Live Stock. 75 



so that the cattle had moderately free access to pasture 

 by the wayside, and occasionally to such cultivated 

 crops as might happen to be within reach. Bridges 

 were few and far between. Where burns and rivers 

 had to be crossed, the cattle forded them, how deep or 

 broad soever, and so did their drivers ; and when 

 "spates" were on a "mishanter" would sometimes 

 happen of a more or less serious kind. When the 

 market was over, and the "drove" of eight, ten, or 

 fifteen score made up for the journey, after the same 

 fashion, to the dealer's pasturage ; or better still for their 

 long and leisurely travel of days and weeks to Falkirk 

 or Hallow Fair, it was a sight to see. The " drove," 

 as it moved along, would stretch to nearly a mile in 

 length, with here and there a rough " cowte" of a drover 

 stalking away among the beasts stick in hand, and his 

 wallet slung over his shoulder. And truly the " tops- 

 man," who had the responsibility of looking after and 

 guiding the whole to their destination needed no mean 

 powers of generalship to do his work safely and well. 



Up to the date of the Eebellion of 1745 cattle sent 

 to the southern markets from the counties of Aberdeen 

 and Banff were driven across the Eastern Grampians by 

 tracks marked out from time immemorial by the conti- 

 nuous tread of man and beast. The chief of these pri- 

 mitive highways were the most easily accessible and least 

 steep of the natural ravines among the hills ; and gener- 

 ally these from Tomintoul, by Corgarff, Crathie, and 

 Braemar, to the Spital of Glenshee, Blairgowrie, and 

 Perth ; from Ballater, by the Spital of Muick, to Clova, 

 and Kirriemuir ; from Aboyne, by the Tanar, and 

 Mount Keen, to Lochlee, and down by the Esk to 

 Brechin ; from Kincardine O'Neil or Banchory-Ternan, 

 across the Cairn o' Mount, to Fettercairn, and Brechin ; 

 from Durris, by the Crine Corse to Drumlithie, and the 

 Howe o' the Mearns ; from Aberdeen, by the Tollohill, 

 and Causey Port, to Stonehaven. These primitive 

 highways rose to elevations of from four hundred feet 



