100 HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY OF TREES. PART I. 
London in pots in the year 1741. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, 
as we have seen, however, says the larch was first planted in 
Scotiand, at Sir James Nasmyth’s, at Dawick, in 1725. The 
Rev. James Headrick, in his Survey of Forfarshire, gives another 
account of the introduction of the larch into Scotland. He 
says, ‘It is generally supposed that larches were first brought 
into Scotland by one of the Dukes of Athol; but I saw three 
larches of extraordinary size and age, in the garden near the 
mansion house of Lockhart of Lee, on the northern banks of the 
Clyde, a few miles below Lanark. ‘The stems and branches 
were so much covered with lichens, that they hardly exhibited 
any signs of life or vegetation. The account I heard of them 
was, that they were brought there by the celebrated Lockhart of 
Lee (who had been ambassador from Cromwell to France), soon 
after the restoration of Charles II. (about 1660). After Crom- 
well’s death, thinking himself unsafe on account of having served 
a usurper, he retired some time into the territories of Venice. 
He there observed the great use the Venetians made of larches 
in ship-building, in piles for buildings, in the construction of 
their houses, and for other purposes ; and when he returned home 
he brought a number of Jarch plants in pots, with a view to try 
if they could be gradually made to endure the climate of Scot- 
land. He nursed his plants in hot-houses, and in a green-house 
sheltered from the cold, until they all died, except the three 
alluded to; these, in desperation, he planted in the warmest and 
best sheltered part of his garden, where they attained an extra- 
ordinary height and girth.” (Headrickh’s Forfarshire, p. 374.) 
The estate of Dunkeld now contains the most extensive plant- 
ations of the larch in the island, spreading over several thousand 
acres. A copious and most valuable account of these plantations 
will be found in the Transactions of the Highland Society, vol. 
ix., and an abridgment of that account in our Encyclopedia of 
Gardening, § 6579. edit. 1835. Dunkeld has long been cele- 
brated for its scenery. Dr. Clarke, the traveller, says, the scene 
that opens before you, after going through the pass, perhaps has 
not its parallel in Europe. ‘ The grounds of the Duke of 
Athol,” he continues, *‘ I do not hesitate to pronounce without 
a rival.” Gray, the author of the Elegy, was “ overcome and 
almost lost” by the beauties of Dunkeld. Gilpin called it the 
«‘ portal of the Highlands,” and Dr. Macculloch has nearly 
filled a volume on the subject. The house at Dunkeld is a 
plain large building, erected in 1685, but it has long been in 
contemplation to remove it, and to build one of superior archi- 
tectural pretensions. John Murray, the present Duke of Athol, 
has lately constructed a magnificent public bridge over the Tay 
at Dunkeld, government assisting His Grace with one sixth part 
of the expense. The bridge was constructed on dry land, and 
