£3.. to buy 6 yds. black ribens 12s. . In Cathell. . to nurss and servents and gardinar £9 12s . at Kilreak to ye nurs £2.. at ye Kirk of Croy 4d. . at Inverness left in Mr Ritchies hous yt night the laird wes wt my lord Lowat. £12.. at Lovat to servands and 1s sterl. to my lords fittman £6 8s . . In Tomich to the servands and the lass yt washit the laird's cloithes £6. . boattman at Lovat 18s . Left at Tarnua [Darnaway] . nurs and servands £12 givin to change house. . at Duff house servants being yr ane night £5 16s. . Left at Innes. . peyit () to Elgine qn we went to sie ().. peyit at Forres. . givin to the meassone at Brodie 12s; givin to twa lame sogers at young Clava hous 12s.. peyit McKillican hous for drink wt. Clava and utheris .. at the ferrie of Ardinseir . . . at the ferrie of Inverbreakie for the passage and sending back of the boy for the string of the Laird's hatt 36s. . peyit yt night we wes at James Innes hous at the ferrie syde. . £2 . . left in Inverbreakies house being yr one night £2 18s . Givin to Sir George Monroes meassones £2 18s. [This seems to refer to the building of the mortuary chapel at Rosskeen Church. It was close to the Laird's route from Inverbreakie to Balnagown, and, judging from the remains of elaborate carving still to be seen, it would be a work worth his viewing. From the high gratuity, and from the other entry at Brodie, it seems Balnagown had a taste for buildings-see No. 882. There is no date on MS., but Clava's burial fixes it. William Rose of Clava, second son of William Rose, 11th of Kilravock, was a noted man-see No. 695-in his day, and died in August, 1664, at the age of 80. At B. No. 532, 1672.-] Ane not of yr ho. [i.e., the Laird of Balnagown's] spendings sinc yr ho. com from hom [docketed] goeing to Edin. [omitting repetitions of like items.] Inverness for lawing [bill] night and morning £4 16s; To the boy that went hom 4s; To ane tailzeor ther £2 8s; For ane chopin wyne wt Montcreiff 8s; ane pynt sack and do. aill £1 3s; For ane by girdle [extra girdle fitting round the body to hold money, for on back there is a separate] not of qt moey was taken out of the by girdle at Inverness 4s; At Darnua for horses standing and corne 7s; At Elgin, for ane wallett 8s; To the Knight for the hyre £5 10s; dyett [diet] to yr ho. and boyes £2 14s; To the boy to bring hom the horses £1 4s; At John Ross his hous for drink 6s; At Diveron syde for dyett and horse corn, 13s; at Scotsmiln £1 10s; at Lumphanan, to the poore 3s 4d, denner &c. £1 68; At Quittisillach. 10s; at Fetterkern lodging £2 10s; at Brechen for drink 5s; at aucht myle house. . £1 9s; at Brughtie to hyrer £16 9s, drink 4s; The passage boat off South ferrie 12s, drink and bread 7s; at Kennoa [Kennoway] 78; at Bruntyland, supper 12s. . ferrie 12s; at Leith, morning drink 6s, hyrer £4 3s. . Coach for coming from Leith 18s [the only bit of road where a coach comes in]; Wyn at Alexr. Hogs £1 11s; ane pair black stockens 21 sh.; 3 mutchkins wyn 15s; In the Leith Wynd in Alexr. Ross's house 12 sh. Sum £56 19s. [The time of travel appears in No. 533, 1678.-] Accompt. . debursit be Allexr. Davidson . . For a gang of shoon and naills to my horse 15s. . ferriers of Arderseire 12s; at Nerne 6s; at Forres 5s; at Spey syde 2s; at Elgin a nicht 24s; at miln of Cowie 10s; at Scots Miln a night 25s; at Dee, boat 2s; at Cutties hillock 10s; at Fettercairn a night £1; at the Daine Kirk 10s; at ye four mylle house a night £1; at Dundie 15s; To Gillanders to bring back ye horse £3 3s; To ferrie at Dundie 3s; at Androw Carkadyes 2s 6d; at Cennua [Kennoway] 8s; Given be ye road to ye boyes 4s; For horse twixt Bruntisland and Dundie £2 4s; Ferry of Bruntiland 4s; Bruntiland a night £1 6s; Carrying my wallet and boots Leith to Edr. 4s . [A lawyer's messenger, and economical, but it costs £18 18s from Chanonry to Edinburgh, and takes six days. There is the time of post in No. 534, 1696.