8–14 September 1873

Mist on all the hills, and continuous rain ! Most disheartening, but the views from the house beau- tiful, especially from my sitting-room, which has a bow-window, with two small ones on either side, looking towards Ben Nevis (which is close in front of it), and commands a lovely view of Fort Wil- liam (farther to the right), and of Loch Linnhe, etc., a portion of Loch Eil (pronounced Loch Eel) which runs up a long way, nearly twelve miles, with the fine Moidart range, close to Glen Finnan, as a background ; and this, with Banavie and the hotel, close to the Caledonian Canal, is distinctly seen from the other window. This very pretty little room does not open into any other ; next to it is Emilie Dittweiler's, next to that my dressing-room, and Annie's room, all narrow and long, and next again is a really large and also long room, my bedroom, in which I had my own bed, which has been to Switzerland, Invertrossachs, Sandringham, and Baden. Downstairs is the dining-room, a good-sized room (in which the gentlemen dine), also the drawing-room, and a small library, in which we take our meals. No room in the house opens into another. Though some of the bed- rooms are larger than those at Invertrossachs, the servants are not so well off. After breakfast (which, as well as luncheon, Beatrice and I always took alone) at half-past nine, went upstairs again and looked at Brown's room, which is a few steps lower than mine, in fact, only a very small bath- room. Beatrice is just opposite where I am, or rather round the corner. Jane Churchill and the two gentlemen, upstairs, have also good rooms. As the rain did not cease, Beatrice, Jane Churchill, and I walked out in the grounds to the stables, which we looked at, then out at the lodge and as far as the farm, where, however, no beasts were at the time, and on coming home we went through the house and kitchen, servants' hall, etc., and were in at a quarter to one. There were short gleams of sunshine which lit up the splendid scenery, and I sketched from my window looking up to Banavie. Played with Beatrice on the piano. The day seemed better, but again and again the sunshine was succeeded by heavy showers ; still we deter- mined to go out. So at twenty minutes to five we three started in the sociable, Brown on the box, with a pair of horses and a postilion who drove extremely well. We drove past the distillery (be- tween this and Fort William), then turned to the right over the suspension bridge to Banavie, about a mile farther, where there is a good hotel, quite close to the Caledonian Canal, which we crossed by a bridge, and drove through Corpach, a very small village, where the horses made a halt and turned another way, and Brown said nearly put us into a ditch ! but we soon eot all right asfain, having to go on a little way to turn. We went along the upper part of Loch Eil, the sea loch, on which Fort William stands, It is very narrow at first, and then widens out into a lar^e broad loch as you approach the head of it, beyond which is the very fine range of the Moidart Hills, high and very serrated and bold. These are close to Glen Finnan. The road is excellent and not hilly, though it skirts the hills the whole time and is very winding, with much wood, so that you drive a good deal under trees, ash, oak, alder, and the mountain ash which is now laden with red berries. The bright heather, growing in tufts of the richest colour mixed with a great deal of hisrh tall bracken which is beginning to turn, has a lovely effect. Here and there were some very poor little huts, most miserable, of stone, wretchedly thatched with moss and grass, and weeds growing on the roofs, very dirty and neglected-looking, the little fields full of weeds choking the corn, and neglected bits of garden, bushes and brambles growing into the very window ; and yet generally the people who looked most poor had a cow ! We passed Fassifern, which belonged to the father of the Colonel Cameron killed at Quatre Bras, now merely a farmhouse, and surrounded by fine trees. I think the drive to near the head of the loch must have been nearly ten miles ! It was a beautiful drive, in spite of the frequent very heavy showers of rain. We came home at twenty minutes to eight. Good accounts of Leopold, but the weather has been bad. Dined as yesterday,, Played on the piano with Beatrice in the drawing-room, and then we went upstairs.

