A VISIT TO SCOTLAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15033, 5 January 1911, Page 8

A VISIT TO SCOTLAND

By Dr Gordon Macdonald.

DINGWALL AND STRATHPEFFER.

Dingwall is the county town of Bossshire, and stands at the head of the OromaTliy Firth. It i« a very ancient burgh, and is proud of its history. On a hill immediately behind the town stands the lino castellated stone tower recently erected to the memory of General Sir Hector Macdonald. A winding stone stair inside tho tower 'loads to the top, and from this vaintage ground there is obtained an excellent view of the surrounding country, and more especially of tho Ccitnon district, in which the distinguished General was born. An old lady is tho custodian of the tower, and she sells souvenirs and relates with evident gusto tho many incidents in the lifo of the great soldier. A visitors' book records the names of all visitors, and, glancing over its pages, we noticed names from almost all corners of the earth. Amongst them havo been many New Zealanders, including some from Duncdin, who hayo worshipped at the shrine. Strathpeffer is some four miles inland from Dingwall, and thrives upon the product of two or three small mineral weJk. Those wells support a permanent population of about 400 souls and several thousand of a floating population during the summer months. The -waters resemble those of Wairongoa and Hanmer, and are quite cold. The wells are the property of an enterprising company, which returns excellent dividends to its shareholders. At present the Highland Railway Company is erecting a large hotel containing over 100 bedrooms. Indeed, Strathpeffer is nothing more than a mass of handsome hotels and lodging-houses. It is a wonderful example of the virtues of push and advertisement. The Strathpoffer wators are cold, but they heat them, boil them, spray them, medicate them and compound them as the occasion requires. They oven turn the local peat to excellent account, for they give hot peat baths just similar to our hot mud baths. The visitors arc compelled to drink tho waters in measured quantities, to sip it according to rule, to eat and drink also according to rule. One arrives a cranky, rkkity, wrinkled, worthless mass of humanity, and in the course of three weeks to a month that individual is rejuvenated, and departs from Strathpeffer a sprightly youth. They rub you, thump you, spray you, douche you, exercise you, feed you, freeze you, electrify you, turn you outside in and iinsido out until you 'begin to wonder if any part of tho original man will be left behind. This process goes on year in and year out. The number of visitors steadily increases, and tho amount of tho dividends steadily mounts upwards, with Strathpeffer flourishing at an amazing degree. Doubtless much good results to the general health of visitors. Tho prices for the baths are somewhat royal, and vary from the humble shilling for a plain water bath to ten shilling for tho moro expensive ones,

DUNROBIN CASTLE. Dunrobin Castle is aio great distance from Slcibo Castle, Mid whilst in the district we paid Dutirobin a passing visit. Dunrobin, of course, is the seat of the Duke of Sutherland, who is the Ingest land owner in the British Isles. We have been frequently asked which is tho hotter of the two, Dunxobin or Skibo Castle. The answer is, they both arc grand, and each has its peculiarities. Tho common people around say that Skibo is far ahead of Dumrobin. Perhaps so, but most of us would bo perfectly content to own either of them. The thing that interested us most in our visit to Dunrobin was the inuseiim, which contains priceless relics found in the County of Sutuertaad. We were accompanied round the museum by Rev. Doctor Joass, of Golspie, who introduced us to the Stone Age in, Sutherland. Here also we saw a clay medel of tho ruined Pictish towers so common all over the north of Scotland. Those drystone towers rose to a height of 70ft. with walk 15ft thick. Inside this wall runs a cirouiur stair from tap to bottonr with ledges all around it for people or things to stand , upon. The space in the basement measured 30ft, with a well and dungeon placed close to the doorway. There was only one small entrance to the building, measuring 2ft by 4ft, or 2ft by 6ft. the top of tho tower being alwaye open. Those were the towers of refuse 'of our early ancestors, and from them came the relics of the Stono ago now seen in the Dunrobin Museum. There is an excellent ■but ruinous structure of this character stil! standing in the private grounds of Ac castio, so that anyone interested can witness the strongholds of 2000 years ago, DUNFERMLINE. Dunfermiine is a town of 30,000 inhabitants, situated close to the northern shews of the Firth of Forth. It is famous for two things: Firstly, for its ancient abbey, which contains the remains of Robert tho Bruce, and secondly, for its being the birthplace of Mr Andrew Cairnegie. In tho übboy grounds stand tho rains of an ancient palace, or, perhaps, it would bo more correct to say that the abbey stands within the palace gardens. The palace, however, is in ruins, but the abbey, which was also ruined, is now restored, and is a most venerable and interesting pile. Historically, this piece of ground is practically as interesting as auv spot in Scotland. In tho mined Chapel of St. Margaret's is the tomb of Malcolm Canmore and 1 Queen Margaret. When tho Abbey was boing restored in 1820, the restorers came upon the coffin of Eobert the Bruce. The body was enclosed in an oaken coffin and covered with cloth of gold. A piece of the coffin and of tho cloth of gold are now to be seem in an adjoining museum within tho Abbej' precints. The remains weno exhumed, and tho coffin, it is said, filled with pitch, and the whole rcinterred beneath the centre tower of thy restored building. Over tnis spot there now stands tho pulpit, wdiiisi

