[Illustration:  PICTISH TOWER (INTERIOR).]

At Brora we heard stories of wonderful fossils which were to be found in the rocks on the shore—­shells and fish-scales and remains of bigger creatures—­and of a bed of real coal.  Certainly the rocks seemed to change their character hereabouts, which may account for the softening of the scenery and the contrast in agricultural pursuits in this region with those farther north.  Here the appearance of the country gradually improved as we approached the woods and grounds and more cultivated regions surrounding the residence of the Duke of Sutherland.

[Illustration:  DUNROBIN CASTLE.  “It was the finest building we had seen, not at all like the gloomy-looking castles, being more like a palace, with a fine display of oriel windows, battlements, steeples, and turrets.”]

We came in sight of another Pictish castle, which we turned aside to visit; but by this time we had become quite familiar with the formation of these strange old structures, which were nearly all built after the same pattern, although some belonged to an earlier period than others, and the chambers in them were invariably dark and dismal.  If these were used for the same purpose as similar ones we had seen in Shetland, where maidens of property and beauty were placed for protection from the “gallants” who roamed about the land in those days, the fair prisoners must have had a dismal time while incarcerated in these dungeon-like apartments.  In these ruins, however, we saw some ancient utensils, or querns, supposed to have been used for crushing corn.  They had been hollowed out in stone, and one of them had a well-worn stone inside it, but whether or no it was the remains of an ancient pestle used in crushing the corn we could not determine; it looked strangely like one.

The country hereabouts was of the most charming description, hilly and undulating rather than rugged, and we left the highway to walk along the seashore, where we passed the rifle and artillery ranges of the volunteers.  We also saw the duke’s private pier extending towards the open sea, and from this point we had a fine view of Dunrobin Castle, the duke’s residence, which was the finest building we had seen, and not at all like the other gloomy-looking castles, being more like a palace.  It is a happy blending of the German Schloss, the French chateau, and Scottish baronial architecture, with a fine display of oriel windows, battlements, turrets, and steeples, the great tower rising to a height of 135 feet above the garden terrace below.  A vista of mountains and forests lay before any one privileged to ascend the tower.  The view from the seashore was simply splendid, as from this point we could see, showing to great advantage, the lovely gardens, filled with beautiful shrubs and flowers of luxuriant growth, sloping upwards towards the castle, and the hills behind them, with their lower slopes covered with thousands of healthy-looking