14 APRIL 1990, Page 36

Highland Tour

I have a limpback vade-mecum with me now, Bought for old shillings off a market stall At Whit, in a pepper-faced granite town, Oyster grey, like the unwashable fly-leaf scrawl.

We took for its sake plantation roads, Through pine shade, to an abbey's last stones, A Celtic stump, or an ungrazed umber plot Where the English finally put down the Scot; Here, it still commands, halt for a while For the view of Cul Mor; here, go over the stile And up to the ridge to see Loch Maree Look her best. Here, catch the ferry to Skye.

But when it comes to the Old Bridge of Dee It reels out unerringly span, breadth, height; Not a word of how here, on the last day of May, I should turn left, and you would turn right.

Richard Devine