iendes MacGregors. He wes convoyit to Berwick be the gaird,
conform to the Earle's promes; for he promesit to put him out of Scottis
grund: Sua, he keipit an Hielandman's promes, in respect he sent the
gaird to convoy him out of Scottis grund; bot yai wer not directit to
pairt wt: him, bot to fetche him bak againe. The 18 of Januar, he came
at evin againe to Edinburghe; and upone the 20 day, he was hangit at the
crosse, and ij of his freindes and name, upon ane gallows: himself
being chieff, he was hangit his awin hight above the rest of hes
freindis."--BIRRELL'S DIARY, (IN DALZELL'S FRAGMENTS OF SCOTTISH
HISTORY),pp.60,61.

NOTES TO THE HIGHLAND WIDOW.

Note 7.--LOCH AWE.

"Loch Awe, upon the banks of which the scene of action took place, is
thirty-four miles in length. The north side is bounded by wide muirs and
inconsiderable hills, which occupy an extent of country from twelve to
twenty miles in breadth, and the whole of this space is enclosed as
by circumvallation. Upon the north it is barred by Loch Eitive, on the
south by Loch Awe, and on the east by the dreadful pass of Brandir,
through which an arm of the latter lake opens, at about four miles from
its eastern extremity, and discharges the river Awe into the former.
The pass is about three miles in length; its east side is bounded by the
almost inaccessible steeps which form the base of the vast and
rugged mountain of Cruachan. The crags rise in some places almost
perpendicularly from the water, and for their chief extent show no space
nor level at their feet, but a rough and narrow edge of stony beach.
Upon the whole of these cliffs grows a thick and interwoven wood of
all kinds of trees, both timber, dwarf, and coppice; no track existed
through the wilderness, but a winding path, which sometimes crept along
the precipitous height, and sometimes descended in a straight pass along
the margin of the water. Near the extremity of the defile, a narrow
level opened between the water and the crag; but a great part of this,
as well as of the preceding steeps, was formerly enveloped in a thicket,
which showed little facility to the feet of any but the martens and wild
cats. Along the west side of the pass lies a wall of sheer and barren
crags. From behind they rise in rough, uneven, and heathy declivities,
out of the wide muir before mentioned, between Loch Eitive and Loch Awe;
but in front they terminate abruptly in the most frightful precipices,
which form the