COR GAR F CASTLE. 
T H I S building is fituated in a very wild and mountainous country, not far from 
thefource of the River Don; which, after winding its courfe for a ftretch of near 
feventy miles, falls inco the fea near to the town of Old Aberdeen, part of the 
hiflory of which is given in the fucceeding pages, accompanying the view of the 
college. 
At Kildrumy Cajlk, a narrow defile, opens a diftinguifhed pafs into the more high- 
land country i die path winding round the fteep fides of dark and forlorn hills, feems 
gloomy and forbidding, but after a few miles, the profpett opens into a large extent of 
Well-culcivated fields, fpreading round the Kirk-town of Towie. From thence, up 
the river and along the banks of the Don , the road is level and pleafant, every turn 
prefents trefh views of improvements adjacent to the refidences of the proprietors of 
thefe efiates, which are occafionaliy feen amidft woods in the openings of the glens, 
an d on the declivities of che hills ; and old cattles, the feats of former heritors, frequently 
appearing on the (till higher grounds, feem to give additional importance to the land- 
iC ape. At Glenkindif, the banks of the Don are delightful to a great degree j a little 
beyond, upon a rifing ground, amid aged and decaying trees, there is a fquare tower, 
and other remains of an old baronial houfe, which from the name of the adjacent 
valley is called the caftle of Glenbucket, and is now annexed to the eftates of the earl of 
Fife.— On the fide of the oppofite hill, there are fome underground houfes, on account 
of which, the Situation was more particularly diftinguifhed, in cafe of any travellers 
vdfhing to examine their flrudture in perfon. 
They are certainly a fpecies of places of refuge meant to be concealed; fecret ftrong 
bolds, built by the chiefs of the Clans, in the early and very turbulent periods of 
fociety. They are long gloomy cells, the entrance to which is very narrow and con- 
fined 5 and could therefore be eafily defended by a few, againft far fuperior ftrength and 
numbers. Part of the roof of one is broken up, this throws light into the vault, which 
ftews it to have been built up at the fides with great art and care, with well-fe- 
bfted but unhewn ftones, gradually projected towards the roof, and clofed above with 
long flag Hones, or huge granite (labs. Over the whole a vaft ftrata of earth and 
*Urf had been laid and levelled, fo as to correfpond, in appearance, with the furround- 
ln g furface of the hill ; and without forming any mound that could diftinguifh the 
place where this recefs had been excavated and built below. Thefe item to have been 
a kind of out-works, or necefiary appendage to towers and places of ftrength ; to yield 
a fafe and fecure retreat from the purfuit and violence of invaders ; and for lying in 
‘toait, to awe or furprife approaching enemies. From hence on to Corgarf, a ride of 
tWent y miles, it is pleafant enough along the banks of the Don ; tho' nothing elfe 
°ccurs to detain attention long, but variety ofprofpeds ; wild, majeftic, gloomy; and 
fome animating and chearful ones, alternately coming in view. 
Corgarf itfelf is but an oid cafteliated houfe, which, when fitted up with fome 
additional buildings, was conftituted into a kind of fortrefs, and garrifoned by 
C c government 
