﻿14 
  

  

  INTBODUCTION. 
  

  

  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  cliffs 
  are 
  many 
  holes 
  and 
  narrow 
  terraces, 
  

   formed 
  by 
  the 
  powerful 
  agency 
  of 
  frost, 
  rain, 
  and 
  wind. 
  

   Here 
  thousands 
  of 
  Kittiwakes, 
  Herring 
  Gulls, 
  Razorbills, 
  

   Guillemots, 
  and 
  Puffins, 
  a 
  few 
  Black 
  Guillemots, 
  a 
  pair 
  of 
  

   Peregrins, 
  and 
  the 
  Kestrel 
  resort 
  to 
  rear 
  their 
  young. 
  At 
  

   such 
  times 
  the 
  scene 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  animated 
  and 
  interesting 
  

   one, 
  and 
  few 
  places 
  are 
  better 
  adapted 
  for 
  studying 
  the 
  

   habits 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  mentioned. 
  "We 
  have 
  pitched 
  

   our 
  little 
  tent 
  upon 
  the 
  "Heugh 
  Heads," 
  and 
  watched 
  the 
  

   birds 
  so 
  long 
  as 
  light 
  remained, 
  and 
  listened 
  to 
  their 
  

   midnight 
  cries. 
  

  

  The 
  coast 
  line 
  continues 
  much 
  the 
  same 
  until 
  the 
  

   ruins 
  of 
  Dunnottar 
  Castle 
  are 
  reached. 
  High 
  cliffs 
  of 
  

   Bed 
  Sandstone 
  occur 
  at 
  Stonehaven, 
  but 
  the 
  older 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  town 
  is 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  above 
  high 
  -water 
  level. 
  

   The 
  depression 
  extends 
  landwards 
  for 
  some 
  miles, 
  bifur- 
  

   cating 
  near 
  the 
  town; 
  one 
  arm 
  runs 
  north-west-by-north, 
  

   while 
  the 
  other 
  takes 
  a 
  westerly 
  course. 
  The 
  latter 
  is 
  

   traversed 
  by 
  the 
  Water 
  of 
  Carron, 
  the 
  former 
  by 
  the 
  

   Water 
  of 
  Cowie, 
  both 
  small 
  streams 
  discharging 
  into 
  the 
  

   sea 
  at 
  Stonehaven. 
  At 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Cowie 
  Sandstone 
  

   again 
  appears, 
  and 
  in 
  turn 
  is 
  succeeded 
  by 
  Gneiss 
  and 
  other 
  

   crystalline 
  formations. 
  These 
  rise 
  in 
  places 
  to 
  great 
  heights, 
  

   and 
  have 
  been 
  much 
  disturbed 
  by 
  intrusive 
  dykes 
  of 
  Green- 
  

   stone, 
  resulting 
  in 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  many 
  narrow 
  creeks, 
  

   into 
  which 
  the 
  sea 
  rushes 
  with 
  great 
  force. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  Skateraw, 
  Gneiss 
  forms 
  the 
  coast 
  line, 
  

   and 
  here, 
  as 
  elsewhere, 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  cut 
  into 
  by 
  deep 
  creeks 
  

   known 
  as 
  Murray's 
  Heugh, 
  Batbridge 
  Bay, 
  White 
  May, 
  May 
  

   Craig, 
  and 
  Skateraw 
  Harbour. 
  On 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  this 
  is 
  

   the 
  Doo's 
  Cave, 
  a 
  beautiful 
  cavern, 
  in 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  

   several 
  pools, 
  full 
  of 
  exquisitely 
  coloured 
  anemones, 
  and 
  many 
  

   other 
  no 
  less 
  lovely 
  marine 
  forms. 
  Near 
  to 
  this 
  lies 
  what 
  

   is 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Needle's 
  E'e, 
  a 
  gallery 
  piercing 
  a 
  rock 
  

   about 
  300 
  feet 
  high. 
  Here, 
  too, 
  there 
  are 
  deep 
  creeks 
  known 
  

  

  