-Letter, addressed] ffor the much honoured the Provost and Baillies of Tayne-heast, heast. Edr. 13 Jully 1696 at six of the clock at night. I receaved your letter by Robt. Munro post, dated 25 last, with Easter Ferne's letter and your informatione against Jas. McCulloch, only Thursday last and on Fryday night. . . his lybel. . against you, and yesterday being the Lord's Day I recd yr. letter by James Hay your post. [Thus a letter, evidently on pressing legal matters, took 14 days from Tain to Edinburgh.] Jo. Davidson. [The state of the roads, even later, is well seen in No. 535, 1722.-] . . . Inquest appoynted at Tayne.. for perambulating the bounds [15 names] sworn de fideli . ffinds. . Rod to Kirkskaith. . 2 feet taken off breadth. . by them that labour Saint Duthus Rigg . . digged in holes in Winter and spring neather man nor horse can go through .. but makes a Rod through Cadboll's arrable land. . Causeway from Tayne to Knockbreck . . lochs of water by adjacent heretors cutting earth and feall for their middins find a new dyck . . at the West end. . encroach upon it On the west syde of the loanuing from the Town to Teabreck.. two encroachments by yards... making slapps. and breitches in both sides. . by Dond Farquhar by casting feill for building a house . . . houses in the hight of the loaning of Aldincardich are upon the town's commonty . . . loaning. . from Litle Tayne to the mosses is encroched upon be Alexr. Ross nottar . . . cutting 200 yds. of the dyck did bring out a corn yard there 6 ft. on the road. . and did sow the found of the dyck with bear Alexr. Ross enclosed. . commonty.. East of the Burn of Little Tayne and be west his yeard from the Bridge down to the end of the Brea . . . . The Willing [willow?] Trees in the Ward .. by the washeing Burne was the march between the Ward and the Commonty.. A. R. encroached by building a dyck six foot without the march . . . Part of the Water of Tayne are for severall years out of the old track thereof and running close to the foot of the Angel Hill. . destroyed the said hill and grass thereof, and if not noticed. . destroy remainder and endanger lands, yards and tenements in the laigh end of the town. . . Ane house and yeard builded by Aldy upon the King's High Road to the South from Tayne to Calrossie . . . . and declares the found of ane old dyck remaining, and ane channel be-south the same wes of old called the Queen's High Road . . . . [This old road is still seen at Rosemount and is traceable by the old “ dycks through the Calrossie woods. [In 1762, Robert Gray left Inverness on a Wednesday at noon, and reached Edinburgh on Saturday at 4 P.M., which was reckoned fast. The improvement of roads carried out after the '45 was only then reaching Ross-shire. B. No. 536, 1733-4.-] Jany. 4 Accompt of his grace Duke of Athole, Lord Balcaras, and Lord Advocate's travelling charges. [For brevity, repetitions of like items are slumped or suppressed.] 10 horses Haddington to Copersmith-to Berwick-to Alnwick-to Morpeth-to Newcastle-to Durham-to Darlington-to Northallerton-to B. Bridge -to Wetherby-to Ferrybridge-to Duncaster-to Tuxford -11 horses to Newark-to Grantham-to Costwitham-to Stamford to Stilton-to Huntington-to Keckston-to Royston to Ware-6 horses to Enfield and to London[last two stages] 15/8, [the others] 26 to 36/ each. [At each] to hostler and boys [about] 10s; [at each] to the maid 1s, and to the Drawer 2s; [at several] to the bootcatcher, 1s to 6s; [at each] to the poor, 1s or 2s [indicates a greater or smaller crowd of beggars at the starting-place. Then at each] wine and eating, or The Bill, [from] £3 11s 9d [the first, down to] 2s 10d, [the last, stage. At Tuxford, Stamford, Huntingdon, and