Part 2

The view from both batteries is splendid, like a panorama in extent. We saw from them _Heriot’s Hospital_, a beautiful old building, founded, in the time of James, by a goldsmith and jeweller, whom Sir Walter Scott has made famous in his _Fortunes of Nigel_. After this, we got again into the carriages and proceeded in the same way as before, the pressure of the crowd being really quite alarming; and both I and Albert were quite terrified for the Archers Guard, who had very hard work of it; but were of the greatest use. They all carry a bow in one hand, and have their arrows stuck through their belts.

Unfortunately, as soon as we were out of _Edinburgh_, it began to rain, and continued raining the whole afternoon without interruption. We reached _Dalmeny_, Lord Roseberry’s, at two o’clock. The park is beautiful, with the trees growing down to the sea. It commands a very fine view of the _Forth_, the _Isle of May_, the _Bass Rock_, and of _Edinburgh_; but the mist rendered it almost impossible to see anything. The grounds are very extensive, being hill and dale and wood. The house is quite modern: Lord Roseberry built it, and it is very pretty and comfortable. We lunched there. The Roseberrys were all civility and attention. We left them about half-past three, and proceeded home through _Leith_.

The view of _Edinburgh_ from the road before you enter _Leith_ is quite enchanting; it is, as Albert said, “fairy-like,” and what you would only imagine as a thing to dream of, or to see in a picture. There was that beautiful large town, all of stone (no mingled colours of brick to mar it), with the bold Castle on one side, and the _Calton Hill_ on the other, with those high sharp hills of _Arthur’s Seat_ and _Salisbury Crags_ towering above all, and making the finest, boldest background imaginable. Albert said he felt sure the _Acropolis_ could not be finer; and I hear they sometimes call _Edinburgh_ “the modern _Athens_.” The Archers Guard met us again at _Leith_, which is not a pretty town.

The people were most enthusiastic, and the crowd very great. The Porters all mounted, with curious Scotch caps, and their horses decorated with flowers, had a very singular effect; but the fishwomen are the most striking-looking people, and are generally young and pretty women--very clean and very Dutch-looking, with their white caps and bright-coloured petticoats. They never marry out of their class.

At six we returned well tired.

_Sunday, September 4._

We walked to see the new garden which is being made, and saw Mackintosh there, who was formerly gardener at _Claremont_. The view of _Dalkeith_ (the village, or rather town) from thence is extremely picturesque, and Albert says very German-looking. We returned over a rough sort of bridge, made only of planks, which crosses the _Esk_, and which, with the wooded banks on each side, is excessively pretty. Received from Lady Lyttelton good accounts of our little children. At twelve o’clock there were prayers in the house, read by Mr. Ramsay, who also preached.

At half-past four the Duchess drove me out in her own phaeton, with a very pretty pair of chestnut ponies, Albert riding with the Duke and Colonel Bouverie. We drove through parts of the park, through an old wood, and along the banks of the _South Esk_ and the _North Esk_, which meet at a point from which there is such a beautiful view of the _Pentland Hills_. Then we drove, by a private road, to _Newbattle_, Lord Lothian’s place. The park is very fine, and the house seems large; we got out to look at a most magnificent beech-tree. The _South Esk_ runs close before the house, by a richly wooded bank.

From thence we went to _Dalhousie_, Lord Dalhousie’s. The house is a real old Scotch castle, of reddish stone. We got out for a moment, and the Dalhousies showed us the drawing-room. From the window you see a beautiful wooded valley, and a peep of the distant hills.

Lord Dalhousie said there had been no British sovereign there since Henry IV. We drove home by the same way that we came. The evening was--as the whole day had been--clear, bright, and frosty, and the _Moorfoot Hills_ (another range) looked beautiful as we were returning. It was past seven when we got home.

_Monday, September 5._

I held a Drawing-room at _Dalkeith_ to-day, in the gallery. The Ministers and Scotch Officers of State were in the room, and the Royal Archers were in attendance in the room and outside of it, like the Gentlemen at Arms in _London_. Before the Drawing-room I received three addresses--from the Lord Provost and Magistrates, from the Scotch Church, and from the Universities of _St. Andrews_, _Glasgow_, and _Edinburgh_--to which I read answers. Albert received his just after I did mine, and read his answers beautifully.

