1 8 INTRODUCTION 



and fern-like rowan, all in the fresh foliage of 

 the season. Many wild-flowers gleamed among 

 the grass, and numerous birds sang sweetly in 

 the branches. The other portion held down- 

 wards, passing over a bridge, and followed the 

 channel of the second stream through a pass 

 in the damp, dark rock, only a few yards in 

 width. The sunshine seldom reached it, and 

 in consequence the place was chilly on the 

 hottest day. Here were no pleasant surround- 

 ings. Gloomy rocks replaced the graceful 

 foliage, and granite chips the gay flowers. 

 There were no bird-songs. The water, which 

 gleamed in the sunlight beside the one 

 path, ran in darkness beside the other. Both 

 routes attained the same goal the free air 

 and light on the mountain above but they 

 led through almost opposite conditions during 

 this part of their course. 



I am now far away from the Ochils, but 

 the memory of these two paths has come back 

 to me, and has suggested an analogy which 

 may form an appropriate introduction to this 

 little book. As there were two routes to the 

 hills, passing through the glen, a higher and 

 a lower, so there are two ways of approaching 



