272 N1MROUS NORTHERN TOUR. 



which appeared shortened by the amusing discourse of the 

 laird's coachman, Jemmy Reid, who drove me, one of the old- 

 fashioned sort of servants, who appeared as if he acknowledged 

 but one God, and one master, in whose service he had lived 

 since service he had been able to perform. It was delightful 

 to hear how he considered himself as it were embodied with 

 everything that appertained to his earthly master, for it was our 

 hounds, our horses, our property he took great pains to show 

 me where " our property " began, but it would have been, I be- 

 lieve, difficult for him to have shown me where it ended and so 

 on to the end of the chapter. 



The abbey is situated within two miles of Crieff, the first town 

 in this direction by which the highlands are approached, in 

 grounds of great extent and park-like appearance, although not 

 stocked with deer ; ornamented with good timber and a fine lake, 

 at the head of which the old house stood ; sheltered on the north 

 by the Grampian, and on the south by the Ochill mountains, of 

 nearly Alpine height, and at this time, Soracte-like, made to 

 appear still higher than they are, by their summits being capped 

 with snow. But I had nearly forgotten one part of my story ; 

 a notice of the fine vale of Strathearn, in which this abbey 

 stands. It is thirty miles in length, watered by fine rivers, and 

 filled with seats of noblemen and gentlemen beyond what is often 

 to be found in any part of Great Britain. In fact, I reckoned a 

 list of seventeen seats, amongst which are those of Lords Strath- 

 earn, Kinnaird, Lyndoch, Willoughby D'Eresby, and Rolls ; 

 Dowager Lady Baird.; Sirs Robert Dundas, Patrick Murray, 

 John Stewart, &c., c., of the occupiers of which, or their sons, 

 twelve take the field with the hounds. The gallant and sporting 

 Lord Lyndoch has a large property in the vale, on which, as may 

 be imagined, there is no lack of foxes. 



But a word or two more of the abbey, for I can assure you, 

 reader, it is well worth your notice, should your steps lead you 

 towards Strathearn. It is a rich specimen of the Gothic, 

 originally designed by Crichton, assisted by the taste of Mr. 

 Moray who, by the works which I saw in his library, has made 

 architecture his study and the late additions are from the de- 

 signs of Mr. Dickson, of Edinburgh, successor, I believe, to 

 Crichton. It is built of the stone of the country, peculiarly 

 adapted by its colour, which is a light grey, to the chaste 

 features of the edifice, and doubtless conveying to a chastened 

 eye that calm and sober pleasure which arises from grand and 

 simple symmetry. It must elicit applause, however, from all be- 

 holders, not merely by its effect, which is imposing to a great 



