  buildings,  and  the  cot- 
tages weather-tight.  The  land,  not 
long  since  uncultivated  moor,  is  now 
fertile  in  corn  crops,  the  result  of 
the  most  improved  scientific  hus- 
bandry. 

76  m.  Eogart  Stat.  From  this  a 
road  runs  northward  to  Strathbrora. 

80  m.  The  M<nuul  Stat.  The 
Mound  of  Fleet  is  an  artificial  em- 
bankment 1000  yards  long,  crossing 
an  arm  of  the  sea,  raised  in  1815, 
at  the  cost  of  £9600.  It  was  the 
means  of  recovering  from  the  sea  a 
fine  tract  of  alluvial  land. 

Mail-gig  from  Mound  Stat,  to 
Dornoch  (Rte.  65b). 

To  the  1.  is  a  line  of  hills,  includ- 
ing Ben  Lundie  (1454  ft.)  and  Ben- 
na-Braghie  (1384),  upon  which  is  a 
colossal  statue,  by  Chantrey,  of  the 
1st  Duke  of  Sutherland. 

83^  m.  Golspie  Stat.  {Hotel,  Suther- 
land Arms,  very  good).     (Rte.  69.) 


C  .^ 


1    oto 
J  O 


EOUTE  65  a. 

Eeauly  to  SMel  House  Inn  and 
Loch.  Duich,  by  the  Valley  of 
Beauly,  Kilmorack,  the  Druim, 
Strathglass,  Chisholm's  Pass, 
Glen  Affrick,  and  the  Pass  of 
the  Beallach.  of  Kintail. 

Distances  from  Beauly  : — 
m. 
2^  Kilmorack  Gorge  and^  " 

Falls. 
6     The  Dniim.  _ 

Eilean  Aigas.  i  ' .  '^  p^ 

10     Struy  Inn.  "    ^' 

17     Strath  Affrick  Hotel, 

Invercannich. 
19|  Fasnakyle  Bridge. 
21     The  Chisholm's  Pass.  )   1|  hour's 
24     Loch  Beneveian.        \  walking. 
29     Loch  Affrick  (carriage  road  ends), 
Aultbea    Lodge,    and    Shep- 
herd's hut,  footpath. 
46     Shiel  House  Inn,  by  Pass  of  Kin- 
tail. 

The  vale  of  the  Beauly,  in  its 
upper  course  called  Strathglass  and 
Strath  Affrick,  is  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive for  its  scenery  in  all  Scot- 
land. From  first  to  last  it  is  remark- 
able for  the  extent  and  beauty  of  its 
forests.  It  is  also  readily  accessible 
by  a  good  carnage  road  for  29  m,, 
and  a  vuul-car  runs  daily,  carrying  3 
or  4  passengers  as  far  as  Invercannich 
and  Geusachan.  Post-horses  and 
traps  may  be  hired  at  the  hotel, 
Beauly,  and  at  Invercannich  Inn. 

Two  roads  run  up  the  vale  of  the 
Beauly,  and  that  on  the  1.  bank  by 
Falls  of  Kilmorack  and  the  Druim 
is  the  most  interesting  and  is  de- 
scribed below.  That  on  the  rt.  bank 
by  Kiltarlity  leads  to  Belladrum  (J. 
Merry,  Esq.)  and  Beaifort  Castle 
(Lord  Lovat),  described  in  Rte.  65. 
The  two  roads  unite  at  Fasnakyle. 

The  road  on  the  1.  side  of  the 
Beauly  ascends  the  valley  in 

2|  m.  to  Kilmorack  Village  and 
Church,  on  a  height  commanding 
views  of 


422     Route  ^^ A. — Beauhj  to  Kintail :  Strathglass.     Sect.  VII. 


The  Falls  of  KilmoracTc,  about 
200  yards  below.  The  falls  them- 
selves are  of  no  great  height,  conse- 
quence, or  beauty,  but  the  traveller 
should  not  fail  to  take  the  footpath 
striking  up  the  rt.  bank  of  the  river 
from  the  Black  timber  Bridge  just 
below  the  Falls,  and  follow  it  up 
through  the  luxuriant  birch  copse 
for  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half,  and 
he  will  be  well  rewarded  by  the 
views— the  river,  struggling  between 
the  dark  porphjTy  rocks  deep  below 
the  spectator,  forming  scenes  of 
really  picturesque  grandeur. 

Returning  to  the  high  road  and 
pursuing  the  ascent  of  the  valley, 
youscome  in  about  3i  m.  to  another 
and  grander  defile,  called  The  Druim 
(pron.  Dream),  Avhere  the  black  cliffs 
traversed  by  the  Beauly  rise  higher 
and  in  more  picturesque  forms,  and 
a  huge  detached  obelisk  of  rock  in 
the  middle  of  the  river  breasts  its 
current,  studded  with  luxuriant 
growth  of  trees.  The  road  command- 
ing this  grand  scene  winds  among 
huge  fragments  of  rock  draped  in 
foliage,  not  unlike  the  Trossachs, 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  Druim 
the  river  is  divided  by  the  island 
hill  of  Ai'ijas,  on  which  is  a  small 
house,  in  former  times  a  refuge  for 
Lord  Lovat,  1697  ;  in  our  days  occu- 
pied as  a  summer  retreat  by  Sir  R, 
Peel  a  short  while  before  his  death. 

Above  this  the  valley  opens  out  and 
takes  the  name  of  Strathglass.  Al- 
though its  features  are  tamer,  still 
the  woods  surrounding  Erchlcss 
Castle,  seat  of  The  Chisholm,  whose 
clan  has  possessed  this  valley  since 
the  14th  centy.,  are  very  stately. 

There  is  a  ferry  across  the  river  at 
Eskadale. 

Near  it  is  a  Roman  Catholic  Chapel, 
and  not  far  off  the  public-house 
called  the  Craske  of  Aigas. 

Our  road  crosses  the  river  Farrar, 
descending  from  the  W.  close  to 

10  m.  Struy  Inn  (very  fair).  The 
Beauly  is  formed  by  the  union  of  the 


Farrar  and  the  Glass,  giving  the 
names  to  the  straths.  They  unite 
at  Erchless  Castle. 

[Here  the  road  up  Strathfarrar 
turns  W.  out  of  Strathglass.  The 
glen,  bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  long- 
line  of  Benevachart  (3000  ft),  is 
little  cultivated,  for  in  wet  seasons 
the  river  rapidly  rises,  and  over- 
flows a  great  part  of  the  space 
between  the  hills.  Another  small 
lake  succeeds,  and  3  m.  beyond  it  is 
Loch  Monar,  at  the  end  of  which  is 
Monar  House  (H.  W.  Whyte,  Esq.), 
The  eastern  end  of  Strath  Monar  is 
very  narrow,  and  the  whole  of  the 
scenery  more  wild  than  picturesque. 
The  road,  too,  ends  here,  and  there 
is  no  Inn,  but  a  night's  rest  may  be 
obtained  at  a  shepherd's  hut.  A 
foot-track  leads  round  the  .shoulder 
of  Scuir-na-Lapich  to  Loch  Luing, 
and  another  (of  about  8  hrs.'  walk- 
ing) to  Attadale  on  Loch  Carron.] 

Leaving  behind  Struy  Lm,  the 
pretty  shooting-lodge  of  Captain 
Chisholm  is  next  passed. 

The  river  Cannich,  flowing  from 
the  W.  to  join  the  Glass,  is  crossed 
by  abridge  at  the  mouth  of  the  glen, 
close  to  tlie  hamlet  (P.O.)  and  small 

7  m.  Inn  of  Invercannich,  called 
Strath  Aff"rick  Hotel  (unpretending 
but  comfortable,  4  or  5  bedrooms). 
Post-horses  and  waggonettes  :-  good 
head-quarters  for  excursions  to  Chis- 
holm's  Pass,  3  m.  ;  Loch  Affrick,  11 ; 
Geusachan,  5^  ;  Drumnadrochet  in 
Glen  L^rquhart,  10.  {Coach  thither 
in  summer.) 

[Glen  Cannich  has  a  carriage  road 
up  it  for  15  m.  : — beyond,  and  over  the 
pass  to  Loch  Luing  is  a  bridle  path. 
There  is  a  pretty  Fall  of  the  Cannich 
1^  m.  from  the  Inn.  The  scenery  of 
the  whole  glen  is  striking.  The  S. 
side  is  densely  wooded  with  Scotch 
firs.  The  finest  view  from  it  is  13 
m.  from  the  Inn.  The  river  passes 
through  a  succession  of  small  lakes 
— Loch  Culavie,  Loch  Moilardoch, 
etc.      At   the   farther   end  of  Loch 


Scotland.  Route  65a. — Beauly  to  Kintail. 


423 


Longart,  or  Moylie,  17  m.  from  In- 
vereannich,  there  is  a  small  shep- 
herd's hut,  the  only  place  where 
refreshment  can  be  obtained.  Kilel- 
lan,  on  Loch  Luing,  is  17  m.  farther 
on.  There  is  a  bridle  road  from  the 
head  of  Glen  Cannich  into  Glen 
Affrick.] 

The  Affrick  river  receives  the  Geu- 
sachan  at  Fasnakyle,  another  hamlet, 
\Yith  a  Free  Kirk  and  a  lioman 
Catholic  Chapel,  and  a  bridge  over 
the  river  at  its  junction. 

[Up  the  side  valley  of  Geusachan 
a  road  runs  through  a  well-wooded 
park,  past  the  pattern  village  of 
Tomich,  to  Geusachan,  the  luxurious 
mountain  villa  of  Sir  Dudley  Mar- 
joribanks,  Bart.  Estate  of  19,186 
acres.  ^  m.  beyond  the  house  the 
valley  ends  in  a  cul-de-sac,  into 
which  the  burn,  a  head  water  of 
the  Affrick,  pours  over  the  precipice, 
in  a  pretty  fall  60  ft.  high.  There 
is  a  bridle  road  from  Geusachan  over 
the  hill  into  Glen  Affrick,  crossing  the 
Affrick  by  a  narrow  bridge  just  below 
Loch  Beneveian,  Another  road  leads 
direct  to  Glen  Affrick  Lodge.] 

The  high  road  up  Strath  Affrick, 
leaving  1.  Fasnakyle  and  the  wooded 
hill  of  Dun  Foin,  ascends  steeply  and 
enters  a  third  defile,  surpassing  in 
grandeur  those  abeady  traversed, 
called  the  ChisJwlm's  Pass,  more 
than  3  m.  long,  of  extreme  beauty, 
where  the  river  struggles  through  a 
rocky  bed,  often  300  ft.  below  the 
road,  which  winds  through  a  Forest 
of  Birch,  many  of  the  trees  of  gi-eat 
age  and  size,  adding  an  indescribable 
charm  to  the  landscape  by  its  grace- 
ful pensility  and  transparent  foliage. 
In  the  midst  of  the  pass  are  two  small 
cascades  known  as  the  Dog  Fall  close 
to  the  road  and  the  Badge?'  Fall.  At 
various  points  through  the  vista  of 
the  valley  W,  appears  the  towering 
summit  of  Mam  Soul. 

The  road  next  reaches  Loch  Bene- 
veian, fringed  with  a  scanty  fir-wood 
5  m.  long,  and  Loch  Affrick,  situated 


at  the  S.  base  of  Mam  Soul  (3863  ft. 
high).  On  the  slope  above  the  S. 
shore  of  the  lake  is  Sir  Dudley  Mar- 
joribanks's  pretty  Shooting-Lodge, 
which  is  a  sight  in  itself. 

"The  road  is  closed  to  carriages 
within  I  m.  of  Loch  Affrick,  but 
tourists  should  walk  the  distance. 
On  a  fine  day  the  view  from  Affrick 
Lodge  of  the  loch  and  glen  beyond, 
apparently  blocked  up  by  the  gi-eat 
bulk  of  Ben  Attow,  is,  I  think,  the 
finest  lake  scene  in  the  Highlands. 
There  are  bridle-tracks  on  each  side 
of  the  loch,  which  unite  in  that 
leading  to  Kintail  ;  but  the  view 
on  the  N.  side  is  preferable."— L  B. 
The  loch  is  4  4  m.  long. 

The  shepherd's  hut  at  Culivie  is 
capable  of  affording  a  rough  shelter 
and  bed  to  a  traveller.  The  ascent 
of  Mam  Soul  may  be  made  from  this. 
Its  top  commands  both  seas.  On  the 
opposite  side  of  the  stream,  here 
joined  by  the  Grivie,  is  another 
shepherd's  hut,  reached  by  a  ford. 
The  Pass  of  Annamulloch  was  de- 
fended by  Col.  Donald  Murchison 
(ancestor  of  the  geologist),  for  his 
chief  the  Earl  of  Seaiorth,  against 
the  soldiers  of  George  II. 

For  the  journey  above  this  to  the 
AV.  coast  and  to  Falls  of  Glomach  a 
guide  is  desirable. 

From  Culivie  is  a  rough  walk  of  8 
or  9  hrs.  to  Shiel  House  Inn,  follow- 
ing upwards  the  stream  of  the  Affrick 
up  its  1.  bank,  a  wild  path.  About 
4  m.  farther  at  Aultbea,  is  a  shep- 
herd's cottage,  29  m,  from  Invercan- 
nich,  at  which  a  tolerable  meal  and 
bed  can  be  obtained.  From  this 
point  the  track  becomes  very  rough, 
but  quite  distinct,  leading  up  to  the 
Beallach  (or  Pass)  of  Kintail,  a  steep 
gorge  between  Ben  Attow  (4000  ft.) 
on  the  1.,  and  Scuir-na-Cairan  on  the 
rt.  Beyond  this  point,  and  6  m.  from 
Aultbea,  a  path  on  rt.  leads  (4  m.), 
by  3  small  lochs,  to  the  Falls  of 
Glomach  (Rte.  61).  They  lie  several 
hundred  feet  rt.  below  the  Beallach 


42i 


Moute  6 OB. — Dornoch  to  Golspie.  Sect.  YII. 


Pass,  no  inconsiderable  addition  to 
the  climb  reqnired  to  surmount  the 
second  ridge,  over  which  runs  the 
path  to  Loch  Duich.  Then  comes  a 
long  and  steep  descent  thither  by  the 
rough  sides  of  a  burn  until  a  good  road 
is  reached  at  the  shooting-lodge  of 
Dhorrisdhuan.  1  m.  below  this  the 
road  on  left  over  the  bridge  leads  to 
Shiel  House  Inn,  13  m.  from  Aultbea 
(Rte.  60),  that  onrt.  11  m.  to  Balma- 
carra,  across  Dornie  Ferry  21  m. 
from  Aultbea. 


ROUTE   65b. 

Bonar  Bridge  to  Golspie  by 
Dornoch. 

The  road  from  Bonar  Bridge  (Rte. 
65)  first  of  all  runs  due  E.  along  the 
N.  shore  of  the  Dornoch  estuary, 
passing  Creich,  where  is  a  scidptured 
obelisk.  At  Dun  Creich  to  the  N. 
is  a  vitrified  fort.  5  m.  1.  is  Osjns- 
dalc  (Dugald  Gilchrist,  Esq.),  where 
a  large  slab,  9  ft.  high,  is  said  to 
commemorate  the  death  in  battle  of 
a  Danish  chief  named  Ospis.  On 
rt.  is  Skibo,  long  the  seat  of  the 
Dempsters,  sold  1872  to  Mr.  Suther- 
land Walker  of  Aberarder  for 
£130,000.  The  castle  of  Skiho  Avas 
in  former  times  the  abode  of  the 
Bishops  of  Sutherland  and  Caithness, 
and  after  them  passed  to  the  Mackays. 
It  is  still  remarkable  for  its  excellent 
gardens  and  orchard. 

10  m.  Clashmore  Inn  is  3  m.  from 
Meikle  Ferry. 

12  m.  [I5  m.  to  rt.  is  Dornoch 
{Inn  :  Sutherland  Arms),  which, 
notwithstanding  its  insignificance 
(Pop.  625),  is  the  capital  of  Suther- 
landshire,  and  was  in  times  past  the 
cathedral  city  of  Sutherland  and 
Caithness.  It  still  has  the  prim 
look  of  a  miniature  cathedral  town, 
and  much  has  been  done  of  late  years 
to  improve  it. 

The  old  Castle,  of  which  the  high 


tower  is  alone  standing,  was  a  large 
and  formidable  building,  destroyed 
in  1570  by  the  Master  of  Caithness 
and  ]\Iackay  of  Strathnaver,  who, 
taking  advantage  of  the  minority  of 
Alexander,  Earl  of  Sutherland,  plun- 
dered the  city  at  the  same  time. 
The  remains,  after  doing  duty  for 
some  years  as  a  prison,  have  been, 
with  the  exception  of  the  tower,  re- 
moved, and  gave  place  to  a  modern 
court-house  and  jail.  The  Cathedral, 
conspicuous  by  its  high  roof,  low 
tower,  and  stunted  spire,  was  built 
about  1230  by  Gilbert  de  JMoravia, 
most  probably  the  uncle  of  Andrew  de 
]\roravia,  the  founder  of  the  cathedral 
of  Elgin.  Though  much  damaged 
in  1570,  and  neglected  afterwards, 
a  great  portion  of  it  was  standing  till 
1847,  when  it  was  restored  by  the 
then  Duke  of  Sutherland.  The  work, 
however,  was  not  trusted  to  compe- 
tent hands  ;  and,  though  a  capacious 
church  is  the  result,  no  sort  of  resem- 
blance can  be  traced  in  the  interior 
to  the  cathedral  of  old  days. 

The  Church  consists  of  chancel, 
nave,  and  transept,  with  single  lan- 
cet windows,  except  at  the  W.  end, 
where  there  is  an  interesting  window 
of  5  lights,  so  common  in  this  part 
of  Scotland.  In  the  chancel  is  a 
statue  of  the  first  Duke  of  Suther- 
land, by  Chantrexj,  with  a  long  epi- 
taph in  praise  of  him  and  his 
Duchess  -  Countess.  16  Earls  of 
Sutherland  are  said  to  have  been 
buried  in  this  ch.  Under  the  chan- 
cel was  found  the  effigy  of  Sir  Pvich- 
ard  de  Moravia,  brother  of  the 
founder.  He  was  killed  in  battle 
against  the  Danes,  at  Embo,  between 
Dornoch  and  the  little  Ferry,  where 
stands  a  large  stone,  supposed  to 
commemorate  the  event. 

Close  upon  the  Little  Ferry,  by 
the  direct  road  to  Golspie,  passing 
across  the  celebrated  links  and  golf- 
fields  of  Dornoch,  is  Skelbo,  the  old 
house  of  the  Earls  of  Sutherland. 
It  is  now  a  ruin,  and  close  by  has 


Scotland.    Boute  QiQ. — Dinrjicall  to  Ullapool:  Braemore.     425 


been  built  a  fine  castellated  farm- 
house, inhabited  by  the  Duke's 
grieve,  and  occasionally  by  the  Duke 
himself.  The  road  now  turns  to  the 
].,  doubling  round  the  arm  of  the 
sea,  called  Loch  Fleet,  formerly 
crossed  by  a  ferry,  but  now  traversed 
bv  the  embankment  and  bridges 
called  the  Mound  of  Fleet  (Rte.  65). 
To  the  1.  is  a  line  of  hills,  including 
Ben  Lundie  (1454  ft.),  and  Ben 
Braghie  (1384),  upon  which  is  a 
colossal  statue  by  Chantrey  of  the 
first  Duke  of  Sutherland. 

21  m.   Golspie  Slat. ;  an  excellent 
Hotel  here  (Rte.  69). 


ROUTE   66. 

Dingwall,  by  Garve,  to  Ullapool 
and  Poolewe. 

37  m.  Coach,  Mon.,  AVed.  and  Fri., 
returning  Tues.,  Thurs.,  and  Sat. 
Mail-cart  takes  passengers. 

From  Dingwall  to  Garve  Stat, 
{see  Rte,  62).  Hence  a  road  turns 
off  to  the  rt.,  across  the  high 
gi'ound  of  Dirrie  More,  "the  long 
steppe,"  to  the  glen  at  the  head  of 
the  larger  Loch  Broom.  For  a  time 
it  runs  through  Strathgarve,  and 
then  enters  Strath  Dirrie,  a  long, 
straight  glen  of  some  20  m.  The 
most  oppressive  solitude  prevails, 
broken  only  by  the  lowing  of  cattle  or 
bleating  of  sheep  ;  there  are  no  trees 
or  houses,  but  here  and  there  a  cairn 
to  mark  the  spot  where  some  un- 
fortunate traveller  or  shepherd  has 
been  buried  in  the  snow. 

10  m.,  at  Alguise  and  at  Glas- 
carnoch,  12  m.,  there  are  small  Inns. 
[About  2  m.  beyond  the  latter,  at 
Torrandoiv  Bridge,  a  mountain  road 
falls  in  from  the  Achnasheen  road 
at  Grudie.  It  is  a  magnificent  walk 
of  about  10  m.,  the  pedestrian  ob- 
taining good  views  of  Loch  Fannich 
and  the  grand  mountains  round  it — 
Ben  Eigcn,  "  the  Difficult  Pass,"  and 

{Scotland. '\ 


Cairn-na-beast,  which  rank  amongst 
the  wildest  mountains  in  the  High- 
lands. ] 

On  I.  is  the  little  Loch  Druin, 
from  whence  the  direction  of  the 
waterflow  is  to  the  Atlantic.  After 
traversing  a  dreary  trackless  tract  of 
moorland,  rock,  bog,  and  heather, 
the  road  liegins  to  descend  to  Loch 
Broom.  Just  at  this  point,  on  the 
hill-top,  is  jdaced  the  handsome 
mansion  of  John  Fowler,  Esq.,  C.E. 
Braemore,  a  singular  creation  of  art 
and  wealth  in  the  wilderness  (39,530 
acres).  The  bare  mountain-side  is 
planted  for  3  or  4  m.  with  woods. 
Directly  beneath  the  house,  3  m. 
distant  by  the  winding  road,  are  the 
gardens  and  stables.  A  shorter  zig- 
zag path  connects  them  directly  with 
the  house. 

At  the  Falls  of  Sfrome  are  trees  of 
various  sorts,  and  the  green  shores 
of  Loch  Broom  come  into  view. 
Cultivated  fields  and  thick  wood 
adorn  the  valley,  and  towards  the 
sea  the  surface  is  studded  with  rocks 
and  islets,  while  to  the  N.  the  eye 
rests  on  Ben  Derig  (3551  ft.)  and 
the  summit  of  Ben  More  of  Coigach. 
There  is  a  small  Inn  at  the  head  of 
Loch  Broom  (23  m.  from  Garve,  from 
which  a  bad  and  difficult  road  crosses 
the  hills  to  Dundonell  and  little 
Loch  Broom,  there  joining  the  one 
to  Aultbea,  Poolewe,  and  Gairlocli, 
Loch  Broom  House  (T.  Davidson, 
Esq.,  of  Tulloch)  lies  on  the  W.  side 
of  the  ]\Iashak  water. 

The  parish  of  Loch  Broom  will 
always  be  remembered  in  connection 
with  Ptobertson,  who  was  minister 
here  in  1746,  and  by  his  courage 
and  fidelity  to  the  Government  gave 
an  effectual  check  to  the  rebellion 
in  these  parts.  He  acquired  in  con- 
sequence much  influence  with  the 
Duke  of  Cumberland  and  the  minis- 
ters in  London,  and  this  influence 
he  used  in  the  cause  of  mercy  to 
the  poor  and  misguided  who  had 
been  induced  to  join  the  cause  of 
t2 


426 


Pioute  67. — Lairg  to  Loch  Tnver :  Scoiirie.  Sect.  VII. 


the  Stuarts.  On  the  E.  side  of 
the  Loch,  along  which  the  road 
to  Ullapool  is  carried,  are  the 
house  and  farm  of  Inverlaal,  with 
its  old  ruined  chapel  and  iDurial- 
ground.  This  district  is  remark- 
able for  a  certain  richness  but  scanti- 
ness of  soil,  and  great  moistness  of 
climate,  and  these  produce  the  ever- 
green appearance  which,  contrasting 
with  the  rugged  outline  of  its  hills, 
constitutes  the  great  charm  of  the 
scenery.  Passing  under  Craig  Vore 
and  the  little  hamlet  of  Ardcharnac, 
we  enter 

Ullapool  (Inn,  good).  This  town 
was  established  by  the  British  Fish- 
eries Association  in  1788.  It  stands 
well  on  the  N.E.  shore  of  Loch 
Broom,  but  is  a  somewhat  dreary 
fishing -village,  in  spite  of  its  row  of 
well-built  houses  fringing  the  beach, 
It  has  a  good  harbour,  easily  acces 
sible  to  vessels  of  large  burden  ;  but 
unfortunately  the  herring  -  fishery 
upon  which  its  hopes  were  founded 
utterly  died  away,  and  Ullapool  is  at 
present  waiting  sadly  for  its  develop 
ment.  Many  roofless  and  half-ruined 
houses.  But  it  is  a  capital  bathing- 
place  ;  has  splendid  scenery  all 
round  it. 


Mail  cart  to  Garve. 
Steamers  weekly  to  and  from  Glas- 
gow. Coach  to  Garve  Stat.  3  days  a 
week  (Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Sat- 
urday). Steamers  5  days  a  week  to 
Stornoway  and  back  (Rte.  59). 

Distances — Loch  Broom,  7h  m.  ; 
Strome  Falls,  13  ;  Garve,  27  ;  'Little 
Loch  Broom,  4  ;  Aultbea,  25  ;  Pool- 
ewe,  30^  ;  Oykel  Bridge,  18  ;  Inch- 
nadamff  (Loch  Assynt),  26  ;  Loch 
Auchall,  2^. 

From  Ullapool  to  Poolewe  the 
traveller  must  cross  the  ferry,  whence 
a  road  is  carried  over  the  promontory 
and  the  Dundonnel  Hills  to  Antor- 
skyle,  at  the  head  of  Little  Loch 
Broom.  The  view  of  Ullapool  from 
this  road  is  exceedingly  fine.    To  the 


1.  in  the  Strathbeg  is  the  shooting- 
box  of  Dundonnell  (K.  Mackenzie, 
Esq.)  ;  also  a  nice  Inn.  Hence  the 
road  follows  the  AV.  shore  of  Little 
Loch  Broom  to  Loch  Gruinard,  which 
is  encompassed  by  low  rocky  emi- 
nences, forming  a  good  protection  to 
the  farm-houses  on  the  S.E.  side. 

The  river  and  bay  abound  with 
fish.  At  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Gruinard  is  Gruinard  House,  and  a 
little  farther  is  Invereven  (21  m.) 
The  road  now  crosses  another  pro- 
montory to  25  m.  the  village  of  Ault- 
bea  {Inn,  tolerable),  where  the  Glas- 
gow steamer  occasionally  calls,  and 
thence  skirts  the  sides  of  Loch  Ewe  to 

30.T  m.  Poolewe  {Inn,  good) 
(Pite.'eS),  and  Gairloch  (New  Inn), 
where  there  is  easy  access  to  Loch 
Maree. 


EOUTE   67. 

Lairg  to  Loch.  Inver  and  Dur- 
ness, by  Oykel  Bridge,  Loch 
Assynt,  and  Scourie. 

33  m.  to  Loch  Assynt ;  46  m.  to 
Loch  Inver. 

At  Lairg  Inn,  on  the  Highland 
Rly.  (Rte.  65),  horses  and  carriages 
may  be  hired  ;  and  from  it  starts, 
3  or  4  times  a  week,  the  mail-break 
or  car  to  Loch  Inver,  taking  5  or  6 
passengers.  The  river  Shin  is  crossed, 
and  a  dreary  moor  is  traversed. 

8  m.  near  the  mouth  of  the  Cass- 
ley  is  Eosehall,  the  property  of  John 
Mackay,  Esq. ,  well  protected  by  thick 
fir  plantations.  The  Cassley  river, 
when  full  of  water,  is  fairly  supplied 
.with  fish  below  the  Falls  of  Olen- 
muich,  which  no  fish  can  pass.  At 
the  point  where  the  road  crosses  it 
are  the  ruins  of  Achness  Castle,  while 
on  the  other  side  are  those  of  Castel- 
na-Coire,  15  m.  I'uitumtarvach,  "the 
Place  of  great  Slaughter,"  was  in 
1400  the  scene  of  a  battle  between 
the  M'Leods  of  Assynt  and  Lewis 


Scotland.  Route  67. — Lairg  to  Loch  Inver  :  Loch  Assynt.    427 


and  the  men  of  Sutherland,  in  wliich 
the  M'Leods  were  defeated.  Only 
one  of  their  side  returned  to  Lewis, 
and  he  died  of  his  wounds. 

15^  m.  Oi/kel  Bridge  Inn,  small. 
In  the  garden  is  an  erect  slab  about 
10  ft.  high,  set  up  to  imitate  an  old 
stone  monument,  and  scratched  Avith 
modern  Fames !  The  prettiest  part 
of  Strath  Oykel  is  traversed  before 
reaching  the  inn.  The  slopes  on  each 
side  of  the  road  are  beautifully  wooded 
Avith  birch,  oak,  and  wycli  elm,  and 
at  the  bottom  is  a  slip  of  cultivated 
land  or  pasture,  watered  by  the 
Oykel. 

[A  hill-track  here  crosses  the  river 
to  join  the  one  between  Bonar  Bridge 
and  Ullapool,  18  m.  From  this  point 
it  ascends  Glen  Einig,  passes  the 
watershed,  and  descends  by  Loch 
Damph  and  Loch  Auchall  to  Ulla- 
pool.] 

2  m,  from  Oykel  B.  Inn  is  the 
shooting-lodge  of  Lubcroy,  an  oasis 
in  the  desert,  from  whence  the  road 
ascends  the  upper  part  of  Strath 
Oykel,  bleak  and  uninteresting. 

Altnagalagach  Inn  is  a  poor  little 
place  at  the  N.W.  side  of  Loch  Bor- 
rolan  (30  m.)  The  origin  of  this 
name,  which  means  the  "  Cheat's 
River,"  is,  that  on  some  occasion  a 
dispute  arose  as  to  the  boundary  of 
the  two  counties,  and  some  Avitnesses 
ha\dng  filled  their  shoes  with  earth 
from  Balnagowan,  swore  that  they 
were  standing  on  Ross-shire  gi'ound. 
The  road,  which  ever  since  leaving 
Oykel  Bridge  has  been  in  Ross-shire, 
now  re-enters  Sutherlandshire.  Here 
the  3  singular  and  picturesque  moun- 
tains of  Assynt— Ben  :More,  Canisp, 
and  Suilven — come  into  \dew. 

[31  i  m.  at  Ledmore  a  road  on  1.  is 
given  "off  to  Elphin  and  Ullapool, 
leaving  the  wild,  desolate  hills  of 
Ben  More  and  Coulbeg,  and  striking 
on  the  coast  at  Strath  Kennort.]  A 
little  farther  on  is  the  farm-house  of 
Ledbeg,    near    which     the     marble 


quarries  of  the  Ben  More  district 
were  worked  some  years  ago  ;  but 
now  abandoned-  This  marble,  ac- 
cording to  Symonds,  is  the  equivalent 
of  the  Silurian  limestones  of  L. 
EriboU. 

The  road  passes  along  the  base  of 
Ben  More  too  closely  to  allow  it  to 
be  seen  to  advantage. 

33  m.  On  1.  is  the  little  Loch  Awe, 
with  a  number  of  small  wooded  islets, 
upon  one  of  which  are  the  ruins  of  a 
fort.  The  road  now  descends  by  the 
side  of  the  Loannan  to 

38  m.  Inchnadamff  Inn  (comfort- 
able ;  apt  to  be  full  in  the  shooting 
season),  standing  in  a  well-sheltered 
corner,  backed  by  the  precipice  of  Ben 
More  at  the  E.  extremity  of  Loch 
Assynt.  N.  and  E.  rise  the  massive 
heights  of  Quinaig,  Glasven,  and  Ben 
More  (3281  ft.) 

Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
valley  are  Couhnore,  with  its  two 
heads,  and  beyond  that  Coulbeg,  with 
some  minor  peaks.  The  landlord  of 
the  Inn  can  give  the  right  of  fishing 
in  Loch  Assynt,  and  keeps  boats 
for  the  purpose.  It  contains  good 
river  and  sea  trout.  The  rocks  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Loch  Assynt 
belong  to  the  Cambrian  age,  resting 
on  the  oldest  or  granitoid  gneiss. 
"  Loch  Assynt  is  a  fine  sheet  of  water, 
10  m.  long ;  the  scenery  is  consider- 
ably diversified  by  the  nature  of  the 
rocks  in  which  it  is  set.  The  upper 
end  is  terminated  by  the  mural 
Strom  Chrubie,  backed  by  the  ma- 
jestic Ben  More  of  Assynt  and  other 
mountains.  A  trap-dyke  is  seen  to 
traverse  the  upper  quartz  rock  of 
Ben  More,  near  the  summit  on  the  1. 
shoulder  ascending  from  Inchna- 
damph."  On  this  mountain  Mr. 
Selby  and  Sir  William  Jardine  found 
the  Arctic  ptarmigan  ( Tetrao  rupes- 
tris).  The  golden  eagle  still  haunts 
its  crags.  The  limestone  composing 
the  lower  pait  of  these  mountains 
forms  noble  terraces  resting  upon  the 
lower  quartz  rock  of  Quinaig,  and 


428  Route  67. — Lairg  to  Loch  Inver :  Loch  Assynt.  Sect.  YII. 


overlaid  by  the  upper  quartz  of  Glas- 
ven.  The  botanist  may  gather  many 
rare  plants  and  ferns  on  these  Lower 
Silurian  limestones,  the  Cloudberry, 
the  rare  Pingukola  Alpina,  Drycis 
octopetala,  etc.  North  of  the  Loch 
Assynt  the  eye  is  arrested  by  precipi- 
tous Quinaig,  formed  of  chocolate - 
coloured  Cambrian  rock,  etc.,  and 
capped  by  white  quartz  of  Lower 
Silurian  age  ;  while  turning  W.  we 
see  the  rugged  cliffs  of  gneiss. 

A  little  beyond  Inchnadamff  inn  is 
Calcla  House,  or  Edderachalda,  a 
capacious  mansion  of  no  gi'eat  age, 
which  one  is  surprised  to  see  in  ruins. 
It  was  built  about  the  end  of  the 
last  centy.  by  one  of  the  M'Kenzies. 

On  the  margin  of  the  loch  are  the 
ruins  of  Ardvrech  Castle,  consisting 
of  part  of  the  old  keep  and  turret, 
with  a  square  top.  It  has  3  storeys, 
the  lowest  one  vaulted,  and  was  built 
about  1490  by  the  M'Leods,  who  in 
the  middle  of  the  13th  centy.  ob- 
tained Assynt  by  marriage.  It  is 
markable  as  having  been  the  prison 
of  the  Marquis  of  Montrose,  who  was 
treacherously  seized  1650  by  the  then 
Laird  of  Assynt,  Neil  M'Leod,  after 
his  defeat  at  Craigchoynechan,  and 
confined  here  till  he  was  taken  to 
Edinburgh  to  be  tried  and  hanged. 
The  castle  passed  to  the  M'Kenzies 
soon  after,  and  was  destroyed  by 
lightning  in  1795.  A  little  farther 
on,  crossing  the  Shiag  Burn,  which 
for  some  distance  passes  under- 
ground through  caves  in  the  lime- 
stone, a  road  on  rt.  is  given  off  to 
Unapool  and  Scourie  (Rte  68.) 

