1857.] TOUR IN SCOTLAND. 11 



breakfast comfortably at Kenmore, and come within three or 

 four miles of the top of Ben Lawers by ten o^ clock, leaving him 

 a good long day for his botanical pursuits. Clever, clean-limbed 

 youths from the adjoining cottages are said to reach the summit 

 of the mountain in an hour ; but suppose the ascent to occupy an 

 hour and a half, there are still eight or nine hours for botanizing. 

 The botanist will do well to secure his quarters for the night at 

 Lawers Inn, from which, if his time and the weather permit, he 

 may ascend the mountain ad libitum. If he has once fairly seen 

 the mauntain, its appendages and approaches, in a moderately 

 clear day, he may ascend it alone without any apprehensions of 

 either losing his way or coming on steep, rocky precipices, down 

 which it might be impossible to descend. But for botanizing on 

 Ben Lawers at the least expenditure of time, exertion, and money, 

 we prefer a plan broached by one of our Scottish correspondents, 

 and published in the 302nd page of the ' Phytologist' for 1856. 

 The outlines of the plan proposed, but not yet carried out, so far 

 as we know, was to associate a certain number of active botanists, 

 who were to be provided with a portable tent, supplying suffi- 

 cient accommodation for passing the night on the mountain. 



When we returned homewards by Aberfeldie we called upon a 

 botanical friend, who told us that he and some others passed a 

 night on Ben Lawers, with no protection from the cold but what 

 a projecting rock might have afforded. This is a sacrifice of com- 

 fort which only a very ardent botanist can make. But with a 

 small tent, which a stout youth could carry up to or near to the 

 summit, and with a supply of provisions and a little fuel, the night, 

 or even several nights, might be passed, even on this inhospitable- 

 looking locality. Many sheltered nooks, or even cavities, are to 

 be found, dry enough for spreading a heather -bed on, and the 

 protection of a tent would suffice to preserve several persons from 

 the effects of the cold, which at that altitude is very intense. In 

 this latitude and in summer the nights are very short ; properly 

 speaking, there is no night there during several weeks, and the 

 cold before sun-rising, though severe, is but of short duration. 

 A still more comfortable method of ascent might be devised, 

 though not so efficient for botanical purposes, as the nocturnal 

 bivouac on the mountain. A horse and cart, with a driver to 

 take care of the quadruped during the ascent of those parts in- 

 accessible to any kind of carriage, might be obtained at Killin for 



