74 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



act a fine was usually imposed by the forester's 

 employer, which was paid without a murmur, and 

 there all proceedings ended. 



Whatever may be the origin of the Airlie drummer- 

 boy, he is at times reputed to quit Cortachy Castle 

 and play his tattoo round Tulchan Lodge in Caen- 

 lochan Forest. One tradition is to the effect that 

 a drummer-lad having in some way angered an 

 ancient Earl of Airlie, he was ordered to be shut 

 up in his drum and thrown from the walls of 

 Cortachy, and ever since that deed the drummer-boy 

 never fails to beat his tattoo at Cortachy or Tulchan 

 Lodge whenever disaster or death is coming to the 

 " bonnie house of Airlie." 



There is also a legend, in Caenlochan, that one 

 McCombie once surprised, caught, and carried 

 off a mermaid to his house at Crandart, where 

 his captive began to negotiate for her freedom, and 

 McCombie demanded, as his price, some fore know- 

 ledge of the time, place or manner of his death ; 

 whereupon his prisoner, pointing out a large stone on 



