Scotland/Scots > Black's picturesque tourist of Scotland

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CASTLETON OP BRAEMAR.
river, is Braemar Castle, a high bare walled tower of recent
erection. Immediately beyond, and fifty-seven miles from
Aberdeen, is the village of
Castleton of Braemar.*
[Inns: Invercauld Arms; Fife Arms.]
This straggling collection of houses stands on a piece of
broken irregular ground, where the turbulent stream of the
Cluny clatters down to join the Dee, by a deep steep rocky
ravine, fringed with copse, and crossed by a bridge, forming
altogether a very picturesque piece of torrent scenery. The
Castleton is in its pristine state as an old Highland village, the
capital of the Strath. It has few if any new lodging-houses
for health-seeking citizens ; but it has two excellent inns for
the tourist, and an Established, Free, and Roman Catholic
Church. The huts are very straggling, and occupy principally
the higher pieces of ground. It is nearly surrounded by
mountains at a considerable distance off, partly wooded and
partly bare, but principally green to the tops. They have not
the sharp contour of the mountains of Arran or Skye, and on
that account appear inferior in picturesque appearance. The
surrounding scenery somewhat resembles that of Blair-Atholl.
It is situated in the centre of a region of deer forests, comprehend¬
ing those of Mar (Earl of Fife), which stretches up Ben-muich-
dhui; Balloch-bowie (Farquharson of Invercauld), which extends
from Falls of the Garrawalt away by Lochnagar and Clova.
Adjoining that of Mar, and meeting it on the top of Ben-
muich-dhui, is the Forest of Badenoch (Duke of Atholl), and
connected with Balloch-bowie are the forests of Abergeldie and
Birkhall, belonging to Prince Albert, and that of Glen-Isla to
the Earl of Airlie. These cover some of the wildest and most
unfrequented districts of the higher Grampians, and being
* It is by no means necessary that the journey to Braemar from'the south should
be made via Aberdeen and along Deeside. From Perth, Dunkeld, or Blairgowrie, it
may be reached by coach during the summer three times a week, through Spittal of
Glenshee. The distance from Blairgowrie to Braemar by this route is 85 miles—viz..
Bridge of Galley, 6 miles; thence to Spittal, 14 miles; thence to Braemar 15 miles.
By another and wilder road, Braemar may be reached from Blair-Atholl, by fol¬
lowing the Tilt to its source, and descending the streams that run to the Bee. The
distance is estimated at 30 miles from Blair-Atholl. There is a pass from Braemar
to Avicmore, 35 miles, through the very midst of the Grampian range.