The  traveller  now  gets  a  good  view 
of  Quinaig,  wdth  its  long  jagged  edge, 
looking  very  much  like  a  saw.  The 
road  for  the  whole  distance  runs 
"  through  the  district  of  Assynt, 
97,000  acres,  an  alternation  of  patches 
of  verdure,  rocks,  hills,  mountains, 
and  lakes.  Nowhere,  perhaps,  with- 
in the  same  area  will  you  see  so  many 
lakes  as  here.     Every  hollow  cradles 


a  sheet  of  water,  nearly  all  tenanted 
by  trout.  To  the  S.  of  the  road  are 
seen  the  two  heads  of  Suilven  or 
"Sugar  Loaf,"  2396  ft.  high.  As 
seen  from  Loch  Inver  these  two  heads 
merge  into  one,  and  the  mountain 
from  that  point  of  view  acquired  its 
name.  From  its  sudden  rise  and 
vertical  sides  it  has  also  been  called 
"the  little  Matterhorn  "  {Symonds' 
Records  of  the  Rocks) ;  its  regular  hori- 
zontal strata  were  once  continuous 
with  those  of  Canisp,  the  intervening 
portions  having  been  removed  by  the 
erosion  of  ice  (?).  The  ascent  of  Suil- 
ven is  difficult,  but  by  no  means  im- 
possible. Upon  the  top  is  to  be 
found  a  small  lake. 

[A  little  before  reaching  Loch  In- 
ver, a  road  on  rt.  is  given  off  to  Cul- 
kein  and  Oldany,  passing  through 
the  little  village  of  Stoir.  At  Oldany 
a  boat  may  occasionally  be  obtained 
to  cross  the  Kyle  Skou  to  Scourie  or 
Badcoul.]  The  river  is  now  crossed 
— a  roaring,  turbulent,  little  stream, 
that  has  a  considerable  fall  from 
Loch  Assynt. 

52  m.  Loch  Inver,  Hotel,  very  good 
and  pleasant  quarters,  on  the  margin 
of  the  sea  loch,  with  fine  views  : 
Lewis  on  the  horizon,  while  inland 
rise  the  four  strangely  formed  moun- 
tains already  mentioned,  which  give 
a  grand  character  to  the  scenery 
wherever  they  appear.  Steamer 
twice  a  week  to  Glasgow.  The 
village  consists  of  a  few  cottages  and 
one  or  two  shops,  and  a  summer 
lodge  of  the  Duke  of  Sutherland, 
stretched  round  the  head  of  the  loch, 
and  is  one  of  those  places  "  which 
you  see  with  delight,  remain  at  with 
pleasure,  and  leave  with  regret." 
In  the  summer  not  only  is  the  inn 
full,  but  every  available  cottage 
where  a  bed  can  be  procured. 

5  m.  S.  of  Loch  Inver,  near  Loch 
Fewn,  are  the  Falls  of  Xirkaig,  which 
are  worth  seeing.     The  walk  thither 


Scotland.    Boute  Q^. — Lairg  to  Durness:  Scouric. 


429 


is  of  the  highest  interest,  and  no  one 
should  fail  to  take  it.  The  salmon- 
fishing  on  the  Kirkaig,  which  begins 
in  April,  can  be  obtained  of  the 
landlord  at  Loch  Inver,  but  no  charge 
is  made  for  brown  trout  fishing. 
The  supply  of  fish  is  not  good,  owing 
to  the  fall,  which  no  salmon  can 
pass.  The  Inver  is  hardly  good  till 
June. 

Loch  Inver  to  Scourie  and  Durness. 
A  waggonette  or  dog-cart  can  be 
hired  at  Loch  Inver.  The  road  is 
retraced  along  Loch  Assynt  as  far  as 
Shiag  Bridge  (IO4  m.),  where  it  turns 
N.,  and  passing  between  Quinaig 
andGlasven  descends  on  Loch  Cairn- 
bawn  [see  Rte.  68),  p.  430. 


EOUTE   68. 

Lairg  to  Durness,  by  Loch  Shin; 
Scourie  to  Loch  Inver. 

Mail  carriage  3  times  a  week. 

From  Lairg  (Rte.  65)  the  road  to 
Scom-ie  keeps  in  a  N.W.  direction 
by  the  side  of  Loch  Shin,  which 
is  20  m.  in  length.  As  the  hills 
which  surround  it  are  low,  the 
scenery  is  not  grand,  although  to- 
wards the  highest  portion  views  are 
obtained  of  the  more  distant  moun- 
tains of  Ben  More,  Ben  Leod,  and 
Ben  Hee,  3358  ft.  Here  Montrose 
sought  refuge  after  his  defeat  near 
Invercarron,  but  was  discovered  and 
sent  prisoner  to  Edinburgh. 

The  brown  moors  N.  of  Loch  Shin  are 
the  scene  of  the  experimental  eff'orts 
of  the  Duke  of  Sutherland  to  convert 
a  wilderness  into  arable  land  by  the 
aid  of  the  steam-plough,  1874-5.  The 
huge  ploughshare,  attached  b}"  a  wire 
rope  to  two  engines,  turns  up  peat 
to  a  depth  of  8  or  10  ft.,  avoiding 
small  stones,  and  where  blocks  of 
large  size  intervene  they  are  shattered 
to  pieces  by  dynamite. 

The  district  becomes  much  wilder 
at  the  end  of  the  lake  (good  fishing 


quarters.  Inn  comfortable),  and  the 
road,  which  is  delightfully  fringed 
with  wood  of  dwarf  birch,  is  carried 
in  succession  along  the  banks  of  Lochs 
Griam,  j\Ierkland,  More,  and  Stack, 
on  the  S.  side  of  which  Ben  Stack 
rises  suddenly  to  the  heightof  2364  ft., 
composed  of  Laurentian  gneiss  capped 
with  Cambrian  conglomerate.  To 
the  IST.  is  Arkle  mountain,  and  farther 
back  is  Foinhabhen,  one  of  the  loftiest 
of  Sutherland  m  ountains.  Westward 
from  Loch  Stack  runs  the  Laxforcl, 
a  river  which  received  its  name, 
meaning  "Salmon  Creek,"  in  Scan- 
dinavian times,  from  the  abundance  of 
its  fish,  which  reputation  it  maintains 
to  this  day.  The  Laxford,  as  well 
as  Loch  Stack  (which  abounds  with 
Sahno  ferox  and  trout),  is  rented 
by  Lord  Dudley,  who  is  the  tenant 
of  the  whole  of  the  Eeay  forest, 
through  which  the  tourist  will  soon 
pass.  One  of  the  lodges  is  at  Stack 
and  the  second  at  Gobernuisgach,  and 
the  country  abounds  in  deer,  to  which 
the  skill  and  experience  of  the  for- 
esters has  not  a  little  contributed. 

48  m.  Laxford  Bridge.  Here  the 
road  branches  N.  to  Durness,  and  S. 
to  Scourie,  catching  a  glimpse  in  its 
way  of  Loch  Laxford,  a  salt-water 
fiord. 

Scourie,  a  considerable  village 
round  the  edge  of  the  bay.  (Inn,  com- 
fortable ;  food  better  than  apartments; 
charges  moderate).  Upon  the  1.  is  the 
house  of  the  Duke's  agent,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  the  village  is  the  Inn. 

The  great  attraction  of  Scourie 
is  the  island  of  *IIanda,  which  is 
Avorth  a  visit,  for  its  own  grandeur 
and  for  the  immense  number  of 
wild-fowl  that  breed  on  it.  The 
island  is  formed  of  red  sandstone, 
and  on  the  N".  W.  side  of  it  is  a  range 
of  precipitous  cliffs,  rising  to  the 
height  of  400  feet  above  the  sea,  and 
varied  with  every  degi'ee  of  indent- 
ation and  irregularity,  while  in  other 
places  the  rock  descends  to  the  water 


430  Pile.  eS.—IsIe  of  Handa  ;  Kyle  Skou.  Sect.  VII. 


like  a  wall.  The  emerald  -water  in 
the  caves  contrasts  beautifully  with 
the  warm  red  cliifs.  "When  the  sea 
is  smooth,  a  small  boat  may  be  taken 
close  in. 

The  best  landing-place  in  the 
island  is  at  the  S.  On  the  narrow 
ledges  of  these  cliffs,  and  upon  every 
peak  and  point,  during  the  breeding 
season  from  May  to  July,  are  myriads 
of  guillemots,  puffins,  and  razorbills 
sitting  on  their  eggs  ;  they  are  re- 
markably tame  and  apathetic,  and 
though  they  are  disturbed  by  the 
report  of  a  gun,  they  will  soon  resume 
their  places.  The  smell  from  the 
birds  is  strong. 

Handa  is  sufficiently  far  from  the 
coast  to  obtain  magnificent  views  of 
the  panorama  of  mountains.  "  The 
most  striking  looking  from  this 
quarter  is  Stack,  the  terminal  aspect 
of  which  is  that  of  an  enormous 
pyramid,  rising  to  a  perfect  point. 
Suilven  appears  under  quite  a  new 
character,  the  two  summits  being  far 
removed,  and  it  shows  itself  to  be  in 
reality  a  long  mountain,  instead  of 
the  sugar-loaf  figure  from  which  it  is 
so  well  known.  To  the  S.  a  detached 
pillar  of  rock,  at  the  point  of  Ehu 
Stoir,  from  200  to  300  ft.  high,  looks 
in  the  distance  exactly  like  a  large 
ship  under  studding-sails." — Ander- 


[From  Scour ie  it  is  29^  m.  to  Loch 
Inver.  1  m.  1.  a  good  view  is  ob- 
tained of  the  sugar-loaf  cone  of  Stack, 
and  soon  after,  on  the  opposite  side, 
the  kirk  of  Edi-achillis  and  the  village 
of  Badcoul  come  in  sight.  At  Bad- 
coul,  where  Salmon,  the  product  of 
the  sea  fishery,  is  packed  in  quan- 
tities, fish  may  often  be  purchased. 
From  the  top  of  the  hill  a  good  view 
is  obtained  of  the  three  principal 
heads  of  Quinaig. 

2|  m.  there  is  a  charming  prospect 
at  Badcoul,  on  rt.  of  the  bay,  and  its 
2i  islets,  bounded  on  the  S.W.  by 
the  distant  line  of  coast,  which  ends 


in  the  Stoir  Point.  After  passing 
through  a  narrow  glen,  through 
which  a  stream  falls  into  Kyle 
Skou,  the  road  ascends  a  steep  hill, 
and  the  valley  begins  to  open  out 
and  admit  views  of  some  of  the  more 
distant  mountains.  Quinaig  (2245)  is 
prominent  on  rt,  and  Glasven  (2543) 
on  1.  But  the  general  character  of 
the  country  remains  the  same,  the 
chief  features  being  gneiss  eminences, 
partially  covered  with  heather  and 
common  grass.  These  stand  among 
a  number  of  small  lochs,  whose  dark 
still  waters  give  them,  perhaps  un- 
truly, the  appearance  of  great  depth. 
A  long  hill  leads  down  to 

11  m.  Strome  Ferry,  ^  m.  across. 
(Xot  to  be  confounded  with  Strome 
Ferry  in  Eoss-shire.)  On  a  little  pro- 
montory, which  at  high  water  is  an 
island,  are  the  remains  of  an  old  dune, 
about  8  ft.  high,  composed  of  unce- 
mented  masonry.  Mixed  with  the 
stones  have  been  found  human  bones 
of  rather  small  size.  How  or  why 
they  got  into  such  a  position  is  a  ques- 
tion which  has  puzzled  antiquaries.  S. 
of  the  ferry  is  Unapool  Inn,  a  small 
public-house,  but  clean.  Kjde  Skou, 
otherwise  called  Loch  Cairnbawn, 
divides  at  its  head  into  two  branches, 
Loch  Glendhu  on  the  IST.  and  Loch 
Glencoul  on  the  S.  The  scenery 
in  both  is  wild  and  gloomy.  Glen- 
coul consists  of  three  divisions ;  upon 
its  N.  side  is  a  waterfall.  The  road 
now  passes  between  Glasven  on  1. 
and  Quinaig  on  rt.  A  fine  view 
of  this  mountain  is  obtained  from  the 
road,  the  countrj'-  on  each  side  being 
boggy  peat  moss,  of  a  flat  and  tame 
character. 

16  J  m.  From  the  top  of  the  hill  a 
view  is  obtained  of  Loch  Assynt 
(Ete.  Q7).  A  short  distance  may  be 
saved  by  descending  tiie  road  a  little, 
so  as  to  clear  Quinaig,  and  then 
taking  to  the  moor  on  the  rt.  ;  the 
ground  is  rough,  but  not  very  wet. 
17^  m.,  on  the  shore  of  Loch  Assynt, 
the  tourist  joins  the  road  from  Oykel 
Bridge  to  Loch  Inver  (Ete.  67).] 


Scotland.  Es.  68,  69. — Ben  Spionn ;  Durness;  GoUpic.    431 


From  Laxford  Bridge  to  Durness 
the  road  keeps  due  northward,  pass- 
ing through  an  exceedingly  rough 
country,  too  much  encumbered  by 
ponderous  masses  of  granite  to  afford 
many  views  of  the  more  distant  parts. 
It  winds  continually,  however,  and 
at  every  turn  discloses  some  fresh 
feature.  On  the  rt.  is  Arkle  (2578), 
with  its  finely  tapering  form  and  in- 
dependent position  ;  and  farther  on 
is  Foinhahhen,  a  more  bulky  and  less 
picturesque  eminence. 

At  the  head  of  the  fiord  of  Loch 
Inchard  is 

51  m.  RMconich  Inn  (small,  but 
passable).  Thence  the  Achriesgill 
road  is  followed,  although  the  burn 
itself  is  sometimes  invisible  from 
the  immense  fragments  of  rock 
which  have  closed  it  up.  Near  the 
summit  of  the  Gualin  road  is  a  pretty 
waterfall  on  1.,  a  pleasant  relief 
amidst  the  desolate  scenery  around. 
3  m.  farther  on  is  a  small  reservoir, 
with  a  stone  put  over  it  in  1832,  to 
commemorate  the  kindness  shown  to 
Mr.  Lawson,  the  engineer  of  these 
roads,  by  the  inhabitants  of  Durness 
and  Edi-achillis.  The  Gualin,  through 
which  the  road  is  carried,  is  a  wide 
valley,  producing  nothing  but  peat 
and  heather,  and  supporting  only  a 
few  sheep.  It  is  bounded  on  each 
side  by  mountains  ;  those  on  the  W. 
are  of  no  great  height,  but  those  on 
the  E.  are  very  imposing,  and  the 
view  of  Ben  Spionn  is  the  best  that 
can  be  got  anywhere  of  that  moun- 
tain of  quartzite.  It  has  two  heads, 
and  throws  out  a  spur  towards  the 
W.  I'hrough  the  Gualin  the  wind 
occasionally  blows  with  terrific  vio- 
lence, and  in  the  winter  its  force  is 
irresistible  ;  so  that,  as  upon  the 
Moin  (Rte.  73),  the  Duke  has  had 
a  house  of  refuge  built  for  the  safety 
of  travellers.  Upon  the  gable  end 
is  a  slab  with  inscription,  but  this, 
owing  to  its  exposure,  is  nearly 
illegible.  When  nearly  opposite 
Glasven  (25i3  ft),  the  road  crosses 


the  Grudie  or  Dionard,  and  descends 
by  its  side  to  the  Kyle  of  Durness, 
crossing  the  promontory  to  the  village 
of 

64  m.  Durness  (Durine  :  Inn  good). 
Very  fair  fishing  may  be  had  from 
the  landlord,  in  the  river  which 
runs  into  the  Kyle,  when  the  water 
is  in  order,  and  the  sea-trout  {Salmo 
alha)  are  running  (Rte.  73). 

The  road  bence  to  Tongue,  24  m. 
{see  Rte.  73),  makes  a  great  detour 
round  the  S.  end  of  Loch  Eriboll, 
but  10  m.  of  this  may  be  saved  by 
crossing  the  ferry,  1^  m.  broad,  to 
Heilim  Inn.  It  is  not  available  for 
carriages,  which  must  go  round. 

Another  ferry  must  be  crossed 
over  Loch  Hope  by  a  chained  boat, 
and  a  third  across  the  Kyle  of 
Tongue.  

ROUTE   69. 

Golspie  to  Thurso  and  "Wick,  by 
Helmsdale. 

Railway  made  chiefly  by  the  Duke 
of  Sutherland,  1870-71,  and  1874.  2 
trains  daily  in  3  hrs.  40  min.  The 
rly.  keeps  along  the  sea-shore  for  the 
most  part  as  far  as  Helmsdale. 

Golspie  Stat.  {Inn :  *  Sutherland 
Arms,  very  good  indeed)  consists  of 
one  long  and  cheerful  street,  at  the 
farther  end  (N.)  of  which  is  the 
hotel.  A  pleasant  walk  of  about  a 
mile  up  the  pretty  glen  at  the  back 
of  the  Inn,  through  the  beautiful 
park,  leads  to  Dunrohin  Castle  (Duke 
of  Sutherland),  the  most  magnificent 
residence  N.  of  Inverness.  Admis- 
sion is  given  to  the  house  when  the 
family  are  not  there,  and  at  all 
times  to  the  Dunrobin  grounds.  It 
was  built  by  Robert,  2d  Earl  of 
Sutherland,  in  1275,  and  called  after 
him  DunRobin.  It  stands  on  a 
natural  terrace  close  to  the  sea, 
which  here  permits  free  growth  of 
trees  and  foliage  nearly  to  its  margin. 
It  consists  of  a  rather  plain  square 
old  castle,  with  bartizan  turrets  at 


432 


BmiU  69. — Golsjne  ;  DimroUn  ;  Brora.     Sect.  VII. 


the  angles,  to  which  the  skill  and 
taste  of  Sir  Ch.  Barry,  architect, 
1856,  added  a  new  Aving  and  front, 
with  towers  and  turrets  and  extin- 
guisher roofs,  produciug  on  the  whole 
a  picturesque  effect,  and  preserving 
the  national  character  of  a  Scottish 
chieftain's  castellated  mansion. 

Through  the  entrance-hall  a  noble 
staircase  is  reached,  lined  with  white 
marbles,  hung  with  banners,  etc. 

On  the  side  next  the  sea  are  the 
Queen's  apartments,  prepared  for  her 
from  the  first,  but  Avhich  she  was 
prevented  occupying  until  1872. 

In  1866  the  Prince  and  Princess 
of  Wales  honoured  Dunrobin  with 
a  visit.  There  are  some  curious 
portraits  of  the  Sutherland  family  ; 
among  them  of  Lady  Jane  Gordon, 
wife  of  James,  Earl  of  Bothwell,  but 
divorced  by  him  to  enable  him  to 
marry  JMary  Queen  of  Scots.  She 
afterwards  married  an  Earl  of  Suther- 
land. The  house  contains  a  very 
interesting  Museum  of  northern  an- 
tiquities, for  the  most  part  of  objects 
dug  up  in  the  Duke's  domain. 

The  burn  of  Golspie  is  very  pic- 
turesque, with  many  pretty  walks 
made  through  it  to  the  waterfall. 

On  the  bridge  over  the  little 
stream  at  the  end  of  the  town  of 
Golspie  is  a  Gaelic  inscription  con- 
cerning the  exploits  of  "  JMorphear 
Chatt,"  which  is  the  name  borne  by 
the  head  of  the  Sutherlands  amongst 
the  Gaelic  population  of  these  parts. 
Some  say  that  the  name  "  Chatt  "  is 
derived  from  the  "Catti,"  a  Teu- 
tonic tribe  that  settled  in  these 
parts,  and  left  their  name  in  "  Caith- 
ness. "  The  crest  of  the  family  is  a 
cat.  At  whatever  date  the  castle 
was  begun,  it  is  not  probable  that 
the  earldom  existed  before  1228, 
about  which  time  Caithness  and 
Sutherland  were  Avrested  from  the 
Norwegian  Jarls  by  Alexander  IL 
Tlie  9th  Earl  left  an  only  daughter, 
who  married  Adam  Gordon,  2d  son 
of  George,  2d  Earl  of  Huntly  ;  and 
again  William,   the  ISth  Earl,  left 


an  only  daughter,  who  married  the 
Marquis  of  Stafford.  The  Scotcli 
property  came  to  the  Gordons  by  this 
marriage  of  Elizabeth,  Duchess-Coun- 
tess of  Sutherland  and  Cromarty. 

Distances  of  Golspie  from — Lairg, 
17  m.  ;  Brora,  5i  ;  Helmsdale,  18  ; 
Dornoch,  10^  ;  Bonar  Bridge.  26. 

Conveyances. — JMail  cart  to  Tongue 
every  Monday  and  Thursday  ;  Eail 
to  Helmsdale,  Wick,  Thurso,  and 
Inverness. 

6  m.  Brora  Stat,  (fair  Inn)  is 
picturesquely  situated  on  the  edge 
of  a  high  bank,  overlooking  a  turbu- 
lent little  stream,  well  stocked  witli 
salmon.  Loch  Brora,  from  which 
it  emerges,  is  about  2  m.  to  the  1. 

Brora  has  produced  considerable 
quantities  of  coal.  A  shaft  was  long 
ago  sunk  to  the  depth  of  300  ft. 
below  the  bed  of  the  river.  The 
worksj  after  having  been  long  dis- 
continued, were  renewed,  1872,  by 
the  erection  of  a  steam-engine  at 
Strath  Stephen  on  the  sea-shore,  and 
sinking  a  fresh  shaft.  The  coal  is 
not  bituminous  of  the  true  coal  for- 
mation, but  is  a  brown  coal  or  lignite 
of  unusually  good  qUidit}'.  It  occurs 
in  beds  of  the  Lower  Oolite,  and 
bears  a  very  strong  resemblance  to 
the  coal  of  the  E.  moot'lands  of  York- 
shire. A  narrow  border  of  oolite  runs 
all  along  the  sea-shore  from  Golspie 
to  Helmsdale.  "  A  coal  formation, 
probably  coeval  with  the  latter,  or 
belonging  to  some  of  the  lower  divi- 
sions of  the  oolitic  period,  has  been 
mined  extensively  for  a  century  or 
more.  It  affords  the  thickest  stratum 
of  pure  vegetable  matter  hitherto 
detected  in  any  secondary  rock  in 
England.  One  seam  of  coal,  of  good 
quality,  has  been  Avorked,  3^  ft. 
thick  \  and  there  are  several  feet 
more  of  pyritous  coal  resting  upon 
it." — Lyell. 

From  the  abundance  of  its  oolitic 
fossils,  Brora  offers  a  very  tempting 
field  of  exploration  to  the  geologist. 


Sutherland. 


FiOute  G9. — Helmsdale  Railway. 


433 


In  early  days  it  seems  to  have  been 
a  place  of  importance  ;  and  it  is  said 
to  have  been  made  a  burgh  of  barony 
by  David  II.  in  1345. 

[For  the  antiquary  the  road  on  1. 
affords  an  interesting  excursion  up 
Strathbrora  to  Cole  Castle.  On  the 
S,  side  of  Loch  Brora  is  Carral  Rock 
(4  m.  from  the  village),  precipitous 
for  nearly  400  ft.,  and  ojiposite  it  is 
Killin,  where  was  once  a  chapel 
dedicated  to  St.  Columba.  To  the 
same  origin  may  be  attributed  the 
name  of  (6  ni.)  Kilcolmkil,  or  Carral, 
which  belonged  to  a  branch  of  the 
Gordons  descended  from  Adam  Gor- 
don, Dean  of  Caithness,  whose 
nephew.  Lord  Aboyne,  married 
Elizabeth,  sole  child  and  heiress  of 
the  14th  Earl  of  Sutherland.  There 
is  a  fine  Fall,  or  rather  a  succession 
of  Falls,  in  the  burn  behind  Carral. 

8  m.  Cole  Castle  stands  on  a  rock 
overhanging  the  river  Blackwater, 
and  is  an  old  circular  tower  built 
without  mortar,  and  with  walls  14  ft. 
thick.  Like  others  of  the  same  kind, 
its  date,  purpose,  and  builder,  are  a 
standing  puzzle  to  the  antiquary. 
What  remains  of  it  is  11  ft.  high  and 
54  yards  in  circumference. 

See  Introduction,  Sect.  II.] 

At  KintradweU,  beyond  Brora, 
several  remains  of  early  dwellings 
have  been  discovered  by  excavations 
made  by  the  Piev.  ]\Ir.  Joass,  of 
Edderton,  including  a  fort  and  some 
domed  chambers. 

33  m.  Cross  Loth  Water  to  Loth 
Stat.,  ch.  and  village.  A  road  on  1. 
runs  up  Ghii  Loth,  in  which,  about 
the  year  1700,  the  last  Scotch  wolf 
was  killed. 

37  m.  Port  Goicer,  a  neat  little 
village,  with  a  comfortable  Inn. 

39  m.  Helmsdale  Stat.  {Inris  : 
Eoss's  ;  M'Kays)  is  during  the  her- 
ring season  a  busy  fishing  village, 
situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  long  glen, 
through  which  a  stream  carries  olf' 
the  waters  of  a  few  small  lakes  in  the 
\^Scotland.'\ 


interior.  The  village  has  grown  up 
entirely  during  the  present  centy.,  as 
a  H  suit  of  the  nimierous  improve- 
ments eff'ected  by  the  removal  of  the 
inhabitants  from  the  moors  and  glens 
of  the  interior,  where  they  had  got 
an  unconquerable  habit  of  starving, 
to  the  sea-coast,  where  they  maintain 
themsel  ves  and  multiply.  The  glen, 
which  extends  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see 
to  the  1.,  has  a  fine  wild,  though  bare, 
appearance.  Upon  the  rt.  are  the  ruins 
of  a  castle  built  by  a  Countess  of 
Sutherland  about  the  year  1488. 

The  rly.  from  Helmsdale  to 
Thurso,  53  m.,  or  to  Wick,  59  m., 
was  opened  1873.  The  Duke  of 
Sutherland  contributed  about  half 
the  cost  of  making  it. 

To  avoid  the  almost  insurmount- 
able obstacle  of  the  Ord  of  Caithness 
(Fite.  70)  the  line  turns  inland  \\\^ 
Strath  Helmsdale  (or  Ullie),  follow- 
ing a  very  circuitous  course. 

About  12  m.  from  the  sea,  near 
9^  m.  Kildonan  Stat.,  a  burn  falls 
into  the  river,  on  whose  banks  some 
particles  of  gold  were  found,  1869, 
which  led  to  temporary  diggings. 
Several  small  nuggets  were  turned  up, 
but  the  supply  was  soon  exhausted. 

]9  m.  Kinbrace  Stat. 

Forsinard  Stat. ,  New  Inn.  There 
is  no  interest  in  the  country  traversed, 
which  consists  of  moss  and  moor. 

At  a  height  of  700  ft.  above  the 
sea  the  line  enters  Caithness. 

324  m.  Altnabreach  Stat. 

41  m.  Scotscalder  Stat. 

44  m.  Halkirk  Stat.,  a  village  on 
the  Thurso,  one  of  the  best  fishing 
rivers  in  the  North. 

There  are  good  fishing  quarters 
near  this,  at 

Brawl  Castle,  an  old  feudal  Tower 
3  storeys  high,  with  more  modern 
buildings  attached  to  each  ;  it  has 
been  fitted  up  as  a  hotel  and  board- 
ing-house by  Mr.  Dunbar,  for  sports- 
U 


434 


Route  QO.— Thurso;  The  CletL 


Sect.  VII. 


men  and  anglers,  avIio,  on  payment 
of  about  £20  per  month,  are  boarded 
and  enjoy  rights  of  rod-fishing  in  the 
Thurso  and  some  of  the  neighbour- 
ing lochs.  The  angler  is  allowed  to 
keejJ  his  first  fish,  and,  if  he  catch 
as  many,  his  sixth  fish, 

45  m.  Georgenias  Junct.  Stat.  The 
line  hence  to  Wick  is  described  be- 
low. 

The  line  to  Thurso  descends  the 
course  of  the  Thurso  due  N.,  at  a 
considerable  elevation,  commanding 
magnificent  vievrs  of  the  sea,  town, 
and  clifi's  on  nearing 

Thurso  Terminus. 

Thurso  {Inn:  Royal  Hotel ;  Pop. 
3600),  jjleasantly  situated  on  the 
banks  of  the  Thurso  river  as  it  enters 
Scrabster  Bay,  can  boast  of  consider- 
ably greater  cleanliness  and  anti- 
quity than  Wick.  It  was  formerly 
the  chief  place  of  trade  between 
Scotland  and  the  Scandinavian 
kingdom,  from  which,  indeed,  it 
derives  its  name, — Thor's  town,  and 
in  the  1-ith  centy.  was  of  such  im- 
portance that  the  weights  and  mea- 
sures of  Thurso  were  adopted  for  the 
whole  country.  At  ])resent  the  chief 
industry  is  bestowed  upon  the  cutting 
and  splitting  of  paving  stones,  the 
produce  of  Caithness  flag-quarries, 
of  which  some  40,000  tons  are  yearly 
exported.  It  fui-nishes  pavement  to 
some  of  the  streets  of  Paris.  In  the 
old  town  may  be  seen  the  ruins  of 
the  ancient  Church  of  st.  Peter.  In 
tlie  handsome  modern  Gothic  To^cn 
Hall  is  a  Museum,  containing  the 
remarkable  collection  of  plants  and 
coral  fossils  bequeathed  by  the  late 
Mr.  Dick.  Opposite  the  church  is  a 
statue  by  Cliantrey  of  Sir  John  Sin- 
clair, famed  for  agriculture  and  lon- 
gevity. About  1  m.  to  the  N.  W.  are 
the  scanty  ruins  of  the  old  Bishop's 
Palace,  where,  in  the  12th  cent.,  John 
Bishop  of  Caithness  was  put  to  death. 
To  the  E.  is  Thurso  Castle,  the  seat 
of  Sir  J.  G.  Tollem ache  Sinclair,  Bt., 
M.P.,  nearly  rebuilt  1874.   N.  E.  of  the 


town,  a  modern  Toiccr,  now  the 
burial-jjlace  of  the  Sinclair  family, 
marks  the  site  of  that  of  Earl  Harold, 
who  fell  here  in  battle  1190.  Thui-so 
Bay,  otherwise  known  as  Scrabster 
Roads,  is  an  open  roadstead  flanked 
by  the  headlands  of  Disarrick  and 
Holburn,  where  the  cliff"  scenery  is 
very  fine. 

There  is  a  good  sandy  beach  for 
bathers,  and  bathing-machines. 

The  distant  sea-cliifs  of  Hoy,  in 
Orkney,  are  an  interesting  oliject  in 
the  sea  view,  esi)ecially  from  *IIol- 
burn  Head  (2^  m.  N.),  which  ought 
to  be  visited.  As  the  spectator  peers 
over  the  precipice  he  may  think  of  the 
fate  of  Captain  Slater,  who,  in  a  fit 
of  mental  aberration,  madly  spurred 
his  horse  to  the  edge,  but  the  animal, 
shying  in  terror  on  the  ver)^  verge, 
threw  over  his  rider  and  escaped, 
leaving  the  dents  of  his  hoofs  in  the 
sward.     An  obelisk  marks  the  spot. 

"  A  short  distance  from  Holburn 
Head,  a  tower-like  detached  mass  of 
the  flagstone  rock  (called  the  Clett) 
rises  vertically  from  the  sea  to  the 
height  of  about  150  ft.,  and  during 
the  breeding  season  is  covered  with 
sea  birds.  Between  this  isolated  rock 
and  the  land  a  terrific  sea  rages, 
violently  plunging  into  the  gloomy 
caves  with  perpetual  thunder-like 
roai",  and  sending  clouds  of  spray 
high  into  the  air,  which  stream 
down  the  cliffs  in  multitudinous 
waterfalls."  The  geologist  will  find 
in  the  cliff's  of  Scrabster  Bay  a  fine 
example  of  the  Caithness  flags,  one 
of  the  divisions  of  the  old  red  sand- 
stone system  peculiar  to  the  north  of 
Scotland.  These  rocks  were,  by  the 
labours  of  Robert  Dick,  a  baker  of 
Thurso,  discovered  to  be  profusely 
charged  with  the  fossil  remains  of 
the  Holoptychius,  which  occur 
by  thousands.  The  best  place  for 
the  fossil  hunter  is  on  the  E.  side  of 
the  bay,  near  Thurso  Castle.  The 
valuable  museums  of  Mr.  Peach  and 


Caithness. 


Route  60.—JFicL 


435 


Dr.  Sinclair  are  thrown  open  to  the 
inspection  of  geologists. 

The  farm-house  on  the  site  of 
Scrahstcr  Castle  belongs  to  the 
Crown.  Hence  ' '  Laird  of  Scrabster  " 
is  a  title  locally  given  to  the  Sove- 
reign of  Great  Britain. 

The  Thurso  river  is  a  good  fish- 
ing stream  from  February  to  the 
middle  of  May,  the  fish  running  from 
6  to  25  lbs.  It  is  generally  let  for  the 
season,  together  with  Brawl  Castle. 

Mail  Cars  to  Tongue  and  to  Lairg. 

Distances — Jolin-o'  -Groat's  House, 
20  m.,  see  Rte.  71  ;  Wick,  20;  Dun- 
net,  6 ;  Mey,  11 ;  Huna,  17  ;  Melvich, 
18 ;  Tongue,  44. 

Mail  Steamer  from  Scrabster  j)ier 
daily  to  Strom ness,  whence  car  to 
Kirkwall,  capital  of  the  Orkneys 
{see  Rte.  74). 

SteaDiers  —  From  Edinburgh  and 
Aberdeen. 

Railway  to  Wick. 

Quitting  the  Georgemas  Junct. 
Stat,  near  Halkirk,  the  rly.  ju-o- 
ceeds  E.,  leaving  on  1.  Loch  Scarm- 
clete,  near  Bower  Stat. 

Watteu  Stat.,  close  to  Loch 
Watten,  5  m,  long  by  24  wide, 
abounding  in  trout  and  good  fishing. 
Out  of  it  Hows  the  Wick  river. 

Bilbster  Stat.,  rt.,  Stirkoke  House. 
The  country  exhibits  signs  of  great 
agricultural  improvement. 

60  m.  Wick  Terminus. 

Wick.  Inns :  New  Hotel ;  Cale- 
donian ;  Wellington  (from  Viig, 
Korw.  a  Bay),  a  Royal  and  Parly. 
Burgh.  Pop.  8131,  increased  dur- 
ing the  fishing  season  to  14,000, 
is  the  capital  of  Caithness,  standing 
at  the  head  of  a  small  bay  on  the 
N.  side  of  Wick  Water.  It  is  the 
head-quarters  of  the  hemng-fishery. 
It  has  a  promising  appearance  to 
those  who  enter  it  from  the  S.,  for 
the  houses  being  all  built  of  grey 
stone,  the  town  looks  both  clean  and 
venerable  ;  but  on  a  nearer  inspec- 
tion it  is  found  to  be  a  very  nasty 


place,  with  dirty  narrow  lanes,  and 
an  everlasting  smell  of  tar  and 
herrings.  The  best  and  most  whole- 
some portion  is  Pulteneytown,  the 
business  and  commercial  quarter, 
which  stands  high  on  the  S.  side  of 
Wick  Water.  This  quarter  was 
built  in  1808  by  the  British  Fisheries 
Society,  and  derives  its  name  from 
Sir  William  Pulteney,  sometime 
president  of  that  body. 

The  harbour  was  formed  by  Tel- 
ford, at  a  cost  of  about  £12,000, 
of  which  £8500  was  granted  from 
the  balance  of  forfeited  estates. 
£130,000  have  been  spent  in  vain 
attempts  to  protect  the  harbour  by 
the  erection  of  a  Brcakioatcr  formed 
of  blocks  of  concrete.  The  storms 
of  the  winter  of  1872  seriously  dam- 
aged the  works,  displacing  blocks  of 
1000  tons  weight,  and  it  is  doubtful 
whether  the  harbour  can  ever  be  made 
a  secure  anchorage.  Steamers  lie  off 
to  take  in  and  let  out  passengers  in 
boats. 