_Tuesday, September 6._

At nine o’clock we left _Dalkeith_ as we came. It was a bright, clear, cold, frosty morning. As we drove along we saw the _Pentlands_, which looked beautiful, as did also _Arthur’s Seat_, which we passed quite close by. The _Salisbury Crags_, too, are very high, bold, and sharp. Before this we saw _Craigmillar_. We passed through a back part of the town (which is most solidly built), close by _Heriot’s Hospital_, and had a very fine view of the Castle.

I forgot to say that, when we visited the Castle, we saw the Regalia, which are very old and curious (they were lost for one hundred years); also the room in which James VI. of Scotland and the First of England was born--such a very, very small room, with an old prayer written on the wall. We had a beautiful view of _Edinburgh_ and the _Forth_. At _Craigleith_ (only a half-way house, nine miles) we changed horses. The Duke rode with us all the way as Lord-Lieutenant of the county, until we arrived at _Dalmeny_, where Lord Hopetoun met us and rode with us. At eleven we reached the _South Queensferry_, where we got out of our carriage and embarked in a little steamer; the ladies and gentlemen and our carriages going in another. We went a little way up the _Forth_, to see _Hopetoun House_, Lord Hopetoun’s, which is beautifully situated between _Hopetoun_ and _Dalmeny_. We also saw _Dundas Castle_, belonging to Dundas of Dundas, and further on, beyond _Hopetoun_, _Blackness Castle_, famous in history. On the opposite side you see a square tower, close to the water, called _Rosyth_, where Oliver Cromwell’s mother was said to have been born, and in the distance _Dunfermline_, where Robert Bruce is buried. We passed close by a very pretty island in the _Forth_, with an old castle on it, called _Inchgarvie_; and we could see the Forth winding beautifully, and had a distant glimpse of _Edinburgh_ and its fine Castle. We landed safely on the other side, at _North Queensferry_, and got into our carriages. Captain Wemyss, elder brother to General Wemyss, rode with us all the way beyond _Cowdenbeath_ (eight miles). The first village we passed through on leaving the _Queensferry_, was _Inverkeithing_. We passed by Sir P. Durham’s property.

We changed horses at _Cowdenbeath_. At a quarter-past one we entered _Kinross-shire_. Soon after, the country grew prettier, and the hills appeared again, partly wooded. We passed _Loch Leven_, and saw the castle on the lake from which poor Queen Mary escaped. There the country is rather flat, and the hills are only on one side. We changed horses next at _Kinross_. Soon after this, the mountains, which are rather barren, began to appear. Then we passed the valley of _Glen Farg_; the hills are very high on each side, and completely wooded down to the bottom of the valley, where a small stream runs on one side of the road--it is really lovely.

On leaving this valley you come upon a beautiful view of _Strathearn_ and _Moncrieffe Hill_. We were then in _Perthshire_. We changed horses next at the _Bridge of Earn_ (12 miles). At half-past three we reached _Dupplin_, Lord Kinnoull’s. All the time the views of the hills, and dales, and streams were lovely. The last part of the road very bad travelling, up and down hill. _Dupplin_ is a very fine modern house, with a very pretty view of the hills on one side, and a small waterfall close in front of the house. A battalion of the 42nd Highlanders was drawn up before the house, and the men looked very handsome in their kilts. We each received an address from the nobility and gentry of the county, read by Lord Kinnoull; and from the Provost and Magistrates of _Perth_. We then lunched. The Willoughbys, Kinnairds, Ruthvens, and Lord Mansfield, and one of his sisters, with others, were there. After luncheon, we walked a little way in the grounds, and then at five o’clock we set off again. We very soon came upon _Perth_, the situation of which is quite lovely; it is on the _Tay_, with wooded hills skirting it entirely on one side, and hills are seen again in the distance, the river winding beautifully.

Albert was charmed, and said it put him in mind of the situation of _Basle_. The town itself (which is very pretty) was immensely crowded, and the people very enthusiastic; triumphal arches had been erected in various places. The Provost presented me with the keys, and Albert with the freedom of the city. Two miles beyond is _Scone_ (Lord Mansfield’s), a fine-looking house of reddish stone.

Lord Mansfield and the Dowager Lady Mansfield received us at the door, and took us to our rooms, which were very nice.

_Wednesday, September 7._

We walked out, and saw the mound on which the ancient Scotch kings were always crowned; also the old arch with James VI.’s arms, and the old cross, which is very interesting.

