ROMANTIC SCENERY. 3 



occasionally stud the face of the landscape, with, 

 here and there, an old ruin perched on an island ; 

 the lesser hills that rise from their hanks heing 

 clothed with evergreen fir- woods, while deep glens, 

 covered with heather and surmounted hy rocky 

 peaks, fringed with hirch-trees, succeed each other 

 in endless variety, as the train rushes along. On 

 reaching Kinrara, all these elements of the pictu- 

 resque are seen to perfection. The rocks become 

 wilder, and as if thrown about in confusion hy a 

 Titan's hand, and the birch woods denser and 

 more extensive ; but every now and then, open 

 prairie-like glades, dotted with clumps of timber 

 trees, appear as if by magic, and give a dash of 

 civilization to the scenery. Beyond this the Spey 

 may still be seen, winding between its rocky 

 banks, and farther off the woods of Piothiemurchus 

 clothing the hills in the middle of the picture, 

 which, as the view recedes, become higher and 

 higher, until the eye rests at last on the dark 

 belts of perennially green pine forests, and beyond 

 these again the irregular outline of the Grampians 

 encloses the distant landscape. 



After passing Grantown, the railway, which has 

 hitherto nearly adhered to the direction of the 

 old Highland road, finally deserts the neighbour- 

 hood of the river and pursues a north-western 



B 2 