The  Hcrring-fislicry  season  begins 
about  the  middle  of  July,  and  ends 
in  the  middle  of  September.  The 
total  number  of  Wick  boats 
amounts  to  about  900,  or  nearly 
one-fifth  of  the  whole  number  em- 
ployed in  Scotland.  The  number 
of  fish  varies  according  to  the  season, 
reaching  its  maximum  in  1855  of 
135,000  crans.  Each  cran  contains 
from  600  to  700  herrings,  weighing 
about  235  lbs.  ;  and  the  annual  aver- 
age value  of  the  herrings  cured  at 
Wick  is  £139,000.  "The  harbour 
is  surrounded  on  the  land  side  by 
hundreds  of  erections,  looking  like 
abortive  attempts  at  building  wood 
houses,  some  20  ft.  square,  for  the 
walls  are  only  3  ft.  high.  These  are 
the  gutting-troughs.  Round  them 
stand  rows  of  what  close  inspection 
leads  you  to  suppose  are  women, 
though  at  first  sight  you  might  be 
excused  for  having  some  doubts  re- 
specting their  sex.  They  all  wear 
strange-shaped  canvas  garments,  so 


436 


Boutes  G9,  JFicL— 70,  Helmsdale  to  TFick.     Sect.  VII. 


bespattered  with  blood  and  the 
entrails  and  scales  of  fish,  as  to  cause 
them  to  resemble  animals  of  the 
ichthyological  kingdom  recently  di- 
vested of  their  skins.  The  herrings 
are  carried  as  fast  as  possible  in 
baskets  from  the  boats  to  the  gutting- 
tronghs,  where  the  women,  familiarly 
called  gutters,  pounce  upon  them 
like  a  bird  of  prey,  and  with  a  rapi- 
dity of  motion  which  baffles  your 
eye,  deprive  the  fish  of  its  viscera." 
—  JVeld.  On  an  average  they  gut 
26  herrings  per  minute. 

There  are  several  old  ruined  castles 
in  the  vicinity  of  AVick  which  de- 
serve a  visit,  although  their  history 
is  excessively  meagre. 

Old  Wick  Castle,  or  the  "  Old  Man 
of  Wick,"  1  m.  to  the  S.,  and  be- 
longed in  the  beginning  of  the  14th 
centy.  to  Sir  Keginald  de  Cheyne,  it  is 
a  primitive  square  tower  without  win- 
dow or  other  opening,  and  must  be 
as  old  as  the  12th  centy. 

A  little  farther  S.  a  tall  stalk  rising 
out  of  the  sea  is  joined  to  the  main- 
land by  a  natural  bridge  of  rock. 

Ackergill  Tower,  1\  m.  to  the  IST. 
(Sir  George  Dunbar  of  Hempriggs, 
Bart.),  is  an  old  Tower  restored, 
and  added  to  in  modern  times. 
It  is  65  ft.  high,  and  has  square 
turrets  at  the  angles.  Its  appearance 
from  the  sea  is  imposing,  but  on  the 
land  side  it  is  rather  tame.  Is^ear  it 
is  Castle  Girnigo,  which  in  1623, 
when  it  was  repaired,  took  the  name 
of  Castle  Sinclair.  Of  the  older 
masonry,  still  called  Girnigo,  there 
are  left  the  tower,  50  ft.  high,  and 
some  chambers  ;  but  of  Sinclair,  the 
modern,  scarcely  anything  but  some 
vaults.  This  place  has  been  the 
witness  of  many  a  deed  of  cruelty 
and  rascality.  In  1570  the  Earl  of 
Caithness  imprisoned  his  eldest  son 
for  7  years,  and  then  (as  is  believed) 
starved  him  to  death.  In  1672  the 
earl  sold  the  earldom  and  estates  to 
Lord  Glenorchy,  George  Sinclair  of 
Keiss  disputing  the  sale.     Glenorchy 


invaded  Caithness  in  1680  at  the 
head  of  500  Campbells,  and  found  a 
large  force  of  the  Caithness  men 
under  Sinclair  strongly  posted  on  the 
Ord.  Glenorchy  loaded  a  vessel  vdi\ 
whisky,  and  ordered  the  crew  to  run 
themselves  ashore,  wrecking  the 
ship  close  to  the  enemy.  They  did 
so,  themselves  escaping  to  the  in- 
vaders, and  the  Sinclairs,  having 
made  themselves  drunk  with  the 
cargo,  were  attacked  and  routed  by 
the  Campbells,  who  then  laid  siege 
to  Castle  Girnigo. 

Notwithstanding  his  victory,  Lord 
Glenorchy  did  not  gain  the  earldom, 
but  received  as  compensation  the 
barony  of  Wick,  which  title  still  re- 
mains in  Lord  Breadalbane's  family. 

Harland  Hill,  3  m.  from  Wick, 
though  only  200  ft.  high,  commands 
a  most  extensive  vieiv,  sea  and  land- 
wards. 

Distances  of  Wick  from— Thurso, 
20  m.  ;  Golspie,  55  ;  Latheron,  17  ; 
Helmsdale,  37  ;  Huna,  17  j  John- 
o'-Groat's  House,  18^;  Keiss,  7^ ; 
Brawl,  154 ;  Halkirk,  15. 

FMilway  to  Thurso  and  Helmsdale ; 
steamers  from  Edinburgh  and  Aber- 
deen to  Thurso  call  here,  or  at  Staxi- 
goe  (2  m.)  if  the  weather  is  not 
favourable. 


ROUTE   70. 

Helmsdale  to  "Wick,  by  the  Ord 
of  Caithness— Old  Road,  39  m. 

Immediately  on  leaving  Helmsdale 
the  road  ascends  a  long  hill,  wanding 
round  ravine  after  ravine.  On  the 
rt.  an  older  road  may  still  be  traced 
at  some  distance  beneath.  At  the 
height  of  1200  ft.  the  traveller 
reaches  a  mountain  plateau,  which 
ends  E.,  towards  the  sea,  in  the  bold 
rocky  promontory  called  the  Ord  of 
Caithness,  the  end  of  a  bleak  moun- 


Caithness. 


rioutc  70. — Ldheron. 


437 


tain  range  separating  Caithness  from 
Sutherland,  commanding  a  fine  view 
seaward.  By  the  roadside  will  be 
observed  the  black  posts  which  direct 
the  driver  when  the  gi'ound  is  covered 
with  snow.  It  is  considered  unlucky 
for  a  Sinclair  to  cross  the  Ord  on  a 
Monday,  because  on  that  day  a  large 
party  of  the  clan  passed  it  on  their 
way  to  riodden,  whence  they  never 
returned.  The  level  gi'ound  lasts  for 
9  m.,  at  the  end  of  which  the  road 
descends  abruptly  to 

94  m.  Berriedale  Inn.  At  the 
commencement  of  this  hill  the  ti-a- 
veller  is  surprised  and  delighted  with 
the  sight  of  two  little  valleys,  Lang- 
well  and  Berriedale,  both  of  which 
are  closely  wooded,  a  rare  sight  in 
this  county.  Each  is  watered  by  a 
small  stream,  which  unite  close  to 
the  inn,  and  fall  into  the  sea  to- 
gether. In  the  first  of  these  valleys 
stands  Langiaell,  purchased  in  1857 
as  a  shooting-lodge  by  the  Duke  of 
Portland,  vdih  81,600  acres,  partly 
converted  into  a  deer  forest.  Be- 
yond the  ridge  which  separates  the 
valleys  is  Berriedale,  not  so  pretty  as 
Langwell,  because  it  stands  on  the 
shady  side  of  the  hill.  Upon  a  rock, 
nearly  surrounded  by  water,  stand  the 
ruins  oi  Berriedale  Castle,  an  old  fort- 
ress of  the  Earls  of  Caithness,  from 
which  the  eldest  son  of  that  family 
derives  his  title.  Some  4  or  5  m.  to 
the  W.  of  Berriedale  are  seen  1.  the 
Morven  and  Scarahhein  mountains, 
which  rise  to  upwards  of  2000  ft. 

Again  a  long  hill  is  ascended, 
commanding  extensive  views  to  the 
summit  of  that  flat,  bare,  treeless 
table-land,  which  is  the  main  feature 
of  the  county  of  Caithness.  Far  in 
the  distance  to  the  1.  is  a  low  range 
of  mountains,  above  which  rise  2  or 
3  peaks  known  by  the  name  of  the 
^^ Paps  of  Caithness."  These  are, 
properly  speaking,  the  only  moun- 
tains in  the  county.  The  population 
is  derived  principally  from  Scandi- 
navian sources,  and  bears  marks  of  its 


origin  not  only  in  features  but 
names.  N'o  Gaelic  has  ever  been 
spoken  in  Caithness. 

16  m.  Diinheath  \allage  and  castle 
(]\Irs.  Thomson  Sinclair),  on  the  sea- 
shore, an  estate  of  bl,7b'i  acres. 
Dunbeath  "Water  is  a  stream  of  some 
size,  but,  o^^^^ng  to  neglect  and  other 
causes,  has  become  destitute  of  fish. 

20  m,  Latheron  Kirk  and  Inn, 
clean  and  comfortable.  In  front 
of  the  village  is  an  upright  slab, 
and  near  it  is  an  old  tower  in  which 
the  bells  of  the  ch.  formerly  hung. 
[From  Latheron  a  road  runs  due  N. 
to  Thurso,  22  m.,  joining  at  Halkirk 
the  old  mail  road  between  Wick 
and  Thurso  (Rte.  70).  Near  the  Inn 
of  Achavanich,  64  m.,  is  a  Circle  of 
Old  Stones,  overlooking  the  waters 
of  Loch  Stemster.] 

Passing  Sioingie  village  (pron. 
Swinsey  or  Sweyn's  village),  which 
has  an  upright  stone,  the  tour- 
ist reaches  the  village  of  Lyhster, 
one  of  the  seats  of  the  herring- 
fishery.  It  possesses  the  only  oM 
Church  in  Caithness.  It  is  very 
small  and  without  windows  ;  door 
and  chancel  arch  are  formed  by  a 
slab  lintel  ;  date  quite  uncertain 
(?  12th  centy.)  To  Lybster  succeeds 
a  long  barren  country,  covered  chiefly 
with  j^eat,  and  varied  by  occasional 
patches  of  cultivation. 

■33|  m.,  on  1.,  is  Hempriggs  Loch, 
and  on  rt.  is  Hemijriggs  Castle  (Sir 
George  Dunbar),  well  situated,  with 
fairly  Avooded  gi'ounds.  Near  this, 
the  eye  stretching  N.  discerns  the 
promontory  of  Duncansbay  Head, 
the  distant  Orkneys,  and  the  lofty 
clifl's  of  Hoy.  Passing  rt.  the 
"Old  Man  of  Wick,"  the  small 
remains  of  the  ancient  castle,  the 
traveller  reaches,  through  the  suburb 
of  Pulteneytown,  the  fishing  town  of 

Wick.  {Inns:  Caledonian,  Wel- 
lington.) (Rte.  69.) 


438      'Route  11.— Wick  to  TJmrso :  JoIm-o'-Groafs.     Sect.  VII. 


EOUTE  71. 

"Wick  to   Thurso,  by  Huna  and 
John-o'-Groat's  House. 

Coach  daily  in  Slimmer  from  Wick 
to  John-o'-Gh^oat's. 

The  tourist  must  take  the  northern 
road  from  Wick,  which  jiasses  along 
the  shore  of  Sinclair  Bay,  and 
through  a  district  which  in  former 
days  was  the  scene  of  much  barbar- 
ity and  quarrelling.  The  4  principal 
families  who  have  possessed  it,  or 
fought  for  it,  were  the  Sinclairs, 
Sutherlands,  Keiths,  and  Gunns  ; 
and  of  them  there  is  an  old  rhyme — 

"Sinclair,  Sutherland,  Keith,  and  Clan 
Gon, 
There  never  was  peace  when  they  four 
were  on." 

The  last  was  finally  exterminated  as 
a  clan,  and  was  broken  uj)  into 
smaller  families,  dependent  on  the 
larger  clans.  3  m.  road  on  rt.  to 
Ackergill  Tower  (Rte.  69). 

6  m.  Wester  Water,  crossed  by  a 
high-backed,  old-fashioned  bridge  of 
2  arches. 

7^  m.  A  wide,  open,  and  barren 
moor  is  succeeded  by  the  village  of 
Keiss.  The  castle  (Kenneth  ]\I  'Leay, 
Esq.)  stands  on  a  rock  jutting  out 
into  the  sea.  Of  the  lower  storey  the 
vaulted  roof  and  3  storeys  are  left. 
Near  it  is  the  modern  house,  attached 
to  a  tower  bearing  the  date  of  1757 
upon  it. 

A  number  of  mounds  on  the  coast 
at  Keiss  have  been  the  subject  of 
exploration  by  Mr.  Laing,  who  dis- 
covered many  kists  enclosing  skele- 
tons, urns,  pottery,  etc.  ;  and  he 
considers  that  this  district  was  the 
burial-place  of  the  surrounding  popu- 
lation. The  "Harbour  mound"  ex- 
hibited traces  of  buildings  which  Mr. 
Laing  believes  to  be  identical  with 
the  "burgh "  or  circular  tower, 

12  m.  the  road  passes  rt.  Fresh- 
wick  Bay,  and  crosses  Freshwick 
Water,  Freshwick  Castle,  built  in 
1155,  belonged  to  the  Mowats, 


17  m,  Huna  Inn,  a  poor  little 
place,  [There  is  a  path  along  the 
cliffs  to  John-o'-Groafs  Rouse,  1^  m,, 
and  on  to  Duncansby  Head, 

Of  this  famous  house,  once  the 
most  northerly  habitation  of  Great 
Britain,  nothing  is  left  but  a  turf- 
covered  mound,  under  which  there 
may  be  the  foundations  of  a  cottage, 
long  ago  removed.  The  story  is  that 
John-o'-Groat  was  the  descendant  of 
one  De  Groot,  a  Dutchman,  who,  in 
the  reign  of  James  IV,,  settled  in 
these  parts.  Every  j^ear  John  and  7 
cousins  used  to  assemble  for  the  pur- 
pose of  celebrating  the  memory  of 
their  ancestor,  A  dispute,  however, 
arose  as  to  who  should  be  president 
on  the  occasion,  and  sit  at  the  head 
of  the  table.  On  each  occasion  this 
unseasonable  contention  disturbed 
the  harmony  of  the  evening,  John- 
o'-Groat,  the  senior,  settled  the  dis- 
i:»ute  by  building  an  octagon  house, 
furnished  with  an  octagon  table  and 
8  doors,  so  that  each  man  entered  at 
his  own  door  and  sat  at  the  head  of 
the  table. 

The  story  may  admit  of  this  ex- 
planation— John-o'-Groat  rented  the 
ferry  to  Orkney,  and  to  shelter  his 
clients  while  waiting  on  the  shore  for 
the  boat,  built  a  round  house  with  8 
radiating  screens  or  divisions  adapted 
to  shelter  wayfarers  from  the  storm 
whichever  way  the  wind  might 
blow,  Near  this,  in  1 650,  the  Marquis 
of  JNIontrose  landed  with  a  forlorn 
hope  of  2000  men,  chiefly  raised  in 
Orkney,  to  redeem  the  cause  of  his 
king.  He  met  with  no  support,  and 
marching  S,  was  soon  defeated. 

14  m,  farther  E,  is  Duncanshay 
Head,  the  N.E.  promontory  of  Scot- 
land, Vervedrum  Prom,  Ptolemy, 
from  whence  a  fine  view  is  ob- 
tained of  the  Orkneys,  the  Sker- 
ries, the  open  sea  in  front,  and  the 
projecting  headlands  of  the  E.  coast. 
In  a  bay,  a  little  to  S.,  are  the  Stacks 
of  Duncanshay,  3  pointed  and  insulat- 
ed rocks,  like  obelisks,  with  precipi- 


Caithness.    Bs.  71,  Penthnd  Firth. — 71a.  Lairg  to  Tcngne.  439 


tous  sides,  rising  stately  out  of  the  sea. 
Between  these  Stacks  and  the  coast 
a  tremendous  sea  runs,  known  by  the 
name  of  the  Bears  of  Duncansliay,  from 
the  size  and  fierceness  of  the  waves. 
The  Avhole  coast,  wdiich  is  composed 
of  old  red  sandstone,  is  very  precipi- 
tous, and  is  indented  by  deep  gullies, 
known  locally  as  "goes,"  irom  the 
Scandinavian  "  geo, "  an  inlet.  One 
of  them  is  particularly  striking,  and 
is  bridged  over  by  a  natural  arch.] 

I  18  m.    The  road  going  westward 

passes  the  Established  Kirk,  and  at 
21.  m.  reaches  Barrogill  Castle 
(Earl  of  Caithness),  occupying  a  con- 
spicuous position,  from  the  absence 
of  any  enclosed  park,  in  an  estate 
of  14,463  acres.  Round  the  house 
some  bushes  have  been  coaxed  to 
form  a  sort  of  drive.  The  castle  con- 
sists of  a  square  tower,  with  heavy 
battlemented  turrets  at  the  angles 
and  in  the  centre,  and  a  lower  build- 
ing of  4  storeys  attached  to  it,  also 
turreted  at  the  corners.  It  is  pro- 
bably not  older  than  the  17th  cent. 

'  2.3  m.  SccLTskerry,  a  long  straggling 

ft  '  village,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a 
steam  factor}',  belonging  to  Lord 
Caithness,  for  fashioning  paving- 
stones  out  of  the  flags  of  the  district. 
Between  Stroma  and  the  shore,  off  St. 
John's  Point,  a  line  of  breakers  marks 
the  deadly  reef  of  rocks  called  the 
"Merry  Men  of  Mey."  When  the 
ebb  tide  meets  a  W.  wind  the  sur- 
face is  ruffled  and  covered  with  foam, 
though  all  around  is  still  and  clear. 
Just  beyond  the  point  is  the  little 
village  of  Mcy.  Beyond  this  is  an 
eminence  upon  which  stands  a  small 
cross,  put  up  to  replace  a  cairn  re- 
moved some  years  ago. 

Passl.  Ratter  House  (T.  Traill,Esq.) 

28  m.  Dunnet  village  and  loch. 
About  3  m.  to  the  N.  is  Dunnet  Head, 
a  rock  of  red  sandstone  surmounted  by 
a  lighthouse,  and  the  most  northerly 
point  of  the  mainland  of  Great  Britain, 

The  great  tidal  wave,  rushing  E. 
from  the  Atlantic,  round  the  N.  of  Scot- 


land into  the  German  Ocean,  through 
the  Pcntland  Firth,  renders  the 
navigation  of  the  latter  dangerous 
owing  to  its  tremendous  and  arbitrary 
currents.  These  do  not  run  in  one 
even  flow,  but  in  well  defined  streams, 
at  the  rate  of  8  or  9  knots,  forming 
the  well-known  Roosts  or  Races.  The 
Isle  of  Swona,  set  in  the  full  brunt  of 
one  of  these  currents,  causes  by  its 
opposition  a  Avhirlpool  called  the 
"Well  of  Swona,  "dangerous  to  sailing 
vessels,  which  are  liable  to  be  caught, 
and  twisted  round  and  round  into 
its  vortex,  and  have  often  difficulty 
in  extricating  themselves.  At  spring 
tides  the  flood  runs  at  the  rate  of  10  m. 
an  hour,  but  the  currents  vary  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  channel  according 
to  the  state  of  the  tide.  The  natives, 
well  acquainted  with  the  nature  and 
direction  of  these  currents,  take  ad- 
vantage of  them  to  carry  them  from 
one  harbour  to  another.  To  a  stranger 
they  are  incomprehensible  and  very 
dangerous. 

At  Dunnet  Kirk  the  sands  may  be 
crossed  to  Castleton,  a  village  of  con- 
siderable size,  consisting  of  one  long 
street,  and  possessing  quarries  of  a 
slatey  stone  (Caithness  flags),  used 
for  paving,  which  are  prepared  by 
steam-power.  The  works  were  estab- 
lished by  Mr.  Traill  of  Ratter,  1824. 
To  this  the  village  is  indebted  for  its 
prosperity.  The  road,  just  before  it 
joins  that  to  "Wick,  passes  through 
the  shrubberies  of  Castle  Hill  (J. 
Traill,  Esq.). 

Passing  the  village  of  Murkle, 
Ulbster  Castle,  and  Harold's  Tomb, 
we  reach 

34  m.  Thurso  {Hotel. ■T^.oyii\).  (Rte. 
69.)  

EOUTE   71  A. 
Lairg  to  Tongue. 

3fail  Car,  3  times  a  week  in  sum- 
mer, takes  5  or  6  passengers  for 
Lairg  {see  Rte.  65). 

21  m.  Altnaharra.  1  m.  W.  of  Loch 
Naver  (Rte.  72.)     Itm,  very  good. 


440 


Iioutel\K. — Tongue;  Tongue  House.         Sect.  VII. 


19  m.  Tongue  (Mrs.  Monro's  Inn, 
quite  perfect),  a  charming  place, 
with  beautiful  sea-views  and  grand 
outline  of  the  4-headed  Ben  Loyal  or 
Laoghal  in  sight. 

Tongue  House,  formerly  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Lords  Reay,  now  of  the 
D.  of  Sutherland,  is  beautifully  situ- 
ated at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  mountain 
upon  the  E.  side  of  a  narrow  arm  of 
the  sea  known  as  the  Kyle  of  Tongue. 
The  house  is  irregularly  built,  and 
has  no  architectural  beauty,  but  the 
plantations  which  surround  it  are 
as  ornamental  as  they  are  necessary, 
and  under  this  protection  the  gar- 
dens flourish  with  a  success  scarcely 
to  be  expected  in  so  high  and  stormy 
a  latitude.  On  an  eminence  near  the 
sea,  a  little  beyond  the  house,  are  the 
remains  of  Castle  Varich,  consisting 
of  2  storeys  enclosed  by  massive  walls. 
"Seen  from  its  crumbling  battle- 
ments, buttressed  against  the  tem- 
pestuous North  Sea  by  a  chain  of 
rocky  islands,  constituting  a  great 
natural  breakwater,  Ben  Laoghal  (or 
Loyal)  with  its  magnificent  preci- 
pices, well  merits  the  title  of  the 
Queen  of  the  Sutherland  mountains. 
This  noble  mass  occupies  the  centre 
of  the  great  mountain  amphitheatre, 
and  rises  in  a  series  of  precipices  to 
the  height  of  2505  ft,  terminating 
in  4  colossal  splintered  peaks,  like 
gigantic  cathedral  spires.  It  is  an 
eruptive  rock,  and  throws  off"  the 
upper  gneiss.  To  the  W.  is  Ben 
Hope,  a  grand  dome-shaped  mass, 
rising  to  the  height  of  3040  ft.,  and 
contrasting  in  stern  sublimity  with 
the  battlemented  precipices  of  Ben 
Laoghal. " —  Weld. 

It  is  a  pleasant  drive  or  Avalk  to 
Loch  Laoghal  at  the  back  of  Ben 
Loyal. 

Tongue  is  distant  from  Altna- 
harra,  19  m.  ;  Melvich,  26  ;  Lairg, 
40  ;  Durness,  24  ;  Smoo  Caves,  2  ; 
Eriboll,  9^. 


EOUTE  72. 
Thurso  to  Tongue. 

Thurso  described  Eoute  69. 

A  Mail  Car  5  times  a  week  between 
Thurso  and  Tongue,  44  m.,  about  8 
hours  (including  one  stoppage  of  half- 
an-hour  for  breakfast).  There  are 
2  river  ferries  to  be  crossed  by 
chained  boats.  The  country  through 
which  the  road  passes  is  wild  and  bleak 
until  the  neck  of  Holbuni  Head  is 
crossed.  The  cliffs  of  Hoy  in  the 
Orkneys  are  conspicuous  for  many 
miles  {see  Rte.  74). 

On  rt.  is  the  house  of  Brims,  upon 
the  shore,  beyond  which  the  moor 
has  been  broken  up,  making  the 
prospect  more  cheerful. 

52  m.  at  the  village  of  Forse,  which 
is  pleasantly  sheltered  from  the  E.  by 
a  thriving  plantation,  the  tourist 
crosses  Forse  Water,  and  near  a  foam- 
ing waterfall  passes  rt.  Forse  House 
(George  Sutherland,  Esq.),  an  estate 
of  8U00  acres.  The  land  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  road  belongs  to  Sir 
Robert  C.  Sinclair  of  Stevenston. 

9^  m.  are  the  ruins  of  Bun  Reay, 
the  ancient  seat  of  the  Mackays  of 
Eeay. 

10^  m.  rt.  The  village  of  Isauld 
stands  on  high  ground,  overlooking 
a  small  bay  and  the  valley  of  the 
Isaul  AVater.  Upon  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bay  is  Sandside  (Captain 
M 'Donald),  in  a  charming  situation, 
well  protected  by  trees.  Just  below 
it  is 

11  m.  the  village  of  Reay  (/7i??,fair), 
where  breakfast  can  be  had.  It  is  said 
that  a  large  village  or  town  formerly 
existed  between  the  present  one  and 
the  sea,  and  that  some  of  the  buildings 
were  discovered  in  1751  by  means  of 
a  waterspout.  There  are  some  caves 
in  the  cliffs,  one  of  which  is  called  by 


Sutherland. 


Route  72. — Thurso  to  Tongue. 


441 


the  natives  Glinggling,  from  the  re- 
verberation of  the  waves. 

After  leaving  Reay  a  long  ascent 
has  to  be  effected  to  tiie  tableland, 
the  N.  extremity  of  that  mountain 
range  which  at  its  other  end  goes 
by  the  name  of  the  Ord  of  Caithness 
(Rte.  69).  Here,  as  upon  the  E. 
coast,  it  forms  the  boundary  between 
the  counties  of  Caithness  and  Suther- 
land, which  latter  the  tourist  now 
enters, 

16  m.  rt.  is  Big  House,  once  the 
property  of  a  branch  of  the  Reays, 
l3ut  since  bought  by  the  Duke  of 
Sutherland.  [On  1.  is  road  to  Helms- 
dale, through  the  pretty  glen  of 
Strath  Halladale,  38^  m.  There  is 
a  fair  inn  at  Achintoul,  which  serves 
as  a  halfway  house.  Strath  Hal- 
ladale was  the  boundary  between 
Mackay's  territory  and  that  of  the 
Earl  of  Sutherland.] 

The  river  Halladale  is  crossed  by 
a  chain-boat,  and  the  traveller  reaches 

18  m.  Meloich  Lin.  A  dull  and  un- 
interesting moor,  bare  even  of  heather, 
succeeds  to  this,  beyond  which  Stra- 
thy  Head  may  be  seen  stretching  out 
into  the  North  Sea.  It  is  a  pleasant 
relief  to  reach  the  edge  of  this  table- 
land, and  allow  the  eye  to  rest  upon 
the  Free  church,  manse,  and  village 
of  Strathy,  (24  ni.)  which  occupy  a 
pleasantly  sheltered  valley,  well 
Avatered  by  a  river  of  the  same  name. 
At  its  mouth  a  good  number  of 
salmon  are  netted  every  year,  but 
the  stream  is  too  small  for  hrst-rate 
fly-fishing  ;  but  after  a  flood  of  some 
duration  grilse  and  sea-trout  do  find 
their  way  up,  and  may  be  caught 
with  the"  fly.  Another  bare  ridge 
lies  between  this  glen  and  the  next, 
that  of  Armadale,  in  which  there  is 
little  cultivation,  but  some  good  rich 
pasture,  and  the  sheep  of  the  district 
have  considerable  repute  in  conse- 
C|uence.  There  is  a  fine  rocky  bay 
at  the  mouth  of  the  valley, 

32  m.     The  next   glen,   running 


parallel  with  this  last,  is  that  oi  Betty - 
hill  of  Farr,  dry  and  sandy.  The 
village  is  on  the  rt.,  and  the  Inn  in 
an  airy  and  exposed  situation  farther 
on.  See  the  fine  sculptured  stone  in 
the  ch,-yd.  To  the  N.  of  the  village 
is  a  promontory  called  the  Aird  of 
Kirktommie,  where  there  is  a  long 
tunnel  by  which  boats  pass  under 
the  rocks,  and  Avhich  Pennant  de- 
cribes  as  the  most  curious  cavern  in 
the  world.  Bettyhill  stands  at  the  en- 
trance of  Strath  Naver,  a  most  lovely 
glen,  by  far  the  most  beautiful  in  all 
Sutherland,  and  the  only  one  to  ex- 
cite much  admiration  on  this  route. 
About  6  m.  from  the  entrance  to  the 
strath  lies  Loch  Monar,  the  waters  of 
which  are  believed  to  have  wonderful 
healing  powers.  At  its  N.  end  Strath 
ISTaver  is  narrow,  but  it  soon  begins 
to  widen,  and  after  leaving  Bettyhill 
it  is  to  be  seen  stretching  away  to 
the  1.  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 
Amid  clustering  gi'oups  of  dwarf 
birch  are  lawns  of  the  greenest  and 
smoothest  turf,  round  which  the 
stream  meanders.  [There  is  a  good 
road  from  this  to  Altnaharra  Inn,  at 
the  W.  end  of  Loch  Kaver,  a  beautiful 
sheet  of  water  7  m.  long  at  the  N,  E. 
base  of  Ben  Clibrech  (3164  ft.)  The 
distance  is  24  m.  About  halfway, 
below  Ehifael,  is  a  Picts'  House,  in 
excellent  preservation,  near  the  mouth 
of  a  small  stream  running  into  the 
Naver,  while  above  Rhifael,  on  the 
rt.  bank  of  the  Naver,  is  a  consider- 
able circle  of  upright  stones. 

From  Altnaharra  to  Lairg  it  is 
21  m.  farther,  by  Lord  Beay's  Green 
Table  (a  hill  with  a  flat  top),  at  the 
foot  of  which  is  the  poor  little  Inn  of 
Craske.  The  road  from  here  to  Lairg 
passes  through  a  succession  of  moor- 
lands and  the  equally  desolate  Strath 
Terry,  The  Naver  runs  out  at  the 
E,  end  of  Loch  Naver,  and,  though 
early,  is  one  of  the  best  salmon 
rivers  in  Sutherlandshire,] 

The  road  now  begins  to  lose  its 
excellence  owing  to  the  sandy  base  of 
its  foundation.      Through  the  next 


442 


Route  73. — Tongue  to  Cdjje  Wrath.       Sect.  YIT. 


glen  runs  the  little  river  Borcfie, 
which  emerges  from  Loch  Slam.  The 
Torrisdale  Burn  connects  this  last 
with  Loch  Laoghal  or  Loyal,  a  beau- 
tiful piece  of  water  8  m.  long,  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  bulky  Ben  Loyal 
(2505  ft.).  It  is  dotted  with  several 
islands,  and  abounds  in  lake  trout 
(Salmo  ferox),  and  char  (S.  salme- 
linus)  is  taken  in  great  quantities  in 
autumn.  Tlie  black  and  red  throated 
divers  frequent  Loch  Loyal.  At  the 
mouth  of  the  river  stands  the  old 
castle  of  Borgie,  one  of  the  strong- 
holds of  the  clan  IMackay. 

Upon  the  top  of  the  long  ascent 
beyond,  a  fresh  range  of  mountains 
comes  in  sight.  Due  S.  is  Ben  Clib- 
rech,  overlooking  Loch  Naver,  25  m. 
away,  and  to  the  N.W.  of  that  is 
Ben  Lo3'^al  -with  its  four  jagged 
peaks,  and  still  farther  Croihreikdan, 
or  Watch  Hill,  which  looks  like  a 
little  hill  put  on  the  top  of  a  big  one. 
At  the  base  of  this  last  the  Rabbit 
Islands  come  into  view,  and  farther 
on  is  Koan  Isle,  with  its  S.  face  ris- 
ing perpendicularly  from  the  water. 
Outlines  of  old  red  sandstone  still 
cling  to  the  rocks  (lower  gneiss  of 
Murchison)  near  Tongue. 

Tongue  (Rte.  71a).  Among  the 
plantations  of  Tongue  there  is  a 
road  on  rt.  leading  down  to  the 
ferry,  and  those  who  intend  to  cross 
it  had  better  leave  the  car  here,  as  it 
goes  on  to  the  inn  of  Kirkiboll  (good) 
1  m.  further. 


ROUTE  73. 

Tongue  to  Cape  Wrath,  by 
Durness  and  Smoo. 

From  Tongue  it  is  24  m.  to  Dur- 
ness, the  nearest  Inn  to  Cape  Wrath. 
There  is  no  admission  to  the  light- 
house on  Sundays.  Permission  to 
sleep  there  can  be  obtained  only  of 
the  Secretary  to  the  Commissioners  of 


Northern  Lighthouses  at  Edinburgh, 
as  the  lighthouse-keepers  are  forbid- 
den to  take  in  any  but  storm-bound 
travellers. 

Quitting  the  mail  car  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Tongue  plantations, 
there  is  a  long  hill  down  to  the 
ferry,  where  a  signal  must  be  made 
for  the  boat,  which  is  kept  on  the  other 
side  the  Kyle,  The  charge  is  4d. 
The  traveller  is  now  in  Lord  Reay's 
country,  or  in  Gaelic  "  Duthaic  Mhic 
Aoi "  (the  land  of  the  Mackays), 
Avhich  extended  from  the  Borgie  river 
to  Assynt,  and  embraced  an  area  of 
800  square  miles.  The  Moin,  a 
highly  elevated  boggy  moorland, 
stretches  from  the  bases  of  Ben 
Hope  and  Ben  Laoghal  to  the  sea, 
and  between  the  Kjde  of  Tongue 
and  Loch  Hope,  a  distance  of  7  m. 
The  passage  of  the  Moin  used  to  be 
a  day's  journey,  but  since  a  good 
road  has  been  made  across  it  by  the 
Duke  of  Sutherland,  it  can  now  be 
done  in  2  hours.  The  construction  of 
this  road  was  a  work  tliat  entailed 
great  expense  and  labour,  it  being  ne- 
cessary to  construct  an  artificial  foun- 
dation with  turf  and  faggots.  The  Mo  in 
House  is  a  halfway  refuge  maintained 
by  the  Duke  for  travellers  overtaken 
by  storms.  On  one  of  the  gables  is  a 
large  slab  with  an  inscription  en- 
graved upon  it  stating  the  nature  of 
the  hill,  by  whom  the  road  was  made, 
and  who  were  the  managers  of  the 
Duke's  property  at  the  time. 

7  m.  A  long  hill  is  descended  to 
the  river  Hope,  which  is  crossed  by  a 
chain-ferry  as  it  emerges  from  Loch 
Hope  ;  then  a  steep  ridge  has  to  be 
ascended,  from  which  a  good  view 
is  obtained  of  Ben  Hope.  Rounding 
a  corner.  Loch  Eriboll  comes  in 
sight,  and  the  little  promontory  of 
Ardneachdie,  upon  which  stands 

9.T  m.,  Heilim  Inn  ;  good  ;  at  the 
Ferity. 

Loch  Eriboll  is  a  fiord  running 
due  N.  and  S.,  and  about  12  m.  in 
length.     There  is  a  good  road  round 


Scotland.     Boide  73. — Loch  Eriloll ;  Dun  Dornadil.         443 


it,  and  a  Ferry  across  it  from  Heilim 
Tan  to  Port  C'hamil,  by  using  which 
the  pedestrian  will  save  12  ni., 
though  carriages  and  horses  have  to 
go  round.  Charge  for  the  ferry  3d. 
each  person.  This  loch  is  an  excel- 
lent harbour  of  refuge  in  IST.  E.  gales, 
and,  vdih  its  calm  clear  water  nest- 
ling in  the  hills,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  inlets  along  the  coast. 

