The daily gazette., 1880-09-07
Our European Letter.
LoCH KATRINE, Scotland,
AUGUST l7ih, 1880. !

On the eleventh inst. began the
in the Scotch Highlands.
The chief game are partridges,
pheasants, grouse and deer. The
greater part Of the Highlands are of
little agricultural value, as the
mountains are mostly bare of both |
timber and grass. They are covered |
by thick growth of heather, which |
is just now in full bloom and con-
sequently in all its purple glory.
The heather is of two varieties, one |
having a flower larger and more
beautiful, but both the same color.
The plant varies in height from a
few inches to a foot, resembles the
red cedar in form and is very tena-
cious of life.
are over the "Lands of the Mac
gregor," which Sir Walter Scott has
made the scene of his "Lady of the
Lake" Loeb Lomond and Loeb
Katrine are in this district, as are
several other smaller lakes, and
some of the finest mountains of
Scotland. The "Trossachs" are a
part of this wild region, and near
these is the rock against which
Fitz James stood when Roderick
Dhu whistled up his wild clansmen
from their hiding places, and when
he exclaimed
"This rock shall fly
"From It's firm base, as soon as l."
The rock stands out as an abutment
TO the mountain, with its base so
close to a swift river as only to
allow narrow foot-path between it
and the rushing water. Near IL is
Loeb Lomond, down which we sail
ed in the Rob Roy, nearly all the
way in the shadow of Ben Lomond,
that overtops all the other mount
aims; we looked for Rob Roy's scave on
the shore of the lake, but missed it,
though it was said to be easily dis
cernible from the boat.
We also sailed up Loeb Katrine in
the "Roderick Dhu," still under the
shadow of Ben Lomond, from whose
modest face, vailed in the misty
clouds, we thought we should never
get out of sight.
On "Ellen's Isle," a beautiful lit
tie gem in the lake, we gathered the
purple heather, and found the soil
so spongyform that we inferred the
fair canoeist must have been barefoot
on the eventful meeting with the he
ro, or that her "shoon," if she wore
any, were spoiled as were ours by
the wet.
From the Trossachs to Coilantogle
Ford we passed over mountains and
through narrow vallies, most of the
way probable trod by Reoderick and
Fitz James, when the chieftain es-
corted the king through and out of
his territory, and entered what was
considered neutral ground; for here
it was, you remember that the duel
took place between them.
In this ride, too, we passed over
some of Burns classic land, also
over the "Bridge of Allen" and by
Allan's water, through Dumfries,
and by Dunblaine, where we saw
several "Jessies" who might have
been
"fowers OF Dunbla'ne."
| At Stirling we spent several hours
in the Castle and on the battle field
of Bannockburn. Stirling Castle,
once the home of Scotland's kings
and the scene of chivalric splendour,
is now used as fort and barracks. 1t
is situated on a rock three hundred
and forty feet above the plain, and
commands, it is claimed, the finest
panoramic view of mountain, plain
and valley in Europe. The Firth OF
Forth river winds like thread OF
of silver down the plain, and could
be traced nearly all the way to Ed
inburgh. Arthur's seat is dimly visi-
BILE thirty-fve miles away, the Ochil
hills, the Gramplans and the vale of
Monteith are all spread out in clear
view, while the whole field of Ban
nockburn lies almost at its base.
Here is a statue of king Rob't Bruce
and a little way off is Abbey Crag,
on which is erected fine monument
| to Wallace two hundred and twenty
feet in height.
On the battle field is still the
"Bore Stone,'' a great stone with a
large hole in the centre in which
Bruce's standard was planted. Here
Bruce harangued his forty thousand
heroes who were meeting the force
of one hundred thousand Englishmen
in thelanguage Of BurLs-
"Wha, for Scotland's king and law,
Freedoms sword will strongly draw,
Freemen stand or freemen ia
Let him follow mel
Lay The proud usurpers low!
Tyrants fall in every foe
| Liberty's IN every blowl
Let us do or die!
The room of the Castle which at
present possesses most interest, is the
Douglass Room, in which C452) Earl
Douglass was stabbed by king James
II and his body thrown out of the win
dow. The Douglas motto "Look
Sickar," is on stained 81 lass window,
and many interesting pieces of the
rude war machinery are there preserv-
ed, amongst which is a battle axe,
probably the one by which Bruce
hewed down DeBohun when challeng-
ed to single combat by him OH the day
preceding the battle
"High In his stiirups stood the king,
And gave the battle axe the swing,
| Right on De- -bOhen-whilst we passed
| Fl IL that stern dlnt-the first the last
The axe shaft with Its brazen clasp
Was shivered to the gauntlets grasp;
| Springs from the blow the startled borse
Drops on the plain the lifeless corpse"
In this room is the communion table
III, II nlg hn nj nj