Near sixty years later, when some
Hessian troops were marching to the relief of Blair Castle, then
besieged by the forces of Prince Charles, the stolid Germans turned from
the desperate sight and, vowing that they had reached the limits of the
world, marched resolutely back to Perth. The only road that then led
through this Valley of the Shadow of Death was a rugged path, so narrow
that not more than three men could walk abreast, winding along the edge
of a precipitous cliff at the foot of which thundered the black waters
of the Garry. Balfour's regiment led the van of this perilous march: the
baggage was in the centre, guarded by Mackay's own battalion:
Annandale's horse and Hastings' foot brought up the rear.
For about the last mile and a half the pass runs due north and south;
but at the summit the river bends westward, and the mountains sweep back
to the right. As the head of the column emerged into open air it found
itself on a small table-land, flanked on the left by the Garry, and on
the right by a tier of low hills sparely dotted with dwarf trees and
underwood. Above these hills to the north and east rose the lofty chain
of the Grampians crowned by the towering peaks of Ben Gloe and Ben
Vrackie. In front the valley gradually opened out towards Blair Castle,
about three miles distant, and along this valley Mackay naturally looked
for the Highland advance.
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