hill ground from adjoining estates, which have been converted into a deer forest of upwards of 30,000 acres.

The region around Balmoral comprehends some of the best deer-stalking and grouse-shooting, with lake and river fishing, but it is subject to the disadvantage of heavy autumnal rains, being on the line of the loftiest Grampian range. Two routes connect it with Perthshire-one by the Spittal of Glenshee, the other through Glen Tilt, which is, however, a mere footpath. The former was traversed by Her Majesty on taking up her residence in Balmoral in August 1849.

Ben-a-bourd, a favourite climb of the Queen's, is celebrated for the prospect it commands of the various chains of mountains throughout the Highlands, although the view over the low country is not very extensive. The summit of the mountain is almost void of vegetation, having the peculiar weatherbeaten appearance common to Scotch mountains of like elevation. The corries near the top are also famous for veins of those beautiful rock crystals familiarly known as "Cairngorm stones.” *

To the westward are the remains of the old House of Monaltrie, which having been burnt down in 1745, is now fitted up as a farm-house. A small village in the neighbourhood is called the Street of Monaltrie. A little farther on is the mound called Cairn-a-quheen (the cairn of remembrance), which was used in the foraying days as the great gathering cry of Deeside when the crossteric passed.

Passing INVER, with its much enlarged and comfortable inn, the traveller crosses the Bridge of Invercauld, thrown over a rapid and rocky strait of the river. The view from the bridge is the finest on this road. It will have been noticed that the soft birch foliage has been gradually giving place to the sturdier and statelier pine, which spread up the glens to the south, where they form the great forest of Ballochbowie. Soon after crossing the bridge, the road winds round the foot of Craig-Cluny, an abrupt bank, clothed with pine a considerable way up, but raising a sharp bare granite peak,

* About a mile beyond the kirk of Crathie, on the north side of the river, a rough road not suited for conveyances, strikes off, on the right, to Corgarff Tower (a small military station), on the Don, and thence to Fort-George.

CASTLETON OF BRAEMAR.

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that nearly abuts across the road. The foundation of an old tower, called the Laird of Cluny's Charter Chest, about a third of the distance to the top, may be reached by an enterprising scrambler, and is worth visiting as a specimen of old Highland engineering. How it could have been possible to reach it easily from below, it is difficult to see; and from an assault from above, it is protected by the overhanging rock. Beyond Craig-Cluny, the strath opens, shewing at the bend of the northern sweep INVERCAULD HOUSE (J. Farquharson, Esq.), an irregular pile of considerable size, the most beautifully situated mansion on Deeside. About the centre of the strath, and on the south side of the river is Braemar Castle, a high bare walled tower of comparatively recent erection. Immediately beyond, and fifty-seven miles from Aberdeen, is the village of

CASTLETON OF BRAEMAR.*

[Inns: Invercauld Arms; Fife Arms.]

This straggling collection of houses and huts stands on a piece of broken irregular ground, where the turbulent stream of the Cluny clatters down to join the Dee, by a deep steep rocky ravine, fringed with copse, and crossed by a bridge, forming altogether a very picturesque piece of torrent scenery. The Castleton is in its pristine state as an old Highland village, the capital of the strath. It has few if any new lodging-houses for health-seeking citizens; but it has two excellent inns for the tourist, and an Established, Free, and Roman Catholic Church. It is nearly surrounded by mountains at a considerable distance off, partly wooded and partly bare, but principally green to the tops. They have not the

* It is by no means necessary that the journey to Braemar from the south should be made via Aberdeen and along Deeside. From Perth, Dunkeld, or Blairgowrie, it may be reached through Spittal of Glenshee. The distance from Blairgowrie to Braemar by this route is 35 miles-viz., Bridge of Calley, 6 miles ; thence to Spittal, 14 miles; thence to Braemar, 15 miles. (For the days and hours of the coach which occasionally runs on this road, see the time tables). By another and wilder road, Braemar may be reached from Blair-Atholl, by following the Tilt to its source, and descending the streams that run to the Dee. The distance is estimated at 30 miles from Blair-Atholl. (This route is described at page 275). There is a pass from Braemar to Aviemore, 35 miles, through the very midst of the Grampian range.

sharp contour of the mountains of Arran or Skye, and on that account appear inferior in picturesque appearance. The surrounding country is a region of deer forests, and comprehends those of Mar (Lord Skene), which stretches up Benmuich-dhui; Balloch-bowie (Farquharson of Invercauld), which extends from the Falls of the Garrawalt away by Lochnagar and Clova; adjoining that of Mar, and meeting it on the top of Ben-muich-dhui, is the forest of Badenoch (Duke of Atholl), and connected with Balloch-bowie are the forest of Abergeldie and Birkhall, belonging to Prince Albert, and that of GlenIsla to the Earl of Airlie. These cover some of the wildest and most unfrequented districts of the higher Grampians, and being strictly preserved from the intrusion of sheep or any other animals, exhibit scenes of solitary and impressive grandeur. A visit to Lochnagar and Ben-muich-dhui will afford the tourist a very good conception of this description of

scenery.

ENVIRONS OF CASTLETON OF BRAEMAR.

