GRANTOWN TO FORRES. 203 



by Grants, which appellation with every variety of Christian 

 name is written at least on nine houses out of every ten, the 

 traveller comes out on the extended flats and moors of the 

 district round Brae Moray, where there is scarcely a sign of 

 life, animal or human ; excepting when a grouse rises from 

 the edge of the road, or runs with comb and head erect a few 

 yards into the heather, and then crouches till the intruder 

 has passed by. There is, I admit, a turnpike-house here, but 

 it is a wretched-looking affair, and its tenant must live a life 

 as solitary as a lighthouse keeper. After several miles of 

 this most dreary though not very elevated range, the road 

 enters the woods and for a long distance passes through a 

 succession or rather one continued track of fine fir-trees. It 

 goes through the beautiful grounds of Altyre, and along the 

 banks of the most picturesque part of the Findhorn ; and 

 gradually descending it opens upon the rich fields and firth 

 of Moray, with the mountains of Ross, Caithness, and Suther- 

 land a glorious range in the background : a great and 

 most pleasing change from the dreary brown muirland near 

 Brae Moray. Having passed through this long and varied 

 track of woodland, the road suddenly emerges into the rich 

 open corn-land of the most fertile district in Scotland, near 

 the bay of Findhorn, where the river, as if tired by its long 

 and rapid course, gradually and slowly mixes itself with the 

 salt water of the Moray Firth. By crossing the river near 

 this spot, another very different kind of country is reached 

 the strange sand-hills of Findhorn or Culbin. Thus, in a 

 very few hours' drive, as great a variety of country is passed 

 through as could be found in any part of the island, each 

 portion of which is characteristic and interesting. 



Forres itself is one of the prettiest and cleanest little towns 

 in the kingdom. The entrance from the river Findhorn is 

 extremely picturesque ; and the bright sparkling burn, with 

 the public bleaching-green close to the town, always gives it 

 a gay and lively appearance. The town magistrates, too, with 

 public-spirited zeal, have laid out pleasure-grounds and walks 

 on the wooded hill above the town, which, as regards the 

 views which they command of rich cultivated land, are 

 probably not surpassed by any in the kingdom. 



During the time that the snow remained on the ground, 

 the rabbits in a wood near my house took to barking the fine 

 old hollies, thus destroying trees of a very great age, and of 

 from eight to ten inches in diameter. Oaks also of twenty 



