122 THE BORDER ANGLER. 



on the other side of the hills directly upon the head of 

 St. Mary's Loch. From the west, a good road from 

 Moifat, which is two miles from the Beattock station 

 of the Caledonian Railway, runs up the vale of Moffat 

 and down Little Yarrow to Tibbie's a distance of 

 fifteen miles. This road is continued down the north 

 side of the loch and down the Yarrow. 



So now we must bid Tibbie Shiels farewell ; and 

 who as he drank the stirrup-cup at her door ever 

 did so without regret ? Esto perpetua, we would fain 

 say to the aged hostess ; but since that may not be, 

 we can only hope that the nest-like shelter between 

 the lochs may for generations be open to the angler, 

 and may be presided over by some one that, in kindli- 

 ness, attention, and lastly, moderation of charge, may 

 emulate thee, Tibbie ! 



As we saunter along the road by the side of the 

 loch on our way down the vale of Yarrow, we must 

 pause to note some of the more remarkable features of 

 a scene that has had such a singular attraction alike 

 for the old ballad-monger and the modern poet. There 

 is no swan on still St. Mary's lake, u floating double, 

 swan and shadow,' ' for only in the hardest winters 

 have these waters such a visitant. But as we pass 

 the mouth of the Meggat, we mark Henderland, near 

 which are the ruins of an old castle that was the 

 scene of one of King James's sudden descents. The 

 royal asserter of law on the borders pounced upon 

 Percy Cockbtirn of Henderland one morning in 1529, 

 hanged him over his own gate, and left his body with 

 his weeping wife, whose faithful care of his remains 

 has come down to us in a ballad than which there is 



