HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



i45 



HOLIDAY RAMBLES. 



GLEN CALLATER. 

 By G. C. Druce, F.L.S. 



ERY different was 

 the scenery and 

 atmosphere of 

 Deeside from that 

 of Jersey, but the 

 same attractive 

 spell of botanical 

 rarities hung round 

 each, although the 

 flora was as dif- 

 ferent as the at- 

 mosphere and 

 scenery. Here, 

 instead of head- 

 lands shining like 

 opals from the 

 profusion of Sedum 

 angliaim, we had 

 hills of dusky 

 brown, in places 

 flushing into ame- 

 thystine tints from the half opened heather, or 

 darkened into sombre olive-green where the pines of 

 Mar and Invercauld grew in rich luxuriance. But 

 the point of most attraction, as we lingered about the 

 gardens of the Fife Arms, or strayed by the Cluny 

 side, was the road leading to Glen Callater, although 

 such mighty rivals as Ben na Bourd, Ben A'an and 

 Ben McDhu, all celebrated for their rarities, were 

 around. So it was towards Glen Callater we first 

 started, following for a time the river Cluny, gathering 

 close to the hotel Hieracium praiauthoides — and 

 admiring the little stream as it fell in tiny rapids 

 down to the Dee, but after proceeding some couple 

 of miles, the glimpse of snow on McDhu, now 

 appearing over Braemar, gave new object for our 

 admiration, till this gave place to the pleasure of 

 seeing Pyrola rotundifolia and Listera cordata grow- 

 ing within a few feet of each other. The common 

 plant of this portion of our walk was Alchemilla 

 alpina ; Empetrum nigrum later on, however, dis- 

 puted its claim. Leaving the Cluny for its tributary, 

 No. 175. 



the Callater, after some little time we noticed right 

 ahead precipitous cliffs, down one of which was 

 pouring a tiny stream, the far-famed "Break Neck 

 waterfall " of Glen Callater, where some elderly 

 botanist got into such a dangerous place that he 

 dared not go down and could not go back, and was 

 thus imprisoned for more than a day. The Hieracium 

 vulgatum was common by the steep sides of the 

 stream till shortly before reaching the loch ; on more 

 level ground, where the stream only slowly crept, it 

 became bordered with bog plants, such as Drosera, 

 Pinguicula, while in some of the more stagnant pools 

 Chara syncarpa occurred, the quicker running stream 

 yielding Chara pulchella. 



The lake itself contained Isoetes cchinospora and 

 Lobelia Dortmanna. Here, six miles from Braemar, we 

 commenced the ascent of Loch na Gar, gathering Poly- 

 gonum viviparum and Carex binervis, and then were 

 brought to a standstill by the abundance of Trientalis 

 europtra, dwarfed to an inch or two in height, but with 

 lovely large flowers. The ascent of the mountain is 

 not particularly interesting, the best views being the 

 corrie of Loch Kander and the waterfall, but several 

 good plants were picked, among them being Hieracium 

 aesium and chrysanthum, Caltha minor, Sibbaldia 

 procumbens, and Saxifraga aizoides and stellaris, the 

 two latter very common. At still higher elevation 

 Luzula spicata, Carex rigida, and Juncus trifidus 

 occurred, a great abundance growing among the stony 

 debris, and then appeared the tiny Salix herbacca 

 with its bright chestnut-red fruit, which with the 

 three former continued nearly to the summit, from 

 whence a splendid view was obtained over Deeside 

 to Balmoral and Ballater, with the Scotch Alps 

 Ben McDhu, Ben A'an, Cairntone, rather uninteresting 

 in outline, being rounded and dumpy in appearance, 

 and wanting the sharp peaks and fantastic outlines of 

 Arran or Snowdonia ; but still very beautiful were 

 the snow patches appearing now a blue grey as some 

 passing cloud obscured the sun and now shining with 

 dazzling brilliancy ; down below us was Loch Muick, 

 while over by Glen Callater could be discerned the 



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