A TRIP TO SCOTLAND.

Mataura Ensign, 2 November 1911, Page 9

A TRIP TO SCOTLAND.

TO AND FROM INVERNESS. t t .A COLONIAL'S IMPRESSIONS. * '- c THE HIGHLAND SHOW. c No. IV. c 6f course one could not let the op--.portunity of seeing a Highland Society's { 'show pass without taking advantage ot it. The show is peripatetic and Inverness' turn comes about once in every ten years, involving a tremendous { amount of preparation. There is a ground, but the "fixings," even to the fencing, have to be constructed, and very elaborate they appear to the rough { and ready methods of the colonial show. f Practically everything is housed and I do not think I should be exaggerating inputting the length of the horse sheds ' alone at half a mile. They are complete- r ly dosed and roofed in, room being left ' to walk past the stalls and looseboxes f and inspect the exhibits—practically it i means the construction of a gigantic stable. Then there are great ranges of j covered sheep, pig and cattle pens, j which must have cost a mint of money, ( and great provision is also made for the i •public, who for an extra consideration may view the judging and jumping and . parades of prize stock. The admission ranges from 5s on the first day to Is on the fourth, with varying extra charges for the grandstand accommodation. The J attendance right through is enormous, as support is forthcoming from ] breeders in all quarters of England and . Scotland, the Highland Society's award being the casket of excellence, what : with entry fees, admissions, and the sale of space to the farmers' friends for their extensive exhibits, no doubt the .: huge revenue that is necessary to provide for the extraordinary expenditure that this travelling exhibition entails is more than secured. We were fortunate in seeing the most magnificent display of Clydesdales that the world produces. A wonderful range of hunters, some 60 splendid specimens of the Highland pony (the breeding of which is being much encouraged just now), and a great jumping competition. The course for the last-named consisted of plain and brushed hurdles, brushed double, "stone" wall, consisting of courses of .loose blocks of wood topped by turves, " and a masked water jump—plenty of variety and calculated to find out all but the perfectly-schooled horses and competent riders. Yet it was wonderful how close the competition was, and after the duffers had been weeded out those in the first flight had to try, try, try again before the judges could place them. Black-faced sheep are greatly favored and there was a splendid array of Suffolks. Oxford and Shropshire Downs were well represented and there were also large and excellent classes of Border Leicesters and Cheviots, but several of our most favored breeds were entirely absent. In cattle Shorthorn, Ayrshire, Aberdeen Angus, Galloway and Highland were the breeds represented, the last-named predominating, as seemed right and proper at a show of.#she name. There was a very fine range of machinery in motion and at rest, and numerous stands for exhibiting other farmers' requisites in the shape of manures, seeds, etc., and we noticed that as usual Canada was to the fore with an attractive exhibit and Rhodesia, was also endeavoring to "push its barrow." A very interesting department was that devoted to forestry and its products. Some splendid timber in the rough and polished was shown, also gates, hurdles, etc., and a wealth of information, patiently accumulated, was at the service of the would-be planter. There was an array of photos of different plantations", with particulars of the / time they had been planted, their produce in thinnings and their present estimated value. This ranged from £2O to £3O per acre for timber from 20 to 30 years old, to no less than £2OO per acre and more for plantations some 90 years of age. Altogether the show was interesting and instructive in the highest degree, and would have well repaid a more extended inspection than our time permitted.

Southward Bound. Next day found us making an early start for the South, via the Highland ...railway. This picturesque line runs through much country that is given up to the grouse and the deer. The latter, instead of waxing and growing fat on the natural feed, as is the case with us, has to be provided with "tucker" in the bare months, and often becomes so tame that his stalking is doubtful sport. Notable features on the route to Perth are the wooded district of Blair Athol, where is situated the principal seat of the Duke of the same name, the Pass of Killiecrankie, where William TJl.'s troops were defeated by Viscount JjjEundee (Claverhouse) in 1689, the rebel 'wader falling ioi the hour of victory. Dunkeld, with its cathedral and ancient associations, is also a great attraction, but it did not suit our plans to stay. Shortly after Perth comes into view, but has few attractions for the casual visitor, and we make the first possible connection for Stirling, of whose pic- ( turesque and venerable castle we had a passing glimpse on our way to the Trossacks. Stirling Castle. Stirling is a wonderfully interesting old town, extremely rich in historical as sociations. Its castle, like that of Edinburgh, is perched on a rocky eminence and commands extensive and beautiful views of the rich farming country in the vicinity, of Ben Lomond and other peaks to the West, the Ochits to the North and East the Bridge of Allan near at hand (to which a venerable "horse tram runs past the Abbey Craig and the imposing Wallace Monument), Cambuskenneth Abbey, and, to the South, the Field of Bannockburn. Our guide pointed out the localities of eight 'battlefields, the most famous being those of Stirling, where Wallace defeated the English in 1297, and BannockTrarn aforesaid, where Bruce with 20,000 Scots prevailed against 80,000 English in 1314. The Scotsmen hereabouts make these ancient episodes outstanding features in their conversation, and William and Robert loom large in the public eye. « Stirling Castle used to be a favorite residence of the Kings of Scotland in the days when little was demanded in the direction of, home comforts. It stood several sieges, was the birthplace of James 11. and James V., and the room % Which the former monarch stabbed

