BRAEMAR. 369 



phyry, and beds of quartz darkened with horn- 

 blende. Gneiss, then, seems to prevail. — At last, 

 around the Castleton of Braemar, we find the 

 granite, of which the Grampians are composed, 

 and which, it is probable, runs beneath the w T hole / 

 of Scotland* 



Of this granite, it has been supposed, that the 

 great felspar bed of Glen-Tilt forms a branch. 

 I have, however, already noticed, that the latter 

 substance is not a granite ; and a simple inspec- 

 tion of the specimens shews at once, that the 

 oryctognostic characters of the rocks in question 

 are entirely distinct. 



It is proper to mention, that after passing the 

 Linn of Dee, my observations were made, not 

 along the channel of the river itself, but in the vi- 

 cinity of the road to Castleton. 



These remarks on the mineralogy of Gientilt 

 and Braemar, are calculated rather to excite than 

 to gratify curiosity, with regard to an interesting 

 range of alpine country, which has not yet been 

 examined with the attention it deserves. 



a a 



