Year: 1866

My first sight of Scotland was early
on the morning of the 9th, when l was
called up to view the frowning walls of
Dumbarton Castle, under which we
were passing on our way up the Clyde
to Glasgow. Since then scarcely a
foot of ground over which we have
travelled but what has inscribed upon it
some stirring event of the past. How,
then, shall | do justice to what we have
seen and heard since we came into this,
the most interesting portion of the
Kingdom? Soon after reaching Glas-
gov we were within the walls of the
Mungo Cathedral, an immense pile,
some three hundred feet in length, "a
bout eighty five in extreme width, and
sixty-five feet in the height of the nave
1t was commenced in l161, but not en-
tirely finished until 1857. Notwith-
standing the early period in which por-
tions of it were built, the architecture
of the whole of the interior is the most
dows the finest of anything that we
city, made so princi ipally by the immense
upon the Clyde below the city. From
Glasgow we went by rail to the foot of
Loeb Lomond, where we took steamer
through the lake to Tarbet, opposite to
Ben Lomond, passing on our way the
many beautiful islands that here and
there dot the surface On the Sunday
morning after our arrival We walked
over to the little kirk in Anochar, stu
ated on Loch Long, and for the first
time realized, what we have so often
seen in pictures, grand parents with
their children walking together to
church, bibles and hymn books in hand.
Every body walks to church in Scot
land. They either have not the means
of riding, or if they have they do not
feel the necessity of bringing out their
fine carriages on Sunday morning.
From Tarbet we crossed the lake to In
versnaid and took stage from there to
the head of Loeb Katrine, passing on
our way Loeb Arklet, near which are
the ruins of the house in which Helen
Macgregor, the wife of Rob Roy, is
said to have been born. Arriving at
the head of Loeb Katrine we took the
little steamer Rob Roy for the Tro-
sachs. Passing down the lake we saw
where the water is taken out to supply
the city of Glasgow, distant thirty-tour
miles, through seventy tunnels, the ag
gregate length of which is thirteen miles.
This will give you an idea of the
mountainous character of the country.
The western extremity of the lake is
very narrow, with winding shores and
towering high above it on the north is
Benvenue, on the south the riven sides
of Ben A'an and the surrounding
peaks, between them the dark, rocky
and deeply wooded ravines, and from
its surface rises Ellen's Isle, all of which
have taken their part in the imagery of
Scotland's greatest bard. One cannot
see this beautiful lake and the surround
ing scenery without becoming an admi-
rcr of the g Lady of the Lake" We
took Il boat to the Isle and moored it to
the rock under the very ''aged oak
from beneath which


ga damscl guidcr of its way


A little skiffShot to the bay"


We walked up the same steep, rocky
cliff that Ellen had assembled and de-
Scended, and looked upon the spot
where once stood the bower that had
sheltered DOUGLASS and his daughter
The Loch was so smooth that every
crar. tree and flower that we could see,
and even their color, were mirrored
from its surface From the Trosachs
we took stage to Calender, passing on
our wav Loch Vennacher and Lanrick
Mead, where Rhoderick Dhu mustered
Clan Alpine.


From Calender we took the cars to
this city (Edinburg) which is pictu-
resquely situated on the south bank of
Firth OF Forth. A most beautiful view
of the entire city and surrounding coun-
try, can be obtained from either Sails
bury Crags or the Castle, and Of the
city from Cation Hill. Edinburg might
be styled the city of monuments, as one
meets the eye at almost every turn of
the street. The most interesting place
to visit is the Holyrood Palace and
Chapel. The palace was first built by
James ", in 1901, hut it was entirely
rebuilt by Charles H., in 1879. 1t was
the principal residence Of Mary Queen
of Scots, and in it the visitor is shown
her apartments, consisting of an audi
ence chamber, bed chamber, dressing
room. in the latter of which it is said
her Secretary, Rizzio, was murdered.
We were shown the place where his
body laid over night, after receiving
fifty six wounds, and the old keeper
tried to draw on my imagination to see
the blood stains that were left on the
floor. In the Picture Gallery are the
portraits of one hundred sovereigns OF
Scotland from Fergus I. down, and
miserable affairs they are, excepting the
one Of Robert Bruce. The palace
is kept in good repair, and portion of
it is frequently occupied by the present
Queen and her suite as she passes
or her way to and from Balmo-
raj. Only the walls of the Chapel are
object Of interest, the erection Of which
dates back beyond the memory OF ira
dition. Like Stirling and Dumbarton,
it is situated upon a high rock, and is
one of the four castles which by treaty
with England is required to be garri-
soned; the others are Stirling, Blackness
and DumbarJon. In it is preserved
with great care the Scotch Crown, Scep-
tire and Sword of State. We were
shown Queen Mary's room, in which