The scenery of the Keltnie burn, which joins it near Coshiville, is exceeded by that of very few places,particu larly about the ancient castle of Garth, which is placed in a most singular position at the confluence of two deep ravines. Though so accessible from Kenmore, it is quite unknown, like every thing else which has not been de scribed in the popular tour books. Before quitting this part of the country, we must, however, mention the scenery about Moness and Aberfeldy, though that water runs into the Tay. The cascades are well known, and of these, the middle one forms the most perfect scene of this nature that can be conceived, although on a very narrow scale. But the views around from the ascent to these gi ounds, including the noble and picturesque bridge of Tay, are equally worthy of attention.
The scenery on the Lochy and the Dochart are little remarkable, except at Killin. But we must not forget to name Glen Falloch, the seat of the river of that name, which flows into the top of Loch Lomond, and which conducts us through much wild and beautiful scenery to that noted lake.
The Forth, as we have already seen, rises in the lakes and receives no principal stream till, above it the the Teith flowing from Loch Cateran. After that, it receives the Allan and the Devon, the most distant part of this river at least belonging to Perthshire. The most remarkable scenery of the Forth is that near Aberfoyle, already mentioned, and its course through the great plane of Stirling, where it separates these two counties, is familiar to most persons. Nor, after leaving Callandar, is the scenery of the Teith particularly re markable, except at Doune, where it is rendered highly beautiful by the majestic remains of that ancient castle, and the rich wood with which it is surrounded. But we ought not to pass over that magnificent spot, the pass of Lent', where the water of Lubnaig Loch joins it, nor that which attends the courses of some of the mountain streams in the vicinity of Callandar. In this part of the Devon also, which belongs to Perthshire, is situated the well known scenery of the Rumbling Bridge and of the Caldron Linn.
The courses of the Almond and the Braun present no very striking scenery amidst such a mass of beauty as we have already described ; but the former contains the wild recess of Glen Almond, and in the latter also, are the well known falls in the grounds of Dunkeld, and that of Rumbling Bridge on a small torrent which joins it.
The Airdle consists of two principal branches ; but it is not remarkable for its scenery till it cuts through the deep ravine near Craighall, where its course is extremely romantic. The course of the Isla through Perthshire,
till it joins the Tay, is however very beautiful, although in a very different style, running through a rich open woody country, backed by mountains, and bearing all the marks of wealth and high improvement.
We need describe no more of these rivers, and, as the chief beauties here, as elsewhere, attend the rivers and lakes, we shall terminate also this account of the pictu resque scenery of Perthshire, of which it may be said to contain as much as nearly all the rest of Scotland, render ing it, to a stranger, by far the most interesting county of the whole. Were we to indulge further in these. descrip tions, we might add much more, lying apart from the lakes and rivers, but we dare not trespass further on our allotted space.
Perthshire contains every possible variety of soil, nor can we pretend to enter into any very minute details on this matter, on account of the extent of the subject. The most valuable are the alluvial or carse lands, which have been deposited by the principal rivers, and sometimes in con junction with the sea. The Carse of Gowrie is the most celebrated of them. In most places this is a rich clay of great depth, being in some interstratified with layers of peat, and also containing sand and marine deposits in its very lowest portions. Most of it is indeed alluvial ; but there are some parts also of a different character, arising from the decomposition of the trap rocks, which form a dark brown soil, and others which are red and loomy, from the destruction of the sandstone which constitutes so large a part of the Sidlaw hills. The plains of the Forth, when it belongs to this county, is of the same ge neral character, but is in many places covered with a dense coating of peat, particularly well known about Blair Drummond by the name of Moss Flanders.
Similar alluvial soils attend the course of the Earn, par ticularly towards the east, while higher up, the country un its margin, though still often alluvial, is more sandy sandy and gravelly, as is the case with all the alluvia of these rivers among the mountains. The principal alluvial soils of this inferior nature were found in the upper parts ol Strath Tay, Strath Tumel, and Strath Airdlc, as well as on the borders of the Lyon, the Garry, and many other streams of less note. The soil around the Isla is also of this character, as is that which attends the Tay from Dunkeld to Perth, which is indeed in many places ex tremely bad. In others,as near Perth itself, it is very fertile.