2–8 September 1872

A dull but fair morning. Breakfasted with the children before nine o'clock, and at half-past nine I left dear Balmoral in the open landau and four with Beatrice and Leopold, Jane Churchill, Fraulein Bauer, and Lord Granville, and drove to Ballatcr, where Colonel Ponsonby, Sir W. Jenner, and Mr. Collins met us. Besides Brown, who superintends everything for me, Emilie Dittweiler, Annie Mac- donald, Jemmie Morgan, my second piper Willie Leys, Beatrice's, Leopold's, and Lady Churchill's attendants, three footmen and Goddard went with us. We passed into the station at Aberdeen, which was immensely crowded. An address and the keys were presented by Provost Leslie ; then Lord Kintore (who gave me a nosegay and some fruit) and young Lord Aberdeen were presented. The day was becoming fine, and it was excessively hot. From Aberdeen we went by a line totally new to me — past Inverurie, close past the hill of Benachie, and got a good sight of the Buck of Cabrack and the surrounding hills, past Huntly and the ruined Castle of Huntly to Keith, where the Banff Volun- teers were drawn up and there were many people close to the station, but no one on the platform. Here we were delayed by one of the doors, from the bedroom into the little dressing-room, refusing to open. Annie had gone through shortly before we got to Keith, and when she wanted to go back, the door would not open, and nothing could make it open. Brown tried with all his might, and with knives, but in vain, and we had to take in the two railway men with us, hammering and knock- ing away as we went on, till at last they forced it open. We were at Keith at 1.20, and at Elgin at 1.58. The station here was beautifully decorated ; there were several arches adorned with flowers and heather, and a platform with raised seats for many ladies. The Provost and the Duke of Richmond and Lord March were there. The Provost presented an address, and then I spoke to the Duke of Richmond, who told me that dear Uncle Leopold had received the freedom of the city when he was staying in the neighbourhood in 1819. The ruins of the Cathedral are said to be the finest in Scotland, and the town is full of ancient recollections. No British sovereign has ever been so far north. The Provost's daughter presented me with a nosegay. We stopped here about ten minutes. It was broiling hot. The corn and oats looked ripe, and were cut in many places. After this we took our luncheon (cold), and as we were sitting at the small table we suddenly found ourselves passing slowly, without stopping, the station of Forres, near which is the wild " muir" which Shakespeare chose as the scene of Macbeth's meeting with the witches. Nairn lies very prettily on the shore of the Moray Frith. We passed Cnllodcn, and the moor where that bloody battle, the recol- lection of which I cannot bear, was fouoht. The heather beautiful everywhere, and now the scenery became very fine. At half-past three we were at Invei ness, the capital of the Highlands, the position of which is lovely. We stopped here for ten mi- nutes, but outside the station. There was an im- mense crowd, but all very well managed, and no squeeze or crush. There were numbers of seats in galleries rilled with ladies, among whom I re- cognised Mrs. Cluny Macpherson. Cluny Mac- pherson himself was in command of the Volunteers. On the platform to the left (the Volunteers and the galleries with seats were to the right) was the Provost, Dr. Mackenzie, a fine-looking old man in a kilt, with very white hair and a long white beard, who presented an address. Lord Seafield, the Master of Lovat, Mr. Baillie of Dochfour, and his son Mr. Evan Baillie, were all there, and I said a word to each. The Provost's grand-daughter pre- sented a bouquet. There was an immense crowd at the back of the platform. As our train proceeded, the scenery was lovely. Near the ruins of the old Priory of Bcatdy the river of the same name flows into the Beauly Frith* and the frith looks like an enormous lake with hills rising" above it which were reflected on the perfectly still water. The light and colour- ing were rather grey, but had a charming effect. At twenty minutes to four we reached Dingwall, where there were Volunteers, as indeed there were everywhere, and where another address was presented and also flowers. Sir J. Matheson, Lord Lieutenant of the county, was named to me, also the Vice-Lieutenant ; and some young ladies gave Beatrice nosegays. The position of Ding- wall, in a glen with hills rising above it, is ex- tremely pretty, and reminds me of a village in Switzerland. The head of the Cromartie Frith appears here. After this and passing slowly Tain and St. Duthtis (called after the Cathedral there), we thought, as we did not stop, and were not to do so, that we would take our tea and coffee — which kept quite hot in the Norwegian kitchen — when suddenly, before we had finished, we stopped at Bonar Bridge, and the Duke of Suther- land came up to the door. He had been driving the engine (!) all the way from Inverness, but only appeared now on account of this being the boun- dary of his territory, and the commencement of the SiUherland railroad. He expressed the honour it was to him that I was coming to Dunrobin. Lord Ronald L. Gower also came up to the carriage- door. There was a most excited station-master who would not