Scotland/Scots > Black's picturesque tourist of Scotland

INVEB—CBAIG CLUNY.
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Scotch mountains of like elevation. The corries near the top
are also famous for veins of those beautiful rock crystals
familiarly known as “ Cairngorm stones.”
About a mile beyond the kirk of Crathie, on the north side
of the river, a road strikes off, on the right, to Corgarff Tower,
(a small military station), on the Don, and thence to Fort-
George. To the westward are the remains of the House of
Monaltrie, which having been burnt down in 1745, is now
fitted up as a farm-house. A small village in the neighbour¬
hood is called the Street of Monaltrie. A little farther on is
the mound called Cairn-a-quheen (the cairn of remembrance),
which was used in the foraying days as the great gathering
cry of Deeside when the crossteric passed.
Passing|lNYER, with its much enlarged and comfortable
inn, the traveller (on the north side of the river) crosses the
Bridge of Invercauld, thrown over a rapid and rocky strait
of the river. The scenery from the bridge is the finest on
this road. It will have been noticed that the soft birch
foliage has been gradually giving place to the sturdier
and statelier pine, of which there are here many fine trees,
masses of which spread up the glens to the south, where
they form the great forest of Balloch-bowie. Soon after
crossing the bridge, the road winds round the foot of Craig-
Cluny, an abrupt ascent, clothed with pine a considerable way
up, but raising a sharp bare granite peak, that nearly abuts
across the road to a much greater height. The foundation of
an old tower, called the Laird of Cluny’s Charter Chest, about
a third of the distance to the top, may be reached by an enter¬
prising scrambler. It is worth visiting, as a specimen of old
Highland engineering. How it could have been possible to
reach it easily from below, it is difficult to see ; and from an
assault from above, it is protected by the overhanging rock.
At the foot of Craig Cluny, and on the opposite side of the
road, lies a stone about the size of a two-storey house, which
has dropped some day or other from the edge of the rock. It
would have astonished the outsiders of a stage-coach, if any
such had been passing. Beyond Craig-Cluny, the strath opens,
showing at the bend of the northern sweep Invercauld House,
an irregular pile of considerable size, beautifully situated.
About the centre of the strath, and on the south side of the