Before our windows stands a sycamore-tree planted by James VI. A curious old book was brought to us from _Perth_, in which the last signatures are those of James I. (of England) and of Charles I., and we were asked to write our names in it, and we did so. Lord Mansfield told me yesterday that there were some people in the town who wore the identical dresses that had been worn in Charles I.’s time. At eleven o’clock we set off as before. We drove through part of _Perth_, and had a very fine view of _Scone_. A few miles on, we passed the field of battle of _Luncarty_, where tradition says the Danes were beaten by Lord Erroll’s ancestor. We also passed Lord Lynedoch’s property. We then changed horses at the “New Inn” at _Auchtergaven_. The _Grampians_ came now distinctly into view; they are indeed a grand range of mountains.

To the left we saw _Tullybelton_, where it is said the Druids used to sacrifice to Bel; there are a few trees on the top of the mountain.

To the left; but more immediately before us, we saw _Birnam_, where once stood _Birnam Wood_, so renowned in _Macbeth_. We passed a pretty shooting place of Sir W. Stewart’s, called _Rohallion_, nearly at the foot of _Birnam_. To the right we saw the _Stormont_ and _Strathtay_. Albert said, as we came along between the mountains, that to the right, where they were wooded, it was very like _Thüringen_, and on the left more like _Switzerland_. _Murthly_, to the right, which belongs to Sir W. Stewart, is in a very fine situation, with the _Tay_ winding under the hill. This lovely scenery continues all along to _Dunkeld_. Lord Mansfield rode with us the whole way.

Just outside _Dunkeld_, before a triumphal arch, Lord Glenlyon’s Highlanders, with halberds, met us, and formed our guard--a piper playing before us. _Dunkeld_ is beautifully situated in a narrow valley, on the banks of the _Tay_. We drove in to where the Highlanders were all drawn up, in the midst of their encampments, and where a tent was prepared for us to lunch in. Poor Lord Glenlyon[4] received us; but he had suddenly become totally blind, which is dreadful for him. He was led about by his wife; it was very melancholy. His blindness was caused by over-fatigue. The Dowager Lady Glenlyon, the Mansfields, Kinnoulls, Buccleuchs, and many others were there. We walked down the ranks of the Highlanders, and then partook of luncheon, the piper played, and one of the Highlanders[5] danced the “sword dance.” (Two swords crossed are laid upon the ground, and the dancer has to dance across them without touching them.) Some of the others danced a reel.

[4] The late Duke of Athole.

[5] Charles Christie, now steward to the present Dowager Duchess of Athole.

At a quarter to four we left _Dunkeld_ as we came, the Highland Guard marching with us till we reached the outside of the town. The drive was quite beautiful all the way to _Taymouth_.[6] The two highest hills of the range on each side are (to the right, as you go on after leaving _Dunkeld_) _Craig-y-Barns_ and (to the left, immediately above _Dunkeld_) _Craigvinean_. The _Tay_ winds along beautifully, and the hills are richly wooded. We changed horses first at _Balanagard_ (nine miles), to which place Captain Murray, Lord Glenlyon’s brother, rode with us. The hills grew higher and higher, and Albert said it was very Swiss-looking in some parts. High ribbed mountains appeared in the distance, higher than any we have yet seen. This was near _Aberfeldy_ (nine miles), which is charmingly situated and the mountains very lofty. At a quarter to six we reached _Taymouth_. At the gate a guard of Highlanders, Lord Breadalbane’s men, met us. _Taymouth_ lies in a valley surrounded by very high, wooded hills; it is most beautiful. The house is a kind of castle, built of granite. The _coup-d’œil_ was indescribable. There were a number of Lord Breadalbane’s Highlanders, all in the Campbell tartan, drawn up in front of the house, with Lord Breadalbane himself in a Highland dress at their head, a few of Sir Neil Menzies’ men (in the Menzies red and white tartan), a number of pipers playing, and a company of the 92nd Highlanders, also in kilts. The firing of the guns, the cheering of the great crowd, the picturesqueness of the dresses, the beauty of the surrounding country, with its rich background of wooded hills, altogether formed one of the finest scenes imaginable. It seemed as if a great chieftain in olden feudal times was receiving his sovereign. It was princely and romantic. Lord and Lady Breadalbane took us upstairs, the hall and stairs being lined with Highlanders.

