The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-14
Interesting Letter from DR.. Jep.
son, Of Wheeling, Now In scot,
land, In which lie Describes u
Trip TO the Highlands.
EDISBuRoH, SCOTLAND, !
Nov, q, 1877,

"'aHOubu u NC bShICely ~ pledhhut ~ re-
ceivi1g letters. With your permission,
therefore, ] will have few words with
my friends at home, which they may
hear two weeks hence il they care 10.
On my arrival In this city on the I'd OF
Oct. last, found that the Medical schools
and hospitals had not yet fully opened
up for the winters work, and 80 was very
glad Of an opportunity Of seeing little
Of Scotland without infringing upon val
liable time. was favored with an inyi.
tation from m Edinburgh physician, to
whom had letters Of Introduction, 10
spend few days with him in the High.
lands.
Having learned since leaving Wheeling
never TO decline an invitation that has
any promise Of pleasure in il, we went,
leaving Edinburg at s A. NJ. oil a beauti-
full day. It would occupy too much Of
your space we're | merely to enumerate
the towns, castles and other objects
made interesting by historic association,
which ! saw before my return. There,
for example, we're the battle fields Of
Falkirk, the site Of the famous Wal
lace's defeat; and Of Bannockburn, where
Bruce with 10000 men defeated 2O0, 900
English soldiers under Edward II, with n
lOsS in killed and captured equal to
double BrnCe's whole army. The good
Scotch people are still quite proud Of this
event, which happened only j63 years
ago, and the battle field ia marked with a
tall flag staff 80 that all travellers may be.
hold the spot OF Scotland's great victory.
1t ia possible may be mistaken, but |
fAncied ] detected iust-a liiIle-bitoT AMI
mostly towards the English government
in the tone Of conversation Of some Of the
good people here. At any rate have
heard no one here,as | 30 often did in Eng.
land, boast that the British government
lis the first and best in the world"
We passed through Stirling and saw its
famous old castle, around which many a
bloody contest has been waged; and
through Dunblane where lives "Jesse,
the flower Of Dnnblane." Here passen.
gers change cars for Lock Katrine, the
scene OF ScoLts "Lady Of the Lake" Ny
companion told me little story Of an
old man who for many years has served
us porter at thisstation. lie was sitting
in church on Sabbath, las most all good
Scotch people dO) and having fallen into
gentle slumber under the soothing
words oil the preacher, (Which was very
imprOper) he was suddenly awakened by
the people arising to sing the closing
hymn, and not realizing his situation, he
exclaimed in thunder tones, "Dunblane
change cars for Callmder and Lock
katrine" But we didn't change cars,
but went to the North, passing through
Perth, where once resided Sir Walters
Fair Maid" and near which the king
OF Scotland used to be crowned. The
scenery from this 10 our stopping place
at Pittochry, is as beautiful as one could
wish to see. Four miles from this town
was the house where we we're to tarry for
a day or two. II ia fairly in the High.
lands OF Scotland, which are simply what
the name implies, viz: The noun
famous regions Of the country. This
was almost the exact geographical
centre Of the land. Ny visit was in
the best season Of the year, for the trees
had assumed their autumnal hues. Our
house was n grand one, in n beautiful,
rolling, grassy spot away up on the noun.
tain aide, with the rocks and pines riainC
still higher behind us, and in front and
right below, ii, waters Of the river Tum.
mel, black us ink from the beds OF peat
over which they flow, roared along over
rocks with never ceasing music, and
above them and beyond arose the noun.
tains again with their submits Of bare
rock, and their sides covered with pines
and graceful birch and beech trees, the
latter with leaves Of bright red and gol.
den hue. The whole land .scape, as far as
the eye could reach from the house, pre-.
scented a magnificent picture. Here
spent two days in hunting and roaming
about over the mountains, TO Loeb Tum,
mel, three miles away, and TO the falls oil
TUNNEL, which were deemed worthy Of :
visit by Queen Victoria many years ago
monument having been erected on The
rock from which she viewed the falls
This is said to be for preventing the dis
tructiOn Of the rock by visitors, who we're
in the habit Of knocking pieces of as
relics, because the Queen had stood upon
it. Well, stood upon it, and it seemed to
be very ordinary kind Of rock, and the
falls not much Of falls. Although an
American, one Of that race 30 celebrated
abroad for theirrelic hunting propensilies
felt no temptation to pocket the rock.
Indeed, l shouldn't have done it had Pres.
ldent Grant once stood upon it. might
have been just little tempted to knock
Oft chunk had Mr.. Hayes preceded me,
aud especially if his noble wife had been
with him.
Two days OF great pleasure here being
ended, on Monday afternoon ] left the
Professor to return home, and proceeded
further north alone. About mile from
the house is the junction OF the rivera
TUNNEL and Garry. Crossing a bridge
over the latter, had a walk through the
pass OF kilbiCrankie," one Of the most
charming spots in all Scotland. This
was the exact locality where the High.
landers, with l,oChiel for one Of their
leaders, routed and defeated the army Of
King james nearly 200 years ago, Ma.
b''N' bi1hlub uGHGllpblOUs hll'
blcrankie was considered the most peril.
GUS OF all these dark ravines through
which the marauderso the hills were wont
to sally forth. The Round, 40 musical to
modern cara, Of the river brawling round
the NOISY rocks, and among the pebbles,
the dark masses OF crsg and verdure,
worthy Of the pencil OF Wilson, the iantus.
tic peaks bathed at sunrise and sunset
with light rich as that which slows on the
canvass Of Claude, suggested to our an.
cestors thoughts Of murderous anbus-
cldes, and Of bodies stripped, gashed, and
abandoned to the birds Of the prig." Now
II Hnybodysays stole that from the guide
book, tell him he IL mistaken. | got it
from "origins! sources" in the University
Library, while waiting for Prof. Rs lee
ture hour to come round.
Alter spending an hour wandering
through this enchanting region, / took the
train for the North, and in the evening