[f.1r] On Saturday July 2
nd. 1814 —
Dr. Malkin,
Benjamin,
Miss
Hall & myself left our houses at
Bury
St. Edmunds with an intention of
making a Summer excursion to the
Highlands of
Scotland. We proceeded this day as far as
Grantham where we slept. — We found nothing that
much pleased or interested us in this day's journey, except the town of
Stamford which we pressed through, which
is an handsome country town, well situated, and near to which is
Burleigh, the seat of the
Marquis of Exeter. —
Sunday 3rd. July — We proceeded as far as York — we found nothing beautiful in the country
through which we passed, except that the greater part of Yorkshire is finely wooded. — The Town of Doncaster is handsome. We slept at York.
Monday 4th. In the morning before breakfast we
visited the Cathedral — We found nothing else in this city work devoting any
time
[f.1v] to — There is a pleasant walk by the side of the river — the
Town is very
shabby, having narrow streets
& mean
^brick buildings, generally speaking. The
Minster is a fine pile of building, in
the Gothic style. The nave is extremely handsome. There is a great quantity of
very fine painted glass in all the windows, & very exquisite carving in the
ornaments of the Choir & Skreen. — We pursued our journey after breakfast,
& reached
Durham, about 6 o'clock
The situation of this City is very grand. The Cathedral & the Castle
are built upon a high rock which overhangs the river Wear — The Cathedral is a
fine pile of the Saxon order of Architecture.
There was formerly a fine Chapter House adjoining the Church, but the
Prebendaries some years back determined on taking down this part of the Ancient
structure & then erected a Modern room for the purpose of their meetings,
which, however
[f.2r] comfortable in itself, but ill accords with all
that surrounds it, & remains a disgraceful monument to the wretched want of
taste & feeling of those men, who could possibly consent to the destruction
of so ancient & venerable a part of their Cathedral. Here is scarcely any
painted Glass nor any monuments worth mentioning. The huge Saxon Pillars give a
majesty & solemnity to the Nave of this Church beyond which I have observed
in any other. The tomb of
St.
Cuthbert is seen in an adjoining chapel. —
5th. — We entered Scotland this evening at Coldstream, by a fine Stone bridge over the Tweed.1 we slept at Kelso, where
we saw the ruins of the Abbey — There are
still considerable remains of the Tower of the Church, & other parts of the
building — those parts partake of the Saxon & the Gothic orders.
At Kelso, just above the Bridge, the two
rivers so often sung, the Tweed & the
Teviot, unite their streams — On
Wednesday the 6th. of July, we pursued the ^upward course of the
[f.2v]
Tweed to
Melrose; fording it about two or three miles short of
Melrose, to see
Dryburgh Abbey, the Seat of
Lord
Buchan.
There are considerable remains of the Abbey still standing, close to which is a
modern built house, where Lord Buchan resides
a good deal — he has already prepared his tomb there. — After seeing this, we
recrossed the Tweed, & soon found our
selves at Melrose — in our way we saw the
celebrated hill of Cowden-knows.2
Melrose is situated at the foot of the
Eildon Hills — the Abbey is by far the finest remnant of antiquity I
have ever seen — There is a very large portion still standing, & the
ornamental parts of the architecture are in many places in perfect preservation.
The stone with which it is built, is of a fine mellow grey, with a roseate tint;
& the hardness of it is such, that the carving is as sharp & perfect as
if it were Marble. The vanity
[f.3r] of exquisite patterns of border
work, round the cornices, pillars &c. is quite astonishing & all are so
tasteful & elegant, that you can scarcely give a preference to either.
We lingered long, & knew not how to leave this enchanting scene, combining so
much natural beauty, with such interesting remains of days long gone by —
however we left it time enough to pursue our journey, & reached Edinburgh late in the evening. We sent out our
letters of introduction, & on Thursday the 7th. we were called upon by Dr. & Mrs. Burt, & Mr. Charles Macdonald, who kindly
enlisted themselves in our service, & walked with us to see many parts of
this very fine Town. I was quite astonished, & delighted with the situation
of the place, the grandeur of the surrounding hills, their summits crowned by
the Castle, the Pillar erected to the memory of Nelson, & other superb buildings.
[f.3v] We also made acquaintance with the family of
Mr. Gray, &
Mr. Hogg the Ettrick
Shepherd. We had reason to be exceedingly pleased with all the
people we saw in
Edinburgh — Nothing could
exceed the kindness of their deportment towards us, & they contrived to make
us feel ourselves rather as brought among old friends, than introduced amongst
strangers — On
Sunday the 10th. we went, accompanied by
Mr. Gray &
Mr. Hogg to see
Roslyn Castle &
Hawthorndean. We passed the morning most delightfully in this
sequestered & romantic spot; & wandered along the banks of the river
^(the North
Esk,) amidst the finest rocks & most romantic Scenery
— We also visited the
Chapel at Roslyn,
which is in better preservation than any remnant of antiquity I have ever seen —
The roof, from within, is perfect, & all the pillars remain as
[f.4r] they were first erected — It is a building of the Gothic order. There is very
little of the Castle remaining, & what there is, does not give you an idea
of its ever having been magnificent. After having finished our morning excursion
to
Roslyn, we returned to dinner at
Mr. Grays at
St. Leonard's
Hill. On Monday we visited what remained to be seen at
Edinburgh &
Mr. Gray,
Mr. Hogg & the two M
r. M
c. Donalds dined
with us at the
Royal Hotel.
3Mrs Burt came in
the evening, & we all walked to
St. Bernards Well.
On Tuesday the 12th. We all
left Edinburgh and pursued our journey
Northwards. We crossed Queens Ferry &
reached Kinross where we slept. ^We walked on the banks of Loch
Leven in the evening. On Wednesday the 13th. we came to Stirling, where we slept. We visited in our way from Kinross to Stirling, the Rumbling Brig
[f.4v]
^(the Devil's
Mill,) & the
Cauldron
Linn^(on the River
Devon.) The Grandeur of the fall at the
Linn, and the sublimity of the Scenery which
surrounds it, quite overcame my spirits; nor were these improved by our visiting
afterwards the
Castle of Gloom, now called
Campbell's Castle, at
Dollar
I rather wish I could visit scenes of this nature, without my sensibilities being
so much awakened. Perhaps if I felt their sublime beauties less
enthusiastically, I should behold them with ^a pleasure
better adapted to the common course, & the useful purposes of society. But
let me hope; that if feelings which excite an almost painful admiration of the
Author of all these wonders, a little unfit me at the moment for the purposes of
common life,
[f.5r] the may at the same Time lead me to look beyond this
present world; & teach
^me to aspire to that perfect
happiness in a future state, which the changeable & imperfect nature of all
things here forbids me ever to hope for on earth!
4
On Thursday the 14th. we
walked before — breakfast to see the Castle of
Stirling. On Mounting the heights we were greatly delighted to
perceive Edinburgh, its hills, its
Castle, in the distance. I thought we
had before taken our last view of this delightful palace & was greatly
rejoiced to recognise it once more. The Pentland
Hills over Edinburgh were
also seen from this place, as well as the long & beautiful range of the
Oichill Hills, which extend between
Dollar & Stirling. — On looking Northward from the Castle, we perceived the superb heights of
Ben-Lomond, & Ben-Ledi,
[f.5v] with others of various
magnitude & beauty. Between us &
Edinburgh a fertile plain extended, through which the river
Forth meandered beautifully. — After
breakfast we quitted
Stirling, & within
a few miles of it, came close to the borders of the river
Teith, the course of which we often caught a
glimpse of, while we pursued our journey to
Callander, a little Town at the foot of
Ben-Ledi. Arriving here, the Mountain seems to shut out the
world on almost every side — The river
Teith
is become a large & beautiful river, rapid in its course & its waters
perfectly clear. We took a delightful walk after dinner to the
Bracklin Brig5^over the little river Kelty — Here the rocks the waterfall, & the whole
of the surrounding scenery is wild & beautiful,
[f.6r] but after the
Caldron Linn, it should seem to me, that
all other water-falls must seem comparitivly tame & uninteresting. — In that
magnificent Scene, the body of water is so large, & the rocks which
interrupt its progress are so stupendous, that the dash of waters is immense,
& the foam that is cast upwards, becomes as if were embodied. It has not the
usual appearance of Water in a foaming state, but looks rather like ice, or
broken glass, tossed about in a most magnificent & beautiful confusion.
On Friday the 15. we set out early to visit the
Trossacks & Loch Katrine^(passing in our way thither, Loch
Venachar & Loch
Achray,) — The day was as fine as could be wished; it
afforded the varieties of clouds & sunshine, & showed the stupendous
Mountain, Ben Venue, in all its grandeur
& beauty. The Loch was as calm as
possible, & beautifully clear. The richly clothed hills, called the
Trossacks, & the highest craggy
point of Ben-An, contrasted
[f.6v] very finely with the serene beauty of the Lake below. — We hired a Boat, &
rowed to the creek just below the
Goblin's
cave, which we visited — We then crossed to the Northern side
& climbed a high point of rock, from which we viewed the Lake & the
surrounding hills, & commanded all their various beauties. — We took cold
provisions with us, & landed on
Ellen's
Isle to eat out dinners there. The whole of this scene is so
poetically, & at the same time so accurately described by
Walter Scott, that when I read his poem of "
The Lady of the
Lake6 I shall always
be able I hope, to call to my recollection the very great pleasure I have
enjoyed this day. — We returned to
Callander
in the evening, & slept there.
Saturday, July 16th. We came to Aberfoil to breakfast, & the day being very
fine we were tempted to hire Ponies, & to send the carriage
[f.7r] forward to
Row-Ardennan — Our purpose was
to see
Loch Ard, which lies between
Aberfoil & the Foot of
Ben Lomond. (We had seen, & greatly admired the
Lake of Menteith, in our road from
Callander to
Aberfoil.)
We proceeded, (Miss Hall & myself on our
ponies, Dr.
