up his abode at the mouth of the former pass, carried off horses and arms with impunity, from the country betwixt it and Brechin.* Major de Voisel was at the head of the Argyle highlanders, which were of about an equal number to that of Ferrier's followers, and through Voisel's superior leadership and training, the soldiers soon succeeded in checking the ravages of their opponents. But, it is painful to know, that even during the most rigid stage of feudalism, the inhabitants of those parts never experienced so much tyranny and oppression-not to speak of the utter laxity of all sorts of moral rectitude- as was then exhibited towards them by those legalised marauders, under the guise of Royalty. As the common attendant of a selfish general and reckless army, infamy and crime, in its most revolting shape, stalked supremely over the land for a brief period, and while the Episcopal churches fell under the devouring element, the gleam was prolonged by the mattresses of the worthy pastor and his faithful adherents; and their wives and daughters became the hapless victims of the base and vitiated habits of their heartless persecutors. Although much of the fine carved oak work of the Castle was burned, and otherwise destroyed during these revelries, the whole roof and the gilded vane on the Tower were entire for a considerable period after the din and noise of the soldiers had passed away; but all were ultimately brought to the hammer, and sold for behoof of the Company's creditors, and most of the oaken rafters being purchased by Dundee manufacturers, they were afterwards converted into lays for weavers' looms. In short, from the payment of debts, and by wholesale pillaging, every vestige of human comfort and affluence soon disappeared; and, not only the vaults, but the dining and drawing rooms, were made dens of thieves and robbers, and a common rendezvous and protection for traffickers in all sorts of illicit goods. Even the iron staunchels of the windows were forcibly wrested from their sockets, and carried off by the blacksmiths of the district, one of whom, a muscular fugitive of the "forty-five," lifted the immense grated door from its hinges, but being unable to transport it farther at one attempt than the so-called old water track, *Struther's Hist. of Scot., from the Union, vol. ii., p. 359, he hid it amongst the brushwood, when an envious brother Vulcan tumbled it into a deep pool, where it is believed still to remain. Such was the barbarous manner in which the Castle of Edzell was denuded of its ancient grandeur. The fine approach of majestic trees, which stretched southward from the castle to the old church, forming a beautiful arboreal vault, and, indeed, the whole mass of growing timber-which had doubtless been more valuable for decorative than useful purposes-was brought under the axe at nearly the same time; and from one wanton act and another, more than anything which the iron tooth of Time could have effected, this once magnificent place, the cherished abode of a long race of the most potent barons of the kingdom, has been reduced to its present lowly, and, it may be said, inglorious position. ""Tis now the raven's bleak abode : Huge heaps of hoary moulder'd walls." Nor did a better fate await the Castle of Auchmull, but its destruction is not to be ascribed to the same party as that of Edzell. So far, indeed, from its being so, the York Buildings' Company declared that the tenant should "have no concern with the stone house, commonly called the Castle of Auchmull, except in so far as he shall damage it by his use, or neglect of it," in which case he was bound to repair all injury the same as if it had been a part of the mill or farm steading.* It was occupied by the farmer down to 1772-3, about which time he found it so inconvenient, that he offered to bear the cost of a new house, provided the proprietor would allow him the wood and iron and other materials of the castle with which to erect it. Unfortunately this was acceded to, and ere long the famous refuge of the murderer of Lord Spynie was sadly mutilated; and, * Tack--Mr. Francis Grant to David Lindsay, 17th Feb., 1756, in possession of his grandson, the present tenant. the work of destruction once begun, had only its limit in the complete annihilation of the stronghold, for although, after building the farm house originally stipulated for, a goodly fabric, in the form of a square tower, similar to that of Invermark, graced the high banks of the romantic rivulet, yet that, too, was demolished for the purpose of building fences and filling drains, and only a small part of the foundations are now traceable. Truly, it may be said, that "heartless man," together with CHAPTER II. Glenesk. "The little churchyard by the lonely lake, Here sleeps the Poet who tuned his magic lyre SECTION I. THOUGH the church of Glenesk, or Lochlee,* as this fine pastoral district is now indiscriminately termed, is one of the oldest established in the county, little is known of its history beyond the interesting facts of the name of its founder and the period of his settlement. St. Drostan, a saint of the blood royal of Scotland, and Abbot of Donegall in Ireland, was the first who took an interest in the eternal welfare of its inhabitants. On returning from the sister country, in the eighth century, he took up his abode here, and proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation to the scattered population during the remainder of his long life. He died in the year 809, and his feast is held on the 11th of July. Though Drostan's relics, like those of most of the Saints, survived his decease for many ages, and probably survive and work miracles in some obscure corner to this day, it is not to be supposed that the church, of which the ruins still remain, though said to be of unknown antiquity, was the theatre of his ministry. The little wooden cell in which he dwelt, and every fragment of the rude cross which he raised, have long since passed away-even their exact sites have become unknown. And no great wonder; 'tis only remarkable that his name should exist in the district even in its present sadly metamorphosed state; for, it will be perceived that more than a thousand years have rolled past since his fervent and supplicating prayers resounded amongst these mountains, and since the long and mournful train of grateful * Gleann-uisge, i. e. "the glen of water."-Loch-le, i. e. "the smooth lake.” converts and holy brethren bore his meagre relics across the hills, and had them deposited in a stone chest which was prepared for them at the church of Aberdour, in Aberdeenshire, of which he was patron.* From the site of the present manse of Glenesk being called "Droustie," and a fountain near by "Droustie's well," it may be inferred that these are corruptions of the name of St. Drostan, and point to the site of his ancient residence and church. "Droustie's Meadow" is also the name of a piece of ground near the parsonage at Tarfside, which, with the exception of the St. Drostan's well already alluded to near the old church of Neudos, are the only places in the district bearing similar designations. Though now annexed to Edzell, the parish of Neudos was, from early times a separate cure, and, so far as known, had never any connection with Glenesk; in fact, the situation of the old kirk, and more particularly that of the well (both of which lie considerably east of the glen), are favourable to this idea, and, as previously hinted, the presence of the fountain is only to be taken as implying that the church was dedicated to St. Drostan, whilst Droustie in Glenesk may be considered as the principal place of his residence and ministry. The old kirk, which stands by the side of the Loch, is also sometimes called the "kirk of Droustie ;" and a deep pool in the river Lee, immediately south of the farmhouse of Kirkton, and now used principally for sheep-washing, has, time out of memory, borne the significant appellation of the "Monk's Pool," and so termed, it is said, from the monks having had a right to fish for salmon there during the flesh-proscribed season of Lent: five fine large fish were taken out of it some years ago. From the time of St. Drostan, down to the year 1723, when the district was erected into an independent parish, very little is known of its ecclesiastical history. There is no record of it before the time of the Reformation, and, instead of its having any chaplainries connected with it, it was of itself merely a chaplainry of the adjoining parish of Lethnot.† About the time of the Reformation, however, a Mr. Hay was appointed reader, with the scanty salary of twenty-four merks a-year, or about * Collections on Aberdeenshire, p. 442,-Spalding Club; Butler's Lives of the Saints. |