On  the  E.  side  of  its  mouth  is 
Kcnnagcal  or  Whiten  Head,  a  splen- 
did perpendicular  cliff",  in  which, 
towards  the  E.,   is  a  fine  series  of 


[From  Heilim  Inn  to  Altnaharra, 
21  m.  there  is  no  conveyance,  but 
the  road  is  charming,  ottering  ex- 
cellent views,  and  an  opportunity 
of  visiting  one  of  the  most  curious 
relics  of  antic^uity  in  Scotland.  3 
m.  is  Eriboll,  a  small  hamlet  on 
the  side  of  the  loch.  The  road 
then  climbs  the  hill,  from  which  a 
magnificent  view  is  obtained  of  the 
whole  expanse  of  Loch  Eriboll ;  and 
a  little  farther  on  of  Loch  Hope  and 
Ben  Hope  (3011  ft).  At  Cashel 
Dhu,  8  m.,  is  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinct and  comprehensive  mountain 
jjrospects  in  Scotland.  The  W.  front 
of  Ben  Hope  has  2  teiTaces  or  divi- 
sions, one  above  the  other.  The 
lower  range  has  upon  its  face  a  num- 
ber of  horizontal  terraces  clothed  with 
dwarf  birch.  The  upper  one,  scarred 
by  numerous  watercourses,  is  covered 
by  a  short  turf,  upon  which  the 
hardy  little  sheep  maintain  a  precari- 
ous footing  and  obtain  a  scanty 
livelihood.  On  Ben  Hope,  alone  in 
Great  Britain,  grows  the  Alpine 
plant  Alsine  rubella;  Bctula  nana 
and  Astragalus  aljnnus  also  occur  in 
crevices  of  the  rocks.  Its  summit  is 
famous  for  ptarmigans.  In  1872  a 
golden  eagle  and  Avild  cat  were  shot 
on  the  mountain,  and  may  be  seen 
stutt"ed  in  Kinloch  shooting-lodge. 
At  Cashel  Dhu  there  is  a  ferry-boat, 
and  an  inn  formerly  existed,  but  the 
house  has  been  allowed  to  go  to  ruin. 


The  river,  which  S.  of  the  loch  is 
called  Hope  River,  is  here  the  Strath- 
more  Water.  Beyond  the  ferry  the 
road  enters  Strathmore,  a  beautiful 
valley,  with  a  lawn  of  smooth  velvety 
turf  at  the  bottom.  On  either  side 
is  a  continuous  wall  of  steep  hill, 
covered  with  short  turf,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  perpendicular  parapet 
of  barren  rock. 

The  glen  appears  to  be  bounded 
on  the  S.  by  the  conical  form  of  Ben 
Hee  (3358  ft.),  but  does  not  really 
extend  so  far. 

1.  11^  m.  the  Ault-na-Cailliach 
(Old  Woman's  Burn)  descends  from 
the  top  of  the  hills.  A  little  farther 
on  is  Dun  Dornadil,  an  old  Pictish 
burgh,  built  probably  in  the  7th 
centy.  Som  e  have  supposed  this  an  d 
other  towers  of  a  similar  kind  to  have 
been  built  by  the  Danes,  but  there 
are  many  reasons  against  this  view  ; 
and  it  seems  more  probable  that  it 
was  built  by  the  original  inhabitants 
of  the  country,  who  go  by  the  ambi- 
guous name  of  Picts.  Up  to  the  be- 
ginning of  the  present  centy.  Strath- 
more was  cultivated,  and  contained 
a  numerous  population.  Being  so 
close  to  the  shore,  these  people  would 
be  liable  to  a  constant  succession  of 
attacks  from  the  northern  rovers  on 
their  way  to  and  from  the  Hebrides, 
who  could  land,  carry  off"  ail  that 
was  portable,  destroy  all  that  was 
not,  and  be  off"  again  before  a  general 
rising  of  the  natives  or  a  change  of 
weather  could  prevent  their  depart- 
ure. Lender  these  circumstances,  it 
is  not  improbable  that  a  tower  like 
this  should  be  built  to  afford  protec- 
tion to  the  sick,  the  women  and 
children,  while  the  men  drove  the 
cattle  up  into  the  mountains,  and 
gave  notice  to  their  neighbours  of  the 
common  enemy. 

The  circumference  of  the  dun  is 
about  50  yards,  and  the  internal  dia- 
meter is  11.  The  wall  next  the  road, 
which  is  propiied  up  behind,  is  pro- 
bably the  original  height,  ai)out  25 


444 


Route  73. — Cave  of  Smoo  ;  Balnaklll.     Sect.  YII. 


ft.  The  entrance  is  very  low,  and 
could  only  have  been  used  on  hands 
and  knees.  Of  any  opening  for  light 
or  ventilation  there  is  no  trace. 
From  hence  to  Altnaharra  it  is  9  m. 
On  rt.  a  path  leads  to  a  shooting- 
lodge  of  the  Earl  of  Dudley,  who 
rents  the  Reay  Forest  from  the  Duke. 

Tlie  road  now  winds  round  the 
base  of  Ben  Hee,  passing  Loch 
Meadie  on  the  1.,  to 

21  m.  Altnaharra.     Good  Inn.] 

On  ascending  the  hill,  turn  to  the 
rt.  and  leave  on  rt.  4  m.  Rispond, 
situated  in  a  small  creek,  and  sur- 
rounded by  bare  rocks.  It  was  once 
the  earliest  station  for  the  herring- 
fishery.  But  since  the  Minch  Fisheiy 
has  been  established  at  Lewis  the 
supply  of  fish  has  diminished. 

The  road  here  turns  to  the  "W., 
passing  7  m.  rt.  the  Coa-c  of  Smoo, 
on  the  shore  below,  of  which  Sii' 
W.  Scott  in  his  Diary  has  given  a 
most  glowing  account  (perhaps  alittle 
exaggerated).  On  the  opposite  side 
of  the  road  is  seen  the  burn  descend- 
ing into  the  inner  cave  by  a  natural 
opening.  The  cave  consists  of  3  cham- 
bers, and  opens  at  the  extremity  of  a 
deep  cove,  hollowed  out  of  the  lime- 
stone rock,  which  rises  in  lofty  cliffs. 
The  outer  chamber  is  33  ft.  high, 
and  203  ft.  long  by  120  broad, 
but  has  probably  at  one  time  ex- 
tended farther  out  to  sea.  It 
is  perfectly  light,  and  at  low  water 
easily  accessible,  though  neither 
the  roof  nor  ground  is  dry.  On 
a  sunny  day  the  light  upon  the 
seaside  rocks  when  seen  from  the 
back  of  the  cave  is  very  picturesque, 
though  the  effect  is  somewhat  marred 
by  an  irregular-shaped  hole  in  the 
roof,  called  in  Gaelic  "Nafalish,"  or 
"the  Sun." 

On  the  W.  side  there  is  a  pool  of 
water  at  the  foot  of  an  arch  15  ft. 
high,  the  passage  through  which  is 
obstructed  by  a  barrier  of  3  ft.  For 
those  who  wish  to  see  the  cataract 
and  the  inner  cave,  a  boat  must  be 


lifted  over  this  ledge,  a  tough  job 
for  4  men,  and  therefore  not  to  be 
done  for  less  than  7s.  6d.  or  10s.  The 
length  of  the  inner  cavern  is  70  ft. 
by  30  broad,  the  floor  being  entirely 
under  water.  The  visitor  is  pushed 
into  a  niche  in  the  rocks,  from  whence 
the  -vdew  by  torchlight  is  very  strik- 
ing. At  the  back  is  the  cataract  de- 
scending perpendicularly  through 
the  roof,  a  height  of  80  ft.  Beyond 
this  is  the  third  chamber,  or  rather 
passage,  also  containing  a  pool  of 
great  depth.  In  old  times  it  was 
supposed  that  these  caverns  were 
tenanted  by  spirits,  and  formed  the 
entrance  to  another  world. 

Dryas  odopctala  is  to  be  found  on 
the  slope  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
cavern.  The  limestones  of  this  dis- 
trict are  particularly  interesting  to 
the  geologist,  Hugh  Miller  believing 
them  to  be  the  representatives  of  the 
old  red  sandstone  and  Caithness  flags 
of  the  E.  coast,  while  Prof.  Kicholl 
thought  that  they  were  metamor- 
phosed carboniferous  rocks. 

But  the  discoveries  of  Mr.  Peach 
satisfied  the  Geological  Survey,  with 
Sir  Roderick  Murchison  at  its  head, 
that  these  limestones  and  quartzites 
of  Durness  are  of  Lower  Silurian  age, 
and  the  representatives  of  the  Trenton 
limestone  of  America. 

8  m.  Durness  (Rte.  68),  stands  on 
the  E.  side  of  the  Kyle  of  Durness, 
and  is  a  large  and  straggling  village 
of  about  800  Inhab.  To  the  N.W. 
Farout  Head  juts  3  m.  out  to 
sea,  and  at  its  extremity  rises  to  a 
height  of  400  ft.  N.  the  view  ex- 
tends to  the  cliffs  of  Hoy  in  the 
Orkneys.  The  Inn  is  well  situated. 
Two  dog-carts  are  kept,  and  may  be 
hired  for  excursions  to  Cape  "Wrath. 
Plenty  of  salmon  and  sea-trout  when 
the  river  is  in  order.  Landlord  can 
give  permission  to  fish. 

Gold  \ya.s  found  in  the  16th  centy, 
in  the  protozoic  rocks  of  Durness, 
and  was  coined  into  money. 

Balnakill,  a  little  to  the  IST.W., 
was  once  the  summer  abode  of  the 


Scotland.       Route  73. — Durness;  Cape  JFrath. 


445 


Bishops  of  Sutherland,  afterwards  of 
the  Lord  Reay.  It  is  now  converted 
into  a  farm-house,  and  has  lost  all 
appearance  of  antiquity.  Beyond  it 
is  the  old  Church  of  Durness,  formerly 
a  cell  connected  with  the  Augustine 
monastery  at  Dornoch.  It  has  been 
unroofed  many  years,  but  its  ceme- 
tery is  still  used.  In  the  centre  is  a 
granite  Obelisk  to  the  memory  of  Bob 
Donn,  aZi'asCalder,  alias  ^VKdij,  the 
Gaelic  poet,  who  died  in  1777.  Upon 
the  sides  of  the  pedestal  are  inscrip- 
tions in  Greek,  Latin,  English,  and 
Gaelic.  In  the  5  Latin  hexameters, 
which  being  on  the  S.  side  are  most 
easily  read,  there  are  no  less  than  5 
false  quantities. 

The  distance  to  the  ferry  across 
the  Kyle  of  Durness  is  24m.,  the 
strait  is  fully  a  mile  long,  and  Cape 
Wrath  is  11  m.  beyond,  making  the 
journey  there  and  back  a  good  day's 
work. 

Distances.  —  From  Durness  to 
Tongue,  24  m ;  Cape  Wrath  13  ; 
Smoo  Cave,  1  ;  Loch  Eriboll,  8  ;  Rhi- 
conich,  1.5  ;  Laxford  Bridge,  18 ; 
Scourie,    25  ;  Bonar  Bridge,    66  m. 

Those  who  wish  to  drive  to  Cape 
Wrath  must  send  their  horses  2  m. 
farther  up  the  Kyle,  where  they  can 
cross  at  low  water,  there  being  no 
horse-boat,  but  a  dog-cart  can  be 
taken  by  the  ordinary  ferry-boat. 

The  whole  road  to  Cape  Wrath  is 
very  uninteresting,  passing  over  a 
bleak  moorish  tract  known  as  the 
'■'■  Taiyh"  forest,  without  an  inch  of 
cultivated  ground.  2  m.  from  the 
ferry  there  is  a  shepherd's  hut  at  the 
bottom  of  the  glen.  The  road  from 
this  ascends  a  long  hill,  having  be- 
hind it  Ben  Spionn  (2535  ft.),  with 
the  tops  of  Ben  Hope  and  Ben  Laog- 
hal  behind  it.  In  front  is  Fashven 
(1504  ft.)  with  its  broad,  bare,  and 
peaked  summit,  and  presently  Scrish- 
ven  (1213  ft.)  appears  upon  the  rt., 
sloping  gradually  to  the  E.,  but  with 


a  bare  precipitous  face  of  red  gi-anite 
upon  its  W.  side. 

9  m.  a  road  on  rt. ,  at  the  bottom, 
leads  to  the  small  harbour  and  quar- 
ries of  Clashcarnach.  At  the  top 
of  the  hill  the  Minch  comes  in  sight, 
and  round  the  corner  stands  the 
lighthouse  of  Cape  Wrath,  which, 
with  its  regular  and  turreted  walls, 
looks  like  a  small  fort.  It  was  built 
in  1828  at  a  cost  of  £14,000,  is  70  ft. 
high,  and  is  provided  with  20  revolv- 
ing lights,  displaying  alternately  a 
red  and  a  w^hite  light  every  minute. 
The  granite  of  which  it  is  composed 
was  dug  from  the  quarries  of  Clash- 
carnach, but  all  the  other  materials 
had  to  be  brought  from  a  great  dis- 
tance. The  whole  of  the  shore  is 
very  precipitous,  and  composed  al- 
most entirely  of  red  granite.  ' '  Cape 
Wrath,  the  Parph  of  ancient  geo- 
gi-aphers,  is  composed  of  a  huge  gneiss 
wall,  interspersed  so  abundantly  by 
rich  pink  granite  veins,  that  the  face 
of  the  cliff  glows  with  a  roseate  hue." 
On  the  rt.,  separated  by  a  narrow  gulf, 
in  which  vain  endeavours  have  been 
made  to  keep  up  a  staircase  to  the 
water's  edge,  is  the  highest  point,  a 
mass  of  rock  rising  600  ft,  above  the 
sea,  with  a  fine  arch  at  its  base. 
Primula  Scotica  grows  in  abundance 
about  the  Cape,  and  Pinguicula  hisi- 
tanica  in  the  neighbouring  bogs. 

To  the  E.  lies  the  sandy,  well- 
sheltered  bay  of  Kearvaig,  and  far- 
ther on  the  Kyle  of  Durness,  the  view 
on  that  side  being  bounded  by  Far- 
out  Head.  On  the  seaward  side  may 
be  seen,  on  a  clear  day,  the  Stack 
Rock,  37  m.  to  the  IN'.E.,  the  island 
of  North  Bona  40  m.  to  the  N.W., 
the  Butt  of  Lewis  40  m.  to  the  W., 
the  Holy  Cliffs,  in  Orkney,  are  also 
visible  ;  while  to  the  S.  are  the  island 
of  Balquie,  the  solitary  peaked  rock 
known  as  the  Herd,  as  grand  a  pin- 
nacle as  the  Storr  in  STcye,  and  be- 
yond them  the  bay  of  Sandwick. 


SECTION   VIIL 

The  Orkney  and  Shetland  Islands. 
EOUTES. 


ROUTE  PAGE 

74  The  Orkney  Islands,  Wick 
to  Kirkwall^  Alaeshow,  Stcn- 
nisSy  Stromness,  Hoy  .  446 


ROUTE  PAGE 

76  The    Shetlands,    Lerwick, 

Mousa,  Fetlar,  etc.     .         .455 


ROUTE  74. 

The  Orkney  Isles  — "Wick  to 
Kirkwall— Mae  show,  Stenniss, 
Stromness,  and  Hoy. 

Steamers  from  Granton  Pier,  Edin- 
burgh, to  Orkney  (Kirkwall)  and 
Shetland  (Lerwick)  twice  a  week, 
calling  at  Aberdeen,  Wick,  and 
Thurso, 

The  Orkneys  are  separated  from 
Caithness,  the  N.E.  point  of  Scotland, 
by  the  Pentland  Firth,  about  8  miles 
broad  at  its  narrowest  part.  Of  the 
whole  group  about  20  are  inhabited 
islands,  the  rest  being  pasture  holms 
or  skerries  clothed  with  seaweed. 
The  largest  island  is  named  Main- 
land by  the  natives,  and  Pomona  by 
geographers  and  mapmakers,  pro- 
bably from  a  mistranslation  of  So- 
linus,  as  such  a  misnomer  has  never 
obtained  local  currency  with  Pict, 
Northman,  or  Scot.  Like  the  Scot- 
tish Mainland,  the  Orkneys  are 
mountainous  only  on  their  W.  or 
Atlantic  face,  sloping  on  the  E.  into 
arable  plains,  with  corresponding 
varieties  of  climate  and  productive- 
ness ;  the  rainfall  in  the  W.  district 
reaching  an  average  of  36  inches, 
while  that  of  the  E.  is  under  30.  In 
them  all  the  climate  is  much  milder 
than  the  latitude  would  indicate ;  the 


Gulf  Stream  not  only  encircling  them 
with  its  temperature,  but  winding 
like  an  arterial  system  of  tepid  Avaters 
through  every  sound  and  inlet. 
There  is  therefore  less  frost  and  snow 
than  in  most  parts  of  Britain,  and 
while  the  temperature  of  winter  sel- 
dom falls  below  30°,  that  of  the 
tourist's  summer  rarely  exceeds  70°. 
The  same  brilliant  twilight,  which 
for  weeks  before  and  after  Midsum- 
mer bridges  over  the  brief  space  be- 
tween sunset  and  sunrise,  adds  pro- 
portionally some  hours  of  light  to  the 
six  hours'  sun  of  Midwinter.  Culti- 
vation is  spreading  more  rapidly  than 
in  most  counties  of  Britain,  and  the 
large  steadings  and  broad  squares 
of  systematic  and  continuous  hus- 
bandry, entitle  many  of  the  islands 
to  the  description  of  a  "slice  of  the 
Lothians  surrounded  by  the  sea." 

The  archipelago,  containing  the 
two  counties  of  Orkney  and  Zetland, 
was  conquered  by  Harold  Harfager, 
King  of  Norway  (895),  given  by  him 
to  Kognwald,  Jarl  of  Mora,  and 
governed  by  their  own  jarls  of  that 
race,  vnth  more  or  less  dependence 
on  the  crown  of  Norway,  till  1469, 
when  the  sovereignty,  and  skatt  or 
tax  payable  by  Odal  proprietors,  were 
mortgaged  to  James  III.  of  Scotland, 
in  security  of  his  Queen  Margaret's 
dowry  of  60,000  crowns.  The  same 
prince  purchased  from  William  Sin- 


Scotland. 


Houte  74. — Orhiey. 


447 


clair,  the  last  Orkneyar  jarl,  the 
lands  of  his  Scandinavian  fathers, 
thereafter  called  the  Earldom  Estate, 
which  Queen  Mary,  in  the  end  of 
the  16th  cent.,  gave  to  her  bastard 
brother,  Eobert  Stewart,  Earl  of 
Orkney  and  Lord  of  Zetland.  His 
son.  Earl  Patrick,  so  abused  his 
jiowers  as  proprietor  of  the  Earldom 
estate,  Tacksman  of  the  Church 
Lands,  Donatory  of  the  Skatts,  and 
Governor  of  the  Islands,  that  the 
unanimous  complaint  of  the  other 
proprietors,  feudal,  odal,  and  cleri- 
cal, at  last  reached  James  VI.,  who 
had  the  miscreant  tried  and  executed 
(1615).  The  greater  part  of  his  for- 
feited estates  was  distributed  among 
other  feudatories,  mostly  of  Scottish 
families,  with  little  regard  to  the 
rights  and  unwritten  titles  of  their 
odal  neighbours.  The  scattered  relics 
of  the  ep.rldom  estate,  with  the  skatts 
and  feu-duties  of  the  other  proprie- 
tors, were  mortgaged  to  James,  Earl 
of  Morton  (1707),  and  the  mortgage, 
being  declared  irredeemable  (1742), 
was  sold  to  Sir  Lawrence  Dundas 
(1765) ;  and  his  descendant,  now  Earl 
of  Zetland,  is  still  one  of  the  largest 
proprietors  in  both  counties,  and  Dona- 
tory of  the  unredeemed  crown  rents. 
Steamer  carrying  the  mail  from 
Scrabster  Bay  (Thurso)  to  Stromness 
daily  in  3  to  4  hrs. 

A  steamer  leaves  Wick  for  Kirk- 
wall (4  hours)  twice  a  week,  the  pas- 
sengers embarking  in  bad  weather 
at  Ackergill  Bay,  3  m.  IST.  of  Wick. 
Bounding  the  bold  Head  of  Noss* 
(the  Beruljium  of  Ptolemy),  with  its 
lighthouse,  we  pass  the  ruined  castles 
of  Sinclair  and  Girnigo  (1.),  ancient 
strongholds  of  the  Earls  of  Caithness, 
Ackergill  Tower  (Sir  G.  S.  Dunbar, 
Bart.),  Keiss  Castle  (Duke  of  Port- 
land), and  Ereswick  (W.  T.  Sinclair, 
Esq.),  near  the  older  Castle  of  Eres- 
wick, the  Lambaborg  of  the  sagas. 

*  Noss,  Norwegian,  Nos,  means  a  nose  ; 
Wick,  a  bay ;  Gjo,  a  rocky  creek  ;  and  Ey, 
an  island — in  tlie  Norse  the  source  of  all 
Orkney  nomenclature. 


From  Freswick  the  steamer  stands 
out  to  sea,  to  avoid  the  restless  cur- 
rent   of    the    Pentland    Firth,    and 
passing  within  sight  of  the  heads  of 
Duncansbay  and  Dunnet,  the  Hoy 
Head  Cliff  hills  (1200  ft.  high)  are 
seen  over  the  island  of  Stroma.    Then 
pass  the  most  southerly  of  the  Ork- 
neys,   the    Pentland   Skerries,    with 
their  twin  lighthouses,  and  skirt  the 
E.  cliffs  of  the  fertile  island  of  South 
Pionaldsay,  in  the  N.  end  of  which 
the  clustering  masts  of  the  fishing- 
fleet  mark  the  little  town  of  St.  Mar- 
garet's Hope,  where  Queen  ]\Iargaret, 
the  Maid  of  Norway,  died  (1290)  on 
her  way  from  Norway  to  Scotland, 
the  sad  prelude  of  the  long  wars  of 
Scottish  independence.    A  very  curi- 
ous Burg,  which  gave  name  to  the 
sandy  island  of  Burrey  (Borg-ey)  has 
been  opened,  and  over  it  again  ap- 
pear the  hills  of  Hoy  and  Orphir, 
the  highest  in  the  Orkney  Mainland. 
Passing  the  entrance  of  Holm  Sound, 
where  there  is  an  excellent  anchorage 
near  Graemshall  (A.  S.  Graem,  Esq.), 
the   steamer  runs   between    the    E. 
shore  of  the  peninsula  of  Deerness, 
fertile  and  cultivated  to  the  beach, 
and   the  strangely-shaped   island  of 
Copansey,    whose   green    W.    slopes 
contrast  strongly  with  its  E.  preci- 
pice,   the  noisy  nest  of  myriads  of 
sea-birds.     In  the  Bay  of  Sandwick 
(1.)  Thorfui-Jarl  defeated  the  "gra- 
cious Duncan,"  nicknamed  by  the 
Norsemen    Carle-King,    and    in   its 
ruined   burgh   Thorkel   Foster   exe- 
cuted   wild    justice   on   the    tyrant 
Einar-Jarl  II.     Bounding  the  ]\Iull 
of  Deerness  (the  oftnamed  Kaujian- 
danes  of  the  sagas)  (1.),  we  have  a 
distant  view  (rt.)  of  the  N.  isles  of 
Stronsey,  Sandey,  Edey,  and  Rousey, 
and  nearer  the  eye,  Shapinshay  and 
Aukskerry,  with  its  lighthouse.    The 
fine  natural   harbom'  of  Deersound 
(the  ancient  Ptorvag)   (1.)  is  full  of 
legendary   interest.      Here   Olaf   of 
Norway   surprised    Sigurd-Jarl    II., 
and  forced  on  him  Christian  baptism. 
At  the  head  of  the  Sound  rises  the 


448 


Route  IL — Orkney :  Kirkwall. 


Sect.  A^II. 


sepulchral  tumulus  called  Dinguy's 
(Ninian's)  Howe,  where  that  saint 
drove  out  the  evil  spirit  which  had 
for  weeks  reanimated  the  corpse  of 
Amund,  in  unnatural  strife  with  his 
devoted  sworn  brother,  who  had  in 
his  love  entered  its  recesses  to  share 
his  grave.  Farther  down  stands 
Tankerness  (Robert  Baikie,  Esq.), 
where  Sir  James  Sinclair  of  Sandey, 
the  Wallace  of  Orkney,  lived,  and 
whence  his  daughter,  the  greatest 
heiress  of  Orkney,  eloped  on  her 
bridal  morning  with  young  Halcro  of 
Brough,  to  escape  a  forced  marriage 
with  the  old  and  ugly  Tulloch  of 
Sound.  Tradition  affirms  that  Mary 
of  Guise  dismissed  Tulloch's  appeal, 
with  sympathetic  approval  of  the 
young  iDride's  choice.  At  the  mouth 
of  the  Sound  is  the  curious  chasm, 
called  the  Gloup  of  Linksness,  into 
Avhich  Sir  James  threw  himself  in 
madness,  or  despair  of  his  country's 
liberties,  when  James  V.  of  Scotland 
came  to  the  Orkneys  (1540).  But 
the  steamer  only  passes  the  mouth 
of  Deer  Sound  and  of  the  still 
finer  anchorage  of  Inganess,  Bir- 
stane  House  (Mrs.  Balfour),  and 
threading  the  narroAV  channel  be- 
tween EUer  Holm  (Hellirsey)  and 
the  Ness  of  Work  (Ore)  enters  the 
Sound,  Avhich  Scott  may  well  call 
"beautiful,"  between  the  mainland 
(1.)  and  the  well-cultivated  Island  of 
Shapinshaij ;  passing  the  fine  harbour 
Elwick  (rt.),  the  rendezvous  of 
Haco's  fleet  before  his  fatal  raid  to 
Largs  (1263),  and  the  imposing  S. 
front  of  Balfour  Castle  (Col.  D.  Bal- 
four of  Balfour  and  Trenabie),  who 
has  redeemed  the  island  from  waste, 
and  by  agricultural  improvements 
converted  it  into  a  profitable  domain 
of  29, 054  acres.  Here  was  the  cradle 
of  Washington  Irving,  at  least  his 
forefathers  occupied  the  humble 
cottage  of  Duholme,  and  he  himself 
was  born  on  board  an  American  ship 
on  its  passage  hence  to  New  York. 

Next  the  noble  Bay  of  Kirkwall 
opens   before    us,  and  the    massive 


Cathedral  of  St.  Magnus  looms 
grandly  over  the  quaint  little  capital 
of  the  Orkneys,  and  at  its  excellent 
deep-water  pier  the  steamer  moors 
long  enough  to  allow  the  tourist  to 
visit  its  objects  of  interest  before  she 
starts  for  Lei'wick. 

Kirkivall  (Kirkvolldr,  Kirkfield) — 
Inns :  Kirkwall  Hotel  (Connon's)  ; 
Castle  Hotel  (Muir's),  and  Temper- 
ance Hotel  (Adarason's)  ;  Pop.  3434 
— stands  upon  the  narrow  neck  of 
land  between  the  Bay  of  Scapa  S., 
and  Kirkwall  N.  It  is  a  picturesque, 
old-fashioned,  dull  little  town,  the 
older  streets  being  very  narrow  and 
flagged  in  the  centre,  built  long  be- 
fore wheeled  vehicles  were  known  in 
the  islands.  Many  of  the  houses 
are  still  curious  and  picturesque,  but 
modern  improvements  are  3'early 
sweeping  away  some  of  those  most 
interesting  to  the  artist,  the  antiqu- 
ary, and  the  architect,  but  at  least 
one  still  remains  nearly  opposite  to 
the  Cathedral. 

Kirkwall  was  made  a  ro3^al  burgh 
by  James  III.  (1486),  and  was  visited 
by  James  V.,  who  held  various  meet- 
ings with  the  island  magnates  in  the 
"  Parliament  Close,"  a  curious  build- 
ing, removed  to  make  way  for  the 
handsome  Commercial  Bank.  He 
lodged  in  the  Bishop's  House,  still 
standing  opposite  the  present  Post- 
office.  In  the  Poor  House  Close  is 
an  elegant  arched  doorway,  the  sole 
remains  of  the  original  parochial 
church  of  St.  Ola,  burnt  by  the  Eng- 
lish fleet  of  Henry  VIII.  in  his  rude 
courtship  of  the  infant  Queen  Mary 
as  a  bride  for  his  son  (1544). 

The  street  near  the  Castle  Hotel 
passes  over  the  site  of  the  old  Castle 
of  Kirkwall,  once  so  strong  that  its 
builder  Earl  Henry  was  believed  to 
have  been  helped  by  the  devil.  This 
stronghold  was  held  against  the 
fugitive  Earl  of  Bothwell  by  Balfour, 
Governor  of  Orkney  (1567),  but  on 
the  suppression  of  the  Orkney  Ee- 
bellion  (1614)  was  so  thoroughly 
demolished    that    only   a   fragment 


Orkney. 


Route  74. — Kirkicall ;  Cathedral. 


449 


remained  to  be  removed  in  the  for- 
mation of  Castle-street.  Near  the  S. 
end  of  the  town  stands  the  useful 
but  unpretending  Balfour  Hospital 
for  the  sick. 

The  Cathedral  of  St.  Macjims  *  is 
built  of  red  and  white  freestone,  and 
is  perfect,  with  the  exception  of  the 
spire.  It  is  a  cross  ch.  consisting  of 
nave  of  8  bays  and  chancel  of  6,  both 
Avith  aisles  about  45  ft.  wide,  sur- 
mounted by  a  central  tower  133  ft. 
high.  Magnus- Jarl  of  Orkney  Avas 
murdered  in  the  island  of  Egilsey 
(1110)  by  his  cousin  Hacon-Jarl,  in 
one  of  those  strifes  of  succession  to 
which  Odal-ret  was  so  liable.  Rogn- 
wald-Jarl  III.,  the  nephew  and  heir 
of  St.  Magnus,  vowed  that  if  ever  he 
recovered  his  rights  he  would  build 
and  dedicate  a  church  to  his  sainted 
uncle,  and  accordingly  (1138)  he 
commenced  the  central  nucleus  of 
the  cathedral  after  the  design  of 
those  which  he  had  seen  in  his  pil- 
grimage to  Rome  and  Palestine  ; 
probably  with  a  rounded  apse  (of 
which  traces  still  remain),  and  two 
parallel  aisles  on  each  side  of  the 
nave,  as  indicated  by  the  arches  (of 
which  two  are  built  up)  in  the  E. 
wall  of  what  afterwards  became  the 
transept.  Bishop  Stewart  added  the 
E.  window  (cir.  1511).  Bishop  ]\Iax- 
well  (1525)  built  the  central  tower, 
which  rests  on  early  English  arches, 
and  fnrnished  it  with  a  fine  bell,  cast 
by  Robert  Bothwick,  the  master 
gunner  who  tried  so  hard  to  save  his 
master  James  IV.  from  his  own  folly 
at  Flodden.  Bishop  Reid  (cir.  1550) 
added  3  Romanesque  arches  to  the 
W.  end.  The  extreme  length  is  226 
ft.,  but  the  narrowness  of  the  choir 
and  nave  adds  to  their  apparent 
height,  though,  considering  that  400 
years  elapsed  from  the  original  foun- 
dation to  the  completion  of  the  build- 
ing, its  uniformity  of  style  is  remark- 
able.    The  steeple  was  used  some- 

*  See  the  Cliurch  of  St.  Magnus  in  Ork- 
ney by  Sir  Henry  Dryden,  Bart.,  Daventry, 
1S71. 

[^Scotland-^ 


times  as  a  prison  and  sornetimes  as  a 
fortress,  and  the  Cromwelnan  soldiers 
made  a  barrack  and  a  stable  of  the 
nave.  The  carving  has  suffered  as 
much  from  violence  as  from  time  and 
the  softness  of  the  stone. 

The  j\Iaid  of  Norway  was  buried 
in  the  cathedral,  and  the  body  of 
King  Haco  rested  there  till  a  more 
permanent  tomb  was  prepared  for 
him  in  Drontheim.  A  huge  slab  of 
white  marble  covers  the  bones  of 
Earl  Robert,  and  repairs  in  the  choir 
brought  to  light  fragments  of  the 
finely  crocheted  tomb  of  Bishop  Tul- 
loch  in  the  S.  aisle,  which  bore  his 
name.  In  the  N.  transept  stands  a 
handsome  monument  to  William 
Balfour  Baikie,  the  explorer  of  the 
Niger,  and  translator  of  the  Bible 
into  many  African  languages,  and  in 
the  N.  external  aisle  a  mural  slab 
in  memory  of  another  distinguished 
native  of  Kirkwall,  the  historian 
]\Ialcolm  Laing,  whose  residence  of 
Papdale  (Hon.  J.  C.  Dundas,  M.P.) 
looks  down  from  the  hill  N.E.  of  the 
town.  The  cathedral  was  saved  from 
Reformation  violence  by  the  afiee- 
tionate  zeal  of  the  townsmen,  and 
Kirkwall  continued  to  be  an  episco- 
pal see  under  a  succession  of  7  Pro- 
testant bishops  till  the  Revolution. 

S.  of  the  Cathedral  stands  the 
ruined  Bishojy's  Palace,  in  an  upper 
chamber  of  which  the  unfortunate 
King  Haco  broke  his  heart  after 
his  disaster  at  Largs  (1263).  The 
principal  feature  of  the  palace 
(which  was  probably  in  ruins  before 
the  date  of  James  V. 's  visit)  is  a 
tower,  round  -syithout  and  S([uare 
within,  supported  by  very  strong- 
buttresses,  and  ornamented  with  a 
small  statue,  probably  of  some  saint, 
but  vulgarly  attributed  to  the  dis- 
tinguished scholar,  lawyer,  and  dip- 
lomatist. Bishop  Robert  Reid. 

To  the  E.  of  the  Bishop's  Palace 
stands  the  ruined  EarVs  Falace  or 
Place  of  the  Yards,"  built  by  Earl 
Patrick  Stewart  (1600),  a  good  spe- 
cimen of  the  baronial  style,   when 


450 


Boute  7 L— Kirkwall ;  JVlchforcl  Hill     Sect.  VIIL 


tlie  castellated  form  came  to  be  used 
more  for  %rnament  than  defence. 
The  entrance  is  low  and  dark,  and 
over  the  door  is  a  Latin  inscription, 
hut  its  situation  is  so  darkened  by 
the  trees  which  overhang  it  as  to 
make  it  illegible.  The  main  body 
of  the  building  is  rectangular,  with 
turrets  thrown  out  from  the  angles 
of  the  first  floor.  The  dining-hall  is 
very  handsome,  with  a  three-light 
window  to  the  S.,  and  2  bays  to  the 
E.  The  fire-place  is  a  fine  example 
of  the  straight  arch,  its  pillars  bear- 
ing the  initials  P.  E.  0.  (Patrick,  Earl 
of  Orkney).  These  ruins  shared  with 
the  Cathedral  steeple  and  the  demo- 
lished castle  of  Kirkwall  the  interest 
of  the  historical  episode  of  the  Orkney 
Rehcllioa  of  1614,  under  the  unfortu- 
nate Robert  Stewart,  the  Bastard  of 
Orkney,  the  gallant  son  of  a  bad 
father.  Earl  Patrick  ;  and  in  the 
ruined  dining-hall  Sir  "Walter  Scott 
places  the  scene  of  Cleveland's  inter- 
view with  Bunce  in  "  The  Pirate." 

Bpiscopal  Churchh.eTe.  The  United 
Presbyterians,  being  the  largest  body, 
have  a  church  which  is  said  to  be 
the  largest  belonging  to  their  sect 
in  the  kingdom. 

Carriages  may  be  hired  for  about 
10s.  a  day.  A  mail  car  runs  be- 
tween Kirkwall  and  Sti'omness  daily. 
Steamers  runs  to  the  N.  isles  twice  a 
week,  and  sailing  packets  almost 
daily. 

iSTo  tourist  should  fail  to  climb  the 
easy  ascent  of  the  Widcford  Hill,  to 
enjoy  its  splendid  bird's-eye  view  of 
the  Orkneys,  the  Pentland  Firth, 
and  the  distant  peaks  of  Caithness 
and  Sutherland.  The  excellent  road 
to  Stromness  runs  not  through  the 
narrow  streets,  but  passes  W.  be- 
tween the  Bay  and  the  Peerie  Sea 
(a  salt-water  lagoon)  by  one  of  those 
natural  causeways  called  Ayres, 
which  are  so  striking  a  feature  of 
Orkneyan  scenery,  and  crossing  a 
bridge  winds  to  the  right ;  but  a 
by-road  strikes  off  on  the  left  di- 
rectly from  the  bridge  up  the  hill, 


passing  (1.)  Grainbank  (Earl  of  Zet- 
land), and  (rt. )  a  Pict's  house,  in 
which  was  found  a  silver  armlet ; 
an  easy  walk,  little  more  than  a 
mile,  leads  to  the  summit.  The 
tourist  is  now  in  the  centre  of  the 
Orcadian  scenes  of  "The  Pirate," 
and  will  form  his  own  estimate 
of  the  truth  of  the  great  artist's 
sketches  ;  but  instead  of  indulging 
in  self-complacent  criticism  on  the 
discovery  of  some  mistaken,  defective, 
or  too  ideal  feature,  will  probably 
rather  do  homage  to  the  genius 
which  could  hit  off  such  a  likeness 
at  one  sitting,  so  brief  and  so  excep- 
tionally unsatisfactory  as  Scott's 
visit  in  1814  ;  especially  if  allow- 
ance be  made  for  the  changes 
wrought  by  a  still  greater  magician 
— Tiine,  and  for  half  a  century  of 
improvement  which  has  altered  or 
effaced  so  much  of  the  picture  pho- 
tographed for  ever  by  the  author  of 
"  Waverley." 

