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    RAMBLES NORTHWARD. 323

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  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    I ^ I. Grazed And Impressive As The Scen...

    son , — -the beds comfortable , and our hostess obliging and civil , so that we ended by thinking we might have been worse off , and that

    It was shame to someone somewhere that so beautiful a spot should attract so little attention , as to allow of its houses and Inhabitants

    being neglected as we found them . Ullapool has rare natural advantages , and though the herrings , for th . e sake of which the town was

    established some sixty years ago , have with their well known fickleness of disposition deserted its coastit might by the outlay

    , of some money and more taste , be made one of the most charming watering places in the world ; such bathing is there on the beach ,

    such boating on the lakes , and all amidst scenery of Italian character and charm .

    Assured as to food and lodging for the night , our next care was to procure a conveyance of some kind or another for the morrow , and

    the aspect of affairs in this direction -was anything but encouraging . Already we had been obliged to bring on the Scourie dog-cart to

    Ullapool , the inn at Assynt failing in vehicular accommodation , and the driver lad could go no further without his master ' s leave . Our

    only chance therefore lay in the resources of the place , and greatly were we relieved when the hostess ushered into the tiny room a tall ,

    raw-boned , red-headed , red-bearded man with a big black dog at his heels , -who with his curious canine sagacity discovered at once that

    he was in the presence of friends , and proceeded to demonstrations announced of affection himself and good the will possessor . Stroking of a dog his - forelock cart and , 6 the i as good dog ' s a master horse

    as was ever sat "behind , " adding that he was ready to start next morning , or that very hour , for any part of Scotland we might wish

    to visit ; he knew every inch , of the ground for miles and miles around , and everybody knew himKobert Macgregor ; and he and his

    , horse would alike give us satisfaction ! Rough-headed and grimvisaged , innocent of coat or jacket , and wearing a thick red flannel

    shirt , Macgregor was a wild looking specimen of a driver to go across country with , and he promised so much for himself , and

    his horse that it ended in our doubting every word he said _. Eight o'clock next morning was the hour fixed for our departure :

    fifty-seven miles , of what to all accounts was " a stifnsh road , " lay before us for the clay ' s journey , and we were to change horse and

    conveyance en route , if we could , there being no available place for sleeping . Eight o'clock cameand half past eight , but no

    Mac-, gregor made his appearance ; a messenger was despatched , and after some considerable delay dog-cart and driver made their

    appearance . Anxious only to be off , we hastened the bestowal of our bags and cloaksand took but little notice of horse or

    , conveyance , save a hasty glance at the animal ' s forelegs to make sure they were sound , ere we trusted our necks to his

    sure-footedness . As the population of Ullapool had turned out to welcome our comingso did it gather thick to witness our departure . Away

    then we started , , and safely progressed through the main street of

    vol . _iv . z 2

    Rambles Northward. 323

    RAMBLES NORTHWARD . 323

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Jan. 1, 1860, page 323, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01011860/page/35/