Ben MacDhui in September 



seemed uncertain of their bearings, and ultimately flew west 

 across the deep ravine of the Lairig, making in the direc- 

 tion of the Moine Mhor — or Big Moss — to the westward of 

 Cairn Toul, where they nest. 



As I neared Lochan Buidhe mist and wet snow once more 

 were sweeping across the plateau from the north, but the 

 storm was short-lived and soon the sun was shining strongly. 

 I have often wondered how came the name Lochan Buidhe, 

 or, in English, the Yellow Tarn, to be given to the lochan. 

 The tarn has the usual wonderful clearness that characterizes 

 the waters of the Cairngorms, but to-day the grasses sur- 

 rounding the lochan were already browned by the Arctic 

 winds, and contrasted strikingly with the fresh green 

 grass on the more sheltered slopes of the hill. It would 

 thus seem that from these yellow grasses the lochan takes 

 its name. 



All plant life of the high tops has, even in fine weather, 

 but a poor time of it, and during a cold and sunless summer 

 the clan of the grasses are unable to ripen their fruit before 

 being struck down by September frosts and snows. Near 

 the top of Ben MacDhui hill grasses in sheltered hollows 

 were this mid-September day still endeavouring to com- 

 plete their flowering spikes, but they had not succeeded, 

 nor indeed at that late date was there much chance of 

 success. 



Than these grasses the Alpine willow (Salix herbacea) 

 is swifter by far in its growth. Already in its catkins were 

 fully developed seeds, and the small green leaves were begin- 

 ning to take on the yellow and brown tints of autumn. 



Over almost the whole of the Ben MacDhui-Cairngorm 

 plateau one comes across excavations where, in the years 

 that are past, stalkers and others dug for Cairngorm stones. 

 These stones were usually discovered where a vein of quartz 

 disappeared beneath the ground, and some very fine speci- 

 mens were from time to time found. The stones, or crystals 

 of smoked quartz, are now very rare, since all the most likely 

 L x6i 



