28 



GARDENS OLD AND NEW. 



becoming the twenty-third Earl of Crawford. The new 

 owner of the estate, the Hon. Robert Lindsay, lived until 1836, 

 being succeeded by his son, General James Lindsay, M.P. 

 for Fifeshire, who made large additions to Balcarres House, 

 incorporating the old part with the new erection, and bringing 

 the mansion to the state almost in which we depict it. His son, 

 Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bart., also made considerable additions 

 and improvements, and then, as is very interesting to recall, 

 sold it again in 1886 to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, so 

 that the lands from which the title was derived came back once 

 more to the possession of the direct representative of the first 

 Earl of Balcarres, and of Lord Menmuir, the builder of the house. 

 The magnificent terraced gardens had been formed before 

 this time. They were laid out by Sir Coutts Lindsay, and 

 are considered second only in Scotland to those of Drummond 

 Castle. Their character is truly magnificent, and they make, 

 with double and single descents, a noble approach to the quaint 

 and beautiful box garden and the splendid circle and enclosing 

 rectangle which are illustrated. The pictures show better than 



is not less attractive than the other parts of the grounds, being 

 indeed a world of floral attraction as well as of useful products. 

 Balcarres House, having been inhabited by so many 

 interesting people, must needs be an interesting place. It has, 

 in fact, associations of many kinds, but we shall be content to 

 mention that here was written that pathetic ballad " Auld 

 Robin Gray." Its writer was Lady Anne Barnard, daughter 

 of the Earl of Balcarres, whose verses, as is acknowledged by 

 learned and unlearned alike, are strong and true, and are a 

 real pastoral, worth far more than all the dialogues of Corydon 

 and Phyllis from the days of Theocritus downward : 



" My father urged me sair, 



My uiither didna speak, 

 But she looked in my face 

 Till my heart was like to break." 



Here is reached a height of human emotion and self-sacrifice 

 which goes straight to the heart, speaking through the ballad 

 form of the verse. The fact that "Auld Robin Gray" was 

 written at Balcarres is always in the minds of those who visit 



THE SUNDIAL. 



words can describe how truly noble the gardens at Balcarres 

 are. They rank among the greatest of Scottish gardens, and 

 their favoured situation upon the southern slope is propitious 

 for all things that grow. The box garden, an admirable example 

 of pattern-work, the finely cut and dense yew hedges, the 

 conical yew trees, and the magnificent woods, are the great 

 features of the place. The advantage of such a manner of 

 gardening is that at every time of the year, even in the months 

 of winter, the eye can rest upon green foliage ; but the 

 sheltered situation gives many advantages to the gardener, 

 and the beds are full of flowers. Tub gardening is resorted to 

 extensively, and effects are attained not to be surpassed, 

 and when the frosts of winter come the tender trees can 

 be removed. A wealth of flowers, and the charm of the 

 well-kept formal qarden, are the chief attractions of the 

 immediate surroundings of Balcarres. Natural beauty must be 

 sought, as we have suggested, in the old woodl mds, an-1 up at 

 che Craig, whence the view is truly superb. But the situation 

 has favoured many kinds of gardening, and the kitchen garden 



the stately abode, and it lends a further attraction to the 

 beauteous scenes which are spread around. 



Here also is one of those characteristic sundials which are 

 so quaint and curious, forming such pleasing features in many 

 Scottish gardens. ScotlanJ is richer than England in its dials, 

 and the best of them have been an inspiration to many. 

 Scottish families in England have reproduced the dials of th.it 

 northern homes, and could anything be better than the grand 

 examples at Drummond, Balcarres, and Glamis Castles ? A 

 dial of Scottish type, lately set up by the Hon. Francis Bowes 

 Lyon at Ridley Hall, Northumberland, has an inscription that 

 deserves, in conclusion, t> be recorded here : 



" Ainjdst ye floures 



I tell ye houres. 

 " Time wanes away 



As floures decay. 

 " IU-yoiul ye toinbe 



I'resli flourcts blooinc. 

 " So limn shall rys^ 



Above ye skyes." 



