588 . Recollections of a Gardening Tour. 



end of the 17th century (1685), for his own residence; but he 

 did not live to see it completed. A more symmetrically arranged 

 house and gardens there could not well be. The approach to 

 the house is a straight avenue on one uniform slope, very nearly 

 a level, produced by cutting through hills and filling up hollows, 

 in a manner most instructive to the landscape-gardener. The 

 whole place has been unoccupied for nearly half a century; but 

 the walls being substantial, it might be restored at a moderate 

 expense, and be one of the finest things of the kind in Scotland. 

 An excellent hint for the walls of kitchen-gardens might be 

 taken from those of Kinross House, and the terraced platforms, 

 though in ruins, are not less instructive. Even the walls of the 

 sunk fences here are finished with massive stone copings, with 

 mouldings, weatherings, and throatings, so substantial as to 

 appear as sound as when they were first put up. In the woods 

 there are some fine old sycamores, pines, beeches, and elms. 

 There is a good inn at Kinross, and the trout caught in the lake 

 are excellent. 



Aug. 7. — Kiiiross to Kincardine. After spending some time 

 in examining the scenery of the Rumbling Bridge, well known 

 for its romantic rocks and waterfalls, we enter 



Blair Hill; Haig, Esq., a residence finely situated, 



and capable of immense improvement. Nothing can be finer 

 than the situation of the north wall of the kitchen-garden, which, 

 if it had been artistically built, with a broad border and terrace 

 walk in front, would have been quite unique. This idea, indeed, 

 is adopted, but not artistically carried out; and, though there are 

 a wall and walk already existing 1300 ft. in extent, they are as 

 different in style and execution from what they ought to be, as 

 a mud hut is from a stone-built cottage. Ribes sanguineum 

 with very large, slightly acid, agreeable fruit, Nemophila ato- 

 maria with double flowers, and an excellent variety of early 

 potato, were pointed out to us by the gardener, Mr. Bar, who 

 had every thing in excellent order. The farmyard is very 

 complete; and there is a threshing-machine driven by an over- 

 shot water-wheel 25 ft. in diameter; the water is brought across 

 a hollow way by an inverted siphon. 



The Botanic Garden at Dollar belongs to the Dollar Insti- 

 tution, which was founded by a native of the place, Mr. M'Nab, 

 who came to London without being able either to read or write, 

 made a large fortune, and, having no child, left his property for 

 the education, free of expense, of the natives of Dollar, and, 

 under certain restrictions, of the children of the adjoining parishes. 

 There is a large well arranged building for the classes, lectures, 

 and library, and good houses and gardens for masters of the 

 different departments of knowledge ; but, strange to say, the 

 managers have been quarrelling among themselves for several 

 years past, so that the good that would have been done by the 



