Geological Features of the District of BucJian. 35 



There is little to be told of this part of the coast, further than a few 

 descriptive remarks to exemplify how it has been disrupted and torn, and 

 heaved into the ruggedest and most frowning coast line exhibited almost 

 anywhere, indicating a "turgidum mare," and jiresenting a scene tallying 

 to the "Infames scopulos Acroceraunia" of Horace. 



On the first granite headland after passing the Ward of Cruden, stands 

 the modern Slains Castle. It is almost insulated, a strip of sea running 

 round to the north, and trending so far west as to leave only a narrow 

 isthmus, affording access to the castle. This arm of the sea, called Lang- 

 haven, is narrow : iu fact, is a mere rent or fissure on a large scale. It 

 contains deep water, and the sides are so perpendicular and so high, that 

 looking up from the water, the eye does not perceive a much greater 

 breadth of sky, than looking down it perceives breadth of water. Sea- 

 ward the cliffs are equally high and equally precipitous. It is said that 

 from the library or drawing-room windows, a stone dropped falls directly 

 into the water. It is recorded that there was formerly a carriage way 

 round the castle. This is now gone, owing to the fall of a large portion 

 of rock. Looking from the windows, nothing is to be seen but sea and 

 sky. 



Close by the castle there is a cave of peculiar construction. It opens 

 to the sea below water mark, runs horizontally for a considerable distance 

 into the rock, and then rises perpendicularly, till it comes to the surface 

 in a field some way from the edge of the cliff. From the rolling of the 

 waves into the cavern below, an atmospheric cun-ent is created, sufficiently 

 strong to blow into the air any light article thrown into the upper 

 aperture of the cave ; and when there is a gale from the east, a column 

 of spray rises continuously from it. This cave also, as well as the one 

 formerly noticed, has received the name of Hell's Lum.* Indeed every 

 cave of similar form, obtains this designation all over this coast. 



Many isolated rocks of nearly equal height with the main line of coast, 

 are scattered all along at various distances from the shore — one of these 

 is called Dun Buy. Although Dr. Johnson says in reference to the urgent 

 request of Lady EitoI, that he should not leave Slains without seeing 

 the Dun Buy, that there is nothing about it to detain attention, it is 

 nevertheless, to those who see it, a very striking object. Description, 

 however, can convey no idea of the peculiar feelings of awe and wonder, 

 with which such effect of forces with which we are now unacquainted, 

 cannot but be viewed. 



The famous Buller of Buchan, is in this locality. On the nortli side 

 of a little creek, presenting the usual perpendicular walls of immense 

 height, the rocks jut out some way into the sea. In this promontory a 

 huge circular pit has been scooped out. Its sides present perpendicular 

 walls of rocu, and towards the sea they are of comparatively inconsider- 

 able thickness. At the top, at one place, not more than two or three 



* Scot, for Chimney. 



