Ossian Collection > Journal of a tour in Scotland in

THE TROSSACHS 31
myself puzzled how to find the orthography in
the polyography of the word. However, I
conclude that as it may mean the Lake of
Robbers, it must mean it, for no other meaning
could be so likely. Kate's Lake therefore
it cannot be, in spite of all the claims of all
the St Katharines.
We embarked as soon as we came to the
water side, and it was amusing to hear the
boatmen relate with equal gravity the exploits
of Bruce, Cromwell, and Rob Roy, and the
incidents of Scott's poem as connected with
the scenery of the Lake. The Island would
be more beautiful if it were not so lofty ; and
it is too much covered with wood. We
landed not far from it, on the right shore,
(that is, looking up the Lake) and ascended
to a point from whence the whole may be
seen. The higher and greater part is not
interesting ; the end is certainly unsurpassed
in its kind — perhaps unequalled, by anything
that I have ever seen. Last year the Duke
of Montrose sold the woods on Benvenue,
which was then compleatly clothed with fine
trees, for the paltry price of 200£. It seems
incredible that for such a sum he should have
incurred the obloquy and the disgrace of
disfiguring, as far as it was in his power to