LAVELLAN. AUG. 20. DUNBETH. alders, willows, birch, and wicken trees, to Langwall, the feat of Mr. Sutherland, who gave me a very hofpitable reception. The country abounds with Stags and Roes, and all forts of feathered game, while the adjacent river brings Salmon almost up to his door. I enquired here after the Lavellan*, which, from description, I suspect to be the Water Shrew-moufe. The country people have a notion that it is noxious to cattle: they preserve the skin, and, as a cure for their fick beafts, give them the water in which it has been dipt. I believe it to be the fame animal which in Sutherland is called the Water Mole. Proceed on my journey. Pafs near Berridale. Pass near Berridale. On a peninsula jutting into the fea is the ruin of the castle; between it and the land is a deep chafm, where there had been a draw-bridge. On this castle are stationed, in the Salmon season, perfons who are to obferve the approach of the fish to the fresh waters. Near Clathron is a druidical stone fet an end, and of a most stupendous fize. Saw Dunbeth +, the feat of Mr. Sinclair, fituated on a narrow neck of land; on one fide impending over the fea, on the other, over a deep chafm, into which the tide flows: a small narrow garden, with billows beating on three fides, fills the rest of the land between the house and the water. Numbers of old caftles in this county have the fame tremendous fituation. On the Weft fide of • Sibbald Hift. Scotland. Br. Zool. illuft. cii. + This castle was taken and garrifoned by the Marquifs of Montrose in 1650, immediately preceding his final defeat. Whitelock. 45.4• this house are a few rows of tolerable trees; the only trees that I faw from Berridale to the extremity of Cathness. On the right inland are the small remains of Knackennan Castle, built by an Earl of Cathness. From these parts is a full view of the lofty naked mountain of Scaraben and Morven. The laft Ptarmigans in Scotland are on the first; the last Roes about Langwall, there being neither high hills nor woods beyond. All the county on this fide, from Dunbeth to the extremity, is flat, or at left very seldom interrupted with hills, and those low; but the coafts rocky, and compofed of ftupendous cliffs. Refreshed our horfes at a little inn at the hamlet of Clythe, not far from the headland, called Clythenefs. Reach Thrumfter, a feat of Mr. Sinclair's. It is obfervable, that the names of places in this county often terminate in ter and dale, which favors of Danish origin. The Sinclairs are very numerous, and poffefs confiderable fortunes in these parts; but Boethius fays, that they, the Fraziers, Campbells, Bofwells, and many others, came originally from France. Pafs through Wick, a small burrough town with fome good houses, seated on a river within reach of the tide; and at a distance lies an old tower, called Lord Oliphant's caftle. In this town lives a weever who weeves a fhirt, with buttons and button holes entire without any seam, or the left use of the needle: but it is to be feared that he will scarce find any benefit from his ingenuity, as he cannot But vaft quantity of fubterraneous timber in all the moors. Near Dunbeth is an entire Pias caftle, with the hollow in the top, and is called the Bourg of Dunbeth. SCARABEN. Aug. 21. WICK. 195 FRESWICK DUNGSBY BAY. afford his labor under five pounds a fhirt. Somewhat farther, clofe to the fea, is Achringal tower, the feat of Sir William Dunbar. Ride over the Links of Keith, on the fide of Sinclair bay. These were once a morafs, now covered with fand, finely turfed over; fo in this inftance the land has been obliged by the inftability of the fand. The old caftle of Keifs is feated on a rock, with a good houfe of the fame name near it. Near Frefwick caftle the cliffs are very lofty; the ftrata that compose them lie quite horizontally in fuch thin and regular layers, and fo often interfected by fiffures, as to appear like mafonry. Beneath are great infulated columns, called here Stacks, compofed of the fame fort of natural mafonry as the cliffs; many of them are hollowed quite thro', fo as to form most magnificent arches, which the fea rufhes thro' with vaft noife and impetuofity, affording a most august piece of scenery to fuch who are fteady enough to survey it from the narrow and almost impending paths. Frefwick caftle is feated on a narrow rock projecting into the sea, with juft room enough for it to ftand on the accefs to it while the draw-bridge was in being, was over a deep chafm cut thro' the little ifthmus that connected it to the main land. Thefe dreadful fituations are strongly expreffive of the jealous and wretched condition of the tyrant owners. After riding near Frefwick bay, the fecond fandy bay in the county, pafs over a very bad morafs, and after a few miles travel arrive at Dung by bay, a low tract, confifting of oat-lands and John a Great's house is now known only by name. The proper name of the bay is Duncan's. grazing |