Last Expedition.

Wednesday, October 16, 1861.

To our great satisfaction it was a most beautiful morning. Not a cloud was on the bright blue sky, and it was perfectly calm. There had been a sharp frost which lay on parts of the grass, and the mountains were beautifully lit up, with those very blue shades upon them, like the bloom on a plum. Up early, and breakfasted with Alice, Louis, and Lenchen, in our room. At twenty minutes to nine o’clock we started, with Alice, Lenchen, and Louis. The morning was beyond everything splendid, and the country in such beauty, though the poor trees are nearly leafless.

NearCastleton, and indeed all along the road, in the shade, the frost still lay, and the air was very sharp. We took post-horses atCastleton, and proceeded upGlen ClunietoGlen Callater, which looked lovely, and which Albert admired much. In a little more than two hours we were atLoch Callater—the road was very bad indeed as we approached the loch, where our ponies were waiting for us. After walking a few paces we remounted them, I on my good “Fyvie,” and Alice on “Inchrory.”

The day was glorious—and the whole expedition delightful, and very easily performed. We ascendedLittle Cairn Turc, on the north side ofLoch Callater,up a sort of footpath very easy and even, upon ground that was almost flat, rising very gradually, but imperceptibly; and the view became wonderfully extensive. The top ofCairn Turcis quite flat—with moss and grass—so that you could drive upon it. It is very high, for you see the high table-land behind the highest point ofLoch-na-Gar. On that side you have no view; but from the other it is wonderfully extensive. It was so clear and bright, and so still there, reminding us of the day onBen Muich Dhuilast year.

There rose immediately behind usBen Muich Dhui, which you hardly ever see, and the shape of which is not fine, with its surrounding mountains ofCairngorm,Brae Riach,Ben AvonorA’an,Ben-na-Bhourd, &c. We sawBen-y-Ghloquite clearly, and all that range of hills; then, further west,Shichallion, nearLoch Tay; the mountains which are near theBlack Mount; and, quite on the horizon, we could discernBen Nevis, which is aboveFort William.

Going upCairn Turcwe looked down uponLoch Canter, a small loch aboveLoch Callater, very wild and dark. We proceeded toCairn Glaishie, at the extreme point of which a cairn has been erected. We got off to take a look at the wonderful panorama which lay stretched out before us. We looked onFifeshire, and the country betweenPerthandStirling, theLomond Hills, &c. It was beautifully clear, and really it was most interesting to look over such an immense extent of theHighlands. I give a very poor description of it; but here follows a rough account of the places we saw:—

To the North—Ben Muich Dhui,Brae Riach,Cairngorm,Ben Avon,Ben-na-Bhourd.

To the East—Loch-na-Gar, &c.

To the South-West—Ben-y-GhloorBen-y-Gloe, and thesurrounding hills beyondShichallion, and the mountains betweenDunkeldand theBlack Mount.

Quite in the extreme West—Ben Nevis.

To the South—theLomond Hills;Perthin the middle distance.

Luncheon out on the moorLUNCHEON AT CAIRN LOCHAN.After a Drawing by Carl Haag.

LUNCHEON AT CAIRN LOCHAN.

After a Drawing by Carl Haag.

We walked on a little way, and then I got upon my pony. Another half hour’s riding again over such singular flat table-land, brought us on to the edge of the valley ofCairn Lochan, which is indeed “a bonnie place.” It reminded me and Louis ofClova; only there one did not see the immense extent of mountains behind.Cairn Lochanis a narrow valley, the riverIslawinding through it like a silver ribbon, with trees at the bottom. The hills are green and steep, but towards the head of the valley there are fine precipices. We had then to take a somewhat circuitous route in order to avoid some bogs, and to come to a spot where we looked right up the valley for an immense distance; to the left, or rather more to the south, wasGlen Isla, another glen, but wider, and not with the same high mountains asCairn Lochan. BeyondGlen Islawere seen theLomond HillsbehindKinross, at the foot of which isLoch Leven.

We sat on a very precipitous place, which made one dread any one’s moving backwards; and here, at a little before two o’clock, we lunched. The lights were charmingly soft, and, as I said before, like the bloom on a plum. The luncheon was very acceptable, for the air was extremely keen, and we found ice thicker than a shilling on the top ofCairn Turc, which did not melt when Brown took it and kept it in his hand.

Helena was so delighted, for this wasthe only really greatexpedition in which she had accompanied us.

Duncan and the keeper atLoch Callater(R. Stewart) went with us as guides.

I made some hasty sketches; and then Albert wrote on a bit of paper that we had lunched here, put it into the Selters-water bottle, and buried it there, or rather stuck it into the ground. Grant had done the same when we visitedBen Muich Dhuithe first time. This over, we walked part of the way back which we had ridden to avoid the bogs,—we ladies walking only a short way, and then riding. We altered our course, and leftCairn Glaishieto our right, and went in the direction of theCairn Wall. Looking back on the distant hills aboveGlen IslaandCairn Lochan(Lord Airlie’s “Country”), it was even more beautiful; for, as the day advanced, the mountains became clearer and clearer, of a lovely blue, while the valleys were in shadow.Shichallion, and those further ranges, were also most perfectly to be seen, and gave me such a longing for further Highland expeditions! We went overGarbchory, looking down on the road to theSpittal; and on the lower mountains, which are most curiously connected one with another, and which, from the height we were, we could look down upon.

Here follows the account of our route, with all the names as written down by Duncan. I cannot “mind” the names, as they say here.

FromBalmoralto—

Loch Callater, four miles,LeftLoch Callaterat 11 o’clock,A.M.,Little Cairn Turc,Big Cairn Turc,Loch Canter,Cairn Glaishie,Cairn Lochan,Ca-Ness, six miles.

Returning route:—

Cairn Lochan,Cairn Glashie,Garb Chory,Month Eigie Road,Glass Meall,Fian Chory,Aron Ghey,Shean Spittal Bridge, 4.30P.M.,Shean Spittal BridgetoBalmoral, 16 miles.

This gave one a very good idea of the geography of the country, which delighted dear Albert, as this expedition was quite in a different direction from any that we had ever made before. But my head is so very ungeographical, that I cannot describe it. We came down by theMonth Eigie, a steep hill covered with grass—down part of which I rode, walking where it was steepest; but it was so wet and slippery that I had two falls. We got down to the road to theSpittal Bridge, about 15 miles fromCastleton, at nearly half-past four, and then down along the new road, at least that part of it which is finished, and which is to extend to theCairn Wall. We went back on our side of the river; and if we had been a little earlier, Albert might have got a stag—but it was too late. The moon rose and shone most beautifully, and we returned at twenty minutes to seven o’clock, much pleased and interested with this delightful expedition. Alas! I fear ourlastgreat one!

(It was our last one!—1867.)

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