es VI. of Scotland, whose
cup-bearer he was, and whose life he saved.]

[Footnote 79: Afterwards George, sixth Duke of Atholl
(1814-1864).]

[Footnote 80: John, second Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T.
(1796-1862).]

[Pageheading: DRUMMOND CASTLE]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Melbourne._

TAYMOUTH, _10th September 1842._

It has been long the Queen's intention to write to Lord Melbourne, but
we have seen and done so much, it has been impossible. Everything
has gone off so well at Edinburgh, Perth, and elsewhere. This is a
princely and most beautiful place, and we have been entertained by
Lord Breadalbane in a magnificent way. The Highland Volunteers, two
hundred in number (without the officers), keeping guard, are encamped
in the park; the whole place was twice splendidly illuminated, and the
sport he gave the Prince out shooting was on the largest scale.

The Highlands and the mountains are too beautiful, and we _must_ come
back for longer another time. The Queen will finish this letter at
Drummond Castle,[81] as we leave this in half an hour.

_Drummond Castle, 11th._--We arrived here yesterday evening at seven,
having had a most beautiful journey. We went with Lord Breadalbane
up the Loch Tay (by water) to Ochmore[82] (I don't know _how_ it is
written), a cottage belonging to Lord Breadalbane, close to Killin.
The morning was very fine, and the view indescribably beautiful; the
mountains so high, and so wooded close to Killin. It is impossible to
say how kind and attentive Lord Breadalbane and poor Lady Breadalbane
(who is so wretchedly delicate) were to us. We were so sorry to
go away, and might perhaps have managed to stay two days longer at
Taymouth, were we not fearful of delaying our sea voyage back too
much. However, we mean to visit him for longer another time; the
Highlands are so beautiful, and so new to _me_, that we are most
anxious to return there again.

The journey from Killin to Comrie was _most_ beautiful, and through
such wild scenery--Glen Ogle, which of course Lord Melbourne
knows--and then along Loch Ern. This house is quite a cottage, but
the situation is fine, and the garden very beautiful. We leave this
on Tuesday for Dalkeith[83] where we sleep, and re-embark the next day
for _England_. We greatly admire the extreme beauty of Edinburgh; the
situation as well as the town is most striking; and the Prince, who
has seen so much, says it is the finest town he ever