leave the crowd of poor country- people in quiet, but told them to cheer and " cheer a^rain," another "cheer," etc., without ceasing. Here the Dornoch Frith, which first appears at Tain, was left behind, and we entered the glen of the Shin. The railway is at a very high level here, and vou see the Shin winding below with heathery hills on either side and many fine rocks, wild, solitary, and picturesque. The Duchess of Sutherland's own property begins at the end oi this glen. At six we were at Golspie station, where the Duchess of Sutherland received us, and where a detachment of the Sutherland Volunteers, who look very handsome in red jackets and Suther- land tartan kilts, was drawn up. I got into the Duchess's carriage, a barouche with four horses, the Duke riding, as also Lady Florence and their second son Lord Tarbat, and drove through the small town — one long street like Dufftown — which is inhabited chiefly by a fishing population, and was extremely prettily decorated with heather and flowers, and where there were many triumphal arches with Gaelic inscriptions (which I annex) and some very pretty English ones. Everywhere the loyalty and enthusiasm were very great. In about ten minutes we were at Dun- robin Castle. Coming suddenly upon it as one does, or rather driving down to it, it has a very fine imposing appearance with its very high roof and turrets, a mixture of an old Scotch castle and French chateau. Constance Westminster (the Marchioness of Westminster, the Duke's youngest sister) was at the door, and Annie Sutherland's little girl in the hall, which is, as also the staircase, all of stone, with a sort of gallery going round opening into a corridor. But I will describe this and the rooms to-morrow. The Duchess took me to my rooms, which had been purposely arranged and handsomely furnished by the dear late Duke and Duchess for us both, and consist of a sitting-room next to the drawing-room, with a little turret communicating by a small pas- sage with the dressing-room, which opens into the bedroom and another room which is my maid's room, and was intended for dearest Albert's dressing- room. I went to see Beatrice's room, which is close by, down three steps in the same passage. Frau- lein Bauer, and Morgan, her dresser, are near her. Brown lives just opposite in the room intended for Albert's valet. It was formerly the prison. Rested a little while, for I felt very tired. Dined at half-past eight alone in my sitting-room with Beatrice and Leopold, Brown waiting. Shortly afterwards Annie Sutherland came to see us for a little while, and later Jane Churchill. The children went early to bed.

I will now describe my rooms. They are very high ; the bedroom is the largest and very hand- some, with a beautiful bed with white and gold flowers and cloves at each corner (just like one at Clieveden), with light blue furniture, and gold and white round the cornice of the ceiling ; pale blue and white panels ; blue satin spangled with yellow leaves (which look just like gold) on the walls ; and furniture and carpet to match. The dressing-room the same, but pale blue and pink silk fluted, on the walls. The sitting-room pale sea-green satin, with the cyphers of the late Duke and Duchess and their daughters on the ceiling. The furniture of light wood, and the sofas, chairs, tables, etc., remind me greatly of Clieveden and Stafford House. The little boudoir has a small domed ceiling, spangled with golden stars, and the same furniture. There are some pretty pic- tures in the sitting-room and prints in the other rooms. At half-past nine we breakfasted in the sitting-room, and scon after saw the Duchess. At twenty minutes to eleven, I walked out with the Duchess and Beatrice to the steps, of which there are several flights, leading down to the garden, which is very pretty, and where there are fountains, and from here straight on to the sea, which is closer to the house, by half a mile I should say, than at Osborne. We walked along here, and then up and into the pretty byre for Ayrshire cows, and a little farther on to the dairy, a very nice, cool round one. The Duchess told Brown to open the sitting-room, and we found it occupied by a policeman in bed, which we were not at all prepared for, and which caused much amusement. Florence, Jane Churchill, and Fraulein Bauer had joined us here, and shortly after the Duke did so too. We walked back through the kitchen garden, which is very well kept, and the Duke also showed us where he has a quantity of young salmon which are artificially hatched, and also a new apparatus for watering grass. We came home by the steps again. There is plenty of shade, but rather too many trees. The old part of the Castle is as old as the twelfth century. The late Duke enlarged it and added on the towers, and finished the new part in 1849-50. In at a quarter to twelve. A dull muggy day. We lunched as we breakfasted. Afterwards read- ing, etc., and at twenty minutes past four drove out in the wagonette (Bourner* driving, as I had sent my own carriage and ponies) with the Duchess, Constance Westminster, and Jane Churchill. We drove past the monument of the late Duke, which faces the Castle and is outside the gates, close to which is the Duke's private little station, used only by the family ; rather near, for it cannot be above five hundred yards from the house, but