ALTITUDE OF FOREST TREES ON CAIRNGORM MOUNTAINS. 267 



not worth clearing away, and a new plantation at the height-limits 

 named is quite unusual. There is a dense one of Scots pines in 

 Glen Lui (alt. about 1300 feet), carefully fenced, well grown, and 

 healthy looking, but such a plantation cannot be said to add to 

 the beauty of the spot. The birch, on the other hand, cannot 

 be other than beautiful, and one of the finest and most extensive 

 birch woods known to me is at Braemar. Many of the houses in 

 the village of Braemar are built in clearings in this wood, trees 

 frequently being left standing at and around the houses. By the 

 side of the Dee the birches are tall, and many are above the 

 average size; but when an altitude of 1500 feet is reached, they 

 have become beautifully small and well proportioned — regular 

 dwarf trees. There ai'e thousands not over six feet in height. 

 They a.scend in almost unbroken numbers to an altitude of about 

 1700 feet on the side of Morrone, and sweep along its northern 

 slopes from about Corriemulzie to Glen Clunie — a distance of, more 

 than two miles. It is somewhat curious how they immediately 

 die out in Glen Clunie, and from near the Croft of Muickan, till 

 the Spital of Glenshee is reached (about 14 miles), not a group of 

 forest trees is to be seen. The Morrone Wood is a characteristic 

 Highland native wood, with an undergrowth of heather, juniper, 

 and bracken. Amongst the birches are occasional aspens, occur- 

 ring up to 1500 feet, and Scots pines come in in places, but the 

 wood is a typical birch one. Since I made these observations, I 

 have learned that Macgillivray knew this Morrone Wood (previous 

 to 1855), seemingly much in the same state then as it is now 

 {Xatural History of Deeside and Braemar, 1885, p. 172). This 

 writer's remark that " the whole tract along the river from . . . 

 Birse to the Linn may be considered a birch forest " {op cit., 

 pp. 164-5), is at vai'iance with Lord Cockburn's observation made 

 in 1846. The last-named remarks on the equal pi-ofusion of the 

 birch and Scots pine near Castleton {Circuit Journeys, 2nd ed., 

 1889, p. 305). Macgillivray, however, seems to have looked on 

 the Scots pine as not a native of Braemar {op. cit, pp. 17 and 

 361). The present conditions are that by the Dee at and above 

 Braemar the Scots pine is predominant, and by the time the Linn 

 is reached the trees are almost entirely of this species. Hazel and 

 alder occur by the river side above Braemar, and at or near the 

 village (alt. 1110 feet) are well-grown and flourishing examples of 

 the lime, great maple, elm, horse-chestnut, beech, and larch. A 

 dark copper beech is right in the village. These last-named 



