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institution known as Milne’s Free School, an object of much 
public int -rest. This edifice was built and endowed by a legacy 
of £20,000 left by a native of the town of Fochabers, Alexander 
Milne, who died at New Orleans in 1838, 
The first part cf the Gordon Castle woods to which attention 
was directed was that known as ‘‘ Cullen Wood,” situated on the 
hill to the east of the village. The oldest part consists entirely 
of Scots pine planted in 1790, and the wood has been enlarged 
frequently in subsequent years. The trees were found to be of 
very large and firm growth, and at least equally fine in quality 
with those visited the previous day in Strathspey. The pathway 
by which the party proceeded, running high along the face of the 
hill, gave, from its elevated position, a splendid opportunity of 
viewing the low-lying country and the broad expanse of Moray 
Firth beyond it to the north. In order that this might be 
the better accomplished, the trees at various points form long 
vistas through which, as through an elongated telescope, numerous 
picturesque views of sea and landscape were seen. One of 
these looks down upon the stately Castle, standing in the midst 
of its beautiful gardens, surrounded by clumps of handsome trees 
of many picturesque kinds, forming a truly enchanting picture. 
A second discloses the village of Fochabers, whose roofs alone 
betray its existence as they peep out from the dense mass of the 
foliage of the trees by which they are closely encircled. And a 
third brings before the eye a rich and varied panoramic landscape 
of the country lying far to the north, beyond the Moray Firth, 
whose broad waters form an admirable foreground to so charming 
a picture. 
On reaching the Glen, which runs across the wood, the Members 
were struck with admiration for the large number of magnificent 
silver firs that there shot up their shapely stems to an immense 
height. A Norway spruce, the largest on the estate, and feathered 
to the ground, measured 10 feet in circumference. The largest 
silver fir was estimated to be 110 feet in height, and girthed 12 
feet 4 inches at 5 feet up. On crossing the Glen, the Members 
again found themselves surrounded by Scots fir, of younger 
growth, however, than those already inspected. They were 
standing at about two hundred to the acre, and contained on the 
average about 20 cubic feet of timber. The path then led down 
through the wood, amidst numerous fallen trees of great size, 
this part seeming to have suffered very severely from the storm. 
