Queen Adelaide to Queen Victoria.
Bushey House, 7th September 1842.
My dearest Niece,—... Your Mamma's visit gave me great pleasure, and it has been a great treat to me to hear her sing again, and so well, which put me in mind of former happy days. I regret much that she leaves me already this afternoon again, but the strong and powerful magnet which you have left at the Castle draws her back, and I dare not keep her away from such treasures.
I beg you, my dearest Victoria, to give my affectionate love to dear Albert, and to believe me ever most devotedly, your very affectionate Aunt,
Adelaide.
Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians.
THE QUEEN VISITS SCOTLAND
Taymouth,77 8th September 1842.
My dearest Uncle,—I make no excuses for not having written, as I know that you will understand that when one is travelling about and seeing so much that is totally new, it is very difficult to find time to write....
Albert has told you already how successfully everything had gone off hitherto, and how much pleased we were with Edinburgh, which is an unique town in its way. We left Dalkeith on Monday, and lunched at Dupplin, Lord Kinnoul's, a pretty place with quite a new house, and which poor Lord Kinnoul displayed so well as to fall head over heels down a steep bank, and was proceeding down another, if Albert had not caught him; I did not see it, but Albert and I have nearly died with laughing at the relation of it. From Dalkeith we went through Perth (which is most beautifully situated on the Tay) to Scone Palace,78 Lord Mansfield's, where we slept; fine but rather gloomy. Yesterday morning (Tuesday) we left Scone and lunched at Dunkeld, the beginning of the Highlands, in a tent; all the Highlanders in their fine dress, being encamped there, and with their old shields and swords, looked very romantic; they were chiefly Lord Glenlyon's79 men. He, poor man! is suddenly become totally blind, and it was very melancholy to see him do the honours, not seeing anything. The situation of Dunkeld, down in a valley surrounded by wooded hills, is very, very pretty. From thence we proceeded to this enchanting and princely place; the whole drive here was beautiful. All Lord Breadalbane's80 Highlanders, with himself at their head, and a battalion of the 92nd Highlanders, were drawn up in front of the House. In the evening the grounds were splendidly illuminated, and bonfires burning on the hills; and a number of Highlanders danced reels by torchlight, to the bagpipes, which was very wild and pretty....