200 Account of some remarkable Holly Hedges, fyc. 



from the ground, from four and a half to five feet round. 

 Many of the Hollies are variegated, but these are of rather 

 smaller dimensions. Both the plain and variegated trees 

 were originally planted as hedges, and were kept clipped in 

 the Dutch fashion until 1778, when the hedges were de- 

 stroyed, but the finest specimens of the trees being then pre- 

 served, they have grown to the sizes here stated. 



From the circumstance of the rapid growth and fine ap- 

 pearance of the different hedges and trees I have above 

 described, it may be supposed that the climate of Scotland 

 is peculiarly propitious to the growth of the Holly. All 

 those however which have been noticed, have been planted 

 by the hand of man ; but in the remaining instance of fine 

 Hollies which I have to notice, I am inclined to consider 

 them as in a perfectly native state, and indigenous to the 

 spot. 



The trees I allude to are growing on an extensive bank, to 

 the east of, and contiguous to, Gordon Castle, the seat of the 

 Duke of Gordon, near Fochabers, in Bamffshire. The 

 bank is nearly one-third of a mile long, running from north 

 to sovith, and facing the west in an irregular curve, broken 

 by projections and hollows, down which rills of water flow 

 into a small burn at its base. The slope of the bank varies 

 from thirty to one hundred and twenty-five feet ; the ground 

 below it is quite flat, that above the slope rises gradually 

 towards the east. The flat part is kept as pleasure ground, 

 and is traversed by a gravel walk running along the foot of 

 the slope and passing close by its projecting angles. The 

 burn runs parallel to and on the west of the walk, being 

 separated from it by a narrow strip of grass. A flat of short 



