New-York tribune., 1907-12-02
PRIME MINISTER'S HOME
Belmont Castle and the Ne;p,.
Stones.
Meigle. Scotland. Novsr,5.- .,

Scotidnd, Noverlber
This quaint little Scottish village is the bor,.
of q Prime Minister. and accepts the dissinc.,.
with unaffected gravity. Belmont Castle st.rs'
in the centre of spacious park. with entr,n.s
gates on the A1yth and Perth roads outside ~,
village. and its laird is Scotsman by hfr,b
education, inheritance and characteristic t-s,t,
He is a Forfarshire Campbell. and the am.
smacks Of the home soil, even If his ancsssr,,
birthplace at Stracathro beyond Brechin ;.
an inglorious "reminiscences of John BaIIop. .r
render to an English king; and he marr1ed
Bruce and buried her under the shadow Of N.
established Presbyterian Church in the Villa.
If he adopted the additional name Of Ban,s,
man. Il of the conditions Of the In.
heritance Of a fortune from an uncle and tb.
wealth which came with the name has enahl..
him to live luxuriously a large estate R.,
mont Castle is a palatiai modern residence viz
scores Of rooms for guests and servants ana
the park and farms surrounding it are well kent
up It is a stately home, with every evidence
of the Prime Minister'S prosperity rehnemsn.
Of taste and honorable pride in a princely -.
tate. Yet he IS there only for few weeks In
the year, and when the necessity for rest curs
arises from overwork he Is ordered OF 20 n.
Continent by his physician 1t has been desc
late and empty house since the death OF hfs
wife, after a protracted period OF invalidisr,
His heart IS not IN the old home, but In tha
grave In the village churchyard, whe-e he han
erected a costly monument TO her memory
The homeIy little village glories in its anctens
stones even If it knows little OF their origin and
symbolism. There is one inside the entrance
Of the Prime Minister'S park. standing erect and
grim as though 1t were guarding the mysteries
of a prehistoric past like the solemn trilsthons
OF Stonehenge. This is rough hewn, but those
in the village are sculptured with curious sym.
rfr,ffi
conspicuous one is a colossal Celtic cross with
decorative bosses. and on the reverse side thsrs
are vague suggestions in carving OF centaur,
a den OF lions with q covering Daniel and
hunting scene AS the surrounding sections Of
Forfarshire and Perthshire are districts where
sport is the chief interest in life. these hunting
pictures engraved in stone indicate that Meigs
and the lair1s round about are not entirely out
OF touch with a mysterious antiquity, which
overstrains the wisdom OF commentators and
the credulity of the ready and submissive listen
or. Some of the other stones-there are twenty
two Of them-are even more inscrUtable. Both
uprights and recumbent stones are found to-
gether as at Stonehenge; not in their own
order as surviving the upheayals and ravages
Of time but as collected and subjected to Or
dery arrangement in a village museum; and
some are rough hewn with the most primittvs
tools and others vaguely record synlbolis1s
which cannot be interpreted with any degree OF
pIausibility With stones as ancient as ths
scone OF the coronation chair IN Westminster
Abbey on which St. Colunba's head may have
rested in Iona-the same mysterious emblem OF
royalty that was lost through John Ballots sur
render at StracathrO-Meigle has landmarks
worthy of a Prime Minister OF the realm or his
home soil.
Belmont Castle with its lawns. gardens, for
ests. covers and farms. lies IN Strathmore-a
broad valley between the Grampians and the
Sidlaw and Ochfl hills IT is an undulatilg reach
OF open country. beautiful in all seasons since
the Highlands rise abruptly from the edge OF
the LowIands and the mountain masses arc
uniform in altitude and symmetricaly grouped,
but with the splendors OF autunnal tnting. for
the frosts come betimes in Scotland as IN Amer
fca 10 work sharp transitions and contrasts,
the broad valley is transfgured with glory
Strathmore is not single valley with circuit
of mountains and hills so much as a series OF
reaches opening one into another and stretch
ing seaward. and the verdant levels terraeed
with woods are pierced by winding streams and
shimmering brooks. Not far from Meisle the
Dean. foamiug trout stream. joins the lsla, a
swollen salmon river. where there is an ancient
bridge which the Romans may have built. and
higher the way 10 the Grampians romantIc
glens rich in yerdure become wilder and more
pTeClLllOuS uDJll Iley are Ul-llalIt6 Sd44J o-i0-
II single peaks like Mount Blair can be seen
outside the village the undulatiEg arlQhithea-
tre encrcled with mountains and hills is re-
vealed from higher ground toward Alyth or
Airle. and with the autumnal purples. reds and
browns It Is a splendid spectacle. Even the bare
hillside pastures are lighted UP with a reddish
glow at monday. and night comes on there
Is another glory among the blue u1ists in tbs
south-a crimson flush in the sky when Bonnls
Dundee is ablazs with light. The Prime Min
lister has goodly heritage in the home country
even IL Belmont Castle be silent and deserted
The villagers and the shooting lairds DO nor
misunderstood the master Of the castle II rs
finds the winter climate in the Highlands Sc
we're and plans an outing in the south or on tns
Continent when he is overwork J. He IS "a
Scottish and as democratic as themselves. ana
Is known among them a lonely man with an
empty home. who is depressed in spirits "hae
he comes to Meigle and goes to kirk IN"
would think less OF him II he filed the easti7
with guests for house parties or Joined in ths
autumn sport of StrathInore. When he IS hers
he does not affect greatness. nor appear pre-
occupied with affairs of state. He has cordlsi
greeting for every villager, is kind and consid-
crate to the working people on his estate and
displays the same pawky wit on the racy hons
soil which delights his followers in Parliament
and helps 10 keep his party together. HIS ON
time neighbors in the JacObian country houses
and Elizabethan mansions. when they call upon
him at tea time. find him frank. outspoKsn
and sincere ever he was II he does not AZ
cept invitations to big shoots on the great es
tates. nor entertain the lairGs of Stratnmore
with the old-fashioned hospitality. he has not
lost interest In the friends of a lifetime hs
talks among them without restraint as thous"