The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-04
CORRESPONDENCE.
For the Standard.
Scotland-A Trip up Loeb Lommond.
EDINBURGH, July 10. 1869.

For the Standard.
Scotland-A Trip up Loeb Lommond.
EDINBURGH, July 10, 1869.
At 7-20 A. NJ, we leave the Queens Sta
ton, at Glasgow, on our route for Locll Lonl-
mond, Loeb Katrine The Trossachs, C l.
lander, Sterling Castle and through to Edin-
burg. After passing series of tunnels of
pitchy darkness we sweep past the Northern
suburbs OF the dingy, smoky Scotch metrop-
oils and are among the trim hedges and
leafy lanes of the country. Our course is
North west to Ballock, at the Southern ex-
tremity of Loeb Lommond On our left
stretches the noble Clyde in winding, broad
cxpanse; in front are the highlands. The
soil is in the most perfect state of cultiva-
tion. Small manufacturing towns are thick
along the route, and the people of all classes
seem we'll fed, well clothed, industrious and
contented. We pass Dumbarton rock
with its craggy sides, and arc upon classic
ground.
At 9.15 we reach Balloch and find smart
little steamer in waiting to take US up Lom-
mond. The view from this point of the
Loeb reminds one very much of some por-
tions of the Swananoa. To the West and
left, sloping regularly down to the margin
OF the water, is the green sward. Here and
there are groups of trees. and the cattle are
resting under their dark shade. Behind
and above this slope are the barren noun
tains with their heather sides and fir crowned
SUBMITS. Highlands in front OF Us high
| lands to the right of u.s. The Southern and
more expanded portion of tie Loch is thick
| ~ studded with small islands. 1t is on this
| account that the Loeb has been compared
| to "Highland maiden swectly fair" and the
| green islands to ''the snood and rosebud in
| her hair" The Loeb is about twenty miles
in length, and its breadth at the Southern
extremity, when it is greatest, is about five
miles, from which the lake gradually grows
narrower, terminating in small creek at
| the Northern extremity. We cruise around
and among the islands and in little while
we are at the little village Of Luss, where
we stop for moment to let off some passen-
gers. A little further up are the ruins of the
castle of Benuchara; just here is Glen Fruin,
where was fought out the fatal feud between
the McGregors and the Colquhouns. Here,
too, tradition points out the Hill of Fingal,
one of the humbug seats of that hero.
From Luss Northward the lake contracts
in breadth, and the scenery becomes wilder
like caps and round and gradually curving
slopes of the mountains, they now present
bold and rugged aspect The lake is here
about half mile wide and the water more
than six hundred feet deep. The lake here
skirts the Eastern base of Ben Lommond,
which rises to q perpendicular height of
more than three thousand feet from the
surface of the lake. On the left and West
| H. -, l.
tains as we'll We are in water gorge OF
half mile in width. As we look over the
surface of the water before, and to Il e North
of us, egrcss seems to be impossible. We
are hemmed in on all Sides EIevating our
line of vision and looking in the same di-
recton, spread out like panorama, are the
everlasting hills" dark, sombre, gloomy.
We are in Rob Roy's country. Wepass his
pulpit and his cave 1t was here that " the
wild McGregor's savage clan" would gather
at the call of their chieitain,
"While noddng plumes and tartans bright
CLEAN wildly DER each CHANGING height"
We reach Inversnaid, the head of the
lake, at 1880 A. NJ. Invcrsnaid consists of
single, small two story hotel, with an
enormous sign. where, doubtless, small bier
is sold to tourists at fabulous figures. Here
we took 4 stage coach, "the Roderick Dhu,"
for Loeb Katrine. There are twenty passen-
gers aboard the coach, seated upon four
long seats. The coach has no covering, for
everybody wants to see, and We must depend
upon cur umbrellas and overcoats to protect
us from the weather If it should rain. We
rush along at furious rate over most ex-
cellent road, amid the most varied and
picturesque scenery, highland, glen, lake
and river, sometimes winding around a
mountain side, sometimes skirting ravine
and now sweeping down some long decliv
ity We sec but few human creatures on
our route. The country is barren and rocky
A few sheep are browsing on the hills and
occasionally we pass q few wre;ched thatched
cottages. After run of three quarters o
an hour, we arrive at Stronachlacher, on The
margin of Loeb Katrine. For good por
ton of our route from this point on, W.
need no better guide than an illustrated
edition of THE Lady of the Lake" AL
though we shall make the entire tour from
Glasgow to Edinburgh in single day, by
the route stated at the beginning, single
communication will not be sufficient to give
even tolerabe notion of the country anc
its associations. More anon.
OBSERVER.
Q