Untitled - Beeldbibliotheek

196 CARAVAN DAYS" Ye have some braw poultry, Mistress."" "The best o' them's awa' !And after that itwas hardly worth while tosuggest stabling for the horses.We travelled due South, right through theheart of Aberdeenshire, by many small valleysand over many rounded hills, but always on aWe had a feeling all the timefairly good road.of going across country, of beingout of touchwith main routes, until we reached Deeside.But no Scottish pilgrimage, we felt, could be heldto be complete which had not traversed Strathbogieand Strathdon. Some three or four milesabove Keith we camped following a sound rule inundulating country of always camping at the topon a rather dreary plateau, with sandy soil andmeagre vegetation, set off by occasional raggedlittle knots of spruce and Scotch fir. It was ahungry land, as Herbert, with his eye on thehorses, ruefully observed, but though the farmerhad little to offer us it was clear at once that hewas prepared enthusiastically to offer all he had.So we drew into a pasture field, near the steading.We were not long in finding out that we had fallenamong friends. Every member of the threegenerations that occupied the house expressedthe greatest delight at our " visit," as it was