Series 1 > Tours in Scotland 1747, 1750, 1760

DUNKELD, BLAIR-ATHOLE.
Letter XLV.
Blair of Athol, August 18, 1760.
Dear Sister,—On the 15th I set out with the Duke for the
Blair of Athol 16 computed and 20 measured miles, with mile¬
stones all the way. We travelled eight miles by the river Tay
to the place where the Tumel falls into it. Here there is a
road by crossing both rivers to go from Blair to Tay Mouth
12 miles ; the road from Dunkeld to Tay Mouth being on the
other side of the Tay :
We travelled about six miles further to the place where the
Garry falls into the Tumel, by which river we went a mile, and
came to the famous pass of Gillicranky,1 which is a road made
on the side of the hill over the river, there being no passage on
the other side : the road is a mile long and then the Country
opens again : King William’s Army under General Mackay1
marched through this pass, and just after they had entered the
plain engaged on an eminence to the North, at a house to the
right, where they were defeated by the Highlanders under Lord
Dundee who was killed: the King’s troops fled up the hills to
the South and the Highlanders came down to the Baggage in
the plain which they plundered and returned home, which
happened in July 1689.
In this road are several small Druid temples : In about three
miles more passing over the Tilt we came to Blair situated
between an Amphitheatre of hills beyond which the tops of
mountains appear to the North-west and East, the ground is
rather uneven, but there are fine meadows on the flat ground
to the South and South West towards the river: On an Emin¬
ence to the West is a summer house wainpcoated with Larch,
and on a little hill beyond it there is a small Obelisk, and a
grove of firr trees on another beyond that: all round the house
is lawn; and the offices of the house and stables are so disposed
1 Killiecrankie. See Life of Lieut.-Gen. Hugh Mackay of Scoicrie, by John
Mackay. ,