enough for seeing well, and respectfully far enough off for keeping safe. It may be remarked, that Gow or Smith, "the pirate" of this story, belonged to Stromness (as also did George Stewart, the "Torquil " of Lord Byron's "Island"). Details of the former's history may be found in Peterkin's "Notes on Orkney." The novelist's "Introduction" (December, 1821) also narrates these. Scott, in his "Introduction" (1831), gives description of his yachting cruise among the northern islands previously alluded to in this chapter. Tourists who explore these islands, will, if they think of the great novelist, as they can hardly help doing, compare their own route with his by calling his to mind. On the 29th July, 1814, Scott left Leith, by invitation, with a party of "Commissioners for the Northern Light-House Service" (to whom Robert Stevenson was engineer). The party consisted of old friends. The yacht was an excellent one; and the great man himself was not troubled by a malady incident frequently to inferior mortality when at sea. August 3d (as previously mentioned) they reached Lerwick in Shetland. Twice Scott visited the Loch "Cleikhim-in," and saw the Picts' Castle. On the 6th, by boat, he went around Capes Hammer, Kirkubus, and Ving, "Bard Head" and "Giant's Leg," to the Isle of Noss, and around the Noup of Noss or "Hang Cliff,”—the "highest rock we had yet seen," he wrote. It is about six hundred feet high. He saw, from below, the celebrated Cradle of Noss, that slender connection between two immense cliffs, formed by a couple of slight ropes and a basket, pictured in old school-geographies, but removed now. "I have," Scott wrote, "gleaned something of the peculiar superstitions of the Zetlanders, which are numerous and potent." On Sunday, the 7th, he rode to Tingwall to church, and reached Scalloway, and saw its old castle. On the 8th he dined at the Town Hall with "Notables," and departed. On the 9th, in the yacht, he reached the Island of Mousa, and went ashore there and visited the castle, and then experienced an attempt to beat around Sumburgh Head (for delights of which experience the unnautical are referred to an attempt to do the like in that disagreeable, unquiet Roost of Sumburgh). At ten o'clock on the 10th he reached Fair Isle. On the 11th, the Start of Sanda, first land of Orkney, was made. On the 12th and 13th he was at Kirkwall. On the 14th, at sea, Dun cansby Head was passed, and on the 16th he arrived in Stromness Bay, and visited the Standing Stones, and, by long boat, Hoy Island (chiefly the Dwarfie Stone, there being no record of his ascent of the Ward Hill or the Cliffs, so far as the writer knows). On the 17th, again under way, he saw the "Old Man" and other objects on the west coast of Hoy. There is no record, also, that he "sat for his portrait" on the Kame of Hoy. During the 18th, Cape Wrath was doubled. Thence he went to the Hebrides. From Stromness and Orkney the usual route is, as before intimated, by a small steamer to Thurso in Caithness, the most northerly considerable town on the mainland of Great Britain. Thence, travellers may go by mail, or by posting, to Wick, and southward to Inverness by the way described at the beginning of this chapter. Or, travellers may visit the grand and remarkable cliff scenery of the north coast, particularly of Cape Wrath, and then go from Tongue to Dornoch Firth by mail-gig, and thence as before to Inverness. Thence travellers may advance southward by the "Highland" line of rail, mostly along the old mail road (after going around by once witch-haunted Forres), and through Strath Spey, Glen Truim, Glen Garry, Blair Athol, Killiecrankie Pass, famous in Highland history, and Dunkeld, with its ruined cathedral and grand ducal grounds of Athol, to Perth, one hundred and forty-four miles. Thence the way may be by rail through Cupar Angus (branching by Blair Gowrie), to Arbroath, where travellers will again find scenes associated with Scott's creations. From Blair Gowrie travellers may most readily visit Craighall, an original of Tully-Veolan in Waverley (described on page 142), as also is its Glen the prototype of the hiding-place of the Baron of Bradwardine (page 145). From Glammis station, not much further onward, may also be visited the grand castle of that name, where Scott was first a guest during that tour of 1793, when he did so much towards "making himself," by becoming acquainted with Old World memorials. Indeed, the whole of this region is a mine of antiquarian and legendary riches. Or, travellers leaving Inverness, have another expeditious route by rail through Elgin, where may be seen the beautiful though shattered remains of its once magnificent cathedral, perhaps the richest and noblest of Scotland, and thence, also by rail, through interesting country near the east coast, to Aberdeen, —a neat, handsome, thriving town, celebrated for polished granite, clipper ships, and “cauld kail." From this place a capital excursion may be made up the valley of the river Dee, by Banchory and Ballater and Balmoral, the Highland residence of Her Majesty, to Braemar, from which Ben Macdhui, long time reputed to be the highest mountain in Britain, may be ascended. From Aberdeen the route is by rail to Arbroath, already mentioned, near which are the chief scenes of Sir Walter's third novel, "The Antiquary." XXVI. "THE ANTIQUARY." Third Novel of the Series, written 1815-16; Published early in May, 1816; THE scenery and objects associated with this novel are chiefly at or near Arbroath. The opening scene is, however, at Edinburgh, where, in the High Street, Mr. Lovel, the hero, and Mr. Jonathan Oldenbuck, or (popularly) Oldbuck, the Antiquary, first met, and whence they together journeyed to the Hawes Inn, Queensferry. Mr. Lovel soon became a friend of Mr. Oldbuck, and also his guest at his seat, Monkbarns, where, among other attractions, was the very valuable and curious museum of the celebrated and learned savant. Near that place was the famous Roman Camp, the Prætorium of the Kaim of Kinprunes, so interestingly described by the Antiquary to Mr. Lovel and that intrusive but very entertaining vagabond, Edie Ochiltree. The writer cannot, in American dialect, "locate" this object of antiquity. It does not even appear to be shown by Major-General Roy in his ponderous folio on the Military Antiquities of the Romans in Britain." Mr. Oldbuck's exposition of its topography and characteristics may, however, be considered sufficiently exhaustive and graphic, and is too exquisite to be damaged by abridgment. 