Malkin, Benjamin, Huff, & the guide
[f.7v] my efforts were ineffectual to
prevent its having the full enjoyment of it, & when we were just in the
deepest part of the fort, it determined upon lying down in the river. I was well
aware that nothing was left for me, but to disengage my foot from the stirrup,
& my knee from the pummel of the saddle; in these points I succeeded to my
wishes, & gently rolled backwards into the water; receiving no other injury
than that of a complete — drenching. — This would have been a matter of no
consequence whatever, had I been within reach of a change of habiliments — but
out baggage had been sent forward with the carriage, so I could get nothing dry
to put on, till we reached the other side of the mountain, & met the
carriage at
Row-Ardennan. It had been our
intention to ascend to the Top, but the accident which had
[f.8r] befallen me, put this quite out of the question, & we had reason
afterwards to think it had been a very fortunate one, as we soon found that our
guide was nearly as much in the dark as ourselves; & we were very thankful
to obtain the guidance & assistance of a Highland youth who lived in a cabin
on the mountain, to lead us safely over the southern shoulder of
Ben-Lomond to
Rowardennan. We went about a mile or two beyond the
Forth, on our ponies; but we soon found that our
only safety lay in trusting to our own feet, & the ponies were led for the
rest of the way, while we walked it: a — distance of about six or seven miles.
The people on the other side told us they would be quite astonished to see us
with the ponies, & they believed it was the first time a horse had ever been
brought over that part of the mountain.
In spite of all our fatigues, & the weight of my wet clothes, I greatly
enjoyed the fine
[f.8v] view we saw towards the East, from the highest
point to which we ascended. The Lochs of
Mentieth & of
Ard,
which we had passed, lay in the plains beneath us: In the distance to the East,
we plainly perceived the ridges of the
Pentland
Hills by
Edinburgh, &
the
Oichill Hills near
Stirling, with
Stirling
Castle rising in full magnificence & crowning the whole. —
The day was uncommonly fine, & by the time we descended the mountain, my
clothes were nearly dry. I took no cold, nor did I feel any ill effects from
this little accident, beyond what the fatigue of so laborious a walk must
occasion me.
On Sunday the 17th.Dr. Malkin &
Benjamin rose early, the morning being
very clear, & ascended with a competent guide to the utmost top of
Ben-Lomond. After their descent, we took
Boat, & spent a couple of hours very delightfully
[f.9r] on
Loch Lomond — We landed at the Island
which is called Bell-Island,
7 & from a very high rock upon
it, we looked over a great portion of this beautiful Lake; our view took in all
the numerous islands, & extended Southwards as far as
Dumbarton — We dined at
Luss, where we were quite astonished at seeing such multitudes
of well dressed persons male & female, who we were told had come to take the
Sacrament at the Kirk, in the morning, & had staid to dinner at the Inn. —
The solemnities of the morning seemed to be all forgotten, & the assemblage
of men & women, gave you rather the idea of a Wake than of a party assembled
for the fulfilment of any religious rite — however we saw nothing riotous or
improper; though the impression left upon our minds was not at all of a native
correspondent with the idea of a large assemblage of persons met for any
religious purpose.
[f.9v] In this multitude of people, they were all
generally well dress'd, & perfectly clean & nice — A few only of the men
wore the genuine highland garb, which we regretted not to find more general.
Almost all the women, the young ones more particularly, were dress'd in white
gowns; most of these also had hats or bonnets; but amongst the middle-aged,
& elderly women, scarcely any wore a hat, but all had their large high mob
caps, which are as clean & as white as snow. They all had shoes &
stockings also; a circumstance which renders Sunday a very pleasant day in
Scotland; for on all others, the large,
dirty, naked feet of all the women of the lower orders, make a most disgusting
& offensive appearance. There seems to be a great inconcistency between the
clean
[f.10r] Sunday garb of all these cottagers, & the miserable
dirty hovels in which they live. These cabins look so wretched, that in
England we should not think them fit
places for our pigs to be fed in: & yet at the doors of these wretched huts,
you see decent looking well dress'd men & women, with their linen as white
as possible, & their complexions blooming, & perfectly healthy. After
dining at
Luss, we proceeded to
Tarbet Inn — We had a magnificent ride, close to
the
^western side of the Lake the whole distance —
Nothing could be more superb than the scenery here.
Ben-Lomond stretching the whole length of our ride nineteen
miles, on the eastern side; & our road winding along under the sides of
wooded & craggy mountains, each rivalling the other in grandeur &
beauty.
On Monday the 18th. We came
after breakfast
[f.10v]
Aroquhar Inn,
at the head of
Loch-Long. The craggy heights
of
Ben-Arthur, or
Cobler, over-hang the northern extremity of this Lake — We went
in the carriage about eight-miles down its eastern side, till we came within
sight of
Loch-Goyle &
Loch-Gair; the former falling into
Loch-Long from the west; the latter stretching out
towards the South, & falling, as
Loch-Long also does, into the
Firth of
Clyde, which we ascended above the Lake. We had a delightful
ride back to our Inn at
Aroquhar, winding
along the sides of the Lake; having the grand range of the
Aroquhar Mountains, with their rude & rocky
points, to the west & north of our view. — Notwithstanding the very rugged
& barren appearance of these heights, there are many little spots cultivated
at their bases, with little cottages, & patches of corn growing which give a
variety & beauty to the scene:
[f.11r] On the whole, the character of
this Loch is that of extreme wildness; but it goes no further — there is nothing
terrific, though the rocks & heights are stupendous. —
One of the very great beauties, which characterises, in a greater or lesser
degree the scenery near all the Lochs which we here witness'd, is the profusion,
& endless variety ^with which some of the
neighbouring hills are covered. Birches, Alders, Mountain-Ash, Oaks, Firs; &
Brush-wood of every description, grow on their steep sides in rich profusion;
and near to the road-side there is the greatest display of wild flowers I have
ever seen in any country. The wild-roses are particularly beautiful, & are
of a deep rose coulour, almost crimson. The white roses are luxuriant &
delicate; honeysuckles, heaths of every coulour & description, & various
other smaller plants, seem to grow out of the bare rock, & give fragrance as
well as beauty to its sides & tops. I have never seen any which could vie
with them in England.
[f.11v]
Tuesday the 19th. We
proceeded on our way to
Inverary. Our road
from
Aroquhar to
Cairndow led through the wild & sequestered passes of
Glencroe &
Glenkinglass, the hill, called
"Rest
& be thankful", being between these two passes — The scenery
in these Glens is extremely dreary, and the very high hills which shut in the
traveller on both sides, are surmounted by tremendous rocks — their sides have
some verdure, mixed with large masses of rock; & perpetually broken by
mountain torrents which force their way into the river below — In general the
hollow of the Glen is so narrow, as to leave room for little more than the road
which is carried through it — but here & there, where there is a little
breadth of valley, there is a cottage erected & a little patch of cultivated
ground enlivens the dreary scene. — What I have
[f12r] said above,
relates principally to
Glencroe;
Glenkinglass is of rather a different character —
here the mountain sides to the right & left, are more gentle in their
acclivities: they are covered with verdure, & grazed by the beautiful sheep
of this Highland country. Their wool is much longer & finer than that of the
sheep we see in
England; & their faces
have the eager & lively expression of the goat: they all have horns, which
grow in the same manner as those of the goat. At the end of this glen, we begin
to see trees again, & were glad to return to something which indicated that
we were not very distant from a more inhabited country. We baited our horses,
& refreshed ourselves at
Cairn-dow, a
nice comfortable little Inn at the Northern end of
Loch
Fine. We then proceeded to —
Inverary, going all the way by the borders of the Lake, on the
Western-side
[f12v] Nothing could be more delightful than the whole of our ride. The
first view of the
Castle &
Town of Inverary, standing at the border of a fine
bay in the Loch, is wonderfully striking. — Nothing can be imagined more
beautiful — the great expanse of Water, the pretty little Town, the hills on all
sides, some soft & green, others finely wooded to their summits, &
others barren & rocky; form altogether an assemblage of all that is pleasing
to the eye, and delightful to the heart. — At the Inn, on our arrival, we were
met by the two M
r. Macdonalds, who had left
Edinburgh to accompany us in some part
of our tour, & who had arrived at
Inverary for this purpose, the day before. —
Wednesday the 20th. We all
set out together, four of us in the Carriage, & two on the Barouche, to take
a drive through the beautiful
[f.13r] grounds of the
Duke of Argyll. There is a great deal of natural
beauty in this place, & all that can be added by — planting &c. is done.
