The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-27 00:00:00

THE QUEEN AT A VILLAGE INN.

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(from the North British Mad.)
It may be remembered that during the sojourn of
the Court at Balmoral last year, her Majesty and
the Prince Consort, accompanied by a few at-
tendants, made an excursion. incognito, penetrating,
by difficult and unfrequented paths,
" The grizzly cliffs which guard
The infant rills of Highland Dee."
till they reached the county of Inverness, and came
down into the district of Strathspey, were they tar-
ried for a night at a homely village inn. The ad-
venture seems to have been enjoyed, for this season
another of the like sort was undertaken. On Friday
morning the Queen, the Prince Consort, Princess
Alice, and Prince Louis of Hesse, with Lady
Churchill and General Grey in attendance, quitted
Balmoral at an early hour, and rode up Glen Muick
in carriages as far as they could proceed by that
method of conveyance. Reaching the Bridge of
Muick, where the road changes into a mere moun-
tain track, they mounted ponies which were wait-
ing, and, under skilful guidance, held on the route
through Glen Tanner by way of Elnach till they
crossed the Aberdeenshire border, and entered the
confines of Forfarshire. The far-extending Panmu re
property shoots up into this district ; and there they
were met by the Earl of Dalhousie, who conducted
them to a verdant spot at the base of Mount Keen—
the monarch of all that mountainous region—where
luncheon had been spread. The repast over, the
party proceeded to his lordship's picturesque
shooting lodge at Invert-nark, where carriages were
in readiness. In these they continued their jour-
ney to Milden and The Burn to Fettercairn, arriv-
ing there shortly before twilight. They put up at
the Ramsay Arms. The landlord had been apprised
whom he was to have as visitors, and no doubt had
exerted himself to have everything about his hos-
telry in a state of trimness and order. Any formid-
able amount of extra preparation was, however, pre-
cluded, both by the shortness of the notice he re-
ceived, and by the warning that he was to keep his
knowledge to himself. Mr. Dorward is a trust-
worthy man, and he obeyed the injunction with all
good fidelity, so that after dinner, which was served
at 8 o'clock, the party were enabled, the evening
being clear and fine, to ramble about the village
without the slightest degree of staring or molesta-
tion—the villagers never suspecting who they were.
They slept at the inn, and breakfasted next morning,
departing about ten o'clock. Before leaving her Ma-
jesty had it intimated to Mr. Dorward that she was
especially pleased with the comfort and cleanliness
of his house, and with the manner in which she
had been waited upon, and had her wishes observed.
The homeward route was varied—the road taken
being the more easterly one by Knowe Greens,
Glen Dye, and Marywell, when the Dalhousie con-
veyances were left, the intervening country betwixt
it and the place to which the Royal carriages could
ascend being crossed as before: It would be diffi-
cult to describe the mingled feelings of chagrin and
pride that possessed the inhabitants of Fettercairn
when—all cause for concealment over—it was
divulged whom they had unaware been enter-
taining.