484 OF THE MURRAY FIRTH. 



orchard of apple and pear trees, at lead coeval with 

 the laft monks ; numbers lie prottrati ; their vene- 

 11 to have taken frefh root, and 

 (till loaded with fruit. This abbey was founded 

 by David I. in 1150, and was the burying place of 

 fomc kings. 



Tli- of the lofty coafl of Sutherland b< 



to open ar this place, as far as the Ord of Caithn* 



Proceeding call ward we come to Elgin, the county 

 tov. v the feat of the bifhops of Murray, at 



prefcnt a folitary and partly ruinous place, with 11; 

 trade, but remarkable for its ccclefiattical antiqui- 

 ties. Of i it magnificent ruins of tin- cathe- 

 dral are admired by every traveller. Many parts of 

 the building dill remain pretty entire, of which Mr. 

 : given three elegant views. This 

 icdral, formed by Andrew bifhop of Murray in 

 12:4, w as built in the form of a crofs; its length 

 264 feet ; breadth 35 ; the length of the trav< 

 114; it v.ab ornamented with 5 towers, 84 feet in 

 lx clufive of the fpires ; the great tower in 

 the center 198 feet. Four miles fouth weft of this 

 place, in a fequeftered glen, is the abbey of Plufcar- 

 den, a fine edifice in the form of a crofs, pretty en- 

 a fqu are tower of alhler work. Eleven miles 

 from I Jgin is the river Spey, the largeft in the north, 

 and ah.'unding in falmon, whofe progrefs from 



up ted by cruives placed at the entry, though 

 a few ilraggling filh force their way .lies by 



th known dexterity in leaping. This r: 



iflues from a li; \d lake beyond Fort Auguftus ; 



and after a courfe c.f 50 miles, fertilizes the beautiful, 



valley called Strathfpey, 



t becoi Boundary between Murray and 



BanfTfhire, and falls into the fea at Cattle Gordon. 



This feat i*> J.ence of the dukes of Gordon, 



and hath been lately modernized in a neat ftyle of 



arc!. .ling near 6co feet in front. 



It 



