verdant banks of a clear mountain stream, is, although gradual and easy, the longest and straightest pull on this very fine road; which, about three or four miles from the height, joins the road from Garvimore to Dalwhinnie, through the upper part of the northern division of Badenach, a district which has been thus generally described: "Badenach (the bushy country) is "the south-east division of Inverness-shire, "bordering on the counties of Elgin, Aber"deen, and Perth; and extends thirty-five "miles from east to west, and twenty at an average from north to south, forming an area "of 700 square miles. It is a long valley on "both sides of the Spey, containing a great "proportion of fertile lands, and several miles "of the Coillmore, or great wood of Scotland, cc as well as other natural wood and extensive

plantations. The population is about 6000 "in three parishes, and part of a fourth. Its "rents are about 12,000l.; and it is orna"mented by an elegant villa, built by the late "Duchess of Gordon, and by the seats of the "different proprietors, particularly Mr. Mac

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pherson of Cluny, Mr. Macpherson of Bel<6 ville, son of the translator of Ossian's poems, "and Col. Gordon, of Glentromie. It abounds " in fish, game, and beautiful scenery. Be

Y

"sides stags and roes, grouse, ptarmigan, black

cock, and woodcock, it has a multitude of "water fowl, particularly swans, that resort to "Loch Inseh, and its other lakes. The grazings

are very valuable. The Duke of Gordon is "superior of the greatest part, and proprietor "of half the district. Kingussie, the only "town of any consequence, is a neat well"built village, containing 813 inhabitants, at "the time of the enumeration in 1811. It "was erected into a burgh of barony, in 1460. "The great road to Inverness passes through " it."

The territory of Badenach contains two valleys, divided from each other by a long elevated moor, six miles broad, at the head or southwestern end, and gradually contracting and tapering to a point at the north-east end, where the valleys unite. The road from Garvimore to Dalwhinnie is in a direct line along the base of the ridge of hills on the west of the district, and across the upper end of the moor just mentioned, from the head of the northern to that of the southern valley, and the length is thirteen miles. The distance from Kilcummin in the great glen of Scotland, by the winding highway over the Corriarrak mountains, in a southeasterly direction, to Garvimore at the head of

7

the northern valley, is eighteen miles; and from this point, the valley continues the south-easterly direction for seven miles, to the moor of division, where it turns to the north-east, the general direction of the district. The new road from Lochaber enters the upper part of the northern valley, about four or five miles below Garvimore; at the west side of a fine broad verdant plain, over which an excellent and apparently new road stretches to a neat country church, and a kind of village on the other side, where there is a handsome bridge across the smooth, placid stream, which here exhibits nothing of the Spey's famed rapidity. This cross road seems to extend from the church and vil lage to the mansion-house of Cluny, situate two miles below, on the eastern bank of the river, and is so superior to the public road from Garvimore to Dalwhinnie, that unless a directionpost has, since October, 1818, been erected at the place where it diverges, travellers unac quainted with the country may be readily misled. The whole of the upper part of this division of Badenach is a fine pastoral valley, with an extensive plain in the middle, watered by the winding stream of the highest branch of the Spey. It seems to be fully as thickly peopled as is compatible with its proper cultivation, and

a few good farm-houses appear among many cottages of the old highland kind. Some grain crops are raised on the level, which, with the assistance of the green rotations, come to tolerable perfection in early seasons. But from the height of the situation, the ripening of these crops can never be securely depended upon, and this part of Badenach is evidently better adapted for the pasturing of sheep and cattle, to which it seems, from the appearance of the fields, to be already in a great measure devoted. The grass on the plain, especially on the meadows next the river, although short, is thick and fine, and gives to this portion of the valley, in summer, a beautiful and verdant appearance; but at this season of the year the scene had begun to look bleak and withered. On arriving at the point where this valley turns to the north-east, one has a full view of the elegant modern mansion-house of Cluny, belonging to the chief of the Macphersons, surrounded with a thriving fir plantation. The grounds in the vicinity, however, did not seem to be laid out in a manner at all corresponding to the appearance of the mansion; and the situation will always be considered as wild, barren, and comfortless, until the hills behind, on each side, and in front, on the west side of the river, shall have

been covered with wood, to the raising of which a great part of the heathy moor, between the valleys, might well be applied, although, even in its present state, it affords some summer pasture for sheep and cattle, and excellent shelter for grouse. The northern valley, as has been mentioned, here bends towards the north-east; but the road is continued in its south easterly direction for six miles, across the moor, to Dalwhinnie, which from its name seems to have been the rendezvous, or rallying point, of the Macphersons. It is generally known that a chief of this clan was one of the most powerful supporters of the Stuart cause, in 1745-6, and assisted in concealing Prince Charles among the mountains, after the battle of Culloden, which was fought when the Macpherson was on his way to join the Stuart army, with 500 followers. It was at the head of the northern division of Badenach, that Sir John Cope received his first check, when, on perceiving the highlanders in the face of the Corriarrak mountains, he determined, instead of attacking them, to turn back to the moor of division, and proceed northeast to Inverness, probably from a notion that the highland army would follow him to some place where he might fight under less disadvantage, and that the war would thus be confined to the north of Scotland.