June  16,  1904. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
511 
A  North  ot  Scotland  Tour. 
^Y^HEN  the  sun  was  shining  brightly  on  one  of  those  exceptional 
W  days  in  the  weeping  month  of  August  last  year,  I  entered  the 
office  of  Messrs.  Cook  and  Son,  in  Princes  Street,  Edinburgh, 
my  native  and  well-beloved  city,  and  shortly  emerged  with  a  ticket 
for  a  circular  tour  in  parts  of  the  Highlands  where  previously  I  had 
never  journeyed.  Choosing  an  east  coast  train,  it  was  only  half  an 
hour  ere  the  Forth  Bridge,  with  Hopetoun  on  the  left,  had  been 
passed,  and  Kirkcaldy  (Kir-caddy)  reached.  Those  who  read  my 
notes  on  Hopetoun  in  the  S^ming  Number  for  1903  may  recall  what 
was  there  mentioned  of  the  various  local  features  in  view  fro.m  both 
the  Forth  Bridge  and  from  Hopetoun.  In  passing,  I  may  observe 
that  the  Earl  of  Hopetoun  has  returned  fi»m  Australia  since  my 
visit  to  his  noble  place,  and  has  lately  resolved  to  retire  almost 
wholly  from  public  life.  What  may  be  a  loss  in  the  wider  sense  will 
be  a  great  gain  locally,  for  his  lordship  is  still  a  young  man,  and 
will  interest  himself  in  the  affairs  of  his  estate  and  its  neighbourhood. 
In  the  Hopetoun  notes  of  1903  there  was  also  a  reference  to  the 
new  naval  base  at 
Eossyth,  but  I  ^ 
am  sadly  lacking 
in  knowledge  as 
to  what  is  being 
done  there  at 
present,  though 
when  operations  ^ 
do  commence — in 
the  building  of 
the  new  township 
—  I  understand 
the  Garden  City 
Association  will 
endeavour  to  real¬ 
ise  some  of  its 
plans.  The  offi¬ 
cials  of  the  asso¬ 
ciation  have  com¬ 
municated  with 
the  Admiralty, 
and  where  could 
they  get  a  greater 
or  better  oppor¬ 
tunity  of  testing 
thek’  Utopian  sug¬ 
gestions  ?  May 
they  prosper ! 
And  so,  tra¬ 
velling  close 
against  the  shore 
of  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  the  ferny 
dales  and  mixed 
plantations  of 
lovely  Fifeshire 
were  studied  just 
as  nmch  as  the 
engine’s  quick¬ 
ness  left  time  for ; 
but  I  had  been 
many  times  in 
Fife  during  more 
youthful  years, 
when  the  grand¬ 
father’s  home  in 
Kennaway  enjoined  an  almost  annual  trip.  The  “  Kingdom  of  Fife” 
had  never  appeared  to  me  so  beautiful  before,  however,  and  I  felt 
myself  trying  to  compare  its  characters  and  features  and  products 
with  those  of  other  Scottish  and  English  counties  that  “Willie” 
has  Avandered  through.  Fife  is  a  rich  and  varied  country,  and 
“  Fifers  ”  may  well  be  proud  of  it.  A  Fifer  is  a  marked  man  in 
Scotland,  and  even  by  his  countrymen  is  looked  upon  as  canny  (or 
lAltra-canny  that  would  be  to  a  southerner).  “It  takes  a  lang 
spoon  tae  sup  Avi’  a  Fifer,”  is  one  of  the  current  sayings  in  the 
Border  counties,  and  Fifers  dwelling  there  have  been  "twitted  A\'ith 
the  remark  that  they  “  Avere  starved  out  of  their  OAvn  country  ”  ;  to 
Avhich  the  reply  might  be,  “>  Na,  na ;  Ave  cam’  here  tae  shoAv  you  how 
to  dae  things.”  But  repartee  of  this  kind  is  common  betAveen  the 
citizens  of  every  county. 
Fife  has  numerous  places  of  horticultural  interest,  but  the  record 
of  them  must  be  left  for  another  time.  The  “domestic”  attractions 
Avere  siifficient  for  the  occasion ;  nor  did  they  lessen  Avhen  the  Tay 
had  been  crossed  and  the  tall  chimney  stalks  of  the  Dundee  mills 
ajApeared  in  vieAV,  reminding  me  immediately  of  Cleopatra’s  Needle 
on  the  Thames  Embankment,  below  the  Savoy,  by  their  singxdar 
form.  Dundee  has  a  long  and  interesting  history,  dating  from  the 
days  of  Malcolm  Canmore,  Avho  was  its  founder,  and  the  people  are 
Dendrobium  nobile  with  1350  flowers. 
loyally  proud  of  their  enterprising  city.  It  is  about  tAvelA''e  miles 
east  from  this  part  of  the  coast  that  the  famous  Bell  Kock,  or  Inch 
Cape  Eock,  is  situated,  and  Ave  are  nearly  all  acquainted  with  the 
tradition  of  “  Ealph  the  EoA'er,”  that  famous  North  Sea  pirate, 
Avhoin  Dr.  Southey  in  his  ballad  describes  as  having  cut  the  Avarning- 
bell  from  its  frameAvork  on  the  rock,  “to  plague  the  Abbot  of 
Aberbrothock  ”  (Arbroath),  and  some  time  after  to  have  recewed 
the  just  punishment  of  his  malice  by  being  shipAvrecked  on  the  spot. 
