Tennis-Castle

There is a large Fir-park up on the
Right Hand from the Kirktown of
Drumellier, where I made a short halt,
&and got one Cleghorn, a Weaver, to con-
duct me to Tennis-Castle, an old Ruin
on the Top of a steep Green Hill to yethe Right
Hand, once the Seat of the Frasers of Sal-
ton, about the Time of King James yethe 5th,
as was narrated to me.

In going up to Tennis-Castle, you walk
on a Green Road of a good Breadth, which
appears to have been made on purpose
for the easier Access, by the Side of a small
purling Stream, issuing from the high Ground,
where you come to a large Stone, natural-
ly in Form of an Elbow-Chair, called yethe
Chesweld-Chair; in which one can fit,
or lie along, as he pleases. If you loll
downwards, as it has a little SlopSlope, your
Lips, can touch the murmuring Stream, &and
drink of the finest Water. Some of the
RuinesRuins lie in huge Lumps. I measured
one of them, which was about 6 Feet
thick. The Walls of one Watch-Tower
of a round Form are pretty entire. The
whole seems to have been built of small
Stones, all strongly cemented; so that it wdwould
be far easier to work any Quarry, than to
separate them.

All along on the Banks of the Tweed, ^which we cross’dcrossed thrice &and sel-
dom out of Sight of it from it’sits very Source,
we came to New-Posso, the princely Seat
of SrSir James Naesmith, grand &and beauti-
ful truly, tho’though, on the North-Side of
a Hill, in View of the Tweed from
the Front-Windows, &and abounding with the
verdant Fir, through (which) there are many 1933 (1933) different Vistas. It has a large Avenue
down to the Tweed, terminating in Iron
BallistradoesBalustrades, decorated with two Statues
of Gladiators. Here the Tweed is a
large River. Methinks, there is one su-
perfluous Beauty, which is, an artificial
Cascade in the Avenue, forming a circular
Piece of Water, though Tweed be winding
it’sits Course in full View.

SrSir James has a fine Green-House of a
pretty large Extent, where, at this Time, as
I was informed, an American Aloe was in
Flower, the Stem of which being about 27
or 30 Feet high.

After leaving New-Posso, we came in
View of Stobo-Kirk &and Stobo-Hills, which
make a fine Appearance, travelling
now along in an Avenue of Planting,
many of them ^^^^which Apple-Trees on each
Hand; qchwhich Avenue is a Mile or two in
Length, if not more. After which, still
in View of Tweed, We came to Needpath, to
the Right Hand, an old Castle of great
Strength, the Seat of the Earl of March,
on a green Bank Hopping down to Tweed,
with much barren Wood of different kinds
on both Sides of the River. Near to this,
on the other Side of the Tweed, is Bur-
net of Barns, an ancient, snug little
Seat, which, besides it’sits own Plantations,
has in View all the Beauties of Need-
path-Woods; &and Needpath enjoys yethe same
enchanting View of Barns, and it’sits
Tower, &and lofty Trees.

At Peebles by 12 o’Clock, which Eddle-
stone-Water divides into two, the
Old Town &and the New Town, discharging
itself into Tweed below Peebles; on
the South Side of which a fine Bridge
of several Arches over the Tweed; Hop
the Top of which you have a most beautiful 1934 (1934)
Prospect. Here I called for John Robert-
son, the Town ^Sheriff-Clerk, upon Account of
the RevdReverend Mr Geo.George Innes at Aberdeen,
who is married upon a Sister of the said
Robertson. He dined with us at the house
of Ritchie, Vintner, &and made me a Pre-
sent of four Franks1 addressed to
Mr George Innes.

Then, as you travelltravel along, you view Cring-
altie, Blackbarronry, the Whim, built by the
Earl of Isla in the Midst of a Moss, &and
now the Property of Mr Montgomery,
Advocate, Pennycuick, &and Mortonhall, on
the Left Hand, &and Auchindinny on the
Right; all of them beautiful Seats, a-
dorned with Plantations of Wood in
great Plenty. Near to Auchindinny is
a fine New Bridge over the Esk; so
that some of the above Seats are de-
corated with Wood &and Water.

StoptStopped at the Howgate ‘twixtbetwixt 5 &and 6 to
refresh the Horses; &and at home, all
Glory be to God, ¼ before nine o’
Clock at Night.