STIRLING, ΤΟ CALLANDER, THE TROSACHS, LOCH HAVING described the objects deserving attention in the tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow, to follow out the plan, Stirling comes next under notice. Stirling may be called the key of the North, and has oftentimes been the bulwark of Scottish freedom. It presents a variety of objects interesting to the antiquary, the historian, and traveller of taste. Situated on a bold projecting rock, fronting the west, sloping with a gradual descent to the eastward, the castle occupying the western and perpendicular parts ;—the town being built on the slope or declivity of the rock on the east side, evidently appears to have taken its rise from the protection of the castle, in times of comparative barbarism. In a clear day, the prospects from Stirling are not to be surpassed in any country.-Looking towards the Blair-Drummond-Rednock House. east, you see as far as Edinburgh, with the windings of the Forth holding its serpentine course through the richest vale in Scotland, studded with gentlemen's seats, villages, and highly cultivated fields; at a greater distance, the shipping, with which the estuary of the Forth is generally covered; on the south, the village of Bannockburn, the Torwood-both famous in history; on the west, the view is bounded by the lofty Ben Lomond, and more immediately under, is seen the vale of the Forth, and some of the prospects already described. FROM STIRLING TO ABERFOYLE, BY BLAIRDRUMMOND, TROSACHS, &c. ON inspecting the map, the tourist will see a direct road to Aberfoyle by Blair-Drummond, which, soon after leaving Stirling, passes Craigforth House, the seat of Colonel Callander, situated on a rock, precipitous on the west, like the rock of Stirling. A little after crossing the Forth, the Teith forms its junction at the bridge of Drip. The mansion-house of Blair-Drummond, with its extensive lawn, now opens to the view, finely besprinkled with trees of various species, a great proportion of which are more than a century old. It is the seat of Henry Home Drummond, Esq. Member of Parliament for Stirlingshire,-and was formerly the seat of the famous Lord Kames, so eminent in the varied walks of literature. This road presents next, as an object of interest, Rednock House, the seat of General Stirling, who has made this place, although not eminently distinguished Inchmahoma-Downans. for its natural beauties, yet, from the assistance of ornamental improvement, well worth the seeing,—a fine lawn, with extensive and thriving plantations, judiciously disposed, affording a relief to the dreariness of the adjacent moss, which, together with the exertions of Mr Erskine of Cardross, have given a new and pleasant aspect to this whole tract of country. Antiquaries are of opinion, that this moss owes its origin to the destruction of the Caledonian forest by the Roman soldiers, in the time of the Emperor Severus. This opinion is corroborated by the discovery of vast numbers of large trees through its whole extent, when the moss is removed; these appear lying in all directions, without any appearance of order. As the traveller leaves the lake of Monteith, he will remark a wooded knoll jutting out into the water, covered with underwood nearly to the summit—this is the best situation for seeing Inchmahoma. About a mile to the east of Aberfoyle, at a place called Downans, there is, on the left, a curious occurrence in nature, being a number of ridges from three to ten feet in height, shooting out in various directions, so as to resemble a Roman camp; but it is generally allowed it owes its formation to the workings of the Forth, seeking its way to the lake of Monteith, before it had forced its present course to Gartmore. FROM STIRLING TO KEIR AND DOUNE. Passing the Forth, over the great bridge, the first that crosses this river, you come next to the bridge of Allan, and on ascending the eminence, a fine view Keir Doune Castle. opens-the lawn of Keir, the seat of James Stirling Keir, Esq. situated on a rising ground, commanding one of the finest landscapes in Scotland; the great vale of the Forth on the west, the continuance of that stream, holding its serpentine windings to the east, with the Carses of Stirling and Falkirk, in immediate prospect, is a view not to be excelled. Soon after clearing the woods of Keir, we come within sight of Doune, near which village is Doune Castle, one of the finest baronial ruins in Scotland, situated on a peninsula, formed by the junction of the waters of Ardoch and Teith, marked by nature as a place of strength. It was long the residence of the Earls of Monteith; and the principal remains of its artificial strength, is a large square building, the walls of which are about 40 feet high, and ten in thickness, and a tower more than 80 feet high: when or by whom it was built, there remains no record, but it is conjectured it was in the 11th century. Doune Castle is now the property of the family of Moray, and gives the title of Lord Doune to the Earl of Moray. It was for a long time fast verging to ruin, till the present Earl, with a laudable attention to the antiquities of his country, arrested the progress of dilapidation, by some substantial repairs. It is a place of considerable interest to all who feel for the fate of the beautiful and accomplished, but unfortunate, Mary Queen of Scots. This distinguished Princess was fondly attached to the healthful amusements of hunting and hawking; the country in this neighbourhood had many charms for her and her gay court, affording great scope for such amusements. E Cambus-Wallace Lanrick Castle Cambusmore. At a little distance to the west of Doune village, on the right, is Cambus-Wallace, which has received the name of Doune Lodge, for having been long the favourite residence of the present Earl of Moray whilst Lord Doune; he decorated it with much taste, in a style of distinguished elegance, giving a charm to a spot, marked by many attractions to the lover of rural scenery. The road follows the northern bank of the Teith, which runs with a clear and rapid current over beds of rocks, interrupted at times by large stones, which the strength of the current has been unable to carry away; and on its southern bank stands Lanrick Castle, the magnificent seat of Sir John Macgregor Murray, of Lanrick and Balquhidder, Bart. The castle is an elegant modern mansion, with environs highly favoured by nature, and these natural beauties decorated by artificial walks and thriving plantations; the river passing under the windows of the castle, tumbling over successive ledges of rocks, forming a series of small cataracts or breaks of water, murmuring along, refreshing and beautifying the banks, which are in their season charmed by the melodies of woodland choristers, of various plumage and song. Within two miles of Callander, stands Cambusmore, the seat of John Buchanan, Esq. on the left, embosomed in plantations, through which winds the Keltie, a mountain stream, that falls into the Teith, from the north. We cannot pass this place, without mentioning a circumstance generally believed, that the author of the Lady of the Lake, and other celebrated poems, first imbibed his taste for the sublime scenery of the High |