146 THE DEER FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 



the good luck to fall in with this herd of "great 

 gentlemen " in some very rough broken ground, on 

 which in four shots he got four others of the herd, 

 two of which were also royals. Five shots and 

 five stags, three of which were monarchs, as may 

 well be supposed made a great impression on the 

 lad of seventeen, as indeed it ought ! 



THE FOREST OF GAICK, OR GAIG, OR GAWICK, BY 



KINGUSSIE. 



This forest, together with the others of the 

 Badenoch district, is of great antiquity, the whole 

 of them at one time having belonged to the Earls 

 of Huntly. Two hundred years ago that nobleman 

 owned Gaick, Glenfeshie, Glenavon, Glenmore, Drum- 

 ochter, Ben Alder, and the Loch Treig district 

 right up to Fort William, or some 220 square miles 

 of truly magnificent property. In those days none 

 of the forests were appropriated entirely to the 

 deer, for the tenants were allowed to put up shielings 

 on the edges of the deer grounds, and their cattle 



