27 September–3 October 1875

It was a dreadfully rough night, pouring and blowing fearfully, and we heard it had thundered and lightened. After our nice little breakfast and writing, I went out at eleven with Louise, and met the Duke and the rest in the pleasure-grounds, where I planted a small cedar of Lebanon, the seed of which Lady Emma McNeill had brought back from the East. Then went on a little farther to where the road turns near the river, and planted a small silver fir, opposite to a magnificent one which my beloved Albert had admired in 1847. Beatrice walked up meanwhile with Jane Churchill, Evelyn, and Frances Campbell, to the top of the fine hill of Dunaquoich, opposite the Castle, after seeing the trees planted, and was to plant one herself when she came down. I drove off with Louise past the Creitabhille Lodge, the granite quarry (not, of course, the large ones which we saw on Saturday in the deer forest), and then got out and walked up a long steep path in the wood to obtain a view, of which, however, we did not see much. I am sure we walked a mile and a half up to the top, and it was a long pull, but I walked well. However, in going down, the wet grass and moss made me slip very much, having no nails to my boots, and twice I came down com- pletely. We drove back by Essachosan as quickly as we could at a quarter to one. The trees are wonderfully thick, and the tangled undergrowth of fern etc. is almost like a jungle. We had hardly any rain. Luncheon as usual. Drawing. The views from my room were so fine. While I was dressing to go out, Louise brought in Archi- bald Campbell's two lovely little children, little Neil, a dear pretty fair boy of three, very like Archie as a child, and the baby, Elspeth, who is beautiful : brown curly hair, enormous dark blue eyes fringed with very long dark eyelashes, and a small mouth and nose. At ten minutes to four drove off in the waggonette with Louise, Beatrice, and Lome, out by the approach along the foot of Diinaqnoich, past the yew and chestnut avenue, over the Garonne Bridge, along the lochside, an excellent road, much wooded, and commanding a beautiful view of the opposite shore and hills of Ardkinglass, past the Strone Point, Achnaira, and the ruins of the old castle or tower of Dunderave, which for- merly belonged to the McNaghtons, who subse- quently settled in Ireland, on to the head of Loch Fyne. There we turned up to the left and drove up Glen Fyne, a very wild narrow glen with hardly any trees, and the water of the Fyne running through it. The high oreen hills with ruoo^ed grey rocks reminded me of the Spital of Glen- shee and of Altanour (Lord Fife's). We drove up to a very small shooting-lodge, the property of Mr. Callander, brother-in-law to Lord Archibald, where a keeper with a nice wife lives. As it was beginning to rain, we went into the house and took our (made) tea, and I sketched. Janie Campbell (Lady Archibald) and her two sisters lived here for some time. The Duke was their guardian. We drove back the same way, and encountered a tremendous shower, which only ceased as we were quite near home. We were home at twenty minutes to seven. Besides Louise and Beatrice, the Duke and Duchess and Sir John and Lady Emma McNeill dined with me. Mr. D. Macleod gone ; the others remain.

Bright and then showery. At a little past eleven drove with Louise and Beatrice along the sea-shore as far as Douglass Water Point, where we stopped to sketch between the frequent showers, the view being lovely and the lights so effective. Home through the town by a quarter to one. Painting. Luncheon as each day, after which again painting. At a quarter to four started off in a shower in the waggonette, with Louise, Beatrice, and Jane Churchill, for Glen Shira. We drove by the approach through the fine old avenue of beeches which suffered so much two years ago. This time along the right side of the Dim Loch, which is three-quarters of a mile long, up to the head of Glen Shira, which is seven miles distant from the upper end of the loch, and is lovely. We had driven up a good way last Thursday, as far as Drumlee. It is a lovely glen, wilder and much shut in as you advance, with fine rocks appearing through the grassy hills, and thickly wooded at the bottom. We passed two farms. and then went up to where the glen closes, and on the brae there is a keeper's cottage, just above which are the remains of a house where Rob Roy lived for some time concealed, but on sufferance. His army or followers were hidden in Glen Shira. We got out here to look at some fine falls of the river S/nra, a linn falling from a height to which footpaths had been made. Then drove on a little farther, and stopped to take our tea. We stopped twice afterwards to make a slight sketch of this lovely green glen, so picturesque and peace- ful-looking, and then to take another view from the lower end of the Dhu Loc/i, in which Louise helped me. She also sketched the glen, and had done a sketch this morning. She has such talent, dear good child, and I felt so sad to leave her. The evening was quite fine, it having cleared up and all the heavy clouds vanished when we arrived at the head of the glen. In at twenty minutes past six. Busy arranging papers, painting, etc. Besides Louise and Beatrice, the Duke and Duchess, Lady Dufferin and Mr. J. Campbell dined with me. Went again into the drawing-room and took leave of the Dufferins, who were to go next day. He starts on the 8th for Canada. Dear Louise came up with me to my room, and stayed a little while talking with me.

