as they are made, to enter
the mountains, viz.--

One of them begins from Crief, which is about fourteen miles from
Stirling: here the Romans left off their works, of which some parts are
visible to this day, particularly the camp at Ardoch, where the vestiges
of the fortifications are on a moor so barren, that its whole form has
been safe from culture, or other alteration besides weather and time.

The other road enters the hills at Dimheld,[79] in Athol, which is about
ten miles from Perth.

The first of them, according to my account, though the last in
execution, proceeds through Glenalmond (which, for its narrowness, and
the height of the mountains, I remember to have mentioned formerly), and
thence it goes to Aberfaldy; there it crosses the river Tay by a bridge
of free-stone, consisting of five spacious arches (by the way, this
military bridge is the only passage over that wild and dangerous river),
and from thence the road goes on to Dalnachardoch.

The other road from Dunkeld proceeds by the Blair of Athol to the said
Dalnachardoch.

Here the two roads join in one, and, as a single road, it leads on to
Dalwhinny, where it branches out again into two; of which one proceeds
towards the north-west, through Garva Moor, and over the Coriarach
mountain to Fort Augustus, at Killichumen, and the other branch goes
due-north to the barrack of Ruthven, in Badenoch, and thence, by
Delmagary, to Inverness. From thence it proceeds something to the
southward of the west, across the island, to the aforesaid Fort-Augustus
and so on to Fort-William, in Lochaber.

The length of all these roads put together is about two hundred and
fifty miles....

In the summer seasons, five hundred of the soldiers from the barracks,
and other quarters about the Highlands, were employed in those works in
different stations, by detachments from the regiments and Highland
companies.

The private men were allowed sixpence a day, over and above their pay as
soldiers: a corporal had eight-pence, and a sergeant a shilling; but
this extra pay was only for working-days, which were often interrupted
by violent storms of wind and rain, from the heights and hollows of the
mountains.

These parties of men were under the command and direction of proper
officers, who were all subalterns, and received two shillings and
sixpence _per diem_, to defray their extraordinary expence in building
huts; making necessary provision for their tables from distant