A TRIP TO SCOTLAND.

Mataura Ensign, 1 November 1911, Page 7

A TRIP TO SCOTLAND.

TO AND FROM INVERNESS. A COLONIAL'S IMPRESSIONS. No. 111. To Fort William. There are many other attractive trips round about Oban but we must get on with our journey, the next stage of which lhas Fort William for its terminus. Loch Linnhe is narrow and the surrounding hills are of fair elevation; as a consequence a calm trip is an almost invariable experience. On many "headlands are to be seen the • ruins of old Highland strongholds, tellof the time when a good fighting position counted for much in the country. Now the modern residences of the big lairds peep out from sheltered nooks, but unfortunately there is very general complaint that the owners are only in residence for a short time each year. Several calls are made on the lake shore and at Ballachuli&h a party left for Glencoe and rejoined us later in a bedraggled condition. The "weeping glen" had maintained its reputation. There was "water, water everywhere." Every gully carried a stream and there were some quite imposing temporary waterfalls. It was evident from the extensive plantations seen that a good deal of attention is being paid: to afforestation. We made Fort William about 11 o'clock and were kept prison-

era for the rest, of the day by the persistent rain. Next morning was just >Us bad but after lunch it faired. It Iras so cold during the morning that a fire vr&s demanded by some of the visitors—what a contrast to the heat of the South, which we had just left! The country,♦ too, in place of being drought-stricken, was beautifully green. The principal attractions are the ascent of Ben Nevis, which is easily accomplished per pony or on foot, and the road up Glen Nevis, with pretty water scenes which were at their best ; lowing to the swollen state of thej We enjoyed the walk but; haxi no time for the climb. Highland] costume is frequently in evidence and many of the natives "have the Gaelic," which is taught in some of the schools. This is the stronghold of the Camerons and The Lochiel is the principal personage hereabouts. But no longer does he feel called upon to fight for a chimera and nevermore will the flower of the youth of the clans be spent in useless warfare on their native soil. Other outlets have been found for their energies; they fight side by side with their countrymen in every walk of life and in every part of the Empire, and Canada especially has benefited by their leavers. Fort William has now no military significance. The old fort has long since been demolished and the garrison withdrawn, and the railway yards now occupy historic ground while bicycle and motor-car penetrate the remotest fortresses of the clans. The Lochiel takes an interest in local government, opens bazaars and generally makes himself as a country magnate of the Twentieth century, and now the straggling little town is chiefly notable as being the point from which to "do Ben Nevis and for the Long John Whisky manufactory, where the "dew" from the mountain is distilled in considerable quantity. The Caledonian Canal. Our next stage was to Inverness, by way of the Caledonian Canal. TWere is a short train journey to Banarie thence by steamer which can frequently be left for a few minutes and regained later as the locks are being negotiated. We accounted ourselves fortunate in experiencing a beautiful day for the trip. The canal is a great work, several lochs of varying height being joined together by considerable artificial waterways, the whole system providing a passage between coast and coast. The scenery is very like that of the parts we had already visited and the greatest interest of the trip centres at Fort Augustus, where there is a sharp descent by means of some half-dozen lochs to Loch Ness- This is a most interesting performance and takes something like an hour to accomplish. Fort Augustus is the location of a large monastery and) church and here, as throughout a considerable portion of the Highlands, adherents to the Roman Catholic faith are numerous. The journey up Loch Ness to Inverness is not remarkably interesting the principal features being the large plantations of Scotch firs and larche? and the picturesque Urquhart Castle and one is not sorry as evening approaches to reach the capital of the Highlands.

The Highland Capital. Inverness was in the throes of the Show, which meant that it '< was crowded and that strangers had they stumbled upon the town unwittingly would have, had a poor chance of securing accommodation. The town has some interesting features. The County Buildings and Courthouse occupy a commanding position and might, readily be mistaken for a castle. The site indeed was once occupied by Macbeth's Castle and is supposed in some quarters to have been the scene of King Duncan's murder, though Cawdor Castle, some 20 miles away, usually gets the credit for the tragedy. In front of the buildings is a fine statue of Flora Macdonald 1 , and Flora and Prince Charlie are great favorites hereabouts. The Cathedral, also a modern building, has some fine stained-glass and monolithic granite columns and a walk along the banks of the Ness brings one to the Islands with some pretty scenes and a favorite resort of the townspeople. In another direction is Tomnahurich (the hill of the fairies) where_ is the prettiest cemetery it is possible to imagine and from whence a good view of the town is obtainable. The business portion has narrow streets which make it appear rather insignificant. In fact almost everywhere one goes, even in the villages, this rigid economy of space is noticeable. Most of the Inverness buildings are constructed of a stone having a slightly pinkish tinge and this has led to someone terming it the "rose-red town," which sounds very charming. But either an active and willing imagination or coleur de rose glasses or a night out in company with the na--tive usquebaugh are needed to make] <ine see Inverness rose red, I

Culloden. The principal attraction jn the vicinity is Culloden Moor, wihere Prince Charlie was finally defeated in 1746 — the scene of the last battle on British soil. A pleasant drive of some six miles brings us to the moor, the aspect of which has, however, been considerably changed ;since the fateful day much of what was then bare moor being now forest plantations. The house of Forbes of Culloden, where Prince Charlie slept the night before the battle, is pointed! out.' The number of houses Prince Charlie slept in the nights before battles, or took refuge in when a fugitive, is only rivalled by the number of houses Sir Walter Scott stayed in on some pretext on other or the number of pulpits John Knox was in the habit of preaching from. They are encountered all along the line. The Cumberland Stone from which the Duke directed operations is pointed out and at the same moment the eye lights on something modern in the nature of the handsome Nairn railway viaduct. Next an old cottage is inspected. It was there at the time of the battle and was struck by a cannon-ball. In it there resides a Mrs Macdonald, granddaughter of one of the clansmen who was killed. She is a very old lady but one Australian visitor made us blush for the colonies by asking if she was present at the battle! The Royalists' graves are situated rather out of the way but a cairn is erected to the gallant clansmen who fell while fighting "for Scotland' r and" Prince Charles. There are also plain stones inscribed with the names of the clans. The inscription on the cairn would seem to indicate a rebellious spirit and in some countries would not be tolerated, but here Time has long since healed the old animosities, and though the Mackintoshes are the most numerous company among the Culloden dead yet The Mackintosh, who is still the big man in these parts, last week entertained King George at a shooting party of quite another complexion to the one of 1746, at his residence at Moy Hall, not very far away. On the return journey we pass other places having more or less authentic associations with the battle and have a splendid view of the Beaulay and Moray Firths. The growth of various cereal and root crops seems to indicate an equable and temperate climate. We also saw five varieties of begonias used in private gardens as bedding plants and making a gorgeous show and were told that further north, in Sutherlandshire, many plants that would not grow in the South of Scotland throve amazingly.