26 A Visit to Glen Glova : Its Geology and Ferns. 



spicuous object on the cliffs to the south of the town, was 

 dedicated to that lady. 



After this we did not see much of the land, owing to the 

 curve of the coast-line, until we approached the Feme and 

 Staple Isles, and Lindisfarn, or Holy Island. The weather 

 was so favourable that we sailed between the former and the 

 shore. We passed within half-a-mile of St.. Abb's Head 

 just at sunset, and the sight of this fine headland alone, 

 we felt, would have repaid us for coming by sea. The rock is 

 a dark red colour, but, in the more sloping places, w^s covered 

 with vegetation which, in the declining rays of the sun, 

 appeared an unusually bright green ; while here and there 

 were patches of yellow lichen, and all the sheltered ledges 

 were white with gulls, hundreds of which were flying about. 



It was quite dark when we reached Tantallon Castle and 

 the Bass Eock. "We arrived at Leith at 11 o'clock the same 

 night. 



After staying a couple of days in Edinburgh and seeing a 

 few of the " lions," including the charming Botanical Gardens, 

 said to be the finest in Europe for their size, we took a steamer 

 from Granton Pier to Stirling. The scenery on each side of 

 the Forth is said to be very lovely, but as we were favoured 

 with a Scotch mist and a little rain, we are not in a position 

 to pass an opinion upon it. The numerous windings of the 

 river between Alloa and Stirling, known as the "Links of 

 Forth,-" are very remarkable. 



We spent an hour or two looking over the Castle, which was 

 for a long time a favourite residence of the Scottish kings, but 

 is now used as a barrack ; and a regiment of Highlanders were 

 then stationed in it, who, in their kilts, added greatly to the 

 picturesqueness of the scene. 



It is situated on a hill, and which rises gradually from the 

 east, but terminates abruptly in a precipice, below which is a 

 large expanse of level country. The Wallace monument, a 

 memorial tower now in construction on a lofty hill on the 

 opposite side of the river, forms a conspicuous object in the 

 landscape. 



In the afternoon, we took the train on to Forfar, which we 

 had determined to make our headquarters for a few days, for 

 although it is in itself a very dull, uninviting town, there are 

 several very interesting places within easy access. Our first 

 excursion was to the famed coves and caves of Forfarshire, for 

 which we took the train to Arbroath, where are the ruins of a 

 fine Abbey founded by William the Lion, in 1178, who was 

 afterwards buried in it ; it was dedicated to St. Thomas a 

 Becket. It was chiefly built in the early English or first 

 pointed style of Gothic architecture. The church was 269 feet 



