Page:A Companion and Useful Guide to the Beauties of Scotland.djvu/207

Rh and the wall of the house, seem of a piece; and the eye, from the windows, sees nothing but the precipice, that would turn the head giddy were it not for the stems and branches of trees sprouting from every chink of the jagged rocks. There is a zig-zag path, however, cut by the side of the house, with much art and labour, down the rocks to the margin of the rolling river: this path leads to a scene of rock, wood, and water, not to be described.—I fancied myself at the end of the world, and at the gate of Paradise! This old secluded habitation belongs to the ancient house of Rattry; which, in the iron age of Scotland, possessed a great extent of territory in that part of Perthshire.

It is said an Earl of Atholl, called Black Jock of Atholl (it was before the Murrays enjoyed that title), married a daughter of the house of Rattry; and her father giving her less of his property than Jock expected, he, without ceremony, came down from Atholl with a band of ruffians, suddenly intruded upon his father-in-law, as he and his household were at prayers, and murdered him and all his family, except one son, who fled. Jock made no scruple of helping himself to the chief of Rattry's possessions; and the times were