Best unpublished tour of Scotland

1 ANONYMOUS

Apparently written by a young lady from Hampshire. 10 September 1790 saw her breakfasting in Doune: "The poor woman was very much distressed she could not do better for us and made measures her poor barne had been sick of the small pox and she had been getting up a large wash, which had made her all confusion; a word they seem very fond of in this part of the world. We thank the good woman for the great desire she showed to do better."

2 WIILLIAM LAING

Later Minister of Crieff, he kept a diary of his walking tour in Scotland, 1812. In Stirling he was "annoyed with beggars who find much encouragement here owing to their being several funds established for regular & incidental charity". At the castle, "I wrote my name place of abode and the day of the month in a book kept for enrolling such things. This is done in order to detect spies if any should come".

3 JACOB PATTISON

President of the medical, physical and speculative societies at Edinburgh University. In 1780 he found the "girls at Stirling exceedingly beautiful", which he attributed to their hairstyles. "It is long and combed back, and before being carefully tied up behind, is fastened upon the top of the head with a comb – they wear no cap or ribband on it whatever."

4 PETER MACDOUGAL

This Stirling schoolmaster left five tour journals. August 1824, he "had a fine duck at the back of the south pier of Ayr, and got my legs burnt with scaulders". He then bumped into the Lass of Ballochmyle, celebrated in Burns's poem, as "the most intelligent traveller I ever met with as she knew every place, and all the gentlemen's seats, their history and genealogy, from Ayr to Glasgow".

5 ALEXANDER SINCLAIR

Alexander was the 15-year-old son of Sir John Sinclair who collated the first statistical account of Scotland. He tries a few witticisms: "We bought some tea for the Highland road which the storekeeper praised high as being directly imported from London and as being so good that it would speak for itself, but it turned out indifferent. I am sure nobody else would speak for it."