XVI11 
INTRODUCTION. 
Glen Dole. The front of the mountain facing you above 
Acharne is called Craig Mellon, and is conspicuous from the 
hamlet of Clova, in the mornings generally wearing a misty 
coronal, and in the evenings often surrounded with the un- 
describable glory of an alpine sunset. The path winds round 
the base of Craig Mellon, and about a mile and a-half above 
Acharne, the Phee falls into the Dole. Glen Phee is on the 
left, and at its head are waterfalls that attract the eye soon 
after leaving Acharne. The Garryburn rocks bound it on 
the south, and Craig Rennet on the north, both of which are 
rich in alpine plants. The principal front of Craig Rennet, 
however, looks into the upper part of Glen Dole, and far- 
ther up, on the same s*ide of the glen, rises the bold rocky 
summit of Craig Maid. At the foot of this mountain, through 
a deep narrow gorge, the White Water pours down from the 
table-lands above, forming, in its descent, several beautiful 
waterfalls, which, though not of great magnitude, are ren- 
dered very picturesque from the romantic character of the 
scenery around. The vastness and grandeur of the rocky 
steeps above them diminish their effect upon the eye ; and 
even the fall of Feula, which comes down dashing and foam- 
ing from the western shoulder of the mountain, looks at a 
distance like a silver thread suspended among the verdant 
and flower-garnished cliffs. 
The rocks of Craig Rennet and Craig Maid, with the ra- 
vine of the White Water, and the table-lands above, form a 
paradise to the lover of alpine botany, as well as mountain 
scenery, — not a rocky shelf but displays some floral treasure, 
nor a glance on either side but imparts lofty and ennobling 
thoughts. In these mountain -solitudes one feels, as it were, 
in the immediate presence of his Maker, and this feeling, 
while it enhances the pleasure of such a pursuit, gives to it 
an importance which can only be appreciated by those minds 
that are accustomed to trace the wisdom and goodness of the 
Creator in His works. 
The lower parts of these mountains are composed of de- 
bris caused by the numerous descending streams and the 
