Kings & rulers > More leaves from the journal of a life in the Highlands from 1862 to 1882

Norfolk. She was quite overcome, and said, “Is that
my dear Queen,” and, taking the Duke’s hand, “and
my darling Duke?”
Luncheon as usual. After it saw Lord Granville.
At a quarter-past four drove out in the waggonette,
drawn by four of the Duke’s horses, with Beatrice,
Annie, and Constance. It was fine though not very
bright weather, and windy. We drove to the top of
Benabhraghie, or the Monument Hill, on which is the
very colossal statue of the Duke’s grandfather, the first
Duke, who married the Countess of Sutherland, from
whom this enormous property came. She died in
1839, and I remember her quite well as a very agree¬
able, clever old lady. We drove through part of the
wood by the way we went the previous day, up the
big bum drive and through Bacchies, looking up Dun-
robin Glen, which is very wild; and the pink heathery
hills, though not very high, and the moor, with distant
hills, were very pretty. It is a long pull upwards on
a grass drive, which makes it very hard work for the
horses. Halfway up we stopped to take tea and coffee;
and before that, Brown (who has an extraordinary eye
for it, when driving quite fast, which I have not) espied
a piece of white heather, and jumped off to pick it.
No Highlander would pass by it without picking it,
for it is considered to bring good luck. We got a
very extensive view, though not quite clear, of endless
hills between this and the west coast—all the Duke’s
property—where the Westminsters have two if not
three forests of the Duke’s.
In fine weather seven counties are to be seen in
the other direction, looking towards Ross-shire and
the Moray Frith, but it was not clear enough for this.