A F ee rin is t/z e rs t urrow lo u /ied a n d g fi f p g , i s a gu ide fo r a ll t/z e res t . T/z e plo ug/z ing of t/ze field of T/z e Ca é ra e/z is onl be u n in t/ze res e n t volu me éu t ma tlz is y g p , y fee rmg gu ide 10 a s atisfaelo ry ’ E DIT O R S P R E F A CE . T a lo r e smurdie was The late Mr James y , of Milltown , L , a much interested in his native place , and when ch nce w a w brought in his y some old diaries and ne spaper cuttings , w relating to The Cabrach , hich had belonged to his uncle , H “ ” John Taylor , of oghead , familiarly known as Boggy , he thought it might occupy some leisure hours to arrange and s o h e elaborate them . But soon his enthusiasm grew , that w was not content ith these meagre records , but sought out nd every book containing any reference to Cabrach , a r gathered info mation from every possibl e source . I had the pleasure of helping Mr Tay lor in this work I for some years , and spent days in research in the Public ’ Librari es of Aberdeen and Edinburgh , in the Advocates Library , the Scottish Register House , and the British was Museum Reading Room , while Mr Taylor , who pre vented by ill -health from j ourneying s o far from home for this purpose , would eagerly wait for news of some elusive land charter or family history . H e was able to go to Elgin , y however and spent many an hour in the Librar there , or in searching at home through the bo oks he was able to buy or borrow . Mr Taylor had intended the work to be much more ex tensive ; as readers will see for themselves , the Upper Cab “ rach i s not touched on in the chapter entitled Traversing ” The Cabrach , nor is there much information about the I school there . have by me a paper on which are noted points to be cleared up , and give them here , in case any reader can supply the information B eldo rn e B el h er e l a c r . G u s t o n y , y , and Succoth , pro rie t r ? p o s as far b ack as possible . Tenants of the three When did Co rrin as s ie come to the Duke of Gordon ? n n The burying ground at F o rte ith . Is a ythi ng k own of d de n a the the writing of Mr Robertson , Woo si , Elgi , bout cists and skeletons found ? 6 “h at was the name of the chapel on th e river bank o n ? the farm of To mbally ? I s anythin g known about the chapel ? “h en was th e last laird of Le smu rdie in In\ ercharro c h “ " ? Can a copy of The \ Ii :\ sionar Kirk be had y Is anythin g known of the histor of th e Cabrach , or of ? u t 1 1 8 2 the ch rch , be ween 79 7 and 4 y u s wri r Are there an acco nt , tten or othe wise , to be had ? of th e s muggling v Are there an y wri tings about the Cabrach 1 860- 1 - 3 such as w ere contributed to th e E lgin Co u ra n t b y the ‘ ” 3 Rambler “h e m and ho w was the bo u ndary between the S o c co ch ? and L es murdie defined m 1 1 TVh en the war co menc e d in August 9 4 , the Cabrach I history was put aside for the time . In 1 9 1 6 left The Cab bu t my rach , before departur e arranged all our manuscripts in a connected formto awai t an opportuni ty of publishing . y i u i 1 1 8 w e The rema ned ntouched t ll the summer of 9 , h n ’ . fi th m . B an e bundle was sent to Mr Ja es Grant , LL B , of , who u ndertook to arrange for the publication . The first negotiations were proceeding when Mr Ta y lor suddenl y died i m I w as a n Septe ber 1 9 1 8 . st ying at the Milltown at the ” i wi y t me , and had some talk th Mr Ta lor about The Book , his ri l as f ends used to cal it , but as his death took place two y my rr w i an y da s after a ival , e had no t m e to make defini te ' fl h e n I aw y arrangements . s Mr Grant a few da s later he w a ver hi ly s y enthusiastic about s task , and keen regretted t Mr y hat Ta lor had not lived to see his boo k in print . TVithin un fo rtim atel a few months Mr Grant , y , was seized w nz n e ve r ith infl ue a , from which he recovered , and the i i i ” w quest on of publish ng Cabrach Feer ngs as dropped , il y it unt Mrs Ta lor arranged for s issue in this form . ' “ e h ave been much indebted for assistance in y ario u s w y a s to the late Mr James Grant , LL . B . ; Mr Yeats , of ff Mr ria Ban ; Fraser , Libra n of Ab erdeen Public Library ; y Mr John Mallett , London ; and to Mr G . T . L nam , l ma for his exce lent p . JANE T ANDE R S ON . a y B rnsle , o y emb er 1 9 20 . CO NT E NT S I nt roduction , I — n d Ch ap . Posit ion a Ext ent of t he C abrach , — i a . a Ch p II C abrach an d ts L irds , — . h a Ch ap . III . Tra ve rsing t e C brach , — an C hap . IV. We ath e r d Crops , V — e a and F C hap . Str ms i shing , V — I . a Ch ap . Educ t ion , — VI E a r Ch ap . L cclesi stical His to y , — a Ch ap . VIII . The Libr ry , x Appe ndi I . Appendix II . A ppendix III . A ppendix IV . A ppendix V . Ma a a p of P ri sh of C brac h , F ac ing Title S CAB RAC H F E E RING . R e si n th r‘ a so the d re a g e h p dy, m T o me n o fl arger re ach ; B e o urs th e que st o fa. pl a i n the me , T h e pi ety o fspe e c h . N T R U T N I O D C I O . a m m C brach , or The Cabrach , for in com on with so e o ther districts , as The Tyrol , The Engadine , this enj oys n the distinction of the definite article , though k own and u n loved of many , yet is by others less fortunate totally known o r much misunderstood . It is believed to li e in that “ ” - be far region , vaguely called The Back of Beyond , to d ffi a i cult of pproach , and to be , even in summer , a place of “ residence for . only the most hardy of men , a place abound in i and ing noth ng but precipitous hills , yawning passes , e ndless marshy mosses , through which stranger and foreigner may never hope to pass . A spot iso lated from all n d know regions of civilisation , and estitute even of the o m rdinary privilege of accom odation roads , by which its o n wilds m ay be explored and its desolation seen . A land w hich barrenness is so terribly written that corn grows but to frost and die ere its ear be full , leaving the inhabitants e ntirely dependent upon the fertility of other districts for u n their means of support . A p lace where the summer s r n scorns to exert his influence , and whe e the rains of spri g a n d the frosts and snows of winter linger with tenacious ' n h ei ht like c hold amo g its barren g s , the robber aterans of o l n e d, lo g after they have be n driven from the homes of c n . ivilisatio , and scared from the genial face of the plains and n n A place so wildly desolate i hospitably barre , that fi m n othing but the r es t nerve , urged on by dire necessity , ” c ould ever induce a human being to traverse it . Such is the account given by a writer of the middle of last century of the popul ar idea of The Cabrach in those 10 th e days , and even now some people seem to have much is same notions concerning it . Here another interesting glimpse of the ideas formerly held about this elusive region , “ ’ ” o f h entitled , Dr Michie s first impressions Cabrach , whic we found among some old papers .