The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-08-11
Spots of Charm
in "Bonny Scotia"
Little Lossiemouth Among
Others of Interest to
Traveller.


was referred to by many American
newspapers, during his visit to Wash
ington, as the "son, of Lossiemouth."
A bulletin from the Washington
headquarters of the National Geo
graphic society. tells of this little
Scottish town and the country round
about it.
"Lossiemouth, where the prime
minister was born, and where he still
spends his infrequent holidays. is a
tiny fishing village in northeastern
Scotland" says the bulletin. 1T lies
on the southern shore of Moray firth.
a long arm of the North sea which
reaches westward to Inverness. On
clear days one can see across the
firth the blue hills of Cromarty and
Dornoch, while beyond them rise the
faint, jagged lines of remote high.
lands in Sutherlandshire.
1.-THE small Industries of the town
are boat building and rope making.
1t also serves as the port for Elgin.
a clean and prosperous little town,
Ave miles inland on the Lossie river.
The ruins of Elgin cathedral are the
: most picturesque north Of the border
abbeys. 1t is called the Lanthorn of
the North and dates from 1924.
"Morayshire, the country around
Lossiemouth, is low and rolling,
bordered by the white sands and
blue waters of the firth. Strong
winds from the North sea sweep
across the wild heaths, covered with
sturdy heather. coarse grass, and
prickly whin. 1t was on such a
heath that Macbeth met the three
witches of Forres.
"'How far iS't called to ForreS"
The answer today is that it is only
a few miles west from Lossiemouth.
where the Findhorn PUSHES through
wild. rocky gleps 10 pour into the
firth. Here Duncan held his court.
and here Shakespeare made Banquo's
ghost appear before Macbeth.
''Forres is one of the most ancient
towns in northern Scotland. Sweno's
stone, carved with runic knots and
figures of warriors, is supposed to
commemorate Morse victory of the
Eleventh century. Nearby is the old
witches stone, where Forres witches
were burned.
continuing south and west along
the shore of Moray firth. past Marin
and Cawdor castle, one reaches ro-
mantle Inverness, capital of northern
Scotland and watchtower of the
Highlands. The city's history reaches
far back into primitive times. when
it served as stronghold for Pictish
kings. Columbia paid visit to In
verness in 565. hoping to convert
Brude, then king of the Picts.
Built on steep hill in the center
of the town, Inverness castle com
mands magnificent view from the
shining waters of the North sea in
the east to the mysterious. blue
peaks of the Highlands in the west
Below the castle. and dividing the
city. flows the quiet River Ness,
spanned by four bridges and crowded
with green islets.
Inverness castle, traditional
scene of the murder of Duncan, has
been destroyed and rebuilt countless
times. 1t was burned by Donald of
the Isles, captured by Bruce. occu-
pied by Mary Queen of Scots, seized
by the Jacobites in 1715, and blown
up by Prince Charlie in the rebellion
of As. Rebuilt once more. it serves
today as courthouse and government
seat for Invernesshire. In the plaza
before its gates stands statue of
Flora Macdonald, maid Of the Isles,
who so calamity aided the fugitive
Prince Charlie. escaping to the
Hebrides with a price of thirty
thousand pounds upon his head.
"A single cairn of stones marks
Culloden moor. near Inverness, where
the prince and 5000 hungry. ill-clad
clansmen met lasting defeat at the
hands of 1900 British regulars. un-
de- the duke of Cumberland. Rough
stones, carved with the names of the
clans. MacLean, Maclachlan. Nc