From  tiie  top  of  Wideford  Hill 
nearly  all  the  islands  may  be  seen  ; 
and  no  one  who  goes  there  on  a  clear 
day  will  hesitate  to  admit  that  the 
scene  before  him,  looking  seaward, 
is  one  of  exquisite  beauty.  In  calm 
weather,  the  sea,  land-locked  by  the 
islands,  resembles  a  vast  lake,  clear 
and  bright  as  a  mirror,  and  without 
a  ripple  save  from  the  gentle  impulse 
of  the  tide.  Here,  a  bluff  headland 
stands  out  in  bold  relief  against  the 
horizon ;  there,  the  more  distant 
islet  is  lost  in  sea  and  sky ;  on  one 
side  a  shelving  rock  sends  out  a  black 
tongue-like  point,  sharp  as  a  needle, 
losing  itself  in  the  water,  where  it 
forms  one  of  those  reefs  so  common 
among  the  islands,  and  so  fatal  to 
strangers,  but  which  every  Orkney 
boatman  knows,  as  we  do  the  streets 
of  our  native  town  ;  while,  on  the 
other  side,  a  green  holm,  covered 
with  cattle  and  ponies,  slopes  gently 
to  the  Avater's  edge.  Then  there  is 
the  dovetailing  and  intercrossing  of 
one  point  with  another,  the  purple 
tints  of  the  islands,  the  deep  blue  of 


Scotland. 


Route  li. — Orhiey :  Maeshoic. 


451 


the  sea,  the  indentations  of  the  coast, 
the  boats  plying  their  oars  or  linger- 
ing lazily  on  the  waters,  the  ^yhite 
sails  of  the  pleasure-yachts  contrast- 
ing with  the  dark-brown  canyas  of 
the  fishing  craft,  and  here  and  there 
a  large  merchant  vessel  entering  or 
leaving  the  harbour  : — all  these  com- 
bine to  make  a  most  lovely  picture, 
in  which  the  additional  ornament  of 
trees  is  not  missed.  — J.  Kerr. 

An  excellent  road  leads  from  Kirk- 
Avall  to  Stromness,  passing  the  Ayre 
and  bridge,  and  winds  westward  be- 
tween Wideford  Hill  and  the  sea- 
coast,  affording  many  2:»retty  bits  of 
landscape.  On  the  N.  face  of  the 
hill  stands  the  remarkable  Pict's 
House  at  Quanterness  (1.)  described 
and  pictured  in  Barry's  "History  of 
Orkney,"  which  is  well  worth  exami- 
nation, and  a  little  higher  up  another 
still  unopened.  But  Pict's  houses, 
burgs,  and  howes  or  burial  mounds 
occur  so  frequently,  that  we  shall 
not  hereafter  notice  them,  unless  they 
are  in  some  way  remarkable.  Re- 
turning to  the  main  road,  nearly 
opposite  the  pretty  green  islet  of 
Danisey  and  its  ruined  burg,  so  often 
named  in  the  stirring  legends  of  the 
Sagas,  we  pass  the  Kirk  of  Firth  (1. ) 
and  a  branch  road  to  Evie  strikes 
off  (rt.),  just  before  entering  the  vil- 
lage of 

Finstown  (6  m.)  {Inn:  Gray's 
Temperance),  a  good  centre  for  ex- 
cursions to  the  N".  mainland. 

Above  a  picturesquely  wooded  pass 
stands  Binscarth  (R.  Scarth,  Esq.), 
which  commands  a  magnificent  view. 
A  little  farther  on  a  branch  road  (rt. ) 
leads  northward  to  Harray  and  Birsa, 
but  our  direct  road  enters  the  parish 
of  Stenniss.  Among  the  hills  to  the 
S.  lies  the  valley  of  Bigsivell  or 
Sominerdale,  the  Bannockburn  of 
Orkney,  where  (1530)  the  Orkneyans, 
under  Sir  James  Sinclair,  vindicated 
their  odal  rights,  by  an  exterminat- 
ing victory  over  their  Scottish  inva-  • 
ders  under  John,  Earl  of  Caithness, 
in  a  field  still  marked  by  many  a 
battle  mound. 


A  few  yards  from  the  road  (rt.) 
stands  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
ancient  monuments  of  Orkney,  the 
sepulchral  mound  of*Macshotv  (Mcstr, 
great ;  Haugr,  tomb).  Many  a  legend 
still  lingers  around  Maeshow  and  its 
strong  but  stupid  Hog-boy  {haighui, 
larva  sepulcri),  the  guardian  of  its 
treasures  and  its  secrets.  His  treasure 
has  been  stolen  long  ago,  but  he  still 
keeps  his  secret.  Perhaps,  like  Lady 
Percy, 

"He  will  not  utter  what  he  does  not  know." 

Its  sculptured  dragons  may  point  to 
serpent- worship,  and  the  Runes  which 
cover  its  walls  may  long  exercise  the 
ingenuity  of  Scandinavian  scholars  : 
but  as  they  were  not  wi'itten  till 
the  tomb  had  been  ruined,  they 
can  throw  little  light  on  its  origin, 
objects,  or  date.  The  mysteries  of 
Maeshow  and  Stenniss  will  probably 
be  solved  with  those  of  Stonehenge, 
Avebury,  Karnac,  and  Gavr-ynis, 
and  not  sooner.  Maeshow  is  about 
92  ft,  in  diameter,  36  ft.  high,  and 
about  300  ft.  in  circumference,  sur- 
rounded by  a  trench  40  ft.  wide,  and 
about  6  ft.  deep.  It  had  undoubtedly 
been  rifled  by  the  Northmen,  who 
were  deterred  from  opening  no  place 
likely  to  repay  their  trouble.  "Whether 
they  found  it  a  ruin  or  not,  it  is 
evident  that  the  Runes  were  not  in- 
scribed till  the  roof  was  uncovered, 
and  probably  not  till  ages  of  exposure 
had  decayed  the  surface  of  the  stone, 
and  they  evidently  showed  little  re- 
spect to  the  dead,  for  the  stones 
which  once  closed  the  cells  were  found 
torn  out  and  buried  in  the  ruins  of  the 
fallen  roof,  A  passage,  opening  from 
the  W.,  26  feet  long,  3^  ft.  wide, 
and  4g  ft,  high,  leads  to  the  central 
chamber,  which  is  a  cube  of  nearly 
15  ft.,  having  sepulchral  cells  on 
three  of  the  sides,  the  cells  being 
respectively  6  ft.  10  in,, 5  ft,  7 in,, and 
5  ft,  8  in,  in  length.  The  roof,  floor, 
and  walls  of  each  cell  are  formed  of 
a  single  stone,  and  the  stones  that 
formed  the  doors  were  found  on  the 
ground  in  front  of  them.     The  four 


452        Eoute  74:. — Orhmj :  MaesJioio  ;  Stenniss.     Sect.  VIIL 


walls  of  the  central  chamber  are 
formed  of  immense  slabs  of  stone  or 
flag  15  ft.  long,  and  about  6  ft.  above 
the  floor  they  commence  to  converge 
towards  the  centre  in  the  manner  of 
a  Pictish  arch.  But  the  present  roof 
is  composed  of  brick  for  lightness  and 
protection,  as  it  was  found  that  a 
roof  of  the  original  material  was  too 
heavy  for  the  time  -  wasted  walls. 
In  each  angle  is  a  large  buttress  of 
a  single  stone  about  10  ft.  high,  the 
face  of  which,  as  well  as  the  edge  of 
those  composing  the  walls,  are  co- 
vered with  about  935  Runic  charac- 
ters, besides  a  dragon  of  very  lively 
action,  and  a  knot  of  serpents,  pro- 
bably of  a  different  hand  and  age 
from  the  Runes.  The  whole  sti'uc- 
ture  is  without  mortar,  of  undressed 
stones  of  huge  size,  of  the  same  kind 
and  quarry  as  the  monoliths  of  Sten- 
niss, which,  it  is  not  impossible,  may 
have  been  taken  for  the  purpose,  and 
may  thus  account  for  some  blanks  in 
the  circles  ;  and  the  whole  is  covered 
by  an  immense  cone  of  earth,  which 
is"^  well  entitled  to  the  distinction  of 
the  Highest  Tumulus,  or  3Icstr 
Haugr. 

Passing  the  Kirk  of  Stenniss  (rt.) 
and  the  ruins  of  the  House  of  Sten- 
niss, the  ancient  Bu,  where  Havard- 
Jarl  was  murdered  by  his  wicked 
wife,  the  Princess  Gunhild  (cir.  990), 
and  the  imaginary  site  of  some  of  the 
most  stirring  scenes  of  "The  Pirate  " 
(in  which,  however,  Scott  seems  to 
have  confused  his  topographical  me- 
moranda of  Stenniss  with  those  of 
Clestrain  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Oi-phir  Hills),  the  tourist  is  now  in 
the  midst  of  the  remarkable  region 
of  circles,  monoliths,  tumuli,  and 
other  mysterious  antiquities  of  Sten- 
niss. 

A  byroad  turns  from  the  farm  of 
Barnhouse  to  the  rt.,  leading  direct 
to  the  Stonehenge  of  Orkney.  Fol- 
lowing this  path  a  few  hundred  yards, 
we  reach  (rt.)  the  small  circle  of 
Stenniss,  composed  of  12  stones 
about  15  ft.  high,  of  which  only  two 


are  standing  and  two  prostrate.  The 
radius  of  this  stone-circle,  when  com- 
plete, was  about  50  ft.,  and  that  of 
the  surrounding  embankment  about 
120  ft.  The  plough  has  efiaced 
nearly  half  of  the  once  circular  val- 
lum— a  sacrilege  probably  committed 
by  the  same  Highland  farmer  who 
destroyed  the  interesting  stone  of 
Odin,  which  stood  (till  1814)  a  few 
yards  to  the  E.  of  this  group.  A 
little  farther  on  stands  the  watch- 
stone,  the  highest  of  all  the  standing 
stones,  immediately  before  entering 
the  narrow  causeway  between  the 
fresh-water  Loch  of  Harra  and  the 
tidal  Loch  of  Stenniss,  called  the 
Bridge  of  Brogarth,  which  leads 
direct,  past  many  tumuli  and  mono- 
liths, to  the  great  circle  or  Ring  of 
Brogarth,  or  Brogar. 

This  is  a  deeply-entrenched  circu- 
lar space  of  about  2^  acres,  \di\\  a 
diameter  of  366  ft.  The  trench 
which  surrounds  it  is  29  ft.  broad 
and  6  ft.  deep,  crossed  by  two  nar- 
row earth  banks.  The  erect  stones 
in  the  circle  stand  about  18  ft.  apart, 
and  about  13  ft,  within  the  trench, 
of  various  sizes  from  6  to  13  ft., 
totally  unhewn,  and  all  of  the  old 
red  sandstone.  The  probable  num- 
ber when  complete  was  about  60, 
but  only  13  remain  standing,  10  pros- 
trate, and  the  broken  stumps  of  a  few 
others.  Near  Brogar  Bridge,  one 
of  two  standing  stones  has  a  hole 
through  it.  It  is  mentioned  in 
Scott's  "  Pirate, "  and  until  recent 
times,  an  oath  taken  with  hands 
joined  through  the  hole  in  "Wo- 
den's Stone,"  was  deemed  binding 
in  the  law-courts  of  Orkney,  Inde- 
pendent of  its  antiquarian  interest, 
the  situation  of  the  Ring  of  Brogarth, 
standing  on  a  narrow  peninsula, 
sloping  on  both  sides  to  the  Lochs 
of  Stenniss  and  Harra,  and  the  views 
from  it  in  every  direction,  are  strik- 
ingly beaxitiful.  The  neighbourhood 
seems  to  have  been  the  Orcadian 
Campo   Santo ;  for  within   a   short 


distance  there  arc 


jles  of  stand- 


Orkney. 


Route  74.- 


-Stenniss  ;  Slrommss. 


453 


ing  stones,  4  separate  monoliths,  2 
other  circles,  of  which  all  the  stones 
are  prostrate,  and  scores  of  tumnli, 
in  one  of  which  was  found  a  very  fine 
urn  of  micaceous  schist,  and  various 
other  antiquities. 

Returning  to  the  main  road  at 
Barnhouse,  we  pass  through  the 
township  of  Clouston,  curiously  illus- 
trative of  infinitesimal  subdivision 
of  odal  land  and  its  effects.  Keep- 
ing generally  close  to  the  Loch  of 
Stenniss,  we  cross  its  shallow  en- 
trance by  the  Bridge  of  IVaith 
( Vaedr,  a  shallow  stream),  a  hand- 
some stone  bridge,  which  has  replaced 
the  ancient  and  dangerous  structure 
of  wood.  Here  the  carriage-road  to 
Stromness  winds  round  the  hill  of 
Clouston,  aff'ording  pretty  views  of 
the  Loch  of  Via,  etc.,  the  banks  of 
which  furnished  the  stones  of  Sten- 
niss, if  we  may  judge  from  some  of 
similar  structure  submerged  in  the 
water.  But  pedestrians  should  fol- 
low the  rough  but  shorter  track  over 
the  hill  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  views 
of  Cairston  Bay,  Hoy  Sound,  Hoy 
Graemsey,  and  the  picturesque  en- 
virons of 

14|  m.  Stromness.  {Inns:  Masons' 
Arms,  and  Commercial;  both  good.) 
This  is  a  busy  little  town  of  one  very 
narrow  street,  with  steep  branches 
running  directly  up  the  granite  hill 
which  shelters  it  from  the  Atlantic, 
and  the  many  jetties  to  its  fine  and 
important  harbour.  There  is  still  con- 
siderable activity  from  the  concourse 
of  shipping,  shipbuilding,  and  fish- 
eries. It  is  the  Orkney  port  of  the 
daily  mail  steamer  to  Thurso,  and  the 
northern  port  of  call  for  the  Hudson's 
Bay  and  whaling  fleets,  the  poor  re- 
presentatives of  the  hundreds  that 
rendezvoused  in  its  roadstead  in  the 
days  of  war  and  convoys.  The  Mu- 
seum  well  deserves  a  visit,  and  the 
Cemetery  is  remarkable  for  the  savage 
and  lonely  grandeur  of  its  situation. 
On  the  high  authority  of  Hugh  Miller, 
this  district  is  to  tlie  geologist  not 
only  the  most  interesting  in  Orkney, 


but  surpassed  by  few  in  the  N.  of 
Scotland,  yielding  among  its  Ich- 
thyolites  the  Asterolepis  or  star 
scale  fish.  Stromness  is  also  the 
most  convenient  centre  for  excur- 
sions to  Hoy,  Graemsey,  and  Walls, 
Sandwick,  and  Birsay,  rich  in  inte- 
rest for  the  botanist,  geologist,  and 
antiquary,  as  well  as  to  the  lover  of 
picturesque  scenery. 

From  Stromness  the  mail  steamer 
runs  daily  in  summer  at  5  a.  m.  to 
Thurso  (Scrabster  Bay),  occupying  in 
good  weather  4  hours.  On  its  return 
it  leaves  Thurso  at  10.30  a.m. 

[Bxcm'siom  from  Stromness. — To 
the  N".  to  Birsay,  12  m.  This  road 
has  been  re-made  for  the  first  5  m., 
but  walkers  and  riders  may  shorten 
it  by  keeping  to  the  old  one,  which 
crosses  the  hills  instead  of  going 
round  them.  There  is  also  a  walk 
along  the  edge  of  the  cliff's,  and  some 
natural  curiosities  Avorth  seeing,  such 
as  a  lofty  insulated  pillar,  the  natural 
pavement  of  Skail,  which  was  long 
believed  to  have  been  formed  by  art, 
and  the  Hole  of  Row,  a  natural  arch 
formed  by  two  whin  dykes,  the  ma- 
terial between  them  having  been 
washed  out  by  the  sea.  The  rude 
ancient  Picts'  houses,  which  have 
been  disinterred  and  exposed  on  the 
shore  of  the  Bay  are  of  the  highest 
historic  interest. 

4  m.  by  the  ordinary  road  is  the 
Mill  of  Voy,  where  we  enter  the 
parish  of  Sandwick,  some  of  which 
has  been  reclaimed,  but  the  greater 
part  is  still  a  sandy  plain,  studded 
with  heather  bushes.  Among  this 
heather,  on  an  eminence  1  m,  to  the 
rt.,  beyond  Loch  Clumly,  are  the 
Stones  of  Via,  and  a  group  of  tumuli 
which  have  been  opened  and  the 
flagstones  that  lined  the  graves  ruth- 
lessly scattered. 

On  the  main  road,  6  m.,  is  the 
house  of  Mr.  Watt  of  Breckness,  on 
the  side  of  Sandwick  Hill.  Through 
Marv/ick  the  road  is  not  so  good. 

12  m.  Birsay  Palace,  though  now 
in  a  deplorable  state  of  ruin,   was 


454 


Route  74. — Stromness  ;  Cliffs  of  Hoy.    Sect.  VIII. 


once  a  fine  residence,  rebuilt  by  Earl 
Robert  Stewart  in  imitation  of  Holy- 
rood,  viz.,  a  quadrangle,  with  a  well 
in  the  middle. 

The  Latin  inscription  over  the  gate 
(now  gone)  "  Dominus  Eobertus 
Stewartus,  filius  Jacobi  V.,  Ilex 
Scotorum,  hoc  opus  instruxit,"  con- 
stituted one  of  the  charges  against 
his  son  when  tried  for  high  treason, 
though  most  likely  it  was  only  a 
grammatical  error.  ] 

Opposite  to  Stromness,  and  about 
3  m.  distant,  is  the  island  of  Hoy, 
the  western  extremity  of  which, 
called  the  Kame  of  Hoy,  presents  a 
remarkable  likeness  to  the  profile  of 
Sir  Walter  Scott.  Hoy  is  the  only 
island  which  off"ers  any  really  fine 
scenery,  but  a  tolerably  calm  day 
must  be  selected  for  visiting  it,  as  the 
sea  rages  with  particular  fury  when 
the  weather  is  at  all  unsettled.  The 
Ward  Hill  is  1556  ft.  above  the  sea, 
and  is  celebrated  for  its  Vipacs  and 
its  botanical  treasures,  which  include 
Arbutus  alpina,  A.  uva-ursi,  Dryas 
octopetela,  Lycopodia  (half-a-dozen 
different  species),  Lichen  frigidus, 
Solidago  virgaurea,  Saxifraga,  etc. 

To  the  S.E.  of  it  is  the  "  Dicarfic 
Stone,'"  2  m.  distant.  This  stone  is 
20  ft.  long  by  44  ft.  wide  and  7  ft. 
thick,  and  has  had  an  aperture 
scooped  out  in  it,  with  a  bed  on  each 
side.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a 
heathen  altar  originally,  and  subse- 
quently the  abode  of  a  Christian 
hermit ;  but  in  the  mythology  of  the 
country  "Troled,  a  dwarf  famous  in 
the  northern  Sagas,  is  said  to  have 
framed  it  for  his  own  favourite  resi- 
dence. The  lonely  shei^herd  avoids 
the  place,  for  at  sunrise,  night,  noon, 
or  sunset,  the  misshapen  form  of  the 
necromantic  owner  may  sometimes 
still  be  seen  by  the  '  Dwarfie  Stone. '  " 
— Pirate. 

The  Grand  sight  of  Hoy— its  W. 
face  of  cliff" — can  only  be  viewed  pro- 
perly from  the  sea,  and  is  seen  to  the 
greatest  advantage  by  the  voyager  by 
steamer  from  Stromness  to  Thurso. 


It  is  the  most  glorious  sea  front  in 
Great  Britain,  extending  for  a  mile 
at  an  elevation  sheer  from  the  water 
of  1000  ft.  Its  grandeur  grows  upon 
the  spectator  as  he  continues  to  look 
at  it,  for  at  first  sight  he  cannot 
suppose  it  to  be  of  such  altitude.  At 
the  farther  end  of  the  wall  is  the 
"Old  Man  of  Hoy,"  an  insulated 
pillar  of  rock,  which  once  bore  some 
resemblance  to  the  human  foi-m,  but 
the  loss  of  its  head  in  a  storm  has 
considerably  interfered  with  the  like- 
ness. It  rises  300  ft.  vertically  in 
front  of  the  cliff". 

"  See  Hoy's  Old  iMan,  whose  summit  bare 
Pierces  the  dark  blue  fields  of  air  ; 
Based  in  the  sea,  his  fearful  form 
Glows  like  the  spirit  of  the  storm." 

Geologically  it  consists  of  a  base  of 
porphyry,  supporting  a  column  of 
sandstone. 

Amongst  the  other  islands  of  the 
Orkneys  deserving  a  visit  is  Egilshexj, 
containing  an  old  Church  of  11th  or 
early  in  12th  centy.  There  is  nothing 
in  its  architecture  to  fix  its  age.  It 
is  said  to  have  been  built  upon  the 
spot  Avhere  Magnus  was  murdered, 
and  therefore  dedicated  to  him.  The 
building,  however,  is  much  older  than 
the  crime,  which  may  have  been  com- 
mitted within  its  walls.  The  tower 
is  50  ft.  high,  and  round  like  those 
of  Norfolk,  but  the  building  is  dis- 
used and  roofless. 

To  the  IST.  AV.  of  the  whole  group  is 
the  island  of  Westray,  on  which  are 
the  extensive  ruins  of  Noltland 
Castle,  founded  by  Thomas  Tulloch, 
Bishop  of  Orkney,  in  1422.  The 
initials  T.  T.,  with  the  figure  of  a 
bishop  kneeling,  are  upon  one  of  the 
capitals  of  the  piUars  supporting  the 
staircase.  The  castle  remained  the 
residence  of  the  bishops,  and  was  ob- 
tained by  Andrew  Bruce,  the  last 
bishop,  for  his  brother-in-law  Gilbert 
Balfour  of  Westray.  His  descendant 
having  espoused  the  cause  of  Prince 
James  Stewart  in  1715,  the  castle  of 
Noltland  was  burnt  by  the  Royalist 
troops.  The  most  easterly  of  the  islands 


Shetland. 


Route  76. — Shetland:  Lerwick. 


455 


of  Orkney  is  Sandey,  whicli  appears 
to  have  suffered  terribly  from  the 
attacks  of  the  sea,  as  the  Start  Point, 
on  which  there  is  a  lighthouse,  "was 
found  by  Mr.  Stevenson  in  1816  to 
be  an  island  every  flood  tide  ;  yet, 
even  within  the  memory  of  some  old 
people  then  alive,  it  had  formed  one 
continuous  tract  of  firm  ground." 


ROUTE   76. 

Shetland    Islands,    Lerwick, 
Mousa,    Fetlar. 

Steamers  twice  a  week  from  Kirk- 
wall to  Lerwick. 

The  passage  from  Kirkwall  to 
Lerwick  occupies  about  12  hours, 
the  steamer  passing  half-way  on  rt. 
Fair  Isle,  25  m.  from  any  other  land, 
220  inhab.  In  1588,  after  the  defeat 
of  the  Invincible  Armada,  its  admi- 
ral, the  Duke  of  Medina  Sidonia, 
retreated  northwards,  pursued  by  the 
English  squadron,  and  was  wrecked 
upon  the  largest  of  the  Shetland 
islands.  After  living  here  for  some 
time,  most  of  his  crew  were  murdered 
by  the  inhabitants,  who  feared  that 
a  famine  would  be  the  consequence 
of  an  increased  demand  upon  their 
resources,  and  the  Duke  managed 
with  great  difficulty  to  make  his 
escape  to  the  mainland  of  Shetland, 
whence  he  eventually  got  back  to 
Spain.  The  vast  2^'>'&cipices  of  these 
islands  are  the  most  attractive  feat- 
ures ;  in  some  places  cataracts  tumb- 
ling over  the  edge  into  the  sea,  700 
or  800  ft.  below. 

The  employments  of  the  inhabit- 
ants are  fishing  and  fowling,  while 
the  women  are  famous  for  their  skill 
in  knitting  woollen  articles,  a  skill 
which  they  attribute  to  the  Spanish 
association,  the  patterns  which  they 
work  bearing  a  remarkable  resem- 
blance to  those  seen  on  similar  work 
done  by  the  Moors.  As  soon  as  Fair 
Isle  is  lost  to  sight,  Sumhurgh,  the 


most  southerly  point  of  Shetland, 
comes  into  view,  with  its  bare  top  and 
naked  sides,  guarded  by  a  lighthouse. 
This  lofty  promontory  (near  whi(^h 
the  reader  of  "  The  Pirate  "  Avill  re- 
member dwelt  the  father  of  Mor- 
daunt  Merton)  is  constantly  exposed 
to  the  current  of  a  strong  and  furious 
tide,  which,  setting  in  between  the 
Orkney  and  Shetland  isles,  and  run- 
ning with  force  only  inferior  to  that 
of  the  Pentland  Firth,  takes  its  name 
from  the  headland,  and  is  called  the 
Roost  of  Sumburgh.  On  a  neck  of 
land  in  the  West  Voe  are  the  ruins 
of  Jarlshof,  near  which  a  new  resi- 
dence has  been  built  by  the  pro- 
prietor of  Sumburgh.  The  cleft  in 
the  rock  by  which  the  inhabitants 
descend  from  the  cliff  above  to  the 
foot  is  called  EricFs  S'tejjs.  To  rt.  is 
a  higher  point  called  Fitfiel  or  Fitful 
Head  (White  Mountain),  the  abode 
of  JSTorna,  the  Shetland  prophetess. 
The  tourist  who  ^Aishes  to  explore 
the  southern  part  of  Mainland  can 
land  at  Duurossness,  and  work  his 
way  along  the  coast  (about  30  m.) 
to  Lerwick. 

Stea'^inei's  land  passengers  in  small 
boats. 

Lerwick  {Inns :  The  Queen's  ;  Zet- 
land), the  capital  of  the  Shetland  s, 
and  their  only  town,  standing  nearly 
in  the  centre  at  the  E.  side,  on  a 
headland  surrounded  on  3  sides  by 
the  sea  ;  many  of  the  houses  stand 
in  the  water. 

Steamers  twice  a  week  in  summer, 
from  Lerwick  to  the  Northern  Islands 
—Yell,  Unst,  Fetlar,  etc. 

Lerwick  has  an  excellent  har- 
bour 1  m.  wide  at  the  mouth,  and 
protected  by  the  natural  breakwater 
of  Bressay  Island  on  the  E.,  and  on 
all  other  sides  by  hills  of  gentle 
elevation.  On  the  S.  of  the  town  is 
a  small  Fort  constructed  by  Crom- 
well, but  destroyed  by  a  Dutch 
frigate  in  1673.  It  was  remodelled 
in  1781,  and  caUed,  after  the  Queen, 
Fort  Charlotte.     Lerwick  possesses  a 


456 


Route  76. — LenvicJc;  Tower  of  Mousa.     Sect.  VIII. 


handsome  Academy,  and  an  Hospital 
for  aged  persons,  the  gift  of  a  Mr. 
Anderson,  a  native  of  tlie  place. 
The  town  itself  is  irregular,  many 
of  the  gabled  houses  being  built 
almost  in  the  water.  The  main 
street  is  only  just  broad  enough 
to  admit  a  cart  in  some  places, 
and  tortuous,  allowing  no  view 
of  the  sea.  It  has  a  j^avement  of 
smooth  flags,  with  a  narrow  cause- 
way in  the  centre,  on  which  the 
horses  walk,  while  the  cartwheels 
run  on  the  flags.  It  is  a  bus}^  port, 
1600  inhab.  Shipbuilding  is  carried 
on,  and  a  large  trade  Avith  Holland, 
and  it  sends  much  salt  cod  to  Spain. 
Knitting  is  the  employment  of  the 
women,  and  Lerwick  enjoys  a  cele- 
brity for  its  export  of  knitted  wool- 
len articles.  The  original  small 
breed  of  Shetland  sheep,  yielding  the 
finest  wool,  is  nearly  extinct,  the 
race  having  been  crossed  with  the 
Cheviot.  Excursions  from  Lerwick 
— a.  To  Timvall,  about  2  m.  to  the 
N.W.,  a  very  picturesque  valley, 
w^here  the  "foude,"  or  magistrate  of 
Shetland,  used  to  hold  his  court. 
The  road  from  Lerwick  to  Mousa 
affords  fine  sea-views,  but  the  gene- 
ral aspect  of  the  country  is  desolate, 
trees  being  unknown  except  under 
shelter  of  walls. 

b.  6  m.  to  the  S.AV.  of  Lerwick  is 
the  village  of  Scalloway,  and  tlie 
ruins  of  the  Cattle  of  Earl  Patrick, 
the  tyrdnit,  consisting  of  3  storeys 
with  turreted  angles. 

To  the  S.  of  Lerwick,  on  the  E. 
coast,  half-way  between  it  and  Dun- 
rossness,  is  the  Island  of  Mousa,  upon 
which  stands  the  most  perfect  speci- 
men of  a  Pictish  burgh  or  Fort.  It  is 
42  ft.  high,  swelling  out  below,  and 
expanding  again  at  the  top.  See  In- 
troduction, Section  II.  The  centre 
was  an  open  shaft,  admitting  air  and 
light  to  the  galleries.  Torfseus  says 
that  to  this  foi'tress  Erland,  son  of 
Harold  the  Fairspoken,  carried  off' 
the  mother  of  Harold  the  Norwegian 


jarl,  a  famous  beauty  ;  and  that  the 
jarl,  unable  to  take  it  by  force  or 
famine,  was  glad  to  assent  to  terms 
by  w^hich  the  lady  became  the  wife 
of  her  ravisher. 

The  name  of  Shetland  or  Zetland 
is  a  corruption  of  the  old  "Hialt- 
landia,"  by  which  name  these 
islands  were  known  to  the  earliest 
chroniclers.  Tlie  group  consists  of 
100,  but  only  31  are  inhabited,  the 
population  according  to  the  last  re- 
turn being  31,678,  The  climate  is 
very  variable,  damp,  and  stormy.  To 
strangers  its  incessant  moisture  is 
very  depressing,  though  the  inha- 
bitants do  not  find  it  unwholesome. 
In  winter  the  cold  is  not  great,  but 
the  days  are  very  short,  and  their 
gloom  is  not  compensated  by  the 
absence  of  night  during  a  great  part 
of  summer.  Spring  can  scarcely  be 
said  to  commence  till  April,  and  little 
general  warmth  is  experienced  before 
the  middle  of  June.  Summer  ends 
again  with  August. 

Although,  visited  under  favourable 
circumstances  of  season  and  weather, 
the  Shetland  archipelago  08*6 rs  many 
points  of  interest  to  the  tourist,  it  is 
no  less  true  that,  until  the  facilities 
of  locomotion  shall  be  greatly  in- 
creased, much  time  may  be  lost  in 
fruitless  eff'orts  to  reach  these  points. 
Many  of  these  hundred  islets  attain 
a  remarkable  elevation ;  but  cliff 
scenery  that  is  rather  grotesc^ue  than 
grand  soon  tires  the  observer,  and 
the  vast  expanse  of  brown  bleak 
moorland,  intersected  by  narrow 
fiords,  or  closing  round  a  sleeping 
loch,  is  but  a  poor  compensation  for 
the  hills  and  woodlands  of  more  for- 
tunate districts.  The  traveller  who 
makes  his  way  to  these  parts  in 
hopes  of  sport  runs  a  great  risk  of 
disappointment.  No  doubt,  of  mere 
sea-fowl,  every  variety,  some  very 
rare,  may  be  found  among  the  less 
frequented  islands  ;  but  of  geese, 
du(^'ks,  curlew,  teal,  snipe,  etc.,  he 
will  find  no  more  than  may  be  met 
with  on  any  other  part  of  the  coast 


Shetland.     Eoute  76. — Head  of  Noss ;  Yell)  Fetlar.         457 


of  England  or  Scotland.  There  is 
excellent  fishing  in  the  streams  that 
run  into  the  fiords,  the  sea-trout 
sometimes  weighing  as  much  as  15 
lbs.,  and  of  ordinary  sea-fish  the 
supply  is  unlimited.  Seal  are  rarely 
caught  or  even  seen,  except  about 
certain  spots,  such  as  Papa  Stour,  to 
the  recesses  of  whose  porphyry  caves 
they  retire  to  breed. 

To  encourage  tillage  all  cultivated 
land  was  freed  from  the  tax  or  "  scat " 
levied  on  pasture  and  grazing  stock. 
At  the  death  of  a  holder  all  the  land 
was  equally  divided  amongst  his 
children,  male  and  female.  This  is 
the  Udal  tenure,  and  it  acknowledges 
no  superior  and  imposes  no  service. 
"Of  whom,  then,"  asked  a  southern 
judge,  accustomed  to  feudal  right, 
" does  the  Shetlander  hold  ? "  "Of 
God  Almighty,"  replied  his  advo- 
cate. The  country  was  governed  by 
the  "Thing"  or  Parliament,  which 
assembled  in  the  open  air  in  a  place 
3  m.  N.  of  Lerwick,  still  called 
"Tingwall," 

Professor  Airy  thinks  that  many 
of  the  Shetland  words  are  Swedish, 
and  instances  the  word  "grind,"  or 
gate,  as  being  common  to  both 
countries. 

The  Shetlands  were,  in  the  16th 
centy.  intrusted  to  stewards  ap- 
pointed by  the  Crown,  but  as  they 
farmed  the  revenues,  and  it  was  their 
interest  to  make  what  surplus  they 
could,  the  islanders  suff'ered  greatly 
from  their  exactions,  and  the  memory 
of  Earl  Patrick  Stewart  is  yet  the 
subject  of  execration.  The  last 
steward  was  the  Earl  of  Morton, 
and  the  Earl  of  Zetland  now  holds 
the  casualties  by  feudal  grant  from 
the  Crown. 

The  fisheries  are  the  principal 
employment  of  the  people  ;  for  ling, 
cod,  and  herrings  near  home,  and 
seals  or  whales  on  the  coast  of  Green- 
land.    Lerwick  presents  a  very  gay 


scene  upon  the  return  of  the  whalers 
from  the  Ai-ctic  regions  ;  for  two- 
thirds  of  their  crews  are  landed  upon 
these  islands,  with  all  their  summer 
earnings,  which  sometimes  amount 
to  as  much  as  £30  per  man. 

On  the  E.  side  of  Bressay  Island 
is  the  Island  of  Noss.  The  Head  of 
Noss  is  reached  by  crossing  the  hills 
of  Bressay  and  taking  the  ferry  at 
the  foot  of  the  opposite  descent,  with 
permission  to  land  from  the  landlord. 
Noss  Holm  is  a  flat-headed  rock,  de- 
tached from  the  main  by  a  narrow 
fissure  lined  by  cliff's  400  or  500  ft. 
high.  Access  to  it  was  formerly  ob- 
tained by  a  cradle  swung  to  a  cord 
dangling  by  a  loop  to  a  rope  stretched 
across  the  gap.  This,  having  be- 
come worn  out  and  rotten,  has  been 
some  time  removed.  The  rock  is 
the  resort  of  myriads  of  sea-fowl  at 
certain  seasons,  and  many  persons 
live  by  bird-catching,  being  swung 
at  a  rope's  end  from  the  rock  above. 
In  Bressay  remains  of  3  Christian 
cells  or  chapels  and  several  burghs 
are  said  to  exist. 

