I returned from the sight of Buller’s Buchan to lord Errol’s, and, having seen his library, had, for a time, only to look upon the sea, which rolled between us and Norway.  Next morning, August 25th, we continued our journey through a country not uncultivated, but so denuded of its woods, that, in all this journey, I had not travelled a hundred yards between hedges, or seen five trees fit for the carpenter.  A few small plantations may be found, but I believe scarcely any thirty years old; at least, they are all posterior to the union.  This day we dined with a country-gentleman, who has in his grounds the remains of a Druid’s temple, which, when it is complete, is nothing more than a circle, or double circle, of stones, placed at equal distances, with a flat stone, perhaps an altar, at a certain point, and a stone, taller than the rest, at the opposite point.  The tall stone is erected, I think, at the south.  Of these circles, there are many in all the unfrequented parts of the island.  The inhabitants of these parts respect them as memorials of the sculpture of some illustrious person.  Here I saw a few trees.  We lay at Bamff.

August 26th.  We dined at Elgin, where we saw the ruins of a noble cathedral; the chapter-house is yet standing.  A great part of Elgin is built with small piazzas to the lower story.  We went on to Foris, over the heath where Macbeth met the witches, but had no adventure; only in the way we saw, for the first time, some houses with fruit-trees about them.  The improvements of the Scotch are for immediate profit; they do not yet think it quite worth their while to plant what will not produce something to be eaten, or sold, in a very little time.  We rested at Foris.

A very great proportion of the people are barefoot; shoes are not yet considered as necessaries of life.  It is still the custom to send out the sons of gentlemen without them into the streets and ways.  There are more beggars than I have ever seen in England; they beg, if not silently, yet very modestly.

Next day we came to Nairn, a miserable town, but a royal burgh, of which the chief annual magistrate is styled lord provost.  In the neighbourhood we saw the castle of the old thane of Cawdor.  There is one ancient tower, with its battlements and winding stairs, yet remaining; the rest of the house is, though not modern, of later erection.

On the 28th we went to Fort George, which is accounted the most regular fortification in the island.  The major of artillery walked with us round the walls, and showed us the principles upon which every part was constructed, and the way in which it could be defended.  We dined with the governour, sir Eyre Coote, and his officers.  It was a very pleasant and instructive day; but nothing puts my honoured mistress out of my mind.

At night we came to Inverness, the last considerable town in the north, where we staid all the next day, for it was Sunday, and saw the ruins of what is called Macbeth’s castle.  It never was a large house, but was strongly situated.  From Inverness we were to travel on horseback.