1891.
Aug 29
(no 2)
Scottland.
The Trossachs. - a clear, rapid, shallow river which 
we crossed and recrossed several times. On either
side were rough pasture with springy runs and
marshy hollows. In them were feeding Highland
sheep and cattle, the former small and compact
with black-mottled faces both ewes (apparently) and
rams bearing horns, the cattle small, wild-
looking beasts covered with hair nearly as long
and shaggy as that of our Bisons (some of
them actually had long forelocks and well
developed names.)
  I saw a flock of five goosanders flying down
river keeping directly over the stream and hence
following its many windings closely, several
Mallards higher in air turning straighter
courses, Swallows skimming close over the
turf in the pastures, and three Whinchats
in a patch of gorse.
  Passing Loch Vennachar, the shores of which
are too open to be particularly attractive, we
came to Loch Achray, a sheet of water about
a mile in length bordered on two sides
by oak woods through which the road
passed skirting the water closely. Here
the Trossachs begin. The Trossachs Hotel,
at which we were to spend Sunday, is
near the upper end of the Loch with
an open field stretching down to the shore.
On the further side of the Lake rises
the finest mountain that I have ever seen,
Ben Venue. Although treeless it is clothed