Upon  the  island  of  Yell,  which  is 
the  most  northerly  but  one  of  the 
Shetland  group,  are  the  remains  of 
8  burghs,  and  the  traces  of  20 
chapels  may  be  discovered ;  but 
most  of  these  have  little  left  except 
the  foundations. 

About  5  m.  from  this  is  the  island 
of  Fetlar,  much  of  which  has  been 
already  brought  into  cultivation,  and 
the  remainder  forms  an  excellent 
grazing  ground  for  the  beautiful 
little  Shetland  ponies  long  time  ex- 
ported to  England.  Brough  Lodge 
(Lady  Nicolson),  a  castellated  man- 
sion, occupies  a  picturesque  situation 
on  the  coast  facing  Yell,  and  is  the 
only  house  of  note  in  the  island. 

The  cliif  scenery  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  St.  Magnus  Bay,  to  the 
N.W.  of  Mainland,  is  very  fine  and 
peculiar. 


[Scotland,  j 


INDEX. 


A'AN  LOCH. 


A'an  Loch,  345 

Abbey  Craig,  164,  175,  269 

Abbotsford,  17,  18 

Ferry,  19,  75 

St.  Abb's  Head,  33 

Aberbrothock,  307 

Abercairney,  287 

Aberchalder,  250 

Abercorn,  139 

Abercromby,  Sir  Ralph, 
birthplace  of,  270 

Aberdeen,  New,  322  ;  Brig 
of  Balgownie,  325  ;  Castle 
Brae,  323  ;  Cathedral,  324  ; 
cemetery,  323  ;  churches, 
323  ;  colleges,  323,  325 ; 
Grammar  School,  323;  gra- 
nite, 324  ;  harbour,  322  ; 
history,  324 ;  King's  Col- 
lege, 325 ;  links,  324 ; 
manufactures,  322  ;  IVlari- 
schal  College,  323  ;  Old 
Aberdeen,  324  ;  pier,  322  ; 
railways,  326 ;  statue  of 
the  Prince  Consort,  323 ; 
steamers,  326  ;  Tolbooth, 
323;  Town-hall, 323;  Union 
Street,  323 

Aberdeen  to  Alford  and 
Strathdon,  354 

to  Banff,  370 

to  Braemar  and  Bal- 
moral, 334 

to      Fraserburgh      and 

Peterhead,  351 

to  Inverness,  358 

Aberdeenshire,  314 

Aberdour,  140,  257 

Aberfeldy,  283 

Aberfoyle,  173 

Abergairn  lead-mines,  338 

Abergeldie,  339 

Aberlemno,  318 

Aberlour,  374 

Abemethy,  266 

Aberuchill  Castle,  286 

Abington,  72 

Aboyne,  332,  336 


ALTNAHARRA. 
Achallater,  341 
Achanaton  Head,  201 
Acharn  Falls,  281,  2S2 
Achavanich  Inn,  437 
Achavullin,  210 
Achintoul,  441 
Achlyne,  225 
Achmore,  403 
Achnacarry,  249 
Achnasheen,  402,  403 
Achness  Castle,  426 
Achray,  Loch,  178 
Ackergill,  436 
Add,  river,  212 
Advie  Station,  374 
Affrick,  river,  313,  423 
Aigas,  412 
Ailsa  Crag,  113 
Aird  Castle,  199 
Aird  of  Kirktommie,  441 
Airdrie  Junct.  Stat.,  159 
Aird's  Moss,  99 
Airlie  Castle,  316  ;  Glen,  316 
Airth  Castle,  142 
Airthrey  Castle,  174 
Aldie,  272 
Aldourie,  252 
Alexandria,  169 
Ale  Water,  12,  14 
Alford,  355 
Alguise,  425 
Aline,  Loch,  231 
Allan  Water,  19,  174 
AUerly,  17 
Alloa,  142 

Park,  143 

Tower,  142 

Alloway  Kirk,  118 
Almond  Bank  Stat.,  288 

river,  160 

water,  138,  144 

Almondale,  160 
Alness,  419 
Alsh  Loch,  383 
Alt  Drui,  346 
Altnabreach  Stat.,  433 
Alt-na-Craig,  224 
Altnafedh,  226 
Altnagalach,  427 
Altnaghuissac,  329 
Altnaharra,  439,  444 


ARDMILLAN. 

Altrive,  77 

Altyre,  366 

Alva,  270  ;  House,  270 

Alves  Junct.,  365 

Alyth,  315 

Amisfield  Stat,  70 

Ample,  river,  280 

Amulree,  288 

Ancrum  House,  14 

moor,  14 

St.  Andrews,  262  ;  cathe- 
dral, 262  ;  College,  Castle, 
263  ;  Siege,  University, 
Library,  264;  conveyances, 
265 

Ankerville  Kirk,  416 

AnnamuUoch,  423 

Annan,  71  ;  river,  gi 

Anstruther,  259 

Antiquities,  17 

Antorskyle,  426 

Anwoth,  III 

App,  Glen,  112 

Appin,  238,  239 

Applecross,  407 

Aray  river,  falls  of,  220 

Arbroath,  307 

Archei-field,  37 

Architecture,  Gothic,  4 

Ardalanish  Point,  238 

Ardcharnac,  426 

Ardchattan  Priory,  223 

Ardchullarie,  279 

Arden,  170 

Ardentinny,  168,  217 

Ardeonaig,  281 

Ardiin,  207 

Ardgay,  420 

Ardgour,  229,  239 

to    Loch    Sunart     and 

Loch  Moidart,  242 

Ardgowan,  191 

Arduicaple,  168 

Ardkinglass,  219 

Ardlamont  Point,  211 

Ardlarich,  291 

Ardler,  316 

Ardlui,  172 

Ardlussa,  207 

Ardmarnock,  211 

Ardmillan,  113 


460 


INDEX. 


ARDMINISH. 

BALLOGY. 

BATTLES. 

Ardminish,  203 

Auchrannie,  Slug  of,  316 

Balmacaan,  252 

Ardmore  Point,  190 

Auchterarder,  275 

Balmacarra,  400,  403 

Ardmucknish  Bay,  239 

Auchterless,  371 

to  Portree  in  Skye,  389 

Ardnacross,  200 

Auchtermuchty,  274 

Balmaghie  Ch.,  103 

Ardnamurchan,  232,  242 

Auldbar,  318 

Balmaha,  170 

Ardoch  House,  274 

Road  Stat.,  318 

Balmanno,  274 

Auldearn,  367 

Balmerino,  266 

Ardpeatqn,  217 

Auldgirth,  97 

Balmoral,  339 

Ardrishaig,  211,  213 

Auldhame  Church,  39 

Balnaboth,  330 

to  Oban,  213 

Ault-na-Cailliach,  443 

Balnabroch  Moor,  347 

Ardross,  419 

Aultbea,  423,  426 

Balnagowan,  419 

Ardrossan,  122,  192 

Ault  Graat,  418 

Balnakielly,  295 

Ardtomish,  231 

Aultguithas  torrent,  250 

Balnakill,  444 

Ardtun,  231,  237 

Avich,  river,  215 

Balone,  416 

Ardverikie,  247 

Aviemore,  301,  347 

Balquhain  Castle,  359 

Ardvoirlich,  280,  287 

Avoch,  414 

Balquhidder,  279 

Ardvrech,  428 

Avon  Cumhanag,  399 

Balvenie,  375 

Ardvrechnish,  226 

Avon  river,  87,  88,   147,  339, 

Balwearie,  257 

Ardwell  House,  109 

345,  374    ^ 

Banchory,  332,  334 

Argyll's  Bowling  Green,  218 

Avontoun  House,  147 

Ternan  Stat.,  335 

Arisaig,  244,  245,  382 

Awe,  Loch,  214,  427 

Banff,  372 

Arkaig  Loch,  243,  245 

Pass  of,  215 

Bankton  House,  41 

Arkle,  429,  431 

river,  222 

Bannavie,  240,  248 

Arklet  Loch,  182 

Aylort  Loch,  244 

to  Arisaig,   242 

Armadale   Castle,    in    Skye, 

Ayr,  116 

to     Inverness    by    the 

3S3 

toiGlasgow,  116 

Caledonian  Canal,  247 

Armadale  Junct.,  159 

Water,  99,  119 

Bannockburn,  battle  of,  161 

Armstrong,  Johnnie,  8 

Ayton,  33 

Stat.,  161 

Arnage,  352 

Barach-a-bean,  215 

Amiston,  21 

Barb reck,  215 

Aros  Castle,  23 

B 

Barcaldine,  239 

Arran,  93 

Barclosh,  102 

Arrochar,  218 

Bach  Water,  81 

Bargany,  113 

Arthuret,  8 

Bach-na-gairn,  329 

Barmekyne  of  Echt,  335 

Arthur's  Oven,  or  Oon,  147 

Badcoul,'43o 

Barmore,  211 

Arthur's  Seat,  56 

Badenoch,  300 

Barnbarroch,  106 

Arvie,  Glen,  201 

— -Wolf of,  300 

Barnbougle  Castle,  138,  141 

Ascog  Hall,  210 

Baillie,  Joanna,  84 

Barncluith,  87 

Ashiestiel,  132 

Bainoch,  350 

Barnhouse,  453 

Askaig,  Port,  205 

Balbardie,  159 

Barns,  75 

Athole,  Blair,  293,  297 

Balbegno,  333 

of  Airlie,  316 

Forest,  350 

Balcarres,  258 

Sneck  of,  330 

Attadale,  422 

Balcaskie,  259 

Barnton,  138 

Auch,  226 

Baldoon  Castle,  105 

Barr,  203 

Auchallader  Castle,  226 

Balemacumra,  202 

Castle,  123 

Auchallater  farm,  247 

Balfour  Castle,  48 

Barra,  359,  396 

Auchans,  120 

Balfron,  183 

BarrogiU,  439 

Auchenault,  402 

Balgavies,  318 

Barry  Stat.,  307 

Auchencass,  71 

Balgonie,  259 

Barsicimming,  99 

Auchencruive,  118 

Balgowan,  287 

Bass  Rock,  38 

Auchendinny,  129 

Balgreggan,  109 

Bastel  houses,  12 

Auchengray  Stat.,  73 

Ballachullsh,  228,  239 

Bathgate,  159 

Auchinbathie  Tower,  123 

Ballagan  Spout,  184 

Battles  : — 

Auchinblae,  321,  333 

Ballantrae,  112 

Aird's  Moss,  99 

Auchindarroch,  212 

Ballater,  337 

Ancrum  Moor,  26 

Auchindennan,  170 

Pass  of,  338 

Bannockburn,  161 

Aiichindown,  238,   375 

Excursions  from,  338 

Culloden,  369 

Auchingrew,  198 

Ballatrich,  337 

Dunbar,  34,  36 

Auchinleck,  99 

Ballenoch,  212 

Dupplin,  276 

Auchinskeith,  loi 

Ballindalloch,  374 

Flodden  Field,  28 

Auchmithie,  309 

Ballinluig,  295 

Halidon  Hill,  32 

Auchmore,  281 

Balloch  Castle,  170 

Harlaw,  359 

Auchnagatt,  352 

Stat., 169,  184 

Killiecrankie,  296 

Auchnasheen  to  Loch  Maree 

Ballochbuie  Forest,  340 

Klnloch  Lochy,  249 

and  Gairloch,  403 

Ballochmyle,?99 

Langside,  84,  158 

Auchnashellach,  403 

Ballogy,  335 

Loudon  Hill,  100 

INDEX. 


461 


BATTLES. 

BLACKISPOUT. 

BRAEMAR. 

Battles  :— 

Ben  Luigach,  406 

Blackwater,  Loch,  229 

Pinkie,  41 

river,  433 

Prestonpans,  41 

More,  225,  230 

Bladenoch,  105 

Sauchieburn,  162 

Muich-dhui,  344 

Blair-Adam,  267 

Sheriffmuir,  274 

na-Bourd,  342 

Athole,  293 

Tippermuir,  288 

na-Cailliach,  389 

Stat.,  297 

Battock,  Mount,  332 

Castle,  298 

Beal-nam-bo  Pass,  179 

nan  Head,  198 

Blairhill,  272 

Beallach  of  Kintail,  423 

Blairgour  Fall,  214 

Beallach-nam-Bo,  408 

Blairgowrie,  349 

Beattock,  71 

Newe,  357 

Blairmore,  217 

Beaufort  Castle,  417 

Blairs  College,  335 

Beauly,  414,  417 

Screel,  383,  400 

Blantyre,  84 

to  Shiel  House  Inn,  421 

Slarive,  223 

Blythswood,  189 

Bedshiel,  30 

Boat  of  Brig,  361 

Bein-an-Oir,  207 

Spionn,  431,  445 

Garten,  302 

Bein  Bhain,  407 

Stack,  429 

Inch,  350 

Bein-na-Cailliach,  383 

Tigh,  249 

Bochastle,  177 

Beith,  22 

Ular,  217 

Boddom  village,  310 

Beld  Craig,  79 

Unach,  217 

Castle,  353 

Belhaven,  36 
Belladron,  lakelet,  302 

Varen,  196 

Bodsbeck,  78,  81 

Boece,  Hector,  307 

Belladrum,  417 

Voirlich,  280,  287 

Boghead  coal,  159 

Bellanach,  213 

Vracky,  295,  348 

Boldside,  75 

Belleville,  300 

Vurie,  226 

Bolfracks  House,  283 

Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,  309 

Vuridh,  226 

Bombie  Castle,  no 

Bellside,  160 

Bonally,  67 

Belses  Stat.,  12 

Wyvis,  401 

Bonar  Bridge,  420 

Beltie  Burn,  336 

—  to  Golspie,  424 

Bemersyde,  17 

Bemera,  383 

Bonawe,  222 

Ben  A' an,  180,  345 

Berriedale,  437 

Bon  Chonzie,  285 

Aigen,  374 

Bershuin,  405 

Bo'ness,  141,  160 

Alder,  299 

Bervie,  320 

Bonhill,  169 

Water,  321 

Bonjedward,  24 

an-Tuirc,  200 

Berwick-on-T\veed,  31 

Bonnington  Hill,  144 

Arthur,  218 

— —  Linn,  90 

Attow,  399,  412 

Law,  North,  38 

Bonnybridge    Junct.     Stat., 

Becula,  396 

Berwickshire,  34 

148 

Bhuie,  220 

Bettyhill  of  Farr,  441 

Bonnyrigg,  126 

Braghie,  421 

Bilbster  Stat.,  435 

Border  Country,  68 

Bui%  226,  230,  238 

Biel,  36 

Bordland  Rings,  130 

Chroan,  280 

Big  House,  441 

Borgie  Castle,  442 

Cleack,  270 

Biggar,  74 

river,  442 

Clibrech,  441,  442 

Bigswell,  451 

Borradale,  244 

Creachbeinn,  238 

Binn  End  Hills,  256 

Borrowstounness,  141,  160 

Cruachan,  214,  221 

Binscarth,  451 

Borthwick  Castle,  20 

Derig,  425 

Binns,  139 

Hall,  20 

Doa,  226 

Birkhall,  329 

Water,  11 

Eay,  406 

Birkhill,  78 

Boswell's  Green,  St.,  14 

Eigen,  402,  425 

Bimam  Hill,  293,  294 

Bothwell,  84 

Evachart,  427 

Birnie  Kirk,  364 

Bridge,  85 

Eveian,  Loch,  423 

Stack,  334 

Castle,  84,  88 

Gherrig,  290 

Birsay  Palace,  453 

Boturich  Castle,  170 

Birse  Forest,  334 

Bowhill,  76 

Bishopton,  199 

Bowland,  19 

Hee,  429,  443 

Blabhein,  389,  393 

Bowling,  166 

Hiant,  232 

Blacksboat,  374 

Bowmore,  206 

Hope,  442,  443 

Black  Craig  Castle,  348 

Boyndie  Ch.,  373 

Laoghal,  440,  442 

Blackford  Hill,  67 

Boyne  Castle,  372 

Lairg,  405 . 

Stat.,  275 

Braan,  river,  294 

Lawers,  281 

Blackball,  336 

Bracadale,  388 

Ledi,  179 

Blackhouse  Tower,  77 

Bracklinn  Falls,  177 

Leod,  429 

Black  Isle,  414 

Braemar,  329 

Lomond,  171 

Blackmount  Forest,  226 

Castle,  340 

Loyal,  440,  442 

Lui,  226 

Blackness,  141 

to  Aviemore,  342 

Black  Spout,  295 

to  Blair- Athole,  349 

462 


INDEX. 


BRAEMAR. 

CAIRN  SKREEL. 

CARHAM. 

Braemar  to  Dunkeld  and  Plt- 

Broughton,  74 

Cairn  Taggart,  342 

lochrie,  347 

Broughty  Castle,  265,  307 

Cairntable,  99 

to  Strathspey,  338 

Ferry,  265,  307 

Cairntoul,  346 

Braemore,  425 

Brown,  Dr.  T.,  104 

Cairnwell,  347 

Braeriach,  345 

Broxbourne,  35 

Cairn  Valley,  98 

Brager,  395 
Braid  Hills,  67 

Bro.xburn  Stat.,  160 

Caisteal  Abheal,  196 

Bruar  Falls,  298 

Caithness,  Ord  of,  436 

Braidwood,  82 

Bruce,  Robert,  70,  115,  121, 

Paps  of,  437 

Brander,  Pass  of,  215,  222 

161,  197,  222,  226,  269,  391 

Calart,  228 

rocks  of,  222 

death,  167 

Calda  House,  428 

Branksome,  11 

Brucklay,  352 

Calder  House,  73 

Brawl  Castle,  434 

Brunstane  Castle,  129 

Brechin,  319 

Brux,  356 

West,  Stat.,  160 

to  Glen  Shee  (for  pedes- 

Buccleuch, 80 

Caldercrux  Stat.,  159 

trians'),  329 

Buchan,  357 

Calderwood  Castle,  88 

to    Baliater,   by  Edzell 

Buchaile  Etive,  223,  227 

Caledonian  Canal,  247,  248 

and  Glenmark,  331 

Buchanan  House,  183 

Forest,  87 

to  Banchorj^  333 

Buchanness  promontory,  353 

Railway,  68 

Breda  House,  356 

Bucklyvie,  183 

Callander,  176 

Bredounie,  327 

Buck  of  Cabrach,  357,  360 

^ —  to  Dunkeld,  278 

Bressay  Hills,  457 

Buckie,  376 

Gallantry,  249,  250 

Bridge  of  Allan,  174 

Callater  Burn,  347 

Balgie,  290 

Bullers  of  Buchan,  353 

Callendar,  147 

Bunchrew,  417 

Callernish     standing-stones, 

Cally,  348 

Bunessan,  251,  237 

^395 

Burdiehouse,  127 

Cally,  III 

Dee,  109 

Burghead,  365 

Calve  Isle,  232 

Doune,  176 

Burghs  or  Brochs,  18,  42,  457 

Camasunary,  389,  393 

Dun,  319 

Burgie  Castle,  365 

Cambus  Stat.,  270 

Dye,  334 

Burn,  332 

of  the  Vat,  337 

Cambusdoon,  117 

Earn,  266 

Cambuskenneth,  143,  165 

Garry,  296 

Burnmouth,  32 

Cambuslang,  83 

Grudie,  404 

Burns,  Sir  A.,  320 

Cambusmore,  176 

Laggan,  247 

Burns's  Monument,  59,  92, 

Cambusnethan,  83,  88 

118 

Cameron  Bridge  Stat.,  258 

Nethv,  302 

house,  92 

Col,  243 

Poldiillle,  358 

birthplace,  117 

House,  170 

Roy,  245 

Burntisland,  140,  256 

Campbell,  Lord-Chan.,  261 

— —  Tay  Railway,  305 

Burrswark,  69 

Campbeltown,  200 

Tummel  Inn,  296 

Burse  Castle,  332 

to  Tarbet,  202 

Waith,  453 

B7de,  island  of,  210 

Camperdown,  304 

Camps  Castle,  274 

Bridgend,  19,  206 

Buxburn,  351 

Campsie,  148 

Briech  Stat.,  160 

Byron,  Lord,  323,  325,  337, 

Fells,  149 

Brig  0'  Balgownie,  325 

338.  343 

Hills,  183 

Doon,  118 

Linn,  292 

Turk,  178,  280 

Cambus  Stat.,  270 

Brims,  440 

Canisp,  428 

Brisbane,  191 

c 

Canna  Island,  382 

Broadford,  384,  389 

Cannlch,  river,  422 

Broadlaw,  78 

Cadzow,  Castle  of,  87 

Canobie,  8 

Broadmeadows,  76 

Caenlochan,  Corrj'^  of,  331 

Canty  Bay,  38 

Brochal  Castle,  392 

Caerlaverock  Castle,  94 

Cantyre,  Mull  of,  202 

Brodick,  192,  194 

Caerlee  Fort,  132 

Cape  Wrath,  445 

Castle,  194 

Cailliach  Point,  232 

Capel  Mount,  328 

Brodie,  367 

Caimbulg  Castle," 352 

Capernock,  98 

Brogar,  452 

Cairn  Bannock,  329 

Capon  Tree,  24 

Broich  Farm,  284 

Cairnburg,  233 

Cara: Island,  203 

Brooch  of  Lorn,  224 

Cairndow,  219 

Carabost,  388,  389 

Broomhall,  141,  269 

Cairngorm,  344 

Carberry  Hill,  41 

Broomhill  Stat.,  302 

Cairnies,  288 

Cardenden,  267 

Broomlee  Stat.,  129,  130 

Cairnmount,  334 

Cardoness,  11  t 

Brora,  432 

Cairn-na-beast,  425 

Cardrona,  132 

Brothock  Valley,  310 

Cairn-na-cuimhne,  340 

Cardross,  167,  189 

Brough  Lodge,  457 

Caimsmoor  of  Fleet,  104 

Cargill,  315 

Brougham,  Lord,  64 

Cairn  Skreel,  iii 

Carham  Stat.,  27 

INDEX. 


463 


CARLETON. 

CLOUSTON. 

CORRYBOROUGH. 

Carleton  Castle,  112 

Castle  Roy,  302 

Clova,  327,  329 

Carlingwark  Loch,  102 

Sneb  of,  327 

Carlisle,  7 

Spiritual,  252 

Clovenfords  Stat.,  132 

to  Edinburgh,  7 

Stewart,  368 

Clunie  Inn,  398 

to  Glasgow  or  Stirling, 

Swen,  212 

Clunes  Stat.,  417 

68 

Tyrim,  244,  383 

Clunskeid,  348 

to  Glasgow,  81,  90 

Varich,  440 

Cluny  Castle,  247  ;  (in  Aber- 

Carloway, 395 

deen),  355 

Carlowrie,  144 

Castleton,  439 

Carluke,  82 

of  Braemar,  340 

Clyde,  river,  72,  82,  150,  156, 

Carmylie  Manse,  309 

Catacol,  196 

166 

Carnassarj',  214 

Catertuns  in  Strathmore,  330 

descent  of,  187 

Carnbane,  289 

St.  Catherine's,  216  ;  Ferry, 

Falls  of,  81,  89 

Carnoustie,  307 

219 

Clydeville,  89 

Carnwath,  73 

Cathkin  Hills,  158 

Coaches,  [13] 

Carolside,  30 

Catrail,  10,  19 

Coal  and  Iron,  [24] 

Caroy,  388 

Catrine,  99 

Coatbridge,  83,  160 

Carple,  river,  104 

Catstane,  144 

Cobbler,  218 

Carradale,  198 

Cattle,  wild,  88 

Cock  of  Arran,  ig6 

Carral  Rock,  433 

Cauldron  Linn,  272 

Cockburnspath,  34 

Carrick,  114 

Cauldshiels  Hill,  19 

Cockpen,  21 

Castle,  217 

Causeway  Head,  269 

Coil,  river,  118 

Carron  Bridge,  98 

Cavers  House,  12 

Coilantogle,  177 

Stat.,  374 

Cawdor  Castle,  368 

Coilsfield,  119 

Loch,  407 

Chalmers,  Dr.,E259 

Coldingham,  33 

Water,  161 

Champfleurie  Park,  144 

Coldstream,  27 

Works,  147 

Chapel  of  Garioch,  359 

Guards,  27 

Carsaig,  230,  238 

Charies  Edward,  Prince,  55, 

Cole  Castle,  433 

Carse  of  Gowne,  267 

92,  162,  243,  244,  299,  317, 

Colinsburgh,  258 

Carskay,  202 

368,  369,  383,  3S5 

Colinton,  67 

Carslouth  Castle,  in 

Charleston,  141 

Colintraive,  211 

Carsphairn,  104 

Chatelherault,  87 

Colledge  Water,  27 

Carstairs,  73 

Chenzie  Island,  206 

Colessie  Stat.,  265 

to  Edinburgh,  73 

Chesters,  14,  19 

Colliston  Stat.,  310 

Junct.,  to  Glasgow,  81 

ChesthiU,  289 

Colmonell,  112 

Cart,  river,  189 

Chiefswood,  17 

Coloners  Bed,  343 

Carterhaugh,  80 

Chirnside,  31 

Colonsay,  208 

Cartland  Crags,  89 

Chisholm's  Pass,  423 

Colquhonny  Castle,  357 

Cashel  Dhu,  443 

Christ's  Kirk,  360 

Coltness,  83 

Cassilis,  116 

Circles,  stone,  210,  281,  437 

Combra  Castle,  289,  290 

Cassley  river,  426 

Clachan,  1Q7,  204 

Comlongon  Castle,  91 

Castel-na-loire,  246 

of  Aberfoyle,  173 

Compstone,  109 

Castle  Ardstinchar,  112 

Clach  a'  Koln,  224 

Comrie,  286 

of  Braemar,  340 

Clachie,  228 

Castle,  289 

Brahan,  417 

Clach-na-harry,  248,  417 

Cona,  river,  227 

Campbell,  143,  270 

Clackmannan,  142 

Connel  Ferry,  223 ;  sea  cata- 

 Gary,  148 

• Craig,  130 

Cladich,  215,  220 

ract,  223 

Clarkston,  159 

Conon,  417 

of  Dee,  337 

Clashcarnach,  445 

Contin  Inn,  402 

Clashmore  Inn,  424 

Coollin  Hills,  388,  392 

to  Kirkcudbright, 

Clatchard  Craig,  266 

Copansey  Island,  447 

109 

Clattering  Brig,  333 

Corbelly  Hill,  102 

Eilean  Donan,  400 

Clava  Plain,  414 

Corbie  Den,  335 

Forbes,  355 

Stones,  370 

Corgarff  Castle,  338,  358 

Eraser,  354 

Claverhouse,  305 

Corncockle,  71 

Girnigo,  436 

Cleghorn,  81 

Cornhill  Stat,  27,  375 

Cleish  Hills,  267 

Corpach,  240,  242 

Hill,  197 

Corra,  102 

Huntly,  304 

Clett,  the,  434 

Linn,  90 

Cloch  Light,  191 

Corrichie,  336 

Leod,  402 

Clochmaben,  334 

Corrie,  195 

Loch,  70 

Clochbriggs,  318 

Corrie-an-Lachan,  196 

Menzies,  283 

Closeburn  Castle,  97 

Corriemuckloch,  288 

Moil,  384 

Hall,  97 

Corrie's  Linn,  130 

of  Park,  108 

Stat,  97 

Corryarrick,  247 

Quha,  89 

Clouston,  453 

Corryborough  Bridge,  366 

464 


INDEX. 


CORRYMULZIE. 

Corrymulzie  Falls,  343 
Corryvarligen  Pass,  398,  399 
Corryvrechan,  Gulf  of,  208 
Corse  Castle,  355 
Corsewall,  112 
Corstorphine  Hill,  138 

Stat.,  144 

Cortachy,  326 
Coruisk,  392 
Coulbeg,  427 
Coul  Castle,  356 
Coulmore,  427 
Coulport,  217 
Coulter  Stat.,  74 
Couthalley  Castle,  73 
Courthill,  407 
Cove,  217,  322 
Cowal  Hills,  211 
Cowdenbeath  Junct.,  267 
Cowdenknowes,  30 
Cowie,  Old  Kirk,  321 
Cowlairs,  149 
Co.xton,  363 
Cragan  Righ,  224 
Craig  Alvie,  301 
Craig-an-darrach,  337 
Craig  Boestock,  333 
Craigcafifie  Castle,  112 
Craig  Cluny,  340 
Craigcrook,  138 
Craig  Dhu,  247 
Craigellachie,  361,  374 

Junct.  to.BanfF,  375 

Craighall,  34B 
Craigievar  Castle,  355 
Craig  Inn,  404 
Craigleith  Quarry,  138 
Craigmillar  Castle,  66 
Craig  Monach,  283 
Craig  Nair,  102 
Craig-na-Phithick,  250 
Craignethan,  82,  88 
Craignish  Castle,  213 
Craigo  Stat.,  320 
Craig  Phadrick,  414 
Craigrownie,  217 
Craigstone,  372 
Craig  Youzie,  339 
Craigie  Burn,  78 

;  Hall,  138 

Craig-y-barns,  294 
Cramond  Bridge,  138 
Craske,  441 
Crathes,  335 
Crathie,  339 
Craufordland,  loi 
Crawford,  72 

Prior>',  261 

Cray,  347 

Cree,  river,  104,  105 
Creetown,  104 
Creich,  424 
Crianlarich,  225 
Crichton  Castle,  20 
Crickhope  Linn,  97 
Crieff,  284 


DALMAGAVIE. 

CriefF  to  Aberfeldy,  288 
Criffel,  95 
Crinan,  212 

Canal,  212 

Cringletie,  130 
Crochmoy  Beacon,  202 
Croihreikdun,  442 
Cromarty,  415 
Crombie  Point,  141 
Cromdale,  374 
Crook  Inn,  74 

of  Devon,  272 

Crookston,  19  ;  castle,  124 
Crossgates,  267 
Crosslee  Stat.,  199 
Crossmichael  Stat.,  103 
Crossraguel,  114 
Croy  Stat.,  148 
Cruachan,  Ben,  214,  221 
Cruggleton  Castle,  106 
Crushnacraig  Point,  238 
Cuan,  Sound  of,  213 
Cuchullin  or  Coollin   Hills, 

380 
Culben,  sands  of,  367 
Culbleen,  337 
Culdees  Castle,  284 
Culhorn,  108 
Culivie,  423 
Culkein,  428 
Cullen,  376 
— —  Binn  of,  376 
Culloden,  368 

Moor,  414 

Culross,  141 

Abbey,  142 

Culter,  335 
Cults,  261,  334 
Culzean  Castle,  115 
Cumbernauld,  161 
Cumbrae  Islands,  192 
Cumloden,  105 
Cummertrees,  91 
Cumnock,  New,  99 

Old,  99 

Cupar,  261 

Angus,  315,  316" 

Currie  Stat.,  73 
Curriehill,  73 
Cushieville,  289,  290 


Dailly,  113 
Dairsie,  261 
Dalavaddy,  202 
Dalbeattie,      102 ;      granite 

quarries,  102 
Dalcross,  368 
Dalgetty,  141 
Dalguise,  295 
Dalhousie,  21 
Dalkeith  Palace,  125 

Stat.,  124 

Dalmagavie  Dell,  367 


DINGWALL. 

Dalmahoy,  73 
Dalmally,  221 
Dalmellington,  119 
Dalmeny,  138,  141 
Dalmuir,  166 
Dalnacardoch,  291,  299 
Dalnaspidal  Stat.,  299 
Dalpersie,  355 
Dalpowie  House,  292 
Dalquharn,  169 
Dalquharran,  13 

Castle,  113 

Dalreoch,  168 
Dalrigh,  226 
Dalrulzian,  347 
Dairy,  loi,  122 
Dalrj'mple,  116 
Dalswinton,  96 
Dalvey,  367 
Dalwhinnie,  299 
Dalwick,  74 
Dalziel,  83,  88 
Damsey,  451 
Danaglar,  347 
Darnaway  Castle,  367 
Darnhall,  130 
Darnick  Tower,  17 
Darnley,  54,  55,  58,  258 
Dava  Stat.,  302 
Davar  Island,  200 
Dean  Castle,  loi 
Deanston,  176 
Debateable  ground,  68 
Dee,  river,  103,  109,  340 

source,  334 

Wells  of,  344,  346 

Deer  forests,  313,  341,  350 
Deerness,  447 
Deer  Sound,  447 
Delny  Stat.,  419 
Deloraine,  80 
Denburn  Valley,  323 
Den  of  Airlie,  316 


357 


Kildrummie, 

Finella,  320 

Mains,  305 

Denholm,  12 
Denny,  161 
Dess  Stat.,  336 
Deveron,  river,  360,  372 
Devil's  Beef  Tub,  79 

Cauldron,  210,  286 

Dyke,  98 

Elbow,  347 

Mill,  271 

Pulpit,  183 

Staircase,  226 

Devon,  river,  270,  271 
Devon      Valley      Railway, 

269 
Dhu  Heartache  Lighthouse, 

237 
Dhu,  Loch,  342,  392 
Diabag,  406 
Dimsdale,  383 
Dingwall,  418 


INDEX. 


465 


DINGWALL. 

Dingwall  to  Strome  Ferry 
and  Skye  (Railway), 
401 

to  Ullapool,  425 

Dinnet,  Moor  of,  336 

Stat,  336 

Dinwoodie  Stat.,  71 

Dippin  rocks,  198 

Dirie  More,  425 

Dirk  Hatteraicic's  Cave,  11 1 

Dirleton  Castle,  37 

Dirnanean,  348 

Divie,  river,  303,  366 

Dob's  Linn,  78 

Dochart,  river,  226 

Dochfour,  Loch,  252 

Dog's  Ferry,  229 

Dog  Hillock,  330 

Dollar,  270 

Dolmen,  196 

Dolphinton,  130 

Don,  river,  355 

Donibristle,  141,  257 

Doon  river,  116,  118,  119 

Doonholme,  118 

Dornie,  400 

Dornoch,  424  ;  stat,  91 

Firth,  420 

Douanie,  326 

Douglas  Castle,  81 

Archibald,     "  Bell-the- 

Cat,"  19 

Catherine,  276 

Doune  Castle,  176 

Stat.,  176 

Dowalton,  Loch,  106 

Drem  Stat.,  37 

to  North  Berwick,  37 

Drimsynie,  217 

Drochil,  75,  130 

Dron  Chapel,  304 

^^Fall,  274 

Druim,  422 

Chat,  401 

Drum,  335 

Drumclog,  100 

Drumcoltran,  102 

Drumfin,  232 

Drumgowdrum,  356 

Drumlanrig,  97 

Drumlithie,  321 

Drumloch,  335 

Drammelzier,  74 

Drummond  Castle,  285 

Hill,  281,  289 

Drummore,  109 

Drummossie  RIoor,  369 

Drumouchter,  299 

Drummox,  104 

Drummuir  Stat.,  375 

Drumnadrochit,  251 

Inn,  252 

Drumtochty,  327 

Dryburgh,  13 

Abbey,  13 

House,  13 


DUNKELD. 

DryfFe  Water,  71 

Dryhope,  77 

Drymen,  183 

Duart,  230 

Dubton  Junct,  320 

Duddingstone,  55 

Duff  House,  372 

Dufftown,  375 

Dugary,  196 

Duholme,  448 

Duich,  Loch,  399 

Dulnain,  river,  302 

forest,  302 

Dulsie  Bridge,  366 

Dumbarton,  166,  189 

to    Helensburgh    and 

Gareloch,  167 

Dumbuck,  hill  of,  189 

Dumfries,  92 

House,  99 

to  Portpatrick,  loi 

Dun  o'  Deer,  360 

Dunadd,  212 

Dunaquoich,  219,  220 

Dunaverty,  201 

Dunbar,  35 

Dunbeath,  437 

Water,  437 

Dunblane,  175 

Dunbuy  of  Slaines,  353 

Duncansbay  Head,  413 

Dun  Craig,  385,  403 

Dun  Creich,  414 

Duncrub,  275 

Dundagu,  230 

Dun-da-lair,  247 

Dundas  Castle,  139,  141 

Dundee,  265,  305 ;  old 
steeple,  305  ;  people's 
parks,  306 ;  jute  mills, 
306 ;  marmalade,  306 ; 
steamers,  railways,  307 

Dunderawe,  219 

Dundochil  Island,  174 

Dundonachie,  294 

Dundonald  Castle,  120 

Dundonnell  Hills,  426 

Dun  Domadill,  443 

Dundrennan,  no 

Dune  of  Invernochty,  358 

Dunecht,  335 

Dunfermline,  267  ;  Abbey, 
268 

Dunfillan,  286 

Dun  Foin,  423 

Dunglass,  35  ;  on  Clyde,  166 

Dungoil  Fort,  210 

Dun,  I.,  237 

Dunie,  412 

Dunimarle  Castle,  142 

Dunion,  24 

Dunipace,  161 

Dunira,  286 

Dunjardil,  242 

DuNKELD,  293 

to  Pitlochrie,  295 


EDEN. 