A pouring wet morning after a pouring wet night. Could not go out all the morning. It, however, cleared up in the afternoon, and became very bright and fine. Just as we decided to go out at a quarter past four, it began raining again ; however, as I left with Beatrice and Jane in the sociable, it cleared, and was very fine for some time. We drove out the way we came on Tues- day as far as Spean Bridge, and then turned sharp to the left along the Spean, under fine trees which abound in the valleys, and in view of scattered birches which creep up the hills. We changed horses after passing High Bridge and an old neglected-looking churchyard, from which a funeral party was evidently returning, as we met "a good few " (i.e. a good many) farmers in black, and saw the gate open and a spade near it. The road ascends to High Bridge, commanding a very fine view over the Ben Nevis range and the hills above Loch Lochy, of which, as we approached the Caledonian Canal and came to a lock, we caught a glimpse. We changed horses at Gairlochy be- fore crossing the canal, by the side of which flows the Lochy. The road ascends and goes along the western side high above the canal and river, com- manding a splendid view of Ben Nevis and the surrounding range of hills, " the Grampians!' The road is, as all the roads here are, very good and most picturesque, winding through trees, with small and wretched but picturesque cottages with little bits of fields dotted here and there and with High- land cattle grazing about. It was again rainy and showery after we came to Gairlochy. We came down again to Banavie, the hotel at which seems excellent, and were at home by a quarter-past six. Beatrice and Jane took some tea in the dining- room, and then took a short walk in the grounds, coming in at seven. Wrote. It was still raining, but not blowing. Played after dinner on the piano with Beatrice, and then went upstairs, and Jane Churchill read.

A most beautiful bright sunshiny day. After breakfast Mr. Newton, the artist, brought some lovely sketches. Sketched and painted, for the views are quite lovely, from my room. At eleven drove in the waggonette with Beatrice and Jane Churchill, General Ponsonby being on the box with Brown, to and through Fort William, which is three miles and a half from Inverlochy, passing the celebrated Ben Nevis Distillery, which is two miles from here, and through a triumphal arch, just be- yond the bridge over the Nevis Bzirn, by an old, very neglected graveyard, to the right, in which is an obelisk to McLachlan, a poet, and past the Belford Hospital, a neat building, built by a Mr. and Mrs. Belford ; then a little farther on, entered the town, where there was a triumphal arch, the fort, now private property, belonging to Campbell of Monzie. Here Glencoe came to take the oath to King William III. The town of Fort William is small, and, ex- cepting where the good shops are, very dirty, with a very poor population, but all very friendly and enthusiastic. There are four churches (Esta- blished, Free Church, Episcopalian, and Roman Catholic). We drove on along Loch Eil (called Loch Linnhe below Corran ferry) a mile, and turned at Achintee, and down to old Inverlochy Castle, which is nearer to Fort William than the new castle. We got out to look at the ruin, but it is uninteresting, as there is so little of it and literally nothing to see. About a quarter of a mile from the house we got out and walked ; home by half- past twelve.

At a quarter-past three, the day being most splendid, started with Beatrice and Jane Churchill, the two gentlemen following in the waggonette (with Charlie Thomson on the box), and drove by Banavie, the same road we came home yester- day, as far as where we crossed the canal at Gairlochy — only, instead of going down to it, we kept above, and went to the left : it is a beautiful road, coming in sight of Loch Lochy, which, with its wooded banks and blue hills, looked lovely. Leaving the main road, we turned into a beauti- ful drive alono- the river Arkaiz, in Lochiel's property, reminding one very much of the Tros- sachs. As you approach Achnacarry, which lies rather low, but is surrounded by very fine trees, the luxuriance of the tangled woods, surmounted by rugged hills, becomes finer and finer till you come to Loch Arkctig, a little over half a mile from the house. This is a very lovely loch, re- minding one of Loch Katrine, especially where there is a little pier, from which we embarked on board a very small but nice screw steamer which belongs to Cameron of Lochicl. He received us (wearing his kilt and plaid) just above the pier, and we all went on board the little steamer. The afternoon was beautiful, and lit up the fine scenery to the greatest advantage. We went about halfway up the Loch (which is fourteen miles long), as we had not time to go farther, to the disappointment of Lochiel, who said it grew wilder and wilder higher up. To the left (as we went up) is the deer forest ; to the right he has sheep. Both sides are beautifully wooded all along the lower part of the fine hills which rise on either side, and the trees are all oaks, which Cameron of Lochiel said were the "weed of the country,'' and all natural — none were planted. A good many grow up all the hollows and fissures of the hills and rocks. Right ahead, where we