We enjoyed our ride exceedingly — After we had been round the park, we proceeded
a few miles down the border of this fine Lake — greatly as we had been pleased
in our more confined drive through the park, we were infinitely more delighted
with the
open, & grand
scenery of the Lake. There was a delightful breeze, which
filled the sails of the numerous little vessels which glided on its surface. It
was bounded on all sides, to our view at least, by lofty mountains — close to
our road on the other hand, were the finest trees, both beech and limes, as well
as most others sorts of forest trees; but the two first mentioned grow in
peculiar luxuriance here. We returned
[f.13v] to our Inn to dinner, sorry
to find our delightful morning come to its close. In the evening we took a long
walk, & finished the day as agreeably as we had commenced it. —
Thursday July 21st. The
weather which had hitherto been fine, but for the last two or three days, had
threatened rain, proved very wet this morning, & continued so the — whole of
the day. We had settled our plan for leaving Inverary after breakfast, which we did — We had a very dreary
ride for the first seven or eight miles, on the road towards Dalmally — Our road lay between large barren hills,
with no pleasing feature except the river Ary, which flowed through the valley; & continually
received and increase to its waters from the torrents which fell foaming from
the sides of the Mountains. After this we began to ascend gradually, till we
attained a view of Loch-Awe: it was a
delightful reverse from the
[f.14r] barren & uninteresting road we
had been travelling. The Loch has several beautiful small islands, and the
immediate banks are soft an pleasing — There is a handsome Gentleman's seat, the
grounds low & well planted,
on the Western
side of the Lake — beyond this, the mountain rises, and as we proceeded on our
road on the opposite side of the Lake, we soon attained so great a height, as to
afford us the finest range of — Alpine Scenery which we had yest witness'd. —
Below us lay
Dalmally; a small village with
a beautiful small church, and, what is seldom met with in this country, it has a
high & handsome tower. We took up our quarters here for the day & night,
& were confined entirely to the house by the heavy rains which fell the
whole of the evening. We left the two M
r. Macdonalds
at
Inverary, but it was their intention to
proceed today to
Oban. —
[f.14v]
Friday July 22nd. After
breakfast this morning we went to see the Church, which was built some years
back by
Lord Breadalbane, and is a very pretty
& convenient structure, well calculated to accommodate a great number of
people — We should have been much pleased with it, had the — neatness with which
it was preserved, borne any proportion to the convenience & judicious
arrangement of the interior: but this was far from being the case. The dirt
& dust lay on the floors in the pews & in the aisle, in such quantities
as to lead us to suppose the church could not have been swept for months. — The
windows were covered with splashes of white-wash, which upon enquiring we found
had disfigured them for a year past, as we were told it was full as long as that
since the
[f.15r] Church had been whitewash'd. But the inhabitants of
this country do not seem to be still sensible of the comfort of cleanliness in
their dwellings, or neatness in any thing. — After visiting the Church we went a
few miles, following the course of the fine river
Orchy, in
Glen-orchy, to
see a salmon-leap; the river was uncommonly full of water, owing to the heavy
rains which had fallen the preceeding night, & it fell foaming over the huge
rocks at the salmon-leap, in great fury & magnificence. There was a
fisherman, taking the fish at the time we went there, & during about an hour
that we looked on, we saw him catch seven fine Salmon in the pool immediately
below the fall: this he effected by use of a long pole, with a large strong
& sharp hook at its
[f.15v] end. He had no other apparatus, except an
open railed fence at the edge of the deep pool, which is placed there to prevent
the fish from escaping down the river. — After walking a little further into the
Glen, we returned to the carriage, & came back to
Dalmally to dinner. —
Saturday July 23rd We left
Dalmally after breakfast, & pursued
our journey towards Oban, on the banks of
Loch Awe. The first part of our ride was
very beautiful: the ruins of ^Kilchurn Castle, formerly the abode of the
Breadalbane family, occupy a point of land stretching out into the Lake, at ^the northern extremity of it — this is a most
picturesque object. — as you proceed farther, & look back on the lovely vale
you have quitted, & the river Orchy
rolling majestically through it, the Castle, which is built on very low ground,
appears actually to stand in the Lake, & has a very grand & commanding
appearance. — two or three
[f.16r] miles below this, the Loch separates
into two distinct branches: that which we followed pointing westward towards
Bunawe. It is impossible to describe the
sublimity of the scenery which now gradually broke upon us: the Lake narrowed
considerably, but the sides became so high & precipitous, that it seemed
like a stupendous mountain pass; the whole of its bottom occupied by the deep
waters of the Lake. Our road was cut through the over-hanging rocks
^(at the base of the superb Mountain, Ben-Cruachan) generally low, near the edge of the
Lake; but sometimes necessarily carried upwards, to turn a point in the
mountain: for the space of about half a mile we had been gradually rising, till
we found ourselves at a height of three or four hundred feet from the base — the
rock below us was so precipitous, that when we sat down in the Carriage, we
could not see anything but the water in the abyss below us: except that some
branches of trees which grow out of the rock, jutted
[f.16v] forward
& took off something from the sublime horror which one might suppose such a
scene must inspire — We however were more sensible of its magnificence, than
scared by its terrors; & I stood up in the carriage the whole of the way;
that I might lose nothing, amongst all the objects which excited my admiration,
& raised my soul to the great source of all these wonders of creation. — The
Mountains under which our road lay, were of the grandest kind, very lofty; in
many parts well wooded, & their summits covered with rude craggs, &
broken continually by immense torrents of water, which crossed our road at very
frequent intervals, & poured their foaming streams into the Lake below. On
the eastern side of the Loch the character of the hills was totally different —
There was neither rock, nor wood, to grace their sides; but a barren surface of
earths of various tints, with some loose stones which seemed to have been washed
down by mountain —
[f.17r] torrents, and served to vary the wild &
severe uniformity of this desart sweep: here & there indeed a little patch
of verdure — seemed like a spot on the surface; but not a tree or a bush, or
even a little heath or fern, presumed to offer a softening feature on these
dreary elevations. As we proceeded towards the extremity of the Lake, we quitted
with regret the ruder beauties we had so much enjoyed, & followed the course
of the beautiful river
Awe, till we arrived
at
Bunawe^Taynelt, a village situated
at the northern end of
Loch-Etive. —
This stage, from Dalmally to Bunawe^Taynelt was certainly much the grandest
we have travelled — it combined every charm which can affect the imagination, or
elevate the soul. — I know not how to take my eyes from the point that shut out
this magnificent combination of all that is sublime & beautiful, from my
view. I hope I shall ever retain it in my memory, & think of it with renewed
pleasure & admiration. —
[f.17v] The early part of our next stage, from
Bunawe to
Oban, was
extremely fine. We enjoyed as grand a Mountain view as can be imagined; but
loch Etive which lay below was not
distinguished by any peculiar or picturesque appearance — the shores are flat
& uninteresting. —
The last few miles our road lay over a wild & hilly waste, where immense
mounds of soil seemed scattered about in strange confusion, & offered a very
unusual scene to our eyes — but there was neither ^beauty nor grandeur here; & we were very glad to finish our day's
journey by — arriving at Oban, where the
Mr. Macdonalds were expecting us. The weather
improved much in the course of the day, & we had good hopes held out to us
that we might have a favorable voyage to Aross the next morning. Oban is a paltry little fishing town, with nothing to recommend
it, except its situation on the sea-coast.
[f.18r]
Sunday July 24th. At seven
this morning we all set sail from
Oban — for
the first hour or two we were obliged to trust to our Oars; but soon a nice
breeze sprung up, which wafted us smoothly along, & we sailed very
pleasantly through the
Sound of Mull*
i to
Aross, where we
arrived in about six hours. We procured a horse to convey the little luggage we
took with us, and all our party walked across a part of the island of
Mull, to a ferry at
Loch-na-gael head; where we again took boat, & proceeded to
Ulva. We arrived at this place, at about
four in the afternoon — after having dined we sauntered about, & went to see
the House & garden of
Mr.
Macdonald of Staffa; who had kindly sent letters from
Edinburgh, desiring that every accommodation might
be afforded to us by his dependants at
Ulva.
[f.18v]
Monday 25th. We all set
forward in Boats this morning in the hope of being able to see
Staffa — We were fearful it might prove too
boisterous a day, but the Boatmen encouraged us to go on to the distance of
three or four miles from the sound of
Ulva;
here the breeze became so strong, & the sea so very high, that our pilot as
well as ourselves saw the necessity of returning to
Ulva without completing our purpose — We therefore turned
about, & were landed upon the first point we could make, walking afterwards
home to our Inn. — In the evening we took a long & pleasant walk in the
Isle of Mull, crossing the ferry to get
there.
Tuesday July 26th. The
morning promising very fair, we made a second attempt to attain the object for
which we had come
[f.19r] hither, and succeeded quite to our wishes. We
had engaged a large vessel than is commonly used on these occasions, that we
might be rather less dependant on the weather; but nothing could prove finer
than the day turned out, & we were — gratified by seeing
Staffa with every possible advantage. We first
sailed nearly round it to see the various caves on its bluff & lofty coast.
We then landed & walked, or rather climed round its rugged base, till we
entered the
Cave of Fingal. If our wonder
had been raised by the outward appearance of this stupendous Mass of congregated
columns, for such it is; how was our admiration excited on entering the Cave,
the Aweful & solemn "temple of the Western Main:"
8 It is impossible for the imagination to paint to itself
any
[f.19v] thing so grand & so sublime as this cave; it is entered
under a lofty Arch, of nearly perfect Gothic form — the whole of the — interior
is line
^as the outside is also covered with basaltic
pillars, of which great numbers have from time to time fallen away, and left
their bases as a footing, by which we climed to nearly the innermost part of the
cave; a distance of about 250 feet from its mouth. We found many names inscribed
on the pillars, & the M
r. Macdonalds &
Benjamin — added to the number, those of
all our party. Should any of us ever visit the Cave again, we shall look for
those names with interest. After we had given all the time we could afford to
this wonder of Creation, & pay'd the tribute of devout admiration, (as I
hope we all did in our hearts) to the great
[f.20r] Framer of its
majestic structure; we had the small Boat by which we were conveyed from the
Vessel, rowed into the Cave; & we embarked again from its interior; rowing
out under its lofty portal with feelings which I believe are never excited,
without the heart's being improved. We quitted it very reluctantly; but the day
was wearing away, & we had yet to visit
I-Ona, which we also effected. Here also we were much
gratified.
There are still large remains of the Monastery which formerly existed there; & it has been the
burying place of many of the Kings of Scotland^& Ireland &
many Highland Chiefs; whose tombs are still remaining, & many of their
inscriptions still legible: these circumstances will always give a strong
interest to the place, and reward the curious traveller for the trouble it
[f.20v] must necessarily give him to obtain a view of this interesting
ruin. The building also is curious as a good specimen of very ancient
architecture. We took to our Boat again about half past six in the evening,
& in four hours more we were safely landed again at
Ulva; very much gratified at having been so fortunate as to
perform all we wished in the most comfortable manner, & to have accomplished
both these objects in one day. —
Wednesday July 27th. We all
left Ulva this morning, & returned to
Aross in the same manner that we had
gone to Ulva. We found our little Boat which
we had brought from Oban, ready to convey us
back again — at Aross, we parted with our
friends the Macdonalds, as it was their intention to proceed by Water to the
Isle of Skye, & it was necessary
[f.21r] we should return to
Oban to
meet the carriage again, & go by land to
Arisaig. — We took to our Boat about half past twelve o'Clock,
& found ourselves safe at
Oban in about
eight hours.
