Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/161

Rh Auchterarder, and Callender, are peculiarly so. The Castle is on a stupendous rock, like that at Edinburgh, inaccessible on every side but one, where the town rises to it. The surrounding mountains and crags, with the rich winding vales, through which the Forth meanders, altogether exhibit a view delightfully fine; and from the castle, in a clear day, is a prospect both towards the north-west, and south-east, that is far beyond description; taking in the rich extensive vales from the sources of the Forth, to the firth of it, beyond Edinburgh. That branch of the Forth which runs from the west, rises near the north base of Ben Lomond; increases its stream from the east side of that gigantic mountain, and others, its neighbours, receives the waters of Loch Chon, Loch Aird, and Loch Monteith; and then, by innumerable windings, unites with its other branch the Teith, within about a mile and a half above Stirling. The walk round the base of the rock on which Stirling Castle is built, is astonishingly fine; but the coach road between that rock and the river, has something very terrifying in it. The width of the road is the only space between the shivered rock, and the broad winding river. To look up, huge loose fragments hang over the