Dear Sir

I received your Favours of the 9^th. Current in Course rejoice to hear of your safe return home, pardon my tediousness in not giving an immediate answer as required, occasioned by my confinement & also the Absence of some Acquaintances that know the Country, about with the Information is required. M^r Low altho' returned to Orkney continues still silent, when he favours me with any Answer will write you immediately I was assured that his Presentation was sent North to him for Acceptance. You will please accept of the following Account so far as I have pickt up, having never been in that part of the Country myself & the County mapps by Pont¹ &^c. are not so expressive as wisht for: I expect further Accounts after.

There is no such Kirk as Monboddo, the House of Monboddo lies about a quarter of a mile north of the Town of Fordoun in the Mearns where is the old Chapel consecrated to S^t. Paladius, now Ruins part of which is kept up as the Burial place of L^d. Halkerton ^Family: about the later End of July is kept here an Annual Fair, remarkable for black Cattle & much frequented, it is called Paddy Fair. hard by the Chapel is a Spring named Palady well: about a Stone cast thence in a Strath is a Cave on which the Sun never shines from the Rocks of this Cave distills a very cool spring named the Dreepie Spring, it never freezes in the severest frost. —

Montrose lies about 24 computed miles N.E. from Cuper of Angus Forfar about 10 in the same direction, Brechin upon the South Esk about 20 more Northerly this River falls into the German Ocean at Montrose 5 computed miles from this last Town, Aberbrothick about the same distance from Cuper of Angus but South about 5 or 6 miles from Brechin. Glames lyes on the Road from Cuper to Forfar about 3 miles from the former later: Kirremuir a mercat Town 3 miles north from Glames, Cortachy L^d Airly's Seat about 3 miles from Kirremuir upon the South esk, which River rises in the Grampians passing thro' a highland country called Clova is joined below Cortachy by a small river called Prosen & another still smaller called Caraty, all which join at Innerquharity Sir John Ogilvy's Seat, then directs it's Course S.E. to Montrose.

West of that is another small River from the Grampians called Melgum, coming down thro' Glentrathen by the Kirk thereof, falls into Isla River at Castle Airly now a stately Ruin: next to that westward is a highland Country called Glenisla where that river runs in a S.E. direction till it comes to the Castle of Airly, then S.W. to Ruthven runing more easterly about 4 miles till it is joined by Erricht or Erric a little to the E. of Cuper of Angus, then about 4 ^or 5 miles in this same direction gets the name of Isla till it meets Tay at Kinclaven.

Erricht has 2 principal Branches the eastmost rises opposite the head of Braemar passing thro' a highland Country Glenshee by the W. of Mountblair, Blacklounnan, Dalrullion, Persie &^c. joins its W. Branch at the Bridge of Callie: this W. branch rises in Glenfernich coming down by Strathloch, Inverchrackie, Kirkmichael & Ashintully on the N.E. side Tullochcurran & many places of lesser note on the west a long track of highland Country called Strathardle till it falls into the other Branch below Cally bridge: then both are called Eright or Erric having a South direction till it joins Isla when it loses its Name is the large Rapid River of the two, Isla runs very dull till it meets Tay, after the Junction of the two Branches of Eright it has Clawhat, Drimmies, Craighall, Rattray, the Kirk & Barony of Rattray, Blacklaw & Grange of Aberbothry on the East: Rochellie Maws, Blairgowrie which is opposite to Rattray, Lochblair now called Rosemount & Couper Grange on the West.

Lintrose lies ^about a Mile S. of Couper of Angus, it's old Name was Fotheranis & Kinochtry ^2 places that belong'd to the Pattullos now to Murray, now Easter & Wester Lintrose, near to it on the E. side & S. is Halyburton & the old Castle of Pitcur & east of it is the Kirk of Kettens.

Dunsinan hill in the Parish of Collace is about 5 miles S.W. of Cuper of Angus. Kethic is a large mill West of Cuper of Angus on the South banks of Isla opposite to Couper; Banchory on the West of it & Meiklour west of that on the Banks of Tay. The district district between the Tay & Eright is called Stormont having Blairgowrie on the East & Dunkeld on the West. The most remarkable places in the Stormont are Cluny, Laighwood, Delvin, Kinloch Ardblair, Baleed, Stenton, Glascloone, Lethendy &^c. Coutys, Bendachy, Meikleour & Couper Grange all north of Isla after it's join'd by Eright: On the North of Isla east of Eright is ^are the parishes of Alyth & Rattray, the first a very extensive parish, north of these are the highland Countrys mentioned above. Alyth contains the Barony of Bamff, Forrest of Alyth & black Cowans north of this the Kirk & mercat Town of Alyth, and on the South upalong Isla side is Bandoch, Hal-yards, Jordinston, Balehary, Leiftie, Bermoney, Bothry &^c. the Baroney of Alyth & Queich in the middle. The Parish of Rattray contains the proper Barony of Rattray now belonging to the E. of Kinnoul & the Barony of Craighall to M^r. Rattray of Craighall to whom of old the Barony of Rattray belonged: [...] Bl[...] &^c. are in Bendochy parish tho' east of [...]

The muir of [...] remarkable having no water in it few or no Springs & [...]ld called Muir-roman or Roman

I have got no account yet of Battledykes but expect soon a letter from [...] Country, the contents whereof shall be hastend as quickly as possible, I can find no mention made of this place in any [...] but Maitland's History of ScotlandVol. 1^st. as he was a native of Brechin he must have known that part of Scotland [...] a singular Error that he did not give the World a Mapp of his peregrinations thro' this & other Counties.

Inchstuthill is not known to any that I have inquired of in this place, neither does this place appear to [...] mention in any History I've met with, so am at a loss to account from what Authority Dorret makes such a remark on his Map, no such name of a Town, City or Village is mentioned in Maule's History of the Picts Edin^r. 1716 12^o., which Surprises me not a little, if any accounts of it can be pickt up these shall be transmitted in Course, wishing this & what was formerly transmitted may be of any Service to your Inquiries.

I shall follow your directions & continue to address as desired till further orders; The large Plates will be defferrd to be bound up till the appearance of the new Edition of the B. Zoology.

I ever am—
Dear Sir
Your most obedient & obliged humble
Serv^t.

GPaton

Custom house Edinburgh
23^d. October 1774

answered Nov^r 4^th.

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Editorial notes

1. Timothy Pont produced a large number of maps of Scottish locales between the late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries, of which 77 survive in the collections of the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh. The maps were used in the creation of volume five of Joan Blaeu's Atlas (1654), before being returned to Scotland, where they were eventually deposited in the Advocates Library.