6 
a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Stirling for his kindness in allowing 
the Society to visit his estate, and to the officials already named, 
who had so efliciently shown the party its beauties, and most 
interesting arboreal features, 
DOUNE CASTLE. 
Passing through an interesting country for a few miles, and 
through the village of Doune, noted for its ‘‘trysts” or stock 
fairs, Doune Castle was reached, and the party were there met by 
Mr M‘Lachlan, factor to the Earl of Moray, and an interesting 
visit of inspection was made to the ancient and royal pile. 
In the words of Scott: ‘‘This noble ruin holds a commanding 
station on the banks of the river Teith, and has been one of the 
largest castles in Scotland. Murdoch, Duke of Albany, the 
founder of this stately pile, was beheaded on the Castlehill of 
Stirling, from which he might see the towers of Doune, the 
monument of his fallen greatness.” 
After the death of Albany the Castle became royal property, 
and subsequently passed into the hands of the Earl of Moray, 
half-brother of Queen Mary, and still belongs to his successor in 
the earldom, who bears the title of Baron Doune. The Baron’s 
Hall has recently been restored, and the ruined pile put into 
tasteful order. The extensive Perthshire estates of the Earl of 
Moray extend from this to Loch Katrine, covering an area of 
about 40,000 acres of an exceedingly picturesque country, much 
of which is richly clothed with plantations and natural woods, 
especially in the Trossachs district, where the oak coppice woods 
are a prominent feature. Afterwards, in the Woodside Hotel, 
near the Castle, the company were hospitably entertained to 
lunch by the Earl of Moray. Mr M‘Lachlan presided. 
Professor BayLtey Batrour proposed the health of the Earl of 
Moray. He was sure they would all join him in a hearty vpte 
of thanks to the Earl of Moray for the way he had entertained 
them there that day. The interest of the Earls of Moray in 
arboriculture was not a new thing; and they welcomed the 
interest which the present Earl had shown in the Society by his 
hospitable reception of them on this occasion. In the last 
century, one of the Earls of Moray was a great tree-planter both 
at Darnaway and at Doune, and a number of the trees they had 
