﻿20 
  

  

  INTEODUCTION. 
  

  

  stretches 
  northward 
  for 
  about 
  two 
  miles, 
  forming 
  a 
  fine 
  

   sandy 
  shore, 
  backed 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  belt 
  of 
  sandy 
  knolls 
  clothed 
  

   with 
  bent 
  and 
  whin. 
  At 
  the 
  north 
  end 
  stands 
  the 
  fishing 
  

   village 
  of 
  Cruden, 
  or 
  Ward 
  of 
  Cruden, 
  now 
  better 
  known 
  

   as 
  Port 
  Erroll. 
  In 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  village 
  the 
  Water 
  of 
  

   Cruden 
  falls 
  into 
  the 
  ocean. 
  The 
  country 
  adjacent 
  to 
  our 
  

   course 
  for 
  some 
  miles 
  inland 
  is 
  flattish 
  and 
  bare, 
  little 
  

   or 
  no 
  wood 
  existing. 
  The 
  Castle 
  of 
  Slains, 
  a 
  fine 
  building, 
  

   the 
  residence 
  of 
  the 
  Earl 
  of 
  Erroll, 
  stands 
  upon 
  a 
  tongue 
  

   of 
  red 
  granite, 
  and 
  surrounded 
  on 
  three 
  sides 
  by 
  the 
  sea. 
  

   With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  patches 
  of 
  cultivated 
  land 
  

   near 
  the 
  castle, 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  clump 
  of 
  stunted 
  trees 
  about 
  

   a 
  mile 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  there 
  is 
  nothing 
  to 
  beautify 
  the 
  scene 
  

   — 
  all 
  is 
  barren 
  moory 
  land. 
  

  

  The 
  district 
  westward 
  takes 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  basin, 
  

   its 
  rim 
  being 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  coast 
  line 
  and 
  high 
  ground 
  

   inland. 
  This 
  is 
  nearly 
  all 
  under 
  cultivation, 
  but, 
  like 
  the 
  

   most 
  of 
  Buchan, 
  has 
  little 
  to 
  recommend 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  

   scenery, 
  though 
  it 
  is 
  interesting 
  historically, 
  and 
  its 
  annals 
  

   have 
  been 
  graphically 
  given 
  to 
  us 
  in 
  Buchan, 
  by 
  the 
  late 
  

   Rev. 
  Dr. 
  Pratt. 
  The 
  coast 
  line, 
  however, 
  presents 
  many 
  

   points 
  of 
  grandeur 
  — 
  bold 
  rocky 
  heights 
  with 
  outstanding 
  

   pillars, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  present 
  quaint 
  likenesses 
  to 
  human 
  

   and 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  living 
  creatures. 
  The 
  Rock 
  of 
  Dunbuy 
  

   attracts 
  special 
  attention. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  magnificent 
  mass 
  of 
  

   granite, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  forms 
  a 
  grand 
  rugged 
  

   arch, 
  the 
  resort 
  in 
  summer 
  of 
  numerous 
  Puffins, 
  Guille- 
  

   mots, 
  Razorbills, 
  Herring 
  Gulls, 
  and 
  Rock 
  Pigeons; 
  indeed, 
  

   it 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  breeding 
  places 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  named 
  

   to 
  be 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  coast. 
  Here, 
  many 
  deep 
  narrow 
  

   creeks 
  run 
  far 
  inland, 
  flanked 
  with 
  dark, 
  heavy, 
  frowning 
  

   masses 
  of 
  overhanging 
  rocks. 
  

  

  Such 
  is 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  until 
  the 
  Bullers 
  of 
  

   Buchan 
  are 
  reached. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  wide 
  semicircular 
  cauldron 
  

   surrounded 
  by 
  high 
  perpendicular 
  cliffs, 
  and 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  

  

  