Thursday July 28th. We
proceeded on our journey; crossing the ferries of Connel & Sheean, &
baiting our horses at Appin — We were very
much delighted with our ride, which lay through a fertile & pleasing valley.
We came now in the district of Fingal, &
found much to admire in the softer features of this part of the Country. We took
a nice walk while the horses were feeding, and had a beautiful view of
Appin House, & of Loch Linnhe, from a planted Hill which looks
immediately down upon the Lake. We afterwards pursued our journey to Ballychulish, & crossing the ferry there, we
took our abode till the next day
[f.21v] at the
Inn on the Northern side of the ferry. From
Appin to this place, we had a most beautiful ride,
all along the side of
Loch Linnhe, which was
bounded on the opposite side by a very fine range of Mountains, which lie in the
district called
Morven
As we approached Ballychulish, we wound round
the base of a very fine Mountain called Ben-a-vear. This hill is exactly in front of the ferry house,
& is a most grand & beautiful object. We were all so pleased with the
place that we determined on staying to go up Loch
Leven in the morning, though it had been our intention to go on
to Fort William the same night. —
Friday 29th. We took a Boat
& were rowed to the head of Loch Leven,
where we got out, & walked to see
[f.22r] two very beautiful Water
falls. One of these is the highest I have ever seen; it is said to be 160 feet
from the beginning of the fall to the bottom; there was no great body of water,
but quite enough to let us see its beauty. From the manner in which it falls, it
spreads itself over a very wide surface of rock in a thin sheet, which is white
with foam, & dashes its spray to a very considerable distance. The scenery
immediately around this fall is particularly fine. Rocks of a stupendous height
enclose it on three sides, & these are beautifully ornamented with birch
& other trees, which grow out of their sides at frequent intervals. The head
of the Loch is nine or ten miles from the ferry, about half way up, is the
entrance to
Glencoe, which we propose to
travel through after our return from the
Isle of
Skye.
[f.22v] Both sides of
Loch Leven are
bounded by magnificent ranges of Mountains, each differing from the other in
figure & size, but the same general character is observable in all — There
is more verdure & softness than we had lately seen, with a mixture of rock,
& now & then fine tufted woody sides, which added very much to the
beauty of the whole. There cannot be a grander scene, or a finer confusion of
Mountains, than is presented to the view on the — borders of this beautiful
Lake.
We returned to Ballychulish to dinner, &
afterwards pursued our journey to Fort
William, by the side of Loch
Eil.
Saturday July 30th. We left
Fort William after breakfast, &
pursued our journey to Arisaig through a
wilder & bolder country than any we had yet seen. The distance between
Fort William and
[f.23r]
Arisaig is about forty miles — there
was but one place which lay between them, where we could bait our horses, &
the house was so wretched & so dirty, that we could not remain in it — I
preferred sitting in the Carriage while the rest of the party walked on, till we
should over-take them — For several miles after leaving
Fort William, our road lay through a barren & wretched
country: it was on both sides of the road a black boggy soil, & the only
pleasing features were two or three rapid torrents from the mountains sides
which flowed into the Lake below us. But as we proceeded to the distance of
about eight or nine miles, we found ourselves surrounded by the greatest scenery
possible. The hills on either hand were of stupendous height & their forms
& surfaces beautifully varied by projecting rocks; large Scotch firs (by far
the finest we have seen any where
[f.23v] of natural growth) and a
variety of — smaller trees, birches, alders &c, the natural growth of the
soil; all contributed to render this part of our journey as picturesque & as
magnificent as can be imagined. — We now soon opened upon
Loch Shiel, which we followed the bends of, for
some miles — All this part of our journey was exceedingly interesting; there was
— nearly as much beauty as in most places we have seen, & more of sublime
& terrific than in any district we had before visited — The road is very
excellent, & carried as much as was possible, at the bases of the hills; but
in some parts of it, this was not practicable, & we now & then found —
ourselves at an aweful height above the Lake, looking perpendicularly down upon
it. — We arrived at
Arisaig to dinner, where
we found our young friend
[f.24r]
Mr. Mathew Macdonald waiting to
receive us.
Mr. Charles
Macdonald had — proceeded homewards, to prepare for our arrival
at
Scalpa.
Sunday July the 31st. We
all set sail this morning for the Isle of
Skye, and were landed at the the [sic]Isle of Oransay, at the house of Mr. Elder, who kindly
furnished us with the means of proceeding by land to Corry-chatachan, where we were welcomed by Mr. & Mrs. Mc.Kinnon, & afterwards conveyed in one of Corry's boats across the Ferry (about two or three
miles) to Scalpa. We arrived about nine in
the evening & were most kindly welcomed by Scalpa & Mrs. Macdonald. There was no other part of the family at
Scalpa, except our kind friend Charles Macdonald, & one of the daughters
Miss Francis Macdonald. —
Monday August 1st. We
enjoyed the refreshment of rest, in a comfortable house after our long continued
wanderings; & only
[f.24v] quitted it to walk a little about: after
the frequent rains that had recently fallen the country was too wet for much
walking if we had been so disposed. I had the very great pleasure of finding
letters from all I love (all of whom I was then so distant from,) at
Scalpa; to which place I had desired letters to be
address'd to me: this satisfaction, added to that of being greatly pleased with
the kind reception we met with from all the Macdonalds, rendered this a very
agreeable day.
Scalpa himself is a man of more
than seventy: he is lively, & very intelligent: exceedingly kind &
hospitable to his guests, & full of conversation: he has travelled much in
early life, in foreign countries; & is full of anecdote & information on
most subjects.
Mrs.
Macdonald is perhaps a few years younger than
Scalpa. She has
[f.25r] been a very beautiful
woman, & still retains an uncommon portion
^of
beauty for a woman at her years; She is very gentle & affectionate
in her manner & appears to be a most kind hearted excellent woman — She is
not lively & she talks but little — but she carries an ease & serenity
in her appearance that are very attractive. — In her youth she was thought so
beautiful, that she was called the Malvina of the Isles.
9 She was niece to
the celebrated
Flora Macdonald. We saw at
Corry'sMrs. Macleod,
daughter to
Flora Macdonald, who has also the
remains of much beauty. —
Tuesday Aug. 2nd. We
proposed on this day to visit the Cave of
Strath-Aird;10 but the day
proving very rainy, we were obliged to abandon our project, & find our
amusement within doors. —
[f.25v]
Wednesday August
3rd. This morning, our own party, &
the two young Macdonalds resolved, as the day was tolerable, to go to the Cave,
in spite of all difficulty, if it could possibly be accomplished. We set out
from
Corry's, (after crossing to his house in
a Boat,) some of the party on horseback, others on foot, to cross that part of
the
Island of Skye, which lay between us
&
Loch Slappin; on the South-Western
side of which, the
Cave of Strath-aird is
situated. — The wind was contrary, & the water very rough; but there seemed
to be no danger in attempting it, so we were all of us anxious to try it. We
crossed
Loch-Slappin, & intended to have
proceeded to the Cave by water, keeping near the shore. — but, we found it so
very unpleasant, that we determined on landing, & walking the three or four
miles which lay between us
[f.26r] and it. We ordered the Boat to meet us
at the spot nearest to the Cave, where we might again enter it; & then
proceeded on our walk. This we accomplished exceedingly well, & on our
arrival just met the Boat at the spot. We then got into it, and were rowed into
the aweful chasm which forms the entrance to the
Cave of
Strath Aird. Our Boatmen were reluctant & timid, & said
they had never attempted to land a party there in such rough weather, or with so
high a Sea. In truth the swell was immense; but the M
r. Macdonalds are so well acquainted with all that relates to the Sea,
& so active in overcoming every difficulty, that we felt quite safe while
they — thought us so; & they enabled us to effect our purpose most
satisfactorily. The roughness of the weather, which seemed to be so great an
impediment, proved on the whole an advantage, as it added
[f.26v] much to
the grandeur of the scene at the entrance of the Cave. The approach to it is
through a chasm in the cleft, of solid rock — the sides on either hand are
perpendicular 100 feet in height: the depth, from the entrance to the opening of
the cave, is 500 feet; the breadth is 30 feet. We landed a few yards from the
mouth of the cave, which forms, at the entrance, a pointed arch. As soon as we
had advanced a very little way beyond the entrance, we lost the light of day,
and had about a dozen large lights carried with us, to show us the wonders &
beauties of the interior. We soon began to ascend, which was only to be
accomplished with labour & difficulty — the continued dripping making every
place wet & slippery. — The whole surface upon which we walked, or rather
climbed, is a white spar, & has been compared, & that not
[f.27r] unaptly, to a frozen cascade; the roof above our heads was hung with
stalactites of the purest white, of various length & sizes, but all having
the form of icicles. when we got to the top of the steep ascent, we were at once
surprized & delighted to see the various & fanciful forms which were
presented to our view. We could have imagined that the finest ornamental carving
met our eyes — resemblances to human figures, pieces of architecture, lofty
pillars, & an endless variety of forms, lined the sides of this superb
cavern, while the roof from beginning to end was enriched by the same sort of
pendant stalactites we had observed below. The whole of the inside of the cave,
with all its beauteous ornaments, are of the purest white — At the further end
there is a pool of considerable depth, over which
^once
hung, suspended from the roof above, what had the
[f.27v] regular form
& semblance of a chandelier. It can scarcely be believed that any person
could be so savage & insensible as to dare to injure this most delicate
& beautiful ornament, placed there as it had been by the hand of nature. But
unfortunately, a very few years back a traveller of this unfeeling description
struck at the chandelier, which soon yielded to the rude shock, & sunk into
the pool below. It was afterwards recovered from the water, & is still
preserved as a great natural curiosity: but it must lose greatly by not being
seen where nature first placed it — We were sorry to observe, that much injury
had been done to many parts of the Cave by persons, who, wishing to carry away
specimens, had broken the sides in many places, & defaced
[f.28r] the
surface most barbarously. After having accomplished our wishes, in examining the
magnificent cavern, we returned to our boat, which the high surge, & the
rugged shore made it exceedingly difficult for us to re-enter — We however
effected it safely, & returned to
Scalpa, arriving there at about a quarter before twelve at
night.
