to the Bridge ofGairden. 273 



from the bounding mountains of that side of the valley by the 

 wild and anciently impregnable Pass of Ballater. Beyond the 

 river, amidst an infinite variety of slopes and wood, is seen the 

 tall old hunting-tower of Knock ; and, behind it, distance rises 

 over distance, till the prospect is terminated by the long and. 

 shivered front, and (when I saw it on the 15th of October last) 

 the snow-covered ridge of Loch-na-gar — the nurse of the sub- 

 lime genius of Byron, who, in his beautiful little poem, so en- 

 titled, still 



' Sighs for the valley of the dark Loch-na-gar.' " 



At the Bridge of Gairden, over the water of Gairden, a short 

 distance from the granite pass and hill of Ballater, observed 

 strata of hornblende-slate, hornblende-rock, micaceous gneiss, 

 quartz-rock, more or less traversed by granite veins ; and near 

 to this, Dr Macknight discovered a fine junction of the great 

 central granite with the neighbouring strata. From Gairden 

 Bridge, by Abergeldy, to Crathie, the rocks are red and grey 

 granite, syenite, primitive greenstone (diorite), hornblende- 

 rock and slate, also micaceous gneiss, hornblendic gneiss, and 

 quartz-rock, with much disseminated felspar. The granite at 

 Crathie appears to extend onwards to Loch-na-gar. At and 

 near the kirk of Crathie there is a fine display of syenite and 

 hornblende rocks, and in the syenite there are numerous im- 

 bedded contemporaneous masses of hornblende, which at first 

 sight might be confounded with fragments. Near to Crathie, at 

 Monaltrie, there are veins of fluor-spar in granite. Beyond 

 Crathie, towards an inn, called, I think, Inver, the rocks are 

 still quartz-rock, with gneiss, hornblende-rock, bluish-grey gra- 

 nular foliated limestone, and granite, alternating in beds. Be- 

 yond Inver Inn a great body of red granite makes its appearance, 

 which continues in a line parallel with one of the boundaries of 

 Loch-na-gar. It is to be seen crossing the highway, and forming 

 a continuation with the granite of the mountain just mentioned. 

 This granite is succeeded by a series of sti'ata of quartz-rock, 

 gneiss, mica-slate, hornblende-rocks of various kinds, granite, 

 and limestone, which form the Lion's Head and other hills on- 

 wards to the Castkton of Bracmar. At Castleton there is a 

 good inn, which is a great convenience to the geologist who 



