morable fête is to be found in the writings of Sir David Lindsay. Advancing onwards, the attention is suddenly drawn to the yawning jaws of a ravine, immediately on the left, where the small river Tarff issues from a recess overgrown with brushwood, and bounds into the vale with impetuous speed over two ledges of rock. There is not within the wide region of the Grampians a scene more romantic than this; and the approach to it through a lonely glen, prepares the mind for receiving the deepest impressions.

Nothing else particularly deserving of notice presents itself within Glen-Tilt, if we except a valuable quarry of green marble, known all over the kingdom, which was lately opened a little above Gow's bridge. The same spot produces a great variety of tremolite; and, indeed, the whole glen is rich in minerals, and interesting to a geologist. Large beds of sahlite may be discovered, and steatite, asbestos, talc, sienite, crystallized chlorite, telanite, sphene, and actynolite, with many varieties of all the primitive rocks.

FALLS OF THE BRUAR.

The celebrated Falls of the Bruar are four miles to the westward of Blair-Atholl, a short distance from the road to Inverness. The characteristics of the scenery of those Falls are vastness, sublimity, and terror, which they possess in a degree that ranks them, in point of interest, above the Falls of the Fender. Burns has described them in a poetical supplication addressed by the Bruar to the Duke of Atholl.

At the lower Fall the stream bursts from beneath a bridge, and rushing through an arch worn out in the rock, descends into a black pool, where it lingers as if courting a respite from its troubles, and then hurries onward to join the Garry. Ascending by a footpath,

cut along the brink of the ravine, the upper fall is reached. Here is an alpine bridge thrown across the stream, on the southern side of which the cataract is seen to the best advantage. It consists of three falls or breaks, whose united height is 200 feet, the lowest forming an unbroken and perpendicular descent of 100 feet. The shelving rocks on each side of the bridge, the roaring of the stream, and the profound chasm filled with spray, form a scene of wonderful sublimity, which is increased by the dark hue of the adjoining rocks. The poetical prayer of the Bruar, to have its banks shaded with trees, has been complied with by the Duke of Atholl; but years must intervene before the improvements of his Grace produce their effect. proper

*

* From Blair-Atholl, an excursion may be made to Braemar, in Aberdeenshire, the country around which is truly Highland in its character. To accomplish this, the Tourist has to pass through GlenTilt, ascend a steep hill, and travel over a mountainous district, resorted to in the summer season by a few shepherds, who erect, for their accommodation, shealings or temporary huts. On this line there is a small lake called Loch-Tilt, abounding in trout, and shaded with natural wood. The country becomes more wild, bleak, and dreary, until the Braes of Mar are reached, where the inhospitable waste is succeeded by a valley, the fertility of which is only surpassed by its beauty. On the east, the rocks of Braemar rise precipitously to a great height; and, with their covering of wood, present a most romantic appearance.-Large pines shoot out from every crevice in the rugged front of the tremendous cliffs, and are festooned with numberless wild flowers. North of the Dee, which here has its source, lies Dalmore, noted for the great growth of its pines, perhaps the largest in Europe, and of such excellent quality that they are preferred to those of Norway. Mr Pennant found some of them from eighty to ninety feet high, without a lateral branch, and four feet and a half in diameter at the base; and, in his time, single trees had been sold for six guineas. Inverey, on the opposite side of the river, is also noted for its pines, but they are inferior to those of Dalmore. This region, in ancient times, was much resorted to for the amusements of the chace. Their huntings resembled campaigns; and one of these has been admirably described by John Taylor, the Water Poet, in his Pennelesse Pilgrimage, 1618: "I thank my good Lord Erskine,"

Leaving Blair Atholl for Inverness, the road, at the distance of three miles and a half, crosses the Bruar,

(says honest John,) "hee commanded that I should alwayes be lodged in his lodging; the kitchen being alwayes on the side of a banke, many kettles and pots boyling, and many spits turning and winding with a great variety of cheere; as venison bak'd, sodden, rost and stewed beefe, mutton, goates, kid, hares, fresh salmon, pidgeons, hens, capons, chickens, partridges, moore-coots, heath-cocks, caperkellies, and termagants; good ale, sacke, white and claret, tent (or Allegant,) and most potent aquavita. All these, and more than these, we had continually in superfluous abundance, caught by faulconers, fowlers, fishers, and brought by my Lord's (Mar) tenants and purveyors, to victual our camps, which consisted of fourteen or fifteen hundred men and horses. The manner of the hunting is this:-Five or six hundred men doe rise early in the morning, and they doe disperse themselves divers wayes, and seven, eight, or ten miles compasse, they doe bring or chase in the deer in many herdes, (two, three, or four hundred in a herde,) to such or such a place as the noblemen shall appoint them; then, when day is come, the lords and gentlemen of their companies doe ride or go to the said places, sometimes wading up to the niiddle through bournes and rivers; and then they being come to the place, doe lie down on the ground, till those foresaid scouts, which are called Tinckhell doe bring down the deer; but, as the proverb says of a bad cooke, so these Tinckhell men doe lick their own fingers; for besides their bowes and arrows which they carry with them, wee can heare now and then a harquebuse, or a musket goe off, which they doe seldom discharge in vaine; then, after we had stayed three houres, or thereabouts, we might perceive the deer appeare on the hills round about us, (their heads making a show like a wood,) which, being followed close by the Tinckhell, are chased down into the valley where we lay; and all the valley on each side being way-laid with a hundred couple of strong Irish greyhounds, they are let loose, as occasion serves, upon the herde of deere, that with dogs, gunnes, arrowes, durkes, and daggers, in the space of two hours, four score fat deere were slaine, which after are disposed of, some one way and some another, twenty or thirty miles, and more than enough left for us to make merry withal at our rendevouze. Being come to our lodgings, there was such baking, boyling, roasting and stewing, as if Cook Ruffian had been there to have scalded the Devil in his feathers."

