THE RED DEER OF NORTH UIST 5 



understand his intention is to import the young to North 

 Uist, and after a time to transfer the stag there also, and 

 replace him at Kilmory by another. I had recently the 

 pleasure of seeing these animals, and to my eye the Uist 

 animals are certainly not inferior to them. 



A very fine stag was shot in North Uist on 2nd September 

 1897. He was a real wild Highlandman, carried a grand 

 head of 14 points, and weighed 22 stone 7 Ibs. I knew him 

 for several years before he was killed. He occupied a small 

 island in a loch at Braenish, on the east side of the public 

 road, where 1 often went to look at him. He was a great 

 favourite of the then keeper, who was very proud of him and 

 called him " the big fellow." I was quite sorry when he was 

 killed, and followed up his head until I overtook it and got 

 photos. At the same time there was another magnificent 

 stag which occupied the island of " Mossam " in Loch Fada. 

 The " Mossam " stag was of great size, quite as large and 

 heavy as the other, and carried a very fine " Royal " head of 

 jet black antlers with perfect cups and tips which in the 

 sun shone almost like silver. This animal, which was also a 

 great favourite of the keeper, when I saw him last was easily 

 distinguishable from the others by the intense blackness of his 

 antlers. The North Uist deer get no hand -feeding. Since 

 the stag above alluded to was shot, another 14-pointer was 

 got in 1898. A i6-pointer was got in 1900. During the 

 years 1897-1901, over and above these animals, five Royals 

 and three i 3 -pointers were got. 



A few years ago a number of deer left the island of 

 Pabbay, swam across to North Uist, and took up their 

 quarters on the farm of Newton and the golf course at 

 Trumisgarry. I do not know whether they eventually 

 succeeded in taking up with the North Uist deer, but the 

 keeper of the time said the stags were afraid to venture 

 among the North Uist deer, that the latter would have none 

 of them, that so soon as one of the Pabbay stags ventured to 

 cross a certain line he was set upon by the North Uist stags 

 and driven back. This may have been a romance, but at 

 all events Sir John did not desire that these stags should 

 pay attention to his hinds. He did not admire their heads. 

 One of them which I several times saw on the golf course 



