The Portland daily press., 1899-10-26
Loeb Katrine Visited in UneOmfort.
able Weather.
Edinburgh, the Modern
Athens. Inspected.
Points OF Interest About Ancient
Scottish Capital.

A<ouuuup Copts sobioSo.
Our delightful anticipation Of the joy
We were about to experisncs among the
SCOTCH lakes ami mountains and In going
through the Irossscns gave place to more
demure reflections as We apI reached that
lake region; aud befor, we reached Bal
lnch Pier the little cloud no bigger than
mans hand had enlarged In the hori-
zon into something black and threaten
ing. While we were still threading the
labyrinth Of beautiful islands, rich in
autumnal tints which abound In Loeb
Lomond, We thought we felt drops fall
Ing and we were quite sure that the
mountain peaks would soon touoh the
clouds and bring rs showers Of rain. But
Ben Vane, Ben Voirlich, Ben Cruacban
and the tent-sfaped Fen More had been
passed. and tourists had already disem-
barksd at several places for the purpose
of exploration, when the bulk of the pas
sengers alighted under the shadows OF
the majestic Ben Lomond in order to
make Its ascent.
where at this point the most splendid
view Of the mountains was already begin
ming to be obsoorsd. Soon the ample
coach accom- mmodations to Lake K,trine
were all taken, and after an hours drive
we landed at Stronachlachsr and en-
barked on the lake It WAS Scott's Lady
of tie Lake which first made These Perth
shire Highlands fashionable for tourists.
Our first view of this lovely KAtrinew
was In the midst of fast falling shower
of rain; and before we had reached that
portion where the steep cliffs alternate
with the charming woods, We had been
driven below, ami:
"Where the rude Trosssoh's dread defls
| Opens On katrine's Lake fni isle
| Gray Benvenue l soon repassed,
| Loch katrine lay beneath Inc cast.
The sun is sat;-the clouds are met,
| The lowering soowl Of heaven
An inky hue of ivid blue
10 the deep lake has given;
| Strange gusts Of wind from mountain
glen
Swept o'er the lake then sunk agen."
We only ventured on deck to see Ellen's
| Isle,
"Viewing the mountains ridge asknn ",
The Saxon stood in sulien trance,
TIL Moray pointed WITH his lance,
And cried-'Behold Jon isle
and thus We passed the beautiful region
SO celebrated in Scott's Lady of the Lake
and we prosaically thought how unoom-
Portable Ellen must have been If this
kind of weather. then as now, prevailed
about this lovely spot.
"Ahp little triitress! none must know
What idle dream, what lighter thought.
What venity fun dearly bought,
.IQinau rhtna ava'a dark vyitchCraft
draw
My spell-b bound steps to Benvenue.
Ihs noble form Of this mountain lie
| quite lest to sight as we hasten to get
| seats on the coaches which each day in
rain or shine. In tempest CT fair weather,
| traverse this richly y-wooded valley. The
part bstween Ellsn's Isle and the Tros-
| sachs Hotel, on the little Lake Achray, Is
| considered the finest scensry in Scotland.
They say that 1t rains In the Trossaohs
| three hundred .ano sixty days out OF the
year and that one gets but littls idea of
the normal condition of this rsglon ex-
oept In rain storm. But how the wind
did blow, and how the clouds hid the
mountains, excepting an occasional peak
which ventursd outi Once we caught q
glimpse OF Loeb Vennachar In the dis
tance, but Ben Ledi refused to material
izs. The coach presented scene of
wretohednsss. All sat huddled together
under their mbrellas, the clippings of
which each one generously shared with
his neighbors, until In the hurricane,
umbr alas ceased to be protection, and
all sighed for the time when steam or
electric tram way would penetrate this
valley.
But at last the comparative consoled
us, when tearing down the mountain
side, over the tine roads now reduced to
pulp, oyclist after oyolist. with hair all
dripping and shoes soaked like paper. ap.
peared, until it seemed that all the bicy-
clists In Europe had taken that Gay to do
| the Trossachs. Occasionally one more
fair than another would bounce her wheel
and founder In the mud, one falling
very nearly under the huge wheels of the
coach.
Already thoroughly drenohed, In this
half hours drive, we alighted at the
Trossachs Hotel for hssty lunch, after
which, as no other alternative presented
itself except an indehnits stay at the
hotel waiting for q pro oblematiosl fair
day, all again took their seats on the
coach for the two and . half hours drive
to Callandar.
At the time. the experience was certain
ly dreadful, but in the retrospect the
Irossachs appear far more grand under
the biIiowy clouds and mueh more sub
lime when the mists shroud the noun
tains. One Of our number told his bride
that he preferred them thus rlther than
when passing through them on fine
day. The rest of the party, however,
agreed that next time they would see the