mansion something like that of Inverary, close to the old house,
which was yet standing; the situation, as we thought, very bad,
considering that Lord Breadalbane had the command of all the ground at
the foot of the lake, including hills both high and low. It is in a
hollow, without prospect either of the lake or river, or anything
else--seeing nothing, and adorning nothing. After breakfast, left
Kenmore, and travelled through the vale of Tay, I believe fifteen or
sixteen miles; but in the course of this we turned out of our way to the
Falls of Moness, a stream tributary to the Tay, which passes through a
narrow glen with very steep banks. A path like a woodman's track has
been carried through the glen, which, though the private property of a
gentleman, has not been taken out of the hands of Nature, but merely
rendered accessible by this path, which ends at the waterfalls. They
tumble from a great height, and are indeed very beautiful falls, and we
could have sate with pleasure the whole morning beside the cool basin in
which the waters rest, surrounded by high rocks and overhanging trees.
In one of the most retired parts of the dell, we met a young man coming
slowly along the path, intent upon a book which he was reading: he did
not seem to be of the rank of a gentleman, though above that of a
peasant.

Passed through the village of Aberfeldy, at the foot of the glen of
Moness. The birks of Aberfeldy are spoken of in some of the Scotch
songs, which no doubt grew in the stream of Moness; but near the village
we did not see any trees that were remarkable, except a row of laburnums,
growing as a common field hedge; their leaves were of a golden colour,
and as lively as the yellow blossoms could have been in the spring.
Afterwards we saw many laburnums in the woods, which we were told had
been 'planted;' though I remember that Withering speaks of the laburnum
as one of the British plants, and growing in Scotland. The twigs and
branches being stiff, were not so graceful as those of our garden
laburnums, but I do not think I ever before saw any that were of so
brilliant colours in their autumnal decay. In our way to and from Moness
we crossed the Tay by a bridge of ambitious and ugly architecture. Many
of the bridges in Scotland are so, having eye-holes between the arches,
not in the battlements but at the outspreading of the pillar of the arch,
which destroys its simplicity, and takes from the appearance of strength