1858.] NOTES ON THE FLORA OF BRAEMAR. 419 



v' 



Dryas octopetala, which were previously thought to be restricted 

 4o the Clova range. The principal matter of surprise is, what ( ^^^ ) 

 can render this particular mountain slope so especially attractive 

 to the delicate alpine plants. As Macgillivray justly observes, — 

 " One cannot guess the reason of their preferring this spot, the 

 hill being of little elevation (probably not more than 2000 feet), 2 *'>■•> 

 and not obviously different from those near it, which are of 

 quartzose mica-slate. Ben-na-buird and Ben Avon are of coarse 

 red granite, part of the greater Craig-an-dal seems to be of 

 porphyry, and the hill of which the lesser Craig-an-dal is the 

 extremity^ is of laminated micaceous quartz and mica- slate. 

 Astragalus alpmus is not known to occur on any of the granitic 

 mountains ; in its other recorded station, Glen Dole, the rock is 

 slaty." This choice alpine rarity, as well as most of the other 

 valuable plants that grow there, confine themselves exclusively to 

 the western slope of the mountain ; the former is so abundant 

 that it forms quite a dense turf over a space about 300 yards 

 long by 100 broad (this is no exaggeration, for I took the pains 

 to pace it out carefully), and therefore, although the deer seem 

 to have some partiality for it^ and crop the flowers very close in 

 some places, there is little danger of its being ever eradicated . ■ ;,' 

 by insatiable botanists. Dryas octopetala, Tofieldia palustris, 

 Thalictrum alpinum^ Sanssurea alpina, and many other choice 

 species, grow plentifully along the little watercourses that trickle 

 down the mountain-side, while the lovely Saxifraga oppositifolia 

 and Silene acaulis cover in many places with a rich mantle of 

 purple and crimson whole square-yards of the bright greensward. 

 The spot is within an easy two hours' walk of Castleton ; but 

 the exact place is difficult to find without a guide, from the 

 absence of any distinct features to serve as guide-marks. 



4. Corry of Loch Ceander. — About two miles above Castleton, 

 Glen Cbmy forks into two branches, — the one to the right being 

 Glen Cluny proper, and continuing its course towards Glass 

 Meal ; — the other, which is called Glen Callater, making a sharp 

 turn to the left at the farmhouse of Achallater, brings us^ in the 

 course of three miles further, to the foot of Loch Callater, a small 

 lake about a mile long and a third of a mile in breadth. Here 

 the carriage-road ceases, but a footpath winding along the east 

 shore of the lake leads up for three miles further into the glen, 

 till a deep recess appears opening upon us on the right, shut i^ 



