3/6 An Account of the Excursions (191 1). [Sess. 



party walked up the avenue, which runs alongside the river 

 Almond, to the grotto and rustic bridge, with a marble slab 

 on the north side bearing the inscription, " Utile dulci." 

 From the bridge the party walked along the south bank of 

 the river and botanised the dell. Many of the early flower- 

 ing plants were found, and specimens of the edible morel 

 {Morchella esculenta) were gathered. A visit was then made 

 to the quaint old garden and the pond. The mansion-house 

 is a square building with two wings, in the classical style of 

 architecture, designed by Adam in the end of the eighteenth 

 century. The original name of the place was " Creagach," a 

 Celtic word meaning a craggy ridge. The estate was in the 

 time of David I. in the possession of John de Craigie, a wit- 

 ness to the original charter of Dundas of that Ilk, the most 

 ancient family in Scotland. By marriage the estate remained 

 in possession of the Stewarts till the middle of the seven- 

 teenth century, when it was sold to John Fairholm, Treasurer 

 of the City of Edinburgh. Henry Stewart of Craigiehall was 

 the chancellor of the jury who were summoned at Linlithgow 

 in 1606 to try the Presbyterian ministers accused of denying 

 the king's authority in matters ecclesiastical. Tradition says 

 that because he was the chief one of the majority who found 

 them guilty, it was prophesied that the family would never 

 afterwards prosper, and the prophecy was fulfilled; while Mr 

 Hope, who defended them, was created a baronet, and held the 

 office of King's Advocate, and one of whose descendants, Charles 

 Earl of Hopetoun, came into the possession of Craigiehall 

 by marriage. In 1733 the Hon. Charles Hope of Craigiehall 

 married the daughter of Sir William Weir of Blackwood, and 

 assumed the name of Weir or Vere. The present proprietor 

 of Craigiehall is his direct descendant. 



A visit was made on the following Saturday to Dollar and 

 the glen of Castle Campbell. The leader. Miss Mary N. 

 Allan, LX.A, met the members at the station, and conducted 

 them first to the well-known Dollar Academy. A short and 

 interesting account of the school and its founder was given 

 by Miss Allan, and the party then walked through the 

 glen to Castle Campbell. A larger number of plants than 

 usual at this season were seen in bloom. The leaves of 

 ferns were well unfolded, those of Zastrea Oreopteris and 