Dunlop,  loi  ;  cheeses,  loi 
Dun  Macsniochan,  239 
Dunmore,  142 
Dunmyat  Hill,  175,  269 
Dunnet  Head,  439 
Dunnikier  Den,  257 

House,  258 

Law,  258 

Dunning,  275 
Dunolly  Castle,  224 
Dunoon,  209,  216 
Dunnottar,  321 
Dunphail,  303,  366 
Dunragit,  108 
Dun  Reay,  440 
Dunrobin,  431 
Dunse,  30 
Dunsinane,  303 
Dunskeig  Hill,  204 
Dunskey  Castle,  109 
Dunstaffnage,  223 
Duntocher,  189 
Duntreath,  183 
Duntroon,  213 
Duntulm,  387 
Dunure  Castle,  114 
Dunvegan,  388 
Dupplin  Castle,  276 
Dura  Den,  261 
Durie  House,  258 
Durinear,  407 
Durinish,  388 
Durisdeer,  97 
Durness,  431,  444 
Durris  House,  335 
Dusk  water,  loi 
Dwarfie  Stone,  454 
Dyce  Junct.,  351 
Dye  Valley,  334 
Dysart,  257 


E 

Eardle  River,  348 
Earl's  Hall,  262 
Eari's  Mill  Stat.,  375 
Earlston,  30 
Earn  Bridge,  266 

Loch,  286 

River,  267,  285 

Easdale,  213 
Eassie  Stat.,  316 
East  Fortune  Stat.,  37 
Eastgrange  Stat.,  269 
East  Haven,  307 
Easter  Lomond  Hill,  260 
Eathie  Bum,  415 
Ecclefechan,  69 
Echaig,  river,  216 
Echt,  335 
Eck,  Loch,  216 
Eckford,  23 
Edderton,  420 
Eddlestone,  130 
Eden,  river,  90,  274 


466 


INDEX. 


EDGERSTONE. 

EWES  WATER. 

FINHAVON. 

Edgerstone,  24 

Edinburgh   or    Carstairs    to 

Ey,  river,  343 

Edrachalda,  428 

Stirling,  161 

Eyemouth,  33 

Edixburgh,  42,  44  ;   Advo- 

Edinample, 280 

cates' Library,  51  ;  Arthur's 

Edinchip,  280 

Seat,  56  ;  Botanic  Garden, 

Edinkillie,  303 

F 

65  ;  cab  fares,  43  :  Calton 

Edinshall,  31 

Hill,  59  ;    Canongate,   53  ; 

Edmonstone,  125 

Faile,  river,  119, 

Castle,  45-47  ;  Castle  Hill, 

Ednam,  27 

Fair  Isle,  455 

47  ;  city  cross,  51  ;  coach- 

Edrachillis,  291,  430 

Fairfield,  189 

office,  43  ;  Corn  Exchange, 

Edramuckie,  281 

Fairlie,  192 

48  ;      County     Hall,     48  ; 

Edrom,  31 

Falar,  350 

Cowgate,        56 ;        Crown 

Edward  I.,  145,  163,  268 

Falkirk,  147 

Room,  47  ;  Dean  Bridge, 

Edzell,  331  ;  Castle,  331 

Falkland,  260 

63  ;  Donaldson's  Hospital, 

Eggerness  Castle,  106 

Fallen  rocks,  195 

63  ;  Royal  Exchange,  52  ; 
Excursions,    65  ;       Fettes 

Egilshey,  454 

Falls  of  Clyde,  81,  89 

Eglinton,  121 

College,  63  ;  Free  Assem- 

Eigg, Scuir  of,  232,  381 

Fender,  351 

bly   Hall,   47;     St.   Giles' 

Eildon  Hall,  12  ;  Hills,  12 

Foyers,  251,  414 

Church,  49  :  Granton,  66  ; 

Eilean  Donan,  400  ;  Fiannan, 

Garry,  296 

Garrawalt,  340 

Grassmarket,    48 ;     Grey- 

244 

friars  Church,  56 ;   Heriot's 

Geng,  211 

Hospital,  57  ;  High  School, 

Maree,  405 

Glomach,  399 

59  ;  history,  45,  64  ;  Holy- 

Mor,  212 

Kilmorak,  340,  417 

rood  Abbey,  54  ;  Holyrood 

Stacker,  239 

Kirkaigh,  428 

Palace,  54 ;   hospitals,  57, 

Elcho  Castle,  303 

Moness,  283 

137 ;    hotels,    43  ;    Lawn- 

Eldershe,  123,  189 

Moriston,  250 

market,    48  ;     Leith,    65  ; 

Elgin,  362 

libraries,     51  ;     meadows. 

Elibank,  132 

Farnell  Road  Stat.,  319 

58  ;  Mons  Meg,  46  ;  Mo- 

EHe, 258 

Farland,  White,  196 

ray    House,    53  ;    mound, 

Eliock,  98 

Farout  Head,  444 

60  ;  museum,  58,  61  ;  Na- 

Ellen's Isle,  181 

Farrachel  Hill,  283 

tional   Gallery,     62  ;    emi- 

EUisland, 96 

Farragon  Mount,  291 

nent  natives,  64  ;    Nether 

Elliston,  123 

Farrar,  river,  422 

Bow,  51  ;  Newhaven,  61 ; 

Ellon,  352 

Fasque,  333 

New    Town,    59  ;    North 

Elvanfoot,  72 

Fashven,  445 

Loch,  45  ;  Old  Town,  45  ; 

Elwick,  448 

Faskally,  295,  296 

Parliament     House,     50 ; 

Embo,  424 

Fasnakyle,  423 

population,  45  ;  post-office. 

Endiart,  river,  350 

Fast  Castle,  34 

60;    Princes    Street    Gar- 

Endrick water,  70,  183 

Fassifern,  243 

dens,   62  ;  Queen's  Drive, 

Enzie,  376 

Fassney  water,  31 

56 ;      Queen      Margaret's 

Erchless,  422 

Fatlips  Castle,  72 

Chapel,  46  ;  Queen  Mary's 

Ercildoun,  Thomas  of,  30 

Fauldhouse  Stat.,  160 

apartments,  47,  55;  Queens- 

Eredine,  214 

Fearn,  416 

berry  House,  53  ;  railway 

EriboU,  443 

Fenwick,  loi 

stations,  43  ;  register  office. 

Ericht,  river,  291,  348 

Feochan,  213 

59  ;  Royal  Institution.  60  ; 

Erick's  Steps,  455 

Feonochan  Castle,  214 

Salisbury  Crags,  56  ;  Scott 

Errol,  303 

Erskine  House,  166 

Ferintosh,  418 

Monument,     60 ;     Signet 

Ferness,  366 

Library,     51  ;     site,     44  ; 

Esk  river,    7,    42,    68,    129, 

Femihurst,  24 

steamers,  43  ;  theatre,  64  ; 

320,  329,  333 

Ferntower,  285 

Tolbooth,   49  ;  Tron  Ch., 

Eskadale,  422 

Ferrj^den,  310 

52 ;   University,    58  ;  Vic- 

Eskbank Junct.,  21 

Fetlar,  457 

toria     Hall,     48  ;     walks 

Stat.,  126 

Fettercaim,  333 

through    Edinburgh,    43  ; 

Essachosan  Glen,  220 

Fetternear,  354 

Watson's     Hospital,     58  ; 

Essiemore,  198 

Feugh  water,  332,  334 

West      Bow,  48  ;      White 

Esslemont,  352 

Fifeshire,  256 

Horse  Close,  53 

Etive,  Loch,  223 

Fillans,    St.,   226;   on   Loch 

Edinburgh  to  Dundee,  256 

Bay,  210 

Earn,  286 

Bridge,  80 

Findhorn,  365 

and  Stirling,  267 

House,  80 

river,  303,  367 

to  Galashiels,  125 

Ettichan  water,  344 

Findlater  Castle,  376 

to  Glasgow,  144 

Ettrick,  river,  75,  80 

Findon  or  Finnan,  322 

by    Mid-Calder, 

Evan,  river,  71 

Finella  Hill,  333 

160 

Evanton,  418 

Fingal's  Cave,  233 

to  Perth,  265 

Evelaw,  30 

Fingask  Castle,  303 

to  Stirling,  140 

Ewes  Water,  8 

Finhavon,  318,  326 

INDEX. 


467 


FINLAGAN. 

Finlagan,  Loch,  206 
Finlarig,  281 
Finlayston,  i8g 
Finnart  Bay,  112, 
Finnich  Glen,  183 
Finstown,  451 
Fintry  Hills,  183 
Fisherrovv,  42 
Fishie,  river,  350 
Fitfiel  or  Fitful  Head,  455 
Fladda  Island,  233 
Fleet,  Mound  of,  421,  425 
Flodden  Field,  28 
Floors,  25,  26 
Flora  Macdonald,  387 
Florestan  Stat.,  68 
Flowerdale,  405 
Fochabers,  361,  376 
Foinhabhen,  429,  431 
Ford,  214 
Fordoun,  321 
Forest  Lodge,  350 
Forfar,  318 
Forgandenny,  276 
Forglen,  372 
Forres,  303,  365 
Forrestfield  Stat.,  159 
Forse,  440 

to  Inverness,  367 

Forsinard  Stat.,  433 

Fort-Augustus,  250 

to  Skye,  397 

Charlotte,  455 

George,  368 

Teviot,  275 

William,  229,  239 

to  Arsaig,   242 

to  Kingussie,  245 

Forter  Castle,  331,  347 

Forteviot,  275 

Forth  and  Clyde  Canal,  166, 
i8g;  Junct.  Rly.,  182 

Forth,  Firth  of,  139, 

Links  of,  143 

Fortingal,  289 

Fortrose,  415 

Forvie,  353 

Foudland  Hills,  360 

FouHs  Wester,: 287 

Foulsheugh,  321 

Foulshiels,  76 

Fountains  Hall  Stat.,  20 

Fowlis  Castle,  418 

Easter  Church,  304 

Foyers,  Falls  of,  251,  414 

Fraserburgh,  352 

Freswick,  447 

Freshwick,  438 

Friars  Carse,  96 

Fullarton  House,  120 

Furnace,  220 

Fushie  Bridge,  21 

Fyne  Loch,  204,  211 

Fyrish,  Hill  of,  419 

Fyvie  Castle,  371 

Stat.,  37 


GIGHA. 


Gadgirth,  118 

Gaelic  names  explained,  [48] 

Gairloch,   405  ;  Inn,  405 

Gairlochy,  249 

Gairnie,  river,  271 

Gairnshiel,  338 

Gala  House,  19 

Water,  19,  119 

Galashiels,  19 

to  Moffat,  75 

Gallenach  House,  213 
Gallon  Head,  394 
Galloway,  103 

Bum,  112 

House,  106 

New,  103 

Galston,  100 
Gamescleuch,  80 
Gannochy  bridge,  332 
Garachary,  river,  346 
Gardyne  Castle,  319 
Gareloch  Head,  168 
Gargunnock,  182 
Garioch,  359 
Gariveilan,  394 
Garleton  Hills,  39 
Garlic's  Castle,  105 
Garlieston,  106 
Garnkirk,  83,  160 
Garrawalt  Falls,  340 
Garrison,  the,  192 
Garry,  river,  192,  296 

Falls  of,  296 

Garry-na-hine,  395 
Garsbheinn,  391 
Garscube,  165 
Gartcosh,  83,  160 
Garth  Ceistle,  289,  290 
Garthland  Tower,  log       -  -■ 
Gartly,  360 
Gartmore,  173 
Gartness  Stat.,  183 
Gartsherrie,  83,  160 
Garvald,  130 
Garve,  402 

Gatehouse-of-Fleet,  iii 
Gattonside,  17 
Gaudy,  river,  360 
Gauer,  river,  291 
Geauly,  river,  350 
Gelder,  river,  340 
Geldy,  river,  350 
Gelston,  102 
General's  Bridge,  74 
Genock,  108 
Geology,  [21] 

Georgemus  Junct.  Stat.,  434 
Geusachan,  river,  346,  423 
Geysen  Briggs,  420 
Giant's  Colonnade,  234 

Grave,  78 

Gififard  Castle,  40 
Gigha  Island,  203 


GLEN. 

Gight,  352,  371 

Gigulum,  Islet  of,  203 

Gilmerton,  288 

Gilnockie,  8 

Girnigo,  436 

Girvan,  113 

Water,  113 

Gladsmuir,  40 

Gladswood,  17 

Glamaig,  392 

Glamis,  Castle,  316 

Glascarnoch,  "425 

Glasgow,  149  ;  Argyle 
Street,  i^^o  ;  Broomielaw, 
156  ;  artificial  ice,  157  : 
cathedral,  151-153  ;  chemi- 
cal works,  157  ;  Clyde, 
156;  crypt,  152;  docks,  156; 
Exchange,  154 ;  Excur- 
sions, 149  ;  Gallery  of 
Art,  154 ;  green,  154 ; 
history,  157  ;  hotels,  149  ; 
Hutcheson's  Hospital,  155 ; 
manufactures,  157  ;  mu- 
seum, 155  ;  Napier's 
Works,  157 ;  necropolis, 
153  ;  population,  150  ; 
post-office,  150  ;  railways, 
158  ;  railway  termini,  149  ; 
Saltmarket,  154  ;  schools, 
156  ;  shipbuilding  yards, 
156;  site,  150;  steamers, 
158  ;  Tron  steeple,  153  ; 
Turkey-red  dyeing,  157  ; 
Universities,  155,  156  ;  Ca- 
thedral, 151  ;  the  Crj'pt, 
152  ;  stained  glass,  153  ; 
churchyard,  153 

to  Bothwell,  Hamilton, 

Lanark,    and   Falls  of  the 
Clyde,  83 

to     Campbeltown    and 

Cantyre,  199 

to  Edinburgh  by  Airdrie 

and  Bathgate,  158 

to   Greenock   and  We- 

myss  Bay,  199 

to  Inveraray,  215,  217 

to  Isla  and  Jura,  204 

to   Loch    Lomond  and 

Tarbet,  165 

to  Oban,  209 

Glasmeal,  347 
Glass,  river,  423 
Glassel,  336 
Glasserton,  107 
Glasven,  430 
Glazert  water,  148 
Glen  AiTrick,  251,  423 

Airlie,  316 

Almond  College,  287 

Alva,  270 

App,  112 

Aray,  220 

Arvie,  201 

Ashdale,  198 


468 


INDEX. 


GLEN. 

Glen  Avon,  358 

Baddoch,  347 

Ballagan,  184 

bar  Abbey,  203 

Beg,  347,  400 

Breckay,  202 

Brerechan,  348 

bucket,      river,      357  ; 

Castle,  357 

Buckie,  280 

Callater,  341 

Gaily,  328,  331 

Camagorie,  243 

Campsie,  148 

Cannich,  422 

Caple,  94 

Carron,  402 

carse,  303 

Cashick,  178 

Clova,  328 

Clunie,  341  . 

coe,  226  ;  massacre  of, 

228 

Conrjs  358 

Corry,  343 

corse,  67 

creggan,  203 

croe,  218 

Dee,  346,  349 

Derrie,  344 

Dessarj',  243 

Dochart,  225,  404 

Doel,  327 

• Doin,  215 

eagles,  275 

Eardle,  348 

Effock,  332 

Einig,  427 

Elchaig,  399 

elg,  383,  400 

Esk,  42 

Ey,  343 

Falloch,  225 

farg,  274 

Farigaig,  251 

fee,  328 

Fernate,  348 

femess,  366 

feshie,  300,  350 

fiddich,  357,  375 

Fincastle,  296 

finlas,  171,  178,  280 

finnan,  243 

Finnart,  217 

Finnich,  183 

fruin,  168,  171 

Fumess,  303 

Furraied,  245 

Fyne,  219 

garry,  250,  397 

gelder,  340 

grudie,  404 

gy\e,  181 

House,  132 

iffer,  124 


GOREBRIDGE. 

Glen  lorsa,  196 

Isla,  330,  375 

Ken,  103 

Kilrie,  347 

kindie,  357 

kinglass,  219 

lee,  103 

livat,  374,  375 

lochy,  347 

loth,  433 

luce  Stat.,  107 

Lui,  346 

Luing,  398 

Lyon,  289 

House,  289 

Main,  178 

manuilt,  202 

mark,  333 

IMonymore,  197 

Mooran,  332 

More,  347,  400 

Moriston,  250 

muich  Falls,  426 

Ness,  119 

Nevis,  241,  242 

Ogle,  280,  326 

orchy,  221 

prosen,  326,  330 

Quolch,  342,  398 

Rosa,  195 

Roy,  245 

Sannox,  195 

Scorrisdale,  197 

Shiel,  398 

Shira,  219 

Shiraig,  194 

Souleach,  243 

Spean,  246 

Strae,  221 

Strontian,  242 

tanner,  333,  336 

Tang>s  203 

Tatnich,  347 

Tig,  112 

Tilt,  298,  350 

Tinmont,  332 

Torrisdale,  200 

Tromie,  350 

Truim,  299 

Turrit,  285 

Urquhart,  251 

Glengarry's  Bowling-Green. 

Glenormiston,  132 
Glinggling  Cave,  441 
Glomach  Falls,  399 
Glorat,  148 
Goatfell,  194 
Gogar,  144 
Goldielands,  11 
Golspie,  425,  431 

to  Wick,  431 

Gordon  Arms  Inn,  77 
Gordon  Castle,  361 

Stat.,  30 

Gorebridge,  21 


HARDMOOR. 

Gosford  House,  39 
Govan,  188 
Gourock,  191 
Gowrie  Castle,  294 

conspiracy,  288 

Graemshall,  447 
Graham's  Dyke,  148 
Grandtully,  284 
Grange,  257 

Junct.,  361,  375 

Lady,  397 

Grangemouth,  141 
Granite  quarries,  354 
Grant  Castle,  302 
Granton,  66,  256 
Grantown,  302,  374 
Grant's  House  Stat.,  34 
Gray  House,  304 
Great  C  umbrae,  192 
Great  Glen,  248 
Greenhill  Junct.,  161 
Greenlaw,  30 
Greenloaning,  274 
Geeenock,  190 

Upper  Stat.,  159 

Gretna  Green,  90 

Junct.,  68 

Grey  Cairn,  348 
Grey  Mare's  Tail,78,  104 
Grieston,  132 
Grudie,  Bridge  of,  404 
Gualin,  431 
Guardbridge,  262 
Guay  Stat.,  295 
Gulin  Castle,  213 
Gunsgreen,  33 
Guthrie  Castle,  319 
Gyffen  Castle,  122 
Gyle,  Loch,  233 


Habbie's  How,  68 
Haddington,  40 
Haddo  House,  352 
Hafton,  216 
Hagg's  Castle,  124 
Hailes  Castle,  36 
Halbar  Tower,  89 
Halbeath,  267 
Halidon  Hill,  32 
Halival,  382 
Halkirk,  433 
Hallforest  Castle,  358 
Hallgreen  Castle,  320 
Hallyards,  144 
H.\MiLTON  Palace,  85 

Stat.,  84 

to  Lanark  and  Falls  of 

the  Clyde,  88 
Handa  Island,  429 
Hangingshaw,  77 
Harburn  Stat.,  73 
Harden,  11 
Hardmoor,  367 


INDEX. 


469 


HARKER. 
Marker,  7 
Harland  Hill,  436 
Harlaw,  359 
Harold's  Tomb,  439 
Harris,  395 

Hart-a-Corrie,  392 

Hartfell,  78 

Hartfield,  217 

Harthill  Castle,  360 

Hartrigge,  24 

Harvieston,  270 

Haskeval,  382 

Hassendean,  12 

Hatton,  73 

Castle,  372 

Havves  Stat.,  139 

Hawick,  10 

Hawthornden,  127 

Heading  Hill,  352 

Hebrides,  393 

Heights  of  Mountains,  [30] 

Heilim  Inn,  442 

Helensburgh,  167,  190 

Hell's  Glen,  217 

Helmsdale,  433 

to  Wick  by  the  Ord  of 

Caithness,  436 

Hempriggs,  437 

Henderland,  77,  130 

Hendersyde,  27 

Hensoll,  103 

Herd,  the,  445 

Heriot  Stat.,  20 

Water,  20 

Hermitage,  9 

Herrings,  Loch  Fyne,  220 

Highbridge,  245 

Highfield,  417 

Highlandman  Stat.,  284 

Hill  of  Aigas,  412 

Cluny,  365 

Cnoc,  205 

Fare,  336 

Fyrish,  419 

Lonach,  358 

Noth,  360 

Ought,  327 

Tulloch,  298 

Hirsel,  the,  28 

Hoddam,  69,  91 

Hogg,  James,  81 

Holbum  Head,  434 

Hole  of  Row,  453 

Hollybush  Stat.,  119 

Holme  House,  104 

Sound,  447 

Holy  Hill,  275 

Isle,  198 

Loch,  216 

Town,  83,  160 

Holyrood  Palace,  54 

Holywood,  96 

Home  of  Dunbar,  his  monu- 
ment, 36 

Hope,  river,  442 

Hopetoun  House,  139 


INVEREY. 

HomcHfF,  29 
Horsburgh  Castle,  132 
Hospisdale,  424 
Hospital,  convaiescentjEdi 
burgh,  144 

Glasgow,  148 

Hourn,  Loch,  383 
House  of  Muir,  68 
Stenniss,  452 


Houston, 


C99 


Howe  of  Fife,  260 
Hoy,  island  of,  454 
Hume  Castle,  27,  30 

Joseph,  320 

Sir  Patrick,  30 

Huna,  438 

Hunter,  Drs.  John  and  Wil- 
liam, 84 
Huntingtower,  288 
Huntley  Burn,  18 
Huntly,  360 
Hurlford  Junct,  100 


I-Columb-Kill,  235 
Imachar,  196 
Inch,  North,  276 

South,  276 

affray,  287 

cailliach,  170 

colm,  140 

drewer  Castle,  373 

ewan  Burn,  294 

gar\'ie,  139 

keith,  256 

Kenneth,  233 

Lonaig,  170 

mahone,  172 

Murrin,  170 

ture  Stat.,  304 

nadamff  Inn,  427 

och  Tower,  367 

Inellan,  209 
Innerleithen,  132 
Innerwick,  35,  290 
Innis  Chonel,  214 
Innisfraoch,  215 
Innish  Errech,  214 
Innishfail,  215 
Insch,  360 
Inns,  [14] 

Inveramsay  Junct.,  359 
Inveran,  421 
Inveraman,  172,  225 
Inveraray,  219 
Inveraylort,  244 
Invercannich,  422 
Invercarron,  420 
Invercauld,  340 
Invercoe,  228 
Invercroskie,  348I 
Inveresk  Stat.,  42 
Invereven,  426 
Inverey,  343 


JOHNSTONE. 

Inverfarigaig,  251 

Invergarry,  249  ;  Castle,  307; 
House,  249 

to  Skye,  397 

Invergelder,  340 

Invergordon,  419 

Invergowrie,  304 

Inverie,  383 

Inver  Inn,  340 

Inverinet,  399 

Inverkeillor,  310 

Inverkeithing,  140 

Inverkip,  191 

Inverlaal,  426 

Inverlochy  Castle,  240 

Invermark  Castle,  332 

Invermay,  275 

Invermoriston,  250 

Invernahavon,  299 

Inverness,  252,  370,  412 

to  Cromarty,  412 

to  Golspie  and  Helms- 
dale, 416 

Invernochty,  Dune  of,  358 

Inveroran,  226 

Inverpefferan,  418 

Inverquharity  Castle,  318 

Inversanda,  242 

Invershin,  470 

Inversnaid,  172,  174,  182 

Invertrossachs,  178 

Inverugie,  353 

Inveruglas,  171 

Inverury,  359 

Inystrynlch,  215 

Inzievar,  269 

Zona,  235 

Priory  of  Austin  Nuns, 

235  ;  Maclean's  Cross,  235  ; 
Cemetery,  235 ;  Cathedral, 
236 

steamer,  209 

Irongray  Church,  94;: 

Irvine,  121 

Isa,  Isle  of,  388 

Isauld,  440 

I  slay,  204 

Isle  Ornsay,  383 


James  I.,  276 
James  VI.,  288 
Jamestown,  184 
Jardine  Hall,  70 
Jarlshof,  455 
Jeantown,  403 
Jedburgh,  23 

Abbey,  23 

Jed  Water,  24 
Jock's  Ladder,  328 
John-o'-Groat's  House,  438 
Johnson,    Dr.,  65,    120,  230, 

238,  353.  389.  398 
Johnstone,  123 


470 


INDEX. 


JORDANHILL. 

Jordanhill,  189 

Jura,  207  ;  Sound,  212 


Kailzie,  132 
Kaim  of  Mathers,  320 
Kalemouth,  23 
Kame  of  Hoy,  454 
Karnes  Castle,  210 
Kair  Mount,  329,  333 
Katrine,  Loch,  180,  181 
Kearvaig  Bay,  445 
Keill  House,  202 
Keills,  212 
Keir,  174 

Hill,  119 

Keiss,  438,  447 
Keith  Junct.,  361,  375 

Hall,  359 

Marshall,  353 

Kelbum  Castle,  192 
Kellerstain,  144 
Kelso,  25 

Abbey,  25 

Keltie  burn,  176 
Kelvin  Valley,  165 
Kemnaj',  354 
Ken,  river,  103 
Kenmore,  282 

to  Glencoe,  290 

Kenmure  Castle,  103 

Kennageal,  443 

Kennet,  142 

Kennethmount,  360 

Kerfield,  132 

Kerrera  Island,  213 

Sound, 238 

Kerrie,  river,  405 

Kerrisdale,  405 

Kershope,  9 

Kessock  Ferrj',  414 

Kiel's  Den,  258 

Kilbarchan,  123 

Kilbirnie,  122 

Kilbrannan  Sound,  199 

Kilbride,  192 

Kilchenzie,   203 

Kilchoman,  205 

Kilchrist,  389 

Kilchurn,  221 

Kil  Coivin,  202 

Kilconquhar,  258 

Kilcreggan,  217 

Kilda,  St.,  396 

Kildaloig,  201 

Kildalton,  205 

Kildonan,  198,  433 

Kildmmmie,  356 

Kilellan,  423 

Kilgraston  House,  266 

Kilkerran,  113,  201 

Killahonan,  291 

Killean,  203 

Killearn,  149 


KINNEIL. 

Killeser,  109 
Killiecrankie  Pass,  296 

Stat.,  296 

Killin,  280,  433 
Killochan,  113 
Killundine,   231 
Kilywhan,  96,  102 
Kilmahew,  167 
Kilmahog,  177 
Kilmalcolm,  199 
Kilmall)',  240,  243 
Kilmaree,  390 
Kilmarnock,  100,  184 
Kilmartin,  214 
Kilmaurs,  loi 
Kilmelfort,  212,  215 
Kilmeny,  205 
Kilmichael,  204 

Glassary,  213 

Lussa,  212 

Kilmorack  Falls,  417,  422 
Kilmorie,  212 
Kilmuir,  387 
Kilmun,  216 
Kilninver,  215 
Kilpatrick,  189 
Kilpurnie  Hill,  166,  316 
Kilravock,  368 
Kilsvth,  148 
Kilt 'Rock  (Skye),  388 
Kilwinning,  121 
Kimmerghame,  30 
Kinaldie,  358 
Kinbrace  Stat.,  433 
Kincaid,  148 
Kincardine,  142 

Castle,  275,  333 

O'Neil,  336 

Kincraig  Stat.,  300 
Kinfauns,  303 
King  Edward  Stat.,  372 
Kinghorn,  257 
Kingoldrum,  326 
Kingsburgh  House,  386 
King's  Caves,  197 

Cross,    198 

King's  House  Inn,  226 

(Strathyre),  279 

Kingskettle  Stat.,  260 
Kingsknowe  Stat.,  73 
Kingswell,  120 
Kingussie,  247,  300 
Kinloch  Aline,  231 

Aylort,  244 

Ewe,    404 

House,  265 

Lochy,  249 

Luichart,  402 

more  Falls,  229 

Moydart,  244 

Rannoch,  291 

Kinloss,  365 
Kinmont  House,  gi 
Kinnaird,  i5i,  319 

House,  295 

Kinneil,  141 


KYLE  OF  TONGUE. 

Kinneswood,  273 
Kinnordy,  318,  326 
Kinnoul  Hill,  303 
Kinross,  272 
Kintail,  399 
Kintore,  358 
Kintradwell,  433 

Kintraw,  215 

Kippen  Stat.,  183 

Kippenross,  175 
Kipps,  159 

Kirkaig  Falls,  428 

Kirkbank  Stat.,  23 
Kirkcaldy,  257 

Kirkcolm,  112 

Kirkconnell,  69.  95 
Stat.,  98 

Kirkcowan,  107 

Kirkcudbright,  109 

Slewartry,  103,  110 

Kirkdale  House,  112 

Kirkfieldbank,  89 

Kirkgunzeon,  102 

Kirkiboll,  442 

Kirkintilloch,  148 

Kirklands,  14 

Kirkliston,  138,  144 

Kirkmabreck,  104 

Kirkmaiden,  108 

Kirkmichael,  348 

Kirkness,  106 

Kirknewton  Junct.,  73 

Kirk  o'  Field,  58 

Kirkoswald,  115 

Kirkpatrick,   69 

Kirkton  Hill,  320 

Kirkwall,  448  ;  Cathedral, 
449  ;  Bishop's  Palace,  449 

Kirn,  216 

Kirnan,  213 

Kirriemuir,  318 

to   Ballater  and   Brae- 
mar  by  Glen  Clova,  326 

Kirrouchtree,  105 

Kirtle  Bridge  Stat.,  69 

water,  69,  91 

Kisamul,  396 

Kittj'brewster,  351 

Knapdale,  207 

Knock  Castle,  191,  383 

Stat.,  375 

of  Brae  Moray,  303 

Derry,  217 

of  Crieff,  285 

Knockdolian,  112 

Knockfarril,  401 

Knox,  John,  birthplace,  40 

Knoydart,  383 

Kyle  Akin,  384,  400 

of  Bute,  191,  210 

Durness,  444 

Rhea,  383,  384 

Skou,  430 

of  Tongue,  440 


INDEX. 


471 


LADDER. 


Ladder,  the,  333 
Ladybank  Junct.,  260 
Lady  Kirk,  29 
Lady's  Cave,  309 

Rock,  230 

Lag,  98 
Lagg,  207 
Laggan,  249 

river,  206 

Lagg  Bay,  382 

Laigland  Wood,  118 

Lairg,  420 

to      Loch     Inver     and 

Durness,  426 
to    Durness,    by    Loch 

Shin  and  Scourie,  429 

to  Tongue,  499 

Lairs  hill,  148 
Lake  Dwellings,  106,  245 
Lamancha,  129 
Lamberton,  32 
Lamington,  72 
Lamlash,  198 
Lammermoor  Hills,  34 
Lanark,  81,  89 

New,  89 

Langalchorid,  210 
Langholm,  8 

Lodge,  8 

Lang  Straight,  333 
Langside,  battlefield  of,  158 
Langloan  Ironworks,  i6o 
Langton  House,  31 
Langwell,  437 
Lanrick,  176 

Mead,  178 

Larbert,  161 
Largie,  203 
Largo,  258 

Law,  258 

Largs,  191 

Larig  Rue  Pass,  343,  346 
Larne,  108 
Lasswade,  126 
Latheron,  437 
Lauder,  19 
Laurencekirk,  321 
Lauriston,  140 

Stat.,  320 

Lawers,  286 

Inn,  281 

Laxford  Bridge,  429 

river,  429 

Leadburn  Junct.,  129 
Leaderfoot,  17 

river,  19 

Leadhills,  72 

Leaf  Beds  of  Mull,  231,  237 

Learmouth,  27 

Ledard  Falls,  174 

Ledbeg,  427 

Ledmore,  427 


LIVINGSTONE. 
Lednoch,  Falls  of,  286 
Lee  House,  82 

Penny,  82 

Leecroft  Church,  174 
Lees,  28 

Leighton,  Bp.,  175 
Leith,  65 
Leithen  Water,  132 
Lendalfoot,  112 
Lennel  House,  28 
Lennox  Castle,  148,  170 

Tower,  73 

Lennoxlove,  40 
Lennoxtown,  148 
Lentran  Stat.,  417 
Leny  Pass,  278 
Lenzie  Junct.  Stat.,  148 
Lerwick,  455 
Leslie,  259 

Gen.,  34,  202,  259 

House,  259 

Castle,  360 

Lesmahagow,  90 

Lesser  Cumbrae,  192 

Lessuden,  14 

Lethnot,  330 

Letterewe,  404 

Leuchars,  261 

Levan  Castle,  191 

Leven,      Loch,     229,     272 ; 

river,  166,  169 

Stat.,  258 

Lewis  or  Lews,  394 

Butt  of,  395 

Leyden,  John,  birthplace,  12 
Leysmill  Stat.,  310 
Lhanbryde,  362 
Liberton,  67 
Liddell,  9 

Castle,  9 

Liddesdale,  9 
Likelyhead,  360 
Lillyard's  Edge,  14 
Limecraigs,  201 
Limekilns,  141 
Linassie  Bridge,  399 
Lincluden,  93 
Lindean  Stat.,  75 
Linden  House,  25S 
Lindisfarne,  32 
Lindores,  265 
Lineside  Stat.,  7 
Linhouse  Burn,  73 
Links  of  Forth,  143 
Linlithgow,  145 
Linn  of  Dee,  343,  344 

Quoich,  342 

Ruthrie,  374 

Linthaughlee  Burn,  24 
Linton,  26 

West,  Stat.,  36,  129 

Lion's  Face,  340 
Lismore,  230,  238 
Littledean  Tower,  22 
Little  Loch  Broom,  425 
Livingstone  Stat.,  160 


LOCH. 
Livingstone,    David, 


place  of,  84 
Lix,  225,  280 
Loannan,  river,  427 
Lochaber,  248 
Loch  A'an,  345 

Acheltie,  402 

Achray,  178 

Affrick,  423 

Ainort,  392 

Aligan,  214 

Aline,  231 

Alsh,  383,  400 

Alvie,  301 

an-Dorbh,  303 

an-Eilan,  301 

an-Head,  102 

an-Neain,  342 

arbriggs,  71 

Ard,i73 

Arkaig,  243,  245 

Arklet,  182 

Assynt,  427 

Auchall,  427 

Avich,  215 

Avon,  545 

Awe,  214,  427 

Aj-lort,  244 

Beneveian,  423 

Boisdale,  396 

Borrolan,  427 

Brandy,  327 

Broom,  425 

Brora,  432 

Butterstone,  349 

Buy,  238 

Callater,  342 

Carlingwark,  102 

Carron,  403,  407 

Castle,  70 

Chon,  174 

Clunie,  349,  398 

Clumly,  453 

Coruisk,  391 

Craignish,  213,  215 

Creran,  239 

Crinan,  212 

CuUen,  402 

Damph,  427 

Dee,  109 

Dhu,  392 

Dochart,  225 

Dochfour,  252 

Doine,  279 

Doon,  119 

Doule,  403 

Dowalton,  106 

Druin,  425 

— —  Drunkie,  173 

Duich,  399 

Earn,  286 

Head,  280,  287 

Eck,  216 

Ee,  304 

Eil,  239,  243 

Eishort,  391 


birth- 


472 


INDEX. 