Vicky's and Fritz's engagement day — already twenty years ago ! God bless them ! Got up before eight, and at half-past eight breakfasted for the last time with dear Louise and Beatrice. Then dressed before half-past nine and went downstairs. The early morning was fair, though misty, but unfortunately by half-past eight the mist had come down and it rained. It was decided that the horses should go back overland (having had such a terrible journey from the diffi- cult embarkation and landing) by Dalmally, stop- ping all night at Tyndrtim and coming on next day. The van was to go by sea. Some of the things belonging to our toilettes (which were in far too cumbrous boxes) we kept with us. I took leave of the whole family,* including tha McNeills, and, with a heavy heart, of my darling Louise. It rained very much as we drove off, and for some time afterwards, to make it more melancholy. We left Inveraray at half-past nine, and drove out by the same gateway as on our arrival, but afterwards went along" the sea-shore to the head of the loch. We then turned to the right, still along the lochside, and changed horses at twenty minutes to eleven at a small inn called Cairndow, where the dear little Campbell children are staying-, and who were at the window — such lovely children ! Thej^e were a few people collected, and the harness as well as the horses had to be changed, and a pair of leaders put on to pull us up the long steep ascent in Glenkinglass. This caused a delay of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. It rained rather heavily, the mist hanging over the Hills most provokingly. We passed Ardkinglass (Mr. Callander's), and then turned up to the left through the very wild and desolate Glenkinglass. The high green hills with hardly any habitations re- minded me of the Spital of Glenshee. The mist lifted just enough to let one see the tops of the hills below which we were passing. The road was steep, and, just as we were getting near the top, the leaders, which had repeatedly stopped, refused to pull any farther, reared and kicked and jibbed, so that we really thought we should never get on, and should perhaps have to sleep at some wayside inn. But we stopped, and Brown had the leaders taken off near a small tarn, called Loch Restcl, and he and Francie walked. We then got on much better. A little farther on we passed a few scat- tered huts, and at last we reached the top of this long ascent. The rain, which had been very heavy just when our plight was at its worst, stopped, and the day cleared. At the summit of the pass is the spot called Rest and be thankful, from an inscription cut upon a stone by the regiment that made the road, which was one of the military roads to open up the Highlands constructed by Government under the superintendence of Marshal Wade. The stone still remains, but the words are much defaced. Here we came upon the splendid steep wild pass of Glen Croe, something like Glencoe, but not so fine and the road much steeper. It reminds me of the Devil's Elbow, and even of the Devil's Bridge in the Goschenen Pass on the St. Gothard. We got out and walked down the road, which goes in a zigzag. A few people who had walked up from the coach were standing there. As at Glencoe the stream flows in the hollow of the pass, and there were some cattle and a house or two. The sun even came out all at once and lit up the wild grand scene. We got into the carriage near the bottom, and drank Fritz and Vicky's healths. There was no more heavy rain, though there were frequent showers succeeded by most brilliant sunshine. We drove on under and by trees, and saw high hill-tops, including the peak of Ben Lomond, and then came upon Loch Long, a sea loch, which we sailed up in 1847, and drove part of the way along the shore, on the opposite side of which lie Arrochar and several pretty villas. We went round the head of the loch, where stood Lady Welby (formerly Victoria Wortley) and her children, and drove along under an arch near the bridge, passing through the village of Arrochar, which is in Dumbartonshire, and here had a very good view of the celebrated Cobbler, or Ben Arthur. We next changed horses at Tarbct, quite a small village, where there was a sort of arch, composed of laurels and flowers stretched across the road. There were a good many people here, who pressed in upon us a good deal. Here General Ponsonby presented Mr. H. E. Crum Ewing, Lord Lieutenant of Dumbartonshire. He preceded us a little way in his carriage, and then followed us. The drive along Loch Lomond, which we came upon almost immediately after Tarbet, was per- fectly beautiful. We wound along under trees on both sides, with the most lovely glimpses of the head of the loch, and ever and anon of Lock Lomond itself below the road ; the hills which rose upon our right reminding me of Aberfoylc, near Loch Ard, and of the lower part of the Pilatns. Such fine trees, numbers of hollies growing- down almost into the water, and such beautiful capes and little bays and promontories ! The loch was extremely rough, and so fierce was the wind, that the foam was blown like smoke along the deep blue of the water. The gale had broken some trees. The sun lit up the whole scene beautifully, but we had a few slight showers. It reminded me of Switzerland. I thought we saw everything so much better than we had formerly done from the steamer. As we proceeded, the hills became lower, the loch widened, and the many wooded islands appeared. We next changed horses at Luss, quite a small village — indeed the little inn stands almost alone, and they drove us close up to it, but there was a great crowding and squeezing, and some children screamed with fright ; two presented nosegays to Beatrice and me, and a poor woman offered me a bag of "sweeties." From here we drove along past the openings of Glen Luss and Glen Finlas, which run up amongst the fine hills to the right, the loch being on our left, and the road much wooded. There are slate quarries close to Luss. About two miles from Lnss we drove through Sir J. Colquhoun's place, Rossd/iu, which commands a beautiful view of Ben Lomond and the loch, and drove up to the house, where Highland volunteers were drawn up, and where we stopped without getting out of the carriage, and I received a nosegay from a little girl, and a basket of fruit. Sir J. Colquhoun's father was drowned two years ago in the loch, crossing over from an island where he had been shooting, and the body was not found for a fort- night ; the keepers with him were also drowned. We drove on, passing several other places, and everywhere were arches of flowers, flags, etc., and the poorest people had hung out handkerchiefs for flags. We were followed by endless "machines" full of people, and many on foot running, and our horses were bad and went very slowly. However, as we approached Balloch, through which we did not pass, but only went up to the station, though the crowds were very great, perfect order was kept. The militia was out, and we got quite easily into the train at a quarter-past three. Here again a nosegay was presented, and Mr. A. Orr Ewing, member for the county, and Mr. Smollett, the Convener, wrhom we had seen on board the steamer six years ago, were presented. Balloch is a manufacturing place for dyeing, and is connected with the trade in Glasgow. We had some cold luncheon as soon as we got into the train. Our next stoppage was at Stirling, where there was an immense concourse of people, and the station prettily decorated. The evening was very fine, the pretty scenery appearing to great advantage, and the sky lovely. After this it got rapidly dark. We stopped at Perth and at the Bridge of Dun, where Jane Churchill got into our carriaee and we had some tea; and then at Aber- deen, where it poured. At twenty minutes to ten we arrived at Ballater, and at once got into our carriage, and reached Balmoral at twenty-five minutes to eleven.