Thursday Aug. 4th. A rainy
day confined us all to the house — We could not even get half an hours walk on
the sea shore close to the house.
Friday 5th. We had fixed on
this day for leaving Scalpa, but the morning
proving wet, & the wind contrary, we were obliged to accept of our kind
friends' hospitality for another day.
Saturday August 6th. The
morning proving tolerable, & the wind favourable, we took leave of Scalpa & Mrs.Macdonald, & set
[f.28v] sail once more for the Main Land: our two kind & indefatigable friends,
Charles &
Mathew Macdonald, accompanying us, being resolved they said not
to quit their charge, till they saw us safely seated in the carriage, to pursue
our journey by land. — We hired a boat which
Corry procured for us, to take us through the
Kyles to
Arisaig. —
We were much gratified as we were approaching the Kyles, to see water thrown up in such a manner, as to convince
us there were Whales near us in the sea; & still were so when shortly after,
two or three rose so high, as to shew us their back-fin, & a considerable
portion of their immense bulk above the sea. We watched them for several
minutes, & saw them spout water, & show themselves at frequent
intervals. — We had also
[f.29r] the gratification of seeing large flocks
of the Soland geese flying immediately above our heads, & continuously
darting down upon the fish in the water; this being the season of the herring
fishery the sounds in these seas abound with Herrings at this time. — During the
course of our voyage from
Scalpa to
Arisaig, we passed the mouths of several
fine Sea Lochs;
Loch-Dowie,
Loch Hourn, &
Loch-Nevis. — When we arrived about the point of the
Isle of Oransay, we looked back to take a parting
view of the highest Hills in
Skye — The
Cullin range appeared particularly bold,
& their broken rocky tips looked very magnificent.
Ben-a-Caillish also, with its conical summit, demanded a
farewell look; &
Scalpa, just fading to
our view, called forth the tribute of a sigh, in grateful remembrance of its
[f.29v] most kind & hospitable inhabitants!
We had on the whole a favourable voyage and arrived safe at Arisaig at about seven o'clock. —
Sunday August 7th. at eight
o'clock this morning we parted with our two kind friends, Charles & Mathew
Macdonald; leaving them to return to Scalpa, while we pursued our journey by land to Fort William, where we staid the night.
Monday August 8th. We
retraced our road from Fort William to
Ballychulish. — a great part of our ride
was dull & uninteresting, but it improved as we proceeded, & became very
beautiful when we gained a view of the fine Mountain Ben-a-vear, with Loch Leven
at its foot. — After breakfasting at Ballychulish we proceeded through Glen-Coe to an Inn on the Black
Mount, called The King's
House. The entrance to Glen-Coe is very beautiful, & is a plain of perhaps a third
part of a mile in breadth, the river Coe —
[f.30r] winding along it, & falling at its extremity into
Loch-Leven. So much has been said about
the wonders & horrors of
Glen-Coe, that
we were prepared for seeing something surpassing all that had yet fallen under
our observation; and as far as the terrific is capable of exciting admiration,
we certainly were not disappointed. As the Glen narrows, the Mountains on either
side rise to a gigantic height, & their rude rocky sides present a picture
of horror & desolation which can perhaps scarcely be equalled. The coulour
of the rock is so black, & its consistence so solid, that is seems as if the
whole substance of the mountain was comprised of it — the bed of the river in
this part of the glen is also very rocky; & as there is a considerable
descent, the noise of the water is excessive, & adds greatly to the wild
horror of the scene. Many large streams are also seen falling from the sides
[f.30v] of the Mountains, adding their noise & their Waters, to the
foaming torrent below; which is here & there seen to fall over so deep a
descent, as to afford many very grand waterfalls in its progress through the
Glen. — When we were nearly escaped from the awful horrors which the scene
presented, we turned again to take a parting survey, & were more than ever
struck with the majestic grandeur of the scene we were quitting — The sides of
some, & the tops of
^almost all the mountains which
we had been passing, presented themselves at once to our view — We scarcely knew
how to quit a spot — which so completely arrested our attention, & raised
our hearts to the Great Author of all this Magnificence — but it was necessary
to proceed, & we made our way thoughtfully & slowly over a
[f.31r] wretched black & boggy moor
^called Rannoch Moor, till we arrived at the
King's House, where we were obliged to
take up our abode for the night, as the next stage to
Tyndrum, was more than our horses could well have performed;
& besides this, it was too late in the day to undertake it. —
Tuesday August 9th. After
breakfasting at King's House, we proceeded
by Inverouran & the braes of Glen Orchy, to Tyndrum, to dinner. — For the first few miles our road was
still over the ^same boggy moor, near the Black mount; but as we approached Inverouran the scenery became far more pleasing,
& a pretty little Lake, called Loch
Tollie, gave a beauty & softness to the scene, which we
observed with no small pleasure after the gloomy & desolate track of country
we had been travelling.
A fine Mountain, Ben Doran, rises
[f.31v] very high, with a sharp pointed top at a small distance north of
Tyndrum and
Ben
More to the South East. —
Ben
Lawers is also seen towards the East.— After dinner we proceeded
to
Killin. (
Tyndrum is said to the be highest inhabited spot in
Scotland.) The principal branch of the river
Tay, rises in
Ben-Doran near to
Tyndrum;
it is here called the
Fillan water — We were
desired to look at
St.
Fillan's pool, at the distance of two or three miles from
Tyndrum on the road to
Killin — it is rather a deep pool, but has nothing
worthy of notice about it, except that the Highlanders have a superstitious
notion, that maniacs will have their senses restored to them, if they are dipped
in
St. Fillan's
Pool: but this, like most other traditions of this sort is now
little thought of, & never I believe acted upon.
The road winds along the base of Ben-More,
under which is a small Lake called Loch
Dochart. There is in
[f.32r] this Lake a beautifully
wooded little — island, on which are seen the ruins of
St. Fillan's Chapel. Below the
Lake, the river which we had seen under the name of
St. Fillan's water, is called by the
name of
Dochart — it now acquires
considerable size, & flows through a wider & better cultivated valley,
than any we had seen for some time past. We stopped to bait our horses at
Luib, a tolerable Highland Inn about
seven miles from
Killin.
The latter part of this day's ride improved greatly upon us — the scenery became
softer, & much more pleasing; and as we approached Killin, we were delighted to observe hills richly wooded,
plains finely cultivated, and a large collection of houses and cottages, of a
far more comfortable appearance than the wretched huts we had seen in the more
remote parts of the Highlands &
Islands.
As we drove up to Cameron's Inn, situated
just above the bank of the lovely river Lochy^(which falls into the Dochart a little way below), we passed a
[f.32v] large church, which added not a little to the satisfaction we
felt, and seemed to — give conviction to the cheering idea, that we were once
more returned to the busy haunts of Men. — For the last two or three days we had
sustained a good deal of inconvenience from the very — wretched accommodation
the Inns we had been lodged at, had afforded us. At
Killin we were exceedingly comfortable in this respect — this
happened very fortunately for me; for I had undergone so much fatigue, that it
was — becoming too much for me, and I was so exhausted & unwell in the
evening as to feel very thankful that we were arrived at such comfortable
quarters.
Wednesday August 10th. My
langour & fatigue continuing; I kept my bed till late in the day, and missed
the opportunity of enjoying as I otherwise should have done, the beautiful
walks, & the enchanting views which render the
[f.33r] neighbourhood
of
Killin so very delightful. The village
stands at the Western head of
Loch Tay, and
commands very fine views of the Lake — It is remarkable for having two private
burying grounds near it, one belonging to
Lord
Breadalbane, the great proprietor of almost the whole of this
district; & the
other to M
r. MacNab,
11 who also has a house
near
Killin. — These burying grounds are
both of them romantic & beautiful; that belonging to
Lord Breadalbane, is the most so. The
Mausoleum is situated in a large Area, within which a Castle
formerly stood, ruins of which still grace the solemn scene — The ground within
the bounds of it, is beautifully kept; and besides the grand ornament of some of
the finest sycamore trees I ever beheld, it is burdened & planted with
shrubs & flowers. It commands a very
[f.33v] fine view of
Loch Tay, and is in full front of a very pretty
Cottage, which is often visited by
Lord
Breadalbane, & of which his
Lady is particularly fond. — On
Thursday
Aug. 11th. after visiting the spot I have
been describing, and dining at
Killin, we
proceeded by the south side of
Loch Tay to
Kenmore. The Lake runs so nearly
straight, from the East to West, that we saw almost the whole reach of it,
during the greater part of our ride, a stage of 16 miles. We were very glad
indeed not to lose sight of the lovely hills & fertile valley of
Killin, till we had nearly arrived at the eastern
extremity of the Lake, & entered the neat comfortable looking village of
Kenmore — We found here a very good
Inn, where we were soon provided
[f.34r] with comfortable beds, one of which I was very glad to retire to,
being quite fatigued, but much gratified by the exertions of the day. I must not
omit to mention the beautiful & singular appearance
Ben-Lawers had, during a part of our ride — This Mountain is
situated on the north side of the Lake — It was almost covered by thick clouds
the whole of the day; but now & then the mist vanished from the highest
point of the mountain & shewed a dark, & nearly conical ridge, at so
great a height above every other terrestrial object, that it seemed like
something fixed in the firmament, & it was difficult to persuade ourselves
that its foundation was on earth. —
Friday Aug. 12th. The
morning being fine, Dr.
