ON THE COAST OF AERAN 133 



away; and now the roof -trees are broken, the 

 walls have fallen, and the hearths are left cold 

 and bare. Is it not the worst form of sacrilege 

 thus to break in upon the sanctities of human 

 life ? Such a place is sadder than a graveyard, 

 and we do not care to linger. 



And now the path, which seemed so clear a 

 mile or two away, is by no means easy to find. 

 I have often noticed this. The successive mark- 

 ings, which are so distinct from a distance, can 

 hardly be seen when we stand over them. 

 With a little trouble, however, we get into the 

 track. The turf and the heather have both 

 invaded its lines ; but still in most places you 

 may see the wheel-ruts made by the carts of a 

 previous generation. Evidently it started from 

 the now deserted village ; but where it went to 

 I cannot imagine, unless, indeed, there was 

 formerly a road running by the hill-side to 

 Loch Eanza instead of, as at present, along the 

 bottom of the valley. The path is well worth 



