In the Hebrides

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. The dreamy summer in the Western Isles which furnished the notes for the following pages, was immediately succeeded n Thy a prolonged spell of most delightful wanderings in the Himalayas.

On this, - my first journey to the Far East, - my attention was forcibly arrested by many very striking analogies between many of the customs and legends of Western Islanders, and those of Eastern Highlanders.

These, again, suggested such a multitude of unaccountable links between various semi-obsolete customs in Christian lands of the West (which are undoubtedly survivals of ancient pagan practice), and those which form part of the daily religious life in Eastern lands, - that my volumes attained dimensions somewhat forbidding to general readers.

I have therefore deemed it expedient to select such notes of my summer in the Hebrides, as appear to me to possess most general interest, omitting all dryer matter.

These notes I now offer to all my kindred-wanderers on our own romantic Western shores and Isles, trusting that they may therein find some suggestions which may add interest to their own summer rambles.