Malkin, Miss Hall &
Benjamin determined
[f.34v] on
ascending to the summit of
Ben-Lawers, which
they effected much to their satisfaction; though they had occasional mists and
showers to encounter. I did not attempt a task of so much labour; but was glad
of an opportunity of lying by for a day, in hopes that the rest it might afford
me, would a little recover my fatigue, & recruit my strength.
Saturday Aug. 13th.
Immediately after breakfast this morning, we visited Taymouth Castle, the seat of Lord
Breadalbane. The grounds which lead to the Castle are as
beautiful as the imagination can conceive: they possess in themselves every
various charm which Nature can give them; the noble river Tay, rolls majestically through the park, which is
ornamented by fine timber in vast profusion — the ground itself is full of
variety, here swelling into easy slopes, & there sinking into lovely plains
— every high point which commands a view of Loch
Tay to the
[f.35r] West, & of the superb Mountains
which surround this delightful scene, is made accessible by walks which are kept
in the nicest order. From one of these little eminences, you command a view of a
very beautiful Water fall, which falls a great depth on a rocky-steep, & is
surrounded on all sides by richly wooded rocky scenery. This Cascade has a good
deal the same character, both in itself, & its accompaniments, as the
Hermitage Fall; which we had gone out of
our road to see, about two miles short of
Kenmore, on our drive from
Killin: but it is not equal to it in grandeur. The park is well
stocked with Deer; & we were gratified by seeing two or three of the genuine
Red Deer, which is now become so very scarce, & is very rarely to be met
with any where. After wandering with delight in this sylvan scene, we approached
the
Castle, which is not yet quite
compleated — It is a very beautiful pile of building, of a dark granite, which
[f.35v] the same greenish hue, we so much admired at
Inverary Castle — but
Taymouth Castle is very superior. The principal part of the
building is very nearly finished, but it is intended to add two wings to it
before the whole is compleated. The inside of the house is extremely handsome;
it is ornamented with very fine carving, in the entrance, the staircase &c:
every thing within is in excellent taste, except perhaps the staircase, which
has many beautifully ornamented niches in the walls, which do not appear to have
any use; & unless they are to be occupied by statues, they must appear to be
unmeaning & superfluous. — The floors are all of the finest oak, beautifully
laid in the forms of a lozenge, & filled up like mosaic, with small pieces —
The ceiling
^& cornices are also exceedingly
handsome, many of them of oak, & finely wrought. The
[f.36r] chimney
pieces are of fine marble, mostly black, or
dun-colour, & all the fitting up of the apartments, as far as
the architectural part may be called so, is in the gothic stile. — There are
some good pictures, but these are not very numerous. After having seen the
Castle, we took a drive through the beautiful glen of
Fortingale^wound round the hill called Drummond
hill & followed for several miles the course of
the fine river
Lyon, leaving
glen-lyon to our right; when we wound round
^to the side of
Loch-Tay, to return to
Kenmore. We then dined at our Inn, & afterwards pursued our
journey to
Aberfeldi; where we turned out of
the high road, & walked about a mile & a half to see the magnificent
waterfall at
Moness. We were well rewarded
for our labour: this fall is altogether the longest, & the finest of any we
had seen — the descent is not so precipitous, but it is of greater length, and
the rocks, & the wood in the surrounding
[f.36v] scenery are
particularly grand. This fall is also in
Lord
Breadalbanes grounds, & the paths to it are made as easy
& convenient as possible. — There was a very considerable body of water,
after the rains which had recently fallen; so that we had the pleasure of seeing
this — majestic torrent with every advantage, & returned to the carriage
much delighted with what I had beheld. We went across the
Tay, over
Wade's
Bridge12 to
Weem, where we were
very comfortably accommodated for the night. —
Sunday, August 14th. After
having — breakfasted at Weem, we went to the
little village of Balnaguard, where we
stopt, & walked about a mile to see a very romantic & picturesque,
(though very little known) waterfall — after this we crossed two ferries, one
over the Tay, the other over the Tummel; & continued
[f.37r] our journey
as far as
Blair-Athol, where we took up our
abode for the night. Our road
^(after crossing the second
ferry) lay briefly through a beautiful valley, through which the fine
river we had last crossed, the
Tummel,
flowed. After following its course for some miles we left it, after passing
Fascally; & just at the point where
the
Garry falls into it. — We then pursued
the course of this latter stream, which rolls over a very deep bottom, through
the
pass of Killycrankie — This part of our
ride was uncommonly striking — We were surrounded on all sided by majestic
Mountains, some parts cover'd with the finest wood, others offering a rocky
& barren surface to the view; others again looking verdant & fertile,
& appearing cultivated to a very great height. — We seemed once more to have
quitted the inhabited part of the world, & to be shut out by
[f.37v] lofty barriers, from the haunts of men, but as we entered the village of
Blair we saw little groups of people,
and the happy smiling faces
^of children: this gave an
air of cheerfulness to the scene, and we arrived at our Inn well pleased with
our day's journey; but I myself heartily glad to be advanced to the end of it,
having felt for the last two hours much fatigued & exhausted. — (I should
not omit to mention the rich and fertile valley through which our road lay, the
whole of the way from
Weem, to the place
where we were ferried across the
Tay; on the
eastern side of which, lay the pretty little village of
Logierait. The whole of this low district is called
Strath-Tay. It is ornamented by a great many pretty
houses & presents a picture of cheerfulness & comfort which we
contemplated with great pleasure. The river
Tay which winds the
[f.38r] whole length of this valley,
is in full view from the road, & is become a very — large & majestic
river — A little way below
Logierait, it
receives the
Tummel also, & they then
flow in one united current towards
Dunkeld.
—)
Monday Aug. 15th. It
was our intention this morning, after seeing all we wished to see at
Blair Athol, to set out early on our way to
Dunkeld — but at the time we were
preparing for it, a fire broke out at
Blair
Castle, one of the Seats of the
Duke of
Athol. — This was so serious and alarming a circumstance, in a
place so much out of the way of all ready aid in such an event, that we could
not think of leaving the place, till we should see what was likely to be the
consequence, & whether the fire could, by the assistance of the
country-people be got under. —
The Duke himself was absent, being with a
shooting party on Ben-Gloe. The Dutchess, with some of the family were at the Castle
[f.38v] We all repaired to the place, to see if in any way we could
be of service, & our three Man Servants were amongst the most active &
useful in carrying water and pulling down parts of the building to prevent the
spreading of the flames to the Main body of the Castle, the fire having begun in
the Wing. — We had the pleasure of seeing that the efforts of the people, which
though not very meticulously directed, were very active, soon succeeded in
getting under the fire, and by four o'clock in the afternoon we felt assured
that all further danger to the building was over. This being the case, we
determined on prosecuting our original intention of leaving
Blair Athol — Our journey lay back again
^by the road we had travelled the day before, through the
rich & beautiful vale of
Tummel.
[f.39r] Near
Fascally, we quitted the
Carriage & walked a mile out of the road, to see the very fine
falls of the Tummel: the quantity of water in these
falls, is said to be greater than in any other waterfall in
Scotland. We were exceedingly delighted with this
magnificent spectacle. All the surrounding scenery, the rocks, the hills, the
woods, harmonized with each other; & the loud noise of the foaming torrent
produced the grandest effect. — Our way to this fall, lay through the grounds of
Mr. Butter, of
Fascally, a most beautiful &
romantic place within a short distance from our road.
13
We quitted the banks of the Tummel at the
place where we had ferried over, & then pursued the course of the Tay, to the town of Dunkeld; where we arrived after nine o'clock in the evening.
—
We found a very comfortable Inn, & took up our lodgings in it for the night.
—
[f.39v]
Tuesday Aug. 16th We spent
the morning in seeing the grounds of the
Duke of
Athol who has also a seat at
Dunkeld. The principal object is a fall on the
River Brand, which is called the
Hermitage Fall, in front of which a building has
been erected, which is whimsically called the
Hall of
Ossian; where the family sometimes make parties & go to
dine. There is a very nice room, prettily fitted up, & ornamented with
glasses, & mirrors, which show the fall in various directions. Here is a
very considerable body of water, & the rocks over which it tumbles are very
rude, & very wide — the effect of the whole is very fine — We quitted this,
& pursued the upper course of the stream to the
rumbling brig, where there is also another grand fall. The Town
of
Dunkeld is beautifully situated: the
Tay is here become a very large river,
[f.40r] having a very handsome stone Bridge over it, built withing a
few years. —
There are very considerable remains of the Cathedral still standing, but they do not offer any thing
particularly curious to the observation — A part of the Cathedral is still resorted to, as the parish Church; this is
in a wretched dilapidated state, & the Ailes & Pews are so ill kept,
& so charged with dirt & dust, as to look very forlorn &
uncomfortable. It must appear to all english travellers, that it is a great
disgrace to the inhabitants of such a Town as Dunkeld, to suffer their Church to ^be
so shamefully neglected.
Wednesday Aug. 17th. After
breakfast we quitted Dunkeld, & pursued
the course of the Tay for some distance;
winding along under Birnam Hill, which is a
fine craggy & picturesque Mountain, but no longer boasts the wood attributed
to it
[f.40v] by
Shakespear. We looked
back towards
Dunkeld, & were more than
ever charmed with the beauty of its situation, & the grandeur & richness
of the surrounding Scenery — after we had advanced three or four miles, the face
of the country became less interesting, & acquired quite a different
character. There is a great deal in the road between
Dunkeld &
Perth, which
strongly reminded us of
England. The plains
are wider than any we had long seen, & the enclosures here, were principally
hedges — the distant views also in this district were less marked by bold
mountain ridges, & partook greatly of the tamer features of English
landscape. We had a pleasant ride to
Perth,
where we arrived about one o'clock; & we passed two or three hours before
dinner in walking to see the beauties of this place. The town is considerable
but not of great extent — It has some
[f.41r] handsome buildings,
particularly those which are upon the
North-Inch. Its situation is very beautiful, and the noble
river, the
Tay, forms one of its finest
ornaments. There is a handsome stone bridge over the river, which is a fine
object wherever it is seen; but in going over it, a person is surprized to find
it narrow, and shabby — having a foot pavement only on one side of the bridge.
