20 
SECOND DAY. 
Thursday, 11th August. 
SCONE PALACE, MEIKLEOUR, AND MURTHLY, 
PERTHSHIRE. 
Those who were astir early in the morning spent an hour or 
two very pleasantly before breakfast in viewing the city of 
Perth and its surroundings, rich in stirring events of history 
and the romance of former days. Perth, anciently called St 
Johnstoun, was the capital of Scotland till the time of James III., 
who removed the seat of government to Edinburgh in 1482. The 
Fair City still takes precedence of all royal burghs, except the 
capital. Among the many objects which interested the arborists 
were the beautiful green expanses of the North and South 
Inches, the latter having a fine avenue of old trees running 
across it, along the sides of the road to Edinburgh; and the 
nurseries of Messrs Dickson & Turnbull, famed for the raising 
of coniferous trees and general forest plants, lying on the 
opposite side of the Tay, and stretching far up the steep slopes 
of the Hill of Kinnoull. Other objects worthy ofa visit are too 
numerous to be detailed ; but the ancient church of St John, 
said to be the oldest existing edifice in the city, and still 
a grand ecclesiastical pile, capacious enough to accommodate 
three congregations—of the East, West, and Middle parishes— 
with over 3300 seats ; the City Hall, near the church, containing 
some interesting paintings; the High Street, South Street, 
Kirkgate, Skinnergate, Watergate, and Speygate, and _par- 
ticularly the fine esplanade stretching from the bridge down- 
wards, called Tay Street, on which stand the modern Public 
Buildings for the city and county, presenting a handsome and 
picturesque frontage to the river, are all within a short distance, 
and should be seen by those who are making their first visit to 
the ‘Fair City. Nor should the splendid view from the fine 
bridge spanning the Tay be omitted by those who admire 
scenery of the most varied and lovely description. 
Breakfast was at 8 A.M. sharp, as the Excursion had to be on 
the way for Scone Palace, the seat of the Earl of Mansfield, at 
8.30. There had been a shower of rain over night, but when 
the members turned out of the hotel the sun was shining 
brightly, and there was every promise of another fine day. 
This promise was more than realised. Driving off from the 
Salutation Hotel, around which a large crowd had assembled, 
we crossed the bridge and proceeded along the road to the left, 
on the north side of the Tay. About a couple of miles from 
