on¡¡the¡¡eighth¡¡day¡¡after¡¡leaving¡¡Inverness¡£*£§4£§¡¡¡¡Very¡¡few¡¡persons
then¡¡travelled¡¡into¡¡the¡¡Highlands¡¡on¡¡foot£»¡¡though¡¡Bewick£»¡¡the¡¡father
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this¡¡time¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡employed¡¡by¡¡the¡¡British¡¡Fisheries¡¡Society
of¡¡which¡¡his¡¡friend¡¡Sir¡¡William¡¡Pulteney¡¡was¡¡Governorto¡¡inspect
the¡¡harbours¡¡at¡¡their¡¡several¡¡stations£»¡¡and¡¡to¡¡devise¡¡a¡¡plan¡¡for
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communicated¡¡in¡¡his¡¡report¡¡presented¡¡to¡¡Parliament¡¡in¡¡the¡¡following
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pointed¡¡out¡¡that¡¡the¡¡military¡¡roads¡¡were¡¡altogether¡¡inadequate¡¡to
the¡¡requirements¡¡of¡¡the¡¡population£»¡¡and¡¡that¡¡the¡¡use¡¡of¡¡them¡¡was¡¡in
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some¡¡of¡¡the¡¡principal¡¡rivers¡£¡¡¡¡For¡¡instance£»¡¡the¡¡route¡¡from
Edinburgh¡¡to¡¡Inverness£»¡¡through¡¡the¡¡Central¡¡Highlands£»¡¡was
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Aberdeen¡¡till£»¡¡I¡¡think£»¡¡after¡¡the¡¡battle¡¡of¡¡Waterloo¡£¡¡¡¡What¡¡it¡¡must
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being¡¡no¡¡roads£»¡¡there¡¡was¡¡little¡¡use¡¡for¡¡carts¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡the¡¡whole
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but¡¡quite¡¡as¡¡often¡¡on¡¡the¡¡backs¡¡of¡¡women¡£*£§8£§¡¡¡¡The¡¡interior¡¡of¡¡the
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at¡¡every¡¡tide¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨The¡¡people¡¡lay¡¡scattered¡¡in¡¡inaccessible¡¡straths
and¡¡spots¡¡among¡¡the¡¡mountains£»¡¡where¡¡they¡¡lived¡¡in¡¡family¡¡with
their¡¡pigs¡¡and¡¡kyloes¡¡£¨cattle£©£»¡¡in¡¡turf¡¡cabins¡¡of¡¡the¡¡most
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and¡¡produced¡¡wherewithal¡¡to¡¡pay¡¡for¡¡the¡¡oatmeal¡¡imported¡£¡¨*£§9£§
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erection£»¡¡if¡¡the¡¡Government¡¡would¡¡defray¡¡the¡¡otherthe¡¡bridge¡¡to
be¡¡free¡¡of¡¡toll¡¡after¡¡a¡¡certain¡¡periodit¡¡appeared¡¡to¡¡the¡¡engineer
that¡¡this¡¡was¡¡a¡¡reasonable¡¡and¡¡just¡¡mode¡¡of¡¡providing¡¡for¡¡the
contingency¡£¡¡¡¡In¡¡the¡¡next¡¡place£»¡¡he¡¡recommended¡¡a¡¡bridge¡¡over¡¡the
Spey£»¡¡which¡¡drained¡¡a¡¡great¡¡extent¡¡of¡¡mountainous¡¡country£»¡¡and£»
being¡¡liable¡¡to¡¡sudden¡¡inundations£»¡¡was¡¡very¡¡dangerous¡¡to¡¡cross¡£
Yet¡¡this¡¡ferry¡¡formed¡¡the¡¡only¡¡link¡¡of¡¡communication¡¡between¡¡the
whole¡¡of¡¡the¡¡northern¡¡counties¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡site¡¡pointed¡¡out¡¡for¡¡the
proposed¡¡bridge¡¡was¡¡adjacent¡¡to¡¡the¡¡town¡¡of¡¡Fochabers£»¡¡and¡¡here
also¡¡the¡¡Duke¡¡of¡¡Gordon¡¡and¡¡other¡¡county¡¡gentlemen¡¡were¡¡willing¡¡to
provide¡¡one¡half¡¡of¡¡the¡¡means¡¡for¡¡its¡¡erection¡£
Mr¡£¡¡Telford¡¡further¡¡described¡¡in¡¡detail¡¡the¡¡roads¡¡necessary¡¡to¡¡be
constructed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡north¡¡and¡¡west¡¡Highlands£»¡¡with¡¡the¡¡object¡¡of
opening¡¡up¡¡the¡¡western¡¡parts¡¡of¡¡the¡¡counties¡¡of¡¡Inverness¡¡and¡¡Ross£»
and¡¡affording¡¡a¡¡ready¡¡communication¡¡from¡¡the¡¡Clyde¡¡to¡¡the¡¡fishing
lochs¡¡in¡¡the¡¡neighbourhood¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Isle¡¡of¡¡Skye¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡to¡¡the¡¡means¡¡of
executing¡¡these¡¡improvements£»¡¡he¡¡suggested¡¡that¡¡Government¡¡would¡¡be
justified¡¡in¡¡dealing¡¡with¡¡the¡¡Highland¡¡roads¡¡and¡¡bridges¡¡as
