ear
Blair--no pleasant prognostic of what might be our accommodation at the
inn, where we arrived between ten and eleven o'clock, and found the house
in an uproar; but we were civilly treated, and were glad, after eating a
morsel of cold beef, to retire to rest, and I fell asleep in spite of the
noisy drunkards below stairs, who had outstayed the fair.

* * * * *

_Wednesday_, _September_ 7_th_.--Rose early, and went before breakfast to
the Duke of Athol's gardens and pleasure-grounds, where we completely
tired ourselves with a three-hours' walk. Having been directed to see
all the waterfalls, we submitted ourselves to the gardener, who dragged
us from place to place, calling our attention to, it might be,
half-a-dozen--I cannot say how many--dripping streams, very pretty in
themselves, if we had had the pleasure of discovering them; but they were
generally robbed of their grace by the obtrusive ornaments which were
first seen. The whole neighbourhood, a great country, seems to belong to
the Duke of Athol. In his domain are hills and mountains, glens and
spacious plains, rivers and innumerable torrents; but near Blair are no
old woods, and the plantations, except those at a little distance from
the house, appear inconsiderable, being lost to the eye in so extensive a
circuit.

The castle stands on low ground, and far from the Garry, commanding a
prospect all round of distant mountains, a bare and cold scene, and, from
the irregularity and width of it, not so grand as one should expect,
knowing the great height of some of the mountains. Within the Duke's
park are three glens, the glen of the river Tilt and two others, which,
if they had been planted more judiciously, would have been very sweet
retirements; but they are choked up, the whole hollow of the glens--I do
not speak of the Tilt, for that is rich in natural wood--being closely
planted with trees, and those chiefly firs; but many of the old fir-trees
are, as single trees, very fine. On each side of the glen is an ell-wide
gravel walk, which the gardener told us was swept once a week. It is
conducted at the top of the banks, on each side, at nearly equal height,
and equal distance from the stream; they lead you up one of these paths,
and down the other--very wearisome, as you will believe--mile after mile!
We went into the garden, where there was plenty of fruit--gooseberries,
hanging as thick as possible upon the trees, read