Leaves from the Journal of our life in the Highlands

Queen Victoria, 1877

A review by Joe Dorward

Leaves from the Journal of our life in the Highlands (1877)

You might think that Queen Victoria couldn't be any kind of a source for information about the Cairngorms ; but the fact is she was one of the area's earliest 'tourists'.  It's true she was no mountaineer ; she probably didn't really climb, any hill, nor walk very far, nor carry any equipment - but she was out there, crossing watersheds, and reaching summits decades before the formation of the Cairngorm Club. Her first visit to Deeside was in 1848, and she soon began exploring the area, although she did not venture into the Cairngorms until 1950. She recorded each outing in her diary, and this book comprises 'leaves' from that diary. Because Victoria had unlimited access to the hills, and because she was among the area's earliest 'tourist' these 'leaves' give valuable insights into the everyday life of the people living among the hills of western Aberdeenshire about the middle of the 19th century. It's not about her ; it's about the places she went, the things that she saw, and the people she met.

Ascent of Beinn Bòrd (1850)

Further on comes a very narrow, rocky, and precipitous glen, called the Sluggan, said to mean the “swallow,” or “swallowing.” Some little distance after this the country opens widely before you, with Ben-na-Bhourd rising towards the left ; and then you enter the Forest of Mar, which the Duke of Leeds rents from Lord Fife. There is a very pretty shooting-box, called Sluggan Cottage, which is half way from Invercauld to the top of Ben-na-bhourd. Below this is the Quoich, which we forded. The last bit of the real road is a long steep ascent on the brow of a hill, the name of which means the “Tooth's craig.

– Victoria (1877) (p87-88)

Interestingly this passage refers to Mar Forest being rented by the Duke of Leeds ; and references to 'Sluggan', and 'Tooth's craig (Carn Fiaclach) clearly indicate their route to the summit of Beinn Bòrd.

Opening the bridge over Eas Dé (1857)

we started in ''Highland state'' – Albert in a royal Stuart plaid, and I and the girls in skirts of the same, – with the ladies (who had only returned at five in the morning from the ball at Mar Lodge) and gentlemen, for the Linn of Dee, to open the new bridge there. The valley looked beautiful. A triumphal arch was erected, at which Lord Fife and Mr. Brooke received us, and walked near the carriage, pipers playing – the road lined with Duff men. On the bridge Lady Fife received us, and we drank in whisky ''prosperity to the bridge.''

– Victoria (1877) (p118)

Ascent of Ben Macdui (1859)

We rode (my pony being led by Brown most of the time both going up and down) at least four miles up Glen Derry, which is very fine, with the remnants of a splendid forest … The track was very bad and stony, and broken up by cattle coming down for the ''Tryst'' … The mist got worse ; and as we rode along the stony, but almost flat ridge of Ben Muich Dhui, we hardly knew whether we were on level ground or the top of the mountain. However, I and Alice rode to the very top, which we reached a few minutes past two ; and here, at a cairn of stones, we lunched, in a piercing wind

– Victoria (1877) (p136-137)

There's more detail about the route than this extract suggests, but the reference to cattle droving is interesting. Nice to know that cattle were still being driven through Gleann Doire in 1859.

Passing Ruighe Ealasaid (1860)

started at eight or a little past, with Lady Churchill and General Grey, in the sociable (Grant and Brown on the box as usual), for Castleton, where we changed horses. We went on five miles beyond the Linn of Dee, to the Shepherd’s Shiel of Geldie ... where we found our ponies and a guide, Charlie Stewart. We mounted at once, and rode up along the Geldie, which we had to ford frequently to avoid the bogs

– Victoria (1877) (p140)

The 'Shepherd’s Shiel of Geldie' is an almost certain reference to Ruighe Ealasaid, interesting that it was apparently occupied by a shepherd in 1860.