mountains,-up the Annan to the Deil's | dences, are in the neighbourhood. The Beef Tub and Hartfell; up the Moffat to the Grey Mare's Tail and Loch Skene, and thence over to the Vale of Yarrow. The nearer environs also are replete with interest. Either the town itself, or some place near it, was the scene of Burns's song, "O Willie brewed a peck o' maut." Moffat House, a large mansion, now the seat of W. Hope Johnstone, Esq., was built in 1761, by the second Earl of Hopetoun. Dumcrief House, an elegant edifice, on Moffat Water, 12 mile east-north-east of the town, now a seat of Lord Rollo, was inhabited some time by Dr. Currie, the biographer of Burns; and afterwards by Dr. Rogerson, the Russian millionaire. Craigie Burn, about a mile further up Moffat Water, figures in Burns's song, "Sweet fa's the eve on Craigie Burn," and in Hogg's wild ballad of "Mess John." Larch Hill, the seat of James Johnstone, Esq.; Granton; the seat of William M. Jardine, Esq.; and several other pleasant resi wooded eminence of Gallows Hill, behind the town; the Victoria Bowlinggreen, a quarter of a mile distant; the banks of Annan Water, the skirts of Hartfell, and many other places, afford good scope for sauntering or recreation. The Beld Craig Glen, 1 mile beyond Dumcrief House, is a romantic dell, with fine subjects for the pencil. An ancient high hill fort, a Caledonian camp, several Roman camps, vestiges of a Roman road, ruins of several peel-houses or feudal keeps, the Johnstones of Corehead's Tower of Lochhouse, and Randolph Earl of Moray's ruined great Castle of Auchincass, are all within 3 miles. George Buchanan, the historian, and Dr. Walker, the professor of natural history, were for some time ministers of Moffat. A sharp action, with victory on the side of the patriots, was fought in the vicinity, in 1332, between Edward Baliol and Sir Archibald Douglas. See 65, 149, and 186. 42 THE MIDDLE BORDER, OR LAND OF SCOTT. THIRD DIVISION. THE MIDDLE BORDER, OR LAND OF SCOTT. THIS district consists chiefly of the basin of the Tweed, but may be taken to include also the tract to the south of it drained by the Esk to the head of the Solway Frith, and the tract to the north-west drained by the other Esk to the Frith of Forth at Musselburgh. The district, thus understood, comprises the champaign country of the Tweed, the vales of the Tweed's headstreams, of its tributaries, and of the two Esks; and the several ranges of the Southern Highlands, the Cheviots, and the Moorfoot Hills, by which the vales are separated or screened. A ramified system of railway, diverging from the main line of the North British 4 miles from Edinburgh, runs through all the central parts of the district, has termini at Peebles, at Selkirk, at Hawick, and at Jedburgh, and connects at Kelso with the Tweed branch of the English North-Eastern coming up from Tweedmouth. A railway is partly in progress, partly under consideration, to go from Galashiels up the Tweed, beyond Peebles, and past Broughton and Biggar, into junction with the Caledonian at Symington. Another railway is in progress from Hawick, up Slitrig Water, through Liddesdale, and down the North Tyne, into junction with the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway at Hexham. Public coaches run from Leadburn to Broughton, from Peebles to Innerleithen, from Melrose to Earlston, and from Hawick to Carlisle. We shall trace all the routes by railway, and the principal ones by road. 133. CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE, on a | houses, and has a pleasant appearance. gentle eminence, 1 mile south-west of Niddry Station, is an imposing ruin, comprising a square tower of several storeys, a large embattled square wall, with round towers at the corners, and an encompassing rampart-wall, with remains of a deep moat. It belonged for 300 years to the Prestons of Gowrton, and passed in 1661 to the Gilmours. A brother of James III. was confined in it in 1477; James V. resided in it during part of his minority; and Queen Mary used it as a favourite residence after her return from France. Niddry House, between Craigmillar Castle and the station, is a very ancient baronial fortalice, with a large handsome modern addition. Brunstain House, seen a little to the left of the railway, in the neighbourhood of the station, was built in 1639 by Lord Lauderdale. The Parish Church is the nave of an The 134. DALKEITH stands about half a mile east of the Eskbank Station, but is