Enfield, The Turnpike,] 1/3 or 1/6. Total, £85 18s 6d stg. [They started from Haddington on the 4th January, early, and reached London on the 9th, late, thus taking 6 days. The turnpikes were near Newark, Stamford, Huntingdon. In 1684 a servant of Balnagown's writes that to get back from Edinburgh he went down to Leith, found no boat crossing, but one for Aberdeen, and went on board, as the wind was good, but off Arbroath it changed, so he had to land and take horse for Aberdeen. Then at Fettercairn a great snowstorm came on, and he writes thence, being snowed up. No. 118, 1763.-Rest of letter by Captain Forbes of Newe.] . . At . . meeting. . Commissioners of Supply . . procure an order to Achilty, minister of Lochbroom, and oyrs. to call out the tenents to make a road betwixt a lime quarry near Glastullick and Ardmoir. . Coygach. I do not much admire the grand plan of sailors and sogers being persuaded -it will not easily execute. . . . Mrs Forbes joins me John Forbes. [No. 537, 1764.-Letter: Captain John Ross of Balnagown, from London, to Baillie, Ardmore.]. . When Lord George Beauclerk was in town I apply'd to him for his assistance of soldiers this summer to carry on the road from the water of Beauly to Dingwell and from thence to Tain which he promised.. memorial. . by the gentlemen of the county. more ready.. assistance. . I drew one out and got it signed gave the names of the places where the road is to be made... [One of many instances of good done by Captain Ross's energy and business capacity. In the same year, Mrs Baldrey, the gardener's wife, writes that she will journey from Cheshire to Edinburgh "in 12 days by the Shafield wagon," and signs "Your umble sarvent.' In 1774, John Fraser, writer, Edinburgh, says the expenses for coaches and horses are very great, and later we have: No. 538, 1787.-Letter: Captain David Ross, Tain, to David Ross, town clerk in Edinburgh.]. . . . The great expence of travelling to London by land inclines me to prefer going by I propose transporting myself. by the first smack that sails from Cromarty Reay and Hood are on the passage down.. sail for London in 15 days. sea. SECTION V.-COVENANT, COMMONWEALTH, RESTORATION, AND REVOLUTION, [A very curious memento of the period when the Civil War was brewing is in the inscription on the Dingwall Tomb at the Churchyard of Tarbat:-] H. M.K. CONIVGI CHARISSIMÆ BENE MERENTISSIME HELENE MACKENZIE PRO- DINGVALL . [The larger capitals, when added as Roman . After B. No. 539, 1639.-Joint letter to Balnagown.] Our verie honll and much respectit Thes are to shew you that this day thair hes beine ane meeting of us the gentrie of thir fieldis heir at Dingwall for advancing of the common caus and becaus now matteris are drawin to such ane heicht that the advyse of the most sound and grave men is requisit for preventing of imminent danger, we desyr as you tender the.. guid and savetie of this Commonwealth that. . with yor quhole freinds that ar landit men and the ministeris about you be heir at Dingwall. . tuesday come aucht dayes . . of meiting. Quhill then and ever we commit you to Gods favour yor affect. freinds Ts. McKenzie [Pluscardine], H. Fraser [Lovat], Alexr. Mackenzie, Ronald Bane of Knockbane, Dunbar of Bennetsfield, J. Munro of Limlair, Hector Munro of (?), T. Straychuir. Dingwall 2nd March. [The last was Sheriff of Inverness. Then from the Parliament Committee came: B. No. 540.-N.D., but, from the internal evidence, about the same as preceding. It is docketed "Public letter."] It is earnestlie recommendit . . . that yair be 400 men all with swords levied out of the presbetries of Inverness, Dingwall, Chanonrie and Taine . . . each 100 qrof there be 24 able Bowmen . . 1 ensigne to each 50 with 2 inferrior officeres . . . . make thair randavouse at Elgin, efter which |