2110-7-10-5

P.S. Johnnie J is very fit & not too grumpy. We meet 'reglar' maist Fridays. I hope to see Hugh Macmillan in Skye. He has hired a small motor yacht to knock about Barra, Loch Boisdale & Skye. What if he took us to Scaraig!! He comes early in August.

S.A.G.

BANKHEAD BALERNO MIDLOTHIAN

18th May 1936

My dear John,

I have been slow to react to your charming letter of 4th February. Its fate was to reach me at Brooke's in bed struck down by a second attack of gout since the New Year. I am treated kinder than poor Humphrey Milford who has it more or less chronically. It was touch & go whether he could get down onto his knuckle- bones to receive the accolade in order to arise Sir Humphrey. How little I dreamt that I'd be groaning within 24 hours of his telling me this. However an admirable doctor for elderly clubmen, a Dr Gilbert Orme, put me on my legs in two days & after a week of his prescription starvation & a fortnight's water I got rid of it & it is still away.

I employed the sofa- & bed-hours by reading

Konrad Heiden's devastating study of Hitler. However, while it entirely explains my cousin Hugo's migration and other more terrible & important events, it leaves "den böhmischen Gefreiten" (as old H. called him before capitulating) firmly in the seat of the mighty & I suppose the ever-bullied man of that strange folk are quite content.

One result of Nazi régime has been to interest me in Karl Barth, more especially as you mentioned his name when you were [here] as the only theologian in whom you were any longer interested. I read the "Credo" in snippets but hope when I am more familiar with the words used and the contents of each chapter to read it right off with understanding. There is no doubt it is hard stuff to an amateur, but in the main it all seems to be a tremendously clear vigorous statement & defence of pretty much what my mother used to believe

2.

It's the Darstellung and the handling of the proofs & the note of certainty & the wealth of learning that is so impressive.

I was soon active again & in April we had a cold spell at Abbey St Bathans & I had a lot of tramping but had nothing great in the way of views. The rivers were brimming with clear water from the snow fed springs.

A peep of the grounds of Fallodon (not, alas, the lake) with Admiral Cameron who lives at Runciman's house of Brunton nearby was a treat. Nina & I are invited by Mrs Middleton early next month to Belsay Castle to see the Farne Islands. We met her & her son at Dundonnell (Eilean Darach is it?) nearly two years ago & are naturally very much pleased at being remembered in such a delightful way.

We are going to Skye. It had to be August, for we drifted into a let of this house & had to go somewhere.

We have selected Orbost, near Dunvegan & Loch Bracadale, but having a car the Cuillin should be within reach but not for roping climbs, Isabella being too young & 'dad' too old for such a responsibility. We'll do Bruach-na- frithe & Sgurr nan gillean NOT by the pinnacles & perhaps Sgurr a' Greadaidh. I'm afraid the sight of "The Inaccessible" would be too much for my daughter, so no Sgurr Dearg. For the medium or worse days there must be scores of expeditions & good bathing places & as you can imagine I have homes of ancestors such as Greshornish (Macleod) the manses of Snizort & Duirinish & Duntuilm which I must see. I wonder if Dunvegan will impress more than when we visited it from Sligachan in 1919.

Well enough of me!

It was a splendid letter you wrote me & if you ever have time for another do dictate a bit about the climate or rather

had in view to outlying parts of the backwoods, but not of course the Wild West.

I am sure you felt the King's death. We had a very fine address about him in the Kirk of Currie from my neighbour Sir G. Adam Smith for whom I have a great admiration & liking. The more one hears of the King the more one reveres him, but one cannot grudge him missing the frightful condition of things in Europe. And now, John, I must dry up with the prayer that not only Hitler but "the superior fiend" too will get what Tam o' Shanter just missed & Ardwall wished for me.

I was reminded of you all the other day when I landed off a round of the E. & W. Cairns, Craigengar & Byrehope Mount & Medwyn to West Linton - you, Anna & Walter at the hottle getting on for 38 years ago! Did your mother & Anna go and are they with you? To Susie & all of you our best love. Nina & Isabella are both in Edin. at dancing & I who have a (Victoria) day off am taking the chance of sending best wishes to you whether you be in