[6] I revisited Taymouth last autumn, on the 3rd of October, from Dunkeld (incognita), with Louise, the Dowager Duchess of Athole, and Miss MacGregor. As we could not have driven through the grounds without asking permission, and we did not wish to be known, we decided upon not attempting to do so, and contented ourselves with getting out at a gate close to a small fort, into which we were led by a woman from the gardener’s house, near to which we had stopped, and who had no idea who we were.

We got out, and looked from this height down upon the house below, the mist having cleared away sufficiently to show us everything; and then, unknown, quite in private, I gazed--not without deep emotion--on the scene of our reception twenty-four years ago, by dear Lord Breadalbane, in a princely style, not to be equalled in grandeur and poetic effect.

Albert and I were then only twenty-three, young and happy. How many are gone that were with us then!

I was very thankful to have seen it again.

It seemed unaltered.--1866.

The Gothic staircase is of stone and very fine; the whole of the house is newly and exquisitely furnished. The drawing-room, especially, is splendid. Thence you go into a passage and a library, which adjoins our private apartments. They showed us two sets of apartments, and we chose those which are on the right hand of the corridor or ante-room to the library. At eight we dined. Staying in the house, besides ourselves, are the Buccleuchs and the two Ministers, the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Elizabeth Leveson Gower,[7] the Abercorns, Roxburghs, Kinnoulls, Lord Lauderdale, Sir Anthony Maitland, Lord Lorne,[8] the Fox Maules, Belhavens, Mr. and Mrs. William Russell, Sir J. and Lady Elizabeth, and the Misses Pringle, and two Messrs. Baillie, brothers of Lady Breadalbane. The dining-room is a fine room in Gothic style, and has never been dined in till this day. Our apartments also are inhabited for the first time. After dinner the grounds were most splendidly illuminated,--a whole chain of lamps along the railings, and on the ground was written in lamps, “Welcome Victoria--Albert.”

[7] Now Duchess of Argyll.

[8] The present Duke of Argyll.

A small fort, which is up in the woods, was illuminated, and bonfires were burning on the tops of the hills. I never saw anything so fairy-like. There were some pretty fireworks, and the whole ended by the Highlanders dancing reels, which they do to perfection, to the sound of the pipes, by torch-light, in front of the house. It had a wild and very gay effect.

_Taymouth, Thursday, September 8._

Albert went off at half-past nine o’clock to shoot with Lord Breadalbane. I walked out with the Duchess of Norfolk along a path overlooking the _Tay_, which is very clear, and ripples and foams along over the stones, the high mountains forming such a rich background. We got up to the dairy, which is a kind of Swiss cottage, built of quartz, very clean and nice. From the top of it there is a very pretty view of _Loch Tay_.

We returned home by the way we came. It rained the whole time, and very hard for a little while. Albert returned at half-past three. He had had excellent sport, and the trophies of it were spread out before the house--nineteen roe-deer, several hares and pheasants, and three brace of grouse; there was also a capercailzie that had been wounded, and which I saw afterwards, a magnificent large bird.

Albert had been near _Aberfeldy_, and had to shoot and walk the whole way back, Lord Breadalbane himself beating, and 300 Highlanders out. We went out at five, with Lady Breadalbane and the Duchess of Sutherland; we saw part of _Loch Tay_, and drove along the banks of the _Tay_ under fine trees, and saw Lord Breadalbane’s American buffaloes.

_Friday, September 9._

Albert off again after nine o’clock, to shoot. Soon after he left I walked out with the Duchess of Norfolk across the iron bridge, and along a grass walk overhanging the _Tay_.

Two of the Highland Guard (they were stationed at almost every gate in the park) followed us, and it looked like olden times to see them with their swords drawn.

We then walked to a lodge on the same road. A fat, good-humoured little woman, about forty years old, cut some flowers for each of us, and the Duchess gave her some money, saying, “From Her Majesty.” I never saw any one more surprised than she was; she, however, came up to me and said very warmly, that my people were delighted to see me in _Scotland_. It came on to rain very heavily soon afterwards, but we walked on. We saw a woman in the river, with her dress tucked up almost to her knees, washing potatoes.

