The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-05-04
A Salem Girl Writes
Charmingly of the
Land o. Cakes
Wallace and Rob Roy, Ben
LOmOnd and Walter Scott,
Legend and Romance
Song and Heather
prymen. Scotland.

I'D. Journal. We have had a
splendid voyage across the English
channel, but as soon as We neared |
London the usual London "driEEle"
began and we found the weather but
slightly improved when we reached
Glasgow.
We are now and have been some
time in the most beautiful part OF the
Scottish highlands. just twenty min
utes walk from Loeb Lomond. the
most historic as we'll as the grandest
lake IN all Scotland. We had few
days Of storm but since the weather
has been fine and we have enjoyed
every moment driving through the
country and sailing on the lake.
This is an exceedingly mountainous
country, and In some parts reminds
us most OF the willamette valley
with the grain fields missing In this
part they raise little or NO grain. but
20 in entirely for sheep aud cattle
raising Corn and turnips are raised
for feeding purposes. II is a great
sheep country and as far as you can
see YOU see nothing but grazing land.
Nearly an the land for miles around
is not owned by the people, but by
the Duke of Montrose. and he rents Il
to them Queer conditions prevail
and an American can only wonder
that the people are content TO remain
here.
Many families have remained on
the same land for over century.
The rents are comparatively high
and scarcely ever Is the Duke per.
suaded to make any improvements on
the property. The fences are all
hedge Hawthorne. beech and holly
and stone notice the plain wire
and some barb wire is strung through
the hedges whore the hedge happens
20 be thin. The hedges grow very
tall and make very satisfactory
fence for this country. The people
must build extra fences themselves.
II any are built. and they tell me II
you improve on the land YOU live on
the first thing you know your rent Is
raised.
All buildings are OF stone, Il being
the cheapest building material 20 be
had here.
The "Montrose Castle" lies Just
over the hills by the lake, and the
duke IL just now al home. lie makes
this his summer residence.
There are some matched roofs In
the village
Yesterday We had an ideal day. and
We sailed the whole length OF Loeb
Iomond. Il Is "a miles long and
varies greatly In width. the widest
portion being about seven miles.
There are "a islands In the lake, and
many have an interesting history
one small. heayily-wOoded island was
used by William Wallace as a hiding
place. when he was hghting with the
Earl OF Warren. on one side Of the
lake We saw Rob Roy's cave where
he used 10 hide from the Duke. The
entrance 10 very small One can Just
crawl In well ON allfours. The cave
is only hole formed by monster
powders lying on top Of one another
and altogether makes one wonder
what would have happened 20 Rob
Roy had the boulders shifted.
One OF the most interesting Islands
Is the MacFarlane island, where over
1000 of this clan have been buried.
The Island IL wooded and quite small,
and an that's 10 be- seen on the island
Is the ruin Of a small prison, with un'
dergrOund dungeons, where hundreds
of poor prisoners have lost their
lives. The prison existed first In the
lOth century. aud the ruin n 70
markably well preserved.
We are seeing the lake az beauti-
ful time Of year the mountains on
either side being partially decked
vith snow The heather looks quite
brown on the mountain side, and will