THE DEE 115 



old Bridge of Dee down to Balmoral Bridge. This gives 

 nearly 15 miles on the right and 6 on the left bank. The 

 royal forest ground extends southwards to the summit of 

 Lochnagar. It was just above Balmoral Bridge that Queen 

 Victoria and Prince Albert witnessed, in 1850, an exhibition of 

 salmon leistering. " It had a very pretty effect ; about 100 

 men wading through the river, some in kilts with poles and 

 spears, all very much excited." 1 



The present Balmoral Castle was erected in 1853-1855, and 

 is rather nearer the river than the former edifice. I understand 

 that improvements and enlargements were effected in King 

 Edward's time. The building is of Aberdeen granite, and its 

 appearance is so well known and so justly admired, that no 

 feeble description of mine is necessary. A vista is maintained 

 to the west giving a view up the river towards the mountains. 

 No view of this river was possible from the old house. My 

 photograph (frontispiece) is taken from the bank of the river 

 looking down the vista to the castle. 



Abergeldie (the mouth of the clear stream) is 2 miles down 

 the river from Balmoral. It is a most picturesque old castle 

 with its massive square tower harled yellow. The swinging 

 river splashes along quite close at hand, and the grounds are 

 richly wooded with fir, larch, and birch. There is a belief 

 that when Burns wrote " The Birks of Aberfeldy," he used 

 considerable licence, since no birches existed at Aberfeldy in 

 those days, while Abergeldie was famous in this respect. The 

 fact seems to be, as shown by Burns' own note in the Glenriddell 

 volume, that the song refers to Aberfeldy, and that it was 

 written by the poet when standing under the fall of Moness. 

 The confusion has probably arisen, however, through the fact 

 that the chorus corresponds with that of a much older song 

 called " The Birks of Abergeldie," and that Burns' song was 

 put to the tune of the older song. " The Birks of Aberfeldy " 

 was written on 30th August, 1787. 



There are, I believe, about fifteen good pools in Abergeldie, 

 of which Pal Mahalmoch and the Boat Pool of Clackenturn 

 (what a name for a mill !) are generally considered the best, as 

 they fish at any reasonable height of water. Birkhall comes 

 next below on the right bank and extends nearly to Ballater. 

 1 Journal of our Life in the Highlands, 1868, p. 125. 



