EDINBURGH TO THE ROMAN CAMP. 73 



rather brighter and stronger in the staple. Sutherland 

 wools^ v/hich principally come up in Jnlv, are excel- 

 lent for stockings, tweeds, pilot-cloths, blankets, 

 and blue flannels. Ross-shire sends good laid Che- 

 viot and blackface, and the sheep-farms of Easter 

 Eoss some of the best bred and half-bred wools. 



The Highland smearing system extends through In- 

 verness, Argyllshire, lloss-shire, and Perthshire (ex- 

 cept in the agricultural parts) ; and these counties, with 

 Morayshire, parts of Banffshire and Aberdeenshire,^ 

 Forfarshire, Fife, Kinross, and the agricultural parts 

 of Stirlingshire, nearly all send white wool. Skye is 

 faithful to laid, TV'hich is principally Cheviot, and very 

 fine in the staple. South of the Forth, the public 

 feeling has gone against smearing for some years past, 

 and the flock -masters chiefly apply dressing which v.ill 

 not stain the wool. Peebleshire is great 1)oth in Che- 

 viot and Blackfaced, and the pastures of Ayrshire bor- 

 dering on Galloway, and Galloway itself, produce a 

 closer and finer growth of wool, which the clothiers 

 love. Wool is sold at character fairs, Inverness, Fort 

 William, Oban, Inverary, Crieff, and Tyndrum, which 

 are all held in July. St. Boswells unites a wool cha- 

 racter and pitched sheep fair, and so does George - 

 mas ; Jedburgh, Peebles, Biggar, and Kelso sell, but 

 never pitch ; and Hawick has reg^ilar pitched wool 

 sales of its own. 



The Highland Society was formed in 1784, at a 

 small meeting in the Cowgate. Lord Karnes had 

 given the times a wrench by his writings, and " Sir 



