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Chapter VIII. 

 PERTHSHIRE. 



FOREST OF ATHOLL BY BLAIR ATHOLL. 



I cannot but feel the greatest diffidence in dealing 

 with this magnificent tract of country, for it has 

 already been most ably and elaborately treated of 

 by Mr. Scrope in his " Days of Deerstalking." 



In addition to the splendid sport it affords, the 

 estate abounds in historical recollections mixed up 

 with traditions of clanish warfare and adventures, on 

 which subjects alone a whole volume could easily be 

 written. This is certainly one of the oldest, if not 

 actually the most ancient, of all the Scotch forests, for 

 there have been deer and Murrays in Atholl from 

 time immemorial. As is well known, Queen Mary 

 witnessed a great hunting in Atholl in 1563, when, 



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