NOTICE TO TOURISTS.-The road on the south side of the Dee, from the Church of Crathie to Invercauld Bridge, having been CLOSED by authority of Act of Parliament, there is now NO THOROUGHFARE between these two points on that side of the river. Parties, however, will still have permission to visit the Falls of the Garrawalt by the Low Road through the Ballochbowie, entering and returning by the Lodge at the Old Bridge of Invercauld.

Tourists wishing to ascend Lochnagar from the Castleton of Braemar may do so by the path pointed out by Loch Callater, TILL THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER; but from that date to the 10th of October it is requested they will abstain from ascending the hill on account of the disturbance to the deer in the forest.INVERCAULD, June 1860.

The principal objects of interest visited from Braemar are Braemar Castle, and view from Invercauld Bridge (31⁄2 miles), Invercauld House (4 miles), the Falls of the Garrawalt (5 miles), the Falls of Corriemulzie (3 miles), the Colonel's Bed striking off at Inverey (5 miles), the Linn of Quoich (2 miles), the Linn of Dee (7 miles). These are the nearer excursions. The more distant are to Lochnagar (12 miles), to Ben-muichdhui, and Loch A'an (20 miles). But if those of Lochnagar and Ben-muich-dhui are taken, they will include all the others except Balmoral.

On an eminence near the Invercauld Arms Inn, the Earl of Mar raised the standard of rebellion in 1715.

FALLS OF THE GARRAWALT AND CORRIEMULZIE.

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The Falls of the Garrawalt are five miles east, on the declivity of the dusky pine forest of Balloch-bowie. They are approached by passing Braemar Castle on the left, and turning off at the Bridge of Invercauld, by the road to the right, which forms one of the new drives constructed along the natural terraces of the forest banks. The Garrawalt Water rolls over several banks of considerable height, which, though not perpendicular, give a thundering and foamy torrent; but as a cataract, it is rather deficient in interest, from its not disgorging itself into one of those black cauldrons, which give a mysterious, frightful, and characteristic feature to most of the Highland falls. A neat wooden bridge crosses the stream and conducts to a fog-house, a favourite point for viewing the rushing water, with its rocks and trees.

The Falls of Corriemulzie are three miles westwards from Castleton by the road passing the Fife Arms to the Linn of Dee and Ben-muich-dhui. The path to the falls strikes off from the main road on the right, a short way beyond Corriemulzie Cottage (Earl of Fife), and it leads first to a wooden seat commanding a view of the fall, and a little further down to a small rustic bridge across the stream. From this it is continued up the other side of the glen, with an exit at the side of the bridge forming part of the main road. The ravine is a deep gash in the rock, narrow and precipitous, but having all its asperities softened off by the profusion of birches and creeping plants with which it is matted. The fall slides down pearly white through a winding slit in the rock, where its gentle surface is in close companionship with the tender wild flowers that are kept in eternal green by its spray. The high single arch of the bridge, forming part of the roadway above, comes in with good effect.

The Linn of Quoich, on the other side of the river (a couple of miles below the Earl of Fife's hunting seat, Mar Lodge), is of a different character. It is on one of those powerful streams that tumble from the Cairngorm mountains, and the cataract is formed by a succession of precipitous ledges. The schist rock is perforated in many places by the whirling waters into deep circular holes, from the appearance of which it has received its name of the Quoich.

Two miles beyond the Falls of Corriemulzie is Inverey,

where a path strikes off on the left to a place called "The Colonel's Bed," a low cavern raised a few feet above the surface of the deep still water, the rocks on both sides rising perpendicularly to a considerable height.*

The Linn of Dee is seven miles from Braemar, and four beyond Corriemulzie. It is not the height of fall, but the contraction of the stream, that is the object of interest; indeed when the water is swollen, the ledges over which its falls almost disappear, the corners being rounded off, as it were, by the thickness of the watery drapery. The water has worn for itself a narrow passage through the rock. When it is not swollen, there are almost alternately a rush of the clearest water through a narrow aperture, then a dark pool of great depth. In some of these pools, when the water rushes into them with great violence, the ascending air bells give it the appearence of effervescing. A descent may be

made to the river's edge, but the furious mass of waters crushed and huddled together by the impregnable stone walls raves with a wild and deafening fury, that dizzies the brain, and excites a sort of apprehension that the exasperated element may leap from its prison, and overwhelm the spectator as he is coolly gazing on its agony. It is easy to step from the north bank to the south; but the adventurer should adopt the old counsel of looking before leaping. A splendid new bridge of Aberdeen granite was thrown across the gorge in 1857, and opened by the Queen in person.

From the huge desert, lying between the straths of the Dee and Spey, and presenting a district totally uninhabited, rises the loftiest cluster of mountains in the United Kingdom.t Among them are Ben-muich-dhui, 4295; Bræ-riach, 4280;

* The tradition among the people is, that in feudal times, one of the Farquharsons of Inverey (the ruins of whose castle are still visible at the clachan) having been pursued by a strong party of the Gordons of Abergeldie, concealed himself in this dismal cavern for several weeks, making it his abode both day and night. It used to be as difficult for visitors to descend to this cave as it was for the faithful retainer who nightly conveyed provisions to his master, but by the formation of a neat footpath and granite steps the access is now rendered easy.

As these have never yet been surveyed, it is difficult to lay them down with accuracy on a map. The rough chart that accompanies this volume was compiled by a pedestrian who had studied the ground well, and may be reckoned on as correct in its general features.