144 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



pressed to escape from the royal troops at Fort 

 Augustus. There are several high hills, of which 

 the highest rises to 3,400 feet. As a rule, the forest 

 carries two rifles all through the season, though 

 towards the end of the time and in good wind a 

 third can be sent out. This forest has a history of 

 its own, as from 1880 to 1893 it formed one of 

 the Winans group, and on good authority I am 

 told that during all that time no shot was fired on 

 it, and that, as far as the actual killing of deer on 

 this ground was concerned, it had a twelve years' 

 jubilee, although probably the deer were at times 

 driven off it into Beauly forest, for Mr. Winans' 

 deer-drives ; thus many fine beasts were produced, 

 but, nevertheless, during all these twelve years 

 in-breeding was telling its tale, and for one good 

 stag that was reared, there were half-a-dozen poor 

 ones which never came to anything. In 1893, 

 when Mr. Winans gave it up, Mr. W. H. Walker 

 rented it, and got from one hundred to one 

 hundred and twenty of the best stags in the forest, 