Crossing the Dee, the river, in the course of a few miles, increases to a great size; and it is remarkable, that, at Invercauld, a short way distant, it appears nearly as large as it does within six miles of Aber

and proceeds along the banks of the Garry, skirted by wild mountains, for nearly the space of other seven miles.

deen, a distance of fifty miles, in the course of which it receives the waters of many considerable streams. At Castletown, the Tourist reaches the great road between Blairgowrie and Fort-George; on the side of which, upon an eminence, stands the castle of Braemar. It originally belonged to the Farquharsons of Invercauld; and in Queen Mary's reign, was exchanged for other lands with the Earl of Mar, who built the castle. After the Revolution, King William placed a garrison in it; but they were compelled by the natives to evacuate it, and retreat under cloud of night, having first burnt it to the ground. After the forfeiture of the Earl of Mar in 1715, all his lands were purchased by Lord Dun and Grange; and in 1730, the estate of Castletown, on which the castle stands, returned to the Farquharsons by purchase. In 1748, Mr Farquharson gave a lease of the castle, and an inclosure of fourteen acres, to Government, for ninety-nine years, at L. 14 of yearly rent. After which, the castle was repaired, and a rampart built round it; and it is garrisoned by a party of soldiers. From Castletown, a road conducts to Mar Lodge, a hunting seat of the Earl of Fife, four miles distant. "Earl of Fife" is the most ancient title of that rank in Scotland. Duncan Macduff, the first Earl, was created in 1057-the second creation took place at Forfar at a convention held by Malcolm III. for that purpose in 1061.

On the estate of Castletown, are the ruins of an ancient castle, built, according to tradition, by Malcolm Canmore, for a hunting-seat. It is situated on the top of a rock, on the east side of the water of Cluanadh.

A little farther down the valley, on the north side of the Dee, lies Invercauld, (Farquharson, Esq.) in the very centre of the Grampians. The scenery here is inconceivably grand and sublime; on the north, immense crags are piled above crags, whose grey sides are chequered by the melancholy pine; and, on the south, enormous mountains crowd together, some of them capped with almost perpetual snow, whose summits strikingly contrast with the dark wilderness of pines which clothe their sides. Among these mountains, is the great water. fall of Garvall-burn, seen from a distance through an opening, foaming and thundering amid the deep gloom of the forest. Of those mountains, Benaburd is 3920 feet above the level of the sea, and Loch-na-Garr, proudly pre-eminent, mentioned by some Tourists as perhaps the highest mountain in Britain; but, be this as it may, it is certainly one of the most sublime and picturesque amongst our "Caledonian Alps." Its appearance is of a dusky hue, and its summit is

This road is not without its peculiar charms, innumerable small cascades, mountain torrents and rocky banks, clumps of birch, alder, and mountain-ash diversifying the otherwise cheerless scene.

At the distance of ten miles and a-half from BlairAtholl, the road reaches the Inn of

the seat of eternal snow. This mountain has been the subject of one of Lord Byron's most beautiful descriptive poems

"Oh! for the crags that are wild and majestic,

"The steep frowning glories of dark Loch-na-Garr."

The whole of this tract abounds with game; the stag and the roe are common and on the hills, are grouse, ptarmigan, and the golden plover. In the forests, and among the rocks, eagles, falcons, and goshawks breed; and among other rare birds, is the greater bullfinch of Edwards, and the Loxia enucleator of Linnæus, which feeds upon pine-cones.

In the valley below Invercauld, the Earl of Mar first erected his standard in 1715, proclaiming King James amidst the shouts of assembled chieftains and his own vassals.

On the north bank of the river, along which the great road is carried, there is a narrow pass, called Cairn-na-cuen, i. e. the Cairn of Remembrance. At some remote period, when the country was in danger, the Chieftains raised their vassals, and, marching through this pass, caused every man to lay down a stone on the spot; when they returned, the stones were numbered; by that it was ascertained how many men had been brought into the field, and how many had been lost in battle. Since then Cairn-na-cuen has been the watch-word of the country. At this day, were an affray to happen at a market, or any public meeting, the very mention of this word would bring all the people of the district to the assistance of the person assailed.

The Tourist may proceed down the valley, to the romantic pass of Ballater, which forms the eastern barrier to the Highlands. Here, in the winter season, the gusts of wind are tremendous, and the rain descends in deluges. Beyond this, the low country commences, and the road proceeds to Aberdeen. The whole of this route is distinguished for a peculiarity of feature, and is singularly interesting. These shall afterwards be shortly described in a Tour from Aberdeen up the river Don, and down the river Dee.