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Queen Victoria - Story of Her Life and Reign, 1819-1901 by Anonymous
page 83 of 121 (68%)
of course, all persons vied in doing her pleasure, she never took any act
of respect or kindliness towards her for granted. She made frequent
mention of the courteous civilities shown her, just as though she had been
in the habit of meeting with the reverse of such conduct. At Dalkeith (the
Duke of Buccleuch's, who was her host on more than one occasion),
'everybody was very kind and civil, and full of inquiries as to our
voyage;' and 'the Roseberies' (at Dalmeny, where she lunched) 'were all
civility and attention.'

In her books a healthy interest is shown in all that concerns the welfare
of the people. The Queen and the Prince-Consort came to Scotland in 1842
in the _Royal George_ yacht, and, tired and giddy, drove to Dalkeith
Palace, where they were guests of the Duke of Buccleuch. The Queen tasted
real Scotch fare at breakfast, oatmeal porridge and 'Finnan haddies.' She
saw the sights of Edinburgh, and in driving through the Highlands
afterwards, had a reception from Lord Breadalbane at Taymouth Castle.

The descriptions of her stay at Lord Breadalbane's, and at Lord Glenlyon's
in Blair-Athole, are very graphic. 'At a quarter to six, we reached
Taymouth. At the gate a guard of Highlanders, Lord Breadalbane's men, met
us. Taymouth lies in a valley surrounded by very high, wooded hills; it is
most beautiful. The house is a kind of castle, built of granite. The
_coup-d'oeil_ was indescribable. There were a number of Lord Breadalbane's
Highlanders, all in the Campbell tartan, drawn up in front of the house,
with Lord Breadalbane himself, in a Highland dress, at their head, a few
of Sir Neil Menzies's men (in the Menzies red and white tartan), a number
of pipers playing, and a company of the 92d Highlanders, also in kilts.
The firing of the guns, the cheering of the great crowd, the
picturesqueness of the dresses, the beauty of the surrounding country,
with its rich background of wooded hills, altogether formed one of the
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