66 Lovel, engaged in some affairs not immediately comprehensible to every one, was spending time at Fairport, an alias of Arbroath, the town to which travellers are supposed to have been conducted. It is a neat, thriving place, chiefly notable and visitable because it contains the remains of St. Thomas's Abbey, the St. Ruth's Abbey of this novel. Previous to any especial notice of it, however, the story again conducts us to Monkbarns. The knowledge of the writer does not afford means of identification of this residence ; accordingly he cannot, in reference to it, become a means of prompting to invasion of any specified private property. The only clew to the place seems to be, that Lovel went to it, as the story informs, "by a footpath, leading over a heathy hill and through two or three meadows;" and, furthermore, that the house stood upon the side of a hill, commanding a fine prospect of "the bay and shipping;" and that it was an "irregular, old-fashioned building" of no great beauty, "surrounded by tall, clipped hedges of yew and holly, some of which still exhibited the skill of the topiarian artist, and presented curious arm-chairs, towers, and the figures of Saint George and the dragon." There is a supposition extant, that the house of Mr. Constable, formerly of Dundee, and prototype of the "Antiquary," was its original. However, on the 17th of July (1798), Lovel once more went to Monkbarns, and there found, as guest, "Sir Arthur Wardour, a baronet of ancient descent, and of a large but embarrassed fortune," and also of Jacobitical politics and proud spirit. A dinner-party, then and there holden, unhappily terminated in a quarrel between Sir Arthur and his host, so violent that the former- the latter's almost only social associate-departed irate, taking with him his daughter, Miss Isabel Wardour, a reserved but pretty and interesting young lady. It was discovered, after awhile, that the two had gone toward their home Knockwinnock Castle (another unidentifiable place) — by "the sands," at the base of the cliffs along the sea-shore, and that the state of the tide then existing rendered this route very dangerous. Thus we are led to an exciting scene at Red Head, situated about six miles east of Arbroath. This head "is the promontorial termination of the Sidlaw spurs, and falls almost sheer to the sea in picturesque porphyritic precipices of two hundred and seventy feet." Other cliffs near by may also furnish scenery similar to that referred to, that witnessed the rescue of Miss Wardour and her father from drowning beneath the tide as it overwhelmed their pathway below almost entirely insurmountable rocks. Along the coast, there is not only much cliff scenery of this sort, but also other that has become quite curious, where caves, worn by the sea, penetrate inland a long distance under the fields. In one, a cannibal is said to have lived in the fourteenth century! Another cave, nearer Arbroath, called the Geylet Pot, is described by Pennant as "the most astonishing of all, that almost realizes in romantic form a fable in the Persian Tales.' The traveller may make a considerable subterraneous voyage, with a picturesque survey of lofty rocks above and on every side; he may be rowed in this solemn scene, till he finds himself suddenly restored to the sight of the heavens; he finds himself in a circular chasm, open to the day, with a narrow bottom and extensive top, widening at the margin to two hundred feet in diameter. On gaining the summit, a most unexpected prospect appears he finds himself at a distance from the sea, amidst cornfields; enjoys a fine view of the country, and a gentleman's seat at a small distance from the place out of which he emerged." Thus one may continue discovering varieties of the wonderful coast scenery of Scotland, unsurpassed by any, readily accessible, of equal length. Naturally enough, Lovel was engaged in the rescue of the Wardours. From it, he retired to Monkbarns, where he slept in a certain haunted chamber. Naturally and properly enough also, he found himself decidedly in love with Miss Isabel, and also experienced, in that strange lodging-place, some peculiar dreams. The next day, with Mr. Oldbuck, he walked among the fishers' huts by the shore, huts quite similar to many now on the coast described, and that might introduce one to episodes of life as touching as those of the Mucklebackets so pathetically described by Scott. Other incidents of the story ensued, and then a picnic party of the gentry of the novel, given at St. Ruth's Priory, described, as before remarked, from the Abbey at Arbroath. In This once magnificent and sacred structure was founded in 1178, and dedicated to St. Thomas à Becket by King William the Lion, who was buried in its precincts in 1214. The monks were Tyronensians first from Kelso. It became perhaps the most richly endowed ecclesiastical institution in Scotland, except Holyrood. 1530, for instance, with but about twenty-five monks, its wealth permitted its hospitalities — extended to all, high or low or rich or poor, to supply "800 wethers, 180 oxen, 11 barrels of salmon, 1200 dried codfish, 82 chalders of malt, 30 of wheat, 40 of meal," besides other produce of its extensive lands and tenantries. Cardinal Beaton, Archbishop of St. Andrews, the Scottish Wolsey, — was 66 |