LONE GLEN ARTNEY. 



xlvii 



Crieff, and the junction of the three streams, the Lednock, the 

 Earn, and the Ruchil; and far beyond, the rugged spurs which 

 guard, as it were, the entrance to the glen of Artney and the 

 portals of Loch Earn. 



But there was nothing which struck us as distinctive enough 

 from much other Perthshii-e scenery to warrant our expending time 

 or negatives upon the general scenery. It was not till the higher 

 reaches of lone Glen Artney opened out to our vision that we 

 thought it necessary or expedient to do so. Arrived at the entrance 

 gate below the lodge of Glen Artney, I sat down opposite the long 

 and wild extension of the glen, or Strath-a-Glynne, which may 

 indeed be looked upon as the very acme of " loneness" in the centre 

 of the deer-forest. Mr. Xorrie made nearer approaches, and at last 

 was satisfied with three characteristic views of it. On a previous 

 occasion I had tramped over the slack in the hills from St. Fillans 

 to fish the Euchil Water from Dalclathic Bridge for sea-trout in 

 the harvest-time — and that was accomplished with fair success — 

 and I could even at this long lapse of time identify the route by which 

 I came. It passed through the large enclosed ground which is now 

 devoted to a fine herd of hill-ponies and cattle belonging to Mr. 

 Cairns, of Dalcruiu, and also harbours some introduced stags for 

 future advantage to the forest, which is closely adjoining. On our 

 way back, Mr. Xorrie secured a fine photo of *' lone Glen Artney's 

 hazel-sliades," in a view taken above Dalcruin and a little above 

 Dalclathic Bridge. We returned, after resting the horses, by the 

 lower road throusjh Comrie, and bv the main road between Crieff and 

 Comrie, continuing through similarly lovely scenery and luxuriant 

 foliage. The weather was simply magnificent ; and there was 

 none of the cold east wind which we were so soon to experience 

 before our travail was over. Many birds were noted — some thirty 

 species. What struck me as most remarkable was the abundance 

 of House-Martins and Swifts, the scarcity of Missel-Thrushes, the 

 early appearance of two Spotted Flycatchers near Comrie. (I saw 

 scarcely half a dozen afterwards in all our wanderings — right on 

 to June 10.) The Martins and Swifts had penetrated far up 

 among the very highest reaches of Glen Artney, but Swallows were, 

 on the other hand, distinctly scarce. The Cuckoo also was most 

 demonstrative — and this was the case in all the western glens of 



