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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Introductory.—Where shall we spend our Holiday.— Invitation to the
Highlands.-Sporting Quarters.-Where? the Wilds of Caithness?
Round Sutherland? the Hebrides? . Page 1
CHAP. II.
Despatch of the heavy Baggage.-A Telegram.-Pleasing Disappoint-
ment.-Journey to Peeblesshire.-Advantages of being a Commercial
Traveller.- A Night in the Train.- An Appetising Drive.- Home
of the Peeblesshire Laird.-Down Tweedside.-Nidpath Castle.-
The Lord's Jester. Tweed Green. - The Royal Archers. - Silver
Arrow. Peebles. - The Chambers' Institution.. The Dukes of
Queensberry.- An Old Sybarite.-Manor Water.-The Black Dwarf.
-Scott's Visit to Ritchie. The Dwarf's Tomb.-A Charming
Lodge. The Peeblesshire Moors. - Wild Grouse. - Hedgehog's
Nest. Erroneous Belief respecting these Animals.- Exhumation of
an Hedgehog.—Its Dissection.-Contents of the Stomach.-Rhythmic
motion of the Heart.- My Friend's Lodge. — Its Inmates. Return
Home
-
CHAP. III.
Country Houses. —Attractions of Country and Town.-Leave Peebles-
shire. Perth.-The "Inches."-View from Moncrieff Hill. - Slow
travelling. Aberdeen. Rival Hotels. The Peripatetic Philoso-
phers. The Red Lions.-The Granite City.- The Sights of Aber-
deen. The Market.-M'Donald and Leslie's Works.-The Colleges.
-Cathedral of St. Machar.- Ecclesiastical Desecration.- Cromwell's
Troopers.-The Bishops of Old. Archbishop Beaton
Page 21
CHAP. IV.
From Aberdeen to Caithness.- Voyage in the Prince Consort. -
Motley Passengers. -- Peterhead.-A scrambling Supper.-Scaldings.
-Lights a-head and around.-Herring-fishing Boats.-Fraserburgh.
- The Moray Firth.-A hot Night.-The Caithness Coast.-The
Maiden Paps.- Noss Head.—Wick Herring Fleet. — Land at Wick.
-Great bustle.- Amazing Quantity of Herrings.-Stalwart Fishers.
-Stout Girls.-No Porters.-How Luggage is carried.—Our maimed
Passenger.-Proceed to the Caledonian Hotel.- Rest
31
CHAP. V.
A Herring Breakfast.-Dutch Proverb.-The Wick Herring Fishery.—
The Nets.-How Herrings are caught.-Profits of the Fishery.-
Fishing Returns.-Difficulty in raising Nets.-Dangers attending
the Fishery. Origin of the Herring Fishery. - Enterprise of the
Dutch. The first Herring Curer.- Monument to Beukel.-Export
of Herrings. Slaves fed on Herrings.- Rise of the British Herring
Fishery. Bounty on Herrings.-Statistics of the Fishery.- Natural
History of the Herring. - Curious Belief in the Migration of the
- Habits of this Fish.
Herring
Superstitions connected with it.
Goldsmith on Herrings. The Food of Herrings. Argument re-
specting Variety.-Difference in the Quality of Herrings.-A Colossal
40
CHAP. VI.
Wick.-Dirty Nature of the Town.-Deserted Streets.-Male Popula-
Gutting Troughs.-The Gutters.-Transition of Species Theory.-
How a Gutter casts her Skin.-The Gutting Process.-A Company
of silent Women.-How to eviscerate a Herring.-Rapidity of the
Performance.-Wages of the Gutters.- Number of Herrings gutted.
-Packing the Fish.-The Crown Brand.- Official Returns of the
Fishery. Quantity of Herrings exported.-Morality of the Fishers
and Curers.-Riot at Wick
CHAP. VII.
Page 52
Leave Wick.-Scotch Churches.-Dr. Chalmers and the cracked Bell.
-Image of St. Fergus. - Ruined Chapel. The wicked Earl of
Caithness. Dreary Country.-Drying Nets.-Farmsteads.-Bothics.
-Keen Air.-London Fogs.—Clear Atmosphere.-Loch Watten.-
Old Mail Coach.-The River Thurso.-Halkirk.-Salmon Pools.--
Imaginary Feat.-Brawl Castle.-Description of the Building.-Old
Brawl.-Curious Rooms.-Stone Chair of St. Thomas.-Boiling a
Bishop.-A Ghaist-alluring Edifice. The modern House. - Pre
served Birds.-The Gardens at Brawl.-The Ladies' Tree.-Fruit
Trees. Spittal Hill.- My Companions at Brawl.- Our Piper.-
Domestic Troubles.-Halkirk Postmaster.-The Rival Kirks.-The
Established Church Minister.-Wild Sportsmen
CHAP. VIII.
⚫ 60
Preparations for Grouse Shooting.-Examination of Guns.-Breech
Loaders. The Kennel.-Gillies, past and present.-Female Gillies.
-How to strike a Bargain.-Morality of Gillies.-A Set of Gillies.
