General Sir William Howe, and feveral other officers oT diftinftion, made a party 
this autumn, and chofe the above caftle as their refidence during the hunting 
feafon. It is a high fquare tower, with turrets at the corners, and defended by 
outworks as a fortrefs; was built by government in the former century, and 
garrifoned, to guard that pafs through the highlands, and fecure the loyalty of th e 
inhabitants; but now, altogether fuperfluous in that view, happily ferves the more 
pleafing purpofe of affording accommodation to thofe who come, not to awe the 
country, but partake in the healthful paftime and entertainments which it affords- 
A vaft, precipitous, and rocky mountain, which towers into the eaftern flty* 
has Angular grandeur of effedft ; the whole range of hills connected with it afe 
peculiarly beautiful ; the high ranges of hoary cliffs, ftudded with loftieft pine s > 
and wreathed round with groves of birch-trees, whofe “ long and pendant bough 5 
furpafs the beauties of the weeping billow,” and the whole theatre of furrounding 
mountains, cloathed with extenfive forefls, afford the nobleft variety of wild an 
magnificent landfcape. , 
A little above the prefent caftle, there are the remains of a very ancient toW £U 
placed on the top of a rock, in an almoft infulated fituation ; the rock on thre e 
fides being wafhed by the cafcades of a rivulet, which foon tumbles into the V* ' 
This was one of their hunting feats of old, but now a deferted and folitary ruin> 
where nothing invites attention, but decayed walls, expreffive of the alteration 5 
all things undergo; and the rapid ftreams, which milling down the fteeps, then 
fullenly hurl over the rocks beneath, and footh with wild refieftion, by the inceft * 11 
roar of their noify torrents. 