turned, was seen a fine conical-shaped hill called Scoitr- na-nat, and to the left Glcnmally, to the north Muir Logan, and Giusach and Gerarnau on either side. Before we came to the turning we three had our tea, which was very refreshing. I tried to sketch a little, but the sun shone so strongly that I could not do much. Mr. Cameron, who was with Lord Elgin in China, came and explained everything, and talked very pleasantly. His father had to let this beau- tiful place, and Lord Malmesbury had it for fifteen years. The Cannings used to go there, and I often heard Lady Canning speak of its beauties, and saw many pretty sketches which she made there. Thirteen years ago his father died, and he has lived there ever since. Alfred was there in 1 S63. It was, as General Ponsonby observed after- wards, a striking scene. " There was Lochiel," as he said, " whose great-grand-uncle had been the real moving cause of the rising of 1745 — for without him Prince Charles would not have made the attempt — showing your Majesty (whose great- oreat-QTandfather he had striven to dethrone) the scenes made historical by Prince Charlie's wan- derings. It was a scene one could not look on unmoved." Yes ; and / feel a sort of reverence in going over these scenes in this most beautiful country, which I am proud to call my own, where there was such devoted loyalty to the family of my ancestors — for Stuart blood is in my veins, and I am now their representative, and the people are as devoted and loyal to me as they were to that unhappy race. We landed at the little pier, but walked over the small bridges (the carriages following) — on which a piper was playing — a few hundred yards to a gate (on the side opposite to that by which we came), where we got into the carriages again. We drove through a beautiful road called the Dark Mile — dark from the number of very fine trees which overhang it, while on the left it is overshadowed by beetling rocks with a rich tangled undergrowth of bracken and heather, etc. The heather grows very richly and fully in these parts, and in thick tufts. We saw here the cave in which Prince Charles Edward was hid for a week. We came out of this road at the end of Loch Lochy, which looked lovely in the setting sun, and drove along the water's edge till nearly where we joined the road by which we had come. It is all Lochiel's for a long way — a splendid possession. And now came the finest scene of all — Ben Nevis and its surrounding high hills, and the others in the direction of Lock Laggan, all pink and glowing in that lovely after-glow [Alpen- glicken), which you see in the Alps. It was glorious. It grew fainter and fainter till the hills became blue and then grey, and at last it became almost quite dark before we reached Banavie, and we only got home at a quarter-past eight. As we drove out I sketched Ben Nevis from the carriage. Quantities of letters. The post comes in after eight and goes out at ten, which is very in- convenient. Our usual little dinner only, about nine.

Another splendid morning, of which we were very glad, as we meant to go to Glencoe, which was the principal object of our coming here. Our nice little breakfast as usual. Sketching. At eleven we started, just as yesterday, Francie Clark* and Cannon going on the box of the second carriage. We drove through Fort William, on as we did yesterday morning by Achintee, and down the eastern side of Loch Eil, which was beautifully lit, the distant hills intensely blue. The cottages along the roadside here and there hardly deserve the name, and are indeed mere hovels — so low, so small, so dark with thatch, and over- grown with moss and heather, that if you did not see smoke issuing from them, and some very ragged dirty old people, and very scantily clothed, dishevelled children, you could not believe they were meant for human habitations. They are very picturesque and embedded in trees, with the heathery and grassy hills rising above them, and reminded me of Switzerland. There were poor little fields, fuller of weeds than of corn, much laid by the wet, and frequently a "calvie" or "coo" of the true shaggy Highland character was actu- ally feeding in them. The road, which runs close above the loch, com- mands an excellent view of the fine noble hills on the opposite side of the loch. At Corran Ferry* (eleven miles) are seen across the loch Co7iag/en, and Ardgour, Lord Morton's, at the entrance of a very fine glen. He has bought a large property in these parts, which formerly belonged to the Macleans. South of Corran Ferry the loch is called Lock Linnhc, and the road turns inland westwards, soon after passing up along the shore of Lock Leven, which is, in fact, also an arm of the sea. After three miles we passed a few cottages called Onich, the high hills of Glencoe beginning already to show. All was so bright and green, with so much wood, and the loch so calm, that one was in perpetual admiration of the scenery as one went along. Four miles more from Corran Ferry brought us to Ballackulisk at a little before one o'clock. The situation of the hotel — the large one — on the opposite side, at the foot of the hills close to the ferry, is extremely pretty. There was a smaller and less handsome inn on the north side, by which we had come. Here we got out, after all our things —cloaks, bags, luncheon