Elfinspell: Title, Prefatory Note, and Table of Contents, Convivial Caledonia, Inns and Taverns of Scotland, and Some Famous People Who Have Frequented Them by Robert Kempt.

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From Convivial Caledonia, Inns and Taverns of Scotland, and Some Famous People Who Have Frequented Them, by Robert Kempt, London: Chapman and Hall, LD., 1893; pp. i-xii.

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[Stamp: William F. Clay, Bookseller, Edinburgh]

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CONVIVIAL CALEDONIA.

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CONVIVIAL CALEDONIA

INNS AND TAVERNS OF SCOTLAND

AND

SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE FREQUENTED THEM

BY

ROBERT KEMPT

The two most familiar emblems of life — the short journey and the Inn

J. RUSSELL LOWELL.

LONDON : CHAPMAN AND HALL, LD .
1893
[All rights reserved]

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PREFATORY NOTE.

“CONVIVIAL Caledonia” was the title of a series of social articles which appeared last autumn in a popular journal, the “Weekly Free Press,” Aberdeen. The articles, largely re-written, and with considerable additions, are now reprinted in the hope that, in their present form, they may be of some interest, not only to readers in Scotland, but to their countrymen in distant lands, as well as to those English, American, and Colonial readers who cherish a friendly feeling towards the “Land o’ Cakes and brither Scots,” and who in travelling “life’s dull round,” still find “the warmest welcome in an Inn.”

R. K.

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CONTENTS.

[Och! Click on the Chapter Number, Description, or Page Number, and you will gang awa’ to that page in a new browser window.]

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY

PAGE

“A Tour in the Alcoholic Districts” — The [Glenmutchkin] Railway — Scotch and English Inns — The history of sign-boards — Defoe’s visit to Aberdeen — His difficulty to find a public house — Change houses — Travellers prohibited lodging in private houses — Pains and penalties for drunkennness in the 15th and 17th centuries

CHAPTER II.

OLD-TIME CONVIVIALITY IN BON-ACCORD

Aberdeen philosophers of the last century — Drs. Thomas Reid, George Campbell, John Gregory, James Beattie of “The Minstrel,” David Skene — Their frugal tavern suppers — Johnson and Boswell at the “New Inn” — The Doctor made a burgess of the town — Anecdotes of him — Laurence Fletcher and George Colman also burgesses — Fatal quarrel between country squires — Aberdeen Lodge of Freemasons — “The Bonny Wife’s Inn” — Signboard painted by John Philip, R.A. — Ancient laws relating to licencing — “A cup of Bon-Accord” — Ceremony of presenting it — “Up in the morning early” — Six-bottle men — Lord Newton — The Nine-Tumbler Club — Anecdote of Saunders Paul.

CHAPTER III.

HIGHLAND INNS PAST AND PRESENT.

Charles Dickens’s amusing experiences of Highland inns — Flora Macdonald and Prince Charlie — Their adventure at Portree — A suspicious and crusty old landlord — An innkeeper’s daughter saves the Prince’s life — Flora Macdonald’s terrible experience — A tragic story — Drinking habits of Prince Charles Stuart — George the Fourth’s first glass of whisky in Scotland — The Elder Pretender — Queen Victoria dines incognita at different Highland inns — Her experiences amusingly described — Alleged rapacity of Highland innkeepers — Lauchie MacTavish’s prayer — Only three months in the Highland year — Drumnadrochit and its visitors’ book — Shirley Brooks’s humourous impressions — John Bright’s poetic tribute — Thackeray, John Philip and Millais — Claret, port and whisky — David Hume and the author of “Douglas” — Mr. Gladstone’s light wines — The Prince of Wales’s preference for claret — What Queen Victoria drinks — The Prince Consort’s favourite wine

CHAPTER IV.

CELEBRATED TAVERNS OF AULD REEKIE.

Dr. Johnson lodges at the “White Horse” — The oldest hostelrie in Edinburgh — A favourite subject with artists — Recently demolished — The “Douglas Tavern,” a howf of Burns — Boswell, Hume and Allan Ramsay — “Fortune’s Tavern” — The Union between Scotland and England signed in a tavern — Fashionable entertainment in 1775 — Noted xi bon vivants, Drs. Webster, Carlyle and Fordyce — Anecdotes of them — Sir Walter Scott’s recollections — Colonel Mannering and Councillor Pleydell at “Clerihugh’s” — “The Poker Club” — Peter Williamson’s tavern — His adventures in America — Robert Ferguson the poet — Christopher North, the Ettrick Shepherd, and the “Noctes Ambrosianæ — The “Ship,” the “Rainbow,” and other modern haunts

CHAPTER V.

CONVIVIAL HAUNTS OF ROBERT BURNS.

Burns and Alexander Nasmyth dine at Roslin — Grateful rhyme on a pewter plate — Visit of Johnson and Boswell to Roslin — Burns’s Highland tour — Interesting mementos of his visits — Kenmore, Inverary — The “Black Bull,” Moffat — Poosie Nansie’s and the “Jolly Beggars” — Nansie’s opinion of Burns — The six belles of Mauchline — Sale of “Tam O’Shanter” inn — Who was Souter Johnnie? — The poet’s snuff-box — Tarbolton Freemasons — The “Globe Inn,” Dumfries — Carlyle on Burns — Relics of the poet — “Lovely Polly Stewart” — “Chloris” — “Anna, wi’ the gowden locks” — Mrs. Burns defends the poet’s character — Cheating the excise

CHAPTER VI.

THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD AND TIBBIE SHIEL.

St. Mary’s Loch — Tibbie the last of the old Scotch landladies — Her cottage frequented by Scott, the Shepherd, Christopher North, De Quincey, Lockhart, Aytoun, etc. — Tibbie’s candid opinion of Hogg — His convivial xii habits — “Bring in the loch, woman” — His death — Unveiling of his monument — Professor Wilson’s prediction regarding the Shepherd — Mrs. Richardson survives a galaxy of great man — Her death at the age of 96 — Tribute to her memory — William Richardson, her son and successor — A noteworthy character

CHAPTER VII.

SIR WALTER SCOTT’S LANDLORDS AND LANDLADIES.

Hosts and hostesses of the old school — The landlord of the “Wallace Arms” — Dick Tinto — Jedediah Cleishbotham — His sympathy for thirsty souls — His own modicum of refreshment — How earned — Clandestine importation of claret — Sergeant More M‘Alpin — His weakness for “standing treat” — Neil Blane of Tillietudlem — Instructs his daughter as to her duties — Typical landladies — Jenny Dods — Widow MacAlpine — Mrs. MacCandlish — Luckie Buchan — Four ministers and four pipers — Luckie Macleary and the Baron of Bradwardine — Med Dods of the “Cleikum Inn” — Her prototype Miss Ritchie — “Gang awa’ hame to your wives and bairns” — Sir Alexander Boswell’s benison

The Wassail Bowl — The First-Footing — Handsel Monday — The Stirrup Cup — Burns and “Auld Killie” — Burns and Neil Gow — Islay Parliaments and Islay whisky — A Faithful Retainer

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