New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-25
HIGHLAND PICTURES.
Sun AND RAIN IN SCOTLAND.

AR<HG THE JROSACh JNhSh DONAA A|O"N'>D
AND GLEN FALL ocu-THE NEW RAILWAY
IN THE WEST HIC OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
MAGE CAsTLE-sTAFrA AND IONA.
sr,ox srArr CORRESPONDENT ruE 1RIBUxE.l
Oban, September 4.
Going westward from Stronachlacher drive
NJ five or six miles, through the country Of Rob
Row brought us to Invcrsnad and the shore of
Loeb Lomond The rain had passed, hut under
a dusky. lowering sky the dense white mists
driven by fresh morning wind. were drifting
along the heath-clad hills like pageant of angels
trailing robes of light. Loeb Arklsr and the
little Smelling where born Helen, the wife
~ the MacgregOr, were soon pasta peaceful re-
zion smiling in the vale: and presently, along the
northern bank Of the Arklct, whose cOpiOus. dark
and rapid waters broken into foam upon their
rocky he'd make music all the way, we descended
that precipitous road TO Loeb LOmond which,
through many q devious turning and sudden
ueril in the fragrant cOppce, reaches safety al
last In one Of the widest Of Highland gleis.
This drive 10 a chief delight of Highland travel.
and IL appears TO Ike one that the march Of i'm
n,ovement meaning the extension OF raiiways,-
can never abolish: for besides being solitary and
bsautiful. the road is difficult Yon easily divine
what sanctuary that region must have been 10
the bandit chieftain, when no road whatever
traverscd it perhaps shcep-track or a path
for horses, and when il was darkly covered with
the thick pines of the CalcdOnian forest Scarce
a living creature was anywhere visible, as we
passed. A few hardy sheep, indeed. were grazing
on the mountain slopes few cattle were here
and there couched among the tall ferns; and
sometimes sable company of rocks fitted by.
-, fI,n ell
stepping black faced. pussant Highland bull.
with his mcnacing head and his dark air Of sus-
pended hostility and inevitable predominancc
All the cataracts In these mountain glens are at
the full food now, because of the continuous
heavy rains of uncOmmOnly wet season. and at
Inversnaid the magnificent waterfall, twin sister
10 Lodore and Aira Forcc,-camc down in great
floods of black and silver. and with a long re-
sounding roar that seemed 10 shake
the forest Soon the welcome sun BEGAN
TO pierce the mstS patches Of soft
blue sky became visible. through riffs in
the gray: and a glorious rainbow. suddenly cast
upon mountain side Of opposite lnvPrnsla>,
SPAWNED the whole ClittrrinC fairy realm with its
great arch Of incOmmunlcahle splendor. HI"
place Of Rob ROy's cavern was seen. as we glidcd
down Loeb LOmOnd,-a Snu%. secure ncSt IN the
wooded crag -.and after all 700 brief q sail upon
those pacid ehon waters mounted the coach
that plies between Ardlin and Crianlavch. No,
much time will now eapSr before THIS coach Is
displaced-for they building railroad
through Glen Falloch. which. running s"uihcriv
rom Cranlavrch. will Skin, the western shore of
Loeb Lonond and reach To Ealloch and llel"ns-
,urgh and TINS will make the railway commrni.
cation complete. continuous and direct between
,;lasgow and Oban Al intervals ali along the
lion tlo il,rov nj IN The stacks
# sccpcfs' the heaps of steel rails. the sheds Of
the bull lcrs and the ZEE, hag Of the dynamic"
hlaSt The new road will bc popular line of
travel. No land that IL" eye Of heaven visits
is lUvclicr than this one. Bat II may perhaps
he questioned whether tine exquisite lovCl!t:css 81
the Scotch Highlands will not become vulgarized
by Over-easiness of accessibility. Sflur,traton
is one of the chief elements Of the beautiful. and
Numbers Of pc pie invariably make common every
thing upon which the swarm. But nothing can
debasp the HncOncuerable majesty of those en-
circiing mountains. We saw the skyish head
Of Ben More. at one angle. and Of Ben Lui at
other, and the lovely slopes Of the Grampian hills,
and over the pasture lands around us for miles and
miles of soli,ary waste. the thick. ripe heather
FURNISHED the earth with brown and purple bloom
and filed the cir with ,i"wy Fragrance.
This day prcv."i OF most capriciorS weather.
and Nv the time We had sped a little way mi"
ellen I.oc.iy tie Landscape was ono" m"rr dren"h"d
with wild blast; of r. in. Locha,.-B,a"h. always
= loo,ny Sccnci black with deS"laiioA. N"s'
nsis hum OYER the mountain tops ami parilv
hid tin, H. We, down their fcrr-clohcd and heather
,nant led SIDES iir many snowy rlvulet'. seeming
notionlcss iii the impsta"sity q! their notion.
.tre ,mcd in cOdnt'c rta'ils Of silver Lace li''
mountain ash. which l. III perfect h'o"n' al inns
season heating great pendant clusters Of scarlet
berries, gave frequent lourh "' "rhiia"' '"i"f
IN this wild scenery \ numerous herd Of LITTLE
Highland steers, mostly brown and black. >W'p'
suddenly into he picture "" faS:rd along
,;,c, I.mby. am; a, beautiful Dlmally the sun
arain came on, with sudden transient CLEANS OF IL
,ermi,,cpt .pcpdor: ~ that GrlA ki"hntn
and the jcwceL waters OF sweet Loon
,wc and evcn the cold aud grim
grandeur of the rugged Pass of Brander "eT"
momentarly clothed with tender. golden haze u
wa, afternoon when we alightcd in III" seaside
haven Of Oban: yet soon, beneath IL" So!ehh
light OF the waning day. we s'"od anna '"c
ruins Of Dunstailnace Castle, and looked upon
one of the most representative. even as IL IS one
Of the most picturesque, relics of the eudal times
of Scottish history You have 10 journey about
three miles out of the in order to reach this
place &hich is upon a prOmon'ory where Loon
Etivc Joins Loeb Lnnhe aud the Firth Of I-Orn
our carriage was driven to II through shailo"
water and across soIIc sands which soon return
ing tide would deeply submerge. The castle is s."
placed that when ii fortified il must have
lren welnigh impregnable il stands upon a
broad. high massive, preclpitous rock, looking sea
ward toward Iisinorr Island and the Sound vi
Null Nothing OF this old fortress now remains
except the battlen,cnted walls. upon the top OF
which there is q walk, and portions Of its towers
.f which there were but three. The roof and the
floors are gone The courtyard is turfcd. ana
al over the surface within its enclosure the grass
flows thick and green, while weeds and Wild
flowers fringe its slowly mouldeIing walls, upon
which indeed several small trees have rooted
themselves, in crevices stuffed with eacth. One
superb ivy tree, of great age and size, covers
:anaral,la ruin with q wild luXuriancc