TALBOT7187

East Ferry Cottage

Saturday Oct 13^th

My dear Henry

We had another fine bright day yesterday – rather cold, with a few passing showers, which served to set off the beauty of the scenery by varying the lights. The girls were in & out of the garden several times – but we took no extended walk on account of our previous cautions. Considering the chances of rain at this late season we were most fortunate in getting such as we did for our expedition – only one out of the four was misty & showery, and that during part of the morning only – But the cold begins to be felt rather too sensibly for the considerable enjoyment of such excursions. We had been very desirous, all day, of seeing Killiecrankie & Loch Tay; and I am sure you will be glad to hear that we managed it so nicely. By residing in a country one begins to know something about it – and were we, at a future time, to wish to spend a summer in Scotland, we should know better how to set about it – In this neighbourhood there are several houses rented by English Families – One is <Kin?> House, belonging to the Duke of Atholl, about 4 or 5 miles from Dunkeld on the road to Kenmore – There is also a pretty house just above our Cottage, belonging to a Sir Fisher, now vacant, which we have inspected. It is rather small in the servants department, but has beautiful drawing-rooms & best bed rooms in sufficient number for such a family as ours – Large garden, orchard & pleasure ground, very well kept by the present gardener – whose wages are £26 per annum & the house & grounds stable coachhouse etc £175 for one year or £160 for 2 or 3 years – It is in the hands of M^r Duff the Banker who gave us the particulars. – I am sorry you find Lacock disagrees with you as much as usual – It confirms me in an opinion <ill.del.> which I am becoming more & more disposed to adopt, for many reasons, that we ought to free ourselves altogether from Lacock for a time, & wander as inclination may prompt. – We will talk of it at leisure when you come –

And now would it not be wise to order Meredith, George, & the other servants, to keep themselves in readiness for a hasty summons to Scotland? We shall doubtless find a house at Edinburg after a few day’s search & want to get into it as quickly as possible, to save the expense of living at the Hotel. – The cook, engaged for us here by Miss Chalmers, is a very good industrious person, & will do well to assist in the same capacity at Edinburg. & I shall be glad to engage her for as long or as short a time as we may stay there.

I will send you a statement of money matters next <?>, when I have collected the coach bills & paid our carriage hire at Fisher’s – Coal here is outrageously dear, from there being no pits in the neighbourhood & no facilities of railway carriage – At Loch Bannoch & Bridge of Tilt Inn, they gave us peat fires & burn nothing else – at Aberfeldy too, coal is very scarce.

Adieu dear Henry – We have had a sharpish frost last night, succeeded by heavy rain, and now at 10 o’clock the sun is shining brightly & the mist clearing off Birnam hill. The effect is beautiful – I see it from the window in my room, as I lift my eyes off my paper.