-Aphra Behn on "Hielandmen."-Hiring a Pony.-The Dawn of
the 12th August.-A plentiful Breakfast.- Drinking Preparations.-
-Tea versus Whisky.-The Start.-Dale Moor.-The Day's Shoot-
ing. Caithness Grouse.-Bog-holes.- Plague of Midges.-Rout of a
Persian Army.-Vast Extent of the Moors.-Heather Ale.-How a
Secret was kept.-Decoction of Heather Flowers.-The Day's Bag.
-How to pack Grouse
72
CHAP. IX.
Sporting Advantages of Brawl.-The River Thurso.-Its Excellence as
a Salmon River-Grilse.-Unpropitious Fishing Season.-Bull for
sanctioning Fishing on Sunday. - Hunting Salmon.
--
Strength of
Grilse. White Trout. Ancient Salmon Feasts. The Angler
hooked.-Loch Watten.-A crazy Boat.-Excellence of the Watten
Trout. Their Capriciousness.-Ornithology of Caithness. Page 85
CHAP. X.
The Country round Brawl.-Excursion to Strathmore. The Pleasures
of preparing for a Day's Fishing -Dirlot.-A Lodge in the Wilder-
ness.- Loch More. — Disappointment in Salmon Fishing. — Great
Success of the Otter.-Hospitality at Strathmore
CHAP. XI.
. 97
Excursion to Thurso Bay.-The Town of Thurso.-Its Ancient Im-
portance.-Thurso Castle.- Monument to Earl Harold.-Nature of
the Bay. Palace of the Bishops of Caithness. Scrabster.-In-
teresting Geological Locality.—The Old Red Sandstone.—The Flag-
stones of Caithness.-Fossil Organisms.-Gigantic Fucoids.-Rock
Sepulchres.-Deep Caverns.-Rock Pigeons.-Varieties of Species.—
Holbourn Head.-The Clett.-Majestic Scenery.-Deep-sea Fishing.
-Long Lines.-The Cod's Parasites.-Variety of Fish.-Destructive
Dog Fish.-Return to Brawl.
CHAP. XII.
103
Leave Brawl.-A Lucky Escape.-Spittal Hill.-On Foot across the
Country. Want of a good Map of Scotland. - Dr. Johnson's reason
for this. To Barrock.-The King's Highway.-Vast Prospect.-A
playful Puppy.-Picts' Houses.-Origin of the Picts.-Their Monu.
ments. Superstitions respecting them.--Contents of the "Houses."-
Situation of "Barrock."-A Cordial Welcome
CHAP. XIII.
113
An Oasis in the Desert.-Agricultural Improvements.-Flower Gar-
dens. First-fruits of a Moor.-A primitive Caithness Hovel. — Ex-
xi
cursion to John o' Groat's House.-Sinclair Bay.-Girnigoe Castle.
-The Earls of Caithness. "The wicked Earl."- Capture of a
Coiner. Kiess Castle.-Clan Feuds.-Campbell of Glenorchy.-A
desperate Fight.-"The Campbells are coming." - The Baron of
Weik. The last Wolf.-Cromwell's Soldiers.- Freswick.-Houna.-
Snug Inn.-John o' Groat's House.-Tradition respecting Him.—
His Fame in Caithness.-Site of the House.-Lovely Bay.-John o'
Groat's Buckies.-Stacks of Duncansby.-North-east of Scotland.—
Grand Precipices.—“Goes.” Fierce Tide. The Boars of Dun-
cansby. The Merry Men of Mey.-Island of Stroma.-Singular
Water Supply.-Barogill Castle.-Glorious Sunset
Page 125
CHAP. XIV.
Excursion to the Orkneys.-"Weather permitting."-The Boatman's
Trust in Providence.-The Royal Mail Steamer.-A stout Craft.-
Mountain-like Waves.-Outside Hoy.-A mingling of Miseries.-
The Hoy Precipices.-Grand Scenery.-The "Old Man of Hoy."-
Tremendous Sea.-Isle of Gramsay.-Stromness Bay.-Stromness.
- Rapid Growth of Seaweed. - Flett's Inn. - Narrow Streets.—
Excellent Quarters. - Fishing for Sillocks. The Population.-A
Quack Doctor.-How to obtain Kisses.- Vivat Humbug.-Sale of
Winds
139
CHAP. XV.
An early Start.-Interesting Geological Locality.-Paleozoic Basin.-
Animal Matter.-Fossil Fish.-The Asterolepis-Hugh Miller's Re-
searches. Huge Russian Ganoid. - Modern versus Fossil Fish.—
Excellent Breakfast.— Hiring a Trap.- Bad Road.— Moorland.—
Stones of Stennis. - The Two Lakes.-Brogar Bridge.-Circle of
Brogar. Scandinavian Sepulchres.. Their Contents. - Elliptical
Tumulus.-Dimensions of the Monuments.-Ancient Forest.-Mar-
riage Ceremony. - Odin Stone. - Curious Superstition.— Colossal
Profile of Sir W. Scott.-The Pirate.-A wretched Dwelling.—
Proceed to Kirkwall
151