a 'massive brass slab, engraved with the ligurc of the indomitable warrior, marks the burial spot. The Abbey is also the burying-placo of sonic others of tho Scottish Kings, together with many chiefs and nobles. The pile is now in excellent order, and is seated for some 1500 worshippers, whilst it is used for worship by tho Established Church of Scotland. Like all the ancient piles in this country, Dunfermline Abbey is the property of tho Crown , , but the State of late has handed over the custody of tho Abbey and its grounds to the Carnegie Trust, which has lavished no end of money m>oll restoring and preserving this most interesting spot. Mr Carnegie was born in a wee thaekit biggin' in Mooclie street, ami the bed in the wa' up in tho garret, in which the great man was born, is still preserved. Carnegie has done much for his native place, and' no doubt will do a great deal more. He has given it a, public library, public baths, technical schools, museums, open squares, publio jwrks, and many other favours. Indeed, he has transformed Dunfermline, so that mow probably as many visitors from all ever tho world call at Dunfermline, as at Edinburgh, Ayr, Melrosc, Abbotsford, or Dumfries. Dunfermline was for ages unheard of, and neglected. Now all is changed as by the hand of a magician, and that magician has come in the presence of one of her own sons. Of all wo saw of Mr Carnegie's favours to Dunfermlino, the Pittencricff Glen Public Park took our fancy most. Here is a magnificent public park some 50 acres in extent right in the heart of the town, and in continuation of the Palace and Abbey Gardens. Tho park was for ages the private property of a powerful Scottish family before it was purchased by Mr Carnegie. It contains some of tho finest trees wo, have seen in any part of Scotland;. Through the centre of it runs tho Pittencrieff burn, a. clear bubbling stream that is now the home of several varieties of trout, Many thousands of pounds have boon spent, in forming rockeries, caves, grottos, waterfalls, band stands, lavatories, museums, plant nurseries, aviaries, zoos, and a host of other sources of amusement and instruction inside the

park, with the result that no town in Scotland can boast anything approaching the convenience, the 'beauty, the instructive, and interesting relics comprised with tin's classic spot. Near the centre- of it is the Malcolm Ceanmoro tower or cairn, and here it is mirmised will bo the restingplace of the great, philanthropist himself. SCONE. Amongst other (juaint places we visited was the little village of Scone, on the eastern outskirts of Perth. This is a sleepy little village, consisting of ono street and some two hundred inhabitants. Once it was a'_royal seat, from which patriarchal government and primitive justice eman-

ated. The citizens in those days appeared in their goatskins and their weapons of stone and wood. Tho streets were unformed, the houses sod, and the language that of tho Edoir of old. To-day electric trams rush hither and thither, and the houses aro substantial stono ones. The people are elad in the gayest of colours, and tho tonguo is that of the worloVwido empire. Tho names upon tho few shop doors are peculiar. Two or three of them

we noticed to be distinctly of French origin. Several were of English derivation, several were Seoto-Saxon, and thero was oidy a very small remnant of the ancient, Piefe and Scots. The palace ruins are still to bo seen, but no Royal horn awakes the echoes in a primeval forest and no Royal foot treads tho silent halls. ST. KILDA. St. Kilda is a small and lonely isle lying some 50 miles out in the .Atlantic, westwards of Harris. It belongs to Maclcod, of Maclood, but cannot possibly be of much value to him. Some 60 or 70 souis occupy this island, and they live by crofting, fishing, birding, and relic or souvenir selling. Tho latter is a thriving business in many parts of Scotland, and the St. Kildara ai'o real experts at the game. They sell picturepostcards, socks, cravats, woollen shirts, woollen gloves, preserved sheepskins and dogskin.>, eggs, skins of birds, etc., etc. They loo'< a. sturdy, healthy race, but their mental calibre—it is said owing to intermarriages—is not of a brilliant character. Tliey live in one continuous village street along the sea. shore, and their crofts are small patches scattered over the island just for all tho world like a patched bedquilt. One

wonders how they choose to iivn in this wind-swept, desolate, lonely isle, but they say Mint there is no spot on earth so lovely as St. Kilda, ami that the rest of the worid m foreign lands to them. TOURIST RESORTS. Tourist resorts are great institutions in this country. Many districts live upon their reputation, and that reputation in many instances is very slendor. There are seaside resorts, mountain resorts,-island resort, historic resorts, and many other resorts. Of all of them tho historic resort is the most interesting to the average visitor, and Edinburgh reaps a rich reward evory year from its ancient history. Her year 'generally runs for tho 12 months of the calendar, whilst Oban springs into life late in the month of May and withers early in September. The authorities in all those places do more or less to encourage tho trade, and the more they do the more the tourist trade flourishes. This is a lesson to us in Dunedin, for we have the making of an excel-

lent tourist resort. Wo have large parks, fine drives, beautiful hills, deep valleys, a land-locked sea, magnificent sands, a romantic city, and a dash of ancient history. In short, we have the materials which go towards the making of an attractive city, and we may fairly ask ouiselves the question, " Are we doing all we oiijht to do to fester the tourist tralfic in Dunedin?" By-the-way, it is becoming the fashion here and elsewhere for the community to send a

party of their citizens on tour to see how things are done in other places, and thus learn from each other. What would Dunedin say to sending a party, not necessarily city fathers, but any accredited citizens, lo see other towns and lands with a view 10 learning something and infusing or improving upon it in Duntdin? THE AULD BRIG. The Auld Brfe was reopened for traffic on July 29. We had an invitation from Provost Hunter to attend the ceremony. Lord Rosebery was the speaker of the occasion. He was'eloquent and interesting, but all agreed that he did not excel himself. Great crowds of the Burns cult and general public attended to do ho'nour to the occasion. Ayr was en fete, and everything passed off splendidly. The " Brig 1' is much as it was, only higher, and now Jt has the

chance of standing for some hundreds of years No one, however, know? what is in the whirligig of time, for Ayr and its harbour promises to extend, and if eo tho "Twa Brigs" lire doomed. t