the rebellious Earl of Douglas—life was strenuous in those days—is one of the chief attractions to visitors, who (with the commendable attention tc detail that is always displayed in connection with these old-tisne tragedies) are invited to inspect and buy picture postcards of the aperture through which the carcase was thrown into the yard. There are many queer old carvings and other embellishments in which the antiquarian has delight. Other Lions.

Just alongside is' the Martyrs' Monument is the shape of a pyramid, erected by WJlliam Drummond, to whose benefactions Stirling owes much. The grave of another famous Drummond (Professor Henry) is marked by a beautiful Celtic cross in the adfoining cemetery and is the chief object of many visits to the tastefully kept grounds, where also are to be seen among many notable monuments a series of statues of Knox and other reformers and a beautiful statuary group recording the martyrdom of a girl who preferred that the tide should overwhelm her rather than abrogate her faith. In the cathedral alongside there is of course a pulpit from which John Knox often preached (you lose count of these pulpits after a time), and here he crowned James VI., who afterwards became James I. of England and had to suffer another Coronation in consequence. The building, which is of great length, is divided and services are held simultaneously in both churches. Apart from the many historical happenings with which it has been associated the cathedral i* worth inspection for its modern stained glass, somo of the Burne-Jones windows of Biitish workmanship being singularly beautiful and quite eclipsing in depth and richness of coloring the glass from Munich in the same building. There are other hoary old structures in the vicinity of the narrow cobble-paved streets leading down to the more modern parts of the town are also ancient in appearance and odor. In this more modern portion of the town one sees that the Stirling people of these days are strong on education and art, the numerous churches and public buildings are handsome, and there are many beautiful homes, while the richness of the surrounding country spells prosperity to the traders. We found time for a run out to Bannockburn, but there is not much to be seen—l3l4 is a long time ago, and the land comprising the famous battlefield is now thriftily devoted to the culture of the national cereal—oats, only enough space bemg reserved for a flagpole and shelter-shed. On the former was hung a wreath to the memory of The Bruce with an inscription expressing appreciation of the manner in which he had dealt with the aggressive and. overbearing English, which seemed rather unkind at this time ot day. Back to London.

We left Stirling with a sheaf of pleasant recollections and were soon speeding our way south, stopping again at Edinburgh; thence on to Durham where a halt was made for a couple of hours to see the Cathedral. Two days passed! quickly at York, where the old wall Irnd other relics of the period of the Romans are intensely interesting. The famous Minster, the ancient Guildhall, the wealth of treasures in the Philosophical Society's gardens and the quaint old streets make up a great sightseeing programme. A visit that no one who is near these parts should miss is that to Ripon and Fountains Abbey. Ripon has a Cathedral which, like most of these buildings, seems several sizes too large for the town, and a "wakeman," who in a cocked hat and knee-breeches, etc., blows a horn in front of the Town Hall each evening at 9 o'clock, besides undertaking the duties of bellman and so on. They do funny old things like these in all parts of England from generation to generation, and silly as many of them are they have an undeniable charm nevertheless. Fountains Abbey, some three or four miles out, is extremely beautiful both in the ruins themselves (which are the most extensive of the kind in England) and in their setting in the midst of grand old woods at the end of a series of formal lakes which the patient Cistercian monks (the community numbered 1000) constructed out of an unlovely marsh. Our next stop was at Peterborough, where another great Cathedral claimed admiration, especially in respect of its beautiful pavements and wonderful carvings. This brought our northern trip to a close. There were several Scottish districts we should have liked to see but though incomplete the visit gave us a good idea of a fair part of "Caledonia, stern and wild," and provided a series of experiences which will be marked with white stones while memory lasts.

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