Thomas Beddoes to Richard Beddoes, 11 September 1785
Sunday Sepr ye 11th 1785
Dear Sir
It was my intention to write to you sooner, but in the parts where I have lately been, I found that the opportunities of sending letters occurred so seldom as to make little or no difference with respect to you whether I wrote then or waited till I got into the road between Edinburgh & Inverary, where the opportunities are more frequent –
I set out, according to my last letter, about three weeks ago from Edinburgh. We directed our course northward for about 80 miles, passing through Perth, Dunkeld & Blair in Athol & then turned to the west. If we had gone quite to Inverary, we should have crossed the whole breadth of Scotland. At Perth we met with some disappointment for part of our company who had agreed to meet us there failed of their promise & we have never fallen in with them. The weather too has been very unfavourable, for it has rained upon us almost half the time we have been out, but we are luckily provided with umbrellas or as the Highlanders much more properly call them with screens, by means of which we have always hitherto been able to keep our shoulders dry; though it is sometimes difficult enough to manage them so as to receive benefit from them, it being impossible in high winds to extend them fully: this we have often experienced – one day in particular, when we were exposed to 5 hours heavy rain upon Ben Lawers, one of the highest mountains in Scotland. It was of great consequence to keep ourselves dry for we have none of us any change of cloaths, except only of shirts & stockings. We have our small baggage carried by a native of the country to whom we give two shillings a day, out of which he maintains himself: at any other season we might have found a cheaper servant. We have been better accommodated than I expected, through the country is quite full of travellers, chiefly from England. We have sometimes indeed not been able to procure wheaten bread, but barley bread is eatable by those, who are hungry. It was only upon one occasion, that we cd get neither lodging nor food. This was no longer since than last Friday. We had walked 22 miles over a road at all times hard & rocky, but at present rendered rougher by a dreadful storm, that happened in June & by destroying the bridges & tearing up the road in numberless places has done damage that cannot be repaired in a twelve month, after 22 miles of such a road we came to an inn between 7 & 8 o’clock at which we intended to remain all night: on our arrival we were no less hungry than for we had had no refreshment during the day except a single sea-biscuit & a glass of rum & water: in this condition it may be imagined how much we were mortified when we were told that the house was already fuller than it cd hold. The innkeeper seemed even unwilling to admit us within his door for he stood in the passage desiring us not to deceive ourselves, for we cd have no lodgings there. We however partly forced our way into the kitchen & that a Scotch kitchen; & procured some bad porter but when I asked for a little bread & cheese the landlady, who was if I mistake not naturally ill-humoured & happened at this instant to be engaged in a quarrel with a footman, replied that indeed we cdhave none, for she had little enough for her own company – We had evidently now no resource left but to proceed to the next inn, which luckily lay at the unusually short distance of 8 miles. By this time it was nearly dark, the wind was high & some dark clouds threatened us with rain; on our right hand we had, as usual, some rugged hills & on our left the waves of Loch Lomond broke against the shore at our feet & wetted us with the spray; the road was uneven hard, & covered with loose stones except in places where it had been mended with loose & unbeaten gravel, in which we sunk at every step over our shoes: and to compleat our disaster not one of the company had ever set his foot in these parts before. Fatigued as we were necessity drove us forward with all our speed & all our consolation was every half mile to reckon that we were so much nearer the end of our wearisome journey. At last a little after 10 a poor inhabitant of the Western isles, who had joined us on the road with little money, fewer cloaths & scarce any English & who had frequently in the course of the last hour observed that ‘this was too much walk’ uttered some exclamation & at the same moment slipped & fell into some stagnating water – I was a few steps behind him & when I had reached the top of the ascent saw that his exclamation & perhaps fall had proceeded from the perception of a light which I doubted not came from the inn. This was the only accident that befell us but as we approached nearer the number of candles began to make us apprehend a 2nd disappointment. The first things we perceived distinctly were very unpleasant objects to us, no less than 3 chairs drawn up before the door & the first news we heard was a confirmation of our fears. We were arrived at Luss, one of the pleasantest spots in the Highlands; & here fortunately I was provided with some resources that were of great use to us in our distress. I happened to have two letters to Mr Stuart, minister of the place, who is noted for being one of the most intelligent men in Scotland. His own house happened to be taken up by a party in the same situation with ourselves, but luckily we got beds at the inn by his good offices, & the next day he took us into his own apartments:
I can only at present add that in spite of our misfortune I am very well pleased with our long walk through the wild country
& remn Dr Sir
your obedt son
T. Beddoes
Address: Mr Beddoes / Shiffnall / Shropshire [Single Sheet]
MS: Bodleian Library, Dep c. 135/1