LOCH. 

LOCH. 

LYON. 

Loch  Enoch,  120 

Loch  Lydoch,  226,  291 

Loch  Treig,  246 

Eriboll,  442 

Lyon,  290 

Trool,  105 

Ericht,  291,  299 

maben,  70 

Tullich,  226 

Etive,  223 

Maddy,  396 

Ettichan,  344 

Turrit,  286 

Martnahan,  119 

Vennachar,  178 

Fad,  210 

Voil,  279 

Fadda,  386 

Mehall,  386 

Watten,  435 

Fannich,  402 

Wharral,  327 

Fee,  327 

Menteith,  172 

Winnoch,  122 

Fewn,  428 

Lochar  Moss,  91 

Morar,  245 

Lochend  Inn,  252 

Findhorn,  365 

Loch  Inch  Castle,  108 

Freuchie,  288 

Muich,  328 

Lochnaw  Castle,  109 

Fruin,  405 

Lochy,  river,  240,  248,  280 

Fyne,  211,  218 

nagar,  338,  341 

Lockerbie,  70 

nan-Damif,    390 

Garve,  402 

na-Nuagh,  244 

Logan  House,  109 

gelly  Stat.,  267 

Naver,  442 

Loganlee  Reservoir,  67 

gilphead,  211 

Nell,  215 

Logierait,  295 

Ness,  250 

Logierieve,  351 

Glendhu,  430 

Nevis,  243,  383. 

Lomond  Hills,  329 

goil,  217 

of  the  Lowes,  349 

Loch,  169 

Oich,  249 

Lonach,  358 

Gruinard,  206,  426 

Padhascally,  405 

London    to    Edinburgh    by 

sea,  7 

Gyle,  233 

Quoich,  342 

Longforgan,  304 

of  Harra,  452 

Rannoch,  291 

Longniddry  Stat.,  39 

Harper t,  389 

to  Haddington,  40 

Hempriggs,  437 

Relugan,  406 

Longside,  352 

Hope,  442 

Rescobie,  318 

Longtown,  7 

Hourn,  383 

Resort,  394 

Junct.,  7 

Restil,  219 

Lonmay  btat.,  352 

house  Tower,  79 

Lord   Reay's  Green  Table, 

Roag,  394 

441 

Inch,  300 

Lossiemouth,  364 

Ruttan,  102 

Loth  Water,  433 

— —  Inver,  428 

Ryan,  112 

Loudon  Hill,  100 

to    Scourie    and 

Scarmclete,  435 

Castle,  100 

Durness,  429 

Scavaig,  391 

Lour  River,  374 

Katrine,  180,  181 

Lubcroy,  427 

Seaforth,  394 

Luce  Abbey,  107 

Killisport,  212 

Semple,  123 

Water,  108 

Kilmeny,  206 

Shiel,  243,  244 

Lud's  Castle,  309 

Kinnord,  336 

Shin,  420,  429 

•  Lugar  Ironworks,  99 

Ki shorn,  407 

Skene,  78 

Skerrow,  104 

Luib,  225 

Luing  Island,  213 

Kirk  of,  246 

Slam,  442 

Laoghal,  442 

Slapin,  389 

Lumphanan,  336 

Slyn,  416 

Lunan  Bay,  309 

Ledgowan,  402 

Lundie,  Loch,  407 

Lee,  332 

:  Spelve,  238 

Luncarty,  292 

Lethan,  386 

Spey,  246 

Lunga  Island,  384 

Leven,    229 :    by    Kin- 

 Stack,  429 

Luscar,  269 

ross,  272  ;  castle,  272 

Staffin,  387 

Luss,  170 

Linnhe,  229,  239 

Steinster,  437 

Luther,  Water,  333! 

Long,  218 

— —  Stenniss,  ^452 

Lyall,  Sir  Charles  318 

Lomond,  169 

Lybster,  437 

•  to   Fort-William, 

Striven,  210 

Lyne,  75 

225 

Stroan,  104 

Valley,  130 

Lochy,  247,  249 

Lynedoch  House,  287 

Swen,  212 

Lynvuilg  Inn,  301 

Luichart,  402 

Tarbet,  207 

Lyon,  river,  289 

—  Luing,  384,  422 

Tay,  281 

Torridon,  404,  406 

INDEX. 


473 


MACBETH. 


M 


Macbeth,  367 

Macbeth's  Cairn,  336 

Macbie  Hill  Stat.,  129 

Macculloch,  J.  R.,  106 

Machrireoch,  201 

Macdonald,  Flora,  grave  of, 
387 

Macduff,  373 

Macduff's  Castle,  258 

Cross,  266  • 

M'Gregor,  Clan,  170,  182, 
367 

Machry  Bum,  196 

Mackintosh,  Sir  James,  252 

MacLeod's  Maidens,  389 

Tables,  388 

M'Nabs,  cemetery  of,  280 

Mad  Cataract,  391 

Macrihanish  Bay,  203 

Maeshow,  451 

St.  Magnus  Bay,  457 

Magus  Moor,  262 

Maiden  Bower  Crag,  94 

Maiden  Stone,  359 

Makerston,  22 

Mam  Rattachan,  399 

Mam  Soul,  423 

Mamlorn  Forest,  290 

Manderston  House,  31 

Mangerton  Tower,  9 

Mansfield,  99 

Lord,  127,  128 

Maps,  [16] 

Mar  Lodge,  343 

Marchmont,  30 

Margaret's  Hope,  St.,  140; 
(Orkneys),  447 

Markinch,  259 

Mary,  Queen,  at  Borthwick 
Castle,  21  ;  Jedburgh,  23  ; 
Dunbar  Castle,  36  ;  Hailes 
Castle,  36  ;  Seton,  41  ; 
Holyrood,  54;  Craigmillar, 
67 ;  Hamilton  Palace,  85  ; 
Dundrennan,  no ;  Niddrj^ 
144  ;  Inchmahone,  173  ; 
Wemyss  Castle,  258 ;  Dun- 
fermline, 268  ;  Lochleven 
Castle,  272 

Maryborough,  229,  239 

Maryhill,  165 

Marykirk,  320 

Mary's  Isle,  St.,  no 

Loch,  77 

Tower,  294 

Mashie,  river,  247 

Mason's  Cave,  309 

Massacre  of  Glencoe,  228 

Mauchline,  99,  118 

Maud  Junct.,  352 

Mauldslie  Castle,  88 

Mausdale,  203 

Maxton  Stat,  22 
[Scotland.] 


MONESS. 

Maxwelltown,  93,  98,  101 
May,  Isle  of,  259 

river,  275 

Maybole,  114 
Mealfourvournie,  251 
Meggernie  Castle,  290 
Alegget  Water,  77 
Megginch  Castle,  303 
Meigle,  316 
Meikle  Ferry,  420 

Millyea,  120 

Meikleour,   315 
Melfort,  Pass  of,  215 
Melgund,  318 
Melrose  Abbey,  15 
Old,  14 

Stat,  14 

Melvich,  441 
Melville  Castle,  126 

House,  in  Fife,  265 

Monument,  286 

iNIenhir,  194 
Menmuir  Hills,  330 
Menstrie,  270 
Menzies,  283 
Merchiston  Castle,  67 
Merrick  range,  120 
Merse,  the,  22 
Merton,  22 

Hall,  107 

Methven,  287 

Castle,  288 

Mey,  439 

Michael   Scott,   the  wizard. 

257 
Midcalder  Stat,  7,  73 
Middleby,  69 
JNIidmar,  336 
Milkeston  Rings,  130 
MillofVoy,  453 
Millerhill  Stat.,  124 
Milliken  Park  Stat,  123 
Millport,  192 
Milltimber,  335 
Milnathort,  273 
Milngavie,  84 
Milnholm,  9 
Milton  Lockhart,  82,  88 
Miltown,  148 

—  Waterfall,  178 
Mingalay,  396 
Mingary,  232 
Minniehive,  98 
Minnigaff,  105 
Mintlaw,  352 
Minto,  12 
Moffat,  78 
Moidart  House,  244 
Moin  House,  442 

the,  442 

Monaltrie,  339 
Monance,  St,  259 
Monar,  422 
Monboddo,  321 
Moncrieff  Hill,  267,  278 
Moness  Falls,  283 


MUSSELBURGH. 

Monifieth,  307 

Monimail,  265 

Monkstadt,  387 

Monkton  Stat.,  120 

Montgomerie,  119 

Montrose,  320 

Marquis  of,  50,  288 

and  Bervie  Railway,  320 

Monymusk,  354 

Monzie,  288 

Mormond  Hill,  352 

Moorfoot  Hills,  130 

Moor  of  Dinnet  336 

Moot  Hill,  II,  89  ;  Perth,  278 

of  Urr,  102 

Moriston  Falls,  250 

Morrone,  341 

Mortality,  Old,  85,  97,  321 

Mortlach  Kirk,  375 

Morton  Castle,  98 

Morven,  239,  329,  337,  338 

Mossgiel,  100 

Mossie  Burn,  356 

Motherwell  Junct.,  83 

Moulin,  295 

Moulinearn,  295 

Mound  of  Fleet,  421,  425 

Mount  Battock,  334 

Benger,  77 

Blair,  331 

Keen,  329,  333 

Oliphant,  118 

Shade,  334 

Stuart,  210 

Mountain  Heights  in  Scot- 
land, [30] 

Mousa  Island,  456 

Mouse  Water,  81,  90 

Mowatt's  Stone,  357 

Moy,  238 

Muchalls,  322,  354 

Muck  Island,  381 

Muckerach,  302 

Muckhart,  270 

Mugdock  Reservoir,  184 

Mugdrum  House,  266;  Cross, 
266 

Muick,  Falls  of,  329 

Muiravonside,  147 

Muirkirk,  99 

Muir  of  Ord,  417 

Muirtown,  252,  413 

Mulben,  361 

Mull  Island,  230 

of  Cantyre,  202 

of  Galloway,  109 

Lighthouse,  202 

Munches,  102 

Mungo  Park,  76 

Munlochy,  414 

Murkle,  439 

Murray,  Sir  George,  286 

Murthly,  292 

New,  Castle,  292 

Murtle  Stat.,  334 

Musselburgh,  42 

x2 


474 


INDEX. 


MUTHILL. 


Rluthill,  284 
Myrton,  107 


N 

Nairn,  367 

river,  368,  370 

Napier,  dock,  188 

Naver,  river,  441 

Needle  Rock,  387 

Neidpath  Castle,  131 

Nelson,  monument  to,  222 

Neptune's  Staircase,  248 

Ness,  Glen,  119 

river,  412 

Nethan,  river,  88 

Netherby,  8 

Netherbyres,  33 

Nethercleugh  Stat.,  71 

Nether  Urd,  130 

Nevis,  Glen,  241,  242 

Loch,  243 

New  Abbey,  95 

Newark  Castle,  76  ;  by  Ayr, 
118  ;  by  Pt.  Glasgow,  190 

Newarthiil,  160 

Newbattle,  21 

Newburgh,  266 

Newbyres,  21 

Newcastleton,  9 

Newe  Castle,  357 

New  Galloway,  103 

to  Stroanaid,  104 

Newhaven,  65 

New  Lanark,  89 

Newliston,  144 

New  Machar,  351 

New  Maud  Junct.,  352 

Newmilns,  loo 

Newpark,  160 

New  Seat  Stat,  352 

Newton  Stat.,  84 

Newtonhill  Stat.,  322 

Newtonmore,  247,  299 

Newton-Stewart,  104 

to  Stranraer,  107 

Newtown  St.  Boswells  Junc- 
tion, 12 

to    Berwick-on-Tweed, 

22 

to  Reston  Junct.,  29 

Newtyle,  304 

railway,  307 

Niddry  Castle,  144 

Nigg,  4i5>  419 

Nine  Stane  Rig,  10 

Nine  wells,  31 

Ninian's,  St.,  107,  162 

Nisbet  Stat.,  23 

House,  30 

Nith,  river,  95,  98 

Nithsdade,  97 

Noltland  Castle,  354 

Norham  Castle,  29 

North  Berwick,  37 


PARAFFIN. 

North  Berwick  Law,  38 
North  Esk,  river,  129 

Queensferry,  139 

shield  Rings,  130 

Tundergay,  196 

Uist,  396 

Noss  Head,  457;  Holm,  457; 

Island,  457 
Novar,  418 


Oakly,  269 
Oakwood  Tower,  80 
Oban,  224 

to  Bannavie,  238 

to  Portree  in  Skye,  381 

to  Staffa  and  lona,  229 

Obe,  395 

Ochill  Hills,  142,  270 

Ochiltree,  Edie,  26 

Ochtertyre,  285 

Ogilvy  Castle,  275 

Oil,  paraffin,  distilleries,  83 

furnaces,  394 

Oldany,  428 
Old  Castleton,  9 
Old  Deer,  352 

Man  of  Hoy,  454 

Man  of  Storr,  386 

Man  of  Wick,  436,  437 

Melrose,  14 

Olderdale,  192 

Onich,  22p 

Orchy  Bridge,  226 

Ord  of  Caithness,  436,  441 

Ordie,  river,  292 

Orkney  Islands,  446 

Ormidale,  211 

Oronsay,  208,  383 

Orr,  river,  258,  267 

Orton,  361 

Ospisdale,  224 

Ossian's  Hall,  294  ;  tomb, 288 

Ought  Hill,  327 

Oversay,  island  of,  206 

Overtown,  83 

Oykel  Bridge,  420,  427 

Oyne  Stat.,  360 


Pabba  Island,  384 
Paisley,  123,  124,  199 
Palmer's  Bridge,  364 
Palnure  Stat.,  104 

water,  104 

Panmure,  307 
Pannanich  Wells,  337 
Pap  of  Glencoe,  228 
Papa  Stour,  457 
Paps  of  Caithness,  437 

of  Jura,  207 

Paraffin  oil  works,  159,  160 


PLACE. 
Park  Stat.,  335 

Hill  Stat.,  351,  419 

Parph  Forest,  445 
Partick,  188 
Parton,  103 
Pass  of  Awe,  215 

of  Ballater,  338 

of  Brander,  215,  222 

—  of  Corry^arligen,  398,399 
-- —  of  Killiecrankie,  296 

of  Melfort,  215 

Pathhead,  257 
Patna,  119 
Pattach,  river,  247 
Pausayl,  river,  74 
Pavilion,  the,  19 
Paxton  House,  29 
Pease  Bridge,  34 
Peden's  Pulpit,  12 
Peebles,  130 
Peel  Bog,  336 
Peerie  Sea,  450 
Peniel  Heugh,  14,  23 
Pennicuik,  129 

House,  68 

Penninghame,  105 
Penpont,  98 
Pentland  Hills,  67,  73 

Firth,  439 

Penton,  9 

Linns,  9 

Perrie  Inn,  348 
Perth,  266,  276 

to  Aberdeen,  315 

to  Elgin,  374 

to  Dundee  and  Arbroath, 

303     ^ 
to  Forres  and  Inverness, 

292 
to     Locheamhead     by 

Crieff,  284 
Peterhead,  353 
Petticur,  257 
Phantassie,  36 
Philiphaugh,  76 
Philorth,  352 
Pictish  Ditch,  10 

Tower,  290,  400 

Picts'  Castles,  380 

Houses,  357,  399,  441, 

451 
Pinkie,  battle  of,  41 

Burn,  41 

House,  42 

Pinnacle  Hill,  26 
Pirnhill  Fort,  132 
Pitcaithley,  266 
Pitcaple,  360 
Pitcarity,  330 
Pitfichie,  355 
Pitfour,  303,  352 
Pitlochrie,  295 
Pitsligo, 
Pittencrieff,  268 
Pittenweem,  259 
Place  of  Sorbie,  106 


INDEX. 


475 


PLACES. 

ROSEBANK. 

ST.  ORAN. 

Places    of    interest,    15,    34, 

Rosehall,  426 

187,  379,  254,  314 

R 

Rosehaugh,  414 

Pladda,  island  of,  19S 

Rosemarkie,  415 

Plaid,  the  Scotch,  [16] 

Raasay  Island,  392 

Roseneath,  168,  190 

Plaidy  Stat,  372 

Racks  Stat.,  92 

Roslin  Castle  Stat.,  127 

Plockton,  403 

Rae  Hills,  71 

Castle,  129 

Chapel,  127 

Pluscardine  Abbey,  364 

Railways,  [9] 

Polkemmet,  159 

Raith,  257 

Stat,  66,  127 

Pollockshields,  124,  199 

Raits,  300 

Roslinlee  Stat,  127 

Polmaise,  143 

Rammerscales,  70 

Ross  Priory,  170 

Polmont  Junct.  Stat.,  147 
Poltalloch,  212 

Ramsay,  Allan,  72 

Ross  of  Mull,  237 

RannocluLoch,  291 

Rossdhu,  170 

Pomathorn  Stat.,  129 

Rossie,  310 

Pomona,  446 

Ranza  Bay,  196 

Priory,  304 

Poolewe,  405,  426 

Ratho  Junct.,  138,  144 

Rosyth,  140 

Port  Appin,  238,  239 

Rathen  Stat.,  352 

Rotal,  330 

Askaig,_  205 

Rattachan,  399 

Rothes,  374 

Bannatine,  210 

Ravelstone,  138 

Rothesay,  209 

Chaniil,  443 

Ravenscraig  Castle,  257,  353 

Duke  of,  84,  260 

Charlotte,  206 

Stat,  199 

Rothie,  371 

Dearg,  237 

Ravenshall,  in 

Rothiemay,  361 

Ellen,  205 

Reay,  440 

Rothiemurchus,  300 

Glasgow,  190 

Redcastle,  309,  414,  417 

Row,  168 

Head,  309 

Rowallan,  loi 

Gower,  433 

Rednoch,  173 

Rowardennan,  171 

Red  Rocks,  258 

Rowdill,  395 

leithen  Stat.,  322 

Relugas,  366 

Roxburgh,  22,  26 

of  Menteith,  172,  182 

Renfrew,  189 

Castle,  26 

Renton,  168 

Roy  Castle,  302 

nellan,  17S 

Repentance  Tower,  69 

Rozelle,  117 

Patrick,  109 

Rerwick,  no 

Ruberslaw,  12 

Sonachan,  214,  220 

Rest-and-be-thankful,  219 

Rude  Stones,  105 

Portincaple,  218 

Restennet,  318 

Ruisky,  250 

Portmore  Loch,  130 

Reston  Junct,  33 

Rule's  Cave,  St,  264 

Portobello,  42 

Rhiconich,  431 

Rullion  Green,  68 

Portree,  385 

Rhifael,  441 

Rum,  232,  382 

Rumbling  Bridge,  271,  294 

• to  Quiraing,  386 

Rhinns    of   Galloway,    108, 

112 

Rutherford's  Walk,  in 

to   Stomoway   and    the 

Rhymer's  Glen,  19 

Rutherglen,  84 

Outer  Hebrides,  393 

Tower,  30 

Ruthrie,  Linn  of,  374 

Portsoy,  375 

Rhynns,  206 

Ruthriestone,  334 

Wilham,  107 

Riccarton  Junct,  10 

Ruthven  Barracks,  300 

Potarch  Bridge,  336 

village,  73,  loi 

Preston  Grange,  41 

Riddings  Junct.,  8 

Ruth  well  Stat.,  91 

Tower,  41 

Rienloan  lun,  338 

Rye  Water,  122 

Prestonpans,  41 

Ringans,  St.,  162 

battlefield,  41 

Rispond,  414 

Prestwick,  120 

Rizzio,  murder  of,  55 

s 

Priestlaw,  31 

Rob  Roy  M'Gregor,  279 

Prince  Charles's  Cave,  385 

cave  of,  172 

Saddell,  200 

Prince's  Well,  333 

Saddlevoke,  78 

Prosen  Glen,  330 

grave,  279 

St  Abb's  Head,  33 

Purvis  Hill,  132 

Robertson,  the  historian,  21, 

St.  Andrews,  262 

40 

Rock  of  St.  Skeagh,  310 

Catherine's,  219 

Q, 

Rockcliffe  Stat.,  68 

Fillans    (Loch  Earn), 

Rodes  Castle,  30 

286 

Quantemess,  451 

Rogart  Stat.,  421 

Kilda  Island,  396 

Queensferry  Drive,  329 

Rogie  Falls,  402 

Magnus  Bay,  457 

North,  139 

Roman  Camp,  274 

Margaret's  Hope,  140  ; 

(Orkney),  447 

South,  139 

Wall,  148 

Romanno,  130 

Quinaig,  427,  428,  430 

Rona  Island,  445 

Loch,  77 

Quiraing,  387 

Ronachan,  204 

Quoich,  Linn  of,  342 

Roneval,  395 

— —  Ninian's,  107,  162 

Quothquan  Law,  72 

Rose  bank,  26 

Oran's  Chapel,  235 

476 


INDEX. 


ST.  RULE. 

SOMERVILLE. 

STOBINHAIN. 

St.  Rule's  Cave,  264 

Shean  Ferry,  239 

Sonachan,  Port,  214 

Serf's  Isle,  273 

Shea,  river,  347 

South,  214 

Salen  in  Mull,  230,  231,  242 

Shedog,  197 

Sorbie,  106 

Salisbury  Crags,  56 

Shell  Island,  213 

Sorn,  99 

Salmon-breeding,  292 

Shetlerstone,  345 

Saltcoats,  122 

Shetland  Islands,  455 

Soulseat,  108 

Saltpans,  41 

Sheriffmuir,  75,  274 

Sound  of  Cuan,  213 

Sannigmore,  206 

Shiag  Burn,  428 

Kerrera,  238 

Sanda,  202 

Shiel  Hill,  70 

Mull,  230 

Sandey,  455 

Shiel  House  Inn,  399,  423 

Sourlies,  243,  383 

Sandside,  440 

Southend,  202 

Sandwick,  447,  453 

Shieldaig,  406 

South  Hall,  211 

Sanquhar,  98 

to     Strome     Ferry     or 

Inch,  276 

Sark,  68,  90 

Strathcarron,  407 

Queensferry,  139 

Saughs  Water,  332 

Gairloch,  406 

List,  396 

Saughton,  144 

Shieldhall,  188 

Southwick,  102 

New,  138 

Shin,  river,  420,  426 

Spar  Cave,  390 

Sauchieburn,  162 

Shinnell  Water,  98 

Spean  Bridge,  245 

Scalloway  Castle,  456 

Shipbuilding  j'ards,  Denny's, 

Scalpa  Island,  392 

.  ^67  . 

Spedlin's  Tower,  71 

Scalpsie  Bay,  210 

Shochie,  river,  292 

Spey  Valley,  247,  300 

Scarabhein,  437 

Shotts  Stat.,  160 

river,  299,  361,  374 

— ;-  mouth  of,  362 

Scarba  Island,  207 

Ironworks,  160 

Scarskerry,  439 

Shuna  Isle,  213,  239 

Spital  of  Glenshee,  347 

Scavaig.  Loch,  390,  391 

Sidlaw  Hills,  303,  316 

Spitalhaugh,  130 

Schehallion,  290 

Silverbank,  198 

Spittalside  farm,  119 

Scone  Palace,  278 

Sinclair  Bay,  438 

Spott,  36 

Scoor-nan-Damff,  392 

Sinclairtown,  257 

Spottiswood,  30 

Scotch  Dyke  Stat.,  8 

Skail,  453 

Spouting  Cave,  237 

Scotscalder  Stat.,  433 

Skeabost,  388 

Springfield  Stat.,  260 

Scotstarvit,  261 

St.  Skeogh,  rock  of,  310 

Sprouston,  27 

Scotstown,  189 

Skelbo,'424 

Spynie,  364 

Scott,   Michael,  the  wizard, 

Skeleton  routes,  [38] 

Squirting  Cave,  203 

12,  80,  107,  257 

Skellater,  358 

Stack,  430 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  13,  18,  23, 

Skelmorlie,  191 

of  Tillylodge,  356 

26,  64,  88,  126 

Skerryvore  Light,  232 

Stacks  of  Duncansbay,  438 

Scourie,  429 

Skibo,  424 

Staffa,  233 

Scour-na-caich,  243 

Skipness  Castle,  200 

Staffin,   387 

Ouran,  399 

Skye,  381,  385 

Standing  stones,  74,  75,  105, 

Scou,  430 

Railway,  401 

258                     . 

Scrabster  Bay,  434 

Slaines  Castle,  353 

Stanley  (near  Paisley),  124 

Scrishven,  445 

Slain  Man's  Lee,  76 

Junct.  Stat.,  292,  315 

Scuir  More,  382 

Slateford,  67,  74 

Steamers,  [11] 

Slattadale,  405 

Steele  Road  Stat.,  9 

nan-Gillean,  3S2,  392 

Sleat  Sound,  383 

Steinscholl,  386,  387 

nan-Gour,  383 

Sliabh,  202   , 

Stenhouse  Moor,  147 

na-Lapich,  422 

Sliabhgoil,  212 
Slidry  Water,  197 

Stenniss,  House  of,  452 

of  Eigg,  232,  381 

Standing  stones  of,  452 

Vullin,  402 

Sligachan,  392 

Stepps  Stat.,  160 

Sculptured  stones,  316,  318 

Slitrig,  10 

Stewarton,  loi 

Seacliff  House,  39 

Slock -na-muich,  366 

Stewartrj'  of  Kirkcudbright, 

Seafield  Tower,  257 

Slug  of  Auchrannie,  316 

103 

Selkirk,  75 

Sluie,  Lodge  of,  366 

Stitchell  Lmn,  26 

to  Moffat,  80 

Smailholm,  17 

Stinchar  Water,  112 

Alexander,  28 

Tower,  17 

Stirling,  162;  Castle,  164  ; 

St.  Serf's  Isle,  273 

Small  Glen,  288 

Old  bridge  of,  165  ;  E.xcur- 

Serpent  Cairn,  225 

Smeaton  House,  36 

sions  from,  165 

Smith,  Adam,  257,  259 

to  Inversnaid,  172 

Seton,  41 

Smollett,  169 

to    Kinross  and  Perth, 

Sgor-na-Stree,  391 

Smoo  Cave,  444 

269 

Sgur  Voucharan,  206 

Sneb  of  Clova,  327 

Loch  Lomond,  182 

Shandon,  West,  168 

Sneck  of  Barns,  327,  330 

to  Perth,  274 

Shandwick  Cross,  416 

Solway  Firth,  7 

Junction  Railway,  68 

to  Lochearnhead,  284 

Shanter's  Farm,  115 

to  the  Trossachs,  174 

Shapinshay,  448 

Moss,  68 

Stobhall,  315 

Sharpe,  Archbishop,  262 

Somerville,  Mrs.,  24 

Stobinhain,  280 

INDEX. 


477 


STOBO. 

Stobo,  74 
Stobbs,  lo 
Stoir,  428 
Stonebyres,  90 
Stonehaven,  321 
Stones  of  Clava,  370 

of  Via,  453 

Stoneykirk,  109 
Stonyford  Bridge,  330 
Stornoway,  394 
Storr  Rock,  385 
Stow  Stat.,  19 
Strachur,  216 
Stranraer,  108 

to  Ayr,  112 

Strath  Affrick,  423 

aird,  390 

Allan  Castle,  284 

beg,  426 

blane,  183 

bogie,  361 

Braan,  294 

Brora,  432 

Carron,  403,  407 

Conon,  417 

dearn,  367 

Derrie,  425 

don,  360 

earn,  284 

endry,  259 

farrar,  422 

Fleet,  420 

Garve,  425 

glass,  422 

Halladale,  447 

Kennort,  427 

miglo,  274 

Monar,  422 

more,  330 

naver,  441 

Oj'kel,  427 

peffer,  401 

spey,  301 

Terry,  441 

UUie,  433 

Strathy,  441 
Strathyre,  279 
Streens,  366 
Strichen  Stat.,  352 

Water,  352 

Stroma  Falls,   425 
Ferry,  385 

■ to  Sicye,  430 

(Sutherland),  403 

Stroma  Island,  439 
Stromness,  453 
Stronachlachar,  182 
Strone  House,  349 
Stronliath,  243 
Stron  Nea,  407 
Stronsey,  447 
Strontian,  242 
Stronvai-,  279 

Struan  Stat.,  298  ;  Inn,  388 
Struy,  422 
Suilven,  428 


THREAVE. 

Sunart,  Loch,  232,  242 
Sumburgh  Head,  455 
Sunderland,  206 
Sundrum,  119 
Sunlaws,  22 
Sutherlandshire,  411 
Sweetheart  Abbey,  95 
Sweno's  Stone,  365 
Swinton  House,  28 
Swingle,  437 
Swona,  Isle  of,  439 
Symington,  72 
j  unct.  to  Peebles,  74 


Tain,  419 

Tail's  Tomb,  270 

Talisker,  389 

Talla,  173 

Talladale,  404 

Tangy  Glen,  203 

Tankerness,  447 

Tannadyce,  326 

Tantallon  Castle,  38 

Tap  of  Noth,  360 

Tarbat  House,  419 

Tarbert   (in    Can  tyre),    204  ; 

meaning    of    name,    204  ; 

West,    205  ;    (in    Harris), 

395 
Tarbet  (Loch  Lomond),  171 

to  Oban,  219 

to  Fort- William,  225 

on  Loch  Nevis,  245 

Ness,  416 

Tarff,     109  ;     bridge,    322  ; 

river,  249 
Tarffside,  332 
Tarland,  336 
Tarradale,  415 
Tay,  Loch,  281 ;  River,  265, 

276,  281  ;  Railway  Bridge, 

^  30.5 , 

Taymloan,  203,  338 

Taymouth  Castle,  282 

to  Inveroran,  289 

Taynuilt,  222 
Tayport,  265 
Teith,  river,  176,  177 
Telford,  birthplace  of,  9 
Templechurch,  21 
Templehouse  Pier,  252 
Tents  Moor,  265 
Terregles,  94,  loi 
Teviot,  10,  II,  12 
Thankerton  Stat.,  72 
Thirlestane,  20,  80 
Thomson,    the    poet,    birth- 
place of,  27 
Thornhill,  97 
Thornilee  Stat.,  32 
Thornton  Castle,  35 

Junction,  257 

Threave  Castle,  102 


TROSSACHS. 

Thurso,  434 

river,  435 

to  Tongue,  440 

Tibber's  Castle,  97 
Tibby  Shiels's  Inn,  78 
Tighnabruich,  211 
Till,  river,  28 
Tillichewan  Castle,  169 
Tillicoultry,  270 
Tillyfamr>',  334 
Tillyfourie,  355 
Tillynaught  Junct.,  375 
Tilquhillie  Castle,  335 
Tilt  Falls,  344 

river,  350 

Tingwall,  456 
Tinnis  Castle,  74 
Tinto  Hill,  72 
Tippermuir,  288 
Tiree,  232 
Tobermory,  232 
Tolly  Castle,  371 
Tolquhoun  Castle,  351 
Tomachastle,  285 
Tomandoun,  398 
Tomantoul,  339 
Tombuie,  406 
Tomich,  423 
Tongue,  440,  442 

to  Cape  Wrath,  442 

Tongueland,  109 
Torbeg,  197 
Torbanehill,  159 
Tor  Castle,  197 
Tor  House,  105 
Tordarnich,  338 
Torieum  Hill,  285 
Torlundie,  245 
Tormore,  196 
Torphichen,  159 
Torphins,  336 
Torraline  Water,  198 
Torrandow  Bridge,  425 
Torrin,  389 
Torridon  Loch,  406 
Torrisdale  Castle,  200 
Torryburn,  141 
Torsonce,  20 
Torwoodlee,  19 
Toward  Castle,  209 

Point,  191 

Tower  of  Hollows,  8 

Towie  Castle,  357 

Tranent,  41 

Traprain  Law,  37 

Traquair,  132 

Travelling  view  of  Scotland, 

,[91,2 
Treachtan,  222 
Treig,  river,  246 
Treshnish  Islands,  232 
Trimontium,  13 
Troon,  120 
Trossachs,  the,  180 

Church,  179 

Hotel,  179 


478 


INDEX. 


TROTTERNISH. 

WEMYSS  CASTLE. 

YTHAN  RIVER. 

Trotternish,  386 

Wemyss  Bay,  191 

Trow  Crags,  22 

V 

Terminus,  199 

Truim  Water,  299 

West  Calder,  160 

Tulchan  Lodge,  374 

Vaternish,  386 
Velvet  Hall  Stat.,  29 
Vendace  Club,  the,  70 
Vennachar  Loch,  178 
Via,  stones  of,  453 
Vigeans,  St.  (Forfar\  310 
Voy,  Mill  of,  453 

Hall,  360 

Tuitumtarvach,  426 
TuUiallan  Castle,  142 
Tullibardine,  284 

Water,  330 

Westerkirk,  9 
Wester  Water,  438 

Tullibody  House,  143 

Westquarter  House,  147 

Tulloch,  Hill  of,  298 

Ross-shire,  418 

Tullochgorum,  302 

Westry,  454 
Whangie,  183 
Whifflet,  83,  160 

Tummel  Falls,  295 

Whinnyhill,  95 

Tunderguy,  North,  196 

Whistlefield,  216 

South,  196 

^W 

Whitburn,  159 

Tumberry  Castle,  114 

Whiteadder,  31 

Turriff,  372 

Wade,  Gen.,  245,  275,  299 

Comb,  78 

Turrit,  river,  285 

Waith  Bridge  of,  453 

Hill,  8 

Tushielaw,  80 

Walkerburn,  132 

House,  206,  355 

Tweedmouth,  29,  31 

Wallace,  Sir  Wm.,  147,  164 

side  Hill,  130 

Tweed,  river,  31,  74,  130 

birthplace,  189 

Stones,  334 

Tweedsmuir,  74 

monuments,  14,  17,  116, 

Whiten  Head,  443 

Twizell  Castle,  28 

175 

Whithorn,  106 

Tyndrum,  226 

Wallhouse,  159 

Whiting  Bay,  19S 

Tyne  Head  Stat.,  20 

Wamphray,  71  ;  Stat.,  71 

Wick,  435 

river,  36,  40 

Ward  Hill,  454 

by  Huna,  438 

Tynninghame,  36 

Wardhouse,  360 

to  Kirkwall.  446 

Tyrim,  383 

Wark,  27 

to  Thurso,  438 

Warran,  330 

Wideford  Hill,  450 

Warthill,  371 

Wigtown,  105 

Wartle  Stat.,  371 

Wilkie,  David,  261 

u 

Wa,shington  Irvine,  448 

Wilsontown,  73,  159 

Watch  Hill,  78 

Winchburgh  Stat.,  144 

Uamh  Fhraing,  381 

Water  of  Ayr,  118 

Winestoup,  328 

Uam  Var,  176 

of  Ettichan,  344 

Winton  House,  41 

Uddingston  Stat.,  84 

of  Fleet,  104 

Wishaw,  83 

Udny,  351 

of  I^Iilk,  70 

Woodhouselee,  129 

Ugadale,  200 

Waterloo  Pillar,  14,  23 

New,  129 

Uig,  387 

Uist,  North,  396 

Waterside,  119 

Woodside  Stat,  315 

Waterworks,    Loch   Katrine 

Wrath,  Cape,  445 

South,  396 

and  Glasgow,  135,  137,  181 

Ulbster  Castle,  439 

Watt  Monument,  190 

Ullapool,  426,  430 

Watten  Stat.,  435 

Y 

Ullinish,  389 

Waverley  Route,  7 

Ulva,  233. 

Wauchope  Castle,  8 

Yachtsmen  in  the  Hebrides 

Union  Bridge,  29 

Weary  Nuik,  115 

hints  for,  [31] 

Uphall,  160 

Wedderbum  Castle,  30 

Yarrow,  75,  77 

Urquhart  Castle,  251 

Weem  Crag,  283 

Yarrowford,  77 

Urr,  river,  102 

Inn,  2S3 

Yell,  457 

Weem's  Cave,  327 

Yester  House,  40 

Urrard  House,  297 

Well  of  Heads,  249 

Yetholm,  27 

Urie,  321 

Wells  of  Dee,  346 

York  Fall,  351 

Uson,  310 

Wemyss  Castle,  258 

Ythan  River,  352,  371 

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