REPORT OF MEETINGS FOR 1901 103 



Mr Lockie, and the gardener, Mr Chapman, we traversed a 

 " pergola " leading to the well-kept gardens, where are Portugal 

 laurels, which fruit here, and an elaborate sun-dial in the 

 centre of eight diverging gravel walks, with flower beds 

 between, and cypress sentinels guarding the end of each walk. 

 Lower down the sloping ground is a broad grass terrace, whereon 

 Lady Anne's ghost is reputed to roam. Here, in Mr Lockie's 

 words, Lady John used to say that if any one wanted to see 

 a ghost they had but to go out at the midnight hours, when 

 they would observe " Leddy Anne" flit three times backwards 

 and forwards along the grassy walk. To the south of the 

 house we passed through an arch made in a remarkable holly 

 hedge, which stands twenty to twenty-five feet high, planted 

 more than sixty years ago ; and then we saw a magnificent 

 three-branched silver fir, perhaps two hundred years old, which 

 in a recent storm had lost one huge branch, nearly half of 

 the tree. At the west of the house, ranged on either side of 

 a shaded pathway, is the Dogs' Cemetery, where some thirty 

 tombstones record the names of deceased favourites. 



Occupying a commanding site, the mansion house has an 

 ancient and modern portion, the former being now used as 

 kitchen, hall, and servants' rooms, communicating with the 

 mansion proper, which was erected in 1830 by the late Mr 

 John Spottiswoode (father of Lady John) after designs by 

 Mr David Bryce, Edinburgli. The architecture is Elizabt than 

 in style, a long corridor running from east to west, with 

 dining room and drawing rooms adjoining. The house is 

 built of a beautiful pale pink stone, from a now disused 

 quarry at Bassendean. Amongst the portraits seen within 

 were those of various members of the family, including Arch- 

 bishop Spottiswooile of Glasgow ; and also of Mary Queen 

 of Scots and Prince Charles ; and amongst other notable things 

 a cleft helmet worn by a Spottiswoode at Flodden, a pair 

 of flintlock pistols which belonged to Prince Charles, and a 

 chair and footstool which Sir Colin Campbell brought out of 

 Sebastopol the day after its fall. In the drawing room 

 Colonel Milne Home had undertaken, at the suggestion of 

 the President, to arrange for the singing of " Annie Laurie," 

 with which song the name of Lady John Scott will remain 

 ever associated. It is well known that Lady John re-wrot© 



