h the stillness of the bay into
which it falls, where the boat, and house, and waterfall itself seemed
all sheltered and protected. The Highland woman was to go with us the
two first miles of our journey. She led us along a bye foot-path a
shorter way up the hill from the ferry-house. There is a considerable
settling in the hills that border Loch Lomond, at the passage by which we
were to cross to Loch Ketterine; Ben Lomond, terminating near the
ferry-house, is on the same side of the water with it, and about three
miles above Tarbet.

We had to climb right up the hill, which is very steep, and, when close
under it, seemed to be high, but we soon reached the top, and when we
were there had lost sight of the lake; and now our road was over a moor,
or rather through a wide moorland hollow. Having gone a little way, we
saw before us, at the distance of about half a mile, a very large stone
building, a singular structure, with a high wall round it, naked hill
above, and neither field nor tree near; but the moor was not overgrown
with heath merely, but grey grass, such as cattle might pasture upon. We
could not conjecture what this building was; it appeared as if it had
been built strong to defend it from storms; but for what purpose?
William called out to us that we should observe that place well, for it
was exactly like one of the spittals of the Alps, built for the reception
of travellers, and indeed I had thought it must be so before he spoke.
This building, from its singular structure and appearance, made the
place, which is itself in a country like Scotland nowise remarkable, take
a character of unusual wildness and desolation--this when we first came
in view of it; and afterwards, when we had passed it and looked back,
three pyramidal mountains on the opposite side of Loch Lomond terminated
the view, which under certain accidents of weather must be very grand.
Our Highland companion had not English enough to give us any information
concerning this strange building; we could only get from her that it was
a 'large house,' which was plain enough.

We walked about a mile and a half over the moor without seeing any other
dwelling but one hut by the burn-side, with a peat-stack and a
ten-yards'-square enclosure for potatoes; then we came to several
clusters of houses, even hamlets they might be called, but where there is
any land belonging to the Highland huts there are so many outbuildings
near, which differ in no re