The rain ceased just as we came home, but it went on pouring frequently. Albert returned at twenty minutes to three, having had very hard work on the moors, wading up to his knees in bogs every now and then, and had killed nine brace of grouse. We lunched; then we went to the drawing-room, and saw from the window the Highlanders dancing reels; but unfortunately it rained the whole time. There were nine pipers at the castle; sometimes one, and sometimes three played. They always played about breakfast-time, again during the morning, at luncheon, and also whenever we went in and out; again before dinner, and during most of dinnertime. We both have become quite fond of the bagpipes.

At a quarter-past five we drove out with the Duchess of Buccleuch and the Duchess of Sutherland (poor Lady Breadalbane not being very well), Lord Breadalbane riding the whole time before us. We took a most beautiful drive, first of all along part of the lake and between the hills--such thorough mountain scenery,--and with little huts, so low, so full of peat smoke, that one could hardly see anything for smoke. We saw _Ben Lawers_, which is said to be 4,000 feet high, very well, and further on, quite in the distance, _Ben More_--also the _Glenlyon_, and the river _Lyon_, and many fine glens. It was quite dark when we came home at half-past seven. At eight we dined; Lord and Lady Ruthven and Lord and Lady Duncan dined here. After dinner came a number of people, about ninety, and there was a ball. It opened with a quadrille, which I danced with Lord Breadalbane, and Albert with the Duchess of Buccleuch. A number of reels were danced, which it was very amusing and pretty to see.

_Saturday, September 10._

We walked to the dairy and back--a fine bright morning; the weather the two preceding days had been very unfortunate. I drove a little way with Lady Breadalbane, the others walking, and then got out, and each of us planted two trees, a fir and an oak. We got in again, and drove with the whole party down to the lake, where we embarked. Lady Breadalbane, the Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Elizabeth went by land, but all the others went in boats. With us were Lord Breadalbane and the Duchess of Norfolk and Duchess of Buccleuch; and two pipers sat on the bow and played very often. I have since been reading in _The Lady of the Lake_, and this passage reminds me of our voyage:—

“See the proud pipers on the bow, And mark the gaudy streamers flow From their loud chanters down, and sweep The furrow’d bosom of the deep, As, rushing through the lake amain, They plied the ancient Highland strain.”

Our row of 16 miles up _Loch Tay_ to _Auchmore_, a cottage of Lord Breadalbane’s, near the end of the lake, was the prettiest thing imaginable. We saw the splendid scenery to such great advantage on both sides: _Ben Lawers_, with small waterfalls descending its sides, amid other high mountains wooded here and there; with _Kenmore_ in the distance; the view, looking back, as the loch winds, was most beautiful. The boatmen sang two Gaelic boat-songs, very wild and singular; the language so guttural and yet so soft. Captain McDougall, who steered, and who is the head of the McDougalls, showed us the real “brooch of Lorn,” which was taken by his ancestor from Robert Bruce in a battle. The situation of _Auchmore_ is exquisite; the trees growing so beautifully down from the top of the mountains, quite into the water, and the mountains all round, make it an enchanting spot. We landed and lunched in the cottage, which is a very nice little place. The day was very fine; the Highlanders were there again. We left _Auchmore_ at twenty minutes past three, having arrived there at a quarter before three. The kindness and attention to us of Lord and of Lady Breadalbane (who is very delicate) were unbounded. We passed _Killin_, where there is a mountain stream running over large stones, and forming waterfalls.

The country we came to now was very wild, beginning at _Glen Dochart_, through which the _Dochart_ flows; nothing but moors and very high rocky mountains. We came to a small lake called, I think, _Laragilly_, amidst the wildest and finest scenery we had yet seen. _Glen Ogle_, which is a sort of long pass, putting one in mind of the prints of the _Kyber Pass_, the road going for some way down hill and up hill, through these very high mountains, and the escort in front looking like mere specks from the great height. We also saw _Ben Voirlich_. At _Loch Earn Head_ we changed horses. Lord Breadalbane rode with us the whole way up to this point, and then he put his Factor (in Highland dress) up behind our carriage. It came on to rain, and rained almost the whole of the rest of the time. We passed along _Loch Earn_, which is a very beautiful long lake skirted by high mountains; but is not so long or so large as _Loch Tay_. Just as we turned and went by _St. Fillans_, the view of the lake was very fine. There is a large detached rock with rich verdure on it, which is very striking.