baskets, etc. — had been removed from the carriage, which we had to leave, and walked down to the boat. The small number of people collected there were very quiet and well behaved. Beatrice and Jane Churchill and I, with General Ponsonby and Brown, got into the boat, and two Highlanders in kilts rowed us across to the sound of pipes. On the opposite side there were more people, but all kept at a very respectful distance and were very loyal. A lady (a widow), Lady Beresford, who owns the slate quarries, and her daughter, in deep mourn- ing, were at the landing-place, and one of them presented me with a bouquet. We got at once into two carriages (hired, but very fair ones), Beatrice, Jane, and I in a sort of low barouche, Brown on the box. We had a pair of horses, which went very well. The two gentlemen occupied the second carriage. The drive from BallachulisJi, looking both ways, is beautiful, and very Alpine. I remember Louise, and also Alice, making some sketches from here when they went on a tour in 1S65. We went on, winding under the high green hills, and entered the village of Ballachulish, where the slate quarries are, and which is in- habited by miners. It was very clean and tidy — a long, continuous, straggling-, winding street, where the poor people, who all looked very clean, had decorated every house with flowers and bunches or wreaths of heather and red cloth. Emerging from the village we entered the Pass of Glcncoe, which at the opening is beautifully green, with trees and cottages dotted about along the verdant valley. There is a farm belonging to a Mrs. MacDonald, a descendant of one of the unfortunate massacred MacDonalds. The Cona flows along the bottom of the valley, with green "haughs," where a few cattle are to be seen, and sheep, which graze up some of the wildest parts of this glorious glen. A sharp turn in the rough, very winding, and in some parts precipitous road, brings you to the finest, wildest, and grandest part of the pass. Stern, rugged, precipitous mountains with beautiful peaks and rocks piled high one above the other, two and three thousand feet high, tower and rise up to the heavens on either side, without any signs of habi- tation, except where, halfway up the pass, there are some trees, and near them heaps of stones on either side of the road, remains of what once were homes, which tell the bloody, fearful tale of woe. The place itself is one which adds to the horror of the thought that such a thing could have been conceived and committed on innocent sleeping people. How and whither could they fly? Let me hope that William III. knew nothing of it. To the right, not far on, is seen what is called Ossiaris Cave ; but it must be more than a thou- sand feet above the glen, and one cannot imagine how any one could live there, as they pretend that Ossian did. The violence of the torrents of snow and rain, which come pouring down, has brought quantities of stone with them, which in many parts cover the road and make it very rough. It reminds me very much of the Devil's Bridge, St. Golkard, and the Goschenen Pass, only that is higher but not so wild. When we came to the top, which is about ten miles from Ballachulish, we stopped and got out, and we three sat down under a low wall, just below the road, where we had a splendid view of those peculiarly fine wild-looking peaks, which I sketched. Their Gaelic names are JVa tri Peailiraiehean (the Three Sisters), but in English the)' are often called " Faith, Hope, and Charity!' We sat down on the grass (we three) on our plaids, and had our luncheon, served by Brown and Francie, and then I sketched. The da)' was most beautiful and calm. Here, however — here, in this complete solitude, we were spied upon by impudently inquisitive reporters, who followed us everywhere ; but one in particular (who writes for some of the Scotch papers) lay down and watched with a telescope and dodged me and Beatrice and Jane Churchill, who were walking about, and was most impertinent when Brown went to tell him to move, which Jane herself had thought of doing. However, he did go away at last, and Brown came back saying he thought there would have been a fight ; for when Brown said quite civilly that the Queen wished him to move away, he said he had quite as good a right to re- main there as the Queen. To this Brown answered very strongly, upon which the impertinent indi- vidual asked, " Did he know who he was ? " and Brown answered he did, and that " the highest gentlemen in England would not dare do what he did, much less a reporter " — and he must move on, or he would give him something more. And the man said, " Would he dare say that before those other men (all reporters) who were coming up?" And Brown answered "Yes," he would before "anybody who did not behave as he ought." More strong words were used ; but the others came up and advised the man to come away quietly, which he finally did. Such conduct ought to be known. We were there nearly an hour, and then began walking down a portion of the steep part. The parish clergyman, Mr. Stewart, who had followed us up, and who had met us when we arrived at Ballachulish, explained the names of the hills, and showed the exact place of the dread- ful massacre. He also said that there were many Episcopalians there from the old Jacobite feeling, and also Roman