Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustration. See 45766-h.htm or 45766-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/6/4/45766/45766-h/45766-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/6/4/45766/45766-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/inbywaysofscotti00barbrich Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). A carat character is used to denote superscription. The character(s) enclosed in curly brackets following the carat is/are superscripted (examples: yo^{r}, Ma^{tie}). [=x], where "x" is any letter, represents that letter with a bar over it. [~vre] represents the sequence "vre" with a tilde over the entire string. The OE- and oe-ligatures have been replaced with "OE" and "oe." IN BYWAYS OF SCOTTISH HISTORY [Illustration: _Mary Queen of Scots_ (_The "Morton" Portrait_)] IN BYWAYS OF SCOTTISH HISTORY by LOUIS A. BARBÉ B.A. Officier d'Académie Author of "The Tragedy of Gowrie House" "Viscount Dundee" "Kirkcaldy of Grange" etc. [Illustration: Publisher Mark] Blackie and Son Limited London Glasgow Bombay 1912 Preface When the author of the following papers came to Scotland, many years ago, he knew nothing of the country that was to become his home, and was hardly less ignorant of its history. To acquire some acquaintance with both he followed the same plan: he began with the highways, as indicated, in the one case, by the advertisements of the railway and steamboat companies, and, in the other, by the works of Tytler and Hill Burton. Before long, however, he learned that the knowledge thus obtained might be pleasantly supplemented by independent excursions off the beaten track. Topographically the result was the discovery of charming bits of scenery, of which he still recalls the picturesque beauty with delight. Historically, too, he found his way into interesting nooks and corners which his early guides had either ignored entirely or contented themselves with referring to in the briefest words. The outcome of some of his explorations--if it be not presumptuous to apply such a term to them--is set forth in the present volume. In venturing to publish it, he is not without a hope that the interest which he has felt in his rambles through some of the byways of Scottish history may, to some extent, be shared by others. If he should be disappointed in this, he will have to admit that he has done less than justice to subjects that had it in them to be made pleasant and attractive.