﻿INTKODUCTION. 
  

  

  25 
  

  

  Leaving 
  this 
  on 
  our 
  right, 
  we 
  strike 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  

   middle 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Gonar 
  Burn, 
  while 
  on 
  our 
  left, 
  

   beside 
  Cowbog 
  and 
  the 
  farm 
  of 
  Todholes, 
  lies 
  the 
  source 
  

   of 
  the 
  south 
  branch 
  ; 
  the 
  third 
  and 
  most 
  northern 
  at 
  

   Windyheads 
  Hill 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Greenspeck. 
  These 
  three 
  

   branches 
  unite 
  at 
  Skelmanae, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  stream 
  is 
  

   known 
  as 
  the 
  Water 
  of 
  Strichen, 
  and 
  ultimately 
  by 
  the 
  

   name 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Ugie. 
  From 
  Northside 
  we 
  skirt 
  the 
  

   southern 
  border 
  of 
  Corthie 
  Moss 
  to 
  reach 
  the 
  hill 
  of 
  Bonny 
  

   Kelly, 
  where 
  lie 
  enormous 
  beds 
  of 
  peat, 
  many 
  acres 
  in 
  

   extent. 
  This 
  marks 
  the 
  line 
  between 
  "Moray" 
  and 
  "Dee." 
  

   Passing 
  the 
  villages 
  of 
  Newbyth, 
  Garmond, 
  and 
  Cumines- 
  

   town, 
  on 
  our 
  right, 
  our 
  line 
  runs 
  by 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  

   Hillhead 
  of 
  Cairncake 
  (446), 
  and 
  thence 
  to 
  Borderside, 
  

   where 
  it 
  turns 
  westward 
  to 
  Parkhill 
  and 
  Muirtack 
  to 
  near 
  

   the 
  Wagglehill 
  (406), 
  beside 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  Howe 
  of 
  Teuchar. 
  

   Here 
  the 
  boundary 
  turns 
  south-west, 
  passing 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  

   of 
  Deer's 
  Hill 
  (585), 
  and 
  over 
  Brown 
  Hill 
  to 
  near 
  Rosebrae, 
  

   where 
  it 
  descends 
  into 
  the 
  Ythan 
  valley 
  at 
  Auchterless 
  

   railway 
  station. 
  

  

  So 
  far, 
  the 
  country 
  forms 
  a 
  somewhat 
  high 
  tableland, 
  

   much 
  of 
  it 
  being 
  under 
  the 
  plough, 
  but 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  wood 
  

   except 
  on 
  the 
  Hill 
  of 
  Lendrum 
  (558), 
  near 
  Rosebrae, 
  which 
  

   is 
  now 
  covered 
  with 
  trees. 
  From 
  the 
  old 
  CastJe 
  of 
  Towie, 
  

   close 
  to 
  Auchterless 
  railway 
  station, 
  the 
  line 
  extends 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  to 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  Birkenhills, 
  where 
  it 
  again 
  bends 
  to 
  

   the 
  west 
  to 
  Loch 
  of 
  Braefoot, 
  a 
  shallow 
  and 
  weedy 
  sheet 
  

   of 
  water 
  some 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  acres 
  in 
  extent, 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  

   which 
  is 
  an 
  island 
  covered 
  with 
  willow 
  scrub, 
  the 
  haunt 
  of 
  

   the 
  Sedge 
  Warbler, 
  Reed 
  Bunting, 
  Willow 
  Wren, 
  Snipe, 
  and 
  

   Water 
  Hen. 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  point 
  the 
  limit 
  of 
  our 
  area 
  now 
  runs 
  past 
  

   the 
  farms 
  of 
  Glaslaw 
  and 
  Cleftbog. 
  About 
  half 
  -a- 
  mile 
  

   west-north-west 
  of 
  the 
  latter, 
  and 
  on 
  higher 
  ground, 
  lies 
  

   a 
  sheet 
  of 
  water 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Pitglassie, 
  but 
  

  

  