Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-16
Romantic Scotch Scenes Re-
pIete With Historic Interest.
ST. PATRICK'S BIRTHPLACE
Robert the Bruce, Scotland's Peer
less Warlike King.
ROB ROY. THE FAMOUS OUTLAW
From Factory and Foundry to Ro-
nance and Its Rugged Idols.
Island of Skye.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
TROSSACHS HOTEL,
September 10. 1908.
Every American tourist "does the Tros-
sachs" for the journey affords view OF
the most delightful scenery and brings
him into intimate contact with some OF
the most heroic characters and romantic
places in Scotland. 1t takes travellers
across Loeb Lomond. through the coun-
try of Roy Roy and the MacGregors, and
across Loeb Katrine, the home OF hoo-
erck Dhu and the scene of that MOST
popular of romantic poems, 1.-The Lady OF
the Lake 1t brings them also to the
battlefield of Bannockburn, where the IN
dependence of Scotland was won py
Robert Bruce in the fifteenth century ana
Stirling Castle. which Is hoary with ms
tory and romance, and IS one OF the louf
ancient Scottish StronghOlds which are
still maintained and occupied by the i'm
perial government under the treaty thdt
made Scotland and England single ma
ton The other three are Blackness Jas
tie on the Firth of Forth. Dumbarton cas-
tie on the River CLYDE and Edinburgh Cas-
tie.
The TroSsachS can be done In Two
days or even in one day by taking train
from Glasgow or Edinburgh early III Mie
morning and making frequent ShiItS ny
rail. coach and steamer. but every oooy
who can should take three days LOT IT,
although a week is better.
st. Patrick's Birthplace.
The train from Glasgow runs along the
banks of the River Clyde through ship
yards, furnaces, rolling mills and foun-
int in 1,le hut llti-
mately comes out into green country
again and stops at Dumbarton. an. ancient
historic town, which is believed to have
been the birthplace of ST. Patrick. II
was here that he was kidnapped in ohild-
hood and carried across the channel 10
Ireland.
Dumbarton was the home of Tobias
Smollett the novelist, and BOnhill House,
where his father, SIR James Smollett,
lived, was the scene of his charming au-
photographed tale, '-.oderick Random.
A mile below Dumbarton was the cas-
tie of Cardross, the home of Robert de
Bruce There he died June T. 1923. and
his body was taken to Dunfermline Ca
thedral for burial. Dunfermline was then
the capital of Scotland. From his earliest
days until his death bruce always re-
tired to Cardross whenever he could do
So and took great pride in the castle
and its grounds showing remarkable do
mestic habits and tastes for man of
his warlike disposition and adventure
some career. And when, at last. the
death of his great enemy, Edward l Of
England, made the independence of Scot
land secure, he lived at CardrosS the
rest of his life with his Sc md wife, by
whom he had two sons and daughter.
Of whom he was very fond His eldest
daughter, Marjory, by his first wife, the
mother of the royal house of Stuart.
from whom King Edward VII traces his
descent. married Walter the Stuart in
child. Robert II. King of Scotland.
In the archives of the reign of Robert
de Bruce at Edinburgh We find frequent
orders from Cardross for the purchase
of glass for windows, whitewash for the
walls, seeds for the garden. plants for
the hedges, furniture, bedding and other
household goods, which give an interest
ing glimpse of the simple life the great
highland chieftain led with his family
and his flowers between battles.
Dumbarton Castle.
All this part of Scotland is alive with
anecdotes of Bruce. 1t was here that he
met with his most stirring adventures
and his narrowest escapes. and it was
not far away that he fought the final
duel with the English king. with Scot
land as a prize. Dumbarton Castle is of
great antiquity. and was a stronghold of
the British tribes who inhabited the val
/
sion of the Romans, and 1t has ever
since been one of the most important
strategic points In the United Kingdom.
1t is perched upon the top of a rock.
in height. The only ascent is through a
natural assure of the rock. 1t has a
greater elevation than the Alhambra at
Granada, the AlcaZar at Toledo. the
Moscow, but the rock is not so lofty or
extensive as that on which the Castle of
Edinburgh stands.
The walls Of Dumbarton are still kept
in perfect repair, although they are
thousand years old. Some of the interior
buildings date back 600 or 700 years,
but most of them are of modern construc-
ton and are intended for storage, rather
than warfare.
The Trap for Robert Bruce.
Robert Bruce knew Dumbarton Rock as
thoroughly as he did his own garden,
and the manner in which he took it from
the English is one of the most chracter-
istic ana memorable episodes In his ca
reer. Sir John Menteith, who was then
in command agreed to surrender it on
certain conditions which Bruce demanded,
although they were very extravagant. He
then set a trap, and when Bruce came
to take possession intended to seize him
and make him a prisoner. For this pur-
pose he concealed the larger part of his
force in the cellar and surrendered only
| few Of the men, Bruce. however, was
too subtle to be caught, and, after Men,
| teith had surrendered his sword and the
keys to the gates, asked to be conducted
through the fortress. When they reached
the door of the cellar he insisted upon
having 1t opened. Menteith tried to pre-
vent the disclosure. but Bruce insisted
The soldiers were discovered, the cellar
was double-locked upon them and Men
teith was added to their number.
A fd4 miles below Dumbarton is the
city of GreenOck which has population
of 10000 and does an enormous business
in building ships and engines and in re-
filming sugar. The docks are said to be
the finest in Scotland, and in the town
is technical school for the education
of artisans. called the Watt Institution,
founded by the son of James Watt the
inventor of the steam engine. in memory
OF his father.
From Greenock one can easily cross to
Rothesay, on the Island of Butte. where
the Marquis of Butte has one of the most
| magnificent places in the world. called
Mount Stuart. The ancestral castle was
entirely destroyed by fire in 1877. and
the present one has been built since that
time and is entirely modern. 1t is said
to be the largest and the most costly
private habitatiOn in existence.
t,l, n