Catholics. There was seldom frost in the glen, he said, but there was a s^ood deal of snow. A short distance from where Ossian's cave is shown there is a very small lake called Loch Trcachtau, through which the Cona flows ; and at the end of this was a cottage with some cattle and small pieces of cultivated land. We drove down on our return at a great pace. As we came through Ballachulish the post-boy suddenly stopped, and a very respectable, stout- looking old Highlander stepped up to the carriage with a small silver quaich, out of which he said Prince Charles had drunk, and also my dearest Albert in 184.7, an<J begged that I would do the same. A table, covered with a cloth and with a bottle on it, was on the other side of the road. I felt I could hardly refuse, and therefore tasted some whisky out of it, which delighted the people who were standing around. His name, we have since heard, is W. A. Cameron. We drove to the same small pier where we had disembarked, and were rowed over again by two Highlanders in kilts. The evening- was so beau- tiful and calm that the whole landscape was reflected in the lake. There is a high, conical- shaped hill, the commencement of the Pass of Glencoe, which is seen best from here ; and the range of hills above Ardgotir and Corran Ferry opposite was of the most lovely blue. The whole scene was most beautiful. Three pipers played while we rowed across, and the good people, who were most loyal and friendly, cheered loudly. We re-entered our carriages, and drove off at a quick pace. When we were on the shores of Lock Eil again, we stopped (but did not get out) to take tea, having boiled the kettle. The setting sun cast a most glorious light, as yesterday, on Ben Nevis and the surrounding hills, which were quite pink, and gave a perfectly crimson hue to the heather on the moor below. The sky was pink and lilac and pale green, and became richer and richer, while the hills in the other direction, over Fort William, were of a deep blue. It was won- derfully beautiful, and I was still able to make, or at least begin, a sketch of the effect of it, after we came home at a quarter to seven, from Beatrice's window. Resting and writing. Leopold has had far less fine weather for his excursion than we have had.

It was dull, and there had been some rain, but it cleared, and the day was fine, though not brin-ht. At twenty minutes past eleven walked out with Beatrice. We walked first to look at the kitchen garden, which is large, and has some very nice hot-houses with good grapes. From here we went out by the lodge, meeting not a soul, and past the farm, going down a road on the left to a small burn, over which there is a foot-bridge. Finding, however, that it only led to a keeper's house, Brown advised us to return, which we ac- cordingly did, coming by the back and the stables, and in at ten minutes to one o'clock. Rested, wrote, and then read prayers with Beatrice, and part of Mr. Campbell's sermon, which Beatrice was so pleased with that she copied it entirely. Luncheon as usual. Painted and finished the view looking towards Fort William. At five drove out with Beatrice and Jane Churchill in the waggonette. We drove past the distillery ; and then just beyond the bridge, which must be very little over two miles from Inverlochy, we turned off the main road. We drove up for four miles along- the Nevis, a fine rapid burn rolling over large stones and almost forming- cascades in one or two places, under fine trees with very steep green hills rising on either side, and close under and along the base of Ben Nevis, which rose like a giant above us. It was splendid ! Straight be- fore us the glen seemed to close ; halfway up we came to a large farm, the drive to which is under an avenue of ash trees. But there is no other habi- tation beyond this of any kind ; and soon after the trees become fewer and fewer, though still a good many grow at the burnside and up the gullies of the hills. Sheep were grazing at a great height. The road became so rough and bad that we got out and walked almost a mile, but could go no farther. We were delighted with the solemn soli- tude and grandeur of Glen Nevis ; it is almost finer than Glencoe. There was no one when we first entered the glen, but as we walked back we met several people coming out to look. After getting into the carriage again, I stopped a little to take a rough sketch. The farm belongs to Mrs. Campbell of Monzie, only daughter of the late Sir Duncan Cameron of Fassiferu, who owns a good deal of Ben Nevis. Every hill has a name, but I cannot remember them, though I have them written clown by the keeper at Inverlochy. As it was still a little too early to go home, we drove as far as the Fort and turned back, coming in at a quarter past seven. Writing. The post comes in at a most inconve- nient hour, a little past eight. Dinner as usual. My favourite collie Noble is always downstairs when we take our meals, and was so ^ood, Brown making" him lie on a chair or couch, and he never attempted to come down without permission, and even held a piece of cake in his mouth without eating it till told he might. He is the most "biddable" dog I ever saw, and so affectionate and kind ; if he thinks you are not pleased with him, he puts out his paws, and begs in such an affectionate way. Jane Churchill read.