reached, along a short branch, by trains of its own. It crowns a gently swelling Dalkeith Palace, a seat of the Duke of peninsular tract of much beauty between Buccleuch, is environed by a splendid the North Esk and the South Esk. Its park of 800 acres around the confluence principal street is about two-thirds of a of the Esks. An ancient castle occupied mile in length, and extends parallel with its site, surmounting a steep rock on the the rivers to the gate of Dalkeith Park. North Esk, and was both a place of Part of the street is very spacious; and military strength and a noble residence. the town, as a whole, contains many good | It stood some sieges; belonged, for cen 1 turies, to the family of Morton; and was | military exploits. The poet Drummond visited in 1633 by Charles I. The pre- resided at Hawthornden, repaired the sent edifice was built about the com- house in 1638, and was visited here by mencement of last century. It is a large Ben Jonson. Strangers are admitted to pile, more stately than elegant, with the grounds only on Wednesdays, and recessed Grecian centre and projecting only by the gate in the neighbourhood of wings. George IV. spent some days in Hawthornden Station. Rosewell, about it in 1822, and Queen Victoria and Prince a mile to the south, is a collier village, Albert in 1842. with a post office under Lasswade, and about 150 inhabitants. Whitehill House, 5 furlongs south-east of it, the seat of R. B. Wardlaw Ramsay, Esq., is a very elegant modern mansion, in the Tudor style, from designs by Burn and Bryce. 135. LASSWADE village is reached by public coach 1 mile from the Eskbank Station, or on foot about a mile from the Bonnyrigg Station. It stands in the hollow and on the steep sides of a romantic part of the dell of the North Esk. It has a post office under Edinburgh, a parish church, and about 500 inhabitants. A ruined part of a previous church contains the burying-vault of the noble family of Melville. Numerous villas and ornate cottages, situated in the neighbourhood, are occupied either by wealthy annuitants or by summer residents from Edinburgh. One of these was inhabited by John Clerk, Lord Eldin; another, for some time, by Sir Walter Scott. Melville Castle, the seat of Viscount Melville, about a mile below the village, is a splendid castellated edifice, with circular towers, built near the end of last century. Bonnyrigg village, adjacent to the left side of Bonnyrigg Station, was originally a humble place, inhabited chiefly by colliers, but now includes a string of genteel summer residences in the direction of Lasswade. Its population is about 650. The 137. ROSLIN village, on the left bank of the North Esk, near Roslin Station, was for some time the third largest town in the Lothians, but is now a rural place, with only the adjunct of one or two small manufactories. It has a post office under Edinburgh, and a small inn. The stretch of the vale around it shows a combination of the romance and beauty seen at Hawthornden. An ancient church at Roslin, popularly but improperly called Roslin Chapel, and celebrated in Sir Walter Scott's ballad of "Rosabelle," is a brilliant specimen of the peculiar variety of Gothic architecture which belonged to Spain. church was founded in 1446 for a provost and six prebendaries, and was intended to be cruciform, but was never completed; and it consists of a chancel and part of a transept. It measures 68 feet in length, and 35 feet in breadth, and is 136. HAWTHORNDEN HOUSE, the divided interiorly into centre and side seat of Lady W. Drummond, near the aisles by two rows of exquisitely sculpstation, stands on the edge of a cliff tured pillars, supporting Saxon-Gothic overhanging the North Esk. The grounds arches. Remains of an ancient castle, connected with it are highly romantic, the seat of the St. Clairs, Earls of Orkand combine rich ravine scenery with ney, stand on a peninsulated rock overgood artificial embellishment. Some hanging the Esk, in the neighbourhood caves below the house, and further up of the village, surmounted by a comthe ravine, appear to have been hiding-paratively modern pile. Three victories places amid the tumults of the feudal times, and were a retreat of Sir Alexander Ramsay of Dalwolsie, the ancestor of the Marquis of Dalhousie, amid his were achieved in one day, in 1303, in the vicinity of Roslin, by the Scotch forces over the English. Roslin gives the title of Earl in the peerage of Scotland to the |