CHAP. XI.

PORTOBELLO-COSTORPHINE HILLS THE BASS ITS HISTORY INTERESTING-DUDDINGSTONE-HOUSE-THE LATE COMMANDER

IN CHIEF

CRAIGMILLAR-CASTLE ·PATON'S EXHIBITION ·

SCOTTISH PAINTERS-ANECDOTES

OF WILKIE-SUBJECTS

-

OF

THE SCOTTISH PENCIL-SCOTTISH MUSICAL TASTE-DANCING -GENERAL POST-OFFICE-POPULATION OF EDINBURGH-REMARKS UPON THE LOWER AND HIGHER CLASSES OF SOCIETY

-PATRIOTIC

ANECDOTE-SCOTTISH MARRIAGES-SCOTCH IN

FORMER TIMES.

Two excursions to Portobello enabled me to observe another instance of the rapid increase of the opulence of Edinburgh. Portobello is a beautiful village, embellished with many genteel houses, and stands close to the sea-shore, which, at low water, presents a fine expanded tract of soft, but dry, sand. It is much frequented in the season by the fashionable families and by respectable citizens of the capital, from which it is but a very short distance, as a delightful sea-bathing place; and, to render it as salutary and attractive as possible, a range of warm and cold salt-water baths, upon a very considerable scale, has been erected by subscription. Portobello Tower, and the houses adjoining,

COSTORPHINE HILLS.

187

command a fine view of the Forth, the towns that skirt. the coast of Fife, the shipping going in and out of Leith, and a rich and beautiful country lying in the south and west. Although so close to the capital, it has a theatre: to be sure it is in a coach-house, but the company which resort to the place must be considerable to induce a strolling company of players to approach so near the municipal. theatre. Portobello is to Edinburgh what the Black Rock is to Dublin.

The Costorphine Hills, the walk to which is very fine, offer a rich treat to the admirer of picturesque beauty. The summit of one of the eminences of these hills, about three miles from Edinburgh, is crowned with four seats, each of which is placed in the recess formed by two walls crossing each other. From these angles there are some of the finest views that the eye can feast upon, each varying from the other; and the city, and its neighbouring crags and romantic scenery, rising majestically to the sight, present an appearance of beauty and splendour combined. From this summit the celebrated insulated rock, called the Bass, was pointed out to me. I could but just discern its extraordinary form, as there was a haze at sea. It is about a mile from the south shore of the Forth, to the eastward of North Berwick. This singular rock is inaccessible on all sides except by one narrow passage, and is famous for the great

flocks of sea-fowl which resort to it in the months of May and June, as their favourite breeding-place, when the surface of it is almost covered with their nests, eggs, and young. The most esteemed among these birds is the gannet, or Solan goose. As this bird is in such high request, and as its young are taken in great quantities every year, a high rent is paid for this rock. They are generally brought to the Edinburgh markets during the races in July, and continue to be sold till the middle of September, when old and young quit the rock, to spend their winter on the ocean, in pursuit of herring or mackerel shoals.

The manner in which they are caught at sea is curious. I was informed that, as these birds are in the habits of dropping, as if dead, from a considerable height into the sea, in order to catch their prey, it is customary to place bait upon a board, sunk by weights about a foot under the water, upon which the birds fall with such force, as to stun or kill themselves.

This island was anciently in the possession of the family of Lauder, who refused to sell it, although several Kings offered, to be the purchasers; but, when the family, fell into decay, it was purchased by King Charles II., during whose reign, and that of his brother James, it was made a

DUDDINGSTONE-HOUSE.

189

state prison. A desperate body of pirates, in the interest of King James, obtained possession of it after the Revolution; and, after having for a time committed great depredations on the surrounding seas, by means of a boat, which they hawled up or lowered at pleasure, they were at length starved out, after having conferred upon the rock the honour of being the last place, in Great Britain, that held out for King James.

It would infinitely exceed the limits of this work to attempt to describe the many exquisite scenes and beautiful houses in the vicinity of Edinburgh. However, I shall mention three. In going to Craigmillar-castle, which stands about three miles south of the capital, I passed by Duddingstone-house, a noble villa, of Grecian architecture, standing in a large tract of pleasure-ground, which has been arranged with great taste. This seat belongs to the Marquis of Abercorn; and, although the diversified scenery with which it abounds renders it very attractive, it is much more interesting to the Scotch on account of its having been the residence of Earl Moira when Commander in Chief in Scotland ;--a station of high importance, which he filled with distinguished honour to himself and his country. Whilst the public conduct of this illustrious character obtained for him the admiration and respect of the Scotch, his domestic habits engaged their affections. At Dudding

190

CRAIGMILLAR-CASTLE.

tone his Lordship lived in a style of splendid hospitality, and, became highly popular by having two pipers in his house, and a great mull or Scotch horn, filled with snuff, continually lying upon the table, as well as by a judicious adoption of the customs of the people in other instances. As his Lordship had a high military character to maintain, at a period of great public alarm and anxiety, and much and important business to attend to, the guests, influenced by the example of their noble host, never exceeded five or six glasses of wine at the public dinners given at Duddingstone.

Craigmillar-castle has nothing interesting in its exterior, or in the approach to it. It stands on the summit of a circular hill, and commands an extensive prospect; and is encompassed by a thick rampart wall, about thirty feet high, in many parts much dilapidated. This wall was erected in 1427; but there is no record of the time when the greater part of the castle was built. This venerable pile has several apartments remaining, tolerably entire; but time and the weather have levelled much of it with the ground. It is chiefly interesting from its having been the favourite abode of Queen Mary, after her return from France, in 1561. Her servants were lodged in a neighbouring village, still called Petty France; and in the farmers' gardens which adjoin one side of the castle I saw considerable quantities of garlic growing, descendants, no doubt,