exceptional¡¡and¡¡extraordinary¡¡works£»¡¡and¡¡extending¡¡the¡¡public¡¡aid
towards¡¡carrying¡¡them¡¡into¡¡effect£»¡¡as£»¡¡but¡¡for¡¡such¡¡assistance£»¡¡the
country¡¡must¡¡remain£»¡¡perhaps¡¡for¡¡ages¡¡to¡¡come£»¡¡imperfectly¡¡opened¡¡up¡£
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Aberdeen¡¡and¡¡Wick£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡description¡¡of¡¡the¡¡country¡¡through¡¡which
the¡¡proposed¡¡line¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Caledonian¡¡Canal¡¡would¡¡necessarily¡¡pass
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yet¡¡emerged¡¡from¡¡a¡¡state¡¡of¡¡mere¡¡speculation¡£
The¡¡new¡¡roads£»¡¡bridges£»¡¡and¡¡other¡¡improvements¡¡suggested¡¡by¡¡the
engineer£»¡¡excited¡¡much¡¡interest¡¡in¡¡the¡¡north¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡Highland¡¡Society
voted¡¡him¡¡their¡¡thanks¡¡by¡¡acclamation£»¡¡the¡¡counties¡¡of¡¡Inverness
and¡¡Ross¡¡followed£»¡¡and¡¡he¡¡had¡¡letters¡¡of¡¡thanks¡¡and¡¡congratulation
from¡¡many¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Highland¡¡chiefs¡£¡¡¡¡¡¨If¡¡they¡¡will¡¡persevere£»¡¨¡¡says¡¡he£»
¡¨with¡¡anything¡¡like¡¡their¡¡present¡¡zeal£»¡¡they¡¡will¡¡have¡¡the
satisfaction¡¡of¡¡greatly¡¡improving¡¡a¡¡country¡¡that¡¡has¡¡been¡¡too¡¡long
neglected¡£¡¡¡¡Things¡¡are¡¡greatly¡¡changed¡¡now¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Highlands¡£¡¡¡¡Even
were¡¡the¡¡chiefs¡¡to¡¡quarrel£»¡¡de'il¡¡a¡¡Highlandman¡¡would¡¡stir¡¡for¡¡them¡£
The¡¡lairds¡¡have¡¡transferred¡¡their¡¡affections¡¡from¡¡their¡¡people¡¡to
flocks¡¡of¡¡sheep£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡people¡¡have¡¡lost¡¡their¡¡veneration¡¡for¡¡the
lairds¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡be¡¡the¡¡natural¡¡progress¡¡of¡¡society£»¡¡but¡¡it¡¡is
not¡¡an¡¡altogether¡¡satisfactory¡¡change¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡were¡¡some¡¡fine
features¡¡in¡¡the¡¡former¡¡patriarchal¡¡state¡¡of¡¡society£»¡¡but¡¡now
clanship¡¡is¡¡gone£»¡¡and¡¡chiefs¡¡and¡¡people¡¡are¡¡hastening¡¡into¡¡the
opposite¡¡extreme¡£¡¡¡¡This¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡me¡¡to¡¡be¡¡quite¡¡wrong¡£¡¨*£§10£§
In¡¡the¡¡same¡¡year£»¡¡Telford¡¡was¡¡elected¡¡a¡¡member¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Royal¡¡Society
of¡¡Edinburgh£»¡¡on¡¡which¡¡occasion¡¡he¡¡was¡¡proposed¡¡and¡¡supported¡¡by
three¡¡professors£»¡¡so¡¡that¡¡the¡¡former¡¡Edinburgh¡¡mason¡¡was¡¡rising¡¡in
the¡¡world¡¡and¡¡receiving¡¡due¡¡honour¡¡in¡¡his¡¡own¡¡country¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡effect
of¡¡his¡¡report¡¡was¡¡such£»¡¡that¡¡in¡¡the¡¡session¡¡of¡¡1803¡¡a¡¡Parliamentary
Commission¡¡was¡¡appointed£»¡¡under¡¡whose¡¡direction¡¡a¡¡series¡¡of
practical¡¡improvements¡¡was¡¡commenced£»¡¡which¡¡issued¡¡in¡¡the
construction¡¡of¡¡not¡¡less¡¡than¡¡920¡¡additional¡¡miles¡¡of¡¡roads¡¡and
bridges¡¡throughout¡¡the¡¡Highlands£»¡¡one¡half¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cost¡¡of¡¡which¡¡was
defrayed¡¡by¡¡the¡¡Government¡¡and¡¡the¡¡other¡¡half¡¡by¡¡local¡¡assessment¡£
But¡¡in¡¡addition¡¡to¡¡these¡¡main¡¡lines¡¡of¡¡communication£»¡¡numberless
county¡¡roads¡¡were¡¡formed¡¡by¡¡statute¡¡labour£»¡¡under¡¡local¡¡road¡¡Acts
and¡¡by¡¡other¡¡means£»¡¡the¡¡land¡owners¡¡of¡¡Sutherland¡¡alone
constructing¡¡nearly¡¡300¡¡miles¡¡of¡¡district¡¡roads¡¡at¡¡their¡¡own¡¡cost¡£
£§Image£§¡¡Map¡¡of¡¡Telford's¡¡Roads¡£
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