The views up and down the river, as you stand upon the bridge, are exceedingly
rich; and the whole appearance of the Town & neighbourhood gives the idea of
ease & comfort. —
At Perth I had the great satisfaction of
receiving a large packet of letters, from my children, from Wales, & from my Brother.
Thursday August 18th.
Having seen all we wished of Perth
yesterday, we left it this morning, and visited Lyndock the very pretty cottage of ^General Sir Thomas Grahame, now Lord
Lyndock. There is little in this place to render it worthy of
going much
[f.41v] out of the road for; but the house is a low thatched
building, containing only two Good rooms, and several bed-rooms — It has however
the merit of being exactly what it is said to be, a perfect cottage; which is
rendered a very lovely little abode by the grounds in which it is situated — It
has a conservatory, into which the dining room opens, which had some of the
finest green-house plants I ever saw; & they all bore a rich profusion of
blossom, which rendered it very beautiful. There were no curious plants in it,
but those which grow there, are the finest of their kind. — It was trained up
with Passion-flowers, & other creepers, to the top of the conservatory,
& the woody stalks were as thick as my arm. — The garden also was well
stored with flowers, & there was
[f.42r] very fine fruit in
hot-houses. The
graves of Bessy Bell & Mary
Gray, are shown in these grounds.
14 The
river
Almon flows through them, & adds
greatly to their beauty. — On quitting
Lyndock, it was our intention to have proceeded by a new road
through
Glen-Almon, to
Crief: but our postilions were misinformed
respecting their way & took us over a wretched barren moor for many long
miles, till at the end of four hours we found ourselves at
Amulree, where we baited our horses, & took
some refreshment ourselves — We afterwards proceeded to
Crief, going through a part of
Glen-Almon, with which we were much pleased — this part of the
Glen was at the other extremity from that we had intended taking in the morning.
We all found ourselves much fatigued by this days journey, as our road for the
grater part was wholly uninteresting, & the
[f.42v] most laborious
& stony of any we had travelled over in
Scotland. The Country became pretty again, as we approached the
Town of
Crief, & we were very glad to
find ourselves safely arrived & lodged at a pretty good Inn; for we had been
apprehensive, lest from the extreme badness of the road, the Carriage might
not have met with some serious injury: this however did not prove
to have been the case.
Friday August 19th. This
morning we pursued our journey towards Loch-Earn
head. At the distance of about two or three miles from
Crief, we entered the grounds of
Ochtertire, the seat of Sir Patrick Murray — Our first object was to see a
fine water fall here, which we visited, and were greatly pleased with: it is on
the Turret, a river of no great size, but
the bed is rocky, the sides all wooded, & the general character,
particularly at the fall, is very pleasing. The grounds are very beautiful; the
house, a good comfortable
[f.43r] modern building, of a dark grey stone.
It is exceedingly well situated, about mid way up the side of a hill — high
enough to command a fine view of all the neighbouring country, & yet
sufficiently below the summit, to be well skreened by the Mountain behind from
the North winds. There can scarcely be found a happier combination of the
grandeur of Highland scenery, with the softer beauties of more southern
landscape, than at
Ochtertyre. — Quitting
this lovely place, we proceeded to the pretty little town of
Comrie; which we quitted to visit the
Pillar which is erected to the memory of the late
Lord Melville, on a very high &
picturesque rocky hill, above the town. We were much gratified on ascending this
height, with the fine views which we beheld from it. On our descent from it we
visited the fine
falls of the Comrie, which
lie at a great depth in the glen, almost immediately below the pillar. The
effect of all these
[f.43v] objects is very striking: & the eye is
carried over a very richly wooded narrow Glen, through which the river murmurs
hoarsely, to the town of
Comrie, the pretty
Church appearing to close the scene — the river Comrie
15 is not a
large stream, but very impetuous; falling over a rocky bottom, with frequent
interruptions, into the river
Earn, a little
below the town of
Comrie. —
A little way beyond this place, we came to Dunira, formerly the favorite seat of Lord Melville, but now let to a gentleman of the name of
Drummond. The grounds here are very
pretty, but are less attended to than they used to be in the time of the late
Lord Melville. —
In the afternoon we proceeded by the North side of Loch-Earn to the Inn at the head of the Lake; where we took up
our abode, & found ourselves very comfortably accommodated. — Our ride by
the side
[f.44r] of the Lake was very beautiful: the hills on either side
being very lofty, & finely varied by wood & rock — those on the north
side being the commencement of the
Grampians
in this district, & those on the south of the
Balquihidder. Above the highest top of those under which we
were passing (the
Grampians) we saw a very
large bird soaring, which we were told, (& from the height at which we
observed it, we thought very probable) was an Eagle. We were fortunate in having
a very fine day, which admitted of our seeing the numerous objects we visited
to-day to the greatest advantage. — —
Saturday Aug. 20th. This
morning Dr Malkin,
Benjamin & Miss
Hall ascended to the top of Ben
Voirlack: the day was clear, & they had a fine view of most
of the objects which are to be seen from that Mountain. They returned to dinner
at four o' Clock, after which we all took a drive as far
[f.44v] as the
little Lake in
Glen-Ogle.
16 On — arriving at this place, we were again —
withing the distance of about four miles from
Killin — We looked down upon the
vale
of Dochart, & saw the tops of the hills above
Killin; but we could not see far enough to the
East, to catch another view of
Loch-Tay. —
On our road back to our Inn, we had a very fine view of
Ben-Voirlack whose lofty summit rose majestically above all the
surrounding hills — I could not help regretting that I had not felt equal to the
task of ascending it in the morning. — The scenery of
Glen-Ogle is very wild; the hills on either side are high, and
rocky; & large — masses of stone have fallen from their
^tops, which lie in the Glen, & obstruct the course of the stream
below. The little Lake is a pretty softening feature in this wild &
sequestered scene.
[f.45]
Sunday Aug. 21st We left
Loch-Ernehead after breakfast — At the
distance of three miles, we turned out of our road, to drive up to
Loch-Noil, or
Loch
Voil, for we could not exactly learn which was the proper name.
This is a small Lake, in a very pretty valley, West of our road from
loch Erne-head to
Callendar. — After having seen it, we returned to the high
road, & soon came by the lovely vale of
Strath-Ire, to the north end of
Loch
Lubnaig, our way lying on the eastern side of the Lake. This
loch is also small but the scenery on both sides of it is very beautiful, &
the hills rise in some parts immediately from the Lake, to a very great height:
they are partly rocky, & a good deal covered with wood. Soon after quitting
the South End of the Lake, we entered the
pass of
Lennie, a fine romantic Glen — the river
Tieth flowing out of the loch, through this Glen, & giving
a great deal of beauty to the scene. We followed the course of this fine river
to
[f.45v]
Callander, where we once
more took up our abode for the rest of the day & night. It was here we first
entered the
Highlands, here also we bid them
adieu!
Tomorrow we shall pursue our journey homewards through the Lowland districts of Scotland. We shall I hope
carry with us a grateful remembrance of the kindness we have experienced, &
the pleasures we have enjoyed, in the course of our very agreeable tour! —
Monday Aug. 22nd. I was
much pleased to find this morning that the greater part of our road to
Dumbarton still lay on the Highland
border — We took the same route by which we before left Callander, nearly as far as Aberfoil — about a mile short of this place we turned off into
the Dumbarton road. — We had the pleasure of
again passing the lovely Lake of Monteith,
which lost nothing in our estimation from being compared with many other we
[f.46r] had visited since last we passed its borders — We kept it in view
for some time after we had quitted the
Aberfoil road — We were gratified by a very fine mountain on
the height above the Lake, & enjoyed it the more from being now able to
recognise the different points of it. — After ascending to a considerable
height, over a heathy moor, south of
Aberfoil, we commanded a fine view of the Southern end of
Loch Lomond; and had the high
gratification of seeing the superb Mountain
Ben-Lomond, free from any cloud, rising majestically from the
Lake below. — The day was at this hour of it, particularly favorable to mountain
scenery. The grand ridge of the
Aroqhuar
Mountains looked particularly fine, & were seen in full majesty above the
tops of those immediately rising from the western side of
Loch-Lomond. All the scenery we now beheld, seemed
to be familiar to us,
[f.46v] and this added greatly to the satisfaction
with which we contemplated it. We continued to enjoy the same prospect for a
great part of our road towards
Dumbarton —
The view of
Ben-Lomond is finer, &
grander, from this side of it, than from any other. — We regretted much in the
morning, that the heavy clouds which hung over the summits of
Ben-Ledi, &
Ben-Venue, prevented our seeing them in full beauty — but our
parting view of
Ben-Lomond,
Loch-Lomond, & all the majestic features which
grace this most attractive & interesting district, made us rich amends for
the disappointment; and I felt particularly gratified that the last Highland
scene I was likely to contemplate, was amongst the finest I had enjoyed. I knew
not how to turn away from it; but it was necessary we should pursue our journey,
& I
[f.47r] was well pleased on arriving at
Dumbarton, to find that
Ben-Lomond still reared his head above all other objects, &
formed a grand feature in the view from the Town & Castle.
Dumbarton is a shabby Town, & does not
appear to be well inhabited. It has a handsome Bridge over the river Leven, which falls just below it into the
Firth of Clyde. We walked to the —
singular Rock on which the Castle — formerly
stood, and on which there is now a small Garrison, but no vestige of the Castle
now remains.17 We
ascended to the summit of the Rock, & commanded a very fine view of the
Firth, and of all the surrounding
country. The rich vale between this place & Loch-Lomond, & Ben-Lomond beyond it to the North, formed the most enchanting
features of this lovely scene. The Firth
formed a fine expanse of Water under the rock on which ^we
stood.