The  rock  long  since  had  a  lighthouse  erected  upon  it. 
The  toAvn  next  in  importance  above  Dundee  is  Arbroath,  which 
recalls  the  name  of  Shanks  and  Son,  the  makers  of  laAAm-moAvers,  to 
minds  horticultiAral.  It  is  a  thriving  seaport,  close  on  sixty  miles 
from  Edinburgh,  and  receives  the  full  benefit  G)  of  north-east 
winds — those  gentle  zephyrs  that  bloAv  so  consistently  almost 
straight  from  the  northernmost  realms  of  the  Tzar  and  the  Kaiser. 
And  beyond  Montrose  aa^o  leave  Forfar  for  Kincardineshire  or  the 
Mearns.  Morley  and  Montrose  are  alliterative  —  and  something 
njore.  Behind  the  toAA’ii  the  EiA'er  Esk,  on  AA’hich  it  stands,  expands 
into  a  spacious  basin,  Avhich  has  a  beautiful  and  remarkable  effect  at 
high  water  :  an  inland  sea  behind  the  harbour  bar.  To  those 
mindful  of  Scottish  history,  the  event  of  Sir  James  Douglas’s 
journey  to  the 
Holy  Land,  carry¬ 
ing  with  him  the 
heart  of  Bruce, 
Avill  be  recalled 
at  the  mention  of 
Montrose,  from 
Avhich  port  he 
embarked.  The 
scenery  a  little 
inland  along  the 
K  i  n  c  a  r  dineshire 
coast  to  Aberdeen 
Avas  described  in 
guide  -  books  of 
sixty  years  ago  as 
being  peculiarly 
desolate,  and  even 
more  so  in  the 
tract  of  country 
Av  h  i  c  h  extends 
between  Stone¬ 
haven  and  Aber¬ 
deen,  and  Avas 
then  described  as 
being  bleak  and 
sterile,  presenting 
for  the  most  part 
barren  eminences 
and  cold,  swampy 
moorlands.  But 
Avhat  was  true 
then  is  hardly 
correct  to  -  day, 
according  to  the 
testimony  of  my 
eyes.  The  skill, 
the  keen  skill  and 
determination  of 
the  Mearns  men, 
have  altered 
Nature  here  as  in 
'  Lincolnshire  and 
elsewhere,  and  to 
pass  that  way  in 
August,  Avhen  the 
corn  crops  SAvayed  luxuriantly,  was  a  sight  to  be  enjoyed.  Aberdeen¬ 
shire  and  the  Mearns  are  certainly  renoAvned  for  the  cattle  and 
sheep  raising  and  their  general  agriculture.  Thousands  of  head  of 
both  cattle  and  sheep  are  despatched  (or  Avere  a  feAV  years  ago)  from 
the  east  coast  ports  to  London  and  elsewhere. 
Aberdeen  Avas  the  limit  of  my  journey  in  the  north-easterly 
direction,  and  here  I  saAv  the  magnificent  neAV  esplanade  and  sea 
embankment  being  made  on  that  side  of  the  city,  a  feature  Avhich 
Avill  in  time  add  immensely  to  the  character  of  the  toAvn  and  the 
comfort  of  its  citizens.  No  city  in  the  United  Kingdom  is  better 
built  or  more  handsome  than  Aberdeen,  and  its  cleanliness,  spacious¬ 
ness,  solidity  and  completeness  filled  me  Avith  admiration.  ^  As  a 
child  of  very  tender  years  1  had  lived  in  the  W^oodside  distinct 
Avith  my  parents,  but  the  only  impressions  I  retained  from  then 
Avere  the  sight  of  the  tall-masted  vessels  and  the  great  draught 
horses  clanging  their  iron  hoofs  upon  the  granite  streets.  Truly 
this  is  “  the  granite  city.” 
Those  of  us  avIio  see  and  admire  the  new  King  EdAvard  VIl. 
Bridge  at  KeAV,  AAffiich  is  built  of  Aberdeen  granite — that  glistening 
black-and-white-chequered  stone — can  form  a  better  estimation  of 
the  beauty  of  Aberdeen,  Avhere  every  street,  and  paA'ement,  and 
Avail,  and  house,  college,  hall  and  chamber  is  constructed  of  solid 
