Maun's Stane

In the latter end of the autumn of 18--, I set out by myself on an
excursion over the northern part of Scotland, and during that time my
chief amusement was to observe the little changes of manners, language,
etc., in the different districts. After having viewed on my return the
principal curiosities in Buchan, I made a little ale-house, or "public,"
my head-quarters for the night. Having discussed my supper in solitude,
I called up mine host to enable me to discuss my bottle, and to give me a
statistical account of the country around me. Seated in the "blue" end,
and well supplied with the homely but satisfying luxuries which the place
afforded, I was in an excellent mood for enjoying the communicativeness
of my landlord; and, after speaking about the cave of Slaines, the state
of the crops, and the neighbouring franklins, edged him, by degrees, to
speak about the Abbey of Deer, an interesting ruin which I had examined
in the course of the day, formerly the stronghold of the once powerful
family of Cummin.

"It's dootless a bonnie place about the abbey," said he, "but naething
like what it was when the great Sir James the Rose came to hide i' the
Buchan woods wi' a' the Grahames rampagin' at his tail, whilk you that's
a beuk-learned man 'ill hae read o', an' may be ye'll hae heard o' the
saughen bush where he forgathered wi' his jo; or aiblins ye may have seen
't, for it's standing yet just at the corner o' gaukit Jamie Jamieson's
peat-stack. Ay, ay, the abbey was a brave place once; but a' thing, ye
ken, comes till an end." So saying, he nodded to me, and brought his
glass to an end.

"This place, then, must have been famed in days of yore, my friend?"

"Ye may tak my word for that," said he, "'Od, it _was_ a place! Sic a
sight o' fechtin' as they had about it! But gin ye'll gan up the trap-
stair to the laft, an' open Jenny's kist, ye'll see sic a story about it,
printed by ane o' your learned Aberdeen's fouk, Maister Keith, I think;
she coft it in Aberdeen for twal' pennies, lang ago, an' battered it to
the lid o' her kist. But gang up the stair canny, for fear that you
should wauken her, puir thing; or, bide, I'll just wauken Jamie Fleep,
an' gar him help me down wi't, for our stair's no just that canny for
them 't's no acquaint wi't, let alane a frail man wi' your infirmity."

I assured him that I would neither disturb the young lady's slumber nor
Jamie Fleep's, and begged him to give me as much information as he could
about this castle.

"Weel, wishin' your guid health again.--Our minister ance said that
Solomon's Temple was a' in ruins, wi' whin bushes, an' broom and thistles
growin' ower the bonnie carved wark an'