[f.47v]
Tuesday Aug. 23rd. We left
Dumbarton, and had a pleasant walk by
the banks of the
Clyde to
Glasgow — but there was nothing particularly
interesting in our road. —
Glasgow appears
to be a handsome well built Town, & very full of business & bustle; but
the afternoon proved so very rainy, that we had very little opportunity of
walking out — We saw from our Inn, that
Argyll
Street, in which it stands, is a fine handsome street, well
built with stone, as the whole of the Town is; & having many very fine shops
in it. —
Wednesday Aug. 24th. We
went this morning to see the Hunterian
Museum at the College, &
afterwards visited most parts of the Town — There are many handsome Streets,
& a great deal of
[f.48r] fine building in
Glasgow. — It possesses also an advantage which we rather
regretted the want of in
Edinburgh; the
having many fine Church spires. These are in themselves very beautiful, and when
many buildings area clustered together, as in a large town; they tend perhaps
more than any other objects to give dignity & effect to the whole. In
situation, and indeed in every other respect,
Edinburgh appears to me to have a most decided superiority;
& as a place to reside in, I should think
Glasgow would bear no comparison with it.
Argyll St. in
Glasgow^& the Trongate which
is a continuation of it is one of the handsomest I have seen any
where. There are two Stone Bridges across the
Clyde here, but these are not handsome — the arches being low,
[f.48v] and the whole of the architecture very heavy & inelegant
— We were sorry to see, that the top of a
pillar which was erected a few years since to the memory of
Lord Nelson, has been struck by lightning,
and appears to be in so disjointed a state, as to render it probable that a part
of it may fall. Near to this spot, there is a most magnificent new
Goal [
sic] erecting. — At the other side of the Town there is also
building at this time, an Asylum for Lunatics. The Infirmary is also a handsome
modern building on the North side of the Town. — We went to see the
Cathedral, which is rather handsome, but very
negligently kept, like every other Church which we had yet seen in
Scotland. —
[f.49r]
Thursday Aug. 25th.
We left Glasgow this morning, and came by Hamilton to Lanark — We followed the course of the Clyde a good part of our road, and were gratified
by seeing so much of this fine river. — at the same time, I felt rather
disappointed. I had heard the Clyde so often
mentioned with admiration, that I expected to see more beauty than we found on
its banks. There are however many parts of it, where its borders are richly
fringed with wood — but on the whole its shores are flat, & much less
interesting than many of the rivers we have so much admired in the Highlands. There is a fine fall of this river ^called Stone-Biers
fall about two miles short of Lanark, which we went to see, and were very much pleased with.
After dining at our Inn, we procured a
[f.49v] guide to direct us on our
way to see the
Cartland Craggs — these are
fine romantic rocks, that rise to a great height above a small river, the
Mouse, which falls into the
Clyde a little way below — We had a very delightful
walk — the scenery on both sides the [
sic] stream was very grand, as well
as beautiful. — the rocks are richly — wooded, down to the edge of the water,
and the whole character of the place a good deal reminded
^us of
Hawthorn Dean, with which
we had been so — much delighted when we visited it from
Edinburgh. —
Friday August 26th. We went
this morning to breakfast at Mr. Owen's at Braxfield; who afterwards conducted us through the several
departments of the cotton yarn manufactory which he conducts at the
[f.50r] Village of
New Lanark. He
also took us to the Schools, the Store Warehouses &c, and gratified us very
much by informing us of the principle upon which every thing here is conducted.
There is at present in the village a population of 2400 — persons, all of whom
are more decent in their appearance than I have ever seen the labouring classes
in other manufacturing places — Every thing possible is done, under
Mr. Owen's benevolent
super-intendance, which may tend to improve
^the
situation, and increase the comforts of the industrious poor — the happy effects
of his liberal system, are very observable in the civil deportment; & happy
countenances of his dependants of all ages. The artisans & their children
look healthy & contented — the buildings in which the manufactory is
conducted are very airy & spacious — the food which
[f.50v] is
brought to the store-houses, for them to purchase, is of the best quality, the
situation of the village is exceedingly salubrious as well as beautiful; and
every circumstance appears to tend to the perfection of an admirable &
liberal theory, which is here actually carried into practise with the best &
happiest effects. —
Mr.
Owen has been settled here but fifteen years: he looks upon his
grand scheme as only yet in its commencement; & hopes if life & health
are granted him, to see a very great improvement in the space of a few more
years. every person who is so happy as to see this establish
^ment will feel a strong interest in the further perfecting of it, and
wish most devoutly that it may be consistent
[f.51r] with the plan of an
All Wise Providence to continue the life, & assist the exertions of this
most excellent & judicious Man. —
After having been gratified by seeing as far as we were able, into the nature
& effects of his institutions, we went accompanied by Mr. Owen, to see the falls of the Clyde at Boniton. Here we enjoyed the
sublime & the beautiful, in Nature's richest profusion. These falls
surpassed in grandeur any we had before visited — the great body of water, the
height & grandeur of the neighbouring cliffs, the fine wood which ornaments
their sides and tops, and the great depth as well as breadth of the rocks over
which the torrent tumbles & rages; all these circumstances, combined with
the immense foam & spray, & the thundering noise of the dashing waters,
[f.51v]
^unite in forming a scene the most
affecting & impressive that can be imagined. Cold and insensible must be the
heart of that being, who could contemplate it without emotion; or admire it,
without paying the tribute of gratitude and devotion to the Great Author of all
beauty, the Divine Source of every good!
Having been a little disappointed, in what we had before seen of the Clyde, I was much pleased to find that by pursuing
its upward course to this place, we
found our expectations ^were
more than answered. This was the last grand object, which we had to visit in
Scotland, nor could we finish better. I
hardly knew how to quit this delightful spot, & most reluctantly turned my
steps from the
[f.52r] river's brink. — I had been a great many hours on
foot, but my mind & heart had been so much interested, that I scarcely felt
any fatigue. We all returned to
Braxfield to
dinner, & spent the rest of the day in the most agreeable manner with
Mr. Owen &
his family;
Mr. William Aston
of London, &
Mr. Grahame of Glasgow making a very delightful addition
to the party. Thus have we passed our last day in
Scotland, as satisfactorily as we begun our season of enjoyment
in this country. Our journey has been safe and agreable in all its
circumstances; we have met with the utmost kindness & hospitality from all
the inhabitants to whom we have had the
[f.52v] pleasure of being
introduced. We leave them with regret, and shall always remember them with
gratitude & esteem. — To-morrow we set forward on our actual journey home,
which we shall perform in as short a time as possible — We shall hardly quit the
borders of
Scotland to-morrow; but
travelling post, & making no further delays any where, we feel that we have
already taken our leave of the Scotch people; and can only soften our regrets by
indulging the hope, that we may have the great pleasure & satisfaction of
welcoming in
England, some of the friends we
most value in this delightful country! —
Old
Lanark, 12 at night
Friday Aug. 26
th. 1814. —}
[f.53r]
Saturday Aug. 27th. We
quitted
Lanark, & came by
Douglass Mill,
Elvan
Foot &
Moffat, to
Dumfries.
Here we had the great pleasure of meeting again our kind Edinburgh friend, Mr. Gray. We did not arrive till eight
at night, but he found us out almost immediately; & went with us to call
upon Mrs. Burns;
afterwards we went to the Churchyard, to visit the tomb of him, who had read the
book of Nature with so much attention, and described its beauties with so much
tenderness: who had tasted the pleasures of life, and enjoyed them with a poet's
ardour; but who had also endured its miseries, & sunk under the bitterness
of ^its disappointments! We did not survey the grave of
Burns without considerable emotion — it is
situated at the south
[f.53v] east corner of the Churchyard. Every thing
around us was in harmony with the object we were contemplating, silent &
still as the ashes of the dead: while a pale, but brilliant Moon, nearly at its
full, gilded the solemn scene, & rendered legible the simple inscription
which records the early death of
Robert Burns!
—
In thoughtful, pensive mood, we quitted the burying ground, & turned our
steps to the banks of the lovely river which ornaments this town, the Nith. The trees — its birches, & the glorious
orb in the heavens, were finely reflected in ^the broad
stream, over which we hung delighted; & we continued wandering near it, till
a late hour reminded us that it was necessary
[f.54r] to return to our
Inn. — Here we parted with
Mr. Gray, much regretting that we were under a necessity
to proceed on our journey home early on the following morning; but highly
pleased with having had the pleasure of seeing him once more, though for so
short a time, before our final departure from
Scotland. —
Sunday Aug. 28th. We came to Annan to breakfast; afterwards, passing by Gretna Green, through Longtown, Carlisle,
Penrith & Appleby, to Brough; where
we slept. The regret we felt on quitting the Scottish Border, was soon softened
by the cheering reflection that we were once again in England, & hastening to rejoin our dear children, & to
enjoy the comforts of our much loved house. It was also a very gratifying
circumstance to us,
[f.54v] after leaving the grand scenery of the
Highlands of Scotland, to open upon
those of
Cumberland. A fine ridge of those
mountains claimed our admiration, & we kept
Skiddaw in full view during almost the whole of our long days
journey. This magnificent Mountain is a fine object from whatever point it is
seen — it is a noble feature n the views from the elevations round
Penrith, which is a nice airy Town very agreably
situated — We passed through a very rich & beautiful vale from this place to
Appleby. —
Monday Aug. 29th. We left
Brough, and came by Greta Bridge, Catterick
Bridge, Leeming Lane,
Burrough Bridge and Wetherby, to Ferry
Bridge; where we slept.
Tuesday Aug. 30th. From
Ferry Bridge by Doncaster, Newark,
Grantham and
[f.55r]
Witham Common, to
Stamford, where we slept. —
Wednesday Aug. 31st. We
terminated our long journey, and arrived at home about seven in the evening;
returning as we went, by Stilton, Huntingdon, and Cambridge. —