it is very well managed, so as to be but little seen. We drove by the four cross- roads, turning to the left through Dunrobin Wood, which is really very pretty, with fine Scotch firs and other trees of all kinds, beech, oak, ash, and birch, above and below the drives, with quantities of lovely pink heather and ferns — some parts of the drive are rather steep — on to Bacchies, then by the Dutch Cottage, on to Benabhraghie Drive, and stopped at the four cross-roads to take our made tea and coffee, the warmth of which sur- prised Constance and Annie very much. We saw some deer. Drove on by the same drive (Ben- abhraghie, the name of the hill on which the old Duke's very colossal statue stands). We stopped a little farther on to look at a fine view of the Castle and village, and to the right the hills which are seen farther inland, and the blue distant hills above the coast of Ross-shire ; then came out at Culmallie Lodge and passed through the village of Golspie with all its pretty decorations, and stopped at two cottages outside, when Annie called out a nice-looking girl who makes beautiful Shetland shawls in the one, and an oldish woman, a charac- ter, who worked me a book-marker and lives in the other (a double cottage under one roof). We drove through the Golspie Burn and dairy park, alone: the grass drive on the seashore below the woods, as far as Stralhstcphen, and looking back had one of the finest views of the Castle, with the hills of Cambusmore rising behind, and, turning up into the Caithness high road, came back to the Castle. Home at half-past six. A dull evening. Tried to sketch a bit of sea-view. At a quarter past ei^ht we had dinner in the dinino--room with the Duke and Annie (between whom I sat), Leo- pold, Constance Westminster, the Granvilles, Jane Churchill, and Ronald. I felt strange — such a dinner in a strange place for the first time with- out my dear one ! Brown waited on me, and did so at all meals, attending on me indoors and out of doors, most efficiently and indefatigably. Then went for a short time into the drawine-room, which is next my sitting-room. Here we were joined by Mrs. Sumner (Miss Kingscote by birth, half-sister to Colonel Kingscote and niece to Lord Bloomfield), a great friend of the Duchess's and who is staying in the house with her husband, who is a great friend of the Duke's ; Constance Pitt, a younger sister of Mary Pitt, and travelling with her uncle and Lady Granville ; Dr. Fayrer (a distinguished physician, who was for two years in India)* Mr. Sumner, and Mr. Edwin Lascelles, brother to Mary. I remained for a few minutes, and then went to my room.

A fine bright morning. Breakfast as yesterday. Directly after it, at a quarter-past ten, walked with Beatrice along the Ladys Walk, as it is called, which commences near the Castle and p-oes for a mile and a half entirely amongst trees, very shady, and overlooking the sea, and with paths leading down to the sea, and seats commanding lovely views of the sea and distant coast. It was very- warm, and the thickness of the adjoining woods made the air feel close. We walked back the same way, and got home at a quarter-past eleven. At twelve there was quite a short service performed by Dr. Cumming in the gallery which runs round the staircase, Dr. Cumming being opposite to us. It was over by a quarter to one. Annie then took me up to her room, which is a very pretty one ; long, but not high, and very light, with a very fine view above all the trees ; very simply furnished. Her dress- ing-room and bedroom equally nice and airy, like those they have at Stafford Hotcse. The Duke's dressing-room is very simply and plainly furnished ; he is wonderfully plain and simple in his tastes. The Duchess took me along the passage to where Florence lives, and to the nursery where we saw little Alix in her bed, and then by a staircase, which belongs to the very old part of the Castle, to the rooms which were the dear late Duke's and Duchess's, though the last time she came here she lived in my rooms. Everywhere prints of ourselves and of people I know. After this came down again. Luncheon as yesterday. At twenty minutes past four walked to the nearest seat in the Ladys Walk, and sketched the view, and about half-past five drove out in the waggonette with Beatrice and Lady Gran- ville. We drove through the Uppat Woods, along the big burn drive, past the Pictish Tower up to Mr. Loch's Memorial, which has the following inscription on it by the late Duchess : — JAMES LOCH, The heather is very rich all round here. We got out and went into it, and there is a very fine view looking up Dunrobin Glen and over the sea, and Birk Head, which is the extreme point of the land which runs into the sea. You also get a very pretty glimpse of the Castle at the end of a path cut through the wood. We drove down again, and before we were out of the lower wood, which is close down upon the sea-shore, we stopped to take our tea and coffee, but were half devoured by midges. We then came out upon the high road, and p-ot into the sea-shore road, about half a mile beyond where we went yesterday, and drove along it and in by the Dairy — home at seven. Resting, writing-. Dined in our sitting-room with our two children and Annie. Afterwards we went into the drawing-room where the ladies and gentlemen were, but 1 only stayed a short time.